Marketing Mixmarketing Mix Essay

1. Marketing Research : A new product strategy will ultimately need to be tested through focus groups, phone surveys and beta tests. Focus groups are sessions where company managers observe consumers through a one-way mirror. A moderator or interviewer will ask the consumers questions related to the company’s product concept, including their likes, dislikes and suggestions for the product. This information is usually evaluated later to help tweak the product concept. After focus groups, companies use phone surveys to obtain a more reliable sample about the market’s reaction to the product. 2. Product Positioning: Product positioning is a â€Å"best practice† strategy used for both new and existing products. Small companies typically use a grid when developing a product positioning matrix. The objective of product positioning is to determine which segment of the market to place a product. Companies often use two important product variables in a product positioning matrix. For hot cereal, these variables may include â€Å"price† and â€Å"time to cook.† The product price can be low or high, and the time to cook the cereal can be slow or quick. Consequently, segments for hot cereal may be low price/quick to cook, low price/slow to cook, high price/quick to cook or high price/slow to cook. A small company will usually plot its existing products as well as competitive products within the various segments. The segment with the least amount of plotting points may indicate an opportunity for the company, as that particular segment is under-served. Place of Distribution Strategies Depending on the type of product being distributed there are three common distribution strategies available: 1. Intensive distribution: Used commonly to distribute low priced or impulse purchase products eg chocolates, soft drinks. 2. Exclusive distribution: Involves limiting distribution to a single outlet. The product is usually highly priced, and requires the intermediary to place much detail in its sell. An example of would be the sale of vehicles through exclusive dealers. 3. Selective Distribution: A small number of retail outlets are chosen to distribute the product. Selective distribution is common with products such as computers, televisions household appliances, where consumers are willing to shop around and where manufacturers want a large geographical spread. Pricing Strategies 1. Penetration pricing: Here the organization sets a low price to increase sales and market share. Once market share has been captured the firm may well then increase their price. A television satellite company sets a low price to get subscribers then increases the price as their customer base increases. 2. Skimming pricing: The organization sets an initial high price and then slowly lowers the price to make the product available to a wider market. The objective is to skim profits of the market layer by layer. A games console company reduces the price of their console over 5 years, charging a premium at launch and lowest price near the end of its life cycle. 3. Competition pricing: Setting a price in comparison with competitors. Really a firm has three options and these are to price lower, price the same or price higher. Some firms offer a price matching service to match what their competitors are offering. Promotion Strategies 1. Public relations: Involves developing positive relationships with the organization media public. The art of good public relations is not only to obtain favorable publicity within the media, but it is also involves being able to handle successfully negative attention. 2. Internet Marketing: Promoting and selling your services online using various forms of online marketing techniques such as banner advertisements, videos or social media. 3. Sponsorship: Where you pay an organization to use your brand or logo. This organization usually has a high profile so that you know that your brand will be seen by a large audience. Most common use of sponsorship is with sporting events. The 2012 Olympics being held in London is being sponsored by a number of organizations such as Mcdonalds and Coca-Cola as the event will attract a worldwide audience that will run into hundreds of millions.

Reflection of Freakonomics

Isaac Pack Mrs.. Buchwald AP com/microeconomics-chapter-4/">Microeconomics 18 August 2013 Freakishness Reflection/Response Initially, I was intrigued by the book based on its odd cover, an image of what appears to be a granny smith apple on the outside and an orange on the inside, and I found the contents far more interesting. The â€Å"catchphrase† used is â€Å"a rogue economist explores the hidden side of everything†, and no other phrase could be more accurate.Steven D. Levitate, a professor of economics at the University of Chicago, roved the various uses for his field that I had never before realized. The first example of a use for economics that piqued my interest was the very first one in the book: criminology. Before reading this, I had assumed that the subject of economics was involved with nothing more than concepts like the elasticity of prices and interest rates. I was utterly shocked when Steven D.Levitate was able to conclude that the cause of the decrease in the crime rate was attributable to not the increase in gun laws, not the increase in policing, and not the aging population, but the Roe v. Wade case that eventually led to the legalization of abortions. Anyone could easily guess that unwanted children are much more likely to become criminals, but to link that fact to the idea that people could avoid having unwanted children and create a logical and reasonable statement regarding the decrease in crime was absurd yet brilliant.The second use for economics that caught my eye was the idea of the value of roared information. He used the instance of the ASK with the facts regarding real estate astoundingly well to prove a point. Not only were the random bits of facts [such as the mention of Clansmen calling a conversation a â€Å"collaboration†] hilarious and entertaining, but they proved an impressive point: withheld information can drastically raise or lower value with ease. I never really pondered upon it before, but upon r eading and analyzing this statement, I came to be conscious and aware of it.

