Good Country People

In the short story â€Å"Good Country People,† Flannery O’Connor utilizes the characters Joy Hopewell and Manley Pointer to expose how believing in nothing makes a person isolated and spiritually empty. Joy Hopewell is a well-educated, thirty-two year old atheist with an artificial leg. Joy's lack of belief causes her to lose all the human civility and decency she has. She even changes her name to Hulga. Flannery O'Connor's use of the mythological Trickster persona to seek, attract, and repulse the protagonist Joy-Hulga leads to her spiritual enlightenment. Manley Pointer through the Trickster persona seeks out the Hopewells, specifically Hulga.From the beginning the Bible salesman uses the svelte and persuasive words used by the Trickster. Pointer maneuvers himself inside when he tells Mrs. Hopewell, â€Å"Lady, I’ve come to speak of serious things. † He continues, using her own thoughts and feelings to manipulate her, telling her, â€Å"I know you belie ve in Chrustian service† and â€Å"People like you don’t like to fool with country people like me. † The Trickster knows that Mrs. Hopewell is just being polite, but he persists, taking advantage of her desire to avoid all conflict and her love of â€Å"good country people. † Manley craftily gets himself invited to dinner out of sympathy.Knowing that Joy-Hulga has a heart condition, the Trickster deceives Mrs. Hopewell by telling her, â€Å"I got this heart condition. I may not live long. When you know it’s something wrong with you and you may not live long, well then, lady†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Through deceit and smooth talking, Pointer guarantees he'll spend the evening at the Hopewell's home. The Trickster has found his way inside and can now focus on his target Hulga. The Trickster has found his target and continues to use his mythological persona to attract Joy/Hulga. Pointer uses his silver tongue to convince disagreeable Hulga to accompany him on a picnic the next day.The con-artist tells Hulga, â€Å"I think you're brave. I think you're real sweet† and then later asks her, â€Å"Don’t you think some people was meant to meet on account of what all they got in common and all? Like they both think serious thoughts and all? † Manley is establishing a connection between Hulga and himself to make himself seem more attractive. Manley Pointer further personifies the mythological Trickster persona when he shows up the next day for their picnic in a broad-rimmed hat, and he's also described as very tall, â€Å"Then suddenly he stood up, very tall, from behind a bush on the opposite embankment.Smiling, he lifted his hat which was new and wide-brimmed. † These are two physical traits of the mythological Trickster persona. As they reach the barn, Pointer tricks Hulga and baits her into climbing up to the second floor where the climax of the story occurs. The Trickster fools Hulga by acting innocently as he â₠¬Å"pointed up the ladder that led into the loft and said, ‘It’s too bad we can’t go up there,'† implying that she can't do it because of her handicap, so she quickly proves him wrong.Hulga's pride and feeling of superior intellect blind her from seeing that she's being duped by the Trickster. Flannery O'Connor uses the Trickster persona to repulse the protagonist bringing her to spiritual enlightenment. After Manley Pointer lures Hulga up into the loft of the barn, he becomes more demanding, using Hulga's feelings for him to manipulate her into giving him what he wants, he says, â€Å"'I known it,' he muttered, sitting up. ‘You're just playing me for a sucker. † The Trickster starts to show his true character more and more now that he has Hulga where he wants her. Manley manipulates Hulga into giving him her fake leg which symbolizes Hulga/Joy's soul. As the Trickster takes Hulga's leg, he starts to bring her back into the light and give her a new start. You see it happening when Hulga says, â€Å"When after a minute, she said in a hoarse high voice, ‘All right,' it was like surrendering to him completely.It was like losing her own life and finding it again , miraculously, in his. † Pointer takes Hulga's leg and leaves her there stranded in the loft to ponder her new spiritual enlightenment. Flannery O'Connor uses the Trickster persona to seek, attract, and repulse the protagonist, thus bringing her new enlightenment on her life. Hulga/Joy had lost all human civility and decency in her life using her intellect as an excuse. As Hulga sits in the loft, she is finally forced to realize the error in her ways.

Natural Phenomena

Veronika Gyurjyan Professor Bachman English 28 4 February 2010 Natural Phenomena Henry David Thoreau was against of survival. Rather than purposefully living, the majority of people’s lives are little more than a series of reactions to everything. Most people survive today, thinking that they will live their actual living tomorrow. He was going to discover the life around him, bringing his life into the harmonious accord with all the movements around him. In 1845, July 4, he decided to move and reside at Walden Pond, which is located in Concord, Massachusetts about 18 miles northwest of Boston. Living in Walden for two years, Henry David Thoreau wrote the book Walden or Life in the Woods, summarizing his experience, his living in Walden, far away from society. Live life rather than let life live you. Certain individuals might think that we are living life just because we are alive. To Henry David Thoreau (philosopher and creative artist), living life was living a natural life that the majority of people are not living. Natural life means reawaking and expanding the human’s awareness, observing and discovering something that exists in science, which is more than unusual and difficult to understand. Discovering and reawaking something hidden is similar to giving a life to something that already exists, adding more imagination and creativeness. Walden by Henry David Thoreau is an American classic. The book is part personal declaration of independence, social experiment, voyage of spiritual discovery. Was Henry a hermit? I think he choose to isolate himself from society to gain more objectiveness about life. The whole project was inspired by transcendentalist philosophy, such as existing above or beyond human knowledge or understanding, a central theme of the American Romantic period. In his first and largest chapter, â€Å"Economy†, he outlines his project, â€Å"A two-year and two-months stay at the cozy tightly shingled cottage in the woods near Walden Pond. † I think that separation from the civilization gives a chance to reanalyze the entire life. Living in Walden was productive for Thoreau. In the chapter â€Å"Where I lived and what I lived for† chapter he describes how he was writing every day. And that time in Walden was his most productive as a writer. Another important purpose of his separation from society was realizing an importance and beneficial effect of solitude. â€Å"I never found the companion that was as companionable as solitude. †(Thoreau 177). Walden emphasizes the importance of solitude and closeness to nature. Walden is not an environmental book. It is about one man’s attempt to find the principles by which the life is a proper life. â€Å"Every morning was a cheerful invitation to make my life of equal simplicity, and I may say innocence, with Nature herself†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Thoreau 132). Henry Thoreau was enjoying every given morning, accepting is as a gift from nature. That was his chance to be closer to innocence. â€Å"I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately, to front only the essential facts of life, and see if I could not learn what it had to teach, and not when I came to die, discover that I had not lived. I did not wish to live what was not life, living is so dear; nor did I wish to practice resignation, unless it was quite necessary. I wanted to live deep and suck out all the marrow of life, to live so sturdily and Spartan-like as to put to rout all that was not life, to cut a broad swatch and shave close, to drive life into a corner, and reduce it to its lowest terms, and, if it proved to be mean, why then to get the whole and genuine meanness of it, and publish its meanness to the world†¦.. (Thoreau 135). Thoreau wanted to get the most from his life by determining what was really important, and he did that by removing himself somewhat from the normal life of Concord, MA in the 1840’s. One side of this was economical; he reduced his material needs by living simply, so that he would not have to spend much time supporting a lifestyle that he did not need or care about. The other side was spiritual, not unlike the spiritual retreats of eastern and western religions. He liked it so much that he lived in his cabin for more than two years, and came back with a great story. He worked on this story for several years after leaving the pond, until it became Walden as we know it today. By writing a Walden, Henry Thoreau gave a life to those two years and two months he spent in the woods. He dedicated his life to the exploration of nature, not as a backdrop of human activity, but as living. He was divinely conscious of the enthusiasm of Nature, the emotion of the rhythms and the harmony of her solitude. In Nature Henry found an analogy to the Transcendentalism. He did not study the Nature; otherwise it could make him dogmatic. He loved Nature. â€Å"WHO nearer Nature’s life would truly come Must nearest come to him of whom I speak; He all kinds knew,—the vocal and the dumb; Masterful in genius was he, and unique, Patient, sagacious, tender, frolicsome. This Concord Pan would oft his whistle take, And forth from wood and fen, field, hill, and lake, Trooping around him in their several guise, The shy inhabitants their haunts forsake: Then he, like ? op, man would satirize, Hold up the image wild to clearest view Of undiscerning manhood’s puzzled eyes, And mocking say, â€Å"Lo! mirrors here for you: Be true as these, if ye would be more wise. † Works Cited Book: Henry, Thoreau. Walden. Penguin Classics, 1985. Web Site: Amos Bronson Alcott. American Transcendentalism Web. 21 January. 2010

To What Extent Should We Trust Our Senses to Give Us the Truth

To what extent should we trust our senses to give us the truth? Most of the things we know are based on a life-long series of observations and experiments through our own senses. Without our senses, social interactions and critical thinking would be impossible, leaving us only with inexplicable emotions, a close state to nothingness. Despite its significance, however, our senses have limitations ranges from our dependency to language to our own biological limitations. Human beings are inherently provided with these inevitable limitations.We therefore, as well-educated individuals, must not completely trust our senses as it can easily be deceived. Our dependence on language distorts what our senses are truly getting. In a simple context of analyzing an art piece, for instance in the process of analyzing the nuance of the work, our interpretations of what we see tend to be bounded with the language that we know. Without the use of language, in this context, the art piece will remain ab stract in our mind. The emotions that we get from viewing the art piece, for example, can be described with adjectives.In a wider sense, language influences the way we think. I have encountered an experience where my short eyesight (I need glasses to see â€Å"normally†) gave a misleading account to an event. I was in an art convention center with my friend; the place was covered with a realistically structured fake plastic trees. It was part of the art works being exhibited. In the end of the expo I said to my friend, â€Å"Nice right! Such great pieces of art shown there! Especially the trees, how on earth can they grow it to form such structure†.My friend, whose vision is â€Å"normal†, told me that it the trees were forgeries. I wasn't using my glasses at the moment, If I was then I would've reacted differently. Biological capabilities limit what we are able to sense and perceive. There are still many factors such as spacial familiarity, past experience; our tendency to see or hear what we expect rather than what really happen; optical illusions or social and cultural conditioning that aren’t being discussed, but also a limitation of our senses.Although with the chance of getting false knowledge, what important is that we develop critical thinking skills to distinguish between good and bad reasoning. Examining our own perspectives, using our own senses perhaps, and comparing them to those of others and to see what we learn from it is what important rather than abstaining from the pursuit of knowledge due to the limitations of our senses.

English Law Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

English Law - Essay Example 80). In the past, the monarch’s signiture (a.k.a. Royal Assent) is required in passing a statutory law. Today, the Royal Assent is treated as some form of constitutional formality. A bill is actually referring to a â€Å"draft statute† (Faragher, 2010, p. 80). Before a bill can passed into law, the bill will first be reviewed by the Members of the Parliament (MPs) (i.e. the House of Commons) to check whether or not there are some amendments to be done on the bill (Appelbe and Wingfield, 2009, pp. 4 – 5). During the second reading, further debate and amendemtns will be made before the bill can reach the committee and report stage. As part of the third reading, the bill will be re-presented to the House for a brief discussion and minor changes before it will be transferred tot he House of Lords. After the House of Lords have received the bill, it will be given back to the House of Commons for the approval of amendments (Jones, 2011, pp. 46 – 47). If the bill passess both the House of Commons and the House of Lords, the bill will immediately obtain the Royal Assent or the monarch’s signature before it will finally become a law (Jones, 2011, p. 47; Faragher, 2010, p. 80; Appelbe and Wingfield, 2009, p. 5). (See Figure I – Summary of Stages of the Bill on page 3) Figure I – Summary of Stages of the Bill Source: Jones, 2011, p. ... ntire United Kingdom whereas private acts are referring to laws that can be used to regulate the obligations and rights of each person and a corporate body (Faragher, 2010, p. 80). Since the 20th century, the number of statutes that were successfully passed into law has significantly increased. The purpose of this report is to examine the truth on whether or not the modern UK law on commercial property tenants are statute based. To give the readers a better understanding of this topic, the basic idea behind the UK land ownership practices will first be tackled followed by discussing that the modern UK law on commercial property tenants are very much heavily based on a statutory law. Since the purpose of this report is to examine the truth on whether or not the modern UK law on commercial property tenants are statute based, several real-life cases will be presented in this study as a concrete basis to the argument that the modern UK law on commercial property tenants can still be base d on a statutory law. Discussion The land ownership in UK is classified as either private property, state land, or coomunal or third sector (Fuller, Jonas and Lee, 2010, p. 243). Unlike in other countries, roughly one-sixth (1/6) of the land area throughout the United Kingdom are actually owned by the state (Home, 2009). Furthermore, the UK government reserves the right to guarantee land ownership of private property. Therefore, after seeking approval from the UK administration, the British nationals who wanted to purchase land in this country is possible either via leasehold or a freehold (Home, 2009; Foukona, 2007). In England and Wales, information related to land ownership is handled by the Land Registry of England and Wales (LREW) whereas the Registers of Scotland and the Land

