Essay on Market Structure - 829 Words

Market structure is defined as the particular environment of a firm, the characteristics of which influence the firm’s pricing and output decisions. There are four theories of market structure. These theories are: nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;†¢nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;Pure competition nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;†¢nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;Monopolistic competition nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;†¢nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;Oligopoly†¦show more content†¦nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;Examples of perfect competition include some agricultural markets and a small subset of the retail trade. The stock market, where there are hundreds of thousands of buyers and sellers of stock, is also sometimes cited as an example of pure competition. nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;The theory of monopolistic competition is built on three assumptions: (1.) There are many sellers and buyers. (2.) Each firm produces and sells a slightly differentiated product. (3.) There is easy entry and exit. nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;The monopolistic firm has no rivals, and it produces a good for which there are no substitutes. In a monopolistic competition, it has a downward slope. This means that it has to lower price to sell an additional unit of the good it produces. Just like the pure competition, monopolistic firm charges the highest price it can possibly charge for its product. nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;Examples of monopolistic competition includes retail clothing, restaurants, and service stations. nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;The theory of monopoly is a theory of market structure based on three assumptions: (1.) There is one seller. (2.) The single seller sells a product for which there are noShow MoreRelatedMarket Structure Of The Company Essay1088 Words   |  5 PagesMarket Structure Introduction There are four types of market structures and they are monopoly, perfect competition, monopolistic competition, and oligopoly. What is a market structure? A market structure is â€Å"the makeup of the companies operating in a particular market.† Why is the market structure important to the producer as well as the consumer? It distinguishes the difference in seller numbers, buyer numbers, seller entry barriers, and buyer entry barriers. The main differences in market structuresRead MorePerfect Competition : A Market Structure1942 Words   |  8 PagesWhen trying to top look for a market structure to fit your needs a person should start with perfect completion, monopolistic competition, oligopoly, and monopoly. These four market structure are used by business to aid the businesses in producing and selling products. 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Each of these market structures correlates with one another to create the demand and supply of the market. However, these market structures have some unique traits that no other theory can have alike. Therefore, a comparison and contrast is necessary to distinguish each of these theories from one another. These market structures of the economy are perfect competition, monopoly, monopolistic competition, and oligopoly. These market structuresRead MoreMarket Structure And Functions Of The World Economy1832 Words   |  8 PagesAssignment Student name : - Md Mokshed Hasan Student id : - 614181 Part one: - Market structure and functions Q1,a) Financial markets:- It’s a marketplace where buyers and sellers participate in the trade of assets like equities, binds, currencies and derivatives. Financial markets are well-defined by having transparent pricing, rudimentary regulation on trading, cost and fees and market forces determining the pieces of stocks trade. 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How Social Media Shapes Musical Identities - 959 Words

The following proposal will be an overview of a short documentary project that will analyze and discuss how social media shapes musical identities. To do this I will use Instagram, YouTube, and Facebook to consider the interactions that happen through these mediums and also look into how this relationship can form musical identities. Thus, I will use interview subjects who I will film interviews with myself and I will also interview and use videos of fellow students on Mike Johnston’s online student page. I will use Jimmie Manning’s chapter in the book, Beyond New Media by Herbig, Herrmann, and Tyma to discuss the intricate nature of identity throughout this proposal to identify some of the areas of focus such as public music identity and social mediated music identity. I will also use things like Mcgee’s theory of fragmentation and Megan Foley’s sound bites to explain how subjects subsume their social mediated music identities. For this project I would like to do a short three to four minute documentary to analyze how social media helps shape peoples musical identity in this technological era. I can only give an estimate at this time because I know a lot of people who have said they would like to contribute to this project. However, I also know life happens so that number may change that is why I have chosen to leave the length a little open ended. The documentary will follow about four subjects five, including a few appearances of myself. It will follow twoShow MoreRelatedMusic and Identity Essay994 Words   |  4 PagesMusic and Identity In this report, I will expand upon what was spoken in the presentation by providing a more in-depth look at each section I talked about. 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Black Asthetics and Toni Morrison Free Essays

The black arts, or the black aesthetic, movement was born among the black artist as a response to the ideologies of the black power in the 1960’s. The movement was a continuation of the 1920’s and 1930’s Harlem Renaissance that had begun the tradititon of rediscovering the roots os black culture and heritage,dating back to slavery. Some of the major literary figures of the Harlem era included authors James Weldon Johnson, Langston Hughes and Nella Larsen. We will write a custom essay sample on Black Asthetics and Toni Morrison or any similar topic only for you Order Now The Black arts emerged to promote art that illustrated African-American music, languages, heritage, and beauty. In order to be substantial, art had to have a proudly black subject matter and style; be it sculpture, a piece of music, a novel or a poem. Empowered by the concepts of the black power, the movement inspired the emergence of the black theatre groups, magazines, and printing presses. Literature influenced by the black arts concepts struggled to abandon W. E. B. Du Bois’ idea of double consciousness, which meant blacks were constantly struggling towards the white culture’s ideals, even though the dominant society disabled them for reaching the Eurocentric goals. Mirroring themselves against the value structure of the oppressive white society was depriving the blacks of their empowerment. Black writers wanted to concentrate on solving the problems of the African-American community from the inside, developing awareness of the rich black heritage and gearing the co mmunity to realize it worth. The Black Arts movement brought the time for blacks to stop internalizing the image of being the inferior in the society as a whole. The black population had to find strength, beauty and self esteem within the black community. The black arts, characterized by acute awareness, produced writers like Toni Morrison, Ishmael Reed, and Alice Walker. Toni Morrison undeniably is an author who internalizes the main concerns of the black aesthetic. She writes about black oppression, consciousness and tradition. Her major characters’ are black and they are in constant search for their ethnic identity. The first African American writer to win the Nobel Prize for literature in 1993, Toni Morrison is a leading voice in current debates about the construction of race and black marginality in literature and culture. As a prominent writer of the age she refuses to allow race to be marginalized in literary discourse. Throughout her writing Morrison uses narrative forms to express African Americans’ dislocated, oral tradition, and culture, and reclaim African American’s historical experiences. She profoundly uses the fictive narratives to transfigure the old south; the bedrock of black dehumanization, degradation and sorrow into an archetypal black homeland, a cultural womb that lays claim to history’s orphaned, defamed and disclaimed African children. In her novels Morrison humanizes black characters in fictions that strive to overcome and excavate enforced invisibility of African Americans’ social reality. Morrison critiques the mainstream thinking and acclaims that black writers and black characters are the relative means by which text demonstrates to be human and superior. Imagination is possible in the presence of black characters and black contents. At the same time talking African discourse is inferior and submissive tends to impoverish cultural interpretation of reality. Morrison questions the validity and vulnerability of a set of assumptions conventionally accepted and taken for granted among literary historians and critics. Africanist presence, in a constitutive part in the entire history has been rejected. Morrison in Playing in the Dark: Whiteness and Literary Imagination proposes, â€Å"[t] he contemplating of this black presence in central to any understanding of our national literature and should not be permitted to hover at the margins of the literary imagination† (5). Morrison argues that American culture is built on, and is premised by, and always includes, the presence if blacks’, as slaves, as outsiders. She likens the unwillingness of academics in a racist society to see the place of Africanism in literature and to the centuries of unwillingness to see a favorite discourse, concerns and identity. She posits whiteness as the ‘Other’ of blackness, a dialectical pair, each term both creates and excludes the other: no freedom without slavery, no white without black. The major themes of Toni Morrison’s writing is to redefine the notion of white American canonical texts and their idea of African American writing as being non-canonical or inferior. She demonstrates the idea of racial superiority and hegemonic culture in her writings. Morrison, in the preface of her critical work Playing in the Dark: Whiteness and Literary Imagination says she is â€Å"struggling with and through a language that can powerfully evoke and enforce hidden signs of racial superiority, cultural hegemony and dismissive ‘Othering’ of people and language which by no means marginal or already and completely known and knowable in my work† (XI). It is clear that Morrison’s writing is different from that of mainstream white discourse, which always bserves that African American literature is subsidiary product. Her intention, thorough her writing , is to reinterpret and redefine the hidden, dislocated and alienated Afro-American presence in American mainstream discourse and claim that Afro-Americans are no more inferior human beings. Toni Morrison’s fiction demonstrates a central interest in the issues of boundary, attachment , and separation. Her characters experience themselves as wounded, or imprisoned by racial and economic divisions within American culture. The boundaries that circumscribe black people are not only the prejudices and restrictions that bar their entry into the mainstream but the psychological ones they internalize as they develop in a social structure that historically has excluded them. Toni Morrison draws from a rich store of black oral tradition as well as from her own imaginative angle of vision to illuminate the potentialities for both annihilation and transcendence within black experience. Black lore, black music, black language and all the myths and rituals of black culture are the most prominent elements in Toni Morrison’s writing. She feels a strong connection to ancestors because they were the culture bearers. She thinks that it is the responsibility of African American writers to dig out that annihilated history and secure the importance of it in the making of American civilization. Toni Morrison ranks among the most highly regarded and widely read fiction writers and cultural critics in America. As a critic she refuses to allow race to be relegated to the margins of literary discourse. She focuses on the importance of African American’s oral and musical culture and to reclaim black historical experiences. Morrison says that African American have rediscovered texts that have long been suppressed or ignored, have sought to make places for African American writing within the canon, and have developed ways of interpreting these works. Works Cited Morrison, Toni.  Playing in the Dark: Whiteness and the Literary Imagination. Cambridge, MA: Harvard UP, 1992. Print â€Å"Toni Morrison.†Ã‚  Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. 21 May 2011. Web. 23 May 2011. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toni_Morrison. Welcome to Black Aesthetics Institute. Web. 23 May 2011. http://blackaesthetics.org/. How to cite Black Asthetics and Toni Morrison, Papers

