Tuesday, December 31, 2019

Counterfactual Thinking and Experiences of Regret

Counterfactual thinking and experiences of regret Introduction Counterfactual thinking is the cognitive process in which individuals can simulate alternative realities, to think about how things could have turned out differently, with statements such as ‘what if’ and ‘if only’. Counterfactuals can be either upward, in which alternative realities are improved, or downward, in which alternative realities are worsened. Reflecting on previous outcomes can make individuals experience regret and this review will focus on the effects of counterfactual thinking and feelings of regret, which has been referred to as a ‘counterfactual emotion’. Opportunities and regret Roese amp; Summerville (2005) put forward the idea that regret is based†¦show more content†¦Pierro, Leder, Mannetti, Higgins, Kruglanski, amp; Aiello (2008) investigated the effects of assessment and locomotion modes on engaging in counterfactual thinking and experiencing post-decisional regret. They predicted that people with a higher assessment mode would generate more counterfactuals and experience more regret as assessment requires critical evaluation and generating comparisons, they also predicted that people with a higher locomotion mode would generate less counterfactuals as locomotion suggests an individual is less likely to pay attention to attention and more likely to focus on moving from state to state without interruption. To test these hypotheses participants were asked in two studies to imagine purchasing something but it has a negative outcome and in another study they were asked to recall a time when they purchased something and it had a negative outcome, re gret was measured in each study. The results showed that participants rated higher in the assessment mode generated more counterfactuals after a negative outcome and experienced more regret, while participants rated higher in the locomotion mode generated less counterfactuals and experienced less regret. 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Previous research proposes that regret emerges at around 4 yearsRead MoreCognizance And Psychological States : Disposition On Counterfactual Envy1481 Words   |  6 PagesCognizance and Psychological States: Disposition on Counterfactual Envy Yvans Bobo Florida International University (FIU) Cognizance and Psychological States: Disposition on Counterfactual Envy An individual who is cognizant are capable of determining one’s psychological states exuded during any particular circumstance. Adults who augment such necessary cordial competencies will discern, elucidate, and justify such psychological states occurring internally and in others. ComprehensionRead MoreCounterfactual Thinking : A Look At Past Events1526 Words   |  7 PagesCounterfactual Thinking: A Look at Past Events In our everyday life, we are presented with plenty of circumstances demanding our response. Sometimes, we are the ones taking action and other times we become the judges of other people’s actions. 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Since creativity is constructed by the two complementary and inextricable parameters mentioned above (McMullan, 1976; Garavan and O’Cinneide, 1994): with possession of both â€Å"CONCRETE EXPERIENCE (application of knowledge in entrepreneurial situations) AND â€Å"ABSTRACT CONCEPTUALIZATION† (theoretical knowledge) (Garavan, T. and O’Cinneide, B., 1994); deservedly, one’s creativity crucial for opportunity recognition (Shane, 2000), is likely toRead MoreCritically Evaluate the Role Psychological Theories Play in Our Understanding of Entrepreneurship2474 Words   |  10 Pagesand with his technical skills and creative abilities he was able to produce a successful product to fill the gap. One personality driver of entrepreneurial behaviour is openness to experience; this trait has been the focus of much research on entrepreneurs. Those that possess this trait have a curiosity for experiences, in which they can pursue their ideas creatively. 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Monday, December 23, 2019

Movie Analysis Undertale - 1248 Words

On September 15th, 2015, game developer Toby Fox released Undertale, which tells the story of a human who falls down a cavern and enters the Underground, home of the Monster race. Searching for a way home, the human travels through the Underground and, along the way, encounters a wide range of characters. There’s the lazy-bones skeleton, Sans, his eccentric brother, Papyrus, and Undyne, the human-hunting captain of the Royal Guard. This is Undertale in a nutshell, but we’ve yet to scratch the surface of this multi-layered monster of a game. A key element in the game’s design, as well as one of its selling points, is its claim to be the only RPG where players don’t have to kill anyone. The â€Å"combat† is a turned-based, bullet-hell system of dodging where players are provided with four options on their turn: Fight, Act, Item, Mercy. This setup is standard RPG fare, but players are told early on that sparing monsters via Mercy is the right thing to do. Whereas most RPGs that involve monsters, demons, etc. are founded upon the notion of killing, Undertale is a direct rejection of players’ expectations of combat in the genre. Players’ decisions in battle significantly impact the game’s outcome. Like many RPGs, such as Fallout 3 and the Deus Ex series, Undertale contains multiple endings which, depending on the player’s action, unfold differently and provide different in-game experiences. If players avoid killing monsters, they are offered the chance to complete side quests and

