How to Make Saline Solution at Home

The term saline solution refers to a salt solution, which you can prepare yourself using readily available materials. The solution can be used as a disinfectant or sterile rinse or for lab work. This recipe is for a salt solution that is normal, meaning it is the same concentration as, or isotonic to, body fluids. The salt in a saline solution discourages bacterial growth while rinsing away contaminants. Because the salt composition is similar to that of the body, it causes less tissue damage than you would get from pure water. Materials Technically, a saline solution results whenever you mix any salt with water. However, the easiest saline solution consists of sodium chloride (table salt) in water. For some purposes, its fine to use a freshly mixed solution. In other cases, youll want to sterilize the solution. Keep the purpose in mind when you mix the solution. If, for example, you are simply rinsing your mouth with saline solution as a dental rinse, you can mix any amount of table salt with warm water and call it good. If, however, you are cleaning a wound or want to use the saline solution for your eyes, its important to use pure ingredients and maintain sterile conditions. Here are the ingredients: Salt:Â  You can use salt from the grocery store. Its best to use non-iodized salt, which doesnt have iodine added to it. Avoid using rock salt or sea salt, since the added chemicals may cause problems for some purposes.Water:Â  Use distilled water or reverse osmosis purified water instead of ordinary tap water. Use 9 grams of salt per liter of water, or 1 teaspoon of salt per cup (8 fluid ounces) of water. Preparation For a mouth rinse, simply dissolve the salt into very warm water. You might wish to add a teaspoon of baking soda (sodium bicarbonate). For a sterile solution, dissolve the salt in boiling water. Keep the solution sterile by placing a lid on the container so that no microorganisms can get into the liquid or airspace as the solution cools. You can pour the sterile solution into sterile containers. Sterilize containers either by boiling them or by treating them with a disinfecting solution, such as the type sold for home brewing or making wine. Its a good idea to label the container with the date and to discard it if the solution isnt used within a few days. This solution could be used for treating new piercings or for wound care. Its important to avoid contaminating the liquid, so ideally make just as much solution as you need at a time, allow it to cool, and discard leftover liquid. The sterile solution will remain suitable for lab use for several days in a sealed container, but you should expect some degree of contamination once it is opened. Contact Lens Solution Although its the proper salinity, this solution isnt suitable for contact lenses. Commercial contact lens solution contains buffers that help protect your eyes and agents to help keep the liquid sterile. Although homemade sterile saline could work to rinse lenses in a pinch, it isnt a viable option unless you are familiar with aseptic techniques and use lab-grade chemicals.

Marketing Syncra System Essay - 1332 Words

From the case Syncra Systems we can see that a delivering open and vendor-neutral collaborative application like CPFR can make a big difference in retail industry and supply chains by making them more collaborative and benefit both trading partners. Such as improve the in-stock position, decrease unnecessary storage and handling of products, as well as improve service levels and retail sales. By sharing information, a strong relationship can be built between the retailer and supplier in the process. However, some problems still need to be concerned: 1. How to attract customer more effectively to agree the value of your product? As the sales environment becomes more complex, customers today are more educated and less tolerant of sales†¦show more content†¦To successfully meet clients’ specific and changing demands, companies need to focus their efforts on developing and selling propositions driven by what clients truly value and are ready to pay for. 2. Why those companies still moved even they understood Syncra’s benefitsï ¼Å¸ Customers will continue to focus on price until a supplier demonstrates to them how their total solution is much less expensive. By offering a complete package, you increase buying efficiencies and decrease costs. All of which adds up to a higher value perception. When taking the consultative approach, think of ways to provide the customer with a greater return on their investment. Quantify for them, the savings or gains in time, money and/or additional resources. This way you position yourself as a problem solver or consultant and not just another vendor. By doing so, you will create tremendous competitive advantages. So a well-defined consultative sales strategy is to necessary help to align your offer with the customer’s perception of value. It moves the sale away from price. Process should be designed to accomplish three things:Show MoreRelatedCPFR Implementation Issues3439 Words   |  14 Pagesrespondents who were looking at CPFR said they planned to go ahead with their initiatives. However, CPFR is not the answer for all trading partners or all types of stock-keeping units (SKUs). According to Tim Paydos, a vice president of marketing at Syncra Systems, CPFR has generated the highest payback with either highly promoted or seasonal goods, whose inventories historically have often been misaligned with demand. â€Å"If I’m going to make the investment in CPFR,† notes Paydos, â€Å"I want to do it with

Biodiesel Business Financial Plan Free Essays

l pabiodiesel financial plan Start-up Expenses| Â  | Land to buy| Â  | Office to buy| Â  | Renovation expenses| Â  | Design works| $10 000 | Assembly operations| $200 000 | Placing into operation| $53 000 | Oil processing equipment (incl. storage and loading)| $100 000 | Seed storage equipment (incl. installation)| $350 000 | Glycerol purification equipment (including installation)| $0 000 | Tanks| $100 000 | Biodiesel production equipment (incl. We will write a custom essay sample on Biodiesel Business Financial Plan or any similar topic only for you Order Now delivery and installation )| $250 000 | Utility network| $000 | Advertising/Promotion| $5 000 | Land leasing| $0 | Raw materials (1 quarter of operations)| $660 000 | Salaries| $353 000 | Biodiesel production costs (chemicals, utilities, maintenance for 1 quarter) | $84 000 | Rent | $0 | Total Start-up Expenses| $000 | | Â  | Start-up Assets Needed| Â  | Cash Balance on Starting Date| Â  | Start-up Inventory| $0 | Other Current Assets| $0 | Total Current Assets| $0 | Long-term Assets| $0 | Total Assets| $0 | Total Requirements| $3 095 000 | Sales Forecast| Sales| 2007| Â  | 2008| Â  | 2009| Â  | 2010| Â  | 2011| Â  | Price per ton| Sum| Price per ton| Sum| Price per ton| Sum| Price per ton| Sum| Price per ton| Sum| Biodiesel| Â  | $2 800 000 | $700 | Â  | Â  | $2 800 000 | Â  | $2 800 000 | $700 | $ | Glycerol| Â  | $280 000 | $700 | $280 000 | $700 | $280 000 | Â  | $280 000 | $0 | $280 000 | Seeds| Â  | $0 | $220 | Â  | $220 | $0 | Â  | $0 | $220 | $0 | Press cake| $180 | $1 440 000 | $180 | $1 440 000 | $180 | $1 440 000 | $180 | $1 440 000 | $180 | $1 440 000 | Total Sales| Â  | $4 520 000 | Â  | $4 520 000 | Â  | $4 520 000 | Â  | $4 520 000 | Â  | $4 520 000 | Â  | Â  | Â  | Â  | Â  | Â  | Â  | Â  | Â  | Â  | Â  | Direct Cost of Sales| Â  | 2006| Â  | 2007| Â  | 2008| Â  | 2009| Â  | 2010| Seeds| $220 | $2 640 000 | $220 | Â  | $220 | $2 640 000 | $220 | Â  | Â  | Â  | Oil| $600 | $0 | $600 | $0 | $600 | $0 | $600 | $0 | 600 | $0 | Subtotal Direct Cost of Sales| Â  | $2 640 000 | Â  | $2 640 000 | Â  | $2 640 000 | Â  | $2 640 000 | Â  | $2 640 000 | Sales and costs in tons| Â  | Â  | Â  | Â  | Â  | Â  | Â  | Â  | Â  | Â  | Biodiesel| Â  | Â  | Â  | Â  | Â  | Â  | Â  | Â  | Â  | Â  | Glycerol| $700 | 400| $700 | 400| $700 | 400| $700 | 400| $700 | 400| Seeds from own farm| $220 | Â  | $220 | Â  | $220 | Â  | $220 | Â  | $220 | Â  | Press cake| $180 | Â  | $180 | 8 000| $180 | 8 000| $180 | 8 000| $180 | 8 000| Total sales, ton| Â  | Â  | Â  | 12 400| Â  | 12 400| Â  | 12 400| Â  | 12 400| Procurement of raw materials| Â  | Â  | Â  | Â  | Â  | Â  | 0| Â  | 0| Â  | Seeds| $220 | 12 000| $220 | 12 000| $220 | Â  | $220 | 12 000| $220 | 12 000 | Oil| $600 | Â  | $600 | Â  | $600 | Â  | $600 | Â  | $600 | Â  | Total, raw materials, ton| Â  | Â  | Â  | 12 000| Â  | Â  | Â  | 12 000| Â  | 12 000| Personnel Plan| Daily wage| 2007| 2008| 2009| 2010| 2011| Director general| $100 | $24 000 | $24 000 | $24 000 | $24 000 | $24 000 | Production and procurement director| Â  | Â  | $24 000 | $24 000 | $24 000 | Â  | Farm supervisor| Â  | Â  | $24 000 | $24 000 | $24 000 | Â  | Sales manager| Â  | Â  | Â  | Â  | Â  | Â  | Controller| Â  | Â  | Â  | Â  | Â  | Â  | Chief Technologist| $80 | Â  | $19 200 | $19 200 | Â  | Â  | Secretary| $56 | Â  | $13 440 | $13 440 | Â  | Â  | Operators, production, 5 employees | $56 | $67 200 | $67 200 | $67 200 $67 200 | Â  | Laboratory technician, 1 employee | Â  | $13 440 | $13 440 | $13 440 | $13 440 | $13 440 | Farming, 5 employee| Â  | $67 200 | Â  | $67 200 | $67 200 | $67 200 | Drivers, 2 employee| $56 | $26 880 | Â  | $26 880 | $26 880 | $26 880 | Electr ical fitter| $56 | $13 440 | Â  | $13 440 | $13 440 | $13 440 | Storeman, 2 employee| $56 | $26 880 | $26 880 | $26 880 | $26 880 | $26 880 | Total Payroll| Â  | $353 000 | $353 000 | $353 000 | $353 000 | $353 000 | Production headcount| Â  | 5| 5| 5| 5| 5| ROI Analysis| 2007| 2008| 2009| 2010| 2011| Sales| $4 520 000 | $4 520 000 | $4 520 000 | $4 520 000 | $4 520 000 | Cost of Sales| Â  | Â  | $3 326 000 | $3 326 000 | $3 326 000 | Gross Margin| $1 186 000 | $1 194 000 | $1 194 000 | $1 194 000 | $1 194 000 | Gross Margin %| 26. 24%| 26. 42%| 26. 42%| 26. 42%| 26. 2%| Operating Expenses| $434 667 | $101 667 | $101 667 | $101 667 | $121 667 | Operating Income| $751 333 | Â  | Â  | $1 092 333 | $1 072 333 | Net Income| $470 283 | Â  | Â  | $708 983 | $750 633 | Net Income to investor| $244 639 | $368 809 | $368 809 | Â  | Â  | Current Assets| $3 029 283 | $3 804 933 | $4 339 917 | $5 115 567 | $5 137 867 | Long-term Assets| $843 333 | $776 667 | $710 000 | $643 333 | $57 6 667 | Long-term Liabilities| $795 000 | $795 000 | $795 000 | $795 000 | $0 | Equity| $3 077 617 | $3 786 600 | $4 254 917 | $4 963 900 | $5 714 533 | ROE| 0. 15| 0. 19| 0. 17| 0. 14| 0. 13| ROI| 0. 11| 0. 16| 0. 16| 0. 16| 0. 17| Shares offered to investor| 52. 2%| Â  | Â  | Â  | Â  | Investor financing| 74. 31%| Â  | Â  | Â  | Â  | Loan financing| 25. 69%| Â  | Â  | Â  | Â  | Pro Forma Profit and Loss| | 2007| 2008| 2009| 2010| 2011| Sales| $4 520 000 | $4 520 000 | $4 520 000 | $4 520 000 | $4 520 000 | Cost of raw materials| $2 640 000 | Â  | Â  | $2 640 000 | $2 640 000 | Farm maintenance (fuel, fertilizer, etc)| $5 000 | $5 000 | $5 000 | $5 000 | $5 000 | Production Payroll| $353 000 | $353 000 | $353 000 | $353 000 | $353 000 | Methanol| Â  | Â  | Â  | Â  | Â  | Potassium hydroxide| $8 000 | $8 000 | $8 000 | Â  | $8 000 | Utilities| $80 000 | $80 000 | $80 000 | Â  | $80 000 | Equipment Maintenance| $8 000 | $0 | $0 | Â  | $0 | Cost of Goods Sold| $3 334 000 | $3 326 000 | $3 326 000 | $3 326 000 | $3 326 000 | Gross Margin| $1 186 000 | $1 194 000 | $1 194 000 | $1 194 000 | $1 194 000 | Gross Margin %| 26. 24%| 26. 42%| 26. 42%| 26. 42%| 26. 42%| Other Expenses: | Â  | Â  | Â  | Â  | Â  | Design works| $10 000 | $0 | Â  | $0 | $0 | Renovation expenses| $100 000 | Â  | Â  | Â  | $20 000 | Assembly operations| Â  | Â  | $10 000 | $10 000 | $10 000 | Placing into operation| $53 000 | $5 000 | $5 000 | $5 000 | $5 000 | Advertising/Promotion| $5 000 | $20 000 | $20 000 | $20 000 | $20 000 | Depreciation (service life 12 years)| $66 667 | $66 667 | $66 667 | $66 667 | $66 667 | Land leasing| $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | Rent| $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | Total Other expenses| $434 667 | $101 667 | $101 667 | $101 667 | $121 667 | Profit Before Interest and Taxes| $751 333 | $1 092 333 | $1 092 333 | $1 092 333 | $1 072 333 | Interest Expense| $79 500 | $79 500 | $79 500 | $79 500 | $0 | Taxes Incurred| $201 550 | $303 850 | $303 850 | $303 850 | $321 700 | Other Expense| Â  | Â  | Â  | Â  | Â  | Net Profit| Â  | Â  | $708 983 | $708 983 | $750 633 | Net Profit/Sales| 10. 40%| 15. 69%| 15. 69%| 15. 69%| 16. 61%| Pro Forma Cash Flow| 2007| 2008| 2009| 2010| 2011| Cash from Operations: | Â  | Â  | Â  | Â  | Â  | Cash Sales| $3 164 000 | $3 164 000 | Â  | Â  | Â  | Cash from Receivables| $1 356 000 | $1 356 000 | $1 356 000 | $1 356 000 | $1 356 000 | Subtotal Cash from Operations| Â  | Â  | Â  | Â  | $4 520 000 | Additional Cash Received| Â  | Â  | Â  | Â  | Â  | Sales Tax, VAT, HST/GST Received| $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | Loan| $795 000 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | New Investment Received| $2 300 000 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | Subtotal Cash Received| $7 615 000 | $4 520 000 | $4 520 000 | $4 520 000 | $4 520 000 | Â  | Â  | Â  | Â  | Â  | Â  | Expenditures| 2007| 2008| 2009| 2010| 2010| Expenditures from Operations:| Â  | Â  | Â  | Â  | Â  | Salaries| Â  | Â  | Â  | Â  | $353 000 | Payment of Accounts Payable| Â  | Â  | Â  | Â  | $2 973 000 | Subtotal Spent on Operations| $3 334 000 | $3 326 000 | $3 326 000 | $3 326 000 | $3 326 000 | Â  | Â  | Â  | Â  | Â  | Â  | Additional Cash Spent| Â  | Â  | Â  | Â  | Â  | Sales Tax Paid Out| Â  | Â  | Â  | Â  | $321 700 | Principal Repayment (loan)| Â  | Â  | Â  | Â  | $795 000 | Design works| $10 000 | $0 | $0 | $0 | Â  | Renovation expenses| Â  | Â  | $0 | $0 | Â  | Assembly operations| Â  | Â  | $10 000 | $10 000 | Â  | Placing into operation| $53 000 | $5 000 | $5 000 | Â  | Â  | Advertising/Promotion| $5 000 | $20 000 | $20 000 | $20 000 | $20 000 | Land leasing| $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | Rent| $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | Interest Expense| $79 500 | $79 500 | $79 500 | $79 500 | $0 | Purchase Long-term Assets| Â  | Â  | Â  | $0 | $0 | Subtotal Cash Spent| Â  | Â  | Â  | $3 744 350 | $4 497 700 | Â  | Â  | Â  | Â  | Â  | Â  | Net Cash Flow| $2 788 617 | $842 317 | $842 317 | 317 | $88 967 | Cash Balance| $2 788 617 | $3 564 267 | $4 339 917 | $5 115 567 | $5 137 867 | Annual Break-even, Tons| 961. 34| 961. 34| 961. 34| 961. 34| Assumptions:| Â  | Â  | Â  | Â  | Average Per Tone Revenue| Â  | Â  | $1 130. 00 | $1 130. 00 | Average Per Tone Variable Cost| $742. 00 | $742. 00 | $742. 00 | $742. 00 | Estimated Annual Fixed Cost| Â  | Â  | $373 000 | $373 000 | How to cite Biodiesel Business Financial Plan, Papers

