Antigone Tragic Hero Essay Essay

Most Greek tragedies were based on myths and consisted of a series of dramatic episodes mixed with a chorus who commented on the dramatic action or analyzed the pattern of events. The role of a tragic hero was vital to the tragic plays. Sophocles argues that a tragic hero is a character who possesses six specific traits. A tragic hero must be of noble stature, can not be perfect, their downfall most be their fault, their misfortune is not wholly deserved, the fall is not a total loss, and has a moral purpose. Therefore, Creon is the tragic hero in Antigone because he is of noble stature, posses character flaws, and his fall is not an entire loss. Creon is the brother of Jocasta, who was the wife and mother of Oedipus, who was the king of Thebes. He becomes ruler of Thebes after the s of Oedipus’ two sons, Eteocles and Polynices in the recent civil war. In his speech to the people assuring the citizens that order and safety have returned to Thebes he says, â€Å"I now posses the throne and all its powers†(line 194, page 67). This passage easily shows that Creon is the ruler of Thebes because it says that he posses the throne which is a possession of the king. This shows that Creon is of noble stature, which is one of the necessities of a tragic hero. Throughout the whole play Creon exhibits that he is imperfect. Creon is very stubborn as well as ignorant, which results in his many problems all through the play. In his dispute with Haemon over the fate of Antigone he says, % –show me a greater crime in all the earth! She, she destroys cities, rips up houses, breaks the ranks of spearmen into headlong rout. But the ones who last it out, the great mass of them owe their lives to discipline. Therefore we must defend the men who live by law, never let some woman triumph over us. Better to fall from power, if fall we must, at the hands of a man–never be rated inferior to a woman, never (lines 751-761 page 94).† The word % † basically means â€Å"without a leader.† He makes it sound as if he may be speaking about Antigone. Creon looks at as the unavoidable consequence when insubordination of the law is left with impunity. This excerpt vividly shows how Creon is very stubborn and ignorant. He refuses to see that woman play a  major role in society. He only views them as objects. He visions woman as a threat to masculine superiority and he will stop at nothing to avert this from happening. His refusal to allow Antigone to go free ultimately results in the of his son and his wife. This shows that Creon is imperfect, which is also one of the requirements of a tragic hero. By the end of the play, after the of his wife and son, Creon gains some self-knowledge and learns from what he has done. After Creon learns of the of his wife and son he says, â€Å"Ohhh, so senseless, so insane†¦ my crimes, my stubborn, ly— Look at us, the killer, the killed, father and son, the same —the misery! My plans, my mad fanatic heart, my son, cut off so young! Ai, , lost to the world. Not through you stupidity, no, my own (line 1395-1400, page 124).† This quotation from the play illustrates that Creon realizes that his stubbornness and foolishness is the cause of all of this pandemonium. Creon now understands that his flaws resulted in his family’s . He then goes on to say, â€Å"Oh I’ve learned through and tears (line 1405-1406, page 124).† This shows that he has learned his lesson so the of his family is not a complete loss because now he is aware of the fact that it is because of his stubbornness and stupidity that this occ urred. This shows that Creon’s fall is now a pure loss, which is as well, a condition of a tragic hero. Creon is the tragic hero in Antigone because he is of noble stature, posses character flaws, and his fall is not an entire loss. These flaws eventually are what leads Creon to his demise and to the of his wife and son. In Antigone there were numerous themes. One of the themes is pride and its effect on the characters. Both Antigone and Creon are exceedingly proud, making it impossible for either one of them to back down once they have taken a position on something. This character flaw leads to their downfall. In contemporary times, we can relate this type of tragic hero to powerful figures like Donald Rumsfeld, who does not waver from his positions until others have paid a heavy price for his pride. Another theme is Moral Law vs. Human Law. This is shown when Antigone’s conscience influences her to bury her brother, which conflicts with Creons law of the state. It’s a decision of whether morals should be placed above the human law. A semi-modern  example of this can be seen in World War II where the soldiers had to decide between their morals or the decision of the state in the s of the Jews. The third and final central theme is the position of woman. This is brought up several times in Antigone. Creon feels that woman are subordinate to men and should never be placed as high as men. This is also evident in present times because even now women do not have the same opportunities as men do although women have come a long way in just this century. There will always be tragic heroes in any society. They are usually high-profile people who rise and fall in the public eye. Hopefully, those of us who watch their stories unfold can learn from their experiences by debating the merits of the decisions a one-time hero made to render him/her tragic. The presence of a tragic hero is evident in modern society because even now we have people who are examples of tragic hero’s.

Hazards and Changing Place Essay

Many have said that our planet Earth is mother to us all. With the ravaging tornadoes, typhoons and earthquakes that the world has experienced, with the sufferings and burdens brought about by these environmental disasters, the deaths, the losses and the change. And with the ongoing and still increasing records of undoable destructions, devastating effects and the unbearable pain due to the great looses laid upon the living by the Earth’s deeply hidden wrath, one could acknowledge the fact that mother Earth is not more of a loving and caring parent. Shortly after these hazards have occurred, a place can figuratively still hold on and still have the chance of changing the course and even its features. Changes may occur right after and along time after these phenomena might happen. Places may rebuild themselves like the way they were before or they may reconstruct and form itself into a new one. During instances, after environmental disasters such as flood, tornadoes, thunderstorms, earthquakes and eruptions have occurred, places can change for the better and develops themselves in order to adapt to whatever might come again. They often equip themselves with more advance technologies and gadgets in order for them to detect the presence of dangerous disasters earlier for them ready themselves. At the present time, natural disasters, like these have been very frequent in the face of the planet. It had been like these catastrophes are part of the evolving earth. Though they might have been here long before man has been, still the effects of these disasters are hardly taken by men. They have more of the power that man ever had. As to now, many people declare that these catastrophic activities which are environmental in nature occur mostly on places wherein poverty, crimes and sin thrive. And some, associates religion to the happenings, occurrences and the effects of the disasters. They often call places which are frequently run over by these catastrophes as places cleaned up by God. And for some, these disasters are normal to the earth since they are brought and created by nature in reasons only the planet itself knows. â€Å"And there will be signs in sun and moon and stars, and upon the earth dismay among nations, in perplexity at the roaring of the sea and the waves, men fainting from fear and the expectation of the things which are coming upon the world; for the powers of the heavens will be shaken. † One case regarding these places that have been severely struck by brutal calamities is Sri Lanka. It was in the in the early hours of December 26, 2004 when a lot of the homes, boats, belongings and live of the twenty thousand locals of Hambantota have been lost due to the destruction of a tsunami. However, not only the lives and belongings of the victims of the tsunami have been carried away by it. The source of livelihood and the lives of the survivors have been seized by the disaster as well. After the tsunami, a lagoon which serves as a place for birds and fishes and a sanctuary for most of the wildlife in the place and also the source of the additional and prime income of most of the residents of the place have been cleaned up by the tsunami carrying with it the future of the people depending their living in the lagoon. Now, the lagoon become a primary breeding grounds for disease-bearing insects and pests which largely puts the people of the site onto a greater peril of diseases such as malaria, encephalitis, dengue and other death causing sickness. A t present, still, the traces of the disaster could still be seen. However, much has been changed after the tsunami has happened. Projects for sanitation and rehabilitation have been launched by most of the government and private sectors of the society. Though the projects made by these organizations can not totally eradicate the effects of the tragedy at an instant, it also helps the people of the place regain their hope that the place that they have been born and lived on and the place that the tsunami has taken away from them can still be restored. The projects launched in the place include cleaning and eliminating the trash and debris brought about by the tsunami. Today, they have already cleaned up almost one third of the entire place and though it is still far from the end, the clean up project can help them earn money and help stimulate the start of a new and better life for them. Though it may still take more time before they have totally erased the destruction made by the disaster not only to their community but also to their lives, still, the faith of the people in reviving their place and their lives could be seen in their acts. Though the people have been fated with the consequences of the tsunami, still they believe that they have been blessed with having a chance to rebuild their place and their environment into a newer and better Hambantota. â€Å"For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom and in various places there will be famines and earthquakes. But all these things are merely the beginning of birth pangs. † (Matthew 24:7, 8) One thing that can be classified as a hazard in the history of the planet is the losses, pains and bloodshed done by warfare. Since history has been accounted, there have been many battles and wars written not only in history books and newspapers but also in the hearts and minds of the soldiers who have been engraved with pain and anger among enemies and of the civilians who had been victims and had suffered deeply from the injuries and outcomes of the rivalry. One of the several places that have been victimized by oppositions between different nations is Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Early in the August 45, 1945, these two places endured the ache and the sufferings brought by the series of bombs dropped onto them during the final period of the world war not long before Japan surrendered as an indication of the ending of the war. The bomb definitely did a very devastating effect on that place. The bombs dropped off on the place immediately caused explosions, destructive blast pressure and radiation contact which then resulted to massive death and severe losses. The stern products brought about by the blast almost resulted to the obliteration of both of the places on the map. As from great survival of men, Hiroshima today had really managed to stand after the war. These days the population of Hiroshima boomed to four hundred and ten thousand deeply going beyond its population before the war. This population burst was most dependent on the positive changes that have happened to the place after the war. Today, Hiroshima has machinery, food processing and automotive as its chief industries that supplies most of its funds. The rebuilding efforts made by the people of Hiroshima had been done outstandingly. As a matter of fact Hiroshima’s outstanding changes have been acknowledged by one of the writers of Daily Sun. He said, â€Å"In today’s Hiroshima, bustling shopping centers line covered pedestrian malls and major department stores feature a range of merchandise almost as great as their Tokyo counterparts,†. Far from the Hiroshima that has once been victim of man-caused disaster, Hiroshima now rises from the wreckage of its past. The disasters that caught the world’s attention and the most recent catastrophes have filled the everyday news; have caused many questions on the mentalities of most of the believers. Are these things that happen to the earth that takes the lives and properties of the people God’s judgment? Most of might say that this is a very simple question. Though simple as may be, this has a very compound answer. Truly, these tremendous environmental and man-made disasters are not God’s will to eradicate the sinners and clean up the homes of the ill hearted and the unbelievers. One reason why there is a complete and strong stand in saying that is because these disasters do not pick or choose who is the righteous and who are not. Clearly, disasters just ramp on everything that gets on their way and eradicates everything that needs to be eradicated. And the though that these disasters happen in places where most of the sinned dwells and people are more on the bad side that on the good side does not reside in the idea that these disasters have been sent on earth by God as a his judgment and prize for people who does not follow him. Undisputedly, still in the places where there have been cases like the hurricanes, thunderstorms, floods and earthquakes which had obliterate a thousand or even a million of the population of the globe, the people that have died and suffered in the peril, most likely are not sinners at all. And if there were or if there are more sinners than the believers, still, the fact that there are good hearted sin those places and they have been included in the death list caused by the disaster cold not support the idea that the catastrophe have been sent by God. If they are sent by God for the judgment for the sinners, then why were the righteous not saved? This question leads back to the story of Noah and the flood. Clearly, before the flood happened and drowned the earth, god had managed to tell Noah what to do and therefore saving him and his family from the judgment. It was indicated in the bible that during that time, Noah and his family were the only righteous for they are the only ones following god’s will and thus, because they were righteous they were saved from the only judgment made by god – the flood. Other examples of judgments of god to the sinners are the destruction of Sodom and the plaques on Egypt and in those two cases, the righteous were saved. These natural and man-made disasters were not god’s judgment on the sins done by man nor had he insisted on creating men that would obliterate its own race of his own life. For in his judgments, the righteous would always be saved. The catastrophe that had been arriving into the planet just recently is clearly not god’s will for the sinners. These calamities are made in order for men to repent his sins and have his time to rebuild again and revive his own self for the better. For god always loves the righteous and he would not want them to be removed from this planet because he wants them to make the sinners repent and go back to him.

