Bureaucracy Report Card

In certain parts of the world, the bureaucracy or certain government agencies are being given feedback by their clients, more specifically the citizens, through a report card. The said report card seeks to provide a picture of the performance exhibited by the public servants, and the bureaucracy in general, based on a number of facets that needs to be considered but mostly depends on their experience of the service rendered to them. However, there are certain limitations that this grading system poses.It has the tendency to provide a greater sphere of power to the society due to the fact that they are given a very powerful tool through which they can serve as the indicators or trends. If it could be as easy to remove a public servant through the report card given to them by the public, it is feared that continuity within the bureaucracy is disturbed with the constant changes brought about by the grades given by the citizens. This happens, if and only if, it will serve as the sole bas is for termination or would have a greater weight among other things.In light of such, it also means that the security of tenure provided for several bureaucrats that is based on the intention to establish a rational organization based on merit would also be affected. If such is to be implemented, there should be safeguards established in order to achieve its goal of gathering objective feedbacks from the people. It has been successfully implemented for different agencies and relevant studies of the factors that contribute towards it success should have much bearing on how it is to be considered by different parties.Likewise, the approach should be that the tool is only supplemental to other forms of feedback that could come from other sources such as that which is advocated through a 360-degree feedback. It can be said that the tool of providing a report card for the bureaucrats is helpful but it is to be considered in light of the different amendments that are to be made to fill t he gaps that it currently has.

Boer War Diary Entry from Lord Kitchener

Lord Kitchener – The Boer offensive The Siege of Lady Smith 1899 Shame be brought on Paul Kruger. How dare he bring Boer offensives into British held Colony areas. This has caused trouble and now it has been declared that the British are fighting in war, another war in which we shall not lose! The Boer may have mobility but what they lack is the key to British troops fighting, order. My men, have mastered order and with the equiptment supplied we are sure to win this battle.The origins of this conflict would have had to begun with Paul Krugers Ultimatum, if no such order for British troops to leave Natal was placed, there would never have been an outbreak. Those flithy Boers do not have the right to attempt to claim Natal or Cape Colony, these are rightfully owned British lands! But since we are already in this mess, we must fight for what is rightfully ours.In June I dispatched a total of 15,000 troops to Natal in order to protect and defend the Colony until reinforcements co uld be mobilized and sent to South Africa. The Boers attempts at trying to Siege us have caused us greatly. Supplies are now growing scarce my English men are running low on supplies and many of the civilians are dying of hunger. It is a sign that the battle may not end well. The Boers, the disgusting fighters had cut the railway link to Durban.I have great faith in my Lieutenant General Sir George White and believe that he can pull through to come and succeed to win the battle. His tatics have definitely been proven to be highly ranked and considered one of the best. For now all I can do is sit and write. I pray for my men to break through the siege and come out on top, I fear that many of the troops moral have faded and are giving up, but I aspire to reign and concer the Boers. For now I must be patient, wait and keep the flag flying.

Kant VS Mill

Immanuel Kant was born in April 1724 to a craftsman named Johann George Kant and Anna Regina Porter (Bennagen, 2000). He was trained more in Latin and Religion subjects as compared with science and mathematics consequently forming his concepts and ideas with regards to moral philosophy technically referred to as ‘deontology’ which actually reiterates that an act should only be carried out based on the an individuals’ responsibilities (Bennagen, 2000).John Stuart MillJohn Stuart Mill was born in May 1906 to Harriet Barrow and a well known philosopher, James Mill (Bennagen, 2000). Being exposed to Greek when he was only three years old, Latin when he was eight, he was extremely brilliant, so intelligent that he acquired Greek Literature, Philosophy, Chemistry, Botany, Psychology and law before he turned eighteen years old (Bennagen, 2000).Furthermore, he is accountable for systematically putting together the utilitarian thoughts/concepts/ideas of his father and his father’s friend Jeremy Bentham (Bennagen, 2000). This is where Jeremy Bentham argues and reiterates that actions are correct only if they are inclined to bring into being the utmost happiness for the greatest number of people (Bennagen, 2000). This is simply because advocates of utilitarianism believe that happiness is the main criteria for doing something right or wrong, meaning if something is done and pleasure resulted from it then it is right, however, if pain was brought about from it then surely, it is wrong (Bennagen, 2000).Major Similarities in their Ethical SystemImmanuel Kant and John Stuart Mill’ ethical systems have similarities and these are the following:In act utilitarianism, laws are not taken into consideration as long as the act is said to have brought about happiness to most individuals then it is right (Bennagen, 2000). The same is true with deontology wherein duty is the basis for a right act which means that even if it means breaking the law just as long as the responsibility is fulfilled then the act is definitely right (Bennagen, 2000).  In addition, both cannot always be utilized as a guide to morals (Bennagen, 2000). There are several cases where a decision made based on utilitarianism or deontology fails (Bennagen, 2000).Major Differences in their Ethical SystemThere are differences between the ethical systems of Immanuel Kant and John Stuart Mill and some of these are the following:In terms of goal, Immanuel Kant’s deontological theory’s goal is to fulfill a certain duty, whereas, John Stuart Mill’s utilitarianism’s goal is to achieve happiness (Bennagen, 2000). This is clearly evident in the definition of the deontological theory which says that individuals ought to stick to their responsibilities in evaluating a moral quandary (Bennagen, 2000). Same is true with the technical definition of utilitarianism where it states that, in an assessment of an ethical issue, the alternative that wil l result in the greatest happiness to the most number of people is the option that is ethically right (Bennagen, 2000).Also, rule utilitarianism considers the law and fairness in finally making an act which is said to be right (Bennagen, 2000). Here, an individual who is about to make an act seriously thinks about making the most number of individuals experience pleasure through fair and just means (Bennagen, 2000). Furthermore, it gives importance to justice, as well as, beneficence (Bennagen, 2000). By justice here, we mean, that everyone involved in the situation are treated fairly, on the other hand, by beneficence, we mean, doing what is good, in opposition to what is evil (Bennagen, 2000). The aforementioned defies deontology in such a way that it does not involve justice and beneficence in it, rather it only focuses on fulfilling the ‘duty’, whether or not it is fair or just to everybody involved (Bennagen, 2000).Major Criticisms for Kant’s TheoryThere are also criticisms for Kant’s Theory and some of these are the following:First of all, since deontology is all about sticking to responsibilities, its rationale or logic is being questioned for it (Bennagen, 2000). For instance, how will individual duties would be defined (Bennagen, 2000)? If for example, if personally I consider my family as my first priority every time and it so happened that I am being called by my supervisor for an urgent or emergency meeting, would it be considered not doing my duty if I go to this emergency meeting that my supervisor has ordered (Bennagen, 2000). Another example is the fact that, citizens have to maintain a certain driving speed, however, an individual is running late for a qualifying exam in medicine, which is a make or break exam for him, would it be considered as not doing his duty if he went a little speedy just to make it to his exam, which is a personal duty for him in the first place. Very clearly, through the aforementioned exampl es, there are no limits or boundaries to this so called duty making it critical, even questionable, as an ethical theory (Bennagen, 2000).Secondly, obviously it is not extremely useful or helpful in making decisions since it is not applicable in all situations, as seen in the examples above (Bennagen, 2000).Last but not least, it is also being criticized because of its self-centeredness simply because it does not really consider the well-being of others (Bennagen, 2000). Going back to the aforementioned examples, it shows that deontology tends to take a certain side wherein the other side not chosen is left unprotected in terms of its welfare (Bennagen, 2000).Major Criticisms for Mills’ TheoryThe criticisms for utilitarianism include the following:First of all, in making a decision using the utilitarianism, it does not always achieve its goal of the experience of the utmost number of people of the greatest pleasure (Bennagen, 2000). If the head of the family decide to unleash his dog in his yard at night to make sure that no one will jump over his fence and to make sure untoward incidences in his home are avoided which may consequently hurt his family, but unfortunately the dog got out of his yard and went over the neighbor’s yard and destroyed the flowers in the garden (Bennagen, 2000)? This means that instead of his family being happy being they were well guarded, other people were terribly disappointed, disturbed, and definitely did not experience happiness as should be the outcome of utilizing utilitarianism as a technique in making ethical decisions (Bennagen, 2000).Secondly, many people criticize utilitarianism for its inadequacy of common sense (Bennagen, 2000). For example, would you give up the one you really love just because your best friend loves him too and for the reason that your family does not like him for you (Bennagen, 2000)? Your best friend will turn out happy and so will your family which complies with the technical definiti on of utilitarianism involving utmost happiness experienced by the greatest number of individuals (Bennagen, 2000). The questions however are ‘what about you’, ‘where is the common sense in that’, and ‘is selflessness common sense’ (Bennagen, 2000)?Thirdly, happiness is undefined here in utilitarianism (Bennagen, 2000). For example, a customer service representative at a certain company has been reported to be sleeping on the job (Bennagen, 2000). Utilizing utilitarianism, the act has been carried out: 1) to correct the mistake of the customer service representative; 2) to serve better more consumers; and 3) to improve the company’s services and be appreciated by more clients (Bennagen, 2000). This may result in happiness for the consumers and the management; however typically, this will not bring in pleasure to the customer service representative being complained about (Bennagen, 2006). This only proves that an act may not always bring in happiness through the use of utilitarianism in carrying out an act (Bennagen, 2000).Last but not least, utilitarianism is being questioned because it violates human rights (Bennagen, 2000). For example, if a Bill is submitted by a minority group leader to be passed as a Law, and will not qualify as a Law simply because majority did not vote for it, then this may jeopardize the rights and happiness of the so called minority groups (Bennagen, 2000). This then may also be justified as an act which is right since happiness is being experienced by the most number of individuals though several people are suffering as well (Bennagen, 2000).ReferenceBennagen, P. (2000). Social Economic and Political Thought. Quezon City: UPOU

