A Blue Print for Academic Success free essay sample

Many students can recall standing in front of their kindergarten class and reciting the alphabet. We all have faint memories of repeating the order and pronunciation of each letter after our teacher. We learned to emulate our instructors with perfection, knowing that it-imitation- was probably the best way to succeed in the modern American educational system. If a person said the alphabet in the wrong order or didnt recognize the difference between an â€Å"A† or a â€Å"P†, they probably would be deemed â€Å"below average† or â€Å"dumb† or worst of all, â€Å"mentally challenged†. As good as another year of â€Å"nap time† may have sounded to me at the age of five; I refused to bare the stigma of being â€Å"special† or different, which had a very negative connotation at my catholic elementary school. I suppressed my intellectual curiosity and made sure I conformed to the kindergarten norms, but one day I stepped outside of my boun daries and asked my teacher a question that literally changed my perspective of the educational system. We will write a custom essay sample on A Blue Print for Academic Success or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Before class could start its daily chanting of the alphabet, I threw my hand in the air and waved it frantically until the teacher noticed me. She called my name and I sat up in my chair and asked in a nervous fashion why did â€Å"a† come before â€Å"b†. The entire class responded with laughter and the teacher gave me a puzzled look. She put her head down as if she had to think, then rose up and told me to stop asking â€Å"silly questions†. I swallowed hard and felt tears build in my eyes as the class began to roar with laughter once more. Embarrassment overwhelmed me and my teacher began to give a spiel on how asking dumb questions interrupted the learning process. I unthinkingly hollered out that I only wanted to know why. She squeaked furiously â€Å"That’s just the way it is!† and demanded that I be content with her answer, but it was too late. I had an instant paradigm shift and refused to accept her erratic answer. I suddenly became driven to understand why things happened, how things happened, and when things happened. I began seeking knowledge and understanding instead of memorizing, emulating, and regurgitating what someone else told me. I entered a new realm in which I valued my intellectual curiosity even when others may have found my ideas radical. I also realized that everyone was unique in their own way and that my individuality defined my purpose in society. However, my school, like others, still tended to shun individuality and praise uniformity. Since I chose to venture from the average thought process of child, my teacher scolded me for my critical thinking instead of valuing my ambition to learn more than required of me. For some reason, some schools are operated like factories that are attempting to mass produce the â€Å"ideal student†. When a student steps out of the mold or doesnt fit the pre-designed â€Å"blueprint for academic success†, they immediately become a threat to the school s â€Å"educational conveyor-belt† and are dropped into the â€Å"faulty product bin†, which is usually detention or special education classes. However, this attempt to create a utopian educational system would deter the progress of innovation and bring creativity to an abrupt halt. Intellectual curiosity is the foundation for creativity and creativity is basis for innovation, which is usually linked to progress. If no one ever thought outside the box then progress in all disciplines would cease. For instance, imagine an art instructor telling Leonardo Da Vinci that his painting didnt adhere to a certain guideline or J.K. Rowlings high school English teacher telling her that her storyline wasnt organized correctly. These are perfect examples of how discouraging creativity can lead to destroying innovation. How can anything â€Å"new† come into existence if someone doesnt think â€Å"beyond† what concretely exist now? Therefore, many schools must cease wit h the idea that human beings can be educated through a prepackaged curriculum that is universal and always works for every single student.

Livingstones Pygmalion in Management

Livingstones Pygmalion in Management Livingstone’s article talks about how managers can influence their employees positively at the workplace. The article talks about the impact of managerial expectations on a firm’s performance. Livingstone emphasizes that a manager’s expectations has a direct contribution to the production levels a firm achieves.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Livingstone’s Pygmalion in Management specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More A manager needs to raise the morale of his workers. This makes them self driven to achieve positive expectations that are vested in them. Managers need to encourage competitiveness in their workers. This gives them the passion and motivation necessary to achieve high performance and results. Effective managers understand their employees. This understanding enables such managers to motivate their employees to surpass the set expectations. Managers need to pass on their expectations in ways that improve workers’ attitudes towards work. Workers perform better when they are aware that their manager has confidence in their ability to attain positive results. A manager who strives to excel in his workstation is likely to be emulated by his subordinates and this leads to positive outcomes. Managers need to communicate positive messages and signals which encourage their workers to achieve desirable results. Verbal and non verbal actions of managers communicate different messages to their subordinates which lead to positive or negative output. Apathetic treatment by a manager diminishes workers’ drive to perform which leads to negative results. Indifference by a manager shows that he or she has low expectations in the ability of workers to perform. Managers should not communicate negative messages to their workers as this makes them to be lax in their duties. However, a manager’s expectations must be realistic and achievable to make workers belie ve they can be fulfilled. Setting realistic expectations ensures that workers do not burn out while striving to meet the high expectations of their superiors. Livingstone’s article shows the level of influence managers have on their subordinates within any working environment. Managers need to have positive expectations in individuals working under them to make them confident and self assured of their input. Credible and effective managers should set goals that are realistic and attainable.Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More This can bring about a transformation in workers’ productivity within their respective work stations. A manager’s success comes from his expertise and understanding of the industry in which his firm is active. Managers need to have the necessary knowledge and skills to make the firms they steer remain competitive in their chos en industries. Livingstone reveals that managers should make strong decisions that push their organizations towards positive development and growth. It is important for managers to be sensitive to the needs of their employees so that they can boost their self esteem. Employees with a strong self esteem display high levels of efficacy in their workstations and this leads to attainment of positive output. Managers should treat their subordinates well to ensure that they meet expectations that have been set. Managers should nurture talented employees to help them focus on how their input can be utilized better to achieve positive results. Managers that have a strong belief in their abilities are able to direct their workers to perform beyond the set expectations. Livingstone’s arguments testify how managers need to inspire those who work under them attain positive outcomes in their work assignments. Workers internalize positive or negative messages from their managers during the ir interactions at the workplace. Effective managers need to have a strong record of achievement. This makes subordinates to view their superiors as credible and effective. Managers need to participate directly in the activities of their firms. This can make them understand the problems and opportunities that exist within industries where their firms are involved. Training and mentoring of talented employees by managers gives them the confidence needed to achieve their individual expectations. Livingstone’s arguments provide a basis for implementation of effective human capital management practices by business organizations. The article reinforces the view that management should treat human capital more important than just a factor of production. The conviction managers have in their own human capital provides a strong foundation through which high expectations in the workforce are achieved. Managers need to sustain positive drive and motivation of their subordinates for them to achieve positive results. The article emphasizes on the need to have motivated and self assured employees in an organization. Employees are motivated to perform better if they are likely to obtain positive rewards.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Livingstone’s Pygmalion in Management specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Organizations need established systems that reward workers who achieve impressive results within their workstations. Managers need to evaluate the performance of their subordinates and reward those that excel in their assignments with opportunities for personal and professional growth. Livingstone’s views regarding young employees have credence because they are easily influenced by the actions of their superiors. Positive transfer of expectations by managers to young employees gives them a feeling of being valued by the organization. This drives them to perform exceptionally in their wo rk stations. Livingstone shows the power managers have over their subordinates’ success and how this can be tapped to benefit the organization.

