Diva Shoes Questions

Questions for Diva Shoes Note: you have to address these questions but you can address other issues as well within the format constraints.1. What are Diva's projected profits for the fiscal year ending September 1995?2. What factors affect a firm's exposure to exchange-rate risk?3. â€Å"Forward traders quoted forward and futures prices based on the difference between foreign and U. S. interest rates. † Explain what this means in your own words and why ?4. â€Å"In addition, some of Diva’s foreign exchange risk was reduced by offsetting inflows and outflows in particular markets. † Explain what an operational hedge is with examples of your own.5. What did Bisno perceived as the cost of doing business overseas ? does his perception make economic sense ? Why or why not ?6. Explain exactly how to estimate the annualized standard deviation of lognormal returns of exchange rates relative to U. S. dollars. How would you do the calculation if the data were weekly instea d of monthly ? daily ? explain in detail.7. How much exposure to exchange-rate risk does Diva Shoes have in April 1995? explain in detail and with numbers.8. Suppose that Diva chooses to hedge its exposure in yen using the forward contract described in case Appendix A or the currency option described in case Appendix B. Assume that you lock in these contracts at the forward price implied by interest-rate parity for September 1995. Draw the payoffs to the position at maturity for each alternative with the exchange rate defined in USD/JPY x 10,000 units (i. e. , the same units as the currency option is quoted).9. What do you see as the trade-offs between the alternatives for hedging ? 10. Do you think Bisno should remain strictly a shoe salesman or do you favor hedging his exposure? If you favor hedging, which alternative would you recommend to him?

Effects of Divorce on Children Essay

Although divorce is now allowed by law in some countries, it is still unhealthy for a family especially in the presence of a child. Due to the fact that they are still young, the children often do not understand why some couples need to separate and they respond in a variety of ways that parents should understand and deal with. When the divorce is settled, the children might wonder why their father or their mother is no longer around and this might be quite hard to explain to a young mind. This produces short and long term effects on the children and even sometimes causes teenagers to rebel against their parents causing more problems than there already is. Another issue regarding children and divorce is who will have custody of the children and alimony. Usually, the mother gets custody over the children while the father still provides financial support. Depending on the situation, the custody is being granted to the father. One problem about divorce is that couples think that the matter is only between them; failing to consider what effects it would have on their children. Little do they know that the changes that will occur once the divorce takes effect will have many negative effects on children. In a case to case basis, children might feel different because of the many changes that will take place once the divorce becomes effective such as changes in schedules and daily routines as well loss of contact with members of extended family (Parker). Children may also develop a fear that losing one parent will eventually lead to the lost of the other. The loss of attachment of a child to a parent may also lead to the loss of other secure relationships such as friends, siblings, neighbors and even pets. Children also, more often than not, are attached to their surroundings and divorce sometimes mean moving out or migrating which could prove unhealthy for the wellbeing of a child. A parent also has a tendency to create a dis-attachment between the child and the other parent which could prove to be a major predicament in the psychological health of the child (Parker). Many children tend to think that they are somehow the reason why their parents want to get divorced. Children often remember rough times that they had with their parents such as arguments, poor grades, getting into trouble, vices, etc. They start to think that the conflict came from them and they start to blame themselves. If this is the case, the parents should make clear that they are not responsible for the conflict and that both of the parents still love them. Explaining custody arrangements would also prove better to prepare the child and for a better understanding (Clandos). In some cases children try to bring their parents back together by either â€Å"acting out† in negative ways or trying â€Å"so good† so that his/her parents would think twice and reconsider about pursuing the divorce (Parker). As a reaction to a divorce, children especially teenagers show aggressive and defiant behavior. A problem here is that parents usually think that this is the normal behavior of the children instead of a reaction to problem. Parents should be keen observers and must be able to identify if the behavior is still normal. In such cases, children also show depression and parents must watch out for this kind of reactions (Parker). In one study, it has been proven that children have adapted to their parents divorce and have emerged as successful individuals. According to Constance Ahrons, the author of We’re Still Family: What Grown Children Have to Say About Their Parents’ Divorce, although they are now adults, children who belonged in families that divorced emerged â€Å"stronger and wiser† having coped with â€Å"difficult times and experienced stressful family changes†. The research indicated that 79 percent feel that their parents decision to have divorce proved to be a good one. On the other hand, according to David Blankenhorn, founder of the Institute for American Values, â€Å"a ‘good divorce’ is not nearly as important as having less divorce. No matter how good your divorce is, it is still a very painful experience for your child† (Peterson). Many children who have grown up may have coped with the effects of divorce but still, a good number of children were affected and were not able to cope with it. It has been proven that children from divorced families are usually victims of abuse and exhibit more health, behavioral and emotional problems compared to children from intact families. Data also indicate that children from divorced families have more likely been associated with drugs, crime and even suicide (Fagan). According to a survey conducted by the Department of Health and Human Services, National Center for Health Statistics, fatherless children show a much greater risk of committing suicide while another study indicated that three out of four teenage suicide cases are from families where a parent is absent. Moreover, another study by Kalter and Rembar indicated from a sample of 144 children and adolescents that 63 percent showed subjective psychological problems such as anxiety, sadness, moodiness, phobias and depression while 56 percent had poor grades. Another 43 percent showed aggressive behavior towards their parents (Fatherless Homes Statistics). Children from divorced couples have been noted to perform poorly in academic subjects such as reading, spelling and math. They have also been identified to have higher drop-out rates and more often repeat a grade. It was also indicated that these children have a less likelihood of graduating from college. It was also noted that families that have gone through a divorce have experienced a 50 percent drop in their income levels resulting in poverty. Divorce also resulted in less religious worship which is associated with many positive outcomes such as better health, longer marriages and improved family life (Fagan). Divorce also affects the sexual behavior of children. Children from divorced families start to accept premarital sex and divorce. The National Longitudinal Survey of Youth indicated that â€Å"African–American girls are 42 percent less likely to have sexual intercourse before age 18 if their biological father is present at home. For Hispanic–American girls, the stepfather’s presence increases the likelihood of sexual intercourse before age 18 by 72 percent† (Fagan). Robert Sampson, a professor of sociology at the University of Chicago, discovered that divorce rate is connected to the robbery rate in 171 cities in the United States that have a population of at least 100,000. Lower rate of divorce meant higher social control which in turn also results in lower crime rate. There is also a close line relating child abuse and crime rates. Higher divorce rates result in higher rates of child abuse but instead of curbing child abuse, remarriage only adds to it. Having a stepfather would most likely increase child abuse and data indicate that serious cases of abuse is much higher for stepchildren compared to children from whole families (Fagan). Likewise, a study by Kalter indicates that teenage and adult females that have been exposed to parental divorce resulted in lower self-esteem, heightened sexual activity, delinquent behavior and are unable to maintain a lasting heterosexual relationship. It was also stated that girls who grew without interaction from a father missed out on a key element. â€Å"The continuous sense of being valued and loved as a female seems an especially key element in the development of the conviction that one is indeed femininely lovable. Without this regular source of nourishment, a girl’s sense of being valued as a female does not seem to thrive† (Fatherless Homes Statistics). Children may suffer traumatic experiences in cases of divorce but steps can be taken to reduce these kinds of effects that divorce has on children. These steps are the following: â€Å"(1) be honest for the potential of emotional trauma on each of your kids; (2) allow your children to communicate openly; (3) offer your children choices, whenever possible, to increase their sense of power over their lives; (4) find support for yourself and your children; and (5) provide continuity† (Clandos). It is, likewise advised not to expose the children to any marital conflict. Talking about the spouse’s negative behavior should also be avoided while developing amicable relationship with the spouse is advisable for the sake of the children. Taking care of one’s self will also help children adjust to the changes caused by the divorce. Moreover, discussing the separation with the children would also be helpful but one must always be mindful because what one says might affect the outlook of the child in a negative way (Clandos). Some changes in behavior may be observed from children that have been affected by the separation. Some children who are most of the time jolly and playful may become moody and may lose self-esteem. Sadness and moodiness may become excessive at times. Children also sometimes develop a fear of â€Å"clinginess† and may show anger outbursts (Clandos). Teen marriage account for a good percentage of divorce cases. Early marriages have been considered more unstable because of different factors such as the inability to support a family because of the absence of a good paying job having not finished college. It is estimated that one half of teen marriages with women ranging from 18 to 19 years of age result in divorce within 15 years time although the rate of divorce for women over 20 is also particularly high at around 33 percent. In cases of out-of -wedlock pregnancies, marrying before giving birth will increase paternal support because the male partner would have better access to the child and may provide better financial support even if there is a high risk that the marriage will result in an divorce (Seiler, 7). According to data from the National Center for Health Statistics, over time, the rate of divorce per 100 marriages have increased from three in 1870 to 30 in 1945 and 51 in 1998 (Fagan). Half of the marriages in the US end in divorce and from this data, one may state that people now no longer consider marriage as a strong binding force for a couple. Marriage now no longer provides a perception that it is permanent. Marriage is also no longer considered as a life-changing decision because of the availability of divorce. Dating games such as ‘The Bachelor’ which sometimes end in marriage is proof enough that people no longer take marriage seriously. A divorce is caused by many factors such as common misunderstandings, financial difficulties, adultery, vices, and other irreconcilable differences. Many couples experience financial difficulties and this is one cause of divorce but prior to what most believe, financial problems are not the top cause of divorce. It only ranks fourth or fifth next to other factors that produce higher divorce rates, namely, â€Å"incompatibility, lack of emotional support, abuse and sexual problems†. According to Jan Andersen, associate professor at California State University in Sacramento, only 5 percent of divorce cases are caused by a couple’s financial difficulties (Weston). Other usual causes of divorce aside from financial problems are â€Å"lack of commitment to the marriage, lack of communication between spouses, infidelity, abandonment, alcohol addiction, substance abuse, physical abuse, sexual abuse, emotional abuse, inability to manage or resolve conflict, personality differences or ‘irreconcilable differences’,differences in personal and career goals, different expectations about household tasks,different expectations about having or rearing children, interference from parents or in-laws, lack of maturity, intellectual incompatibility, sexual incompatibility, insistence of sticking to traditional roles and not allowing room for personal growth, falling out of love, religious conversion or religious beliefs, cultural and lifestyle differences, inability to deal with each other’s petty idiosyncrasies, mental instability or mental illness, criminal behavior and incarceration for crime† (Panse). Even if many countries legal ly accept divorce, there are still some countries that do not approve of divorce and most of these countries are against divorce because of religious beliefs. In biblical texts, adultery is often mentioned but nothing is clearly mentioned about divorce. Even theology scholars and pastors do not share the same views regarding biblical teachings about divorce. Christian scholars have different positions regarding the controversial issue. They argue that â€Å"(1) divorce is never permitted under any circumstances; (2) divorce is permissible under certain, specified circumstances; and (3) divorce is permissible under many circumstances† (House). The first argument supports that â€Å"marriage is lifelong and permanent† and divorce is against God’s standards and Christians are strictly prohibited from having divorce. Those who support the second argument that divorce is permissible under specific circumstances believe that divorce is not prohibited by biblical texts. They believe that one spouse commiting adultery means that a divorce can be allowed. Desertion is also being considered as a valid reason for divorce in this argument. On the other hand, the third view argues that divorce is allowed not just for conditions of adultery and desertion but for many other conditions as well (House). Generally speaking, divorce has many adverse effects on children. It affects their behavior, emotional and psychological health. Although some research studies indicate that children have been able to overcome the behavioral, emotional and psychological effects caused by divorce and were able to break out as successful individuals, many children still suffer from the harmful effects of divorce. As discussed, children from divorced families have a higher tendency to commit suicide, are more likely to commit crime and premarital sex as well as having poorer performance in academics. To sum it up, divorce does not provide any good effects on children and because of the many negative effects, it would be better if couples do not resort to divorce so as not to disregard the well-being of their children. It would be better off if couples just settle their differences for the sake of the children. It is also recommended that the government take steps to at least be able to lessen the cases of divorce if not eliminate it. On the other hand, the church should re-orient people the importance of marriage and deciding who to marry as simple as it has become today. The Church must make the people know that marriage is a life-changing decision. The status of marriage, particularly in the United States which is one of the countries with the highest divorce rates, is not strong. Works Cited Parker, Wayne. The Effects of Divorce on Children and How to Cope. accessed April 2, 2008 from, Clandos, Rosemary, Kemp, Gina M. A. , Jaffe, Jaelline Ph. D. , & Segal, Jeanne Ph. D. 28 September 2007. Coping with Divorce: Helping Your Child Cope with Separation or Divorce. accessed April 2, 2008 from, Peterson, Karen. Is Divorce a Bad Thing? Does it often leave broken children in its wake? Apparently not. 2004 June. accessed April 2, 2008 from,

