Hucleberry Finn Essay

Winnie the Pooh didn't take place during one of the most controversial times in American history, when slavery, King Cotton and Jim Crow ruled, when abolitionists and apologists were battling over the fundamental meaning of freedom and humanity, and when the north and the south kept disputing over the issue Of leaver that would eventually lead to the bloodiest war in American history†¦ The Civil War. By writing this book Mark Twain not only gave us an entertaining adventure and a picaresque novel, but also gave us a really deep and analytical synopsis of southern culture and the horrors of slavery.He was really subtle with his commentary on slavery itself, however focused a lot on racism especially by emphasizing racial slurs in dialogues and utilizing racial stereotypes. This in itself justifies its place in high school curriculum by presenting itself as an adventure book with a great deal of history in it, but it also proves that it's an essential part of the curriculum and th e hall of fame for great books, because it's a book that makes you stop and think multiple times about not only the past, but the present and current racism happening in the country and around the world.Huckleberry Finn is a great historical novel, informative and realistic, when it came to slavery in the south during that era. The story starts in Missouri with Houck spending time with Tom and his band of robbers, and finally with his dad which he describes to be as â€Å"greasy and dirty†. He ends up escaping Missouri to run away from his dad and ends up meeting Jim who's also trying to escape. The rest of the story involves them going further south until they can reach a river passage that would guide them north, to the Free states.Going further south always symbolized trouble, since the Deep South was the heart of slavery, and Border States treated slaves more â€Å"kindly/' than southern states. That's why Jim always expresses his fear of being sold further south, and th at's why at the end when they hear Uncle Sills thinking about selling Jim down south if no one claims him causes them to panic. Examples like this makes this book an amazing tool to use to explain what slavery in the south meant to kids.Other than slavery the book effectively depicts southern culture throughout Husk's adventures. The scene where Houck gets on the gigantic raft, with the brawl in the middle, gives a realistic image Of what manhood and honor meant in the south, and how important they were. â€Å"They made fun of him till he got mad and jumped up and began to cuss the crowd, and said he could lam any thief in the lot. They was all about to make a break for him, but the biggest man there jumped up and says: ‘Set Wharton are, entitlement.Leave him to me; he's my meat. â€Å"‘ (98) It shows how physical fortitude was particularly more important than it was in the north; and physical aggression more acceptable. The passage where it went: â€Å"The preaching was going under the same kinds of sheds, only they was bigger and held crowds of peoples†¦ ] The first shed we come to, the preacher was lining out a hymn. He lined out two lines, everybody sung it, and it was kind of grand to hear it, there was so many of them and they done it in such a rousing way[†¦ † (146-147) Showed importance of religion In society and the pep respect and trust people showed towards priests. Other important and common social practices such as lynching were mentioned a lot too, during the 19th century lynching was a big problem, surmounting 300 a year in some cases, and this was the biggest threat for the King and the Duke. People took justice into their own hands and towards the end when the village tarred and feathered them, showing how they were not going to have a trial.The reality and harshness of society in the south was vividly portrayed in the book, and as a result this makes the book a valuable commodity to have in the class mom. The re ason why this book is so essential for the classroom, and for outside of the classroom, is because the ingenious diction and technique Mark Twain used to get the readers to think critically on issues that plague our society even today. Houck never really breaks free of the racism surrounding him, but he manages to see through the curtain it makes.Mark Twain actively gives the feeling of both racial prejudice and childish sympathy Houck feels towards Jim in passages where Houck talks about Jim. An example of this was when Houck talks about]IM feeling sad about his family: I went to sleep, and Jim didn't call me when it was my turn. He often done that. When I waked up, just at daybreak, he was setting there with his head down betwixt his knees, moaning and mourning to himself. I didn't take notice, nor let on. I endowed what it was about.He was thinking about his wife and his children, away up yonder, and he was low and homesick; because he hadn't ever been away from home before in hi s life; and I do believe he cared just as much for his people as white folks does for theirs. It don't seem natural, but I reckon it's so. He was often moaning and mourning that way, nights, when he judged I as asleep, and saying ‘Pop' little ‘Elizabeth! Pop' little Johnny! It mighty hard; I spec' I anti ever Gwynne to see you no MO'! ‘ He was a mighty good Niger, Jim was. (170) This part is not only emotional for Houck and the reader as an observer, but really sad for Jim as well. Bondage of a whole race wasn't only about economic necessities, social customs and politics but also about stories, experiences and incredible hardships. This book shows the human damage slavery had done upon African . Also an interesting thing to note is how Houck feels bad for him but still considers it abnormal for Jim to feel these linings, thus still giving the passage an underlying racist tone, to always remind us how much it was embedded in society all around the nation.The final passage involving a serious tone involving the dilemma of slavery and freedom was when Houck had to decide between ratting out Jim or not: [†¦ ]here was the plain hand of Providence slapping me in the face and letting me know my wickedness was being watched all the time from up there in heaven, whilst I was stealing a poor old woman's Niger that hadn't ever done me no harm So I got a piece of paper and a pencil, all glad and excited, ND set down and wrote and got to thinking over our trip down the river; and I see Jim before me we a floating along, talking and singing, and laughing.But somehow I couldn't seem to strike no places to harden me against him, but only the other kind. [l] see him how glad he was when I come back out of the fog and how good he always was; and at last struck the time saved him by telling the men we had small-pox aboard, and he was so grateful, and said was the best friend old Jim ever had in the world, and the only one he's got now; I'd got to decide, forever, betwixt two things, ND I endowed it. Tidied a minute, sort of holding my breath, and then says to myself; ‘All right, then, I'll go to hell'- and tore it up† (222-223) That celebrated crisis of conscience Houck experiences is a question. It makes the choices people back then made about the question Houck was pondering about clearer, and also shows the questions people are still trying to answer today. The immigration problem, Ferguson and Staten Island shows that we still struggle between doing the right and wrong thing.This elaborate language, and the continuous underlying tone of racism (Houck describing his hooch of freeing Jim as evil by concluding that he'll go to hell for this is an example of the racist undertone in this passage) really makes this book excellent for young students stepping out into a world where they will face many controversial choices, and this also makes the book an irreplaceable masterpiece in American literature.

