Sonnys Blues Baldwin Personal Reflection Essay Example

Sonnys Blues Baldwin Personal Reflection Essay â€Å"Sonny’s Blues† is an emotional story written by an amazing author, James Baldwin, who has come to be one of my favorite writers. This particular piece talks about the troubles of African American freeing themselves from the mental bondages of their surroundings, the ghetto. The title is significant, and helped me to understand the underlining meaning of the story. The title can be divided into two main reasons, the first, â€Å"Sonny’s Blues, meaning the music he plays. Second is the reference to his life, his feelings, his style, and most importantly his way of life. This story starts in despair, the main character, Sonny is a drug addict, who is holding on to life, but through music he finds hope. There are many parts of this story, such as Sonny being a recovering heroin addict, or Sonny and his love for music, or the fact that Sonny and his dad are just alike. It was difficult for me to understand the main reasons for this story after reading it once, because I automatically thought this was another one of those sad short stories about someone crying out for help. After reading the story again, and writing my final essay on it, it helped me to understand that Baldwin’s main reason is hope. We will write a custom essay sample on Sonnys Blues Baldwin Personal Reflection specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Sonnys Blues Baldwin Personal Reflection specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Sonnys Blues Baldwin Personal Reflection specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer Although Sonny being a heroin addict was only a secondary point, it still played a very important role in the story. As I was reading â€Å"Sonny’s Blues† I would unintentionally relate parts of the story to things that happened in my life. For example, When Sonny is released from prison, the narrator (Sonny’s brother) says, â€Å"Yet, when he smiled, when we shook hands, the baby brother I’d never known looked out from the depths of his private life, like an animal waiting to be coaxed into the light. †(Baldwin). The narrator is pointing out that his brother he never actually is out of jail. While Sonny was in prison, he was trapped, and now that he is physically free, his brother questions whether he is free from the drug addiction and the feeling of sorrow. This moment in the story reminds me of when I was 14 years old; I went to the prison to meet my mom for her release after being incarcerated for almost 8 years because of drug addiction. There is nothing like questioning the mindset of someone you barely know. I was unsure of how healed my mother was. My mother had been absent from my life for 8 years, and although I wanted to know her, I couldn’t push myself to. In many ways I feel a connection to both Sonny and the Narrator. I believe this story is so intriguing because, Sonny finding his release was through music. Baldwin says, â€Å"I grew up with music you know, much more than with any other language. In a way the music I grew up with saved my life. † (Baldwin) . The music I grew up with saved my life. As an adolescent I joined a community marching band. Being in this marching band meant so much to me, I was able to express my feelings through playing the drums and being devoted to the instrument. Many times I would go to the community center to play the drums on-off day practices. To me, playing the drum was like a drug, it allowed me to feel free. Baldwin gave an amazing example, in â€Å"Sonny’s Blues â€Å" of how powerful music can be. In the story Sonny spotted a women and said â€Å"While I was downstairs before, on my way here, listening to that woman sing, it struck me all of a sudden how much suffering she must have had to go through-to sing like that. Its repulsive to think you have to suffer that much† (Baldwin). I immediately thought to myself, that’s how I felt when I use to go and play in the marching band. After reading that statement in â€Å"Sonny’s Blues†, I always listen to the words and the music that is being played on the radio. Sometimes I can sense the pain or the stress that an artist may be going through just by listening to how the track was executed. Personally I like to read stories that deal with someone overcoming amazing obstacles. It allows me to view things differently than the average reader. In addition the writer, James Baldwin is amazing. Him being an African American male and writing about something that most African American families could relate to was a phenomenal plus for me. Writing this story about an African American family in the early 1960’s more than likely influenced many other families, going through the same problems to change. I was talking to my Sociology professor yesterday and he told me about a book he read, and how it gave him entirely differently view on life. When he told me that, I thought about Sonny’s Blues, this story made me view my life as African American Male, who grew up with a mom who was addicted to crack cocaine, and father who was non-existent, as a male who had all the potential in the world. The underlining main point in this story is hope. There are many factors that challenge the life of these characters in this story, but for me, in much aspect this story was reality. The turning point of this story is when Sonny invites his brother to the nightclub in downtown Harlem. Although Sonny’s brother was hesitant he knew it was needed, if he ever desired to have a strong relationship with his brother. Sonny’s brother says â€Å"Yet it was clear that, for them, I was only Sonny’s brother. Here I was in Sonny’s world. Or rather: his kingdom. Here, it was not even a question that his veins bore royal blood† (Baldwin). For once the narrator was able to see that his brother was a changed person, and that he did honestly love music. My comparison to this moment would have to be the moment that I took my mom out to eat last Mothers day. During this time, we were able to sit down and get know each other. I approached the situation as a mother who has made mistakes and is now doing better things in life. Like Sonny’s brother, I was always hesitant of hanging out with my mom, for a reason I don’t understand myself. It was one of the best decisions I made in my life. In most cases it’s all about the initial first step that someone makes. In Conclusion, â€Å"Sonny’s Blues† shows that there is hope in dark places, but its up to the person to not give up and follow what they believe in. There is no one that knows your self, better than yourself. I don’t believe this story is about a heroin addict or a story based merely on music; these are just secondary parts of the story. The ultimate meaning behind â€Å"Sonny’s Blues† is hope. The reason why this story was so successful is because the way Baldwin allows the reader to relate to the story.

Clothing Fashion Essay Example

Clothing Fashion Essay Example Clothing Fashion Essay Clothing Fashion Essay Essay Topic: House Of Mirth Clothing Fashion Topic:Discuss (compare and contrast) the role of clothing fashion in two of the novels we have read this far. The role of clothing and fashion is something that has hunted our society for a very long time. With time fashion is more than just the style in which something is done, its no longer a pattern, its also a manor of doing something even a custom, or appearance. The clothing or the fashion we wear marks our ?statues? as well as our personality among those individuals that surround us. The novels we have read thus far, ?The House of Mirth as well as Bread Givers? illustrates these ideas. The House of Mirth written by Edith Wharton illustrates how clothing as well as fashion is a big part of society and how it ties the individual to fashion, clothing, very, something, society, time, statues, social, role, read, novels, mirth, lily, keep, illustrates, house, finding, fashionable, dress, brat, appearance, youth, yorks, written, works, wharton, wear, wealthy, ways, upper, unfortunately, two, turn, topicdiscuss, ties, thus, through, survives, surround, style, stay, single, seen, rich, pinnacle, phenomenon, personality, peers, pattern, participating

