The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown Book Review

The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown is a fast-paced thriller where the main characters have to decipher clues in artwork, architecture, and riddles to get to the bottom of a murder and save themselves. As a thriller, it is an O.K. pick, but not as good as Browns Angels and Demons. The main characters discuss unsubstantiated religious ideas as if they are facts (and Browns Fact page implies that they are). This may offend or annoy some readers. Pros Fast pacedInteresting riddlesUnique idea for suspense novel Cons Predictable outcome if you have read other Brown booksUnbelievable storyMisleading Fact pageCharacters propose unsubstantiated religious theories that will be offensive to some Description Robert Langdon, a Harvard symbologist, gets caught up in a murder investigation in the LouvreSecret societies, family secrets, clues hidden in artwork, and a Church conspiracyA suspense novel that is easy to read, if not believable The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown:Book Review I read The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown years after its initial release, so my reaction is probably different than those who discovered it before the hype. To them, perhaps, the ideas were novel and the story exciting. For me, however, the story was so similar to Browns Angels and Demons that I found it predictable and was able to guess some of the twists early on. As a thriller, it definitely kept me reading at points, but I never got as lost in the story as I would have liked. I would only rate the mystery as O.K. and the ending as somewhat disappointing. The Da Vinci Code is a thriller, and should be taken as such; however, the premise of the story undermines the tenets of Christianity, thus the novel has stirred up a lot of controversies and spawned several nonfiction works debunking the theories discussed by characters. Does Dan Brown have an agenda other than entertainment? I dont know. He certainly set the stage for controversy with the Fact page at the beginning of the novel, which implies that the ideas discussed in the novel are true. (Brown has since backed off the implications of the Fact page on his official website. There are also several points where the tone of the novel is sort of condescending in the presentation of its religious and supposedly feminist ideas. For me, the controversial ideas just came across as annoying in light of the mediocre story.

Essay Outline on Music - 1308 Words

Essay Outline I. II. People do not choose to be influenced by music, as music is scientifically influential to the human brain. Olteteanu, Ion. The formative function of musical interactions within social identity. Geopolitics, History, and International Relations 3.1 (2011): 215+. Academic OneFile. Web. 17 Jan. 2013. We turn to music, we need it, because of its ability to move us, to induce feelings and moods, states of mind. â€Å"Bures notes that the human brain is uniquely configured to process music, and that music processing prepares, stimulates, and organizes the brain in beneficial ways. Munkittrick, David (2010), Music as Speech: A First Amendment Category unto Itself, Federal Communications Law Journal†¦show more content†¦Web. 14 Jan. 2013. This Introduction provides an overview of how historians, in conversation with musicologists, seek to explain music and account for its prominence in the societies, movements and lives of the people they study. Elias, Nelly, Dafna Lemish, and Natalia Khvorostianov. Britney Spears Remained In Russia: Dynamics Of Musical Preferences In The Integration Of Immigrant Adolescents. Journal Of Ethnic Migration Studies 37.1 (2011): 61-77.Academic Search Complete. Web. 16 Jan. 2013. Many adolescents found consolation in late-1980s Russian rock music, as texts critical of the Soviet regime helped them express anger and frustration felt as they came of age in new, difficult and often hostile surroundings. It seems, therefore, that, for immigrant adolescents, different types of popular music not only serve as a marker of their evolving cultural identity but also as indicators of social and psychological adaptation. Smick, Rebekah, and Lambert Zuidervaart. A Different Tenor: Songs Of Love And Sorrow-Re-Engaging The Social Ethics Of Music. Toronto Journal Of Theology 27.1 (2011): 87-106. Academic Search Complete. Web. 15 Jan. 2013. Though not argued like an essay, the article highlights significant themes about the relationship of music to ethics, including the innately social character of music, its possible effect on our behaviour, the potential social content of sound itself, the positive social effect of musics ambiguity, the need toShow MoreRelatedEssay about Informative Speech Outline About Music809 Words   |  4 PagesInformative Speech Outline Specific Purpose: My audience will learn why music is healthy and beneficial to your health Thesis Statement: Music is an essential part of our lives and is important to the development and health of your body. Introduction I. Attention Getter: (Start speech by playing music, turning lights off, dancing a little?) So we all listen to music, it’s apart of our everyday lives. 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Most of our work involved writing individual essays and research papers in which I developed a strong foundation in. However, I realized that I lacked experience in group work as well as oral communication in delivering my ideas to the audienceRead MoreHow Different Aspects Of Economics Affect The Consumer And How Helpful It Is1228 Words   |  5 Pages Introduction To Economics Music Video Essay Caitlin Brice St. Petersburg College Abstract This essay will be explaining how different aspects of Economics affect the consumer and how helpful it is for people to understand them. Different economic ideas and concepts will be explained in detail and will include examples displaying how it applies to the average consumer. The vocabulary being explained will be terms that will indefinitely affect every consumer and will showRead MoreDoes Consumption Create New Social Divisions?1551 Words   |  7 Pagesï » ¿Outline the claim that consumption creates new social divisions. 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Anthropologie Free Essays

