Organisational Change and Development

Introduction So as to be able to achieve organizational goals and objectives, it’s important for the organization to embrace effective interventions. Organization development interventions are aimed at increasing the performance and output of the organization. So as to be successful, organization development interventions should affect the whole organization and should go down to the individual level.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Organisational Change and Development specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The interventions should be sponsored by the head of the company and should be supported by the organization’s staff. Interventions that should be implemented in this case should involve respect for employees and the administration, having a working administration in the organization, having trust and open channels of communication between the administration and employees. The interventions must be ab le to support open confrontation of problems that are facing the organization. Major stakeholders in the organization must also participate actively in the interventions. This will somehow give the interventions a bit of weight and seriousness Dustdar (2006). Management For any company to prosper, proper management should be implemented. Management is defined as the act of leading and directing all or part of an organizational structure through the deployment and use of resources; human, financial, material intellectual or intangible. It involves providing guidance and letting others follow through. Poor management often leads to chaos and confusion among workers in a particular company or organization, leading to misuse of available resources and hence low production Dustdar (2006). Problems noted Bladetech Australia is a manufacturing company that after a while of being a productive company has seen its growth rate dwindling. It is noted that the company has began failing due faci ng direct competition from the Korean Manufacturing of windscreen wipers and as a result causing the Australian government to reduce its tariffs. As much as the tariff reduction would help consolidate the global competitiveness of Australian companies as a whole, it also makes them four to five percent less competitive than other economies in the world. Bladetech therefore may suffer a great loss to the Korean company.Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Bladetech a need to have better use of support functions and resources involved in new product development. This is an issue noted that has led to the inflexibility of the structure and service operations such as engineering and design. The lack of flexibility in a manufacturing company, or any company for that matter should be an issue of concern as it may lead to dysfunctional relationships between different departments in the company and miscommunication. This leads to failure in the company as a whole because it is the departments that make up the organization. Another problem facing Bladetech is the lack of proper and aggressive marketing. Marketing is an important aspect in the development and growth of a business venture. It is through marketing that a company attracts its potential customers and investors more so advertises its products creating new opportunities for market expansion. Badetech has failed in actively trying to expand its marketing horizons leading to it having limited access to its products. Bladetech has poor structure and the lack of co-ordination among the departments. The general manager is viewed as the overall overseer of the three departmental heads; operations, sales and marketing, and human resource management, under which operation and sales and marketing managers are concerned with the departments of engineering and design, manufacturing and distribution. Apart from havin g a disorganized structure, there is weak managerial competence and training at all levels of employees in the company. This has led to disunity between the various departments due to unconstructive criticism and comments towards each other. The efforts employed to initiate several training and change programs have seemed futile due to the negative attitude from the affected parties which has as a result provided almost no solution.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Organisational Change and Development specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The manager operations points out that the marketing and the HRM fields are at fault. He notes that the marketing field engages in expensive marketing that he implies might not be necessary because he probably does not seem to see its results, whereas HRM involves itself in training and development courses. The major problem here however is the issue of pointing fingers. This partic ular manager blames his failures on his fellow colleagues without acknowledging any efforts that might have been put out by them towards the improvement of their firm. He further fails to concede that one of his teams a need attention to achieve improvement Spedding (2008). The main constraints affecting the operations group is the lack new ideas and innovation, the time taken to implement the ideas and the time it takes to come up with new products Williamson (2004). This has been greatly fuelled by the lack of proper technological assistance and the slow adoption of the latest technologies and current management practices. These management practices have been characterized by the head of operations who actually maintains that a need for an expert in organizational development is merely a waste of financial resources! According to the manager of sales and marketing, the major issue facing his field is the lack of proper rewards to him and his subordinates who often are dedicated to lengthy working hours Nuthall (2010). This has led to loss of productive force hence poor production. He further comments that his proposals for improvement have been met by strong rejections from the other fields. The lack of support of the various departments is seen as the problem here that has hindered the development of the company. It can be concluded here that each department is after individual benefits other than the general growth of the company Bates (2005). The problems affecting the accounting and financial field as mentioned by its manager is bombardment of too many changes in the field in a short spun of time. It the lacks the newest system of financial technology that might be useful in updating its financial records and is not welcoming to future changes in its operations Burrow (2008).Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Unfortunately, management in this department does not exhibit the confidence and assertiveness that is key to any employee that hold an important post. She avoids one on one discussion about the issues affecting her field and prefers to communicate via email. The issue with this kind of communication method especially when dealing with important matters is the information might be missed or not clearly understood. In general, the key problems facing the company are as listed: Poor organizational structure. Poor communication channels among the departments in the company. The lack of proper marketing strategies. The lack of incentives for workers. Presence of incompetent employees. The lack of new and improved technologies. The lack of new ideas for innovation. In order for Bladetech Company to move forward in their quest for improvement, there is a need for providing probable solutions to the problems that are affecting them by evaluating each individually and noting their roots S tatt (1999). Bladetech structural organization might not be viewed as a strong one in that there is only one overseer that is supposed to manage and direct operations of the other heads. This problem might be taken care of by introducing assistants to all levels of managements. This improves the chances that the head is overwhelmed by too much work hence losing track of the activities of the subordinates North (1997). Bladetech needs to work as a unit in terms of communication. Listening skills need to be used to facilitate better relations between the fields. Heads of department should try to hear each other out and try to understand the challenges that face individual fields before disregarding their opinions and wishes. This will generate better working environment comfortable to each employee Jeston (2006). Recommendations The company should improve its marketing strategies. This can be done by looking for ways to expanding market for their products, looking at the current compe titive pricing of the product in the available market and try to regulate their prices that is being fair yet competitive. Bladetech sales and promotion field should try to look for better opportunities outside and view this venture positively, not as a cost but as a means of creating awareness of their products in the global market Thomas (2011). Orientation is the most important part of the first day of an employee at a company and must be done effectively so as to ensure that new employees easy find and identify a place for themselves at the organization. There are however some improvements that the company can make to the program so as to ensure that the new employees are well oriented. The company should have extended the time that is allocated to employees for the orientation. This would give employees more time to get used to their jobs. This can help foster productivity. The orientation process should also be made broader. Instead of having a board room meeting the company s hould organize a number of activities for orientation. This is because people learn best from processes that allow them to see, feel, touch and be one with whatever they are being oriented into. This will also promote productivity and faster settling in by employees. Incompetent workers should be dealt with accordingly. First of all, uncooperative behaviour should not be condoned as this contributes to poor work ethics. Individuals exhibiting such behaviour should have their terms or contracts terminated with immediate effect. The company’s discipline system recruitment rules to guidelines that are in the form of company policies which dictate what employees are allowed to and what they are not allowed to do. The rules are enforced in all departments of the organization. This has increased awareness of employees towards disciplinary measures that the organization takes Thomas (2011). The discipline program also contains a number of steps that are geared at correcting wrong em ployee behaviour. The system has two types of warnings and reprimands that an employee could receive for any form of misbehaviour. These include verbal and written reprimands. The discipline system contains elements such as suspensions without pay where by the reprimanded employee is supposed to take some time off their work without pay and serious offenses may invite a direct dismissal of the employee. This system is effective because it keeps all employees in check and ensures that they are all well disciplined at work. Relevant training sessions and courses should be offered frequently to maintain the credibility of the human resources and to keep up to date with the current technological know-how Barrile (2007). The company also needs to update all its technological equipments so that they may be at par with their competitors Stokes (2006). Management should understand that technologies are bound to change frequently and should therefore work to enable their fields to quickly ad opt these sudden changes Longenecker (2006). This involves greatly the financial sector which is prone to breaking under these sudden changes. Bladetech need to improve management of its financial sector by introducing aggressive individuals who are up to date on the newest forms of technologies Bates (2005). The company must integrate new individuals with new ideas into their work force. This will provide ideas on the improvement of their products and their performance hence better products. It requires these individuals to research other companies’ products in order to find new ideas in producing their own improved version of the products. This may also alleviate competition which was seen as a major hindrance towards the development of the company Drucker (2007). This intervention improves the productivity of the company by modifying the existing organization structures. So that the organization can be able to achieve its goals it is important that it changes its structure . By changing the structure the organization will be able to regain control of management and employees as well. This will increase the organizations efficiency and performance Spedding (2008).The implementations of these interventions require a dedicated process. As it may be costly to integrate new forms of technology, financial back ups are needed. This also requires agreement and support of each individual in the company. They should be ready to accept and implement the changes that come along with the implementations for the overall benefit of the company’s productivity. Bladetech management should incorporate the government in its dealings overseas. This will help promote its products and increase its marketing options. Employee diversity is also a major setback to employees working together. Therefore the organization should be able to harmonize all its employees so as to be able to achieve its goals. Employee relation intervention would be very important when there ar e many conflicts at the work place, when there is recruitment of new employees and low employee morale. The organization could implement this on the individual level and also on a personal level. These include: Individual coaching and Counselling: the organization could choose to hire a professional to coach and counsel individuals in the organization. Individuals could be coached on the importance of working together with their colleagues. Counselling may also offer a chance for individuals to voice their complaints about the work place. Mentorship Programs and Visionary Leadership: the organizations top brass for example, the CEO should have a mentorship program for the organizations employees. Management should lead the other employees towards meeting the organizations goals. Leadership and mentorship should be by example. The company should also address employees as a group. The organization should resolve all conflicts that exist between employees. The organization must encoura ge dialoguing and an open communication line between employees. The organization should encourage team building and offer incentives for teams that have good performance Barrile (2007). It is also important to increase employee performance so as to increase the overall performance of the organization. The organization’s goals offer the reference to performance. The organization should clearly state its objectives and the progress to the goals must be monitored regularly. The organization should have a feedback system that tells employees hoe close or how far they are from the organization’s objectives. So as to be able to meet this objectives employee performance is critical Barrile (2007). The first step to performance management is the statement of the organization’s performance goals. The organization must have clearly stated and defined goals. Employees should be made aware of these goals. The next step would be coming up with a performance plan. The company must routinely monitor and track this plan. The organization should evaluate performance and reward where due. The performance plans of the organization should be open to development. They should allow for improvement. Morale Boosting and employee Motivation: the organization can use incentives and gifts to motivate employees. The organization should propose a system which offers employees financial incentives which are pegged on the profits made by the company. This will increase work input and output. This will in turn increase the company’s profits. Employees participating in the scheme directly affect the company’s profits. The organization must ensure that the scheme motivates the selected employees to be more productive. The goals and ambitions must be realistic and attainable. The organization must spell out goals that can be achieved. It would be best if the goals were based on the history of the company. If the goals are set too high it would demoralize emplo yees Barrile (2007). The organization should provide a suitable climate for the development of employee careers. Promotions should be given upon merit not based on years of service. This will enhance career development for hardworking employees. It will also act as a motivating factor. The organization must also plan for leadership and management. Only qualified employees should be promoted to leadership and management positions. This will ensure that the organization has competent leadership and thus increase the company’s productivity Williamson (2004). Benefits are offered by employers so as to make the employee’s stay at the company comfortably and will be more inclined to staying at the company. Other benefits that are offered by employees are so as to enable employees to be able to balance their work and social life outside work. This allows employees to have time for their family, friends or whatever they is important in their lives (Ivancevich, 2010). The main intention of these benefits is to make sure employees are highly motivated and have the morale to work. This is because the benefits are out to make employees happy and if employees are happy at the work place they will increase their work input as well as their work output. The benefits are also beneficial to the company since they ensure the company retains its critical employees. By being able to retain critical employees the organization remains strong towards the path of reaching its goals and objectives. Work life programs help to bridge the gap between work and the personal life of an employee. These programs create a balance between work and the personal lives of employees. This leads to an increase in productivity and work output and creates a better place for employees to work in. There are various options of work life programs for example adjustable work arrangements, salary bonuses and discounts foe employees. Good work life programs highly motivate employees to work bet ter and to love their jobs. Conclusion Organization Development interventions require a leader who is actively participating in the in the interventions. The organization should not implement the above discussed interventions without a good leader. It will negate the need to implement them. A leader is needed to guide and inspire the change required in the organization. The leader should be a visionary. As discussed early they should commence from the apex of the organization. They should start with the CEO and go all the way down to the lowest employee. The organization should also constantly reward employees who embrace the interventions. This will motivate all employees to embrace change Williamson (2004). Reference List Barrile Steve,and Terry Cameron. 2007 Business Management: Corporate Management, People and Change: VCE Units 3 4. South Yarra, Vic.: Macmillan Education Australia. Bates,Bronwynne. 2005.Business Management: Fresh Perspectives. Cape Town, South Africa: Pearson E ducation. Burrow, Jim, Brad Alan Kleindl, and Kenneth E. Everard. 2008. Business Principles and Management. Mason, OH: Thomson Learning. Drucker, Peter Ferdinand. 2007. The Practice of Management. Amsterdam: Butterworth-Heinemann. Dustdar, Schahram, JoseÃŒ  Luiz Fiadeiro, and A. Sheth. Business Process Management: 4th International Conference, BPM 2006, Vienna, Austria, September 5-7, 2006: Proceedings. Berlin: Springer, 2006. Print. Jeston, John, and Johan Nelis. 2006. Business Process Management: Practical Guidelines to Successful Implementations. Burlington, MA: Butterworth-Heinemann. Longenecker, Justin Gooderl, and Justin Gooderl Longenecker. 2006 Small Business Management: an Entrepreneurial Emphasis. Mason, OH: Thomson/South-Western. Longenecker, Justin Gooderl. 2010. Small Business Management: Launching Growing Entrepreneurial Ventures. Australia: South-Western Cengage Learning, Nieuwenhuizen, C.,and Barney Erasmus. 2007. Business Management for Entrepreneurs. Cape Town: J uta. North, Klaus. 1997. Environmental Business Management: an Introduction. Geneva: International Labour Office. Nuthall, P. L. 2010. Farm Business Management: the Core Skills. Cambridge, MA: CABI North American Office. Spedding, Linda S., and Adam Rose. 2008. Business Risk Management Handbook: a Sustainable Approach. Oxford: Elsevier/CIMA, Statt, David A., and David A. Statt. 1999. Concise Dictionary of Business Management. New York: Routledge. Stokes, David, Nicholas Wilson, and David Stokes. 2006. Small Business Management and Entrepreneurship. London: Thomson Learning. Thomas, Christopher and Dianne. 2011. Organisational Change Development Transformation. New York, NY: Cengage Learning. Williamson, David. 2004. Strategic Management and Business Analysis. Amsterdam: Butterworth-Heineman. This essay on Organisational Change and Development was written and submitted by user Ronald Nunez 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.