Sunday, December 15, 2019

Workforce Planning Free Essays

string(74) " also constricted by the funds and resources they have at their disposal\." Group 2 Manage Workforce Planning Autism Victoria – Workforce Plan By James Watts, Jessica Lim, Luke Farrugia and Kair Aueil For Jan Kelly 06/04/2012 Table of Contents 1. The Necessity of Workforce Planning3 2. Overview of organisation3 2. We will write a custom essay sample on Workforce Planning or any similar topic only for you Order Now 1. Autism Victoria’s services3 3. Strategy3 3. 1. Autism Victoria’s Vision3 3. 2. Autism Victoria’s Values3 3. 3. Autism Victoria’s Mission4 3. 4. Autism Victoria’s Strategic Priorities4 3. 5. SWOT Analysis4 4. External Factors4 4. 1. Global Factors5 4. 2. National and Regional Factors5 4. 3. Challenges5 5. Internal Environment6 5. 1. Business Planning Process6 5. 2. Internal Changes6 5. 3. Labour Issues6 5. 4. Organisational Structure6 6. Current Workforce Profile7 7. Future Workforce Profile7 8. Gap Analysis and Closing Strategies7 9. Conclusion and Recommendations8 10. References8 1. The Necessity of Workforce Planning Workforce planning is a comprehensive process that provides managers with a framework for making staffing decisions based on an organisation’s mission, strategic plan, budgetary resources and a set of desired workforce competencies. (Dessler, Griffiths Lloyd-Walker 2007 pp78) Workforce planning allows managers to anticipate changes in the external and internal business environment and how they will impact their organisation’s workforce needs. It also provides a basis for managers to devise strategies to tackle said changes and generate the maximal amount of value for their dollar. As Autism Victoria is a non-profit organisation, it relies heavily upon government grants and funding. The limitations on this form of income make it imperative that Autism Victoria invests every penny wisely. And because the hiring and payment of workers is so costly, significant effort must be put into the workforce planning process in order to ensure that it isn’t costing the company more than it benefits it. . Overview of organisation Autism Victoria, trading as Amaze, is a member-based not-for-profit organisation and is the peak body for Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASDs) in the state of Victoria. Their aim is to improve the quality of life for people affected by Autism Spectrum Disorders, their family and carers. They also provide a range of services to individuals and agencies with an interest in Autism Spectrum Disorders (including Asperger Syndrome and PDD-NOS). 3. 1. Autism Victoria’s services Autism Victoria offers the following services: free phone support for individuals and organisations affected by ASD * certified and customised training programs for professionals and businesses * information and education sessions for individuals and families including the Early Days workshops * autism accreditation for services, schools and practitioners * administration of the FaHCSIA â€Å"Helping Children with Autism† funding on behalf of government * information Services – Autism Library, Spectrum Magazine, eSpectrum newsletter, online resources, Fact Sheets and more 3. Strategy 4. 2. Autism Victoria’s Vision That all people affected by an ASD have the best quality of life outcomes possible 4. 3. Autism Victoria’s Values * Diversity * Co-operative spirit * Willingness to learn * Background in dealing with an ASD 4. 4. Autism Victoria’s Mission To provide the best quality range of information, advice and support to families and individuals and advocating for systemic change, the establishment of networks, links and communities and the provision of training and accreditation to the service support system. 4. 5. Autism Victoria’s Strategic Priorities Autism Victoria’s most recent Board of Directors meeting yielded 5 priorities for this quarter. They are: 1. To confirm and enhance the role of Autism Victoria as the Peak Body on Autism Spectrum Disorders in Victoria 2. To ensure Autism Victoria is a robust and functional organisation 3. To develop and adopt a number of diverse income streams to ensure the financial viability of the organisation 4. To provide comprehensive quality information and advice on all matters related to Autism Spectrum Disorders 5. To take direct action to improve the provision of service and standards to people with an Autism Spectrum Disorder 4. 6. SWOT Analysis 4. External Factors There are several external factors which currently have an influence on Autism Victoria’s workforce planning considerations. Some of these external factors have a positive influence; others, negative. In this section, several strata of external factors will be discussed. 5. 7. Global Factors As Autism Victoria is a state organisation, there aren’t many global factors currently affecting it. The most notable factors would be the new developments in ASD diagnosis and treatment. The American-developed DSM-X diagnostic tool will be replacing the current DSM-IV version, and this has the potential to cause a great deal of uncertainty in the diagnosis of ASDs. Autism Victoria predicts that 20% of would-be autistics would be failed to be diagnosed. This would lead to a large population of ASD symptom carriers being deemed unfit for access to quality knowledge and care. One potential global factor that could be beneficial for Autism Victoria involves a conference that is currently being held by them every two years. This conference is streamed into 9 regional centres in Victoria. With the advent of new media technology that is available today, they would have the opportunity to stream the conference live into surrounding nations, spreading knowledge and awareness much more effectively. Autism Victoria is constantly on the lookout for new research and technologies which have the potential to benefit their cause. This would greatly influence their workforce planning process, as technological knowledge and skills would be a crucial part of assessing an applicant’s suitability. The advent of this technology may even create new job positions. 5. 8. National and Regional Factors A national factor which has the potential to affect Autism Victoria is the introduction of a new National Disability Insurance Scheme by the Victorian Coalition Government. It is still unknown whether this new process will have a positive or negative effect on Autism Victoria and their beneficiaries. The Department of Education and Early Childhood Development has released an Autism State Plan for Victoria, which is committed to supporting all children affected by an ASD. In conjunction with Autism Victoria, they have been promoting the spread and knowledge of ASDs through the Victorian school system. Autism Victoria is also constricted by the funds and resources they have at their disposal. You read "Workforce Planning" in category "Papers" Though the amount of funding they have received has increased greatly over the last few years, there is still room for growth, as there are still a large number of ASD sufferers in Victoria. 5. 9. Challenges There are several challenges that are currently being faced by Autism Victoria. In Australia today, 1 in 100 children is diagnosed with Autism. This places a large demand on the services and support Autism Victoria provides. Funding and manpower is a significant part of the fulfilment of these demands. Autism Victoria’s CEO organises a quarterly board meetings in order to discuss a wide range of matters. The current purpose of their next meeting, which is due to happen as of now is to develop a paper for the government underling what policies Autism Victoria believe should be changed or added. They also prepare papers on how much funding is needed. Recently Autism Victoria has been lobbing with education ministers to get the amount of experience teachers get with autistic people while studying to become teachers increased. There are currently no guidelines on how much time teaching students get hands on with Autistic children, with many universities offering no hands on time with Autistic children while studying teaching. This is something that the current CEO of Autism Victoria believes strongly in and is trying to get changed. 5. Internal Environment 6. 10. Business Planning Process Every year Autism Victoria holds their Annual Planning Day. This is a day where planning for the next year is done. The strategic plan is revised by the Board of Directors, and all managers are required to do SWOT analysis of their departments. . 11. Internal Changes As Autism Victoria as an organisation has had enormous growth within the past 3 years, during the increase in size of Autism Victoria’s operations they have had hire many new people to meet the demands of the organisation and the community. As a result, current offices have become cramped and there is no free office space within their current offices, due to this they are currently looking at moving to a new larger office. 6. 12. Labour Issues Autism Victoria’s only current problem with labour is an oversubscription. They recently encountered a problem in which 100 applicants applied for a new position that Autism Victoria had made available, this in turn created a problem of having to interview lots of applications. The CEO of Autism Victoria states that they only interviewed the people that where in the yes category because there where so many applicants it was not worth there time to interview the maybes as well. 6. 13. Organisational Structure At the head of the organisation structure of Autism Victoria is the current CEO Murray Dawson-Smith. Below him 5 work teams which are headed by respective managers. There are roughly 5 staff per work team. Autism Victoria’s Organisational Chart: 6. Current Workforce Profile The current workforce employed by Autism Victoria is more than adequate to perform the tasks and operations necessary at the organisation. Though the company is expanding and will be able to hire more employees, the supply of workers desirous to gain employment at Autism Victoria far exceeds the demand for employment by the organisation. This means that Autism Victoria has a great deal of control over both the internal and the external elements of hiring and promotion, and the luxury of choice when it comes to filling any position within the organization. The internal supply of workers, however, is largely tapped out. Though the workforce is highly qualified, experienced, and performs their tasks/fills their roles in a manner that meets or exceeds expectations, individuals at the organisation are also well-suited to and satisfied with their current positions, making internal promotion or lateral movements to fill vacancies and new positions undesirable and an ineffective and inefficient way to meet current workforce needs. External supply is also quite extensive, meaning Autism Victoria has many choices when it comes to filling current workforce needs. A high level of experience is not actually a requirement for considering employment, as extensive training is available for the right candidate. When seeking employees in the external workforce, then, personality, values, and ability to fit in with the other individuals at the organization are the key considerations. 7. Future Workforce Profile The most significant difference between the current and future workforce profiles at Autism Victoria is the planned expansion of the organisation, which will enable it to hire fifteen more individuals. As the organisation is devoted to providing autism assistance services, the new hires will need to be willing to work in this environment and to receive ongoing training and development towards providing individuals with autism and their families with always-improving services; however current knowledge or experience in the area is not really required. Even so, there are many applicants on file in the external workforce with experience, knowledge, and a strong desire to work at Autism Victoria, such that if the experience and knowledge considerations were to become more important in the future this would not present a problem to the organisation in the slightest. The desire to work for Autism Victoria in the wider external workforce is so strong, in fact, that the company should not have problems filling any open positions for some time, even with the company’s emphasis on ability to personally integrate with the other members of the organisation in a productive fashion. Such strong embedded cultures can be prohibitive to outsiders, but with a large pool to choose from this should not be an issue. In addition, former employees will and do apply for open positions. Even in the external workforce, then, there are potential employees known to be a good fit with the organization. The supply of available employees in the external workforce is more than enough to meet the organization’s needs. 8. Gap Analysis and Closing Strategies Autism Victoria is in a good state to fulfil their current strategic obligations. However, with the impending relocation on the horizon, they will need to focus on expanding their workforce capacity in order to cope with the coming staffing demands. This will not require a large increase in staff-seeking expenditure or effort, as Autism Victoria already has the exposure necessary to warrant oversubscription. Another area Autism Victoria should focus on is increasing the technological capabilities of its workforce. With the advent of new diagnostic and treatment tools, a workforce capable of utilising these developments stands to retain its usefulness far into the future. Autism Victoria can promote this focus by developing technological training programs for its staff. An increase in funding is imperative to secure the aforementioned developments. Thus, it necessary for Autism Victoria to continue to promote government funding at every available opportunity, as this provides a layer of buffering in the event that said developments fall through and contingency plans must be introduced. 9. Conclusion and Recommendations Autism Victoria has had the good fortune of rapid expansion within the last 5 years, and has thus far been capable of adapting to the changing environment of the industry’s workforce. But in order to secure its place in the future and fill out its expanding business scope, Autism Victoria will have to take the following actions: * Increase its workforce by 15 staff in order to adequately expand into its new location * Develop a training program to education staff in the use of the DSM-V diagnostic tool * Secure a 50% increase in government funding through the lobbying of ministers It is reasonable to believe that through the use of these recommendations, Autism Victoria stands to perform exceedingly well in the industry in a period out to 2020. 