An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge

An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge Introduction ‘An Occurrence at Owl Creek’ is set in the American Civil War and tells of the execution of Peyton Farquhar, a civilian confederate sympathizer (Sparknotes.com, 2007). The story throws us to different times: the ‘present’ moment of the execution, the past that led to the execution and most notably, to an ‘imagined present’ (Sparknotes.com, 2007).Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More But there’s is no clear distinction between the reality and the imagination if each is to be judged on its own right. Just as the real world has people who can be hungry and tired and in need, so is the world that Farquhar imagines. It is this playing around with time, this irregular time sequence that makes this story famous. From a psychoanalytic point of view, it is quite evident how Bierce’s own life is an in fluence to this story. Besides having himself been a soldier, Bierce was an outspoken opponent of realism, which insisted on reflecting life as it is, ‘without any subjection whatsoever to creativity of the mind (Sparknotes.com, 2007). Analysis The story is a reflection of some of the issues that Bierce seemed to have been interest in. These include: Reality versus Illusion: Bierce seemed to be of the thought that the line between reality and illusion is not a very obvious one; that these two work side by side (Sparknotes.com, 2007). Bierce, to an extent, manages to bring the audience with him into this thought. The final section, Peyton’s escape to his family, is quite believable in its own right. Of course, there’s a possibility of the reader being confused. Here’s why. The final sentence in section I is â€Å"The sergeant stepped aside† (Sparknotes.com, 2007), at this point, we expect that Farquhar is plunging to his death. Now in section III he is ‘really’ escaping to his family; the reader is caught between a fact, as told by the storyteller, and the reality of Farquhar’s escape as created by words.Advertising Looking for essay on american literature? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The confusion created by a conscious/subconscious awareness that Farquhar is plunging to his death visvis his escape, or the acceptance that he is actually escaping, are a reflection of Bierce’ success at making us see that, in spite of the gap between them, the difference between reality and illusion, what it takes to move from one to another, is not so obvious. Bierce also explores the aspect of liquidity of time (Sparknotes.com, 2007). The story moves from the present to the past and finally to the imagined. This structure reflects how fluid time is, as well as the conflict between its competing variants. Section II interrupts the continuing proces s of Farquhar at the edge, starting to plunge down to his death (Sparknotes.com, 2007). In section III, Peyton has gone into a completely timeless realm, free from the hands of time as counted down by the actual second-hand of a clock. Farquhar manages to do in his mind/imagination what can’t be done in the actual world within the seconds it takes him to go over the edge and the rope breaking his neck. In the end, Bierce’s seems to say that time is subjective, that it can be manipulated to suit need, as does Farquhar. Bierce’s story was seen as a breach of the traditional rules of narration, especially the ending of the story. Bierce’s conclusion is not really of the expected form as it questions the nature of resolving a story (Sparknotes.com, 2007). The conclusion here becomes a distortion of the reality as it is known; Farquhar, in a sense, manages to ‘outlive’ his execution because though his life ends in the first section, his story stil l extends. Bierce’s unique plotting sees conflicting versions of truth live side by side inside the same story (Sparknotes.com, 2007). In spite of this, Bierce still does his story within the conventions of literature: the story starts, develops and ends; he employs tropes such as motifs and symbols, as well as features of drama such as realism, foreshadowing and tone (Sparknotes.com, 2007). Realism involves making an imaginary world as believable as possible. For authenticity, Bierce gives a vivid and believable description of the setting at the bridge where Farquhar is to be executed: from the time to the position of planks and rope; from the positioning of the soldiers and their guns to their conduct at the ritual of execution (Sparknotes.com, 2007).Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Again, although the revelation at the end of Farquharâ€⠄¢s imagination is unexpected and shocking, Bierce, by talking of how things ‘seem’ to Farquhar as opposed to what is actually happening is a foreshadowing (helped by the change of tone) of the actual death of Farquhar. Conclusion Finally, it is quite notable the way that Bierce uses imagination to get into Farquhar’s head. Here is a dying man who does not speak his mind, he only imagines it. Yet Bierce takes the â€Å"seat of God†; that he’s able to get into Farquhar’s head (Sparknotes.com, 2007). In the end it is this fruit of imagination that brings all that makes this story different and remarkable, both in the arena of literary works, as well as for the reader. Reference Sparknotes.com. (2007). An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge. Web.

Free Essays on Medea, The Tragic Hero

Medea: the Tragic Hero Aristotle’s tragic hero is defined in Poetics and consists of five essential characteristics. Although some tragedies did not follow Aristotle’s model, the list of characteristics that Aristotle describes became a prototype and outline for many Greek tragedy writers. Euripedes wrote over one hundred tragedies and many times he followed Aristotle’s definition. Medea is unique in that it consists of many of Aristotle’s ideas as well as some that Euripedes implemented himself. Aristotle states that a tragic hero must be noble, which means that the hero must be of high social class possessing moral qualities as well as unique abilities. Medea was a princess of Colchis and displayed a vast knowledge of enchantments, medicine, and sorcery. Medea’s moral qualities were removed only after her husband Jason had abandoned her and their two children and began courting the daughter of King Kreon of Corinth. The fading of Medea’s moral values was directly related to her hamartia, the second characteristic of Aristotle’s tragic hero. Hamartia is a flaw or weakness in the hero and Medea’s was her immense anger and wrath towards everyone around her, including herself, once she learned of Jason’s betrayal. In her wrath she deceived Jason by gaining his confidence again only to bestow him gifts of malice such as a poisoned wedding gown that kills Kreon’s daughter, as well as Kreon himself who is so heartbroken that he embraces his dead princess and absorbs the poison also. Included in her plot for vengeance was the murder of her own two children. The satisfaction of the pain she caused Jason by doing this far outweighed her own devastation. Medea’s slaying of her own children is part of the third characteristic of Aristotle’s tragic hero. Her hubris, excessive pride, and desire for revenge led Medea to the loss of her children. Prior to this act she believes that killing them will hurt Jas... Free Essays on Medea, The Tragic Hero Free Essays on Medea, The Tragic Hero Medea: the Tragic Hero Aristotle’s tragic hero is defined in Poetics and consists of five essential characteristics. Although some tragedies did not follow Aristotle’s model, the list of characteristics that Aristotle describes became a prototype and outline for many Greek tragedy writers. Euripedes wrote over one hundred tragedies and many times he followed Aristotle’s definition. Medea is unique in that it consists of many of Aristotle’s ideas as well as some that Euripedes implemented himself. Aristotle states that a tragic hero must be noble, which means that the hero must be of high social class possessing moral qualities as well as unique abilities. Medea was a princess of Colchis and displayed a vast knowledge of enchantments, medicine, and sorcery. Medea’s moral qualities were removed only after her husband Jason had abandoned her and their two children and began courting the daughter of King Kreon of Corinth. The fading of Medea’s moral values was directly related to her hamartia, the second characteristic of Aristotle’s tragic hero. Hamartia is a flaw or weakness in the hero and Medea’s was her immense anger and wrath towards everyone around her, including herself, once she learned of Jason’s betrayal. In her wrath she deceived Jason by gaining his confidence again only to bestow him gifts of malice such as a poisoned wedding gown that kills Kreon’s daughter, as well as Kreon himself who is so heartbroken that he embraces his dead princess and absorbs the poison also. Included in her plot for vengeance was the murder of her own two children. The satisfaction of the pain she caused Jason by doing this far outweighed her own devastation. Medea’s slaying of her own children is part of the third characteristic of Aristotle’s tragic hero. Her hubris, excessive pride, and desire for revenge led Medea to the loss of her children. Prior to this act she believes that killing them will hurt Jas...