How does Hosseini create drama and tension in the rape scene Essays

How does Hosseini create drama and tension in the rape scene Essays How does Hosseini create drama and tension in the rape scene Paper How does Hosseini create drama and tension in the rape scene Paper Hosseini uses a variety of techniques to foreshadow Hassans rape. Pathetic fallacy, a literary device that uses the weather, is a powerful tool in reflecting the feelings and events happening to the main characters. Reference to the beautiful day with fresh snow and blameless blue skies lulls the reader into a sense of false security- the day seems to have no fault for Hassan and Amir. It contrasts sharply with the overcast skies that seem to settle in permanently, following Hassans rape. This has dismal, depressing connotations, almost as if the weather is in mourning.Hassan and Amir are on a pedestal: together, the boys have faced their biggest victory against their antagonistic arch-enemy, Assef, a powerful cruel teenage Pashtun. By using a series of simple and complex sentences, the reader is taken on the victorious journey of being a kite running winner with Amir. Then the moment came/ I closed my eyes and loosened my grip on the string Every emotion, look, feeling and smell is heightened at this precise moment so when Hosseini writes that Amir next sees Hassan smile unabashedly, twenty-six years later the feeling of unease begins. It builds up suspense as the reader is forced to wonder why Amir would state that.Amirs excitement at winning is reflected in his racing thoughts; in my head, I had it all planned/ Id make a grand entrance/a hero/ prized trophy in my bloodied hands/a dramatic moment of silence. It almost seems too good to be true that Amir could get through a day completely happy even though ironically, it would be the first time Baba showed true affection and pleasure for Amir. We are reminded that he is just a child, with a childs thoughts when Amir imagines a life happily ever after.The mounting concern for Hassan is unmistakable; Amir wants to be able to present the kite to confirm his position as a champion. He knows Hassan has gone to look for the kite, and as Hassan never lies, his prolonged absence prompts Amir to look for him. I need to find him, Agha, Amir tells an old man. At this point Hosseini uses repetition [still] no sign of Hassan to break up Amirs ramblings thoughts of what is happening in the streets around him. Its an indirect way of telling the reader that this will clearly be a memory so vivid, itll be impossible to forget. It also shows how tense Amir is in his search for Amir as its human nature to ramble when nervous.The voices that lead Amir to Hassan cause him to peek around the corner. The repetition of those words from Chapter one (where there is a chorological shift in the story) tell us that no matter how many years pass, in his minds eye, Amir is always peeking around the corner but never helping, never stopping the incident. The imagery is haunting; Hassans discarded brown corduroy pants the dark alley and the vivid blue kite all in one. Simultaneously, Amir experiences seeing his greatest victory and greatest regret in one which highlights the books major themes of unatoned sins, failures and successes. The climax of the scene is written in short, simple sentences, Hassan didnt struggle/didnt whimper/looked resigned/ the look of a lamb to create a sense of finality, the emotional shift from childhood and innocence to remorse and corruption.Earlier in the novel, Amir, in his first person narrative voice, tells the reader that he and Hassan have grown up experiencing everything together; and the irony in this is that they both experience their first real tragedy together too .