0. References Dessler, G, Griffiths, J Lloyd-Walker, B 2007 Human Resource Management, 3rd edn, Pearson Education, Australia How to cite Workforce Planning, Papers Workforce Planning Free Essays India shines Shalini Shukla 18 Apr 2012 In the last two decades, India has gone from being one of the least globalised economies in the world to one of the most dependent on international commerce. â€Å"Our markets are more open, we enjoy a wider range of consumer items than ever, and those who go abroad (far more than ever before) finance their travel expenses with foreign exchange,† says Shashi Tharoor, elected member of the Indian Parliament from the Thiruvananthapuram constituency in Kerala and former Minister of State for External Affairs. Business process outsourcing has (also) tied large numbers of Indians to foreign work environments and business partners. We will write a custom essay sample on Workforce Planning or any similar topic only for you Order Now † This year, India is poised to over take Japan as the third largest economy in the world, based on purchasing power parity. James Agarwal, consulting director and head – India, BTI Consultants, a part of Kelly Services, says that main growth drivers seem to be a variety of internal and external factors, including investment-friendly public policies and regulations. India has also successfully raised its aggregate savings rate to levels that would allow sustained high levels of domestic capital formation, in turn helping high growth,† says Agarwal. While India’s economy is one of the world’s most dynamic, corruption, sloppy standards, a lack of decent staff and too much red tape are common gripes amongst businesses. Prince Augustine, EVP – Human Capital at Mahindra Mahindra, says there is much to be improved. â€Å"The potential of India has not been fully tapped in terms of its resources and people capability,† he says. There is ample scope for growth looking at the vast expanse of the country, its population and rich cultural heritage. † The country’s labour force is one to be reckoned with. It boasts the world’s largest labour pool, with 270 million entering the workforce over the next 20 years, says McKinsey Company. It also has the world’s youngest workforce, with 70% of the population falling under the age of 35, according to the latest Indian Census. â€Å"By and large, people (in India) are hard-working, and management is participative, forward-looking and quite performance-oriented,† says Augustine. Agarwal agrees and says work culture in India requires one to be acclimatised to the behavioural as well as cultural variations of the country. â€Å"For instance, here, people consider their family when accepting job proposals, although Gen X is emulating the west gradually,† he says. â€Å"Also, workers in India have a strict work ethic; they do not mind even working on weekends if the demands are such, unlike most other countries where weekends are almost exclusively considered personal time. However, Agarwal added that Indian workers can be rather particular about certain festivals which cannot be ignored, such as Diwali. Gender equality While India has certainly done some things right on the business front to achieve double-digit economic growth, gender equality in the country still has a long way to go before it comes even close to levels of other economic giants. According to the Gender Sensitivity Benchmark for Asia 2011 report, India is the worst among six top Asian economies when it comes to the representation of women in the workplace at the junior- and middle-level positions. Indian multinational companies studied had the lowest number of women employed, at 24. 43% of the total workforce in India. Agarwal laments that despite the fact that recent times have witnessed a boost in the status of women, such discrimination still seems to exist. â€Å"Discrimination here relates to matters like pay, conditions pre- and post-employment, promotions and other opportunity matters,† he says. â€Å"For a developing country like India, gender equality is still a long way off, coupled with unprecedented efforts to grant women an equal status and thereby ensure her development. There is a silver lining though. In spite of all the challenges, India has shown and worked on progressive policies. Today, most of India’s companies are committed to providing equal employment opportunities for all. Employers are increasingly realising the value of trained human resource, especially women in India. Diversity hiring intent among leading companies has gone up by alm ost 500% since 2010, according to a study by the Chennai-based FLEXI Careers India, which sources only women executives. Some organisations are changing their HR policies to retain their valuable employees,† says Agarwal. â€Å"There are companies which are providing flexibility so that female employees at various life stages could benefit from these policies, like working from a different city, sabbatical from corporate life, and extended maternity leave. † A host of companies, like Godrej Industries, Pepsico, Genpact, Kraft, PG, Deutsche Bank and others, have all stepped up their gender diversity hiring recently. Progressive companies such as Mahindra Mahindra believe in equal opportunity and do not discriminate in any form. â€Å"Our philosophy is that the right person should be selected for the job. We have an evolutionary approach to diversity as the working population base needs to be aligned to ensure that there is a rich supply of employable workforce,† says Augustine. â€Å"In the manufacturing sector primarily in engineering, although the number of woman employees is limited, we have good representation. IBM is another company that’s been championing diversity in the workplace. Three or four times a year, a team from IBM goes on a recruitment drive with a difference – they screen and select only female employees. Conservative estimates suggest IBM has added well over 2,000 women in two years, with the proportion of female workers increasing from 24% of the workforce to 26%. â€Å"We keep trying to find new ways of hiring women,† Kalpana Veeraraghavan, div ersity manager for India and South Asia at IBM tells The Economist. This is not just about filling a talent crunch. There is a strong correlation between success in the marketplace and having a diverse workforce. † Other examples include Genpact, where the overall ratio of men to women is 60:40; Kotak Mahindra Bank, where two out of 10 employees are women; and KPMG, which has increased its headcount for female employees by 75% as compared to its figures for 2010. Schneider Electric has also bumped up its percentage of women in the workforce from just 9% in 2009 to 20% in 2011. Money talks Companies in India are cautious, but also confident of long-term performance this year. Organisations have emerged in a mature way post-downturn with a stronger compensation philosophy in place, designed around ‘pay for performance’ and a comprehensive view for long-term sustainability. According to the Hay Group Compensation Benefits Report 2011, the country witnessed an actual average salary increase of 11% in 2011 and is optimistic about seeing double-digit growth this year at an average of 12% across levels. Sridhar Ganesan, managing consultant and Rewards Practice Leader, Hay Group India, says, â€Å"in a short span of the last five years, the Indian employment market has witnessed a range of behaviours with employers on a hiring spree and also in rightsizing mode. The market is now stabilising and maturing to the next level of employer and employee relationships. † Graduate salaries are also picking up with monthly salaries touching Rs 40,000 (US$758) in industries including engineering, sales, marketing and even in support functions such as finance and HR. Salaries are going up at a good time as India experiences its highest inflation rates yet, with the annual inflation rate for the country accelerating to a 13-month high of 9. 78% in August 2011. For instance, Mahindra Mahindra does regular Mark-to-Market comparisons and appropriate changes are made in compensation based on market realities. â€Å"Employees are aligned to these realities,† says Augustine. Ganesan also observed that there is a constant reinforcement of pay for performance. Bonus figures have been continuously showing an increasing trend year-on-year, as organisations now believe in pay for performance with controlled merit increments. † More organisations have certainly designed variable pay to induce a performance-driven culture. The target bonus percentage ranges between 8% and 44% of base salary at junior management levels, 11–63% of base salary at middle management, and 15–75% of base salary at senior management levels. The Hay Group re port found that around 79% of the organisations participating paid some form of bonus in the last 12 months. When it comes to bonuses, Diwali is the time when employees expect them in India. According to The Economic Times, Diwali bonuses range from 10% to over 200% of basic pay. Consumer durables companies and IT and business process outsourcing companies are the most generous, with the former giving out 20–250% of basic pay during the festive season and the latter shelling out 80–100% of basic wages as bonuses. Bonuses in the financial services sector range from more conservative figures of 16–50% while those in the automobile industry fluctuate between 10% and 25%. The retail sector can give out anywhere from 9% to 60% of basic pay in bonus pay-outs during the festive season. LG Electronics India is a case in point. The consumer durables company gives out a total of 200–700% of basic salaries to its 4,500 employees annually through six bonuses, including two half-yearly performance incentives in January and July, a Diwali bonus, a post-Diwali bonus, an LG birthday bonus in May and a retention bonus to employees who have completed two years of service at LG. The retention bonus is a maximum of 400% of an employee’s basic monthly salary and is paid in three instalments in every consecutive year. Talent development There is no doubt that India’s vast manpower pool has played a vital role in its economic success story. It is increasingly obvious that the success of Indian companies is not just based on superior access to raw materials or technology or patents, but also fundamentally upon human skills. The major challenge, though, seems to be the issue of upgrading skill sets of this human resource through training development in the face of high attrition and competition, says Agarwal. â€Å"Indian companies are recognising their responsibilities to enhance the employee’s opportunity to develop skills and abilities for full performance within the position and for career advancement,† he says. The India that is going global is also a remarkably young country. â€Å"India’s youth population remains an under-utilised economic asset,† says Tharoor. Census figures show that nearly one-fifth of India belongs to the 15–24 year age group. Each year, the country will add around five million young adults in that age group – five million potentially productive workers providing India with the fuel it needs to drive productivity higher, powering its economy even further. The education system is working to create a steady stream of young talent. According to National Association of Software and Services Companies (NASSCOM), each year over three million graduates and post-graduates are added to the Indian workforce. However, there is still room for improvement in terms of developing this talent. Today’s new graduates seem to be grossly lacking in all-round skills – something that’s expected, given their formal education,† says Agarwal. Augustine agrees, saying some big concerns include the employability of fresh graduates and how aligned these graduates are to business reality. Still, many reforms are underway, from governance structure of higher education and decentralisation, to major inv estments in faculty development, for both private and public institutions. â€Å"A lot of effort is being put into expanding tertiary education, especially for low- and middle-income students,† says Agarwal. Corporates are also doing their business to improve the quality of education and hence increase the number of employable talent. For instance, Wipro works closely with the Indian school and college system through the Wipro Applying Thought in Schools (WATIS) programme. The strategy revolves around systemic education reform and transforming the current nature of schools and pedagogy, it works through building capacity of social sector organisations working in the space of education and directly with schools. The WATIS programme has engaged with over 2,000 schools and 30 social organisations across 17 states of India. Mission10X Learning Approach (MxLA) is another program by Wipro that focuses on improving the potential for employability of engineering graduates in India. It does this through direct engagement with engineering colleges and faculty capacity development. The program reaches out to over 300 colleges and has trained 10,000 engineering college faculty members. Aditya Birla Group offers Management Trainee Programmes through which the company recruits exceptional management graduates from the best business schools in the country. Siemens India’s one year training programme sees newly recruited management trainees undergo a rigorous five-week classroom training, six stints of three weeks each in Sales, Operations, Finance, HR and Corporate Strategy, and a 26-week project within a business unit or corporate function. The synergy between the public and private partnership with a strong focus on key HR programmes such as talent management and employee capability-building, coupled with attraction and retention will be pivotal as India continues its journey of rapid growth. Laws to keep in mind when doing business in India+  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   According to James Agarwal, consulting director and head – India, BTI Consultants, some important Labour Acts which are applicable for carrying out business in India are:+  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Employees’ Provident Fund and Miscellaneous Provisions Act+  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Employees’ State Insurance Act+  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Workmen’s Compensation Act+  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Maternity Benefit Act+  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Factories Act+  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Minimum Wages Act+  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Payment of Wages Act| JugaadA Hindi slang word, jugaad (pronounced ‘joo-gaardh’) translates to an improvisational style of innovation that’s driven by scarce resources – a case of ‘get it done, by hook or by crook’. Just as Guanxi describes the central idea in Chinese society, jugaad is almost a way of life in India. Most workers in India embody this intrinsic trait of jugaad in their day-to-day work, allowing them to creatively come up with products and services that are more economical both for the supplier and consumer, and maximises resources for a company and its stakeholders in as little time as possible. Resolutions for 2012The English daily, Mumbai Mirror, sums up some of the biggest workplace resolutions that people in all industries will try to keep in 2012:+  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Encourage leadership – This comes in handy as companies transition from closed to open source leadership formats this year+  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Monitor workplace gos sip – Managing office gossip is important in keeping major conflicts at bay+  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Strike a connect – Know the ‘why’ and then focus on the task, helping to avoid miscommunication, politicking, etc†¦| POISED TO: Cool, calm, collected or waiting at attention: as in poised to strike. purchasing power parity : aggregate:accumulated,  added,  amassed,  assembled,collected,  collective,  combined,  composite,corporate,  cumulative,  heaped,  mixed,  piled,total How to cite Workforce Planning, Papers

