The Subjectivity of Ethics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

The Subjectivity of Ethics - Essay Example How I view the world depends on my perspective, and there are as many perspectives as there are people. My perspective is a unique creature born of a combination of factors like where I was born (my cultural background), my personal experiences, my gender, my mental make-up and even my physical make-up. My perspective could definitely alter from time to time, and with it so could my ideas of what is right and what is wrong. However, since personal values do not change so fast, or are subject to change only if I experience a major transformation in my own life, we may say that personal ethics do not change - they evolve - over a period of time, in response to my maturing outlook on life. Since each person views the world differently, it is virtually impossible to have a uniform code of conduct for people. Since morality depends on beliefs, we would have to conclude that there are as many systems of morality as there are people upon this earth, as each person comes ensconced in his own cocoon of beliefs. However, even if ethicality and morality are subjective, there still are certain universal human values. There are some basic rules of conduct that are binding on all persons at all times. Let us try and identify some of these basic values, which are accepted across cultures, and over the centuries as necessary for the continuation of human life. They are respect for human life, respect for the person and basic dignity of a human being, and respecting certain mores of sexual conduct and behavior, to mention a few. There are circumstances where transgressing universal human values would not be wrong, and may even become necessary. Let us examine the afore-mentioned permanent human values. Respect for human life. In all cultures, in all ages, it has been agreed that human life should be treated with the utmost respect. Are there any circumstances where the taking of a human life is morally defensible Definitely, there are. If I am attacked, and the only way to protect myself is by counter attack, would not this counter attack be morally defensible Those who advocate pacifism of a Gandhian variety may not agree. But most others would. How about euthanasia - aiding someone to die Aiding someone who is terminally ill, suffering a lot, and is even perhaps old and has already lived a long and fulfilling life. I may speed that person on her way, out of love and compassion for her. Coming to another example - respect for human life is enshrined in the taboo against eating human flesh. Now suppose, jus t suppose someone is drifting on the ocean, or trapped somewhere with nothing to eat. Suppose he has a companion who dies, and he is left to battle for life against hunger and cold and the wilderness. Suppose that this person transgresses a fundamental human value, and actually eats the flesh of a dead companion to keep alive, would he be doing a wrong It is easy to discuss the rightness or the wrong of such actions, theoretically, and even denounce them. But going even for a day without food or drink is so difficult for most people, how can we judge what happens to a person when he is tested in extreme situations of hunger and deprivation, and pass judgment

Elphaba from Wicked by Gregory Maguire Essay Example for Free

Elphaba from Wicked by Gregory Maguire Essay Analyze the Main CharacterThe main character named Elphaba, in the novel Wicked, raises the debate to whether evil is inherited genetically or developed by social injustice. Elphaba, having been born with a pale green skin tone and razor sharp teeth was automatically rejected by society at birth. As she grew older she developed a vast knowledge of the world around her which led her desire to be influential towards the greater good. Even though her intentions were genuinely efficacious she was labeled wicked due to the narrow views on eccentricity throughout society. This is the conflict in which Elphaba was to succumb in order to fulfill her desire to better the world. Elphaba was born a munchkinlander to the reverend of a unionist church and the daughter of a wealthy family. Even though she was born to a promising background she was destined for failure due to birth defects. Elphaba was born with green skin and razor sharp teeth because of a green elixir in which her mother ingested in large quantities during the pregnancy. These abnormal traits caused even the narrow minds of her parents to have distaste for her; her parents were afraid of her at first but later learned to love her for she had become an extremely kind and loving person. She was born with a negative connotation to her name which could possibly dampen her future. Despite the constant badgering and scrutinizing due to her irregularities Elphaba developed a mind of phenomenal capacity. Her father spent much time tutoring her in her younger years and teaching her to love knowledge. With this love for knowledge she excelled in public schooling and was accepted with full decoration to attend Shiz University. Wishing to attend Shiz to develop her brain she was soon discovered to be that of a witch with potential to develop amazing powers. She was then lead on by the head mistress madam Morrible to pursue her powers and then later to engage in a meeting with the wizard of Oz. Now, having developed a great magical ability, Elphaba was to meet the wizard who she thought could be able to help her fulfill her desire to better the world. To her surprise, it was revealed that the wizard had no power at all  and with the help of madam Morrible planned to use Elphaba as the power in order to fuel his own dictatorship. Elphaba quickly rejected the wizards proposal and went into hiding promptly. In doing so the wizard persuaded society that she was wicked because of her abnormal looks and that she was capable of destroying their Land of Oz. Society surged against Elphaba killing everyone and everything she ever loved. This drove Elphaba to lose all control and use her divine magical powers to harm the society that rejected her. This could be considered the point in which Elphaba fulfilled her title as wicked.Elphaba was born to abnormal looks with a kind heart but later became wicked because of the cruel behavior of society. If she were only given the chance to prove her intentions she may have succeeded in improving the status of the world. But due to the evil intentions of the wizard her life was thus written as the wickedest of them all.