Tim's Coffee Shoppe Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Tim's Coffee Shoppe - Essay Example The product, price, placement, and promotion marketing criterion (Pride & Ferrell, 2012) informs the implementation of Tim’s consideration. The breakfast quiches will complement the need for a side product to the coffee offered by Tim’s Coffee Shoppe. Price adjustments would have to be undertaken in a manner that meets customer expectations. Moreover, the placement of the new products fits into the already existing market, and promotions could be employed in marketing the new line of products at the Coffee Shoppe. The menu board at Tim’s Coffee Shoppe is commendable, but essentially in need of some improvements. Given the diversity and dynamism exhibited in the hot and cold beverage markets, Tim’s Coffee Shoppe should work on offering more and diversified coffee products. Also, customers should not be targeted as a general unit. Instead, Tim’s Coffee Shoppe should identify its customer segments and seek to meet the needs, tastes, and preferences of each identified segment. Finally, complementary products that Tim’s Coffee Shoppe intends to offer should be in a position to maintain the uniqueness of the business in the

Exploration Missions on Mars Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Exploration Missions on Mars - Essay Example Exploration Missions on Mars In the contemporary world, there have been numerous missions and these have included the Mars Odyssey, the Mars Express, the Mars Exploration Rovers, the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiters and the Mars Science Laboratories. They have been developed to ensure that further knowledge of the planet is increased and this to such an extent that there is contemplation concerning sending a manned mission to Mars. This report seeks to show the extent to which the recent missions to Mars, especially within the twenty first century, have increased human knowledge concerning this planet and whether they have been successes. The Mars Odyssey mission is one of the most important in the twenty first century because it was the first successful mission to be launched in the new millennium. The orbiter involved in this mission reached the orbit of Mars in 2001 where it was able, through its gamma ray spectrometer, to detect a significant amount of hydrogen on the Martian surface, which allowed scientists to speculate that there, must be large amounts of water on the planet in the form of ice (Boynton et al, 2004,). Furthermore, its Phoenix lander was instrumental in confirming that Mars indeed had water and that this would allow for the conditions necessary to sustain life. It is essential to note that it was through this mission that scientists were able to determine were able to confirm the presence of water on the planet in the form of ice and it allowed for there to develop speculation concerning whether the ice ever thawed.

