Wednesday, October 30, 2019
Children and Young Peoples Workforce (QCF) Coursework
Children and Young Peoples Workforce (QCF) - Coursework Example A key worker system ensures that a practitioner who has been given the responsibility of looking after a number of children, therefore, develops in-depth knowledge about them based on continuous interaction and constant observation of the children. Loving and secure relationships with key carers and parents enable children to grow up to be strong and independent. Children will learn to deal with various circumstances with support from their parents and caregivers. Poor quality attachments have negative effects on the development of babies and children. It has been identified that all kinds of anti-social behaviors are as a result of poor quality attachments between children and their parents. Children who do not have stable childhoods and are not given full attention by their parents do not get opportunities for benefiting from the important learning that takes place in parent-child interactions. Continuous contact with parents and caregivers is therefore important in ensuring children grow up normally. This way, children will be able to form quality attachments to their parents and other individuals (Beaver, Brewster and Jones, 2001p 241). Parents and carers are encouraged to engage sensitively with babies and young children by giving them time to respond. Children and young babies learn best and effectively at their own pace. Parents are therefore encouraged to allow their children adequate time to follow and absorb their own interests. Children have their own time when they can learn, develop, explore as well as practice. Responsive care includes circumstances where the carer is responding to a childââ¬â¢s needs in a sensitive, consistent and prompt manner. Responses provided by the carer should be sensitive towards the needs and preferences of a child. Caregivers should attend to a childââ¬â¢s needs consistently. The carer should be able to respond and manage situations promptly so as to avoid delays.
Monday, October 28, 2019
Socioeconomic Status Essay Example for Free
Socioeconomic Status Essay There are a lot of studies surrounding ones status and its effects on ones psychology. I will be discussing what a Socioeconomic Status is defined to be, certain test and effects it can have on ones psychological being and also how it effects you in certain settings. I will break this down in to parts beginning with how it is defined, then I will move on to the effects and tests, and lastly I will explain how it effects people in certain settings. Socioeconomic Status is mostly defined as a combined measurement of the work experience of an individualââ¬â¢s or their familyââ¬â¢s economic and social state in relation to others based on their income, their education, and their current occupation. It is usually broken down into three categories such as High Socioeconomic Status, Middle Socioeconomic Status, and Low Socioeconomic Status. These categories are used to describe the three areas where an individual or family may fall. In studies it is show that those that fall into the Low SES (socioeconomic status) category tend to show signs of mental illnesses such as respiratory viruses, coronary disease, and schizophrenia. Certain work environments may cause these. As it comes to the mental health some say that the mental health issues may be the reason why they are in the social status they are in all together. There have been tests that have shown that Socioeconomic Status could be a cause or lead to the development of dementia. Those with Low SES have shown to be more associated with a higher prevalence of dementia. They also show an increase in psychiatric comorbidity and a worse baseline of cognitive functioning. These test were based off the data of 217 patients seen in an Inner City Memory Disorder Clinic. They were analyzed with respect on demographic status, clinical status and SES. The results showed that there was a wide variation in the samples examined with respect to most measures of SES. About one-third (36%) had a diagnosis of dementia at an average age of 66. 1.à There was a strong association between their age, the range of individual annual income, their education, medical comorbidity, and a diagnosis of dementia. The increase in age and medical comorbidity were shown to be the strongest factor. The tests concluded that increased age, low education, high medical comorbidity and a low annual income are all associated with a diagnosis of dementia in an inner city setting. There are also other studies such as the socioeconomic status and its effect on health and the exposure and vulnerability to daily stressors. The study examines interconnections among education as an alternate for socioeconomic status-stress, and physical and mental health by being specific about differential exposure and vulnerability models using data according to The National Study of Daily Experiences. The daily diary data allowed assessment of the social distribution of a quantity of different types of stressors than had before been studied in sociological stress research of daily stressors. The data also allowed a less biased assessment of stress exposure and a more micro-level examination of the connections between stress and health by socioeconomic status. Consistent with the literature describing socioeconomic inequalities in physical and mental health, the results of this study indicated that on any day, the adults who were better educated reported fewer physical symptoms and less psychological distress. Even so that better-educated individuals reported more daily stressors, those with less of an education reported that stressors were more severe. Neither of the factors explained any socioeconomic differences in daily health, but the results clearly shown that the stressor-health association canââ¬â¢t be considered independent of socioeconomic status. Another study would be the study of the use of resources in hospitals and how your socioeconomic status affects the amount of use dubbing the title ââ¬Å"Do the poor cost more? â⬠In this study it pertains to the controversy about whether the poor hospitalized patients use more resources and whether ospitals that give care to the poor award payment help under a certain payment system. It has been reported that the patients with a low socioeconomic status with connective tissue disease tend to stay longer in the hospital and had higher cost to take care of rather than the patients of high socioeconomic status. In 1987, 16,908 out of 20,278 (83%) adult patients were interviewed consecutively in 5 Massachusetts hospitals to obtain information on the three measures of socioe conomic status I mentioned earlier. They divided each measure into three strata, creating 15 comparisons. After excluding and adjusting the findings were that the patients of the lower socioeconomic status had stayed 3 to 30 percent longer than those of high status. The hospitals charges were 1 to 18 percent high for the patients of a lower status. When adjusted for age and how severe the illness was the results showed that those patients of the lower socioeconomic status had longer stays in 14 of 14 comparisons and higher charges 13 to 15 in comparison. The findings suggest that the patients of lower socioeconomic status have longer stays and require more of the hospitals resources. Over the few studies I have covered its seems as if the socioeconomic status of an individual or family plays out in many ways in life. Those of the lower status seem to have more health problems and financial issues as well. So being said that socioeconomic status affects your health physically and mentally, as well as effects the financial struggle your set with. Those of a higher status are able to take more care of themselves so they tend to have fewer issues unlike those of the lower socioeconomic status. It affects a large percentage of the world. A majority of the world population is affected by a low socioeconomic status creative more vulnerability to diseases creating more stay time in hospitals and costing themselves more in the long run. As well as adding other studies to the many different effects of ones socioeconomic status producing results both positive and negative based on whether you are of lower status or a higher status.
Saturday, October 26, 2019
Use of Logic in Monty Python and the holy grail :: essays research papers
Monty Python and the Holy Grail à à à à à Logic affects our lives everyday. We use it both subconsciously and consciously to make decisions which can be as important as our careers, or as insignificant as what to eat for lunch. Logic can also be used in other ways. Ironically, othersââ¬â¢ bad logic can result in us learning something just as much as we learn from our own bad decisions. This is shown in Monty Pythonââ¬â¢s Quest for the Holy Grail. à à à à à One example of this ironic use of logic is with the trial of the witch. In this trial, Monty Python uses deductive reasoning to conclude that the woman is a witch. By this, he is demonstrating how deductive reasoning is not always right. Just because wood burns like a witch and floats like a duck does not mean she is a witch. The conclusion that ââ¬Å"if she weighs as much as a duck, she is a witchâ⬠, therefore, is entirely false. Her weight, at no moment, is a subject of the argument. It is just thrown into the argument, along with the duck and the wood, to make a connection between her and the duck. From this we learn that an argument cannot be won by randomly connecting points until you have proven yours. à à à à à Another display of this ironic logic is with the Knights who say ââ¬Å"Niâ⬠. They are an example of a Red Herring Argument. They attempt to distract Arthur and his men from their original task with meaningless quests and tasks. Monty Python places the task of ââ¬Å"cutting down the greatest tree with a herringâ⬠to ironically relate to this type of logic. It could have been anything else, but the herring was used to relate to this type. From this, we learn that there will often be many things in life to sidetrack us. à à à à à The greatest display of ironic logic in the movie was the rabbit outside the Cave of Caerbannog. This is an excellent example of deductive logic. Arthur and his knights assume that, since all the little white rabbits they have seen were harmless, that the one guarding the cave would also be harmless.