Business Analysis of John Lewis Partnership Outline

Business Analysis of John Lewis Partnership - Outline Example This paper will examine the methods that have been used by the partnership as well as how these have led to initiatives that have moved ahead of competitors in the UK. The several areas of analysis performed in relation to the John Lewis Partnership will provide insight into strategies which businesses can apply to begin to move forward in the retail sector. SWOT Analysis The relevance of the SWOT analysis is to work into new strategies that will help to monitor and change the aspects within the corporation. The main ideal is to work toward a sense of knowledge management which can be applied within the organization while moving forward with different strategies and approaches that are associated with the corporation (Zhiping, Yonghong, 2002). When looking at the strategies of the John Lewis Partnership, it can be seen that the strengths of the corporation should be a continuous feature. This is based on the diversity of products that are offered with the retail store, ranging from w ine shops to business solutions and insurance (Felicitta, 2009). This diversity is followed by finding partners and small business owners that can tap into the retail store as a part owner. This allows the internal environment to have a spirit of entrepreneurship, while creating more opportunities for growth and support within the community. As this is done, it helps to stimulate loyal customers and responses among those that are in the community (Shi, 2007). The weaknesses that are from this main attribute come from the dimensions of positioning. This is a main problem with those who are in the retail industry, specifically because it changes the outcome of which customers will decide to shop in a specific area and will also alter the relationships and partnership that are provided within the company (Messinger, 2007). The positioning of the John Lewis Partnership is one that is limited by the partnerships which are incorporated as well as the sectors which have already been develo ped. This allows other competitors to begin to move into the sector and change the outlooks with other retail management options. Since most of the stores are built on partnerships, this may mean that the partners don’t have the necessary opportunities to continue and to make the desired profit (Tustin, 2006). The opportunities and threats that are associated with this can lead to further strategies to change the level of popularity against competition. The main opportunity comes from the multiple stores offered. Most competitors create a vertical relationship, meaning the association is based only on the one set of stores opened (Liu, Davies, 2007). This particular opportunity led to a 79.3% increase in 2008 and another 3.6% increase in 2009, with 11,365.4 million as the revenue (Aark, 2010). However, the partnerships established allow the John Lewis change into a multiple layer orientation of expansion, allowing them to move beyond competitors because of the diversity offer ed. While this works effectively, the mass amount of partnerships also limits other attributes. There are not as many price cuts and quality differences in most of the retail stores because of the partnerships established. Competitors with independent stores and national chains often move ahead of John Lewis Partnership because of the differences in price and the diversity of products which can be offered (Hall, 2007). TOWS Analysis The

The Awakening and Into The Wild Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

The Awakening and Into The Wild - Essay Example Into the Wild, on the other hand, is a 1996 factual book written by Jon Krakauer. It is an extension of the author’s 9,000-word piece on Christopher McCandless known as the Death of an Innocent, which was published in the January issue of Outside, in 1993. This novel tackles the issues of how to be accepted and recognized in society, and how finding yourself, at times, clashes with being an active member of the society. In this reading, a reader could see that Chris McCandless was behind left to find some kind of enlightenment. He endeavors to find his path in the wild with little material assets since "it made the journey more fun" (Krakauer 32). His intense risk-taking habit was the hubris that finally led to his downfall. These two writings focus on theme them of how to be accepted into society with The Awakening incorporating a female character as the protagonist and Into the Wild incorporating a male character as the protagonist. This paper will discuss how the two writin g bring out these themes (the effects of self-expression) through analysis of character roles, conflict resolution and literary devices. Edna is the central character in The Awakening, which also refers to her title. The 28 years old woman, who is wifed to a New Orleans businessman, instantly finds herself dissatisfied with her husband, as well as the limited conservative way of living that it dictates (Chopin 30). She appears from her semi-conscious situation of a devoted companion and a mother to a situation of complete awareness, through which she finds her own identity and acts on her own desires for sexual and emotional satisfaction. Through a series of "awakenings", Edna turns into a shockingly independent girl and is accountable only to her personal passions and urges (Chopin 189). Sadly, Edna’s experience (awakening) isolates her form other members of society, which led to her state of complete solitude. Christopher McCandless was a smart, optimistic young man who dee med that life is best lived in isolation, otherwise in nature. He spent two full years putting his theory into practice in the "wild-wests" of the U.S before moving into Alaska. However, he was unprepared of this journey and eventually starved to death (Krakauer 40). What these two accounts show us is that these two character where on endeavors to find themselves in opposition to the accepted societal ways, but eventually ended up harming themselves. Edna, in the awakening, ended up in utter solitude the made her to commit suicide and McCandless, in Into the Wild, ended up starving to death. Edna’s breakthrough of ways to express herself brings about the disclosure of her long-repressed emotions. Through her experience, she learns at least three fresh "languages" (Chopin 78). First and foremost, she learns the style of expression of Creole women in Grand Isle. In spite of their chastity, Creole women converse freely and share their thoughts openly. Their openness initially st unned Edna, but she soon was free about it. Edna discovered that she can face her sexuality and feelings directly, devoid of any fear. Once some of her Creole friends reveal to her that it is fine to dwell on one’

The views of young South- Asian males and females have changed around Essay

The views of young South- Asian males and females have changed around the issue of marriage - Essay Example The marriages in general can essentially be conducted following two norms, arranged marriage and love marriage. There is another type of marriage, known as love-arranged marriage, the type beyond the scope of this pilot study. Arranged marriage refers to the kind of marriage in which parents select prospective spouse for their children with the consideration of the family values, culture, education, occupation and social compatibility (Nanda, 1995). On the other hand, love marriages can be seen as a means in which the prospective spouses themselves take the decision to stay together irrespective of their corresponding family concern. In South-Asian context, the last decades of the twentieth century has brought an increasing radical shift in changing the perspective of marriage pattern and corresponding decision-making policy. The aim of the study is to find out the views of young South-Asian males and females on marriage, to find out whether there are any gender differences in approa ch and to find out reasons accounting for the differences. In Asian context, especially in South-Asia, the arrangement in the changes of socio-cultural and socioeconomic pattern have facilitated the increasing acceptance of â€Å"freedom of choice† among young individuals in terms of changing from arranged marriage to self-selected or love marriage (Tsuya, 2001). The current study is focusing on finding out to what extent self-selected marriage or love marriage is desirable and the changing pattern of attitude for the selection of partner by the candidate himself or herself or still left for the parents to settle on for the children to follow. However, the radical shift from arranged marriage to love marriage being observed especially during last decades suggests the possible link between dowry system and arrangement of marriage system. The change in the attitude governing the dowry system, central to the arranged marriage, may act to be responsible for, or