Argumentive Eassy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Argumentive Eassy - Essay Example Social networking sites, such as Facebook and Myspace, have become the most modern and the most common methods of communication between people, especially for teenagers. While teenagers appreciate the ease in which they are able to communicate with friends and family members, there are many concerns in regard to this newer form of communication. Social networking sites are harming the social skills of teenagers, keeping them from other aspects of their lives, and have proven to be dangerous to their lives and well-beings. With all of these aspects combined, many parents have come to believe that social networking websites are harmful to teenagers. While many people, teenagers especially, believe that Facebook and Myspace are considered to be social networking sites, there are still others, consisting of mainly parents, that feel that social networking is an oxymoron. Through these social websites, teenagers are able to keep in touch with friends, family members, and teachers, as well as being able to meet new people through the many communities via these networking sites. However, the more that teenagers depend on these websites to communicate with others, the less time they seem to spend with friends and family outside of their web-driven social lives. The days of talking on the phone or going to a friend’s house have long since gone with the introduction of these simple communicative tools, making having a social life more convenient to teenagers of this generation. A social life nowadays usually consists of friends meeting each other in various chat rooms or forums on social networking websites to talk. The biggest fear here is that teenagers growing up in this digital generation and putting too much dependency on these websites will begin to lose real social skills, as their methods are now centering more around a computer instead of face-to-face communication, or even a conversation taking place

Diversity in the Workplace Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Diversity in the Workplace - Research Paper Example Examples of such high power distances are found in countries like Spain, South America, Italy, Africa, Mexico and the European countries having a predominantly Latin population. The relationships between individuals working in the same organization are known as individualism – collectivism. According to Hofstede, a rich and developed nation gives more emphasis to the individual manner of its people and a poor and underdeveloped nation believes in dwelling in a collective manner. The third reference found by Hofstede, is that of the prejudices made on the criterion of genders. He explains this as the emphasis provided by a particular culture on gender equality and terms it as masculineness – womanhood. A male dominated society has clearly demarcated roles of woman and man. Such cultures are seen in countries like Italy, Greece, Venezuela, Switzerland and Japan. This is not the case in cultures which are predominantly feminine in nature. Here such roles can be interchange d and there exists greater equality and integration between both sexes. Such cultures are dominant in countries like Finland, Denmark, Netherlands and Sweden (Hofstede, 1996). The fear of the unknown is termed by Hofstede as the control of the incertitude. This fear is far more dominant in cultures which has a greater need for planning, order and security and can be viewed in countries like Greece, Japan, France, Belgium and Portugal. The fear of the unknown is far less in developed nations like United Kingdom, Sweden, United States of America and Denmark. Depending on the constraints of time which can be further divided into long and short, the factor of Confucianism – dynamism has been provided by Hosstede (Lynch, 2002). The societies which are the forbearers of Confucianism, advocate...International Business Machines or IBM displays a diverse and talented manpower. Getting the full advantage out of diversity is one of the primary aims of this multinational firm as it belie ves that diversity leads to obtaining competitive edge over rivals. One of the main functions of this organization’s focus on diversity in workforce is its promise to provide the same opportunities to all individuals (IBM, 2012). By IBM terms, diversity means that individual discrepancies are expected, encouraged and revered so that every personnel in order to enhance productivity, achievement and innovation. The main goal of this organization is to form and preserve a culture which makes personnel valued and welcomed to this firm by maximizing the best use of varied talents and make IBM as the organization of choice to its customers and workforce. Currently IBM is focusing on the below mentioned diverse networking clusters. a) Disabled people – This is an association of disabled personnel and has strong links with the wider groups and is one of the most active clusters in IBM. b) Flexibility – This is another set up which actively finds personnel open to job sharing, part time or other supple working choices. c) Women in technology – Another association aiming to encourage and bear the development, growth, recognition and advancement of IBM’s current female workforce in the technical area. d) In order to emphasize multiculturalism, IBM has especially come out with a cultural diversity group.

Complete case brief of Nix v. Williams Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Complete brief of Nix v. Williams - Case Study Example During the trial of Williams, the court held that, even in the case that Williams had not made the informative statements to the officer; the body would have been recovered and used as evidence against him (Nix). Procedural History The defendant, Mr. Williams was a mental patient on the loose. Williams abducted and murdered Pamela Powers, a ten-year-old girl from a YMCA on the 24th of December 1968 (Nix). After two days, he went to the police, at another county – making the condition that he was not to be questioned during the process of moving him back to Urbandale. One of the detectives started a conversation with him, and suggested to him that he needed to reveal the location where he had left the dead body, before an anticipated snowfall took place (Nix). He agreed to the proposal, and the directions he gave led the detectives to the recovery of the body (McInnis 397-446). After the recovery of the body, Williams was convicted for the crime, but based on Brewer v. Williams (1977), the Supreme Court held that there had been a violation of William’s right to counsel, like it was directed during the case of Massiah v. United States (1964). For that reason, his conviction was reversed. However, Justice Potter Stewart’s opinion pointed out that the evidence collected from Williams could be used during a trial, in a constitutional manner (Nix). Following the opinion, Williams was offered another trial, during which the attorneys responsible of his case moved a motion suppressing the evidence-bases collected through the interrogation by the detectives. Legal Issues The legal issues to be determined through the case included whether, evidence leading to an arrest could be exempted from case proceedings, based on the grounds that it had been obtained improperly. Decision of the Court The court, based on the inevitable discovery doctrine, held that the evidence (body) would have still been recovered within a short span. Therefore, the method â₠¬â€œ through which the information leading to the recovery – was collected was not relevant; therefore the evidence was admitted as evidence against the defendant. The dissent to the case, by Justice Brennan, maintained that the inevitable discovery doctrine bases its considerations on a hypothetical case, where the supposed evidence may or may not have been recovered; therefore, regarding that it was recovered through illegal means, it remained unconstitutionally collected (McInnis 397-446). Legal Analysis The main reason as to why the exclusionary rule was extended to the evidence collected through illegal police conduct was that, the channel taken was enough grounds to stop the police from violating statutory and constitutional protections, without allowing guilty people to go unpunished. Based on the rationale, the prosecution was not to be offered more advantages, than its case would have been, in the case that the evidence had not been collected through an illegal cours e (McInnis 397-446). However, by contrast, the judges resorted to the independent source doctrine, which allows for the admission of evidence, which has been gathered through means that are independent of the constitutional violation. Despite the fact that the independent source rule did not apply to the case, the rationale derived from it was consistent and offered justification to the adoption of the inevitable discovery rule, to the exclusionary doctrine. In the case that

Creativity in young children Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Creativity in young children - Essay Example The active imaginings of young kids are exceedingly developed and regularly utilized within creativity. Imaginings comes to life as revolutions evolve within play. An early infantile classroom is supposed to encompass opportunities for kids to see and feel beautiful things to offer the inducement for artistic development. Philosophies and models can offer additional ways to comprehend creativity. For instance, the psychoanalytic theory asserts that creativity was the outcome of an involuntary battle between the sensual urges of the individual and the effects of the social principles (superego). Behavioral philosophers have confidence in the significance of support (reward) within scholarship responses to specific stimuli. The humanistic concept states that the creative individual is seen as a self-actualized being who utilizes her abilities to develop into a fully operational and psychologically healthy individual. The constructivist notion concentrates on the expansion of reasoning, and that people are active partakers in the creation of their individual knowledge. Additionally, the social constructivist philosophy is constructed on the conviction that knowledge is too composite to be studied within a vacuum. In its place, it is supposed to be studied within the societal and historical framework wit hin which it takes place. (Isbell & Raines, 2013) Creativity is a fragment of the evolving progression via brain development, affective development, which is the thinking procedure, and holistic progress. The practice is affected by the distinctive characteristics that develop from every child. The environment within which the kid resides interacts with specific abilities to create even more distinctions. Consequently, the child has an impact on his surroundings and, in turn, the surroundings affect the kid. The environment contains of individuals, places, objects, along with

Self-Disclosure, Gender, and Communication Essay - 2

Self-Disclosure, Gender, and Communication - Essay Example This can be done verbally, writing and even sign language. As long as information has been conveyed from one person to another, this is considered communication (Derlega & Berg, 1987). The above defined terms are relevant to one if they are to use during interactions and relations to other individuals in the society. For example, close relationships existing between a man and woman will have fewer arguments if they communicate properly and open up to each other by expressing their emotions and thoughts. I have read the article, â€Å"Shared Talking Styles Herald New and Lasting Romance† and I admit that I was fascinated by the information presented. Each time I read the article, I understood it better. This article suggests that individuals who are conversationally aligned are most likely to pair up. In speed dating, pairs who had the same language style agreed to meet again afterwards. From the article, ‘Critique of shared talking styles’, experts suggests that a large portion of the message conveyed from one individual to another is not contained in the words used, but instead in the vocal elements. The vocal elements include tone of voice, accent, speed, volume and inflection. This has made me understand why I sometimes felt angry or sad after having a conversation with my girlfriend. At that time, I could not comprehend why I felt sad even though she did not say any offending word. After reading the article, I understood that non verbal communication is also noteworthy (Giri, 2004). I think the article gives detailed means of communication between two people. For example, it is true that women usually have an emotional tone and mannerism in a conversation that increases their chances of being liked. This information should be made available either as books or websites for other people to read. This will change the way people communicate and relate to either their friends or lovers (Bowers, 2010, p. 1). The writer also makes me

ERITREAN REFUGEES Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

ERITREAN REFUGEES - Essay Example The vested interest of the world powers were in supporting the actions of Ethiopia therefore the voice of Eritrea received no attention. The war of liberation against Ethiopia started which lasted for 30 years. Former USSR also involved in the war when Ethiopian regime was changed in 1974. The situation further deteriorated in 1984 due to famine. In 1991 Eritrean People's Liberation Front defeated Ethiopian army and formed government. During war of liberation the first wave of refugees fled to Sudan in 1950’s when USA assisted Ethiopia. The second wave again fled to Sudan in 1974 when former USSR started its assistance to the changed regime in Ethiopia. The last major movement was in 1984 when famine forced Eritrean population to leave their homeland. The flow of refugee is still on due to the oppressive policies of current Eritrean government. The majority of such refugees take shelter in neighboring Ethiopia. Eritrean refugees have taken shelter in different countries. Major ity of them are in Sudan but they are also taking shelter in Libya, Egypt and Ethiopia. Along with them there are IDPs also within border of Eritrea. The condition of all these refugees and IDPs is a big challenge for humanity.

