Christian Moral Teaching and Money

Money is actually the most complex phenomenon ever understood by man because of its â€Å"miraculous nature†. Some folks also argue that money is the root cause of all evil but I will also argue that lack of money is also root of all evil from a moral point of view. Money is life since money can give almost everything.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Christian Moral Teaching and Money specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Who said that money is not life? Money is life since the time you get money which is enough you feel more alive than when you have nothing. Am not amoral but realistic. Luxuries, happiness, and good food just to name a few are all about me. Actually I subscribe to the school of thought which argues that money â€Å"talks† (Hartman, DesJardins, 2010). Money in relationship to Christian faith has been very much contentious with some followers arguing that money is evil since it led to cr ucifixion of Jesus Christ the Messiah who was betrayed by Judas Iscariot. Attitude about money since history and also the contemporary world dissent in a great way and this leads to polarization. Monks of the mediaeval age consecrated poverty so much but today, there are a lot of prosperity preachers preaching about sawing seeds because the love money and they do not even deny this fact. Matters of money and affluence are very much conspicuous but superfluous in the Christian realm. Although the scripture is very much clear about the dangers of riches Christians proclaim wealth as being a blessing from God. The same scripture also gives clarity on the issue wealth since wealth may not be a ticket to heaven since even the wicked flourish with wealth hence debacles of money are stupendous. The attitude of the early church about money was quite different because of the dogmatic anticipation of the Lord’s return. If anybody has to meet his maker then even the World Bank will lose value and meaning in consequence the early church did not struggle so much with the themes they did not understand. Virtue ethics in relation to the use of money and the corporate social responsibility has a characteristic of contemporary virtue ethicists. Virtue ethics argues that any action taken is right only if that action could be done by the most righteous people on earth given the same circumstances that led to the dispensing of that very action. To my understanding about virtue ethics, what it claims may not really be distinguished since as it appears it is next to a clichà ©. The disparity connecting those who practice righteousness and virtue ethicist like me is positioned in how the claimed manner is read.Advertising Looking for essay on ethics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The notion of right and wrong or the righteous and wicked in relation to expend of workers in the industries and money is quite fundamental since how can you keep unproductive worker only because you are being virtuous? Virtuous agents only use truism in satisfaction of their imminent ideas and concepts (Hartman, DesJardins, 2010). Some people may argue that something is right only if that action leads to utility maximization hence without utility maximization which is a desire in most of the corporate world then action is inadmissible. Hence the definition of an agent who is virtuous is totally deficient. As a president of the Viacom which is failing I would do anything to revamp the company’s worth in the stock market. I do not agree with the ideas of Sharon about keeping the employees who cannot deliver since they do not have any incentive to deliver on. The company is in doldrums and on the blink of collapsing. Even if the analysts argue that am trying to lay off the company workers so as to invest in machines, if that is good for the company then I think it is virtuous to do the right thing in order to sal vage the company than retain workers and our stock is fixed and reducing in value. Employees do not invest in companies but it is the company that invests in the employees hence the employees are required to do their best and be enterprising so as to make sure that the company is rejuvenating from its continuous loses. Am not thinking of laying out employees so as to frustrate them but as a president, if you lay down strict policies on the terms of performance and you include laying off as an alternative to non performing workers, then I strongly think that all workers will put the interest of the company first. As a president whatever step I take on matters of policies righteousness should be thought out well since in respect of virtue ethics, what am doing is right for the company and if it fails, I will have failed also hence need to be laid off by the company and employ another president who can perform and deliver for the sake of the company. For any business to perform well, m arket changes in terms of competition must be mitigated within the changes in the industry and also the company (Hartman, DesJardins, 2010). Almost all corporations have policies and there are usually yearly reports that show the progress of the corporate whether it is failing or succeeding and the reports are usually detailed. So as a president of Viacom, which caliber of report am I going to give? Laying off non performing workers is not an adequate solution but we also have competitors who will not like to see as advancing since we exist in a free market economy. Defining what is â€Å"socially responsible† contentious hence mostly arguable.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Christian Moral Teaching and Money specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Corporations make part of the beau monde and the impacts of such organization to the society should be thought of very critically. First before anybody condemns my action as the president of the Viacom, you should ask yourself what will happen to the society if the company falls. And what will happen to the society if an individual who is unproductive is laid off. There is nobody in the corporate world that will take social responsibility without having a thought of accumulating maximum profits to the company which actually matters most. I would also dare and ask, if I keep fifteen employees of Viacom and there are no profits and the company is liquidated how those employees will survive without the company. In conclusion, incorporation of the theories in ethics and Christian moral teaching about money and the corporate world which has to do mostly with social responsibility, is quite difficult but in case of a company failing in its output there are so many issues that are supposed to be addressed and if at all the problems are identified, analyzed and implemented then the company will stand out benefit. Reference Hartman, L., DesJardins, J. (2010). Business Ethics: Decision-Making for Personal Integrity Social Responsibility (2nd ed.). New York: McGraw-Hill/Irwin. This essay on Christian Moral Teaching and Money was written and submitted by user Spencer L. to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