Accounting for Strategic Management and Control †MyAssignmenthelp.com

Question: Discuss about the Accounting for Strategic Management and Control. Answer: Introduction The report considers the explanation of the Balance Scorecard Approach and the manner of conduct within a business organization. FC High Tech Manufacturer (FCH) is a company leading in the sale of hand phones and manufactures the consumer and industrial goods. It also takes care of that enterprise manufacturing solutions are being provided towards the businesses which aspire to start their own manufacturing facilities. The company has been undertaking the operations of the three segments in a traditional manner and has no motive or vision to undertake the new approaches. There had been a recession situation in the company that has impacted the confidence of the financial markets. There has been a situation where the board of directors had performed an assessment of the situation and concurred that shareholders will be very unwilling to provide additional capital injection, unless the company can justify its request for fresh equity from its shareholders. The same has been discussed in the report below. The report will further take into consideration the conclusion after the implementation of the Balance Scorecard approach in the company. The report will further elaborate the prospective difficulties to be faced by the company in the near future due to the choice of the measures undertaken by the management (Bhasin, 2012). Existing Scenario The company is maintaining the measures such as ROI, EBITDA and Revenue growth tend to motivate managers to focus on short-term returns instead of looking at the long-term goal of maximizing shareholders' wealth. The Return on Income, Earnings before interest and taxes and the growth in revenue will increase the overall efficiency of the company. However, the simple growth in the revenue will not create a stable position and situation for the company as the same will only lead to a growth in the short term goals and objectives of a company. For a company to be effective and stabilized for brighter future, the company needs to attain a position of high stability. The Balance Score approach is the one that undertakes all the efficient features that leads to a strong and effective organization and the same is discussed as under. Significance of the Balanced Score Card Approach The Balance Score card approach of financial analysis takes into account the following considerations: Financial, Customer, Internal Process and the Learning and growth innovations The same is elaborated as under: Financial The segment of the balance score card takes on the financial performances taking place within the organization. The main objective includes the undertaking of the operations and functions that will not let the shareholders to sacrifice their interests. The stakeholders include the environment, government and community etc. Customer The segment of the balance score card takes on the satisfaction of the customers and their attitudes towards the organization and goals of the market. The elements covered by the customers include the acquisition, retention, and profitability, share of the market and the satisfaction of the customers. The maintenance of the following must be done i.e. Quality, Price, Brand, Availability and Services. Internal process The segment of the balance score card takes on the entire coverage of the goals of the internal business. It will have an overview of the internal procedures and processes occurring within the company to have a better development of the company. The major themes include the operations and the customers management process, innovation and social and the regulatory processes. Learning and growth innovation The segment of the balance score card takes on the human and organizational capital along with the training and other systems undertake for the innovation and growth of the entire department. The trainers of the company consider the instilling of the growth and development within the organization (Fiege, 2012). The company must have capabilities related with the human capital, information capital and organization capital. The company and the growth and development will have a major dependency on the actions undertaken by the company. The growth and development of the company will improve with the implementation of strong and significant perspectives that is given above. The growth is mainly dependent on the above perspectives like the improvement in the processes internally and the learning growth and innovation processes. The above processes will lead in the effectiveness of the customers effectiveness and efficiency. The balance scorecard will also help in the following ways: The companys vision will be included in the implementation of the balance score card approach and the same will be identified after proper clarification. The leaders and the management of the company will reach consensus and the changes will affect the performances of the overall company (Flage, 2014). The objectives and the measures under the strategic actions and movement of the company will be communicated and linked that will help in the establishment of effective connectivity with the stakeholders. The same will lead towards the encouragement and refinement in the processes by helping in the promotion of feedbacks received from the stakeholders of the company. The targets are set up and the planning will be done to align the same. The management will take steps to measure and evaluate the desired targets and objectives to link all of them and obtain a large amount of strategic objectives by undertaking numerous measures. The learning and innovation growth of the approach will increase the refinement and growth that will develop and increase the decision making process (Gavurov, 2012). Prospective difficulties that can evolve with the approach There are many issues related with the improper implementation of the balance score card approach and the complexities that the business organizations are likely to face during the implementation of such measures of performances are as below: Ambiguity in the policy and strategy: There are variety of policies and strategies that have a tendency of being highly leveled and they have an approach that has a forward and future looking approach. They even have the risks and threats that are related to the removing and declining of the ability of the translation into the efficient Balance Score card approach in an organization. The effective and the best policy to meet the given situation will require the refinement and revisiting of the policies. The revisiting must be carried with the owners and the management of the organization in order to have a transparency. The direction and the vision of the business organization must be transparent and clear to have an efficient strategy for the overall development of the company (Johnson, 2014). The translation effectiveness will be done after the inclusion of the desired targets and goals of an organization. The targets will be related with the medium, short term and long term targets. It will also include the values of the customers and other segments of the market and customers. Thus, there must be an inclusion of the necessary statements related to the business organization and the horizon of the planning must be in a range within five to ten years in approx. Lack in the defining of the important objectives of the company The strategy and the policy of the company are defined in various manners and the same is related to the organization of the business. A wide range of definitions are reflected with the related mission, vision, goals and other objectives that needs to be communicated to the stakeholders and important management of the business organization. Thus, there must be common language that must explain the requirements of the business organization. The same must be provided with the help of meetings and sessions to have an effective and overall growth of the company (Kaplan, 2012). Complexities evolving in the initial implementation The balance score card is ranged in a wide manner and a variety of criticalities occur within the implementation of such approach. In the initial stages of the implementation there are high possibilities that the management can get lost in the technical and detailed aspects occurring within the present scenario. There are many confusions and difficulties that can arise due to the strategy maps. The strategic themes also further assist the individuals and management to enter into a world of confusions and complexities. The confusions will mostly from the part of the initial levels and stages of the implementation of the balance score card approach (Saunders Cornett, 2014). There must be steps undertaken to solve the complexities and confusions occurring within an organization. The same will be done in a manner that will articulate the use of the approach. The various perspectives of the method of balance score card will be considered by the preparation of the Strategy Map to make the implementation transparent. The sensible and clarity in the picture of the balance score card will be required to be communicated within the business organizations (Ucbasaran et al., 2013). Challenges in the flow of the approach towards the customers The most challenging part is the flow of the implemented policies and strategies among the individuals that will require the engagement of the workforces. The mental and physical strengths will be used and the same will need the mental and physical power and force of the workforces. There will be requirement of the obtaining of the commitment and desired targets of the business organization. The whole approach will turn out to be vague if the individual engagement is not attained or achieved. The non attainment will result in a situation where there will be only the existence of mere records and documents that will be forming part of the period under reporting. Thus, the workforce must be convinced towards the participation in the implementation of the balance score card approach to maintain efficiency (Danaei Hosseini, 2013). Lack in the mechanism of tracking the records There can be scenarios and circumstances that can result in the loss of records of the budgeted and the actual data of the organization. The loss of the track in the mechanism of records can increase in the potential risks and threats of the company. Thus, there must be provision of reminders in small intervals towards the team members to get effectiveness in the implementation of the Balance Score Card. Conclusion Thus, on the basis of the above analysis and evaluation it can be concluded that the Balance Score Card approach is among the most efficient approaches, despite of many potential threats and complexities in the adaptation of the implementation program. The FCH Company must therefore take steps to implement the same by communicating with the employees and other workforces. It will increase the effectiveness and efficiency of the overall company. Thus, from the above analysis we can also conclude that the company must take steps other than focusing and having concern about only the ROI, EBITDA and the overall growth in the sales and revenues of the company for having an effective future and long term stability. Bibliography Abdullah, I., Umair, T., Rashid, Y. Naeem, B., 2013. Developments on balanced scorecard: a historical review.World Applied Sciences Journal,21(1), pp.134-141. Awadh, A.M. Alyahya, M.S., 2013. Impact of organizational culture on employee performance.International Review of Management and Business Research,2(1), p.168. Bhasin, S., 2012. Performance of Lean in large organisations.Journal of Manufacturing Systems,31(3), pp.349-357. Boscia, M.W. McAfee, R.B., 2014. Using the balance scorecard approach: A group exercise.Developments in Business Simulation and Experiential Learning,35. Cian, F., Villiers, E., Archer, J., Pitorri, F., Freeman, K. (2014). Use of Six Sigma Worksheets for assessment of internal and external failure costs associated with candidate quality control rules for an ADVIA 120 hematology analyzer.Veterinary Clinical Pathology,43(2), 164-171. Danaei, A. Hosseini, A., 2013. Performance measurement using balanced scorecard: A case study of pipe industry.Management Science Letters,3(5), pp.1433-1438. Fiege, R., 2012. Social Media Balance Scorecard.Erfolgreiche Social Media Strategien. Flage, R. (2014). A delay time model with imperfect and failure-inducing inspections.Reliability Engineering System Safety,124, 1-12. Gavurov, B., 2012. Source identification of potential malfunction of balanced scorecard system and its influence on system function.E+ M Ekonomie a management, (3), p.76. Johnson, P. F. (2014).Purchasing and supply management. McGraw-Hill Higher Education. Kaplan, R.S., 2012. The balanced scorecard: comments on balanced scorecard commentaries.Journal of Accounting Organizational Change,8(4), pp.539-545. Kartalis, N., Velentzas, J. Broni, G., 2013. Balance scorecard and performance measurement in a greek industry.Procedia Economics and finance,5, pp.413-422. Nrreklit, H., Nrreklit, L., Mitchell, F. Bjrnenak, T., 2012. The rise of the balanced scorecard! Relevance regained?.Journal of Accounting Organizational Change,8(4), pp.490-510. Saunders, A., Cornett, M. M. (2014).Financial institutions management. McGraw-Hill Education,. Ucbasaran, D., Shepherd, D. A., Lockett, A., Lyon, S. J. (2013). Life after business failure: The process and consequences of business failure for entrepreneurs.Journal of Management,39(1), 163-202.