Sources of Finance for SMEs in UK and US Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Sources of Finance for SMEs in UK and US - Essay Example Thus the sizes, related industry, year of operating and organizational forms are the most important factors that determine the finance sources for a SME (Rutherford, Oswald, n.p, 1999) and most of the SMEs get finance through their internal funds like the starting capital of the owner, loan arranged by the owner of SME and the retained earning. However along with these internal sources the SME get external debts from the financial institution also and this credit help the SMEs in financing their different business operations. The main sources of finance for the SMEs of UK are identified in the survey conducted by Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) in 2004. According to the figures provided by FSB, SMEs do use more then one source to finance their business. 50.8% of the SMEs in UK use the bank drafts to finance their business, 30. 6% used personal savings, 29.5% use bank loans, 28.5% use retained profits and 25.5% use credit cards debts to finance their business (Carter et al, p14, 2004). The report of FSB further disclosed that leasing and factoring are not commonly used by the SMEs for getting credits to finance the business. The new SMEs mostly depend on personal saving and credit cards whereas the older SMEs depend more on supplier's credit. On the other hand, the survey conducted by SmallBusinessFinances(SSBF)of America in 1998 discloses the main sources of credit for SMEs in United States. The report discloses that there are 80 percent of US SMEs that used to take some kind of credit from differen t sources. 34% of the SMEs in US get credit to finance their business from business credit cards, 46% use personal credit cards, and 28% use credit line whereas 21 percent use vehicle loans. Financial institutions are also important source of credit and there are 38% of the SMEs that use to get credit from commercial banks and 13.3% SMEs take loans from finance companies. The report shows that the smaller size firms have little access to the banks and financial institution as compared with developed and big SMEs (Watson, p35, 1993) The credit availability to SMEs for financing is surrounded by an important issue of lending technologies. There are five major lending technologies used by the financial institutions and banks to provide credit to SMEs for financing their business operation. In UK and US the SMEs get loans from different financial institutions through different lending technologies among them the relationship lending and transaction based lending are the most important types (Thorsten and Demirguc, p2931, 2006). The commercial banks in UK and US mostly find it more profitable to provide credits to the SMEs through relationship lending as they got shelter ageists price competition by using this lending technology. (Allen, Udell, p2931, 2006) however this trend is more common among the UK banks and the banks in US like to provide credit to SMEs through transaction based lending as they get high interest rates and there is poor risk rating for this type of credit lending. In UK when the SMEs failed to get credit from banks and other financial institu

Strategic Management Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 2

Strategic Management - Coursework Example The authors of the articles are Matthias kipping and Ludovic Cailluet are reputable authors who have written numerous other articles. Mathias has a background in the faculty of economics and business science from university of pompeu fabra while Lodovic on the other hand, studied in university of Toulouse. After the analysis, the author arrived at the following conclusion, the company strategy evolved along deliberate emergent continuum as proposed by Mintzberg. In the case of ALCAN, the direction was from emergent toward deliberate strategies. The second conclusion was that there was some correlation between the firm strategy and its organization. This means that the evolution of the firms from emergent to deliberate was parallel to its evolution of the firm organization. This long run historical analysis confirms that using a framework that looks at continuum of deliberate and emergent strategies eliminate the notion of top down process. This suggests that Mintzenberg ideal applies in carrying out historical studies of company strategy. At the same time the study, add a crucial insight to the existing frame wok by highlighting the role of emergent imposed strategies. These strategies according to Mintenzberg represent extreme cases. Design school is one of the schools of thought on strategy formation. The design proposes a simple model that views the process as one design to achieve a balance between external threats and opportunity and internal competence. The paper discusses and later criticizes the model focusing on the concept of conscious assessment of strengths and weakness, of the need to make strategies explicit and separation between formulation and implementation (Potter, 2001). In doing so, it question the beliefs in the strategic management. The critique is not intended to dismiss the design school model; lather, it opposes the assumption of its universality. The author of the paper has vast experience in

Rhetorical analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 3

Rhetorical analysis - Essay Example The Crisis In Higher Education. This is the topic of the article to be discussed. It is an article by Carr Nicholas, published in the year 2012. The Crisis In Higher Education is an article pointing out on various predicaments that are faced in the field of higher education. In this article, Nicholas tends to inform individuals on more about higher institutions of learning and how predicaments can be controlled. In this case, he specializes in the line of e-learning where he explains more about it and how it can help students who use this technique in learning. He mentions some of the universities where this strategy has been implemented and its benefits to the institutions. Though there are drawbacks that are associated with this strategy, his aim is to make it clear to individuals that the advantages outweigh the disadvantages. Carr in his article aims at making individuals aware of the challenges that are faced in the field of higher education. Carr begins by mentioning that a hun dred years ago, higher education system seemed on the limit of a technological development. This is a technique used to capture the interest of the readers by informing them that technology was implemented some years back meaning it started sometimes back. In this case this is a technique used to inform the readers more about technology. He goes ahead explain that there are many universities today that are raising hopes of a revolution in the field of higher education. The universities pointed out in this case include: Stanford, Harvard, Princeton and MIT. This is another part in the article meant to educate individuals on the recent trends in higher education. Nicholas points out that in the world, not is every individual enthusiastic. He explains that with the use of online classes, at some point the quality of college education is diminished. This is due to the introduction of MOOCs which enables learning to take place online. He points out that distractions has occurred especial ly for the institutions that use this technique. He goes ahead to state that for such institutions, for effective learning processes to take place, high degree of automation has to be implemented. In this case, he wishes to instruct administrators in higher education institutions to implement this strategy for them to have effective online learning processes. Carr also points out that individuals who are skeptical of MOOCs give a warning that the real meaning of a higher institution lies in an interplay within between the teachers and students that cannot be replicated through machines no matter how classy the programming. This gives a clear impression that Carr does not agree with them because he supports the fact that e-learning can work effectively only id the high degree automation strategy is implemented. In this case, his message is convincing in that, he tries to explain how e-learning can work well for higher institutions. â€Å"The designers and promoters of MOOCs don†™t suggest that computers will make classrooms obsolete. But they do argue that online instruction will change the nature of teaching on campus, making it more engaging and efficient.† (Carr 40). Nicholas in this case tries to convince the readers that even though there are drawbacks that come along with the e-learing process, they can be dealt with and that the e-learners can study perfectly well just as those who attend a