The Meaning of -N Desu in Japanese

The Meaning of '-N Desu' in Japanese The phrase –n desu (ã‚“ 㠁 §Ã£ â„¢), meaning it is, is sometimes used at the end of a sentence. It is also commonly used in conversation, though it might be difficult for beginners to learn. The phrase has an explanatory or confirmatory function. The difference between –masu (ã€Å"㠁 ¾Ã£ â„¢), another nominal ending for a verb, and  Ã¢â‚¬â€œn desu is very subtle. This makes it very hard to translate. The nominal ending  Ã¢â‚¬â€œn desu can be translated as it is the case that or it is for the reason that. However, there is no true English equivalent. –N Desu Versus –Masu One of the best ways to understand the subtle, nuanced meaning of –n desu is to compare it to  Ã¢â‚¬â€œmasu  by viewing how two sentences use these endings differently: Ryokou ni iku n desu ka? (りょ㠁“㠁† 㠁 « 㠁„㠁  ã‚“ 㠁 §Ã£ â„¢ 㠁‹ã€‚) Are you going to travel? Ryokou ni ikimasu ka? (  Ã£â€šÅ Ã£â€šâ€¡Ã£ â€œÃ£ â€  㠁 « 㠁„㠁 Ã£  ¾Ã£ â„¢ 㠁‹ã€‚) Are you going on a trip? In the first sentence, which uses –n desu, the  speaker assumes that the listener is going on a trip and just wants her to confirm it. In the second sentence, which uses –masu,  the speaker simply wants to know if the listener is going on a trip or not. Formal Versus Informal You also need to use a different form of  Ã¢â‚¬â€œn desu when it  is attached directly to a plain form of the verb in an informal situation. When the circumstances are informal, use –n da  instead of –n desu, as demonstrated in the table. The sentences are written first in hiragana, which is a phonetic syllabary  (or transliteration) made from simplified  kanji  characters. These sentences are then spelled using Japanese characters. An English translation follows on the right side of the table. Ashita doubutsuen ni ikimasu.明æâ€" ¥Ã¥â€¹â€¢Ã§â€° ©Ã¥Å"’㠁 «Ã¨ ¡Å'㠁 Ã£  ¾Ã£ â„¢Ã£â‚¬â€š(formal) I am going to the zoo tomorrow.(simple statement) Ashita doubutsuen ni iku.明æâ€" ¥Ã¥â€¹â€¢Ã§â€° ©Ã¥Å"’㠁 «Ã¨ ¡Å'㠁 Ã£â‚¬â€š(informal) Ashita doubutsuen ni iku n desu.明æâ€" ¥Ã¥â€¹â€¢Ã§â€° ©Ã¥Å"’㠁 «Ã¨ ¡Å'㠁 Ã£â€šâ€œÃ£  §Ã£ â„¢Ã£â‚¬â€š(formal) I am going to the zoo tomorrow.(explaining his or her plans for tomorrow.) Ashita doubutsuen ni iku n da.明æâ€" ¥Ã¥â€¹â€¢Ã§â€° ©Ã¥Å"’㠁 «Ã¨ ¡Å'㠁 Ã£â€šâ€œÃ£   Ã£â‚¬â€š(informal) Note how in Japanese, social context is very important. In English, the social situation, or position of the person you are addressing, would make little or no difference. You would tell a good friend at school or a visiting dignitary at a formal state dinner that you are going to the zoo using the same words. Yet, in a formal situation in Japan, you would use –n desu, but you would use  Ã¢â‚¬â€œn da if the circumstance were less formal. In the case of the first two sentences above, you would use –masu  in a formal situation but omit the ending altogether if the setting or circumstances were informal. Why Questions In Japanese, why questions are often completed with –n desu because they are asking for a reason or an explanation, as the table demonstrates: Doushite byouin ni iku n desu ka.Haha ga byouki nan desu.㠁 ©Ã£ â€ Ã£ â€"㠁 ¦Ã§â€"…é™ ¢Ã£  «Ã£  Ã£â€šâ€œÃ£  §Ã£ â„¢Ã£ â€¹Ã£â‚¬â€šÃ¦ ¯ Ã£ Å'çâ€"…æ °â€"㠁 ªÃ£â€šâ€œÃ£  §Ã£ â„¢Ã£â‚¬â€š Why are you going to the hospital?Because my mother is sick. Doushite tabenai n desu ka.Onaka ga suiteinai n desu.㠁 ©Ã£ â€ Ã£ â€"㠁 ¦Ã© £Å¸Ã£  ¹Ã£  ªÃ£ â€žÃ£â€šâ€œÃ£  §Ã£ â„¢Ã£ â€¹Ã£â‚¬â€šÃ£ Å Ã£  ªÃ£ â€¹Ã£ Å'㠁™ã â€žÃ£  ¦Ã£  ªÃ£ â€žÃ£â€šâ€œÃ£  §Ã£ â„¢Ã£â‚¬â€š Why don't you eat?Because I am not hungry.

Business Principles in Human Resource Management Essay - 2

Business Principles in Human Resource Management - Essay Example Consequently, commitment ignites achievement of goals and faithfulness towards the desired objective ( Burrow, James, and Kleindl, 300). A competent leader induces hard work with adequate purpose to achieve set targets. This is vital to me as competent employees strive towards success. To a business, competency induces additional skills and knowledge leading to innovation and creativity. This is a significant principle of management as it guarantees a business success. Congruence is an important principle in the process of management that ensures legibility in decisions made. To me, it is a concept, which helps in arriving at the achievable and realistic goal. To a business, congruence ensures objectives are timely and realistic. This, in turn, leads to the success of the business. Without cost-effectiveness and fair reward of employees, set goals will be difficult to achieve. As a manager, this principle will assist me in spending economically and in all sector of the business. To a business, cost-effectiveness is important as extra resources can be channeled to develop other departments. As a manager, continuous development and improvements are important as it not only boost the morale of employees but also improves the working environment. Change in a business increases the productivity of employees and in turn yields. As, a manager, unique strategies are extremely vital which comes from creativity. Creativity enables the realization of new strategies using new approaches enable the business gain competitive advantage. In addition, creativity encourages the use of limited resources a factor which builds a business due to enough resources. Building trust is a very vital process in human resource management. The credibility of employees to undertake their strategies and meet their objectives is a central role in management. To a business, credibility consummates human resource to deliver adequately.