Implementing an ADR Process Essay Example for Free

Implementing an ADR Process Essay An Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) is a voluntary procedure where parties come to an agreement to use in conjunction with a formal process of administration, to resolve and settle disagreements or disputes in a work environment (Ann and Jay, 2002). There exist a number of objectives that lead to the use of an ADR processes in an organization. The Alternative Dispute Resolution processes should perform the following factions among others. It should resolve or reduce a number of issues in a dispute, be accessible, use the available resources efficiently, resolve disputes and disagreements as early as they occur, produce effective, lawful and acceptable outcomes to the involved parties and enhance the parties’ satisfaction (Cavel and Vondra, 1994). Types of ADR processes Mediation is a type of neutrally facilitated negotiation. It is a process where the parties to the dispute choose a mutually acceptable and independent third party called the mediator, to assist them in arriving at an amicable solution to their conflict or dispute (Cavel and Vondra, 1994). The mediator enables parties to appraise their own cases with him in confidence, the factors like business relationships, commercial pressures, and reputation issues can be taken into account to necessary extent. Also, the procedure is flexible to suit the parties and the dispute. Mediation is also quick, consequently cheap and entirely confidential. However, Mediation is not suitable where the parties in a dispute require a court judgment (John and Steven, 2003). Conciliation is a process where the conciliator might express an opinion on the advantages of a dispute and will recommend a resolution to that dispute if he is not able persuade the parties to create their own solution (Ann and Jay, 2002). It is often preferred to mediation if the parties want the benefit of a conciliator’s intervention and assistance in the given confidential form provided. Neutral or expert evaluation; Here the parties aggrieved appoint an acceptable and neutral third party to both of them to evaluate their dispute and deduce an opinion on its outcome (Ann and Martin, 2002). They may request for an evaluation of their positions as a matter of law liability. Adjudication is non-housing grant whereby it is a process in which the parties appoint a neutral expert in the subject in disagreement to decide the dispute (Cavel and Vondra, 1994). The adjudicators decision may be binding in the end of a temporary effect or advisory depending on the parties terms of reference availed to him. Implementation of an ADR processes The implementation of an ADR process may face a lot of barriers. For instance, the management may reject it. This may arise where the management do not belief in simple methods of conflict resolution or where they belief Court judgment. Also, another barrier could be misinformation or lack of commitment. Some employees or managers may present the truth about then ADR process as incorrect or as a bad method thereby creating some for of rejection by the other people within an organization (Cavel and Vondra, 1994). The management may also pose a big challenge if it will decline to provide the required leadership in the process of implementing the ADR process. This is where the leading parties may not be willing to play a lead role in its implementation. Another challenge that may be realized is the lack of any form of commitment by the implementing group or lack of a proper legislation for its implementation. Some people on the other hand my go to court to acquire an injunction over the use of this process in an organization. While on the other hand the law firm workforce may fear the possible consequences of adapting ADR process subjecting it to criticism (John and Steven, 2003). Therefore, to overcome these challenges, one needs to have a number of methods. For instance, the person implementing an ADR Process should improve the communication to the rest of the employees and the management in general. Effective communication ensures that the process shall be well explained and illustrated while giving the advantages of accepting its use in the organization if implemented (Steven and Graham, 1993). Also, it is necessary that the concerned parties should hold a meeting for brainstorming and analysis of the strengths of the proposed ADR Process and its implementation. Involving the all affected stakeholders in implementation process ensures that the stakeholders own the process by their active contribution and participation, thus likely to result less resistance. Moreover, this will ensure that the persons concerned are well informed and are part of the process thereby reducing the chances of rejection and other barriers to its implementation. Another way of overcoming the implementation of an ADR Process is by adopting good leadership behavior by the leading persons in the organization. In this regard, a hands-off leadership style which is closely related to â€Å"laissez-faire† is appropriate leadership behavior whereby the top managerial carder provides no or little direction and gives workforce as much freedom in the implementation process (Donald, 2004, p. 216). The authority is given to the staff enabling them to make decisions, determine goals, and resolve problems on their own. However, the management should lead by supporting the implementation of the ADR Process and also provide relevant advice as to the advantages and disadvantages of using the process in the organization in resolving disputes and not imposing the process. Also, an appropriate advice should be given in relation to the legal processes and other court related problems like delays which are likely to drag the resolution of a dispute that would be resolved in a matter of days or hours between the parties. In addition, the cost that is involved in the legal process is higher that that used in the ADR Process. This should discourage the aggrieved parties from taking the case to the courts. The ADR Process plan may be accepted by the management if the definition of the intermediaries like the conciliators, mediators among others is well done and identified. The management might also accept the plan if legality part of the intermediaries is well done especially in adjudication where the experts are involved in the dispute resolution (Ann and Martin, 2002; John and Steven, 2003). This mainly because of the associated advantages of using an AR process like satisfactory results, more flexibility, participation and control, better case understanding, management improvement and reduction of hostility (Cavel and Vondra, 1994). The management is also likely to accept the ADR Process plan if the cost is conspicuously advantageous in adopting the ADR Process and if it proofs that by adopting it, the parting are likely to resolve their disputes amicably are return to their normal way of working because as an organization, it is only fare that the employees are working with harmony and agreement. In conclusion, it is clear that an ADR Process is good for an organization if it is implemented and well used. As much as there are challenges that are associated with its implementation, it is proper that it is well explained both to the management and the rest of the employees so as to embrace its merits and foster a sense of collective acceptability thereby reducing the chances of its rejection.

Alas, Babylon :: essays research papers

Alas, Babylon Essay   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In the book Alas, Babylon, the author, Pat Frank, discusses the condition of the human race. Mainly, his view differs from others because rather than write about the countries in a nuclear war, he writes about people living in the countries that are involved in that war. His discusses these peoples’ progress, both technological and moral, as well as their use of power. These topics make the book as intriguing as it is to read.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Frank, rather than talk about all mankind’s technological advances, talks about how they have hindered man. He says that we have become dependant on these discoveries. He shows this when Dan Gunn and Mark take turns telling Randy all these things that he has, such as a nice car and a refrigerator, are useless when nuclear fallout occurs. It seems that man cannot function for even one minute without using things that were not even available fifty or one hundred years ago. Frank is warning us that there may be a time when we will need to retain the lifestyle of the nineteenth century, and only the people who have the knowledge of this way of life will be fine.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Frank has an interesting view on the way man has progressed morally. I think that he says that we don’t really know our morals until we have them truly questioned. In this he implies that the people who have strong morals, not only will stay true to them, but will survive. An example of this is Randy Bragg. Randy, on the day of nuclear fallout, stopped on the side of the road to help a woman. This shows that he has respect for the human race as a whole. The opposite of this was Edgar Quisenbury. Edgar valued nothing but money. In the end, the absence of money caused Edgar to become an example of Darwin’s â€Å"Only the strong† theory as he shot himself.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Power is addressed in the book as something that Americans do not take seriously. The use of this power is not shown so much as who is in power. I will use three examples of this. Bubbah Offenhouse was in charge of making everyone aware of what to do in case of fallout. However, he chose not to even hand out information on this because he didn’t want to think about it.