Personal Constructs Theory (PCT) Analysis

Personal Constructs Theory (PCT) Analysis Personal Constructs Theory – A Systematic Study Title/Abstract In this study we aim to provide an analysis of a subject’s problems using the Personal Constructs Theory (PCT) suggested by Kelly. The subject is a 35 year old female full time employee working in the same company as the researcher and has shown no barriers to construing. The subject’s problems with her relationships have been determined using the Repertory grid interview and we discuss results and provide an analysis of the findings following the interview and data collection. The interview was done to identify elements within the client’s relationships and all interview limitations have been considered for the study. We provide an analysis of Personal Constructs Theory in general giving a brief overview of its main premises and principles and then move on to its applications including the Grid interview technique on our client. We discuss the results and analyse the findings accordingly. Introduction George Kelly’s Personal Construct Theory (PCT) emphasises that the world is ‘perceived’ by a person according to the meaning the person applies to it and the person has the freedom to choose a meaning according to what he or she wants (Kelly, 1955). Thus a person has the freedom to choose a meaning in terms of which he perceives the world and can apply alternative constructions or meanings to his past, present and future events. Thus a person is not a victim of his events but can liberate himself from unpleasant events by reinterpreting and redefining them. According to Kelly (1955) PCT attempts to explain why a man does what he does and is a theory about ‘how the human process flows, how it strives in new directions as well as in old, and how it may dare for the first time to reach into the depths of newly perceived dimensions’ Kelly states that a ‘persons processes are psychologically channelized by the ways in which he anticipate the events’(1955). Here, the subject is the process and the individual is a behaving organism who may need an external force to initiate an event. The processes include those of self-definition and relationships with others, and how we interpret events around us as well as the events we perceive and tasks at hand (Kelly 1955). Kelly based his theory of PCT on ‘man as the scientist’ model and the basic points were as follows: the individual creates his or her own ways of seeing the world and interprets events according to how he perceive them the individual builds percepts and constructs; these constructs are organized into systems, or group of constructs which embody relationships; two or more systems may contain the same events, yet the events are separate from any of the systems; any individual’s systems have a definite foci The term construct is a concept that represents the view a person has constructed about the world as he experiences it. Constructs also represent the way a person is likely to construe the world and the construct system as a whole represents the history and predisposition to perceive the world in a particular way. Kelly also distinguished between social reality, individual reality and communality. Individuality denotes that every individual differ from each other in how they construct or perceive the world, communality refers to the underlying similarities or common elements in perception and how the construction of experience in one person is similar to that of another (Kelly, 1955). Social reality is perception of how one person construes the construction processes of another person and how they are involved in a social role. Personal construct theory has been used in several sociological and scientific disciplines and it has been emphasised that social reality and communality should be considered along with the individual or personal reality and both have to be considered together in developing an understanding of the psychological processes (Dalton, 1992). The theory of Personal Constructs, points out that it is our personal psychological constructs that make the world predictable. We use construct systems to help in perception of the world and respond to all situations according to these perceptions. Our construct systems help us to make sense of the world, to make it predictable, to draw conclusions about causes and effects and we learn from experiences and adjust our behaviour accordingly (Fransella, 1995). Kelly wrote that the construct systems influence our expectations and perceptions and reflect our past experiences according to which we shape our future expectations. For example since we known from our past experiences that winters are cold, we would take adequate measures of protection during winter because we expect winters to be cold. However according to Kelly, our construct systems grow and change and are not static and are either confirmed or challenged when we are conscious. We adapt and immunise our constructs according to the situation and alter our feelings according to our experiences. We also tend to think and react according to our construct systems and some constructs represent values and key relationships which are difficult to change and fixed whereas some other constructs are less complex and more flexible and adaptive. The truth about the world as understood and experienced determines the nature of the construct system. Construct systems are not generally judged according to any objective truth and depend on an individual’s personal feelings, perceptions and choices (Dalton, 1992). One individual’s construct system may be different from another’s and when there is a general disagreement in constructs, it is generally denoted by prejudice or preconception. Although conflicts and differences of opinions are unpleasant, these events help us to understand differences in people and help us to learn how other people perceive things (Stevens, 1996). However construct systems change and may not be altogether internally consistent. People may react or perceive things differently even in similar circumstances and this is normal as there is a certain degree of internal inconsistency in perception of events. Distortions of judgement due to internal inconsistency of personal constructs can be harmful for a person as he may suffer from personal distress. The extent to which one person can appreciate and react to another person’s constructs is a measure of empathy or how one perceives another (Banister, 1985). One person’s construct system may be markedly different from another person’s constructs yet one should be able to infer the other person’s construct in order to empathise and develop a sense of social oneness and responsibility. Kellyâ €™s theory is one of the most effective theories in social research and helps to provide a psychological explanation of social similarities and differences. The applications of Kelly’s theory of Personal constructs are wide and varied as it helps to provide mathematical representations of constructs systems. Construct systems are multidimensional mathematical models and a person’s language is used to classify his or her experiences. Kelly developed a number of mathematical models and representations of construct systems and tested hypotheses that followed from basic personal construct theory (Fransella and Bannister, 1977). To understand people’s personal construct systems the repertory Grid Interview technique was developed, also known as the Role Construct Repertory Test. The repertoire of constructs that a person develops represents some form of perception, judgement or evaluation and is always comparative. Thus judgement of anything good is in comparison with the concept of bad. Thus in using a Grid interview three elements are considered and then two are paired in contrast with a third. The theory of personal co nstructs can be applied to personal experiences and relationships and so parents, relations, friends, colleagues and the individual are largely responsible for the formation of constructs (Smith et al, 1995; Kalekin-Fishman et al, 1996). Kelly elicited a patient’s constructs, rated the different elements on the constructs and used the resultant grid to point out to the client what his primary problems or concerns were. This helped to decide which therapy would be important and helped to determine the progress and effectiveness of therapy. For example one could find the two elements in a personal relationship of a patient and his mother and use this technique to find out differences between a patient’s perception of himself and what his mother would like him to be. The patient would then be encouraged to provide a self description and work through means of making his relationship with his mother more pleasant and productive. If there are paranoid elements recognised in a patient’s perception of himself or his relationships, appropriate therapeutic interventions are suggested. The Repertory Grid interviewing technique was developed by Kelly to overcome some of the methodological limitations of the interview method. The main steps of the Grid technique include Selecting a set of elements – this could be anything from relationships to issues and the elements could be people involved in these relationships with the client. The elements are taken in groups of three and the client is asked to pair two of them separating the third according to a special characteristic (Adams-Webber, 1983). Thus here the differentiation is done according to constructs determined by the client and is done on a bipolar scale with the interviewer setting up the question but the client determining the content (Anderson, 1987). The constructs are examined in some detail and after the interview the constructs are made into scales of 1-5 and the interviewee is expected to rate every element for every construct on this scale. The result is a matrix and this is then analysed statistically to show the client his problems and how they can be tackled. The statistical analysis helps to give measurements of individual people characteristics and compares people’s perceptions before and after the interview. The Grid is thus a statistical, and content free process and although the interviewer initiates its functions, it is the patient who drives it allowing him to come out with his own perceptions thus giving the process a freedom from any interviewer bias and allows complete transparency(Anderson, 1987). Since it is also a standardised interviewing technique any interviewer can read the interview and understand its implications. Russell and Cox (2003) and Morrison (1991) have stressed on the importance of repertory grid in the analysis of individual perceptions. Considering Kelly’s constructivist alternativism, we can assume that all our present perceptions of the world could be subject to changes and revisions and accordingly our perceptions of people and subsequently our interpersonal relationships could also be changed according to this principle. Method A 35 year old female colleague, Marie Oliver was selected for the interview process. The client was having some relationship problems, especially with her work colleagues and has been showing maladjustment along with problems of anxiety, depression and lack of productivity at work. The participant was apprised of the purpose of the interviewing and was asked to participate suggesting that participation in the interview would help her in overcoming her personal problems. A Repertory Grid Interview was done and the first step was identifying elements or grid components. For this all the possible elements including people in relationships were identified. Thus elements are work colleagues known to the participant and to the researcher, and the participant used triad method with the elements to create constructs around any one chosen topic. Elements were then compared by asking participant to take 3 elements and ascertain where 2 are similar and 1 is different, and the participant was en couraged to continue until all possible combinations were exhausted of 3 elements from the set of 10. The instruction given in this case was , ‘choose any three of these known people and group two of them together separating a possible third to show why two of them are similar and how they differ from the third person.’ This process was used to identify similarities and differences of individuals until the participant ran out of constructs. Several mini-grids were developed in advance to ensure that the participant was comfortable with the process of grid construction. Then the Participant followed the process, generated the first grid, to ascertain whether each element is more like the similarity pole or difference pole by marking with ‘x’ or ‘o’ respectively. The participant then generated a second grid to rate each element on each of the 10 constructs using 1-5 point scale, but presented the grid to experimenter without ratings, experimenter then created the final grid as the participant. The main aim and purpose of the interview was agreed with the participant and views about other work colleagues were thus taken. The participant was fully informed from outset regarding the possibility that the revelations from the Grid Interview could be unsettling for her. However for these purposes, participant’s consent form was also signed in advance and the constructs were then set up on the grid allowing to be revealed. In the process of the interview, the researcher made notes on participant behaviour and perceptions as verbally revealed. In this case, the participant Marie was asked to identify the elements in her workplace that could be considered in her relationships with colleagues. Marie identified 10 colleagues at her workplace and separated two of them as distinct from a third. The common points and the differences were noted. Each of the 10 constructs chosen were rated on a 1-5 scale and the grids were created with similarity and difference poles marked by x or an o. This was done in case of determining constructs and relationships with work colleagues. After the formation of a grid, an analysis was drawn up. Findings/Analysis The two assumptions of the Grid Interview by Kelly were as follows: 1. If we can identify an individuals construct map there is a strong possibility we can predict that individuals behaviour. 2. We may be able to modify an individuals map, and therefore behaviour, by some form of training. The two aspects of the Repertory Grid are 1. Elements which are the objects of an individuals thinking and to which they relate their concepts or values. These elements may be people with qualities like effective, unprofessional, etc or they may be objects or abstract, concrete concepts like the interview or a test 2. Constructs are the qualities used to describe the elements in our personal, individual relationships thus a person is effective because he has a pleasant relationship with his staff which reflects personal construct as applied to the element of an effective individual The main elements in an analysis when a grid is applied to an individual are: 1. The results relate to that individual alone 2. Only one grid has to be analysed for an individual’s report. 3. A grid scoring form is used to perform the analysis The Findings and Analysis help us to probe the following questions: To what extent was the study helpful in understanding the participant’s view of the topic of examination? Identification and justification of apparent areas of understanding and lack of understanding Is a pattern of understanding evident? How does the analysis link with the notes made prior to completing grids on expected areas of degree of understanding? What is the meaning revealed by the participant’s choice of elements and constructs? Do the elements and constructs reveal a similar or different view of the topic of analysis chosen? What does the degree of the match imply? Was the study any more helpful when conversation elaboration was also used as an extended method? Is some analysis of new understandings reached during feedback conversation helpful for the process? What do the notes and quotes as revealed by the client suggest? The findings are given as follows: (Mostly worked together with these individuals) Close agreement on 4, 5, 6 – elements Less agreement on 9 – element (Mostly worked separately with these individuals) Little agreement on 1,2,3,7,8,10- elements with different negative personal experiences working with E7 and E8 on particular projects. Close agreement on 6 – constructs (professional conduct). Upon discussion, views were similar regarding the meaning of professional conduct and who could be trusted. Less agreement on 1,3,4,5,7,9 – constructs. Upon discussion, researcher and client shared similar/same definitions of each construct. Little agreement on 2,8,10 constructs. Upon discussion, our definitions were different, hence our measurement of each element came from a different understanding of constructs. The elements identified by Marie were individuals at the workplace and Marie revealed that she worked closely with elements 4, 5 and 6 although had less agreement with element or colleague 9. Marie revealed that she has worked separately and had negative personal experiences with colleagues identified as elements 1, 2, 3, 7, 8 and 10 although she said she was working on the same project with two of these negatively perceived colleagues 7 and 8. Mari suggested a close agreement with 6 on professional conduct and said that her views with 6 were similar regarding professional conduct, friendships and trust issues as to who in the office should or should not be trusted. Marie suggested that her constructs were either in contrast to or were not compatible with those of 1, 3, 4, 5, 7 and 9 elements or colleagues identified. Marie and the researcher had some discussions on the nature and definition of particular perceptions and constructs and the general definition of these identified by th e researcher were similar to that of the subject. The subject’s perceptions, feedback and opinions on the constructs were noted separately. Marie identified that two of the colleagues were friendly and amicable and compared with the other person who in contrast has been described as unfriendly and not easy to get along with. The Repertory Grid Scoring sheet is drawn as follows: The process of producing the Repertory Grid can be broken down into the following steps: Step One The participant Marie identifies ten colleagues whom she knows well. Among these ten colleagues Marie should go along well with at least two of them ideally. Step Two – Marie is given six pieces of card or paper on which she is asked to write the names of the people she has identified. These are the elements described. A number can also be added to the card/paper to signify description and added at the head of column on the scoring sheet. Alternatively, the name itself of the element identified can be entered on the scoring sheet as well. Step Three – Three cards are selected, for example 1, 2 and 3, and Marie is asked to identify some aspect related to these colleagues’ behaviour which makes two of the three people selected different from the third. The construct word or phrase is written in the top left side of the vertical columns. In the top right side of the vertical columns is written the description of the person one who is different from the other two. This process of obtaining constructs from the three people is continued until no further constructs or perceived characteristics could be elicited from the participant. Step Four – Once the constructs have been completely elicited and entered on the scoresheet, the cards are returned. Each element person is then given a score on a scale of 1 to 5. A score of 1 or 2 is allocated to those who are suited to the description in the left-hand column, the column with the description of the pair. Scores of 5 or 4 are allocated to those who match with the description in the right-hand column, the description of the odd person out Step Five – A different set of three cards is then selected, cards 4, 5 and 6 and the process in steps 3 and 4 is repeated, ensuring that the description of pairs is recorded in the left-hand column and a score of 1 or 2 relates to the pairs similarity and score points of 4 and 5 relate to the description of the single person. A score of 3 is average score. A score of at least one 1 and one 5 is helpful when allocated usually from the set of three people for whom the constructs are being elicited. Step Six – Step five is repeated and the various combinations of the elements are aimed to be covered until the participants run out of perceived characteristics or constructs that could be entered on the card. After the grid consideration, the grid scoring sheet is used to record the views of the participant for each element against each construct which has been offered. The data collected is then subject to analysis. A manual analysis can generate and extract considerable information from the grid and all the constructs are related to the personal characteristics of each work colleague considered in the study by Marie. Step Seven – In this case study we consider the behavioural aspects of work colleagues of Marie which is related to their overall friendliness, therefore at the end of the grid Marie is asked to rate the elements in a single, given construct over a scale of friendly to unfriendly. The scoring for friendliness is then compared with other individual aspects to highlight differences and to provide indicators for friendliness. Step Eight – The scores for each construct are obtained by marking the difference for each element against the general friendliness figure. Step Nine – In this phase, we analyse the various constructs on the basis that if the score is low the aspect measured is significant in the ranking for friendliness It is the duty of interviewer to remain without any bias and to refrain from giving any suggestion to the participant on what constructs should be drawn. Forming the constructs is entirely dependent on the participant and the researcher has no role in its formation. They must be according to the thoughts and perceptions of the individual who is being interviewed in this case, Marie although the constructs must be clear, meaningful. Here the analyst has helped her in one or two cases when she couldn’t describe the construct and sought help of the analyst to come out with the right word. After the constructs are listed against the elements, the grid results are scored and are ready to be used for analysis. From the example used in this study -the aspects which go towards the behavioural skills of colleague at work, are identified as follows: Has empathy with other colleagues Has a proper work culture and attitude Has an ethical sense Is friendly and amicable Is knowledgeable and professional Always has a good style and appearance Is a team oriented person Is a leader in the group Comes out with fresh new ideas Is helpful and cooperative Discussion In this study we selected Marie Oliver, a 35 year old colleague who was suffering from some initial maladjustment in the workplace. Marie was asked to participate in the Repertory Grid Interview process to identify the reasons of her problems, categorise them and come out with possible suggestions. The approach taken was qualitative analysis by using the Personal Constructs theory developed by Kelly and a final analysis using scoring sheet and identifying elements through the Repertory Grid Interview technique. Marie was asked to select characteristics and constructs of persons in her workplace. She identified the most desirable and friendly characteristics in her colleagues against the least desirable ones. The notes taken during conversation with Marie reveal that Marie felt she got along only with a few colleagues only three as mentioned. There were basic differences in professional ethic and conduct with at least two colleagues she was working in collaboration with. The behaviour al skills Marie identified as important in defining her good relationship with the colleagues are empathic characteristics in others; any concept of an ideal colleague is also associated with being able to follow a proper work culture and having a proper attitude. Having an ethical sense, a sense of justice and being knowledgeable, professional with a good sense of humour are also identified as important characteristics in a proper friendly colleague. Marie indicated that being friendly, amicable and with good style and appearance has been noted in at least two of her colleagues and this is stark contrast to a third colleague she identified and with whom she doesn’t seem to get along. If we consider Kelly’s perspective of constructive alternativism, it is possible to have alternative perceptions as our perceptions of the world depend completely on our personal constructs. Marie also identified leadership skills, helpfulness and cooperativeness, being able to come out with fresh ideas and following a proper work culture as important aspects of professional behaviour and gave high scores on these aspects to at least two of her colleagues. Overall, a Repertory Grid Interview on Marie showed that she has good and easygoing relations with two of her colleagues but doesn’t seem to go well with many of them. The negative implications of the findings which suggest why Marie did not get along with most of her colleagues and seem to show anxiety and depression symptoms as well as dissatisfaction with her workplace were revealed in her perception of constructs on most of her colleagues. Marie suggested that some of her colleagues were low on cooperativeness and helpfulness, friendliness and proper professional attitude making the atmosphere competitive and hostile. The dynamics of Marie’s actual relations with her colleagues were thus revealed usin g this Grid interviewing procedure and Marie’s own perception of her work situation, perception of her situation and role in the office, and perception of her relations with her colleagues and her job were also revealed through this study. As Morrison (1991) used the repertory grid technique to understand nurses’ perception of care and their evaluation of caring attitudes in nursing, Marie’s perception of her work culture could easily reveal her ideal understanding of a workplace and what she sought in her colleagues. Her inner constructs, precepts and how she saw the world as an individual were revealed and so were her expectations in the future. Considering Marie’s perceptions, some psychological counselling to improve her working and professional relationships was recommended. Limitations: The methodological limitations and concerns of interview as a means of knowing people’s construct system were many, as noted by Kelly. These are: Interview Bias – sometimes the interviewer and the school he belongs to whether behaviourist or psychoanalytic could determine the way the session goes and this undermines the objectivity and validity of the study Dependence on the interviewer – the role of the therapist should be minimal and the therapist should just be a tool to facilitate self perception according to Kelly. Most individuals have the capacity to understand his or her problems and any overdependence on the researcher should be avoided. There may be problems with measuring and predicting individual or group characteristics. Although psychology seeks to understand laws of human behaviour, large scale studies showing correlations of different behaviour may not be helpful for study of personal constructs which is based on the understanding of individuals or a small group of people. These methodological limitations have been kept in mind while conducting the interview and interviewer bias and any dependence on the interviewer has been kept to a minimum. Interviewer intervention has also been minimal. Conclusion: In this discussion, we set out with an overview of the Personal Constructs Theory proposed by Kelly (1955). We discussed the different tenets of the constructs theory, the inconsistency of personal constructs and how constructs tend to vary in different people or in same people in different situations. Thus situational factors seem important in constructs and perceptions on other people. Individual constructs form the construct systems and Kelly established the grid method to determine the different elements in a social situation that can be considered as responsible for an individual’s disturbed social relationships. In our study of Marie Oliver, a 35 year old employee, her social relationships and possible disturbances were studied using the Repertory Grid Interview technique and her analysis of good and bad characteristics of ten of her colleagues were indicated on the card given to her. The scores were drawn up and according to the analysis the desirable characteristics th at Marie perceived in some of her workmates and not in others, were found out. Marie’s behavioural problems and her unique relationships with her colleagues are then analysed suggesting whether Marie needed any further psychological help for her anxiety, depression and other work related maladjustments. Bibliography Kelly, George Alexander The psych