Portfolio Project management Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3750 words

Portfolio Project management - Term Paper Example The products of Wal-Mart are differentiated according to various ranges. Wal-Mart generally applies the combination of differentiation and cost leadership that is Wal-Mart emphasizes on providing various products and services with better quality by charging a price that is less as compared to its competitors. Wal-Mart has also been able to enter into its international market by the adoption of multinational business strategy. The prime reason of success of Wal-Mart is that it believes on focusing and developing the strategy of the single business which refers to as focusing and prioritizing on 95% of revenue that is generated from the grocery business. Wal-Mart generally adopts and formulates economies of scale for gaining cost advantages over its competitors. Wal-Mart has designed its products and services in such a way that it provides the customers to save money and also to live a better and proper life. Wal-Mart mainly consist of selling the products and merchandise such as by ma il, store or through online. Wal-Mart allowed the company to achieve an efficient and large scale supply chain; it has its own low cost brands such as the great value. Wal-Mart has designed a unique cost structure which allows and facilitates Wal-Mart to charge low and fewer prices from its customers and achieving high and effective competitive advantages. Wal-Mart has adopted a strategy by charging a low price and providing a good quality of products. Wal-Mart generally uses the aggregate forecast for investigating and monitoring the trends of customer purchase for each and every store. Wal-Mart is capable of maintaining inventory at a lower level and meeting the demand of the customer. The decrease or reduction in the level of inventory will lead to the decrease in the floor plan and lowering the expense of interest and also lowering the cost of carrying and providing a wide diversity of products that is displayed on the shelves of the store that is

Detail the Renaissance, and Baroque Periods of Art in Europe Literature review - 1

Detail the Renaissance, and Baroque Periods of Art in Europe - Literature review Example The term â€Å"renaissance† stands for â€Å"rebirth†; it describes a period in history when the classical values of Greece and Rome were reborn. According to Aigret & Kloss (2005), renaissance art is reported to have emerged in the nation of Italy; this was in the late 13th and early 14th centuries (Kloss, 2013). It is noteworthy that the Renaissance art period is generally categorized into three main periods; these are the early Renaissance, high Renaissance, and Northern Renaissance. Several characteristics describe the art in the Renaissance period (Kloss, 2013). In addition to being very naturalistic and individualistic in nature, the art of the Renaissance placed a great emphasis on perspective In addition to this, Aigret & Kloss (2005) purport that the art of the Renaissance was typified by intricate formal displays as well as a unique tendency towards emotional expression (Adams, 2001). Artists in this period, for instance in Flanders, wanted their audience to r eact emotionally to their work in order to derive inspiration or encouragement from the artwork. Renaissance art was also very realistic in nature and made expansive use of light and shadow for purposes of creating an appearance of depth (Kloss, 2013). According to Aigret & Kloss (2005), the art period described as the Renaissance occurred at a time in history when Europe was characterized by an increased level of prosperity and political stability. In addition to this, this time in history was typified by the emergent of new technology and knowledge, for instance, the establishment of new methodologies of astronomy and the creation of the printing press (Adams, 2001). The Renaissance art period in Europe is a time in history when literature and philosophy gained an increased level of preeminence.   