Friday, December 6, 2019

Toshibas Case Unethical Accounting Practices and Ethical Dilemma

Question: Discuss about the Toshibas Case of Unethical Accounting Practices and Ethical Dilemma. Answer: Script Role Play Narrator: In this role-play, we are going to address the problem of unethical accounting practices that is being followed by senior, middle and line management in order to meet the wishes or personal goals of their leaders (CEO) rather than the requirement of the business. in the automotive manufacturing company Toshiba. The protagonist of this case is the accounting director, A. Before joining the company, A has been regarded as ethical person and successful professional. Shorting after joining the company, he identified the Toshibas corporate culture that does not allow anyone to go against the will of their seniors and the unprofessional accounting practices that involve overstating the operating profits. As the company is moving to a new financial year, A has been assigned the task of preparing a financial report. After preparing and sending the finalized financial report to B, the CEO of the company, for approval, A learned that the leaders are not happy with the report as they need it to overstate the operating profits in order to attract investors and build preferable company outlook in front of its stakeholders. A also came to know through the internal surveys and from other employees that there is no choice but to follow the instructions of seniors. These learning about the corporate culture and inappropriate accounting practices and the internal convictions of A and moral and ethical values have presented an ethical dilemma for A and he is unable to find the right path to follow as there are many factors or stakeholders who would be affected by the decision taken by A. There are several questions that A is seeking answer to and is questioning his conscience to find out the best way out if the situation. Following are the excerpts that the A had with his conscience in the process of getting the right path to follow. Conscience The accounting practice of deliberately inflating the operating profits to satisfy the hidden agenda of seniors is not appropriate, as it is not beneficial for the organization in the end. Is it not important to follow International Accounting Standards (IAS) and maintain transparency in financial reporting? A: But that should not be my concern as the I my job is only to serve the company and the employers rather than investing time in matters that are beyond the purview of current job profile. In addition, the corporate culture of the company does not allow to question the orders of seniors and it cannot be changed overnight. The current financial reporting systems is in practice in the organization for a long time and is devised by the superiors and they must be fully aware of the consequences of their actions. Conscience: You are the accounting director of the company and it is your responsibility to take charge of the activities of the business concerning accounting and financial activities. A: Since I am a newly appointed accounting director, it is important to get accustomed with the new organizational culture, as every employee in the organization is aware of the current practices. In addition, the previous accounting director lost his job as he refused to fulfill the requirements of his superiors. For me it is more important to save my job and create a favorable impression in front of the superiors. Further, the current opportunity is huge and it would be more crucial for my personal career development. Conscience: It is not about your personal goals or career development opportunities but about the various stakeholders that are affected by the misrepresentation of financial data and over stating of operating profits. For instance, the shareholders who are investing in the company have a legitimate right to know about the actual condition of the business to make a decision about their investments. A: I truly understand the importance of transparency in the financial reporting as it enables the various stakeholders to have better assessment of the business and take pride in their association with the business. However, if the current mal practices of the company come to the surface in the public domain it can have serious ramification for the business and various stakeholders. For instance, the self-respect and pride of the current employees would be violated and it is possible that the government would take legal action against the companys management and the company may be locked down that would result in employees losing their jobs and this not the ideal scenario. In addition, the customer loyalty towards the brand and goodwill of the company in the market would be severely damaged. Further, Toshiba is a well reputed business organization and contributes positively in the development of the society and a source of revenue generation for the business, therefore, if the curren t unethical practices comes into public domain it would have negative impact for all the stakeholders of the company. Conscience: But is more important to find permanent solution to the current solution as truth cannot be hidden for a long time and the situation would be more complicated for everyone to manage if the regulatory bodies unearths the truth. Therefore it is advisable to take charge if current situation and to the right thing even if costs you your job. Narrator: A listens to his inner voice and decides to talk about the matter personally with B, the CEO of the company in presence of other board members to express his concerns about the current mal practices in the business and make them understand about the gravity of the current situation if these practices comes into public knowledge. (After one week on the day of board meeting) A: Good afternoon B, how are you doing today? B: I am good, how are you? How do like working in this organization? Do you like your current position and job? A: I am good and thank you for asking, however, I would like to discuss some important issue related to the financial reporting currently being practiced in our organization. In my four months of work in this organization, I have learned that the financial reports are constantly inflating the profits and other misrepresentations in the financial reporting. These practices are against the International Accounting Standards and are unethical in nature. Further, it is the legal obligation for any business organization to present accurate financial information to its stakeholders as they can access the financial position of the business and make appropriate opinion about the business. B: Well I am aware about the current practices being followed by our organization and in my opinion, it is important to have such practices to attract investors and create a favorable impression about the business among the various stakeholders. A: I am sure you are aware of these unethical practices in the financial reporting but are not fully understand about the implication of such practices. Such practices have benefitted the business in the short run by attracting more investors. However, in the long run these unethical practices are bound to cost company dearly. If the regulatory body discovers these mal practices all the stakeholders of the company would be affected. The investors would refrain from investing money in the business and may pull their association from the company. The pride and self respect of the employees would be adversely affected. Moreover, the company may have to close some of its branches that would result in loss of jobs for the current employees. The brand value in the minds of the customers would deteriorate and loyal customers and clients would shift to our competitors as no one wants to be associated with a company that indulges in unethical business practices. To sum up it can be said that the overall business and reputation of the company would go down and that would be difficult to overcome. In addition, if regulatory bodies discover these unethical business practices, many board members (including A and B) would lose their jobs and would be subjected to legal proceedings. B: Perhaps you are right, so what do you suggest to avoid such situation without affecting the companys relation with its stakeholders and continuing profitable business operations? A: Since, it is the time to present annual financial report for our stakeholders and general public, we can present true financial position of the company profits and solicit greater assistance from the various stakeholders to revitalize the company. Further, the company has all the capabilities to succeed in the market by its own, therefore, it would be more appropriate to focus our resources and energies on improve business competence rather than inflating profits to attract customers. B: Thank you for highlighting the gravity of current unethical accounting practices. We will discuss the problems with other board members to come out with better and transparent financial reporting mechanisms and plan future course of action. References Adams, C. A. (2002). Internal organisational factors influencing corporate social and ethical reporting: Beyond current theorising.Accounting, Auditing Accountability Journal,15(2), 223-250. Adams, C. A. (2004). The ethical, social and environmental reporting-performance portrayal gap.Accounting, Auditing Accountability Journal,17(5), 731-757. Brief, A. P., Dukerich, J. M., Brown, P. R., Brett, J. F. (1996). What's wrong with the Treadway Commission Report? Experimental analyses of the effects of personal values and codes of conduct on fraudulent financial reporting.Journal of Business Ethics,15(2), 183-198. Claypool, G. A., Fetyko, D. F., Pearson, M. A. (1990). Reactions to ethical dilemmas: a study pertaining to certified public accountants.Journal of Business Ethics,9(9), 699-706. D'Aquila, J. M. (1998). Is the control environment related to financial reporting decisions?.Managerial Auditing Journal,13(8), 472-478. Elias, R. Z. (2002). Determinants of earnings management ethics among accountants.Journal of Business Ethics,40(1), 33-45. Langenderfer, H. Q., Rockness, J. W. (2006). Integrating ethics into the accounting curriculum.Accounting Ethics: Theories of accounting ethics and their dissemination,2(1), 346. Low, M., Davey, H., Hooper, K. (2008). Accounting scandals, ethical dilemmas and educational challenges.Critical Perspectives on Accounting,19(2), 222-254. OFallon, M. J., Butterfield, K. D. (2005). A review of the empirical ethical decision-making literature: 19962003.Journal of business ethics,59(4), 375-413. Ponemon, L. A. (1990). Ethical judgments in accounting: A cognitive-developmental perspective.Critical Perspectives on Accounting,1(2), 191-215. Stanga, K. G., Turpen, R. A. (1991). Ethical judgments on selected accounting issues: An empirical study.Journal of Business Ethics,10(10), 739-747. Vyakarnam, S., Bailey, A., Myers, A., Burnett, D. (1997). Towards an understanding of ethical behaviour in small firms.Journal of Business Ethics,16(15), 1625-1636.

Friday, November 29, 2019

5 Writing Habits To Avoid

Writers never have an easy time of it. Often either unpaid or underpaid, they spend a lot of time toiling away in solitude just for the love of writing. Even when theyre successful, gaining publishing deals and fame, theyre not always all that happy. Anne Lamott writes of her experience of writing success: â€Å"I found myself stoned on all the attention, and then lost and derailed, needing a new fix every couple of days and otherwise going into withdrawal. My insides became completely uninhabitable, as if Id wandered into a penny arcade with lots of bells ringing and lights flashing and lots of junk food, and Id been there too long† And yet, writers continue to write. And everyones happy that they do. And because the world of writing is full of challenges both professional and emotional, sometimes they need support and advice about how to avoid some habits that are actually harmful for writers. So, how not to become â€Å"derailed†, how to write better, how to be more productive and how to value your work and creativity as much as you should? Just keep away from these habits: Rely on cliches or stereotypes Writing, whether its a work of poetry, fiction, an essay or a blog post, is an art. The goal of art is to express something from a new perspective yours. Its difficult to avoid cliches because were exposed to them so often that theyre easy to pluck out of the subconscious and use instead of sweating it out to find a more original way to express something. George Orwell avoided even using the word clichà © to tell writers to avoid cliches: â€Å"Never use a metaphor, simile or other figure of speech which you are used to seeing in print.† Check out this list of 681 cliches. The same goes for creating stereotypes. Art is supposed to inspire us to challenge our beliefs and our perceptions. Creating stereotypes not only fails to achieve that, but leaves you with flat characters and an uninspiring message. Start writing when you land a writing job This one mainly applies to freelancers. If you want a job as a writer, you must first write. Write for yourself. Write a blog, write stories or articles on an area of expertise or interest. This is how you build a portfolio to show to potential clients, so you can land a job that is perfect for your writing style and background. Its also how you become a better writer. By committing yourself to writing, youll build the skills and the credentials you need to be a successful one. Forcing yourself to write on topics that dont inspire you because its your job is pretty much the worst introduction to writing life that I can think of. It may even put you off writing forever. Write for pleasure first and see what direction that takes you. Allow interruptions The writing bubble, that place your mind slips into when youre in the flow, is a delicate environment that needs your protection. Its constantly under attack from phone calls, children, spouses, family, friends and neighbours. But its most powerful enemies are Facebook, Twitter, email, scrolling and surfing. These are the types of interruptions that are so insidious because theyre all integrated into your laptop where your sacred moments of writing are supposed to occur. Some writers have a whole other computer for writing that doesnt even have the internet on it. You can also install an app that blocks the internet while youre writing. Underestimate the importance of a schedule This is a big issue. Think about an athlete training for an event. They have a training schedule to adhere to. Otherwise, theyll never get in shape. If you dont set a schedule and only decide to write when you feel like it, youre writing life will be pretty miserable. If youre writing a book, you may never finish. If you write articles, youll spend too many nights running on adrenaline, having wasted hours procrastinating and producing nothing. Ernest Hemingway woke up early every morning to write his daily 500 words. Joyce Carol Oates writes before breakfast, sometimes writing for hours if shes inspired and only stopping for breakfast well into the afternoon. Writers can have (semi) normal lives. They can have children. They can have relationships. They can have other jobs. They can go to the gym or to yoga classes or to Jui Jitsu classes. They can cook. They can have friends. But they cant have any of these things AND write if they dont make a schedule. Say Yes to every opportunity Dont say Yes to projects that pay poorly or that suck your will to live. Youre probably writing because you like to write and youre good at it. Maybe youre even writing because its your dream. Thats great. But is your dream getting paid slave wages while writing on topics that dont interest you? There are a lot of interesting writing jobs out there that will pay well for a good writer. Taking jobs that exploit your time and your talent arent even good ways to build your portfolio. How can you hold your head up high and brag about how you wrote articles for $1 for some outsourcing company in the Philippines? Instead of wasting your time on such projects, invest your time in writing on topics that interest you and looking for companies that will pay you well. Thats a much smarter investment and one thats worthy of your time and creativity.