Project on Agriculture

The economy of Bhutan, one of the world’s smallest and least developed countries, is based on agriculture and forestry, which provide the main livelihood for more than 60% of the population. Agriculture is the primary source of livelihood for the majority of the people in Bhutan. Approximately 80% of the populations in Bhutan are involved in the agriculture sector and over 95% of the earning women in the country work in the agricultural sector. Agriculture in Bhutan is characterized by its labor intensive nature with relatively low intensity of farm inputs.Major crops cultivated in Bhutan are maize and rice where 49% of total domestic cultivation is maize and 43% for rice. Agriculture in the country includes cultivation of wheat and other minor cereal crops. Paddy is the primary crop in those regions where proper irrigation is available. Apart from paddy, other crops like wheat, barley, oil seeds, potato and different vegetables are also cultivated in these lands. Maize is mai nly cultivated in dry land regions at lower elevation. Forests are also responsible for regulating the availability of water for agricultural purpose.Goals & Objectives of Agricultural sector â€Å"To intensify and diversify adopting an integrated approach in nutrient and pest management and achieve at least 70 percent self-sufficiency on the food grains†. * Ministry of Agriculture Based on the above statement the ministry of agriculture holds the following goals & objectives: * National Food security * Conservation of natural resources * Sustainable economic production * Enhancement of rural income * Social and Regional balance Role of the Agriculture sectorAgriculture in Bhutan has a dominant role in the economy of the country and is the largest sector in the Bhutanese economy. Some of the roles of the agriculture are as follows: 1) Source of employment: Agriculture is one of the main sources of income for the Bhutanese since Bhutan is a developing country and depends mostl y on the agricultural products. Agriculture sector provides has provided employment opportunity and will continue to provide for some more years. 2) Contribution to National Income: National income is the total money earned within the country.In Bhutan, agricultural sector provides the majority contribution to the capital earned within the country. It comprises of one third Gross Domestic Product of our country. 3) International Trade In spite of its remote and land-locked location, Bhutan has been relatively successful as an agricultural exporter. The value of agricultural exports has grown at an annual rate of almost 9% since 2000. Taking advantage of the cooler climate, Bhutan exports oranges, potatoes, vegetables, and apples to India and Bangladesh which helps in promoting international trade.4) Contribution to Government revenue: The tax collected through agricultural lands is one of the main sources of income for the government which in turn is used to protect the welfare of t he people. Challenges faced by the Agriculture Sector Agriculture sector in Bhutan is facing problems undermining their growth and development. Though the Royal government is putting in great effort to develop and promote the sector it still faces some challenges as follows: * Natural calamities * Labor Shortage * Lack of marketing facilities * Social factors Agricultural FinanceFinance is the life blood of the agriculture sector and helps in enhancement of the agricultural production like in purchasing the fertilizers, pesticides, seeds, etc. In Bhutan there are financial institutions who provide agriculture loans in the form of short-term, medium-term and long-term funds. The financial institutions that provide credit to the farmers are: * Bhutan Development Bank Limited * Royal Insurance Corporation of Bhutan * Bank of Bhutan * Bhutan National Bank Industrial Sector in the Bhutanese Economy Bhutan is one of the least developed countries in the world.Before 1960s, manufacturing wa s a household work and a few items like agricultural tools, weapons, handicrafts, wood product were produced on a small scale. However, after 1961, the number of industries expanded steadily. Nevertheless, industrial development experienced relatively in slow pace in Bhutan due to weak entrepreneurial orientation, high transport, underdeveloped infrastructure, etc. The industrial growth would enhance the living standard of the people and increase the rate of economic growth of a nation. In Bhutan the basis of industrial growth are â€Å"Sustainable Development† and â€Å"Gross National Happiness†.

Herpes Simplex Virus 2 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Herpes Simplex Virus 2 - Essay Example   The condition has been found to affect approximately 50 million people in the United States. It has also been discovered that antibodies against the virus exist in 20 percent of the adult population which shows previous exposure. It can lead to miscarriages in pregnant mothers if the fetus becomes infected before the fifth month of pregnancy. Females have greater risk of suffering from this condition. There has been not much variation in the rate of occurrence of the disease in United States. The incubation period for the virus is 2 weeks. The first infection is the most severe which resolves in around a month. The following infections cannot have a definitive pattern. Herpes simplex virus leads to genital sores and is responsible for the infection in the neonates due to its spread from the mother to the baby during delivery. The disease is contagious and is sexually transmitted and from the mother to the baby. The disease mainly affects the genitals where it leads to the develop ment of sores. Contact of genitals with the mouth can also result in sores on the mouth. It is responsible for the development of vesicular lesions in the sexual organs in both sexes which can spread to the cervical canal in the case of females and to the prostate gland in males. The newborn baby may also get infected and present with infections on the skin, oral cavity and the eyes. It can also result in inflammation of the brain. Inflammation of the meninges can also be caused by this disease. After the initial infection, the virus can become stored in the sensory ganglia particularly the lumbar and sacral regions where it remains inactive. It reactivates if provided with a stimulus which includes sunlight, high body temperature and disturbances in the hormonal levels. In this case the virus travels again to the skin and produces lesions.   