Shinsei Case Study

Shinsei Bank Case Shinsei bank has a rich history in terms of influence over the Japanese banking sector. Of all the defining moments, there are a few moments that reflect the culture shift of Shinsei bank from the more traditional Japanese approach to the more Western business model. These moments include the denial by Shinsei to forgive 97 billion Yen in debt owed by Sogo, the creation of the Shinsei Securities operations and the institutional banking department, being listed on the Tokyo Stock exchange and the hiring of Tom Pedersen as the Chief Learning Officer All the above moments are important because all reflect the shift from tradition and probably may account for the current lack of culture or rift between the traditional Japanese employees and the foreign employees of Shinsei. Traditional Japanese banks were expected to view profits as long term and were expected to be more socialist in terms of sharing the burden with society. By rejecting the request of Sogo to forgive its debt, Shinsei set the tone that its main responsibility is not to society but to earn a profit for its shareholders. This aspect was strengthened by the creating of the Securities Operations and the Institutional banking department. As the case pointed out, these positions were filled by foreigners who had experience in creating profits. In turn, these employees were mostly paid on commissions, which exacerbated their risk taking for short-term profits, which is inconsistent with the views of the traditional Japanese employee. In addition, by being listed on the stock exchange marked a milestone for the company because now its focus was completely shifted to earning profits and doing whatever was necessary to earn profits. All the above changes led to a culture rift between the traditional Japanese employees and foreign workers. As the case pointed, this rift or lack of culture was noted by Porte. Understanding the seriousness of the problem, Porte hired Tom Pedersen to become the Chief Learning Office and assigned him with the responsibility of unifying the corporate culture with one mission for all employees. Although I agree with the use of â€Å"pay for performance† in theory, I do not agree with the two-tier system as implemented by Shinsei. At Shinsei, it seemed that the two tiered system led to resentment. As one employee put it â€Å"Frankly, for much of the first year the atmosphere in the bank was like civil war†¦Everyone was fighting everyone else. † The problem with pay for performance systems is that detracts from team work as motivation for self reward goes against the idea of helping colleagues. On the other hand, pay based on the organization profitability leads to star performers being underpaid as well as social loafing. In order to effectively implement a pay for performance system, an organization must be careful to avoid the negative side effects. What was the aim of the values and vision exercise? How successful was it? The main purpose of the vision and values exercise was to formalize and align the current values that were present within the organization. By doing this, Pedersen hoped to align the values to the banks strategic plans. I think Pedersen has done a great job so far in trying to bridge the gap between the employees and trying to promote an organizational culture based on a common mission. His vision and values exercise was successful. In addition, he adopted a new â€Å"360 Performance Evaluation† system for senior executives and coaching session for evaluators so the evaluations were not inflated. By doing this, Pedersen was showing that there was more emphasis on those who could follow the values of the organization, rather than just on those that produced revenues. This showed great progress to the creation of a unified corporate culture. The primary role of a Chief Learning Officer is to work with HR and other corporate functions to create a learning environment to follow the vision of the organization. This can include creating centralized training programs, performance evaluation programs, and other programs to develop employees internally. I think the performance evaluation program should be expanded, but not at the current time. Since this has been in operations for only a year, the firm should closely evaluate the response of this program, adjust and incorporate other metrics (which are more applicable to day-to-day employees). In addition, I agree with Luton that the results of the performance evaluation should be communicated to the one being evaluated. It is very important to communicate the findings of an evaluation to the employee and get their feedback on the process. An employee needs to know where their performance stands versus expected performance and the steps they can take to improve the performance. This can empower the employee as its shift responsibility to the employee. Generally speaking, the decision to expand or eliminate a new initiative should be based on the results obtained from the initiative versus expected results. In addition, a new initiative should be judged as to how well it fits within the organizations missions. There are numerous ways to assess the effectiveness of an initiative such as conducting employee surveys, benchmark studies, and soliciting feedback from middle and upper management. In order to further improve collaboration, Pedersen should implement a training program which includes specific learning principles. The main purpose of the training program should be to increase employee knowledge and skills. In order for a training program to be effective, the employees must know the objective of the training program. Employees should know exactly why they are participating in the training in the first place. The specific purpose and objective must also be communicated. Second, the training content should be meaningful which means the concepts and examples should be familiar to the trainees. In addition, the employees should be given an opportunity to practice the principals they learned and then they should be given feedback about how well they are meeting the training objective. By incorporating the above steps in a training program, an organization can break down divisional barriers and foster a firm wide learning organization. What are the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, threats the company will encounter? Strengths One strength of the company as a whole is the diversity of the workforce. Although majority of the workers are Japanese, the composition of the workforce includes people from all over the globe, including ex-workers of LTCB. This is important because if the company were to effectively manage the diversity, it can tap into the various specialized knowledge as well as the culture knowledge of current Japanese workers. Weaknesses Currently, the lack of communication between employees is the biggest obstacle to change. In addition, the two-tier pay system appears to be a great cause of resentment. In order for the company to be competitive, Shinsei needs to effectively manage this divide. Opportunities Currently, Shinsei has a diverse workforce with knowledge in various sectors of the banking industry. By developing and strengthening an organizational culture in which all share the same mission, the company can become very competitive Threats One threat to Shinsei is the current structure of its revenue. As non-interest revenues are growing, Shinsei needs to figure out a way to attract retail business. The only way to do this is by creating an unified culture and tapping into the talent and skills of the current employees. Without this, Shinsei will cease to grow and will eventually become obsolete. What are the ethical underpinnings of the case? Use Schumann’s ethical framework. Consider how these decisions impact on the stakeholders? The ethical issues in this case are that Shinsei needs to develop an organization culture by managing employee performance and pay. Currently, the two tier pay system is not working as some employees feel they are unfairly treated. However, I think in this case, the firm will not be able to fairly treat all employees. This is not to say that the action will be unethical or illegal. This just means that not all employees will feel the same towards any decision made by the firm. As such, the decision that leads to the most good should be employed. Whatever the decision, the decision will affectshareholders of the company, the employees, their families and even society itself. For example, if a company does not change the pay system or implements a performance system that is not fair, talented employees may leave. This can lead to loss of revenue and ultimately affect the bottom line of the shareholders. With loss of revenue, the company may be forced to downsize which can affect current employees and even society. As such, any decision made by the firm will have a great impact on the stakeholders. In the end, the organization needs to make the right decision that will have the most good for the largest amount of people.