How does SNS change the way communicate between people in Vietnam free essay sample

How does SNS change the way communicate between people in Vietnam? About 5-10 years ago, people communicate directly in the normal way. But then Social Network System appeared and it changed a lot the way people communicate, especially in Vietnam. Nowadays, young people who grow up with the Internet and all the technology out there, actually they take all of it for granted. It’s easy to have a new technology devices and it’s also simple to learn how to use it. The communication between people had never been so easy because of the development of social network like Facebook, Twitter, Instargram,†¦ It change how we meet and stay in touch with people1. The time before, people usually still meet directly at the events like parties, public places but now it’s more easy to get close and keep in touch with people through their activities and what they share on social network. We will write a custom essay sample on How does SNS change the way communicate between people in Vietnam? or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page It also a tool to find and make new friends who have the same interests. In other words, social network is a new way to communicate and maintain both old and new relationships. Social network is a where we get our news2. Every morning, you wake up and check for news, not on public online newspaper anymore but on social networks, where your friends and people you follow share their stories and informations. Of course, people still use online website and publications of interest, but we just look for the information that we care. Moreover, by getting information on social network, you can know who interested and communication with them about it. Social networks is also change how we start and do business3. People can look for what they need and search for it on social network through pages of interest. Social network also help people who want to start their business but less money for advertising, it give them an opportunities to connect and promote their product with people. In another hand, social network change the way we reveal4. Nowaday, you can easily express yourself and your feelings, openly sharing your point of view on social issues through social network. You must control what you thoughts and your actions when you are on social network because you will take responsible for what you share on it. It will influence not only your own life but also the society. Conclusion, the world have been changed by the appearance of social network. It change the way communicate between people. Beside of communicate by phone and meet in person, you can have more way to communicate and connect with people. If you understand the benefits of social networking and know how to use it effectively, you can create more opportunities for your future career and change your whole world.

History of the Caste System in India

History of the Caste System in India The origins of the caste system in India and Nepal are not fully known, but castes seems to have originated more than two thousand years ago. Under this system, which is associated with Hinduism, people were categorized by their occupations. Although originally caste depended upon a persons work, it soon became hereditary. Each person was born into an unalterable social status. The four primary castes are Brahmin, the priests; Kshatriya, warriors and nobility; Vaisya, farmers, traders and artisans; and Shudra, tenant farmers, and servants. Some people were born outside of (and below) the caste system. They were called untouchables or Dalits- the crushed ones. Theology Behind the Castes Reincarnation is the process by which a soul is reborn into a new material form after each life; it is one of the central features of the Hindu cosmology. Souls can move not only among different levels of human society, but also into other animals. This belief is thought to be one of the primary reasons for the vegetarianism of many Hindus. Within a single lifetime, people in India historically had little social mobility. They had to strive for virtue during their present lives in order to attain a higher station their next time around. In this system, a particular souls new form depends upon the virtuousness of its previous behavior. Thus, a truly virtuous person from the Shudra caste could be rewarded with rebirth as a Brahmin in his or her next life. Daily Significance of Caste Practices associated with caste varied through time and across India, but all shared some common features. The three key areas of life historically dominated by caste were marriage, meals, and religious worship. Marriage across caste lines was strictly forbidden. Most people even married within their own sub-caste or jati. At mealtimes, anyone could accept food from the hands of a Brahmin, but a Brahmin would be polluted if he or she took certain types of food from a lower caste person. At the other extreme, if an untouchable dared to draw water from a public well, he or she polluted the water, and nobody else could use it. In religious worship, Brahmins, as the priestly class, presided over rituals and services including preparation for festivals and holidays, as well as marriages and funerals. The Kshatrya and Vaisya castes had full rights to worship, but in some places, Shudras (the servant caste) were not allowed to offer sacrifices to the gods. Untouchables were barred entirely from temples, and sometimes they were not even allowed to set foot on temple grounds. If the shadow of an untouchable touched a Brahmin, the Brahmin would be polluted, so untouchables had to lay face-down at a distance when a Brahmin passed. Thousands of Castes Although the early Vedic sources name four primary castes, in fact, there were thousands of castes, sub-castes, and communities within Indian society. These jati were the basis of both social status and occupation. Castes or sub-castes besides the four mentioned in the Bhagavad Gita include such groups as the Bhumihar or landowners, Kayastha or scribes, and the Rajput, a northern sector of the Kshatriya, or warrior, caste. Some castes arose from very specific occupations, such as the Garudi- snake charmers- or the Sonjhari, who collected gold from river beds. The Untouchables People who violated social norms could be punished by being made untouchables. This was not the lowest caste. The person deemed untouchable- and their descendants- were condemned and completely outside of the caste system. Untouchables were considered so impure that any contact with them by a caste member would contaminate the member. The polluted person would have to bathe and wash his or her clothing immediately.  The untouchables historically did work that no one else would do, like scavenging animal carcasses, leather-work, or killing rats and other pests.  Untouchables could not eat in the same room as caste members and could not be cremated when they died. Caste among Non-Hindus Curiously, non-Hindu populations in India sometimes organized themselves into castes as well. After the introduction of Islam on the subcontinent, for example, Muslims were divided into classes such as the Sayed, Sheikh, Mughal, Pathan, and Qureshi. These castes are drawn from several sources: The Mughal and Pathan are ethnic groups, roughly speaking, while the Qureshi name comes from the Prophet Muhammads clan in Mecca. Small numbers of Indians were Christian from around 50 CE onward. Christianity expanded in India after the Portuguese arrived in the 16th century. Many Christian Indians continued to observe caste distinctions, however. Origins of the Caste System Early written evidence about the caste system appears in the Vedas, Sanskrit-language texts that date from as early as 1500 BCE. The Vedas form the basis of Hindu scripture. The Rigveda, however, which dates from around 1700–1100 BCE, rarely mentions caste distinctions and is taken as evidence that social mobility was common in its time. The Bhagavad Gita, which dates from around 200 BCE–200 CE, emphasizes the importance of caste. In addition, the Laws of Manu or Manusmriti, from the same era, defines the rights and duties of the four different castes or varnas. Thus, it seems that the Hindu caste system began to solidify sometime between 1000 and 200 BCE. The Caste System During Classical Indian History The caste system was not absolute during much of Indian history. For example, the renowned Gupta Dynasty, which ruled from 320 to 550 CE, was from the Vaishya caste rather than the Kshatriya. Many later rulers also were from different castes, such as the Madurai Nayaks (who ruled from 1559 to 1739 CE) who were Balijas (traders). From the 12th century to the 18th century CE, much of India was ruled by Muslims. These rulers reduced the power of the Hindu priestly caste, the Brahmins. The traditional Hindu rulers and warriors, or Kshatriyas, nearly ceased to exist in north and central India. The Vaishya and Shudra castes also virtually melded together. Although the Muslim rulers faith had a strong impact on the Hindu upper castes in the centers of power, anti-Muslim feeling in rural areas actually strengthened the caste system. Hindu villagers reconfirmed their identity through caste affiliation. Nonetheless, during the six centuries of Islamic domination (roughly 1150–1750 CE), the caste system evolved considerably. For example, Brahmins began to rely on farming for their income, since the Muslim kings did not give rich gifts to Hindu temples. This farming practice was considered justified so long as Shudras did the actual physical labor. The British Raj and Caste When the British Raj began to take power in India in 1757, they exploited the caste system as a means of social control. The British allied themselves with the Brahmin caste, restoring some of its privileges, which had been repealed by the Muslim rulers. However, many Indian customs concerning the lower castes seemed discriminatory to the British, so these were outlawed. During the 1930s and 1940s, the British government made laws to protect the Scheduled castes, untouchables and low-caste people. A movement toward the abolition of untouchability took place within Indian society in the 19th and early 20th centuries as well. In 1928, the first temple welcomed untouchables (Dalits) to worship with its upper-caste members. Mohandas Gandhi advocated emancipation for the Dalits, too, coining the term harijan or Children of God to describe them. Caste Relations in Independent India The Republic of India became independent on August 15, 1947. Indias new government instituted laws to protect the Scheduled castes and tribes which included both the untouchables and groups living traditional lifestyles. These laws include quota systems that help to ensure access to education and to government posts. Because of these shifts, a persons caste has become somewhat more of a political category than a social or religious one in modern India. Sources: Ali, Syed. Collective and Elective Ethnicity: Caste among Urban Muslims in India, Sociological Forum, vol. 17, no. 4, December 2002, pp. 593-620.Chandra, Ramesh. Identity and Genesis of Caste System in India. Gyan Books, 2005.Ghurye, G.S. Caste and Race in India. Popular Prakashan, 1996.Perez, Rosa Maria. Kings and Untouchables: A Study of the Caste System in Western India. Orient Blackswan, 2004.Reddy, Deepa S. The Ethnicity of Caste, Anthropological Quarterly, vol. 78, no. 3, Summer 2005, pp. 543-584.