Which Website Should I Buy? :: Sell Websites Buy Websites

Which Website Should I Buy? Reprinted with permission of VotanWeb.com With any new website you have two challenges: developing the product or service and then seeing what if anything, people are willing to pay you for it. Your chances of success are clearly best when you buy an existing website. However, with so many websites available to you, the question will become which website or market should you pursue? Regardless of a website’s past performance, it will have a history from which you will be able to make certain decisions. Even if the website was not profitable in the past, your strengths may lend themselves perfectly to turning it into a viable website. Furthermore, you have the ability to verify what the website did in the past that resulted in the current status of the operation. Ease of Investigation In order to buy the right website you will be required to do a thorough investigation of its past activities, its operations, its current status, the competition, the industry and its future potential. You will accumulate this information and then you will have to determine how it measures up with you at the helm. Clearly, this information gathering will be substantially more accurate and easier to obtain when dealing with an existing website, as you will have the resources available from which to get the details. Infrastructure You will have the benefit of purchasing a website that has an infrastructure including customers, suppliers, server space, established domain name and traffic. This will allow you to focus on building the website as opposed to a start up website where everything begins at ground zero. Purchase Price Differences Buying an existing website does not mean that it will cost you more. In fact, many times it's less expensive than launching a start-up website. Which Website Should I Buy? :: Sell Websites Buy Websites Which Website Should I Buy? Reprinted with permission of VotanWeb.com With any new website you have two challenges: developing the product or service and then seeing what if anything, people are willing to pay you for it. Your chances of success are clearly best when you buy an existing website. However, with so many websites available to you, the question will become which website or market should you pursue? Regardless of a website’s past performance, it will have a history from which you will be able to make certain decisions. Even if the website was not profitable in the past, your strengths may lend themselves perfectly to turning it into a viable website. Furthermore, you have the ability to verify what the website did in the past that resulted in the current status of the operation. Ease of Investigation In order to buy the right website you will be required to do a thorough investigation of its past activities, its operations, its current status, the competition, the industry and its future potential. You will accumulate this information and then you will have to determine how it measures up with you at the helm. Clearly, this information gathering will be substantially more accurate and easier to obtain when dealing with an existing website, as you will have the resources available from which to get the details. Infrastructure You will have the benefit of purchasing a website that has an infrastructure including customers, suppliers, server space, established domain name and traffic. This will allow you to focus on building the website as opposed to a start up website where everything begins at ground zero. Purchase Price Differences Buying an existing website does not mean that it will cost you more. In fact, many times it's less expensive than launching a start-up website.