Thursday, October 24, 2019
High maintenance intensive gardens Essay
Located primarily in the southern region of the United States, with its corporate headquarters in Phoenix, ColorTech is a privately held company that grows and supplies annual and perennial flowers to big-box stores. Some of its clients include Walmart and Home Depot. They rented greenhouse space in other US cities to be able to handle special orders, with greenhouses in the North which helped them provide region specific and seasonal plants. ColorTech profits had been consistently dropping due to a change in the market and industry. A saturated market and a shift away from water and high maintenance intensive gardens, along with increased price competition are the major reasons why we have seen a loss in profits for ColorTech. Demands for lowering prices and very costly customizations from the big-box stores made ColorTech even more exposed than other competitors. As part of its growth strategy and an effort to generate additional revenue, ColorTech recently acquired a Colombian company specialized in cut flowers, and quickly became one of the largest growers in North and South America. Character profiles- Melissa Richardson- She is the main character in this case study. Melissa was the top sales performer in Chicago before her recent promotion to sales manager of the Phoenix office. Melissa is excited and eager to step into this position, hoping that her previous experience and success will be able to help the struggling Phoenix office become successful. She has no previous manager experience, but has taken management training courses which helped her learn about some of her duties. Beth Campbell- She is the Regional Sales manager for ColorTech. Beth is very absent from this story and does not provide the support to Melissa that she needs. Campbell appears to be very busy and does not communicate expectations with Melissa well. Alex Hoffman- He is an account representative, and has been with the company for 8 years. He is the top salesperson in the entire company. He is very dismissive in his attitude towards Melissa. He does not appear to accept her as his manager. He might be having some feelings of jealousy born out of the fact that he may have considered himself qualified for the manager position. Alex has no interest in selling the cut flowers portion of the business and will only work on his own terms. Gregorio Torres- Torres, also an account representative, has been with the company the longest, 12 years. His sales numbers are below average. During his first encounter with Melissa, he was more interested in discussing his idea for a new website to manage customer service. When further pushed about why his sales numbers were so low, Gregorio responded with ââ¬Å"I guess Iââ¬â¢m just not a hard-sell kind of guy.â⬠From an outside perspective it seems as if Gregorio is just not cut out for sales and might be more interested in customer service or operations. Sarah Vega- Sarah is the third account representative on the team. Even though she has been with the company for 3 years, still does not appear to have it all together. Sarah was either tardy or absent from meetings. Even when she eventually made it for a meeting, she seemed distracted, restless and unorganized. This attitude to work reflected on her erratic sales numbers, though she appeared knowledgeable in some areas of the companyââ¬â¢s product line, she was totally clueless in others. . Chelsea Peterson- Chelsea is a store merchandiser and has been with the company for 2years. This is a position that provides support for the sales team. Chelsea from the start was openly hostile with Melissa. Chelsea feels that Melissa is not giving her a chance to become a sales rep even though she has never expressed that desire to anyone. She eventually expresses her interest to Melissa who told her to put a resume together for consideration. Chelsea still feels slighted and has hires an attorney to approach ColorTech about gender diversity records. Nick Ruiz- Nick is fresh out of college and has been with ColorTech for 1 year. He is the most enthusiastic of all the employees on the team. He is currently a store merchandiser, but will do whatever it takes to get into an account rep position. His product knowledge is very strong, he has active discussions with customers, and since there is a greenhouse on site he has strong knowledge of operations as well. He even forgoes his breaks to go into the greenhouse just to talk to workers about the jobs that they do. The Situation- From the very start Melissa Richardson has received no support or respect as a manager. In addition, Melissa has never had any managerial experience and has stepped into an office where she is way over her head with problems that she has never faced before. Her first day on the job gave a glimpse of what she was in store for. Her regional sales manager did not show up to introduce Melissa and to get Melissa acclimated to the team. The top sales rep in the company did not respect her and showed up to the first meeting late even though he knew about it. Along with that Sarah Vega showed up late to the meeting and also disrespected Melissa. Very quickly things spiraled out of control for Melissa. She was disrespected in the first meeting by Alex and Sarah, and she did not do anything to address the situation. Melissa coming from Chicago was not accustomed to the culture of the Phoenix office. The greenhouse workers and a lot of the sales team are Hispanic by nature and Spanish was their first language. Melissa has tried to learn Spanish by tape, but could not keep up with the speed that everyone else spoke it at. On multiple occasions the sales reps would speak Spanish in front of her, but Melissa could not follow what they said because they spoke in Spanish. This would upset Melissa and make her feel even more distant from her team. The Phoenix sales office was not meeting sales expectations, and to makes things even worse there was a fungus in the Columbia Greenhouse cut facility. The only way to remedy this problem was to destroy the stock inside, disinfect the entire facility, and then finally start regrowing all of the cut flowers. This problem caused delays of weeks in orders from new customers, and the potential loss of many clients. Due to low self efficacy, a lack of support from upper management, not fitting into the culture of the office, and lack of experience as a manager; Melissa failed to successfully transition from team member to team leader. In the end, everything spiraled out of control, with Sarah missing work at least once a week, Gregorio consistently putting up poor numbers, Chelsea filing a gender discrimination lawsuit against the company, and Alex providing no respect and support for his manager. Diagnosis Melissa Richardson is having difficulty transitioning from Team Member to Team Manager for a variety of reasons including her own behaviors and situational challenges she encounters and they contribute to a dysfunctional team environment. Melissa is in trouble even before she begins her new job as Sales Manager because of her low self-efficacy beliefs concerning her management training (Kinicki, 2008, p. 39-41). She has taken management training courses offered by her company but has little confidence in her understanding of the Managerial and Human Resources responsibilities of her new position. She finds it hard to imagine how she might apply the specific advice and experiences that her management trainers relate to situations she will encounter. Self-efficacy beliefs are often self-fulfilling prophecies; low self-efficacy beliefs lead to low expectations of success and can result in destructive behavior patterns, such as putting off difficult tasks, which contribute to failure (Kinicki, 2008, p. 40-41). Melissaââ¬â¢s problems transitioning to a management position are partly because; whether she recognizes it or not, she is not confident that she has the necessary skills and abilities. As she meets her new team and interacts with her new supervisor it becomes clear that she is not communicating well with any of them. The members of her team are mostly distant or distractedââ¬ânot focused on the job at handââ¬âand she allows herself to be distracted from making a strong first impression by other aspects of her job such as touring the greenhouses, phone meetings, and paperwork. Melissa is a low self-monitor, not particularly good at observing her own self-expressive behavior and adapting it to the demands of the situation (Kinicki, 2008, pg 42). She learns from her manager, too late to complete a quarterly sales report, that the data she is using was falsified by her predecessor. She is also confronted by an angry employee wrongly convinced of being passed over for a promotion. Melissa, however, does not respond to the environmental cues and change her behavior as she would if she were engaged in self-management (Kinicki, 2008, p. 43). She isnââ¬â¢t helped by the lack of leadership from her own manager, Beth Campbell, who ought to be coaching her and providing feedback as she transitions to her new role and gets to know her new team members (Kinicki, 2008, p. 42). They meet only once before Melissa starts her new job and when Melissa does start, Beth fails to properly introduce her or give her any background information on her new team and position. She assigns work but does not give Melissa the necessary support and training to make sure she succeeds at new and unfamiliar tasks. Beth is not providing the leadership that she needs and Melissa is not comfortable asking for help. One more situational factor working against Melissaââ¬â¢s transition to Team Leader is her difficulty adapting to a new environment in Phoenix, where speaking Spanish is a big part of everyday interactions with her co-workers. Several times she feels isolated from her team because she is not fluent in Spanish, even though she has tried to learn the language. Melissaââ¬â¢s sales team is dysfunctional and she immediately has problems in her interpersonal relationships with several team members. Alex Hoffman is dismissive, Chelsea Peterson is hostile and Sarah Vega is absent. By the time of her July meeting with Beth Campbell, Melissaââ¬â¢s group has not progressed beyond the second stage of Bruce Tuckmanââ¬â¢s Five-Stage Theory of Group Development (Kinicki, 2008, p. 88). She encounters problems in the first stage, Forming, when she fails to make a strong first impression on her team. This is followed by the second stage of group development, Storming, as demonstrated by challenges to her authority from Alex who dismisses her goal of selling cut flowers, Chelsea who accuses her of gender discrimination, and Vega who is persistently absent. The group never reaches the third stage, Norming, because nobody challenges the team to move forward and really take on the problem solving necessary to overcome the challenges presented when sales are jeopardized by production issues in the greenhouses. They lack the common commitment necessary to qualify as a real team (Kinicki, 2008, p. 93). Melissa does not effectively set goals or provide incentives and feedback to motivate her team members. She also fails to develop teamwork competencies by helping them understand their problem solving situation so they can arrive at a common understanding of what challenges are facing them and how to go about resolving them (Kinicki, 2008, p. 93). Prescription While the ColorTech team in Phoenix has encountered numerous problems, including lagging sales, production errors, and an infectious fungus, the teamââ¬â¢s main issues stem from Melissaââ¬â¢s difficulty transitioning from team member to team manager, team dysfunction, and Melissaââ¬â¢s difficulty managing diversity and the new culture in Phoenix. There are solutions available to help mitigate the teamââ¬â¢s problems, including improving Melissaââ¬â¢s management skills, developing teamwork competencies, and implementing diversity initiatives. However, there is no single solution or quick fix. In fact, under the Contingency Approach, the ideal solution may be a combination of multiple techniques, instead of relying on one solution (Kinicki, 2008, p. 11). The first potential solution provides Melissa with steps she can follow to improve her skills as a manager. Clark Wilson developed eleven skills managers should have: 1. Clarify goals and objectives; 2. Encourage participation, suggestions, and upward communication; 3. Plan and organize work flow; 4. Obtain technical and administrative expertise; 5. Facilitate work through training, team building, coaching, and support; 6. Provide honest and constructive feedback; 7. Keep things moving with schedules, reminders, and deadlines; 8. Control details without being overbearing; 9. Apply reasonable pressure to achieve goals; 10. Empower employees and delegate key duties; and 11. Recognize good performance with positive reinforcement and rewards (Kinicki, 2008, p. 2-3). By clarifying goals and objectives, Melissa would have given Gregorio, and the rest of her team, a target to shoot for, which may help him reverse the negative trend in his sales numbers. A clear sales target may also help Sarah become more consistent with her sales figures. Goal-setting research indicates that performance is higher when challenging goals are set, and feedback helps employees stay on track and motivated (Kinicki, 2008, p. 64). In addition, by encouraging employees to participate in goal-setting, empowering team members, and recognizing good performance with rewards, employees become more committed to team objectives, and performance improves (Kinicki, 2008, p. 64). Lastly, organizing workflow, facilitating work, providing reminders, and motivating the team with reasonable pressure allows