Monday, November 25, 2019

Roman Influence On Architecture Essays - Architectural Styles

Roman Influence On Architecture Essays - Architectural Styles Roman Influence On Architecture Roman Influence on Architecture The world of architecture has been greatly influenced and affected by Roman architectural design and development. Their innovative designs and influential developments developed centuries ago have provided a basis for architectural masterpieces found across the planet and, what's more, have remained relevant into the 21st Century. While the Romans borrowed many architectural designs from the Greeks and Etruscans, the additions that they did make to the world of architecture changed that world forever. Their invention of cement, their new use of arches and vaults, the development in aqueducts, and the development of road systems brought about change that affected not only the Roman Empire but also the many peoples that that great culture touched in its many travels and conquests. With the Roman invention of concrete in the first century BC and their growing understanding of the architectural principles of stress and counter-stress, Roman architects were able to experiment with new and elaborate forms of building, many of which were to pass in to the western architectural tradition. (Cunningham and Reich 156). Until this innovative development, architectural progress had been severely limited and restricted. Building designs, using traditional Grecian models within the post and lintel system, had allowed for limited change. With the development of concrete and the increased understanding of its uses and applications, Romans were able to erect structures that would have previously been impossible using the Grecian post and lintel system. It was also the Roman use of concrete that led the way to many other Roman innovations in architecture, most especially the use of arches and vaults. Prior to the use of arches, Greek and republican Roman temples had been relatively small, partly because of the difficulties involved in putting a roof on a large space, without the use of supports. The Romans found and developed a way to use internal arches (a curved structure that forms the upper edge of an open space, or the space between a bridge's supports (Arch)) and vaults (an arch-shaped structure, usually of masonry, used as the ceiling of a room or other enclosed space, as the roof of a building, or as the support for a ceiling or roof (Arch and Vault)) to provide roofs for structures of increasing size and complexity. This new innovative style was adopted by the Romans from the Etruscans, as early as the fifth century BC (Cunningham and Reich 156). Vaults used by the Romans were simple geometric forms: the barrel vault(semicircular in shape), the intersecting (groined) barrel vault, and the segmental vault. By the 1st century BC, extensive systems of vaulting were employed. A particularly fine example of Roman vaulting is the Basilica of Maxentius in Rome (Roman Architecture), and their influence on architectural styles in using the arch can be seen in modern day Washington Square in New York and the Champs Elysees in Paris (Cunningham and Reich 155). Building upon this development, after the second century, stone arches were commonly seen in bridges and aqueducts, there by giving birth to more major innovation. Because Rome covered such a large area and housed a massive population, it required a constant supply of water. The Romans were able to tackle this problem by creating a network of pipes that carried water from the surrounding hills, into the city of Rome. Ancient Rome was supplied by more than ten aqueducts, providing the city with some 38 million gallons of water each day (Tillery). This innovation led the way to future waterlines and sewer systems in the many places that Rome was to leave its influence, including Great Britain and France, many of which can still be seen today. Roman influence is also seen in Europe when looking at their modern day road systems. The Romans were the first civilization to make well-designed roads. This greatly increased the ability to expand because of the way roads were laid out. The major roads were constructed to keep the incredibly large empire linked so it would not fall. The Romans enhanced the roads by adding a number of things to the basic idea of roads, such as archways, city streets, and arch bridges (Road). It is easy to see, even in 21st Century contemporary

Thursday, November 21, 2019

Barrier and communication Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Barrier and communication - Essay Example These are the logical responsibilities of communication. Communication also impinges on the enthusiasm of employees to endow with useful suggestions In fact, effective communication between supervisors and employees for employees to make the important development require at every stage of decision. Employees characteristically are diffident to shape their goals, their concerns and their disappointments. Of course, an employee may be a moaner and share views to the summit a supervisor silently begs for less "communication." Much more widespread is necessitate better understanding what an employee is "really thinking. There are a number of ways that people go erroneous situation when communicating. Unfortunately, obstructions to workplace communication can escort to co-worker alienation, a stoppage to make a good intuition, arguments and misinterpretations. Perceptual Barriers: Employees nurture familiarized to perceiving things in meticulous ways, making it complicated to distinguish new meanings. For example, a manager who has a preference to appoint Ivy League graduates may neglect the outstanding and excellent contributions that could be made by a group of people, society, community and college students. Due to unfounded perceptions, a worker may urge incorrect solutions. Sandra Cleary suggests in her book â€Å"Communication: A Hands-On Approach† that education and intelligence impinge on our way of thinking, as do a persons physiological, security and self esteem needs. Physiological Barriers: Physiological barriers are characteristics of the speaker or listener that interfere with the transmission or reception of knowledge. Such as, an itching may make it complicated to be considerate to a conversation or drowsiness may affect an employees attentiveness. Physical soreness, aches and depression also unconstructively influence hearing and elucidation of a message. Other issues, such as famine,

Wednesday, November 20, 2019

Research the food truck business Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

The food truck business - Research Paper Example Depending on the size of a truck, an average number of six employees is necessary for carrying out the routine activities for a food truck business (Laban, 2013). The employees should include the truck driver, two chefs, two servers and the cashier. The first daily activity is to purchase necessary requirements for making the food that it will serve its customers. It is crucial for the truck business to stick to one supplier. The two chefs prepare the food and serve to maintain sanitation within the truck by washing the utensils and other equipment. The two servers respond to the customer’s request by serving the food to them. The cashier receives and records the money from the client. Operating a food truck business require full compliance with the established law governing the operation of such business. An individual needs to acquire a business license from relevant authorities to operate a food truck business (Rodrigo, 2014). Location license is also a requirement. In addition, the business must obtain a health permit and an operation manual to run the business. Laban, C. (2013, May 9). Operators talk about food-truck business. McClatchy - Tribune Business News. Washington, United States. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/business/docview/1349352395/fulltext/9238C351CBC44C03PQ/6?accountid=45049 Rodrigo, J. (2014, September 20). Business owner branches out to include food truck. McClatchy - Tribune Business News. Washington, United States. Retrieved from

Monday, November 18, 2019

Wrtng 3 extra paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Wrtng 3 extra paper - Essay Example More so, in addition to the skills noted, writing and analytical skills were enhanced in terms of looking at the ethical issues from various perspectives: from the organizations that represent the business profession, as well as government institutions that monitor and regulate the need to observe ethical standards that need to be conformed. One was thereby more made aware of the federal regulations in terms of ensuring anti-bribery laws are taken seriously and adhered to. With regards to revision plans for the paper, one could envision that should there be more time and space allotted to write a more comprehensive paper on the issue, more actual experiences in contemporary organizational setting could be provided. Further research could be conducted to determine the extent of bribery that still exists in current times and which famously known business organizations have been penalized for violating the federal law. Likewise, one is cognizant of the fact that the paper was presented by taking into consideration the audience’s understanding of the issue. However, one could not truly discern the veracity of this from the audience’s points of