Negotiation styles & strategies

The teachers were very un-collaborative in their approach towards the negotiation and seemed quite unwilling to bend in their resolve not to accept the proposal offered by the board of Education. The teachers basically attempted to force the hand of the board by deciding to go on a strike. Considering that the area had only recently suffered from the effects of the September 11 strike on the Twin Towers and that there was some amount of adjusting to be done, the teachers seem to have manipulated the situation in order to achieve their objectives.The strike commenced only a few hours after the end of an agreed moratorium period according to Hanley (2001a). This is suggesting that little or inadequate attempt was made to pursue peaceful negotiations prior to decide to enter into an industrial strike. Furthermore the teachers made no attempt to relent or relax their position but were willing, even under punishment of imprisonment, to hold firm to their original position without any or l ittle adjustments or compromise. The board wanted to increase the teachers’ maximum contributions to the health insurance scheme from $250 to $860 (Hanley & Jacobs, 2001). The teachers were adamant in refusing any sort of increasing wanting the figure to remain as was.So determined was their resolve that at the time of the unsuccessful conclusion of the negotiations 225 teachers, secretaries and other union members had being jailed because of their refusal to obey the court order to return to work (Hanley, 2001c). Had the union leaders not decided on the 29th of November to instruct its members to obey the court order to return to work, the impasse would have probably continued with even more teachers being jailed.The union however, seemed at one point willing to relax the teachers’ position on the issue of the proposed increase in teachers’ contributions to the health fund. The teachers relaxed their positions partially when they agreed to a set of settlement r ecommendations proposed by the mediators which would have seen them compromising their position significantly. However the position of the board was even more adamant and thus no solution was arrived on the issue.The teachers attempted to justify their rejection of the proposal put forward to them. The proposal put forward by the board sought to increase maximum payments by about thirty per cent in one instant. This amount appears to be very unreasonable. Of course the board could not accept the teachers’ proposition that the fees stay as they were before. In their opinion, payments for teachers’ health benefits was costing the district much too much, approximately $8 million (Hanley & Jacobs, 2001). On the extreme though the proposed level of increase in itself appeared exorbitant and too great a percentage increase.Additionally the teachers felt that their proposal was a lot more reasonable. They suggested helping the board to cut costs by no longer requiring reimbur sements on prescriptions (Hanley, 2001b). This proposal would lead to saving on the part of the board and would also ensure that the teachers do not have to pay increased premiums. This alternative seems like a very feasible position but the board was not willing to negotiate on this issue.On the 29th of November the teachers were instructed by their union leaders to return to work even though the negotiations had not concluded and there was no decision on the issue. It would seem in this regard that the teachers were the ones to have lost because, aside from being imprisoned for a few days, they have to suffer the embarrassment of returning to work without their original demands being met.It would therefore seem that the teachers did not carry out the negotiations as best as they could since they did not end up reaching a reasonable solution. A number of factors could have contributed to this failure suggesting of course, that the teachers erred in a few areas. First the teachers d id not choose an appropriate time to commence the industrial strike. While, in their view the matter seemed to be urgent, they did not consider the psychological environment at the time. The area had only recently been affected by the terrorist bombing of the World Trade Centers. The district was still recovering from the effects of this national disaster and therefore it was not appropriate for the teachers to strike at this particular time.In addition the teachers did not garner enough support from the community. Hanley & Jacobs (2001) point out that â€Å"it was hard to find support for the teachers among Middletown residents.† The members of the community were upset that the teachers chose such an inappropriate time to strike. They were also concerned about the welfare of the students who would be without instruction until the issue was resolved.Probably a meeting with the parents of students prior to going on a strike could have explained the seriousness of the teachersà ¢â‚¬â„¢ position to them and asked for support. In addition many parents did not agree that in that economic climate that the proposed increase was as terrible as the teachers were making it out to be. The fact that there was not widespread support for the teachers’ strike may have pushed the union to demand its teachers back in the classroom even though negotiations were not finalized.Finally the teachers themselves seemed not to have entered the negotiation with a correct mindset. They seemed only to be heading for a win/win decision and were not willing to lose not even a little bit. The option they proposed to the board, though it sounded reasonable, did not see them compromising as significantly as they expected the board to compromise to meet their demands. The teachers were unwilling to collaborate effectively to come to a decision feasible and acceptable to both sides.REFERENCESHanley, R. (2001a, Nov 30). Abrupt Walkout by Teachers Closes Schools in Middletown, N.J. T he New York Times. (Late Edition (East Coast)), D5.Hanley, R. (2001b, Dec 4). New Jersey Teachers Jailed for Continuing to Strike. The New York Times. (Late Edition (East Coast)), D1.Hanley, R. (2001c, Dec 8). In Middletown, A Strike Ends Without a Deal For Teachers. The New York Times. (Late Edition (East Coast)), D1.Hanley, R. & Jacobs, A. (2001, Dec 6). Teachers' Strike Grows Angrier, But Support of Residents Is Elusive. The New York Times. (Late Edition (East Coast)), D1.

Science Fiction Book Report Essays - Frankenstein, Free Essays

Science Fiction Book Report Essays - Frankenstein, Free Essays Science Fiction Book Report In the story Frankenstein, written by the author Mary Shelley, Victor Frankenstein decided that wanted to create a being out of people that were already dead. He believed that he could bring people back from the grave. Playing with nature in such a way would make him play the role of God. With Victor Frankenstein feeling that he had no true friends, the only relief he had of expressing his feeling was through letters to Elizabeth. Elizabeth was not Victors true sister but he loved her very dearly, making sure to always write her when ever he had the chance. Yet, when Victor left something strange came over him. Already being interested in subjects such as natural philosophy and chemistry, he fall upon the question of how to bring someone back to life. He became very involved in this project and worked on it for days on end. The project had to do with defying the laws of nature. Victor believe wholeheartedly that he could bring the dead back to life. He felt that the dead were not ready to die and they were just resting. Victor became so self absorbed into his project that he seem to forget all that was important to him. He even disengaged himself from all the people he loved in his life. People like his father, Elizabeth, and other loved ones. Victor began to write less and less. Yet, it was not until Elizabeth got a discouraged letter from Victor, did his love ones start to wary about him. Though, the letter was full of words, it gave no relief to Elizabeth, because the words meant nothing to her. However, they meant a lot to Victor, because he felt the project in which he was working on was so important to him, in his own delirious world. He felt that with bring people back to life he would not only better man kind, but also establish a name for himself. With this type of attitude, he did not even take into consideration that he might make the world a worse place. This part in the story shows the irony. The irony being that Victor Frankenstein feels he is doing something good for the world, but we later find out just how bad this creation could be. Though Elizabeth wanted to pull Victor away from his project, he was unwilling to leave until it is complete. After Victor found how to bring his creation to life, he also found out just how evil his invention could be. His creation was strong and evil. With the escape of the monster, Victor Frankenstein had to come to realization of what his creation might do and the consequences that Frankenstein, himself would have to deal with. With the murder of his brother weighing the guilt on his shoulders, Frankenstein know he had to do something. So he went looking for the monster. Upon their meeting each other, the monster confessed that when he found out that William as Victors brother he killed him. He then proceeded to tell him that he killed his brother due to the fact that he was trying to get back at his creator for bringing him to life and allowing him to be an out cast in society. This killing prove to Victor that the monster did not know right from wrong or how to cope with his anger. This aggression made Frankenstein's creation violent. While talking with the monster, the monster demanded from Frankenstein to create a partner that he could be able to live with away for society. At first, agreeing to the demand, but later realized that if his first creation came out to be a killer so could the second one. With this in mind Frankenstein revoked his agreement and decided against creating another monster. Though, knowing that this decision could be dangerous to him and his loved ones. Yet, he had to think of what was truly best for man kind. Bringing the dead to life or saving the lives of the living. Another peace of irony in this story is, just like Victor Frankenstein who had no friends and was different from the rest of society so was the monster. Also, when Frankenstein decided to play God and bring the dead to life, his creation took on the same role when he decided to take away some ones life. All