Law 421 Case Scenario: Big Time Toymaker.

Case Scenario: Big Time Toymaker. The parties did have a contract for exclusive negotiation rights as stated in the case scenario. Big Time Toymaker (BTT) paid Chou $25,000 for a 90-day period of exclusivity, thus prohibiting Chou from soliciting or entertaining offers from other parties. The agreement stipulated that unless it was written no distribution contract existed. Prior to the 90-days elapsing, the parties reached an oral agreement and BTT sent Chou an e-mail titled â€Å"Strat Deal† covering the key terms of the distribution agreement reaffirming the oral agreement.This e-mail does not constitute a contract for several reasons. First, this was part of the negotiation process and Chou failed to draft the contract to â€Å"memorialize† the deal. Second, the requirement of a signature is in compliance with the statute of frauds. This is the one element uniformly required to compel a court to enforce. Factors that weigh in for Chou are first, the e-mail sent by BT T’s manager clearly shows delineates the terms of the distribution agreement. Second, BTT’s request for the draft contract even after a month had elapsed.These actions go to show that BTT intended to continue the deal even after a month. Factors that weigh against are first, Chou failed to send the draft contract as he stated. Second, Chou assumed the e-mail sent by BTT took the place of a written distribution agreement contract. Third, he failed to follow up and get an agreement in writing signed. BTT’s e-mail to Chou caused further investigation in the analysis of the first two questions. First, the case scenario states the e-mail was sent by â€Å"a BTT manager,† not the chief executive officer or the like.The e-mail on its own is not sufficient to constitute â€Å"signed writings† within the meaning of Statute of Frauds. Last, the e-mail lacked the typed name of the person at BTT authorized to make the deal. BTT could not back out of the contra ct under the doctrine of mistake. Under this doctrine there has to be a misunderstanding that any of the parties erroneously believe that certain facts is true, or a common mistake shared by both parties (â€Å"Different Types of Lawyer,†Ã‚  2011). In this case no key misunderstanding existed and common mistake made that was operative.According to Melvin (2011),  consideration is most often when the offeror holds an offer open for a period. For arguments sake, and this e-mail constituted an agreement, the consideration would be the one month from Chou received the e-mail and the fax request from BTT. There are four remedies for breach of contract under UCC Article 2. Categorized as remedies of law; the first is compensatory damages, which cover direct losses and costs. Compensatory damages are an attempt to put the non-breaching party in the same position it would have been had they not suffered the breach.Second are consequential damages, which are to cover indirect and fo reseeable losses not covered by compensatory damages. Third is restitution to prevent the unjust enrichment of one party in the agreement. Fourth, liquidated damages are provisions agreed to by the parties when drawing up the contract in the event of a default or breach of contract by either party (Melvin, 2011). Warranties come in two forms, either expressed or implied. The difference in the two is expressed warranties are stated and implied warranties are terms not discussed by the parties yet covered by the UCC.Examples of expressed warranties are often supplied with new automobiles or cell phones sold with lengthy, written, and specific warranties. An example of an implied warranty would be a mason who has become accustomed to the quality of brick his supplier has been providing. A violation of the implied warranty would be the consistency of the bricks changes, and the quality is not as good. Conclusion In conclusion, it is imperative that even if some company is willing to emb ark on an exclusive negotiation agreement does not signify 100% commitment.Both parties need to perform as agreed upon or an unpredictable outcome is possible, even litigation. The key to any relationship in business is communication throughout the process of a deal. Amicable negotiations are speedier and preferable to remedies at law. References Different Types of Lawyer. (2011). Retrieved from http://different-types-of-lawyers. blogspot. com/2011/12/contract-law-doctrine-of-mistake. html Melvin, S. P. (2011). The Legal Environment of Business. New York, New York: McGraw Hill/Irwin.