10 Practical Steps to Help You Retire as a Millionaire

10 Practical Steps to Help You Retire as a Millionaire So you want to be a millionaire. Who doesn’t? You’re probably also thinking that there’s no chance in h-e-double-hockey-sticks that you could ever reach that stage by your retirement- at least not in your current job. But there are ways. And plenty of strategies you can employ to set yourself up to retire with that kind of cash. It won’t work for everyone, but at least if you follow these steps, you’ll have saved enough for your retirement.1. Save your money.It’s the simplest advice out there- and the hardest to follow. But if you put aside 20% of your earnings every year (even if you only make $40k) and put that into a 401(k), a combination of factors including investment, compound interest, matching funds, etc. nets you in the seven digits. 401(k)s are also typically protected from creditors in financial catastrophe. $10k a year (which would really only require you to save $5,760) can grow outrageously if invested wisely and you don’ t take anything out of your account until you’re over 70.2. Quit your vices.Millionaires are far less likely to smoke, be overweight and unhealthy, etc. This is because a) smoking is expensive, and b) so is poor health. Start eating quality food and taking care of yourself and you’ll last long enough to enjoy the money you save.3. Get married (and stay married).If this kind of commitment is in the cards for you, there can be significant financial benefits to matrimony. Two incomes. One set of expenses. Tax breaks. You do the math.4. Learn about the tax code.The tax code is the best pal of the rich. Learn about the stepped up basis loophole and learn how to factor deferred liabilities into your tax model. Once you know the rules and how they’re written, you can figure out how to exploit them for your gain.5. Think outside the box.There is no one way to accumulate wealth. And if there were, it probably wouldn’t be salaried or wage employment. The top 1% of households in this country spend only about half their time selling their time for money. Think about business ownership opportunities, personal investment, real estate, mutual funds, stocks, securities, etc.6. Geek out on finance.There are tons of resources out there for how you can make wealth happen for yourself. Learn about all of them: accounts and markets, entrepreneurship, etc. Read blogs and books about money management. Make a program that works for you and stick with it. In 50 years, you’ll be thrilled you did.7. Be prepared for the worst.Crises and emergencies do happen. Prepare yourself for this, rather than getting caught by surprise. Don’t let setbacks negatively impact your saving efforts. Have a rainy day fund to prepare in advance for setbacks.8. Save more as you are able.Once you start earning more, bump the amount you save from month to month. This will help the amount you’re hoarding to spiral into fatter and fatter sums. And don’t aut omatically increase your spending when you start earning more.9. Get/stay out of debt.Debt is not your friend. Make sure you stay as liquid and free from pesky interest rates as possible.10. Be patient.You won’t become a millionaire overnight. But you can start chipping away at a brighter financial future. It just takes making a plan, setting a goal, and sticking to it.

Zara Marketing Plan Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Zara Marketing Plan - Essay Example From this discussion it is clear that the company responds quickly and more efficiently to customers demand in the market and in so doing, Zara has remained in the forefront in delivering the latest fashion to customers at a fair price in locations like Paris and New York. Zara operates in more than 77 countries since 1990’s, a business that has grown from 6 stores in the year 1979. Later, several retail operations stores sprout up in major Spanish cities before going global as from 1988. The expansion of its market shows the growth in size, production and customer demand. To ensure sustainability in the market and satisfaction of customers, the company invests in innovation and creativity to enhance the introduction of new brands which targets different segments of customers in the market such as the â€Å"Pull & Bear†, â€Å"Massimo Dutti†, and the â€Å"Bershka†.This paper stresses that  the ability to identify the consumers in need of the latest fash ion and international brands has been the drive towards international growth. This presents Zara to other large competitors in the market such as Victoria’s Secret and GAP as well as from new entrants. The highly targeted market is women as they account for 60% of the company sales. In display, management saw to it that products were mixed from skirts, shirts, to pants; a move that enabled customers to get and buy, unique-well combined outfits.... In display, management saw to it that products were mixed from skirts, shirts, to pants; a move that enabled customers to get and buy, unique-well combined outfits. The firm has experienced exponential growth while employing its flexible and high-speed business model as this has enabled the sales to increase from $8.15 billion in 2006 to $17.2 billion in 2011. This is facilitated by the continual global expansion of its market as this has the company to open branches in 77 countries with over 4000 overall stores globally (Hansen 12). Analysis of issues The major issues facing Zara includes maintaining a strong and effective customer care, optimization of the high development and training cost as well as maintenance of the company’s ability of effectively responding to market needs. The production system of Zara is more flexible; hence, this calls for an efficient distribution system, fast supply chain and commitment of employees. Moreover, the new breed of shoppers calls for a new variety, freshness and loyalty. The brand should be able to serve the increased demand from a more educated and savvy consumers who demand more choices (Lynn et al 3). The major market comprises of full bodied women who are full size. Clothes are produced that will fit them properly so as to enhance their beauty. This market segment is more conscious on their looks and they enjoy shopping as they are hectic of socializing lifestyles. In essence, attention is laid on the plus size ladies aged 18-40 who work in big cities with mid range level of income or those in pursuit of higher levels of education. Customer service is an important tool in marketing and promotion. The company focused heavily on training of its sales team so as they may serve customers more effectively.

Accounting for leases is problematic and the current standard (IAS 17) Essay

Accounting for leases is problematic and the current standard (IAS 17) does not always reflect the substance of transactions - Essay Example These arrangements have become increasingly unique and complex, both as stand-alone arrangements (i.e., leases only) and as part of more complicated contracts (i.e., power purchase contracts). Such uniqueness and complexity place enormous pressure on companies to capture and report these arrangements in their financial statements in such a way that the financial statement users understand these transactions and their impact on the companies’ balances. With such a demand for transparency and complete financial reporting, the companies and the rest of the business world have focused their attention on the accounting standards for leases as such standards set the tone for how these leases should be accounted for in the financial statements. One such standard formulated for leases is International Accounting Standards 17. International Accounting Standards (IAS) 17, Leases, the accounting standard for leases, was formulated by the IAS Board or IASB to stipulate the proper accounting policies and disclosures applicable to leases. Paragraph 4 of IAS 17 describes a lease as an arrangement or a contract wherein the lessee is given the right by the lessor to use a certain property for a given period of time. In return, under the same arrangement, the lessee will pay the lessor for the use of such property. Lease accounting and the related disclosures, for both the lessor and the lessee, are covered by IAS 17. According to IAS 17, there are two kinds of leases: the finance lease and the operating lease. A finance lease, as defined by IAS 17, is a lease wherein majority of â€Å"all the risks and rewards incidental to ownership of the asset† being leased is transferred by the lessor to the lessee. The substance of this kind of leasing arrangement is that the lessee, according to Alexander, et. al., â€Å"would be in the same position, both economically and in terms of production and