Case Analysis on two firms operating in two differenct countries Essay

Case Analysis on two firms operating in two differenct countries - Essay Example A business environment consists of a number of factors that help a firm to grow and develop as well as subsequently witness a decline in the same; these factors may be ranging from socio-cultural and political to economical, legal, ethical as well as technological aspects. There are a number of key factors that help a firm to meet its organisational needs and most of them depend on these. All these factors coupled together help a firm either meet or fade away from reaching its goals. Thus, it is imperative for every business manager to be able to mark out the various factors within the environment and use it to the opportunity of the firm and not let it hinder the process of meeting the desired results. The political factors within a business environment consist of the kind of government that has established itself in the respective economy and the way it lets the economy operate. Adhering to government rules and regulations is vital for each and every enterprise in order to grow and develop within the economy. If the political environment is not stable enough, then the enterprise might have to face restrictions on growth and development and undergo obstacles. Thus, the government should be able to let the firm take its own decisions and thus decentralise a certain amount of power in terms of corporate significance. Ethical issues are most often talked about by people because these are on the basis of what individuals deem is moral in society. Most enterprises need to be ethical in order to be able to survive. This is because customers are the main reason because of which firms run, and if they see that firms are not being ethical in terms of demand and supply of products and materials, they will not indulge in making purchases. Business ethics thus need to be followed in terms of keeping the employees happy and satisfied as well as meeting each and every need of the customer without causing much harm or damage to the environment. Economic issues crop up due to the rise and fall of the economy that the enterprise persists within. His refers to the demand and supply of products within the economy. Since every economy depends heavily on these two main factors, firms must ensure that their customers are being supplied with the demand that they require. If not, then firms might face a downturn and have to shut down on their production scales as they will not be able to cover their costs and expenses. Finally, every management within an enterprise also has to take measures in order to understand the legal aspects of the business environment. This refers to the laws laid down as per which businesses can establish and run themselves. This forms a very important aspect of any firm within an economy because a firm may fall into trouble due to dealing with illegal activities and products. In a nutshell, the various aspects of the four factors within the business environment has been talked about within this paper with the help of two firms that are experiencing them. Two firms named Firm X (Amarchand and Mangaldas) and Firm Y (Clifford Chance) have been hypothetically created for the purpose of this paper... This paper helps to position a strong and in depth analysis of these two firms on the basis of the business environment that they are surviving within. It helps to present the political, ethical, economical as well as legal aspects that both the firms are subject to. This paper also helps to provide an

TOPONYM SWEET TOPONYM Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

TOPONYM SWEET TOPONYM - Assignment Example Cockrell accepted that it was George Mifflin Dallas, VP of the United States throughout the organization of President James K. Polk. Dallas County is for the most part accepted to have been named for George Mifflin Dallas since Polk County, named for President Polk, was made on March 30, 1846, that day that Dallas County was made. There is no proof, nonetheless, that Bryan ever knew George Mifflin Dallas. Likewise, the town of Dallas bore that name no less than three prior years the district was made. George Mifflin Dallas had no reported enthusiasm toward Texas until he made a cool reference favoring Texas statehood in a 1844 letter to a congressperson from Mississippi- -once more, after the town of Dallas, Texas was named. 4. Look at a map of your home county. In your opinion, what is the most unusual place name in your county (other than the county seat)? How did it get its name? Your answer should be a full paragraph, at least 10 lines Euless. Euless is named after Elisha Adam Euless, a local of Tennessee who moved to Texas in 1867 and later purchased 170 sections of land (0.69 km2) of arrive on the current convergence of North Main St. also West Euless Boulevard.[5] Elisha began a cotton gin and a group focus on his property, and rapidly turned into a noticeable figure in addition to different pioneers. From the census of of 2000, there were 46,005 individuals, 19,218 family units, and 11,626 families living in the city. The populace thickness was 2,828.3 individuals for every square mile (1,091.7/km ²). There were 20,136 lodging units at a normal thickness of 1,237.9 for every square mile (477.8/km ²). The racial cosmetics of the city was 75.52% White, 6.49% African American, 0.64% Native American, 7.15% Asian, 1.86% Pacific Islander, 5.38% from different races, and 2.96% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 13.31% of the populace. Euless has the biggest populace of Tongans in an

How to balance online school work with family demands Essay

How to balance online school work with family demands - Essay Example These days, it is quite popular (Hinkle, 2009). The advantage of distance learning is that it seeks to maintain a balance between family and education. In addition, individuals are free to pursue the fields that they feel are more suited to their interests. It also allows the students to study freely and at their own pace. It has the further benefit of costing less (Zimmerman, pp. 39-41). However, there are always problems associated with time management. Most of the individuals who are studying online are mature adults who have the responsibility of the household and various family demands. Therefore, there is an inherent challenge associated with managing both things at the same time. A study done in United Kingdom showed that adults have faced problems trying to balance online education with the demands of family and household chores (Wheeler, pp.32). Pursuing education is an amazing experience; however, it requires a lot of time and patience. It can be quite exhausting doing all the cooking, cleaning, looking after children, and studying as well. On a personal level, I have faced numerous difficulties because my family demands came in the way of my studies. One such example was when I had to submit a paper, and suddenly one of my children fell ill. Now child requires my constant attention, and mostly I put him to sleep while I am studying. However, the paper was extremely lengthy and my child was constantly crying. A crying child in hands while typing away on the laptop is an extremely excruciating experience. A person has to think of the child first, while there is a constant nagging at the back of the mind that there is a lot of work to be done, which may include laundry, ironing, cooking, and obviously studying. Another worrisome thought is also to protect the electronic gadget from the child’s hands. The child demanded constant attention, and even when I took him to the doctor, I had to wait quite a lot. Buying medicines, rushing home, forcing th e medicine down the child’s throat, and finally putting him to sleep took away all my energy. Quite obviously, I submitted my paper late and I had to deal with many issues. My other child is an avid sportsperson. He participates in softball and basketball. I have to manage driving him around to his games and sitting to cheer him on during these games. He expects me to be there with him for all the games and he ends up getting hurt if I even talk about missing one game. Caught up in work and extended family issues, I could not prepare properly for an exam that was coming up. The final match of my son’s basketball team had to be one day before the exam. Well, that is my fate, I guess. Sitting with books, with my other child on the next seat constantly tugging my hand for drinks and popcorn, and trying to cheer my child was an extremely agonizing experience. The question was to study or not to study. Although I managed to secure good marks in the exams, but it did require a night of staying up to study, already exhausted from the day. Therefore, the point of sharing my personal experiences was that although distance learning has made me return to education, it is still not as convenient as people might think it is. However, quite a lot of time has passed since I have been pursuing online education, and I love almost every minute of it. On weekends usually, I cook quite a lot of food and deep freeze it. In addition, I do the laundry and

Advantages Of Online Shopping Marketing Essay

Advantages Of Online Shopping Marketing Essay I, Nishant Chand Katoch, would like to express my sincere gratitude to Ms.Deepika Varshney, who always gave valuable suggestions and guidance for completion of my assignment. This assignment has been a success only because of their help and guidance. At last I would like to express my expressions for all those people around me who directly or indirectly associated with this assignment. NISHANT CHAND KATOCH Certificate Of Authenticity This is to certify that Mr.Nishant Chand Katoch, bearing Enrollment Number : 11715903911,student of MBA 3rd semester of Rukmini Devi Institute Of Advanced Studies, has worked under my supervision on the assignment and completed the same to my total satisfaction. I wish him all success in his career. Question Q2. Try a service you have never tried before on internet. Analyze the benefits of this service. Was enough information provided to make the service easy to use? How would you compare this service to other methods of obtaining the same benefits? ONLINE SHOPPING Online shopping is the process of buying goods and services from merchants who sell on the Internet. Since the emergence of the World Wide Web, merchants have sought to sell their products to people who surf the Internet. Shoppers can visit web stores from the comfort of their homes and shop as they sit in front of the computer. Consumers buy a variety of items from online stores. In fact, people can purchase just about anything from companies that provide their products online. Books, clothing, household appliances, toys, hardware, software, and health insurance are just some of the hundreds of products consumers can buy from an online store. Many people choose to conduct shopping online because of the convenience. For example, when a person shops at a brick-and-mortar store, she has to drive to the store, find a parking place, and walk throughout the store until she locates the products she needs. After finding the items she wants to purchase, she may often need to stand in long lines at the cash register. In contrast, online shopping helps consumers avoid these disadvantages. With online shopping, a person logs onto the Internet, visits the stores website, and chooses the items she desires. The items are held in a virtual shopping cart until she is ready to make her purchase. The shopper can remain in her pajamas as she does her shopping, and the process can be conducted in the wee hours of the morning or late into the night. Online stores never close theyre open 24 hours a day. Despite the convenience of online shopping, not everyone chooses to purchase items and services online. Some people like the idea of physically going to a store and experiencing the shopping process. They like to touch the merchandise, try on clothing, and be around other people. Online shopping doesnt permit shoppers to touch products or have any social interaction. It also doesnt allow them to take the merchandise home the same day they buy it. Other people may worry about shopping online because they fear their credit card information will be compromised. Since its necessary to provide credit card information when purchasing products online, people worry they may become the victims of identity theft. This discourages some consumers from participating in online shopping. Another reason some consumers avoid shopping online is the fact that they worry that the products they purchase are not accurately portrayed in the websites picture. They worry that the picture of the item may appear one way, but the actual item may look completely different perhaps of lesser quality. Its also impossible to try on apparel when conducting online shopping. A consumer has to rely on body measurements in order to make sure the clothing will fit properly. If the clothing arrives in the mail and its too small, the consumer has to return the item. This is a potential inconvenience that some shoppers may not wish to face. Advantages of Online Shopping Incredible convenience: In comparison to a brick and mortar store with fixed hours, online shoppers can choose any time of the day or night to get on the Web and shop. This is especially useful for moms with small children, people that are home-bound, or simply in times of inclement weather. Price comparisons: When you visit a store, you most likely have to settle for whatever price the vendor has placed on a particular item. Not so with online shopping you have the ability to compare prices from hundreds of different vendors (see The Top Nine Comparison Shopping Sites). Infinite choice: Shelf space in a brick and mortar store is limited, which means that your variety of goods is limited. Not so with an online store. Plus, if you dont see what you want in one store online, you can simply move on to the next one youve got the power to do that. Easy access to consumer reviews: Its easy to access consumer reviews for pretty much any product you can think of online, which makes for more informed purchases. No pressure sales: Weve all been awkwardly propositioned by eager salespeople. You dont have to put up with that online. These are just some of the advantages of online shopping. Are there disadvantages? Lets look at a few that might deter some customers from buying goods online: You cant try things on. If youre buying a clothing item, you dont have the ability to feel the material, try it on, and see how its made. Unless you know your measurements and are familiar with the brand of clothing offered, this could end up being a bad experience. You cant talk to someone immediately. If you have a question about what youre looking at, you probably will have to wait at least 24 hours to get a question answered (however, many sites have instant chat enabled that take care of this issue). Privacy and security: Privacy and security are legitimate concerns for any online shopper, but there are precautions you can take to make sure your transaction is a safe one. For example, paying attention to HTTPS protocols, installing free spyware removal tools, knowing how to identify online scams and hoaxes, surfing anonymously, and keeping your Web usage private are all smart ways to address any privacy and security issues. Limitations of online shopping 1. YOU DO NOT PHYSICALLY SEEN THE ITEMS: Normally when we shop from a regular store, we can see the item and at least visually inspect that it looks fine. You can select a co lour, size and can even speak to a sales person to clarify doubts regarding an item. I feel the biggest disadvantage of online shopping is we do not physically see the item till it arrives. May be you have seen it in the nearby mall but there is a possibility that the particular piece you have ordered may be defective. Misinterpretation or misunderstanding of items bought online is a common problem. Usually the photo of items you see online are much better than once you have the item in front of you. 2. WAIT FOR THE ITEMS TO ARRIVE: Once you place you order the waiting game starts. You have to wait for a few days for the item to arrive which can be quite frustrating. Most experts believe that we are most excited about your buy in the first few days, so by the time your item arrives you will most likely be less excited then getting the item on same day you made the payment. 3. CHANCES OF MISHANDLING WHILE SHIPPING / DELIVERY RISKS: What if the item you are expecting never arrives, you will be lost in a series of phone calls to the seller and the courier company. What if you are not at home during the time of delivery and the courier company leaves the package on your door and a passerby decides to steal it? What if the shipping company broke your stuff and you realize it after opening it when the courier man has already gone away. The seller might claim that you broke it. 4. SHIPPING CHARGES: Only a few sites offer free shipping, some others will ship for free only if your total purchase price exceeds a certain amount. Shipping fee is often a big discouragement for online shoppers. 5. RETURNING MERCHANDISE: Even if the seller agrees to take back the defective merchandise, you often have to pay the cost of shipping it back. Additionally you have to call and convince the people regarding the reason of your return. Some good sites do have excellent return policy, but not everyone. Comparison between online shopping and offline shopping Offline shopping is becoming rather polar. Customers either want service, or they really *dont* want service. Its not that customers are unclear about whether they want to purchase, its that they are absolutely clear about why they are shopping. They either have a purchase in their minds, or they are shopping predominantly as a form of therapy, and simply wish to interact with the goods. Customers have reached a position where if shopping is entirely experience oriented and not goal oriented, then they find sales assistants a *disincentive* to enter a store. As they grow in sophistication, customers respect for, and tolerance of sales assistants is actually reducing. So essentially the changes I see are a marked separation of goal oriented shoppers and experience oriented shoppers. Shoppers who have a specific purchasing goal in mind are time conscious and want service immediately, and at the lowest possible price. Shoppers who are experience-oriented find sales assistants irritating and officious. And I think the internet and online shopping is actually contributing to this polarisation process.