The findings in my survey highly suggest that it neither helps nor affects the brain while studying. Through the results of the survey it showed that both male and female grade averages vary from student to student and whether they listen to music or not has no relevance to their grade averages. In the results of the survey it showed that females have higher-grade averages than males in general, this may be because in our results it also showed that females often spend more time studying for test by 12. We will write a custom essay sample on Anthropologie or any similar topic only for you Order Now 6%. ore than males. Also the results showed that males listen to music more than females while studying by 18. 7% more. Although this survey covered all the basic questions that would be asked in the process of studying this topic it had several limitations to it. The participants that took part in this survey may not have been completely honest in their answers also it was a very limited amount of participants that took place in the questionnaire. Another limitation the survey would have could be the time period that survey was taken. Right now is tressful for teenagers with exams and work so answers could vary depending on the time period. The overall study of the topic and the survey itself is reliable because it is a valid topic to research for psychologists and sociologists. It allows them to expand on their research not only with the individual topic that is being surveyed but also an out look on how the mind ofa teenager works. It can also allow for the sociologists to visually see what the trends are for teenagers in society now and how much they are affected by it. At some points in the study it was eeing random answers on the page, then having to go and find other students to re- take the questionnaire to get proper answers. It was also stressful due to the fact of not knowing whether the students answered the questionnaire truthfully. At some points during the study it was very intimidating to walk up to random people and asking them to fill out the questionnaire as well as having to explain to them what I’m studying and why. Conducting this study was also very enjoyable due to the fact of meeting new people and getting to see other peoples points of view of the topic. It was also very interesting seeing the results that came back from the questionnaire. If this topic were to be studied in the future, an experiment would give more reliable results because it shows the visually affect of the music on a person right there making the answers one hundred percent true, where as with a questionnaire the participants do not have to answer honestly. If another questionnaire were to be given out about this topic, there should be more descriptive questions on it as well as having a larger number of participants from each age group and gender. How to cite Anthropologie, Papers