Martin Luther King Jr & Malcolm X essays

Martin Luther King Jr & Malcolm X essays Martin Luther King Jr. is someone who is well known for not using discrimination. The whole reason why he even became involved in the civil rights movement is when Rosa Parks refused to give her seat to a white person at a time when whites chose where to sit. As a result he was elected president of the Montgomery Improvement Association in December of 1955 and emerged as a national hero when the United States Supreme Court made segregation on buses illegal in Alabama. He believed in freedom and equality to all Americans of every ethnic background. Malcolm X was a very different leader than Martin Luther King Jr. He preached to mostly one race. He was the minister and spokesman for the Nation of Islam until he was told not to speak in 1964, then he founded the Muslim Mosque, Inc. He ended up deciding to convert to orthodox Islam in the late1964 and found the organization of Afro-American Unity. He was basically for the black race other. He was mostly remembered for his anti-white speeches. Unlike Malcolm X, Marin Luther King Jr. had so much charisma. In his leadership skills he showed so many special qualities. He had people of all different races and ages join peaceful, nonviolent protests against segregation. In a time period where whites and blacks fought against each other a lot, he took the lead to show people that we could get along despite the rocky past. He had so much charisma that in 1964, when King was only thirty-five years old, he became the youngest man to receive the Nobel Peace Prize. ...

These books should be read by everyone.

These books should be read by everyone. Tiny Beautiful Things: Advice on Love and Life from Dear Sugar by Cheryl Strayed This is a real treasure for real romantics! The book is about how to become a real person with a capital letter. And everything began very modestly. Cheryl Strayed began to write columns for a literary site online. She used the pseudonym "Sugar". The result surpassed all expectations. Soon the world saw a podcast "Dear sugar radio". And then it came to the collection of NY Times-bestselling book compilation. If you pay attention to the cover, you can immediately understand what the author wants to say. Cheryl shows that in any situation there is something good. In the most terrible situations, we can remain the best people. If you are in trouble, read this book, and you will be able to look at the world and the situation from a different angle. This book is a kind of anecdotal guidance, which is read in one breath. The Defining Decade: Why Your Twenties Matter and How to Make the Most of Them by Meg Jay This book was written by a clinical psychologist with many years of experience in his field. This is a book for adults. Dr. MegJay tells about the success and how to achieve it. And literally in everything: personal growth, career, personal life, love, and romance... Of course, Dr. MegJay is not only a theorist but also a practitioner. She tells her story of success, the history of all life, from early childhood. This is a living example of how even the saddest story can be changed and get a happy end. The book motivates a person to realize their dreams and their potential. It will calm down any of your psychological fears. And it does not matter whether these fears are: fail in business or the fear of growing up. In fact, this book gives an incredible boost to every person. So strong push which your friends, career counselor, family, and therapist will not give you! The Untethered Soul: The Journey Beyond Yourself by Michael Singer The book became the number one in the category "Emotional Mental Health" on Amazon. After that, the book became a bestseller of "The New York Times". Imagine this? Each of us has an inner voice that can’t stop all day. Sometimes because of him, we can’t even sleep. For example, you think, "I forgot to turn off the iron... Oh, I think I'll be late again!... My mother was probably upset because of what I told her yesterday... I'm so hungry... Where did Jim buy this phone? I also want one... My boss did not raise me. But he promised me, and not once! ". Thanks to this book you will learn how to get some space from this voice and easily cope with yourself and with your own thoughts. You will find your way to harmony and happiness. And for this, you will need the principles of the ancient philosophy of the East and modern psychology. Relish: My Life in the Kitchen by Lucy Knisley Many people dream of learning how to cook. Or think that their wife or husband learn how to cook. But this is so great! You can save money for life, do not go to expensive restaurants. Your self-esteem will grow up! In fact, cooking is a functional and productive form of art, and you can practice this art every day. But you object that it is difficult to cook. That's why we recommend reading this book. This is a graphic memoir, reminiscent of an illustrated cartoon. Lucy Knisley will tell you and show you how to enjoy cooking with a prescription, buy only quality products and spices. It will help you figure out what you like in the kitchen (maybe it's even more important than what you like in bed?). While you are reading the book, Lucy Knisley seems to hold your hand and follow the way of culinary art with you. Fates and Furies by Lauren Groff This book was read by Barack Obama. According to NYTimes, this is a bestseller with very interesting characters. Believe me, you will read this novel even at night! It tells about the family life of a man and a woman. And in the first part of the book the story is conducted on behalf of a man, and in the second - on behalf of a woman. You will learn that a person's life can improve over the years. And these improvements depend on your personality, the actions you do, and on how they change or don’t change during life. The book tells how important it is to maintain one's personality in partnership with a husband/wife.

Does Pre-education Develops Students Developing Performance In Their Essay

Does Pre-education Develops Students Developing Performance In Their Next Study - Essay Example This essay stresses that Kariuki, Chepchieng, Mbugua and Ngumi (2007) in their study highlight the effectiveness of early childhood education program for the development of social-emotional competencies. The research design focuses on the ex-post facto to understand the interdependency of early childhood education program on the social emotional competency. The samples were obtained to fairly and equally represent schools and respondents of three district. The survey questionnaires of the study focus on the documentation analysis and group discussion of the data collection. Descriptive statistics and inferential statistical tools were used to analyze the data, as it provides a summary, analytical and empirical analysis about the particular sample. The survey questionnaires of the study focus on the documentation analysis and group discussion of the data collection. This paper makes a conclusion that the persistent attendance of the children of the lower income, middle class families can be effective for the children. No relationship between the social development and the center attendance has been observed through the study. Therefore, the study suggests that the selection factors play the major role for the mothers to enroll their children in the center. The findings of the study also highlights that the center exposure at the age of 7+ can be a source of higher cognitive proficiency.

Business case to successfully justify a suitable Knowledge Management Essay

Business case to successfully justify a suitable Knowledge Management System (KMS) for managing its tacit knowledge - Essay Example This thesis report highlights the importance of Knowledge Management System in an information-consulting firm that makes implementations of solutions like ERP in order to validate and substantiate the administration of its tacit knowledge. In addition, the Knowledge management theories, methods, and structural design that the enterprise can implement will come under evaluation in conjunction with the knowledge assessment of the company’s tacit knowledge, and will identify the necessary and existing gaps. Based on the assessments and the gap analysis, a framework and collection of possible approaches comes under proposal and recommendation that can better understand the needs of the talked about enterprise, reduce and shrink the threats involved in a Knowledge management system, and eventually facilitate the company in its development and growth. Furthermore, the discussion of the paper will also highlight and accentuate the advantages of a Knowledge Management System that will contribute to the business value of the ABC consulting firm and its productivity. Background Information As the world has entered into the twenty first century, it has undergone many technological advancements and improvements and the industries are transforming their manual processes onto technology-based processes. With this increasing demand of technology, and the growing competition, it becomes complicated and challenging to react to such market oscillations and instability. Therefore, several corporations are moving towards the implementation of solutions such as Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP), which is considerably one of the best solutions for the integrated processes, which raise and augment the competitive advantages of the corporations’ (Khosrowpour, pp. 115-118, 2001). The service provider or the information consulting company of these kinds of solutions is the subject of study and report that comes under limelight. Customization has always come under contempl ation and observation as the best alternative way out of any situation, trouble, or different business scenarios from the standard ones that the customer experiences during the implementation phase. It is imperative to comprehend the business processes coupled to the experience factor for the administration of designed and spontaneous situations while implementation. Therefore, during the entire life cycle of the ERP implementation, Knowledge Management is the key and crucial aspect that comes under utilization by the employees in the information-consulting firms (Khosrowpour, pp. 115-118, 2001). The entire life cycle comprises of planning, business process analysis, requirement mapping, gap analysis, system design and configuration, data conversion, communications, end-user trainings, pilot run and production run. As these processes are

SECURITY ISSUES IN DELIVERING INFRASTRUCTURE AS A SERVICE IN CLOUD Literature review - 1