Sexuality Paper Essay Example for Free

Sexuality Paper Essay In today’s society, we as men and women are burdened with a double standard of how one’s sex life is supposed to go. We hear from our friends and family, from churches and neighbors, that sex is something you do with the person you love and trust, someone who you are going to share the rest of your life with. Sex comes with marriage, and with marriage comes a promise that you will remain with this one person â€Å"’til death do us part. † But this is no longer the case, as people all over the world are having sex way before marriage. We develop attractions to the people we see in school or in the workplace, and we date each other, and in other cases, we â€Å"hook up.† This is where sex comes in. It seems as though we may have lost that meaning of sex and intimacy and promise, and now we have developed a game. A race even- who can have sex with more people? Who is the most experienced? Who is the best? And as we all want to try and win this race, backlash is inevitable. As men increase in numbers, they increase in â€Å"manliness† and power among each other. As women increase in numbers, they decrease to â€Å"sluts and â€Å"whores† or to â€Å"easy† individuals. Where in the world did this come from? Of course, the power of man did not originate in the 21st Century. Man has been the number one sex as early as the 1600s, when scientists, doctors and religion claimed that the bodies of men and women were one. A body in this time period was â€Å"fluid,† and ever changing, and men and women were represented in a hierarchy. A male body was a perfect body to compare all others to; it was strong, full of heat and truth. A female body was one that lacked vital heat and perfection, making these bodies the inverse of a male body. Women retained, inside, the reproductive structures that are visible on the male body. Women were weaker, softer and colder and always looked down upon. They were also considered more out of control and their morals could not be trusted. A less perfect body meant a less perfect character, citizen and being. But when the 19th Century was upon us, the idea of one body changed into two bodies. However, with this change, the idea of women as a lesser sex was still in motion as scientists tried to figure out the purpose of women, along with the role they should play in society. Physical and â€Å"natural† differences in the bodies of men and women justified the roles that men and women should play. This ultimately led to the view of separate spheres, of men as superior and â€Å"normal† and women as strictly here to reproduce and provide nourishment to their children and families. With these separate roles of men and women in society came gender roles, of men being â€Å"manly† and providing for the family, staying strong and representing his family in a positive manner, while women held down the fort at home, cooking for her husband after a long day at work and caring for the children she brought into this world, raising them to be respectable people just as she and her husband were. Women were to be feminine and dainty and beautiful, polite and have self-control. Men and women were to be opposites of each other, especially in the high class, white world. With these images, the role of sex in each of the lives of men and women became very different. For men to want desire and sex, they did as they please, since they were in charge and held the power. Men did not need to limit having sex to just the woman they were married too. But for women to think this way was considered out of control and even named Nymphomania at the time. Women resorted to ways of rebellion and sexual pleasure on their own such as solitary sex and relationships with other women. And as women pursued their sexual desires and needs, they began to pursue their needs in other ways too. Women have led a long fight in society in the workplace and the political world, constantly fighting for a piece of the power that men hold so close to them. The 1900s were a turn around for women in society as they earned the right to vote, the right to work outside of the home, to live alone, unmarried without children. Women were fighting to be equal with men, to be looked at in the same way and to be treated with just as much respect. Today, we have come a long way in this process as a society; we see women in power in politics, not just in The United States, but in other countries as well, where women are Presidents and Prime Ministers. So where and when did this double standard of sex come to be in our world? Why are women still looked down upon in the subject of sexual relations? To get some answers, I created a survey, and asked some people of my generation what they thought about this double standard, and if they even think it is still around today. Through Facebook, an ever-climbing social network, I posted a survey for anyone to take, asking 10 questions. Here is the outline of my survey: Sexuality Survey This is a survey to develop an idea of the sexual connotations between men and women and the number of sex partners they have had as well as how both sexes feel about it in today’s society. The survey asks a total of 8 questions and each question should be answered as honestly as possible. This survey is completely anonymous and voluntary. You do not have to answer any questions you do not feel comfortable answering. Your input is greatly appreciated in the class of Sociology 345: Sociology of Sexuality. Please Circle: I am a:MaleFemale My age is: d Please write a short response based on your personal feelings, experiences, and opinions. You do not have to answer anything you do not feel comfortable answering. Your input is greatly appreciated! Sexuality Survey Created by Taylor Tarpey This is a survey to develop an idea of the sexual connotations between men and women and the number of sex partners they have had as well as how both sexes feel about it in today’s society. The survey asks a total of 8 questions and each question should be answered as honestly as possible. This survey is completely anonymous and voluntary. You do not have to answer any questions you do not feel comfortable answering. Your input is greatly appreciated in the class of Sociology 345: Sociology of Sexuality. Please Circle: I am a:MaleFemale My age is: d Please write a short response based on your personal feelings, experiences, and opinions. You do not have to answer anything you do not feel comfortable answering. Your input is greatly appreciated! 1. Have you ever altered the number of sex partners you have had to avoid being judged? Why or why not? 2. How does it make you feel to hear that men in society today are perceived as â€Å"better† or â€Å"manly† or â€Å"pimps† if they have a high number of sex partners, and that women are perceived as â€Å"sluts† or â€Å"whores† or â€Å"easy† if they have a high number of sex partners? 3. How do you protect yourself from these connotations? 4. In your opinion, what does the number of sex partners a man or a woman has mean to you? To society? 5. In your opinion, do you think a man/woman who has had more sex partners than you is considered more experienced? Why or why not? 6. In your opinion, do you think a man/woman who has had more sex partners than you is considered less pure? Why or why not? 7. Have you ever been with a man/woman sexually and considered how this might change their social status? How it might change yours? Why or why not? 8. In your opinion, do you think the opinions of others about this sexual connotation that comes with men and women having a certain amount of sex partners, is changing in today’s society? Why or why not? 1. In your opinion, do you think a man/woman who has had more sex partners than you is considered less pure? Why or why not? 2. Have you ever been with a man/woman sexually and considered how this might change their social status? How it might change yours? Why or why not? 3. In your opinion, do you think the opinions of others about this sexual connotation that comes with men and women having a certain amount of sex partners, is changing in today’s society? Why or why not? 4. 9. Have you ever altered the number of sex partners you have had to avoid being judged? Why or why not? 10. How does it make you feel to hear that men in society today are perceived as â€Å"better† or â€Å"manly† or â€Å"pimps† if they have a high number of sex partners, and that women are perceived as â€Å"sluts† or â€Å"whores† or â€Å"easy† if they have a high number of sex partners? 11. How do you protect yourself from these connotations? 12. In your opinion, what does the number of sex partners a man or a woman has mean to you? To society? 13. In your opinion, do you think a man/woman who has had more sex partners than you is considered more experienced? Why or why not? 14. In your opinion, do you think a man/woman who has had more sex partners than you is considered less pure? Why or why not? 15. Have you ever been with a man/woman sexually and considered how this might change their social status? How it might change yours? Why or why not? 16. In your opinion, do you think the opinions of others about this sexual connotation that comes with men and women having a certain amount of sex partners, is changing in today’s society? Why or why not? 5. In your opinion, do you think a man/woman who has had more sex partners than you is considered less pure? Why or why not? 6. Have you ever been with a man/woman sexually and considered how this might change their social status? How it might change yours? Why or why not? 7. In your opinion, do you think the opinions of others about this sexual connotation that comes with men and women having a certain amount of sex partners, is changing in today’s society? Why or why not? 8. I developed these questions to try and answer many questions of my own. I am very curious to see what people have to say about this double standard and these connotations created by society, and I want to know where this judgment of having too many sexual partners comes from and how both men and women deal with it. I also want to know if people think this double standard has changed as we have advanced socially in our world, and if people really question the society they live in. To start, I received 29 total participants, with 27 who fully finished the survey. Since the survey was optional, I will use all of the data I have received. 20 of my responses were from females, although two of them only answered the first two questions, their age and sex, and 9 responses were male. More than half of these responses were 18-19 years old, five were 21 years old, and I had one of each of the following: a response from a 20 year old, a 42 year old, a 47 year old, and a 53 year old. I was surprised to see results from people well out of my generation, but thankful for these as they provided very different insight into this topic. In the first question, 22 participants answered no, they have not changed the number of sexual partners they have had for various reasons such as being content or not ashamed with the information, or they do not care what others think or that they should not be judged or given approval by others. I also had some answers such as, â€Å"it is a small number,† â€Å"I only tell those close to me,† and â€Å"I am not a whore.