Melissa to ensure the team is working efficiently and productively (Kinicki, 2008, p. 64). Learning these management skills will not only improve her teamââ¬â¢s performance, they will also help improve Melissaââ¬â¢s communications with her manager, Beth Campbell. By clarifying her goals and objectives with Campbell, Melissa will have a better idea of what it will take to succeed as a manager. By improving Melissaââ¬â¢s technical and administrative expertise, she will avoid mistakes and late submissions with her sales reports. Lastly, by providing honest and constructive feedback to Campbell about Melissaââ¬â¢s frustration and difficulties, Campbell may be able to provide guidance and advice. Thus, refining her management skills will improve not just Melissaââ¬â¢s relationship with her team, but Melissaââ¬â¢s relationship with her manager as well. To address team dysfunction, Melissa and her team need to develop teamwork competencies. Urging employees to be good team players is not enough (Kinicki, 2008, p. 93). Managers need to model and teach the following competencies: the team must understand its problem-solving situation; the team must get organized and measure its performance; a positive team environment should be promoted; conflict must be handled properly; and team members should promote their points-of-view appropriately (Kinicki, 2008, p. 93). By understanding their problem-solving situation, Melissaââ¬â¢s team can take ownership of their challenges, and help find solutions. Getting organized and measuring their performance allows the Phoenix team to understand their goals and what they need to do to achieve them. Lastly, promoting a positive team environment, handling conflict properly, and expressing oneââ¬â¢s views appropriately will foster trust, cooperation, and team synergy. The next solution requires Melissa to implement diversity initiatives. Based on Morrisonââ¬â¢s study of diversity initiatives, organizations that successfully manage diversity focus on three main areas: 1. Accountabilityââ¬âtreating diverse employees fairly; 2. Developmentââ¬âpreparing diverse employees for greater responsibility and advancement; and 3. Recruitmentââ¬âattracting diverse applicants who are willing to accept challenging work assignments (Kinicki, 2008, p. 36). Under the Equity Theory, motivation is a function of fairness, and employees are more likely to commit if the changes are fair (Kinicki, 2008, p. 58). In addition, because of Fundamental Attribution Bias, managers tend to attribute employee behavior to internal causes, but may be ignoring environmental factors (Kinicki, 2008, p. 28). By treating everyone fairly, implementing development programs, and communicating better, Chelsea would have understood Melissaââ¬â¢s thought process, and would be less likely to think that Melissa was being discriminatory. In addition, Spanish was the predominant language at the Phoenix greenhouse, because of the large number of workers from Mexico and Central America. Thus, Melissa would have to significantly improve her Spanish if she wants to be able to communicate more effectively with the majority of workers at the site. Also, the workers in Phoenix like to keep a friendly atmosphere, and even cook outdoor lunches and share lunch with the sales staff, so it would be a good idea for Melissa to get to know them and to learn more about the culture in Phoenix, in order to maintain positive and productive relationships with her co-workers. Organizations operate in a global economy, and the workplace is becoming more and more diverse (Kinicki, 2008, p. 5-6). In the past, managers were monocultural and monolingual; however, the 21st century manager must evolve to become multicultural and multilingual to remain competitive in such a diverse and fast-paced environment (Kinicki, 2008, p. 7). In addition, ââ¬Å"managing diversity enables all the organizationââ¬â¢s people to perform up to their maximum potential by changing the organizationââ¬â¢s culture and infrastructureâ⬠(Kinicki, 2008, p. 32). By learning the culture and getting to know the people Melissa is going to be working with, she will be better able to communicate with and manage her team. After all, ââ¬Å"managementâ⬠is the process of working with and through others to achieve organizational objectives in an efficient and ethical mannerâ⬠(Kinicki, 2008, p. 2). Melissa and her team are facing numerous challenges, including team dysfunction in part due to Melissaââ¬â¢s lack of management skills, and because Melissa has found it difficult to transition from being a successful team member to successful manager. Melissa also has difficulty managing diversity and adjusting to the new environment and culture. Fortunately, there are solutions available to help solve her teamââ¬â¢s difficulties, including improving Melissaââ¬â¢s management skills, developing teamwork competencies, and implementing diversity initiatives. While there is no easy or single solution, using these techniques in combination will help Melissa and her team become more productive, and help them reach their personal and organizational goals. Action Plan There are four key steps that need to be implemented in order to improve Melissa Richardsonââ¬â¢s ability to manage successfully. And we have prioritized each solutions based on different challenges and its influence on how well she can lead. First of all, Richardson needs to voice her concerns to her boss, Beth Campbell. Then, she needs to talk to HR about some of the employeeââ¬â¢s conduct. Also, she needs to meet with the team and talk about her expectations. Finally, Richardson needs to discuss performance of each individual on one-on-one basis. As discussed before, Richardson was hoping to be guided and mentored in her new role as a sales manager. She did not have prior management experience so it was normal for her to expect some ââ¬Å"hand holdingâ⬠initially. However, she didnââ¬â¢t receive any support from her boss, Campbell. Not only that, she was in charge of leading a team that require clear direction and discipline. To make the matters worse, the organization was facing its own set of problems related to customer demand and operation limitations. Furthermore, Richardson wasnââ¬â¢t an effective communicator since she wasnââ¬â¢t able to address the team issues and set clear expectations. All of these challenges are very difficult for someone new to manage. So she needs to cultivate a mentor figure, whether it is Campbell or someone else. Because mentoring will provide Richardson the career and psychosocial functions, identified by Kram (Kinicki, 2008, pg. 194), that will help her perform well in her new role. The second challenge Richardson was facing was related to the HR issues. Team members often arrived late to work or were absent. Also, an issue of gender discrimination was brought up by Chelsea Peterson. She felt that she should be receiving a preferential treatment over others because she was a woman. So it is necessary for Richardson to bring up these issues with the HR department and take appropriate actions to stay out of legal trouble and to ensure that the team adheres to organizationââ¬â¢s code of conduct. Next order of business requires Richardson to bring synergy and tackle the dysfunctional team. For example, Alex Hoffman is a top sales person but doesnââ¬â¢t open up much. He could be a great asset if she can get him more engaged and involved in the team. And Sarah Vega is not focused and is often distracted by non-work related events. So Richardson needs to understand what holds each member back from being at their maximum potential. And she can increase their performance by applying some of Clark Wilsonââ¬â¢s recommended management skills (Kinicki, 2008, pg. 2-3). Finally, Richardson needs to recognize the human capital in her team (Kinicki, 2008, p.12). She already made a list of skills each team members has or lacks. She needs to use that knowledge and focus on increasing productivity potential of each member. She can also increase their motivations through job redesign (Kinicki, 2008, p. 64). For example, Hoffman is focused more on selling to bigger clients while Gregorio Torres is not. So it may be helpful for her to adjust their sales quotas to reflect their customer preference. Also, Nick Ruiz is knowledgeable and enthusiastic about being in the sales team. Richardson can look into opening up an associate sales rep position for him to see how he does in the new role. She can have him work with Hoffman or mentor Ruiz herself on becoming a successful salesperson as she was. We believe that the four steps mentioned above will allow Richardson to improve her management success. Therefore, she needs to tackle each action plan by setting up meetings to address the challenges. First meeting with Campbell seem appropriate due to many questions and concerns Richardson has about her new role. A second meeting with the HR department would help her address the ethics problem with Peterson and other issues. Finally, she needs to meet with the team members again to try to make a strong first impression and re-establish her leadership. References Kinicki, A. (2008). Organizational Behavior. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill/Irwin
Wednesday, October 23, 2019
Business Gross and Net Profit
Gross and Net profit Gross profit A companyââ¬â¢s revenue, minus the businessââ¬â¢ costs of goods For example: If I sold 5000 cheese sandwiches for ? 1 each my total revenue would be 50 x ? 1 = ? 5000 It costs 25p per sandwich to purchase bread, butter and cheese. My gross profit = Revenue ââ¬â Costs of sales (25p x 5000= ? 1250. 00) = ? 3750. 00 Net profit The businessââ¬â¢ gross profit minus expenses For example: My gross profit from my sandwiches is ? 3750. 00 to calculate my Net profit I need to minus the rest of my expenses â⬠¢ ? 385 on rent â⬠¢ ? 80 on advertising â⬠¢ ? 950 on staff salaries My total expenses are ? 1,415 My net profit= Gross profit (? ,750) ââ¬â Expenses (1,415) = ? 2,335 The difference between gross and net profit The difference between gross and net profit is that gross profit is merely a stepping stone to work out the net profit. Say at the end of a month a business has ? 5000 in the bank, we need to work out the gross profit to know exactly how much we have to pay to the manufacturer and to cover the costs of materials. The same goes for net profit. Say after the business had worked out the gross profit and we had ? 4250 left in the bank, we still wouldnââ¬â¢t know exactly how much money we had made that month until we had worked out the net profit. Cost of salesCost of sales is the cost of the materials used to produce a product. This includes any costs included in making the product, this includes: â⬠¢ Shipping costs â⬠¢ Cost of containers â⬠¢ Overhead costs linked directly to the manufacture, like rent for the manufacturing facilities Costs vary dependant on the industry. For example a retail business buys products to resell them at a higher price, but a manufacturer either buys raw materials and turn them into finished products, or buy parts and just assemble them, ready for sale. Expenses Expenses are all the costs that a business or organization has to pay out, this includes â⬠¢ Fi xed costs Variable cost â⬠¢ Taxes â⬠¢ All other operating costs How to maximise profits There are several different ways a business or organization can maximise profits, these include: â⬠¢ Lowering the costs of sales by using cheaper materials â⬠¢ Lowering the costs of sales by minimizing manufacturing costs Nike Sports wear and Primark got a lot of bad press by moving their manufacturing factories abroad. They did this to lower their manufacturing costs as the workers have no minimum wage, or even minimum age so they can have their goods made at a very low price. â⬠¢ Increasing the price of sales, (making your product more expensive)
Tuesday, October 22, 2019
Monday, October 21, 2019
Origins essays
Origins essays Creationism vs. Evolution, the argument disputed by more scientists, more paleontologists and more everyday people than probably any other argument since the dawn of man. Who is right? Do the theories and evidence of evolutionists have the right answers or do the faith and facts of creationists hold the answers? What is creationism? Creationism is the idea that all forms of life, and particularly humans, were independently created by a willful act on the part of God or a deity. Whats wrong with creationism? That depends on what form of creationism you are referring to. There are several forms of creationism that all differ from one another. None are really scientific, though not all are unscientific to the same degree. Old earth creationism holds that the earth was created a very long time ago and populated with life more-or-less shown in fossil records. However, new species of organisms were created one-by-one over all that time, each the result of a separate creative act by the Deity. This theory is not scientific, because it cannot be falsified; any evidence can be made to fit into it. Sequential creationism says that the earth is old, and the major groups of fossils do reflect organisms living at different times in earths history. However, the major mass extinction represent t imes when all living things were destroyed, and then the earth was repopulated by a new creative act. The last extinction happened recently, after which the current animals and humans were created, but this isnt scientific either. Sequential creationism simply doesnt agree with the evidence. None of these mass extinctions wiped out all life. In many cases, we find the same species of organisms both before and after the extinctions. Day-age creationism says that the book of Genesis is accurate in describing the order of creation, but that each day in Gene...