The Knight and the Cart Essay -- essays research papers

The Knight of the Cart By the end of eleventh century, Western Europe had experienced a powerful cultural revival. The flourish of New towns provided a place for exchange of commerce and flow of knowledge and ideas. Universities, which replaced monasteries as centers of learning, poured urbanized knowledge into society. New technological advances and economics transformations provided the means for building magnificent architectures. These developments were representative of the mental and behavioral transformations that the medieval world underwent and the new relationships that were brought about between men, women and society in the twelfth century. As in technology, science, and scholasticism, Literature was also reborn with a new theme.3 Very different from traditional writings of the past was the new flourish of troubadour poetry. Troubadour poetry, derived of courtly romances, focused on the idea of unrequited love. â€Å"A young man of the knightly class loved a lady†, most often, â€Å"the lady was married to the young man’s lord†. The courtly lover would compose highly lyrical and erotic poems in honor of his lady, and the troubadour was filled with rapture even at the slightest kindness that the lady might offer him.3 This new literary artifice provides us clues to the cultural changes that took place in medieval Europe during this time. Of the many writers of courtly romance, the most distinguished literature can be found in the work of Chretien de Troyes. Troyes was a native of Eastern Champagne and most of his career was spent the court of Marie de Champagne. He was the inventor of Arthurian literature and the first to speak of Camelot, and write adventures of the Grail. He may even have been the first to sing the tragic love of Tristan and Isolde. One of Chretein de Troyes’ works, Chevalier de la Charette (The Knight of the Cart) expresses the doctrines of courtly love in its most developed form. The plot of this story is believed to have been given to him by Marie of Champagne and has been called â€Å"the perfect romance† for its portrayal of Queen Guinevere’s affair with Lancelot of the Lake.1 The elements of courtly love operate at several levels simultaneously in The Knight of the Cart; they are expressed by the behaviors of Lancelot, Queen Guinevere, Meleagant and other characters in the story. Two vividly deployed elements are the concepts of loyalt... ...e’s heavenly elevation. In addition, Lancelot literally sacrifices himself for her, when he finds out mistakenly that she has died, he tries to kill him self. Guinevere is portrayed as a divinely creature. Only she had the power to save Lancelot and soothe his agony and pain. Lancelot reaffirming her alleviating power, begs Guinevere to allow him to go to her: â€Å"If you grant me permission, my way is clear. But if my scheme does not suit you, then the way is so difficult for me that my entry is impossible." Once she permits him to enter "†¦Lancelot had every wish †¦.as he held [Guinevere] in his arms†¦ greatest joy and pleasure,† confirming that his salvation was in her hands.2 When all the courtly love elements that flow through The Knight of the Cart are composed, in addition to a tale of love affair between Queen Guinevere and Lancelot of the Lake, a document revealing the enchanting history of the Twelfth Century Renaissance is created. Troyes, our powerful storyteller, was able to do this by taking us on a journey with Lancelot, not only though his exciting battles to Guinevere but, through his passionate and enamored thoughts and behaviors that yearns for his beloved.

My Childhood Blank-kee

Most people have something they treasure since childhood. For some, it may be their first baseball mitt or first basketball. As for me, it is my Chinese traditional blanket. It holds priceless memories of my (1)blissful childhood days when my only worry was how to avoid the vegetables my mother forced on me. It was my constant companion, my partner in crime, and my source of comfort.I was born into a warm, financially stable family. As the youngest child, I was well-loved, so much so that my family (2)indulged me with everything I wanted. That’s why I had the best toys and gadgets among my childhood friends. Although I was showered with these luxurious things, there is one thing that I will never forget—my beloved â€Å"blank-kee,† my priceless possession which I kept over the years.I used to call my blanket a â€Å"blank-kee†, because I can’t pronounce the â€Å"ket† in the word â€Å"blanket.† It was given by my godmother to my mothe r the day after my mother told her that she was pregnant with me. It is an authentic Chinese traditional blanket. Although others think it is (3)repugnant and in poor taste, it is classical in its own way.It is sewn together with different shades of red, embossed with a traditional Chinese Dragon. According to the lunar calendar, I was born in the year of the dragon, and the Chinese tradition states that red is a symbol of happiness. Thus, this blanket was bestowed upon me for luck, (4)prosperity, and happiness.Although it is a perfect gift for a person of Chinese decent, the blanket may seem ill-designed for others because it is an abomination to any design philosophies or principles I have encountered.Plus, I don’t particularly like the color red because I find it corny.   However unsightly this blanket may seem, I still love it! When I was a child, every time I felt lonely, I used this blanket to feel more secure and at ease. It was like a magical blanket that gave me ha ppy thoughts. That is why I have nurtured some sort of love-hate relationship with my blanket.My unique blanket is approximately 3 ½ inches by 5 inches. It used to fit easily into it when I was a child. Now that I have considerably outgrown it, the blanket barely covers me. As it is made of silk cloth, its smooth sensation gives me an unfathomable feeling whenever I rub it against my skin.The stains in it reflect its age and the moments that I have shared with it.   Because of my clumsiness as a child, it was soiled by food spills and several accidents I had, leaving permanent stains. These stains, however, did not make it any less comfy.As a child, my blank-kee was my constant companion. I was the youngest and my sister is 10 years older than me. The â€Å"generational-gap† between us made it a bit difficult to communicate with my sister and develop a good relationship with her. Nonetheless, my blanket never failed to provide me (5)relentless emotional support by giving me more comfort than its capacity to warm.I have been through a lot with this blanket. That is why it was my â€Å"best-partner-in-crime†. I remember the days when my mother force-fed me with veggies. Whenever my mother fed me with something that looks green or has an (6)uncanny smell (EWW!), I spat it out when she was not looking and covered it underneath my blanket.I also have this vivid memory of my mother getting mad at me for my naughtiness. You see, I was a really chubby kid when I was young, so my mother wanted me to go on a diet. I had to cut down my sugar intake, but controlling my craving for sweets was proving more difficult than I thought.When I can’t hold it any longer, I stole from our refrigerator a can of Coke and a Snicker chocolate bar that was a left over from one of our dinner parties. I have not yet drunk the whole can when the doorbell rang, which was an (7)indication that my mom is back from a day of hell.Ihurriedly hid my can of Coke and the cho colate wrapper underneath the sofa out of (8)sheer panic, accidentally knocking over the can. With the adrenaline rush, a brilliant idea came to me and made me use my blanket to wipe off the Coke on the floor, leaving it flawless and sparkly clean. There was nothing to be found in the crime scene.I thought that my partner in crime that saved me would remain to be my sole witness. Later that night, as everyone finished dinner and started approaching the family room to watch TV, my mother found the can and wrapper under the sofa! It was really stupid of me to forget the most important thing to do after a crime—(9)dispose of the evidence!Since no one is willing to admit the misdeed, I stood up and confessed. My mother already knew it was me. My mother even saw my wet blanket and she confiscated it from me. I was like a fish in an aquarium whose oxygen was removed.

Free Essays on Chinese Porcelain

Porcelain is a type of ceramics highly valued for its beauty and strength. It is often called china, or chinaware, because it was first made in China. Porcelain is characterized by whiteness, a delicate appearance, and translucence (ability to let light through). Because it is the hardest ceramic product, porcelain is used for electrical insulators and laboratory equipment. However, porcelain is known primarily as a material for high-quality vases and tableware, as well as for figurines and other decorative objects. The type of porcelain that is used for such purposes produces a bell-like ring when struck. Porcelain differs from other types of ceramics in its ingredients and in the process by which it is produced. Two common types of ceramicsearthenware and stonewareare made from a single natural clay, which is then fired (baked). In many cases, the object is coated with a glassy substance called glaze. Firing at a low temperature produces earthenware, a porous material. Earthenware can be made waterproof by glazing. Firing at a high temperature produces stoneware, a hard, heavy material. Stoneware is nonporous without glazing. Unlike earthenware and stoneware, porcelain is basically made from a mixture of two ingredientskaolin and petuntse. Kaolin is a pure white clay that forms when the mineral feldspar breaks down. Petuntse is a type of feldspar found only in China. It is ground to a fine powder and mixed with kaolin. This mixture is fired at temperatures from about 2280 _F (1250 _C) to 2640 _F (1450 _C). At these extreme temperatures, the petuntse vitrifiesthat is, it melts together and forms a nonporous, natural glass. The kaolin, which is highly resistant to heat, does not melt and therefore allows the item to hold its shape. The process is complete when the petuntse fuses itself to the kaolin. Kinds of porcelain There are three main kinds of porcelain: (1) hard-paste porcelain, (2) soft-paste porcelain, and ... Free Essays on Chinese Porcelain Free Essays on Chinese Porcelain Porcelain is a type of ceramics highly valued for its beauty and strength. It is often called china, or chinaware, because it was first made in China. Porcelain is characterized by whiteness, a delicate appearance, and translucence (ability to let light through). Because it is the hardest ceramic product, porcelain is used for electrical insulators and laboratory equipment. However, porcelain is known primarily as a material for high-quality vases and tableware, as well as for figurines and other decorative objects. The type of porcelain that is used for such purposes produces a bell-like ring when struck. Porcelain differs from other types of ceramics in its ingredients and in the process by which it is produced. Two common types of ceramicsearthenware and stonewareare made from a single natural clay, which is then fired (baked). In many cases, the object is coated with a glassy substance called glaze. Firing at a low temperature produces earthenware, a porous material. Earthenware can be made waterproof by glazing. Firing at a high temperature produces stoneware, a hard, heavy material. Stoneware is nonporous without glazing. Unlike earthenware and stoneware, porcelain is basically made from a mixture of two ingredientskaolin and petuntse. Kaolin is a pure white clay that forms when the mineral feldspar breaks down. Petuntse is a type of feldspar found only in China. It is ground to a fine powder and mixed with kaolin. This mixture is fired at temperatures from about 2280 _F (1250 _C) to 2640 _F (1450 _C). At these extreme temperatures, the petuntse vitrifiesthat is, it melts together and forms a nonporous, natural glass. The kaolin, which is highly resistant to heat, does not melt and therefore allows the item to hold its shape. The process is complete when the petuntse fuses itself to the kaolin. Kinds of porcelain There are three main kinds of porcelain: (1) hard-paste porcelain, (2) soft-paste porcelain, and ...