An Analysis of the History and Development of Hip Hop Dancing (from Research Paper

An Analysis of the History and Development of Hip Hop Dancing (from late 1960's-1970s) - Research Paper Example The dances majorly consisted of the break dance, rapping and funk styles including locking and popping. It was initiated by African Americans. In fact, the word â€Å"hip† was used by the African Americans way before the evolution of the music and dance. It was performed along the streets, and there were well known promoters of the dance. In giving the whole picture a better view, it involved a lot of creativity that was accompanied by listening to the hip hop music. The manner in which it was carried out in most cases involved getting serious about the dancing which was rather hard to do. At the end of sufficient training, one got ready to enter the circle of performance and do lots of footwork including creating witty things and returning to the outside of the circle. This research also brings it clearly that the development of this dance was in an underground form that had lots of social significance. It, however, was not much appreciated by the outsiders until the media br ought it to the surface. In facilitating this, there was a need for other elements such as mcing, djing driven by the urban culture. Brake dancing was the most known aspect of the dance and was known as b-boying. Introduction Hip hop dance appeared in the United States. It was majorly done by the black Americans and some Latin Americans. It is a fact that the dance was not highly recognized by most people until the media machinery started highlighting it. Among these dances, there was the locking which was begun back in the 1970s. This was associated by Don Campbellock from Los Angels. He attempted to perform and learn how to dance in parties and more specifically, he did the â€Å"funky chicken† at this point in time. B-boying dance was another dancing style of hip hop that featured in these times. More precisely, it took place in 1972 in block parties. There was also the up rocking in the New York streets in the 1960s. This was followed by top rocking. Another style that re quired lots of techniques was the ground rocking. There was no basic training on the dance during these times, but individuals who had instincts for natural movement brought it to the streets. Break dancing was also well known among the dancers who performed it. A majority of the promoters of the dance was known, and most of them were good at the performance. In the early times, that is, 1960s to 1970s, the dance there were competitions held mostly along the streets. Many dances established their names as some of the most well known hip hop dancers across east cost and west cost. Movies that highlighted these dancing styles also promoted the dance and new moves. Theoretical perspective It is assumed that hip-hop is an African dance that developed in the States. This, however, is a misconception baring the fact that its origin also encompasses of Latina Americans. It may also be thought that the dancing style is only associated with the young generation and that it must have begun in the recent past. This research finding nullifies this thinking and gives a clear understanding of the places and year of origin of it. The publication sectors play a big role in ensuring the appreciation of any innovations in the music industry at large. Dance is the most benefited art in this field, especially in the audiovisual means of publication. Hop has always been associated with the ghettos in the United States; this is not a misdirected understanding as its origin, on a wide view, lies there. There are common figures that were associated with t

Article review Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Article review - Assignment Example Moreover, I will suggest additional research finding that would make the article more authentic, and bring some more understandings. Parker begins by describing the economic history of depression. In this period, there was high rate of economic growth, and increased consumer spending and purchasing power. He claims that economic growth was only disrupted minimally by the three recessions that took place in 1923, 1924, and 1926 (Parker, 2010, Web). Parker also claims that the policy adopted by the federal government were key in economic growth. For example in the 1920’s, the Federal Reserve used monetary policies to stabilize business cycle fluctuations (Parker, 2010, Web). Moreover, there were also high demands of America goods, as World War 1 did not affect it like other European countries. In addition, the Gold Standards were not much entrenched during this period (Parker, 2010, Web). Secondly, Parker describes the beginning of the economic anguish. He talks of the federal government failures to notice dangers leading to the great depression. He says that deflation failed to operate, as it was case in the beginning of 1920. Moreover, the European economies had recovered and Gold Standards became a mode of transaction. He also focuses on failures of the economy, and factors that might have led to this failure. He describes failures in the bank claiming that there was no deposit insurance and this led to panic. He also cites various forms of contemporary explanation on the great Depression. For this reason, various theories are highlighted such as liquidationist theory. He also describes the modern explanation based on monetary hypothesis of Friedman and Schwartz together with the nonmonetary/financial hypotheses of Bernanke and Fisher (Parker, 2010, Web). Parker claims that based on his own understanding, the non-monetary theories cannot support the theories menti oned to account the state of the economy during

Marketing. Firms gain competitive advantage Case Study

Marketing. Firms gain competitive advantage - Case Study Example For many years, logistics inefficiencies have been criticized and scrutinized in order to increase productivity. There has been little close examination of possible savings in the area of physical distribution, now known as logistics. There is a movement towards a closer analysis of all aspects of logistics. This is particularly important where selling and distribution costs are high. One of the new methods in logistics is wireless technologies used by UPS and FedEx which help them to create state-of-the-art solutions for difverse customer groups. In other words, firms are a sum of their activities and not just comprised of a series of discrete functions. Logistics is therefore not just about managing functions, but managing linkages between those functions. More will be said about the integration of various facets of the value chain in the discussion on implementation strategies. FedEx Executive says: "Wireless data connectivity is something we've done for many years. But we had to provide our own bandwidth and we had to develop technology to manage it" (Gruman 2006). At this stage, what is important is to understand how logistics companies can analyze current position along various dimensions of the value chain - in essence, their strengths and weaknesses. ... real-time data to manage their operations, and the only way for the companies to get this near-real-time information is through the use of wireless technology in the field and in their facilities" (Gruman 2006). UPS and FedEx take into account internal and external factors that influence location of the goods. The Concept of 'Place' and its Role in New Logistics Looking at the concept of 'Place' from a total viewpoint, may indicate that some parts of the system can operate at less that the optimum in order to make the whole system more effective. For example the production manager may need to schedule shorter runs, or the transport manager more frequent deliveries, if it benefits the total logistics system. Acceptance of the new logistics concept implies a recognition of the fact that an action affecting one part may affect all others (Chase, Jacobs 2003). So a united approach is needed in order to maximize overall effectiveness. One of the main innovations used by UPS and FedEx is that: 'The two companies are exploiting new wireless technologies in their differing attempts at aiding the two main components of their operations: pickup/delivery and packaging/sorting" (Gruman, 2006). In order to produce or provide quality service to a required quality level, at an appropriate time and within acceptable financial constraints, logistics create a number of functions that are essential. For instance, using UPS and FedEx new logistics flexible organizations have the potential to maximize benefits from different locations and national economic conditions through a variety of means: locating businesses in markets where factor conditions are favorable leading to cost advantages and efficiency; operating in non-domestic markets where "demand conditions are more favorable"

The JFK Assassination Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

The JFK Assassination - Assignment Example Through a mutual acquaintance, I came to know (before embarking upon this report) a Radiologist by the name of Dr. Michael Rollins. Prior to conducting the interview with him, I already thought that he would be an excellent candidate based upon what I already knew of him. He grew up in the sixties, was on the draft list to go to Vietnam, and paid his way through medical school by joining the United States Army. He is today a successful, practicing doctor who lives in San Diego, California. After obtaining his consent via email, I conducted the interview with him on the telephone. â€Å"The first word came over the television airwaves at 1:40 P.M. EST when CBS News anchorman Walter Cronkite broke into As the World Turns with an audio announcement over a bulletin slide: â€Å"In Dallas, Texas, three shots were fired at President Kennedy’s motorcade in downtown Dallas. The first reports say that President Kennedy has been seriously wounded by this shooting.† (Doherty 2010) People everywhere are reported to have been in shock. Women were crying the streets, traffic intersections were backed up, and people in some instances came out of their homes out into the street looking dazed.   Dr. Rollins remembers too well the events of that day.   He was living then in the same city where he lives now: San Diego.   Today he is almost 59 years old.   In November of 1963 he was only 11 years old.   As a young boy, he attended a private Catholic school where he was enrolled in the seventh grade (he skipped a grade because he was more advanced than his peers).

FINANCIAL ANALYSIS OF ORANGE TELECOM Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

FINANCIAL ANALYSIS OF ORANGE TELECOM - Essay Example Its brand Orange Business Services caters to the telecommunication needs of multinational companies and is very successful at that (Orange Telecom, n.d.). Orange grew tremendously over a short spell in the United Kingdom and the rest of the world. It started off as a mobile phone brand and moved on to become one of the leading providers of broadband, content and other related services worldwide. Orange competed with brands like Intel and L’Oreal for the title of World’s most powerful brands by Millward Brown Optimor in 2010 and reached the 50th rank after climbing 14 spots from 2007. Markets like those in Luxemburg and Tunisia have acceded to the kingdom of Orange and this accounts for the huge increase in the customer base of Orange. Orange Telecom’s presence in Africa and Middle East is quite noticeable and includes 19 countries with 60 million customers and 16,700 employees (Orange Telecom, n.d.). Orange France had 80,000 employees at the end of 2010. Orange has a strategic plan called Conquests 2015 under which it will develop a new organizational model in order to improve even more in areas involving well bei ng of employees, economic performance and satisfaction of customers. The prime reason behind this plan is to position Orange as the number one telecom operator in France in terms of customer care (European Network for Women in Leadership, 2011) Profitability Ratios: The gross profit margin for Orange Telecom is showing a rather fluctuating trend from 2006 to 2010. The profitability decreased as it was 59.49% in 2009 and fell to 58.68% in 2010. This fall can be attributed to the fall in revenue as well as the increase in cost of sales in 2010. As seen in the horizontal analysis (appendix), revenue percentage growth is negative in 2009 and 2010 as a result of which gross profit decreased in both the years and so did the gross profit margin. The overall trend for the operating profit margin has been

Reseach Method Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 5000 words

Reseach Method - Coursework Example Village 14 was used as a case study for sampling respondents to express their intent of supplying mangoes to the factory. The responses were analyzed with the use of the SPSS. From the analysis, it was seen that of a total of twenty two (22) respondents who answered either yes or no, eighteen (18) of them said yes, whiles four (4) of them said no. What this means is that the intention of villages in household living 10km or more from the factory to do business with the factory by supplying mangoes is higher. In terms of percentage, this is represented by 81.81% of Yes as against 18.19% of No. The interpretation that can be given to this result is that the responses did not reflect the hypothesis that proximity would be a key factor for the villagers in deciding whether or not they would supply mangoes to the factory. Some of the factors that were considered, based on which the hypothesis was drawn includes the fact that, farther distances from the factory could generally affect the e xpenditure on transportation for the villagers. Once the expenditure goes up, their profit margins are likely to be affected. This statistical logic has however been defeated. Invariably, the villagers are hopeful that an increase in the expenditure for transportation would be reflected in the prices they charge on unit tone of mangoes sold to the company and so they would make their profits in the long run. This assumption not withstanding, it would be very appropriate for the villages that live 10km or more from the factory and thus stand some chances of raising their prices to reflect expenditure on transportation to realize that increases prices of mangoes could be a competitive disadvantage to them if villages living near the factor sell at lower prices. The only economic principle that could possibly defeat this analysis is in cases where demand from the factory is