SWOT Analysis of Business Plan for the Education Website Assignment

SWOT Analysis of Business Plan for the Education Website - Assignment Example This paper discusses about an Educational Website Business Plan as a business venture as available on the site: http://www.bplans.com/educational_website_business_plan/executive_summary_fc.php Details of the Business Plan under Consideration The Education Website Business is basically to educate people as to why they should use environmentally products that can sustain living on this earth. Due to rapid industrialization and growth of population, there has been a grave threat to our environment. Rapid climate changes such as floods, cyclones, or scanty rain falls throughout the world have threatened our living on this planet. A time has come to educate the people on this very sensitive matter and earn the living adopting eco friendly measures. The purpose of the website is to guide and educate people that with a little change in their living style and consumption habits they can make huge difference. The revenue comes in the form of commission received on selling products that can su stain life and do not harm our environment. As such, it does not require stocking or maintaining any inventory of products. Thus, plan is to keep expenses at the least and without involvement of any variable cost. A small Fixed expenses will be toward maintaining a website and very little will be spent on other small requirements. To make profit from the first year is not a sole aim; however, equally it has been kept in mind that business does not have negative cash flows. SWOT analysis will be crucial to understand the viability of this business plan. Strengths of the Plan This is a unique business plan and their lies its strength compared with any conventional business plan. The advantage is that it does not need huge financial resources for any machinery or equipment; neither any hard core marketing is required. This being a novel concept does not pose any threat in terms of real competition. The company has tied with several manufacturers who themselves, in turn, are staunch sup porters of eco friendly products. They produce and sell only those products which replace existing non biodegradable products such as plastics and bio fuels. Marketing means efforts required in popularizing the web site and that is done through link building and SEO techniques requiring minimal expense. Break even and financial ratio analysis indicates that business plan can take off without long gestation period. The business plan for an educative website like this is to provide the information to the people that are in search of environmentally friendly products. Ever since the awareness among people has increased, the market has also expanded many folds for such products. Currently, there are hundreds of businesses that exclusively manufacture such products. Since this is purely an education site, there is no need to create any distribution strategies; neither there is any need to keep any inventories on any of the product. People just visit the site, place their orders and make the payments. Orders are then diverted to the respective manufacturers deducting applicable discounts or commissions for delivery to the buyer. There is no need of any highly trained person for running this business and that is also strength of this business plan. Weaknesses The major weakness in the business plan is that it does not speak clearly how educative content will be developed in the beginning. In fact, it will require intense efforts either through search optimization techniques (SEO) or link building or through other techniques such as educative articles or schemes for environmental cause for making the buyers to visit this site. Great efforts will be needed to generate unique and educative

Leadership Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Leadership - Essay Example One of the major characteristics of DAC Ltd is the importance it gives to empowerment of employees. DAC leaders at all levels are trained to coach and mentor staff. Comprehensive training helps DAC to keep the employees competent all the time to meet the challenges of rapidly changing business world. DAC gives particular attention to the individual developments because of its belief that all the DAC employees are contributing to the company in one way or other. DAC is following a transparent approach in its functioning. It is not much interested in keeping company secrets. For example, everyone in DAC at all levels knows about the bid for EMMACorp. The company knows that revealing every secret to the employees may help the company to grow employee loyalty towards the company. It should be noted that employees may feel that they are essential parts of the organization and that is why the company is taking them in confidence. Relationship building is the core of every business activity and DAC knows this fact very well. This is a clearly communicated vision of the CEO and employees are expected to support this philosophy whole-heartedly. Those not committed to the company vision are encouraged to seek alternate employment. DAC knows very well that it is important for the company to keep existing customers along with finding new customers. So customer servicing at all levels has been given top priority at DAC. CHRISSIE Co One of the most common illusions among corporate world is the myth that women leaders are incapable of dealing with challenging situations. However, lessons from the latest recession show that companies with female board members done better than companies with male board... This research will begin with the definition of leadership as a highly sought- after and highly valued commodity. According to Northouse leadership is a process which occurs in groups; it involves influence and common goals†. Hackman on the other hand described leadership as the first and foremost a communication based activity whereas Mullins argued that â€Å"leadership is not about being a wonder woman or man; but it about valuing individuality†. According to Clawson, â€Å"Leadership is about managing energy first in yourself and then in those around you. Being a leader depends on one’s point of view, not on status and title†. The above definitions clearly suggest that it is difficult to accommodate leadership in few words. Leadership is a quality which is associated with lot of parameters. There are born leaders as well as developed leaders. In other words, leadership qualities are inborn as well as developed. For example, Steve Jobs was a developed le ader whereas Edward Kennedy was a leader with inborn qualities. Leaders with inborn leadership qualities may emerge out naturally while they work in groups. Others on the other hand, emerge as leaders over time after receiving enough experiences and training. Trait theory says that traits or inborn qualities such as intelligence, communication, interpersonal skills, problem solving skills, vision and charisma are inborn leadership qualities. In other words, these leadership qualities are inherited among certain people at the time of their birth itself whereas others learn such qualities from their surroundings.

History Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 84

History - Essay Example The Continental Congress comprised of 13 American colonies and after some time the United States. The external pressures from France, England, and Spain played an integral role in the making of the United States in the sense that they were challenged by their success, as they were free from colonies. Therefore, the United States came up with the articles of confederation, which served as the first constitution. The Articles of Confederation even when they were not yet ratified provided international and domestic legitimacy to direct the American Revolutionary war by the Continental Congress (Berkin, 2012). Although ratified by the thirteen states the Articles were not sufficient, which led to the making of the United States Constitution that would govern all the states. However, Antifederalists opposed the ratification of the Constitution. They did not succeed as the Constitution was ratified in 1789 and was established as supreme law. The constitution was not sufficient enough as it was amended twenty-seven times where the first ten amendments are the bill of rights that are gi ven to every citizen in the United

Competitive forces that affect pharmaceutical industry Essay

Competitive forces that affect pharmaceutical industry - Essay Example Porter’s five forces analysis is done on the industry in order to assess the level of competitiveness prevailing in the industry. The analysis comprehensively defines the extent of competition in every aspect of the industry that is covered in the analytical model. Each component of the model takes the competitiveness of the industry in that specific area into account and thus after the analysis of all the components, the overall attractiveness of the industry is assessed. Ultimately, the paper provides the conclusion of the five forces analysis conducted and the future prospects of the industry. There are a number of factors that influence the attractiveness and profitability of an industry and one of the most important factors is the competitiveness of that industry. Competition is highly important for the stabilization and survival of an industry. It is also one of the most important market forces that keeps the market prices stabilized. However, complete lack or excess of competition in an industry can prove to be harmful for the survival of an industry as well. In the complete lack of competition, there will be more room for monopoly and the firm or firms would be able to exploit their monopolistic position and in the case of high competition, the firms in the industry would be bound to offer competitive prices therefore the profitability of the firms would decline. This paper deals with the competitiveness in the pharmaceutical industry. In the United Kingdom, pharmaceutical industry is one of the biggest industries as it has made significant contributions to the GDP of the UK and also it is one of the industries with the most number of employments. In the year 2007, the industry had 72,000 employees. The trend of the growth of the industry has been positive and the overall sales of the pharmaceutical products rises from year to year. This industry is also directly responsible for the advancements in the research and