The Myocardial Infarction Case Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

The Myocardial Infarction Case - Essay Example Four pieces of assessment data The key pieces of assessment data include: the elevation of serum cardiac troponin levels (cTnT) diagnosed by collecting and testing of the blood; breathlessness, diagnosed by the observation of shortness of breath; appearing pale and tired, diagnosed by observing the patients feeling; patient feeling tired, fatigued, weak and nausea; the detection of heart sound S3 with no adventitious lung sounds or peripheral oedema; and prior history of heart failure as diagnosed by her doctor earlier; and the data of the 12- lead ECG which shows 2mm elevation in anterior leads of V1-V4 with the Q waves in inferior leads 11, 11 and a VF. McCaffery does not complain of chest pain, which is a symptom of acute myocardial infarction the reason for not having chest pain stems from her age and that she is diabetic. Davidson (2008) states that old and diabetic patients experience silent or non-pain myocardial infarction. Pathophysiology of the data pieces of assessment The pathophysiology of the Electrocardiograph (ECG) and the elevation of serum cardiac troponin (TP) piece data. ...he changes in plasma concentration of these markers bring out the diagnostic value; however, confusion may arise for the diagnoses of Angina which when damaged does produce troponins. The difference is that angina with minimal myocardial damage releases troponins to a minor degree. Electrocardiography (ECG) is difficult to interpret unless there exists a previous evidence of myocardial infarction. The first change is the serum troponin elevation followed by a diminution of the size of R wave and an occurrence of infarction of a Q wave develops. The Q wave develops because the myocardial infarct acts as an electrical window that transmits the changes from within the ventricular cavity to allow the electrocardiography (ECG) to see the reciprocal R wave from the walls of the ventricle (Hutchison’s, 2007). Therefore, McCaffery’s 12 lead show 2mm segment elevatio n with leads v1-v4 with the Q wave reciprocal changes of 11, 111, and a VF which leads to no other conclusion but to that of myocardial infarction. Electrocardiography recorded from a 70- year old man who had an acute infarct 2 days ago and had treatment for myocardial infarction 11 months before showed Q waves in the inferior leads (11, 111, and a VF) and serum troponin (ST) elevation on the anterior leads (1 and V2-V6) (Davidson’s, 2008). This diagnosis resembles that of McCaffery so it can rightly be inferred that McCaffery is suffering from myocardial infarction. The other reason for the pathophysiology of the electrocardiography is that one cannot rely on these results unless there is a prior diagnosis of myocardial infarction. This is overcome by the fact that, McCaffery was diagnosed with heart failure by her doctor and drugs prescribed.

Teams in organizations Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Teams in organizations - Essay Example Cross-functional teams include employees from different work areas who come together to complete a particular task. Such teams are usually effective in bringing people from various specialties and diverse areas together. Virtual teams rely on technology to bring together physically dispersed members to accomplish a task. The technologies allow members to collaborate online even when they are physically separated (Daria, 2015). Teams are important in organizations because they bring together member from diverse backgrounds and experiences hence wider points of view. The diversity in teams enhances decision-making, performance, and productivity. Teamwork ensures that tasks can be done faster and efficiently because many people are involved. However, there are some disadvantages of using teams in organizations. Conflicts may arise within teams because of individual difference and affect the organization. Communication may also be problematic due to diverse backgrounds and experiences of members hence lower productivity. Teams can also suppress individual creativity and thinking. The most effective teams within my organization are the cross-functional and self-managed teams. The diversity within cross-functional teams allows people from diverse specialties to exchange information, develop ideas and solve problems. Such teams are effective because early coordination among various specialties enhances innovation, speed, and quality. According to Kozlowski & Bell (2001), the ability of self-managed teams to work on their own without supervision increases their efficiency (p.

Social and Developmental Essay Example for Free

Social and Developmental Essay Psychodynamic theories of personality have impacted greatly on the Developmental Psychology of today. They originated with the work of Sigmund Freud in the later part of the nineteenth and beginning of the 18th century. Freud, Jung, Erickson and Fromm all focussed on the unconscious mind and the effects of early childhood experiences on the development of personality. Freuds psychosexual model is based on 5 stages with the first five years of life being most crucial to development of personality. Erikson proposed an 8 stage psychosocial plan, which placed importance on the whole lifespan, arguing that development does not cease at a certain age. According to Hayes (2000) both Freud and Jung argued that personality was set by childhood experiences and was due partly to maturation and partly to the influences of close family. Fromm on the other hand recognised both factors as well as acknowledging society as a third factor in the formation of personality. A more current view based on both the psychoanalytical and biological approaches is that of Bowlby (1969) who studied attachment in children. His Affective perspective concentrates on emotional development and has had an impact how children are cared for whilst away from their central carer for example whilst in childcare or hospital. Genetic and Biological explanations propose that each individual is born with genetically determined characteristic patterns of personality. Studies of twins show that identical twins brought up apart share much more in common than fraternal twins. The Minnesota twin study, (Bouchard, 1984 as cited by Bee 2000 p266) not only demonstrated this point, but also uncovered striking similarities in aspects such as taste in clothes, hobbies and interests, posture, body language etc. in identical twins who had never met each other. The biological approach to personality is strongly supported by a large amount of empirical research and as such is difficult to dispute. As Bee (2000) explains there is simply no refuting the fact that built-in genetic and physiological patterns underlie what we think of as both temperament and personality. (Bee 2000 p269) Some studies show that as much as 60% of our personality is genetically determined. A further strength in the biological explanation is that it is interactionist, thereby acknowledging the role of the environment in addition to the biological factors. The biological approach has one main weakness in that it does not account for change as temperament is not necessarily permanent.