Vodafones Organizational free essay sample

After having been brought public in 1988, Vodafone kicked off its international expansion by acquiring minority stakes in other wireless telecom companies, following with multiple joint ventures within countries that were about to launch their cellular networks. Under the cabinet of Chris Gent as Vodafone’s CEO, the company drastically expanded the portfolio of its overseas acquisitions. Arun Sarin, who initiated the One Vodafone project, maximizing economies of scale, then succeeded him. The One Vodafone was to unify and simplify the company’s structure. This mainly included reshaping organizational charts and integrating Vodafone as a global brand. When Vodafone’s current CEO, Vittorio Colao, took over in 2008 he established a set of clear goals for the company to pursue. These mainly focused on â€Å"improvement of operational performance, [ ] pursuit of growth opportunities, [and] increase in shareholder returns†. (Colao, 2008, cited in Grant Jordan, 2011, p. 1 2) First results of Coleo’s newly adopted strategies came up positive yet the concerns arose around Vodafone’s long-term strategies in terms of its international presence. So as to help Vodafone pursue the aforementioned goals, we were assigned a consulting mandate to evaluate the following queries: 1- Are Vodafone’s organizational capabilities correctly aligned with their current strategy? If not, how could they improve them in order to grow within the competitive market they are facing? 2- Does Vodafone’s organizational structure enable them to undertake efficient decision-making processes? If not, what kind of organizational structure should Vodafone adopt? In order to develop a set of recommendations, the current strategy is first taken apart into its four components and for each the organizational capabilities needed are identified. In a second step, we define Vodafone’s current capabilities and determine the gaps to be closed. After having done so, we provide recommendations on how to close the organizational gaps by referring to the three leverage points, organizational structure, management preferences and leadership behavior. 2 Vodafone’s current strategy and required capabilities To make sure Vodafone’s international strategy is consistent with its organization, the required organizational capabilities have to be determined. In order to do so, the strategy is broken into its four components, goals, product-market focus, core activities and value proposition. In a subsequent manner, the organizational capabilities necessary to fulfill each one have to be established. (Crossan et al. , 2013, p. 160) Goals Every strategy follows a certain set of goals. For Vodafone said set consists of three parts. Firstly, top operational performance is achieved through cost cutting and superior customer service. Secondly, growth in emerging markets, mobile data services and comprehensive telecom solutions for business customers leads to the leading or the second position in every market. Lastly, Vodafone increases its shareholder returns by balancing selective investment and disinvestment. (Grant Jordan, 2011, p. 1 2) To accomplish those goals, Vodafone as to continuously improve its ability to cut costs, grow in emerging markets and generate a surplus form investments and divestments in the long-term. Product-Market Focus Operating in over 52 countries, Vodafone aims to provide high-class wireless communications and mobile services, integrated business solutions and mobile advertising (Vodafone, 2014). With its international scope and business but also private customers as clients, the definition of a â€Å"market† can vary. Markets for telecommunications can in this case either be determined by their geographical location or by their users. While corporate clients benefit from a â€Å"seamless† roaming, especially when operating globally, smaller clients get won’t acknowledge the service offered by a single, international provider. In order to develop the right product-market focus, the right target markets have to be identified and innovation has to be fostered consecutively. Value Proposition As stated before, Vodafone aims to provide high-class services. Therefore instead of challenging its competitors on price, customer value is created through premium services and differentiation. The global scope allows the customer to benefit from high quality reception worldwide, always offered by Vodafone and without value decreasing interceptions in the network. A strong value proposition requires the ability to offer superior data services and superior customer services, always moving one-step ahead of competition. Core Activities When operating globally, the core activities have to be established in a structure that allows the company to benefit from synergies and international integration. For Vodafone core activities focus on procurement, global development of products and services, marketing and brand development and service functions. If core activities are to be performed efficiently and effectively, it is not only necessary to balance the need for coordination and synergies with local initiatives and to adapt to industry changes, but also to have a well functioning corporation. This means, back-room systems have to run smoothly, economies in equipment purchase have to be realized and know-how has to be transferrable from one unit to another. Moreover the international scope has to be transferred into customer value and thus a competitive advantage. 3 Identifying Vodafone’s Organizational Capabilities As the strategy has been broken down into components, it is now necessary to identify Vodafones existing capabilities with respect to each component. The summary of these capabilities has been annexed to the present document. Currently, there are two main capabilities that facilitate the accomplishment of Vodafones goals. Firstly, there is the ability to grow in emerging markets. Between the years 2005 and 2008, Vodafone had demonstrated that it was able to enter emerging markets and to grow within these markets through acquisitions in Eastern Europe, Asia and Africa. Secondly, Vodafone possesses the ability to generate long-term profits from investments and divestments. In fact, this capability is a indispensable in order to create shareholder returns. As shown in table 1 of Grant and Jordan’s case study (2011, p. 2), Vodafone realized continuous, positive free cash flows between four and seven billion pounds during the years 2005 to 2011. As for the product-market focus, there is one main capability that can be identified with the company, the ability to identify potential target markets. Vodafone has shown that it is constantly and actively seeking for new target markets to exploit and its ability to expand their international scope. With innovative projects in Kenya, Asia and Eastern Europe, Vodafone further established a global presence. (Grant Jordan, 2011) Vodafone possesses four main capabilities with respect to its core activities. Firstly, as a result of its international expansion, Vodafone can transfer seamless connections into costumer value. The company is thus able to provide integrated solutions to businesses with international functions. Smaller firms and private customers however don’t benefit as much from a global partner as most domestic providers offer good roaming services through partner agreements. Thanks to the large distribution of fix costs, Vodafone is able to offer promotional deals to small clients and therefore allow them to benefit from a unified provider. Secondly, by rationalizing its back-room systems Vodafone eliminates expenses that do not generate value for the costumers and strengthens the organizational structure. Thirdly, due to the international scope, economies in purchasing equipment can be realized. Lastly, the ability to exploit learning and knowledge transfer is directly linked to the required ability to innovate new generations of voice and data services. In order to enhance these capabilities Vodafone restructured the organization in 2011 (Grant Jordan, 2011, p. 9 16) Finally, with respect to Vodafones value proposition, the companys main capability is being able  to offer superior customer service. This capability is demonstrated by the fulfillment of three criteria: effective delivery to costumers, short response time and responsiveness  to customers needs. In order to fulfill these criteria, Vodafone nurtures an entrepreneurial mindset and provides each of its company with challenging missions to accomplish (Grant Jordan, 2011, p. 8). In conclusion, Vodafone disposes of several crucial capabilities but still can improve its abilities to adapt to industry changes and to innovate new generations of voice and data services. In addition the ability to balance the need for coordination and synergies with local initiatives has not been flawless. However those capabilities are determined inside-out. At the end it is the customer that determines how innovative Vodafone is or whether its customer service is superior (Crossan et al. , 2013, p. 161). 4 Developing New Organizational Capabilities Now that we’ve identified the organizational gaps, we develop new organizational capabilities or improve existing ones to ensure consistency in the strategy-organization linkage. To do so, we refer to the three leverage points, organizational structure, management preferences and leadership behavior. As the available information does not provide sufficient detail on the latter, we therefore focus on the organizational structure and management processes. Organizational Structure Although the organizational structure had been redesigned in 2011, remaining weaknesses were identified. Creating geographical and functional units on the same level of hierarchy prevents efficient transfer of information and knowledge as competencies become unclear. Moreover a global strategy and business development department are contra-productive in two ways. Firstly  it opposes the necessity to adapt to cultural peculiarities and secondly it doesn’t fit the autonomous position of local subsidiaries. General strategic decisions have to be taken by a superior unit, mostly the executive board or the board of directors. The lack of clear hierarchical structures and well-defined competencies thus prevent a rapid reaction to industry changes. In order to enable efficient decision-making, opportunity recognition and a fast and free flow of information the organizational structure is to be redesign as follows. Figure New Organizational Structure The company is to be divided into the four geographic units of Europe, Africa, Asia Pacific and Middle East. Each geographic unit consists of functional units managing the tasks for their respective area. The only functional unit operating globally remains the technology unit. This allows Vodafone to test a technology in one market and deploy it into another later on, without relying on several independent units. To facilitate the communication between the different units, the internal communications and cultural mediation unit (ICCM) is created. It is composed of one manager from every geographic unit. The ICCM also acts as a channel for internal communications and monitors synergies and manages the coordination between different units where necessary. The new structure allows maximizing efficiency in procurement, global developing of technology and new products or services, marketing and brand development as well as common service functions. The reduced complexity further keeps administrative costs low and permits additional growth. Management Processes Changes in management processes have the potential to act as a leverage point to develop new capabilities. These processes are separated in three components: decision-making processes, operational processes and performance assessments and reward processes. Each of these components contributes to the development of new capacities. (Crossan et al. , 2013, p. 172) In order to increase the ability to innovate new generations of voice and data services, the company has to give the authority and latitude necessary to the Research Development department to take decisions on their own. Being able to take decisions and find innovative solutions increases employee satisfaction as well. Empowered employees feel as if their contributions matter and productivity increases. The company thus has to accelerate the approval of innovative ideas and enable projects to get fast tracked. Furthermore, the creative and innovative actions of employees are to be recognized and rewarded. For most employees financial rewards are insufficient and sometimes even contra-productive. When design a incentives, opportunities for self-development, recognition of achievement etc. Have to be equally considered. (Crossan et al. , 2013, p. 176) In order to properly react to industry changes, Vodafone has to consider the dynamics in the changes of the environment. Along with a dynamic environment, it is crucial to monitor its competition regularly and identify possible threats and new entrants early on. 5 Feasibility Assessment The suggested changes in organizational structure and management processes allow Vodafone to develop the organizational capabilities necessary to transform its international scope into a distinct competitive advantage. In order ensure the effective realization of the proposed measures, the implementation of each step has to be according to the required time frame. Changes within the decision-making process can be conducted over a short period of time. Modifications in operational processes and performance assessments take a little more time to be established. In order to ensure a successful outcome, all actions have to be constantly monitored and communicated within the whole corporation. 6 Conclusion Over the years, Vodafone has shown it was capable to outrank competition and to generate large revenues. Nevertheless by ensuring consistency in the strategy-organization linkage, untapped potential can be realized. Improving and developing capacities, redesigning the organizational structure and modify management processes allow Vodafone to close existing inconsistencies. A detailed analysis of Vodafone’s organizational capabilities has yielded the following results. It is able to effectively cut costs and innovate new generations of voice and data services but needs to constantly improve those qualities, while capabilities such as balancing  the need for coordination and synergies with local initiatives, adapting to industry changes and offering superior data services are required and need to be developed. In order to achieve the envisioned capabilities, we suggest a redesign of the organizational structure and several adjustments within the management processes. The company is to be divided into geographical units on the first and into functional units on the second hierarchical level. Simultaneously a new department for internal communications and cultural mediation is to be created and the technology unit is kept on a global scope. Moreover, research development requires more decisional autonomy and a fast track for innovative and important projects has to be established. Finally, all measures have to be constantly monitored and evaluated to ensure their effectiveness. Bibliography Crossan, M. M. Rouse, M. J. Fry, J. N. Killing, J. P. (2013). Strategic Analysis and Action (8th ed). Toronto: Pearson. Grant, M. , J. , Jordan, J. (2011). Vodafone: Rethinking international strategy. Foundations of Strategy. Appendix A The ICCM Unit B Recommendations for management processes New Capabilities to be Developed Decision-making Process Operational Processes Performance Assessment and Reward Processes Ability to innovate new generations of voice and data sevices Give more decisional empowerment to the RD department Reduce time approval for innovative ideas and enable fast track projects Reward creative and innovative actions   and work Adapting to industry changes.