Maths in Everyday Life Essay Example for Free

Maths in Everyday Life Essay You may find yourself wondering what use we have for some of the knowledge we obtain from math class in school. It is sometimes difficult for students to appreciate the importance of Mathematics. They often find the subject boring and hard to understand. With this project we will hopefully help our students realize that Mathematics is not just a subject on their time-table but a tool they use in their everyday life. Mathematics is one of the first things you learn in life. Even as a baby you learn to count. Starting from that tiny age you will start to learn how to use building blocks how to count and then move on to drawing objects and figures. Through the years, and probably through the centuries, teachers have struggled to make math meaningful by providing students with problems and examples demonstrating its applications in everyday life. Now, however, technology makes it possible for students to experience the value of math in daily life, instead of just reading about it. Math is everywhere and yet, we may not recognize it because it doesnt look like the math we did in school. Math in the world around us sometimes seems invisible. But math is present in our world all the timein the workplace, in our homes, and in life in general. When you buy a car, follow a recipe, or decorate your home, youre using math principles. This presentation also, is prepared using the principles of math. Math applies to daily life, with sections on gambling odds, buying and leasing cars, population growth, decorating, and cooking. Most sections include hands-on activities. Formulas are a part of our lives. Whether we drive a car and need to calculate the distance, or need to work out the volume in a milk container, algebraic formulas are used every day without you even realizing it. Simply put, mathematics is about relationships. Mathematicians have developed a language of precise relationships, illustrated through their formulas and equations. We live in a world where so far, as we have observed, everything is related and everything is experienced as different. We can learn about relationships in our world by looking at mathematical relationships that seem to match the situation being explored. For instance there is a relationship between distance traveled, time of travel, and speed of travel. Mathematics provides a relatively simple equation: Distance traveled = average speed multiplied by time of travel In simpler mathematical terms, d = s x t Math involves data analysis, number relationships and graphing, patterns and functions, statistics, and measurement. People who use math in their work, it doesnt occur that often that youd need to calculate 7 x 7 x 7 x 7 or 0. 1 x 0. 1 x 0. 1 x 0. 1 x 0. 1 or other such calculations. One example of how math do kind of connect with our everyday lives: when we speak about square feet, square meters, square inches, square miles, square kilometers or any other area units, or when we speak about cubic feet, cubic meters, cubic centimeters or any other such volume units. If you talk about SQUARE shaped areas, for example if you say My room is twelve by twelve square, youre meaning your room is 12 feet x 12 feet, or 122 square feet. I believe one reason that mathematics is not more generally applied has to do with a tendency to ‘think’ of mathematics only in terms of numbers, precision, quantification, and so on. We forget that mathematics is also about relationships, relatedness, relationships between relationships, interconnections, dependency (functions), changing relationships (calculus), factors that constitute relationships (variables), structure (order, relationships), asymmetric relationships (order), (graphical, numerical, and other representations (mapping), increase and decrease (addition, subtraction , multiplication, division, etc. ) and so on. The notion of a â€Å"function† is another mathematical tool we can apply to our everyday situations. Function in mathematics has to do with â€Å"relationships between variables – how a dependent variable changes when related variables change. In a simple equation y=3x, if we change the value of x, then y changes. Y is called the dependent variable, and x the independent variable. In other words the value of y depends on the value we give to x. And in this equation, we can give x any value we choose. In our everyday living, we do many things that are related to other things – although not as precisely as in mathematics – and we give values, assign meanings, and so on. Our whole living involves relationships. Our successes are a function of our efforts. The way others treat us is a function of how we behave towards them. Meanings, values, significance, understanding, etc. , are functions of ‘time’ – more specifically information available at a ‘time’. In a world where as far as we know everything is related, we can learn a lot about our everyday relationships by studying the approaches of a system that deals specifically with relationships. Variables and functions are only two examples of a vast number of other mathematics approaches we can apply to better understanding our everyday relationships. Math applies to daily life, with sections on gambling odds, buying and leasing cars, population growth, decorating, and cooking. Most sections include hands-on activities. One of the most complete and self-sufficient math units on the Web is Project Sky Math: Making Mathematical Connections Using the Science and Language of Patterns to Explore the Weather. They study the history of weather prediction, develop symbol sets, prepare graphs, predict changes, solve problems, and discover rules. General semantics involves applying the methods of science and mathematics to our everyday living. For instance, if we ‘think’ of things – anything – in terms of the â€Å"variable†, we will come to realize that like the mathematical variable that is sometimes a higher value and sometimes a lower value, we should expect things and situations to change. Sometimes this change will occur in the way we like; other times not. Sometimes more than we expect, sometimes less. Sometimes we will observe no significant change. We can expect our moods and ‘feelings’ to vary. ‘Thinking’ in terms of the variable better prepares us to anticipate and manage changes in our lives. This could reduce a great deal of stress in our lives – stress related to our forgetting that thing-processes are not constants. Family, partners, friends, work situations, health, etc. , won’t stay the way we found them or the way we expect them to go. ‘Thinking’ in terms of the variable, we would expect variations in our lives, and situations to vary related to different ‘time’, ‘places’, contexts, and so on. It is important to keep in ‘mind’ that with regards to our everyday relationships, unlike mathematical equations, precision is not the important factor-variable here. Important factors involve recognizing relationships, interconnections, and â€Å"interdependencies†. An important factor is to be aware that we assign our own individual values to what we see, hear, read, and so on. We could avoid, or better manage many conflicts, by remembering variables and functions. There are lots of real uses of mathematics in our life. All the mathematics terms base on counting. Today our all businesses base on counting. There is no concept of business without mathematics. Before the mathematics rules people use barter system. They give their goods to others and take the goods from other people. But this system cannot continue longer when need of humans increased day by day. Now you can think that counting has vital role in our daily life, just imagine if there were no mathematics at all, how it would be possible for us to count days, months and years. There is a cost for everything that we may use or purchase from markets so whats a cost? What are utility bills? Whats the ticket price? These are all applications of mathematics. We cannot deny the importance of mathematics in our daily life. When we got to shop to purchase something we need mathematics. When someone comes to our shop to purchase something we need calculations. There are many uses of mathematics in real life most likely in jobs like accounting, banking , store manager or just working at a simple fast food store. These are very simple applications of mathematics. Mathematics is at the core of all the communication technologies, its used in accounting, finance etc in short we are using mathematics in some form or another everywhere in our daily lives. But the most important use of mathematics in our technologies cannot be contradicted. Our most of the system base on computers and all the computer technology are stands on mathematical rules. All computers work on binary code, code of zero and one. So we cannot deny the importance of mathematics in real life. Everyday life would be quite difficult if you had no knowledge of math. To know whats the time, the most precious thing. On a basic level you need to able to count your money, multiply, subtract and divide. You need knowledge of math if you want to work out how much material to buy for a job. More advanced mathematics is essential if you take up any kind of technical career such as engineering. Working on algebra and geometry also helps with reasoning skills and assists later in life with technical problem solving. Living your day to day life without maths would be extremely difficult. Even if you were a nomad in the desert you would want to count your goats, wouldnt you? The key to opportunity These are the years of small beginnings until the day comes that you have to be able to do something as intricate as algebra. Math is the key that will unlock the door before you. Having the ability to do algebra will help you excel into the field that you want to specialize in. We live in a world where only the best succeed. Having the ability and knowledge to do algebra will determine whether you will take the short cut or the detour in the road of life. Prerequisite for advanced training Most employers expect their employees to be able to do the fundamentals of algebra. If you want to do any advanced training you will have to be able to be fluent in the concept of letters and symbols used to represent quantities. Science Moreover, it is also believed that Mathematics is the mother of all sciences. This also shows us that all the sciences that are evolved have a sound foundation in mathematics, if we go further in debate it would be justified to say that the blessings of all these modern sciences and technologies are only possible with mathematics. Mathematics is used as a problem solver in every field of science. Mathematics is playing a very important role in our daily lives. In fact mathematics is involved directly or indirectly wherever we go and every thing that we may use. When doing any form of science, whether just a project or a lifetime career choice, you will have to be able to do and understand how to use and apply the concepts of math. Analysis When it comes to analyzing anything, whether the cost, price or profit of a business you will need to be able to do math. Margins need to be set and calculations need to be made to do strategic planning and analyzing is the way to do it. Data entry What about the entering of any data. Your use of algebraic expressions and the use of equations will be like a corner stone when working with data entry. When working on the computer with spreadsheets you will need algebraic skills to enter, design and plan. Decision making Decisions like which cell phone provider gives the best contracts to deciding what type of vehicle to buy, you will use algebra to decide which one is the best one. By drawing up a graph and weighing the best option you will get the best value for your money. Interest Rates How much can you earn on an annual basis with the correct interest rate. How will you know which company gives the best if you cant work out the graphs and understand the percentages. In todays life a good investment is imperative. Writing of assignments When writing any assignments the use of graphs, data and math will validate your statements and make it appear more professional. Professionalism is of the essence if you want to move ahead and be taken seriously. Math is basically about solving problems and calculating different things. So if you are good in math, you are good at solving problems and calculating things first hand. Can you see the importance of algebra? Your day can be made a lot easier with planning. In financial decisions this can save you a lot of finances or maybe get you the best price available. It all comes down to planning and using the knowledge and algebraic skills you have to benefit your own life. Use the key you have and make your life a lot smoother. Mathematics is very important for life since it helps us to quantify all the visible and invisible things with which we are dealing in daily life. It is human nature that they do not have complete confidence in the subjective or relative things, in the modern day of today the objective things are preferred and trusted more than the subjective things. Mathematics helps us to have an objective view of the different things we are dealing with. It helps us in making calculations about the things which are not physically developed like for buildings before construction. Living a life unknowing Maths would be living in random oblivion. Mathematics is primarily used for the purpose of scientific calculation of figures and objects. In real life the use of Mathematics can be applicable to every aspect, field, profession and subject etc. In IT field, in Statistics, in Accounts, in Algebra, in Geometry, for instance, Mathematics is used for calculating, multiplying, subtracting, division, differentiating, manipulating and managing the data in desired form. In other professions Mathematics can merely be used for the calculation of currency, recording the profits and loss. In ordinary life Mathematics can be used for the calculation of any specific or general sort. Concisely it can be said that Mathematics can be used for the authentic and scientific variation between and calculation of numbers, amounts, quantities etc; measurements of the frequencies of light and sound, of distance. Maths is all around us. It is present in different forms; it is very important that we take note of it. Things are measured or accurate due to maths. Mathematics has a prominent role to play in our daily life. We even didnt realize that maths is involves in every sort of activities. Whenever we pick up the phone, manage the money, travel to some other place, unintentionally in all these things maths is involved. Another very simple application is calendar year. How we know that today is Tuesday? It was Thursday on May 1, 2012? Its actually mathematics that gives/provides us all this information. Mathematics do play a big part in our daily lives. Mathematical functions like addition, subtraction, multiplication, division and so on are used in our daily activities. From poor to rich , all have to some how use mathematics in their real lives. Consider a housewife, who has to run her house in the given budget. She divides money according to her needs and estimates about the expenses and then spends it according her range. From the advent of civilization, man learn to count using stones and beads. In the earliest civilization, barter-system was used. Now-a-days, all day to day transactions in a multi-national or national companies involve mathematical operations . The application of maths is seen every moment, right from the moment we wake up from bed in the morning till the moment we again go back to bed at night. As soon as we wake up, we first of all give a big yawn-that makes us think for how long we have yawned? 3 to 5 seconds? Here maths comes! Again when we look at the clock, we realise how late we have got up! 8:30 a. m! Here the part called Time of mathematics is put to focus. Even when we brush our teeth, we should know how much amount of toothpaste we must useits written on the tubes that children below the age of 6 years should use only a pea-sized amount of it. Again, we must keep a track of how much time we have to take to brush our teeth. Then comes the time of studying.. we keep a regular routine of how long we must study a particular subject and i often hear my mom saying me. You must keep a little extra time for Maths and Science.. Then comes bathingwe take a certain amount of water which we can count in litres. Now if i have to go on saying for the whole day about the use of maths in real life, i would not be able to complete it in a day! The list is endless. Mathematics is very important for life since it helps us to quantify all the visible and invisible things with which we are dealing in daily life. It is human nature that they do not have complete confidence in the subjective or relative things, in the modern day of today the objective things are preferred and trusted more than the subjective things. Mathematics helps us to have an objective view of the different things we are dealing with. It helps us in making calculations about the things which are not physically developed like for buildings before construction. We do calculations and ensure if their design is safe or not, similarly mathematics helps us to plan things for future either is any production environment for products or services. It helps us to have an idea that how much earning or spending has been done and would it be beneficial to do a certain activity or not. In todays world mathematics is being applied everywhere like in the economy of a country, construction of buildings, marking and evaluation of persons. It would be appropriate to say that mathem atics has helped a lot in achieving the fast speed life with all its comforts and delights If we are quick at mental arithmetic, it will help you a lot in saving hundreds of pounds or dollars in the supermarket. And if you have knowledge of statistics it will help you see through the baloney (non sense, lies) in television adverts or newspapers. You can also understand different kinds of information about the football or cricket team. Even simple maths equations are just around us, like spherical shapes of soap bubbles, ripples on the surface of water. Maths help engineer in making different shapes with geometrical shape the structure of the building was not possible. The beauty of maths is not only around us but a strong know how of maths help us in every day life too. Just start looking around you and you will find that how maths is help full to you in your life We do calculations and ensure if their design is safe or not, similarly mathematics helps us to plan things for future either is any production environment for products or services. It helps us to have an idea that how much earning or spending has been done and would it be beneficial to do a certain activity or not. In todays world mathematics is being applied everywhere like in the economy of a country, construction of buildings, marking and evaluation of persons. It would be appropriate to say that mathematics has helped a lot in achieving the fast speed life with all its comforts and delights. Without math, one would not be able to function in the REAL world. We use math to purchase things we want, we use math to measure, tell time and so on. We all need the basics but having a more advanced knowledge in math such as geometry, algebra and metric system always helps. As they say knowledge is priceless. Without math, one would not be able to function in the real  world. We use math to purchase things we want, we use math to measure, tell time and so on. We all need the basics but having a more advanced knowledge in math such as geometry, algebra and metric system always helps. As they say knowledge is priceless. Without math, one would not be able to function in the real  world. We use math to purchase things we want, we use math to measure, tell time and so on. We all need the basics but having a more advanced knowledge in math such as geometry, algebra and metric system always helps. As they say knowledge is priceless.