† On the other hand, I received six responses saying yes, simply for the reasons of embarrassment and not wanting to be judged. One answer was hard to place, for their response said they did not change this number, but it was only one person and they sometimes deny it. These answers left me with the observation that generally people are confident with their sexual choices and feel that they do not deserved to be judged, so they do not let it effect them. Others are afraid of embarrassment and shame. So why do they feel this way? My next question asked about the double standard of men and women, and the connotations related to it. I was interested in learning what participants thought of this negative standard in society. I received a large variety of responses, such as many displaying disgust and unfairness or anger and sadness, misjudgment and discrimination, even indifference and annoyance. Many gave similar answers in saying that men should not be glorified or in control, or that they should be â€Å"scolded† the way women are, or that there should be no standard at all and everyone should be looked at through the same eyes. Many participants questioned this double standard and the equality between men and women in society, even giving answers such as men and women have created this double standard themselves, and genders perceive their own gender in ways that they deem themselves hurtful or shameful, and also mentioned that society needs to be more informed. Others said this double standard was outdated, and that people â€Å"know what they want,† and that â€Å"sex is normal† and â€Å"we make our own decisions,† as well as, â€Å"we live in a Patriarchal society.† Others, such as that last response, accepted the double standard, saying they were raised to believe this, or it is just a part of evolution and Darwinism, and that we should all just stop taking such hard offense, even that this standard will never change. Many of these responses had me wishing that people questioned society more. Why don’t we ask ourselves and others why we feel the way we do? If so many of us are against this double standard, than what is keeping it alive? And while it is alive, how are we protecting ourselves from it? That is the question I gave next, and I received three similar types of responses. The first seemed to be a string of advice, or things one should not do, such as do not care, do not judge, do not hook up, do not get involved with bad people, do not share this information, do not be bias, do not be a slut. The second type is advice saying that we should only share important information with those close to us, like family and friends, or specifically only those we are intimate with and care about, people we trust. The third type is that we should stand up to others, for others, and for ourselves, that we should question society for these connotations, and that we should break down these images society has placed on right and wrong. It looks as though some people are thinking critically here, questioning society and proposing we fight it, while others are creating more standards for society, such as those things we should not do. If we are so against society’s standards in the first place, why create more? My next question was more personal, asking what a person’s number of sex partners means to them, and to society. Many people said this represents how a person feels about themselves in a general sense or the standards they set for themselves, with things like insecurities or shyness, sexiness or promiscuity, even being easy, all come with having more sex partners. Many said the amount of sexual partners a person has depends on what they consider intimate, and whether or not emotion and intimacy has a â€Å"deep resonance within the individual,† or that we do not take sex seriously like we used to in the past. Some brought up the double standard introduced in the beginning of the survey, saying that more sex partners for a man meant praise and a woman was considered a whore. To society, participants talked about sex partners being a level of â€Å"coolness† or experience, how responsible we are and how well we are able to make decisions, as well as the fact that having a large number of sex partners is often represented in the media on TV and in magazines. I even received some responses that a high number of sexual partners shows how many times a person was under the influence. With these responses, it is evident that the number of sex partners a man or a woman has means a lot, to us and to society. Only once did I receive the answer of â€Å"nothing.† It seems as though sex and the number of partners we accumulate determines who we are and what kind of values we hold, yet sex is seems to have lost its true meaning of intimacy, closeness and love. My next question asked if a higher number of sex partners held by a male or female meant they had more experience. This question was a little vague, as people may define experience differently, but I was interested in seeing how we interpret experience, and how it relates to sex. Most of my responses said yes, these two factors are correlated, that more sexual partners equals more experience, simply for the reason that they have been with many different people, experiencing different things. But others argued against this, saying that â€Å"experience is not quantity, but quality,† many gave examples such as having only few sex partners for long periods of time, and being able to intimately get to know their partner, to â€Å"explore the body and it’s wants, needs, likes and dislikes,† is considered more experience compared to someone who has slept with many people just one time. As I stated earlier, participants agreed that experience means different things to different people, and I was interested in seeing how they interpreted this question. It is similar to my next question, which asks if participants considered having more sexual partners to be less pure. Most participants said no, that a number does not determine purity and that we never know the full circumstances of another individual. Some interpreted this in a religious way, indicating that purity was related to God. I had some answers that God forgives anyone and does not see anyone any less if they have more partners, as well as purity is disgraced with any form of premarital sexual activities, and since many of us partake in them, they do not matter. Of the responses I received that said yes, more sexual partners means one is less pure, said purity depends on age, and that being pure is ultimately remaining abstinent, or even that purity is related to cleanliness. One said we are more prone to sexually transmitted infections with more partners, and that if one is less pure, they are unclean. I was especially eager to read responses to this question because again, I was wondering how participants perceived the word pure. Very few interpreted this as a form of cleanliness, and many related it to religion and God. But many people said no, that purity and the number of sexual partners a person has are not related. I then asked if anyone had ever considered how being with another in a sexual way would change their social status, or that of their partner. The majority answered no, that they had never considered this before, some for the reason that they have never experienced this, or it was not considered at the time. Others responded by saying that social status does not matter during sex, only love and care for the other person is considered, or that they were not concerned with what other people thought. Of the few who answered yes, I was given many responses related more to how one would think of himself or herself after, not of the other person. Two responses I received were worried about how they would be looked at because of the status of the other person, specifically because of age and reputation of their partner, even race. This question has me questioning society. Are we really equal? Participants generally said that social status does not mean anything, yet we have socially segregated the sexual actions of men and women, creating a negative social status for women in the world of sex, while men rise above them. We argue that this double standard is wrong, yet we do not consider the differences we create, setting standards without even realizing we are doing so. My final question was directed at the idea of this double standard changing in society, and if anyone thought the opinions of others regarding to the negative connotations connected with men and women were changing. The majority of my responses were yes, that this double standard is changing, but for many reasons and in different ways. The main change observed in the responses given was that the outlook on women in society is changing. Women are becoming more independent, free and open, in society and the workplace, and it is now more acceptable for them to have more sex partners. The power is becoming more evenly distributed and it is not as much of a big deal as it used to be. Other responses were more general, saying no one cares anymore; we are becoming more lenient as a society, and specifically younger generations are not as concerned with their reputations as older generations are or once were. I also received some responses stating that society is changing it’s opinions for the worse, that this double standard is getting worse, or people are â€Å"getting pregnant too young.† Participants who said no, this double standard is not changing in the minds of society, said that people still talk of the number of sex partners, that we hear it on TV and in the media, and we discuss is with family and friends, or that the double standard â€Å"still stands for the most part.† With these responses, it looks like people see a change in this double standard, that as a society, we seem to be moving away from it and into equality. So why do we let the number of sexual partners still define us? Why are we still making judgments towards individuals, setting a standard for right and wrong in society, if we say that this double standard is decreasing as a whole? We could ask an endless amount of questions and analyze the thoughts and feelings of every individual in the world, and almost always get different answers. As a whole, I think we, as a society, need to stand up and speak out against the issues we perceive as wrong, and question the standards that we have set for ourselves, and society. We should question why we stand for something, or why we are against or for another, because it seems to me that we disagree with the negative connotations linked with sexuality and sexual activities, yet we enforce them in our own, as we create judgments and standards for what is right and wrong. It is true, that women are rising in society to be more equal with men- we have proof of that. Men and women are slowly becoming more equal in every way compared to what they once were so long ago, but are we becoming equal in the world of sex?