Both The Roman And The Athenian Civilization Enjoyed Recreation And Ch

Both the Roman and the Athenian civilization enjoyed recreation and cherished it dearly. Recreation was and is one of the most important things in a person's life. If a person has a total lack of recreation there are chances of melancholy that can later on lead to death. Having recreation in our lives gives us a sense of happiness thatwe all need. The Romans were alike with the Greeks in a few ways. The Romans watched chariot races to entertain them just like the Greeks did, what was so fascinating About the Romans is that they had the biggest arena in the Mediterranean called the Circus Maximus. The arena held about two hundred fifty thousand people, that was five times as much as the collosseum. The Athenians didn't like the barbaric fighting as much as the Romans did; the Athenians were more aristocratic. The Romans loved watching gladiator's fight in the collosseum, which seated fifty thousand spectators. The colloseum was used for fights, two people which were either slaves condemned criminals or Christians fought until someone's life was taken away. The collosseum was also used for condemned criminals, or Christians to fight wild animals, or starving beasts. This is one of the biggest difference's that the Greeks had from the Romans. Another difference between the Greek and the roman empire was, the fact that the Romans had festivals that represented something for the king or ruler at that time, but in Greece it was mostly sport festivals and festivals that honored the gods. Something that the Romans didn't have but the Greeks did and could brag about was the Olympic games. The Olympic games took session every four years and had five events (the pentathlon), wrestling, running, chariot races, jumping, and the javelin. Today more than twenty events take place that is one way that the ancient Greek life affected ours today. The Romans and Greek Empire had similarities and differences in their way of recreation. Mostly the differences overruled the similarities and this is perfectly normal because they were and are two different cultures. Recreation though played a very important role in both cultures and in any other culture in the world.