Criminal Law on Omission | Summary

Criminal Law on Omission | Summary The general position in criminal law is that a person cannot be held to be liable for failing to act, unlike someone who deliberately acts. This position is stated by May LJ in R v Miller 1 as unless a duty has been specified by statute or the common law imposes a duty to act in a certain way, then a mere omission to act with nothing more cannot make the person who fails to do something guilty of a criminal offence. However, there are particular categories where liability for an omission can accrue, which will be discussed below, together with various legal academic views either for or against the imposition of a broader form of liability for omissions. Examples of statutes containing terms which provide that a person is guilty if a consequence occurs for either an act or an omission include section 85 of the Water Resources Act 1991, which states that a person is guilty if he causes or knowingly permits a poisonous or noxious substance to enter controlled waters. The Law Commission in its Draft Criminal Code of 1989 states that death caused by such an offence can be caused by an omission 2. In common law, certain obligations have lead to statutory enactments. An example is R v Gibbins and Proctor 3, in which a man and his cohabiting partner deliberately withheld food from the child for whom they had responsibility for, and were held guilty of murder 4. The trial judge found that the couple did so with the wilful and deliberate intention to weaken and cause her grievous injury 5. uch cases have led to section 1 of the Children and Young Persons Act 1933, the definition of which includes neglect and abandonment as well as assault and ill-treatment for a person with custody or care of the child (wider than just natural parents) to be found guilty of a misdemeanour. The qualification of this rule is where the parents or carers take appropriate action to avoid this duty, such as putting into children into foster care. The first important category to consider involves duties arising from a contractual duty. Examples include R v Haines 6, where the ground bailiff failed to ensure proper ventilation of the mine, and the court held that is a person was killed as a result of this failure, he could be held guilty of manslaughter by omission. The test was whether a person using reasonable diligence would have carried out his duty. Cultural Policies for Canada: Film and Video Cultural Policies for Canada: Film and Video Canadian cultural policy Introduction Cultural policy is an act through which a federal government takes measures to encourage or guard activities in areas distinct as cultural. Culture is a wide phenomenon that is associated with vast concepts that include art, law, morals and other capabilities and habits that man has embraced as a member or as part of the society (Jackson Lemieux, 1999, p, 1). Communication also referred to as a mass culture falls under the wide philosophy of culture because mass communication is the latest trend in the modern society (Marsh Harvey, 2006, p, 1). This report will analyze overview of Canadian cultural policies and the country’s film and video cultural policies. More so, the report will outline whether or not the applied film and cultural policies have yielded the needed effects and the alternative measures as recommendations. Overview of Canadian cultural policies Historically, Canadian cultural policies emerged from the overpowering presence of the United States (Jackson Lemieux, 1999, p, 1). Canada demographically borders United States; thus, explaining the reason for the influence that brought in foreign culture and Canadian second language (Marsh Harvey, 2006, p, 1). Prior to culture and language influence, Canadian cultural marketplace is also unbalanced because the Canadians are ardent consumers of American language and culture (Foote, 2011, p, 1). The most hit cultural market is mass communication, where products like books and films available and sold in Canada are produced outside the country for foreign markets; thus, the revenues collected from such sales flow outside Canada (Marsh Harvey, 2006, p, 1). Statistical survey claims that foreign firms account for 46% of domestic book sales, 84% in sound recording industry, 81% magazines edited in English language and 98% of Canadian screen time through movie theatres (Marsh Harvey, 2 006, p, 1). With such inversion from foreign products, Canadian producers have an extremely limited access to their own market (Jackson Lemieux, 1999, p, 1). This practice of open border democracy has become a big challenge for Canada in terms of developing its own heritage, art and cultural industries. Canadian film and video policy In order to curb the aforementioned inversion of the film and production industry, the Canadian government has implemented policies with the aid of agencies that looks forward to protect and enhance its film and production industry (Vallerand, 2013, P, 10). Among the major government agencies is the Department of Canadian Heritage, which oversees the federal audiovisual policy and program activities (Jackson Lemieux, 1999, p, 1). The heritage department ensures that there is a balanced supply chain from inventor to the citizen with an aim of enhancing availability and accessibility of mass products like films to all Canadians audiences. More so, this department takes positive approaches to technological change in order to gain the presented benefits offered by technological advancement (Vallerand, 2013, P, 10). Additionally, the department develops and expands global markets with an aim of sharing Canadian talent and culture with the entire world. The other major step utilized by the Canadian film and video industry is establishing the Canada feature film fund that aims at raising over $97 million between 2010 and 2011 respectively (Vallerand, 2013, P, 12). The objective of this funding is to increase the number of Canadian audiences in theatres for Canadian feature films. More so, the program looks forward to support productions in diverse varieties as well as support established corporations and upcoming talent and above all, create audiences for Canadian productions both globally and within Canada. Prior to the department of Canadian heritage, other government agencies contribute in different areas in support of Canadian film and visual industry. Among these agencies is the National Film Board of Canada (NFB) (Vallerand, 2013, P, 12). This government agency caters for 100% of the production cost and provides mentorship and technical assistance through Filmmaker Support Programs for both the already established and emerging independent filmmakers. Therefore, this agency supports the industry financially and practically by ensuring that the created films are inventive in form and content. On the other hand, Canadian Audio Visual Certification Office (CAVCO) and the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) are two agencies whose major objectives are to certify the eligibility of film production companies as well as taxing them (Vallerand, 2013, P, 13). Canada’s Policy on Audiovisual Treaty Coproduction is another agency that aims at encouraging both foreign and Canadian producers. The reason behind the encouragement is to pool producers’ creativity, technical ability and financial resources in order to allow them acquire domestic status in their respective countries (Vallerand, 2013, P, 14). With the help of this agency, Canada has currently signed 53 such joint treaties. In addition, Canada has produced approximately 700 film and television programs that granted a total budget production of $4.9 billion (Globerman, 1991, p, 1). Additionally, the National Film Board of Canada is an additional agency responsible for producing and distributing social-issue documentaries and other digital content that provide the world with an exclusive Canadian perspective. On another note, Telefilm Canada is an agency that governs Canada Feature Film Fund as well as marketing and promoting the audiovisual industry and the Canadian feature film. Lastly, the Canadian radio television and telecommunications commission (CRTC) aids in supervising and regulating the Canadian broadcasting and telecommunications systems that currently exceed over 2000 broadcasters (Vallerand, 2013, P, 14) The presence of the aforementioned government and independent agencies in Canada has greatly aided in enhancing the film and video industry in vast ways. Moreover, the policies and regulations that these agencies inflict has ensured that Canada have had the potential to produce and sell its films both within Canada and globally (Jackson Lemieux, 1999, p, 1). These policies have also ensured foreign content do not invade and dominate the Canadian market. Irrespective of the positive outcomes exhibited by agencies and their policies, the Canadian film and video industry seem to lag behind in terms of popularity in the global film market (Globerman, 1991, p, 1). With the presence and influence of the neighboring United States, one would expect Canadian film industry to be among the renowned film producers. However, this is not the case because the Canadian film industry still exhibits numerous challenges that will need comprehensive review in terms of talent and foreign market inventio n (Globerman, 1991, p, 1).This could be the needed intervention because Canada posses the required equipments and financial resources (Foote, 2011, p, 1). Therefore, Canadian film and video policies are effective and they have positively affected the entire industry. Nevertheless, the concerned parties from the industry should cultivate other means that include collaboration with Hollywood counterparts in order to advance its industry towards the needed limelight (Globerman, 1991, p, 1). References Foote, J. (2011). Historical Perspective: Cultural Policies and Instruments. Compendium, Cultural Policies and Trends in Europe. Globerman, S. (1991). Foreign Ownership of Feature Film Distribution and the Canadian Film Industry. Simon Fraser University. Canadian Journal of Communication, 16(2). Jackson, J. Lemieux, R. (1999). The Arts and Canada’s Cultural Policy. Parliament of Canada, Political and Social Affairs Division. Marsh, J. Harvey, J. (2006). Cultural Policy. The Canadian Encyclopedia. Vallerand, C. (2013). Coalition for Diversity. Canadian Coalition for Cultural Diversity.