Baz Luhrmanns Essay Example for Free

Baz Luhrmanns Essay How does Baz Luhrmanns film adaptation of Romeo and Juliet visually highlight Shakespeares rich language and imagery? Shakespeares use of language reflects the theatre of his day. There were no elaborate set designs, costumes, lighting or sound effects and there were also only a small number of actors playing many different parts. This could get confusing and therefore the language and imagery had to do all the work for the audience, as the words were the only tools available to help them imagine the scenes vividly. In the prologue of Romeo and Juliet, line number twelve; Is now the two hours traffic of our stage and the very last words; our toil shall strive to mend, have significant meaning. These sentences, spoken by the chorus, highlight to the audience the key plot elements to come. It gives the audience an idea of what they are about to watch or read and makes the ensuing action more intelligible. This dramatic convention therefore acts almost like a movie trailer. In Baz Luhrmanns film adaptation of the play, the prologue begins with a long shot of a television (within a television), with a reporter speaking to us from inside of it. Behind the reporters left shoulder are the words star-crossed lovers and a symbol of a broken ring. This, in the first minute of the play, already introduces us to the fact that Romeo and Juliet are star-crossed lovers, which is a major theme throughout the entire play. The news reporter then delivers the whole prologue from beginning to end, before the camera zooms further and further in until the point of extreme close up, at which point the prologue changes. This is how Baz Luhrmann achieves a similar effect to Shakespeares dramatic use of the prologue. By doing this, it is almost as if we are entering the movie and if you do not wish to go in then it is your choice not to continue watching. In the second sentence of the prologue, In fair Verona (where we lay our scene), Shakespeare carefully uses the positive modifier fair to describe the city. This emphasizes the fact that Verona is closely associated with God, therefore establishing it as a peaceful, moral city. However, this is contradicted by negative modifiers in the next sentences of the prologue, which are From ancient grudge break to new mutiny, where civil blood makes civil hands unclean. This brings in the fact that there is an old grudge between two families. However, with this grudge there is blood shed and constant fights, some of which draw in innocent civilians. In the movie this section of the prologue is shot from a fast-moving helicopter. There is an extreme long shot and an aerial view of Verona, which introduces us to the town. A statue of Jesus is shown, immediately followed by the words IN FAIR VERONA, in large, white letters. Then, for several seconds, there is jump cutting between the Jesus statue and the phrase. This is how Baz Luhrmann shows us that Verona is normally a good, religious city. This is then followed by some fast, substantial shots. We are shown two separate buildings; one which has the sign Montague at the top, and the other which has the sign Capulet on top. This introduces us to the two feuding families who are the centre of the play. In addition, a police car which says Verona Police is filmed. All of these key points visually highlight Shakespeares imagery and language. The police car is an indication of the violence to come that is caused by the feud and upsets the normal, peaceful status quo. The first six lines of the prologue are essentially the most important in establishing the plot for example lines three and four from the prologue: from ancient grudge break to new mutiny and where civil blood makes civil hands unclean. Luhrmann usually emphasises these points with newspaper headlines shown in the movie with those exact sentences on them. These lines of the prologue are also heard as the voice-over of the Friar. Jump cutting is used to move from headline to headline and the newspapers are shot in extreme close up, surrounded by flames of fire. With each sentence of the prologue that is said, an accompanying image is shown on the screen with it. These include violent images such as police cars and police helicopters. Overall, expressive lighting is used in the film, to add even greater intensity to the conflict between peace and war in Verona. This, along with words such as death, rage and blood, really start to show the dark side of the plot and ironically contrasts with Verona being described as a fair city previously. Next, line ten of the prologue, the continuance of their parents rage, establishes the fact that the grudge between the families is a long-standing ordeal. This is represented in the movie with a montage, showing the many magazines which talk about the hatred of the two families. Line five in the prologue, from forth the fatal loins of these two foes, aims to introduce the parents of Romeo and Juliet and in fact the two main characters themselves. Therefore, at this point, Baz Lurhmann shows a short clip of each significant actor in the movie. This is followed by a freeze frame on them, with the name of their character and any outstanding relationships he or she might have with other characters. The freeze frames are extremely close up on the characters faces and it sets the scene for the rest of the movie, so we know who to look out for. This is also an opportunity for Baz Luhrmann to give some limited information about the characters status. He does so by filming Montague and Capulet at a slightly lower angle than the others, making them appear more intimidating than the rest. This is how he effectively shows that they are the heads of the two households. In lines six and nine of the prologue, Shakespeare uses such phrases as star-crossed and death-marked to describe Romeo and Juliets love. First of all, love and death are oxymoronic and are not commonly found together in the same sentence. Secondly, star-crossed implies that they have no control over their love. It implies that Fate is in control and the minute they fell in love both were destined to die. In the film during this time, loud, fast and rising operatic music is played. This is incidental music significantly increases the level of tension and drama in the prologue. This is therefore appropriate for trying to emphasize the fact of the couples fated love. What Baz Luhrmann does here is basically pull the whole prologue together. Proceeding this, after the prologue has been explained, Baz Luhrmann tries to increase the level of suspense even further, to truly point out the violence and the tragic ending of the play. Therefore what he does, with the opera music still playing, is show most of the prologue on the screen in writing. Jump cutting is used between each sentence, but it is barely readable since the editing is at such a high speed, so the prologue is literally flashing before your eyes. Afterwards, Baz Luhrmann shows snippets from the entire movie to the audience. Jump cutting is used and the images flash at a very high speed before you. He goes from the end to the beginning of the movie, and what he achieves is, in a sense, a visual prologue! At the very end of the prologue, the title Romeo + Juliet comes up and the plus sign is actually made to suggest a Christian cross. This subtly reminds us of the religious side of the play. This includes the Friar, who is a religious personage, the wedding that Romeo and Juliet have and also the whole theme of destiny and some divinity or higher power looking over and controlling us in life. So in conclusion, this is how Baz Luhrmanns film adaptation of the prologue from Romeo and Juliet successfully visually highlights Shakespeares rich language and imagery. We can see how he has gone through the prologue and then fairly systematically translated its deeper meaning, in remarkably creative ways. He effectively translates all the messages of the prologue in a contemporary and entertaining context.

How to Become an Effective Manger and a Good Communicator Essay Example for Free

How to Become an Effective Manger and a Good Communicator Essay In order to stay on top, companies need to do more than just stay the same and keep them alive, they need to grow. And that means that their employees need to develop and improve their skills at the same pace. More than ever, managers are being encouraged to improve employee performance through effective coaching, but so few of them have the time or the knowledge. It takes to do it successfully. Based on my case study, and presentation from the other classmate, I am getting to know how they develop their most promising employees. Now in this article, I will talk about how to be an effective manager based on the staff that I have learned from BUAD 309 class. I will also talk about from problem solving to developing accountability as an effective manager. I am a table tennis coach myself, I needs to coach other players has total different back ground and age. When I am coaching people, my students are either improving fast or still remain the same, these are all good to me, because in my perspective, when people are not improving fast, means that they are absorb the knowledge I thought them. But In the business world, if you’re not growing, you’re dying. It’s a basic rule of life here on earth and in the business world today. It’s what drives most of us to be better at what we do and who we are. It’s the desire to â€Å"be more. † Because of this desire, the term â€Å"coaching† has caught the attention of both the personal growth and business worlds, creating a multibillion dollar business and a situation in which everyone wants a coach. More than ever before, employees are asking for developmental opportunities and managers are being told they need to â€Å"coach† their employees on a regular basis. We’ve even worked with managers who say they’ve been told to â€Å"stop managing and start coaching. This all sounds great in theory: managers coaching employees to grow and be more effective, but there’s one problem. Although many people agree that having a coach is a great way to move toward success, very few people know what a coach actually is or what a coach actually does. This leaves many managers scratching their heads as they try to fit one more ambiguous task into their already over-busy schedules. So what is a coach, and what is coaching? This is our definition: A coach is someone who helps another person reaches higher effectiveness by creating a dialogue that leads to awareness and action. Lorber, L 2008)By creating the space to step back, look in the mirror, and grapple with the tough questions, a coach helps a person examine and deal with their reactions to obstacles and, in a sense, â€Å"get out of their own way† as they achieve better results, in a more efficient manner. When we are faced with a task, there are three things that managers should help employees to get better and be as successful as possible: First, make sure you find and dig out the aptitude of your employees: make them understand their potential and capacity to complete the task at hand. Second, make sure your employee’s attitude right toward their jobs: make sure your employees are confidence, focus, and determination to complete the task at hand. Third, make sure you make your employees use all the available resources: make them use all the tools, equipment, and time that available that needed to complete the task at hand. Without these three components, we cannot be at the top of our game. The degrees to which each of them does or does not exist directly contribute or detract from our ultimate level of success. It can be thought of as an equation with variable components. Start with Aptitude, the most obvious component of the equation. Without the proper skills and know how to complete a task, we are left scratching our head and frustrated. Think of a kid on her birthday receiving her first shiny, new bike. She has the determination and excitement to ride her new wheels, but she lacks the skill and ability to go whizzing down the street as she envisions. (Greg P, 1993) After two or three wipeouts, you end up with a frustrated little birthday girl. Just as crucial to the equation is having the Available Resources to complete the task. Think of the last time your team at work had a great idea or new approaches to accomplishing success, but you lacked the budget, time, or people power to deal with it. You had the capacity to figure out a new solution, the drive and confidence to make it a reality, but lacked the money or people to pull it off. Not a fun place to be in, by any stretch of the imagination. As managers, and people, we are comfortable and see the need to focus on Aptitude and Available Resources. When things aren’t working in the office, managers are often very willing to train people in new skills or throw more money at the problem. However, it’s the middle part of the Success Equation. The keystone if you will that most people tend to overlook, forget about, or outright ignore. Attitude refers to things like the drive, confidence, focus, enthusiasm, determination, need, desire, fortitude, and inspiration to accomplish the task at hand. Although difficult to measure and manage, without the right Attitude, having only the Aptitude and Available Resources will get you nowhere. Unfortunately, managers often say things like, â€Å"why can’t people just do their jobs and leave all that other stuff at home. † Well, people don’t â€Å"leave all that other stuff at home† because as humans, we can’t. (Greg P, 1993) Understandably, many managers wish that this was not the case, because managing would be immensely easier if people could really â€Å"check their emotions at the door. † We got it, and, unfortunately, it’s not possible. Think of the time your work day has been affected because you were ill, or you had a fight with a family member. This doesn’t even include the events that happen at work. When rumors of a downsizing start in an organization, how many people are able to completely check their emotional reaction to the news and focus a hundred percent on their work? Not many. So, for better or worse, managers have to accept that our Attitude affects our Level of Success, and focusing on it is more than â€Å"a nice thing to do. † Like it or not, Attitude is hardwired into the Success Equation of humans, and not just as a variable on the periphery. Attitude is perhaps the most vital component in the entire equation, and focusing on it is a manager’s business imperative. Hardline business people are often most comfortable thinking of this in terms of sports. Anyone who has played sports has probably been told at one time or another to â€Å"get your head in the game,† â€Å"focus,† â€Å"get psyched up,† or â€Å"don’t think that you can’t beat these guys! † (Greg P, 1993) Sports coaches know that the confidence, drive, and determination of their athletes can make all the difference between playing and winning. I think this is the biggest connection between my sport and management. Other than the three things, I would like to talk about good communication skills as a good manager. Good communication skill means the ability to be understood, but it also means more than that. Have you ever noticed how good conversationalists have the ability to light up a conversation and inspire others to join in? You can learn to be like that too. Remember any good conversation is a two-way process. Its only as good as the responses you get but you can really improve the number and types of responses you get by honing your communication skill. Here are a few aspects of what it means to have this skill to initiate and sustain an interesting, enjoyable conversation that everyone feels better for having participated in.