Sunday, October 20, 2019
Prompts That Support Instruction and Independence
Prompts That Support Instruction and Independence Independence, completing a task or exhibiting a behavior without prompts or cues, is the gold standard of special education. The kind of support we give students to help them succeed in special education is called prompting. The level of support falls on a continuum, with the most invasive and furthest from independence, to the least invasive, or the closest to independence. The prompts at the least invasive end is also the easiest to fade, or slowly withdraw, until the child is accomplishing the task independently. The most severely cognitively, multiply or developmentally disabled students may need very high levels of what is called ââ¬Å"hand over handâ⬠support. Still, kids with specific learning disabilities who may have attention deficit disorder with some reading and math difficulties may need prompting to stay on task and complete tasks. They are just as prone to become ââ¬Å"prompt dependent,â⬠which may leave them incapable of achieving the gold standard: independence. Because of ââ¬Å"prompt dependenceâ⬠itââ¬â¢s important that a special educator understands how to work across the continuum, from hand over hand, the most invasive, to gestural prompts, the least invasive. As the teacher moves across the continuum, the teacher is ââ¬Å"fadingâ⬠prompts toward independence. We review the continuum here: Hand over Hand This is the most invasive of the prompts, and is often only required for the most physically disabled students. The teacher or coach may actually place his or her hand over the students hand. It isnââ¬â¢t necessarily just for the most physically disabled student: it works well with young students on the autism spectrum, older autistic students with unfamiliar tasks like sweeping, and even younger students with immature and undeveloped fine motor skills. Hand over hand can be faded by lightening your touch to a simple touch on the back of a hand or arm to guide the student though the task. Physical Prompts Hand over hand is a physical prompt, but physical prompts can include tapping the back of a hand, holding an elbow, or even pointing. Physical prompts may be accompanied by verbal prompts. As the verbal prompts stay in place, the teacher fades the physical prompt. Verbal Prompts These are most familiar. We tell the student what to do: sometimes step by step, sometimes with more detail. Of course, if we talk all the time, our prompts get ignored. You can also design verbal prompts to fade from most complete to least complete. Example: ââ¬Å"Bradley, pick up the pencil. Bradley, put the point on the paper. Circle the correct answer. Good job, Bradley: Now, letââ¬â¢s do number 2. Find the correct answer, etc. . . .â⬠Faded to: ââ¬Å"Bradley, you have your pencil, your paper and we have done these before. Please circle each answer and put your pencil down when you are done.â⬠Gestural These prompts should begin with a verbal prompt: they are easy to fade and are the least invasive. Be sure you donââ¬â¢t become so used to your verbal prompts that all youââ¬â¢re doing is running your mouth. Shorten those prompts and trust the gesture, whether itââ¬â¢s pointing, tapping or even winking. Be sure the student knows what you are requesting with the prompt. Gestural prompts are especially successful with kids with developmental or behavioral problems. Alex, who is featured in the article on making your own social narrative, sometimes forgot and would drool. I taught my wife, his teacher, to touch her chin with her forefinger to remind him: Soon all she had to do was move her hand a certain way, and he remembered. Visual Prompts These prompts can be paired with other prompts initially, and as they are faded, the simple visual prompt can remain.à Typical (children without disabilities in general education programs) also benefit from visual prompts.à Teachers have noted that children will reference the place on the wall where a graphic organizer for a specific skill used to be, noting that the mere act of remembering where the visual prompt was on the wall helps them remember the CONTENT of the prompt! Independence: The goal. The continuum: Hand over Hand Physical- Verbal- Gestural- Independence.
Saturday, October 19, 2019
Arabic spring - syria crisis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words
Arabic spring - syria crisis - Essay Example The Syrian crisis started right at the beginning of the year 2001 on January 26th as a show of public demonstrations. Soon there was a nationwide spread of this mere show of demonstrations and it developed into violent protests against the government. The protesters demanded the president of Syria Bashar ul Asad to resign but, in response, the president deployed the army to counter these protests and the resulting in a civil war against the government in many cities of the country. Many local and internationally sponsored revolutionary parties and military forces emerged as a result of this military operation the president against the protestors. To name a few, Syrian National Council (SNC) sponsored mainly by Turkey, Free Syrian Army which consisted mainly of Ex Army and National Coordination Committee were the main rebellious forces. These forces rejected the proposals of dialogue with the president and their main demand was the president to step down. Due to extreme violation of h uman rights by the pro government forces and heavy losses of lives in many cities of Syria UN decided to intervene in the procedures. The result was a ceasefire agreement signed by both the parties. The deadline of the ceasefire was 12th of April but, Asad did not stick to the deadline and more than 1000 civilians were killed in the first week of April. Even though the international community did participate a lot in the crisis of Lebanon for the protection of its citizens but they were a bit hesitant in interfering in the Syria. Syrian crisis has suffered a heavy loss of human lives. Human rights have been broken in the country and the world has seen the slaughter of the people of Syria. The international community has waited for so long and now attempts have been made to put this ting to an end with the Arab League, Russia and the United nations interfering to solve the issue of Syria and to bring both the parties
Demand & Supply Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words
Demand & Supply - Essay Example Law of supply, on the other hand, proposes that firms would supply more of a good at a higher price than they would at a lower price. Again all other factors, notably scarcity of the good, are held constant. This results in an upward sloping supply curve. The market equilibrium is attained at a point where the demand and supply curves intersect giving us the equilibrium price. In this analysis the impact of an increase in consumer income is shown by a shift in demand curve outside. On this demand curve the consumer demands more of the good at the same price. Similarly a specific choice pattern of consumer would result in a differing demand curve. For instance take the example of a consumer who is collector of paintings from a particular historic period. This consumer can pay any price for a desired painting up to a certain point and his demand curve may be shaped accordingly. Whereas the supplier would continue to be governed by the basic law of supply.
Friday, October 18, 2019
Management strategy of Apple Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words
Management strategy of Apple - Case Study Example This research will begin with the presentation of the threat of new entrants. Even though there are great opportunities for emerging companies to compete in the personal computer industry, it is controlled by the five super powers; Apple, Sony, HP, Dell, and Gateway. Hence, Apple plays in an oligopolistic market environment. Probably, the significant challenge to the industry would be a large number of mergers and buyouts prevailing among these industrial movers. They are able to bring together their cost on research and development in order to gain an advantage over others. This process leads to greater competition between the smaller organizations which try to create superior products and bigger companies which generally take up the smaller ones to develop their competitive edge. Implementation of anti-trust agreements within the computer industry does not allow imposters to introduce products of similar types into the market, and so the threat of substitute products and services i s not significant within the industry. On the other hand, the issue that creates a greater threat is the global production of computers. Today, the United States of America is the leader in producing computers in the industry with Japan and Europe as the other key players in the industry. Unlike the other industries where suppliers hold a power over the manufacturers, the computer industry allows the manufacturers to hold a significant amount of power over suppliers. Here the suppliers are competitive in order to maintain exclusive association with the manufactures for supplying their products. And so, they are always forced to adjust their prices or associate with larger firms for surviving the competition. 4. The threat of the bargaining power of buyers The bargaining power of buyers determines the effect that a companyââ¬â¢s customers can have on the profitability of the business. Even though the computer industry is getting harder day by day, customers do not possess a greater bargaining power, and hence that does not drastically impact the industry. 5. Industry Rivalry When observing the computer industry with regard to the industry rivalry, it is found that the above said five leading manufacturers are in competition to bring out the most efficient and least expensive machines. Strategic Group Mapping Firms belonging to same strategic group will be having two or more competitive characteristics in common, like selling in same price/quality range, covering same geographic areas, being vertically integrated to same degree, having comparable product line breadth, etc. Obviously, as Huff, Floyd, Sherman and Terjesen (cited in executivemanagementskills.com) point out, firms operating under the same strategic group may possess some common competitive features such as pricing policies, product diversification, and level of vertical integration. Following is the strategic group map for the computer industry (see figure 1). Strategic Group Map (Figure 1. Source: Bamford and West, 123). 2. Appleââ¬â¢s Strategy Apple uses a corporate-level of strategy of competing on many different levels. As Boddie states, Apple follows a comprehensive corporate level strategy through which it competes on different levels.
PAPER 2 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words
PAPER 2 - Essay Example The strain theory assumes that all persons aspire for a similar social status and material needs, although the means available to achieve these desires differs from person to person. Institutions like family, educational system, religion and the economy help the individual in attaining success. However, the theory also believes that issues like family status and wealth play a significant role in determining the level of success attained by the individual even in a highly competitive society (Mednick, 2008). The theory thus contends that strain is felt whenever these support factors do not provide equal opportunity thereby prompting people to adopt illegal ways to achieve these means. Such persons are under pressure from the larger society to conform to specific ideals which ultimately forced them to turn into criminals. On the other hand, the control theory believes that such deviations from conformed norms can be resolved through a good family, parenting and education (Adler, 2009). The control theory relies on the ââ¬Ëpush and pull theoryââ¬â¢ to explain the reasons behind crime including social deficiencies and psychological pressures that push the individual towards crime and illegal opportunities that can pull the person towards criminal activities.