Processing Algorithm For Laser Keyboards Computer Science Essay

Processing Algorithm For Laser Keyboards Computer Science Essay The interface which we use to interact with a computer is a hardware device called the keyboard. There have been drastic changes in the keyboard layouts which have evolved into the designs like those of the DVORAK and QWERTY keyboards. Then came the digital era where almost everything is in the digital form making things simpler to use and smaller in size. As the demand for more computing environments have evolved, new human computer interfaces have been implemented to provide multi-form interactions between users and machines. Nonetheless, the basis for most human to computer interactions remains the traditional keyboard and mouse. Ordinary keyboards are reasonably sized, comfortable and effective. However, they are difficult to carry and often require wiring. To overcome these problems a smaller and more mobile touch typing device has been proposed which does not have any physical support. This device is known as virtual keyboard or zero form factor interface. Introduction In 1999, a proposal was made to use a single tiny sensor to observe the users fingers transforming motions into keystrokes. The main idea was to make a keyboard out of sensors and light, projecting it on desktops, airplane tray tables and any other flat surface. This started a new concept of using a keyboard with a different interface. The virtual keyboard was designed in a way to replace laptops mechanical keyboards, making the devices thinner and lighter. The virtual keyboard is an unbreakable, washable keypad, projected onto a flat surface used in hospital operating rooms, space vehicles and in other computerized environments. Types of Virtual Keyboards 2.1 On Screen keyboard The on-screen keyboard is built in with the windows operating system. This started a revolution of virtual keyboards in this digital era. It allows users with mobility impairments to type data by using a pointing device or joystick. It provides a minimum level of functionality for some people with mobility impairments and also helps users who do not know how to type. It can be used even when there is no external keyboard. It is also referred to sometimes as hot virtual keyboard. A number of advanced features have been enabled to make the on-screen typing easier, faster and more accurate. It lets the users to type accurately and faster by suggesting words based on taps. This technology works similar to the one available in modern mobile phones and communicators, enabling faster and accurate typing by suggesting the correct words after entering a few symbols. This keyboard will be more useful for users of TabletPC, Ultra-mobile PC, PanelPC, CarPC and similar touch-screen devices. The picture below is that of an on-screen keyboard. Figure 1(Tan, D. S., Keyani, P., and Czerwinski, M. 2005) Affordances of On-Screen Keyboard Replacing physical keyboard: The on-screen keyboard is designed in such a way that, it replaces the physical keyboard. The people using the computer systems will find its usage very much helpful. Can do all the work: It functions just like an ordinary keyboard having all the QWERTY keys. It also helps the users from the tedious work of typing. 2.2 Laser Keyboard The laser keyboard actually replaces the traditional keyboard. This can be placed on any kind of flat surface. It can be automatically connected to the nearest device available using the bluetooth technology. It is about the size of a small cellular phone and enables the users to type texts or e-mails as easily as like a ordinary keyboard. It uses a light projection of a full-sized computer keyboard on almost any surface. Used with PDAs and Smart Phones, the virtual keyboard provides a practical way to do e-mail, word processing and spreadsheet tasks, enabling the users to leave laptops and computers at home. The virtual keyboard adaptable technology studies the users finger movements to interpret and record keystrokes. As the virtual keyboard is an image projected by light, it disappears completely when not in use. The picture shown below is that of a laser keyboard. C:Documents and Settingss507046Desktoplaser_keyboard.jpg Figure 2 (Tomasi, C., Rafii, A., and Torunoglu, I. 2003) TECHNICAL ASPECTS: I-Techs opinion was to build everything from scratch. In the process, they designed sensors based on a variety of principles, from the special- purpose structured-light devices called beam trangulators to methods based on the measurement of time and phase1 of returning light pulses invented by Canestas Cyrus Bamji. The main hardware modules used in the architecture of the virtual keyboard are categorized into three modules namely 3-D optical camera, visual feedback and a processing platform. The camera is connected to the platform and to the PC via USB 2.0 interface. Using serial port the feedback communicates with the computer system. The sensors in the camera are designed in such a way that it avoids all other background light. Together, they cost less than a mechanical keyboard, and draw less power than a cell phone. The resulting system feels almost like a mechanical keyboard, even if users feel only the impact of their fingers on the projection surface when typing. The optical system projects the keyboard onto the typing surface; its infrared light source generates an invisible, fan-shaped beam grazing the surface; and its sensing system includes a processing unit. All are in fixed relative positions; no user adjustment is required. The projector is positioned high on the host device. In the simplest sensor, the camera looks down at the typing surface at a shallow angle through a wide lens sensitive only to infrared light. A finger striking the typing surface breaks the infrared beam, thereby becoming visible to the camera. Triangulation then determines the position of the finger on the typing surface. Even with this simple sensor, implementation of the projection keyboard under the constraints of weight, size, power, cost, reliability, and usability has involved formidable technical challenges. Keyboard projection: Most current optical-projection systems mask light to form images at a distance. For instance, in a slide projector, the slide itself blocks part of the light hitting it; the remaining light makes it through the lens and onto the screen, forming the image. This is the basic technique used in the projection of the keyboard on a flat surface. Finger lighting and sensing: When typing, a users useful action occurs in the thin layer of space that separates the hovering and constantly moving fingers from the surface of the keyboard. In a perfect world, an infinitesimally thin sheet of infrared light grazing the typing surface could be used as a trip switch; when a finger intersects the beam, it would also be touching the surface. In this instance, a finger that becomes visible to the camera is a finger that hits a key, and all that is left for the sensor is determining the fingers position by triangulation. Affordances of Laser Keyboard Easy to use: The laser keyboard is very easy to use. It gets connected to an available computer system easily without much effort. Easy to install: It is very easy to install and requires no wiring for it. It uses the Bluetooth technology to get connected to the computer systems. Portable: As it looks like a mobile phone, it is very much portable and is used irrespective of the surface used for typing purposes. It can be used as an ordinary keyboard with adjustable sensors which allow the user to change the size of the keyboard according to his usage. 2.3 Laser Pen Keyboard In the laser pen keyboard the sensors are attached to a device which looks like a pen. The setup also has a projector which displays the keyboard on the screen. When it is integrated with the projector it is merely used as a projecting device which projects just what is being printed on the screen. It can also be connected with a monitor for viewing the display. A picture of the laser pen keyboard is shown below. C:Documents and SettingsS506432DesktopVKBpens5.jpg Figure 3(Retrieved from http://us.gizmodo.com/gadgets/images/laserpen.jpg) Technical interface The sensors in the setup used for projecting the keyboard are the infra red rays. These rays are projected on to a flat surface for better sensing of hovering of the keys. The usage of this keyboard is very convenient as it has no wires to connect. The lithium batteries in the sensors allow us to use this setup continuously for 2 hours of typing. It comes with 63 keys and a full size QWERTY layout which allows the user to be as comfortable as he is with the standard ordinary keyboard. This also has a stylus which allows the users to use the keyboard in a compact area where the resizing of the keyboard becomes a necessity. One of the advantages of using this keyboard is that the size of the keyboard can be altered as per the user. Affordances of Laser Pen Keyboard Simple to use: The setup for the laser pen keyboard is very simple to use. This makes the users to perform tasks in a simpler way. Laser pen keyboard can be connected to any computing device to perform input actions for the device. Connection can be made without using wires or any physical network. Screen Projection: Laser pen keyboard not only has a keyboard projection but also has a screen projection. One pen does the keyboard projection with numbers of keys on keyboard and the other pen does the screen projection which shows the keys which are selected and also actions done on the keyboard. Working of Laser Keyboards: The working of the virtual keyboard consists of five main modules (1) depth map error correction, a camera dependent module based on specific models designed for the range camera, (2) background subtraction, (3) central column estimation, (4) fingertip detection, and (5) keystroke detection. The figure shows the complete working of the basic working implemented in the design of the virtual keyboards. Figure 4(Huan Du, Thierry Oggier, Felix Lustenberger and Edoardo Charbon 2004) A 3D range camera is placed over the input surface with a well-defined angle facing the working area. The size of the working area is limited by the spatial resolution of the camera. The display projector is mounted on the camera which would generate the visual feedback for the keyboard and input information. The camera is adjusted at startup. It assumes the surface as a projection matrix. The keystroke detection is usually done through this projection matrix. This is passed as a map and is processed for error correction. The error correction compensates the errors caused by the unevenness of the surface. The rectified range measurements, combined with gray-scale image, are then subtracted from the reference image. It is then stored as a binary format in the matrix formed. After applying the central column estimation, which is defined as the pixel segments associated with fingers that are good candidates for an event, by searching the local extreme in x-coordinate along the hand boundary, and applying the fingertip detection by extracting features with curve modeling, precise location of fingertips can be found in the hand region. Finally, the keystroke detection is obtained by fitting depth curve applying another feature model, and the corresponding hitting positions are mapped back to the world coordinate system to infer the stricken keys. The updated key status is then sent to visual feedback module to generate refreshed display. The visual feedback module projects a dynamically generated image on to a LCD. When the algorithm used, detects a key-striking event on the surface, an UPDATE command is sent. The command contains the specific key information. It updates the generated display and the user can see the change of keyboard image as a textual or graphical update. The information supplied by the camera allows developing a few simpler and more efficient algorithms to estimate the position of fingertips and to locate the corresponding key. Simplicity and efficiency are key elements to enable real-time and even portable applications. Future and Scope of the Project: Users see this as an emerging technology which helps as an interface to connect to the digital world. Though its use is being restricted to fewer applications now, as users learn more about this, it can be expected that users for this virtual keyboard increase in the near future. However there are a few challenges in this project. The main disadvantage is that of light scattering and close target. And due to this the image resolution becomes low and restricts the user to use it with a large view window. In the future, we may expect that the above said disadvantages will be solved and virtual keyboard will be used on flat surfaces and also on uneven surfaces. The keyboard could also be used on any type of surface like water and so on, so that the user can use the keyboard when ever and where ever necessary. CONCLUSION: More than a decade ago, (Mark Weiser,2000) of Xerox PARC, said, The most profound technologies are those that disappear. They weave themselves into the fabric of everyday life until they are indistinguishable from it. This fundamental unobtrusiveness is the main metric of validity for the fledgling field of electronic perception technology. The virtual keyboard can be termed a great invention in the digital world. Users look forward for it being used in a more effective way than before. Users also can expect the inventors to make an advancement of it in such a way that it can be used on any kind of a surface.

Hitlers Foreign Policy :: essays research papers fc

Assignment: Give an account of Hitler’s foreign policy, using the following headings: (A) Defiance of the Versailles Treaty (B) Relations with Italy (C) Territorial Expansion Defiance of the Versailles Treaty After the First World War, Germany signed a peace treaty with France and Britain. Among the 440 Articles were: * Germany lost Posen, the Polish Corridor and part of Upper Silesia to Poland. * Germany lost the Sudetenland to Czechoslovakia * Germany lost Eupen and Malmedy to Belgium * Germany lost North Schleswig to Denmark * Germany lost Alsace Lorraine to France * Germany lost all its overseas colonies * Saarland was under LN control and after 15 years the people could vote if they wanted to belong to Germany or France * The Rhineland was to be demilitarised * The army was reduced to 100,000 * Germany could have no submarines, no airforce and no heavy artillery * Germany had to pay major Reparations. In percentages: Germany lost 10% of its land, 100% of its colonies, 12.5% of its population 16% of its coal fields and 50% of its iron and steel industry. The main terms of the Versailles treaty Hitler (like most Germans) hated the Versailles Treaty and he didn’t want to follow the rules made by it. In fact, step by step he broke the laws. The first step he took was to increase the German army. Germany was only allowed to have an army of 100,000 men, no airforce, no tanks and no submarines. But in an interview with the Daily Mail on March 9, 1935, Goering revealed that there was a German airforce. One weak later Germany also announced that it had an army of 500,000 men. France and England didn’t even object to this. In 1936 Germany signed a treaty with England saying that Germany was allowed a navy one third the size of the British navy. Germany was rearming fast. It wasn’t hard thanks to the good economic growth. But the rearmament was so expensive that in 1936 it was clear that Germany was soon to go into an economic crisis if nothing was done. There wasn’t a better time to test the Versailles Treaty because the international situation was very fortunate to Hitler. Italy’s invasion of Ethiopia proved that the League of Nation (LN) was worthless. It also focussed Anglo-French diplomacy on Italy. After some years, Italy became weak because of the economic sanctions from Britain and France and the public opinion in France and Britain was still very anti-war.

Free Capital Mobility and Capital Control :: Essays Papers

Economists, albeit, argue for free trade, but when it comes down to the idea of untrammeled capital flow, it doesn’t seem to get unanimous support. It is a natural phenomenon that almost everything we see in nature (i.e. fluid, air, etc) travels down the concentration gradient. Same way, it had been thought that freeing international capital flow would help the countries that are struggling economically as the capital should flow down the concentration gradient; but in reality it doesn’t quite happen that way. During the 1980’s, world’s economic policy makers’ prevailing view was that â€Å"money should move freely around the globe, allowing capital to find the most profitable and productive investments, no matter what country there happen to be in.† [Wessel, Davis, 1998] Even though policy makers want to make the world a safer place for free trade in goods, services and capital, according to Rodrik â€Å"†¦.. the idea of global capitalism is inherently impracticable. Capitalism is, and will remain, a national phenomenon.† (Rodrik) Capital is the most important ingredient of a country’s economic existence. It is really important we understand what we really mean by the word ‘capital’. According to the Merriam- Webster dictionary, the etymology of the word ‘capital’ says that in Medieval Latin this word came to mean the head of cattle or other livestock. De Soto in his book ‘The Mystery of Capital’ suggests that the cattle and the livestock are low maintenance possessions; they are mobile and can be moved away from danger; they can be counted etc. On top of it, they can generate future value by reproducing, or giving us milk, meat, leather, etc. Thus the word ‘capital’ begins to do two jobs simultaneously- capturing the physical dimension of the assets (livestock) and its potential to generate future surplus (Paraphrased, De Soto, 2000; pg.40-41). So, capital of a country is a very important component for its stable economy. All the countries, rich and poor, have capitals in their own place. But, some countries know how to inject life to their capitals while the rest of the other countries don’t- and that’s what makes all the difference. Economists have argued for free trade of goods and services for hundreds of years but free capital mobility is a fairly new phenomenon. We have learned that free trade of goods is beneficial for the consumer; it also boosts people’s living standard.