The use of Skype to facilitate Virtual Organisations Essays

The use of Skype to facilitate Virtual Organisations Essays The use of Skype to facilitate Virtual Organisations Essay The use of Skype to facilitate Virtual Organisations Essay Undergraduate Programme Individual Coursework Submission Feedback Form To#be#completed#by#the#student#- #complete#all#grey#areas#5#failure(to(fully(complete(this(section(or(giving(inaccurat e(information(may( result(in(coursework(being(refused(or(delayed. ( Moduledetails: Module:code: MS3102! Course ofStudy'(please tickone! ): BScAccountingandFinance BSc BankingandInternationalFinance BSclnvestmentandFinancialRiskManagement BSc RealEstateFinanceandlnvestment Studentdetails: 596! BScActuarialScience BScBusinessStudies BScManagement Other'(pleasespecify) Family! Name:! Sarkhel! First! Names:! Jade! Nina!! *your! Student! Registration! Number! (Reg! No)! is! printed! on! the! right! hand! side! of! your! Student! Identity! Card.! ! PLAGIARISMSTATEMENT:TOBESIGNEDBYALLSTUDENTS (courseworkwillnotbeprocessedifthisisnotsigned) l! certify! that! the! coursework! that! l! have! submitted! is! my! own! unaided! work,! and! that! l! have! read! and! complied! with! the! guidelines! on! plagiarism! as! set! out! in! the! student! software! and! that! my! work! may! therefore! be! stored! on! a! database! which! is! accessible! to! ther! users! of! the! same! software.!! l! certify! hat! the! word! count! declared! is! correct.!! ! Students! should! be! aware! that,! where! plagiarism! is! suspected,! a! formal! investigation! will! be! carried! out,! and! action! may! be! taken! under! the! Universitys! rules! on! Signature: Date: 31. 10. 2013 Coursework#must#be#submitted#by#20:OO#on#the#day#of#the#deadline. #Work#r eceived#after#that#time#will#not#be# accepted#for#marking. # ! To#be#completed#by#the#Course#Offce# Date! Received:! ! To#be#completed#by#the#Lecturer# Revised! Submission! Date:! Reason:! Youshouldpayparticularattentiontoanyfeedbacknoteddirectlyonyourwork. ! FinalMark: Authorised! by:! Please(contact(your(lecturer(to(discuss(his/ her(comments(and(obtain(further(feedback. (All(marks(are(provisional(until(approved(by(the(appropriate(Assessment(Board. ( Technology facilitating virtual organisations This report endeavors to study the application of Skype to facilitate a virtual organisation. This critical analysis will identify benefits and risks associated with the application of this technology and scenarios for its use in the immediate and slightly more distant future. Word count: 2013) )3! ENCOURAGE! KNOWLEDGE! BUILDING! VIRTUAL! INTERVIEWS! † 5 TRAINING! 6 24/7! CUSTOMER! CONCLUSION) BIBLIOGRAPHY). OF MI 980).!! The% exponential% growth% (App. % 1)% of% the% internet% over% recent% years% has% eroded% international% barriers,% given% access% to% a% plethora% of% information% at% our% fingertips% and% has% influenced% a% significant%shift%in %the%way%businesse s%work%today. %with%the%help%of%technological%tools, %we%have% %work%to%more%virtual%organisationsl . These% organisations% operate% in% a % dispersed% manner% with% intensive% use% of% information% technology, %opening%up%both%endless%unexplored%opportunities%and%threats. %with %offce%space%in% prime%locations%becoming%increasingly%more%expensive %and%individual%desk%space%costing%up%to% El 2,000%a%year2,%we%see % many%businesses%warmly%welcoming%the%use%of%virtual%organisations%to% help%drive%down%costs. %% To% successfully% gain% the% benefits% of% operating% as% a% virtual% entity,% frameworks% such% as% the% intelligent% exploiter% model% could% be% used% to% overcome% challenges. highlights% the% importantance% of% implementing% an% effective% system% in% order% to% utilize% information% systems% and%successfully%enhance%performance3%(app%2). %This%critical analysis%endeavors%to%find%value%in% the%use%of%the%web %2. O%t0015,%Skype,%as%an%effective%system%to%facilitate%a%virtua l %organisation. %lt% will%detail%applications%of%skype%to%support%virtual%work %and%the%risks%that%may%arise. %% Skype%is%the%current%leader%in%voice %over%lP%(VolP)%service%and%instant%messaging. %First%released%in% August %freemium4%service%fits% under% the% category% of% a% Web% 2. % tool,% which% is% a% technological% service% that% enables% users% to% interact,% personalize% and% share% information% over% the% Internet5. % Skype% is% classed% as% a% peer% to% peer% application% and% operates% over% a% ultitude% of% platforms% (across% Mac% and% PC)% % mobile% devices%such %as%tablets,%smartphones%and%laptops%allowing%onMtheMgo%accessibility. %% %A virtual organization or company is one whose members are geographically apart, usually operates primarily via electronic means, appearing to others to be a single, unified organization with a real physical location http://whatis. echtarget. com/ %Richard Nessen- Lecture on Virtual Organisations% 3 %Holtham, Clive (October 2009) The I ntelligent Exploiter, Cass Business School. Available At: 4% Freemium is a business model by which a proprietary product or service (typically a igital offering such as software, media, games or web services) is provided free of charge, but money (premium) is charged for advanced features, functionality, or virtual goods. %Antiroiko Savolainen, 2011 It was coined in 2004 by OReilly who claimed that the use of these tools are to make the internet a more collaborative place (BCS, 2009) The% ability% of% a% firm% to% culminate% relevant% knowledge 6 %and% transform% them% into% unique% capabilities% can% be% crucial% in% developing % nonMimitable% competitive% advantages. % a% virtual% organisation,% is % quiet% common% to% have% individuals% in% different% geographical% locations to% be% working% on% the% same% projects. Interactions% between% individuals% operating% remotely% become% more%challenging%thus%reducing %the%amount%of%knowledge%being%shared. %Skype%allows%up%to%25% partic ipants%to%Join%a%conversation%at%once7,%which%can%be%implemented %into%an%organisation%to% facilitate% knowledge% management 8 ,% virtual% brainstorms% and% group% discussions. % Borderless% collaboration%can%help%to %improve%innovation%through%generating%a%wider%variety%of%ideas%with% influence% from% leading% practices% from% different% geographical% locations. can% improve% consistency%throughout%work,%as%everyone%has%equal access%to%information%and%overall%improve% decision%making%due%to%a % reduction%in%the%loss%of%knowMhow%tacit9%knowledge. %Facilitating%group% discussions%also%increases%productivity%by%reducing%cases%of%reinventing interactions% would% have% significant% benefits,% the% difficulty% arises%when %trusting%relationships%are%not%fully%developed%and%thus%hinders%the %dissemination%of% tacit% knowledge. The% facilitation% and% management% of % knowledge% sharing% also% becomes% more% challenging% in% absence% of% physical% presence% as% a% physical% brainstorming% session% would% usually% ontain% a% mediator% that% actively% manages% the% interaction% to% either% encourage% our% prevent% interruptions% for% example% in% a% physical% scenario% individuals% would% raise% a% hand% before% interrupting. % Another% important% risk% is% exposing% confidential% material,% as% there% is% very% little% control%over%who%is%listening%in%via%the%25%possible%channels%of %communicators. Knowledge is a fluid mix of framed experience, values, contextual information, and expert insight that provides a basis for evaluating and incorporating new experiences and information. It originates and is applied in the mind of individuals. In organisations, it often becomes embedded not only in documents or repositories but also in organisational routines, processes, and practices. (Davenport Prusak, 2000) 7 %There is a magic number for brainstorming and that number is 8-10 people. If you get more than ten people, it becomes challenging for everyone to participate and its too easy for side conversations to get going. ]rsconsulting. net/ freearticles 26. html% 8 %Knowledge Management is the discipline of enabling individuals, teams and entire organisations to collectively and systematically create, share and apply knowledge, to etter achieve their objectives Ron Young. 9 %Goffn, K. Koners, U. (2011). Tacit Knowledge, Lessons Learnt, and New Product Development. J PROD INNOV MANAG, 28, 300-318. With tacit knowledge, people are not often aware of the knowledge they possess or how it can be valuable to others. Effective transfer of tacit knowledge generally requires extensive personal contact, regular interaction and trust. This kind of knowledge can only be revealed through practice in a particular context and transmitted through social networks. To some extent it is captured when the knowledge holder Joins a network or a community of practice. 0 %250 companies using Skype, 80% said using it increased employee productivity. http://financialsocialmedia. com/theadvantages-of-skype-in-business- communications/% Physical%and%social%interaction%is%known%to%bind%an%organisation. %The %lack%of%these%interactions%in% virtual% organisations% tends% to% hinder% the% development% of% a% company% culture. % To% encourage% social %interaction%between%virtual%workers,%Skypes%instant%messaging%and%VoIP %can%be%used%for% immediate% support% during% projects% and% general% social% interactions. Encouraging% employees% to% upload% profile% pictures% nd% building% a% personal% profile% for% themselves% can% help% to% develop % a% more%humane%appearance%to%workers,%especially%when%primarily %interacting%on%a%virtual%level. %lt% can% help% to% foster% teamwork% and% a % sense% of% belonging% in% a% virtual% organisation. % The% risk% of% encouraging%employees%to%use%skype%as%a%social%media%tool%is%the %inability%to%control%the%extent%it% is%being%used%for%social%interaction %and%thus%distracting%employees%from%their%work. % Internet%accessibility%has%opened%up%a%global%pool%of%potential%employees %from%which%to%recruit% from. %The%opportunity%to%outsource%work%through virtual%organisations%has%reduced%the%cost%of% remuneration% and% provided% a% wider% pool% of% applicants% for% firms% to% filter% out% the% most% skilled% people% across% the% globe. % So% although% firms% are% no% longer% limited% to% applicants% within% a% comfortable% com muting% distance % from% an% office% base,% the% difficulty% arises% when% interviewing% international%applicants%for%a%virtual%offsite%role. To%overcome%this,%Skype %could%be%implemented% to%hold%virtual%interviews%via%video%VolP. %The %absence%of%travel%time%would%improve%flexibility%of% meeting%times%and would%also%reduce%the%physical%space%required%to%hold%interviews. %These%two% factors%would%significantly%reduce%the%cost%for%both%parties, %due%to%increased%freedom%to%connect% from%more%convenient%locations %and%the%ability%to%reallocate%meetingMroom%space. %The%benefit%of% using %video%calls%as%opposed%to%a%telephone%conversation%would%allow%the %interviewer%to%assess% important% contributors% such% as% body% language% and% presentation. From% the% applicants% perspective,%being%in%a%familiar %location%might%reduce%nerves%and%in%turn%improve%performance% during% the% interview. Skypes% built% in% recording% software% could% be% utilized% to% document% the% interview%as%referen ce%when%making%comparisons %between%applicants%or%to%allow%third%parties%to% asses% applicants% performance% for% a% more% balanced% final% decision. % A% drawback% of% %employees%experiencing%true% company% culture. Through% physically% entering% an% office% building,% they% would% experience% the% work% environment% and% have% the% opportunity% to% interact% with% potential% colleagues. % A% virtual% interview%could%also%result%in%interruptions%due%to %being%more%exposed%to%external%distractions. For%example%using%lnternet %in%a%cafe%could%result%in%disruptive%background%noise,%it%can%also%be% difficult%to%identify%whether%an%individual%requires%privacy%when%sitting%in %front%of%a%laptop%with% headphones%in. Connection%also%plays%a%big%part %in%determining%whether%the%process%works%well% or% not. Delays% can% occur,% calls% can% be% dropped,% and% poor% connectivity% may% result% in% broken% speech%and%noticeable%lag%in%signal%reaching%its%destination. %skype%does%not%offer%a%serv ice%level% agreement%(SLAb%warranting%that %service%will%be%available%and%quality%good,%therefore%call%and% onnection%quality%are%not%always%as%good%as%they%are%on%the%public %switched%telephone%network% (PSTN). %% Technological%advances%has%allowed%multinationals%to%converge%in%the%way %things%are%done%on%a% global% scale. Another% difficulty% experienced% in % virtual% organisations% is% the% ability% to% bring% all% employees%together %and%disseminate%the%same%standard%of%training%across%the%board. %skype %can% be% utilized% by% providing% prerecorded% training% sessions% to% off% site% employees% for% mobile% % anywhere%access. %For%a%more%localized %approach,%one%to%one%or%group%training%via%skype%video% calls% % creen% sharing% would% allow% a% firm% to% create% bespoke% and% highly% interactive% training% programs. The%interactive%aspect%encourages%live %feedback%on%sessions,%encourages%employees% to%be%more%participative%as %levels%of%intimidation%in%a%classroom%setting%are% reduced. %%The%ability% to%tailor%the%course%based%on%individuals%specific%requirements%also %becomes%more%achievable. % Additionally,% it% could% facilitate% training% seminars% with% external% industry% experts% that% may% not% usually%have %the%time%to%travel%away%from%work. The%live%aspect%of%the%sessions means%that% information%is%always%up%to%date%in%comparison%to %learning%via%literature,%and%again%the%built%in% recording% function% can% be% used% to% record% training% sessions% to% build% a% reference% library% with% anytime% access. % The% drawback% of% the% virtual% training;% leaves% the% speed% of% employee% development% down% to% their% own% motivations% to% progress% and% it% becomes% difficult% to% ensure% alertness% during% sessions% due% to% a% higher% level% of% distraction% in% comparison% to% being% in% a% classroom. sharing%confidential%tacit%%explicit%training % of% this% information% reaching% competitors. The% application% of% Skype% training% in% a% virtual% organisation% can% be% leveraged% as% a% competitive % weapon% and% an% employee% retention% tool% to% ensure% that% employees % are% being% offered% career% development,% growth% prospects%and%support %to%reach%personalized%goals%even%when%working%remotely. % % ln%virtual%organisations%newer%team%members%can%be%deprived%of%the %opportunity%to%learn%from% more% senior% workers% and% valuable% knowMhow% tacit% knowledge% can% be% lost% within% a% firm. % The% application%of%skype%calls%for%the%purpose%of%mentoring%could%mend%this %gap. Again%the%benefit%of% flexibility%and%virtual%faceMtoMface %communication%from%mentors%makes%it%easier%to%set%a%time%% date%to %agree%upon,%especially%with%executives%whose%time%may%be%in%high %demand. This%factor% could% encourage% more% frequent% encounters,% allow % relationships% to% develop% faster% and% shorten% power% distances% between% hierarchical% levels. % The% erosion% of% power% distance% can% benefit% both% levels,%as%experience%is%past %down%to%newer%members%and %the%most%up%to%date%knowledge%from% the% front% line% can% be% filtered % back% up% to% higher% levels. % The% challenge% of% implementing% virtual% entoring%is%the%temptation%for%either%party%to%multiMtask%instead%of %concentrating%on%the%task%at% hand. The% feature% of% having% email% access% and% social% media% literally% at% your% fingertips% can% be% highly %distracting. % The%emergence%of%social%media%%blogging%sites%has%empowered %consumers%and%has%supported% the%development%of%the%term %coMcreation. 1 1 %customers%and%producers%are%beginning%to%see%the% benefit%in%interacting%to%create%experiences%and%build%relationships%even %after%the%transaction%or% purchase% has% been% made. % A% successful% example% of% this% is% Apple% care,% which% allows% 2417% customer%support online. Skypes%voice%over%lP%services%could%be%utilized%to%provide %virtual%faceM toMface%interaction%and%support%with%customers. %The %onMtheMgo%access%via%its%mobile%application% would%allow%virtual %workers%to%take%calls%from%across%the%globe%in%a%preferred%location %without% having% to% operate% from% an% office% base. % % Exploiting% time% zones% % the% differences% in% public% and% religious%holidays%would%allow %firms%to%allocate%hours%to%different%regions%to%cover%24/7%support. % The % use% of% Skype% as% a% virtual% interaction% tool% could% help% to% create%