Family business's - Hinduja group Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Family business's - Hinduja group - Essay Example ntrepreneurial endeavors as they all seek to exploit wealth opportunities in order to create wealth for the financial welfare of the founding families. People who went on to build their own family empires founded various large international companies like Ford, BMW as well as Wal-Mart among others. This implies that family businesses play an important role in economic development through their contributions to the business world while at same time creating investment environments that are secure, safe and open (FernaÃŒ ndez PeÃŒ rez and Colli, 2014, p. 63). A variety of approaches exist through which academics can assess the relative successes of family businesses including through considering family governance, the performance of the business, its philanthropy, social responsibility as well as corporate governance. Family governance is comprised of agreements that inform the connection between the business and the families while at the same time emphasizing on the aspects that will ensure the family business grow from generation to generation (Poutziouris, Smyrnios and Goel, 2013, p. 133). Family governance also entails distribution of power in the company among the different members of the family. In general, family governance is a management technique which that covers more than one generation and is intended to make sure that the history of the family, its wealth as well as values extend past the archetypal two generations. According to the Harvard Business School, family governance is comprised of three aspects including periodic meetings of the members and a representative group of members that is tasked with planning, the creation of policies and consolidation of business-family bonds and communication (Miller and Le Breton-Miller, 2005, p. 292). The third aspect is family constitution t hat provides policies and guidelines to regulate the relationship between the members with the business. These aspects make sure that there is clarity in regards to the

The Sense of National Belongingness Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

The Sense of National Belongingness - Essay Example This paper briefly explores the sense of nationalism or national belongings. Language is an important entity in creating national belongingness. Mother tongue binds people and creates a feeling of nationalism among them. For example, America is a country in which many people from different parts of the world staying together. It is quiet possible that people from different countries like, Venezuela, India, Qatar or Greece may work together in an office in America. Even though all of them may have good command over English, if two Indians or Venezuelans meet each other in their office, they will use their mother tongue for communication purpose because of their love towards their mother country. Moreover, nobody can communicate in any other language as effectively as through their mother tongue. Language is an important entity which helps us to identify people. For example, it is difficult to identify two French people if they communicate in English language. On the other hand, if they use French language, we can identify them as French people. Same way, we c an identify Arab people only when they speak Arabic language, Indian people only when they speak Hindi language and Chinese people only when they speak Chinese language. Thus language is a medium which expresses the culture and identity of a person. National language can bind people together. For example, in Indonesia, there are more than 720 local languages at different parts. But the national language of Indonesia is only one which is Bahasa Indonesia. In India there are more than 28 states. Most of the states have different local languages like, Malayalam, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada etc. But Hindi is the national language of Indi which bind them together. Language reflects the perspectives, expressions, characteristics, and intricacies of the people. For instance, in ancient Greek there are many different words for love, which depend on the level of love and to who is being conveyed. Only the

Customized Degree Plan Essay Example for Free

Customized Degree Plan Essay 1 Why have you chosen the elective classes in your degree plan? I attended the University of Phoenix, before I started my classes at Kaplan University. While attending the University of Phoenix, majority of my electives were pre chosen for me. I would like a career in criminal profiling or criminal investigations. My choice of elective classes will be Psychology, sociology, or criminal profiling. Although while attending the University of Phoenix, I was majoring in Business; so two of my electives were Psychology and Sociology. I need this knowledge to be as successful in interrogations or crime scene evidence. 2 What skills, and knowledge do you expect to learn from these classes? The classes I attended at the University of Phoenix gave me the basic knowledge. Psychology and Sociology gave me the insight on how to figure an individuals, mental and social behaviors. I learned that you have to get into a person’s mind, and understand how they operate in their own habitat. I plan to gain the extra knowledge of how to understand the criminal justice field and the emotional stability and social environment of the individuals I encounter with. 3 How will these individual skills and knowledge help you in your field? The skills that I learn will help me to visualize individuals and learn their social behaviors. I plan to be successful my field and help keep the crime down and the community safe, by catching the culprits who want to commit crime. The youth need guidance and the neighborhoods need a makeover for drug free and violence free community. 4 How will these electives further your career goals? The electives I choose will help me to achieve my goals and accomplishments at obtaining my degree in the criminal justice field.

Communication Style Case Study Essay Example for Free

Communication Style Case Study Essay Communication style is definitely very important in a work environment especial in the health care setting. Finding the right way to communicate with other staff members will keep an open communication channel with everyone. Which in return make other staff members feel respected and provide a much better work environment and the best quality of care for the patient. Now I will go over the scenarios from Checkpoint 8-4 and my own personal experience at work. Scenario number one, is about Robin, a psychiatric nurse that expressed aggressive communication. That led to Rashed to respond passive, by planning to be passive-aggressive with robin in the future when he would have an opportunity. Robin way of speaking to rashed in a firmed and raised voice, only made rashed feel hurt, angry and revengeful toward robin. The fact that rashed needed his job kept him quite but did not stop him from thinking of revenge towards the future with robin. This type of passive communication does not solve and problems are not solved. It might even become less cooperative during work. Rashed even stated that maybe he would not do anything unless he told to do so. Which in return can only mean that the nurse will end of doing more work unless he asked for help that he needs. Scenario number two, Pamela a school nurse was using nonassertive communication. When in doubt about anything communication is the best way to clear up anything. By taking matters into her own hands know she created double the work and in return increased her stress by retesting everyone. A nonassertive person when try to delegate end up doing more work. By not approaching Bridget regarding her concerns, she became a passive person and did not say anything due to the concern of displeasing others. Nonassertive behavior can also cause, anger, confusion and irritation to others. Nurses can sometime feel overworked because they are passive and accommodates others and in return have a poor functioning team. Scenario Number three, Rosa was a manager of the ambulatory care surgical center that was using assertive communication. Mabel one of the surgical technicians used aggressive communication with Rosa. Rosa was very forward about wanted to work together as a team to solve problems for the best quality care for the patient. Rosa used aggressive communication when she told Mabel that she was the granddaughter of the chairmen of the board  and would get her head served in a platter. Mabel expressive words only showed that she had anger, annoyed, stressed, angry and impatient. Knowing how to express your needs in a positive manner can help relate and resolve any problem that arises. Using assertive communication is a good way to be confident, addresses problem without belittling oneself and other staff members. Improving the way we express ourselves can have a positive effect and outcome at work with better harmony. My Scenario, took place around 8 years ago when I started working a unit called â€Å"1202†, surgical and nonsurgical unit. Six trauma beds and six nontrauma beds. We all worked pretty much in a team. Took report on all patients in order to know what was going on with every patient in case anyone needed help or anyone of us took a break or lunch break. We also rotated being charge nurse. And like always had to divide that patients according to severity and try to balance out the possible admits. Being in charge meant that we were in indirect way responsible for the patients and would be the last one to get the admit in case we had to jum p in and lend a helping hand. It was finally my turn to be in charge and of course that typical older nurse with more years always companied about having to many hard patients and need to trade off one of his patients and when it came to his admit asked if I could take it and he would take the next one. I found myself being nonassertive and took the admit in order to keep peace and not hear him nagging all night. To make the story short the following patient he took but was taken to the operating room, two patients got discharged and only left him with two stable patients. While I was still in charge, ended up with six patients and no discharges. And still responsible for overseeing everyone else’s job. At the end of the day I was tired, mad and overwhelmed. All this gave great experiences to be more assertive in a positive way, explain my rational for how I divided the assignment and offered as much help as needed in order to work as a team for the best patient care. Effective communication is very important not only for the staff members but also with the patient and family member in order to achieve a positive outcome for the patient and for a positive work environment with stress free workplace. Always keep in mind that no matter how much effective communication we might have we are bond to run into conflicts, it just the way we decide to delegate and resolve problems for a positive environment. Aggressive communication can only  bring more problems instead of solving them. Assertive communication is always the best way to go because we show confident, respect and ability to work in a stress free workplace. Reference Hansten, R., Jackson, M. (2009). Clinical delegation skills: A handbook for professional practice. Jones and Bartlett Learning, 4(4th), 279-292.