Organizational Development Essay Example for Free

Organizational Development Essay John F. Kennedy was quoted as saying â€Å"Change is the law of life, and those who look only to the past or present are certain to miss the future.† The world is in a constant state of motion. No one should expect things to always stay the same. Organizations require technologies and human resources in order to operate. A business needs to operate by learning from the past and planning for the future. Since, the economic collapse of 2008, the idea that any company is ‘too big to fail’ has been thrown out the proverbial ‘business window’. Business is now practiced in a global market and technologies have made the world a smaller place. â€Å"Managers and their organizations must anticipate the future and become proactive players.† (Brown, D.R., 2011, part 1.) Consider companies like Blockbuster Video. The demise of Blockbuster proves that leadership did not look to the future. This company considered itself to be the standard. Where is Blockbuster now? Instead of being an industry leader, it is trying to regain its footing in a marketplace it once dominated. Why? Blockbuster failed to take its competitors seriously. It did not consider technology surpassing the company’s own perception of practicing business. â€Å"In 2002 (Blockbuster) had 8,000 stores and a market value of $3 billion. Today, movie-by-mail Netflix is worth nearly three times that much. And Blockbuster is broke.† (Gandell, S., 2010, paragraph 19.) Successful companies are looking to the future as they learn from the past and present. Organizations that are successful will operate without ego, effectively communicate throughout the organization, and constantly reinvent themselves. Organizations need to be in constant development in order to move forward with any success. In this paper, I intend to define the importance of organizational development as it relates to my own company’s recent sale to a new group of owners. I intend to define organizational development as it relates to organizational trust, a strong practitioner-client relationship, the imperative nature of the diagnostic phase, effective communication between ownership and employees, and the importance of strategy as it relates to a successful transfer of ownership and culture to an organization. Organizations need to know when organizational development is necessary. I am a Managing Partner in the restaurant business. I currently have about 50 employees that I am responsible for. Recently, the restaurant I am running was sold to a South African group of owners. The owners actually bought two restaurants from the local restaurant group I was working for. After studying the Charlotte market and other markets throughout this great country of ours, the South African owners decided that Charlotte, NC would give them the best opportunity to grow a restaurant chain. The owners currently have over 150 restaurants in South Africa and this is their first venture into the United States. Once the sale became final, the owners began to evaluate all the current systems and business practices of the restaurants. The new owners began to re-develop the organization by defining its existing and future organizational identity. The owners sat down with staff and management to get an understanding of what the restaurants meant to each staff member. â€Å"The identity will provide an advantage if it is well aligned with the organizational strategy and well suited to the market niche, because identities tend to be socially complex and path dependent, and therefore difficult to imitate.† (Salgado, S.R., 2003, page 65.) The owners became the practitioners of change by purchasing the restaurants. After the sale became final, it was time to develop a sense of trust from the existing staff and management. One way of gaining that trust is to value the opinions of the current members of the organization. The new owners showed that they valued staff opinion of organizational identity. This process helped to develop the fundamental need to build a positive practitioner-client relationship. The new owners need an employee landscape that is friendly, not hostile. There is no way the new organization can move forward with a negative culture. Once trust was established, the new owners were able to begin to identify issues, problems, and opportunities each restaurant was having. The five fundamental stages of organizational development are: â€Å"anticipate the need for change, develop the practitioner-client relationship, the diagnostic phase, action plans, strategies, and techniques, and self-renewal, monitor, and stabilize.† (Brown, D.R., 2011, page 18). Ownership has followed the principles of organizational change and development in a very smart way. The new owners worked on building a strong practitioner-client relationship while gathering information about the businesses. They remained very approachable and worked hard to assist with the agreed upon change lists. Ownership made everyone feel as though they were not there to change what was not broken. Employees were made to feel proud about the restaurants they worked in. By developing such a good and trusting relationship, change has come easier. Once trust was established, new ownership quickly moved to the third fundamental of organizational development, the diagnostic phase. â€Å"Organizational diagnostic models and surveys have often been demonstrated by practitioners to be very effective in supporting organizational development   programs.† (Goldstein, L. and Burke, W. (1991), Vol. 19, page 5.) Diagnostic models are designed to help organizational development practitioners to â€Å"categorize data about the organization, enhance understanding about organizational problems, interpret data systematically, (and) provide appropriate change strategies.† (Lok, P., Crawford, J., 2000, page 108.) The practitioners have been reviewing every facet of the restaurant’s business practices. Ownership is constantly evaluating the effectiveness of each system. Technologies, equipment, and managerial functions are all reviewed and measured to the new standards and goals set forth by the owners. The ownership designed a â€Å"team approach to setting and reviewing targets, real participation by subordinates in setting goals, with an emphasis on mutually agreed upon goals, mutual trust between subordinate and manager, and a real concern for personal career goals as well as for organizational goals.† (Brown, D.R., 2011, page 327.) Ownership felt that the technologies were not tied in together very well. Ownership felt that the current gathering of data was cumbersome and inaccurate. The practitioners felt that the clients needed to stream-line the ways in which data was collected. By reviewing every program and system of accounting, the new owners were able to determine that updating would be necessary in order to move the two concepts forward. Looking to future growth was not going to happen for the organization until both concepts were able to produce accurate information about the actual business. Ownership also determined that it wanted its managers out in the restaurant more. There was simply too much to do in the office while running the restaurants. The practitioners asked current upper management to clearly define the responsibilities of each manager and chef position. At this point, the culture of the new organization had begun to take shape. Clearly defined roles and a change in managerial philosophies have started to grow. I have witnessed what I believe is a very successful transformation of culture. Responsibilities are clearly communicated. Accountability has improved. By creating clearly defined roles, the effectiveness of each manager is much easier to measure. At times, however, communication has been inconsistent. The massive restructuring of all current systems has taken a toll on some people in the organization. Missed deadlines and unforeseen problems have occurred. The way in which the new ownership has responded to the unforeseen issues has been impressive. I feel that new ownership has shown an unwavering amount of dedication to the new organizational vision it has set in place. Considering the amount of change, the owners have been very clear and approachable throughout the transformation. I respect and support their efforts in remaining approachable and supportive. They exude an understanding of what each existing member or employee is going through.   Ownership has been very aware of the ego state of the organization. â€Å"Every interaction between people involves a transaction between their ego states. When one person converses with a second person, the first person is in a distinct ego state and can direct the message to an y of the three ego states in the second individual.† (Brown, D.R., 2011, page 230.) Ownership has made every effort to have open and complementary transactions with groups and individuals throughout the organization. At the same time, they have also shown that the organization will move forward with or without its current members. Holding people accountable has been extremely important. â€Å"In todays changing environment, organizations that encourage individual ability and hold employees accountable for achieving goals are more likely to succeed.† (Brown, D.R., 2011, page 381.) The practitioners have been able to accentuate individual strengths and weaknesses within its existing employee body. This approach has brought on a spirit of contribution to the cause of the new vision presented to the ‘old guards’ of the organization. This is a very clever approach to affecting change. Also, the new leaders of the organization have discovered some hidden talents within its current team-members. Finding an existing and in-place pool of needed skills has helped the new leaders keep an aggressive time-line for the development of change. New owners did not have to look completely outside the organization for skills that will enable change. Instead, new owners were able to motivate change by looking for solutions internally. Looking for hidden talents helped to reaffirm the positive culture of opportunity and renewed perceptions of the employee skillset. An internal approach to solving or rectifying identified issues has also kept the cost of change down. Existing members already have a sense of where the shared vision of the company is going. Existing staff has a greater stake in the organization’s success. Because of shareholder accountability, ownership is smart to look internally for as many talents as possible. Ownership believed by stream-lining technologies and accounting systems, it could improve the quality of the guest experience and profitability of its organization. Ownership started this process by surveying all existing management to try and determine what each manager actually knew about the existing programs and technologies. A methodical and measured approach to re-designing office systems will enable the organization to become more consistent in gathering data and measuring the performance of both restaurants. Their  vision of the future of the organization has been effectively shared with everyone involved . The deadlines for improvements have been followed-up effectively. A weekly meeting between ownership and upper management takes place. In these meetings, organizational effectiveness is measured by how well goals and objectives are accomplished. At first, goals were very broad and basic. Managers were asked to evaluate their knowledge of existing point of sale programs, invoicing programs, and budgetary knowledge. Once ownership felt it had acquired enough knowledge about existing systems, the project or ‘goal’ chart was updated and tasks became more narrow and specialized in focus. Managers were held accountable to their goals based on their strengths or expertise. For example, one manager is very adept with computers. This has become his area of focus for the remainder of the re-development of the organization. â€Å"The collection of data is an important activity providing the organization and the practitioner with a better understanding of client system problems: the diagnosis.