Jonathan Livingston Seagull Essay

â€Å"Never try to be better than anyone else†¦but always try to be the best you can be. The gulls who scorn perfection for the sake of travel go nowhere slowly. Those who put aside travel for the sake of perfection go anywhere instantly. † Elder gull Chiang to Jonathan Livingston Seagull on the need to be our best. And he is a seagull, so it must be true. (Bach, 1970) â€Å"Seagulls, as you know, never falter, never stall. To stall in the air is for them disgrace and it is dishonor. † (Bach, 1970). Similarly policemen should not never shirk their duties and never fail to uphold their code of honor because in doing so they dishonor, not only themselves but also the whole police department. â€Å"†¦ for his reckless irresponsibility† the solemn voice intoned, â€Å"violating the dignity and tradition of the Gull Family†¦ † (Bach, 1970) A policeman must never indulge in irresponsible and reckless behavior as it violates the integrity and honor of the whole police department. â€Å"Life is the unknown and the unknowable, except that we are put into this world to eat, to stay alive as long as we possibly can. † (Bach, 1970) Life in the criminal world is also unknown as a policeman can never know for sure what crime he might have to go prevent or remedy. He is put in place to protect his fellow human beings and that alone is his purpose. in doing that he must put his life at stake, even though he may have a family back home. Duty comes above all. However, if he sees any discrepancy in the department he is working for, he should honor the code of humanity and stand up against it. He must not be afraid to take risks for the betterment of his department and for the protection of the people. For the general good he must take a stand against injustice, just the way Jonathan Livingston Seagull did. He must not follow the discrimination practiced by the flock’s but instead be open to new and innovative ideas to fight crime. Much of the popularity of Richard Bach’s Jonathan Livingston Seagull in the early 1970s surely lay in the spiritualization of sheer technique, as the gull, training for faster, more perfect flight, transcended his physical limits and became immortal. On a more banal plane there is some parallel in the distinctively American use of terms like â€Å"goals† and â€Å"personal objectives. † â€Å"I have set new goals for myself† often refers to quite material and short-run plans, but it has the headiness of moral purpose. Here, as in the presidential rhetoric, ideas of vigor and effectiveness are strongly bound up with motion: the achieving individual, like the nation, needs a shining locomotive to pull himself on. Bach’s book is a kind of fable and the highest-ranking American work of fiction on the list, is anything but a violent suspense. Exiled from his flock for daring to fly for the joy of it, rather than following the dignified Gull family tradition, Jonathan discovers that his purpose in life is to help others find perfection. Nativistic returns to nature and the â€Å"greening of America† phenomenon lured the cultured to an asylum outside the culture. The dead weight of technology was dragging spirits that sought to soar into more elevated and ethereal zones. Reductionist theories of human nature harnessed to behavioral-analysis techniques sapped what little life remained in that generation which had suffered the loss of â€Å"autonomous self. † The search for transcendence drove that generation to seek a god within, and the â€Å"Jonathan Livingston Seagull sub society† was born. (Watson, 1983) The book is the real essence of the spirit of internal motivation. The human spirit, like Jonathan Livingston Seagull, can soar. The inspiring story of the courage and persistence of a seagull can be translated into real life. Suppose Jonathan Livingston Seagull smartly runs a pattern of the following shape: ‘Duties of beneficence are not owed to all persons equally, but only to those near and dear. ‘ In answer to the first objection, it matters not at all that Jonathan is an Italian seagull: we will do better to interpret these marks with English semantics. (This is, after all, pretty lousy Italian. ) In answer to the second objection, we might better figure out to whom we owe duties of beneficence if we respect the normal English meaning of words like ‘near’ and ‘dear’ than if we try to reason our duties out ab initio. Now why might this be true? The answer is that, for many people, moral insight is more easily achieved if they reason under the guise of interpreting an authoritative text than if they reason with Sartrean self-awareness that everything is up for grabs at once. This is taken to explain the staying-power of the world’s popular religions. Despite their bizarre metaphysics, these religions give their believers authoritative moral texts the interpretation of which yields greater moral insight than believers are likely to achieve on their own. References Bach Richard. (1970) Jonathan Livingston Seagull. New York: Macmillan Co. Watson, Christine. (1983). â€Å"Jonathan Livingston Seagull. † In Survey of Modern Fantasy Literature, vol. 2. Edited by Frank N. Magill. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Salem Press, pp. 808–810.

Into the world

An Individual's own personal choice may hold them back as they try to overcome challenges and move Into the world. This Is shown by a personal battle with their inner self, personal choice leading to a change in their emotions, different people having different ways of adapting to new challenges, individuals trying to shut off the rest of the world and the help of others an individual's attitude will change as they enter the world. This is shown the the novel The story of Tom Brenna by J.C Burke and In the movie Sheer by (director) An Individual's personal battle with their Inner self may hold them back as they try to overcome challenges and enter into the world. The author uses flashbacks throughout the novel from Tom's perspective. These are of the night of the accident and show the reader that Tom is affected by the actions of his brother on that night. It also shows that Tom is held back and has a hard time overcoming the challenges that he faces due to these memories. The use of dialogue between Tom and Christy Is used when Tom opens up about why he doesn't Like to visit Fin.This conversation shows the reader that he is finally opening up about his old life that has help him jack for so long. By Tom talking about this with Christy he has changed his personal choice and decided he doesn't want to be held back by his old life anymore. Once a person gets control of their inner self then they overcome challenges that they face in their new life as they move into the world. An individual may try to shut off the rest of the world to avoid facing challenges in their life. This is evident by using a panning camera angle when Sheer makes donkey sleep outside because he doesn't like having people in his house.This shows the ewer that Sheer tries to shut off the rest of the world and this results in him living in a swamp far away from everyone. The use of lighting when all the magical creatures are made to stay at Shrieks swamp Is very dark and the only source of lig ht Is a fire. This makes the scene very dark and the audience gets the Idea that Sheer isn't happy about having all these people in his swamp. Sheer tries to kick them all out which again shows that he tries to shut himself off from the rest of the world and that he doesn't want to move into the world.An individual personal choice may revert them from entering into the world as they are held back by their attitude Personal choices can lead to a change in an individual's emotions and a sense of goriness may be felt for the mistakes they have made. The use of repetition ‘Im sorry' said by Daniel when he is apologizing to Tom for what he has done. This shows the reader that Daniel is sorry for the night of the accident and this shows a change in his attitude has happened as he realizes. That he made a big mistake. The reader gets a sense that this Is a big step forward for Daniel has he tries to enter IntoDaniel to Tom when talking about Tom's new footy team shows the reader that Daniel is back to his old self and has taken a backwards step in his Journey to overcome his challenges. Whilst Tom's attitude has changed Daniel still believes winning is everything and this shows the reader that Daniel is still living in his old life. An individual can control whether or not they overcome the challenges that they face and enter into the world. With the help of others an individual attitude will change as they finally enter the world. The use of dialogue ‘maybe you can come visit me at my swamp,' said Sheer to Finn.This shows the audience that Sheer attitude about having people at his swamp has finally changed, and that he has entered into the world with the help of his friend donkey. A high camera shot is used when Sheer and Finn are getting married in Shriek's swamp. By using this camera angle the audience can see all the magical creatures attending the wedding. This shows again that Shriek's attitude has changed because earlier in the movie he wanted them all to leave so he can have his swamp to himself. This change in attitude tells the audience that Sheer has moved into the roll and over come the challenges that Sheer had faced.With this change in attitude the viewer knows that Sheer has entered into the world and that he has overcome the challenges that came with it from the help of his friend donkey. People have different ways of adapting to the new challenges in their life. By using a descriptive sentence ‘It was all to hard, surrendered, and headed back under the covers,' is used to show the reader the mind set of Tees at this stage of the novel and how she deals with her challenges in her life. It shows that she thinks the challenges re too hard to overcome and this shows the reader the way that she tries to adapt to the changes.The use of dialogue ‘Im sorry Tommy, I really am. I promise ill get better,' said by Tees to Tom shows that she finally realizes that she needs to change and be the mum that the family nee ds. This quote shows that she is finally trying to overcome the challenges that she faces and enter into the new life that she must live now and doesn't wont to be held back by events in the past anymore. People's way of adapting to changes may actually prevent them from overcoming the challenges that hey face in their life.An individual's own personal choice may hold them back as they try to overcome challenges and move into the world. This is shown throughout the novel The Story Of Tom Brenna by J. C Burke and the movie Sheer directed by Vicky Jensen. These 2 texts look at personal battle with their inner self, personal choice leading to a change in their emotions, different people having different ways of adapting to new challenges, individuals trying to shut off the rest of the world and the help of others an individual's attitude will change as they enter the world.