Philosophy subject Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Philosophy subject - Essay Example The question this scenario presents us students with is whether or not this boy is responsible for his actions. There are many philosophers that have very different answers to this troubling question. For purposes of this exam, I focus on Susan Wolf. Susan Wolf, the author of "Sanity and the Metaphysics of Responsibility," takes Frankfurt's views one step further, combining them with those views of Taylor and Watson. She puts forth the "Deep-Self View"(53), which basically stated, says that there is a deep self, which governs our actions and is influenced by our environment. This deep-self view allows for victims of brainwashing and persons with disorders like kleptomania to not be held responsible for their actions, even though they could have second-order desires about them. The reason for this is that these people's "wills are not governed by their deep selves, but by forces external to and independent from them"(53). Wolf separates desires "determined foreign to oneself from desires which are determined by one's self,"(54) or deep-self. This view allows for some determinism, while also providing a vehicle for a freedom of the will. However, Wolf admits that the deep-self view needs further revision for it to be feasible. The deep-self view would hold someone responsible of their actions every time their deep-self determines a desire not controlled by some external or foreign source. However, Wolf's example of JoJo, the son of a cruel dictator, shows that although JoJo's deep-self may truly want to do what is obviously wrong, he cannot be held responsible for his actions because of his upbringing. This idea is not reconcilable with Wolf's deep-self view at first. However, Wolf adds an addendum to her original hypothesis; namely, that the deep-self view holds true only if the individual is sane. The definition of sanity that Wolf uses the M'Naughten Rule, which states: "a person is sane if (1) he knows what he is doing, and (2) he knows that what he is doing is, as the case may be, right or wrong."(55). If a person were insane, i.e. did not have a grasp of the difference between right and wrong, then they would not be held responsible for their actions. By modifying the deep-self view in this manner, the case of JoJo is reconcilable with the deep-self view in that JoJo does not have an understanding of what is right or wrong, and therefore need not be held responsible for his actions. Wolf then summarizes her view by saying that "in order to be responsible for our actions, the sane deep-self view analyzes what is necessary in order to be responsible for our selves as (1) the ability to evaluate ourselves sensibly and accurately, and (2) the ability to transform ourselves insofar as our evaluation tells us to do so."(57) Thus, Wolf's idea of responsibility is dependent upon our ability to understand the difference between right and wrong and our ability to evaluate and change our deep-selves over time. When applying Wolf's sane deep-self theory to the case about the twelve year-old killer stated above, Wolf would most likely argue that the boy was responsible for h

Resolving Organizational Conflicts in Communication and Team Work Essay

Resolving Organizational Conflicts in Communication and Team Work - Essay Example This report constitutes the process and resolution of consultancy for an organization enmeshed in issues in communication, teamwork, and achievement of organizational goals. Within the organization brew conflicts of interests that spew forth outcomes that drag the organization back instead of taking strides forward as a team. Such conflicts may be constraining factors in the smooth transition in the expansion of the organization. This implies that greater workload and responsibilities are expected. With an objective disposition, the consultant interviewed some members of the senior management team who expressed their concerns for the organization. Armed with this initial information, the consultant dug deeper by studying the issues and researching on possible interventions to resolve them. This paper will provide a background of the organization, the presenting problems, elaboration, and explanation of the concepts from a review of the literature and the resulting recommendations for intervention and conclusion. Adino Drug Detox Trust is a drug rehabilitation center that welcomes drug users who want to turn their lives around from being enslaved from drugs to being drug-free. The rehabilitation clinic helps them in their recovery and reintegration to society. The organization has enjoyed an untarnished national and international reputation for the past 30 years. It is registered as both a nursing home as well as a charity. It provides round-the-clock medical and social care.... He may stay in the clinic for a maximum of 3 weeks of detoxification prior to going through the second phase of detoxification. Within a year, he cannot be readmitted, as he is expected to remain drug free for a long time after his detoxification and when released from the clinic, that is his own responsibility. Besides, there are other clients who need the services of the clinic. The personnel involved in Aldino is composed of teams. The Operational Teams are comprised of the Nursing team, the Social Care Team and the Auxillary support team. The Senior Management Team (SMT) is comprised of the CEO, an Operations Director, Financial Director and an HR director. The SMT holds monthly board meetings. They are answerable to a board of trustees who meet quarterly. Referral Problem Meeting with the chairman of the board, the consultant inquired about the presenting problem of the organisation. The chairman expressed concern and dissatisfaction with the way the management could not agree o n so many things. He observed that there was constant squabbling and disagreements and too much interpersonal friction especially between the CEO and the financial director. The senior management team was always divided and the members manifested more individualistic career ambition than collective goal-setting for the organisation. The chairman noted that there was not enough corporate collegial cooperation. Such issues in communication and teamwork has resulted in low morale for the organisation. With the impending move to expand from a 15 bed unit to a 21 bed unit, and ready to accept additional clients in two month’s time, it is expected that the increased work load may present more challenges to the organisation in terms of workload and decision-making. The board of

Public Law Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 7000 words

Public Law - Essay Example While the United Kingdom does not have a formal written and codified Constitution, there is an unwritten set of rules comprised of the Acts of Parliament, judicial decisions as well as political practices that form the basis of Constitutional practice within the U.K2. Parliament is sovereign, as articulated by Oxford Professor A.V. Dicey who stated that â€Å"in theory, Parliament has total power, it is sovereign† thereby it is the source of all valid authority.3 Therefore, there is no separation of powers in the U.K., Parliament has been deputed as the supreme authority to make the laws of the land, through the principle of Parliamentary Sovereignty. Further more the Human Rights Act of 1988 incorporated the goals of the European Convention of Human Rights3a within the framework of national law, by including a provision that Parliament legislation is to be interpreted and read in such a manner as to give effect to the goals of the Convention4, while the judiciary has also been given the power under the Act to declare Parliament legislation incompatible with Convention rights5.Wiithin the UK, the European Convention was not directly relevant to statutory interpretation6 until the introduction of the Human Rights Act of 1998.