Thursday, October 17, 2019
Promoting good nutrition in patient with dementia Research Paper
Promoting good nutrition in patient with dementia - Research Paper Example Based on the causes of dementia, Alzheimerââ¬â¢s disease is the major cause, but secondary causes also have a role to play. This includes secondary brain conditions and injury to the brain substance secondary to trauma. Alzheimerââ¬â¢s disease is a degenerative brain condition affecting memory and cognitive brain functions, and is the commonest form of dementia in people over the age of 65. Vascular dementia results from cerebrovascular or cardiovascular problems which often result in strokes. Minor but important causes of dementia include HIV diseases, Huntingtonââ¬â¢s disease and Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease. Dementia is a condition whose principal prevalence is in old people over 65 years, but children and middle aged adults may suffer from dementia. Trauma, brain tumours, heart conditions, lung conditions, poisoning and some terminal infections may lead to dementia in this group. Some inherited disorders like glycogen storage diseases and mitochondrial abnormalities are specific for children, causing dementia. Whatever age group affected, dementia is a serious condition that leads to progressive memory loss and degenerative cognitive functions. Treatment will never reverse or stop the condition, but instead the treatment reduces the symptoms, thereby slowing down the disease progression. Apart from symptom alleviation, adequate rest, nutrition and hydration are very important as they reduce morbidity and mortality. In terminal dementia, the patients are unable to cater for themselves completely which calls for the input of the caregiver in providing optimal nutrition and in the correct proportion. In dementia, there is degenerative brain loss due to loss of neurons. Dementia is associated with malnutrition due to the feeding difficulties in people who suffer from the condition. Impaired cognitive functions lead to a deficit in the short-term memory making the patient forget simple tasks like feeding. The patient may also become easily distracted, thereby
Corporate Fundraising Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words - 4
Corporate Fundraising - Essay Example It is worth mentioning in this context that corporate fundraising options available to a particular business depends on various factors including the size of the company which further signifies its certification as a public or a proprietary company as per the Corporations Act 2001 (Cth) (ââ¬Å"A Practitionerââ¬â¢s Guide to Corporate Lawâ⬠, 2007). To be noted, as per the Corporations Act 2001 (Cth) Section 45A, a proprietary company can be limited or unlimited with share capital. Another type of company identifies as per the Corporations Act 2001 (Cth) is the public company wherein the Section 195 of the Act specifies that ââ¬Å"public company means a company other than a proprietary companyâ⬠(ââ¬Å"Corporations Act 2001â⬠2005). Also, the corporate name of a proprietary company is distinct to that of a public company, i.e. a limited proprietary company is denoted with the abbreviation ââ¬Å"Pty. Ltd.â⬠while an unlimited proprietary company is abbreviated as ââ¬Å"Pty.â⬠Contextually, the public limited companies are denoted as ââ¬Å"Ltd.â⬠at the end of the registered name of the entity (ââ¬Å"Corporations Act 2001â⬠2005). With reference to this context, The Green Coffee Company Ltd can be identified as a public limited company which shall further determine its fundraising obligations when attempting to invest in an international expansion venture to Vietnam. One of the major differences and opportunities for The Green Coffee Company Ltd in fundraising, being a public limited company, is that it can issue equities or sell its debentures or shares to ââ¬Å"more than 50 non-employee shareholdersâ⬠through the obligatory issuing of prospectus where proprietary companies (either limited or unlimited) are exempted from such permits (ââ¬Å"Corporate Lawâ⬠2011). From a managerial concern, fundraising activities performed by organizations such as The Green Coffee Company Ltd will quite essentially give rise to company liabilities and thus seize the risk of affecting shareholdersââ¬â¢ or investorsââ¬â¢ interests.Ã
Wednesday, October 16, 2019
Promoting good nutrition in patient with dementia Research Paper
Promoting good nutrition in patient with dementia - Research Paper Example Based on the causes of dementia, Alzheimerââ¬â¢s disease is the major cause, but secondary causes also have a role to play. This includes secondary brain conditions and injury to the brain substance secondary to trauma. Alzheimerââ¬â¢s disease is a degenerative brain condition affecting memory and cognitive brain functions, and is the commonest form of dementia in people over the age of 65. Vascular dementia results from cerebrovascular or cardiovascular problems which often result in strokes. Minor but important causes of dementia include HIV diseases, Huntingtonââ¬â¢s disease and Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease. Dementia is a condition whose principal prevalence is in old people over 65 years, but children and middle aged adults may suffer from dementia. Trauma, brain tumours, heart conditions, lung conditions, poisoning and some terminal infections may lead to dementia in this group. Some inherited disorders like glycogen storage diseases and mitochondrial abnormalities are specific for children, causing dementia. Whatever age group affected, dementia is a serious condition that leads to progressive memory loss and degenerative cognitive functions. Treatment will never reverse or stop the condition, but instead the treatment reduces the symptoms, thereby slowing down the disease progression. Apart from symptom alleviation, adequate rest, nutrition and hydration are very important as they reduce morbidity and mortality. In terminal dementia, the patients are unable to cater for themselves completely which calls for the input of the caregiver in providing optimal nutrition and in the correct proportion. In dementia, there is degenerative brain loss due to loss of neurons. Dementia is associated with malnutrition due to the feeding difficulties in people who suffer from the condition. Impaired cognitive functions lead to a deficit in the short-term memory making the patient forget simple tasks like feeding. The patient may also become easily distracted, thereby
Tuesday, October 15, 2019
Electronic Communications Privacy Act Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words
Electronic Communications Privacy Act - Essay Example , which require a legal framework to manage the workings of the new features created by the development in computer and internet sector (Matsuura, 2003). Ideally, the act seeks to ensure sanity and protection of privacy, but the rapid changes in the communication sector especially in the internet-based sector has rendered the act virtually ineffective while other laws such as the patriotic act have made it impossible to enhance privacy. In its present form, the ECPA has countless flaws owing to the dynamism of communication. The inadequacies of the act can be linked to its enactment. The ECPA was enacted in 1986 when the communication sector was not expansive or as specialized and innovative as it is today. As such, most of the concerns were addressed generally. Today privacy has become a major concern but back then, it was not a key concern. Fundamentally, the act seeks to enhance privacy but in light of other laws such as the patriotic act, it is ineffective (Electronic Privacy Information Center, 2012). The patriotic act granted the government huge leeway in compromising or breaching privacy in all the forms of electronic communications. The government can compromise the privacy of communications in the form of images, signs, writings and even oral communication due to the flaws of the law as revealed by United States v. Councilman. In the above suit, the defendant sought to block the government from accessing e mail in temporary storage prior to the recipient reading them. Nevertheless, on appeal, a full court of appeal revealed that e-mails on transit are not protected from surveillance (Packard, 2012). From the above, it is evident that despite having strict clauses on privacy ECPA is inherently inadequate. Surveillance is one of the most controversial issues in America owing to its extensive nature. The surveillance involves electronic data, which is protected by this act. Nonetheless, the government has seemingly unlimited access to electronic data. One of
Monday, October 14, 2019
Priestleys purpose Essay Example for Free
Priestleys purpose Essay Unlike Gerald, Priestley describes Eric in the opening stage directions as not quite at ease. He has been expensively educated, and yet he is a disappointment to Birling: he and Gerald joke behind his back (p.10), and his father patronises him (p.12). He is kept out of the information about his fathers possible knighthood, and when he really needed help he felt his father was not the kind of father a chap could go to when hes in trouble (p. 54). His drinking is an open secret within the family (though Mrs Birling chooses not to admit it to herself), and suggests that he lacks self-discipline. This is borne out by the behaviour that is revealed in the course of the play: he forced himself into the girls lodgings despite her protests, drunk and in that state when a chap easily turns nasty (p.52), has made her pregnant, and has stolen money from his father. But he also has an honesty that others lack. He is the only one to respond spontaneously to details of the girls death (p.11), and when he is forced to admit how he behaved towards her he has a strong sense of guilt because the consequences of what he did are so serious. We also believe him when he tells Birling that he would have let the girl stay at the factory (p.16) but Eric throughout the play is shown to be naive, even if his heart is often in the right place. (Stealing Birlings money, even though a crime in law, might be another example of this.) He does not have the realistic outlook necessary to make a success of his life. He is also shown to be immature, regarding the girl as a good sport (p.52), although she treated him as a child. Like every character accused by the Inspector, he is shown to be a hypocrite he is disgusted by the fat old tarts round the town (p.52), yet by this stage in her life, the girl is also a prostitute, though it is not clear whether Eric realises this.à He appears to have learnt very little from his privileged education, yet he has been impressed by the Inspector. At the end, like Sheila, he refuses to pretend things are like they were before, and is frightened by the fact that the older generation appear not to have learnt anything. He wants his parents to admit their mistakes as freely as he has admitted his. Though he is not a particularly pleasant character, we may feel that he is sincerely ashamed of his behaviour and is capable of changing for the better. Sheilaà Priestley describes Sheila in the opening stage directions as a pretty girl and very pleased with life later, however, her prettiness is revealed as vanity and her happiness is shown to be selfish, bought at the price of the girls job.à Her first reaction to the news of the girls death is superficial she seems upset that it has spoiled her evening and Ive been so happy tonight (p.17), and is interested only in whether she was young and pretty. But, unlike her parents, she quickly comes to see her as an individual: these girls arent cheap labour theyre people (p.19), she tells Birling. She becomes agitated (p.20) as she realizes her own part in the girls death, and like Gerald later in the play runs out of the room. However, unlike her fiancà ¯Ã ¿Ã ½, she returns to accept her guilt rather than to find a way round it. We sense at the start of the play that there is an unresolved tension in her relationship with Gerald; they are actually very different people. But it is Sheila who grows up in the course of the play: at the start she is playful and attention-seeking; at the end, she is thoughtful and reflective. By contrast, Gerald is revealed to be a moral coward, unable to accept the wrongness of his behaviour and taking comfort from the fact that no-one seems to have died after all. Like Birling, she readily admits to having met the girl. But her father admits this because he is unable to see that he has done anything wrong; Sheila, on the other hand, admits this because she is genuinely ashamed (p.23) and is trying to tell the truth (p.23). Of all the characters, hers is the only confession that does her credit Mrs Birling is first obstructive then defiant, and Gerald and Eric both confess at a point when they know they have been already found out. She is guilty of the sins of pride and envy she complained about the girl because she thought she was laughing at her, and because she was a very pretty girl too I couldnt be sorry for her (p.24). Although she asks how could I know what would happen afterwards (p.24), she does not try to escape from the blame. Priestley uses her as an example of someone who is vain and thoughtless, but not heartless: she is genuine when she says if I could help her now I would (p.24). But he intends the audience to learn the lesson that good intentions are no good if they come too late; Sheilas predicament is a warning to us.