Toni Morrison's Commencement Speech at Wellesly College on Adulthood Essay

Toni Morrison's Commencement Speech at Wellesly College on Adulthood - Essay Example When we talk about development, there are three phases- the future, the present and the past. The trick here is, to understand the realities of each phase face them and live each one of them with the greatest zeal. According to Toni Morrison, nothing gives one a more satisfactory feeling than becoming the adult at mind and heart- not in age. Age is inevitable and so is death, but adulthood is not! One can live being a child forever- immature, careless, insensitive and aimless. The beauty of being an adult is that one can work towards whatever he wants to achieve. Some people like Kardashian never grow up because they do not achieve maturity of the mind. Adulthood is about being content with the present, being happy about the bounties one has and working towards better every day. It is also about understanding the differences between generations and coming to a compromise to reduce discrepancy between generations. Furthermore, adulthood is the outcome of learning from experiences and mistakes that have been made during childhood and teenage, where the requirement is to acquire ample understanding of life from them. Morrison further clarifies this phenomenon by saying that adulthood in the global context requires one to make their story individualistic and different rather than just ordinary. Every adult has the opportunity to make at least his own circumstances different and personalized in the context of his individual circumstances. Morrison believes that every individual who is mature enough to be called an adult should have the tolerance and patience to bear problems and develop tolerance in oneself for others and for things that are out of one’s control. Instead of whining about a specific situation, one should make desirable effort to achieve results that would make things relatively better. Morrison believes that it is the

White-tailed Deer Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

White-tailed Deer - Research Paper Example It has a brownish gray body with white hairs on the under side of the tail. During summer its color is reddish brown. Today the white tailed deer population is 18 million (pp. 5-11). They are found in deserts, swarms, farmlands, prairies. They mostly prefer living in open lands near the rivers and streams. As described in Zwaschka (1999), an adult male deer grows 41 inches tall and weigh about 160 pounds.(72 kgs) Female deer (doe) is smaller in size and they weigh 40-90 kgs on an average. The weight of white tailed deer varies from region to region. They live up to 10-20 years. It is herbivore and its feeding hours are in the early morning and late after noon. Its diet changes depending on the habitat and the season (pp. 4-10). It is a shy and cautious animal. They are good runners, leapers and swimmers. In alarming situations they flag their tails and run. The bucks alone have antlers that grow annually and fall off in the winter. Female deer gives birth to one to three young ones a t a time, usually in the May or June. Their gestation period is 7 months. They are nocturnal and crepuscular animals. They are preyed up on by bobcats, coyotes and mountain lions. The scientific classification of white tailed deer; Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Mammalia Order: Artiodactyla Family: Cervidae Subfamily: Capreolinae Genus: Odocoileus Species: O. virginianus (Source: Squam Lakes Natural Science Center). Life Cycle The breeding season or rut extends from October to January though the majority occurs in October- November. Both bucks and does are seen active and they get out of their nocturnal habits during the breeding season. Patent (2004) describes the life cycle of white deer; the bucks rub their well developed antlers against big trees to mark their territories. These signs are called rubs. Bucks often fight with each other using antlers but fatal injuries are rare. During winter they shed off their antlers. But, antlers grow very fast, and those which grow will be stronger than the previous ones. (pp. 5-11). Antlers get their nourishment from a highly vascularized membrane called velvet which dries off which is rubbed against trees and shrubs. Fully grown antlers mark the breeding season for the bucks. Fawns are born after a 200 day gestation period. Two to three fawns are born in one litter. For the first few weeks the doe hides the fawns by themselves. The fawns have a spotted coat for the first 3-4 months but it is lost when the first winter comes. As described in National Geography website, when the mother goes in search of food the fawns lay flat on the ground quietly among the grass. They are scent free for few weeks to safe guard themselves from predators. Deer reproduces quickly and can over populate the area. To keep check on their numbers natural predators like bobcats and coyotes play a significant role (National Geography). Structure and function The organ system of the white tailed deer is same as that of any mammal. But its digestive system requires special mention. The front of the upper jaw bone does not have any teeth like other mammals. Teeth are replaced with a resilient pad which is in contact with the lower incisors. As Deal (2010) illustrates, they have 32 teeth. 8 incisors, 12 pre molars and 12 molars. They have a four chambered stomach. This ruminant stomach enables the deer to collect large quantity of food at a time, chew and digest it later. The deer pushes its food with its tongue to the back of the mouth where it is chewed. It is chewed just enough to swallow (p. 139). Then it is passed to the gullet of the stomach. The stomach is compartmentalized to four sections. They are the rumen, reticulum,