The Ways in Which the Methods of the Suffragists and Suffragettes Were Different Essays

The Ways in Which the Methods of the Suffragists and Suffragettes Were Different Essays The Ways in Which the Methods of the Suffragists and Suffragettes Were Different Paper The Ways in Which the Methods of the Suffragists and Suffragettes Were Different Paper The National Union of Womens Suffrage Societies (NUWSS) campaigned for Womens rights using peaceful methods. Its leader was Lydia Becker until she died in 1980. The leadership then fell to Millicent Garrett Fawcett. The NUWSS was given the nickname Suffragists by the Daily mail. The Suffragists used, peaceful methods to try and achieve their goal of the vote for Women. These methods included: Petitions massively signed petitions presented to the parliament. The petition in 1874 was the biggest of them all Leaflets/Posters leaflets and posters were the most popular campaign methods for the Suffragists. They were made and distributed among everyone and often showed how badly women were treated and then later on how bad the Suffragettes methods were. Peaceful Protests Lots of protests and marches were held all over England. Lots of these often included Suffragette as well as Suffragists but normally remained peaceful. A march in 1908 which went through central London and ended at the Royal Albert Hall consisted of over thirteen thousand women. Organised Meetings these were held where possible and contained lot of lectures and talks on votes for women and campaigning techniques. The Suffragists main idea was to campaign within the law. This was done to show how rational these women were. They wanted to let the government and public know that these women were very respectable and could be entirely trusted with the vote. They that their good behaviour could impress the government and that after a long, slow but steady struggle they would finally be able to get the vote they wanted. The work of the NUWSS continued throughout the early years of the twentieth century. Some women, however, became dissatisfied with peaceful methods and thought that the only way to get votes for women was by using more aggressive methods. These women formed the Womens Social and Political Union (WSPU, also known as the Suffragettes). Most of the Suffragists were not opposed to the methods of the Suffragettes but they simply thought that they would not work. The most important figure in the creation of the WSPU was Dr Richard Prankhurst. He was a firm supporter of votes for Women and had stood as candidate for the Independent Labour Party in the 1895 general election. He was defeated but continued his campaign until he died. His wife Emmeline Prankhurst then took over. Her daughters Sylvia and Christabel also played a part in campaigning for votes for Women. The WSPU had originally been set up in Manchester, but then in 1906 they made a very important decision, to move to London. It was a very brave decision as it would almost certainly lead to greater expenses. The WSPUs campaigning tactics included: Heckling continuous asking of embarrassing or unanswerable questions even when the MP tries to talk to others or changes the subject. The person only stops asking when the MP has given a suitable enough response. Disrupting Meetings loud and rude behaviour during importing meetings causing it to stop until the person is removed. Chaining to rails only done in particular places such as outside 10 Downing Street, where they can get the most attention. Stone Throwing adopted by Edith New which included using weapons such as stone throwing. Hunger Strikes Women would go on hunger strikes, mainly while in prison to get lots of attention and to get what they want. All of these were tactics that would get the person fined and/or thrown in prison. This would get that person a lot of attention and get the Suffragettes struggle for womens rights into the public eye. Further campaigning would let it stay in the public eye. As time progressed the tactics employed by Suffragettes became more violent. Stones were thrown at government windows and public, private property and paintings was also damaged. The government didnt listen to the Suffragettes which frustrated them even more causing them to employ even more violent tactics. As you can see here the method of the Suffragists and Suffragettes were very different. The Suffragists tactics were obviously much more peaceful and law abiding. They knew that going on like this would take a long time but they were prepared to wait. On the other hand, the Suffragettes could not wait and took on the more aggressive and violent tactics which they thought would give them immediate franchisement. Without the groundwork of the Suffragists, the campaign for Votes for Women would have been much weaker. The Suffragists were a much bigger group. From their title you can see why. They were a union of different suffrage societies across the UK. The Suffragists had a very large number of members and generally the group were very open about what they did. Any major events they were going to do or take part in would be known by the media and public. As this was the main group of suffrage societies they were very tolerant of different methods. They were also tolerant of the violent methods of the WSPU until 1912. The WSPU lost the support of the NUWSS. They said that the WSPUs campaigning was going out of hand and that their behaviour was giving women a bad reputation, making it harder for them to get the vote. The Suffragettes were a much smaller group. Because of their violent tactic this group always had a lot of publicity, keeping them in the publics eye. Nearly all of the tactics carried out by the Suffragettes, especially the later one were illegal. This meant that all of their planning and meetings had to be done secretly, unlike the openness of the Suffragists. This meant that groups across the UK would not know what other groups would be doing. The actions of the Suffragettes were very similar to terrorists. There was a dictatorship between Emmeline and Chrystabel Prankhurst. Anything they told the other to do, they had to do. Emmelines other daughter; Sylvia was kicked out of the Suffragettes as she helped the workers in London to much. The Prankhursts had turned on their own family. The Suffragists were continuously increasing in support and growing. The group never deviated from their purpose, they never strayed, and they were always intent on getting the Vote for Women. On the other hand the Suffragettes started losing support and became fragile. There were always arguments within the group about how far they had been and how far they were planning to go. As time went on, the tyrant leadership grew in dislike. Any questioning about the activities in the group would get you get kicked out, as did Emmeline Pethick-Lawrence and Elizabeth Robins. These are the differences in which the two major organisations are run and lead and the difference in which the activities they undertake differ from one another.

Corporate governance in Adelphia Communications Corp., US Term Paper

Corporate governance in Adelphia Communications Corp., US - Term Paper Example In the United States, checks and balances prevent any branch from accumulating too much power, hence encouraging cooperation. According to Kroszner (Para. 9), good corporate governance requires strong executives with an independent mind. Moreover, the Sarbanes –Oxley Act of 2002 applies to all organizations and it entails the requirements for the governance of organizations. The Act requires that management of an organization should certify a company’s financial reports and internal controls too. Despite the United States corporate governance being heavily criticized for the failure of some of major companies like Tyco and WorldCom, the country has improved on its Sarbanes –Oxley Act of 2002. The Sarbanes–Oxley Act promotes accuracy and accessibility of information, whereby investors are required to reveal the company’s transaction. The Act also involves penalties for those violating regulations; for instance, a maximum of 20 years in prison for fra ud rather than a five-year sentence. Corporate governance entails the controlling and directing of companies in a direction of fairness, accountability, and transparency. Below are checks and balances within the corporate governance of the United States. ... ct fosters the principle of accuracy and accessibility whereby, it requires the revealing of company’s stock after the second day of transaction by its directors and principal investors. This fast revelation of the company’s stock makes it easier for the outsiders interested in the company. Failure to abide by the laws of this Act; a person is liable to 20 years of imprisonment. This act is aimed at creating quality standards for corporate governance, which managers and auditors must abide by. Management accountability The Sarbanes –Oxley Act fosters management accountability, hence preventing issues of fraud and the blame game. A corporate fraud task force was established in 2002 with an aim of curbing fraud in organizations. Accordingly, the managing directors and officers must certify the accuracy of their company’s financial reports. The Act requires a total of $1million for any officers who knowingly engage in false certification of financial reports. Auditor independence Auditors are limited to false and careless financial reports. However, this Act makes it difficult for managers to select and compensate an external auditor. The choice of an auditor is now made by the committee of independent directors who are not employees of the organization, hence being not related to the company. A new audit partner is required to be assigned to each client account. In addition, the government has formed the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board, with an aim of monitoring and enforcing the supply of audit services. Moreover, accounting firms are required to register with the oversight board, submit their periodic performances, and abide to the rules and regulations of the board (Kroszner (Para. 20). The Sarbanes –Oxley Act ensures that rules are followed to the

International Business Management And Strategy Essay

International Business Management And Strategy - Essay Example PESTEL Analysis The PESTEL framework of analysis looks at six external forces – Political, Economic, Social, Technological, Environmental and Legal – that affect the company at its present state or that have the potential to affect industry competitiveness in future. For the pharmaceutical industry we have identified that Political, Economic, Social and Technological factors have the potential greater impact on the industry than the remaining two therefore we shall focus on this four in our following discussion. It takes 10-15 years on average for an experimental drug to travel from lab to patients (Holland, 2011) and this is largely due to stringent government regulations. This long lead time is just a tip of the political iceberg that plays a very big role in the pharmaceutical industry. Beginning 2009, the U.S. Federal Drug Administration tightened regulations so that pharmaceutical companies will now have to adjust to stricter standards and stronger enforcement ( Anon, 2011). In addition to this, most governments continue to pressure GSK and the other big pharma to increase access to medication either by lowering the cost of drugs or by removing their patent protection to allow for manufacture of generics. The latter ask is highly unlikely to be accepted by GSK and its peers whereas the former could be achieved if the pharmaceutical companies are guaranteed of bigger sales volumes. One important political move that should have a big impact in this industry is the passing of President Obama’s US healthcare reform into law on March 23, 2010. This bill is good news for the big pharmaceutical companies because it is expected to expand health insurance coverage to more than 30 million uninsured Americans (Trager, 2010), especially considering that America is still the largest pharmaceutical market in the world. Other than this significant increase in market size, the new healthcare law also protects original drug manufacturers, such as GSK, from competition from generic alternatives on biologics through a 12 year exclusivity period. Biologics are currently viewed as one of the potential huge products for pharmaceuticals, especially given that they contributed US $80 billion in 2008 with favourable projected goals of up to three times that of small molecules (Holland, 2011). Closely following political factors in significance for the pharmaceutical industry is the economic factors. There are positives as well as negatives for GSK and its peers to ponder over with regards to economics. The first negative that quickly comes to mind is the global economic squeeze of 2008 that has somewhat persisted to the present day, especially in the EU. According to Holland (2011) the pharmaceutical market growth is strongly aligned with GDP growth therefore the low GDP growth in the current key markets of US, Japan and Europe is a cause for concern. The immediate consumer behaviour will be to opt for the more affordable generi c drugs at the expense of the original drugs that have cost GSK and its peers billions of dollars in investment from research, to production to marketing. Talking about generics, most of the blockbuster drugs patents that enriched big pharma have / are coming to an end in 2011 and 2012. This growth of generics and loss of patent protection for best-selling drugs at the same window period has the potential of turning cash-cows for GSK and its

Ethics in Small Groups Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Ethics in Small Groups - Essay Example Every member provided his best and worked hard to produce a quality assignment. In the spirit of collective ideas, every member worked hard on their specific parts of the presentation thus making work easier.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Group members extensively used technology including WhatsApp, emails, and phone calls to connect. The approach helped to save time and facilitated the progress updates. In addition, the group members met in the library and Alexander Hall.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   I learned that teamwork and division of roles according to individuals’ strengths significantly improves output level. Besides, a team should help one another to enhance their skills. I also learned that that working with a small group is fun and easy. Small groups enjoy privileges of efficient communication, problem-solving, and natural decision-making. Fallen leaders and ethical deterioration Based on the theme of Fallen leaders and ethical deterioration, I gained significant insights about visionary and strategic leadership. I intend to utilize the knowledge to guide my future decision-making process to minimize failures caused by the unsound decision. Furthermore, the teachings shall help me to navigate through leadership platforms keeping in mind that integrity, sound judgment, and right public image are earned based on good leadership skills (Mendonca & Kanungo 2006).