Personal Explorations Paper Essay

Over the course of 7 modules, different personality aspects of mine have been tested and evaluated and have even revealed things about myself that I was not aware of. The surveys and questions that I answered dug deep into decisions and choice I make, how I think and how I feel to reveal certain characteristics about myself, some of which I was aware of and others that I was not. Things such as my expression of sexuality, different levels and aspects of my psychology, my personal reactions to certain social situations, and the way I pursue and value my career were all evaluated by answering questionnaires. In the end a lot was revealed about the way I handle and look at things and even my overall personality. My expression of sexuality was not really a huge surprise to me. My values and my religious beliefs I believe played a huge part of expression of sexuality. I believe that sex is something that was designed by God exclusively for marriage. Although that has not always been what I valued or walked by in my life, it is now my beliefs since I am not married. My intermediate and low scores concerning sexual esteem, sexual depression, and sexual preoccupation didn’t surprise me, but I do feel that because of my beliefs and how I now view sex that my responses automatically made it seemed as if I struggled with the sexual esteem, depression and preoccupation which is not the case. I view sex as a temptation that I cannot indulge into until I’m married. If I were surprised by anything it would be that my scores were not lower. Positive psychology was another aspect of my personality that I was  questioned and evaluated on. The questions yielded 4 scores, my orientation to pleasure, to engagement, meaning and to victory. My highest score amongst the 4 orientations scores was orientation to meaning. This I feel was very reflective on to how I feel and how I view my life. Meaning embodies all the feelings, hopes, joys and outlooks I have on life, my life and the meaning attached to it. I believe every person is born into this world with a God given purpose. Everyone’s life has meaning although not everyone during his or her lifetime accept, recognize or fulfill his or her meaning. What I do with my life should be a direct reflection of the love of Jesus within me. All of those things contribute greatly to how I view my life and the meaning attached to it. My lowest score was victory and I believe that is also an accurate depiction of my personality. I am not a person who values or lives to compete with others, be better than others or outdo what others have done or gotten. Doing so, in my eyes, takes away from the meaning of one’s life. I see it as the lower the victory score the more the person is in tune with the meaning of their lives. My person reactions to social situations is an area I believe that I have certain seen personal growth and development in for myself. I found myself tested by 2 different questionnaires, The Self, and Friendship and Love. I believe if I would have answered some of these questions earlier this summer my responses would have been a tad different and I would have probably scored a number that reflected how badly I handled and felt in social situations. I was surprised to see myself get a low score on the Friendship and Love assessment because I believed that is one area I have definitely seen myself grow in. I believe gaining confidence in myself allowed me to handle social situation differently then before. I believe that this year has been the year of tremendous personal growth and the development of a stronger and wiser person that I have stepped into an embraced. The way I have handled situations has definitely improved from the way I used to handle and approach things. The assessment on Careers and Work, I saw myself score an 89, which is considered low. I contribute that low score from a lack of wisdom, knowledge and experience. I have been in the Air Force since June 2009, so since then  I have yet to transition back into the civilian world and workforce. My need to job hunt and my techniques on how I do so are pretty much non-existent but this is definitely an area I am currently seeking to grow and become more knowledge in because I do not plan on making the military a career after my contract ends. Growing in this area will set me up to have a successful transition into the civilian world. I have definitely seen areas of personal growth and developments reflected in most of the scores and believe they are direct reflections of how I feel inside. A few scores I believe did not accurately paint the picture of myself that I thought it should paint and that made me reflect on my characteristics and personality traits. These past 7 seven weeks, I have evaluated my life and observed my reactions to various situations and I believe personal growth can be found in the midst of that.

Giant Panda Facts

Giant Panda Facts Giant pandas (Ailuropoda melanoleuca) are bears that are well known for their distinct black-and-white coloration. They have black fur on their limbs, ears, and shoulders. Their face, belly, and the middle of their back is white and they have black fur around their eyes. The reason for this unusual color pattern is not fully understood, although some scientists have suggested it provides camouflage in the dappled, shady environments of the forests in which they live. Fast Facts: Giant Pandas Scientific Name: Ailuropoda melanoleucaCommon Names: Giant pandaBasic Animal Group: MammalSize: 2–3 feet tall at the shoulder when on four legs, about 5-feet tall standing erectWeight: 150–300 poundsLifespan: 20  years (in the wild)Diet: OmnivoreHabitat: Broadleaf and mixed forests, where bamboo is present, in southeast China  Population: About 1,600Conservation Status:  Vulnerable Description Giant pandas have a body shape and build that is typical of most bears and are roughly the size of an American black bear. They have a distinctive black-and-white coat with black fur covering their ears, arms and legs, and part of their chest and back. The rest of their fur is white. Giant pandas molars are very broad and flat, which helps the animals crush the bamboo shoots, leaves, and stems  that  they eat. They also have an enlarged wrist bone that functions as an opposable thumb, which helps them grasp the bamboo. Giant pandas do not hibernate and are the rarest species in the bear family. Habitat and Range Giant pandas inhabit the broadleaf and mixed forests where bamboo is present, in southeast China.  They usually communicate using calls or scent marks. Giant pandas have a sophisticated sense of smell and they use scent marking to recognize and define their territories. Diet and Behavior Giant pandas are highly specialized in terms of their diet. Bamboo accounts for over 99 percent of the giant pandas diet, though they sometimes hunt for pikas and other small rodents. Since bamboo is a poor source of nutrition, the bears must make up for this by consuming vast amounts of the plant. Another strategy they use to compensate for their bamboo diet is to conserve their energy by remaining within a small area. To consume sufficient bamboo to provide all the energy they need, it takes giant pandas as long as  10 and 12 hours of feeding every day. Giant pandas have powerful jaws and their molar teeth are large and flat, a structure that makes them well suited for grinding up the fibrous bamboo they eat. Pandas feed while sitting upright, a posture that enables them to grab onto bamboo steams. The digestive system of a giant panda is inefficient and lacks the adaptations that many other herbivorous mammals possess. Much of the bamboo they eat passes through their system and is expelled as waste. Giant pandas obtain most of the water they need from the bamboo they eat. To supplement this water intake, they also drink out of streams that are common in their forest habitat. Reproduction and Offspring The giant panda mating season is between March and May and young are usually born in August or September. Giant pandas are reluctant to breed in captivity. Young giant pandas are born quite helpless. Their eyes remain closed for the first eight weeks of their life. For the next nine months, the cubs nurse from their mother and they are weaned at one year. They still require a long period of maternal care after weaning, and for this reason, remain with their mother for a one-and-a-half to three years, as they mature. yesfoto/Getty Images Conservation Status Giant pandas are listed as vulnerable on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. There are only about 1,600 giant pandas that remain in the wild. Most captive pandas are kept in China. Classification Debate The classification of giant pandas was once a subject of intense debate. At one time they were thought to be of a close relation to raccoons, but molecular studies have revealed they belong within the bear family. Giant pandas diverged from other bears early in the familys evolution. Sources â€Å"Giant Panda.†Ã‚  WWF.â€Å"Giant Panda.†Ã‚  National Geographic, 21 Sept. 2018.â€Å"The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.†Ã‚  IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.