Compare the Use of Location and the Environment in the Great Gatsby

Compare the use of location and the environment in The Great Gatsby and The Go-Between F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby and L. P. Hartley’s The Go-Between are two novels set in very different places in the world, but both show how love between different classes is doomed to failure. The environment is used to depict the lives of the people around it, such as the opulence and decadence in East Egg, and a dull, lifeless place in the valley of ashes.Both Fitzgerald and Hartley use the environment and location to show how the class system and the American dream have failed. Despite, 1920’s America being seen as free, it is also seen as being morally corrupt, with parties celebrating sumptuousness. A key idea of The Great Gatsby is how despite the wonderful settings Gatsby and Myrtle (sometimes) live in; they are still no way near achieving the dream life the Buchanans have. Fitzgerald opens The Great Gatsby with his overriding point about the failure of the Ame rican dream.This is symbolized with the stark contrast between East and West Egg; East Egg represents aristocracy, and leisure with the old money, while West Egg represents ostentation, garishness, and the flashy manners of the new money. Although separated by a small expanse of water, East Egg is the glitzier one with â€Å"white palaces†, whilst Nick’s own house in West Egg is described as a â€Å"small eyesore†. The ironic description of â€Å"white palaces† is particularly important throughout the novel because the inhabitants of East Egg are anything but pure and innocent, highlighted by the Bucahnan’s and Jordan.The difference between the fictitious places in New York and real locations is also partly interesting as in the ordinary world the east end is usually the poorer side, which suggests that Fitzgerald believes that it makes no difference either way. The Maudsley residence â€Å"Brandham Hall† in The Go-Between is depicted as the upper-middle class â€Å"Georgian mansion†, however the architectural style is described as â€Å"over-plain†. This is a criticism, by Hartley of the Maudsley’s lifestyle having little substance, much like the Buchanan’s and the manner in which their life is conducted. Court Place†, the home of Leo’s is described as â€Å"ordinary†, with Marcus rather snobbishly presumes this to show grandeur, a further indication that the Maudsley’s are not a family to look up to. Leo’s home is much the same to him as Nick’s â€Å"small eyesore† is to him, loved by the inhabitant. The Valley of Ashes in The Great Gatsby is depicted as a soulless, â€Å"desolate† piece of land. Fitzgerald uses juxtaposition for irony, to depict the area as â€Å" a fantastic farm, where ashes grow like wheat. This emphasizes Fitzgerald’s point that the area is dead and will always be dead, as the crop that grows is already bu rnt out and worthless. The â€Å"ashes† are a metaphor for the people who live in the valley of ashes, as they have no hope of becoming anything, despite the hope of the American dream. †The eyes of Doctor T. J. Eckleburg† are the most haunting and resilient symbol in the novel, symbolizing the hopelessness in the novel for all the characters. Wilson’s perspective that the eyes are those of an omniscient God, could suggest that the billboard is a parody of God, as the people are still struggling to live.The colour of â€Å"Doctor T. J. Eckleburg’s† eyes are particularly poignant, with the combination of the â€Å"blue and gigantic† eyes with â€Å"enormous yellow spectacles†, with the blue highlighting the sadness of the residents and the yellow almost mocking them, showing the bright, vibrant life the upper classes have. The billboard symbolizes the fallible American dream, in that it is old and decaying and the Valley is almost forgotten by the entrepreneurs. The American dream is about discovery, individualism and the pursuit of happiness.The Great Gatsby shows that in the 1920’s the ‘old money’ and relaxed social values have corrupted the dream, especially on the east coast, making the pursuit of happiness impossible for the â€Å"gray men† of the Valley of Ashes. The Valley of Ashes is the only location in The Great Gatsby where hopelessness and decay is palpably obvious. The location of it is particularly poignant and important as it is situated between New York and both the Egg’s, which shows that the rich and the newly-rich have to pass through a place where the dream has failed and have to breath the â€Å"powdery air†.Furthermore, the metaphor evidently shows the ‘powdery’ lifestyle that the people live in, where the life is not perfect in any way, which is why the objects and people are described as â€Å"gray† a colour which is not dea d and black, but slightly lighter, suggesting that they only have a small amount of life in them. Wilson’s garage could be seen as a failure of the American dream; a location where there is nothing worth anything and the place lacks hope of any sort, with Fitzgerald describing Wilson as â€Å"spiritless†.The description of the â€Å"dust-covered wreck of a Ford† is a particularly sad one, because Ford was created to have a car for everyone in America, and despite Wilson owning a car, the derelict state give the impression that perhaps the poor never had the potential to have cars and almost act like the rich, which could mean that Fitzgerald is saying the American dream is a false and unrealistic prospect for the vast majority of people. Unlike Wilson, Ted’s farm in The Go-Between is full of life with â€Å"four horses†, and the countryside â€Å"smell of manure†.The farm represents the happiness that the lower classes have in the 1900â€⠄¢s, and reappears at the end of the cricket match. Unlike, Wilson there is still life and hope left in belongings; however Ted’s suicide shows how the path reaches the same conclusion and could represent the failure of the class system, because although there is hope in areas, no inter-class marriages would be accepted. New York is a juxtaposition of the Valley, with its loud, garish, and slightly frightening demeanour. The party at Myrtle’s apartment shows the failure of the American dream, with everyone getting drunk and having fights.Fitzgerald has made Myrtle’s apartment cramped