Introduction To Polyurethane Foam Engineering Essay

Introduction To Polyurethane Foam Engineering Essay Polyurethanes are broad class of materials used widely in many applications. Polyurethanes are also written as PUR. Polyurethanes also called as urethanes are characterized by urethane linkage -NH- C (=O) O . This linkage is formed due to the reaction of isocyanate group with hydroxyl group as shown in the following equation. [2] Equation 1.1 Equation showing the reaction of urethane linkage in polyurethanes. [2] Polyurethanes are discovered by Otto Von Bayer co workers in 1937. [3] The characteristic structure of urethanes is given as: And they can be considered as esters or amide esters of carbonic acid. [3] The polyurethanes are also sometimes called as urethanes only and they are also called as isocyanate polymers. They are synthesized by the reaction of polyfunctional hydroxyl compounds with polyfunctional isocyanates. [3] The structure of polyurethane formed from di hydroxyl compound and di isocyanate is given as: Polyurethane is widely used in various fields such as making of plastics, cushions, foams, rubber goods, synthetic leathers and fibres. The total annual production of urethanes in the world is estimated to be 8 million tons per year and is increasing 4-5 % yearly. [4] Polyurethane is a versatile polymer having unique chemistry with excellent mechanical and optical properties and have good solvent resistance. [5] Polyurethanes are materials with many applications but major applications are in furniture industry, foam industry, building construction and shoe industry and also polyurethanes can be used in medicinal and agricultural applications. [6] Polyurethanes have large number of applications and uses in different areas due to their versatility but most important application of polyurethane which has covered almost 29% of the total market of polyurethane is polyurethane foam. [7] 1.2 Polyurethane Foam The major application of polyurethane is polyurethane foams which are extensively used in many applications. They are referred as PUR foams and they are prepared by the reaction of addition, condensation or cyclotrimerization. [2] Following table shows the type of reaction in the foaming system and the resulting foam property present in the foam produced by that respective reaction. Foam Reaction Foam Property Polyurethane Poly addition Flexible and rigid Polyisocyanurate Poly cyclo trimerization Rigid Polyamide Poly condensation Flexible and rigid Polyimide Poly condensation Semi rigid and rigid Polyurea Poly addition Flexible and rigid Poly Carbodiimide Poly condensation Semi rigid Poly Oxazolidone Ring opening Poly addition Rigid and semi rigid Table 1.1 Table showing different types of foam based on their synthesis reaction [2] Mainly PUR foams are classified into two types which is flexible and rigid foam and then flexible and rigid foam are classified into various sub types depending upon the different type of applications in which they are used. Polyurethane structure consist of a polyol and polyisocyanate component we can say that polyols are the building blocks and isocyanates are jointing agents. So polyurethane foam chemistry is called as building block chemistry. All kinds of polyurethane foams are prepared with the proper choice of polyol and isocyanate component with respect to chemical structure, equivalent weight and functionality. [2] Following table shows the classification of PU foam with respect to polyol component and functionality. Polyol Rigid foam Semi rigid foam Flexible foam OH No. 350-560 100-200 5.6-7.0 OH Equivalent No. 160-100 560-280 10,000-80 Functionality 3.0-8.0 3.0-3.5 2.0-3.1 Table 1.2 Classification of polyurethane foam w.r.t polyol and functionality [2] 1.3 Foam Preparation Technology Polyurethane foams are prepared by mixing isocynate component in polyol having catalyst, fillers, additives, surfactants and other chemicals in it. No heating is required at room temperature. [2] 1.3.1 Foaming Systems Foaming systems are classified into three types based on the type of chemicals used in the synthesis process. These types are: One step One shot system Quasi Pre polymer system Full Pre Polymer system One step system and Quasi system are mostly used in foaming industries now in which one step process is used majorly while pre polymer system was used only in the early times of urethane industry. [2] 1.3.1.1 One step one shot System In one step system Component A and Component B are taken separately. Component A contains only polyisocyanate component while component B contains polyol, surfactant, blowing agent and catalyst. Both components are mixed which led to the formation of foam. 1.3.1.2 Quasi Pre polymer System In this system in component A polyisocyanate component is taken with polyol and in component B rest of the ingredients are taken with polyol which includes catalyst, blowing agent etc. Mixing forms a foaming product. 1.3.1.3 Full Pre polymer System In full prepolymer system in component A poly isocyantae component is taken and polyol is also added in it while in component B polyol is not added while the rest of chemicals like blowing agents, surfactants and catalyst are taken. Components A B are mixed and foam is formed. These foaming systems show only two component system however in industrial processes there are modifications. For example in slabstock process three or four streams are employed carrying different reactants. [2] 1.3.2 Foaming Processes Mainly three types of foaming processes are used, which are cup foaming, box foaming and machine foaming. Machine foaming is further classified into various foaming processes. [2] 1.3.2.1 Cup Foaming This foaming process is also known as hand mixing. This method is mostly used for lab scale synthesis of foaming products. In this process mixing is done in paper or plastic cups thats why called as cup foaming. In cup foaming poly isocyanate component is taken in a cup and rest of the reactants are also taken in a separate cup which includes polyols, catalysts etc. Then both the components are mixed using electric balance or by hand mixing and a foaming material is formed in the shape of a cup. This is the simple and cheap foaming process thats why used widely on lab scale. 1.3.2.2 Box Foaming Box foaming is better than cup foaming to obtain sufficient amount of samples for evaluating foam properties for machine foaming. The sizes of the box range from 15x15x15 cm and 30x30x30 cm. The inside of the box is lined with craft paper. The procedure is almost similar to that of cup foaming and mixing is done through electric drill equipped with mixer. Immediately after mixing system is poured into the box and allowed to rise to obtain foam. Foam is cured at room temperature after some time. [2] This method is also used largely on lab scale to produce foam. 1.3.2.3 Machine Foaming In machine foaming variety of machine processes are available which are one by one described as under. [2] 1.3.2.3.1 Large Box Foaming It is a discontinuous process used to produce small foam blocks with smaller volumes. The size can be 1x1x2 meters. Due to exothermic conditions small modification is required in the process as compared to the box foaming process. 1.3.2.3.2 Slabstock Foaming Slabstock foam is made by the continuous pouring of foamable liquids on a moving conveyer. A cut-off segment of the continuously produced foam loaf is called a block or bun [2]. In the case of polyether-based flexible urethane foam, a slabstock foam size can be about 1 meter high and 2 meters wide, with a foam density of 1.6 to 2.0 pound/ft3. The cross section is rectangular with a crown-shaped top surface. The higher the crown, the less the yield of available foam. Two techniques canto used to reduce the crown. One method is to pull vertical sides of rising foam. Another technique is to compress the top of crown surface. Equipment for doing this is commercially available. [2] 1.3.2.3.3 Pour-in-Place Foaming This process includes pouring of foaming ingredients into a void space to form an integral part of the foam and substrates. Products which use this process are household refrigerators and deep freezers. 1.3.2.3.4 Sandwich Foaming and Molding Sandwich foaming is used to produce sandwich panels from foam cores. It can be produced continuously using conveyers or discontinuously using jigs. Surfaces material can be craft paper in it. Molding is used to produce shaped foam products such as car seats and furniture. Reactants are placed in mold cavity and cured in the mold. After curing molded foam is removed. [2] 1.3.2.3.5 Spraying and frothing Spraying is a unique process used for urethane and iso cyanurate foams .It creates insulation layers not only on flat surfaces like roofs but also on non flat surfaces such as spherical tanks and pipes and building structures such as frames. Frothing process in urethane systems is similar to that of shaving cream. There are different types of frothing processes which are conventional frothing processes, chemical frothing and thermal frothing etc. Frothing process usage depends upon the reactants and conditions and which type of foaming product is required. [2] 1.4 Types of Polyurethane foams Major classes of polyurethane foams are flexible and rigid foam further these two types are more classified according to their extensive applications. 1.4.1 Flexible Polyurethane foam Flexible polyurethane foams are synthesized by slabstock process or by molding process and they are also classified further on the basis of technique used for their synthesis. They are also classified on the basis of polyol in polyether and polyester foams. Slabstock foams include conventional polyether foam, high-resilience (HR) foam, visco-elastic foam, super-soft foam, energy-absorbing (EA) foam, semi flexible foam, and flexible polyester foam. Molded foams are classified in two classes: hot molded foam and cold molded foam. [2] All classes of flexible foams are explained one by one as follows . 1.4.1.1 Slab stock foam The contionous piece of foam by the continuous pouring of foaming ingredients on a continuously moving conveyer is called slab stock foam. A cut off segment of slab stock foam is called as bun foam. Slab stock process is widely used in industry in production of flexible polyurethane foam. [2] In slab stock foam process inclined conveyer is used from the beginning of urethane industry. Following figure shows the production line of contionuous slab stock machine. Figure1.1 Continuous slabstock machine [2] The cross section of slabstock foams produced by the inclined conveyer process is not exactly rectangular and has crown shape. A crown-shaped cross section of foam bun results in a lower yield of fabricated foams. Accordingly, some improved processes to obtain rectangular cross sections have been proposed. One step process is widely used in these foaming systems. All ingredients are pumped into the mixing head through several streams and are poured from the mixing head onto the moving conveyer. From the standpoint of viscosity and metering accuracy, some ingredients are preblended. These blends include a blend of water and amine catalyst, a blend of tin catalyst and polyol, and a blend of physical blowing agent and polyol. The reaction temperatures in core foam usually reach about 160 to 170Â °C. The exothermic heat is mainly a function of the water-isocyanate reaction. The reaction temperatures are affected by the isocyanate index, water level, and catalyst concentration.[2] Poly ether slab-stock foam is important in slab-stock flexible PU foams and it is produced by this slab-stock process widely in industries. 1.4.1.2 Molded Flexible foams Molded flexible foams are used for making shaped products such as automotive seats, child seats, head restraints, vibration damping for automobiles, arm rests, furniture cushions and mattresses. The density distribution of molded foams is composed of high density skin foam and low density core foam. In the molding process mixed foaming ingredients are poured through a mixing head into a preheated mold made of aluminum, steel, or epoxy resin. The mixed ingredients flow and expand in the mold, and then the molded foams are kept at the required curing temperature for a limited time, which is followed by de-molding.[2] Molded flexible foams are further classified into hot molded and cold molded flexible polyurethane foams. 1.4.1.2.1 Hot Molded flexible foams Hot molded foam is produced using conventional polyether polyol with TDI 80/20. In 1961 hot-molded urethane foam mattresses was commercialized that provided better sleeping comfort than slabstock foam mattresses and greater durability. Because of the relatively higher cost, however, the molded mattress was not competitive with slabstock foam mattresses, and production was discontinued. [2] 1.4.1.2.2 Cold Molded flexible foams Cold molded flexible foam is prepared at very low mold temperatures of 60 to 70 Â °C with mold retention time of 10 minutes and then cured in a separate oven or at room temperature. In this type mostly isocyante components used are blends of TDI MDI and polyol used is polymer or graft polyol. Dual hardness automotive seats are made by this process using graft polyols. [2] 1.4.1.2.3 High Resilience HR foams HR foams have higher resiliency than conventional flexible foams. These foams are prepared by cold molded process. The formulation principle is to reduce intermolecular interactions such as hydrogen bonding of urethane linkages, irregular structures of polymeric molecule, and so on. High Molecular weight polyether polyols are used in the formulation of these foams. Polyisocyante components used are blends of TDI MDI with the weight ratio of 80/20. Also polymeric MDI alone can be used. HR foms are widely used in furniture and automotive applications. [2] 1.4.1.2.4 Visco-elastic foam Visco-elastic VE foams are characterized by slow recovery after compression. The foam is also called low-resiliency foam, slow-recovery foam, ergonomic foam, better-riding comfort foam, and temperature-sensitive foam. VE foams are used by NASA in early 1960 but they are highlighted commercially only in the recent years. VE foams are synthesized using polyol blend of high and low molecule weight polyols with TDI or MDI, and they can also be produced using blend of MDI TDI with polyether polyol. TDI-based VE foams are soft to the touch and have very low resilience and slow recovery. MDI-based foams are easier to process and can be produced in a wider range of isocyanate indexes. However, physical strengths of MDI-based foams are lower, resilience is higher, and compression set is better than TDI-based foams. The VE foam market includes seat cushions for people who spend a long time sitting such as truck drivers, office workers, and airline pilots, as well as for NASAs space shuttle seats, wheelchair seats, and so on; sporting goods that require energy absorption such as gym mats, helmet linings, leg guards for ice hockey, ski boots, and ice skates. [2] Our main product is VE foam and it is further explained in the later chapters. 1.4.1.2.5 Super soft slab-stock foam This foam can be prepared by using a high molecular weight polyether triol with TDI 80/20. Blowing agent can be water alone or some physical blowing agent can be used with water. It is a low density foam. Major market of super soft foam is high quality back cushions for sofas. This foam also have low cross linking density. [2] 1.4.1.2.6 Semi flexible slab-stock foam These foams have high open cells, high load bearing and high energy absorbing characteristics. These foams are used in large number of automotive applications such as bumper cores, interior knee bolsters, side impact absorbing door panels, and headliners under the automotive roof. Due to energy absorbing characteristics this foam may be called as Energy absorbing EA foam. [2] 1.4.1.2.7 Reticulated foam It is 100% open cell structure foam with no cell membranes. Removal of cell membranes for polyether foam is possible when membranes are dissolved with an alkaline solution. Reticulated foam find its applications in various mats, filters and pads.[2] Mostly the foam used in floor mats is this type of foam and it is mostly used in making mats and filters because it is completely open celled foam. 1.4.1.2.8 Integral skin flexible foam Integral skin foam is also called self skin foam. It consists of high density skin foam and low density core foam that is sandwich structure. The mold temperature for integral skin foam is carefully controlled at 40 to 70 Â °C. Water can be used as a blowing agent but it produces thin skins. Integral skin foam is prepared by open mold process or by reaction injection molding. [2] 1.4.1.2.9 Micro-cellular Elastomers These are also called foamed urethane elastomers. The density is in the range of about 320 to 960 kg/m3. Micro-cellular foams are prepared by using aliphatic polyester diols with poly tetra methylene ether glycol (PTMEG). The poly isocyanate component used is TDI pre-polymer and liquid MDI. Also chain extenders and cross linkers are used. Water is used as a blowing agent. These elastomeric foams are used for various shock absorbing elements in vehicle suspensions, precision machines, shoe soles and sports shoes etc. [2] 1.4.1.2.10 Shoe Sole foam The advantages of polyurethane foam in shoe soles include high abrasion resistance, high flexibility, low density, high cushioning, and solvent resistance. In addition, the direct molding of the sole with the upper part of shoe makes it possible to increase production efficiency and lower production costs. Casual shoes are produced using polyether-based foam systems. Some sports shoes such as tennis shoes are produced by polyester foam systems, because polyester-based foam has higher abrasion resistance, tensile strength, and elongation at break in comparison with polyether-based foams. [2]