Essay --

Nuclear Weapons and Foreign Policy is a good example of the general mindset during the Cold War. Kissinger explains the nuclear dilemma and how much the nuclear age differs from past war problems. He also goes into depths about the problems with American foreign policy and offers several opinions on how it can be changed. At certain times, the book begins to read more as a Kissinger manual on how to fix foreign policy and becomes less of an analysis of nuclear weapons and foreign policy. This is most likely attributed to his positions as National Security Advisor and Secretary of State. His central thesis was that the threat of nuclear annihilation was nearly useless as an instrument of foreign policy because it lacked credibility. Instead, he offers that the United States focuses on improving its ability to fight limited wars, and accept that total victory in said wars were not crucial. He spends a great deal of time arguing the benefits of limited warfare, the problems nuclear weap ons bring into military operations, and the politics surrounding both. All said points were analyzed by Kissinger very well; however he fails to address the problem of arms control and the arms race in general. The main argument Kissinger addresses is that limited war was the only avenue of escape from nuclear stalemate with the Soviet Union. He argues that the United States tradition of absolute victory in war had led them into a dead end of massive retaliation and the threat of all out nuclear war was used to block every move by the Soviets. According to Kissinger, nuclear weapons coincided with the concept of total war. This leads to situations where the will to fight is crippled. He advocates a return to limited warfare similar to that of the Nap... ...ome above the military’s quickness to respond. During war militaries do not have the ability to define the difference between tactical victories and political goals. In a limited nuclear war, it is the political element which decides the length and breath of the military effort. Such was the nature of the task Henry Kissinger undertook during the heyday of the Cold War. Overall Henry Kissinger offered explanation to the problems foreign policy faced because of nuclear weapons during the Cold War. He believed that deterrence and limited warfare was the best solution to these problems. Today it would not seem like as big of deal, but at the time this was a very controversial viewpoint. I argue that Kissinger could have touched more on the arms race and other threatening regions, such as China. All in all, I enjoyed his viewpoint on a very conflicted time in history.

Kathakali

Kathakali is a form of theatrical play that incorporates dance and drama in its presentation. It originated from the Kerala in the southern part of India. Kathakali combines five essentials of art, such as expressions (stressing the importance of facial expression), dance (rhythmical movements of the hands, legs, and body), enactment (giving emphasis to hand movements), song or vocal accompaniment, and finally instrument accompaniment. Most Kathakali plays utilize the local language which is Malayalam. (Wikipedia, 2007)Performances are based from the Mahabharata and Ramayana. The Kathakali is said to be the study of performance art as a combination of religion, philosophy, and psychology, and not of religion as a performance art because it assimilates elements from each aspect, that is religion, philosophy and psychology, and perform it in an artistic fashion. To illustrate, the most popular theme of Kathakali plays are based on stories of Krishna (such as Bhagavata Purana). (Ancient Worlds, 2005)Krishna, as we all know, is considered as a divine being, worshipped around the world by people who practice Hindu traditions, in particular, Hinduism (Wikipedia, 2007). The story of Krishna in Bhagavata Purana contains principles and beliefs that are the bases of religion, specifically Hinduism, and its philosophical foundation. The goal of performance art, in general, is to capture the mind of its audience. Read also  Arya Samaj at  https://essaysamurai.co.uk/arya-samaj/The success of each performance is based on the responses of the members of the audience. In the psychological aspect, Kathakali makes use of facial expressions to captivate the soul of the audience. Kathakali artists establish a connection with their audience through their theatrical methods and techniques. Another form of performance art, however, ancient in nature, is Kutiyattam. It is safe to say that the foundation of Kathakali in terms of religious, philosophical, and psychological aspect also applies to Kutiyattam because Kathakali is said to have originated from it.ReferencesAncient Worlds, (2005) Kathakali. Retrieved November 24, 2007, from Ancient Worlds LLC.Wikipedia. (2007) Kathakali. Retrieved November 24, 2007, from Wikimedia Foundation, Inc.Website: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kathakali