† (Brown, D.R., 2011, page 19.) Ownership has been very diligent about data accuracy. Every number and system has been reviewed for accuracy and consistency. In order for the company to move forward, ownership has to determine what is and what is not vital to the new organizational vision. Ownership has already picked two new sites for additional restaurants. It is important that both restaurants operate in the same way as the business grows. This is why organizational effectiveness has to be optimized and not hap-hazard. â€Å"Organizational practitioners need to assess the influence of variables in diagnostic models on organizational outcomes, and effectiveness has often been used as the primary outcome measurement. (Handy, 1985, p. 85; Burke and Litwin, 1992). The new owners have done an excellent job moving the new organization through a surprising change of ownership. I have enjoyed watching how these new owners have handled the organizational development of the restaurant. Organizational change and development is certainly not easy. Leadership from the owners to the managers has to stay on course with the changes. Total commitment and a positive attitude are necessary. Negativity spreads like wildfire when redeveloping an organization. The owners have worked hard to cope and shape their environments, through the way they organize and operate their organization. The history of organizational development has to be an interesting one. As I watch these new owners re-tool both establishments, I wonder if they are taking the same course in organizational development that I am. The owners have to pass forward their beliefs or values as to what the restaurants should be. Things that worked before might be tossed. New things are   introduced. The style of service and the menu, the technology, are all things the owners have to push forward to current and new employees. All the while, business is ongoing. The doors are open. Customers are hearing of the sale and are passionate about the changes. Some changes are subtle. Some changes are extreme. How does the ownership remain familiar to what the concept once was? The entire process is exhausting. The public’s resistance to change is fierce at times. One very popular item on the menu was discontinued when the new menu was rolled out. Granted, the menu had not changed in four years. Servers and cooks were tired of doing the same thing every day. The item that was discontinued was actually a very bland and tasteless item. Servers and cooks hated selling it. There was excitement and concern when the new ownership wanted to get rid of it. We all knew we were in for it when the new menu came out. Sure enough, customers have missed not having this item on the menu. Customers have been very vocal about this one item. Ownership feels that quality ingredients, perfect preparation, and impeccable service will build sales. There is a determination that the new regime can move past this one dish and convince the fickle public that there are a lot of other good reasons to dine at our restaurants. We are doing more than trying to keep our existing clientele. We are building a new clientele. Whatever perceptions the public had of us before does not matter. It is interesting to hear the complaints about some of our changes. All the while, most of the same staff works at the restaurant. The only real changes the public see are dress codes and menu changes. Otherwise, most change is behind the scenes. Because of the intense scrutiny mistakes in service or execution of the shift has to be perfect. We cannot afford to be less than perfect right now. Complacency has no place in the restaurant business. To be successful, we should always be looking ahead and learning from our past mistakes. We should always challenge ourselves to be better than we were yesterday. We are always training and learning. Managers should be acting as coaches and mentors to the staff. Management at all levels should not only ‘talk the talk’, they should ‘walk the walk’. However, the complaints are not always fair. The new menu is terrific. Quality and service are actually better than ever. The new owners spent a lot of money to help update and fix equipment that was vital to running the restaurant. Ownership has brought in more management and has improved the morale of the restaurant, not to mention the quality of life for all salaried people like myself. There has been a certain camaraderie resulting from moving toward common goals with other people. There is now a belief that we are a better place today because of our efforts. The best interventions from a   values point of view are those that help clients prepare their place in the future, whether its creation or adaptation. I am sure as we move forward that we will come in to our own again. The once faithful group of regulars will either go their own way or forgive us. Organizational development is a change strategy. â€Å"OD principles and techniques are experiencing a renaissance, thanks to the growth of the field of change management.† (Worren, N.A.M., Ruddle, K., Moore, K.,1999, paragraph 3.) Organizational development requires a change in behaviors. These behaviors, good or bad, become the organizational culture. The organizational beliefs and values start at the top of the food chain, the owners. What is important to the owner should be important to the worker in that organization. It is imperative that the owner or any organization find a way to keep his people motivated and passionate about his organization’s products. Therefore, the leadership of any organization has to ‘connect’ to develop change and organizational success. Leadership has to be viewed as the change master. An organization that wants to remain vital, must be able to deal with change. A restaurant is an excellent example of a business in a constant state of change. For some restaurants the menu can stay the same. Maybe that is what people like about the place. However, what goes on outside the restaurant can cause a need for change inside the restaurant. Roads are closed, the economy is shrinking, parking is now too difficult to bother, these are all worrisome real-life issues that any organization or restaurant might have to deal with. The restaurant cannot afford to maintain the status quo, change is simply that critical. Kurt Lewin developed the concept of force-field analysis. This philosophy is â€Å"deceptively simple and can be used to help plan and manage organizational change.† (Cumming, T.G., Huse, E.R. 1989, page 3.) Lewin believed that an organizational behavior was affected by the balance of two opposing forces. When these opposing forces are at odds, change happens. According to Lewin, there are driving forces and restraining forces. Driving forces affect and assist in the desired change. Restraining forces do quite the opposite. Restraining forces represent obstacles to the change. â€Å"If the weights of the driving and restraining forces are relatively equal, then the organization will remain static.†(Cumming, T.G., Huse, E.R. 1989, page 3.) Ownership has to remain aware of the balance of power these two forces represent for the organization. Change has to appear to always be for the good of the whole organization. People are wary of change and must be made to feel a part of its success in order to help embrace the new mindset. Lewin’s force-field analysis works as a method of environmental scanning and as a way for creating an empowering environment to the culture of the organization. The new owners have done an excellent job moving the organization forward. The efforts made to gather data and technical knowledge have been diligent. The new owners have moved forward by doing their homework. After reviewing all the necessary information, ownership has been able to assimilate all the necessary funds, materials, staff and time. As the organizational development process has moved forward, it has become obvious that the owners plan on giving their newly acquired business the tools it needs to accomplish the shared vision. This, of course, has led to the owners’ final phase of organizational development, the support of their people. At first, ownership had to tread lightly. In the beginning, it was as if the new owners wrapped their arms around us all and said â€Å"everything will be alright, just stick with us.† As the new team moved forward, some upper management was asked to leave. Time has been a good indicator of the ownerships’ dedication to the new vision and culture of the organization. Their efforts have been unwavering and very consistent. In this paper, I have detailed the importance of organizational development as it relates to my own company’s recent sale to a new group of owners. The process of organizational development has been fascinating to watch. Although the constant evaluation of all systems and actions throughout the organization has been exhausting, I believe ownership has succeeded in redeveloping a once tired and inefficient culture. Employees and managers have felt a greater sense of purpose towards the new organization. New ownership has successfully relayed a positive sense of urgency and purpose towards its existing staff and team members. The revamping of the organizational culture has brought forth a better quality employee and better quality experience for the organization’s customers. The organizational development techniques applied by the new ownership has helped to improve the profitability of both restaurants. New ownership had once touted that two additional restaurants would be opening within twelve months. Because of the success in developing organizational change, new ownership has now determined a new restaurant can be opened in only six months instead of twelve. This fast organizational growth is to be celebrated because it is a direct result of the diligent efforts of ownership and all staff involved after the transfer of ownership became official. Trust, a positive practitioner-client relationship, a successful diagnostic evaluation and change, effective communication between ownership and employees, and the importance of strategy has allowed this organization to become stronger and advance its number of concepts. In short, growth happens if organizational development is applied effectively. References: Brown, D.R., (2011). An Experiential Approach to Organizational Development (8th ed). Upper Saddle River Pearson Prentice Hall. Retrieved from: http://onlinevitalsource.com/#books/9780558857257/pages/31616081. Cumming, T.G., Huse, E.F. (1989), Organizational Development and Change (4th ed.) St Paul, MN: West Publishing. Retrieved from: http://jeritt.msu.edu/documents/TallmanWithoutAttachment.pc. Gandell, S., 2010, How Blockbuster Failed at Failing, Time Magazine. Retrieved from: http://www.time.com/magazine/article/0,9171,2022624-2,00.html. Goldstein, L. and Burke, W. (1991), Creating successful organizational change, Organizational Dynamics, Vol. 19, page 5-17. Retrieved from: http://search.proquest.com/docview/215864273?accountid=32521 Handy, C. (1985), Understanding Organizations, Penguin, London. Retreived from: http://search.proquest.com/business/docview/215864273/13901F6FOC3249E4570/1?accountid=32521 Lok, P., Crawford, J., (2000). The application of a diagnostic model and sur veys in organizational development. Journal of Managerial Psychology, 15(2), 108-124. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/215864273?accountid=32521.) Salgado, S.R. (2003), Fine Restaurants: Creating inimitable advantages in a competitive industry. New York University, Graduate School of Business Administration). ProQuest Dissertations and Theses, 161 p. retrieved from: http://www.search.proquest.com/docview/305261479?accountid=32521305261479. Worren, N.A.M., Ruddle, K., Moore, K. (1999.) From organizational development to change management: the emergence of a new profession. The Journal of Applied Behavioral Science, 35(3), 273-286. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/236248857?accountid=32521.