Strategic management and organisational change

Strategic management and organisational change Introduction IMAX operated at three different industries, and it had done successful in some part of its business, while there were also some weakness for its development. This assignment is going to assess the current situation of IMAX, including analysing the nature and source of its competitive advantage, its sustainable competitive advantage, and future development. The first section will seek to present the nature and source of IMAX s competitive advantage by using appropriate strategy, and the next section will introduce its sustainable competitive advantage. In the final section, some key issues of IMAX s future development will be discussed, and some recommendations will be given as well, which may help IMAX to grow its business in the near future. The Nature And Source Of IMAX s Competitive Advantages Selecting Appropriate Theoretical Frameworks To begin with, there are two primary issues to be discussed. First one is which level of strategy should be used in this case. Basically, a company has two levels of strategies, which are business level strategy and corporate level strategy. Business level strategy concerns how to create competitive advantage in each of the business in which a company competes, whilst corporate level strategy concerns what business the corporation should in and how the corporate office should manage the array of business units. The main difference between these two is that corporate level strategy is what makes the corporate whole add up to more than the sum of its business units (Porter, 1996). IMAX has three different business units, therefore, it could be easily considered that the case more concerns with corporate level strategy. The next issue to be considered is which strategy should be selected to analyse the case based on corporate level strategy. There are two strategies which can be selected, the RBV (resource-based view) and the Positioning School. The RBV is more emphasis on the resources and capabilities controlled by a company as sources of competitive advantage, while the Positioning School is more focus on externally orientated and market driven (Barney, 2008). This case mentions a little about IMAX s market driven, thus there is not enough evidence to use the positioning school strategy for analysing its competitive advantage. In contrast, the case introduce IMAX s hardware, software, financial power, technologies and other special sources, which are helpful for using the RBV to analyse IMAX s competitive advantage. The Nature And Source Of Competitive Advantages Competitive advantage emerges from distinctive resources or capabilities that firms control, that is, something that firms do particularly well in comparison with their competitors (Peteraf, 1993). IMAX has its technology resource, brand image and organizational resource better than other film companies, which can conclude its core competence, therefore it is easy to get IMAX s competitive advantages from its core competence. Technology Resource IMAX has the technological capability to do RD on both hardware and software rather than its competitors in the film industry, thereby its technological capability can be regarded as its core competence. IMAX was founded as the only company in the world that was involved in all aspects of large format films, and its unique technological capability can lead to its first-mover advantage. It used its technique know-how to produce projectors with special features, to design large format films, to develop lightweight 3D camera and 3D directional sound technology, etc, and all the unique technology differentiate IMAX from other conventional movie technologies. IMAX could make its audiences enjoy its special IMAX experience which can not be replicated through DVDs or in conventional theatres, because of the unprecedented shock of the visual and auditory. Its advanced technology held 46 patents and had 7 patents pending in the U.S., also its technological prowess was the 1997 Oscar Award which received for Scientific and Technical Achievement. As the first-mover advantage, IMAX achieved the most advanced level of film technology, which can be considered as the competitive advantage so that I MAX can attract more audiences to have different experiences from conventional movies, to keep its market presence. IMAX kept innovation on its technology in order to maintain its growth. IMAX spent almost five per cent of its sales revenue on RD in 2007, and about $12.6 million in RD was spent in the last three years. MPX technology was developed to allow IMAX and theatre-owners to convert existing multiplexes screens to IMAX format, and a patented digital re-mastering (DMR) technology was designed to convert traditional 35 mm films into the large-screen format and even develop 3D versions. Those two technologies could help IMAX to launch more IMAX films, to expand the core audience and to make the box office revenue. Besides this, IMAX had solved the teething problems with DMR technology and the costs of conversion of Hollywood movies into IMAX format had come down. As a result, they led IMAX to have cost advantage. Brand Image IMAX had the capability to use its band image, which could be considered as its core competence and add more economic value to its corporation, and as a result, it could lead to brand effect within the film industry. Since the first multi-screen theater system launched in 1967 and the first IMAX film premiered in 1970, as the first-mover advantage, IMAX had made a good reputation and also had its loyal audience base. Moreover, choosing prestigious venues to locate IMAX had created a unique brand image, which would result in its brand effect within the industry. Organisational Resource Lado and Wilson (1994) proposed a widely accepted definition of organisational capabilities: managerial, input-based, transformational, output-based. IMAX used its unique organisational resorces to achieve the operational process effectively. IMAX maintained long-term relationships with the vendors who supplied the components, produced movies and systems, and then distributed them to the theaters. IMAX also had its wholly-owned subsidiary, in which IMAX had 51 per cent ownership, and its subsidiary could help IMAX perform the post-production work. The talent organizational capability which was well used in the organization made its production, post-production, distribution link well and led to its operation efficiency. IMAX s Sustainable Competitive Advantage s Sources There is competition from Pixar/Disney which have the same target customers with IMAX, the only rival within the large format film segment, and the potential new independent firms to enter the industry with the increasingly development of new technology. On the other hand, many alternative sources of entertainment such as live plays, TV programs, the Internet, sport events attract viewers as well. Therefore, there is no doubt that IMAX has increasingly pressure come from the competitors within the industry. The resource-based view (RBV) of the firm holds that certain assets with certain characteristics will lead to sustainable competitive advantage (Black, 1994). The sources of IMAX s competitive advantages are going to analysed using the VRIO framework, sequentially to evaluate which one is sustainable. VRIO Analysis It is necessary to make the assumption that the firm resources may be heterogeneous and immobile in order to know the sources of sustainable competitive advantage, and a firm source must have four attributes to hold the potential of sustained competitive advantages, that the firm source must be valuable, rare, imperfectly imitable and substitutable (Barney, 1991). Appendix shows whether IMAX s competitive advantages sources are sustainable using the VRIO framework. The sources of competitive advantages of IMAX could add value. Economic value could be added to a corporation through either increasing its total revenue, or lowering its costs. Innovating through its high level of technology resource allowed the conversion costs down and saved the costs, and developing MPX technology and DMR technology would expand the core audience and increase the box office revenue, both of them added more economic value to IMAX.. Most sources of the competitive advantages of IMAX were rare in the film industry. IMAX mastered a high level of technology resources in the film industry, and it only had one rival within the large format film segment. Besides, IMAX hold its unqiue brand image and also operated at a unique business model by using its organisational resources, which was also rare in the film industry. The particular capabilities were not controlled by numerous competitors, therefore IMAX s competitive advantages were likely to be rare. â€Å"Competitive advantage is more likely to be created and sustained if the organisation has distinctive or unique capabilities that competitors cannot imitate.†( Johnson, 2005) Most resources of IMAX s competitive advantages are difficult for its competitors to imitate. The conversion technology such as MPX technology and DMR technology and its designed projectors are hard for competitors to copy, because IMAX invested a large amount of money and time and also hire the talent employee on RD, innovation, marketing, which would be considered as sunk costs within the film industry. Besides this, IMAX technology held 46 patents and had 7 patents pending in the U.S., therefore IMAX s high level of technological breakthroughs which were carefully patented could be considered the unique capability in the film industry. In addition, IMAX made a good reputation and had its loyal audience base through the years, therefore it had its own brand image, which could make barriers for entr ants to copy. The competitive advantages of IMAX were explored by organisation. IMAX had fully explored and used of its technology resources, organisational resources and unique brand image, then organised and took full advantages of its sources and capabilities. Given the VRIO framework analysis, it is not difficult to conclude that most sources of IMAX s competitive advantages are sustainable, as they are based on the core competences of IMAX. Recommendations For IMAX s Future Development As the competitors are increasingly strong and the movie technology and film industry are changing everyday, IMAX may face some unprecedented challenges in the future. Based on the RBV and VRIO analysis, IMAX should sustain its competitive advantages and also gain some new competitive advantages to respond in the future. Two Larger Issues To Be Discussed IMAX faced two critical issues, which were whether or not to exhibit too many Hollywood movies, and whether or not sold itself to a larger studio such as Sony, Disney or Time-Warner. The two problems will be addressed firstly, and then some certain recommendations will be provided. Traditional IMAX films were often educational and entertaining, and involved documentaries of natural and scientific wonders which were mostly located in museums, aquariums, zoos and other institutions, and IMAX had engaged in alliances with commercial movie theatre owners. However, IMAX could not escape the crisis that hit the theatre industry in the late 1990s, and it began to have financial problems. IMAX had long-term debt through the years, and both its net income and cash flows were negative in 2006 and 2007. In order to solve the financial problem and survive in the future, IMAX has to change its strategy to maintain its growth. At that time, acquisition by a larger studio such as Sony, Disney or Time-Warner is a good idea and developing trend for IMAX in the future. Two firms which both had trustworthy brand effect combined will be greater than their economic value as separate entities. Through acquisition, large studio can not only address IMAX s financial problem and help IMAX to pay off its debt, but also can get more economic returns and add more value through IMAX. Besides, IMAX can ensure its survival and make more business opportunities in the future. After acquisition, the studio can install more IMAX digital theatres systems, and invested more money on marketing, to attract more audiences to watch its IMAX films and increase its box office revenue. Furthermore, the studio can convert its own films into IMAX large format films with lower costs or create new films combined with both studio and IMAX s brand, hence it will expand their core audience, therefore it will create more economic value to both studio and IMAX. On the other hand, to solve the same problem facing to IMAX, exhibiting Hollywood movies is a good idea for IMAX to increase its box office revenue. IMAX can sustain its competitive advantages, use its strong RD team developing DMR technology that allows converting traditional 35 mm films into the large-screen format Hollywood films. It keeps innovation and worked out the teething problems, as a result the costs of conversion had come down, consequently more IMAX screens will be open to launch Hollywood films. The IMAX strategy of moving into Hollywood films will increase its box office revenue and expand the core audience. IMAX can continue making educational films for families, students and tourists, while Hollywood films can also be launched during the evening. This will not make IMAX lose its differentiation, in contrast, it will create more IMAX s brand effect, because most of which come from the entertainment experiences. Other Recommendations Compete Among Rivals Some studios such as Pixar/Disney produced the films for the same targeted group, and within the large format film segment, IMAX faced only rival Iwerks, which was merged with SimEx, a ride simulation and animation production company. One possible solution to compete this rival is that IMAX is acquired by a larger studio, therefore overcomes its financial problems and also has the equivalent strengths to compete with it. There was also another film, Pollavison, which was engaged in consulting services for large format film theatres. IMAX could develop its technology and hold its core innovation capability to keep its leadership. Technology Development â€Å"Edutainment† Market Internationalisation Although IMAX did have marketing staff at its office in Canada, the United States, Europe, Japan and China to market its theatre systems and IMAX movies were showed in 40 countries, almost 60 per cent of the theatres were in North America. The film industry is now increasingly becoming international, and Asia-Pacific market is becoming the largest part of the global market, therefore IMAX can expand its market internationally and attract more international audiences instead of American audiences. IMAX can install a large number of its theatre systems annually across different countries especially Asia-Pacific market, and also market and advertise its film to help maximise its theatre attendance and increase its box office revenue. Conclusion Based on the RBV, it is clear that IMAX has its high technology, unique organizational methods and human resource better than other film companies, which can be treated as its competitive advantages. Using the RVIO model, it is not difficult to conclude that most of its competitive advantages are sustainable. However, as the movie technology and film industry are developing everyday, IMAX may face some unprecedented challenges. Therefore, IMAX should develop its sustainable competitive advantages and also †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ to address the problems in the future. References Peteraf, M.A. (1993) ‘The Cornerstone of the Competitive Advantage: A Resource-based View, Strategic Management Journal, 14: 179-91. Porter, M. (1996). From competitive advantage to corporate strategy. In M. Goold K. Luchs. Managing the multibusiness company: strategic issues for diversified groups, Lado, A. and Wilson, M. (1994) ‘Human Resource System and Sustained Competitive Advantage: Competency-based Perspective, Academy of Management Review, 19: 699-727. Black, J. A. Strategic resources: traits, configurations and paths to sustainable competitive advantage. Strategic Management Journal 15(1994):131. Barney, J. B. 1991. Firm resources and sustainable competitive advantage. Journal of Management 17 (1): 99.