à Sheila herself warns both Gerald and Mrs Birling not to try to build up a kind of wall between us and that girl (p.30). Once she has admitted her own guilt, her rà ¯Ã ¿Ã ½le in the rest of the play is to show others the importance of admitting the truth. She becomes disillusioned and hurt by what she learns about the rest of her family particularly Gerald, whom she now addresses bitterly (p.33) and with sharp sarcasm and irony (p.38) but when he has finally told the truth, she respects him rathermore than Ive ever done before (p.40). Facing up to our faults, Priestley suggests through Sheila, is painful, but not to do so makes things worse in the long run, as she says. This is part of Priestleys purpose in the play: to make us feel the urgency of rethinking the responsibility we bear towards our fellow men before it is too late.à Sheila emphasizes the importance of everyone learning from the Inspectors visit. She and Eric are the only characters who are not concerned whether Goole was a real Inspector she says it doesnt make any real difference (p.59), because she acknowledges her behaviour was morally wrong, whether or not it was legally wrong and whether or not it actually resulted in a girls death. By the end of the play, she has begun to have some understanding of what the Inspector is doing, so that she is able to see the world, and her responsibility, according to his values instead of those of her family. This is why she can see the trap her mothers arrogance is creating, and why she tries to stop her mother from exposing and condemning the childs father. It is only she and Eric, the two youngest and more impressionable characters (p.30) who, in Priestleys eyes, have profited sufficiently from the lessons on stage in front of them not to repeat their mistakes a second time as he hopes the audience will have too
Sunday, October 13, 2019
Impact of Mergers and Acquisitions on Operating Performance
Impact of Mergers and Acquisitions on Operating Performance Chapter-1: Introduction 1.1 Introduction Along with boosting their own profits, businesses create gains for their shareholders and exist to serve customers. According to Ghosh and Das (2003) these aims can be achieved a) by reducing costs since this increases competitiveness and market share and so wins over more customers, b) by capturing wider markets through offering an increased range of products and services, c) by undertaking diversification operations, and d) by undertaking mergers to grow the company inorganically. Mergers and acquisitions (MAs) are suggested as measures to revive failing companies and as strategic tools. Conducive to strategic alliances and mergers in an increasingly competitive business environment are global economies, favorable policies and incentives, relaxed rules, and liberalization. New products, diversification, RD etc.have also been included as critical factors when businesses scale up operations and responsibilities along with increased roles in world economies as has been noted by Yadav and Kumar (2005). Due to brand building and PR exercises, a few MA deals may have taken place as pointed out by Malatesta (1983) and Roll (1986). One fact prevalent across numerous sectors relates to an increase in MA competence levels and competitiveness. Corporations involved in MA deals around the worldconsistAir France and KLM in the airlines sector, Daimler-Benz and Chrysler in the automobilesector, and SBC and ATT in the telecom domain. A lot of research on shareholder gains in the event of an MA exists today. When word gets out that an MA is imminent, the stock prices of both companies goes up tremendously and favorably impacts shareholder value. As the nature of the market reports why details of impending mergers are not leaked and could lead to stock crashes affecting prices many reasons are there. While MAs may lead to healthier bottom lines and improved cash flows as felt by most business managers, however, to the shareholders, some mergers and acquisitions may be loss making enterprises which are of no use. So to generalize that MAs always result in favorable circumstances for the shareholders is not always true. Due to the fact that in terms of synergy, expertise, and objectives, the companies do not match up some mergers may not be effective. If the following are not aligned correctly i.e. asset allocation, resources, and core strengths and if through a planned integrated approach, care is not taken to fuse the two companies into one then, along with an expose of operating weaknesses, share value can fall. This may lead to erosion and drying up of capital.The failures in MA deals are placed at over 60% as estimated by Schweiger (2003). 1.2 Background of the study Through the economic activities across Europe and the world it is clear that FDI activity has risen over the past decade. In addition, the merger and investment acquisition mode has risen sharply and as a percentage of all FDO risen as noted by Lipsey (2002). From 1995-2001 the Global Wave has been labeled as the most recent merger wave by Jobanovic and Rousseau (2002), through an emphasis on their importance and a move to more cross-border mergers. According to Jovanovis and Rousseau in the EU in 2000-2001, about 40% of all mergers occurred through cross-border deals and from 1991-2000 these deals accounted for about 100% of the total number of mergers in the EU. According to the EC (2001), to make acquisitions for euro-zone companies becomes easier by increased financial markets integration. Among the EU nations, a rapidly increasing number of cross-border MA were contributed to by an active market for corporate control given the boom of the 1990s. Similar to Ueng and Ojahsresearch (1998) the FDI wealth effects investigation the effects of these integrating transactions on form shareholders using methods are examined in this study. In the EU nations, the merger analysis and acquisition activity is warranted certainly as suggested by the importance of the international business community and increased activity. In the EU,of the integration process, a significant piece is owed to cross-border mergers and more than others, the benefits have filtered in to some countries. Therefore, it is important to understand who has gained or lost, and why. Instead of the individual states of the United States (US), the EU nations have greater political disparity. This would seem to imply that across the US the nations across EU are of greater importance in a level playing field in the business community. Within the US however, instead of a similar study of interstate transactions, this key factor makes this study much more interesting. 1.3 Statement of the problem In terms of markets, resources, technology, money, or skills, mergers have a high chance of taking place in terms of the size of the top managements of two similar companies and when they are evenly matched to register and contribute to the merger as observed by Samuel and colleagues (1990). Between equals, these mergers are mergers and generally, when the existing companies do not function as an entity anymore, they are complete and a new structure is created to merge the assets and resources of both the companies. The new companys shares are then redistributed among both the companies shareholders. In another scenario, giving them a majority shareholding by buying a large percentage of their shares, a company may acquire another company and become the new owners. This is termed an acquisition and the company acquired is merged into the existing business of the company. The target ceases to be an independent entity legally. Along with trading on the stock exchanges the shares of the acquiring company still exist. 1.7 Significance of the study In the industry involved the three big entities Lloyds TSB and HBOS have special significance as their merger provesthrough the rationale behind this topic.This merger sought to create the largest steel company and this leaves much scope for research. 1.8 Possible contribution to knowledge Based on the home country of the target and the acquiring firms, there are differentials in the average wealth effects of cross-border mergers and a study of this is the possible contribution of this research. From the EU averages it is clear that several EU nations differ significantly, which would imply that from cross-border mergers than those in other countries the owners i.e. shareholders of firms in particular countries stand to benefit more. Why these differences exist, the research continues to explain empirically and this is beyond showing that such country-specific differences exist. In Europe, by examining a small sample of cross-border mergers, it is evident that these findings are not unique to the EU. 1.9 Limitations of the study The research deals with a specific industry and that is the key limitation of the study. Hence, the implications of this study cannot be applied as every industry has its own conceptualization with regard to the effects of mergers and acquisitions. The country-specific nature is the other limitation, since these organizationswork within individual financial environments pertinent to these countries. 1.3. Purpose of the research and aims What is the impact of mergers and acquisitions on the operating performance of the firm? Objectives of the Research To critically analyze the impact of mergers and acquisitions on the operating performance of the firm in India. To strategically evaluate the impact on shareholders wealth post-MA. 1.4. Structure of the rest of the report Chapter 1- Introduction: Chapter one is the Introduction which will cover the brief aspects about mergers and acquisitions. Chapter 2- Literature Review: Chapter Two will dealwith Literature Review which will draw theoretical underpinnings on the subject area of the research. Chapter-3-Conceptual Framework: Chapter Three will discuss the Indian Banking Industry with the perspective of MAs. Chapter 4- Research Methodology: Chapter Four will be on Research Methodology and Process which will cover the process which is adopted by the researcher for conducting the research. Chapter 5-Data Findings and Analysis: Chapter Five will be on Data Findings and Analysis which will cover broadly the sectors which are involved in the mergers and acquisitions. Chapter 6- Conclusion: Chapter Six will be the Conclusion which will specify the way the entire research has been conducted and the end result of the same. Topic: A study of recent mergers and acquisitions in India and their impact on the operating performance and shareholder wealth: An analysis Banking Industry. Chapter-2: Literature Review 2.1. Introduction Investigators have been analyzing amalgamations and takeovers in the context of their characteristics and the impact on the development of both the entities over the past several years. In actuality, Weston et al. (2004) opine that the experts and researchers in the field have provided a large quantity of records related to the topic. There are many reasons why companies follow development policies related to amalgamations and takeovers. This permits rapid acceleration in addition to having a quick and instant approach to markets, both local and international. It is also likely to touch renowned brands, apply knowledge and skill, and widen the dimension and extent without losing time. In the sphere related to real estate, a participant (real