and ugly with â€Å"tapestried furniture†, which makes it easy to â€Å"stumble†¦ over scenes of ladies swinging in the gardens of Versailles. † Fitzgerald has evidently shows that Myrtle wishes to live the life of a affluent French princess, but one that lives in a materialistic way. He wants to show how Myrtle has always longed to be rich. The picture of a †Å"hen sitting on a blurred rock† shows that the lifestyle that Myrtle has in the apartment is metaphorically close to her, yet she will never fully reach it.The city of New York in The Great Gatsby is visited on many occasions in the novel and is depicted as wealthy and garish with its â€Å"movie stars†, yet it comes across as being anything, but happy. Fitzgerald describes it as â€Å"the city rising up †¦ in white heaps and sugar lumps †¦ with a wish of non-olfactory (not smelling money)†. This metaphorical quote shows that New York is a place of short pleasure that dissolves too quickly. The â€Å"white† is again used for irony, suggesting the deceit and impurity of Myrtle, Gatsby and Wolfshiem in New York.The image of the â€Å"facade of†¦a block of delicate pale light, beamed down into the park,† shows that there is actually very little hope in the city. In contrast, the â€Å"atropa belladonna† plant the Leo discovers ap pears to be beautiful, as he admits that despite being poisonous he would â€Å"have to look at it again†, but he soon realises that it is dangerous and poisonous as he destroys it, shortly before Marian and Ted’s affair becomes public. The â€Å"belladonna† is a symbol of beauty, but with an underlying poison in the Maudsley family.Gatsby’s house is similar to Myrtle’s apartment, in that everything seems out of place, as he shows off to his true love Daisy. The â€Å"pile of shirts† that Gatsby owns in â€Å"stripes †¦ in coral and apple green and†¦Ã¢â‚¬  represent the hope that Gatsby has for a life with Daisy despite really knowing that â€Å"rich girls don’t marry poor boys†, because although he has a lot of wealth gathered rather suspiciously, he is no-way near the wealth of the ‘old money’. The colours of the shirts are of great magnitude as they symbolize the innocence of Gatsby’s pursuit, as they are very pure colours.However, the â€Å"Marie Antoinette music rooms† could resemble the fate that Gatsby’s meets as despite the fact that Marie Antoinette was rich she was guillotined in the French revolution, a fate not too dissimilar to that that Gatsby meets. Outside Gatsby’s house is the most important symbol in the novel. The â€Å"green light on the dock† sums up both Gatsby’s pursuit of Daisy and the American dream: doomed to failure. The American dream is shown failing right from the first second, when the Dutch settlers, saw the ‘green breast’ and attempted, but ultimately failed to possess it.From an early age Gatsby’s perseverance and hope in the face of adversity epitomises the American dream, but one that is still very much a dream. Overall, both The Go-Between and The Great Gatsby share similar themes and have almost identical conclusions, but the location in both symbolizes many different important them es such as possessions showing how important the person is, for example the â€Å"four candles† outside at the Buchanans house representing the pointless actions that the ‘old’ money have.In the epilogue of The Go-Between Leo sees â€Å"the south-west prospect of the Hall† that was hidden from Leo’s memory could represent new hope and optimism in the future, however the scene of the â€Å"drunken woman† and the image the of â€Å"the Dutch sailors† and Gatsby on his â€Å"blue lawn† are almost ironic claiming that the American dream will never happen, despite all the life put into it. 1650 words 1588 words which mena sthat there is no more than about 60 words avialable on: 1686 words.We have now gone over the word limit by about 100 or so words, so we need to cuct some parts down (get rid of waffle). Also we may need to add a sentence or so on GB and Marie A. Finally we will probably need to have a good think about the intro and conc. /More vale of ash. Unlikely to be pursued with word limit. /Gatsby’s house Chapter 5(need study q’s). In perhaps C4, although this may not be possible Definite Possible * Perhaps the outhouses in GB. More GB stuff is needed so at least 1/3 of the word limit is likely to be on this * Epilogue in GB. Gatsby’s party * The end: likely to be moved to the Conc. * Marie Antoinette Incorporated as background for on eof ghe already done paragraphs. This will leave about 200 words for the Intro. And Conc. We may have to incorporate the end as part of the conclusion, which q. frankly isn’t a bad idea. Use sparknotes for aide One point; the GB is likely to b e the worse of the two novels, and I would like slightly more information about some for the parts before I get the wrong impression (yeah I blame it on you Debbie Houghton).AND we no longer have the GB for reference, but hopefully I will manage to cope (somehow, someway). We have about 1+1 weekends to fin ish it, therefore I hope to finish ASAP and checked as this will give me time to think over changes, but the quicker the better (and seeing as we’re only likely to add a max of 4 paragraphs, I wouldn’t panic too much. On the social class sheet the following things were put down (that I haven’t of yet done): * Buchanan’s house * Ted’s farm (will do) Gatsby’s parties (not sure if I will be able to get this in, but I will try) * Gatsby’s mansion (to some extent) Therefore I need to think about these ideas. We have approx. 13 days left, so only 2 weekends, BUT 1 Saturday we have Ding Dong and the other Orchestra Yet to complete * Getting the word limit down * Improving various phrasing (last weekend) * Perhaps improving the intro * We also have to do the summary grid for Dave for this Tuesday * Impressive vocabularyThe word count now is at 1670, which I’m reasonably pleased with 4 a 1st draft as it is (only) 20 words or so over the upper limit which is OK. Good Luck in finishing it over the next 2 weeks Yours truly, Chris J Hosking xx 2nd draft: 1711 words, I will needd to get rid of 50 at least. All the changes have now pretty much been implemented, so its up to you (me) to get the word limit down. Good Luck Aim to prnit next Tuesday after we have a FINAL check.