Character of Cassio in Shakespeares Othello :: GCSE English Literature Coursework

The Character of Cassio in Othello Cassio is a an expert in strategic procedures and Othello is a Moor general in charge of the Venetian army. Cassio works by Othello's side as the army's lieutenant. Cassio though very useful in the army's duties was a simple-minded man, unconscious of his surroundings and his actions. He told Iago, "I have very poor and unhappy brains for drinking. I could well wish courtesy would invent some other custom of entertainment." Yet, shortly after this statement Cassio finds himself in a state in which he is so drunk he ends up fighting with a Cyprus official. Their naive ways lead them through a storm, it swept away Othello as Iago stood and watched. Othello was an honored and trusted general. His character reflected the honor and respect that was given to him. In scene one Barbantio and Othello confront each other about the couple's love and marriage. Even as her own father's trust grew distant Othello stood faithful as he told Barbantio, "My life upon her faith!" Even though Othello trusted his wife he began to suspect her faithfulness, as Othello's confidant Iago poisoned his mind with thoughts of infidelity. Othello's character reminds me of Edmond Dantes. There seems to be a similarity in the sense that, Edmond's mind was pure and innocent, he didn't even suspect his own companions of betraying him. Edmond's mind continued free of cruel intentions until his mind's capacity began to expand and he soon learned who his real enemies were. Edmond's character changed. His entire life was altered with the help of his mentor. Othello didn't have the assistance of a teacher but he had the assistance of Iago. Trust was the key to their downfalls. Othello trusted without protection. When he trusted someone he depended fully on that individual and committed his life to the faithfulness of that person. He wore no armor against the dishonesty of the cruel and knew how to fight only in the physical realm. "I know Iago thy honesty and love doth mince this matter..."When the revelation came upon Edmond's life he sought out revenge. In the same manner Othello's heart and mind was purely focused on his wi fe, Desdemona. When the poison in his mind began to settle, Othello's trust for Desdemona grew distant and his innocence began to fade. "For I know thou art' full of love and honesty and weigh'st thy words before thou gives't them breath.

Job Offer Letter

Mary Janes 3341 av Cham, Montreal, QC H3C1J5 (514)566 7776, ling-chun. [email  protected] ca February 13, 2013 Mr. Joseph Bleau Recruitment Coordinator Reynolds and Reynolds Ltd. 3 Robert Speck Parkway Mississauga, ON L4Z 2G5 Dear Mr. Bleau: I am a senior at XXX Uni majoring in Business with a focus in Management. I plan to graduate in the Spring of 2013, and I am applying for job of account manager with Reynolds and Reynolds, one of the world’s leading automobile dealer support companies. I believe that my academic and practical experience make me well suited for a position with your organization.As shown in the resume, I am studying in Montreal and taking bilingual courses in my university, which can ensure that I am able to speak French and English frequently. Also, as an intern at Pearson Company before, my responsibilities included maintaining customer relationships by assisting with sales and customer service. I have gained skills in setting goals and quotas and making plans to meet them. I am able to establish and build up long-standing relationships with potential customers at the same time as providing service to existing accounts.In addition, I demonstrated an ability to work under pressure and meet deadlines in my internship. I am willing to travel extensively and work long hours to meet or exceed company goals. My resume, which I have enclosed for your review, contains additional details about my professional accomplishments. It would be a pleasure to meet with you at your convenience to discuss my qualifications and the value I can bring to your organization. Thank you for your kind consideration. Sincerely, Mary Janes