The Comedy Knocked Up Media Essay

The Comedy Knocked Up Media Essay The comedy knocked up was written, directed and produced by Judd Apatow, and was one of the highest grossing films in 2007. Released at the end of May in 2007, it succeeded as a summer blockbuster and won the people and teen choice awards for favorite movie comedy. Distributed by Universal, the film grossed over $148 million. Knocked up follows the unplanned conception of successful single woman Allison, with unlikely partner loser, pothead Ben. After a night of drinking and dancing with Ben at a bar, Allison invites Ben over to her place and, both drunk, they have sex and conceive a baby. When Allison finds out, she decides to keep the baby and tries to force a real relationship with Ben. Despite a rollercoaster of fights, emotions, and immature baby jokes, Allison and ben ride off together in the s last scene to the apartment Ben has prepared for Allison and her new born baby. This film is important because it reveals the disparity between social realities of pregnancy and the historical trajectory of pregnancy and how it relates to the current naturalization of pregnancy as a commodity. Allison is seen as deviant because she is unwed and was drink during the conception of the child. As well as having a one night stand. But she is seen as normal cause she tries to fix the situation a form a relationship with the father, and in the end she does. This movie reflects a particular cultural, political and social situation that informs our understanding of the discourse of pregnancy. Commodity pregnancy is working through the culture industry to portray pregnancy as glamorous and even trendy, while in popular film pregnancy is plotted as unintended and framed as a grave problem. The bump is not a blessing. Abortion has since been included in various television shows, and movies, has been a major topic of debate in politics, and is a known medical procedure- whether one is pro- choice or pro-life, people are conscious of the abortion. Yet, the word abortion was never mentioned in the movie and was instead referred to as a  ¿Ã‚ ½smushmortion. ¿Ã‚ ½ Or the mother told Allison to have it taken care of , insinuating an abortion, like her step sister did. While the word abortion was never in the movie for reasons unknown, the fact that female body parts, assumed duties of females, biological functions, and physical appearances are the punch lines of so many jokes proves the film makers were not afraid of offending anyone, they just had a view on what was to controversial. In the movie Allison and Ben intend to use a condom in their night of drunken sex, but due to a miscommunication, Ben does not put the condom on. The depiction of contraception either not being used by accident or by ch oice in this movie shows the characters as just accepting that pregnancy as an outcome of sex is just a risk women take- despite the fact that women fought for decades for the precautions that make this statement sound ridiculous. This movie revolves around Allison ¿Ã‚ ½s determination to force a relationship with her complete opposite, Ben, after she finds out he , ¿Ã‚ ½knocked her up ¿Ã‚ ½, seemingly for the sole purpose of maintaining the semblance of a traditional family. In the end this is exactly what happens; a drunken night of sex between a beautiful, successful career woman turns results in a baby, and an unattractive fool getting the woman of his dreams. Allison embraces motherhood wholeheartedly with Ben. Being single is the obvious second option and motherhood in the context of a man and woman together is still framed as the norm. Pregnancy complaints have been one of the fastest growing types of employments discrimination charges filed with the equal employment opportunity commission. In this movie Allison ¿Ã‚ ½s pregnancy is celebrated by her employer, even though she is an on-air celebrity host knee-deep the entertainment industry, where looks and everything and bodies only come in one size-slender. Throughout most of Allison ¿Ã‚ ½s pregnancy there is rarely any talk of her job, except that she decided not to tell her boss until she had to, so she wouldn ¿Ã‚ ½t lose her job. When her boss actually brings her into the office to discuss the fact she is pregnant, Allison apologizes  ¿Ã‚ ½I wasn ¿Ã‚ ½t expecting it, I didn ¿Ã‚ ½t know how to handle it and I didn ¿Ã‚ ½t want to lose my job. I ¿Ã‚ ½m really sorry, ¿Ã‚ ½ stating all the fears of working women and becoming pregnant. Instead of being fired, she is praised for being pregnant, because as her boss puts it,  ¿Ã‚ ½ turns out people li ke pregnant; the bigger you are, the bigger ratings. ¿Ã‚ ½ The celebrity interview show even created special programing so Allison could talk to pregnant celebrities and  ¿Ã‚ ½being pregnant ¿Ã‚ ½ all month. These sets pregnancy up as something that only pregnant women can engage with and understand and even implies that there is a certain language that only pregnant women can communicate. Allison, because of her biological state, is considered to have an extra advantage when talking to pregnant celebrities just because she is pregnant as well. Also, the idea that  ¿Ã‚ ½people love pregnant ¿Ã‚ ½ helps build the ideology that people are generally happy when they see a pregnant woman, that there is something inherently good about pregnancy, especially when all the realities of the pregnancy are off screen. They only see her and her expanding belly, and nothing else, no father figure, no morning sickness, no swelling feet, nothing. In the context of post feminism they are telling cultural moments, especially when we women are still fighting for equality in the workplace and the home. There is still a gross pay gap. There is still an assumption that women are the default caretakers, homemakers, and emotional nutcases. Women are still the minority in corporate executive positions, political leadership roles, and in above-the-line positions in film and television. Storylines featuring women in the mass media are still rare; when women do get main roles, they are often hyper-sexualized, or limited to romantic comedies and plots with  ¿Ã‚ ½women ¿Ã‚ ½s issues. ¿Ã‚ ½ When something tied to womanhood, something men cannot attain, is taken in by the culture industry and churned out as a fad, a problem or a commodity to be glorified, we women need to pay attention. Pregnancy does not define womanhood and it is not even something all women can achieve, but it is certainly an important part of many women ¿Ã‚ ½s li ves and it is the reason all of us, men and women, are here today. Whether portrayals of pregnancy in media are good, bad, or silly, whether celebrities actually look like that post- baby or not, whether the term abortion is offensive or not, the commodification of pregnancy in the current postfeminist context is happening and will continue until the culture industry ceases to find a market for it. By becoming more conscious of this phenomenon and other phenomena like it. We can change the way we understand ourselves and others, pregnant or not.

The Vikings Essay examples -- History Historical Research Papers

The Vikings Typically, the image of a Viking is a barbaric, bearded man plundering and destroying a neighboring village. This is actually the stereotypical viewpoint. In actuality, Vikings, have a very different image. For example, Vikings did not wear furry boots or furry armor, they did not have horned helmets, they invaded Britain, and they also were the first to discover America! They were also experts in nautical technology, crafts, trading, warfare and many other skills (Jonsson 1). With all of these traits, the Vikings seem like an unstoppable force in the European continent. But, who were the Vikings? The Vikings were actually venturesome seafarers. This means that they were travelers who were constantly exploring and looking for new areas of land. There roots can be traced all the way back to 6000 B.C. were nomadic men traveled in primitive crafts up the Denmark coast. Fast forward two millennia and these nomadic people have established permanent homes, but still using the boat for food and travel. As stated before, they were not just raiders, although they did do this frequently, but they were actually expert traders, trading all around the world. It wasn’t until around 793 A.D. that a Viking explosion took place in northern Europe (Jonsson 2). Raids began to take place on neighboring villages and their places of worship. To some this is the only type of knowledge they have about Vikings. However, their culture was something to be admired. Trading, religion, and everyday life are all important parts of a Viking culture. Trading was a critical part to the culture life of a Viking. This task brought in many important goods that the Vikings needed to live an ordinary life. The Vikings were the international tradesmen of their time. In Constantinople (Istanbul) they traded silk and spices for slaves that they had brought from Russia. They Amber they found in the Baltic area and they brought furs, skins, and walrus tusk ivory to the trading towns in Western Europe from the northern parts of the world such as Greenland. The Vikings founded trading cities in Scandinavia such as Birka, Ribe, Hedeby and Skiringsal. In Ireland they founded terrific trade in Dublin and, in England, they made the city of York flourish to become the most important trading town outside of London (La Fay 149-150). At a time when old trade routes between east and west thro... ...of goods with the Vikings. In everyday life, every one of us is in search of the right food, the best and warmest clothing, and the perfect place to live. Religion is still important to the American people, just like it was to the Vikings way back then. And even today, the American people exchange goods through the use of trading. However, in the present, we use plenty of money to get the supplies we need to survive. The Vikings culture can be seen as a way of survival. If they didn’t work hard enough to get the items they needed to survive, they would die off. So, the Vikings were more than a bunch of wild men running around northern England destroying cities and killing people. They strived to lead a healthy life to the fullest extent possible during their time. Many people in northern England who are descendants of the Vikings are proud to be a progeny of such a dominant and prestigious culture.BIBILIOGRAPHY Works Cited La Fay, Howard. The Vikings: Washington, D.C., National Geographic Society, 1972 Jensen, Ole Klindt. The World of the Vikings: London, England. Berne Convention, 1967 Wernick, Robert. The Vikings: Morristown, New Jersey. Time-Life Books Inc. 1979

Fahrenheit 9/11 Essay -- Michael Moore Movie Persuasion Essays

Fahrenheit 9/11 Michael Moore’s latest film, â€Å"Fahrenheit 9/11,† presents a critical look at the administration of George W. Bush and the War on Terrorism. In this film Moore investigates the rapid growth of the United States government and its trend of trampling the rights of individuals, and the corporatism that is spawned out of the close ties between big government and big business during wartime. Michael Moore may not convince all audiences, but is successful for its factual accuracy in which the evidence spoke for itself, and at the same time proclaimed Moore's artistry in transposing and splicing scenes to create impressions that supported his allegations and opinions. Michael Moore has employed two main techniques in an attempt to successfully influence his audience; psychological means of strategy, and cinematic techniques of persuasion. These methods, coupled with how they are presented to the audience, and how the audience react, are what Moore uses to create a scheming effect.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Humor and emotional appeals is what Moore has used in Fahrenheit 9/11 to aid the effect of persuasion. For humor, Moore reaches for an ‘ad populum’ with his audience, looking to exert his opinion as a justification for his claim. An example can be with the Florida election, where Moore has used a fast tempo background piece of music. This sounds much like a stereotypical ‘hillbilly/country’ song; which can be related to Bush’s southern US state background. This music has several functions, including helping Moore’s rapid delivery of facts, but in this case it illustrates Moore’s opinion of the nature of the election – that it can be seen as some sort of ‘joke’. By providing a taunt at Bush’s background, Moore has given the audience humor. Comedy makes these messages more effective as it increases the liking for the source [Moore], and the choice of humor might illustrate a shared sense of hi larity that hints at a similar set of underlying ideas that the audience hold. In â€Å"Fahrenheit 9/11† Moore specifically uses anger as his primary emotion in order to persuade the audience, the anger of Lila Lipscomb, whose son died whilst in combat duty in Iraq. Moore’s interview with Lila Lipscomb provides an insight into the pain felt by families whose children had died during the war in Iraq. Moore presents the audience with the nature of Lipscomb’s anger directed at th... ...ainst its own subjects and its object is not the victory over either Eurasia or East Asia but to keep the very structure of society intact." The aim of this is to strengthen Moore’s view of the drive of the ruling class of modern hierarchical society imposing essentially permanent warfare. Moore reads the quote before the end of the movie. This tactic is used by Moore to give a more memorable and powerful statement, leaving the audience his solidarity attempt to question their leader’s action. Michael Moore brilliantly manipulates the conventions of film to make the audience see and feel these political and moral issues the way he does. Moore, an outspoken loather of the President has shaped his film like a cinematic bullet, with character assassination as his priority. â€Å"Fahrenheit 9/11† shows a series of solemn images and sound bites, arranged as a critical history of the President’s actions since he took office, including the abuse of power and use of fear tactics that have been employed for his monetary and narcissistic gains. Regardless of personal political leanings, â€Å"Fahrenheit 9/11† is an amazing accomplishment of individual expression and anti-government aggression.