Quality Management in Education

Quality Management in Education Introduction Improving the quality of education around the world has become an important activity as many institutions of higher education (colleges and universities) struggle to create better educational opportunities for their current and prospective students. According to various stakeholders in the education sector, quality management has become one of the fundamental components of higher education in the 21st century.Advertising We will write a custom term paper sample on Quality Management in Education specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The access to education is no longer an important fundamental component of education as quality education continues to gain centre stage in many educational institutions. Basic education is now deemed insufficient or incomplete if it is not accompanied by quality management in teaching and learning strategies. Quality education has gained a lot of importance as it is used in the development of exce llence, knowledge and expertise which are vital aspects in the growth of an economy (Ali Shastri, 2009). Many educational institutions around the world have developed strategies that will be used in the establishment of higher education to ensure that there is quality in education provision. This has mostly been possible as a result of the increasing importance and value placed on leadership and leadership skills within organizations. Gaining good leaders to be established in the world is only possible when there are developed systems of higher education that will ensure efficiency and effectiveness remain as the sole criteria of evaluating performance (Ali Shastri, 2009). The purpose of this study will be to determine what institutions of higher learning have to do so as to achieve quality in their educational objectives, missions, visions, goals and strategies. The study will first discuss the aspect of quality and quality management in a general sense and then focus on how qual ity management is applied in educational institutions. Quality Management Quality management is part of the management strategies that are aimed at achieving quality goals within organizations through the execution of organizational activities such as planning, monitoring, control and quality assurance to ensure quality has been achieved in the business processes and operations of an organization.Advertising Looking for term paper on education? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Quality management is based on principles such as customer focus, cost leadership, product/service development and the continual improvement of a company’s operations so as to achieve a competitive edge in the market. The most commonly used quality management technique in organizations is the total quality management (TQM) approach which aims at improving the total quality of business operations within an organization (Cua et al, 2001). O ther approaches that are used in quality management include ISO performance improvement standards (ISO certification), quality management systems, quality function deployment and the six-sigma quality management technique. The main objectives of all these quality management approaches are to organize the efforts of employees within organizations so that their work performance produces outputs that are of a high quality and standard (Anand et al, 2010). The main component of quality management is quality which is defined as the degree to which a certain group of intrinsic properties satisfy certain requirements. The term intrinsic properties refer to the innate or permanent properties that exist in certain aspects, matters or situations where these properties meet the expectations of outlined standards or requirements (Dahlgaard et al, 2002). Quality applies to products, services, business operations, organizational systems and interdependent processes that exist within an organizati on. Quality within organizations ensures that the products or services developed by organizations have met the requirements set by the organization’s managers or by the ISO standards that are used to determine the quality of an organization’s products (Cummings Worley, 2008). The concept of quality is based on positive and dynamic ideas that involve achieving the design of meaningful investments rather than negative aspects that lead to product or service defects. Because quality is both a dynamic and positive idea, it has the ability to continuously evolve making the concept an endless journey that has a deliberate purpose which is that of improving the standards of an organization.Advertising We will write a custom term paper sample on Quality Management in Education specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Quality and quality management are both customer-focused approaches that are meant to improve the processes of an organ ization through the use of interdependent systems such as planning, evaluation, control and quality assurance (Mukhopadhyay, 2005). The current view of quality management in today’s modern organization is that it is a system made up of interdependent processes that have been linked in a lateral way meant to create a network of internal and external collaboration between suppliers and customers. These interdependent processes have been connected to represent the company’s mission and purpose so that it can be able to achieve its objectives and goals (Bilen, 2010). Another view of quality management is that the people (employees or workers) of an organization are the tools that give organizations a competitive edge over their rivals. It enables employees to contribute to the overall growth and success of the organization by allowing them to participate in leadership activities, creativity and intelligence building as well as managerial capacity building (Daft Marcic, 20 08). Quality Management in Education Quality management in education is a fairly new concept as the main focus of education in the past has been on ensuring that there is a general accessibility to education by all. This focus has however shifted as more and more educational institutions focus on ensuring that there is accessibility to education that is of a high quality. According to Simin and Xuqing (2005), there are two views that exist on education quality with the first one stating that the quality in educational activities is usually reflected by the quality of students an institution of higher learning is able to churn out to the job market after it has measured their performance against the institutions objectives and goals. The second view of quality education is based on whether the products offered by educational institutions are able to fully maximize the potential and ability of students so that they can be contributing members of the society. These views propose the id ea that education is based on the transformation of students so that they can be contributing members of the society (Sallis, 2002). Quality in the education sector is therefore measured on the type of input and output processes that take place in educational institutions. The input in education according to Ming and Hualin (2011) refers to teaching and learning strategies that are used to instill various concepts and methodologies to students while output refers to students who have actively been transformed through teaching and learning strategies.Advertising Looking for term paper on education? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The transformation of students does not only depend on the amount of teaching, training or research they have been given but also on their level of active involvement in the transformation process. This means that the same instructors or teachers working for the same educational institution cannot be able to produce the same cadre of students once the transformational process is over. Also, the active involvement of students in the transformation process varied in nature as every student has their own individual expectations of the learning exercise and also the type of outcomes that will be gained from once they have undergone educational transformation. Quality in education therefore refers to the type of educational activities that will be used to satisfy the requirements of the society by building and nurturing the intellectual capacity of students (Ming Hualin, 2011). Tribus (2010) developed quality principles based on the works of Edwards Deming to reflect quality in educatio n. According to Tribus, the first principle in quality education refers to the redefinition of education where the role of faculty advisors, deans, lecturers and student advisors is translated to reflect quality provision of educational services. This principle discusses how various educational providers work within a system similar to that of an organization. The job of the faculty head or vice chancellor of the institution is to work on the system so as to constantly improve it continuously with other members of staff. Constant improvement refers to finding better ways of improving the quality of education with institutions of higher learning (Tribus, 2010). The second principle of quality in education according to Tribus (2010) is that quality improvement is the answer to any educational problem that might be experienced within the educational institution. This principle involves determining the customer’s perceptions of quality and using this perception to develop educati onal programs that will meet their expectation. According to Pfeifer (2002), the quality of any process is usually defined by the type of customers included in the transformation process. Quality management views the customer as the person who is next in line to receive a service or purchase a product and quality will therefore depend on the type of process that is used to meet the expectations of the customer. This according to Tribus (2010) gives rise to an internal customer which in the education context refers to students who are customers of course instructors. The third principle proposed by Tribus (2010) in explaining quality in education is the process over product principle where attention is placed on the process that is used to develop or improve the product. In the educational context, this principle can be translated to mean that if the student’s performance is to be improved, attention needs to be focused on the teaching or learning process and not on the passin g of examinations. This means that the individual potential of students needs to be discovered so that the level of development in the student can be used to develop suitable learning or teaching strategies. Attention is therefore not focused on evaluating and defining the potential of the student but on developing learning techniques that will be used to develop problem-solving abilities. The application of this principle in the quality