Chapter two - Mississippi schools Essay Example for Free

Chapter two – Mississippi schools Essay The following literature focuses on how schools in the Mississippi School district and nationwide are implementing school improvement plans and closing the achievement gap. In School Improvement and Closing the Achievement Gap Report 2003-2004 the accountability of Mississippi Schools past and present is discussed (2004) and Craig Jerald, author of Dispelling the Myth discusses how nationwide high poverty, high minority schools have high achieving students (2001). Both reports will be discussed here. The researcher wanted to know how many high-poverty and high minority schools nationwide have high student performance. The study used the Education Trust Database to identify certain criteria. Over 4500 schools were analyzed. Each meeting the criteria set and performing well above the expectation (2001). Both papers discuss the achievement gap, more importantly they reported the areas of greatest improvement. The Achievement Gap Report (2004) focused on the Mississippi school districts. It gave an accountability report on those school districts that have been struggling, as well as providing a strategic outline to close the gap. Specific schools were used as models of for improving test scores. Dispelling the Myth (Jerald, 2001) focused on school districts nation wide. Although no reasons for poor school performance were given, the author did state that none of the schools were magnet schools. This report showed that most schools with high poverty, high minority students live in urban areas (2001). However, the more recently published Achievement Gap Report (2004) reported that some of the poorest schools are in rural areas. Dispelling the Myth (2001) looked at specific criteria for the study, whereas, the Achievement Gap Report (2004) did not. Both studies failed to look at specific schools and detail specific strategies used in improving the achievement gap. The Mississippi Achievement Gap Report (2004) plan made suggestions on how schools can improve, but a greater detail is needed to truly understand what each school did to improve scores. Model schools or a model program can be established based on greater research. Socioeconomic Influence Literature regarding reading programs was of most interest for this study. Several scientific journals addressed factors of low socioeconomic status and under achievement. The achievement gap found amongst low-income students was addressed in Education: The State We’re In (Donahue & Griggs, 2003). Substantial information was given on the obstacles facing high-poverty youth today. Reading proficiency among elementary school students of low-income families are at a disadvantage (2003). When studying low-income fourth graders, the author found that in 2003, across the nation, only fifteen percent are proficient in reading. The authors also demonstrated that the majority of low-income students read about three grades behind non-poor students (2003). Proficiency differences among races were briefly discussed; Similar disparities exist between white students and students of color; 39% of white 4th graders can read at the proficient level compared to only 12 % of African-American students and 14% of Latinos. Overall, about three in ten fourth graders can read proficiently, and this in itself is cause for concern. (2003) Parental Involvement, Instructional Expenditures, Family Socioeconomic Attributes, and Student Achievement (Okpala, et al, 2001). Parental involvement is a commonly discussed approach to establishing higher student achievement. A study done in North Carolina was based on three factors; (a) Instructional supplies expenditures will affect academic achievement positively; (b) the SES of students in a given school, measured by the percentage of students that participate in free/reduced-price lunch programs, will affect student achievement negatively; and (c) parental involvement that is measured by parental volunteer hours per 100 students will influence student achievement positively. These factors were beneficial in understanding the SES influence on successful reading programs. These factors and the results of this particular study will be investigated further throughout this study. Implementing Change A very brief but informative piece, Evidence from Project Star About Class Size and Student Achievement (Folgers & Breda, 1989) addressed three specific questions to ask oneself when considering changing programs. The three questions were; 1) How effective will the change be? 2) How much will it cost and 3) what are the problems of implementation? (1989) All three of these questions were found to be valuable when assessing existing programs, as well as when considering the necessary factors when looking to improve upon them. The Gallup Poll (1989 Survey) was reported to have an overwhelming approval from parents when asked about reducing class size. The problem with this strategy is that â€Å"reducing class size substantially is very costly† (1989). A widely researched program investigated during this study was the Accelerated Reader Program. One report (Melton, et. al. , 2004) demonstrated the uses and results of the AR program. By definition the Accelerated Readers program is â€Å"†¦a learning information system designed to heighten student interest in literature and to help teacher manage literature-based reading (McKnight, 1992). This study was particularly significant because it was conducted in two Jackson, Mississippi elementary schools. There has been extensive coverage of the AR program. A 2004 study compared the reading achievement growth of fifth graders following a year of participation in the AR program with other fifth graders who did not participate. The results demonstrated that students in the AR program actually scored significantly lower than non-participants. Although many studies show little to no benefits from the AR program, the program has provided a few guidelines; such guidelines include, 1) Engage students in large amount of reading practice with authentic material 2) students should read at their own individual reading level, and 3) student incentives such as ribbons or extra recess improves the odds of a students success. By using computer technology, teachers can use the AR program to assess students reading level and invite and motivate students to read material they find interesting (Vollands, et al. , 1999). Students are given a choice of books suited to their particular reading level. Random multiple choice tests are given to test students’ comprehension of the material. In a National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (Dept. of Education) evaluation, AR programs and other computerized reading programs were reviewed (Chenowith, 2001). The lack of research on evaluated programs ability to produce long-term gains in reading achievement caused the National Institute to determine the AR programs did not meet standards (2001). Common complaints of the AR program include, 1) when the program ended, participating students went back to reading less than before participating 2) the AR program limited the choice of books available to a student because certain books that were not accompanied by an AR test were not valid (Chenowith, 2001) and 3) AR encourages children to read for the wrong reasons, for example to win a prize (Carter, 1996). However, as Chenowith (2001) noted, many parents responded to the latter, that it did not matter why students read, as long as they were in fact reading. Topping and Paul (1999) found that with the proper educator training on the AR program, the odds of successful student achievement with the program will improve. Students already in at risk in reading before the AR program will gain positive results when AR is implemented (Vollands, Topping and Evans, 1999). â€Å"Many elementary schools have adopted programs which encourage authentic reading time and aid in the development of reading skills for life (Melton, et al. , 2004). However, little research has been conducted on individual, less costly programs (2004). When studying the effects of the AR program on African American students and white students in Mississippi, black students scored lower (2004). Chapter two – Mississippi schools. (2017, May 20).

Eat2Eat Case analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Eat2Eat Case analysis - Essay Example Indirectly therefore, there are two groups of clients that the company serves. The first of these are the restanrants to whom Eat2Eat.com gives buyers to. The second are the buyers or online users of the website who make the actual reservations. However, in the context of this case analysis, much of reference to clients shall refer to the latter. Eat2Eat.Com uses a business model that grinds on the whiles of promotion of fine dining in the Asia Pacific region through the use of internet-based portal. This business model requires that the company works directly with subscribers to their website, such that the more subscribers the company has, the more customers they have and thus the more profits the will make. Presently, this business model has been introduced in nine identical geographic markets, spanning around countries in the Asia Pacific region and abroad. As far as the Asia Pacific region is concerned, this business model could be described as unique as it is the first of its k ind in the region. Fortunately, Eat2Eat.Com has received positive results from a brand recognition that has been established in the region in the last five years, leading to increases in sales at a rate of 42% from 2004 - 2005 Specific strategy that the company is using to implement its business model The implementation of the said business model has revolved around the use of specific strategies, which are discussed in this section of the writing. Generally, the strategy used by the company was based on two major factors, which are market segmentation and approach to market (Browne and Cudeck, 1992). As far as market segmentation is concerned, there was a strategy to focus solely on what Aggawal referred to as first-tier restaurants. These are restaurants perceived to be of the higher class status that are moderately expensive, popular and accepts reservations (Wofford and Liska, 1993). Much of the strategy used on the market segment was personalized as Aggawal made personal approa ches to these restaurants to personally win their indulgence and approval to be supplied with reservations. Reviews on the restaurants were also undertaken on a personalized basis by Aggawal and his employees. As far as approach to market is concerned, Eat2Eat had a strategy o focusing mainly on corporate customers rather than personal customers. This is because most of these corporate institutions made reservations for diners for various programs and activities. However with time, personal customers would be included because within the various companies, about 15% of employees would register to be part of the service. Out of the 15%, 10% of registered employees would eventually become active members on the company’s website. The strategy has also fairly involved the incorporation of services whereby customers looking for online reservations are automatically redirected to the website of Eat2Eat.Com. Another important feature is when the company went mobile, operating on mobi le devices. In totality however, it would be noted that the company is currently operating a focused culture strategy that takes all its inspiration from the Asia Pacific region. Effectiveness of the management team and CEO are in implementing the business model Availability of company statistics, financial statements and research data makes it very easy to assess the effectiveness of th

Alcohol and Performance Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Alcohol and Performance - Research Paper Example When we look back on history, it is easy to gather that alcohol had been used socially for many diverse purposes like providing courage in battles, calming feuds, sealing pacts and celebration festivals (Batista et al., 33-42). As of today, alcoholic beverages, used by many to relax, act as a social â€Å"ice-breaker† or, in other words, â€Å"bridge-builder†, is a way to alter one’s mood by decreasing one’s reserve. While its use is prevalent and acceptable in our society, it should not come as a surprise that problems arise in the use of alcohol and the performance of safety-related activities, such as driving an automobile or flying an aircraft. These problems are made worse by an exaggerated confidence and a tendency to forget that flying an aircraft is a highly demanding cognitive and psychomotor task that takes place in an inhospitable, trying environment where pilots are exposed to various stressors (Batista et al., 33-42). In general the effects of alcohol consumptions on the human body are detrimental. The first fact to mention is that pharmacologically ethanol can be relegated to anesthetic drugs. The most sensitive to it are the CNS cells, especially the cells of the cerebral cortex, influencing which it arouses alcoholic excitement associated with the inhibitory process decreasing (Van Reen, 137). Then also excitative processes are decreasing, followed by inhibition of medulla oblongata and spinal cord that leads to the respiratory center suppression. If not used for medical purpose it is harmful for health being consumed even in small amounts. Thus, alcohol is sedative, somewhat hypnotic and extremely addicting drug (Van Reen, 137). It quickly impairs the situation assessment and causes the behavior that can easily contribute to unexpected emergency, or worse, lead to an accident. The process of ethanol circulation needs to be elaborated to explain its adverse effects. Thuswise, alcohol is rapidly absorbed from the stomach and small intestine, and