Weather and Famous Landmarks

15. Choose the word that means the same or similar to the word  «nature ». ?) environment; ?) scenery; ?) landscape; ?) view. 5  « -2011 » 8 16. Match the quotation with one of the sources listed below: Interested in photography? Fujiko have produced an amazing new mini-camera – the advanced 1001x. 3 1. What kind of film would you see if you wanted to get a detailed information about a definite subject? ?) animated cartoon; ?) thriller; 2. ?) documentary; ?) trailer. ?) recipe; ?) instruction; 17. ?) announcement; ?) ad.Do you know that the English Queen, Elizabeth II, is the only person in Britain with two birthdays. Her official birthday is on the second Saturday in June. When is her real birthday? ?) on April 21; ?) on May 21; ?) on July 21; ?) on August 21. Choose one of the following as the appropriate reaction to the statement: My friend has seen this film already. ?) So I have; ?) So have I; ?) I so have; ?) I have so. 18. Do you know who gave Britain it s modern name? ?) the Romans; ?) the Anglo-Saxons; ?) the Celts; ?) the Dutch. 3. Who said:  «The world is a stage and people are merely actors »? ) R. Stevenson; ?) B. Show; ?) O. Wild; ?) W. Shakespeare. 19. Read the weather forecast and decide in what season this weather is expected to be: The South East will see the best of today’s weather. It will be warm, no winds, and sunshine nearly all day, with temperatures around ten or fifteen, so quite warm for the time of the year. 4. There are eight public holidays in Great Britain. Do you know that they are called: ?) Bank Holidays; ?) Festival Days; ?) Feast Days; ?) Carnival Days. ?) winter; ?) spring; 20. ?) summer; ?) autumn. You can find the name of these animals in the Red Book. ) rabbits; ?) foxes; ?) Indian tigers; ?) sharks. 5. Stonehenge is: ?) one of the most famous landmarks of ancient Canadian history; ?) one of the most famous landmarks of ancient British history; ?) one of the most famous landmarks of ancien t Australian history; ?) one of the most famous landmarks of ancient American history. —————————————————-  «Ã‚ » Web-site: www. uclever. com, e-mail: [email  protected] com 4 6. John likes to spend much time in the open air.When he does his hobby for more than one day he takes a rucksack, a tent and a compass with him. Can you guess John’s hobby? ?) running; ?) fishing; ?) hiking; ?) swimming. 7. Which of the library rooms provides video and film circulation, and audiovisual equipment circulation? 10. Complete the following tongue-twister with an appropriate word: Swan swam over the sea, Swim, swan, swim! Swan swam back again. Well †¦ , swan! ?) swum; ?) swim; ?) swam; ?) swims. 11. Link the following paragraph with one of the cities listed below: This city is on the river Mersey.It’s famous for its football teams and for the Beatle s. ?) Cardiff; ?) Birmingham; ?) Manchester; ?) Liverpool. ?) the reading room; ?) the multimedia hall; ?) the book borrowing department; ?) catalogue. 12. The American traveller and scientist Lowell Thomas thinks that Grand Canyon, Glacier Bay, the Mammoth Cave, Victoria Falls, Baikal, Mountain Everest and Yellowstone National Park are: ?) seven Nature’s enigmas; ?) seven Nature’s wonders; ?) seven Nature’s gifts; ?) seven Nature’s mysteries. 8. Look at the following list of adjectives.Which would apply to a sportsman? ?) weak; ?) awkward; ?) enduring; ?) stout. 13. In which part of Britain do the men wear a kilt? ?) Wales; ?) England; ?) Scotland; ?) Ireland. 9. The following sentence contains an idiom. The key word is missing in the idiom. Choose the correct word: If you have any trouble with your homework, I'll be glad to give you a †¦ . 14. Match the first half of a proverb with an appropriate second half: Custom is †¦ ?) hand; ?) head; ?) hair; ?) hip. ?) the second habit; ?) the second nature; ?) the second manner; ?) the second tradition.

Discuss The Dramatic Presentation of Justice and Morality Essay

The crucible written by Arthur Miller, in 1953 is set in the heart of puritan 16th century America. The main plot is about the witch hunts during that period and the lives that were affected by it. Although the play is about the witch hunts in Salem in the 16th century, the sub plot is really referring to the injustice that Miller himself was experiencing when he wrote it. In the play, it was not only acceptable practice in Salem to accuse people of witchery (usually women) but it was also acceptable to render them completely unable to defend themselves from such accusations. The society’s Puritanism, hysteria and conflicting views on morality and all that is just accounted for the horrendous tragedies to follow. Justice and morality are the main themes introduced throughout the play – justice, meaning the administration of law according to prescribed and accepted principles and morality, meaning the degree to which something is morally acceptable. Many issues associated with justice and morality such as the difficulties and dangers of conforming to strict principles including the consequences of the misuse of justice are also highlighted in the play. This essay will discuss those themes and how the audience is presented with them dramatically. ‘The Crucible’ meaning something in which substances are melted at high temperatures could be referring to a cauldron used by witches or an explosive situation. ‘The Crucible’ also means a severe test or trial which could be referring to the difficult decisions the characters had to make. The ambiguity of the title makes it difficult for the audience to fully understand and predict the nature and mood of the play outrightly. Throughout the play the audience is subtly presented with particular emotive issues. Miller used the literary device of an allegory to be able to depict them to maximum effect. He used lighting to convey emotions and tones, the same way he would a character. For example the footnotes of act one mention a candle in the room and sunrays beaming through the window giving the room â€Å"an air of clean spareness†. This could be interpreted as reflecting the way in which the puritans perceived themselves, free from corruption or impurities. Throughout the play, light was used to symbolize scenes depicting kindness, softer, more sincere emotions or highlight good characters in the play. But as the plot thickens, Miller uses less light which draws the audience towards the climax of the play. Dark lighting generally denotes bad atmosphere, for example the courtroom in Act Three is described as a â€Å"solemn, forbidding place† even though light shone through the back window. Again, at the very end of Act Four, when John Proctor is finally led away, Reverend Hale begins to pray and a light shines on his face. Again light is used to show raw emotions, and to portray both Proctor and Hale as good pious people. The language used throughout the play is archaic and biblical. Miller used biblical references throughout the play to help further illustrate and highlight the extent of Puritanism in Salem and how religion was the focal point of life in Salem. For example when Procter is pleading with Reverend Hale, he refers to him as ‘Pontious Pilate’ a roman official who found Jesus neither innocent nor guilty and washed his hands of the affair. However, it is more likely that Procter’s reference to the Bible was a subtle way of proving himself and his wife to be practicing Christians. Arthur Miller’s development of Abigail William’s character in ‘The Crucible’ greatly affects the plot of the play. Her snobbishness and perceived superiority made many people believe in her lies. Her superiority complex stems from the fact that she was an unmarried orphan, this placed her at the bottom of the social hierarchy in Salem. Her resentment of those that betrayed her influenced many of her decisions. From the very beginning of the play, it is clear to all that Abigail was a person who craved control, albeit subtly at times. Miller used the literary device of juxtaposition to show this to the audience. Juxtaposition is when two or more things are placed next to each other in order to create contrast and allow further analysis. In Act One, scene one where Reverend Parris is praying over Betty, Abigail appears to be an innocent, concerned niece â€Å"I will never hurt Betty, i love her dearly†. But as we see in the next scene, she threatens her own friends into silence. â€Å"Let either of you breathe a word, or the edge of a word about the other things, and i will come to you in the black of some terrible night and i will bring some pointy reckoning that will shudder you. And you know i can do it. † The â€Å"evil† that made her capable of drinking chicken’s blood made the girls fear her, so much so that when Procter asked Mary (his house helper) to tell the courts about Abigail she replied â€Å"she’ll kill me for saying that†. Juxtaposition was also used to show the different levels of morality between the characters. Throughout all the chaos of trying to find who is moral and who isn’t, the audience is fully aware that Abigail was behind it all and she is the person lacking in morals. This made it possible for the audience to make the contrast between her and the other members of the community. Again Abigail’s acted superiority complex revealed itself when Reverend Parris asked her why no-one in the village had rehired her, she replied by saying how they wanted to enslave her and how she would not â€Å"blacken her face for any of them†. This further illustrates her feelings towards the black slaves in the community. It was almost as if she was saying she would rather be without a job than lower herself to their level. It was this reasoning that made it so easy for her to use Tituba (Parris’ slave) as a scapegoat to take all the blame for the witchery. It was also easy for the rest of the villagers to believe Abigail’s accusations because they too thought themselves better than Tituba. An example of this is in Act One where Tituba takes a step backwards before attempting to talk to the reverend but he scrambles to his feet and quickly dismisses her.