Organizational Culture Analysis Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Organizational Culture Analysis - Research Paper Example The presence of continues disagreements on the shared values or lack of commitment by the staff members is a sign of weak organizational culture and it is usually not healthy for any given company. Some of the strongest values that the employees of the company that I worked for termed, as being important to them are that of honesty, trust, quality production, and discipline amongst others. Consistency is one of the primary values that the employees viewed as being most important (Baack, 2012). Consistency in the duties that we performed in the company accompanied by a high degree of precision together led to an improvement in the general performance and production of the company. The behavior of each and every employee acting as a role model for the other also acted as a strong culture that helped in the smooth running if the organization. The above culture helped in making the employees be responsible for whatever action they did in the company (Baack, 2012). Being responsible tends to reduce the conflicts between the management and the employees themselves that in turn lead to strong relationships between the parties. The result of this was improved production. Another key culture that existed in the company is that of attention to details that lead to the creation of a very strong production culture with lots of accuracies. In this value, the employees paid full attention in the process of production. The process then ensured that quality was achieved and at the same time, the deadlines for production were met too. The production of high-quality goods was another organizational culture that governed our work in the company (Baack, 2012). Each employee was supposed to work in his or her line of production while ensuring that the full production procedures were followed to ensure the production of high-quality products. The employees were given the opportunity to start or stop the production process if they noticed any fault in the production line

European Convention on Human Rights

European Convention on Human Rights The European Convention on Human Rights and the supreme court in matters relating to its jurisdiction, the European Court of Human Rights, are no longer a matter of external control, following their incorporation into domestic law via the Human Rights Act 1998.   The European Convention on Human Rights provides that the judgement of ECHR shall be final and that parties to it will abide by the Court’s decisions.   The institution resides in Strasbourg and is responsible for all matters relating to the interpretation and application of the Convention.   In relation to the ‘necessary in a democratic society’ provision, five of the Convention’s Articles specify the phrase in their text, although it is assumed that the Convention as a whole upholds its importance.   This essay examines the European Court of Human Rights (hereinafter ECHR) and its interpretation, and relative importance, of the phrase, ‘necessary in a democratic society’ in r elation to the Convention.   Due to limitations in word count, the contents of this essay are not exhaustive. The inception of communications has seemingly created an increase in challenges relating to Article 8 of the Convention.   In Malone v UK, the ECHR found a breach of Article 8 of the Convention, relating to the right of privacy.   More specifically, it was found that telephone tapping by the police and authorised by the UK Government and condoned by the High Court was in breach of right to privacy, contained in Article 8 of the Convention.   This Article provides: There shall be no interference by a public authority with the exercise of this right except such as is accordance with the law and is necessary in a democratic society in the interests of national security. It was held by the ECHR that tapping was against the Convention because it was not in accordance with law but governed by an unregulated decision.   The reason why it could not be necessary in a democratic society was that there were no constitutional safeguards against misuse of the power.   The Court concluded that the law was unclear and stated that, ‘the minimum degree of legal protection to which citizens are entitled under the rule of law in a democratic society is lacking.’ This case thus initiated new Government legislation to control telephone tapping by the police.   The legislation comes in way of the Interception of Communications Act 1985 which limits telephone tapping to cases where the Home Secretary has issued a warrant and, to safeguard against arbitrary use, the warrant can only be issued in three distinct circumstances, one being serious crime.   Furthermore, a tribunal and Commissioner will review how the Home Secretary has exercised his power s on an annual basis.   The main findings of this case were reiterated in Kruslin v France and Huvig v France, where it was decided that there were insufficient safeguards in the law and that, accordingly, the Convention was violated. A very different approach was reached by the court in Klass v Federal Republic of Germany. In that case, German legislation was challenged for authorising the inception of mail and telecommunications.   It was held that, whilst the right to privacy was infringed, the inceptions were justified due to the ‘necessary in a democratic society’ provision, contained in paragraph 2.   It was said that surveillance of citizens was legitimate to the extent that it was ‘safeguarding the democratic institutions’ of the State.   As there were no adequate guarantees against abuse, Article 8 was not violated.   It can be observed from these cases that their relationship to Article 8 of the Convention is markedly similar, yet, they have been decided differently.   The cases symbolise the importance of the phrase relating to the necessity of a democratic society but show how, according to its own discretion, the court can manipulate the case one of two ways:   ei ther by stating the importance of a democratic society in safeguarding the State and thus authorising the surveillance of citizens, or; offering protection to the same citizens because this is what is needed in a democratic society.   It seems that the cases were decided upon according to the likelihood of relative threat, as the Convention states, ‘in the interest of national security, public safety or the economic well being of the country, for the prevention of disorder or crime, for the protection of health or morals, or for the protection of the rights and freedoms of others.’ Article 10 of the Convention provides for the right to freedom of expression.   These freedoms are subject to ‘formalities, conditions, restrictions and penalties, as are prescribed by law and necessary in a democratic society.’   At this point, it is perhaps worthwhile to note that the ECHR applies what is known as the margin of appreciation, so that Member States have a measure of national discretion in the way they give effect to general standards set out in the Convention.   An example is the ECHR’s decision in favour of the United Kingdom’s decision to ban the film, Visions of Ecstasy, under its blasphemy law, in spite of the Director’s claim that it violated his right to freedom of speech. The Court ruled by seven votes to two that the refusal of the Director’s claim was justified under Article 10(2) as being necessary in a democratic society.   The Board of Film Classification believed that the film would infringe the criminal l aw of blasphemy.   It was stated however that although the law of blasphemy did not treat all religions equally, it did not detract from the legitimacy of the Director’s aim, and it was consistent with the aims of Article 9 of the Convention.   The Court ruled that while the law of blasphemy was invoked rarely, there was not sufficient consensus with Member States to conclude that the blasphemy legislation was ‘unnecessary in a democratic society and incompatible with the Convention.’   The restriction was justified on the basis of excessive interference to Christians, which could amount to blasphemy. The United Kingdom’s record in relation to cases taken against it in the ECHR is not promising.   In 2000, the United Kingdom came second to Turkey in this vein. These decisions are extremely important because they are now binding precedents in the law of the United Kingdom.   Although the case of Wingrove may have pleased the United Kingdom with the imposition of the margin of appreciation, there have been a number of controversial cases in which the decisions have gone against it.   One example was the decision that the rights of suspected IRA terrorists had been violated by their summary execution in Gibralter.   It follows that the ‘necessary in a democratic society’ provision, is capable of being argued either way.

A Movement Away From Colloquial Singapore English :: Singapore Language Papers

A Movement Away From Colloquial Singapore English ‘The need for intelligibility and the need for identity often pull people – and countries – in opposing directions. The former motivates the learning of an international language, with English as the first choice in most cases; the latter motivates the promotion of ethnic language and culture’ (David Crystal, 1997). Language planning policies in Singapore have often been characterised by the ‘desire to achieve a balance between the national pride of linguistic ownership and the need for international intelligibility’ (Khoo 1993: 67). This is evident, for instance, in the state’s current move to promote the use of Standard English (particularly the variety known as Standard Singaporean English, or SSE) and to discourage that variety known as Colloquial Singapore English (CSE, or Singlish as it is popularly known), although in this case, the state’s ‘desire to achieve a balance’ between intelligibility and identity appears to be one involving conflict rather than compromise – one in which these two principles (embodied by SSE and CSE respectively) appear to be opposing linguistic forces, and in which the former appears to be espoused and the latter (at least in the case of CSE, though not that of the ethnic ‘mother tongues’) denigrated. T his essay will study whether (and if so, why) these two principles are truly opposed to each other, as seemingly implied by both the David Crystal quotation and the English language policy in Singapore, and in what way the application of these principles may result (as stated in the Crystal quotation) in the ‘pulling apart’ of people and countries, especially in the sense of socio-economic inequality and marginalisation on both international and intra-national levels; and all these will in turn be related to the present-day situation in Singapore. At first sight, the need for identity and intelligibility appear to be irreconcilable on a linguistic level, the former requiring the adherence to a dominant language variety (such as Standard English) as well as its set of linguistic norms in order for speakers to maintain mutual comprehension, and thus implicitly demanding the non-usage or even abandonment of alternate varieties (Leith and Graddol, 1996: 139); the latter demanding, by contrast, the use of languages or varieties apart from this dominant variety as a way of identifying with one’s culture and distinguishing it from the rest (Crystal 1997: 133–134) – languages and varieties that are, however, incomprehensible to a large proportion of the world population and will therefore (as some perceive: e. A Movement Away From Colloquial Singapore English :: Singapore Language Papers A Movement Away From Colloquial Singapore English ‘The need for intelligibility and the need for identity often pull people – and countries – in opposing directions. The former motivates the learning of an international language, with English as the first choice in most cases; the latter motivates the promotion of ethnic language and culture’ (David Crystal, 1997). Language planning policies in Singapore have often been characterised by the ‘desire to achieve a balance between the national pride of linguistic ownership and the need for international intelligibility’ (Khoo 1993: 67). This is evident, for instance, in the state’s current move to promote the use of Standard English (particularly the variety known as Standard Singaporean English, or SSE) and to discourage that variety known as Colloquial Singapore English (CSE, or Singlish as it is popularly known), although in this case, the state’s ‘desire to achieve a balance’ between intelligibility and identity appears to be one involving conflict rather than compromise – one in which these two principles (embodied by SSE and CSE respectively) appear to be opposing linguistic forces, and in which the former appears to be espoused and the latter (at least in the case of CSE, though not that of the ethnic ‘mother tongues’) denigrated. T his essay will study whether (and if so, why) these two principles are truly opposed to each other, as seemingly implied by both the David Crystal quotation and the English language policy in Singapore, and in what way the application of these principles may result (as stated in the Crystal quotation) in the ‘pulling apart’ of people and countries, especially in the sense of socio-economic inequality and marginalisation on both international and intra-national levels; and all these will in turn be related to the present-day situation in Singapore. At first sight, the need for identity and intelligibility appear to be irreconcilable on a linguistic level, the former requiring the adherence to a dominant language variety (such as Standard English) as well as its set of linguistic norms in order for speakers to maintain mutual comprehension, and thus implicitly demanding the non-usage or even abandonment of alternate varieties (Leith and Graddol, 1996: 139); the latter demanding, by contrast, the use of languages or varieties apart from this dominant variety as a way of identifying with one’s culture and distinguishing it from the rest (Crystal 1997: 133–134) – languages and varieties that are, however, incomprehensible to a large proportion of the world population and will therefore (as some perceive: e.