estate firm) may want to promote a mutual organization for funding ventureson an individual basis. It may also consider entering into a joint venture with a construction enterprise in the domestic market so as to execute the venture as per assure d measurements and highlighted conditions as stated by Jensen (2006). Clients are reassured when they involve themselves with big enterprises, which have a great degree of brand reputation and remembrance. During these times, they articulate their backing, not merely as clients but also as financers as they buy stakes so as to invest money in the enterprise. It also possible for a company to advance by augmenting returns or managing expenses which in turn can be attained by reorganizing and reconfiguring finances apart from using creative methods and reengineering. Some enterprises may also purchase brands, goods, and utilities to expand the goods portfolio of the enterprise. The capability of an enterprise to undertake a development policy by reallocating its resources in creating different facets of its presence was maintained by Hogarty (2000). This could be denoted by its production unit, RD, and through creating and promoting its brands and setting up more projects in parallel or varied spheres. Firms may also purchase extant enterprises or amalgamate with others to attain their objectives. Amalgamations and takeovers assist in accelerating development as the roles pertaining to infrastructure, branding, and manufacturing are clearly set up. Superior mediums which endorse development comprise of contracts, treaties, and agreements for varied ventures for a pre-determined time. All across the world, international corporates and enterprises are entering into purchases of and amalgamations with new firms, forming joint ventures and such equivalent associations on a common basis. Nearly fifty percent of the contracts pertaining to amalgamations and takeovers in India have been initiated by global enterprises. In 2005 alone, India witnessed global contracts of around 58 percent, a number which was double compared to Japans agreements at 21 percent. Internationally, amalgamations and takeovers entail dogmatic frameworks particular to a specific nation and the labor unions of the enterprises. Post the 1990s, economic revolutions have been occurring globally and this has seen a growing attraction for amalgamations and takeovers. The financial segment witnessed a newness which saw modifications being made to possession and trade regulations, an increase in the disposable earnings and as a result, the capacity to discover newer marketplaces and newer chances. Firms are now fully utilizing the reduced interest rates and cost of capital. This has assisted several enterprises in broadening their scope of operations at the domestic and global levels through partnerships, associations, amalgamations, and takeovers. Additionally, the presence of many global media enterprises which publish information pertaining to contracts and partnerships on a large extentà ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã¢â¬ particularly in segments related to production, cars, retail and others. On the other hand, it is extremely crucial for companies to ensure specific advisory metrics before they perform their functions related to amalgamations and takeovers, especially in huge markets which have not been discovered. Amalgamations and takeovers also have the ability to shift the stakeholder worth affirmatively or adversely, which may result in a scenario, which eats away into the prosperity. When local takeovers in addition to global amalgamations get transformed into deficit-making and zero-worth developing patterns, all of these experience impediments. When stakeholders are not going to benefit from such projects, the costs of shares decline and thus, such agreements must consider all the primary essentials before opting for the linked choices. The influence of amalgamations and takeovers may be favorable or harmful to the development and this may take a long time and also be extremely costly for a total revival from an impediment. The existing segment also highlights the investigations and examinations undertaken on the topic by analysts. One needs to have sufficient data evaluation and also conduct hypothetical tests while assessing the influence of amalgamations and takeovers. Adequate links should also be deduced to comprehend the reason and impact correlations in amalgamations and takeovers in context to the criteria such as development of trade, stakeholder worth, productivity, and general performance. As the current study is linked to the influence of international amalgamations and takeovers, it is crucial to analyze the global amalgamations. Global partners who function from India while being based in the European Union framework have been examined depending on specific extant data. Additionally, domestic amalgamations and takeovers have also been analyzed. 2.2. Theoretical Background: Mergers Acquisitions (MAs) 2.2.1. Definition Amalgamations and takeovers can be superiorly comprehended as development polices to enhance the income of the enterprise and also, its capital foundation. Sometimes, for two enterprises, with similar or dissimilar trade functions, to amalgamate on specific ranks is a superior trade choice. An amalgamation of this type assists in imparting a blend of experience and finances. A commercial amalgamation of this type functions as a solitary body between edifying impacts and worth values of a commercial amalgamation and takeover (Jensen and Ruback, 2003). Though the phrases amalgamations and takeovers are frequently employed collectively, they are two extremely varied procedures. Amalgamations describe the merging of two different enterprises into a single entity. The two enterprises join each other, and shift all their resources and functions into a new one. This procedure includes the merging of all types of resourcesà ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã¢â¬ employees, manufacturing facilities, and functions into the new entity that is shaped. The new entity shaped out of this has its individual distinctiveness, edifying representation, and groups of convictions. It is pointless to state that they are possessed by both the parties which share their resources to develop the new identity (Huang and Walkling, 2007). A takeover is considered as the purchasing-out procedure of an enterprise by another with the goal to stimulate management of its assets, investments, and functions. Takeovers occur when a firm purchases a major share of another firms stakes, assets, and liabilities (Weston et al., 2004). Firms experience a supplementary benefit when this occurs as they get the management apart from the functioning assets, in contrast to when they purchase merely the stakes, in which scenario they have to only compete with the other shareholders. Purchasing assets includes more expenses and offers an extensive capital foundation (Singal, 2006). Now let us consider acquisitions. This phrase also has been employed for many perspectives and is understood also. Takeover is a vague expression and though it may denote a context similar to acquisitions; the two are actually varied types of trade agreements (Jensen, 2006). A takeover is when a purchase is conducted without acquiesce or permission of the ente rprise being taken over. Takeovers come with an adverse action that entails the attaining of another firm with the intent to manage it. When an enterprise desires to take over another firm, it tries to purchase all its shareholders. Takeovers are the ones which do not have the approval of the firm being purchased and they are often nearly undertaken as a hostile proposal. This now clearly explains the different expressions and implications attached to amalgamations, acquisitions, takeovers, partnerships, and associations and how their context is based in the situation in which they are being applied. 2.2.2. Types of Mergers Acquisitions Mergers can occur at parallel, perpendicular, or multinational levels. Each kind of amalgamation has not only its own typical characteristics but also a distinct impact on the work processes and trade functions. Horizontal Mergers When two enterprises or enterprises that have parallel trades, which amalgamate to develop an entirely novel trade enterprise, it is known as a parallel merger. The enterprises which enter into a parallel amalgamation combine their assets as individual enterprises to shape a novel entity. These enterprises are thus capable of making a more robust enterprise which has a wider capital base and greater resources. The rationale behind this is to acquire a larger market share and become a dominant force in the market (Shleifer and Vishny, 2009). Such parallel amalgamations provide several benefits. They enable larger presence and greater range in addition to optimal performance ability to the novel entity. The two previously distinct entities now have the benefit of augmented resources capable of executing procedures in a superior method to ensure consistent supply of goods, which are of much better quality (Mitchell and Mulherin, 2006). Even in India there are a few instances of parallel amalgamations, for instance, the amalgamation between Indian carriers which occurred between Lufthansa and Swiss International apart from Air France and KLM (Bottazzi et al., 2001). The United Kingdom (UK) has witnessed several parallel amalgamations. In reality, the results of several investigations have depicted that nearly 60 percent of all amalgamation agreements which have occurred post-2001 have been parallel amalgamations (Firth, 2000). The same notion is also put forth by Berndt (2001). He also states that most of the amalgamations which happened post-deregulation and liberalization of the economy were parallel in character. Another instance of a parallel amalgamation like the one ofBirla Cement and Larsen Toubro (LT) is related to the cement sector. Additionally, the amalgamation ofKingfisher Airlines and Air Deccan in addition to the one between Jet Airways and Air Sahara depict parallel amalgamations in the airlines sector. The Tatas and the Birlas are two huge corporate entities, which have amalgamated in the telecommunications sector. Vertical Mergers A perpendicular amalgamation is one in which enterprises which are elements in a supply chain or which function as utility suppliers or subsidies in the equivalent type of trade resolve to become one entity. It is noticed that such amalgamations occur when firms resolve to augment their forte in the supply aspect (Agrawal et al., 2002). Perpendicular amalgamations manage to keep rivals away by maintaining stress and managing their supply firms. The perpendicular amalgamation is thus capable of seizing a bigger market share for their goods while the supply group fails to back the goods of other contenders. This plan assists the enterprises to closely react to their clients needs. The element pertaining to the rivals is capable of keeping the prices from rising as the supplies are not reimbursed for (leanmergers.com). Logically, the outcome of this action is an extremely robust management and more revenues as the firms attain an upper hand over their contenders. An instance of perpendicular amalgamation is the one between Ford and Vauxhall who are car producers, who have acquired or purchased automobile enterprises. When Ford purchased Hertz, it was an instance of a perpendicular amalgamation (Loughran and Vijh, 2007). Another example of a perpendicular amalgamation in the telecommunication industry is that of Reliance Communication Ltds purchase of Flag Telecom. Conglomerate Mergers Multinational amalgamations occur amongst two entirely varied enterprises. Such enterprises are participants at distinct degrees and have no equivalents in the good variety, markets, clients, supply chain, or any other criterion. Multinational amalgamations occur amongst such enterprises and a novel association is shaped in addition to new trade contracts. Multinational amalgamations show only one line of power or authorization, which manages the trade functions from a solitary aspect of knowledge, resources, client power, and market experience which guarantee enhanced trade after the multinational trade which occurred before (Asquith et al., 2003). Multinational amalgamations are executed so as to diffuse the dangers over an extensive base and thus avoid any chief impediment for the enterprise (Huang and Walkling, 2007). Financial Acquisitions Monetary attainments are related to the capital and fiscal aspect of trade plans such as Management Buyouts (MBOs) or Leveraged Buyouts (LBOs). Such purchases are not considered in the same context as amalgamations and takeovers (Travos, 2007). 