Watsons Theory of Human Caring Essay Example for Free

Watsons Theory of Human Caring Essay A caring moment can be defined in many different ways by many different people. To me a caring moment between a patient and a nurse is when a nurse gives the patient their undivided attention. The nurse should take the time to listen to the patient and provide appropriate feedback reassuring the patient that they are being heard and the information as well as them are important. If the patient will allow the nurse to touch them this can be a very comforting gesture even if it is just a brief touch to the hand. Also repeat what the patient stated letting them know that you understood (Watson, 2009). Jean Watson, a nurse, who through personal experiences, beliefs, values and, higher education states that the focus of nursing is human caring, According to Lukose (2011) Caring and the healing task is more heart-centered than conventional nursing practice and extends to examine self and others. The major concepts of Watsons theory of human caring in the caring-healing process has expanded over the years, but based off her theory that it is According to Lukose (2011) connected with the high energy of the universe. Watsons states that the nurse creates a healing environment through forgiveness, compassion and love. Also that by using carative factors and a transpersonal relationship the nurse will be able to treat the whole patient (mind, body, and soul). For a couple of years I was the diabetic nurse at a county jail. I had a diabetic patient that was new to the jail and I was seeing the patient for the first time. I always tried to make my patients feel comfortable by having them sit in a chair and I did the same so we would be on the same level. This particular patient was very angry and did not want to speak about his disease process. Every time I would ask him a question trying to obtain some sort of history he would give answers like I dont care or none of it matters anymore. I continued to see him on a weekly basis trying to find a way to help him start caring again. I would get a little information from him, but I did start to discover that he had been going through some very hard times. The things that had happened to him led him to start drinking alcohol and using drugs which was how he ended up in jail. I continually would try to get him to take his diabetic medications. He also had hypertension and hyperlipidemia and would not take the medications for those either. This went on for two months with him telling me to just leave him alone he is not worth the trouble. I would order laboratory studies he would refuse, I would order medications and he would also refuse those. I usually tried to have face to face visits with the diabetic patients at least twice a week and had one day where I had quite a few patients to see. This patient was on my schedule but not until later in the day. It seemed like everyone was having a bad day almost every patient that I saw was angry and taking it out on me and I was feeling very frustrated. By the time I got to this patient I was fed up, only to hear him tell me how I was wasting my time he was not going to change his mind. So I just looked at him and said I do not even know why I continue to do this, nobody cares anyway as I said this I had tears in my eyes and told the patient he could just go ahead and leave, and he did. I, of course, continued to work as the diabetic nurse but my heart was not in it at all. The next week came and I had another face to face with this patient. When he came into the examination room he was different, I had his medication record and a record of his vital signs and blood glucose checks but had not looked at them. He started to talk before I had a chance, he told me that when he left from the previous visit that he went back to his room and prayed the entire night. He said that God told him that he needed to start following his treatment plan. I than looked at his records and saw that he had been taking all of his medications and that blood pressure and blood glucose numbers were decreasing. I could not believe it, I just looked at him dumbfounded. The patient told me he felt great and that I needed to keep continue what I was doing because I really did make a difference and had changed his life. I must have looked so silly because I was crying and smiling at the same time. He said that he just could not believe that someone cared that much about what happened to him. I continued to see that patient for several more months, and he would tell me how he had started to repair all of the relationships in his life through understanding, forgiveness and god. I learned that I should continue to care for the whole patient with love and accept them for who they are (Caruso, Cisar, Pipe, 2008). Continuing to show this patient how much I cared through my perseverance made a difference in both of our lives. I created a healing and caring environment in an environment that could be harsh with a lack of positive human to human connection. I should not let my frustration be so apparent or voiced the that I did not even know why I became a nurse, it was not professional. I often wonder if that patient had not seen the effect he had on me that he may have never realized that I truly did care. In a different environment I would have been able to enhance this caring moment by being able to give more of my time to the patient and provide even more education. The nursing metaparadigm applied to this patient and I was unaware of it at the time. As I am learning about nursing theories I can see it. I had individualized the nursing care for this person. I identified the mental and physical problems this patient was facing and tried to implement the appropriate measures. I used my critical thinking skills to establish the patients plan of care. I also got to know the patient and the patients lifestyle and used this in the plan of care (Sitzman, 2002). I had also utilized carative factors without any knowledge of them at the time. According to Vanenhouten, Kubusch, and Peterson (2012) Cultivation of sensitivity to ones self and others, through my own spiritual practices I was putting the patients needs before my own. According to Vanenhouten, Kubusch, and Peterson (2012) Development of a helping, trusting, human caring relationship, I continued to try to help the patient by gaining his trust and proving that I cared. According to Vanenhouten, Kubusch, and Peterson (2012) Promotion and acceptance of the expression of positive and negative feelings, I supported the patient and understood the barriers he was facing, and was able to make a connection with the patient that turned both of our negative feelings into a very positive experience for the both of us. According to Vanenhouten, Kubusch, and Peterson (2012) Promotion of a transpersonal teaching and learning, I took into account the patients current situation and developed his plan of care as well as all of the education I provided around his level of understanding and the barriers he faced being in jail. I reflect on this situation a lot and have told the story many times when I have come across a nurse that is feeling like giving up. A nurse really can make a difference in someones life when they are caring for a patient with their heart. Whether or not it is physical or mental a nurse can save someones life with a caring nurse-patient relationship. Caring and healing, I believe that one cannot exist without the other. Lukose, A. (2011, Jan). Developing a practice model for Watsons theory of caring. Nursing Science Quarterly, 24(1), 27-30. Caruso, E., Cisar, N., Pipe, T. (2008, April/June). Creating a healing environment: An innovative educational approach for adopting Jean Watsons theory of human caring. Nursing Administration Quarterly, 32(2). Vanenhouten, C., Kubusch, S., Peterson, M. (2012, Nov/Dec). Watsons theory of transpersonal caring Factors impacting nurses professional caring. Holistic Nursing Practice, 26(6), 326-334. Morris, D. L. (2006). Encyclopedia of nursing research (2nd ed.). Retrieved from http://search.proquest.comezproxy.apollolibrary.com.docreview/189451612?acciuntid=458. Morris, D. L. (2006). Encyclopedia of nursing research (2nd ed.). Retrieved from http://search.proquest.comezproxy.apollolibrary.com.docreview/189451612?acciuntid=458.

A new Experience :: essays research papers

In class we read four stories about immigrants and their experiences. Out of all the stories the one that touched me and I could relate to the most was â€Å"No Speak English† by Sandra Cisneros. Mamacita is the main character in this story. She is the new comer, â€Å"immigrant†, in the new city. Mamacita later on starts missing her home very much. She paints her walls in her apartment pick like her old pink house. All she does all day, is sit by the window listening to the Spanish radio shows just so that she could hear songs that reminded her of her country to that she wouldn’t feel so homesick. Then she realized that it actually made her miss it more. Then as time passes by, her baby boy starts talking in English and she can’t understand, making her hurt badly. I can definitely relate to Mamasita’s experience to my mother’s experience when she arrived in America, New York to be exact. My mom missed her home in Colombia very much. She would try to do or listen to everything that she though wouldn’t make her feel so homesick but the realized just as well, that it made her feel even more homesick. My mom isolated herself from the world and didn’t meet anybody for the first 4 months. My mom began thinking to herself during these four months, â€Å"How can you meet other people and make a new home a familiar environment for yourself if you never give it a chance and leave the house?† Lately, I have been realizing that experiences like this are never easy. Feeling alone really hurts a lot of people emotionally, especially being different from everyone else around you. When you feel different from the new people around you, you begin to feel left out and all you want to do is run and hide. Doing this does not allow you to meet new people and experience new things. There is nothing wrong with your own kind or what you are used to being around but then you will never be okay in an unfamiliar environment. A new Experience :: essays research papers In class we read four stories about immigrants and their experiences. Out of all the stories the one that touched me and I could relate to the most was â€Å"No Speak English† by Sandra Cisneros. Mamacita is the main character in this story. She is the new comer, â€Å"immigrant†, in the new city. Mamacita later on starts missing her home very much. She paints her walls in her apartment pick like her old pink house. All she does all day, is sit by the window listening to the Spanish radio shows just so that she could hear songs that reminded her of her country to that she wouldn’t feel so homesick. Then she realized that it actually made her miss it more. Then as time passes by, her baby boy starts talking in English and she can’t understand, making her hurt badly. I can definitely relate to Mamasita’s experience to my mother’s experience when she arrived in America, New York to be exact. My mom missed her home in Colombia very much. She would try to do or listen to everything that she though wouldn’t make her feel so homesick but the realized just as well, that it made her feel even more homesick. My mom isolated herself from the world and didn’t meet anybody for the first 4 months. My mom began thinking to herself during these four months, â€Å"How can you meet other people and make a new home a familiar environment for yourself if you never give it a chance and leave the house?† Lately, I have been realizing that experiences like this are never easy. Feeling alone really hurts a lot of people emotionally, especially being different from everyone else around you. When you feel different from the new people around you, you begin to feel left out and all you want to do is run and hide. Doing this does not allow you to meet new people and experience new things. There is nothing wrong with your own kind or what you are used to being around but then you will never be okay in an unfamiliar environment.