Writing your Story

Today's society, the media has succeeded in brainwashing the world . Things like, â€Å"Thin is in† â€Å"fat is out†, â€Å"eat this†, † your beautiful if you look like this†, the list goes on and on. From the media, to weight loss company, magazine articles and cosmetic lines, they all want women to take their advice because of course they know what's best for you as a woman, right?Self-esteem, according to an article on the United States Small Business Administration (SABA) website entitled, â€Å"Self Esteem,† is appreciating one's own worth ND importance and having the character to be accountable for oneself and to act responsibly toward others. It Is a confidence and satisfaction In oneself, and an absolute necessity (2001, pig. 1). The article also states that â€Å"nearly 1/3 of all Americans suffer from low self-esteem† (pig. 1).The media, specifically women's fashion magazines, is increasingly being held for the self-esteem epi demic that plagues' our society. In almost every woman's fashion magazine such as Ell, Cosmopolitan, and Glamour are advice articles on dating and sex, weight loss and beauty. In fact, the subtitles for these articles are on almost every cover of every issue of these publications. However, these same magazines consistently put thin, attractive women on the cover of their magazines as well.Studying how these advice columns in women fashion magazines affect women will determine how often and to what extent women rely on these articles, therefore assisting in understanding the role communications and its mediums have on society. Women's fashion magazines demonstrate how a woman should look and act and therefore have been criticized for Dolling the thin, attractive female. An article In the Journal of Family and analysis of body related content in Girl Zone,† in essence states that mainstream women's fashion magazines make physical appearance out to be the most important aspect of a woman.The problem is that these magazines use the thin, attractive women in their magazines without explaining to the reader that the pictures have been airbrushed and therefore are presenting â€Å"fake idols†. Women's magazines have always have always had a large effect on women's actions, mainly by indirectly dictating the role a woman should have in society. The easiest way this can be done is by publishing advice columns that â€Å"teach† women how to keep a man and how to â€Å"look beautiful†.Today's women's fashion magazines, such as Vogue, Cosmopolitan, and Mademoiselle not only affect women, but also young girls. An article entitled â€Å"Narrative analysis of sexual etiquette in teenage magazines† found in the Journal of Communication discusses the messages teen magazines send to young women about social and cultural norms for sex and sexual relationships (Garner, Steer & Adams, 1998). The study suggests teen magazines teach women to accept men for who they re and to change themselves so that men will desire them. The authors explain that â€Å"the rhetoric of sexual etiquette encourages young women to be sex objects and teachers of interpersonal communication rather than lovers, friends, and partners. Young women are being taught to subordinate self for others and to be contained† (pig. 59). Being a woman in today's' society is tough. You have to try to be something that you are not, and unless you can afford the latest diet plan, newest makeup line, or latest fashion trend you will be left behind.It would make more ensue to promote self-worth and happiness, but that would be too easy, and how can companies capitalize and make money from you being happy with yourself? They cannot. So to make you feel like something is wrong with yourself, they have come up with way on how to improve yourself so that you can learn to accept yourself, and so will others. Not to say that all magazines are alike, because they are n ot, but for the most part they want you to see and do things the way they see best, and if you don't, then society will not accept you and neither will anyone else.

Definition and Examples of Broadening in English

Definition and Examples of Broadening in English Broadening is a type of semantic change by which the meaning of a word becomes broader or more inclusive than its earlier meaning. Also known as semantic broadening, generalization, expansion, or extension. The opposite process is called semantic narrowing, with a word taking on a more restricted meaning than it had before. As Victoria Fromkin points out, When the meaning of a word becomes broader, it means everything it used to mean and more (An Introduction to Language, 2013). Examples and Observations Broadening of meaning . . . occurs when a word with a specific or limited meaning is widened. The broadening process is technically called generalization. An example of generalization is the word business, which originally meant the state of being busy, careworn, or anxious, and was broadened to encompass all kinds of work or occupations.(Sol Steinmetz, Semantic Antics: How and Why Words Change Meaning. Random House, 2008)Cool: Sometimes the use of existing words can become broader. For example, the slang word cool was originally part of the professional jargon of jazz musicians and referred to a specific artistic style of jazz (a use that was itself an extension). With the passage of time, the word has come to be applied to almost anything conceivable, not just music; and it no longer refers just to a certain genre or style, but is a general term indicating approval of the thing in question.(Adrian Akmajian, Richard Demers, Ann Farmer, and Robert Harnish, Linguistics: An Introductio n to Language and Communication. The MIT Press, 2001) Dog and Bird: Quite a number of words have undergone semantic broadening in the history of English. The modern English word dog, for example, derives from the earlier form dogge, which was originally a particularly powerful breed of dog that originated in England. The word bird derives from the earlier word bridde, which originally referred only to young birds while still in the nest, but it has now been semantically broadened to refer to any birds at all.(Terry Crowley and Claire Bowern, An Introduction to Historical Linguistics, 4th ed. Oxford University Press, 2010)Thing, Companion, Broadcast, and Pudding: The word thing is a classic example of such broadening. In Old English and Old Norse, this word meant a public assembly. In present-day Icelandic, a language with similar Germanic roots to English, it still does. In Modern English, however, it has now been extended so much that it simply means an entity of any kind. The word companion provides another example. It used to mean so meone who eats bread with you (see Italian con  with plus pain  bread); now it means someone who is with you. The word broadcast, which only a couple of centuries ago meant to sow seeds, has now, in this technological age, been extended to include the spreading of information on television and radio. Pudding, which today is usually sweet and eaten for dessert, comes from the French word boudin, meaning a sausage made with animal intestines, a meaning retained in English black pudding.(Andrew Radford,  et al.,  Linguistics: An Introduction, 2nd ed. Cambridge University Press, 2009) You Guys and Sell-by Date: A recent generalization or  semantic broadening  has taken place in the phrase you guys in AmE, which is no  longer restricted to men and can refer to mixed company, or even women only. Sell-by date also shows an extended meaning (metaphor) in Kennedy kept Hoover on past his sell-by date.(Stephan Gramley and Kurt-Michael Ptzold,A Survey of Modern English, 2nd ed. Routledge, 2004)Religious Terms: - Extension or Generalization. A lexeme widens its meaning. Numerous examples of this process have occurred in the religious field, where office, doctrine, novice, and many other terms have taken on a more general, secular meaning.(David Crystal, The Cambridge Encyclopedia of the English Language. Cambridge University Press, 2003)- An example of broadening of meaning is the change from holy day as a religious feast to the very general break from work called a holiday.(George Yule, The Study of Language, 3rd ed. Cambridge University Press, 2006)Semantic Shift a nd Semantic Broadening: Semantic shift represents an extension of a words meaning with the loss of its earlier meaning (e.g. pineapple no longer means fir cone in standard English).  Semantic broadening  is such extension without the loss of the original meaning. For example,  tea in most English Creoles  refers not only to the infusion made from various leaves, but also to any hot drink.(John Holm,  An Introduction to Pidgins and Creoles. Cambridge University Press, 2000) Bleaching and Grammaticalization: Thing used to refer to an assembly or council, but in time came to refer to anything. In modern English slang, the same development has been affecting the word shit, whose basic meaning feces has broadened to become synonymous with thing or stuff in some contexts (Dont touch my shit; Ive got a lot of shit to take care of this weekend). If a words meaning becomes so vague that one is hard-pressed to ascribe any specific meaning to it anymore, it is said to have undergone bleaching. Thing and shit above are both good examples. When a words meaning is broadened so that it loses its status as a full-content lexeme and becomes either a function word or an affix, it is said to undergo grammaticalization.(Benjamin W. Forston IV, An Approach to Semantic Change. The Handbook of Historical Linguistics, ed. by Brian D. Joseph and Richard D. Janda. Wiley-Blackwell, 2003)