Political Theatre Essay Example for Free

Political Theatre Essay Modernism came about due to a change in international thinking, with the likes of Darwins evolution theory and the publication of Karl Marxs The Communist Manifesto (1848). People wanted a clean break with tradition, presented through the arts as Romanticism and realism. Consequently, Modernism an artistic experiment and immensely complex movement encompassed the majority of the countries in the Western World, after figures in the avant-garde of the movement, such as Zola and Nietzsche, spread out from the bohemian cities of Paris and Vienna, where Modernism stemmed from. Modernism is an Umbrella term, an overwhelmingly complex phenomenon1, including Naturalism, Symbolism and Theatre of the Absurd among others. It also began throughout the world at different times forming a number of different strands, such as Germanic and Anglo-American Modernism. It is for this reason that the movement is so difficult to pin down to one era. According to Bradbury and McFarlane, it began in 1880 and ended in the 1930s. However, among other critics, I propose that the period stretches further, much closer to the present day, where we are currently in the period of Post-Modernism. It is certain that Modernism began in the 1880s, making a swift transition from Romanticism. It was concerned with a negative consciousness, alienating the audience and creating a sense of disorder. Yet, this quickly gave way to a positive attitude to social advance, seen in Henrik Ibsens plays, highlighting optimism and confidence. Shortly after came the main strand of Modernism, replacing this confidence with a fascination with irrational forces, reflected in Strindbergs The Ghost Sonata. The movement juxtaposes a number of unlikely combinations such as The Enlightenment (18th Century) and Romanticism (early 19th Century); rational and irrational thought; and the naturalistic and symbolic because of its complexity and the range of different styles within it. The central point for Modernism changed at the end of World War I, moving away from France in favour of Central Europe and revolutionary Russia. The change in politics, society and technology called for developments in theatre, the product being Political Theatre. However, the term Political Theatre was first used publicly in 1928, before which it had no official term. Political Theatre, like the rest of Modernism posed a number of experimental, and often controversial ideas. The two main forerunners of Political Theatre were Germans, Erwin Piscator and Bertolt Brecht. Piscator set the ball rolling, adapting plays to have a political edge, while Brecht developed the ideas and formed stronger concepts and theories, writing his own plays with political subject matters. Yet, the practitioners didnt work together in developing the style despite sharing similar beliefs in how theatre should be portrayed, because each man wanted to manage himself. Ironically, this situation is echoed in the politics of the time with the Russian and German Revolutions, where despite the parties seizing power in similar manners and setting out from the same causes, they didnt share views in ideology. At the end of World War I Germany was in a state of economical and political ruin. The Weimar Republic took control of Germany until just before World War II after which Hitler effortlessly seized power. The artists of The Weimar Republic, home of Political Theatre, were anti-Nazi and sought to find policies to suit them elsewhere. As a result, strong allegiances were built with Russia, and many artists of the Modern era migrated there to find jobs. Piscator was a revolutionary Marxist; he disliked the Nazis and produced many political plays attacking the regime. However, Piscators theatre was subject to party orders and the political issues of the time. Brecht, like Piscator was opposed to Militarism and false Nationalism. He despised Nazism and as a result was exiled for fifteen years, where he wrote some of his most famous work including The Good Person of Szechwan and Mother Courage. Yet, unlike Piscator, he never joined the East German Communist Party despite following the Marxist regime, which was mainly based in Russia. Two forms of theatre that had been set up in Russia, largely influenced by the works of Meyerhold, set the basis for Piscators Epic theatre of Politics. Agitation Propaganda (Agit-Prop) aimed to stimulate the audience to take political action, through the use of song and short sketches. The other, Mass spectacles, were vast pageants of revolution involving casts of thousands 2. It has been suggested that Piscators Epic theatre was a fusion of these two elements. However, his theatre is not Naturalism. He uses aspects of previous forms, fitting them into Political Theatre. He is more sympathetic towards Naturalism because it shows real people on stage, but claims the problems is that cries of exasperation stand where we should hear answers 3, this being the difference. However, where Piscator scattered the pieces, Brecht was the one to pick them up and create the jigsaw. Brecht drew his own ideas from Piscators, simplifying and customising them. Piscator wanted to create a new form of theatre, one that engulfed the social struggle, where the Proletariat take power from the ruling class, another link with Marxist Russia during World War I (1917). He wanted his audience, preferably the working class, to take a stand as a result of his theatre. Piscator once said More than ever the theatre must nail its flag fanatically to the mast of politics: the politics of the proletariat Theatre is action, the action of the proletariat4 His theatre aimed to depict reality as truthfully and authentically as possible, providing a documentary style reality to the drama. This had repercussions on future Art, because this idea formed the basis for Documentary Theatre. In order to portray this new theatre, there came a need for a new style of acting, and not only this but a totally different approach to performance. A critic described one of Piscators early productions, Fahnen, as epic, and consequently he built on this idea. Thus the beginnings of Epic Theatre were first outlined in his published book, Das Politische Theater in 1929. It is now appreciated that Political and Epic Theatre go hand in hand. However, the real theorist of Epic Theatre was Brecht. Naturally, he was influenced by Piscator, but used his methods on a much smaller scale. As Willett said The real novelty [of Brechts theatre] and force of his plays lay in the words which simply could not stand such top-heavy staging5 and therefore focussed his work on die Verfremdungseffekt, a technique he created that made the acting strange to the audience. In doing this, Brecht took the emotion out of the production, distanced the audience from the characters, and most importantly made the actors dissociate themselves from their roles. The staging of Political Theatre aimed to enhance the technique and theories of the movement as a whole. It depended on a minimum of scenery and props, following the ideals that the spectacle of the theatre is in the acting and what the actors can portray. Brechts Mother Courage is a good demonstration of how small greedy entrepreneurs make wars possible. Brecht states this in no uncertain terms in the play What they could do with round here is a good war. What else can you expect with peace running wild all over the place? You know what the trouble with peace is? No organization. 6 portraying his views on the senselessness of war. The play tells the story of a woman who runs a sustenance wagon during wartime. Set during the Thirty Years War, it acts as a metaphor to any war throughout time. The play shows that people lose sense of their morals during war, through greed of the army sergeants, but also how Courage remains set on providing for the war despite losing her two sons, and get her materialistic cut, knowing that big profits are not made by little people7. There are certain attributes in Mother Courage that exemplify Epic Theatre, the most dominant of these being the character names in the play for example the Cook and the Chaplain. Brecht avoided giving characters actual names as this added to his concept of the Verfremdungseffekt, stopping the audience from becoming emotionally attached to the character. By naming Mother Courage the audience is subconsciously forced to empathise with her, sharing a powerless social position 8. Brecht also created the idea of gestus. Here, the actor adopts a socially critical attitude towards his character, communicating with the audience as himself rather than as the play character. A good example in Mother Courage is a performance by Brechts wife, Helen Weigel. When asked to identify her son at the end of scene three, the stage directions instruct Courage to shake her head, to show she doesnt recognise her son. However, after doing this, Weigel turned to the audience, opening her mouth in a silent scream. This reminded the audience they were spectators at the theatre, another of Brechts aims, but also had more affect on the audience than any real scream could have. It is for this reason that Mother Courage was both a success and ineffectual for Brecht. Audiences always felt some emotion towards Courage, yet the play was well received. Brecht included a number of songs in his play, and the actors would step out of character to perform these, adding to the Verfremdungseffekt. He wanted the music and text to juxtapose one another, such as when Yvette teaches Kattrin about love in the Fraternization Song. Political Theatre played a key role in the development of Modernism as a whole, Brecht being the most influential character, but was also fundamental in the development of theatre. Remains of Political Theatre can be seen across the Arts today, and the sub-movement has been continued by such political writers as Edward Bond who said that theatre helps us to understand political views, complimenting the work of Brecht and Piscator. Despite being experimental and controversial, Political Theatre is now regarded with great respect and well received. Therefore, Brechts ingenious but contentious ideology came true for him, and the development of Modern Theatre: Dont start from the good old things, but the bad new ones. References 1. Bradbury, M. and McFarlane, J. Modernism A Guide to European Literature Penguin Books 1991 2. http://www. citycol. com/perfdesn/Piscator. htm Erwin Piscator (1895-1966) 3. Piscator, E. The Political Theatre In: http://www. citycol. com/perfdesn/Piscator. htm 4. Piscator, E. In: Willett, J. The Theatre of Erwin Piscator Methuen 1978, p. 121 5. Willett, J. The Theatre of Bertolt Brecht Methuen 1959 6. Brecht, B. Bertolt Brecht Plays Vol. 2 (Mother Courage) Methuen 1962