Effect of Culture in the Formulation of Marketing Strategies

Effect of Culture in the Formulation of Marketing Strategies Introduction As a student of business administration and having experienced the multicultural cosmopolitan life in London, U.K., marketing strategies of various multinational companies have always intrigued me. These marketing strategies are more challenging for small and medium sized enterprises. Hence I am motivated to research on various marketing strategies focussing on Culture to determine how well an organization working under stressful economical conditions can formulate successful marketing strategies. After careful research and study small and medium sized enterprises can focus their marketing by understanding how culture influences consumer psychology. Consumers are influences by various external factors like demographics, age, geographical location and culture is an outside influence on the consumer. According to Professor Lars Perner of Marshall School of Business the study of psychology of how the consumer is influenced by his or her environment is important for companies to improve their marketing strategies. (Perner) By understand culture, we can develop and better streamline marketing strategies/campaings to reach the customers more efficiently and aggresively. Aims The aim of the research effort is to better understand consumer behaviour which includes research of the buyers decision making process. It will include understanding the psychology, socio-economic background (from consumers in India) and other factors. There are two distinct influences acting on the consumer during the decision making process namely internal and external influences Internal Influences: These types of influences are caused by the consumer demographics, personal lifestyles, educational qualifications, financial conditions etc. External Influences: The outside factors that act on the consumer are referred as external influences. These are caused by culture and sub-culture, geographical location, gender, ethnicity and social class. As mentioned earlier Culture plays an important role in the consumer decision making process and the aim of this research is to better understand and possibly provide some suggestions so that small and medium sized companies can better formulate their marketing strategies. Objectives I hope to present a clear and definite picture on how various enterprises can attain better financial results by focussing and developing marketing strategies which are inclusive of all cultures, sub cultures and consumer social classes. By explaining consumer behaviour more clearly and making it adaptive to our fast changing economical and financial situation I hope to provide solutions for marketing successfully including possible consumer research methods. I would like to use the survey mentioned in the methodology section to understand consumer behaviour. Due to my inability to reach out to consumer/survey volunteers in U.K. and/or USA I might restrict my findings to India but I would hopefully be able to support my solutions using use cases of already successful marketing strategies. Literature Review Following globalization regional small and medium sized companies in India, USA and the UK are under increased pressure to formulate better marketing strategies. In India dimensions of marketing are fast changing. As literacy rate is increasing there is increased consumer awareness. Therefore industries face new challenges. Retail markets are now flooded with retail chains posing serious threat to traditional businesses. Consumers are now experiencing elevated service level as service sector is adopting market-focussed approach. These fast changing scenario is creating lot of changes are expected to take at a fast pace. In this context, it is important for small and medium sized enterprises for adopt and change rapidly. Changes come at a price and are not easily acceptable. It is my effort to provide struggling firms to follow simple steps to design efficient marketing strategies. Marketing is the key for successful businesses. My knowledge about different marketing strategies and related topics is based on my review of available research papers and books written by economists and philosophers. My research concludes with books and websites on consumer behaviour. I have also researched and understood the role of culture and subculture based on my finding and hope to bring a new perspective in formulating marketing strategies for small and medium sized enterprises. Lars E. Perner and is Professor of Clinical Marketing with University of South Carolina, USA. He motivates me with his research available on the web at http://www.consumerpsychologist.com/. In the introduction to Psychology of Marketing he presents some ideas which I have tried to explain further using additional references based on my research which are duly referenced in bibliography section. His work helped me build the foundation of this thesis. Consumer should be the centre and possibly the only point of focus of any marketing campaign. Perner briefly describes the role of culture and subculture. Though it should be understood from a different perspective for Indian enterprises, some of the thoughts can be applied generally. The idea that subcultures in India have distinct identity and can be identified uniquely from their heterogeneous group forms a major challenge for marketers. In the section Formulating Marketing Strategies, I have described in detail how one can ensure to include different major and minor motives that at acting on the consumer during the decision making process to design good and appealing marketing campaigns. I hope that this succinct attempt will motivate and encourage readers to focus their marketing campaigns using suggested methodologies to include various segments as mentioned in the Consumer Culture and Subculture section. Another primary source of my research and motivation is a book written by Matin Khan. It was published in 2006 and presents a perfect picture about Indian consumers and their influences. After reading this book, I have realized that it is very challenging to completely understand Indian consumers at any point. Yet, the complexity is resolved when they are segmented based on factors like geographical location and dialect. There are more factors which are useful in market segmentation and I have listed them under the section Application of Consumer Behaviour Information of my thesis. In his book Consumer Behaviour and Advertising Management, Khan discusses about consumer behaviour and its importance for companies. He writes in detail about its application and market analysis. In the chapter 2 Psychographic or Lifestyle Segmentation Khan writes in detail about Indias family structure and how marketers can use the familys socio-cultural behaviour in their favour in defining winning marke ting strategies. I am an Indian and Matin Khan helps me explore my heritage and culture by carefully exploring the hidden motives that influence my decision making process when I try to purchase any asset for my family. In his chapter Concept of Culture and Subculture, Khan made an attempt to draw a parallel and to find common characteristics amongst different Indian cultures and subcultures. My research however has helped me conclude that culture and subculture are in changing continuously and their likeliness and differences will vary from time to time. Hence, marketing strategies based on common characteristics in subcultures may not be relevant throughout the tenure of the product. In such scenarios, the strategies have to be evaluated time to time and changed accordingly. In order to further understand consumer behaviour I have further researched Ray Wrights book called Consumer Behaviour. Wright writes in detail about buyer behaviour. Examining the study of consumer behaviour is important to demonstrate the roles of customer and the market economy in designing successful marketing campaigns. Firms should compare, evaluate and analyze to relate consumer behaviour and natural and social sciences. It is necessary to individually research all the factors that influence the consumers decision making process. India is now a part of the World Trade Organization (WTO) and with Capitalism dominating all the leading economies of the world; it is becoming challenging for Indian firms to adjust to the pricing provided by the Chinese counterparts. However, the idea of swades [1] is becoming more and more relevant to Indias educated classes. Hence, there is an opportunity to design marketing strategies which exploit this consumer behaviour to increase market shar e and product line-up. The societal benefits includes adaptation and reengineering of various industrial equipment imported by India for its growing economy as the rules relating to intellectual property are not yet clearly defined and implemented by Indian legislation. Though this might change (I do not condone), it is worth mentioning how Indian companies have adapted and to sudden changes in customer behaviour following liberalisation of Indian economy. Wright also explains about the consumers central position within the free market system. India is not yet a product driven market[2] and therefore marketing campaigns designed for various countries may not be equally appealing to Indian consumers. After carefully designed marketing strategies are rolled out, it is important to maintain and sustain those efforts. Hence, marketing management small companies will have to look into as well. Robert D. Hisrich is a Garvin Professor of Global Entrepreneurship and writes about the challenges in managing marketing in his book Marketing. He writes in detail about various methods in marketing research, packaging, pricing scenarios, best practices in advertising and distribution. This secondary source is very essential to enhance my understanding of stages of marketing after strategies are rolled out. In various aptly laid out chapters, Hisrich discusses the small and medium sized industries and external marketing environment affecting them. Effective planning is super important. This book provides supporting information for my thoughts in market segmentation. Unfortunately, this book is published in the USA and does not consider Indian market scenario. Therefore, I have used this book a s a secondary reference. My emphasis for market segmentation can is extension of the information provided in Analyzing Markets and Target Marketing. This book has enhanced my understanding of consumer behaviour from business intelligence perspective. It has expanded the role of marketing by focussing only on the behaviour of the consumer. As a reader I am presented with insightful information that makes me wonder if I should keep track of every consumer motive to design better marketing solutions. Hisrich explains in detail about theoretical models in understanding consumer behaviour. This includes Stimulus-Response Model Learning Model. It is based on the sequential placement of the research steps like drive, motivation, stimuli, cu[3]e and response to fulfil consumer needs. In the psychoanalytic model we make an attempt to understand the complex consumer motives. Within one segmented market and for each product there exist different groups who buy the product for satisfying diffe rent needs. Some buy it for functional requirements and some for symbolic concerns. Maslows hierarchy of needs theory also explains how the needs of human beings can be categorized into physical, sociological and the self-actualization. Indian consumers are now starting to think more rationally on the lines of western consumers. They make decisions based on rationally perceived self-interests. They have range of products from Indian and foreign manufacturers and given the limited amount of money for attaining satisfaction by attempting to satisfy only limited number of wants from many needs. Indian firms, therefore, should make efforts to maximize these demands as mentioned in the book as utility maximization. Having understood the influences on the consumer, it is important to understand the Indian market and how it is different from the economies of the west. The biggest contrast is that companies outside India create a demand rather than responding to it. Unlike the west, Indian manufacturers are very quick to get into the market and exit as rapidly as shown by traders and their traditional trading mentality. Foreign companies should have a strong basis for understanding Indian domestic market. It will ensure they are able to best penetrate it. Indians are more welcoming to new ideas and approaches. The consumers are reasonably receptive and reasonably enthusiastic. More comparisons about western and Indian consumers are explained in detail using case studies in Paul Daviess New Business in India. In a guide to marketing in India, Davies has insights of an economist and the discourse of a writer. He writes about the Indian feeling about competition from China which is accounting for st range consumer behaviour. Such behaviour is making domestic Indian firms start thinking about hurdles while entering the Indian market. They are too high and very risky. Yet there is a opportunity to explore. Davies poses questions about Indian market to prospective firms in India, questions to ask yourself (while entering Indian market) are the one of whether you can either complement Indian businesses or offer a competitive position that will enable you to establish your business. Putting this in context of my example of Maruti Suzuki, though Maruti hold the key position since 1984, Hyundai Motors India Limited (HMIL) was successfully able to offer consumers with its Santro model, and has gain prominent market share. As of 2009, HMIL became the second largest automobile manufacturer and largest exporter of automobiles in India[4]. Similarly, scores of life insurance companies are setting up franchises to cater the needs of demanding Indian consumers. Indian manufacturers need to have some competitive edge over their competitors to capture and expand their market share. It is my effort to provide some guidelines and suggestions so that they can adapt accordingly. For traditional Indian businesses it is important to understand their areas of competitive advantages. India has vast amount of natural resources. According to P.N. Mari Bhatt in Indian Demographic Scenario 2025, Institute of Economic Growth, New Delhi, there will be more than 882 million people in the age group of 15-64 years. The age of retirement in India is 64 years. So the workforce will near one billion Indians. Therefore I conclude that Indians to have superior skills, specialized knowledge, customer orientation, trade relationships and technical expertise. Indias abundant resources are made of extensive coverage, economies of large scales, availability of global financing schemes, and ease of foreign direct investments (FDI). This together with current cost and in tellectual property niche gives Indian manufacturers head start and leading ground. In the fifth edition of Marketing Book, the author Michael Baker makes these