management of education in higher education institutions involves both the teacher and the learner working together to improve the educational process of the student (Tribus, 2010). The fourth principle of quality in education is the perversity principle which involves improving the performance of a system of people, processes, procedures and practices where goals and objectives are developed for the individual parts of the system. The most commonly used quality management technique in implementing this principle is the management by objectives (MBO ) approach where the manager and subordinate agree on what the subordinate needs to accomplish so as to meet organizational targets. In the educational context, the course instructor and student agree on the course objectives that the student needs to achieve for them to be able to excel and meet their educational requirements (Tribus, 2010). These principles demonstrate quality management in education is depicted in terms of its impact on the students who are targeted by educational programs. Quality management in education targets the improvement of teaching and learning processes so as to transform students during the learning process. Quality management is therefore an inevitable factor that will be used by institutions of higher education to shape their teaching processes so that they can be able to satisfy the various expectations of stakeholders such as parents, students and the society at large. Quality management will ensure that educational goals and objectives developed b y academic institutions have been met and satisfied (Sahney et al, 2004). Application of Quality Management in Universities The basic roles and functions of higher education include seeking and cultivating new knowledge that will enable students to engage in the vigorous pursuit of information, providing the right kind of leadership skills that will help individual learners to develop their potential, equip society with competent individuals who will be trained in various professions and also promote equality or social justice to reduce any instances of social and cultural differences that might arise without any form of education. Higher education in universities and other institutions of learning also seeks to foster teacher student relationships that will instill certain attitudes and values that are needed to develop individuals as well as bring universities/colleges closer to the society at large through the extension of knowledge (Ali Shastri, 2009). Quality management in hig her education is made up of dimensions such as consistency where the education process seeks to provide quality that is consistent in nature, fitness to purpose where quality meets the customer’s specifications, value for money where students pay for course programs in return for efficiency and effectiveness and transformative educational dimensions where education is viewed as an ongoing process that is meant to transform and empower students. Quality management in education therefore seeks to incorporate the above-mentioned dimensions to ensure that there is quality higher education (Becket Brookes, 2008). To be able to achieve total quality management in higher education, universities and colleges need to first create an awareness of the need for quality improvement in their educational programs. This will involve identifying the various segments of teaching or learning programs that are in need of improvement and then informing the relevant actors of the need for change or improvements. Once this is done, goals need to be developed and set to ensure that there is a continuous improvement of the educational programs within the institutions of learning. Once the goals have been set, the next step will involve building organizational frameworks and institutions that will be used to achieve the set out goals (Borahan Ziarati, 2002). These frameworks will include establishing quality councils and selecting project teams for these councils that will be used to achieve quality goals. These frameworks will then be used for quality training where course instructors and lecturers will be trained on how to provide quality education to students. The progress made in quality educational improvement will be monitored to note if there are any inconsistencies in the improvement exercise and also any successes in the programs will be recorded for future developments and improvements. Such strategies and steps can be used by institutions of higher learning to impro ve the quality of education so that students can be able to achieve excellence in their studies (Bogue Bingham, 2003). When it comes to determining how these strategies can be used to improve the quality of education, certain aspects need to be considered for quality management to be successful. These aspects include the inputs, processes and outputs that make up the educational system where inputs include the transformational processes used to in part knowledge to students. Inputs are used within the transformation process to be transformed into outputs that are released back into the external environment. In the context of education, inputs are the human, physical and financial resources needed to make higher educational courses successful and they include students, faculty members and administrators (Hodson Thomas, 2003). Processes on the other hand refer to various operations or actions that are used to transform the inputs into outputs that can be measured against set out goa ls and objectives. The educational process involves a series of actions that are used to train, teach and transform students through educational programs, courses and classroom sessions. The transformational process within an institution of higher learning involves activities that are meant to disseminate knowledge while at the same time conduct research which will be beneficial to the learning process. Outputs are the tangible outcomes of the transformational process and they can either be value addition outcomes which include student employment, examination results and earnings or intangible outcomes which include educated people, contributing members of the society and contributing members of research work (Koslowski, 2006). These three aspects need to be considered when designing quality management systems that will be used to improve education in higher institutions. Once the suitable frameworks have been identified for improving inputs, processes and outputs, extension activit ies will be developed to apply these frameworks in the real educational context. Since the educational system does not operate in isolation, the extensional activities have to incorporate certain factors that exist in the external environment such as socio-cultural factors, economic factors, technological and political factors. These factors need to be considered as quality education ensures that the various problems within society can be solved. Extensional activities will therefore ensure that quality management in education has been directed towards promoting the development of the local community (Pratasavitskaya Stensaker, 2010). Conclusion The purpose of this study has been to assess the concept of quality management in higher educational institutions and also what strategies can be used to achieve quality management in educational programs. The discussion has focused on the aspect of quality in the general context and also in the education setting by identifying the various aspects that are used to improve organizational operations and processes. Quality in organizations involves ensuring the goods, services and processes used within organizations have met certain requirements or standards such as the ISO quality standards. Quality in education on the other hand involves transformational processes that will be used to improve the outputs of the learning process. The study has propagated various techniques and steps that educational institutions can use to improve the delivery of educational content to their students. References Ali, M., Shastri, R.J., (2009). Implementation of total quality management in higher education. Asian Journal of Business Management, 2 (1): 9 -16 Anand, G., Ward, P.T., Tatikonda, M.V., (2010). Role of explicit and tacit knowledge in six sigma projects: an empirical examination of differential project success.  Journal of Operations Management, 28(4): 303- 315 Becket, N., Brookes, M., (2008). Quality management practice in higher education: what quality are we actually enhancing? Journal of Hospitality, Leisure, Sport and  Tourism Education, 7(1): 40-54 Bilen, C., (2010). Total quality management in higher education institutions: challenges and future directions. International Journal of Productivity and Quality  Management. 5(4): 473-492 Bogue, E.G., Bingham, H. K., (2003). Quality and accountability in higher education. Cincinnati: Praeger Publishers Borahan, N.G., Ziarati, R., (2002). Developing quality criteria for application in higher education sector in Turkey. Total Quality Management, 13(7): 913-926 Cummings, T.G., Worley, C.G., (2008). Organization development and change. Mason, Ohio: Cengage Learning Cua, K.O., McKone, K.E., Schroeder, R.G., (2001). Relationships between implementation of TQM, JIT and TPM and manufacturing performance. Journal  of Operations Management, 19(6): 675-694 Daft, R.L., Marcic, D., (2008). Understanding management. Mason, Ohio: South Western Cengage Le arning Dahlgaard, J.J., Kristensen, K., Kanji, G.K., (2002). Fundamentals of total quality  management: process analysis and improvement. London, UK: Taylor and Francis Hodson, P., Thomas, H., (2003). Quality assurance in higher education: fit for new millennium or simply year 200 compliant. Higher Education, 45(3): 375-387 Koslowski, A.F., (2006). Quality and assessment in context: a brief review. Quality  Assurance in Education, 14(3): 277-288 Ming, L., Hualin, Z., (2011). Research and discussion on the education quality  construction for colleges and universities. Zhengzhou, China: Zhengzhou Institute of Aeronautical Industry Management Mukhopadhyay, M., (2005). Total quality management in education. New Delhi, India: Sage Publications Limited. Pfeifer, T., (2002). Quality management. Munchen, Germany: Hanser Verlag Pratasavitskaya, H., Stensaker, B., (2010). Quality management in higher education:towards a better understanding of an emerging field. Quality in Higher Ed ucation, 16(1); 37-50 Sallis, E., (2002). Total quality management in education. London, UK: Kogan Page Limited Sahney, S., Banwet, D.K., Karunes, S., (2004). Conceptualizing total quality management in higher education. The TQM Magazine, 16(2): 145- 159 Simin, W., Xuqing, Z., (2005). Educational quality and control modes of mass storage of higher education. Journal of Technology College Education. 10: 105-106 Tribus, M., (2011) Quality management in education. California: Exergy Incorporated