Climate Change and Extreme Weather Events The WritePass Journal

Climate Change and Extreme Weather Events Introduction Climate Change and Extreme Weather Events IntroductionReferencesRelated Introduction We often defined climate as a long term weather pattern for a particular region. Climate is part of the ecosystem where wildlife adapts with it over long period of time. Changes in climate may lead to extinction of species and other catastrophes. According to Charlie Moore, CNN producer of â€Å"Planet in Peril†, rate of extinction due to human pressure is pronounced. It is estimated that three species are lost per hour.1We are going to investigate the relationship between climate change and extreme weather events we have experienced in recent decades.   Besides, adaptation and mitigation strategies at local, national and international levels to reduce rate of climate change and at the same time reduce its impacts to vulnerable group would be discussed as well. Human activities such as deforestation, extensive burning of fossil fuels, over farming to support food demand, agriculture and others have cause a drastic rise in greenhouse gasses including carbon dioxide, methane and nitrous oxide. Accumulation of these greenhouse gasses brings unwanted greenhouse effect which will lead to global warming, melting of glaciers and rising of sea levels. From statistic2, burning of fossil fuels for the purposes of transport, heat, manufacture and light has emitted more than 30 billion tonnes of CO2 annually and this has caused a significant increase in global surface and ocean temperature. Rising of temperature may have negative effects on human health, food availability and ecosystems. Food and water availability would be uncertain due to variable rainfall patterns as crop yields are depending on availability of rainfall. Besides, climate change would cause climate sensitive diseases such as dengue fever, respiratory tract diseases, diarrhoeal diseas e to be worsen especially in third world countries where shortage of health facilities and health professions are often observed. 3As World Wildlife Fund 4suggested, climate change would also impose irreversible changes on ecosystem and animals. More species extinction would be expected due to the disability of animals and plants to adapt with new habitats. The Fourth Assessment Report5 from Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) concluded that since 1750 human activities have attributed to the warming of mother Earth.   Scientists believed that human induced climate change would increase the likelihood of extreme weather events. More floods, drought, heat waves would be expected due to uncontrolled human activities. As what we have been experiencing in recent decades, climate has been changing in the last century. We are now on the trend towards warmer temperature and more frequent extreme weather events.6 Figure 1 shows the Changes in average surface temperature both in central England and globally, compared with the 1961-1990 baseline. (Taken from Summary report on the change in average surface temperature produced by Department of Energy and Climate Change2) The following case studies tell us how vulnerable is UK to climate change and how we are going to adapt with it. Water scarcity has become an issue in some parts of UK especially south west area due to longer, drier and hotter summers brought by continuing warming. Drought would be more frequent. Population in south west area particularly at higher risk as their water bills are higher than anywhere else in UK and water poverty is already an issue there. Other socio economic factors such as fast growing tourism sector, planned development and expanding population have worsened this scenario. One is described as water poor when he spends 3% of his income on water bill. This phenomenon is likely to worsen with bills predicted to raise by 5%a year for some consumers.7In this scenario; water companies such as South West Water Company are the leaders that play significant role. Challenges for leader would be to maintain water affordability and at the same time improving water efficiency. There is no doubt that the primary root to alleviate water poverty is to slow down climate change by reducing emis sion of greenhouse gasses drastically. However, it may take a long time before we can see the obvious effect in this issue. In order to adapt climate change, a new pricing system, Rising Block Tariff (RBT) 8 has been introduced in south west region. People would be charged depends on amount they used. Three different prices are introduced depends on their consumptions. RBTs have three blocks: Essential use-Cheap water for daily use (drinking, washing and cleaning) Standard block-Standard priced water as a safety net for households exceeding â€Å"Essential use† Premium Block-Expensive water for household consuming more than they need In short, the more a person use, the higher they would be charged. This system sounds reasonably practical as people would tend to save water if they are charging on their consumptions. South West Water claimed that the â€Å"essential use† block will be 27% cheaper than standard use. Customers who use water efficiently would be able to save up to  £60 annually for a large family.9 However, it is argued that this system is unfair especially to households that are not able to reduce their water consumption due to household size, medical needs and ability to invest on water-efficient devices. This â€Å"differential water charging† approach may create affordability problem in vulnerable households especially those have low incomes.10 In order to protect vulnerable group from this adaptation strategy, South West Water Company has set up support schemes.8,10,11 WaterCare scheme provides advice, repair and practical help to improve water efficiency for households in debt whereas Watersure scheme is a capped charged to help qualifying households in paying water bills. WaterSure and WaterCare support schemes are only available to qualifying households. Not all vulnerable groups can benefit from these schemes. Low income single household and unmetered customers are ineligible for the support schemes which mean water poverty continue to become an issue in these groups of people. Water companies may help those unqualified but having hard time in paying water debt group by allowing them to pay water debt by instalments and provide free installation of water meter so that they can limit their water usage.12 Another solution to water poverty problem in south east England is to build water reservoirs.   Water companies such as Southern Water, South East Water, Portsmouth Water and Mid Kent Water would develop new resources by building four new water reservoirs by 2020 to maintain adequate water supply. It is more cost effective as compared to building pipeline transferring water from North of England or from Wales.13 Reservoir plays an important role in supplying water for home, industry and agricultural use. Building of new reservoirs may solve the immediate water shortage problem but it has its drawbacks as well. It needs long time to plan and build. Other than that, the building of new reservoirs may create other environmental, social and economic problems such as deforestation for dam construction, emission of greenhouse gasses during construction, relocation of dwellers and others. Therefore, a lots of geographical, social, economic and environmental factors need to be taken into c onsideration before building new reservoirs. Heat wave is another popular extreme weather event. According to research, global warming has increased the likelihood of heat wave by four to six times.19 Severe heat wave and drought cases were reported in several Europe countries in the summer of 2003. This extreme weather event has caused enormous detrimental effects in Europe with more than 30,000 premature deaths occurred. 8The heat wave that raised average temperature by 20-30% spreads from northern Spain to Czech Republic and from Germany to Italy. UK reported that there are more than 2045 casualties during the month of August in 2003 using a method from National Institute of Health and Medical Research.14 Elderly are more sensitive to heat stress due to their disadvantages in ages, physical and mental health. Other than causing deaths of vulnerable elderly people, heat wave causes advance ripening and maturity of fruits and over consumption of water.14 This in turn creates problems of soil water depletion and lower crop yields. In this case, Department of Health is the leading party. They launched an annual national Heatwave Plan for a risk posed by high temperature in UK.8 This plan is to support vulnerable group during emergencies. Heatwave Plan incorporates the nature of the threat and respective obligations of health and social care services. One of the challenges in this adaptation strategy is the identification of heat vulnerable group. Local decision makers may have hard time to define heat vulnerability and identify all vulnerable groups due to limited tools and resources. This limitation may reduce the effectiveness of planned response. Department of Health use physiological and health related factors to measure people’s heat vulnerability which is insufficient as research suggested. Factors such as social networking, social support, knowledge and awareness on heat stress as well as financial ability may have to take into consideration when determine whether a person is heat vulnerable. Anot her potential challenge is service provider tends to overlook on certain groups of people as they are likely to omit those social processes when defining heat vulnerability. Besides, another weakness of this plan is limited engagement of service providers. This is because Department of Health’s Heatwave Plan focuses only on health sector and emergency response planning. A large variety of agencies may have no way to get involved. As Stern Report