Essay on Fantasies and Realities in Red Badge Of Courage

Fantasies and Realities in The Red Badge Of Courage      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚      In The Red Badge of Courage by Stephen Crane the main character, Henry Fleming, thought he understood the war between the North and the South.   However, his understanding came â€Å"from his knowledge of fairy tales and mythology†(Gibson 21).   Henry thought that he was like the heroes that he read about in these stories.   He soon learned that real war was very different from his imaginative expectations.   Crane took Henry’s fantasies and contrasted them with the realities of the war to develop this main character into a mature person.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Henry spent his early life on a farm in Virginia.   Henry’s perception of the world was shaped almost entirely by the books his mother gave him to read.   After the war started, â€Å"the newspapers carried accounts of great battles, in which the North was victor.   Almost every day the newspapers printed accounts of decisive victory†(Walcutt),   Henry’s mother was reluctant to let her son leave home and go South to do battle against the Confederate Army.   She knew that Henry’s vision of war was not what war is really like.   She tried to get Henry to change his mind about joining the army, but she was unsuccessful because â€Å"tales of ‘the war in his own country’ inevitably began to move him.   They many not be distinctly Homeric, but there seemed to be much glory in them’†(Cody 122).   Henry â€Å"is motivated† by his â€Å"heroic expectations of ‘gre at things’†(Colvert 97) as well as his keen interest and curiosity about what he views as the elements of war.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Henry thought that if one did not get a red badge of courage, then he was a coward.   Henry had â€Å"battles† in his mind.   â€Å"Fleming would pass into an absorptive trance in which... ...n, IA:   Perfection Learning Corporation, 1979. Gibson, Donald B. The Red Badge of Courage:   Redefining the Hero.   Boston:   Twayne Publishers, 1988. Lowell, Amay.   Introduction. The Work of Stephen Crane:   â€Å"The Black Riders and Other Lines.†Ã‚   By Stephen Crane.   Vol. VI. 1926. Rpt. in Discovering Authors. Vers 1.0. CD-ROM. Detriot:   Gale, 1992. Magill, Frank N., Magill’s Survey:   American Literature Realism to 1945.   California:   Salem Press, Inc., 1963. Walcutt, Charles C. Stephen Crane:   Naturalist and Impressionist in his American Literary Naturalism, a Divided Stream, University of Minnesota Press. 1956. Rpt. in Discovering Authors. Vers 1.0 CD-ROM.   Detriot:   Gale, 1992. Wolford, Chester L.   â€Å"Stephen Crane.†Ã‚   Critical Survey of Long Fiction.   Ed. Frank N. Magill.   English Language Series.   Vol. 2. Englewood Cliffs, N.J.: Salem Press, 1991.   

Sonnets 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11,12,13,14,15,16, and 17 :: Sonnet essays

Sonnets 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11,12,13,14,15,16, and 17 The first 17 sonnets are addressed to a young man of exceptional beauty who is encouraged to father children. What is striking about this series is that there are exactly 17 sonnets that are all centred on encouraging the young man to marry and father children. Seventeen is an unusual and distinctive number that seems to indicate its own significance. The content of the sonnets shows no evidence of input to them from outside of the author during their development: no questions are answered, there is no change of direction in response to any feedback from the subject, they appear to be a preset series issued together. The deliberate intent of these sonnets and the fact that a sonnet itself conforms to regular numbering schemes also suggests that the series containing precisely 17 is not accidental. The encouragement of a person to marry and father children is an unusual theme, if not unique, in the world of Elizabethan poetry. That the author himself should have been personally motivated to invest such time and effort and have the temerity to do such a thing strikes me as extremely unlikely. In an age of commissioned poetic works, this series of sonnets being commissioned from the author by another party seems to be the most plausible scenario by which such a poetic work could only come about. The series betrays a lack of understanding of why the subject fails to marry and have children of his own accord: Sonnet 3 asks what fair woman would not welcome the opportunity of being the subject's wife: "For where is she so fair whose uneared womb Disdains the tillage of thy husbandry?" and what man would willingly fail to leave children: "Or who is he so fond will be the tomb Of his self-love to stop posterity?" Sonnet 4 asks why the subject does not continue his legacy of beauty: "Unthrifty loveliness, why dost thou spend Upon thyself thy beauty's legacy?" and why he fails to pass on his beauty in the form of children: "Then, beauteous niggard, why dost thou abuse The bounteous largess given thee to give?" and what he will leave behind him when has died:

Ideas, Themes, Symbols, and Symbolism in Siddhartha :: Hesse Siddhartha Essays

Siddhartha: Ideas, Themes, and Symbols This novel had the constant presence of the philosophy of Buddha. From the beginning to the end, Siddhartha was in search of Nirvana. He repetitively showed dissatisfaction to each of his new lifestyles and had to move on in his search. This philosophy was emphasized greatly at the climax, when Siddhartha attempted suicide but heard the all-knowing "Om" from within himself. By the end, both he and his friend, Govinda, had reached enlightenment. All of the characters lived in their own satisfying world. Everyone had reached his own destiny, everyone had reached his own Nirvana.       The novel had a faint cyclic theme to it. The main character led an ascetic, pure lifestyle. He then turned to a materialistic world, and finally returned to the ascetic life. He had lived with the Samanas, a group of ascetics who lived in the forest. He moved on to the town of Samsara where he fell in love with a beautiful woman, became a rich merchant, and lived life in luxury. In his return to the ascetic life, Siddhartha became a ferryman and lived by the river until the end of this book. He was happiest there, learning from this great river. This theme was also evident when his young son left him to pursue other interests. It reminded Siddhartha of when he had left his own father. Though this theme was never explicitly mentioned by the author, the intent may have been to have such truths embedded in the reader's subconscious.       The most important theme was the self-discovery of the protagonist. The reader is brought into the life of this young man and is shown all of the high and low points. From the very beginning of this novel, Siddhartha was in search for the truth. What he had in store for himself was many years of discontent, but finally he found what he was looking for. It was at the river where Siddhartha found the meaning of life. For many years after his attempted suicide, he remained by the river and learned the secrets of the world.       A major symbol was the magical river that Siddhartha crossed   several times. It represented the boundary between the ascetic world and the materialistic world. He had to cross this river to get from the world of the Samanas (the ascetics) and the town of Samsara (where his lover and merchant mentor was).

Gap in Gender Pay Essay

INTRODUCTION: Although women are steadily making their mark in the business world and heading major corporations, the question remains, are they still earning less than their male counterparts? Throughout time there has been a definite difference between men and women and their median income. This wage gap cuts across a wide spectrum of occupations. However, in 1963 the Equal Pay Act was signed making it illegal for employers to pay unequal wages to men and women who hold the same job and do the same work. There may be many reasons for this gap in salaries; most of them may not be necessarily based on gender. The following research will investigate what causes the gap in earnings, if any, and examines various factors that may have an effect on the earnings of men and women. I. RESEARCH PURPOSE The purpose of this research is to determine whether or not women who are working the same types of jobs, with the same amount of education and experience are being compensated the same as men. Although women have made a significant pace in entering the workforce and in exploring a wider range of occupations, they may still be treading behind in wages earned compared to their male counterparts. Many years ago, it was thought that because women were not as well educated as men, did not have as much experience as men, and did not work as hard as men that the range of pay should not be the same. This is no longer true and women have been graduating from college at the same rate as men and are working just as hard as men. However, the wage gap between men and women remains and nationally, women earn 77 cents for every $1 earned by men (Head, 2008). Thus, despite a sense of continued progress toward gender equality in the workplace the gap between men and women still persists. The significance of this research issue may reveal an underlying discrimination between the sexes that many may believe has narrowed. The importance in equality of gender pay is not only that it is the right thing to do, but an equitable and competitive pay package improves employee recruitment and retention.  This concept benefits both the employer and the employee, male or female. Nonetheless, as long as this gap remains the more likely this issue will provide a main source of debate among the organizational workforce. II. PROBLEM DEFINITION: The study, by the American Association of University Women Educational Foundation, found that 10 years after college, women earn only 69% of what men earn. (USA Today, 2007) Defining the problem starts with an examination of the evidence to determine how big the gap truly is and whether discrimination is to blame. Essential variables that may have an impact on male-female wage differential such as ethnic background, age, and industry will be measured. Our team will research and find out how big the gap is what could be the cause, factors such as: a). Hours of work- some tend to think that men are more likely to work longer hours. b). Education levels-some tend to think that men on average is higher qualified and women invest less in their education. c). Workforce participation and experience-industries tend to think that women spend less time at work because of their domestic responsibilities to their children and family. The majority of organizations assume that young women are going to leave the workforce when they have children, and therefore will not promote them. d). Why is there such a gap between the amount on a man’s paycheck compared to a woman’s? e). Occupation type- some think women are looking for an easy way out and they tend to seek out and cluster around a few occupations and industries because of the tastes of employers, male employees and customers. f). Are women given the same opportunities for advancement as men? Our team will investigate what percentage of these factors contributes to the difference in pay between these two genders and seek to find out if discrimination plays a part in this pay gap and will the gap disappear through educational achievements. Why do woman not have equal job opportunities? Jobs held by women pay less than jobs held by men, even though the job requires the same education and skills. A newly hired woman will get a lower paying assignment than a man who started working there the same time for the same employer. Not only that also, women do not receive the equal chances in promotions like men. Equal pay has been an issue for all working women for the past few decades. III. RESEARCH HYPOTHESIS While some studies may reflect a sense of continued progress towards gender equality in the workplace, the federal government currently confirms that the workplace earnings gap amongst men and women is still prevalent today (About Management.Com). It is the educated guess of this team that men are paid at a substantially increased rate for performance in positions than women are paid to operate in those same positions. This hypothesis is deducted from observations made from current work situations, random peer discussions, and updated articles. More than forty years after the Federal Equal Pay Act, hard working women are still being paid less than men are on the job. There are numerous speculations that can be made in an attempt to explain this is behavior, such as career selections being made by men and women. Women tend to make decisions about employment based on convenience, meaning that women migrate to positions that will allow for them to maintain a active home life and still maintain a 40 hour work week, whereas men will more than likely trade an active home life for longer work hours, safety risks, frequent travel, longer work hours and extended commuting times to make the higher pay. While these practices may not be fair, they are a reality. The research provided in this paper will lead to three possible outcomes; it will either prove that men are paid at higher rates than women to operate in the same or similar positions, women are paid at higher rates than men to operate in the same or similar position, or men and women break even when it comes to wages and position. References Head, Lauren Lawley. (2008, April 23). Pay Gap Worth Steaming Over: Bizwomen.com. Retrieved April 29, 2008, from http://www.bizjournals.com/bizwomen/index.php/2008/04/23/pay-gap-worth-steaming-over/ Coutts, Justin. (2004, February). Policy Backgrounder, Business Roundtable. Retrieved April 29, 2008 from http://www.nzbr.org.nz/documents/policy/policy-2004/PB_No1.pdf Arndt, Bettina. (2006,October 16). Herald Sun.com. Why Men are paid More. Retrieved April 29, 2008 from http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/story/0,21985,20586168-5000117,00.html