Smoking ban

Smoking ban The smoking ban has gone underway and the public are still wondering whether it has become a success. Businesses are starting to collapse but yet, second hand smokers are benefitting. In 2004, then Prime Minister, Tony Blair told a BBC programme that the Government were considering banning people to smoke in workplaces and enclosed public places (ash: 2004). This came after the news that second-hand smoke deaths had reached around 700 that year (Sparrow: 2004). Despite giving up smoking on his wedding day, the former Prime Minister believed that the smoking ban would benefit the public. Youve got to have balanced decision-making in this, he said, On the one hand its something that does damage your health, but youve got to be careful you dont end up with a nanny state. (Clark: 2004) However, it was not until 2006 that the Government announced that the smoking ban will cover the whole of the country. This was due to the fact that they were under pressure after appeals from health campaigners (Charter, Webster: 2006). At the moment, the Government is giving a lot of support to the No Smoking Day appeal. Dan Tickle, Chief Executive of this organisation believes that this support has made the company effective (Tickle: 2009). Research has shown No Smoking Day costs well under  £100 for every year of an ex-smokers life that is saved. That makes us both the most effective smoking cessation intervention and also one of the most cost effective public health measures in the UK. He said (Tickle: 2009). When it all happened Scotland was the first country in the UK to take the smoking ban into effect. From 6am on the 26th March 2006 (clearingtheair: 2009), public places such as bars and restaurants would give fines and punishment to whoever smoked. A  £50 penalty for example will apply to anyone smoking in enclosed places. Failure to place warnings to customer, the public place will be issued with a  £200 fine (BBC: 2006). From when the ban began to 30th April 2006, statistics showed that more than 15,000 complaints were made in just as many public places. In the last three months of 2008, the number of complaints was halved (clearingtheair: 2008). The second British country to announce the smoking ban was Wales. However, when it started on the 2nd April 2007, punishments were a little more daunting. An on-the-spot  £50 penalty will be issued for those who smoked in public places but also any premises that arent enforcing the ban will be fined  £2,500 (BBC: 2007). Twelve months later, 84% of people continued their support for the ban, an increase by 13% the previous year. Only 79 penalties were issued whilst only one business were penalised (BBC: 2008). Another twelve months after, saw the level of fines increase to 132 (smokingbanwales: 2009). Northern Ireland followed Waless lead and banned smoking in public places in the end of April 2007. This comes, however three years after Republic of Ireland introduced the ban. Similar punishments were enforced with Wales (4NI: 2007). From 1st September 2008, they increased the purchase of cigarettes from 16 to 18 years. Chris McAuley, Northern Irelands Tobacco Control Officer (McAuley, e-mail: 2009) has said that itll benefit childrens health. He has also proposed to ban displayed tobacco and vending machines which sells cigarettes. McAuley has also praised Health Minister, Shaun Woodward for his contribution to the smoking ban (McAuley: 2009) The Health Minister (Shaun Woodward) has shown strong leadership and long-term vision, and his name will go down in history as having done something worthwhile for the people of Northern Ireland. He said (McAuley: 2009). The pressure was mounted on the English after Northern Ireland decided that they would have a smoking ban in 2005. Patricia Hewitt, then Health Secretary took the plunge and prohibit smoking in public places (Chrisafis, Carvel: 2005). The ban took into effect in England from 1st July 2007 (smokefreeengland: 2009). Sports Cafe Although expectations were raised over the success of the smoking ban, some businesses feared loss of income. There was one place in particular made the headlines. Sports Cafe has been a popular bar for many places. In Newcastle for example, the cafe opened in 2005 and showed main sporting events live and also a ladies-only bar. In 2008, Sports Cafe went into administration after failing to pay their  £10 million debt. Agilo has now taken over the bar (Ford: 2009). Now, only four remain (SportsCafe: 2009). However, Marloes Holtkamp, who works at the Tobacco Policy Branch for Welsh Assembly Government denies claims that the ban is to blame for closures of pubs and restaurants (Holtkamp: 2009). In recent years, pubs have been under pressure from, among other things, stricter enforcement of drink driving laws and cheaper alcohol from supermarkets encouraging drinking at home. She said (Holtkamp: 2009) A month before the smoking ban in England, up to 200 landlords planned a day of defiance. They had also threatened to break the law on the first day of the ban on July 1st. Although the Government admitted that the ban would cost  £1.6 billion, the profits would be a benefit to the nation with a net up to  £2.1 billion (Lusher, Goslett: 2007). QuitClock It has been said that 40,000 lives had been saved and 400,000 people quitting smoking altogether in 2008 (Laurance: 2008). However, there are still a high amount of children starting to smoke, despite the percentages decreasing all the time (NHS: 2008). This is why BUPA have announced a new Facebook application, QuitClock. For members of this social networking site, this can help keep track of the amount of smoking they consume a day and offers at a glance how much money they can save if they didnt purchase any cigarettes. It gives them support and positive feedback (medicalnews: 2009). There are currently 295 active monthly members (Facebook: 2009). This application is also available via the No Smoking Day Facebook page (Tickle: 2009). Word count: 998 Bibliography and references Ash. 2004. Health campaigners welcome Blair smoking comments [Online] (Updated: 4 June). Available at: http://www.ash.org.uk/ash_wj60sn87.htm [Accessed: 12 November 2009] BBC. 2006. Scotland begins pub smoking ban [Online] (Updated: 26 March). Available at: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/4845260.stm [Accessed: 12 November 2009] BBC. 2007. Wales starts public smoking ban [Online] (Updated: 2 April). Available at: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/wales/6511431.stm [Accessed: 12 November 2009] BBC. 2008. 