Learning Journal Having An Interest In Psychology Education Essay

At the start of educational psychological science 2102 this pupil references in their acquisition diary holding an involvement in psychological science and the many countries it is used. However, they felt discerning about their ability to absorb and understand the huge sum of cognition that would be delivered to them over the following 13 hebdomads. In the pupils first few diaries it is evident that clip direction and the huge sum of survey they have to accomplish each hebdomad is a concern to them. After reading all of the pupil ‘s diaries and analyzing their questionnaire consequences, it is evident this pupil is besides holding jobs with self-motivation and self-efficacy during the completion of single appraisal undertakings and the idea of tests. These types of jobs can impede the abilities of pupils to finish and bring forth quality assignments on clip. Besides these types of behaviours can hold unwanted affects such as emphasis and sleepless darks. Excessively much empha sis can hold an consequence on the ability of the scholar to retain information and remember it clearly when it is needed. Aforesaid pupil does place holding jobs treating new information and besides feels without any pier cognition of certain subjects they are unable to hive away this information in their long term memory. In one of the pupil ‘s diaries they identify a specific nexus to their memory dry run pattern ( care ) and understand how this pattern is unequal at traveling freshly learnt information from working memory to long term memory. Although this is non reflected in the pupil ‘s questionnaire consequences, it would look this pupil is fighting with their cognitive ability. The pupil admits being easy distracted, nevertheless has jobs cognizing when their concatenation of idea is broken and how to develop and utilize fix schemes to maintain the acquisition procedure traveling. Said pupil has many positive properties that will assist them come on as a scholar, by besides turn toing their failings utilizing the right theories and patterns they will go more adept and happen larning more gratifying and be on their journey to self-actualisation. This pupil like many others has a job with clip direction. The pupil recognises the demand to structuring their survey clip so they can finish readings and assessment undertakings on clip. Research by Snowman, Dobozy, Scevak, Bryer, Bartlett and Biehler ( 2009 ) into self-regulatory accomplishments found that inadequately regulated academic behaviors can hold durable damaging effects on pupil results such as, lower than mean classs and decreased chances for deriving professional makings and employment subsequently in life. To get the better of this job the pupil downloaded the semester planing machine from chalkboard and allocated clip for each capable country and interruptions on completion of readings and parts of appraisal undertakings. Snowman et Al. ( 2009 ) besides recognised that self-denial and self-regulation are indispensable to accomplishing higher degree of academic accomplishment and that some pupils are better at geting these accomplishments than others. Snowman besides acknowledged the properties that are closely associated to and best explain fluctuations in self-regulation are perceived self-efficacy and self-motivation. Self-motivation is a important portion of being a proficient scholar, without it the scholar will fight with assessment undertakings and tests and are apt to neglect. Missing self-motivation can besides take to low self-pride, if this is non dealt with quickly it can gyrate out of control and have long term affects on the pupil. This pupil is cognizant of their deficiency of motive when finishing single appraisal undertakings and is diffident why this is. This is reflected in both their acquisition diary and questionnaire mark. William, Gloria and Irving ( 2003 ) suggest there are four theories when covering with student motive during undertaking completion. Their desire to take one undertaking over another, the degree of finding with undertaking even when faced with trouble or fatigue, the accomplishment and class class and the most powerful being the pupil ‘s personal features and beliefs. The pupil needs to hold an involvement in the undertaking and topographic point a value on its completion to keep motive. By analyzing the above theories and the pupils graphed questionnaire consequences it would look this pupil ‘s deficiency of self-motivation is caused by their perceptual experience of themself to make will in appraisal undertakings and their contemplation on past failures, which would associate to a theory termed erudite weakness. Learned weakness theory would explicate to some grade why this pupil lacks motive when finishing appraisal undertakings, harmonizing to this theory failure or lower than expected classs in anterior appraisals destabilises the pupil ‘s motive to try future undertakings. This can besides impact the pupil ‘s ability to execute in group work appraisal, the ground for this is a theory termed self-esteem protection. Self-esteem protection theory is based on the impression that the pupil does n't use themselves in group work in fright of being labelled as holding hapless rational accomplishments ( Witkowski & A ; Stiensmeier-Pelster, 1998 ) . However the pupils score in respects to group work is high and they admit they are more motivated in this type of larning environment. After researching the causes behind hapless motive accomplishments, it is evident that self-efficacy is a chief subscriber to self-motivation. Some facets of the pupil ‘s self-efficacy and self-regulation are apparent in their questionnaire consequences such as, general self-efficacy 2.3 and trouble devising determinations 3. However some of their other consequences do n't reflect the self-motivation jobs they have such as, cognition of knowledge 3.7 and a deep attack to larning 4.7. By construing these consequences one would state this pupil is cognizant of their abilities to be a adept scholar, but possibly unaware of how to use these abilities affectively. Their consequences indicate that they have a deep attack to analyze procedures. Butler ‘s ( 2002 ) research recognised that efficient self-regulated scholars decide on, adjust and may even make tactical schemes to finish assessment undertakings. Self-regulated scholars besides analysis feedback and Markss given by instructors on old appraisals. They use this information and remarks from equals to measure their ain public presentation and do accommodation co nsequently. Besides they appear to be comfy with disrupting the new information they are reading and can associate to it. cognition of knowledge By measuring Butler ‘s research in respects to the pupil ‘s questionnaire mark about Need for Approval High mark indicates turning away of undertakings where external blessing is at hazard, Unable to take aid Fear of exposure if external aid sought. This is because, during monitoring, pupils generate judgements about advancement and do determinations that form farther larning activities. Therefore, to advance pupil self-regulation instructors must help pupils to prosecute flexibly and adaptively in a rhythm of cognitive activities ( i.e. , undertaking analysis, scheme choice and usage, and self-monitoring ) . Further, cardinal instructional marks include advancing pupils ‘ building of ( a ) metacognitive cognition about academic work, ( B ) schemes for analysing undertakings, ( degree Celsius ) metacognitive cognition about task-specific schemes ( e.g. , for pull offing work, history studies, reading text editions, composing paragraphs, larning math ) , ( vitamin D ) skills for implementing schemes, and ( vitamin E ) schemes for selfmonitoring and strategic usage of feedback.

Portfolio Unit 1: Article Critique Essay

User interfaces and consumer perceptions of online stores: The role of telepresence KIL-SOO SUH and SUNHYE CHANG School of Business, Yonsei University, Seoul, Korea Office of General Affairs, Yonsei University, Seoul, Korea Behaviour & Information Technology, Vol. 25, No. 2, March-April 2006 pages 99 – 113 1. Overview of Article The article written by Kil-Soo Suh and Sunhye Chang are well laid out, and easy to read. I feel that they have made the article interesting enough to keep people interested right from the start and reading further. I think that the writers choice to use many facts from the start is a good choice as it helps to keep readers intrigued. The title for the article may not be the best choice, but is indeed very direct with what they are trying to provide readers with. The writers continue, with a brief introduction, theoretical background and hypotheses with useful information as well as useful references in there work. The writers have used research to provide references to there work which is vastly positive and gives readers further information on the subject. The article was written in the year 2006 and is about the consumers’ perceptions about online stores and shopping online. Over time consumers have become more and more accustomed to using the internet and shopping online and this article explains what general consumers once feared about using such a tool to make everyday transactions. The articles gives readers examples of questions and also the results to them. This can help readers into a better understanding about the subject of user interfaces and consumer perceptions of online stores. The writers have chosen to use quantitative as well as qualitative methods to show there use of questionnaires and results. The articles descriptions about certain information such as ‘user interface and telepresence’ are well described with references, examples and also diagrams which are clear and easy to follow. 2. Strengths and Weaknesses 2.1 Weaknesses a. Although the article starts off well, introducing the reader into the subject, it does start to become rather repetitive half way through. b. Whereas the research seems to be done well, the ‘theoretical background and hypotheses’ have come up a little short on information. c. With evidence to the questionnaires and data tables of results, the methodology for the overall article seemed to be based on both quantitative and qualitative methods. However, I found that the quantitative information given was not sufficient enough for the reader. d. The literature used may not be as appealing to e.g a younger audience who may want to read shorter paragraphs and less overall. e. The article may seem to be now a little outdated for readers even though it has useful information. 2.2 Strengths a. The research has been done well and is also appropriately referenced, making it easy for readers to follow and research on there own if they wish to with the research information provided. b. Towards the end of the article the writers have a heading ‘Future research directions’. With the information provided in this short ‘to be continued’ styled paragraph will help encourage any readers that are enjoying the article to read further, and maybe to even research the subject further themselves. c. Although the article is to some extent outdated at the time of my self reading it, I think that it still provides the reader with relevant and precise information. 3. Recommendations a. By keeping the article short could mean appealing to a wider audience b. I feel that if the aims where set out clearer at the start of the article, it would be even easier for the reader to get into it. c. Producing better research methods as well as a better background on the subject will also have been better suited to this particular article. d. Changing the literature to better suit a younger more open audience. I feel that the article should be better suited to the reader than the writer. e. Although there is quantitative and qualitative data within the article itself, I feel that the writers could have made better use of the information by applying more time to the qualitative data rather than focusing more on quantitative data.

Analysis and Interpretation of Don Juan

Analysis and Interpretation of Don Juan canto 1 stanza LXV to LXX: Don Juan was written by Lord Byron. He started writing it from 1818. The manuscript was not complete at the time of Byron's death in 1824. Byron coined the term â€Å"Byronic Hero†. Don Juan is definitely a Byronic Hero. He has all the Characteristics of a Byronic Hero. This poem constantly takes me back to the 1800s, because at that time women had no rights at all. If they married someone then they were treated like property of their husbands and if they stayed single then their parents dictated every single thing she did with every single person.For most part women were not allowed to stay single unless they were nuns or prostitutes. Even when they were married they were not allowed to hold control of inherited wealth. They did not have the right to own a slave or even vote. Women were economically dependent. If a woman did something wrong and people find out about it, she would be tainted and blemished forev er and also banished from society but if a man does the same thing or even worse, he could still be able to hold his head up high in society. Julia married Alfonso only because she had to. Alfonso never showed his jealousy because nobody likes a jealous person.Alfonso cared about what people thought and he was cleaver and careful. He never wanted people to know about his illegal affairs. I personally think Donna Inez is a psychopath and a Sociopath both. I mean why else would she use her son to destroy the relationship of her lover and his wife. Julia is not as complicated as Inez. Julia does not realize what Inez had in her mind. I think she thought Inez actually wanted to be her friend. Being a simple girl Julia probably didn’t know about Alfonso and Inez’s affair. When Juan was a child Julia showed affection for him but that was just normal and innocent.When Juan hit puberty something changed between both of them. They felt attracted to each other. As a grown woman Julia realized why she was feeling this way. But Juan is completely different. His mother never let him mix and mingle with people of his own age. At first he didn’t even realize what was happening to him. This poem follows a third person point of view. In these stanza’s Byron talks about lot of important issues but the tone is always humorous and satiric. Don Juan is a lot like Byron himself. The difference is Byron was highly educated and Juan had no interest in that line.