Strategic Planning – Ibm 2009

CASE ANALYSIS: IBM IN 2009 Analysis Industry: Computer Services Industry Porter’s 5 Forces 1) Risk of entry by potential competitors The risk of entry by potential competitors is relatively low (+). This is due to the newly entrant competitors that need a large market capitalization, software materials, services and consulting; to gain consumer’s interests. If consumers are able to choose buying their products from a large company that are adequate in the computer hardware, services and consulting, other technological services, they would rather choose a large firm than a smaller firm that do not have adequate resources. ) The intensity of rivalry among established companies within an industry The intensity of rivalry among established companies within this industry is relatively high (-). This is because there are big firms such as Oracle that are neck in neck with other large firms such as IBM, trying to acquire every software there is that helps them gain a competiti ve advantage. 3) The bargaining power of buyers The bargaining power of buyers is relatively low (+). This is because in this industry that is supplying a particular product or service is not composed of many small companies and the buyers are large and few in number. Also, buyers are unable to purchase in quantity, because many of the firms in this industry offer services and consulting, and software that buyers use. 4) The bargaining power of suppliers The bargaining power of suppliers is relatively high (-). This is because the product that suppliers sell has few substitutes, and the profitability of suppliers is not significantly affected by the purchases of companies in this industry. Also, switching costs are great as consumers will need to move from their original product to another supplier. 5) The closeness of Substitutes to an industry’s product The closeness of substitutes to an industry’s product is relatively low (+). There are hardly any substitutes as for many consumers, the importance of the market for technology products and a source of high-tech workers for serving these types of software when consumers need help. The less technological advanced products are unable to satisfy similar customer needs. Forces – Conclusion: This industry is a 3 star industry. What IBM should do is: * IBM should use their competitive advantage to surpass their competitors, and be the monopoly in the industry, instead of being in a competition neck-in neck with other leading competitors * Since the product that suppliers sells has few substitutes, and the bargaining power is extremely high, IBM should acquire the supplying companies, to reduce their cos ts some more, and for suppliers not to have the bargaining power that they have currently. Life Cycle: Growth stage * E. G. In this industry, it is growing because consumers are becoming more and more familiar with the now technology-advanced products when technology in the world is advancing rapidly. Also, most of the large firms usually have control over technological knowledge as a barrier to entry which diminishes most of the smaller firms, which lessens the chance of a new entrant. The Value Chain IT Provides low cost-traditional IT services or value-creating, customizing consultant solutions depend on it having the distinctive competencies to develop state-of-the-art software applications across business processes and industries * Recent advances have increased the power of business intelligence software to identify ongoing changes and forecasts many events after acquiring Cognos (software) * Another advancement was that the IT department came up with a new initiative to make it easier for geographically dispersed people to interact and collaborate without the time a nd expense of in-person meetings. They were using virtual technology which other people inside and between companies to exchange instant messages, chat verbally, share real-time presentations, and virtual meetings Hardware * The systems and technology group put its resources into developing new kinds of mainframes and servers that would appeal to a wider number of customer groups and expand global sales. This will give them more power and flexibility for the IT product they buy from IBM * Currently IBM sells its mainframes directly to customers through its own sales force to protect lucrative software and service revenues that accompany these sales. By doing that, IBM’s mainframe installed base had doubled because IBM’s ability to deliver increasing amounts of processing power to customers at a decreasing cost * Such as self-contained server would eliminate the need for expensive IT consulting and service; it would offer companies with a low-cost alternative and companies could simply order as many of Cisco’s (one of the acquired software) server racks as needed to operate or expand their business Competitive Advantage Distinctive Competencies: are firm specific strengths that allow a company to differentiate its products from those offered by rivals and/or achieve substantially lower costs than its rivals. IBM’s distinctive competencies is acquiring the different servers and software to help the company gain a competitive advantage as the company integrated many technological advanced products that surpasses other firms in the industry Intangible Resources: are nonphysical entities that are created by managers and other employees, such as brand names, the reputation of the company, the knowledge that employees have gained through experience, and the intellectual property of the company, including that protected through patents, copyrights, and trademarks. The intangible source here is the brand name and reputation that IBM had built all these years, leading to one of the top companies in the computer service business. Capabilities: refer to a company’s skills at coordinating its reso urces and putting them to productive use. * IBM’s skills at coordinating its resources and putting them to good and productive use by the drive to focus the efforts of all IBM employees on satisfying the needs of clients was one of the capabilities that made IBM have this competitive advantage Functional-Level Strategies EFFICIENCY * The simplest measure of efficiency is the quantity of inputs that it takes to produce a given output; the more efficient a company is, the fewer the inputs required to produce a given output and the lower its cost structure will be. * E. G. In 2007, IBM spent $11. 8 billion to acquire 36 software and 18 service companies in the fields such as security, data management, and Web commerce * QUALITY * The CEO’s strategy was to focus on high-profit margin products that directly complemented its service and software offerings. IBM had sold off its PC business to Lenovo; its disk drive business to Hitachi, and its printer business to Ricoh. By doing this, IBM is able to focus on high-profit margin products and ditch the failing products in the company that are sold off to other companies * INNOVATION * By keeping up with the technology advancements, IBM had announced a new â€Å"virtual world† IT initiative to make it easier for geographical dispersed people to interact and collaborate without the time and expense of in-person meetings. These virtual worlds are interactive, immersive Web sites based on the use of three-dimensional graphics. This allows people to exchange instant messages, chat verbally, share real-time presentations and ideas in private, virtual meeting spaces that exist permanently in real time so people can meet on regular, periodic, or impromptu bases. * CUSTOMER RESPONSIVENESS * At this stage, the sales of its new mainframes of IBM were up by 25%; software revenue rose 5%, helped by increasing sales of its popular WebSphere software package that improves the performance of a company’s electronic commerce and business applications Building Competitive Advantage Through Business-Level Strategy Competitive Positioning High Market Segmentation * What IBM is doing is high market segmentation where they could choose to recognize the differences between customer groups and make a product targeted toward most or all of the different market segments. The customer responsiveness and high and products are being customized to meet the needs of customers in each group. * E. G. IBM had shifted its products to higher profit-margin services and automating traditional business processes such as procurement, finance and human resources which was leading to increasing numbers of long-term service contracts between large firms. Differentiators * Clearly, IBM is a differentiator. This is due to how IBM was able to acquire different software from companies which then was able to offer clients high profit-margin software application to satisfy their needs. IBM was able to differentiate their products from the leading competitors and satisfy consumers that the other competitors clearly could not Business-Level Strategy and the Industry Environment Main strategies that companies can adopt to deal with decline: * Leadership strategy The speed of decline and the intensity of competition in the declining industry are moderate. Through aggressive acquisitions, IBM was able to acquire much software to create high profit-margin products to satisfy customer needs and to also provide clients with their best service and consulting. The open standards approach that Gerstner’s approach was that as IBM’s consultants went from client to client assessing their needs; they were able to provide detailed feedback to IBM’s other divisions about whether their products were adequately meeting clients’ needs. Gerstner’s strong focus on being close to clients had the additional advantage of spurring innovation throughout the organization. Chaining * They establish networks of linked merchandising outlets that are interconnected by IT and function as one large company. The enormous buying power these companies possess through their chain of nationwide stores allows them to negotiate large price reductions with suppliers that promote their competitive advantage * With IBM, the company is able to link with other software companies and IT back up servers that could connect as one large company. By doing so, it allows IBM to create a competitive advantage in regards to price reduction from suppliers. Strategy & Technology Technological Paradigm Shifts * This occurs when new technologies come along that revolutionize the structure of the industry, dramatically alter the nature of competition, and require companies to adopt new strategies to survive. * E. G. When technology has been advancing, IBM innovated a new product that made geographical dispersed people to interact and collaborate without the time and expense of in-person meetings called the new â€Å"virtual world† from the IT department. Also, IBM had put its resources to good use by developing new kinds of mainframes and servers that would appeal to a wider number of customers groups and expand global sales. Proprietary standard * Establishing a proprietary standard as the industry standard may require the company to win a format war against a competing and incompatible standard. Strategies for doing this include producing complementary products, leveraging killer applications, using aggressive pricing and marketing, licensing the technology, and cooperating with competitors * E. G. IBM could produce complementary products, leverage killer software that they have been acquiring and perfecting it, also using aggressive pricing and marketing to let gain new consumers. Strategy in the Global Market By serving as a global market, a company can potentially utilize its production facilities more intensively, which leads to higher productivity, lower costs and greater profitability. Global sales also increase the size of the enterprise, so its bargaining power with suppliers increase, which may allow it to bargain down the cost of key inputs and boost more profitability. IBM made the investment to establish huge, low-cost service delivery centers for its global clients by improving the software necessary to automate the management of networks and data centers, and develop IT to improve telecommunications, especially Internet services. From India, IBM runs a whole range of IT services for its global customers. In Bangalore, IBM has a command center that monitors the ope ration of the database server networks of more than 16,000 clients. Through this, IBM was forced to eliminate 20,000 jobs in Europe and the US, and move these jobs to India as the cost of labour in India is significantly low. Corporate Level Strategy Vertical Integration * This could enable IBM to achieve a competitive advantage by helping build barriers to entry, facilitating investments in specialized assets, protecting product quality, and helping to improve scheduling between adjacent stages in the value chain * One of the disadvantages is that it increases bureaucratic costs if IBM’s supplier becomes lazy or inefficient, and it reduces flexibility when technology is changing fast or demand is uncertain Strategy Outsourcing By strategic outsourcing of value creation activities, it may allow a company to lower its costs, better differentiate its products, and make better use of scarce resources, while also enabling it to respond rapidly to changing market conditions * One of the disadvantages is that if IBM outsources important value creation activities or becomes too dependent on the key suppliers of those activities * IBM has invested in India to take advantage of its growing importance as a m arket for technology products and a source of high-technology workers. IBM made the investment to establish huge, low-cost service delivery centers for its global clients, improve the software necessary to automate the management of networks and data centers, and develop IT to improve telecommunications. IBM runs a whole range of IT services for its global customers, including software delivery services such as upgrading and maintaining client software and managing and protecting database centers in India. Also in Bangalore, IBM has a command center that monitors the operation of the database server networks. The largest of IBM’s three global IT service centers are in India, Brazil, and China. IBM’s scope was to expand traditional outsourcing operations and attract more and more global clients to compensate for reduced profit margins so it can still increase profits from this group. Related and Unrelated Diversification Acquisitions * Acquisitions are used to pursue vertical integration or diversification when a company lacks the distinctive competencies necessary to compete in the industry. Acquisitions are often perceived as being less risky than internal new ventures because they involve less commercial uncertainty. * IBM has done many acquisitions, such as Lotus, CenterPoint Energy, Phillippines PSBank, PTT Chemical Public Company of Thailand, Skynet in Lithuania, Cognos etc. which helps IBM increase its expertise in specialized IT services to strengthen its competitive advantage Corporate Performance, Governance, and Business Ethics ROIC 1) Participate in growing market 2) Take market share from competitors ) Consolidate industry through horizontal integration 4) International expansion, vertical integration or diversification * E. G. For IBM, pursing strategies to maximize profitability and profit growth helps a company to better satisfy the demands that several stakeholder groups place on it, not the other way around. Also, by maximizing returns to stockholders, IBM could boost its profitability and profit growth rate to be consistent in satisfying the claims of s everal other key stakeholder groups. Ethics * Despite the argument that maximizing long-run profitability and profit growth is the best way to satisfy the claims of several key stakeholder groups, a company must do so within the limits set by the law and in a manner consistent with societal expectations * It is incumbent on managers at IBM to make sure that the company is in compliance with these laws when pursuing strategies. Unfortunately, there is plenty of evidence that managers can be tempted to cross the line between the legal and illegal in their pursuit of greater profitability and profit growth. IBM could hold many various seminars on the topic of ethics and to try and implement ethical protocols when dealing with an issue that arises. Implementing Strategy in Companies that Compete in a Single Industry Strategic Reward Systems * Organizations strive to control employees’ behavior by linking reward systems to their control systems. Based on a IBM’s strategy (cost leadership or differentiation), strategic manager must decide which behaviors to reward. Selecting, Developing an Action/Implementation Plan * Disadvantage of acquisitions * Many acquisitions fail to increase the profitability of the acquiring company and may result in losses. Acquisition may fail to raise the performance of the acquiring companies suggesting that acquisitions usually destroy rather than create value. As IBM is acquiring many types of software to enhance its competitive advantage, but it may fail to raise the performance of the acquiring companies for four reasons * Companies frequently experience management problems when they attempt to integrate a different company’s organizational structure and culture into their own * Companies often overestimate the potential economic benefits from an acquisition * Acquisitions tend to be so expensive that they do not increase future profitability * Companies are often negligent in s creening their acquisition targets and fail to recognize important problems with their business models * IBM should be firm on their management organization structure to refrain any management problems with IBM makes an acquisition * IBM should weight out all the pros and cons to distinguish whether the acquisition is beneficial to the company or not. Also, when doing the acquisition, IBM should think of all the important problems that align with their current business model * Outsourcing * IBM will fail when their profitability is now substantially lower than the average profitability of its competitors; it has lost the ability to attract and generate resources, so its profit margins and invested capitals are shrinking rapidly. IBM will have to acquire many new software to keep their competitive advantage * IBM should incorporate quality control in those countries that they have outsourced their services and consulting to continue to attract and generate resources and have profit margins still high