subtle rules for start-ups very evident. He includes notes and commentary on increasing focus on channel management, CRM, direct marketing, E-Marketing and communication integration. Indian manufacturers should also understand and develop methods to differentiate their products by providing superior product quality, more functionalities, impeccable after sales service, and wider range as discussed in the section Indian Consumer Characteristics of this thesis. Even for Indian manufacturers understanding the environment is the key to success. Constantly changing political scenario takes constant adjustments within the company to accommodate and comply with changing rules. Formal marketing audits should be carried out for market size and potential, customer behaviour, segmentation and supply channels. They should understand com petitors and should not assume their behaviour. There could be direct competitors, potential competitors, and their strengths and weaknesses. Side by product comparison helps in new design ideas. They should re-evaluate their own products and market position which will enable to compete aggressively. One of the biggest mistakes done by firms is their strategies and priorities are constantly changing and setting clear strategic priorities is necessary for continuous growth. Finally with products comes customer orientation. Baker writes (Companies should) develop customer orientation in all function. Ensure that every function understands that they are there to serve the customer, not their own functional interests. This applies best to all small and medium sized enterprises. They should focus on key indicators for performance and audit those often. Also in the same context it is implied that study of market needs market research. As a supporting document to my knowledge I have reviewed Introducing Market Research written by Paul Baines and Bal Chansarkar of Middlesex University Business School. After reading introduction I am now able to better articulate the marketing research and am able to appreciate the role that marketing research plays. In the chapters ahead, Baines and Chansarkar help me decide what and who should conduct marketing research for small and medium sized enterprises in the Indian market conditions. One common mistake firms in India repeatedly do is not being able to distinguish clearly between marketing research and market research. Market research is the research of the markets. Marketing research deals with analysis of marketing process. After market and marketing research it is time for strategic planning, which uses all the information collected during research. Strategic planning has five important elements; Product Strategy, Offer Strategy, Media Strategy, Distribution Strategy and Creative Strategies. India has Growing number of internet shoppers who necessitate small businesses to adapt these strategies in their favour. Edward L. Nashs Direct Marketing: Strategy, Planning, Execution is a great reference to understand each of these strategies. In its fourth edition, Nash explains how businesses can use internet and global marketing strategies to capture ground in this competitive marketplace. Internet is the newest form of direct marketing. Relying solely on the media can be catastrophic. Following the principles of strategic direct marketing we can create successful campaigns for any product and in any segment of market in India or any other country of the work. But it is very important to have a strategy clea rly defined. Earlier in India there was no co-ordination between product development team and the marketing team. The product development team rarely took information about the end user and the marketing team was responsible for selling it. Today, it is just the reverse. Product development teams are instructed to find products that can be marketed easily. The author takes example of Dell and Apple who allow users to configure the computers they would like to buy. The consumers tell the manufacturers what they want and it is made for them rather than buying preconfigured computers available in the market. This gives them the competitive advantage and greater market share. Something similar needs to happen in India. The author presents small businesses with retailing opportunity using the internet. There are many advantages associated with letting consumers buy products online. The physical store can be smaller but the online store can be vast with products that can be delivered just in time. Unlike traditional businesses where the consumers/end users are restricted, online shopping portals do not have geographical restriction. The online store is open almost all the time. Unlike physical stores, online portals can get a makeover almost instantly appealing to masses. It is very easy to gather consumer information as it is not a hassle when the shopping is being done online. Growing number of companies in India are switching to this model because of high cost of running physical stores. After speaking to business owners in Hyderabad and Kamareddy cities of Andhra Pradesh, India I have realized that businesses are looking for to a clearly and planned guide to marketing plan which is customized for them. Robert E Stevens, PhD is a Professor of Management and Marketing at University of Louisiana at Monroe. Along with his colleague David Loudan, PhD and Bruce Wrenn have collaborated to compose a Marketing Planning Guide. The book lays out step by step, wizard like actions for marketing planning. It introduces plannings importance in any organization and the formal marketing planning process. It has organizational considerations while marketing planning (organizational purpose, objectives and strategies, a look and current organizations structure, and market responsiveness). It introduces Indian businesses to database marketing planning using Hyundai Motor Company as an example. Types of data that we should keep information on and decision making process are well illustr ated. It also has steps one should have in any marketing research project. From the market analysis perspective we have to ensure thorough situational analysis, which has strategic implications of product and market analysis including sales and costs analysis of the product versus its competitor. As mentioned in my analysis, Professor Stevens lays strong emphasis on consumer analysis using market segmentation, lifestyle segmentation and introduces Market Grid Analysis to the small and medium enterprises. He also writes in detail about competitive analysis for establishing competitive advantage which is also discussed by Michael Baker. With increasing power to spend, Indias market is constantly increasing which gives every company an opportunity to succeed. An opportunity analysis should be carefully conducted identifying potential problems and opportunities. There exist internal and other risk factors that need to be considered. Companies should used data from situation analysis to set clear objectives for marketing. Companies should develop a strategy and also evaluate alternate marketing strategies. They should also evaluate other factors influencing the selected strategy. For manufacturers who offer variety of products, different product related decisions should also be made during marketing mix. Different product positioning strategies and quality based marketing should be initiated. Service strategy should be implemented and evaluated often. Improving customer service is the key to changing customers perception about the company. If the existing products need a makeover or change, relevant product line decisions should be taken. Distribution channels should be carefully selected and promotion decisions should be made only on the basis of target audience. Media and promotional media decisions should not be made without proper cause. For companies competing with Chinese manufacturers pricing also plays an important role in changing customers perspective about the company. Professor Stevens writes about penetration pricing and skimming pricing for making pricing decisions for new products. In designing successful marketing systems, companies should focus on the following four subsystems (departments) within the organization Organizational System: The super system which binds all other systems together and coordinates the interaction of all other systems. Marketing Planning System: This department identifies opportunities for marketing and should create consumer oriented plans. Marketing Control System: This system will monitor and audit performance of marketing plans to ensure marketing objectives are being met. Marketing Information System: This provides decision making information and data to all other departments of the company. Richard L. Sandhusen explains the importance of these systems in his book Marketing and explains why organization system harmonizes marketing efforts. It is because the organization system has infrastructure in which marketing analysis, marketing planning, implementation and controls can be efficiently coordinated. These can be customized for small and medium sized industries we have can more one or group of persons performing multiple tasks. These tasks should be divided once the company starts to grow. This books also talks about product design. The main consideration in product design is consumer preference. Companies should design what consumers want. Indian consumers are now expecting world class safety features in the cars they buy. Almost every car manufacturer now offers cars with air bags, and side impact bar. All those who were reluctant to offer have dealt serious loses. The main criterion for product competitiveness and profitability is pricing. Cost of labour and materia ls should be carefully used in the price of the product. Products should also be designed for compatibility as well. India is a large country with varied geographical and environmental constraints. There are different climates, and different measurements systems which should be considered during product design. The study of Indian marketing environment can never be adequate due to constantly changing dimensions. There are the forces that marketing managers should use to create and plan organization objectives. For Indian companies, microenvironment [Sandhusen, 2000][6] is the force that affects the ability of the company to serve its customers better than its competitors. The macroenvironment [Sandhusen, 2000][6] influence the microenvironment due to politics, economy, and changing culture and subculture. Finally, the game changing role is played by considering distribution systems. Unlike USA and UK, roadway and railway infrastructure is not very well maintained. Companies should make use of channel systems. In India, logistics are becoming the biggest deterrent to appealing marketing campaigns. Logistics requires material management and product distribution (packaging, transportation, storage, and inventory management) for bring products to the end users. These functions are interrelated. Indian companies should adopt structuring logistics into material management and product distribution for efficient logistics. If possible separate department should be created with greater communication between them. Sandhusen writes about the importance of logistics in marketing planning, and mentions marketing planning can be measured by a number of costly concerns: transportation, storage costs, number of (intermediate) channels in logistics, costs, etc. Methodology The primary aim of this research is to emphasize the impact of culture on marketing strategies for small and medium sized enterprises. Unlike large sized companies, small and medium enterprises face increased competition due to inadequate resources including capital, human resources and strategic assets. To better communicate with their target customer group the small and medium sized enterprises use various techniques in exploring existing or newer markets. I would like to limit my focus to the efforts in understanding the cultural impact on those marketing strategies and, to provide better solutions I would like to refer to the following ways of collecting information. The primary source of my research is books, magazines, historical articles and, other information available in hard copy. All references will be duly mentioned in the bibliography section. Information available on internet and white papers. While most of the information and statistics available on the web cannot be collaborated with strong facts, it secondary source of information which will act as supporting data for the information I would collect by preliminary research using books, journals and government provided economic data. Also, I would like to survey the existing marketing campaigns to find similarities and differences between different small sized enterprises. As the emphasis is on culture, I cannot limit my research to UK alone and would like to extend my survey to other countries including USA and India. The research poll will include a short questionnaire which can be an online survey and or a hand written copy. I would like to provide a parallel between the current trends in marketing strategies and the general opinion from the research poll. Though it is possible that there might be a difference in them, it is still valid as this effort is to better understand and streamline marketing. A sample questionnaire is enclosed for reference. Sample questions from research survey: 1. What is your age group? Answer choices: a. Between 18-24 b. Between 25-34 c. Between 34-44 d. Between 45-54 e. Between 55-54 f. Over 65 2. What is your gender? Answer choices: 3. Answer choices: a. UK b. U.S.A c. India 4a. For respondents in U.K. Do you feel London is an example of cross cultural metropolitan? Answer choices: a. Yes b. No 4b. If the answer is â€Å"yes† to question number 4a. Have you ever felt any commercial is particularly offensive to your culture/background? Answer choices: a. Yes b. No 5. If the answer is â€Å"no† to question number 4b. Will you be interested in purchasing a product of Company A if its marketing commercials portrays your culture/background in a positive way? Answer choices: a. Yes b. No 6. Have you recently been motivated to buy any product because its advertisement if inclusive and portrays your culture positively? Answer choices: a. Yes b. No 6b. If the answer is â€Å"yes† to the question number 6. Please mention the company name, product name and category if applicable. Answer choices: a. b. c. 1 What is your age group? a. Between 18-24 b. Between 25-34> c. Between 34-44 d. Between 45-54 e. Between 55-54 f. Over 65 2. What is your gender? a. Male b. Female 3. What is your primary country of residence? a. UK b. U.S.A c. India 4.a. For respondents in U.K.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Do you feel London is an example of cross cultural metropolitan? a. Yes b. No 4.b. If the answer is â€Å"yes† to question number 4a.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Have you ever felt any commercial is particularly offensive to your culture/background? a. Yes b. No 5. If the answer is â€Å"no† to ques