The Devils Highway

This project Walk this Way was actually a really good experiment. It wasn't that hard nor that simple. You still had to apply everything you learned In math and be accurate with the numbers. Starting with the measurements of your leg to the time amount of time you walk in. Your accuracy had to be at a minimum range of numbers. Answering question number 8 in the worksheet I believe in some of them the formula predicted the maximum speed of walking. Not in all but it was accurate in most.It's nice to see you can get an accurate time with just applying math in it and trying to predict a very good level of walking. The way the project was set up itself was an amazing way to learn new things about human nature and about math at the same time. The procedures we used were for one making a student go outside of the classroom and count 60 tiles (since it is 1 foot each) and from where he started he put tape and from where he ended he put tape. We then separated into groups tot 10 in total to be an even class so we can start tot the experiment.During the time that was going on we chose who was going to be the recorder, the measurer, and the mummer. With my group Japan was the measurer, Angora was the recorder, and I was the timer. Finally going outside we got to work and the people walking would start from the tape and have to end to the other side where the other tape was. You notice how some people walk at a slow pace and other at more faster one. It isn't as difficult to do the math problems. If it wasn't explained to us It would've been difficult to understand. But I love how this project is/was.It entertained me more than I thought it would Especially when walking down to the other side of the tape. What I found most difficult was putting the second set of points in the same scatter plot. Didn't know how to do It since I'm no wiz at the computer. At the end I did end up figuring it out when trying to mess around with the stuff in excel. I found the way to do it and I did. So that was a good thing to me. To be honest I think it wasn't hard to get precise measurements. You Just have to know how to do the formula and round if you need to.Yes you may think it isn't the same as the time you walked and the time you were suppose to walk because then again it isn't always going to be perfect at the end. You will end up seeing more than enough different times. There really isn't enough accuracy toward anything. If I had the opportunity to alter the experiment to improve the results I would make the kids walk in a speed walk pace. I would want to see If you get the precise measurement at the end. You would want to notice If it was correct or not. Testing both walks normal and speed walk should've been done.That way you can compare both times and say which are the most accurate out of the two. The Devils Highway By sashays Walk This Way February 1, 2013 This project Walk this Way was actually a really good experiment. It wasn't that hard nor that simple. You still had to apply everything you learned in math and be accurate in most. It's nice to see you can get an accurate time with Just applying math groups of 10 in total to be an even class so we can start off the experiment. During and the timer. With my group Japan was the measurer, Angora was the recorder, andYou notice how some people walk at a slow pace and other at more faster one. It isn't as difficult to do the math problems. If it wasn't explained to us it would've been than I thought it would. Especially when walking down to the other side of the tape. Plot. I didn't know how to do it since I'm no wiz at the computer. At the end I did end To be honest I think it wasn't would want to see if you get the precise measurement at the end. You would want to notice if it was correct or not. Testing both walks normal and speed walk should've

Piagets Theory

Connor Taylor AP Psychology Mr. OG Piagets’s Theory: Cognitive Development Developmental psychology is the study of human growth and development which occurs throughout the entire lifespan. Cognitive development is the beginning to the ability to think and understand. Cognitive development focuses on child’s development of information processing, conceptual resources, perpetual skill, language learning, and other aspects of brain development. Piaget has four stages to his theory: Sensorimotor, preoperational, concrete operational, and formal operational. Much of the research has gone into understanding how a child imagines the world.In Piaget’s view, early cognitive development includes processes based upon actions and it later changes in mental operations. The first stage of Piaget’s theory lasts from birth until about age two, and it based upon the baby trying to make sense of the world. During the sensorimotor stage the child uses skills and abilities t hey were born with such as looking, sucking, grasping, and listening to learn more about the environment. Object permanence is a child’s understanding that objects are still there even though they cannot be seen or heard, and according to Piaget it is one of the most important.By 18 to 24 months children begin to develop symbols to represent events or objects in the world, and children begin to move towards understanding the world through mental operations rather than through just actions. The preoperational stage occurs between about the ages 2 and seven. One of the milestones at this period is language development. Piaget states that at this stage do not yet understand concrete logic and are unable to take the point of view of other people. Piaget’s focus on this stage is what children could not do yet.Children lack the knowledge that things look different to other people and that objects can change in appearance while still maintaining the same properties In the â⠂¬Å"Three Mountain Task† children almost always choose the scene showing their own view of the mountain image. Before the age of 5 Piaget found that not many children showed an understanding of conservation prior to the age of five, many children found that the cup filled higher contained more liquid, though they each had an equal amount. The concrete operational stage starts at about age 7 and continues approximately until age 11.During the concrete operational stage children begin a better understanding of mental operations. Children begin to think logically, but do have difficulty understanding hypothetical concepts. Children have trouble using general principle to determine the outcome of a specific event according to Piaget. Piaget states that one of the most important processes in this stage is reversibility, and being aware that things can be reversed. The last stage is operational stage, the operational stage lasts from about age 12 and lasts into adulthood. During thi s period people learn the ability to think about abstract concepts.Logical thought, deductive reasoning, and systematic planning are all developed during the operational stage. Deductive logic is the ability to use a general principle to determine a specific outcome, and Piaget thought that deductive logic was very important during the formal operational stage. You use deductive logic in something such as hypothetical situations, and is also very often required in science and math. Children at the formal operational stage are usually able to plan an organized approach to problem solving and quite quickly, unlike when they were younger and tested things in a trial and error type way.Piaget’s theory of cognitive development provided great detail in how a child’s mind acts throughout life from birth, sensorimotor stage, all the way to adulthood, formal operational stage, and for the most part I agree with him. In the early life of a child they don’t understand anyt hing and have to develop, and to start they must use tools they do know how to do, the ones the obtained since birth and they are essential to the growth of a child.As a child developing they gain knowledge by interacting with the world, and every time they understand something new it completely alters their world, something such as just knowing something is there just because you cant see it alters the whole way a child sees the world and alters their knowledge greatly. I agree with Piaget’s steps in cognitive development throughout childhood, demonstrates how children develop very well and make sense, I agree with Piaget.

Forecasting Effects of Cultural Changes

Within today's increasingly globally-infused corporate workplaces, conventional wisdom holds that demographic and/or cultural diversity contribute positively to enhanced performance by groups, teams, or other divisions of a trans-global corporate entity, thus ultimately enhancing, by association, company products and/or services and the company itself, at home and abroad. As corporate giant Nokia's website states, for example (2005), of its own global workforce: â€Å"Respect for individual qualities, as well as a willingness to work together in a constructive, positive, even enjoyable, way [,] are all essential for high-quality results. † Much related research suggests, however, that while diverse employee skills and abilities in and of themselves may enhance group or team performance, demographic diversity (e. g. differences among workforce members, in terms of language; cultural; referential; or social background), may detract from it (Knight, Pearce, Smith, Olian , Sims , Smith & Flood, 1999; Jackson, 2003; Hamilton, Nickerson, Jackson, & Owan, May 2004). I will examine factors that, based on research and anecdotal evidence combined, may inflect corporate workforce compatibility or success, exploring both positive and the negative potential effects of demographic and cultural diversity on global and other workplace behavior and performance. In a telephone interview conducted by this researcher, on October 6, 2005, with a friend who is a human resources assistant manager at Hitachi Global Storage Technologies (HGST) based in San Jose, California, a recently-merged company created by the Hitachi-IBM HDD (Hard Disk Drive) company merger of January 2003, â€Å"[A lack of] enough good and clear intercultural communications is still contributing a lot, I would say, to lower than expected employee morale† (Sindai). However, despite the inevitable difficulties, misunderstandings, and other company challenges it inevitably brings, globalization is here to stay. According to Alden, for example, in an article on UPS's expansion, â€Å"Over the past 40 years the number of multinational corporations in the world's fourteen richest countries has gone from 7,000 to 24,000. (6-7). Moreover, as Alden observes, while many companies have marketed internationally for years, more and more companies are looking to enter the arena of global competition. However, according to Wilbur (2005), in terms of global workplace (or any team or group) performance or behavior, in and of itself, mere diversity of a workforce, or group, team, or other entity within that workforce, is non-conclusive. HP [High Performance] teams are built with . . . complementary skills. . . . a Blend and balance of social styles . . . technical skills, problem solving skills, and political savvy. . . . They treat differences with respect realizing the survival value in versatility, . . . develop mutual accountability that builds respect, commitment. High performance teams blow away barriers and boundaries. Typical demographic and/or cultural diversity increasingly found within global conglomerates or other entities like Worldwide Telecommunications, Inc. nd others, may contribute to or detract greatly from performance, depending on specific aspects of diversity; management communications, actions, and philosophies, and various other factors. Optimal workplace performance itself, on the part of any group or team, whatever its internal composition, generally springs from commitment, shared values, and pursuit of a common goal (Knight, Pearce, Smith, Olian , Sims , Smith & Flood, 1999; Jackson, 2003 ;Wilbur, 2005). Demographic characteristics and/or cultural diversity may contribute to or detract from high-performance teams, but these characteristics alone will not determine performance. They may, however, influence it, in combination with other factors, such as shared or common goals; shared values; group commitment and support, and group synergy (Jackson, 2003; Wilbur, 2005). As Sindai (telephone interview, October 7, 2005), of Hitachi Global Storage Technologies (HGST) also stated: After the merger almost three years ago [of IBM's and Hitachi's Hard Disk Drive HDD) entities in January 2003] about our making more videos and doing more training sessions to keep enhancing diversity training. Our office wanted to do more, not just [what we had done] up to the merger, and everyone agreed it was needed. But little by little it got moved to the back burner. I think there's been a feeling, or a hope at least, that it would all work itself out in time. But it Sindai added that, after IBM and Hitachi's respective hard drive divisions (HDD's) merged in 2003, various clashes, miscommunications, and misunderstandings of two distinct types of cultures emerges. One was the inevitable initial clash between IBM (an American company) versus Hitachi (a Japanese company) corporate cultures. Another, which proved to be more chronic, was based on demographic, social, cultural and other miscommunications and misunderstandings, sometimes although not always based on language incompatibilities, among workers from the United States; Japan; Pakistan; China; India; Sri Lanka; Singapore; India; Mexico; Bulgaria; and (as Sindai put it) â€Å"at least ten or twelve other places. † Results of a more formal study, on effects of diversity on group management performance, seem to confirm Sindai's anecdotal observations. Knight, Pearce, Smith, Olian, Sims , Smith & Flood (1999) concluded that: â€Å"Diversity in ability enhances the team productivity if there is significant mutual learning and collaboration within the team, while demographic diversity is likely to harm productivity by making learning and peer pressure less effective and increasing team-member turnover. † Hamilton, Nickerson, Jackson, & Owan (May 2004) found, in a similar study, that: Data from 76 high-technology firms in the United States and Ireland were used to examine three alternative models. The results showed that while demographic diversity alone did have effects on strategic consensus the overall fit of the model was not strong. Adding two intervening group process variables, interpersonal conflict and agreement-seeking . . . greatly improved the overall relationship with strategic consensus. For the most part, TMT [Total Management Team] diversity had negative effects on strategic consensus. Jackson (2003) further concluded that: Informational (education and function) diversity was negatively related to group efficiency when social category diversity (sex and age) was high, but not when it was low; consequences . . . for team conflict were best understood by taking into account interactive effects for specific dimensions of diversity. (p. 803) An interesting and arguably related example, from the world of professional football, and one that starkly and vividly exemplifies workplace diversity training gone awry (i. e. the San Francisco 49'ers controversial diversity training tape that was leaked to the press (Ryan, Sunday June 5, 2005)) painfully illustrates how management attitudes anywhere, with any diverse group of people in any occupation, especially vis-a-vis other groups of people, strongly inflect â€Å"accepted† or perceived â€Å"normal† workplace attitudes about diversity (be they positive or negative), potentially polarizing, not unifying, workpla ce group members. As Ryan states, in analyzing this incident: . . . the video, which the team was required to watch, was particularly insulting o deeply religious players. Imagine if a corporation made it mandatory for employees to watch a training video that featured soft-core lesbian porn and a racist depiction of a bumbling, bucktoothed Chinese man. . . because the employees happen to be football players, people seem willing to dismiss it as This incident effectively lampooned diversity training and workplace diversity itself, within an extremely high-profile professional, organization, and geographical location (one that possesses enormous cultural diversity among its residents and sports fan â€Å"customers†) instead of promoting it. The incident also likely reinforced pre-existing stereotypes of many sports and related industry professionals: as boorish, intolerant, ignorant, or racist. Admittedly, the San Francisco 49ers football team and its management are non-equivalent, structurally, functionally, or in terms of goals or purpose, to Worldwide Telecommunications; Nokia, HGST, or any other large global corporate entity. Nevertheless, the implied lesson, for corporations and managers, contained within this incident is clear (at least to this author): company and group attitudes about diversity and its desirability and value to (and within) an organization, come from the top and migrate downward. Further, positive attitudes about workplace diversity and about diversity in general (which affect workplace attitudes and behaviors, consciously or unconsciously) must be practiced; reinforced; repeated, and encouraged, in order for workers to embrace and maintain them. One other fact that emerges from research combined with interviewee observation of effects of diversity on group performance, and reality combined, is that genuine appreciation for demographic and/or cultural diversity is most powerful and lasting when it grows from within a diverse group itself, rather than being imposed from the outside. Jackson (2003) further explains that â€Å"most [diversity] studies assumed that diversity influences affective reactions and social processes within teams and organizations. Social processes in turn were assumed to provide the explanations for the effects of diversity on team and/or organizational performance† (p. 803). Moreover, according to Jackson: Decades of research on similarity and attraction indicate that people tend to dislike dissimilar others, all else being equal. By extension, it has been argued that diversity is likely to have negative consequences for affective reactions such as cohesion, satisfaction, and commitment . . . Several early studies showing that diversity was associated with higher turnover rates seemed to support that conclusion. Recent research on team and organizational diversity: SWOT analysis and implications. ) Demographic and/or cultural diversity within transnational corporate workplaces may or may not enhance company performance, depending on the group; its members; its management and other influences; and its implicitly shared (or not shared) values, goals, motivations, and work and other philosophies. Diversity of skill and ability is more likely to enhance group performance than is cultural diversity (Knight, Pearce, Smith, Olian, Sims , Smith & Flood, 1999; Jackson, 2003; Hamilton, Nickerson, Jackson, & Owan, May 2004). Winning performance, though, is determined not so much by cultural and/or demographic diversity as by complementary skills; synergy; shared values and goals, and commitment. For optimal transnational workplace performance, demographic and/or cultural diversity must clearly be accompanied, in order to be effective, by personal and heartfelt cohesion among group or team members. In forecasting cultural changes, at World Telecommunications, Inc. and at other, similar entities, then, that particular conclusion, arrived at by researchers; managers, and others, alike, might well be kept closely in mind.