Markets and Merchants

Markets and Merchants Markets and Merchants Markets and Merchants By Mark Nichol Market and attendant words, deriving from the Latin verb mercari, meaning â€Å"trade,† are listed and defined in this post. Market, referring to a place where goods are sold, migrated to English through an ancient Germanic language, and by extension it now also pertains to a geographic region or a demographic targeted for selling of certain goods or services, or an opportunity for selling or a supply of or demand for goods or services. As a verb, the word means â€Å"sell† or â€Å"make available for sale.† Mart is a synonym as both a noun and a verb, while a supermarket is specifically a large grocery store. Marketplace is a synonym for market in its various meanings, though it may also refer to competition for dominance among various ideas or ideologies. A marketer is someone involved in promoting or selling a service; the profession is called marketing. Something possessing qualities that make it amenable to being sold, or someone whose qualities will make him or her appealing to employers or the consumer public, is said to be marketable. Aftermarket refers to the system of providing accessories and parts for a product or to a system for reselling a certain type of products, as well as the general market for stocks. A farmers’ market is a place where produce and sometimes homemade foods (and even crafts) are sold informally, while a flea market is where people sell goods informally, including used products but often new and sometimes self-produced manufactured products as well; both are usually held outdoors. The stock market is a system in which trading of securities for investment purposes is conducted. A black market is an informal network of trade of restricted or prohibited goods; occasionally, the phrase may refer to an actual location where such goods are sold. As black-market, the term is a verb referring to buying or selling in the black market. A seller is called a black marketer or black marketeer, and the action is black marketeering. The adjective upmarket means â€Å"appealing to the wealthy† or â€Å"of high quality† (it also serves as an adverb); down-market pertains to low-income consumers or low quality. Mercer, a British English term for a dealer in fine fabrics, also survives as a surname. Mercenary, meaning â€Å"one who serves for wages,† usually refers to a soldier-of-fortune, but as an adjective, in addition to referring to one who enlists in a foreign army or fights for a private client, means â€Å"greedy† or â€Å"venal.† A merchant is a shopkeeper or trader, although occasionally the word serves as slang referring to someone with a particular talent, such as in the phrase â€Å"speed merchant† for a fast sprinter. It also is an adjective pertaining to trading or used as in the phrase â€Å"merchant marine,† which denotes, collectively, the commercial ships of a particular nation or the crew members of these ships. (Merchantman is an obsolete synonym for merchant; it was also used during the Age of Sail to refer to a ship carrying goods for trade.) The adjective mercantile, meanwhile, means â€Å"pertaining to trading,† while merchandise refers to goods that are sold (while a merchandiser is someone who sells goods), and the the word also serves as a verb meaning â€Å"buy and sell† or â€Å"promote.† The act or practice of selling goods is merchandising. Commerce is the large-scale buying and selling, generally involving transportation over long distances (though the word also has rarer senses of â€Å"exchange of ideas and opinions† or sexual intercourse). The adjective is commercial, which also functions as a noun to denote an advertisement using moving images, sound, or both. Online buying and selling is called e-commerce, where the e is an abbreviation for electronic, as in email (sometimes styled e-mail). One word unexpectedly related to mercari is mercy, from the idea of a price paid. Mercy is compassion or leniency, a fortunate occurrence, or a divine blessing. (The term is also sometimes uttered as an oath of pleasure of surprise, as in â€Å"Oh, mercy me!† though it is old-fashioned.) To be merciful is to exhibit compassion or forbearance, and the adverbial form is mercifully; mercy itself occasionally serves as an adjective, as in the phrase â€Å"mercy killing,† referring to killing a person or an animal to end suffering. Another is Mercury, the name of the fleet-footed Roman messenger god, who was also the god of commerce- and travel and, ironically, theft- and that of the planet named for him. The name of the element mercury, which in its liquid form moves very quickly, was also inspired by the swift Roman deity. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Vocabulary category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:12 Types of LanguageAnyone vs. Everyone50 Synonyms for "Song"