suggested, climate change is going to cost us more when we are living with it compared to preventing it;   a long term and more comprehensive preventative strategy involving multiple sectors, governmental, non-governmental organisations should be proposed. In order to protect those vulnerable from heat stress, campaigns and talks can be held to encourage participation of community and voluntary sectors. For effective implementation of Heatwave plan, health care providers and frontline staffs should be informed on the nature of plan and the expected service from them.15 Sufficient training should be conducted so that health care providers are able to deliver support to vulnerable group completely. Other than that, up-to-date database containing list of vulnerable groups should also be provided so that they can appropriate care can be provided.15 Besides, preventative skills and knowledge should be taught to family members of vulnerable group to avoid outbreak of heat related morbidity and mortality. Last but not least is financial aid. Vast amount of funding needed in order to carry the plan at national level, benefiting a wider community. Other than heat wave that hit Europe in 2003, widespread floods in UK have shown how vulnerable UK is to the climate change. In year 2000, floods in England and Wales have caused 10,000 houses been flooded, paralysis of rail services and power supplies.16 Flood damage costs up to one billion pounds every year. A new research has suggested that climate change attributes to the increased risk of flood occurs in England and Wales during October and November 2000.16Coastal communities are more likely to suffer from the impact of climate change due to their geographical position and other factors such as migration of youth, high proportions of retirees and benefit claimants, transitory populations, physical isolation.17 Climate change in coastal region would cause more frequent and intense flooding, storms and rising of sea level which will then leads to severe coastal erosion. Besides, extreme weather events including flooding and heat wave would cause more severe effects in coastal regi on due to their prior disadvantages such as poor housing and higher ratio of elderly. Flooding, erosion and storms would affect the agricultural sector, public transport and other public infrastructure. Challenge for this scenario is the spending cut on flood defences. 18Scientists have proved that climate change do increase the risk of flooding which means more funding and investments are needed to reduce flood risk of vulnerable group.   A fall of 8% in spending on flood defences over the next four years, compared with the previous four years would make local authorities and communities that have already lacked of support and funding to tackle flooding issue. Poor public awareness on wider impacts of climate change and incorrect perception of climate change are challenges to this issue as well. It would be hard to protect vulnerable group if they themselves do not have knowledge on the danger of climate change and how climate change is going to affect their health, lifestyle, economic source and society. Besides, adaptation activities are not always in the priority list as some of the coastal local authorities had more concerning issues. Immediate adaptation actions should be taken to protect vulnerable communities. Local authorities have to incorporate adaptation in their land management policy and activities.17 This is to avoid any further exposure of vulnerable region to climate change. Good communication and right message should be conveyed to local communities to raise their awareness so that appropriate actions could be taken.17 Furthermore, computer modelling is used to monitor effect of climate change on weather pattern. Climateprediction.net was introduced to predict Earths climate up to 2100 and to test the accuracy of climate models. 19However, the computer system is time consuming and it totally depends on the time devoted by volunteers. It needs up to one billion hours processing time which cost 120 million pounds if it is not running on voluntary basis. It would be costly to run the project if there is no enough volunteers. Climate change is not a new idea. People have increased awareness on this issue in recent decades especially those experienced it.17 However, how well a person knows about the climate change and its impacts to our society, economy and ecosystem? It is true that Earth weather pattern is always changing but human activities have speed up the rate of change and leads to several extreme weather events such as drought, flood, heat waves and tropical storm.   Scientist has estimated that there would be a rise of 6 degree Celsius at the end of this century if accumulation of excess greenhouse gasses is left unattended. Small temperature rise of 2 degree Celsius means more severe storms, floods and droughts, acidic seas, disrupted food chains and many more negative impacts on ecosystem. 20 In conclusion, climate change and extreme weather events are not an individual issue. They are linked to each other and the primary root to eliminate extreme weather events is to work on climate change by reducing our carbon footprint. It is a global issue where cooperation from all parties is demanded. We have to adopt adaptation and mitigation strategies in our daily life if we are going to maintain the global temperature rise below 2 degree Celsius. The saying â€Å"Roman wasn’t built in one day† comes into play here. Time and commitment are needed in order to achieve our goal. Remember, together, we can make the changes! References 1. Moore,C., 16 March 2007. Umm, are those spider fangs in your leg? Anderson Cooper Blog 360 °.Available from: http://edition.cnn.com/CNN/Programs/anderson.cooper.360/blog/archives/2007_03_11_ac360_archive.html [Accessed 21 April 2011]. 2. Department of Energy and Climate Change, 2011. What is Climate Change? London: Department of Energy and Climate Change. Available from: decc.gov.uk/en/content/cms/what_we_do/change_energy/what_is_cc/what_is_cc.aspx [Accessed 21 April 2011]. 3.World Health Organisation,2010.Climate change and Health.Geneva:World Health Organisation.Available from:  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs266/en/index.html [Accessed 21 April 2011]. 4.World Wildlife Fund,UK,2010.The Impacts of Climate Change on Nature.United Kingdom:World Widlife Fund.Available from:   http://wwf.panda.org/about_our_earth/aboutcc/problems/impacts/ [Accessed 21 April 2011]. 5.Oreskes,N.,2005.The Scientific Consensus on Climate Change.Science,306,1686.Available from: sciencemag.org/content/306/5702/1686.full.pdf [Accessed 21 April 2011]. 6. Union of Concerned Scientists, 2003.Has the climate changed already? Cambridge: Union of Concerned Scientists.Available from: ucsusa.org/global_warming/science_and_impacts/science/has-the-climate-changed.html [Accessed 21 April 2011]. 7.Doward,J.,2011. ‘Water poverty’ to rise in the UK as scarcity pushes up bills.The Guardian.Available from:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  guardian.co.uk/environment/2011/feb/20/water-poverty-uk-scarcity-bills [Accessed 21 April 2011]. 8.Benzie, M., Burningham,K.,Harvey,A.,Hodgson,N.,Siddiqi,A.,2011. Vulnerability to heatwaves and drought: adaptation to climate change,York: Joseph Rowntree Foundation.Available from: jrf.org.uk/publications/vulnerability-heatwaves-and-drought-adaptation-climate-change [Accessed 21 April 2011]. 9.South West Water,2009.Water tariff trial,prices and investment for 2009/10.Devon:South West Water.Available from:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  southwestwater.co.uk/index.cfm?articleid=6903   [Accessed 21 April 2011]. 10.Stott, J., 4th March 2011.Unintended Consequences – understanding the impact of policy responses to climate change.Joseph Rowntree Foundation blog.Available from: jrf.org.uk/blog/2011/03/unintended-consequences-policy-responses-climate-change [Accessed 21 April 2011]. 11.Auriga Services Limited,2011.Help for water and energy customers.(1st ed.)Sutton Coldfield: Auriga Services Limited.Available from:  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   i-m-a.org.uk/pdfs/help_for_water_and_energy_customers_booklet.pdf [Accessed 21 April 2011]. 12.National Health Services Choices,2010.Personal and household finance.London:Department of Health.Available from: nhs.uk/CarersDirect/moneyandlegal/finance/Pages/Utilitybills.aspx [Accessed 21 April 2011]. 13. Environment Agency,2006.Do we need large-scale water transfer for south east England?Rotterham: Environment Agency. Available from:  Ã‚   environment-agency.gov.uk/static/documents/Research/grid_1464452.pdf [Accessed 21 April 2011]. 14.United Nations Environment Programme,2004.Impacts of Summer 2003 Heat Wave in Europe. Environment Alert Bulletin. Available from: grid.unep.ch/product/publication/download/ew_heat_wave.en.pdf [Accessed 21 April 2011]. 15. Abrahamson,V.,Raine,R.,2009. Health and social care responses to the Department of Health Heatwave Plan.Journal of Public Health,31(4),478-489.Available from: http://jpubhealth.oxfordjournals.org/content/31/4/478.full.pdf [Accessed 21 April 2011]. 16.Aina,T.,Allen,M.R., Hilberts,A.G.J., Lohmann,D.,Pall, P., Nozawa,T., Stone,D.A.,Stott,P.A., 2011.Anthropogenic greenhouse gas contribution to flood risk in England and Wales in autumn 2000.Nature, 470,382-386.Available from: nature.com/nature/journal/v470/n7334/full/nature09762.html [Accessed 21 April 2011]. 17.Fernandez-Bilbao,A., Knight,J., Smith,D., Scott Wilson,J.A., Zsamboky,M.,2011. Impacts of climate change on disadvantaged UK coastal communities.York: Joseph Rowntree Foundation. Available   from: jrf.org.uk/publications/impacts-climate-change-disadvantaged-uk-coastal-communities [Accessed 21 April 2011]. 18.Carrington, D., 2010.UK flood defence cuts leave 5m vulnerable homes ‘at risk’.The Guardian. 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Free Essays on Caste System