Saturday, November 16, 2019

Major Turning Points In Wwii History Essay

Major Turning Points In Wwii History Essay One of the major turning points in World War 2 was when allied forces landed in Normandy, France on a day of great battle. About 175,000 allied troops landed on June 6th, the day that got to be known as D-day. The allied forces landed in Normandy, on Tuesday, 6 June 1944, beginning at 6:30 in the morning of British time. The two main operations on D-day were known as Operation Neptune and Operation Overlord. D-Day was the name that was used for the day of Normandy landing, which was not approved formally of. The code name given to the famous Allied raid of France planned for June 1944, was Operation Overlord. The commander-in-chief of Operation Overlord was General Dwight Eisenhower. Other leading commanders for Overlord included Air Marshall Leigh-Mallory, Air Marshall Tedder, Field Marshall Bernard Montgomery and Admiral Bertram Ramsey. Operation Overlord required the sort of logistical issues that no armed forces or military had ever had to manage. The most important preparation was for the Allies to have landed an immense amount of both men and equipment by the end of D-Day itself. The preparation and logistics behind Operation Overlord were beyond comparison in United States history. The Allies had to guarantee that no part of the entire plan was leaked, as it was very valuable and above all, the desire to fool the Germans was at a great height. The measly assembly of equipment required for the raid was a matter itself. The allies had a hard time figuring out where the weapons could be stored without attracting the awareness of German spies. Some of the other concerns were about how to transport them without the neighboring people discuss about them would and how a hefty sum of boats could be gathered and readied. During the actual incursion, more than 6,000 ships were needed for the invasion of Normandy and for future cross-Channel trips transporting troops and equipment. During the initial three days of the offense, Overlord intended to shift more than 100,000 men and practically 13,000 vehicles. The plan furthermore incorporated the movement of a synthetic harbor so that people and resources could be landed with extra ease once the main beaches had been held by allied forces. Operation Neptune was the cross-Channel passage segment of the much important Operation Overlord. Operation Neptune positioned all issues related to the navy and the marines under the command of Admiral Bertram Ramsey whose command skill had already been tested in 1940 with. Admiral Ramsey played a major role in the evacuation of troops from Dunkirk, which was another major operation. He knew that such an immense attack would leave huge damage on the Royal Navy merely in terms of the number of boats and ships required. The directorial and organizational issues were also immeasurable like operation Overload. About 6,000 ships were required for Operation Neptune, as this many posed major problems. They did not know where so many ships could be placed or if they could open a bombing raid on Germany or not, or how they would measure up against German U-boat attacks. It is perhaps a platitude that the triumph of D-Day (June 6th 1944) was built upon the quality and the type of sand. If the preferred beaches in Normandy were fabricated of the wrong sand, then the Allied protective coverings and transport vehicles would not have landed successfully. If there was no support from the tanks and armored trucks, the men on the beach would have had to cover a lot more resilient to a German counter-offensive. For that reason, the Allies required to know what sort of sand was on the selected beaches in Normandy prior to any planned invasion. The true alarm was that the beaches were made up of a mixture of sand that compromises peat, which is an assortment that would approximately contain any hefty military means of transportation from moving along normally. Â   So before the actual mission the allies had to risk the lives of two brave British soldiers, to help strengthen the actual D-day mission. On December 31st 1943, Sergeant Bruce Ogden-Smith and Major Logan Scott-Bowden landed in Normandy in the middle of the night. Their task was to collect sand and peat samples for scientists back in the United Kingdom, who would then come to a decision whether the potential landing beaches were competent to hold heavy military vehicles. At hand was a real concern that a great deal of troops may be submerged in the peat and be exposed to yet additional hazard. The two men that were selected for this risky task were experienced British officers. If they were caught both these men would face anguish and both would have been instantly killed due to Hitlers Commando Order. This order declared that any captured commandos ought to be killed out of hand. These men succeeded the mission and brought back samples of the sand and peat samples to the United Kingdom on New Years day (January 1st 1944). The English Channel, which is nearly ninety miles wide connecting Portsmouth, England, and the Normandy beaches, was a dreadful barrier for the armed forces. Near the start of the previous century it had upset Napoleon and in the 1940s it blocked the successful conquering of the Germans. By the spring of 1944, the Allies needed many hundreds of ships and aircrafts to convey their armies transversely across the Channel and instigate the emancipation of France. A storm postponed the operation, which was initially planned for the 5th of June. Many of the invasion forces had gone from their embarkation points, forcing all the vessels to get back to the seaport, where their crew and soldiers had to wait through packed and painful circumstances. Offered with a improved forecast for the sixth of June, General Dwight D. Eisenhower concluded to a cautious judgment late in the evening of June fourth, to get the transportation on their way, and gave his final decision to go at 4 A.M. on the fif th. Many minesweepers were defraying through transportation lanes throughout a fifteen mile wide radius. A numerous amount of vessels towed bombardment balloons, which were used as defense against German bombing attacks which didnt appear, since their frail atmosphere exploration kept them badly informed of what was happening. The route across was everything except smooth, particularly for infantry and tank landing vehicles, several of whose passengers had hard times, and suffered hours of seasickness throughout the nights of June 5th and 6th. As the convoys arrived at Normandy, their courses differed out to some extent, taking them to staging areas off the individual landing beaches. The majority of ships were in their ready places a long time prior to dawn. Deeper inshore, the hectic minesweepers sustained their work, opening secure, or at least moderately safe channels and functioning areas for landing boats and firing support ships. Above the darkness, a firm demonstration of hundreds of conveyer planes and gliders moved over Normandy, dropping U.S. paratroopers domestically, just west of the Utah beach. British parachutists came down south of the assault zone, but quickly got back into their planned locations. Following the preliminary waves of ships and planes came more, in a flood of troops that would continue to come, reinforcing the original landings and giving logistics support for the armies as they took over the beachhead, moved and battled their way across Europe. Led by the General of the U.S. Army, Dwight D. Eisenhower, the Normandy assault stage, with the code name Operation Neptune, as the whole maneuver itself was called Operation Overlord, which was launched after weather news predicted reasonable weather settings on the 6th of June in Normandy. Many large ships and aircrafts, supported by means of enemy warships, crossed the English Channel following dozens of minesweepers and traps. Most of the allied forces equipment, and warships arrived off the beaches prior to the crack of dawn. Three different divisions of paratroopers consisted of two American and one British, had previously been dropped locally. After a brief assault by ships and guns, soldiers of six special divisions three American, two British, and one Canadian, stormed ashore in five main beach landing areas, named Utah, Omaha, Gold, Juno, and Sword. Following many tough fights, in particular the one on Omaha Beach, by the end of the day, traction had been very well established. As the German counterattacks did not get through as they have expected, the Allies poured men and materials into France to take an advantage. Towards the end of July, reinforcements and steady battles made it possible for a getaway from the Normandy outskirts. An additional landing, in southern France in the middle of August, helped facilitate the liberation of France. While the Soviets were coming from the east, Hitlers army was pushed away, occasionally haltingly and constantly bloodily, back en route for their native soil. That was when the Second World War had entered its climactic stage. The number of Allied combat casualties on D-Day is approximated at about 10,000, of whom 2,500 died. D-Day resulted in the deaths of about 2700 British troops, 950 Canadians troops, and 6,600 American troops. In total about 15,000 to 20,000 French civilians died with an unidentified amount of casualties.

Wednesday, November 13, 2019

AIDS - Women Die Sooner than Men :: Science Health Diseases Essays

AIDS - Women Die Sooner than Men Given the varying types of gender-specific opportunistic diseases associated with AIDS such as cervical cancer, there is reason to believe that the biological progression of HIV/AIDS is different in women and men. Still, there is no conclusive evidence in support of the hypothesis that the progression of HIV/AIDS is more accelerated in women than it is in men. Regardless, the fact that women infected with HIV/AIDS become sicker faster and die sooner than men can be entirely attributable to social factors that do not depend on the scientific details of the HIV virus. Two social factors primarily responsible for the rapid demise of HIV-positive women in the United States are the mis- and under-representation of women in the national AIDS discourse and the disproportionate number of woman living in poverty. From the moment AIDS first appeared in the United States as "Gay-Related Immuno Deficiency", women (among others) were left out the national AIDS dialogue. Even though the first case of HIV/AIDS infection in an African-American woman was reported in 1982 (Goldstein 114), the general public believed for the most part of the 1980s that women would remain unaffected by the epidemic. Since then, women have been slowly incorporated into the national AIDS debate, albeit in a very limited and qualified manner. In her essay, "Seeing AIDS: Race, Gender, and Representation," Evelynn Hammonds recognizes an array of contemporary AIDS narratives depicting different female stereotypes, but contends that the majority of African-American women are not identifying with these narratives. In a study on commercial street sex workers, Kim Blankenship shows how such non-identification with an at-risk population can lead to a false sense of security while engaging in risky behaviors and can ultimately lead to a late diagnosis of HIV/AIDS. This is particularly problematic for African-Americans, who will account for 64% of new infections among women in the year 2002 according to the Center for Disease Control but do not "see" themselves as being affected by the epidemic. Consequently, African-Americans women will be diagnosed later in the progression of HIV/AIDS than men, the vast majority of whom identify themselves either with the at-risk population of men who have sex with men or with that of intravenous drug users (IDU). These women will therefore become sicker faster and die sooner. Another mis-representation of women in the AIDS epidemic that contributes to the speedy progression of HIV/AIDS in females is the characterization of women as "vectors" of transmission.

Monday, November 11, 2019

Forgive Me Mother Essay

Its strange how memories of the past can be so terrifying. The thoughts and the occurring dreams are always similar. I would remember longing for a summer where the summers light would beam on my body with the warmth of the sun. Winter was worse because I was terrified by the cold thick air that I would inhale inside my thin body until it feels I was shivering to death. The feeling of being alone , I couldn’t even sleep at night without being terrified; not because of being alone , but knowing my life would dwell with no hope for me for the future. I would see paranormal faces of my father. The haunting face would stare at me with such gentle eyes , yet sad. It’s like he was watching over me. Years ago when I had a family, loving yet annoyingly humorous in a family sense that I miss. We were having dinner with the family with just me , my mother and father. My mother was preparing the food and my father was coming home from work. However he never came back and my mother was worried and panicked. I was still too naà ¯ve to understand the situation fully back then. Hell I don’t even know how old I am anymore since I’ve lost track of time. I cried at first because my mother was always the strong type in the family. It was the first time I’ve seen her cry and the emotions inside of me wanted me to cry with her. He never came back and the authority’s told us he went missing. He was the provider of the family and we were financially unstable. My mother had to look for work , so she left to the city. She told me she would call me when she would be back. Once she left , the people who collects debt knocked on my door and seized the house. I had no place to go and so I left to find shelter and food. I got hired a job in a local newspaper agency to hand out flyers to neighbour streets. It was so cold but I never gave up hoping my mother would come back and take care of me. She couldn’t take me with her because she could only afford enough for herself to travel. We lived in a small town surrounded by snow somewhere in the upper regions of South Korea. One day while I was sleeping in the corner of the streets. A man walked pass with a white hat and apron with a grin on his cheeks. He looked at me for a couple of minutes. I was scared so I didn’t look back at him out of fear. I hear footsteps coming towards me and I was about to run. He asked â€Å"Why are you out in the streets alone at your age? , How old are you?†. I replied in a low voice ‘I don’t know†. He had a strange look on his face and asked me where my guardians was. I replied to him that I don’t know either. He asked me more questions which I all replied â€Å"I Don’t know†. I looked up and saw his face. He was a old man with a beard and had a stick on him which looked like it was supporting him move. It was a silent cold night and I’m not sure why he would be walking around at this time. He asked if I would like to work at his restaurant with cleaning and get paid for it. With nothing to lose I gladly accepted his offer. He took me to his place , it didn’t seem what he said it was. The restaurant looked like a dump and I only saw girls on the front door outside of the restaurant wearing what looked like beach clothing in cold weather. I was suspicious but I had nowhere to go and I didn’t know the way back from here. I followed the old man and he took me into a small room with 10 other children. At first I thought he was taking care of us until there was only girls in the room coming in and out one by one with a man. This isn’t a restaurant I suspected. I was disgusted and tried to leave but they didn’t let me leave. Pushing and crying to get out. They pulled me back , held both my hands and chucked me into a room by myself and locked the doors. Suddenly someone said *Calm down or they will punish you*. I stoped and looked for the source of the sound. The room had a little vent which leads to the other rooms. I whispered to the girl â€Å"What is this place† in a panicking voice. She told me it was a brothel where everyone gets kidnapped and rape for money by strangers. I asked her I was a male, â€Å"what do they want from me?† She told me she doesn’t know either. I didn’t want to find out , my life was already crumbling and now this. There was a medicine cabinet inside the room. I searched inside and found sleeping pills , I remember taking these when I lived with my parents. I could never sleep so the doctor prescribed me sleeping pills. I tried to sleep but I couldn’t out of the fear what was going to happen to me. I suggested to myself I should take these pills and ease things. I took the bottle of medicine from the cabinet. One wasn’t enough for me so I thought. I took more and more until I was feeling dizzy. I counted how many times and how much I’ve taken. But I lost count and started again. I needed more and I needed my peaceful slumber. I was scared to think what was going to happen and kept taking more and more pills until I could feel the bottom of the container. My body begins to weaken and I could no longer feel my fingers. My eyelids begin to shutdown. Soon darkness was all I could see , I felt a hollowing in a room with darkness and suspended in time. Forgive me mother I love you.