Social Network and Religion Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Social Network and Religion - Essay Example Nowadays, Social Networking Service (SNS) has become the most powerful communication technology in addition to being the fastest medium to use especially when people want to share their life stories. Specifically, Facebook, Twitter, and Snapchat are the most powerful social networking services that influence a larger number of users in the United States. Before the Internet was invented, television and radio were the major communication technologies in terms of mass media that were intended to reach a large number of audiences. People who could not attend the church on Sunday used to take advantage by watching TV and listening radio. However, the overall use of the word â€Å"media,† has declined because of a new idea of mass media. This new media has been defined as being associated with the Internet and interplays amongst technology, sound, and images like YouTube that shows visual test with sound in the online world. While at the same time, the definition of new media chang es consistently and therefore, is a mixture concept of both new and mass media, which is SNS, and has an enormous impact on our religious society and culture. On the other hand, these new communication technology services may sound useful but nevertheless have a dangerous effect on the religious aspect like bittersweet. Everyone can be an evangelist through an activity of SNS. For instance, people can share their personal story or even anything that is associated with the religion anytime immediately. In case of Facebook, users can interact with others simply by pressing â€Å"like† or sharing someone’s post, which is one click away communication. Through SNS activity; people who are in religion have a regressive aspect that they are more likely to overlook the real religious activity. In Latin phrase, â€Å"extra Ecclesiamnullasalus† means there is no salvation outside

Warren Buffet Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Warren Buffet - Essay Example The active management always attempts to select attractive areas of investment. They decide the ripe time to join and enter markets, sectors, and places of leverage in the market. Their point is to make profits, and always aspire to do more than they could be doing. Passive management of investments does not make an attempt to differentiate between unattractive and attractive securities, or keep tabs on the markets. They invest in wide sectors that are called indexes. The aim is also to make profits (Bernstein 2001). But due to the nature of the market they accept average returns. They actually diversify their investments. Active management of shares is quite appealing on paper. But it is substantially costly and surrounded by decreasing returns when compared to passive investment. Given the unpredictability of markets and economies, it is better to diversify the risks rather than put one’s investment in one company or market. Some people can make accurate predictions on investment returns, but this may not always be the case. If the predictions are right, the returns are also abundant. In case of a misjudgment, the losses incurred could be quite severe. The future security prices are equally unpredictable. As a result, it is difficult to predict their future. On the basis of this, a passive investor who spreads the risk is better taken care of. If one can predict rightly, then the returns are always good. The risks and returns are basically correlated. This is the major positive side of active investing. The high potential returns are always risky to venture in. A risk in investment is the potential to lose on the investment. Passive investment spreads the risks by diversifying the investment areas, hence a reduced risk overly. Active management is by a great deal more expensive than passive one. Active investors must incur costs in order to match the