Creative Story: State Highway :: essays research papers

Creative Story: State Highway It was a blistering hot July afternoon, with all the windows up and the air conditioning on maximum, the young boy questioned again why he was going to take college level courses when he had only recently finished his junior year in high school. He felt like it was a million degrees inside the red minivan. As he traveled in a South direction alone Arkansas State Highway 55, with the rhythmic beet of the tires on the road, he felt as thought he could feel each bump to its fullest, they were like waves on an ocean and symbolized everything he had over come and accomplished to make this journey. He not only over came his own self doubts about whether he can make it, but many who believed that he could not be successful in an environment with so many distractions. As he sat in the back of the minivan fears over the future began to surface in his head. "Will I make friends?" "Will I be comfortable so many miles away from home?" As these thoughts raced through his mind he felt alone and a cold shiver was sent through his body. He was no afraid and cold in the hot summer air. He knew consciously and logically that he was not alone. For his mother and grandmother sat next to him in the minivan and would do whatever they could to help him. But yet he realized something had changed. They were there but would some be gone and that he must draw strength, self-confidence, and a sense of security from within himself and not rely on the people around him to fulfill these feelings because they could not provide this for him. He must venture into the unknown, alone and could only receive a limited type of security and support from home. Regardless of which way the journey took him he could always count on them being there in case he fell or got lost during his month away. As the red minivan crossed the state line passing from Arkansas into the mighty sate of Mississippi. The first image he saw was an eight foot by twelve foot flag of the state. He knew so little about their customs, beliefs and rituals. It was as if he were entering into a foreign country. As they drove up the main entrance he could see through the trees in the "Grove" the bright afternoon sun reflecting off the columns of the "Ole Miss" Lyceum. As his family helped him unload what seemed to not be enough possessions he checked into the Creative Story: State Highway :: essays research papers Creative Story: State Highway It was a blistering hot July afternoon, with all the windows up and the air conditioning on maximum, the young boy questioned again why he was going to take college level courses when he had only recently finished his junior year in high school. He felt like it was a million degrees inside the red minivan. As he traveled in a South direction alone Arkansas State Highway 55, with the rhythmic beet of the tires on the road, he felt as thought he could feel each bump to its fullest, they were like waves on an ocean and symbolized everything he had over come and accomplished to make this journey. He not only over came his own self doubts about whether he can make it, but many who believed that he could not be successful in an environment with so many distractions. As he sat in the back of the minivan fears over the future began to surface in his head. "Will I make friends?" "Will I be comfortable so many miles away from home?" As these thoughts raced through his mind he felt alone and a cold shiver was sent through his body. He was no afraid and cold in the hot summer air. He knew consciously and logically that he was not alone. For his mother and grandmother sat next to him in the minivan and would do whatever they could to help him. But yet he realized something had changed. They were there but would some be gone and that he must draw strength, self-confidence, and a sense of security from within himself and not rely on the people around him to fulfill these feelings because they could not provide this for him. He must venture into the unknown, alone and could only receive a limited type of security and support from home. Regardless of which way the journey took him he could always count on them being there in case he fell or got lost during his month away. As the red minivan crossed the state line passing from Arkansas into the mighty sate of Mississippi. The first image he saw was an eight foot by twelve foot flag of the state. He knew so little about their customs, beliefs and rituals. It was as if he were entering into a foreign country. As they drove up the main entrance he could see through the trees in the "Grove" the bright afternoon sun reflecting off the columns of the "Ole Miss" Lyceum. As his family helped him unload what seemed to not be enough possessions he checked into the

College Entrance Essay: Moving to the US :: essays research papers

University of Washington Admissions Essay The challenging family situation I would like to share with you is our move from Korea to the United States. In 1989, my life was changed when my family immigrated to a new country, hoping for a better future. My life in Korea was hopeless, because I was a failing student with not much interest in school. I spent the majority of my time in Arcades, wasting my coins on video games. Rather than studying with my friends, as I had told my parents I would, I obsessed over the games. The only positive aspect to my life was my private computer programming lessons. Programming in Apple BASIC presented me with an opportunity to create my own world. One day, my parents told me that we were going to move to the United States of America, and I developed a strong feeling that my life soon would change forever. After spending eleven years in Korea, our family moved a totally different environment. This I knew would be my toughest challenge to date. As a fifth grader attending a new elementary school in a new country, I felt left out because of my inability to communicate. Some kids assumed that I did not understand them at all, so they made rude remarks about me. I understood them, maybe not completely, but I knew the intent of their messages. All that I had was my Apple II computer at which I just sat and programmed when I came home from school. At home, my parents pressured me to study all of the time, but I was frustrated and wanted to return to Korea. I wanted to go back and talk freely with my friends and play games with them. My parents often told me that they decided to move here because of the educational opportunities, yet I continued to rebel and refused to listen to what they said. Over time, my English improved. I moved on to regular sixth grade classes; some of which were challenging, but tolerable because of my teachers whom were willing to help. I always enjoyed class trips to the computer lab, where I would start programming on the computer. Other kids would start to gather around and treat me like a genius. Before long, I made more friends and found that I was enjoying school. Thoughts of going back to Korea faded, and my grades rose to a satisfactory level. This pleased my parents who now encouraged me to invite friends to dinner.