The Indian caste system is over 3500 years old. Still today the values of the caste system are held strongly. It has kept a sense of order, and peace among the people. There are five different levels of the system: Brahman, Kshatriya, Shudra, and Harijans. Within each of these categories are sub castes or jatis. They all have their own place among each other and accept that it is the way to keep society from disintegrating to chaos. This system has worked well for Indian people, primarily the Hindu’s, and still has a major role in modern India. The Sanskrit word for caste is ‘varna’ meaning color. When the Aryans moved into northwest India and started the caste system it was originally a color classification. The purpose of the system was to distinguish between the Aryan invaders and the previous occupants. Eventually the origins of the caste system were forgotten and it became an accepted part of society. The original caste system consisted of the first four levels. Later, when the Aryans moved across India from their original position in the northwest, they conquered more people. To fit the newly conquered people into their way of society they created a new category. The new caste was placed below the Shudras, and was called the Untouchables. Hindu’s strongly value the caste system because it goes along with their beliefs of dharma and reincarnation. Dharma means virtue. The Hindu’s believe if they fulfill their duties on earth, they will be rewarded by being reincarnated, or reborn into a higher class. This is the reason they do not help lower class citizens. They feel as if it would be going against the natural order of things. At the top of the caste system is the Brahmin. They are the caste of priests, their job is to know and repeat the Hindu text, which is called Vedas. They belong to the dvija or twice-born category, which means they take part in a ceremony to initiate them selves into the Hindu religion and are... Free Essays on Caste System Free Essays on Caste System The Indian caste system is over 3500 years old. Still today the values of the caste system are held strongly. It has kept a sense of order, and peace among the people. There are five different levels of the system: Brahman, Kshatriya, Shudra, and Harijans. Within each of these categories are sub castes or jatis. They all have their own place among each other and accept that it is the way to keep society from disintegrating to chaos. This system has worked well for Indian people, primarily the Hindu’s, and still has a major role in modern India. The Sanskrit word for caste is ‘varna’ meaning color. When the Aryans moved into northwest India and started the caste system it was originally a color classification. The purpose of the system was to distinguish between the Aryan invaders and the previous occupants. Eventually the origins of the caste system were forgotten and it became an accepted part of society. The original caste system consisted of the first four levels. Later, when the Aryans moved across India from their original position in the northwest, they conquered more people. To fit the newly conquered people into their way of society they created a new category. The new caste was placed below the Shudras, and was called the Untouchables. Hindu’s strongly value the caste system because it goes along with their beliefs of dharma and reincarnation. Dharma means virtue. The Hindu’s believe if they fulfill their duties on earth, they will be rewarded by being reincarnated, or reborn into a higher class. This is the reason they do not help lower class citizens. They feel as if it would be going against the natural order of things. At the top of the caste system is the Brahmin. They are the caste of priests, their job is to know and repeat the Hindu text, which is called Vedas. They belong to the dvija or twice-born category, which means they take part in a ceremony to initiate them selves into the Hindu religion and are...