Supply chain information management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Supply chain information management - Essay Example In the initial stage, distinctive procurement strategy of the company relied on three principles such as, maintain optimal amount of inventories such as books, rely on local wholesalers such as Ingram Book Company and also take help of the selected wholesalers to design and source the electronic catalogue of the book. For example, during late 1990s, Amazon maintained only 5% inventory level of its total order in its relatively small warehouses. Rest of the 95% of orders were sourced after receiving orders from customers. In such situations, Amazon quickly submits the purchase order to wholesaler for the book title which was not included in its own inventory. After receiving the purchase order from Amazon, wholesaler quickly sent the shipments and the shipment had arrived within 2-3days (Hammond 2005). In later years, when the volume of order had increased, Amazon established tie ups with book publisher to get better discount on shipment (48% on selling price) in contrast to discount rate (41% on selling price) by wholesaler (Hammond 2005). ... ater to the growing demand for books, e-books in cost and time efficient manner and another important thing was that, Amazon had realized the potential of online selling after witnessing the success of competitor eBay. After realizing the potential of selling in white space, Amazon transformed its business model in order to change the service-profit equation and offer superior value proposition to customers. The company included all sorts of easily shippable consumer goods along with books in its service portfolio in order to increase choice for customers and revenue margin by selling these items. Then Amazon started offering commission-based brokerage service to participants in online auction and also included third-party sellers in their value proposition list (Johnson 2010). Amazon has created a virtual market place in its website, where buyers and sellers can meet and bid for a particular while Amazon earns the brokerage from the participants in the online bidding process. Hence it can be said that, Amazon has transformed itself from direct sales company to a company which is able to provide sales and service in simultaneous manner. During late 2007, Amazon has enhanced the potentiality of its web service platform and offered Lab126 which was basically Kindle e-book reader. At that time, the concept of e-book was relatively new among customers and players in publishing industry but such obstacles never haltered the growth Lab126 platform. Amazon had created a seamlessly integrated iTunes like online platform for readers to subscribe, read and transact e-books which was widely successful. It is evident from the business model transformation of Amazon that the company never hesitated to take risk to launch innovative and high-margin offerings and created market for