80 penalties given in smoking ban [Online] (Updated: 2 April). Available at: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/wales/7324402.stm [Accessed: 12 November 2009] Charter, D. Webster, P., 2006. Britain gives up smoking The Times, [internet] 15 February. Available at: http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/article730913.ece [Accessed: 12 November 2009] Chrisafis, A. Carvel, J., 2005. Northern Ireland smoking ban puts pressure on England to toe the line The Guardian, [internet] 18 October. Available at: http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2005/oct/18/northernireland.smoking [Accessed: 13 November 2009] Clark, R., 2004. Cherie made Tony give up cigarettes, and theres nothing like the zeal of a reformed smoker Daily Telegraph, [internet] 6 June. Available at: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/comment/personal-view/3606909/Cherie-made-Tony-give-up-cigarettes-and-theres-nothing-like-the-zeal-of-a-reformed-smoker.html [Accessed: 12 November 2009] Clearingtheair. 2008. Latest situation [Online] (Updated: 31 December). Available at: http://www.clearingtheairscotland.com/latest/index.html [Accessed: 12 November 2009] Clearingtheair. 2009. Welcome to make a smoke free Scotland [Online] (Updated: 2009). Available at: http://www.clearingtheairscotland.com/ [Accessed: 12 November 2009] Facebook. 2009. Quitclock [Online] (Updated: 13 November). Available at: http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#/apps/application.php?id=39245025835ref=searchsid=1259038877.329601954..1 [Accessed: 13 November 2009] Ford, C., 2009. Mystery of Sports Cafe shutdown Sunday Sun, [internet] 18 January. Available at: http://www.sundaysun.co.uk/news/north-east-news/2009/01/18/mystery-of-sports-cafe-shutdown-79310-22717368/ [Accessed: 13 November 2009] Holtkamp, M., [emailprotected], 2009. FW: Smoking Ban [E-mail] Message to John Price ([emailprotected]). Sent Tuesday 17 November 2009, 17:12. Available at: http://mail.live.com/default.aspx?wa=wsignin1.0 [Accessed: 18 November 2009] Laurance, J., 2008. Smoking ban has saved 40,000 lives The Independent, [internet] 30 June. Available at: http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/health-and-families/health-news/smoking-ban-has-saved-40000-lives-856885.html [Accessed: 13 November 2009] Lusher, A. Goslett, M., 2007. Hundreds of pubs to flout smoking ban The Sunday Telegraph, [internet] 3 June. Available at: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/1553459/Hundreds-of-pubs-to-flout-smoking-ban.html [Accessed: 13 November 2009] McAuley, C., 2009. Smoke-free Legislation Northern Ireland [Word Document] (Personal communication, 16 November 2009) McAuley, C., [emailprotected], 2009. RE: Smoking Ban [E-mail] Message to John Price ([emailprotected]). Sent Monday 16 November 2009, 11:50. Available at: http://mail.live.com/default.aspx?wa=wsignin1.0 [Accessed: 16 November 2009] Medicalnews. 2009. Time to Quit Smoking, Says BUPA, UK [Online] (Updated: 6 January). Available at: http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/134510.php [Accessed: 13 November 2009] NHS. 2008. Statistics on Smoking, England 2008 [Online] (Updated: 16 October). Available at: http://www.ic.nhs.uk/pubs/smoking08 [Accessed: 13 November 2009] Smokefreeengland. 2009. A healthier England from July 1st 2007 [Online] (Updated: 2009). Available at: http://www.smokefreeengland.co.uk/ [Accessed: 13 November 2009] Smokingbanwales. 2009. Compliance data [Online] (Updated: 31 August 2009). Available at: http://new.wales.gov.uk/smokingbanwalessub/home/smokefreelawoutcomes/enforcement/previousdata/?lang=en [Accessed: 13 November 2009] Sparrow, A., 2004. Blair hints at ban on smoking in public Daily Telegraph, [internet] 5 June. Available at: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/1463690/Blair-hints-at-ban-on-smoking-in-public.html [Accessed: 12 November 2009] SportsCafe. 2009. Find your nearest venue [Online] (Updated: 13 November). Available at: http://www.thesportscafe.com/brand.aspx [Accessed: 13 November 2009] Tickle, D., [emailprotected], 2009. RE: Smoking Ban [E-mail] Message to John Price ([emailprotected]). Sent Wednesday 18 November 2009, 11:26. Available at: http://mail.live.com/default.aspx?wa=wsignin1.0 [Accessed: 18 November 2009] How did I get in contact with Chris McAuley? I had conducted an interview with Tobacco Control Officer in Northern Ireland, Chris McAuley. I interviewed him because I lacked the knowledge of Northern Irelands smoking ban and there wasnt enough data in comparison with Scotland and Waless data online or on private publications. I got hold of him by the Northern Ireland smoking ban website: www.spacetobreathe.org.uk. He replied within two days of me e-mailing him via Useful Contacts under Belfast City Council. How did I get in contact with Marloes Holtkamp? Marloes Holtkamp works for the Wales Assembly Government. In my article, I wanted to discuss Wales in a little bit more detail than the other nations in the UK. I got hold of her on the Welsh Assembly Government website which discusses with issues to do with the smoking ban. I got hold of her by e-mail and she responded instantly and gave me useful information. http://wales.gov.uk/smokingbanwalessub/home/?skip=1lang=en website where I found her, Contact us. How did I get in contact with Dan Tickle? No Smoking Day is an organisation which helps people to give up cigarettes and improve their lifestyle. Dan Tickle is the Chief Executive of this company and when I went onto the website http://www.nosmokingday.org.uk/contactus.htm, I wanted to hear more about the organisation and how much support they were given by the Government. Again, this interview was done by e-mail and his response came quick. My view on the smoking ban: Comment There are shocking amounts of people smoke. In 2007, 21% of the UK population aged 16 and over smoked, this was a record low (ONS: 2009). Considering the current population of Britain, this may not look a lot. But in my view, I see that a lot of people light up a cigarette. The most upsetting thing is that some of the people were underage. When I went to high school, the alarm bells were ringing in my head, realising this. Statistics showed by the time children are 15 years old, one in five are regular smokers (SALSUS: 2004). This report was released five years ago. References and Bibliography ONS. 2009. Smoking: Smoking habits in Great Britain [Online] (Updated: 11 March). Available at: http://www.statistics.gov.uk/cci/nugget.asp?id=313 [Accessed: 16 November 2009] SALSUS. 2004. Smoking, drinking and drug use among 13 to 15 year olds in Scotland in 2004 [Online] Available at: http://www.drugmisuse.isdscotland.org/publications/local/SALSUS_2004full.pdf [Accessed: 16 November 2009] 1