Asda Marketing Plan

To combat this, the report suggests that ASDA looks to change its strategy to focus more on a sustainable supply-chain, potentially one which is focused on UK food and products. While this may lead to higher prices from the retailer, it could improve its image when it comes to sustainable food retailing, and so warrant higher prices to consumers, especially if the introduction of local products develops an emotional attachment for customers. Introduction The following assignment will consider ASDA, considering the external environment in which the business operates as well as its ethical consideration, determining whether the current strategy should be maintained or whether a change is needed, with the assignment then making recommendations. Company Overview ASDA is a UK-based grocery retailers owned by U.S. listed Wal-Mart Stores Inc. ASDA has been part of the UK’s ‘Big 4’ retailers in the UK grocery sector, also compromising of Tesco, Morrison’s and Sainsbury’s, however it recently moved from 3rd from 2nd place on the list, being overtaken by Sainsbury’s after disappointing sales. The latest report from Kantar Worldpanel (2016) put’s ASDA’s market share at 15.3%, behind that of Sainsbury’s after suffering a 4.7% fall in sales, compared with a 0.7% fall in Sainsbury’s, and a 1.6% rise in sales at Tesco. To many UK consumers, ASDA has developed on the back of price competition, with the retailer being heavily focused on being the UK’s best value supermarket. Due of its focus on price, ASDA in the past could have been seen to ignore ethical consideration, with some of the top places seen with premium retailers such as Marks Spencer, who use their premium pricing to better consider the quality/ ethics behind their supply chain. Market Environment However, it is this strategy which has been a downfall for the retailer, especially when put against competition from the expanding ‘discounter’s’, namely Lidl and Aldi (Ruddick, 2014). These retailers have aggressively expanded into the UK market on the back of offering low prices to consumers, with their focus on ‘prime-match’, similar of marketing conducted by ASDA against the other ‘Big 4’[1]. Given this, Aldi managed to record sales growth of 10% over the same period, beating all competition and increasing its market share to 6.2%. At the same time, Aldi also announced that it looks to take its store tally from 450 to 1,000 by 2022; Lidl also announced plans to open 40-50 new stores in the UK each year, noted by Gale (2016). This move in the market has been supported from a new business model and changing consumer habits. Discounters have benefitted from economies of scale, reducing the scale of choice to offer just one option; in tu rn allowing them to increase sales of that product and reduce the production costs. At the same time, these discounters have also expanded on a no-frills approach to stores, moving away from the ‘Superstore’ concept which became popular with Tesco and ASDA. This comes at a time when consumers have also looked to move away from superstores, preferring little-and-often shops to better budget. There also seems to a reduction in customer loyalty as consumers look for the best value. Marketing Situational Analysis Building on the above, a SWOT analysis is shown below; Strengths  ·UK wide presence with 525 stores.  ·Still the UK’s 3rd largest grocery retailer – potential to increase share.Weaknesses  ·Recent marketing seems to have placed it in the ‘discount’ category when it comes to grocery stores – potentially restricting sales of some of its higher-value items. Opportunities  ·Recent improvement in UK economic fundamentals – coupled with rising wages may increase consumer disposable income.  ·Fall in ?GBP has put some spotlight on UK food/ products to escape price rises.Threats  ·Competition remains the biggest threat to ASDA, especially with discounters such as Lidl/ Aldi quickly expanding their store network, as well as expanding their marketing activities, with a focus on value. Ultimately, the analysis is suggesting that the main weakness in marketing lies within this continued focus solely on the price. This has come under pressure given new entrants into the market, with the discounters of Lidl/ Aldi coming into the market with business models which mean they can potentially undercut ASDA on prices. This is the main threat to the business, with ASDA still seeing a fall in sales, even with the recent buoyancy in UK retail sales. However, there are potential opportunities for ASDA to diversify, expanding its marketing to cover issues within sustainability and UK produce; improving the ethics when it comes to food sourcing, and issues such as food security and locality[2]. Objectives In the past, ASDA’S objectives have been focused on customer value, however given an expanding ‘discount’ sector, the retailer is now under more pricing pressure to maintain customers. With this, there is the expectation that the retailer may need to diversify, essentially look to attract more customers back to its stores. The objective for ASDA is to tempt customer’s back into its store; or tempt new customers back. Given continued expansion of Lidl/ Aldi, it could be expected that the new strategy will need to focus more on attracting new customers, be it from retailers such as Sainsbury’s. Strategy Segmentation To support its strategy, ASDA will look to segment the market into different consumers, based on demographics, location, income etc. Given marketing campaigns undertaken by the business, it would appear that ASDA has segmented the market; looking to appeal to those families of lower incomes. Its focus on being the cheapest is indicative of its primary target market. Because of this, the business has become somewhat specialised on this business model, a focus on low-cost, which in turn could impede quality. It has positioned itself in the low-cost end of the market, however given new entrants and intensified competition, is now finding it hard to compete and develop with new competition (Peter, 2011)[3]. The business model helped ASDA over the years of recession given constrained consumer income, however as economic conditions have improved, consumers have essentially traded-up. This has provided support to other retailers such as Sainsbury’s, and Waitrose which position themse lves at the higher end of the market. With this, ASDA may feel that its business is currently positioned to narrow, targeting a consumer base which is shrinking which competition is increasing. There are two ways in which the retailer can broaden its consumer base, either through changes to marketing which will target a new market, or by differentiating the product to appeal to a broader base of consumers, noted in Armstrong et al (2012)[4]. Tactics Action Given the above, the main tactic for ASDA s to re-position itself in the market, remove this constant focus on price and look to focus more on ethical issues such as sustainability, which in turn may suggest quality. To do this, the retailer has a number of actions: ASDA will move to focus on local; putting its focus on supplying more UK produce in-stores, having dedicated aisles in superstores to local producers. The benefit here will not only be from higher sales of these goods, put also of the positive PR which could arise through supporting local farmers, and local communities. This is essentially classed as differentiation; the retailer will be introducing new products to do so. ASDA will also look to introduce convenience aisles into superstores. This will be seen as segmentation,[5] looking to attract a new set of customers to its stores who may have previously left as they prefer to do ‘little-and-often’ shops. This can be marketed by ASDA to target these specific customers. Budget This section will now discuss the budget for such a change in strategy. The main costs to the business will be seen as the marketing. For instance, when it comes to the ‘convenience aisle’, it could be noted that the infrastructure is already there; the stores will simply have to shuffle around stock to create the new aisle. When it comes to introducing the new products, the costs may be more down to developing the local links, with the suppliers themselves bearing the costs associated with producing the goods. Rather than a major financial cost, the introduction of more local products may be more time consuming for ASDA, given that they will need to ensure that the new products are in-keeping with the goals of the business, both in terms of pricing and quality (Ferrell, 2012)[6]. Marketing will be done through all ’traditional’ channels given the mass-market appeal of ASDA and the fierce competition within the UK grocery sector. While this would involve a higher cost than say digital marketing opportunities, it would be hoped that print advertisements and TV commercial will draw more attention, and so inform more customers. However, digital marketing could also be used, especially when it comes to advertisements through social media, and targeted banner ads which can be used online. Control Control remains an important consideration, both in terms of ensuring a level of consistency in the marketing message as well as also monitoring the return on investment (hereafter ROI). When it comes to consistency, while marketing could change to reflect changes in the marketplace, the business must look to maintain its ‘core’ message. For instance, while the focus on new marketing campaigns may be on local produce, the core message remains with the slogan ‘Save Money, Live Better’. Too much of change may lead to current customers becoming detached with the business and its values. Control will also come with ROI. Essentially, all businesses need to ensure that their marketing spend is generating business. New, digital marketing allows businesses to track this, with businesses able to use tools such as Google Analytics to view web traffic etc. (Chaffey, 2012)[7]. Traditional marketing may be harder to manage in terms of ROI, given that it is harder to distinguish how a certain poster/ TV commercial may have driven demand. However, if ASDA move forward with a unified campaign, so changing all marketing to reflect a single message, then the business can understand the potential ROI of the campaign. Recommendation/ Conclusion To conclude, ASDA has in the past focused its marketing plan on price, looking to drive consumption through low prices. This is itself would not be considered ‘ethical consumerism’, given that some of the lower prices products could be viewed as a damage to the environment. However, this strategy has now placed ASDA into a market segment which is seeing more competition, at a time when the size of the market may be slowing, given improving economics in the UK[8]. To combat this, ASDA has an opportunity to diversify its product range into a more ‘premium’ space; be it the expansion of their ‘Extra Special’ range, or through the introduction of more local products and brands (Perreault, 2010)[9]. The focus on UK produce could provide ASDA with a ‘Unique Selling Point’; which could allow the business to justify higher pricing, noted in Fifield (2012)[10]. This may also improve the organisations ethical position as it suggests that ASDA is considering sustainability in its wider supply-chain; given that more food is local, opposed to international, reducing the ‘distance’ of the supply chain, potentially being seen as more environmentally friendly. However, at the same time, the retailer must be wary that any change to its pricing may impact on its core customers. In the end, this may further impact on market share, however this is seen as a potential risk of an opportunity. The recommendation for ASDA is that is moves forward with a change in marketing, highlighting developments in both local sourcing as well as convenience. However, ASDA must look to control this movement, and potentially monitor the opportunity. This could be done through monitoring sales of, as well as monitoring footfall into stores. References Armstrong, G., Kotler, P., Harker, M., Brennan, R. (2012). Marketing: an introduction. Pearson Prentice-Hall, London. Chaffey, D., Ellis-Chadwick, F. (2012). Digital marketing, London, Pearson Higher Ed. Ferrell, O. C., Hartline, M. (2012). Marketing strategy, text and cases, London, Nelson Education. Ferrell, O. C., Fraedrich, J. (2015). Business ethics: Ethical decision making cases, London, Nelson Education. Fifield, P. (2012). Marketing strategy, London, Routledge. Gale. (2016) [Online]. How long will Aldi and Lidl’s onslaught last?, Available at http://www.managementtoday.co.uk/long-will-aldi-lidls-onslaught-last/future-business/article/1386497, Accessed 17.12.2016. Kantar Worldpanel. (2016) [Online]. UK Grocery Market Share, Available at http://www.kantarworldpanel.com/global/grocery-market-share/great-britain, Accessed 17.12.2016. Perreault, W. D. (2010). Essentials of marketing: A marketing strategy planning approach, London, Pearson. Perreault Jr, W., Cannon, J., McCarthy, E. J. (2013). Basic marketing, London, McGraw-Hill Higher Education. Peter, J. P., Donnelly, J. H. (2011). Marketing management: knowledge and skills: text, analysis, cases, plans, London, Pearson. Ruddick, G. (2014) [Online]. It may already be too late for Tesco and Sainsbury’s, the rise of Aldi and Lidl looks unstoppable, Available at http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/newsbysector/retailandconsumer/10974773/It-may-already-be-too-late-for-Tesco-and-Sainsburys-the-rise-of-Aldi-and-Lidl-looks-unstoppable.html, Accessed 19.12.2016. Wood, S., McCarthy, D. (2014). The UK food retail ‘race for space’and market saturation: A contemporary review. The International Review of Retail, Distribution and Consumer Research, 24(2), 121-144. Asda