Acquisition of Manipulative Skills in Chemistry

Acquisition of Manipulative Skills in Chemistry Practical or hands-on activity is an essential instrument of assessment in an active science teaching and learning process. Science practical is a hands-on activity where the students are given the opportunity to practice what they have learned in the theories of science. It is an instrument for the students to acquire Science Process Skills (SPS) and Manipulative Skills (MS). Through practical activities a student’s Science Process Skills, Manipulative Skills as well as critical thinking and learning are developed. Also, science practical is a student centered and active learning process, which prepares a student to learn how to think, analyse, solve problems and produce appropriate solutions to it. This science practical is said to be a Problem-Based Learning (PBL) Model. To identify and evaluate the level of the acquisition of SPS and MS, an assessment should be conducted on students. Assessments are important means of gaining dynamic picture of students academic developme nt. As an instrument of assessment, PEKA Chemistry was introduced in Malaysian school curricular. PEKA Chemistry is school-based practical assessment which was introduced in the year of 1999 to replace SPM Chemistry Practical Paper. This instrument is designed with a few constructs and criteria to assess student’s SPS and MS at the upper secondary level. The assessment is done continuously for two years, starting with the Form Four students and it is continued until the said students complete their Form Five. Students are assessed formatively by their chemistry subject teacher within the process of teaching and learning. LITERATURE REVIEW From other source of study, a few problems were identified in the implementation of PEKA. From the study by Siti Aloyah Alias (2002) ‘Evaluation Of The Implementation Of The PEKA Biology Program’ it is shown that even though the students enjoyed the assessment, many students are not sure of the skills they are suppose to master. With this, it is proven that the studied students have not mastered the SPS and MS skills as stated in the objective of PEKA. This study also shows that teachers are uncertain of using and designing their own scoring rubrics. They find it difficult to mark the students evidence as they do not have a proper standard marking guide. The study on Student Ability in PEKA Biology Among Form Four Science Stream Students by Nor Aziah Darus shows that time constraint in completing experiments was one of the main problem identified. This means the amount of experiments suggested by the ministry has got no proper time allocation. The amount of workload for teachers is too taxing. Teachers are under stress where they are suppose to finish the subject syllabus and the all the PEKA in a limited time of period. This in one way or other leads to lack of interest in teaching and learning of PEKA . Perlaksanaan Peka Kimia Di Sekolah Menengah di Sekitar Daerah Batu Pahat, Johor by Lee Soh Hoon   (2 007) showed that the frequency of the PEKA implementation is not sufficient. Faiza (2002) feels that the teachers are having problem in marking the practical report because the score scheme given by the ministry is too rubric. Additional to this, teachers in certain school are facing problem of insufficient lab apparatus which leads to limitation of experiment to assess. She also quoted that student’s excellent performance in PEKA (Biology) does not promise an excellent result in Biology theoretical examinations.

Significance of effective leadership within the 21st century business Assignment

Significance of effective leadership within the 21st century business context - Assignment Example Significance of effective leadership within the 21st century business context It is in this context that various challenges and shortcomings are witnessed in relation to the strategies developed for effective organizational management which further requires greater degree of rationality among the leaders. An illustration of a practical scenario shall be quite helpful to describe the significance and criticality of effective leadership within the 21st century business context. With this concern, this discussion will intend to describe, analyze and subsequently understand the effectiveness of leadership in Ford Motor Company. Notably, the company had to witness serious obstacles recently before the occurrence of 2008 economic crisis when the strategies implemented by the Corporate Executive Officer (CEO) Mr. Alan Mulally proved to be quite helpful in redirecting the organization towards a healthier growth. However, the current situation is also not without any challenges for the company which indicates towards the necessity to reconsider the business strategies practiced by the company. Ford is renowned as one of the leading brands in the international automotive industry which is engaged with manufacturing and distributing a wide range of automobiles and accessories. Ford is universally well-known having its manufacturing and distributing branches located all over the world. There are currently altogether nearly 90 manufacturing and distributing plants located in globally. ... Ford also relates with the financial services industry being associated with rendering loan and vehicle insurance facilities to its customers worldwide. Working in such versatile environment, Ford was able to successfully secure a leadership position within the global automotive industry obtaining sustainable profits over the years. However, it had to witness severe crisis situation during the early decade of the 21st century, incurring a record debt in its history depicting a position of financial instability and limited sustainability. Contextually, to rule the market once again and to regain its sustainability, Ford had to overcome number of challenges over the recent decades. In order to overcome such a crisis situation, Ford had to consider drastic changes in its operations being largely focused on its consumer needs and wants. It was during this period, that the organization witnessed a leadership change, where the then newly recruited Corporate Executive Officer (CEO) Mr. Alan Mulally implemented drastic financial and managerial strategies which ultimately assisted the organization to recover from the situation. This particular scenario can be regarded as quite illustrative too reflect upon the significance of organizational leadership to secure competitiveness, sustainability and growth of the company in today’s 21st century context (Hitt, Ireland & Hoskisson, 2009). Being a global and hugely diversified organization, Ford has a large number of primary stakeholders which include customers, suppliers, dealers, employees’ communities and investors or shareholders. Ford has been significantly focused on its brand recognition and reputation amid its stakeholders. For instance, the