Maiden Voyage Commentary Essay

This extract from Maiden Voyage, by Denton Welch, focuses on the narrator who escapes from the comfort of his home into the realm of the unknown. He uses symbolism, imagery, diction, irony as well as contrast to show the harsh reality of the outside world in order to put forth his purpose of satirizing the over protected parents whose child will one day leave their comfort zones into the harsh outside world and how they will eventually be the ones who suffer because of parents who take care of their every need. Welch depicts the narrator in a negative manner, one who is over protected but dislikes living in this manner as seen from the fact that â€Å"he hated to be dependent on other people† and â€Å"began to feel imprisoned†. This shows the unwillingness of the narrator to stay in his comfort zone and his longing to stray into the outside world of mystery. As such, it is clearly depicted that no matter how hard the parents might try to keep their child away from the harsh nature of the real world, there will be a time where the child will break free from his cocoon and fly away into the realm of the unknown, helpless and without experience. The narrator is also depicted as one who is inquisitive as he was â€Å"longing to explore† the outside world. He saw a black spot and â€Å"wondered if it was a cat† â€Å"or perhaps it was a dark boulder†, once again showing the narrator’s inquisitive mind in wanting to find out more. However, the black spot turned out to be a human head, and this shows the contrast between what the narrator expected the world to be like and what the harsh world is actually like, and in turn emphasizing on the helplessness of the narrator as he is alone in the outside world without any experience whatsoever. There is also foreshadowing when Mr Butler said â€Å"foreigners are not very popular here†, foreshadowing the appearance of the head. This gives emphasis on the human head which will be discussed later on. Moreover, this quote also refers to the narrator in not merely a literal way. The narrator is also a foreigner in the sense that he has never been to the outside world, never experienced reality, and this is ironical that the people who told the narrator that foreigners are not really accepted are the ones who kept the narrator away from the outside world, and to keep him in the realm of comfort, making him a â€Å"foreigner† to the world outside. As such, this gives emphasis on the author’s purpose of mocking the over protective parents who in turn are the very ones who cause harm onto the child. More irony is seen as the narrator states early on in the poem that his care takers â€Å"would never want to do what I wanted to do† and this is ironic as compared to the later part of the prose where the narrator states himself that he â€Å"did not know what to do† and this irony as well as contrast clearly depicts the idea of helplessness of the narrator caused by the over protective care takers and this over protection builds up a sense of wanting to break free in the narrator. As such, the author satirizes the over protective parents and shows that they are the very ones who will cause the down fall of the one whom they try so hard to protect. The author also uses a lot of symbolism all throughout this extract to bring forth his purpose of mocking the over protection of the child. The human head, a very important motif, is used to symbolize self-knowledge. Thus, the cut off head symbolizes the narrator’s self-knowledge of the world being eroded away as he views the harsh reality of this cruel world. As such, the author creates a sense that everything that was taught to him was not true, that everything he knows is not the real thing. And as such, it creates a sense of false hope and false protection, when in fact, he is the most susceptible to the harsh reality of the world outside his comfort zone. Therefore, this brings forth the idea of mocking the over protective parents and their false teachings, which will in turn, cause great harm to the very child they were trying to protect all their life. The flies are described as â€Å"a haze† and were â€Å"buzzing like dynamos†. This shows the vast number of flies as well as the amounts all densely accumulated around this human head. This symbolizes the parents, who act as a shield which surrounds the outside world, as symbolized by the human head, and as such, it is only when he goes close to the object that he sees the harsh reality of the outside world, one which he is not ready to accept. As such, it can be said that the ones who causes the downfall of the over protected child, are the parents themselves. The â€Å"turrets and bastions† that were â€Å"crumbling into the sea† shows the gradual degrading of these fortifications and how they slowly but surely lose their purpose of protection as time passes. This is used to symbolize the narrator’s parents, that there will be a time where this sphere of comfort and protectiveness will degrade and dissolve away like â€Å"ruined cottages† and the narrator will have to shift away from this comfort zone into the realm of the unknown. When this time comes, the narrator will have to suffer because of a lack of experience, and a naà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ve mindset that everything is as simple as it seems. As such, the author clearly satirizes the over protective parents as to how they are causing the death of their own child in the long run. The narrator’s sense of helplessness is also very clearly depicted in the prose through the use of imagery. The author uses â€Å"the first cur†, a dog that resorts to barking in fights, and is in fact a cowardly dog, to show the narrator’s helplessness in the outside world, even to the mildest of things, he â€Å"turned and ran back†. This gives emphasis on the consequences of over protecting the child, leaving him stranded and alone to fend for him in the outside world, and when this time comes, he will sure to suffer, thus mocking the parents. The author uses â€Å"pathless sands† to once again, draw attention to the narrator’s helplessness in the outside world. As he is seen to be lost in the harsh world, where there are no paths, which are used to refer to the guidance of his care takers, and no signs to show him the way to go. Therefore, this gives readers the idea that the author is mocking the care takers who are severely over protective of the child and the fact that this will in turn lead to more cons than pros for the child. The helplessness of the narrator is further emphasized when the author depicts the â€Å"slap of them when they hit the wall†, them referring to the insects. Their helplessness is used to compare with that of the narrator’s as they could never escape from the clutches of the harsh reality, and the narrator was in the same plight as them. The author uses these consequences of over protection to mock the parents of the child whom have been kept in the comfort zone without having to face any problems on his own, thus is very dependent and has no experience at all. Welch also uses diction to depict the real world outside the comfort realm set by the over protective parents on their child. He uses words like â€Å"harsh spears of grass† and â€Å"dry and sharp as knives† to show the harsh reality of the world. This is used in contrast with the â€Å"European villa and a line of poplars†, which is the over protection showered upon the narrator by his parents. And as such, the author can be seen to be mocking the naivety of the parents who think that they are able to protect their child for their whole life and think that what they are doing is for the best of the child, when in fact it is the exact opposite as seen by the harsh reality of the real world viewed by the innocent and helpless narrator. The prose ends off with a mocking tone that once the child leaves the comfort zone, there is no way he can come back, once he sees the harshness of the real world, he can no longer be protected by his parents. This is seen where the narrator â€Å"ran towards a bastion, wondering if I could climb up to it in anyway†, showing the wanting of the child to go back into the safe and sheltered comfort zone, but the author ends us off with a harsh but true sentence: â€Å"I knew that I could not†.