Adult Education Theory and Practice at the College Level Assignment

Adult Education Theory and Practice at the College Level - Assignment Example The rationale for these stereotypes is fully embedded. Nevertheless, to the extent that they have a major justification, it appears to fall roughly along the subsequent assumptions: adult learners do not have up to date formal education; as a result, they may lack the necessary study or learning skills. Consequently, they will have a tendency to use less useful techniques of learning in college. In addition, they may show heightened learning difficulties and deficits as an outcome of age-specific weaknesses in intellectual capacities. This paper aims to challenge all of these stereotypes about adult learners and come up with an appropriate approach to adult education at the college level. Adult Development: Cognitive and Intellectual Factors It is possible to develop a unifying model of intelligence that takes into consideration the factors of traditional process, but a broader range of cognitive factors, alongside areas of interest and personality. The below diagram illustrates one paradigm, referred to as PPIK- for ‘intelligence-as-process, personality, interest, and intelligence-as-knowledge’ (Smith & Pourchot, 1998, 151). According to Ackerman (1996), this paradigm merges these four roots of individual-differences variation to produce individual differences in stages of work-related and academic knowledge. This paradigm not merely describes a transition from process to knowledge, but describes as well the possible interconnection between knowledge acquisition and interests and personality. Figure 1. Ackerman’s PPIK diagram (Smith & Pourchot, 1998, 152) For adults, however, this paradigm presents a way for connecting traditional intelligence measures with correct intellectual skills and knowledge measures. Specifically, even though measures of traditional intelligence may somewhat explain adult learning, an appropriate evaluation of adult knowledge necessitates evaluation of adult intellect (Rubenson, 2011). Several knowledge components c an be sufficiently assessed using current rankings of occupational competence and college-level proficiency, yet these rankings only start to recognize adult intelligence (Ackerman, 1996). Nevertheless, by employing an integrated assessment method that allows for traditionally evaluated interests, personality, and intellect, a more inclusive assessment of adult intelligence could be achievable. Furthermore, one can also integrate features of motivational abilities into the developmental paradigm (Merriam, Caffarella, & Baumgartner, 2007) since they affect the relationship between knowledge acquisition and interest. There are three particular uses of intellectual evaluation for the purposes of adult education, that is, selection, categorization, and teaching. The PPIK model proposes a number of capable uses all over these three application domains. Selection. The PPIK model of adult intelligence, to begin with, indicates that assessment of adult academic achievement will be enhanced when evaluations are performed on individual differences in important knowledge components, instead of the conventional college admission tests. Because of knowledge acquisition’s developmental evolution, according to Smith and Pourchot (1998), older adults may be predicted to score higher than younger adults on intelligence exams, an outcome that is in agreement with the findings that older adults are predisposed to achieve higher in postsecondary classes than younger adults with the same scores on usual college admission exams, like the American College Testing (ACT). Categorization. The mission of locating the most favorable area of interest for adults going back to school

Corporate Accountability Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Corporate Accountability - Essay Example This is because a well governed organisation is visualised to be effective by stakeholders and thus initiates greater investment from them in the business. Often a management structure is used by organisations for conducting their operations. The concept is used as a framework of policies with the objective of protecting outside stakeholders’ investment in the organisation. Corporate governance is used by large organisations for generating a system of balances and checks. It provides the assurance that overextending of company’s resources is not generated by any individuals or departments. In other words, corporate governance helps in preventing both frauds and abuse from employees (Vitez, 2010). In this research paper, the various dimensions of corporate governance policy frameworks will be discussed with reference to followed principles in the UK and the US. ... ollow a market-based approach that provides flexibility to the companies in organising and exercising their responsibilities, while simultaneously ensuring their shareholders proper accountability. The accountability is maintained in the UK through â€Å"Combined Code on Corporate Governance† that works on the basis of ‘comply or explain’. This approach makes the judgments easy that is to be presented case after case. This form is supported by investors, companies and regulators in the UK and has been adopted in other financial markets as a model. The approaches in the UK towards corporate governance provide high standards combined with relatively lower costs of association. The board of the UK corporate governance presents assessment of position of the company and provides accountability for maintaining sound internal control system. The board is responsible for maintaining shareholders’ contact for understanding their concerns and opinions (Financial Repo rting Council, 2006). The code of the UK corporate governance consists of five main sections, namely, leadership, effectiveness, accountability, remuneration and relations with shareholders. With respect to leadership, companies are initiated to be lead by an effective board consisting of both executive as well as non-executive directors. In complying with the code ‘effectiveness’, companies should have an exact balance of experience, knowledge and skills. For pertaining to accountability, there should be proper assessment of the prospects and position of the companies. In case of remuneration, the payments of directors should be sufficient enough for attracting qualified candidates and lastly, the companies should bear a dialogue with shareholders on the basis of mutual understanding about its objectives

Godfather Death and Rappaccini's Daughter Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Godfather Death and Rappaccini's Daughter - Essay Example According to him, Death was the best choice because it did not discriminate on any person. Similarly, in ‘Rappaccini's Daughter’, there Giovanni is fascinated about nature’s flowers and them that he gets wing of Beatrice â€Å"Rappaccini's Daughter†. Therefore, the two works above shows or portrays the elements that are found within nature and how they would be handled. â€Å"Godfather Death" makes death as its evidence while whereas â€Å"Rappaccini's Daughter† makes use of the beautiful flowers. The two evidences used are a representative of nature (Smith). This article gives an account of two men who are determined to change the wrong things that are within their society. They feel that some people are being mistreated and that this needs change. This is shown by their actions that serve to facilitate administration of fairness and elimination of mistreatments. Part two The selected works look at a natural aspect that is found within the two sett ings. In finding a godfather for his son, the father has three choices form which he must come up with one. This is in relation to the knowledge of father on the three aspects that are found within nature. Similarly, in â€Å"Rappaccini's Daughter† the flowers and the garden represent nature and the flowers that are found with it. Therefore, this is a reflection of nature and the views of two men about nature aspects. Giovanni marvels at the garden and all its vegetation and as he goes on further into the garden, he notices that doctor Rappaccini is focusing on some flowers. He finds out that Beatrice is watching over the flowers, and he decides to change this aspect. According to him, Beatrice had been blessed with beauty and needed to be treated with care (Smith). Giovanni compared Beatrice with a flower that needed care in regard to treatment. For instance, she needed glove and a mask when being handled. Contrary, to this, her father made her watch over the flowers that he adored so much within the garden. He goes to her and leads her to the house. On the other hand, the father of the son had three aspects that qualified to be candidates for the position of a godfather for the son. The father goes on to look at all the three aspects in details by looking at their negative sides. On the aspect of God, the father says that God cannot be chosen as a Godfather because he brought poverty to the world. God created poverty for the world, and as a result, many people are suffering. The other aspect that was looked at was the acts of the devil on earth. Likewise, the devil did not qualify because of the evil things and actions that were associated with him. Finally, the father settles for death because it did not discriminate people in its actions. Death would befall the poor and even the rich without considering their status in the society. The son follows all that death required him to do until when he felt that something was not going right, and because of that, he decided to go against those requirements of Godfather Death. This is in relation to the sickness that he saw within people. According to him, this was unacceptable, and that is the reason that made him disobey orders given out by death. The paragraphs above gives an account of two men who go against forces of nature because they feel that their actions are unfair to people. In the case of Beatrice, Rappaccini's Daughter, it was not right to keep her outside to watch over flowers as her father made h