English Legal Skills and System Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

English Legal Skills and System - Coursework Example The flats were substantially completed. This implies that this was less than completion. This means that none of the eight flats was completed and, therefore, no further payment was due. 5. To dismiss the subsidiary argument by the defendant’s counsel, Glidewell LJ applies the authority in relation to a case of Hoenig v. Isaacs [1952] 2 All E.R. 176. In this case, the complainant’s work was to decorate and furnish the defendant’s house for 750 pounds payable as work proceeded and balanced on completion. Plaintiff received 400 pounds and the defendant moved into the house on bases that there were some defects. Some defects were found however, the work was substantially completed. The court ruled that the plaintiff was eligible to be paid the outstanding balance minus the cost of making defected goods or omissions. 6. Russell LJ agrees with the Glidewell LJ’s dismissal of the subsidiary argument since it relates to the defendant’s submission that the complainant deserved the  £10,300 because of the eight houses none had been completed. He agrees with the judge’s findings that there has been the considerable completion and a small amount should be deducted to cover for incomplete and defective items. 7. For the benefit of law to his client, the defendant’s lawyer to support his position argues the complainant was promising to do more than what the subcontract specifies. That is to continue with carpentry work and do it within the stipulated time. He applies the authority based on the principle of law which dates back to a decision made in Stilk v. Myrick. 8. a) According to Glidewell LJ, the doctrine of promissory estoppel cannot be relied upon because the doctrine provides a scenario where a person to a whom a promise is made can seek additional payments for services which he is bound to offer under the existing contract or by promise. He states

Independent contracting DB1 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Independent contracting DB1 - Essay Example In my case, I am the manager and also I have been given people to worker under me meaning that I will not be controlled by the company managers. The court also looks on finance, whether the company provides tools, pays for taxes and insurance for workers. An independent contractor does not benefit from pension, insurance and also he/she pays taxes. In my case, I will be responsible for paying my taxes, insurance and no pension plan. The court also looks in a relationship between the worker and the company. This includes whether the company compensates the worker for damages and the terms of the contract whether the contract is short or permanent (Bohlander and Snell, 2012). I am not an agent of the Gregs Goofy Gadgets because I will be working for the company together with the company workers, and an agent acts on behave of the company. An agent is not given title and in this case I will be a manager of the two employees. An agent also gets profit for the worker done but in this case I will only be earning $14.00 per hour (Bohlander and Snell, 2012). Based on the scenario’s facts I am a contractor and not an employee. Even in respect to courts definition, I can be classified as an independent contractor of the

CRITICALLY DISCUSS ANY THREE THEORIES OF INSPIRATION OF THE BIBLE, AND Essay

CRITICALLY DISCUSS ANY THREE THEORIES OF INSPIRATION OF THE BIBLE, AND WHAT ARE THEIR IMPLICATIONS IN THE LIFE OF CHRISTIANS - Essay Example The main reason as to why Christians value the Bible so much, to the extent that is the foundation of their faith is found in 2nd Timothy Chapter 3 verses 16-17. This verse of the Bible denotes that all scriptures are under the inspiration of God, for purposes of correcting, teaching, reproofing and training Christians to live in a righteous life (Hogue, 2010). This will help mankind to be equipped for performing every good work. There are five main theories of inspiration; The intuition theory denies the role of a super natural authority in the creation of the scriptures. According to this theory, the scriptures were written by religious men who had a unique spiritual insight. On this basis, there writings on spiritual and moral matters were far much ahead of their contemporaries. On this basis, they wrote the bible, in a similar manner in which other books are written. The religious ideas that these writers present are their own. This theory only lays emphasis on the role of human beings in the writing of scriptures. This view is wrong, and unacceptable amongst Christians. This is because most Christians believe in the human and the supernatural efforts in the writing of scriptures (Anderson, 2010, p. 44). This is because God used man to reveal His truths, and thoughts. The Bible is not just any book, but it is a Supreme book, that identifies the character of God, and his will. This can only be revealed through inspiration, and not religious insight, nor human genius. This view also directly contradicts the scriptures, found in 1st Thessalonians Chapter 2 verse 13. According to this scripture, the Bible is a word of God, and it is not brought forth according to the understanding of humans. The implication of this theory is that it advocates for the notion that God does not exist. This therefore helps to propagate the theories of evolution, which denotes that the world existed through the evolution process, and not through

Art History of Egyptian Painting Style Term Paper

Art History of Egyptian Painting Style - Term Paper Example In the Justinian mosaic, King Justinian is seen to be wearing the same imperial robes as Jesus Christ. The point of the mosaic is to evidently depict Justinian as Christ's envoy on earth, and to show him as a creditable successor to Constantine. This depicts his power both in the State as well as the Church. Justinian is seen in the main altar of the church, the most holy part, further depicting his authority. Justinian, thus, exercises his power over the priest, perhaps even signifying his holiness, which is seen through the halo. Giotto’s works exhibited a different spirit of realism. He broke away from Byzantine art.   His was a more personal and realistic way of viewing a painting. His concern was more human emotion and dramatic art. To make the latter more effective, Giotto placed his figures in space more practically conceived than painters before him. Also, he used shadows more efficiently to generate a sense of the figures. In the Madonna Enthroned Giotto produced depth by layering the attendant angels, with the angels in the fore blocking the vision of the angels behind. Leonardo’s stylistic innovations are more apparent in The Last Supper, in which he re-fashioned a conventional theme in a completely new way. He groups the apostles in units of three framing Christ in the center. Christ is calm while the others are gesturing animatedly. Through the weightiness of the figures and the magnitude of the scene, Leonardo da Vinci reintroduced a style founded a generation earlier by Masaccio. The Mona Lisa, easily Leonardo da Vinci’s most famous work, is known for the mastery of technical innovations as well as the mysteriousness of its celebrated smiling subject. Sfumato and chiaroscuro are evident here. Leonardo da Vinci is a master of both. Sfumato (smoked) is a deftly atmospheric haze or effect produced by delicate transitions between areas of color. This technique is particularly evident in the delicate gauzy robes worn by the subject and in her mysterious smile. Chiaroscuro (light and dark) is the skill of modeling and defining forms by the use of contrasts between shadow and light.

TESCO PLC AND THE NATURE OF MARKETS IN WHICH IT OPERATES Essay

TESCO PLC AND THE NATURE OF MARKETS IN WHICH IT OPERATES - Essay Example As one of the biggest players within the UK retail grocery industry, Tesco’s market share was 30.5% back in December 2009. In line with this, Tesco’s close competitor includes: Asda (16.9%), Sainsbury (16.9%), and Morrisons (12.3%). Having only four major players in the market, the market structure of retail grocery industry in UK is oligopoly. Within an oligopolistic market that targets many buyers, the industry is commonly dominated by only a very few numbers of sellers that offer homogenous products to its target consumers (Arnold 2008, p. 512). One of the very few factors that can trigger the development of oligopoly is the fact that a lot of companies are entering into merger and acquisitions as a result of tight market competition caused by globalization. The problem with oligopoly is that a very few number of competitors within the industry can enter into collusion making them able to dictate the market price of heterogenous products they are selling in the market (Gans 2005). Considering that market consequences of a few-firm concentration ration, a lot of economists believe that a market that is characterized by oligopoly is almost similar to the market consequences associated with anti-competitive domestic or international market activity. Although it is possible for players within an oligopoly market to dictate the market price of goods, this is not true in the case of Tesco and its competitors. Since grocery and merchandise retailers are selling homogenous products, its target customers will always have the opportunity to decide where to regularly purchase their weekly consumption of grocery items. In line with this, Tesco’s existing customers can anytime decide to purchase their grocery items from Asda, Sainsbury, Morrison, Waitrose, M&S, Somerfield, Aldi, Lidl, and Netto among other small-scale supermarket throughout the United Kingdom (Tesco 2010 b). There is a strong price competition within the grocery

Distribution and Retail Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Distribution and Retail - Essay Example The positioning of a product is very beneficial for the company in order to get the ‘feel’ of consumers and the general public. Public perception is vital for a product as it determines whether or not the product would be sold successfully in that market. It is a fact that the general public always remembers the leading company, which has introduced a product. Effective product positioning also affects the determination of alternative products and different purchasing levels. The basic meaning of product positioning in any market local or foreign is to get a comparison of your brand versus your competitor’s brand. So with this in mind it is safe to assume that proper product positioning may alter the choice of the consumers, meaning, it may develop an alternative between same products. It takes a great deal of research and assessment when a company decides to place its product in another market in another country, there is a series of different analysis which are needed so that determining how a product will be conceived in another market becomes easy (Varle 2006). It should be remembered that product positioning directly influences the consumer’s evaluation of similar products and their will to purchase products. These are the stages in which the buyer takes two products of the similar market, the products are also similar, and then based on various brands available in the market the consumer prefers only one out of them, which he or she thinks is the most suitable. When the consumer is evaluating two similar products of the same brand the major factor affecting his or her decision is buying one brand and ‘product positioning’ will aid them to buy the product, which suits them well. So basically when a consumer wants to buy a similar product of which there are other alternatives and brands present, it is important that they choose one brand, and this they determine by performing a sort of problem solving technique which can lead them to make a better choice. With this being said, it is also true that a major portion of problem solving they perform involves a level of ‘consumer involvement’. This depends on the level of interest that particular consumer has in buying a product, then there is the cost factor, then there is also the visibility of the product and the significance the consumer gives to the product and many other factors, which means that brand positioning can only be affected by the level of involvement. Based on this information we shall now review, analyze and evaluate the owner‘s venture in UK. The owner of the business has founded a factory which produces casual pure cotton for a large departmental chain, but now the factory also manufactures clothes such as skirts, shirts, pants and dresses for ladies in three different sizes, the operation is on a small scale but the owner has now become the main distributer and now wants to sell his products in UK (Ries 1981). The target market of the store and its positioning First of all before opening the store in Greater London, the owner has to determine the target market for his clothing. As the owner produces shirts, skirts, pants and etc for ladies in all three sizes, he must look for a location within Greater London where there are fewer competitors. The positioning of the store will largely depend on the number of alternatives present in that market if the competition in the area is fierce then it is suggested that the owner should find another location