Energy Drink and Alternative Beverages Essay

1. What are the strategically relevant components of the global and U. S. beverage industry macro-environment? How do the economic characteristics of the alternative beverage segment of the industry differ from that of other beverage categories? Explain. SEGMENTATION: The global market for alternative beverages was divided by product type (sports drinks, energy drinks, and vitamin-enhanced beverages) with different demands for each group. Sports drinks accounted for nearly 60% of alternative beverage sales in 2009, while vitamin-enhanced drinks and energy drinks got about 23% and 18% of 2009 alternative beverage sales, respectively, in the US. RIVALRY: The worldwide competition between three major producers (PepsiCo, Coca-Cola and Red Bull) made the industry rivalry become global. In U. S. , Pepsico has engulfed almost half or 47. 8% of the market shares last 2009. The only region where Coca-Cola beats Pepsico is in Asia-Pacific. Coca-cola has 13. 7% of the market shares while Pepsico has 12. 4%. Worldwide, Pepsico is still leading among the three with 26. 5% of market shares while Coca-Cola and Red Bull had 11. 5% and 7%, respectively. MARKET SIZE: The global beverage industry’s dollar value for beverages in 2009 was $1,581. 7 billion (458. 4 billion liters); with 48. 2% of industry sales was from carbonated soft drinks, 29. 2% from bottle water, 4. 0% from sports drinks, 1. 6% flavored or enhanced water, and 1. 2% from energy drinks. The dollar value of global market for alternative beverages in the same year was $40. 2 billion (12. 7 billion liters), while the dollar value of the U. S. market for alternative beverages stood at $17 billion (4. 2 billion liters). Meanwhile, in Asia-Pacific region, the dollar value for alternative beverages in 2009 was $12. 7 billion (6. 2 billion liters) and it was $9. 1 billion (1. 6 billion liters) in the European market. MARKET GROWTH: The dollar value of the global beverage industry had grown approximately 2. 6% annually from 2005 to 2009 and was forecasted to grow approximately 2. 3% annually from 2010 to 2014. However, this indicator for the alternative beverage industry was much higher. For example, the dollar value of the global market for alternative beverages grew at a 9. 8% annually from 2005 to 2009, but was expected to slow down to 5. 7% annually from 2010 to 2014. Based on the geographic share of the alternative beverages market, U. S. largely covers 42. 3% of it; while Asia-Pacific, Europe and Americas (excluding U. S. ) only cover 31. 5%, 22. 2% and 4% respectively. US is the country that has strongest growth internationally in terms of alternative beverage sales with a 84. 78% growth between 2005 and 2009; while Europe and Asia-Pacific are 22. 97% and 24. 51%, respectively. However, poor economic conditions in the US in 2008 and 2009 led to a 12. 3% decline in sports drink sales and a 12. 5% decline in flavored and vitamin-enhanced waters sales. It was also the reason why energy drinks sales increased just a little of 0. 2% between those years. 2. What is competition like in the alternative beverage industry? Which of the five competitive forces is strongest? Which is weakest? What competitive forces seem to have the greatest effect on industry attractiveness and the potential profitability of new entrants? In the beverage industry, competition can be extensive (large scale). There are many substitute beverages from tea,soft drinks,fruit juices, and bottled water. Provided that there is a wide range of substitute beverages, this weakens the competitive power of substitute beverages when there comes a change to consumer preference. Because there is a large purchase for wholesale clubs, grocery stores, and convenience stores ; consumers have significant influence in negotiations for pricing and slotting fees with the producers. Wholesale clubs and the likes find it difficult to represent new brands due to limited shelf space.when products become a household name such as coca cola, red bull, etc already offer the demands of consumers. Coca Cola and PepsiCo are the least vulnerable when it comes to substitute products since they offer a wide range of variety beverages. The strongest competitive force is competitive rivalry within the industry, competition grows stronger by the year. The primary focus on brand image is key to becoming a household name in the industry, Attractive packaging should be developed, New research and product development, Increase of distribution capabilities, Better taste and more variety. The Bargaining power and leverage of suppliers is the weakest competitive force, Consumers tend to buy more alternative products. The threat of new brands varies by market maturity of each alternative beverage category. Competition is strong and will continue on growing every year in the product line. Competition among all brands center mostly on brand image, attractive packaging, new product and research development, sales promotion, better access to shelf space, and strengthening distribution capabilities. Rivals expands their numbers and types of alternative beverages in their product line, the opportunity for low switch cost for consumers gets introduced and sales efforts to establish consumers brand loyalty. 3. How is the market for energy drinks, sports drinks and vitamin-enhanced beverages changing? What are the underlying drivers of change and how might those forces individually or collectively make the industry more or less attractive? The market for energy drinks, sports drinks and vitamin-enhanced beverages is now changing due to the change in the long-term industry growth rate. Because of the US recession on the entire beverage industry the demand for the alternative beverages was expected to grow worldwide as the purchasing power of the consumers increased. The volume of the alternative beverages offered higher profit margin than those of other beverages. Product innovation, in terms of flavors and formulation, was the most important competitive feature of the alternative beverages. They competed on the basis of differentiation from traditional drinks. This made the industry attractive because of the enhanced look and flavors that the company made. The modernization in marketing and distribution system changed the industry in the way that the beverages may be bought from convenience stores, restaurants, sporting events, delis, concerts, festivals, carnivals and vending machines. The industry was made more attractive because of the famous artists that the companies hire for advertisements. There was also an expansion of target markets, and an increase in new entrants, which made the industry seem appealing to others. The regulations and policies that the government implemented made the industry less attractive due to the products’ faults being exposed to the public. The growing concern of people about health associated with their consumption also made the industry less attractive. For example, caffeine in energy drinks, mixture of alcohol and energy drinks, melatonine hormone in relaxation drinks, and use of Kava and unapproved valerian roots as food additives. The drivers of change, however, will unlikely alter the attractiveness of the alternative beverages for the next years because large producers of this industry would rely on product innovations and acquisitions to increase sales and market shares. But individual and collective effect of industry drivers of change will likely affect the attractiveness of the industry. 4. What does your strategic group map of the energy drinks, sports drink, and vitamin-enhanced beverage industry look like? Which strategic groups do you think are in the best positions? The worst positions? PepsiCo, Coca-Cola, Red Bull GmbH, and Hansen Natural Corporation are strategic groups that are in the best positions because they have already established a market position and they hold most of the market share in the alternative beverage industry. They also account for most of the sales in the industry and they have conquered not just US but also Europe and some parts of Asia and America. Living Essentials, Vacation in a Bottle, Dream Water or Drank are strategic groups that are in the worst positions. This is due to the small number of consumers that they have and policies implemented by the government hinder their expansion. Though Living Essentials lead the development of energy drinks, they did not expanded their market thus other companies took advantage of the opportunity. 5. What key factors determine the success of alternative beverage producers? The four key factors that determine the success of alternative beverage producers: (1) access to distribution, (2) innovating product skills, (3) image, and (4) sufficient sales volume. The first one is access to distribution, which is regarded as the most important industry success factor due to the fact that most brands of energy drinks/alternative beverages cannot achieve good sales volumes and market shares unless they are widely available in stores, and there are also far too many brands for all to be included on store shelves. Popular brands that enjoyed first mover advantages such as Red Bull and 5-Hour Energy and brands offered by Coca-Cola and PepsiCo were assured of consistent access to distribution. The second factor is innovating product skills. By definition, alternative beverages were different from traditional beverages based upon product innovation. Moreover, continuing product innovations were essential to developing additional volume gains from line extensions and the entry into new categories like energy shots. The third one is image, which was also a critical factor in choosing a brand of customers. The image presented by the product’s name and emphasized in advertisements, endorsements, and promotions created demand for one brand over another. Brand image was also a result of labels and packaging that alternative beverage consumer found appealing. Small producers with poor image building capabilities found it difficult to compete in the industry unless the product enjoyed a first-mover advantage similar to that achieved by 5-Hour Energy. Finally, sufficient sales volume to achieve scale economies in marketing expenditures is also an important driver. Successful alternative beverage producers were required to have sufficient sales volumes to keep marketing expenses at an acceptable cost per unit basis. 6. What recommendations would you make to Coca-Cola to improve its competitiveness in the global alternative beverage industry? to PepsiCo? to Red Bull GmbH? Coca Cola * Increase alternative beverage drink brand awareness in Europe and capture its market * Grow infrastructure in Africa. * Continue to budget and implement their â€Å"2020 vision† corporate strategy * Enhance product line and innovation PepsiCo * Focus on current energy drink line * Continue to promote their tea and juice-energy lines * Offer different sized cans for current energy drink lines of No fear and Amp * Proceed to distribute Rockstar energy drinks and strengthen their alliance with them RedBull * Expand product line while focusing on market penetration in South America * Branch out with additional lines of alternative beverages * Continue to promote brand.