Art of Modern China Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Art of Modern China - Article Example t in china is a reflection of the western cultural tendencies that depict the political and social developments in a post-industrial revolution world (Andrews & Shen 30). Contemporary Chinese art reflect a westernized artistic style that has Chinese roots. Xu Beihong falls among the first Chinese artist who articulated on the need for Chinese artistic expressions to reflect modern china. Biehong believed in the connection of art and life and the need for artist to focus on the truth through realism than just focusing on the aesthetic value of a painting. From his realistic perspective, Biehong believed that painters could engage further with their environment surrounding and the viewer get to understand better bout life’s true meaning. An analysis of Beihong’s painting ‘Tian Heng and his 500 retainers’ can provide a deeper understanding of modern art in China. Xu Beihong gets regarded as the pioneer of modern art in China. His artistic works bear a significant western influence. He was born in Yixing, Jiangsu in 1895. He was primarily revered for his art paintings of horses and birds. Xu’s career began at a young age under the tutorship of his father who was an artist. He studied oil painting and drawing in Paris under a scholarship from the Chinese government. His travel to Western Europe enabled him to understand and incorporate western art techniques (Ward). His artistic style encompasses both of the east and west. His exposure to western painting traditions provided background for his advocacy for a realist approach in Chinese art and thus his vital role in the transformation of modern Chinese art. He came up with the notion of applying western scientific methods and integrating a western approach such as shading and perspective in his works (Biehong & Xu 109). His realistic approach to art enabled his paintings to evoke human feelings and universal themes. He believed that his artistic expressions of birds and horses symbolized the will of the

Strategic Manement - Budget Airline Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Strategic Manement - Budget Airline - Assignment Example stomers than other competing airlines as it has effectively blended the low fares combination with an extremely friendly customer service, no exasperating fees, excellent working culture and highly efficient operational system. The key facts of Southwest Airlines are represented in the following table: Southwest Airlines has ensured that it develops a highly effective and well-integrated business model that will allow it to provide superior quality services to the customers at low fares. The crucial elements of the business model related to the excellence in customer service are providing safe journey, offering reliable services, shorter travelling period, excellent service quality, short haul point to point travel and lowest fare. The company is enhancing the customer’s travelling experience by providing them online booking services so that they can make their travel packages quickly and effectively. It has been clearly mentioned in the mission statement of Southwest Airlines that it wants to provide the customers with superb travelling experience at low fare prices. In order to support this mission of the company, the positioning statement of Southwest Airlines can be stated as â€Å"To be the number one service provider for aviation needs by offering the customers a unique and sensational solution with superior quality and low cost.† The company acquired AirTran in 2011 with the aim of extending its fleet base so that it can widen its range of destinations (Morre, 2011). The existing business model of the company is well-integrated and properly developed that permits it to gain a competitive edge in the airline industry. The crucial element for the airline companies is the operational mechanics that range from the booking of air tickets to the maintenance of aircrafts. As one of the Key Success Factors of Southwest Airlines is the low-cost operational efficiency, it has ensured that it upgrades the operations by implementing a well-designed value chain

How Luxury Brands Were Affected by Recession Essay Example for Free

How Luxury Brands Were Affected by Recession Essay Bovis homes group PLC, a leading UK house builder, had to review its corporate plans as a result of the recession and major cuts in government spending on building projects. Gives the high level of change in economic and political environments, is there any point in corporate planning? Justify your answer with reference to the house building industry and/or other organisations or industries you know that have been affected by such changes. (40 marks) Post 2007, global economy has been reeling under recession. Recessionary pressure began with United States economy slowing down; however it has spread globally affecting all countries in some way or the other. Income level, employment have been affected badly. Consumption levels have gone down drastically, which affected consumer dependant countries, such as the UK. Traditionally, luxury brands have not been affected by recession so much, since they have been catering to the higher end class, which is not so affected by the economic downturn. However, in recent past, the luxury has been catering to the inspirational customers, whose consumption patterns are affected due to economic recession. During times like these, companies usually dependant on corporate planning. Some of them in order to grow, others – to survive. Corporate planning is the process of drawing up detailed action plans to achieve an organizations goals and objectives, taking into account the resources of the organization and the environment within which it operates. Music and books retailer HMV Group became a company that was heavily affected by recession in 2008, as it had to close 60 UK stores in the next 12 months in response to declining sales. The 60 stores set to close represent roughly 10% of the groups UK High Street presence, which comprises 285 HMV shops and 312 Waterstones outlets. The massive store closure of outlets was an attempt to survive, as they has been hammered by competition from digital downloads as well as supermarkets and online retailers undercutting it on price. As well as the store closures, HMV said it would implement other cost-cutting measures that would save it a further ? 10m per year. However HMV’s corporate planning hasn’t proved to be successful, as it turns out HMVs share price has declined steadily throughout 2010, and the latest drop brings its cumulative fall to more than 75% over the last 13 months. Also the firms shares dropped 20% even further after it revealed the sales data, and admitted it was having trouble meeting the terms of a bank loan. As it turns out, HMV’s retail analyst didn’t expected music and DVD market falling that fast, despite their attempts to change their sales mix, offering iPods and live music in order to stay in the market. HMV is repeating Woolworths and Zavvi collapse during the recession. Fox described extremely difficult trading conditions with total sales of physical CDs and DVDs down 10% and 8% respectively against the same six-month period last year. Without a new console to fire the imagination the picture was even worse in video games where sales plunged 12%, a fall that was on top of the 30% slump seen in 2009. It is not that value is moving from physical to the digital sales – it is just that value is being lost, said Fox. Therefore the HMV is facing severe competition and tough times due to recession. Their corporate planning proved to be unsuccessful, they are trying to deal with already dead market, which don’t have any prerequisites to grow in the future. Poundland is complitely different business, with different approach and corporate plan, as they grow during the recession periods. They are aimed at consumer who requires value. Some of that is driven by the economy or the economic conditions, some of that is because the people have low disposable incomes and traditionally that’s been the case, and they have needed to seek value. During tough economic conditions, that was always the case. When US recession just took place, in 2008, poundland started to grow using external growth. At christmas 2008, when Woolworth post-administration 600 stores became available, poundland took 70 of those over three years. Big success from the very beginning was due to , very talented property team, who use a network of agents so they are are constantly searching for new opportunities of expansion. A number of other opportunities have arisen over the years as well and they have been able to convert those quite quickly because they had a new store opening team and a refurbishment programme, which really is about pie-cutting. So there’s a process. The average around 60 stores a year now, so over one a week, which I think is testament to the quality of the team, the sourcing of the stores and the continual improvement in the performance of the business, which of course helps finance those opportunities. In the recession – or difficult economic periods, all decisions needs to be discussed and implemented using professional team, which will make your business distinguish from arising competition. In the conclusion I would like to say that recession is not true for every business. As we have seen above, poundland did well during the recession period, as they targeting those on low-incomes and those, who willing to save, however a situation in a luxury industry differs: The wealthy are not much affected by economic downturn and to use luxury goods is a kind of addiction; it isnt easy to change the lifestyle even if personal income dropped. The Geneva motor show 2013 is happening right now. Rolls Royce is selling better than they did last year, as is Lamborghini. The Middle East, Russia do not seem to be feeling the crunch for the time being. The general feeling is that desire for the super luxury brands remains high but purchases are being delayed. Lamborghini always under produce and have enough orders to remain keep production going for a long time whilst mass to mid luxury car factories are laying off workers, that is the trend that works in the luxury sector. However, the middle-class luxury brands will be heavily affected due to concept that was stated above with an example of poundland. Surely some of them could be richer during the trouble times, but most are struggling and havent the mind to spend freely money for luxury items as before. The wealthy never stop spending, they just change what they spend their money on. For example companies like Hermes, Alfred Dunhill, Vacheron Constatine, and Botega Veneta are designed to be recession proof. Marc Jacobs and Chanel on the other hand will feel the pain. As stated above its all about client base and how corporate plan was developed and implemented.