Bluest Eye 2 free essay sample

Bluest Eye # 8211 ; Misdirection Of Anger Essay, Research Paper Misdirection of Anger # 8220 ; Anger is better [ than shame ] . There is a sense of being in choler. A world of presence. An consciousness of worth. # 8221 ; ( 50 ) This is how many of the inkinesss in Toni Morrison # 8217 ; s The Bluest Eye felt. They faked love when they felt powerless to detest, and destroyed what love they did hold with choler. The Bluest Eye shows the manner that the inkinesss were compelled to put their choler on their ain households and on their ain inkiness alternatively of on the white people who were the cause of their wretchedness. In this mode, they kept their choler circulating among themselves, in consequence suppressing themselves, at the same clip they were being oppressed by the white people. Pecola Breedlove was a immature black miss, turning up in Lorain, Ohio in the early 1940 # 8217 ; s. Her life was one of the most hard in the novel, for she was about wholly alone. She suffered the most because she had to defy holding others # 8217 ; choler dumped on her, internalized this hatred, and was unable to acquire angry herself. Over the class of the novel, this choler destroys her from the interior. When Geraldine yells at her to acquire out of her house, Pecola # 8217 ; s eyes were fixed on the # 8220 ; pretty # 8221 ; lady and her # 8220 ; pretty # 8221 ; house. Pecola does non stand up to Maureen Peal when she made merriment of her for seeing her pa naked but alternatively Lashkar-e-Taibas Freida and Claudia battle for her. Alternatively of acquiring mad at Mr. Yacobowski for looking down on her, she directed her choler toward the blowballs that she one time thought were beautiful. The blowballs besides represent her position of her inkiness, one time she may hold thought that she was beautiful, but like the blowballs, she now follows the bulks # 8217 ; position. However, # 8220 ; the choler will non keep # 8221 ; ( 50 ) , and the feeling s shortly gave manner to dishonor. Pecola was the sad merchandise of holding others # 8217 ; choler placed on her: # 8220 ; All of our waste we dumped on her and she absorbed. And all of our beauty, which was hers foremost and which she gave to us # 8221 ; ( 205 ) . The other black people felt beautiful following to her ugliness, wholesome following to her dirtiness, her poorness made them generous, her failing made them strong, and her hurting made them happier. In consequence, they were suppressing her the same manner the Whites were suppressing them. When Pecola # 8217 ; s male parent, Cholly Breedlove, was caught as a adolescent in a field with Darlene by two white work forces, # 8220 ; neer did he one time see directing his hatred toward the huntsmans # 8221 ; ( 150 ) , instead her directed his hatred towards the miss because detesting the white work forces would # 8220 ; devour # 8221 ; him. He was powerless against the white work forces and was unable to protect Darlene from them every bit good. This caused his to detest her for being in the state of affairs with him and for recognizing how powerless her truly was. Cholly besides felt that any wretchedness his girl suffered was his mistake, and looking in to Pecola # 8217 ; s loving eyes angered him because her wondered, # 8220 ; What could her make for her # 8211 ; of all time? What give her? What say to her? # 8221 ; ( 161 ) Cholly # 8217 ; s failures led him to detest those that he failed, like Darlene, and most of all his household. His ego abhorrence and hurtin g, all misdirected at himself, his household, and inkinesss in general, wholly contributed to his ultimate failure, his colza of his girl. Pecola # 8217 ; s female parent, Polly Breedlove, besides wrongly placed her choler on her household. As a consequence of holding a halt pes, Polly had ever had a feeling of unworthiness and discreteness. With her ain kids, she felt emotionless, merely able to show fury, # 8220 ; sometimes I # 8217 ; d catch myself hollering at them and crushing them, but I couldn # 8217 ; t seem to halt # 8221 ; ( 124 ) . She stopped taking attention of her ain kids and her ain place and took attention of a white household and their place. She found congratulations, credence, power, and finally whiteness with the Fisher household, and it is for these grounds that she stayed with them. # 8220 ; The creditors and service people who humiliated her when she went to them on her ain behalf respected her, were even intimidated by her, when she spook for the Fishers. # 8221 ; ( 128 ) Sh vitamin E had been deprived of such feeling from her household when turning up and in bend deprived her ain household of these same feelings. Polly â€Å"held Cholly as a manner on wickedness and failure, she bore him like a Crown of irritants, and her kids like a cross† ( 126 ) . Pecola # 8217 ; s friend Claudia McTeer is angry at the beauty of whiteness and efforts to dismember white dolls to happen where their beauty lies. There is a sarcastic tone in her voice when she spoke of holding to be # 8220 ; worthy # 8221 ; to play with the dolls. Subsequently, when stating the narrative as a past experience, she describes the grownups # 8217 ; tone of voice as being filled with old ages of unrealized yearning, possibly a yearning to be themselves attractively white. Claudia herself was happiest when she stood up to Maureen Peal, the beautiful miss from her category. When Claudia and Freida taunted her as she ran down the street, they were happy to acquire a opportunity to show choler, and # 8220 ; we were still in love with ourselves so # 8221 ; ( 74 ) . Claudia # 8217 ; s choler towards dolls bends to hated of white misss. Out of a fright for his choler the she could non grok, she subsequently tool a safety in loving Whites. She had to at least make-belie ve to love Whites or, like Cholly, the hate would devour her. Later nevertheless, she realizes that this alteration was # 8220 ; an accommodation without betterment # 8221 ; ( 23 ) , and that doing herself love them merely fooled herself and helped her header. Had she allowed herself to go on to let herself to acquire angry, she would hold survived better, but it was to hard, even for person every bit strong-minded as Claudia, to stand up to this perfect subjugation machine. Soaphead Church wrongly places his choler on God and blamed him for # 8220 ; screwing-up # 8221 ; human nature. He asked God to explicate how he could allow Pecola # 8217 ; s wish for bluish eyes go so long without being answered and scorned God for non loving Pecola. Despite his ain wickednesss, Soaphead feels that he had a right to fault God and to presume his function in allowing Pecola bluish eyes, although he knew that beauty was non needfully a physical thing but a province of head and being: # 8220 ; No 1 else will see her bluish eyes. But she will # 8221 ; ( 182 ) . The Mobile misss wrongly placed their choler in their ain race, and they do non give of themselves to the full to anyone, even to their household. These misss hate niggas because harmonizing to them, # 8220 ; colored people were orderly and quiet ; niggas were soiled and loud # 8221 ; ( 87 ) . Black kids, or they as Geraldine called them, were similar flies: # 8220 ; They slept six to a bed, all their urine blending together in the dark as they wet their beds. . . they clowned on the resort areas, broke things in dime shops, ran in forepart of you on the street. . . grass wouldn # 8217 ; t turn where they lived. Flowers died. Like flies they hovered ; like flies they settled # 8221 ; ( 92 ) . Although the Mobile misss are black themselves, they # 8220 ; . . .got rid of the funkiness. The awful funkiness of passion, the funkiness of nature, the funkiness of the broad scope of human emotions, # 8221 ; ( 83 ) and most of all they tried to free themselves of the funkiness of being black. Because they saw how white people treated inkinesss, they could non admit the fact that they, themselves were black, and they tried to go something else. The easiest manner for them to make this was to diss black people, and force them lower, so they themselves could lift to the top. They were shut out by the Whites because they did non belong, but shut themselves off from their ain black race, by seeking to be white. In The Bluest Eye, Toni Morrison shows that choler is healthy and that it is non something to be feared ; those who are non able to acquire angry are the 1s who suffer the most. She criticizes Cholly, Polly, Claudia, Soaphead Church, the Mobile Girls, and Pecola because these inkinesss in her narrative wrongly place their choler on themselves, their ain race, their household, or even God, alternatively of being angry at those they should hold been angry at: Whites. Although they didn # 8217 ; t cognize it, # 8220 ; The Thing to fear was the Thing that made her beautiful, and non us. # 8221 ; ( 74 ) 34a

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).