Research methodology: Experiences of social work managers

Research methodology: Experiences of social work managers Methodology This chapter will outline the manner in which the research was planned and completed, with reference to literature when necessary. Furthermore, it includes an important discussion of some of the ethical dilemmas that had to be considered during the sampling and subsequent interview processes. Approach This piece of research aimed to explore the experiences of managers in social work, and set out to cast light in surprisingly under researched areas. One of the central aims of this piece of research was to obtain data that was readily analysable (Arksey and Knight 1999) and valid (Whittaker 2012). The nature of the research meant a qualitative approach was used to explore the various themes that emerged from the review of the literature. This was preferred over a quantitative method, particularly as the latter usually requires larger samples for generating statistics and quantifiable data. Qualitative methods focus on seeking out and interpreting the meanings that people ascribe to their own actions (McLaughlin 2007), and allows for exploration of opinion and experience (Shaw 2003). Interpretative topics were at the core of this research; core values, which despite being substantially constant across societies and throughout history, is inherently subjective. A qualitative approach enabled the collation of data that is rich in description, detail and character (Neuman 1997). Social work research is required to enhance and develop knowledge (McLaughlin 2007), and can help explore people and communities, paying particular focus to the wider social and structural issues that affect them (Cheetham 2000). The profession is embedded in practice; therefore research that informs behaviour and questions the known and unknown elements of practice is vital to encourage lateral thinking and dynamism amongst frontline workers, as well as going someway towards boosting the professional status of social work (Bledsoe et al. 2005). With this in mind, it was interesting to note some of the barriers to accessing informants, not from social workers themselves, but from organisations. Dealing with rejection from one local council was personally frustrating, but has wider consequences for the profession. â€Å"To understand social work†¦ we must understand how knowledge is validated within the profession† (Askeland and Payne 2001:14) Furthermore, â€Å"Social work research is about social workers, what they think, what they believe, what knowledge they claim and what they do with it.† (Butler 2002:241). With this in mind, the implications of a blasà © attitude to research, albeit a small project such as this one, are significant. One of the themes that arose from the interviews, as will be discussed in more detail later, was the increasingly diverse and heavy workload of managers. Lack of time is a commonly quoted barrier to research participation amongst practitioners (Sheldon and Chivers 2000), and this is one of the reasons research remains a low priority for workers in the field (McLaughlin 2007). Furthermore, as is commented on further at the end of this chapter, having to go through organisational protocol first has implications for anonymity, and arguably has consequences on worker willingness to take part (Lewis 2003). Literature review Research into the topic of core values started with certain core textbook readings, which expanded into their recommended reading lists and cited articles. A range of literature databases including Ingenta, Social Sciences Citation Index, Social Services Abstracts were searched using keywords such as â€Å"core values†, â€Å"social work manager†, â€Å"social work management†, â€Å"managerialism and social work†, and â€Å"performance indicators† in various different orders. The search extended to databases such as Oxford University Press Journals, SocINDEX, SwetsWise and Academic Search Elite. Furthermore, using university’s Searcher Electronic Database it was possible to search a plethora of databases at one time. This was further augmented with internet searches and the use of Google Scholar. Initially, there was not a lot of research regarding retention of core values among managers, indeed this was indicative of social work as an under researched area in general. Nevertheless, broadening my search using the above keywords and Boolean operators such as OR and AND proved to be more fruitful. Interview sampling The dearth of research available in this area, and regarding social work managers more generally, proved an impetus to focusing on a particular sample. Interviewees were approached a couple of months before the interviews took place, and had been chosen specifically due to their current management related roles. Having a purposive sample avoided the common issue of ending up with a large amount of irrelevant or disconnected data (Thurlow Brown 1988) as such a method usually means that the sample has a certain level of knowledge and experience in relation to the topic (Smith 2009). A total of six interviews took place over a four week period, with all working in hospital social work at management level. This represents a small sample, but it was within the limits of this piece of work, and since qualitative methods are not reliant on large samples for credibility unlike quantitative methods (Anastas 2004), coupled with the level of research undertaken, meant a greater understanding of the issues could be uncovered (Denscombe 2007). Working with a smaller sample allows for more depth and detail of meaning, and subsequently avoids a more general and abstracted level of explanation (McLaughlin 2007). Indeed, it allowed for a more sharpened focus of this study, particularly as all the informants were in very similar roles. During the interview process, informants offered recommendations of others to interview, otherwise known as snowball sampling (Knight 2002). Whilst this was appreciated, the recommendations involved other areas of social work. Although this would have generated further data, it was felt that having a random sample would obfuscate more pertinent findings from the core interviewees and affect the generalisability of the findings. The criticisms of using a convenience sample are well noted, particularly the impact this has on generalisability to the wider population (Bryman 2012). Using informants who are already known to the researcher may have its drawbacks, but it is argued that these are outweighed by merits of such projects being used to further larger studies (Herr and Anderson 2005). Interviews Interviews were arranged through email, at which point the respondents were told of the nature and purpose of the study and what was going to be covered in the interview. This involved a general overview of the main themes that were to be explored. It was not felt necessary to give the informants a copy of the interview schedule for fear that this would impact on the conversational flow that was being aimed for. Interviews followed a semi-structured model and enabled the investigative process to remain mostly conversational and informal; the inherent flexibility of this approach allowing for detailed probing when necessary (Becker and Bryman 2004). It is a simple method of data collection but allows for detailed excavation of people’s experiences. Open ended questions were consciously used to avoid bias and encourage a free flowing narrative that was in line with the interviewees’ views and opinions whilst also following the overarching themes that were being explored (Rubin and Babbie 2007). Whilst the interview schedule did not have to be strictly adhered to, it was designed in a way that started with descriptive, open questions such as â€Å"Can you give me a description of your current role?† and slowly moved to more direct questions that aimed to elicit thoughts and opinion, â€Å"How do you feel about the statement ‘If you can manage a factory, you can manag e a team of social workers?’† Having the interview designed in this meant that the range of questions were general enough to stimulate free flowing dialogue, but also specific enough to gather relevant data. All of the interviews were recorded, and subsequently transcribed as soon as possible for reasons of confidentiality; informants could be indirectly attributed through a collection of characteristics (McLaughlin 2007). This was particularly important as the sample represents the majority of two local authority management teams, in secondary settings, and therefore could be easily identified. For this reason, transcripts of interviews were not provided in an appendix and no contextual detail has been provided about any of the interviewees. Despite the onerous process of transcribing data (O’Leary 2004: 169), it was important because it meant that more attention could be spent actively listening and tuning in, as opposed to writing notes. The interview itself, as a communication interchange establishing a framework for future evaluation and enquiry, lies at the heart of social work practice (McLaughlin 2007), and drew on some of the skills that had been developed on placement, p articularly active listening, signposting and probing. Qualitative methodologies mirror the focus placed upon person-centredness in social work practice (Connelly and Harms 2012). This highlights the transferability of skills from practice into research and vice versa. With this in mind, it was important to use these skills to ensure interviews was being guided and not led. This meant avoiding leading questions and generally putting words in the mouth of the informant. For example, asking â€Å"What do you feel the main reasons for this are?†, as opposed to â€Å"Is this a direct consequence of the increased use of key performance indicators?† Key findings and discussion Thematic analysis is a commonly used method for analysing such data (Bryman 2008, Davies 2007), and was used to explore the transcripts and highlight recurrent themes as it has been defined as a method for identifying, analysing and recording themes within data (Braun and Clarke 2006). Braun and Clarke’s (2006) six stage thematic analysis model was used as a guide, and involved getting immersed in the data in the first instance followed by creating, searching, reviewing and defining/naming themes. Initial coding was done by highlighting particular extracts that were interesting (Boyatzis 1998), separated by different colours to represent the various different topics that emerged. This was a useful way of organising what was initially a large amount of data by marking recurrent topics and words (Ryan and Bernard 2003). This stage represented an organisation of data into individual building blocks of particular topics; the next stage aimed to bring together blocks into groups of similar colours. At this stage, it was possible to identify themes. Limitations of study It would be nave to think that such a study could be generalised to a wider population (Gomm 2008, Smith 2009). However, it has been argued that although such studies are not generalisable in the traditional sense, they have redeeming qualities which set them above that requirement (Myers 2000). Small scale research highlights the importance of viewing such studies as focusing on discovery, and not proof (Denscombe 1998). The development of managerialism is not unique to the UK (Politt and Bouckaert 1997, Hood et al. 1999, Brunsson and Sahlin- Andersson 2000), and highlights the relevance and necessity of shedding light on management experiences within a paradigm that triumphs managerial prerogative (Thomas and Davies 2005). The sample represent one of convenience, as all but one of the informants were known to the researcher in a professional capacity. Whilst this has been deemed the least credible of sampling techniques (Bryman 2008), it must also be stressed that it was also purposive as highlighted previously. With this in mind it is important to recognise how the researcher’s own views and values can create a bias, particularly as the constructivist framework of qualitative research states that individuals construct their own understanding through experience (Denscombe 2003, Kuper 2008). Rigorous testing of the interview schedule was done to avoid any bias by recognising and removing leading questions. Ethics It was necessary to follow well established protocol within the university school, as well as the local council to ensure that the study was carried out in a way that was ethically sound. This firstly involved completing an ethical level one self audit, as well as qualitative appraisal tool identified in literature (McLaughlin 2007). It was important to gain informed consent from the interviewees, and discuss the extent and manner in which absolute confidentiality was to be achieved. Contingent confidentiality (Dominelli 2005) is more commonly discussed in social work, as it is necessary to spell out the precise conditions this would need to be broken, such as a criminal offense being disclosed, however this was not the case in this study. The local council’s policy on research meant that the research design was scrutinised to glean what use this had. Indeed the request form specifically states answer â€Å"What benefit will the dissertation offer to the council, if any?†. The question better asked would be â€Å"What benefit will the dissertation offer social work?†, as the organisation would arguably benefit if their goals were parallel with social work. Social work as a profession risks having its own priorities sidelined for those of employing organisations, and although workers are accountable to their organisation, social work’s struggle with developing an evidence base (Marsh and Fisher 2005) highlights the need to build a solid research infrastructure that informs best practice (Davies et al. 2000, Trinder 2000). The council procedure involved providing information on was to be interviewed and the interview schedule itself. As was briefly discussed earlier, having to tell the council who was being interviewed and the impact this has on anonymity is questionable; indeed the impact of tighter ethical and regulatory frameworks for social work students and having a research capable workforce are well noted (Dominelli and Holloway 2008). Arguably, social work research should place ethics at the centre of what it aims to achieve, and this is well noted (Hugman and Smith 1995). This is particularly important as ethics are or at least should be at the centre of practice. What this raises are issues of accountability for the researcher that mirror those of workers and managers as is discussed in the following chapters. As a social work researcher, to whom am I accountable? The current research governance framework (Department of Health 2005) has been seen to focus more towards accountability to funder s and regulators as opposed to anybody else (Dominelli and Holloway 2008). How this affects larger research projects is unclear, but as an ethical researcher, since I was unable to guarantee the anonymity of further informants it was decided that a sample of six was enough. How this subsequently affects participation is interesting but unfortunately not within the scope of this particular piece of research. References Anastas 2004 Arksey, H., Knight, P. T. (1999) Interviewing for social scientists: An introductory resource with examples. Sage. Askeland, G. A. and Payne, M. (2001) â€Å"What is Valid Knowledge for Social Workers?† Social Work in Europe, 8 (3): pp. 13-23 Becker, S. Bryman, A. (2004) Understanding Research for Social Policy and Practice: Themes, Methods and Approaches Bristol, The Policy Press Bledsoe, S., Bellamy, J., Mullen, E. Shlonsky, A. (2005) â€Å"From concept to implementation: Challenges facing evidence based social work† Evidence and Policy 1, pp. 143-151 Boyatsiz, RE. (1998) Transforming qualitative information: Thematic analysis and code development Thousand Oaks, Sage Butler, I. (2002) â€Å"A code of ethics for social work and social care research† British Journal of Social Work 32 (2): pp. 239 -248 Braun, V. Clarke, V. (2006) â€Å"Using thematic analysis in psychology† Qualitative Research in Psychology 3, pp. 77 – 101 Bryman, A. (2008) Social research methods 3rd edition Oxford, Oxford University Press Bryman, A. (2012) Social Work Methods (4th Ed.) Oxford University Press Cheetham, J. (2000) â€Å"The importance of research in the education of care professionals† in Pierce, R. and Weinstein, J. (eds) Innovative Education and Training for Care Professionals. A Providers Guide London, Jessica Kingsley Connelly, M. and Harms, L. (2012) Social Work: From theory to practice Melbourne, Cambridge University Press Davies, MB. (2007) Doing a successful research project: Using qualitative or quantitative methods Basingstoke, Palgrave Macmillan Davies, H.T.O., Nutley, S.M. and Smith, P.C. (eds) (2000) What works? Evidencebased policy and practice in public services Bristol, The Policy Press Denscombe, M. (1998) The Good Research Guide for Small Scale Social Research Projects Buckingham, Open University Press Department of Health (2005) The Research Governance Framework for Health and Social Care London, Department of Health Dominelli, L. (2005) â€Å"Social work research: Contested knowledge for practice† in Adams, R., Dominelli, L. and Payne, M. (eds) Social Work Futures, London, Palgrave/Macmillan Dominelli, L., Holloway, M. (2008). Ethics and governance in social work research in the UK. British Journal of Social Work, 38(5), 1009-1024. Gomm, R. (2008) Social Research Methodology: a critical introduction, 2nd Edition Hampshire, Palgrave Macmillan Herr, K. and Anderson, G. (2005) The action research dissertation: A guide for students and faculty London, SAGE Publications Hugman, R. Smith, D. (1995) Ethical issues in social work: an overview London, Routledge Knight, P. (2002) Small Scale Research London, SAGE Publications Kuper, A. (2008) â€Å"Critically Appraising Qualitative Research† The British Medical Journal 337, pp.1035 – 1043 Lewis, J. (2003) â€Å"Design issues† in Ritchie, J., Lewis, J. (Eds.) Qualitative research practice: A guide for social science students and researchers. Sage. Marsh, P. and Fisher, M. (2005) Developing the Evidence Base for Social Work and Social Care Practice London, Social Care Institute for Excellence. McLaughlin, H. (2007). Understanding social work research. Sage. Myers, M. (2000) â€Å"Qualitative research and the generalizability question: Standing firm with Proteus.† The qualitative report, 4(3/4): pp. 1-9. Neuman, W. (1997) Social research methods: Qualitative and quantitative approaches 3rd Ed. Boston, Allyn and Bacon O’Leary, Z. (2004) The Essential Guide to Doing Research London, Sage Payne, G. Payne, J. (2004) Key Concepts in Social Research London, Sage Rubin, A. Babbie, E. (2007) Essential Methods for Social Work California, Thomson Higher Education Ryan, G. Bernard, H. (2003) â€Å"Techniques to Identify Themes† Field Methods 15, pp. 85-109 Shaw, I. (2003) â€Å"Cutting edge issues in social work research† British Journal of Social Work 33, pp. 1268-1282 Sheldon, B. Chivers, R. (2000) Evidence-based Social Care: A Study of Prospects and Problems Lyme Regis, Russell House Publishing Smith, R. (2009) Doing Social Work Research Berkshire, Open University Press Thurlow Brown, N. (1988) The Curate’s Egg. Unpublished conference paper. North East Essay Mental Health Trust Trinder, L. (2000) ‘Evidence-based practice in social work and probation’, in L. Trinder and S. Reynolds (eds) Evidence-based Practice: A critical appraisal, Oxford: Blackwell Science, pp 138-162.