SECURITY ISSUES IN DELIVERING INFRASTRUCTURE AS A SERVICE IN CLOUD COMPUTING AND BUSINESS - Literature review Example The theme of cloud computing is that all computational resources and assets are offered by the cloud service providers to the remote users all around the globe as a service. It does not require the users to have proper knowledge and proficiency in a particular domain or technology in order to manage the resources and user can access them through internet. Cloud computing is a fairly innovative computing model and has been prominent in the field of information technology over past years. The cloud computing model enables the subscribers to utilize the computing resources and assets in the time of need, without investing higher amount of money and frees them from the worries about the complication involved in adopting other options. Nevertheless the huge number of implementations that have gotten so much higher reputation among the community of IT are oriented towards a particular business and are commercial so it does not supports the users with complex and bigger requirements and rel atively little financial resources. (Vincenzo D. Cunsolo et al, 2010, Juan D. O sorio, 2012) Cloud computing that is a modern business paradigm, involves the provision of extraordinarily scalable computing assets as a service to individual subscribers or the organizations. Companies are now adopting a trend of replacing the older IT infrastructure by consuming the ‘Infrastructure as service’ model offered by cloud computing paradigm in order to get better scalability of computing resources and to make lesser operating cost. The fundamental business of an infrastructure as a service cloud is to set up an instance of virtual machines, on-demand, for agreed period of time. The specifications (e.g. total memory storage, required operating system, executables) of the virtual machines are decided in a agreement between the cloud service provider and the consumer and service is usually provided according to some measure of QoS(

Does a welfare state benefit society Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Does a welfare state benefit society - Essay Example Therefore, it is important to understand that a welfare state looks after the good beings of the people and the people who live in different countries of the nations. Some nation copies the example of these welfare state so that they could become perfect and also become top-ranked in the world the concept of welfare state is adopted by different people of the nations. In the end, it would be important to mention again that a welfare state is very important for the overall working basis of a country. Every nation must try it's very best to become a welfare state so that its people could live in prosperity and there are no issues for one another. A welfare state is thus a very important ingredient for bringing people together on one platform. This is needed for nation-building and unity which is very necessary in times which are trouble. The leaders must put emphasis on having a welfare state so that the people can elect them again to serve these people in return (Castles 2004). The le aders should be accountable for all their actions and steps so that there are no problems at all for the people living in these countries. Every government must try to become a welfare state so that it could serve the cause of its own men and woman and this is important in order to have prosperity, growth, and development within the infrastructure of the country. In the long term, this will have more productivity within the country itself which is a very important thing toward achieving the goals.

Global warming Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 3

Global warming - Essay Example Several applicable arguments have been made by scholars and other persons claiming it congregates both of these standards (Bourne, 4). The main question students and scholars would like to know is whether or not one form is better than the other. There are several differences between online and face-to-face education. Lecture classrooms are common in universities. They are an easy way to teach a large number of students at once, however, many students dislike lectures because it places them in the majority. In a lecture classroom setting, students may not have the chance to communicate with the professor or even their peers (Kindred). Students may feel shy and intimidated by the amount of people around them. The online discussions, chat rooms, and e-mail features in web-based classes makes it virtually impossible to avoid communication with fellow students or teachers. The social barriers which exist in face-to-face communication often seem to be non-existent in online communication and students feel a lot less pressured to speak up, or should I say "type up". Online communication, however, does not allow for nonverbal cues and this tends to limit the quality of certain discussions and lecture notes. Some students may feel t hey need to be face-to-face with the person teaching them in order to better understand and comprehend the material being presented. Being able to hear what the professor has to say can draw the attention of some and distract the attention of others, sometimes depending on the excellence of the professor. Students are encouraged to try web classes if they have trouble learning from what they hear and find it easier to comprehend what they read. The convenience of online learning is possibly its most brilliant quality. Students find it practical that they can attend a class while sitting in the comfort of their own home. Soldiers, pregnant women, and others with tight schedules are all able to complete their

Market Research Report on printing industry Essay

Market Research Report on printing industry - Essay Example Print is used in business to create logo and advertisements to stand out in the market place. Companies often prefer their stationeries, be it business letters, pamphlets or catalogues to be customized and according to their requirements. This strategy of brand building is applied by all the companies. This is where the print industry enters the world of business related print products. In general market where print products are sold as leisure products, print industry has a strong hold. Products like Cards, customized stationeries, and craft products have given print industry a very distinct market to focus on. The print industry is also accredited for the production of lot of educational material. The print industry market is divided basically into three distinct market segments – Corporate sector, Gifts and Entertainment sector and educational sector. The print industry has witnessed gradual and steady growth, the demand for print products have increased considerably in the market. A lot of speculation had surrounded the print industry during the electronic media revolution. ... Identification of a Small and Medium Sized Enterprise The European market alone has 132,000 functioning business houses involved in printing industry. This comprises of 85% of SMEs. These SMEs have less than twenty employees each yet they are able to rake 105 billion EUR as annual turnover. The global printing market is dominated by the European printing companies. Most of the printing companies depending on their size are involved in export. Globally the printing market is very much static and not very dynamic in its growth. Most of these companies operating in printing industry are Small and Medium enterprises run by Entrepreneurs. These entrepreneurs have creative bent and open a medium size businesses. However they do lack the expertise in operating the business aspect of the industry. Most of these companies have issues like resource sharing, creative differences and networking as major barriers towards growth. The SMEs also have to face fierce competition from players who are b etter established and are conglomerate in their operations. Finance becomes a huge criterion for these SMEs as expanding in new market especially in other countries requires a substantial capital. Internet and electronic media although has not been able to completely take over the print sector but does have some influence on the print industry. Thus, economy of scale and the fad of new media have made an impact on the growth of SMEs in print industry (Batgraphs, 2011, p.6) One of the most important aspects for the small and medium enterprises in the printing industry is the incorporation of recent technology in their operations. The introduction of advanced and improved tools in the area of printing has been very rapid.

Does a welfare state benefit society Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Does a welfare state benefit society - Essay Example Therefore, it is important to understand that a welfare state looks after the good beings of the people and the people who live in different countries of the nations. Some nation copies the example of these welfare state so that they could become perfect and also become top-ranked in the world the concept of welfare state is adopted by different people of the nations. In the end, it would be important to mention again that a welfare state is very important for the overall working basis of a country. Every nation must try it's very best to become a welfare state so that its people could live in prosperity and there are no issues for one another. A welfare state is thus a very important ingredient for bringing people together on one platform. This is needed for nation-building and unity which is very necessary in times which are trouble. The leaders must put emphasis on having a welfare state so that the people can elect them again to serve these people in return (Castles 2004). The le aders should be accountable for all their actions and steps so that there are no problems at all for the people living in these countries. Every government must try to become a welfare state so that it could serve the cause of its own men and woman and this is important in order to have prosperity, growth, and development within the infrastructure of the country. In the long term, this will have more productivity within the country itself which is a very important thing toward achieving the goals.

Market Research Report on printing industry Essay

Market Research Report on printing industry - Essay Example Print is used in business to create logo and advertisements to stand out in the market place. Companies often prefer their stationeries, be it business letters, pamphlets or catalogues to be customized and according to their requirements. This strategy of brand building is applied by all the companies. This is where the print industry enters the world of business related print products. In general market where print products are sold as leisure products, print industry has a strong hold. Products like Cards, customized stationeries, and craft products have given print industry a very distinct market to focus on. The print industry is also accredited for the production of lot of educational material. The print industry market is divided basically into three distinct market segments – Corporate sector, Gifts and Entertainment sector and educational sector. The print industry has witnessed gradual and steady growth, the demand for print products have increased considerably in the market. A lot of speculation had surrounded the print industry during the electronic media revolution. ... Identification of a Small and Medium Sized Enterprise The European market alone has 132,000 functioning business houses involved in printing industry. This comprises of 85% of SMEs. These SMEs have less than twenty employees each yet they are able to rake 105 billion EUR as annual turnover. The global printing market is dominated by the European printing companies. Most of the printing companies depending on their size are involved in export. Globally the printing market is very much static and not very dynamic in its growth. Most of these companies operating in printing industry are Small and Medium enterprises run by Entrepreneurs. These entrepreneurs have creative bent and open a medium size businesses. However they do lack the expertise in operating the business aspect of the industry. Most of these companies have issues like resource sharing, creative differences and networking as major barriers towards growth. The SMEs also have to face fierce competition from players who are b etter established and are conglomerate in their operations. Finance becomes a huge criterion for these SMEs as expanding in new market especially in other countries requires a substantial capital. Internet and electronic media although has not been able to completely take over the print sector but does have some influence on the print industry. Thus, economy of scale and the fad of new media have made an impact on the growth of SMEs in print industry (Batgraphs, 2011, p.6) One of the most important aspects for the small and medium enterprises in the printing industry is the incorporation of recent technology in their operations. The introduction of advanced and improved tools in the area of printing has been very rapid.