Nelson Mandela Inauguration Speech Analysis Essay

All inaugural addresses use tools of rhetoric. Nelson Mandela gave an inaugural address. Therefore, Mandela’s inaugural address uses tools of rhetoric. As stated by Campbell and Jamieson, â€Å"inauguration is a right of passage, and therefore creates a need for the newly elected president to make a public address – these addresses have a synthetic core in which certain rhetorical elements †¦ are fused into an indivisible whole† (1990). This paper will discuss the often subtle but effective tools of rhetoric used in inaugural addresses, focusing on former South African President Nelson Mandela’s, in particular. I will argue that the creation of unity is the overriding rhetorical purpose of the inaugural address as a genre, which is synonymous with Burke’s theory of identification To begin with, I will provide some background information on the inaugural address as a rhetorical genre. Following this, I will discuss the positions of the author an d audience (the rhetorical situation), and relate these positions to Aristotle’s concept of ethos and pathos; I will go on to analyze the appeals and tropes exercised by Mandela in his inaugural address; all of these rhetorical elements, I will argue, construct unity and persuade the people of South Africa to take their first steps towards reunification. The inaugural address can be considered a rhetorical genre, as it is a recognizable kind of speech with â€Å"similar forms that share substantive, stylistic, and situational characteristics† (Tarvin, 2008). The inaugural address is ceremonial and traditional in nature, and can be characterized by Aristotelian theorists as epideictic oratory, which is oratory that takes place on special occasions; the author â€Å"celebrates the event for an audience of †¦ fellow citizens by appealing to common values and cultural traditions† (Killingsworth, 2005). The speech symbolizes a change in government, and is the newly elected President’s first official public address. Corbett and Connors have observed that â€Å"inaugural addresses usually deal in broad, undeveloped generalizations. Principles, policies, and promises are enunciated without elaboration† (1999), while Sigelman points out that presidents â€Å"typically use the occasion to commemorate the natio n’s past, to envision its future, and to try to set the tone for [following] years† (1996). Campbell and Jamieson define five key elements that distinguish the inaugural address as a genre. The presidential inaugural: â€Å"unifies the audience by reconstituting its members as the people, who can witness and  ratify the ceremony; rehearses communal values drawn from the past; sets forth the political principles that will govern the new administration; and demonstrates through enactment that the president appreciates the requirements and limitations of executive functions. Finally, each of these ends must be achieved †¦ while urging contemplation not action, focusing on the present while incorporating past and future, and praising the institution of presidency and the values and form of the government of which it is a part (Campbell and Jamieson, 1990). Note that unification of the audience (which is synonymous with Burke’s theory of identification) constitutes the â€Å"most fundamental [element] that demarcate[s] the inaugural address as a rhetorical genre† (Sigelman, 1996), which is the overriding argument of this paper. I would also like to poin t out the three main positions in any piece of rhetoric, as stated by Killingsworth (2005): the position of the author (Mandela, for the purpose of this essay), the position of the audience (immediate and secondary audiences), and the position of value to which the author refers (the unity of whites and blacks). The author’s rhetorical goal is to move the audience towards his position via a shared position of values, which results in the alignment of the three positions (author, audience, and value). Therefore, Mandela’s rhetorical goal is to move his immediate and secondary audience of both supporters and critics towards his position as the newly elected black President of South Africa by the shared goal of unification of all races within the nation. Put another way, Kenneth Burke, in his work â€Å"A Rhetoric of Motives†, describes the basic function of rhetoric as the â€Å"use of words by human agents to form attitudes or induce actions in other human agents† (1969). In order to align attitudes of author, audience, and value, or in order to form attitudes to induce action in other human agents, the first consideration in the construction of the speech must be the audience. Before I discuss audience though, I will talk about the position of Mandela – the author of the inaugural address in question. Corbett and Connors (1999) point out that when doing a rhetorical analysis, one must always consider the special situation that faces the speaker. Nelson Mandela was elected as the first black president in South Africa on May 10th, 1994; this election was particularly significant because it was the first ever multi-racial, democratic election in the country’s history. It also signaled  the end of the apartheid (from the Afrikaans word for â€Å"apartness† or â€Å"separateness†), which was both a slogan and a social and political policy of racial segregations and discrimination, enforced by the White National party from 1948 until Mandela’s election. However, racial segregation has characterized South Africa since white settlers arrived in 1652, before apartheid. Furthermore, Mandela spent 27 years as a political prisoner in South Africa for his role as a freedom fighter and leader of the African National Congress (ANC), and his significant contribution to anti-apartheid activities. All of these factors established some doubts in Mandela, especially in the minds of white South Africans. Mandela â€Å"had to address the very legitimate needs of black South African people while preventing the flight of white South Africans and foreign capital from the nation †¦ [and his inaugural address] needed to [rhetorically] establish the ground from which progress would grow† (Sheckels, 2001). Because of these varying circumstances, the inaugural address might be â€Å"an occasion when a powerful ethical appeal would have to be exerted if the confidence and initiatives of the people were to be aroused† (Corbett and Connors, 1999). However, while these factors established doubts in some, they also contributed to Mandela’s ethos, which is defined by Aristotle as the character or credibility of the rhetor. Aristotle claims â€Å"It is necessary not only to look at the argument, that it may be demonstrative and persuasive but also [for the speaker] to construct a view of himself as a certain kind of person† (Aristotle in Borchers, 2006). As stated in Killingsworth, â€Å"authors demonstrate their character †¦ in every utterance† (2005). A person who possesses â€Å"practical wisdom, virtue, and good will †¦ is necessarily persuasive to the hearers† (Borchers, 2006). Mandela possesses considerable ethos as a result of his personal identity and regional history; his involvement with the ANC, the political party whose aim was to defend the rights and freedoms of African people, and the time he served as a political prisoner demonstrate his dedication to the construction of a democratic nation. One author notes that Mandela serves as a â€Å"representative of the African people at large† (Sheckels, 2001). The public’s knowledge of Mandela’s past allows him to establish ethos, which in turn helps him deliver a rhetorically successful inaugural address, which serves in the construction of unity between all people of South Africa. Additionally, as one author points out, ethos â€Å"may  take several forms – a powerful leader like the President will often have the ethos of credibil ity that comes from authority† (Tuman, 2010). While Mandela uses his past to construct ethos, he also gains ethos as South Africa’s newly elected President. Because it was the first ever democratic election, in which his party won 62% of the votes, Mandela gains authority over past South African Presidents; his call to office represents the wants and needs of all people in South Africa, while his predecessors’ did not. Mandela’s accumulated ethos contributes to the persuasive power of his inaugural address, in which he makes his first official attempt as President to establish unity through speech. Next I will discuss the position of the audience. When constructing a speech, the author must first consider who his specific audience is: â€Å"consideration of audience drives the creation of an effective persuasive message† (Tuman, 2010). When writing his inaugural speech, which is a form of oral rhetoric, Mandela had to consider both an immediate audience, as well as a secondary audience who would watch the speech through the medium of TV and listen to it on the radio. The audience consisted not only of South Africans, but of people across the world interested and inspired by this monumental moment in history. Furthermore, Mandela had to consider both listeners who were his supporters and listeners who were his adversaries. Corbett and Connors claim that â€Å"the larger and more heterogeneous the audience is, the more difficult it is to adjust the discourse to fit the audience. In his content and his style, the President must strike some common denominator – but [one] that does not fall below the dignity that the occasion demands† (Killingsworth, 2005). One such way that Mandela adjusts his discourse to fit his audience is his choice in diction. While he does engage in the use of tropes and rhetorical appeals, he also uses fairly common language throughout. This is especially important in his situation, as many of his black listeners were denied education by the whites, and thus had limited vocabularies. While Mandela wanted to reach out to the educated citizens and international guests, he also had to ensure that his less educated listeners were able to grasp his words and thus be affected by the emotionality of his address and persuaded to unite. When analyzing Mandela’s Inaugural address in consideration of audience, we may also note his opening line: â€Å"Your Majesties, Your Highnesses, Distinguished Guests, Comrades, and Friends.† Here he acknowledges both the  Ã¢â‚¬Å"distinguished international guests,† as well as the people of South Africa: â€Å"Comrades and Friends.† Recognizing members of the international and internal audience is a tradition of inaugural addresses with rhetorical value. Kennedy, for example, followed this tradition when he began his inaugural address: â€Å"Vice President Johnson, Mr. Speaker, Mr. Chief Justice, President Eisenhower, Vice President Nixon, President Truman, Reverend Clergy, Fellow Citizens,† as did Roos evelt when he began: â€Å"Mr. Chief Justice, Mr. Vice President, My Friends† (Wolfarth, 1961). Additionally, we may note that it is traditional for inaugural addresses to â€Å"abound with unity appeals† (Wolfarth, 1961), which unite the president to the citizens of the country for which he reigns. President Jefferson, for example, addressed â€Å"Friends and Fellow-Citizens† in his opening line; Pierce opened with â€Å"My countrymen;† while Lincoln saluted his â€Å"Fellow-Citizens of the United States† in the first lines of his second inaugural address (Wolfarth, 1961). An address containing official salutations as well as unity appeals causes all audiences to identify with the President. We may also note additional unity appeals throughout Mandela’s inaugural address. There is a pervasive use of personal pronouns, such as â€Å"we,† â€Å"us,† and â€Å"our,† along with â€Å"symbolically potent terms that embody a sense of collectivity† (Sigelman, 1996), such as â€Å"South Africa/Africans† â€Å"homel and,† â€Å"people,† and â€Å"country,† all of which connote community and contribute to the construction of unity. Mandela begins 15 out of 30 sections (as designated in the index) with â€Å"we† or â€Å"our,† and they constitute 59 of the 893 words in the address (6.6%). The repetition of the word â€Å"we† at the beginning of subsequent sentences is a rhetorical trope called ‘anaphora;’ by using this rhetorical technique, Mandela subtly emphasizes the importance of unity As one author explains, the strategic use of personal pronouns is â€Å"one fairly subtle means of transmitting a feeling of unity† (Sigelman, 1996). Appeals to unity follow in Burke’s theory of identification as a means of persuasion or cooperation. By addressing â€Å"Comrades and Friends† and using the words â€Å"we† and â€Å"us† throughout the speech, Mandela is uniting the audience with himself, as well as each other – a â€Å"powerful, yet subtle, type of identification †¦ The word ‘we’ reinforces the idea that all of the [listening] community is united in its efforts to accomplish [certain] goals† (Borchers, 2006). The rhetorician who appeals to an audience to the  point where identific ation takes place has accomplished the purpose of his rhetoric (Burke, 1969). Mandela’s use of personal pronouns and terms that embody collectivity construct unity, which is the overriding purpose of both his inaugural address, as well as his Presidency in general. Mandela’s inaugural address also employs pathos, which is an appeal to the emotions of one’s audience that serves as a persuasive power. Aristotle argued that a speaker must understand the emotions of one’s audience in order to be persuasive (Borchers, 2006); that is, he must understand his audience’s state of mind, against whom their emotions are directed, and for what sorts of reasons people feel the way they do, in order to connect emotionally with them. Mandela’s inauguration was an emotional day for the people of South Africa and the world, because it represented a shift towards democracy, equality, and freedom for all people. One author notes that â€Å"Mandela’s first presidential address before the newly constituted South African Parliament lifted South Africa from the realm of imaginary democracy into a state of actual democratic practice and was a self-referential act of