Tort law essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Tort law - Essay Example Tort law is one of the most important aspects of the legal industry. In simple words, tort law can be defined as a specialised body of law that provides solution for the mis – doings or wrong doings that are basically civil in nature and does not arise from any contractual obligations. In other words, tort law is the set of laws that are used to get legal damages by the accusers in case the accused is legally responsible for the damage caused. The prime difference in between any criminal case and a case of tort is that of motif and punishment. While criminal cases involve those that are motivated to hurt the other party in some way or the other, the cases that are of tort in nature does not hurt other knowingly. In most of the cases, damage is caused by chance. Therefore, also there is a major difference in case of punishment in between both the cases. Criminal cases basically involve harsh punishment as the intention was to hurt the other party while tort cases predominantly attract only compensation on the loss that has been caused because of the hurt. The tort cases primarily have two important pillars upon which the entire set of law revolves namely ‘the standard of care’ and ‘negligence’. ‘Standard of care’ is a legal phrase that helps the honourable court to identify if the case is of tortious in nature or not. The underlying point of contention for the ‘standard of care’ is that who actually suffers the actual loss from the injury, is it the person himself or is it transferred to some other party. The other important consideration is that of negligence. The charging party i.e. the accuser needs to prove in the court of law that the damage incurred was because of the negligence on the part of the other party. If is not proved that the damage was because of the negligence, one cannot be held responsible under the tort law. Compensation culture is an ongoing trend especially in the states of England

History of Communication Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

History of Communication - Essay Example Following the emergence of the recent technological innovations such as the cochlear implants, issues of community, language, unification and identity keep on becoming rampant. (Deaf Culture: Introduction) Following various efforts, the ultimate achievement was witnessed with the establishment of the Columbia Institute for the Deaf at Washington, DC in 1864. The later portion of the 19th century saw the growth of the oral theories of deaf education. Even though a lot of these theories persist, they have in common a stress on the value of acquiring oral skills, i.e. reading and speech in the educational training of the deaf children. It is very important to note that a major supporter of technique of oral methods was Alexander Graham Bell whose mother and wife had problems in hearing. The first important oral school in the U.S., Clarke School for the Deaf in Northampton, Massachusetts was opened in 1867. This variation in philosophy between the supporters of conventional sign language and those who are in favor of oral language formed a vital division across the second half of the 19th century as well as the 20th century. The differences were sometimes strong, resulting in intense divi sions within the deaf education community. (History of Deaf Education in America) The capability to educate in oral skills depends largely on the extent of hearing loss, the age in which the student lost his/her hearing ability particularly if it was prior to or following acquisition of the sign language and other factors as well. Thus there is broad array of achievement and failure dependent, which is not on intelligence, rather on these factors. During the history of development, oral skills are not generally very helpful for communication among deaf persons, and the application of the oral techniques really prevents the deaf from careers as teachers. The American School for Deaf at this time, tried out students in oral classes initially, and in case they did not get results, placed them in manual classes as an alternative, under a philosophy known as the Combined System. A lot of other schools meant for the deaf accepted the oral method to a greater degree. The 20th century witnessing a scenario wherein the oral method was losing its popularity to the sign met hod which was gaining increased acceptance. (History of Deaf Education in America) The difference between spoken language and sign language, while crucial for researchers, is a sweeping statement for most real-life situations. It is exceptional that deaf children are subjected to spoken language or sign language, even if this is the purpose of their parents or teachers. As per data relating to the year 1999, roughly 55% of deaf children in America are officially enrolled in programs which state suing of sign language solely just more than 5% or signed and spoken language in combination just more than 49%. (Albertini; Lang; Marschark 89) One more aspect observed in the Ralph Fasold authored publication entitled "The Sociolinguistics of Society" gives an account of the essence of sociolinguistics that is dependent on two facts regarding language. First of all, that language changes which is to state that speakers have more than a single means to speak roughly the same thing. The second aspect is that language serves a widely inclusive objective just as important one of