Discuss Classic Film Posters Essay Example for Free

Discuss Classic Film Posters Essay Introduction Movie posters today are considered collectibles and rare ones fetch high prices. Great movie posters are hard to find. Historically, most posters are cut and paste jobs that do not sell the movie very well while a great poster could intrigue, shock, inspire as well as excite.   To create sensation and convince viewers, it should be aesthetically beautiful or original as well memorable that a single glance will make the viewer go inside the theatre to watch. According to Kinross (1991), graphic design is the activity that evolved out of what has been known as ‘commercial art’ closely linked to advertising, drawn or painted illustration. The graphic designer is generally acknowledged among themselves as professional designers who are able to work across a range of fields with different media including companies and corporate bodies, book or magazine publishing, exhibition design, signing and architectural graphics, television graphics, posters, among others. Hollis acknowledged that up to the Second World War, artists who are either painters or sculptors such as Kurt Schwitters, Willi Baumeister, and Friedrich Vordemberge-Gildewart. He also added that there had been a crisis in design as computerized designers go off in one direction led by Basel-Wolfgang Weingart and commercially developed by April Greiman and the New Wave of Americans (Kinross, 1991). â€Å"It was something to do with graphic and typographic freedom and with making new images, presenting information as a decorative style†¦ emerged from the new technology of the computer,† Hollis said (Kinross, 1991, p 75). Hollis also believed then that the graphic designer does not control the content of what he or she is designing. He also observed that in postmodernism, there is a large element of eclecticism that borrow past styles and apply them such as what Bruno Mongunzzi, a classic modern typographer and an intelligent designer who is â€Å"not highly original †¦ [with the] notion of â€Å"I don’t want to be interesting, I want to be good,† (p 75). Hollis delineated art as pre aesthetic information while graphics is information which could inevitably become aesthetic. Hollis and Kinross agree that â€Å"graphic design is modernism in the graphic field†¦ the conjunction of image and text† (p 76) of which Hollis emphasized the importance of the relationship between image and text. Lithography (from 1800) was credited to allow joining of image and text laboriously by hand. Likewise, aside from text and image, there was also the conjunction of image and image where photography provided raw material for montage such as John Heartfield’s, and by making surrealism possible images which appeared to be machine-made. Photography was considered as the central generator of graphic design of the modern movement citing the Volkswagen advertisement in particular (Kinross, 1991). Design as also closely linked, if not overlapped with advertising starting the 1960s. Hollis proposed that it was difficult to separate graphics from marketing which is, â€Å"a distinctly bourgeois activity, which has occasionally, probably through pop music, had connections with some sort of mass culture,† (Kinross, 1991, p 79-80). This paper shall try to discuss the organization, design, use of colour, spatial layout, and lettering in the movie posters: The Bridge on the River Kwai, The Guns of Navarone, The Magnificent Seven, and The Great Escape with the above premise. Discussion: The Bridge on the River Kwai. Design This poster uses period book-type design with an obvious elongated presentation. The type spacing or leading is not controlled and seem to take up much space to provide cramped texts that followed, including the movie title. It also uses illustrations in layered format from the smallest image below, a bigger image above it, and the biggest one showing up close in action the lead character. In fact, the rectangle below the introductory four-line texts seem to be a book cover superimposed on the lower small image with the matching text so that the poster seem to have used a book cover itself. Color The use of color is impressive as the classic eye-catching combination of yellow and red are used. A little of blue text complemented the overall mix of colors. Spatial Lay-out As mentioned earlier, there seem to be a followed desire to use a book cover format with introductory catch lines above and supporting details just below the book cover image. The concept, although longer than the usual movie poster, is impressive. Lettering Type fonts were already used in this print but the title â€Å"The Bridge on the River Kwai† is definitely hand-executed in bold, uneven manner which is very prominent. The Guns of Navarone. Design This one uses comics-type illustration and classic poster size to present strong images of the lead characters and the sea. Already, the use of the classic movie poster lay-out is laid and presented making this one in hand-lettering and cut and paste rendition one for the books. Color The use of the yellow/brown and red combination is another notable characteristic of this movie poster. It is catchy with a huge single image in symmetrical balance with the lead credits. However, its catch line superimposed on the image is not very noticeable or striking. Lettering The Guns of Navarone is also hand-executed with uneven yet type-cast style showing ethnic influence in the design and lettering. The bigger presentation of the lead character names overshadow the movie title, showing that the characters are more saleable than the story plot. Or that each could help sell the other. A witty approach towards commercialism. Spatial Lay-out The use of space and overall design of the poster is pleasing and symmetrical. It is also-well-balanced and does not stray the attention away from it. The Magnificent Seven. Design The Magnificent Seven uses the number image as its main design structure showcasing the face of the lead characters. It has a convincing approach to the use of graphics and confining images in a relevant manner so as to emphasize the number. Color Once again, the colors red and yellow are very evident in this poster although the gray, black and white images of the faces and heads confined within the number add a balance that mutes the overwhelming yellow. The use of the neutrals or muted hues is very rational as use of human flesh colors could drown the effect red and yellow provide. However, additional color on the images below the number 7 could have provided more impact, intrigue and variety. Spatial Lay out The lay-out is quite crampy within the confines of the number 7, with much waste on the sides of each space. The limitation could have been the effect of printing graphics at that time. Use of machine is already evident at this poster and the font sizes and the wasted spaces provide a glimpse of experimentation being used. Lettering A combination of hand-executed lettering and machine type, this one shows the limitation of graphic design during the period. The Great Escape. Design Considered the quad poster, this one uses horizontal design to present the entire poster. The balance is achieved through the placement of small catch line on the left and the title and image on the center-right. Color The use of basic red and blue is very effective as black balances the off-white color of the reversed title in big fat fonts. Spatial lay out There is also the experimentation of text size in this poster. While balance is being achieved, there is also the wastage of some space where the catch line could have gained advantage. However, since commercial design was in its adolescent stage, this is forgivable. Lettering Machine seems to be the evident executor at this poster. Every letter size and type are uniformed and the limited use of space made it more obvious. Conclusion The period when photographs are hardly used, comic and book art illustrations were used in movie posters. These posters achieved classic popularity and acceptance due to use of what are typically accepted design concepts at that time; use of basic colors red, yellow and blue which appear striking against one another at the same time catchy in the commercial sense, attainment of balance and symmetry by not tilting the meter of text and photos to only a single side, or plain use of centering. The lay-out and ettering are evidently limited due to time and resources restrictions. However, in a period when posters were used as announcements and not exactly collectible graphic arts, these are acceptable norms for movie posters. Current trends, however, may provide new design concepts that may or may not be considered acceptable in any other given period. Design mutates, and popular taste is conditioned, influenced, as well as acquired. So does design and movie posters. Reference: Kinross, Robin (1992). â€Å"Conversation with Richard Hollis on Graphic Design History.†Ã‚   Journal of Design History 5 (3) 73-93. Hershenson, Bruce (1998). â€Å"A History of Movie Posters.† Reel Classics.