Marketing Plan To combat this, the report suggests that ASDA looks to change its strategy to focus more on a sustainable supply-chain, potentially one which is focused on UK food and products. While this may lead to higher prices from the retailer, it could improve its image when it comes to sustainable food retailing, and so warrant higher prices to consumers, especially if the introduction of local products develops an emotional attachment for customers. Introduction The following assignment will consider ASDA, considering the external environment in which the business operates as well as its ethical consideration, determining whether the current strategy should be maintained or whether a change is needed, with the assignment then making recommendations. Company Overview ASDA is a UK-based grocery retailers owned by U.S. listed Wal-Mart Stores Inc. ASDA has been part of the UK’s ‘Big 4’ retailers in the UK grocery sector, also compromising of Tesco, Morrison’s and Sainsbury’s, however it recently moved from 3rd from 2nd place on the list, being overtaken by Sainsbury’s after disappointing sales. The latest report from Kantar Worldpanel (2016) put’s ASDA’s market share at 15.3%, behind that of Sainsbury’s after suffering a 4.7% fall in sales, compared with a 0.7% fall in Sainsbury’s, and a 1.6% rise in sales at Tesco. To many UK consumers, ASDA has developed on the back of price competition, with the retailer being heavily focused on being the UK’s best value supermarket. Due of its focus on price, ASDA in the past could have been seen to ignore ethical consideration, with some of the top places seen with premium retailers such as Marks Spencer, who use their premium pricing to better consider the quality/ ethics behind their supply chain. Market Environment However, it is this strategy which has been a downfall for the retailer, especially when put against competition from the expanding ‘discounter’s’, namely Lidl and Aldi (Ruddick, 2014). These retailers have aggressively expanded into the UK market on the back of offering low prices to consumers, with their focus on ‘prime-match’, similar of marketing conducted by ASDA against the other ‘Big 4’[1]. Given this, Aldi managed to record sales growth of 10% over the same period, beating all competition and increasing its market share to 6.2%. At the same time, Aldi also announced that it looks to take its store tally from 450 to 1,000 by 2022; Lidl also announced plans to open 40-50 new stores in the UK each year, noted by Gale (2016). This move in the market has been supported from a new business model and changing consumer habits. Discounters have benefitted from economies of scale, reducing the scale of choice to offer just one option; in tu rn allowing them to increase sales of that product and reduce the production costs. At the same time, these discounters have also expanded on a no-frills approach to stores, moving away from the ‘Superstore’ concept which became popular with Tesco and ASDA. This comes at a time when consumers have also looked to move away from superstores, preferring little-and-often shops to better budget. There also seems to a reduction in customer loyalty as consumers look for the best value. Marketing Situational Analysis Building on the above, a SWOT analysis is shown below; Strengths  ·UK wide presence with 525 stores.  ·Still the UK’s 3rd largest grocery retailer – potential to increase share.Weaknesses  ·Recent marketing seems to have placed it in the ‘discount’ category when it comes to grocery stores – potentially restricting sales of some of its higher-value items. Opportunities  ·Recent improvement in UK economic fundamentals – coupled with rising wages may increase consumer disposable income.  ·Fall in ?GBP has put some spotlight on UK food/ products to escape price rises.Threats  ·Competition remains the biggest threat to ASDA, especially with discounters such as Lidl/ Aldi quickly expanding their store network, as well as expanding their marketing activities, with a focus on value. Ultimately, the analysis is suggesting that the main weakness in marketing lies within this continued focus solely on the price. This has come under pressure given new entrants into the market, with the discounters of Lidl/ Aldi coming into the market with business models which mean they can potentially undercut ASDA on prices. This is the main threat to the business, with ASDA still seeing a fall in sales, even with the recent buoyancy in UK retail sales. However, there are potential opportunities for ASDA to diversify, expanding its marketing to cover issues within sustainability and UK produce; improving the ethics when it comes to food sourcing, and issues such as food security and locality[2]. Objectives In the past, ASDA’S objectives have been focused on customer value, however given an expanding ‘discount’ sector, the retailer is now under more pricing pressure to maintain customers. With this, there is the expectation that the retailer may need to diversify, essentially look to attract more customers back to its stores. The objective for ASDA is to tempt customer’s back into its store; or tempt new customers back. Given continued expansion of Lidl/ Aldi, it could be expected that the new strategy will need to focus more on attracting new customers, be it from retailers such as Sainsbury’s. Strategy Segmentation To support its strategy, ASDA will look to segment the market into different consumers, based on demographics, location, income etc. Given marketing campaigns undertaken by the business, it would appear that ASDA has segmented the market; looking to appeal to those families of lower incomes. Its focus on being the cheapest is indicative of its primary target market. Because of this, the business has become somewhat specialised on this business model, a focus on low-cost, which in turn could impede quality. It has positioned itself in the low-cost end of the market, however given new entrants and intensified competition, is now finding it hard to compete and develop with new competition (Peter, 2011)[3]. The business model helped ASDA over the years of recession given constrained consumer income, however as economic conditions have improved, consumers have essentially traded-up. This has provided support to other retailers such as Sainsbury’s, and Waitrose which position themse lves at the higher end of the market. With this, ASDA may feel that its business is currently positioned to narrow, targeting a consumer base which is shrinking which competition is increasing. There are two ways in which the retailer can broaden its consumer base, either through changes to marketing which will target a new market, or by differentiating the product to appeal to a broader base of consumers, noted in Armstrong et al (2012)[4]. Tactics Action Given the above, the main tactic for ASDA s to re-position itself in the market, remove this constant focus on price and look to focus more on ethical issues such as sustainability, which in turn may suggest quality. To do this, the retailer has a number of actions: ASDA will move to focus on local; putting its focus on supplying more UK produce in-stores, having dedicated aisles in superstores to local producers. The benefit here will not only be from higher sales of these goods, put also of the positive PR which could arise through supporting local farmers, and local communities. This is essentially classed as differentiation; the retailer will be introducing new products to do so. ASDA will also look to introduce convenience aisles into superstores. This will be seen as segmentation,[5] looking to attract a new set of customers to its stores who may have previously left as they prefer to do ‘little-and-often’ shops. This can be marketed by ASDA to target these specific customers. Budget This section will now discuss the budget for such a change in strategy. The main costs to the business will be seen as the marketing. For instance, when it comes to the ‘convenience aisle’, it could be noted that the infrastructure is already there; the stores will simply have to shuffle around stock to create the new aisle. When it comes to introducing the new products, the costs may be more down to developing the local links, with the suppliers themselves bearing the costs associated with producing the goods. Rather than a major financial cost, the introduction of more local products may be more time consuming for ASDA, given that they will need to ensure that the new products are in-keeping with the goals of the business, both in terms of pricing and quality (Ferrell, 2012)[6]. Marketing will be done through all ’traditional’ channels given the mass-market appeal of ASDA and the fierce competition within the UK grocery sector. While this would involve a higher cost than say digital marketing opportunities, it would be hoped that print advertisements and TV commercial will draw more attention, and so inform more customers. However, digital marketing could also be used, especially when it comes to advertisements through social media, and targeted banner ads which can be used online. Control Control remains an important consideration, both in terms of ensuring a level of consistency in the marketing message as well as also monitoring the return on investment (hereafter ROI). When it comes to consistency, while marketing could change to reflect changes in the marketplace, the business must look to maintain its ‘core’ message. For instance, while the focus on new marketing campaigns may be on local produce, the core message remains with the slogan ‘Save Money, Live Better’. Too much of change may lead to current customers becoming detached with the business and its values. Control will also come with ROI. Essentially, all businesses need to ensure that their marketing spend is generating business. New, digital marketing allows businesses to track this, with businesses able to use tools such as Google Analytics to view web traffic etc. (Chaffey, 2012)[7]. Traditional marketing may be harder to manage in terms of ROI, given that it is harder to distinguish how a certain poster/ TV commercial may have driven demand. However, if ASDA move forward with a unified campaign, so changing all marketing to reflect a single message, then the business can understand the potential ROI of the campaign. Recommendation/ Conclusion To conclude, ASDA has in the past focused its marketing plan on price, looking to drive consumption through low prices. This is itself would not be considered ‘ethical consumerism’, given that some of the lower prices products could be viewed as a damage to the environment. However, this strategy has now placed ASDA into a market segment which is seeing more competition, at a time when the size of the market may be slowing, given improving economics in the UK[8]. To combat this, ASDA has an opportunity to diversify its product range into a more ‘premium’ space; be it the expansion of their ‘Extra Special’ range, or through the introduction of more local products and brands (Perreault, 2010)[9]. The focus on UK produce could provide ASDA with a ‘Unique Selling Point’; which could allow the business to justify higher pricing, noted in Fifield (2012)[10]. This may also improve the organisations ethical position as it suggests that ASDA is considering sustainability in its wider supply-chain; given that more food is local, opposed to international, reducing the ‘distance’ of the supply chain, potentially being seen as more environmentally friendly. However, at the same time, the retailer must be wary that any change to its pricing may impact on its core customers. In the end, this may further impact on market share, however this is seen as a potential risk of an opportunity. The recommendation for ASDA is that is moves forward with a change in marketing, highlighting developments in both local sourcing as well as convenience. However, ASDA must look to control this movement, and potentially monitor the opportunity. This could be done through monitoring sales of, as well as monitoring footfall into stores. References Armstrong, G., Kotler, P., Harker, M., Brennan, R. (2012). Marketing: an introduction. Pearson Prentice-Hall, London. Chaffey, D., Ellis-Chadwick, F. (2012). Digital marketing, London, Pearson Higher Ed. Ferrell, O. C., Hartline, M. (2012). Marketing strategy, text and cases, London, Nelson Education. Ferrell, O. C., Fraedrich, J. (2015). Business ethics: Ethical decision making cases, London, Nelson Education. Fifield, P. (2012). Marketing strategy, London, Routledge. Gale. (2016) [Online]. How long will Aldi and Lidl’s onslaught last?, Available at http://www.managementtoday.co.uk/long-will-aldi-lidls-onslaught-last/future-business/article/1386497, Accessed 17.12.2016. Kantar Worldpanel. (2016) [Online]. UK Grocery Market Share, Available at http://www.kantarworldpanel.com/global/grocery-market-share/great-britain, Accessed 17.12.2016. Perreault, W. D. (2010). Essentials of marketing: A marketing strategy planning approach, London, Pearson. Perreault Jr, W., Cannon, J., McCarthy, E. J. (2013). Basic marketing, London, McGraw-Hill Higher Education. Peter, J. P., Donnelly, J. H. (2011). Marketing management: knowledge and skills: text, analysis, cases, plans, London, Pearson. Ruddick, G. (2014) [Online]. It may already be too late for Tesco and Sainsbury’s, the rise of Aldi and Lidl looks unstoppable, Available at http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/newsbysector/retailandconsumer/10974773/It-may-already-be-too-late-for-Tesco-and-Sainsburys-the-rise-of-Aldi-and-Lidl-looks-unstoppable.html, Accessed 19.12.2016. Wood, S., McCarthy, D. (2014). The UK food retail ‘race for space’and market saturation: A contemporary review. The International Review of Retail, Distribution and Consumer Research, 24(2), 121-144.