2.2. Stimulus for Amalgamations A large chance to develop the value of mergers is when incentives for the same are anticipated or envisaged by investors. Investigators such as Asquith et al. (2003), Agrawal et al. (2002), and AndrÃÆ'à © et al. (2004) have developed comprehensive data related to the topic pertaining to the incentives for mergers. Mergers must be discouraged by varied reasons such as a superior geographic market, varied economies, superior capabilities and price efficient conduct, widening of the trade, the synergy incorporated, and shifting assets to superior administrators so as to maximize the assets and create superior results, which is the chief objective. It has been proved that mergers and amalgamations are distinctive mediums related to financing in the context of advancement by many investigators. The chief idea or objective behind attaining a profitable investment would be important, particularly if such a concept is considered. In the event of the presence of incentives such as professions or sometimes pure respect improvement occurrences, the possibilities of investments becoming valuable, particularly when there are totally varied incentives for the varied enterprise to triumph and create the line of business. In the event of mergers, at the point when the primary incentive shapes the real advantageous investment, one has to consider the reason why the merger may seem to be priceless. A primary reason may be the lack of the expanding capability to access an unexploited market. One may anticipate a merger so as to achieve these objectives in an effortless manner (Gugler et al., 2003). For a triumphant merger, one should ascertain aspects of robust revenues and synergies. The focus in this matter should also lie on comprehending the incentives for cross-border mergers. It is noticed that dissimilar to domestic mergers for cross-border mergers, one needs to develop an incentive evaluation (Conn et al., 2001). The FDI incentives would resort to internalization, ownership, and position advantages as good instances as mentioned by Moeller et al. (2004). In the context of cross-border mergers, a merger is not likely to have unique ownership advantages. On the other hand, locational advantages may be unclear. Thus, in lieu of purchasing an enterprise in a totally varied geographical market, there are many idea-procedures which happen constantly. The majority of crucial internalization advantages in the instance of cross-border mergers are when products are sold overseas by one nation to another. In the event of the incentives, the OLI framework provides a backdrop for the objective of cross-border mergers, but other factors are also very crucial. It is considered by Chen and Findley (2002) that there is a speed if the retrieval to international markets since those from Greenfield investment cannot be equaled. By the end of the initial ten years of the 21st century, the waves in mergers were analyzed by Danzon et al. (2004). This was later referred to as the Cross Border wave. In contrast to other waves of the century, Evenett explained the trends of the merger wave to be distinct. The utility segment displays how the merger wave comprises of more mergers since specific elements had become components of the Cross Border and more so, with the liberalization effects in addition to the industrial monetary facet, this has additionally intensified privatization. There had to be a greater milieu to assist cross-border mergers. With the chief investment, the incentives had to be linked to the dogmatic surrounding to guarantee an element of the merger wave as depicted by Evenett. For other such grounds, cross-border mergers rise as depicted by Nicholson and McCullough (2002). When the researcher has to handle the theoretical information pertaining to mergers, he tries to present an expansive literature for better understanding. In the context of mergers, a maximized direct policy contention seems to be the most superior and is accountable for the impact of the mergers. A reasonable facet of the investigation discusses how both, markets and clients in the market commence many types of mergers. There has also been a theoretical investigation relating to ideas such as benefit predictions, envisaged variations in the outlays, diversified and varied quantum, in addition to who will eventually gain or lose on account of mergers. These theoretical investigations found their crux in oligopoly markets. Oligopoly markets have been the only crucial markets to utilize the rationale behind mergers opine Conn et al. (2001). So as to manage such market situations, a firm which enjoys a monopoly generally cannot enter into a merger. In a merger of firms, there would be no impact on the market outcomes. In varied production scenarios, the strengths of demand and cost in varied types of oligopoly markets function in different ways while the emphasis of the literature is on studying mergers. 2.3. Cross-Frontier There are several literatures which pertain to theories related to mergers. In reality, none of these literatures actually differentiate that in the management of international merger procedures there must be variations. To achieve cross-border mergers several simultaneous investigations have been undertaken, which complement that there are several literatures dealing with the impacts of these mergers. In terms of globalization, it relies so this is a close expansion and additionally it fulfills international economy apart from varied types of market endeavours to expand international firms of their functions. With consistent methods related to cross-border mergers there is relevant contention for the perusal of Indianization of different segments as described by Ozawa (2002). On account of the absence of attempts in merging administrative techniques, business is the driving aspect behind communication and culture which is why different cross-border mergers were unsuccessful states F inkelstein (2009). Every type of merger is impacted by these matters instead of cross-border agreements which may be dominant. A further peril is that cross-border contracts are entered into merely to gain benefits. To regard the facets of wondering literature there are subjects and anxieties in context of the methods which incorporate cross-border mergers that have been completed. For cross-border mergers, informative differences are real in the hypothetical model facet as stated by Estrin (2009). In the process of achieving merger benefits, jargon, cultural problems, and official systems are cited as types of primary obstacles. The capabilities to draw attention of skills from other enterprises have been provided to differences useful influence procedures, attainment of communal mergers in firms and the particular speed. Generally, between the links amongst the merging methods of firms informative differences are the source of distrust, to which the triumph can be impeded by the communication matters. There is no clear theoretical model on the other hand, which is related to the impediments which harm the efficiency; despite it being a hypothetical exemplar. In contrast to domestic mergers, for a successful cross-border merger, however, this proves that the closer the facets, the more the obstacles, and these are limited to specific countries since many of th ese obstacles are linked to the regulatory and informative systems prevalent there. According to the origin of enterprises in context to the obstacles,there exist behavioral national variations which need to be expected and depend on the country. By being a source of synergy, informative differences can enhance merger ability in addition to generating benefits as opined by Fama (2009). However, impediments can be built by this, for expanded manner of spreading that is more possible. Instead of any of the domestic mergers participating in cross-border mergers as to gain more useful outlooks for the firms a theoretical exemplar method has been developed by Bjorvatn (2001) for the profit of handling cross-border mergers. By allowing varied mediums of entry in addition to cross-border mergers and for assessing and impacting triumph of cross-border mergers in addition to assessing entry outlays these are the primary variables, he employed to follow Fama (2001). Greenfield investment has been shifted into avenues which are minimally attractive by entry outlays, by methods using cross-border mergers augmented to the degree of revenue. On the other hand, in that market for achieving success as expected facets domestic mergers are regarded to be linked to a rise in the entry expenses. In contrast to the domestic ones in envisaging cross-border mergers success focus on hesitancy which is the outcome in this scenario. While choosing the expected outputs in addition to the entry outlays, the cross-border mergers can also provide access benefits to the distinctive market. In this regard, for both domestic and cross-border mergers, there is present, a theoretical merger literature. In terms of price uncertainty and demand exemplar depending on the matter of the doubt as put forth by Das and Sengupta (2001) both in domestic and cross-border mergers is the correct method. 2.4. Experiential Study MAs are expansion strategies that corporates adopt to increase scale and market share rapidly. They are also used to diversify business interests or acquire technological capability, capital, expertise, or enter new markets. From the business perspective, growth is seen in terms of capital, profits, and shareholder value, operations become more efficient, and busin
Saturday, October 12, 2019
Marlows Racism in Joseph Conrads Heart of Darkness Essay -- Heart Da
Marlow's Racism in Heart of Darknessà à à à à à à à Heart of Darkness is an intriguing story as well as a symbol for Joseph Conrad's social commentary on imperialism.à Marlow's journey takes him deep into the African Congo where he bears witness to a number of life-altering revelations.à He beholds his most striking revelation when he begins to compare the "civilized European man" with the "savage African man."à These two opposing forces represent the two conflicting viewpoints present in every dilemma, be it cultural, social, or otherwise.à As a modern European man who believes religiously in imperialism, Marlow is inherently arrogant.à Yet, although he cannot accept the African jungle as being equally important as imperialism, his experiences there lead him to believe otherwise.à Essentially, this is Marlow's inner conflict.à Everything he has believed in his entire life seems to crumble around him.à His view of the civilized white man becomes tainted when he sees that society is merely a form of delusion, denying its members the greater truth of the world.à ââ¬Å"The superficial boundaries of society have no meaning in the jungle, and Marlow has trouble dealing with this revelationâ⬠(Bancroft 37).à Marlow's inability to accept this initially prevents him from eliminating his intellectual arrogance and feelings of moral superiority over the savages.à For the most part, Marlow is unaware of his prejudicial attitude, but he eventually comes to realize the whole truth of the world.à à à à à à à Marlow says that the colonizer who goes to Africa must meet the jungle with " 'hi... ... Guerard, Albert J. (1979) Conrad the Novelist. Cambridge, Massachusetts: Harvard University Press. Hawthorn, Jeremy (1990) Joseph Conrad: Narrative Technique and Ideological Commitment. London & New York: Routledge. Henricksen, Bruce (1992) Nomadic Voices: Conrad and the Subject of Narrative. Urbana & Chicago: University of Illinois Press. Hubbard, Francis A. 1984 (1978) Theories of Action in Conrad. Ann Arbor, Michigan: UMI Research P. Junter, Allan (1983) Joseph Conrad and the Ethics of Darwinism. London & Camberra: Croom Helm. Singh, Frances B. à Conrad and Racism: Oliver & Boyd. 1968 Scheick, William J. (1994) The Ethos of Romance at the Turn of the Century. Austin: Univ.Texas Press. Watts, Cedric. A Preface to Conrad. Essex: Longman Group UK Limited, 1993.
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