Effectiveness Of The E Recruitment Process Commerce Essay

Effectiveness Of The E Recruitment Process Commerce Essay The rapid advances in technology have dramatically changed the way business is conducted and this increasing use of and reliance on technology is clearly demonstrated by the number of organisations and individuals who utilise the Internet and electronic mail (e-mail). The impact of technology on business is further reflected by the continuous rise in amount of literature exploring the effects of new technology development and implementation on the efficiency of business, including the impacts on human resource practices (Cullen, 2001; Dessler, 2002; Dineen, Noe, Wang, 2004; Smith et al., 2004). In particular, the adoption of the Web as a medium by organisations has been faster than any other medium in history (Bush et al., 2002). This is demonstrated by the fact that while it took more than 30 years for radio as a medium to reach 50 million listeners, the Internet reached 50 million users within five years (Kerschbaumer, 2000). The importance of effective human resource management practices for organisations has been highlighted by the increasing amount of research published within the media. Recruitment is a key element of human resource management; this function generates the human capital that forms the foundation of companies. The success of the company is based on the success of human resource efforts, which evolves through identification and attraction of quality new employees generated from the recruitment process (Barber, 1998). 1.1 Statement of the Problem The scope of study is in private sector which is Petroliam Nasional Berhad (Petronas). Private sector such as Petronas is welcoming people around the world to join them. E-recruitment system is a need for them to adopt and implement. Majority of organization have some degree of online recruitment process. Thus, it certainly creates competition within the industry. E-recruitment is affected by a lot of internal and external factors. Organizations have to constantly aware of the changes and develop appropriates strategies in order to truly gain effectiveness of the e-Recruitment process. Petronas will benefit from the study. 1.2 Research Objectives The objectives of the study are to: To identify the reasons why e-recruitment attract employees more effectively. To identify the reasons recruiter in large organization uses e-recruitment. To identify the effectiveness of using e-recruitment to recruit. 1.3 Research Question The research questions used in this study are: What are the reasons that e-recruitment attracts employees more effectively? What are the reasons recruiters in large organization uses e-recruitment? How effective is e-recruitment to recruit employees in large organization? 1.4 Significance of the Study This research is very important, because the finding of the study will enhance the body of knowledge. This research looks at the relationship of implemented e-recruitment and the effectiveness of the result in attracting employees. The research will benefit Petronas. E-Recruitment system is a necessity for organization to adopt and implement. Majority of organization have some degree of online recruitment process. This study will provide statistical analysis collected from the survey. 1.5 Limitation of the Study The sample of this research is 100 staff in the Administration Department who is working at the private sector at Petronas in order to examine the factors and effectiveness of e-recruitment in a large organization. 1.6 Definitions of Terms TERMS DEFINITIONS Blue-Collar Refer to people who work in office business environment E-recruitment The utilisation of the internet for candidate sourcing, selection, communication, and management throughout the recruitment process High Context Communication Most of the information is either in the physical context or initialized in the person HR professional person who practice or do human resources related job in the company Hypothesis It is an idea, an assumption, or a theory about the behaviour of one or more variables in one or more population Low Context Communication The mass of information is vested in the explicit code message Qualified Candidate person who applied to jobs and has met the qualification of the job Recruitment Recruitment is the process of searching the candidates for employment and stimulating them to apply for jobs in the organisation Recruitment Cycle is the time period of companys recruitment process Social Networking Sites websites that provide common cyber space for the registered users to meet or comment on others CHAPTER 2 LITERATURE REVIEW As the technology and internet advanced, organizations adopt to use web-based tools as a daily management function. For example, recruitment has no longer constrained by distance and time. The raise of e-Recruitment has bought attention to majority of organization. More and more employers adopted the trend of using e-Recruitment process to seek the best qualified candidates. The trend of employer using e-recruitment process has result a decrease using traditional paper based recruitment process. The trend of recruitment process has tendency of use web-based methods, such as job boards, employer web sites, and professional web sites (Ghosh n. pag.). E-Recruitment strategies gradually occur global-wide. More and more countries are adopting the trend. For example, Irelands recent practice of online recruitment has significant influence to organizations. The Irish employer specifically implemented online recruiting for 4 factors: Cost reduction, increase the efficiency of the process, time efficient, and accessibility to broader pool (Reilly and Barber n. pag.). In order to effectively deliver the precise information to the target market, the communication and information flow play a critical part in online recruitment process. According to research, the since the evolution of internet, there is an overflow of information (Savoy and Salvendy13). The overflow of information lead to 60% of people could not find relevant information (qtd. in Montero et al. 2003). The researchers suggested that the information needs of the consumers should be centred and beneficial to the consumers (Savoy and Salvendy14). In e-Recruiting, both employers and employees expect to find valuable information of each other on the web, so a result, the information that either the employers or the employees upload to the web should be carefully reviewed. Both employer and employee expect to learn from each other. Another study done in UK shows that the regular e-Recruiting tools that employer uses are Websites, Receiving e-mail contains resume and cover letter, and check ing personal sites (Williams and Verhoeven 7). The other factors can also significantly influence the effectiveness of communication. One of them is the website design and its contents (Usunier and Roulin 3). The authors studied the high and low context communication on websites. The different cultures have different preferences to the content. In High Context communication, the information is more sophisticated and complex, while in Low Context communication is simpler and clarify (4). Despite the communication preferences, more and more employers use company website, job boards, and social networking sites to recruit talents. All these tools can reach large candidate pools. Especially social networking sites have bought attention to both employers and jobseekers. A fast growing number of people use social sites to look for jobs such as MySpace or Facebook (Roberts and Clark 35). In the jobseekers view, it is easier to connect people with less pressure since its not face to face. It is great for passive jobseekers. In the employ ers view, it is low cost, shorter recruitment cycle, and it can get well-rounded information of the candidates (Sah n. pag.). Certain social sites such as LinkedIn, have noticed the popularity of e-Recruit. It offers employers to purchase business accounts with add-on features such as job posting section or private messaging tools (Gunderson 3). Some employers, not only use social networking sites as recruitment tool, but also background check the candidates and references. However, because the content in the social sites have less formal authorized sources, the employers have little ability to ensure the information posted on the sites is factual (Roberts and Clark 36). Instead, many employers use outsourced background check function to verify the candidates (36). On the other hand, organizations may use their own website for recruitment. Typically the organizational websites are more formal formatted. The contents of the organizational website are well-written delivering companys information and job information along with tools necessary for applicants such as application process. A well-developed online application process can speed up the hiring process and more responsive to the applicants (Kim and OConnor 2). The effectiveness of e-Recruitment can be varied depends on the size of the organization. A study shown that online recruitment was not as appropriate for small organizations, for blue-collar, lower-level position and very senior positions, online recruitment remain more effective in larger organizations and service sectors because larger organizations potentially have larger vacancies to cope with larger group of candidates (Parry and Tyson 15). The limitation of this study result only valid to corporate web sites, because commercial job boards was not related to industry, sector, or organization size. The effectiveness of online recruitment may also affect by the strategies implemented (15). For organizations, there are some opportunities to increase the effectiveness of online recruiting by adding values to the process; For instance, developing a candidate-attraction process, providing screening and response management for the online recruiting process (Wolfe and Hartle n. pag.). Implementing the appropriate strategies can significantly increase the effectiveness of the e-Recruitment. The advantages and disadvantages of implementing online recruitment can be reflected by the statistical figures. A survey done by iLogos.com reveals that 92% of Fortune 500 companies have a website solely for careers and 96% of recruiters reported job posting on their websites (Borstorff, Marker, and Bennett 13). Majority of organizations use some form of online recruitment simply because the advantages overwhelm the disadvantages. The common findings of advantages among studies are: reduced costs, faster processes, wider accessibility, improve reputation and brand (Barber 9), higher quality of applicants, better match of the position, 24/7 running ability, and reduction of unqualified applicants (Verhoeven and Williams 2). On the other hand, the disadvantages are privacy issues, lack of personal touch, user-unfriendly tools, and discrimination issues (2). To conclude, the literature review fitted in the researchers study because E-recruitment system is a necessity for organization to adopt and implement. Majority of organization have some degree of online recruitment process. It certainly creates competition within the industry. E-recruitment is affected by many internal and external factors, and it certainly changes fast. Organizations have to constantly aware of the changes and develop appropriate strategies in order to truly gain effectiveness of the e-Recruitment process. THEORITICAL FRAMEWORK CHAPTER 3 METHODOLOGY 3.0 Introduction This chapter has given the detail methods of obtaining the data and how researchers intend to do it. It hasspecified in detail the research operations and instruments researchers intend to use to address researchers research questions. 3.1 Research Design This section explains the research design chosen for the research. This research is using descriptive research design which describes the characteristics of an existing phenomenon. 3.2 Sampling Frame The sampling frame is the source from which a sample is drawn. It is a list of all those within a population who can be sampled, and may include individuals, households or institutions. So, for this study the sampling frames used by the researchers are among staff in the Administration Department, Petronas. 3.3 Population The population is the set of people or entities to which findings are to be organized. 3.4 Sampling Technique This section describes the kind of sampling procedures used to select the subject from the population. For this tudy the researchers used the simple random sampling as the method. The researchers use sampling method becaisu it givesthe member of the population an equal and independent chance of being selected to be part of the sample. 3.5 Sample Size The size of the group to be surveyed generally determines the size of the sample. For this research the sample size is 100 staff. 3.6 Unit of Analysis A unit of analysis is the subject to be included in the study. The researchers have chosen randomly 100 staff of Administration Department who is working at the Petronas. 3.7 Data Collection Procedures The researchers have collected the data through primary and secondary data such as journals, textbooks and other references. The questionnaires have been created as a method to collect the data. Most of the questions are close ended and it will make easy to respondents to answer the question. 3.8 Instrument The type of questionnaire that is used in this research is structured questionnaire. The researchers have prepared the questions in several sections which are about the respondents demographic factors such as gender and position, the employment, factors and barriers that lead to the effectiveness of e-recruitment, and the importance of the effectiveness of e-recruitment in the organization. 3.9 Validity of Instrument The instrument used in this research is content validity. The researchers have sought two supervisors or lecturers who are experts in this area of this research to determine that the measurement measurers; that are the questionnaires, are extended to be measured. 3.10 Plans for Data Analysis The researchers have chosen the SPSS technique to analyze the data that were obtained from the questionnaires which have been coded in several categories.