A Memorable Event

Steps to Writing a Memorable Event Essay X Elliot Quimby Elliot Quimby has been a freelance writer, editor and proofreader since 2008. Quimby has written, edited and proofread grant proposals, press releases, cover letters, resumes and website content. Quimby earned a Bachelor of Arts in creative writing and literature as well as linguistics at the University of Michigan. Quimby has contributed to a blog on Urbanministry. org. By Elliot Quimby, eHow Contributor The memorable event essay is a common assignment in writing classes and can also be part of a college application.The exercise helps you practice your writing and narration skills. The advantage to you as the writer is that you don't need to do a lot of research because you will write from experience. 1. Brainstorm * List memorable events worthy of your essay. These may include births and deaths of loved ones, rites of passage and turning points in your life. Sometimes something simple can be especially memorable, like going t o a concert or playing outside with your family. Begin several days before your essay is due, if possible.Choose from your list an event that is complex enough for the length of your essay. If you can't describe the event in detail, it may not have been very memorable. Choose an experience you don't mind sharing with your audience. 2. Identify Theme * Think about why your event was memorable. What about it was different from your daily routine? How did the event affect the rest of your life? Identify the main reason you remember this experience. This will be your theme. * Sponsored Links * Free GRE Practice Test Take our 20 minute practice test and get your results right away. www. estden. com 3. Outline * Create a general outline of what happened. Include details that relate to your theme. Remember to include an introduction and conclusion. Add any background information your reader needs to know to understand what happened and why it was important. If you get stuck, consider Willi am Strunk's suggested structure for a narrative of a historical event: â€Å"A. What led up to the event. B. Account of the event. C. What the event led up to. † Write * Write your first draft based on your outline. Create a separate paragraph for each major point in your outline.Concentrate on the content of your essay rather than grammar, spelling and mechanics. Remember to explain what you were thinking when your memorable event happened. Why did you react the way you did? What did or didn't you know about what was happening? Did you realize right away that this was something you would always remember? Use language that will help the reader feel the way you did. Edit * If possible, leave your essay alone for an hour or a day before beginning to edit. Read your essay as if someone else had written it. Does anything seem confusing?Did you clearly explain why your event was memorable? Are there details that do not support your theme? Sometimes you will need to re-write a para graph or more. You may need to delete unimportant paragraphs. Fix any grammatical, spelling or mechanical errors. Run a spell-check. Read through your essay several times before turning it in. If you can, get someone else to read it and give you feedback. Read more: Steps to Writing a Memorable Event Essay | eHow. com http://www. ehow. com/way_5682169_steps-writing-memorable-event-essay. html#ixzz2Ooj9885U

The Perfect Customer Service Model

After looking over the customer service model I would use what I thought I would want to receive as a customer calling in for help. You have a preconceived notion as to what your customer service call would be like. For instance if I had a customer call I would like to greet them warmly and get right to the point as to what the problem is and what I am prepared to do in order to help them. A customer expects professionalism but they also expect understanding and dedication to their issue, so being very attentive is key.This would be a part of my strategy. As far as the systems I would make sure that the use of the state of the art facility was used as well as up to date equipment and software, being on top of the newest technological trends and software will ensure fast and accurate repairs. Another important aspect of customer service is the representatives taking the calls. It is my duty to the customer to make sure that every individual they speak to has been trained and is qualif ied to help them.I have had experiences where the responses are from a text and often times you get shifted to different people that are qualified in different areas. I think that making sure the persons receiving calls are qualified leads to a better customer service experiment the less run around and hold time the better. The management of the facility as well as other personnel must have a background in the customer service area as well as technology because they support the frontline.

Motorcycle Accidents

MOTORCYCLE ACCIDENTS ENGLISH 215 28 AUGUST 2011 Motorcyclists are more prone to die in accidents than those in automobiles. Accidents are caused by the motorcycle itself, the lack of experience, not wearing proper gear,  riding at excessive speeds, and inexperienced automobile drivers. The main reason for most motorcycle accidents are caused by motorcyclist that operate their vehicles without wearing the proper protection. A safe and secure cyclist wears a helmet if riding one mile or two hundred miles.Without a helmet, a person is leaving themselves open for the potential for many different types of injuries when riding a motorcycle, in particular injuries to the brain. There are many dangers which can be waiting on the highway for motorcyclists and many of these are preventable by being properly ready to ride and always being safe. Some believe that motorcycles are temptation for fate; unlike cars that have overhead covering, seatbelts, windshields, and two extra tires. Motorcycl es provide no safety features for the rider. This seems to be a good enough reason for most people to avoid riding motorcycles.A select few individuals are willing to take this chance at fate and enjoy the thrill and excitement of riding on the open road. There are many injuries and fatalities associated with motorcycles that cause most people to be against operating motorcycles. Some people have even lost love ones because of the love of motorcycles. Once the collision has occurred, or the rider has lost control through some other mishap, several common types of injury occur when the bike falls: * Collision with less forgiving protective barriers, or badly placed roadside â€Å"furniture† (lampposts, signs, fences etc. This is often simply a result of poor road design, and can be engineered out to a large degree. Note that when one falls off a motorcycle in the middle of a curve, lamps and signs create a â€Å"wall† of sorts with little chance to avoid slamming agains t a pole. * Concussion and brain damage, as the head violently contacts other vehicles or objects. Riders wearing an approved helmet reduce the risk of death by 37 percent. ( Wald, Matthew, 12September 2007, The New York Times) The Hurt Report also commented on injuries after an accident stating that the likelihood of injury is extremely high in these motorcycle accidents – 98% of the multiple vehicle collisions and 96% of the single vehicle accidents resulted in some kind of injury to the motorcycle rider; 45% resulted in more than a minor injury. ( U. S. Department of Transportation. ) People who ride motorcycles most realize that due to the extreme risk of riding, certain protective gear must be worn to help minimize injuries.The most important piece of equipment is the helmet. Operating a motorcycle without a helmet is just ludicrous. Riders should want to be highly visible at night. When a motorcyclist is not visible to others at night they become more susceptible to bei ng injured by other vehicles. The wearing of bright or reflective clothing helps other people notice you at night. Abrasion resistant clothing is a must. This material help protect against debris and major cuts. Wearing jackets and pants that have extra padding assists in protecting the motorcyclist from extreme impacts.Gloves are very important as well. Depending on the weather a riders hands may become moist or damp and could potentially cause the hands to slip of the throttle. The proper foot wear is very important because a rider most protect his ankles and have the necessary grip on the foot pegs to ensure a safe posture. Speeding also plays a part in the fatalities and injuries of motorcyclist. Motorcyclists tend to be very competitive when it comes to motorcycles. They often choose to speed but lack the experience to handle the speed.Inexperience motorcyclist and automobile drivers play a big part in most accidents. Most automobile operators lack the necessary skills to opera te a motor vehicle. The average person goes to the DMV and takes the written test and passes it. Then go straight to the driving portion without going through any type of driver’s training. Attending drivers safety courses can help reduce injuries and fatalities among motorcyclist and automobile operators. Most states highly encourage people to attend these classes but few actually attend.Even with over 1,500 locations in USA, and over 120,000 annual students, MSF only trains about 3% of the owners of 4,000,000 new motorcycles sold for highway use. (Motorcycle Safety Foundation. ) There are many reasons for motorcycle accidents and fatalities and some of them are unavoidable, but it is up to the individual to decide whether they want to operate the vehicle, regardless of the dangers. REFERENCES www. ct. gov/dot/LIB/dot/Documents/dhighwaysafety Department of Transportation. www. nytimes. com/2007/09/12/us/12helment. html New York Times. www. msf-usa. org/SafeCycling/Safe_Cycli ng Motorcycle Safety Foundation

Looked After Children Essay

A child related reason as to why a child may become looked after is because of disability for example Down syndrome. This is when a child is unable to function in everyday life in the same way as everyone else. Ways in which we could help the child is through specialised care for example using treatments and medication suited to their needs to make them well or to improve the quality of life. Also the child could have interaction with other children who suffer from the same illness as them to help them socialise and feel better about themselves. A weakness of this is that some parents are unable to accept the child having a disability and are uneducated on how to deal with them so this also could be a reason they become a looked after child. Another child related reason as to why a child may become looked after is through committing a criminal offence. This is where the child would commit a crime by breaking the law for example violence and theft. The reason for the child being taken away could be that they are being influenced by other children around the area they live in so to experiment and see if the child is still misbehaved when away from those children they could be taken into foster care. Another example for this is when they are being looked after it could cause them to never recommit the crime and avoids harming other people. In other cases the parent could disown the child for committing the crime. The next child related reason a child could become looked after is through learning difficulties. This means the child has an incapability to learn which doesn’t enable them to move forward intellectually due to delayed development and it could affect everyday life. This is because it could affect the child’s future and independence for example they are unable to learn and so unable to go to college and receive any qualifications and so they are unable to get a job, also there could be limited access to edu cation, sources and resources for the child’s difficulties. The parent may also not be able to cope and think the child is not normal compare to all the other children and this could lead to neglect which could be another reason leading the child to become a looked after child. Behavioural problems is an issue in which could provoke a child to become looked after. This is the range of actions and mannerisms made by the child which are often unacceptable. The reason in why the child may become looked after is because the behaviour could influence other siblings for example if child number one is always badly behaved child  number two could see child one is getting attention and therefore imitate their behaviour. The child could just get taken away for respite care so the parents can rest or for therapy, they do not necessarily have to be put into 24 hour full time care. A family related reason as to why a child may become looked after is because of suspected or actual maltreatment. This is a form of poor care or neglect, if a child doesn’t have basic needs to satisfy them such as food, shelter and hygiene then it would be up to social care workers to make sure they receive this care from becoming looked after. If the child doesn’t receive the correct care and the social care worker fails them then this could cause risk of harm/illness or even death. It could affect their physical, emotional, social and intellectual development. Also could harm the future of the child for example cause the child to become bullied and so therefore they make excuses not to go to school which puts their education at risk and they are unable to get a job from having no qualifications and no confidence. Another family related reason as to why a child may become looked after is through parent illness. This is when the parent is unwell. If they are mentally or physically unable to function or fulfil a child’s needs then this would become a concern for a social work er. If they was unable to take on the roles and responsibilities of being a parent then the reason for this could be the parent struggles financially as they are unable to work due to their illness and so the child may not get his/her full wellbeing this could be a reason they become looked after. Also another reason could be that the parent is dying from cancer and it could be too much pressure for the child to see them deteriorate and so this could be another reason as to why they become looked after. Parental capacity is another reason as to why a child may become looked after. This is when the parent is unable to look after a child for various reasons for example may not be able to afford to look after them, cannot cope with the child and their basic needs. The parent could also have an addiction and so their priorities are not right for example they put alcohol before the child’s food. This would cause great concern for a social worker and so therefore the child may become lo oked after in foster care, or in rest bite care until the parent becomes clean.