Drinking As A Social Problem In College Essay Example

Drinking As A Social Problem In College Essay Example Drinking As A Social Problem In College Paper Drinking As A Social Problem In College Paper Essay Topic: College The problem of drinking among the youth shows no sign of slowing down, according to the 2004 Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. More and more students are drinking after school and most of these are students under age 16. This paper states that alcohol drinking must not be lowered to 18 because primarily, it serves as a gateway to drugs, as alcohol has been linked to substance abuse. This is the reason there is wisdom in keeping the minimum drinking age at 21. In fact, lowering the minimum age to 18 years old during the late 1960’s and early 70’s by some states proves to be a mistake. During that period, the states saw a sudden rise in vehicular accidents involving youths. Consequently, when the minimum age was changed to 21 years in the 1980’s, teen vehicular deaths dropped by as much as 28 percent. Therefore, it is important to restrict access to alcohol to those who are over 21 years of age, along with strict implementation of existing laws. This will all the more prove that this regulation can save lives in a manner that is both effective and inexpensive. (National Institutes of Health News, 2004). Drinking alcohol should remain at age 21 and should not be lowered at all. One of the major culprits here is the presence of television commercials which have been designed to lure the youth to drink because of the status symbol that it creates. Often the image it creates is that of young people who figure in an accident or of people who have difficult hangovers the next day. Primary culprit in this problem is mass media. It is unfortunate that the alcohol industry uses all kinds of advertisements so that the young drink at a very young age. This is even made more enticing because of the peer pressure that young people undergo from their friends who drink. A sense of purpose and a strong determination will stop a person from following the habits of his friends. One reason why drinking alcohol must be restricted to adults who are 21 and above is the fact that there have been studies by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration that say that adolescents who drink heavily can get the same long-term health risks of the adults who also drink heavily. Health wise, these young people develop a lot of diseases even if they are still young. These are illnesses such as pancreatitis, hemorrhagic stroke, cancer and some forms of cirrhosis of the liver. The statistics on health are alarming. Alcohol is able to destroy the central nervous system and shrinks the brain tissue causing it to be permanently damaged. Even animal studies demonstrate that young brains are vulnerable to the dangerous effects of alcohol, especially on learning and memory function (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, 2004). The Task Force on Community Preventive Services says that the process of maintaining and implementing an age 21 minimum legal drinking age (MLDA) are based on the strong evidence of effectiveness which includes a median of 16% decrease in the motor vehicle accidents (Shults, 2001). It is important that people understand the excessive consumption of alcohol contributes to a staggering 4,600 deaths among those young people who are the underage youth who are persons less than the 21 years of age in the United States (CDC. Alcohol Related Disease Impact). Even the Task Force on Community Preventive Services says that the process of maintaining and implementing an age 21 minimum legal drinking age (MLDA) are based on the strong evidence of effectiveness which includes a median of 16% decrease in the motor vehicle accidents (Shults, 2001). The statistics of students drinking, particularly the young ones who do so before they are 21, can be a real cause of alarm. Today, the facts speak for it- the US seems to be one of the countries that have one of the highest drinking age limits. The current legal drinking age is set to 21 and this most welcome move for the advocates and conservative people. Whatever good thing that was presupposed by several authorities before regarding the drinking age, it seems that the ones who are being affected seem to think otherwise. The different binges convince authorities that students will just go and follow their own rules by buying alcoholic drinks disregarding the rule about it (Hanson). Researches reveal that six youths will die every day in non-driving alcohol-related causes, such as homicide, suicide, and drowning. These little horrors happen every day, every year. It would be tempting to shrug off drinking among students done secretly or within the school proximity as a rite of passage, but cold, hard statistics point out that it is not so. Students who experiment with alcohol are guaranteed to use it. In a study conducted by the National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse at Columbia University in 2003, it was found out that high school seniors who tried alcohol-even those that tried once, about 91. 3 percent are still drinking by the 12th grade (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, 2004). Disturbingly, of the high school students who have ever been drunk, 83. 3 percent or over two million youths are still getting drunk by the 12th grade and individuals who begin drinking before the age of 15 are four times more likely to become alcohol dependent than those who begin drinking at age 21. The same study makes it clear that teen drinking is the number one source of adult alcoholism. We may think that drinking is glamorous. Indeed the media bombard us with advertisements that portray it so. Often the image it creates is that the worst thing that can happen to us is a raging hangover. The stark and appalling reason for this is the alcohol industry uses advertisement that appeal to the youth, as most heavy and problem drinkers begin drinking before they reach age 21. This is aggravated by peer pressure as youths who have friends who drink, also take it at an earlier age. Nevertheless, high self-esteem, self-discipline, impulse control, and a sense of purpose enable youths to withstand peer pressure. Yes, these characteristic takes guts, but nevertheless, true character is made. There had been studies about the continuing effects of drinking alcohol and this was revealed by the National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse at Columbia University in 2003. It was seen that high school seniors who tried alcohol-even those that tried once, were still drinking when they reached the 12th grade. This is an alarming 91. 3 percent. More than this, of the different high school students who have already started drinking even before they reached the age 18, are four time more likely to become alcohol dependent than those who begin drinking at age 21. This also emphasizes the point that teen drinking is the main cause of adult alcoholism. These young people already make a habit of drinking and this is continued as they grow old. Indeed, young people are drinking more. It is said that the average amount drunk by 11-15 year olds in 1990 was 0. 8 units per week rising to 1. 6 units in 1998. It is said that the average amount drunk by teenagers who are 11-15 year old in 1990 was 0. 8 units per week and was still increasing to 1. 6 units in 1990 (Alcohol Concern. Young People’s Drinking Factsheet 1). What is even alarming again is the fact that young people tend to select the stronger brands of beer, cider and lager. The end goal is to find the association of drinking with â€Å"here and now† cognitive problems in short-term and internally cued prospective memory as well as long-term memory problems, which are more related to storage and retrieval difficulties. A possible solution to this is to include increased alcohol excise taxes and also to limit alcohol outlet density, limiting the exposure of youth to alcohol marketing (Bonnie RJ, O’Connell ME, 2004). Indeed, the gut truth is that the use of alcohol is frightening. According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, adolescents who drink heavily assume the same long-term health risks as adults who drink heavily. This means they are at increased risk of developing cirrhosis of the liver, pancreatitis, hemorrhagic stroke, and certain forms of cancer. Studies also show that alcohol depresses the central nervous system and shrinks the brain tissue, causing permanent damage. Furthermore, animal studies show that young brains are vulnerable to dangerous effects of alcohol, especially on learning and memory function. More in-depth studies are needed to verify if these or other factors are responsible for greater cognitive decline in smokers. The different laboratory studies are able to show confounding variables, although this can be a problem in cases where there is too much control, as the traditional processes involved in prospective memory will not be activated and one cannot be sure that the results obtained would have occurred in real life. References Alcohol Concern. Young People’s Drinking Factsheet 1. Accessed March10, 2009 at: http://72. 14. 235. 132/search? q=cache:kO5u04-P2DQJ:www. alcoholconcern. org. uk/files/20040706_145136_young%2520people%2520factsheet%2520-%2520updated%2520March%25202004. pdf+drinking+alcohol+by+young+peoplehl=tlct=clnkcd=1gl=ph Bonnie RJ, O’Connell ME, eds. Reducing underage drinking: A collective responsibility. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press; 2004. CDC. Alcohol Related Disease Impact (ARDI). Accessed March10, 2009 at: http://apps. nccd. cdc. gov/ardi/Homepage. aspx. Hanson, D. The Legal Drinking Age Science vs. Ideology. Accessed March10, 2009 at: http://www2. potsdam. edu/hansondj/YouthIssues/1046348726. html National Institutes of Health News (2004). Alcohol Abuse Increases, Dependence Declines Across Decade. Accessed March10, 2009 at: nih. gov/news/pr/jun2004/niaaa-10. htm National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse at Columbia University. February 2002. Rev. ed. February 2003. Teen Tipplers: Americas Underage Drinking Epidemic. 155 pp. Retrieved March10, 2009 at: http://camy. org/research/underage2004/ Quick Stats. Age 21 Minimum Legal Drinking Age. Quick Stats. Age 21 Minimum Legal Drinking Age. Retrieved March10, 2009 at: cdc. gov/Alcohol/quickstats/mlda. htm Shults RA, Elder RW, Sleet DA, Nichols JL, Alao MO, Carande-Kulis VG, Zaza S, Sosin DM, Thompson RS. Task Force on Community Preventive Services. Reviews of evidence regarding interventions to reduce alcohol-impaired driving. Am J Prev Med 2001;21(4S):66–88. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (2004). The National Survey on Drug Use and Health Report 2004. Accessed March10, 2009 at: oas. samhsa. gov/2k4/ageDependence/ageDependence. htm Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. â€Å"n. d. † Youth and Underage Drinking: An Overview. Department of Health and Human Services. Accessed March10, 2009 at: health. org/govpubs/RPO990/default. aspx