Cooper Pharmaceuticals Case Analysis Essay

On the surface, the issue of Bob Marsh’s firing from Cooper Pharmaceuticals appears to be an open and shut case; he did not adhere to the repeated warnings by management to alter his performance and selling style, therefore he was fired. However, other considerations are in play when you analyze this case further. Bob was an employee of Cooper for twelve years at the time of his termination, and had seemingly improved his performance when prompted to do so. Bob was also exceptionally well received by physicians, office receptionists, and hospital personnel, which is a vital attribute when being a â€Å"detailer.† His persistent downside, though, was his lack of organization, planning, and follow-up, and a tendency to question some of the company’s major promotion programs. The central question to this case is, â€Å"how could this happen to someone like Bob Marsh in a company like Copper?† In my opinion, while Cooper Pharmaceuticals was not entirely withou t fault, Bob’s termination was primarily the result of his own actions, or lack thereof. Cooper Pharmaceuticals was a major manufacturer of prescription drugs for the medical and dental professions and had a reputation throughout the industry for having â€Å"excellent† management practices. The company fielded a sales force of over 500 detailers whose job was to persuade medical personnel to use and prescribe Cooper Pharmaceuticals’ drugs. Initially, Bob fit the mold of what was desired by Cooper in prospective employees. He was rated highly in his sincerity, aggressiveness, attitude, enthusiasm, learning ability, judgment, character, affability, and appearance; Bob seemed like the perfect fit. He was hired about a month after his initial interview and, much to his delight, was assigned to a territory in his hometown, Toledo. From there, Bob was seemingly ready to start his training and begin a long and prosperous career with Cooper. An effective sales training program is vital to the success of a company’s sales force. A training program should have a finite set of objectives: increased sales productivity, lower turnover, higher morale and sense of purpose, improved communication, improved customer relations, and improved self-management. It is also impor tant that companies provide a method for systematically reinforcing their training programs. Otherwise, salespeople are unlikely to change their behavior. The training at Cooper Pharmaceuticals, in principle, should have worked quite well. Employees,  including Bob, showed signs of increased sales performance on a year-to-year basis, and in 1989 sales exceed $1 billion. Turnover was low for their industry, around 8%. Also, 60% of detailers had ten or more years with the company, and 25% had fewer than five years. Each employee received a company car, generous benefits, and reimbursement for normal business expenses. Bob, while maintaining the same position as detailer, went from a starting salary of $35,000 in year one to a salary over $60,000 in his twelfth year. Bob received a month’s training in product characteristics and selling, or detailing, skills at Cooper’s headquarters. Aside from this training, both new and experienced detailers received regular training from the 35 district managers. This reinforcement was done so to ensure that all detailers mai ntained the level of expertise and professionalism requisite of a Cooper Pharmaceuticals detailer. From these facts, it becomes more apparent that the necessary skills to be successful were properly trained, informed, and reinforced in Bob by Cooper. Even from his initial interview with Cooper, there was one glaring fault Bob possessed: his seeming indifference to organization. His first district manager, John Meredith, felt that Bob gave little advanced thought to the physicians he hoped to see. Then, upon seeing the physicians, he had no definite plan or approach once in the physician’s office. From the beginning of this class, we learned that pre-approach is vital to the selling process. In this stage, information is gathered about the prospect to decipher the specific needs they have. As noted in the beginning of the case, Bob had many references from physicians and medical personnel. I believe that these relationships caused Bob to become lazy in his pre-approach and approach, and ultimately served as a crutch on which he began to rely. In addition to his lack of organization, Bob displayed more interest in developing his own promotional programs than in following the plans outlined at district meetings, and he would also second-guess promotions by deciding, on his own, which products to promote. This should have been a huge red flag for John Meredith. What would happen if a baseball player blatantly disregarded a sign and decided to swing when his coach told him not to swing? That player would find himself on the bench. If that player continually disobeyed his coach’s instructions he would find himself looking for a new team. In this instance, though, Bob was not benched. He was instead given a list of suggestions on how he could improve in certain  areas, including: * Should overcome the tendency to prejudge customers and promotion programs * Should be more responsive to management directives * Should give more attention to planning and organization As becomes evident as Bob’s tenure at Cooper Pharmaceuticals continued, he failed to adopt this initial list of suggestions, yet his employment perpetuated. After John Meredith, there was Bill Couch, then Jim Rathburn, followed by Vince Reed, Antonia Wilkens, and ultimately Ted Franklin. Six supervisors in a twelve year span is a high number. Then, when you consider the fact that many of them were young, motivated, and driven, it becomes clearer why Bob was able to keep his job. His sales numbers were constantly at quota, and there were no issues in terms of customer relations. By the time his deficiencies were noted, a new district manager was in already in place. It seems that Bob was aware of this trend and used it to his advantage. So long as he hit his sales quotas and kept customers happy, all would be well. The case states that every Cooper Pharmaceutical detailer was evaluated in terms of both sales volume and improvement in his or her relationships with customers. From this statement one could conclude that Bob should have retained his job. His sales volumes were constant yearly, sometimes increasing. He also, evident from the multiple inquiries from current customers upon his termination, maintained wonderful working relationships with his customers. The evaluation process at Cooper Pharmaceuticals is what perpetuated Bob’s employment with the company. While looking at just the sales numbers, Bob appeared to be a great employee. However, there are other factors to consider when evaluating employees. Most managers or supervisors would likely agree that they wished their employees follow their instructions when prompted to do so. To ensure that a case similar to Bob’s does not become the norm at Cooper Pharmaceuticals there are three steps that management should take. One, they should maintain a better record keeping process of employment evaluations. It is possible that because this example occurred during the 1980s, record keepi ng was maintained on paper rather than computers. However, that does not excuse an employee who repeatedly makes the same mistakes to be retained. Two, there should be a  more streamlined transition process for an outgoing district manager to pass on files/documentation to the new district manager. For example, Bob was placed on probation by Vince Reed that required him to improve performance to an acceptable level within 90 days. However, upon Vince Reed’s subsequent transfer, no one followed up on Bob’s performance. Bob’s probationary status had â€Å"evaporated.† Three, they should enact a three-strike policy. One could receive a strike for failing to reach sales quotas, not following management’s instructions, or falling customer relations. An employee would be fired following strike three. Doing this step would make the threat of termination a tangible thought, employees would be fully aware that constant missteps and mess-ups will not be tolerated. The thought of Bob Marsh being reinstated or there being any legal ramifications for Cooper Pharmaceuticals is laughable. Bob was given the chance to improve his faults on multiple occasions, yet he failed to do so for any extended period of time. He took advantage of the fact that each new district manager gave him the chance to improve. Then, his performance would slip little by little, but by this time a new district manager would be in place and the process would repeat itself. Not until Ted Franklin took over did the process change course. Ted looked over all of Bob’s previous deficiencies and realized that his record was not good and Bob would have to follow an outline given to him and complete weekly reading assignments. Not only did Bob fail to follow this agreement, he accepted his subsequent termination with little resistance or comment. The fact that Bob would call Cooper Pharmaceuticals and say he was treated unfairly is preposterous. He should be thankful for his twelve years of employment at the company and that none of his previous district managers were as competent or paid as close attention to detail as Ted Franklin. Yes, Bob appears to have maintained great relationships with his customers, and as we learned in class 80% of sales tends to come from 20% of the customers. So it is, realistically, a possibility that some business would be lost from the decision to terminate Bob. However, a company with the reputation of Cooper Pharmaceuticals should not keep an employee simply because a few clients from one sales region want him to be retained. Certain offers, such as incentives or promotions could be provided to these customers in attempt to ensure their repeated business and prove that not just Bob can provide great service and keep them happy customers. In addition, Cooper  Pharmaceuticals should, while not being defamatory or slanderous, fully outline the faults Bob possessed as an employee and effectively relay these as the reasons of his termination to Bob’s accounts. So, to answer this case’s central question, this termination happened to Bob Marsh because of Bob Marsh.

Donatello - Master of Renaissance Sculpture

Donatello - Master of Renaissance Sculpture Donatello was also known as: Donato di Niccolo di Betto Bardi Donatello's Accomplishments Donatello was noted for his superb command of sculpture. One of the foremost sculptors of the Italian Renaissance, Donatello was a master of both marble and bronze and had an extensive knowledge of ancient sculpture. Donatello also developed his own style of relief known as schiacciato (flattened out). This technique involved extremely shallow carving and utilized light and shadow to create the full pictorial scene. Occupations: Artist, Sculptor Artistic Innovator Places of Residence and Influence: Italy: Florence Important Dates: Born: c. 1386, GenoaDied: Dec. 13, 1466, Rome About Donatello: The son of Niccolà ² di Betto Bardi,  a Florentine wool carder, Donatello became a member of Lorenzo Ghibertis workshop by the time he was 21. Ghiberti had won the  commission to make the bronze doors of the Baptistery of the cathedral in Florence in 1402, and Donatello very likely assisted him on this project.  The earliest work that can definitely be attributed to him, a marble statue of David, shows the clear artistic influence of Ghiberti and the International Gothic style, but he soon developed a powerful style of his own. By 1423, Donatello had mastered the art of sculpting in bronze. Sometime around 1430, he was commissioned to create a bronze statue of David, although who his patron may have been is up for debate. The David is the first large-scale, free-standing nude statue of the Renaissance. In 1443, Donatello went to Padua to construct a bronze equestrian statue of a famous, recently-deceased Venetian condottiere, Erasmo da Narmi. The pose and the powerful style of the piece would influence equestrian monuments for centuries to come. Upon returning to Florence, Donatello discovered that a new generation of sculptors had overtaken the Florentine art scene with excellent marble works. His heroic style had been eclipsed in his home city, but he still received commissions from outside Florence, and he remained fairly productive until he died at about aged eighty.   Although scholars know a good deal about Donatellos life and career, his character is difficult to assess. He never got married, but he had many friends in the arts. He did not receive a formal higher education, but he acquired considerable knowledge of ancient sculpture. At a time when an artists work was regulated by guilds, he had the temerity to demand a certain amount of freedom of interpretation. Donatello  was greatly inspired by  ancient art, and much of his work would embody the spirit of classical Greece and Rome, but he was spiritual as well as  innovative, and he took his art to a level that would see few rivals besides Michelangelo.