Saturday, November 9, 2019

Free Essays on Federal Bankruptcy Law

RESEARCH PAPER OUTLINE Topic. Federal Bankruptcy Law Thesis. Bankruptcy and reorganization is a complicated process. If the situation should ever arise an individual needs to know which Chapter suits his or her needs. A. Federal Bankruptcy Code a. Explanation of the origin b. Federal Bankruptcy Law c. Jurisdiction of courts B. Chapter 7 Liquidation Bankruptcy a. Procedure i. Filing a petition ii. Meeting of creditors iii. Appointment of trustee iv. Proof of claims b. Automatic stay c. Case dismissal d. Alternatives to Chapter 7 Bankruptcy e. Discharge C. Chapter 11 Reorganization Bankruptcy a. Why choose Chapter 11 b. Plan of reorganization i. Who develops the plan ii. Steps in the plan c. Discharge D. Chapter 13 Consumer Debt Adjustment a. Chapter 13 eligibility b. Important features c. Filing d. Automatic stay e. Plan of payment f. Confirmation of the plan g. Discharge E. Chapter 13 or Chapter 7 F. Rights of Creditors G. Conclusion Thesis Bankruptcy and reorganization is a complicated process. If the situation should ever arise an individual needs to know which Chapter suits his or her needs. Federal Bankruptcy Code The original Bankruptcy Act was enacted by Congress in 1878. In 1938 it was amended by the Chandler Act and completely revised again in 1978 by the Bankruptcy Reform Act that became effective on October 1, 1979. In 1984 the Bankruptcy Amendments and Federal Judgeship Act made bankruptcy courts part of the federal district court system and attached one to each district. The president appoints bankruptcy judges for 14-year terms. The term Bankruptcy Code refers to the amended act of 1978. Article I, section 8, clause 4 of the U.S. Constitution provides that â€Å"The Congress shall have the . . . to establish . . . uniform laws on the subject of bankruptcies throughout the United States.† Federal bankruptcy law establishes procedures for filing for bankr... Free Essays on Federal Bankruptcy Law Free Essays on Federal Bankruptcy Law RESEARCH PAPER OUTLINE Topic. Federal Bankruptcy Law Thesis. Bankruptcy and reorganization is a complicated process. If the situation should ever arise an individual needs to know which Chapter suits his or her needs. A. Federal Bankruptcy Code a. Explanation of the origin b. Federal Bankruptcy Law c. Jurisdiction of courts B. Chapter 7 Liquidation Bankruptcy a. Procedure i. Filing a petition ii. Meeting of creditors iii. Appointment of trustee iv. Proof of claims b. Automatic stay c. Case dismissal d. Alternatives to Chapter 7 Bankruptcy e. Discharge C. Chapter 11 Reorganization Bankruptcy a. Why choose Chapter 11 b. Plan of reorganization i. Who develops the plan ii. Steps in the plan c. Discharge D. Chapter 13 Consumer Debt Adjustment a. Chapter 13 eligibility b. Important features c. Filing d. Automatic stay e. Plan of payment f. Confirmation of the plan g. Discharge E. Chapter 13 or Chapter 7 F. Rights of Creditors G. Conclusion Thesis Bankruptcy and reorganization is a complicated process. If the situation should ever arise an individual needs to know which Chapter suits his or her needs. Federal Bankruptcy Code The original Bankruptcy Act was enacted by Congress in 1878. In 1938 it was amended by the Chandler Act and completely revised again in 1978 by the Bankruptcy Reform Act that became effective on October 1, 1979. In 1984 the Bankruptcy Amendments and Federal Judgeship Act made bankruptcy courts part of the federal district court system and attached one to each district. The president appoints bankruptcy judges for 14-year terms. The term Bankruptcy Code refers to the amended act of 1978. Article I, section 8, clause 4 of the U.S. Constitution provides that â€Å"The Congress shall have the . . . to establish . . . uniform laws on the subject of bankruptcies throughout the United States.† Federal bankruptcy law establishes procedures for filing for bankr...

Wednesday, November 6, 2019

Narcolepsy essays

Narcolepsy essays An article in the Scientific American, by Jerome M. Siegel, focused on a dangerous sleeping disorder called Narcolepsy. A Narcoleptic has Symptoms such as cataplexy, which is the loss of skeletal muscle tone, and always feeling sleepy during daytime hours. The people suffering from this disorder tend to feel as if they hadn't gone to sleep for 48 hours. In addition, they sleep poorly at night. Laughter, embarrassment, sudden anger, social interactions with strangers, and sexual intercourse may trigger a cataplectic attack. A Narcoleptic may even fall asleep at the most dangerous times. For example, driving a car with this untreated disorder puts a person at high risk of an automobile accident. The disorder makes it difficult for them to focus on specific things, such as schoolwork or work in the workplace. Sleep paralysis and hypnagognic hallucinations are among two other symptoms of narcolepsy. Sleep paralysis is an ability to move when you fall asleep or awaken. This occurs daily. On the other hand, hypnagogic hallucinations are dreamlike experiences during waking that sometimes incorporate elements of the environment. These symptoms occur when narcoleptics are most sleepy. In addition, not every person suffers from the symptoms the same way. Also, this article pointed out that Narcolepsy affects between one and one thousand and one and two thousand people in the U.S. In contrast, one in 600 in Japan to one in 500,000 in Israel. It also stated that the environment and ethnic backgrounds are the reason for the number differences of these countries. The first signs of Narcolepsy appear in the teens or 20's. The symptoms do get worse after a few years and then they plateau. The causes or Narcolepsy is linked to a disruption of the sleep control mechanism in our brain. Our sleep cycle normally has two stages, Rapid-Eye movement Sleep (REM), and Non-Rapid Eye Movement Sleep (NREM). When were experienci ...

Monday, November 4, 2019

Ebay - Business report Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Ebay - Business report - Research Paper Example With the varying market conditions and the preferences of the customers, the business of eBay developed significantly in recent times. This can be acceptable with reference to the fact that the company reported a profit of $4.4 billion in the year 2014, which was beyond its expectation (BBC, 2014). From the perspective of providing an e-business background of eBay, it must be mentioned that the company utilises a service of online payment named PayPal, which facilitates and eases in making transactions on behalf of the sellers as well as the buyers (Bensinger, 2012). Prior to conducting a detailed e-marketing study on eBay, it is essential to obtain a brief idea about the external setting of the company. With this concern, the theoretical structure of Porter’s five forces is taken into concern for analysing the external situation of the company. From the analysis, it is evident that eBay faces a moderate level of threat relating to the entrance of new market players in the industry, as there persists lower levels of entry requirement. Apart from this, the buyers’ and suppliers’ bargaining power are deemed to be high and moderate respectively owing to the reason that different e-commerce companies offer parallel products and/or services as that of eBay and the suppliers remain much eager to sell by making effective use of well-established online sites. Finally, eBay faces low level of threat of alternatives or substitutes, as the company offers certain attractive features to the potential customers that entail auctions and bu yer protection among others. Apart from the above discussed aspects, the company also faces high level of threat from the existing business market competition in the similar industry due to the presence of already existing companies like Alibaba and Amazon among others (Hao, 2013). E-marketing analysis of eBay clearly

Saturday, November 2, 2019

Procurement Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Procurement - Assignment Example erefore, the outdoor sports stores REI might try to use certain strategies at the time of selecting the sources of supply, suppliers, market place and competition. Sources of supply: in order to satisfy the changing needs of the individual, maximum extent of the entrepreneurs of outdoor sport stores REI try to offer best products. Only then, the level of satisfaction rate of the customers might get enhanced thereby amplifying the rate of dominance in the market. However, in order to do so, the entrepreneurs desire to analyze the psychology and perception of the customers through vivid market research and competitor orientation policy. After doing so, the sources of supply are determined by the entrepreneurs of outdoor sports stores REI’s, in order to attract a wide range of customers towards it and to retain them for longer period of time among others (Drummond & Ensor, 2006). Not only this, by market research and customer orientation, the risk of switch over costs might be reduced that may prove extremely effective for the organization in the market among other rival players. Suppliers- as per contracting policy, the suppliers might be selected after signing the document of placing the orders exactly in time and also with exact materials. If the specified time period gets delayed then, the entire order of products might get cancelled along with the contractual document as well. Then, the suppliers may not be offered any sort of orders that might hamper the entire productivity and profitability of the organization. So, the suppliers are selected extremely consciously in order to retain them for longer period of time (Christensen, 2003). Market places- the market places are selected on the basis of the geographical distribution of the area. This is because, if the range of buyers is high, then the rate of sale might also be increased thereby amplifying its total profit margin as well. Similarly, if numerous mass markets, super markets or hyper markets are