bringing opposing parties together. The [inauguration] speech was the first example of reconstruction and development after apartheid †¦ in words – and words alone – [Mandela’s] speech reconstitute[d] the nation† (Salazar, 2002). We can see Mandela’s use of pathos throughout his inauguration speech. For example, he refers to the past as an â€Å"extraordinary human disaster† (3); he enlists his fellow South Africans to â€Å"produce an actual South African reality that will reinforce humanity’s belief in justice, strengthen its confidence in the nobility of the human soul and sustain all our hopes for a glorious life for all† (4); he discusses â€Å"the depth of the pain we all carried in our hearts as we saw our country tear itself apart in a terrible conflict †¦ saw it spurned, outlawed and isolated by the peoples of the world† (9); and he refers to his win as â€Å"a common victory for justice, for peace, for human dignity† (11) and his o pponents as â€Å"blood-thirsty forces which still refuse to see the light† (14). Mandela then makes an emotional pledge: â€Å"we pledge ourselves to liberate all our people from the continuing bondage of poverty, deprivation, suffering, gender, and other discrimination †¦ we shall build a society in which all South Africans, both black and white, will be able to walk tall, without any fear in their hearts† (16-18). He then dedicates â€Å"this day to all the heroes and heroines †¦ who sacrificed  Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ and surrendered their lives so that we could be free† (20). The rhetorical use of pathos is thick throughout Mandela’s inaugural address. Mandela’s appeals to unity also contribute to the pathos of the speech by inspiring the listeners to join together as one, rather than opposing entities. Mandela concludes with a promise: â€Å"never, never and never again shall it be that this beautiful land will again experience the oppression †¦ and suffer the indignity of being the skunk of the world./ Let freedom reign† (28-29). It is also important to note Mandela’s use of what rhetorical scholars have called ‘ideographs,’ which are defined as â€Å"high-level abstraction[s] that encapsulate or summarize the definitive principles or ideals of a political culture† (Parry-Giles & Hogan, 2010). I would like to add that the use of ideographs employs Aristotle’s concept of pathos, as the words are often emotionally laden. Examples of ideographs used in Mandela’s inaugural address include: â€Å"liberty† (2); â€Å"nobility† (4); â€Å"justice† (4, 11, 26); â€Å"peace† (11, 26); â€Å"human dignity† (11, 18); â€Å"freedom† (17, 21, 29); and â€Å"hope† (1, 18). Freedom is the most significant ideograph in the speech, as Mandela was a ‘freedom-fighter’ and was ‘freed’ from prison in 1990, which was a major step towards ‘freedom’ for all South Africans. Ideographs, claim rhetorical scholars, â€Å"have the potential to unify diverse audiences around vaguely shared sets of meaning† (Parry-Giles & Hogan, 2010). Yet again we are presented with appeals to unity in Mandela’s inaugural address. As discussed, Mandela’s speech provides evidence that he understands his audience’s state of mind (a mixture of apprehension and optimism), against whom their emotions are directed (Mandela himself, as well as the apartheid), and for what sorts of reasons people feel the way they do (change, fear, history, etc.). Thus, he was able to connect emotionally with his audience, which is Aristotle’s understanding of Pathos. I will continue my analysis of Mandela’s speech with consideration of appeals he makes to place and race. Killingsworth points out that â€Å"appeals to race †¦ often work together with appeals to place† (2005). In Mandela’s inauguration speech he says: â€Å"Each one of us is as intimately attached to the soil of this beautiful country as are the famous jacaranda trees of Pretoria and the mimosa trees of the bushveld. /Each time one of us touches the soil of this land, we feel a sense of personal renewal. The national mood changes as the seasons change. /We are moved by a sense of joy and exhilaration when   grass turns green and the flowers bloom. /That spiritual and physical oneness we all share with this common homeland †¦.† (6-9). This claim on the land can be thought of as an identification of race with place, or in terms of Ke nneth Burke’s dramatism, a ratio between agent and scene, who and where (Killingsworth, 2005). When white settlers arrived in South Africa in the 1600s, they began displacing indigenous black inhabitants from their homeland, pushing them onto â€Å"less desirable terrain where water was comparatively scarce, grazing poor and agricultural conditions harsh† (Horrell, 1973). Apartheid made the separation of blacks with their homeland even more acute with the implementation of designated group areas, in which blacks were relocated to slums and townships, separate from whites. Hook, in Killingsworth, claims that â€Å"collective black self-recovery can only take place when we begin to renew our relationship to the earth, when we remember the way of our ancestors† (2005). Mandela’s appeals to race and place in his inaugural address advocate collective self-recovery, and, as a byproduct, unity. Burke notes that â€Å"rhetors who feature the scene see the world as relatively permanent †¦ [and] rhetors who features the agent see people as rational and capable of making choices† (Borchers, 153). By featuring both scene and agent, it is evident that Mandela sees the physical geography of South Africa as unchanging, and also sees that the people who inhabit South Africa have the power to choose to unite on that shared territory. Unity is the underlying theme of Mandela’s inaugural address as well as his presidency: the unity of white and black people; the dissolution of apartheid and its associated segregation; the reunification of native South Africans with their homeland; and the unification of South Africa with the rest of the free democratic world. â€Å"When [Mandela] took up the reins of power in 1994, the world was holding its breath, expecting the racial tensions splitting the country to explode into a blood bath. Instead, the world witnessed a miracle. Mandela’s achievement is colossal† (Davis, 1997). Mandela’s inaugural address served as an instrument of reunification and produced an atmosphere of stability from which the new system of government could go forward. Index Your Majesties, Your Highnesses, Distinguished Guests, Comrades and Friends: Today, all of us do, by our presence here, and by our celebrations in other parts of our country and the world, confer glory and hope to newborn liberty. Out of the experience of an extraordinary human disaster that lasted too long, must be born a society of which all humanity will be proud. Our daily deeds as ordinary South Africans must produce an actual South African reality that will reinforce humanity’s belief in justice, strengthen its confidence in the nobility of the human soul and sustain all our hopes for a glorious life for all. All this we owe both to ourselves and to the peoples of the world who are so well represented here today. To my compatriots, I have no hesitation in saying that each one of us is as intimately attached to the soil of this beautiful country as are the famous jacaranda trees of Pretoria and the mimosa trees of the bushveld. Each time one of us touches the soil of this land, we feel a sense of personal renewal. The national mood changes as the seasons change. We are moved by a sense of joy and exhilaration when the grass turns green and the flowers bloom. That spiritual and physical oneness we all share with this common homeland explains the depth of the pain we all carried in our hearts as we saw our country tear itself apart in a terrible conflict, and as we saw it spurned, outlawed and isolated by the peoples of the world, precisely because it has become the universal base of the pernicious ideology and practice of racism and racial oppression. We, the people of South Africa, feel fulfilled that humanity has taken us back into its bosom, that we, who were outlaws not so long ago, have today been given the rare privilege to be host to the nations of the world on our own soil. We thank all our distinguished international guests for having come to take possession with the people of our country of what is, after all, a common victory for justice, for peace, for human dignity. We trust that you will continue to stand by us as we tackle the challenges of building peace, prosperity, non-sexism, non-racialism and democracy. We deeply appreciate the role that the masses of our people and their political mass democratic, religious, women, youth, business, traditional and other leaders have played to bring about this conclusion. Not least among them is my Second Deputy President, the Honorable F.W. de Klerk. We would also like to pay tribute to our security forces, in all their ranks, for the distinguished role they have played in securing our first democratic elections and the transition   democracy, from blood-thirsty forces which still refuse to see the light. The time for the healing of the wounds has   The moment to bridge the chasms that divide us has   The time to build is upon us. We have, at last, achieved our political emancipation. We pledge ourselves to liberate all our people from the continuing bondage of poverty, deprivation, suffering, gender and other discrimination. We succeeded to take our last steps to freedom in conditions of relative peace. We commit ourselves to the construction of a complete, just and lasting peace. We have triumphed in the effort to implant hope in the breasts of the millions of our people. We enter into a covenant that we shall build the society in which all South Africans, both black and white, will be able to walk tall, without any fear in their hearts, assured of their inalienable right to human dignity–a rainbow nation at peace with itself and the world. As a token of its commitment to the renewal of our country, the new Interim Government of National Unity will, as a matter of urgency, address the issue of amnesty for various categories of our people who are currently serving terms of imprisonment. We dedicate this day to all the heroes and heroines in this country and the rest of the world who sacrificed in many ways and surrendered their lives so that we could be free. Their dreams have become reality. Freedom is their reward. We are both humbled and elevated by the honor and privilege that you, the people of South Africa, have bestowed on us, as the first President of a united, democratic, non-racial and non-sexist South Africa, to lead our country out of the valley of darkness. We understand it still that there is no easy road to freedom. We know it well that none of us acting alone can achieve success. We must therefore act together as a united people, for national reconciliation, for nation building, for the birth of a new world. Let there be justice for all. Let there be peace for all. Let there be work, bread, water and salt for all. Let each know that for each the body, the mind and the soul have been freed to fulfill themselves. Never, never and never again shall it be that this beautiful land will again experience the oppression of one by another and suffer the indignity of being the skunk of the world. Let freedom reign. The sun shall never set on so glorious a human achievement! God bless Africa! Thank you. Works Cited Borchers, T. (2006). Rhetorical theory: An introduction. Waveland Press Inc.: Illinois Burke, K. 1969. A Rhetoric of Motives. Berkeley: University of California Press. Burke, K. (1966). Language as symbo1ic action: Essays on life, literature, and method. Berkeley: University of California Press. Campbell, K.K. & Jamieson, K.H. (1990). Deeds done in words: Presidential rhetoric and the genres of governance. The University of Chicago Press: Chicago. Corbett, E.P.J. & Connors, R.J. (1999) Classical rhetoric for the modern student. Oxford University Press: New York. Davis, G. (1997, July 18). No ordinary magic. Electronic Mail & Guardian [On-line]. Available: http://www.mg.co.za/mg/news/97jul2/18JUL-mandels.html . Horrel, M. (1973). The African homelands of South Africa. USA: University of Michigan. Ali-Dinar, A.B. (1994). Inaugural speech, Pretoria [Mandela]. University of Pennsylvania: African studies center. Retrieved from http://www.africa.upenn.edu/Articles_Gen/Inaugural_Speech_1798 4.html Killingsworth, M.J. (2005). Appeals in modern rhetoric: An ordinary-language approach. Southern Illinois University Press. Parry-Giles, S.J. & Hogan, J.M. (2010). The handbook of rhetoric and public address. United Kingdome: Blackwell Publishing Ltd. Salazar, P.J. (2002). An African Athens: Rhetoric and the shaping of democracy. London: Lawrence Erlbaum. Sheckels, T.F. (2001). The rhetoric of Nelson Mandela: A qualified success. Howard Journal of Communications, Vol 12-2. Sigelman, L. (Jan-Mar 1996). Presidential inaugurals: The modernization of a genre. Political Communication. Vol 13-1. South Africa’s political parties. SouthAfrica.info. Retrieved from http://www.southafrica.info/about/democracy/polparties.htm Tarvin, D. (2008). Vincent Fox’s inaugural address: A comparative analysis between the generic characteristics of the United States and Mexico. Retrieved from http://lsu.academia.edu/DavidTarvin/Papers/687161/Vicente_Foxs_Inaugural_Addr ess_A_Comparative_Analysis_Between_the_Generic_Characteristics_of_the_United_States_and_Mexico Tuman, J.S. (2010). Communicating terror: The rhetorical dimensions of terrorism. San Francisco: Sage Publications. Wolfarth, D.L. (April 1961). John F. Kennedy in the tradition of inaugural speeches. Quarterly journal of speech, Vol. 47-2. Additional Works Referenced Foss, S.K. (2004). Rhetorical criticism: Exploration & practice. Illinois: Waveland Press, Inc. Hart, R.P. & Daughton, S. (2005). Modern rhetorical criticism: Third edition. USA: Pearson Education, Inc. Kuypers, J.A. (2005). The art of rhetorical criticism. USA: Pearson Education Inc. Lacy, M.G. & Ono, K.A. (2011). Critical rhetorics of race. New York: New York University Press