Most vs. Almost

Most vs. Almost Most vs. Almost Most vs. Almost By Maeve Maddox A reader wonders why some speakers write â€Å"most everybody† when what they mean is â€Å"almost everybody.† For example: Most everyone agrees that children benefit from living with two caring parents. â€Å"Most everyone† is commonly heard in colloquial speech but is avoided in formal speech and writing because most is a superlative. Most refers to the greatest part, number, amount, or extent of something: I have finished most of my chores. Most dogs have tails. That’s the most awesome song on the album. Almost is used to convey the idea of something nearly completed or close to being finished: Mr. Henry has almost finished building the bridge. We almost won the game. Almost everyone agrees that children benefit from living with two caring parents. The objection to â€Å"most everyone,† and â€Å"most anyone† is that most applies to quantities capable of being separated. One can say â€Å"Most dogs have tails,† but not â€Å"Most dog have tails† or â€Å"Most dog have a tail.† Apart from surgery or mutilation, dog is not divisible. Neither are words like everybody, everyone, all, and any. The use of most in the following examples is nonstandard because the word is being used to qualify something that is not divisible: Incorrect: Most everyone agrees that cheating is bad. Correct: Almost everyone agrees that cheating is bad. Incorrect: I think most everybody will agree that summer flies by too fast. Correct: I think almost everybody will agree that summer flies by too fast. Incorrect: I feel like most all of my friends are fake. Correct: I feel like almost all of my friends are fake. If you find yourself writing most when what you mean is nearly or approximately, change it to almost. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Misused Words category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:How to Structure A Story: The Eight-Point ArcDoes "Mr" Take a Period?What’s the Best Way to Refer to a Romantic Partner?

Organizational Change in Umpqua Bank Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Organizational Change in Umpqua Bank - Essay Example According to the research findings, it can, therefore, be said that one of the biggest challenges the bank faced was the influence of the culture in the other acquired bank branches on the culture of Umpqua Bank. Adoption of other banks involved retaining the banks’ employees. These employees had got used to a different culture and it was, therefore, a major challenge to make them adjust to a new culture smoothly. To overcome this problem, the leadership injected Umpqua’s culture into the other bank branches by bringing their employees in busloads to Umpquas stores to offer them with orientation. This enabled a real firsthand introduction to a new business world and which in turn made the employees feel the desire to change and hence adapt faster. It was a challenge for Umpqua to run its operations in a harmonious manner especially considering the fact that its individual stores were different in terms of size, demographics, and layout. In addition, the branches were al so different in the sense that their loan and deposit potential varied considerably. This, therefore, demanded individual stores be handled differently. The bank created a cross-functional task force to look for the best means by which the challenge could be overcome. The task force provided a strategic financial proposal which later streamlined its operations. Competition from other large banks posed a serious challenge to Umpquas desire to succeed. Banks such as Washington Mutual and Bank of America sent the leadership of Umpqua bank to the drawing board to come up with new strategies that would aid in retaining its culture now that their competitors had started copying their already-in-use strategies. In 2002, for example, Washington Mutual had its first ‘occassio’ branch opened whereas the Bank of America started holding experiments to ascertain the effectiveness of the branch design. To counter this, the leadership at Umpqua decided to invest in the best customer s ervice delivery as compared to their competitors. Umpqua's customer service, especially its in-store customer service which was unique, was its competitive edge and so it had to be perfect.

Lack of Empowerment in Government Organization Essay

Lack of Empowerment in Government Organization - Essay Example In an organization, empowerment is a broad perspective of dealing with its culture, leadership, practices and employees. In this paper, lack of empowerment effects on employees and stakeholders of organization ABC is looked at critically. This will entail organizational structure stability, employees’ satisfaction and job security and performance evaluation and reward structure. The report will conclude by trying to recommend solutions and courses of action to treat or work around this problem. Objective and research question Objective of the paper is to analyze â€Å"lack of empowerment’s† effects to Government Organization (ABC). Research question: What are the effects Organization ABC faces for lack of empowerment implementation? This is the guiding principle for this paper ensuring that the paper analyzes the effects of â€Å"lack of empowerment† to the organization. Definition of the Problem The problem of â€Å"lack of empowerment† within government organization (ABC) was identified through a survey conducted by the Human Resources Department to assess the levels of employees’ satisfaction.The survey showed that many employees felt they were unsupported by their managers, and that they were not given the chance to make decisions, even at very low levels. The results of the survey were analyzed and most of the negative responses were established to be correlated to lack of empowerment.... The report will conclude by trying to recommend solutions and courses of action to treat or work around this problem.   Objective and research question Objective of the paper is to analyze â€Å"lack of empowerment’s† effects to Government Organization (ABC). Research question: What are the effects Organization ABC faces for lack of empowerment implementation? This is the guiding principle for this paper ensuring that the paper analyzes the effects of â€Å"lack of empowerment† to the organization. Definition of the Problem The problem of â€Å"lack of empowerment† within government organization (ABC) was identified through a survey conducted by the Human Resources Department to assess the levels of employees’ satisfaction. The survey showed that many employees felt they were unsupported by their managers, and that they were not given the chance to make decisions, even at very low levels. The results of the survey were analyzed and most of the neg ative responses were established to be correlated to lack of empowerment. This was Employee Opinion Survey (EOS) thus the results are valid and credible since reflect employees responses. The problem was linked mainly to the organizational structures adopted by the public sector organizations, which can be characterized as centralized, hierarchical through the divisional and departmental structures, bureaucratic, with vertical communication lines. This in turn was reflected in many different forms like wasted time and effort required going through the proper communication channels, as well as friction between organizational departments. The problem of â€Å"lack of empowerment† also had drastic impacts on