Thursday, October 31, 2019

Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 3

Assignment Example (15 reasons, n.d) Another good form of enhancing and staging presence of the product and company over the internet is by selecting various other forms of advertising available online. Some of the important ones are social networking websites, search engine optimization, banners (paid advertising), linking strategies, public relations. i) Social network websites: This is one of the recent forms of online advertising, here website like face book, twitter etc are used to gain exposure and online presence. The use of sponsored videos in you tube will also attract site traffic. ii) Search engine optimization: Today there are hundreds of millions of websites and only about 10-20 % of the websites are ever really indexed, therefore it is important for the optimization of web pages with key words and phrases, different types of software are available for search engine positioning.(Ralph ,2000) iii) Banners (paid advertising): These graphical or animated promotions on websites advertise products in a very stimulating manner. The incorporation of this in the advertising strategy will help a great deal. Sites like you tube, google and other gaming websites will help in reaching targeted audience and increasing traffic on the desired website. (Banner ads) iv) Linking Strategies: This basically means that more links pointing to the website there more traffic generated and the greater the popularity the higher the rank in the search engines. The monetary input in quite expansive. v) Public Relations: Attaining of several press releases and coverage through print or internet publications will help boost traffic many folds over, this nature is mostly free and has proved to be very effective. (Ralph ,2000) Activation: This website is not very interactive, it does not possess options such as detailed information on the product, options to purchase,

Tuesday, October 29, 2019

Comparsion and Contrast Essay the Welcome Story and What Its Like to Be a Black Girl Essay Example for Free

Comparsion and Contrast Essay the Welcome Story and What Its Like to Be a Black Girl Essay Trying to Fit What do you do when you feel like you just dont fit in with the society you live in? Since the beginning of time blacks women, have been recognized as women who don’t fit the traditional ideal of beauty. A woman of color comes in all different shades of skin tones Caramel, Golden bronze, Cocoa brown and Dark brown. Their hair comes in a quite few different textures, from tight as a thick rubber band, to curls about thick as your pinky finger. Most people describe black women natural afro textured hair as kinky, spiraled, fizzy or nappy. During the slavery-era to the early 1900’s black women in America, went from cornrows, braids and other natural styles. Some reasons for this as I grow up getting perms known as straight hair was a sign of class and Nappy hair was a sign that you were poor. With segregation no longer being an issue, blacks were now free to work their way up in American society, but they still faced white racism. Whites’ people saw black people skin features as a sign that one is given to being sexual active, violence and lacking in intelligence. Many blacks lightened their skin and straightened their hair to appear more acceptable to whites in order to get ahead. When it comes to black women television shows, show how society should be in the eyes of T.V. and its monkey see monkey do from there. Black women have been villianized on television. They are portrayed as home wreakers and baby momma with several different dads or the lowest standard. If you ever see a successful man on television he is not allowed to be portrayed with a black woman. If you watch a music video, the star of the video will not be shown with a black woman with clothes covering her body. The media would not like to high light the qualities of black women because the executives behind the scenes arent black men. The goal is to make white women appear to be the best and highest quality of woman that Barbie. For this reason you will see interracial relationships between every celebrity athlete and the not a black woman of their choice. At this point a white woman on your arm represents she is super smart and very successful. Some people wont fall absolutely for the trap and be with a white woman, but they still wont marry a black woman. Black woman is demanding a new set of female definitions and a recognition of herself of a citizen, companion and confidant, not a matriarchal villian or a step stool baby-maker. Role integration advocates the complementary recognition of man and woman, not the competitive recognition of same.(duke.edu) The strangest thing about this stereotype situation is that many white women go to tanning booths often to get a caramel complexion of an African descent skin. Who created the monster of discrimination and Why? A question we will never know. Discrimination based on skin color, or colorism, is a form of prejudice or discrimination in which human beings are treated differently based on the social meanings attached to skin color. (Wikipedia.com) The â€Å"Welcome Table† is a story that is filled with religious symbolism. Religion is the theme of this story. This story is enduring in the sense that it shows the strength and belief an old black woman had to face during her trials and tribulations. â€Å"What it’s like to Be a Black Girl† is a poem that gives the reader an inside view into a young black girl’s transition into black woman-hood at a time where being a black girl and being a black woman was not as welcomed. In these two literary works, although the similarities aren’t quite the same they still have the same concept. In the short story The Welcome table you have a narrator’s point of view and ‘What It’s Like To Be A Black Girl’, you have the actual author of the poem giving her point of view from experiencing how things where . Although there is a cultural difference it still involves race and how it affects a one individual’s way of feeling and the outlook from someone else’s appearance. â€Å"The Welcome Table† was a short story whom was written by Alice Walker. She was born on February 9, 1944, in Eatonton, Georgia . Alice Walker is one of the most admired African American writers working today. She studied at Spelman College, Atlanta, and Sarah Lawrence College, New York, then worked as a social worker, teacher, and lecturer. She has taught gender studies courses at Wellesley College and  began one of the first gender Studies programs in the United States. Her publications include poems, short stories, and novels. She continues to write, exploring life situations through the eyes of African American women and advocating ways to approach challenges of sexism, racism, and poverty in American life. She took a brief break from her writing in the 1960s to live in Mississippi and work in the civil rights movement, returning to New York to write for Ms. Magazine. Alice Walker won the 1983 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction for her 1982 novel, The Color Purple, and is also an acclaimed poet and essayist. This short story had a very compelling plot which is described in our text book as â€Å" A dynamic element in fiction, sequence of interrelated conflicting actions and event typically build to a climax and bring a resolution.† (Clugston, 2010) The first part The Welcome Table is told in the third person and shifts the point of view from which the story is told. The beginning of the story is told from the white peoples perspectives as they see an old black woman. The author goes on to describe the look of the old spiritual woman who eyes were blue –brown in color and where nearly blind. The old woman’s Sunday clothes high polished shoes, rusty mildew dress, and an elegant silk scarf stained with grease from her pig-tails. (Clugston, 2010) She walked many miles, alone in freezing cold until she came upon a church all sweaty and clammy. It was a church only for white people. She stopped on the steps of the church to rest before going inside. When she went into the church, the reverend stopped her by saying â€Å"Auntie, you know this is not your church? The white people are at a loss when they see her near the entrance of the church and do not know what to do. Some would have taken her in from the cold. But other judge her appearance makes some of the white people think of black workers, maids, cooks; others think of black mistresses or jungle orgies. Still others think that she is a foreshadow of what is to come black people invading the one place that it still considered the white persons sanctuary, their private church. As the old lady sat down on the church prewe chairs the old lady was sing in her head. The white women inside the church, who take it as a personal insult and feel the most threatened about the old black lady being at their church, they rouse their husbands to throw the old lady out. Still sing in her head now a sad song,  the old lady looked down the road and seen Jesus and died on the side of the road. (Clugston, 2010) Visualize anything other than that of an old poor lady being mistreated by racism. After reading and experience feelings of compassion when the author describes the unnamed old womans appearance and hygiene as she tried to enter the church. From the depiction expressed throughout the narration of this story, one could sense that this short story was created from the personal experiences or from seeing others who went through. The strangest part of the story is when the pastor call her auntie, either she was the nanny child who grow up with the pastor’s mothe r or father? Who they must had consider her as family without people knowing. â€Å"What it like to be a black girl† is a poem that was written by Patricia Smith. She was born in Chicago in 1955 currently lives in Howell, NJ. She is a four-time individual National Poetry Slam champion and appeared in the 1996 documentary SlamNation. an American poet, former journalist , playwright, author, writing teacher, and spoken-word performer. She has published poems in literary magazines and journals including TriQuarterly, Poetry, The Paris Review, Tin House, and in anthologies including American Voices and The Oxford Anthology of African-American Poetry. She is on the faculties of the Stonecoast MFA Program in Creative Writing and the Low-Residency MFA Program in Creative Writing at Sierra Nevada College.(Wikipedia.com) In this poem the author is telling this story in third person omniscient the poem tells the story of a young black girl exploring and experiencing the changes to of her body. Now starting to develop in many areas to become a black woman she feels like something is wrong with the way she looks. The author uses jagged sentence structure and strong language to also show the reader the importance of this poem. The writer gives the audience an insider’s view into a young black girl world who is feeling like she is one of the most ugliest person on earth. â€Å"It’s dropping food coloring in your eyes to make them blue and suffering their burn in silence. (Clugston, 2010) This poem speaks of the young girl changing her image by placing blue contacts in her eyes. It’s popping a  bleached white mophead over the kinks of your hair. The writer is speaking of the young girl putting a perm on her hair to straight out her hair. I respect the authors reflection of the nine years old girl feeling and trying to fix everything about herself that the world tells her is wrong. The straightening out her hair because being black left you with kinky, curly, frizzy hair., the contacts you wear, the things you do to make yourself look more lik e the beautiful, blonde-haired, blue-eyed white girl. the television have protrude as beauty. When youre nine, you shouldn’t feel these things are necessary because you havent fully developed yet. Primping in front of the mirrors that deny your reflection (Clugston, 2010) Is something many poor women did, but for the black woman in the 1950s it was about using press combs and making outfits to fit in and not being some negro woman, drawing attention to herself. I feel for the author wrote this poem in seeking acceptance from others. In my conclusion, the main character in each of the stories is a protagonist black female who both struggle with trying to be accepted in society due to the color of their skin. Being different is all about how you handle the situation. When one thinks their better than one race that’s when being different is a problem. Comparing these two stories there is racism and discrimination they had to face. Both stories express the determination of one woman and one young girl who survive through all adversity. The authors speak of the hardship one woman and one young girl had to face and suffer. Understanding the fear, struggle and those women of color went through during this time and now. Being different is what god made us. No one person is exactly the same even if the world was one color. Reference 1. Clugston, 2010 2. Wikipedia.com 3. duke.edu 4. poet.org 5. wordwoman. Ws 6. ehow.com 7. Literary Cavalcade;Feb2003, Vol. 55 Issue 5, p32