Causes and Effects of Gravity

Causes and Effects of Gravity Ahmed Emad Hassab Elnabi Gravitational Force â€Å"’You may hate gravity, but gravity doesn’t care.’ Clayton Christensen†. This Harvard teacher was directing this quotation to students like me because it is a force that cannot be viewed. Gravity is a field force exerted by an object to attract another object towards its center. In a simplified manner, it is an intangible, non-contact force that cannot be seen, but is existent between all objects. Gravitational force in a mathematical perspective is the mass of an object multiplied by gravitational acceleration. It is one of the fundamental forces of the universe that maintains planets, solar systems and galaxies. In the last couple of centuries, gravity became understood through Galileo, Brahe, Kepler, Newton and Einstein. Before the last 300 years, some only superficially understood gravity and others neglected the concept of having a field. In ancient times, civilizations believed that the skies and systems were held by divine power. Over they years, loads of scientists and philosophers tried to explain such a ‘magical’ phenomenon. In 1610, Galileo created a modern telescope. He used it to observe different planets’ behaviors. He focused on Earth and Venus; consequently he realized that they both revolve around the sun in a similar pattern. Therefore, he concluded that there’s a force that causes this spectacle. In the same time existed Kepler and Brahe. Kepler used Brahe’s astronomical data to conclude that planets revolve around the sun in an elliptical motion and that Earth has the same orbits around the sun; thus, he discovered that gravity creates seasons. Then, came the father of physics and creator of laws of motion, Isaac Newton. He was one of the first to explain the theory of mutual interaction, through his law of Universal Gravitation. It states that any and every two bodies in the universe attract each other with a force directly p roportional to their masses and inversely proportion to the square of the distance between them. Thus objects like Newton’s apple is pulled to the earth and vice versa; the earth and planets are pulled towards the sun and vice versa. Finally, Albert Einstein, who is the most renounced genius, proposed a new theory. He said that gravity is the result of space and time being bent, general theory of relativity. He also theorized that enormous masses alter space and time because they deflect light, thus creating gravity. Skeptics denounced his theory, but time proved this theory right when astronauts went to space and found out that a clock is quicker away from earth. There are many misconceptions about gravity because there are many different explanations to it. First, people think that gravitational force doesn’t exist between humans, but it does exist between every object in the universe. However, the gravitational pull by earth is much stronger than the force exerted b y humans because of its huge mass. Second, some thinks that gravity occurs through a mixture of gases, the air. However, gravity occurs between planets and suns, where there is no air, vacuum. Third some think that gravitational acceleration (a=f/m) in free-fall decreases because of the force of gravity of other objects. However, air pressure causes this occurrence but gravitational acceleration is constant at 9.81 m/s. Fourth, people claim that we are supposed to be pulled to mars or the moon also. On the other hand, they don’t take into consideration the factor of distance and that earth is we are too far from the moon or mars. Fifth, some say that there is no gravitational force between Pluto and Earth. This is not true because gravitational force exists between all the objects in the universe. No matter how minute it can be, it is never zero. Sixth, a person might claim that his mass changes on the moon, but mass is constant; it is weight that changes depending on the gra vitational pull. Seventh, one would think that we must be pulled to the Earth’s core since that is stated in Newton’s law of universal gravity. However, Newton also said in his third law that the Earth’s floor has an equal and opposing force to the gravitational force. Finally, one could claim that there is no gravitational force exerted on bacteria since they float. This statement is false because its mass is insignificant, gravitational force exerted by Earth on them is very small that it seemingly doesn’t affect them.

Subprime Mortgages Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Subprime Mortgages - Research Paper Example   A few days after this statement, the crisis was on its full swing. Necessary actions were taken to fix the crisis situation, such as huge among of capital was injected in the economy by the government, interest rates were cut down for the borrowers, but the matter went out of hands. The heat of this issue and a series of other training events are still prevailing and companies are trying to overcome the economic catastrophe. In the backdrop of this scenario, this study would be evaluating the facets of the subprime crisis and its consequence on organizations in the global marketplace. Identifying the origin of the subprime crisis is a significant as well as interesting investigation that would be presented through this study.     There are various causes which can be evaluated and discussed while investigating subprime mortgage crisis, but in this study, the focus would be specifically on the housing bubble and banking segment. The problem that would be discussed and scrutini zed in this study would be the contribution or role of the banks and financial institutions in the subprime mortgage crisis.     Highlighting the role of the bank would also lead the readers to unveil various other causes of the financial crisis that would be obvious after understanding the actual position of banks in the global economy. The hypothesis is the assumption that a researcher makes regarding the direction and result of the study because actually going through all the process of research. This gives the researcher an idea about the way the research study would turn out to be. In this case, the role of banks would be specifically discussed in case of subprime crisis. Banks do have the significant contribution towards liquidity crunch and creation of housing bubble, which finally led to the subprime crisis.   Subprime signifies the credit status of the borrowers of subprime loans and does not correspond to the interest rates of such loans. Any type of loans offered to the subprime borrowers which do not satisfy the prime guidelines of a loan is termed as subprime loans. It is a process of lending money to a group of borrowers who are classified as subprime borrowers and they do not qualify for obtaining loans at market interest rates because of the fact that their credit ratings are too low (Duhigg â€Å"Pressured to Take More Risk, Fannie Reached Tipping Point†; Labaton â€Å"Agency’s ’04 Rule Let Banks Pile up New Debt†). Ideally, the decrease in the price of the commodities in the market results in the augmentation of demand of the commodity.  Ã‚  

The early life and reign of Julius Caesar Essay

The early life and reign of Julius Caesar - Essay Example Julius Caesars' early life and the beginning of his reign as leader of Rome was a very long, yet fulfilling journey. Where Julius Caesar was born and his upbringing influenced him greatly to become the leader of Rome. His accomplishments in his early reign were of extreme importance.Caesar was born in Rome into a well-known patrician family (gens Julia), which supposedly traced its ancestry to Julus, the son of the Trojan prince Aeneas (who according to myth was the son of Venus). A well-documented legend that exists is that, Caesar was born by Caesarian section and is therefore named that way, though it is considered improbable because at that time, it was only performed on dead women, and Julius Caesar's mother lived long after he was born. This legend is more likely a more recent creation, as the origin of the Caesarian section is in the Latin word for to cut, caedo, -ere, caesus sum.Caesar was raised in a modest apartment building (insula) in the Subura, a lower-class neighborhoo d of Rome. His family was not rich and by the then prevalent nobility at that time, there was not any wealthy or prominent family member in his family. However, they were socially distinguished since its members were patrician, and claimed descent from Venus and Aeneas. They had influential political connections and these were useful connections for his political aspirations. Caesar's aunt was married to the popular leader Marius, and he himself married Cornelia, the daughter of Cinna (a follower of Marius), refusing to divorce her when ordered to by the dictator Sulla. He was deeply in love with his wife and mourned her long and hard when Cornelia died in 69 BC. After that, he married for political gains though his choice of wife, Sulla's granddaughter Pompeia, who was also the daughter of Quintas Pompey, surprised quite a few in 67 BC. When Sulla died, Caesar began his political career in the Forum at Rome as an advocate, and his reputation as an orator grew in leaps and bounds. He was also known for his ruthless prosecution of former governors notorious for extortion and corruption. The great orator Cicero even commented, "Does anyone have the ability to speak better than Caesar" He had built solid relationships with Rome's great general and this was a point in his favor. He leaned more towards the populares side rather than the conservatives. The rivalry between Pompey and Caesar's benefactor, Crassus, seemed to have little effect on Caesar. Crassus continued to support Caesar's enormous debts over the next few years. Massive bribery with money borrowed from the rich and influential ex-consul Crassus also procured for him the politically important office of Pontifex Maximus in 63 BC. His personal life had a setback with the ending of his marriage. In 62 BC, Clodius, a Roman politician and Caesar's second wife, Pompeia, were involved in a scandal that took place at a religious festival at his house, concerning the violation of the secret rites of Bona Dea, and Caesar obtained a divorce, saying, "Caesar's wife must be above suspicion." Having served in Farther Spain as proconsul in 61 BC, he returned to Rome in 60 BC, ambitious for the consulate. He organized a coalition, known as the First Triumvirate, against a very strong opposing group, and was made up of made up of Pompey, commander in chief of the army; Crassus, who was powerful being the wealthiest man in Rome and Caesar himself. Pompey and Crassus had a strained relationship going but Caesar cleverly manipulated them to keep the arrangement in operation. Back in Rome in 60, he used force to pass legislation and took up the governorship of Gaul. He married Calpurnia, whose father Piso was made consul, and Pompey married Julia, daughter of Caesar and Cornelia. Caesar continued in Gaul, for eight long years and annexed the whole of modern France and Belgium to the Roman Empire, and making Rome safe from the possibility of Gallic invasions. Pompey and Crauss were constantly at each other's throat and Caesar kept