The Competitive Landscape In The Banking Industry Marketing Essay

The Competitive Landscape In The Banking Industry Marketing Essay We are living in the 21st century, everything is revolving around the internet and technology, and its all about embracing the convergence. This explosion of the internet and technology has impacted on everything, and its altering the banking industry as well, from branch banks and papers to networked and digitized banking services, it has already made its way in, but over all, the banking industry is still struggling to find a solution for the rapidly changing environment. The root of this problem is that most banking executives are still not ready to see the real impact of the Internet age and act accordingly, few impacts of the internet and technology are discussed below, Altering the Rules of Competition Today, because of the internet dissolving the difference of the size of the businesses, thus letting small business get to set the competitive agenda and get the advantage. Physical processes are being replaced by virtual, and virtual environments are being created, sooner or later one has to enter this market, in order to keep up with the market trend. The only difference is whether youll go by your own rules or follow the ones created by others. Internet representation, and web based outlets, if executed correctly, can give the power to one, to set its own rules for the competition. From Capital Requirements to Knowledge Requirements Traditionally, absence of funds, has served as a hurdle to access into any particular industry. This has been especially true in the banking sector. Today, improving financings of the company is perhaps the one of the least problems, a company struggles with. Investors know that economical techniques of variation are no longer an organizations key asset, its past track record, its brand or anything. Investors today anticipate and are interested in companys knowledge. A large network system, financial muscle and a huge work power may not seem to have as much importance, as before. Brand Building The last two decades, saw a large focus on the growth of manufacturers, and brand building as a differentiation means, thus allowing service providers, banks for instance, to create brand awareness among the customers for their loyalty towards the brand (Czerniawska Potter, 1998). Consequently, multi-million dollars of investment were solely done on the development of the image of the brand. Already on the Internet, there are organizations performing as informers or experts, who help prospective buyers go for the best option, thus making the customers independent, and not be misled by the image created by the brand, and make more conscious decisions when going for a purchase. Customer Segmentation and Relationship With the help of the Internet a bank is able to target specific market online and provide them product information, personalized web pages and services, and other data for any client, when they access the companys web page. In short, the battlefield has changed, today it is brand or product variation, and focus on the most profitable clients, and to keep the customer relations and support the best, for the long term profitability. From Access In Distribution Channels to Amiss to Customers In the 1980s and early 90s, one of the key areas of competition was to have the best distribution networks to make sure that products/services offered by the bank could be delivered to customers (Czerniawska Potter, 1998). Banks used to invest heavily and it was one of the main concerns too, to have the best location of the outlet, and build up their network. However, with the advent of the Internet such resources have become less relevant. Today the customer feels more easy going online and access the their bank account rather than to visit a physical branch. From Regulated Government Policy Its Unregulated Global Market It is believed that regulatory and legal restrictions, other types of hurdle to access determined by Portia, be decreased because of the Internet. For example, in the United States, new opportunities for the banks were created, when the act of branching efficiency or the Rigles Neal Act of 1994 was passed. This Bill allows banks, to become the full service financial institutions and providers (Kalakota Whinston, 1997). Clearly, this change is both a risk and a chance since the limitations that have ceased some from coming into an industry have also restricted the regional development of others. Global competition The erosion of boundaries due to the Internet has accelerated the trend towards global competition. Citibank has entered the Japanese market successfully with its web-based solution. Similarly, The Royal bank of Canada made its way into the US market with the help of the internet, by virtual banks. In summary, the internet is globalizing the banking industry, the battlefield is evolving around the internet, attracting new customers and coming up with unique services and products which werent possible before are needed of the time today. Question 2: Provide an analysis of the resources and capabilities a typical bank needs to have to be able to compete in this environment dominated by the internet and online banking. (500 words) Customer service is the key to survival of any bank. Customer loyalty and commitment is directly proportional to client convenience, personalized services and innovative offers and products. In the 1970s and 1980s, banks were marketing to a generation raised on an old style of banking: personal service at a bank. They were not comfortable with automated services, and were scared to use computers. So, to have a physical branch office nearby was convenience and relaxation. Today, in a banking relationship, individual assistance and convenience are still the crucial aspects, but they are described in a different way. Clients still want the bank to be a financial institution who knows them, and bank the one, they know, but they do not actually want to go to the bank. Today, customers are not afraid of computer techniques and technology; they accept them. Comfort is doing their banking whenever and wherever they want. They are now relaxed with computers and other gadgets. They anticipate quick, effective, and precise assistance. And the only way to be successful, is to provide the immediate, quality assistance that clients demand, and that the competitors provides, is through intensive use of the most innovative and advance technology and through good people qualified in the use of these technological innovations. For all these factors, the banks keep modifying its delivery systems. The New Delivery Systems The increasing price of building brick-and-mortar divisions, and decreasing price of personal computer systems, slow revenue growth and high delivery costs force a relook at the traditional delivery systems. Furthermore, growing comfort of technology usage by the client is quickly promoting use online banking for daily transactions. The new focus of the banks today is, that the branch be a place of a wide range of solutions like customer assistance kiosks, telebanking, remote electronic banking and ATMs, not just a high cost transaction hub. New Marketing Opportunities: The new technology and its products are expensive, therefore, banks need to utilize better and do more with the new technology than to just provide information and solutions. Banks have to also market and sell financial commitment products, insurance coverage to get a better come back on this investment. Telebanking can bring financial solutions to the home, especially if they are cost-effective screen mobile phones. By realizing how much interest the client conveys, the bank can market stock and insurance quotations. Interactive clips are a new technology innovation that banks can market their products with, and to maintain personal contact with the client while still decreasing the cost of services. An expert worker is not required in each branch with the interactive video, open brokerage accounts, complex life insurance products, personalized product cases can be accessible were required. The interactive video clips will be cost effective. For banks, the internet is an unique way to reach to customers outside the normal consumer base of a division. Banks need to stay conscious of the customers need for new solutions and strategies and make them available before others do. Question 3: The authors argue that certain theories and concepts used to key for competitive advantage in the traditional business environments are no longer important in this new era of internet dominant environment. Explain. (500 words). As a result of the advent of Internet technology, larger banks no longer gain an advantage based on the economics of scale that they were able to achieve in the past. Physical size and bureaucratic organizational structure can mean high operating costs. as well as inefficient and limited degrees of flexibility. Traditionally, lack of money has acted as a barrier to entry into any particular market (Porter, 1979). This has been especially true in the banking sector. Today, raising finance is perhaps the least difficult task facing an organization. Investors recognize that an organizations key asset is not its economies of scale, its past track record, its brand or any or the other trump cards. What investors are interested in and expect is the organizations knowledge. Financial muscle, a large labour force, and a large branch network may seem to have become less important. With the internet banking, bricks, mortar and physical networks are no longer required. Such a shift has substantially lowered the traditional barrier to entry. Internet banking shifts the competitive rules by levelling the playing field of large and small banks and reduces importance of issues such as physical distance and location. In todays banking environment, the processing of large physical branch network is perhaps no longer a serious competitive advantage or primary concern for customer selecting a bank. From gatekeeper to gateway. In the old gatekeeper model the bank functioned as an inhibiting supplier that restricted the customers product choices. Now in the new gateway model, the bank functions as a flexible intermediary that provides access to an entire spectrum of products and delivery channels. In other words, the bank acts as a gateway, and provides its customers with access to value added services with normal services anywhere in the world. Today, Internet increases the bargaining power of buyers. The more products that become standardized and undifferentiated, the lower the switching cost, and hence more power is yielded to buyers. As more new comers are entering the industry, banking customers are facing more alternatives that increases their bargaining power. Following this most of the internet banking services are now free of charge. Internet Banking enable the emergence of new rules of competition. Therefore, the traditional economics of scale benefits are no longer applicable. The internet is fundamentally changing the way banks conduct business. The processing of a large branch network is no longer a sustainable advantage. The banking market is likely to see the emergence of new small banks that use the internet to compete on equal grounds with the financial giants. Over the past several decades one of the most common tactics that organizations have adopted to sustain competitive advantage has been to establish a set of proprietary standards that keeps their customers from their suppliers and competition. Unfortunately, proprietary standards and the internets open -system architecture are contradictory in nature. The investment that banks have made in developing their own proprietary software to manage user interface is perhaps turning from an asset to a liability as the internet becomes a universal channel for information access. Question 4: Select a bank in your home country and answer the following: (800 words). Using Porters Five Forces model, discuss its competitive environment, Citibank is a U.S. based commercial bank, it was first incorporated in 1812 as the City Bank of New York. Citibank is headquartered in Las Vegas, Nevada, US. The bank offers mortgage lending, consumer finance, retail banking service and products, investment banking, trade finance, cash management, commercial banking and e-commerce services and products, and private financing services and products. Citigroup, Inc is the parent company of Citibank. It provides credit cards, deposit accounts and loans to consumers and small companies, and uses its parent companys depth of financial solutions by also offering investment and insurance products. The bank mainly operates in America, UK, Asia, Middle East, and Africa including the Japan, US, Hong Kong, China, India, Singapore and the Philippines Porters Five force Model: Availability of Substitutes Replacement of one product with another one increases the competition within an market. It is hard to find an ideal alternatives of banks, the most ideal substitute of banking services are not available but they have a choice to choose between making an investment and preserving their cash. The individual can save their cash at their home or in Nationwide saving centers. The individuals can also invest their cash in stock market. Rivalry among existing firms There are lots of opponents among various banks. There are a wide range of public and personal banks which are offering products and service on competitive prices. Rak bank was granted as the best bank for the year. There are several other IslÄ mic banks which are recommended by the people there. NBAD, HSBC, RAK Bank, Loyalds TSB bank, Dubai Bank, RBS etc are the few opponents of Citibank. The lots of opponents among these banks gives rise to the difficulties which the opponent bank have to face. The opponents among various banks improves the changing of the clients from one bankss product to the other. Threat of new entrants The banking industry of any nation has always possibilities of growth and competition, so many new banks get in and out of the market. Mostly banks step in the developing nations for growing their divisions. But as global economic recession recently, the risk of new newcomers is limited. Power of buyer Bargaining power of a client is low where the products alternatives are not available and clients are more in number. In case of banks there are lots of other banking intermediaries and banks, having wide assortment, so power of buyer in banking industry is high. The bank can not force any client to buy the preferred product because this directly impacts its reputation, but can persuade its clients by providing them special rewards or discounts. Bargaining power of suppliers Banks have previously acted as suppliers. However, in this new internet banking World, the business model has changed dramatically. Banks are no longer need suppliers, but are the suppliers to the financial products. So there is no bargaining power of the suppliers. There are no suppliers in the banking industry. How the internet impacts it competitive position and These are the effects of the internet: The tremendous challenge that all competitors are experiencing in the banking market. The different systems for the different customers such as International organizations, small-medium businesses and personal customers were challenging more innovative e-business alternatives according with the improving use of the internet. Different providers coming into with new alliances. The new marketplaces that are possibly Citibanks alliances. The alternative products such as local financial, heritage system and technology organizations. how it has continued to preserve its competitive position. Citibank highlight on client care instead of the price, client satisfaction was targeted on the support, technological innovation and reaction time providing assurance to the customers in the form the business was done. The good client support and goods and services are the reasons why Citibank is able to keep its identification and commitment throughout the world. Citibank used many technological innovation to get more customers pleased such as ATMs, phone collections, and the digital system of expenses which is a secure business transaction from the client. Another difference Citibank done was the affordable costs of its products or to match their competitors costs to give affordable costs for the different services and goods. Competitive advantages Lower costs for its solutions and products Multiple ways to access the account for the customers Secure transaction and operations over the internet