The eNotes Blog Top Ten Love Lines From Literature for YourValentine

Top Ten Love Lines From Literature for YourValentine When it comes to Valentines Day, do you find yourself mulling over the remaining dozen or so cards left at the drugstore, trying to decide whether the kitten with the googly-eyes exclaiming Youre purrrrrrrrrrrrrrfect! is any better or worse than the over-sized card with a creepily happy train chugging out the words, I chooo-choo-choose YOU! ? Well, dont despair. Here are ten relationship-saving sentiments for you to borrow. Find a nice, blank card, write one of these lines inside, and buy the book that it came from. Wrap it up, and, using your best toe-in-the-sand look, say, Honey, I thought of you the second I read this. Hey, come on its sort of true 1. â€Å"I love you without knowing how, or when, or from where. I love you simply, without problems or pride: I love you in this way because I do not know any other way of loving but this, in which there is no I or you, so intimate that your hand upon my chest is my hand, so intimate that when I fall asleep your eyes close.† ― Pablo Neruda, 100 Love Sonnets 2. â€Å"To love at all is to be vulnerable. Love anything and your heart will be wrung and possibly broken. If you want to make sure of keeping it intact you must give it to no one, not even an animal. Wrap it carefully round with hobbies and little luxuries; avoid all entanglements. Lock it up safe in the casket or coffin of your selfishness. But in that casket, safe, dark, motionless, airless, it will change. It will not be broken; it will become unbreakable, impenetrable, irredeemable. To love is to be vulnerable.† ― C.S. Lewis, The Four Loves 3. â€Å"Perhaps all the dragons in our lives are princesses who are only waiting to see us act, just once, with beauty and courage. Perhaps everything that frightens us is, in its deepest essence, something helpless that wants our love.† ― Rainer Maria Rilke 4. â€Å"I carry your heart with me (I carry it in my heart)I am never without it (anywhere I go you go,my dear; and whatever is done by only me is your doing,my darling) I fear no fate (for you are my fate,my sweet)I want no world (for beautiful you are my world,my true) and its you are whatever a moon has always meant and whatever a sun will always sing is you here is the deepest secret nobody knows (here is the root of the root and the bud of the bud and the sky of the sky of a tree called life; which grows higher than the soul can hope or mind can hide) and this is the wonder thats keeping the stars apart I carry your heart (I carry it in my heart)† ― E.E. Cummings 5. â€Å"If there is no love in the world, we will make a new world, and we will give it walls, and we will furnish it with soft, red interiors, from the inside out, and give it a knocker that resonates like a diamond falling to a jewellers felt so that we should never hear it. ― Jonathan Safran Foer, Everything is Illuminated 6.   â€Å"The power of a glance has been so much abused in love stories, that it has come to be disbelieved in. Few people dare now to say that two beings have fallen in love because they have looked at each other. Yet it is in this way that love begins, and in this way only.† ― Victor Hugo,   Les Misà ©rables 7. â€Å"Love is the ultimate outlaw. It just wont adhere to any rules. The most any of us can do is to sign on as its accomplice. Instead of vowing to honor and obey, maybe we should swear to aid and abet. That would mean that security is out of the question. The words make and stay become inappropriate. My love for you has no strings attached. I love you for free.† ― Tom Robbins, Still Life With Woodpecker 8. â€Å"I love you, Buttercup said. I know this must come as something of a surprise to you, since all Ive ever done is scorn you and degrade you and taunt you, but I have loved you for several hours now, and every second, more. I thought an hour ago that I loved you more than any woman has ever loved a man, but a half hour after that I knew that what I felt before was nothing compared to what I felt then. But ten minutes after that, I understood that my previous love was a puddle compared to the high seas before a storm. Your eyes are like that, did you know? Well they are. How many minutes ago was I? Twenty? Had I brought my feelings up to then? It doesnt matter. ― William Goldman, The Princess Bride 9.   â€Å"I fell in love with her courage, her sincerity, and her flaming self respect. And its these things Id believe in, even if the whole world indulged in wild suspicions that she wasnt all she should be. I love her and it is the beginning of everything.† ― F. Scott Fitzgerald 10.   â€Å"Maybeyoull fall in love with me all over again. Hell, I said, I love you enough now. What do you want to do? Ruin me? Yes. I want to ruin you. Good, I said. Thats what I want too.† ― Ernest Hemingway, A Farewell to Arms

Prep 19 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Prep 19 - Essay Example Speciation is the splitting of a lineage to produce two or more separate species. For this to happen, two or more of the members or species are selectively isolated and allowed to interbreed. When a species population extends over a wide geographical area and mating is selective rather than random, the gene pool is said to be sealed. This reduced gene flow causes the development of new species due to interbreeding. The importance of this is the generation of a pure species that repeatedly improve both genetically and phenotypically. Speciation involves the separation of an original species and the development of two or more pure species usually by a barrier. Allopatric speciation specifically involves the development of a physical barrier between separated members of the species to prevent crossbreeding. This results in geographical separation and hence interbreeding within the new geographical area. This is the dominant mode of speciation and once two separate populations are established the process of speciation continues. However speciation can result even without physical. This is known as sympatric speciation. In this type of speciation, a new species arises while living in the same location with the original species. This is believed to happen when a group of organisms from the species begins to occupy a distinct niche in the environment and eventually become adapted to the conditions while still breeding within themselves to produce a new species. Isolation of gene pool without geographical isolation happens when members of a species in the same geographical location occupy different niches in the same environment. In a similar way, social organisms have controlled mating and hence breeding only happens within the selected group. Species have developed mechanisms to control speciation and breeding. In reproductive isolation, the environment installs external