A Case for an Intergrated Criminal Court and Against an Independent Research Paper

A Case for an Intergrated Criminal Court and Against an Independent Juvenile Justice System - Research Paper Example They dispute that there are important differences between the development of adults and young individuals or that rehabilitation remains different from sentencing and persuade legislators to sustain the differences between offenders and antisocial or deviants. Some stress psychological insufficiency or physical helplessness. Others argue that juvenile courts safeguard young lawbreakers from further corrective criminal justice rules. Yet, there are those who argue that juvenile courts furnish the sole opportunity in which to take into account all the official and legal issues, such as abuse, neglect, felony, and dependency, which impinge on families and children (Corriero, 2006). Finally, advocates of an independent juvenile justice system call upon the contingency argument of Progressives (Feld, 1999): in spite of the procedural defects and evident impoverishment of juvenile courts, criminal courts represent more unpleasant locations to try and sentence juvenile delinquents. Juvenile courts try to integrate criminal social control and social welfare in a single organization and unavoidably perform both poorly due to the innate conflict in both functions. In contrast, a juvenile adaptation of an adult criminal justice system is a body devoid of any justification (Culbertson, 2000). Since there are already existing criminal courts, with no social welfare basis, a juvenile adaptation of an adult criminal justice system would only be unnecessary. The Arguments for an Independent Juvenile Court and Against an Integrated Criminal Court An independent juvenile justice system needs a more defined, refined justification than crude punishment versus rehabilitation arguments. In fact hardly any observable differences are present between these two functions. However, if it is recognized that juvenile courts penalize young delinquents, we then take the responsibility of granting them criminal procedural protections since â€Å"the condition of being a boy does not justify a kangaroo court† (Barkan & Bryjak, 2010, 520). It has been argued by the McKeiver Court that obliging procedural similarity with adults would terminate the juvenile court trial, yet took for granted the fact that refusing to do so reinforced bias and injustice (Feld, 1999). To perceive and deal with equally positioned criminals differently, to sentence young offenders for the sake of rehabilitation, and to strip them of essential protections cultivate a kind of injustice that frustrates any attempts towards reform. The present juvenile court does not offer justice or rehabilitation and cannot be reformed. The other policy alternatives are to pattern juvenile courts to the adult criminal justice system or vice versa (Roberts, 2004). Regardless if young delinquents are tried in an integrated criminal court or in an independent court, we should reevaluate fundamental principles and deal with procedural and substantive matters. Substantive justice issues comprise forming and exec uting a doctrinal basis, such as shortened temper, psychological immaturity, weak disposition, or reduced conscience, to sentence juvenile delinquents dissimilarly, and more mildly, than adult criminals or suspects (Myers, 2005). Procedural justice

Distinctive HR Policies and Practices Research Paper

Distinctive HR Policies and Practices - Research Paper Example The research paper "Distinctive HR Policies and Practices" talks about such distinctive HR policies and practices as compensation and benefits, training, organizational culture, flexibility in the scheduling and methods for attracting and retaining employees by the example of company Mayo Clinic. Mayo Clinic developed slowly with the help of the medical practice of a pioneer doctor known as Dr. William Worrall Mayo. Over time, the demand for the medical services increased and other doctors and science researchers were asked to join the world’s first private integrated group practice. Doctors and students came from around the world to learn new techniques from the Mayo Doctors, and patients came from around the world for diagnosis and treatment. Mayo Clinic consists of over 55,000 doctors, nurses, scientists, students, and allied health staff at Mayo Clinic locations in the Midwest, Arizona, and Florida. Their mission is to inspire hope and contribute to health and well-being by providing the best care to every patient through integrated clinical practice, education and research. The health benefits provided by Mayo Clinic can be said to be unique as they are tailored towards preventive rather than curative direction. These health benefits cover both full-time and part-time employees and residents who are in the Mayo School of Graduate Medical Education. This health benefit plan according to the CNN rating is not 100% as it is a non-profit organization with only an annual $3 billion, but it covers the children. (who are under 3 years of age). Among the offered health benefits covers includes a fitness center that is onsite and a gym membership both at a subsidized cost. It has outpatient health services (which are provided b y their medical specialists within their clinics which assist in cutting their expenditure on insurance services). There are also

An explaning why I am interested in becoming a nurse Essay

An explaning why I am interested in becoming a nurse - Essay Example Consequently nursing provides personal satisfaction by giving me an opportunity to make real differences in the lives of people everyday. Another important reason why I’m interested in nursing as a career is that nurses experience daily challenges some of which are interesting, unique and rewarding. In this regard, becoming a nurse will not only provide me with invaluable vast opportunities of life learning experiences. I also find personal satisfaction and growth in nursing as it provides me with knowledge and new experiences that help me to contribute more to the community. One of my goals for pursing nursing is to achieve Career mobility. Nursing will provide me with an opportunity to continue with my career in many directions because nursing offers the needed flexibility and individuals can choose to work with children, adults, schools and public health institutions among others (DeWit, 964). Currently there are virtually unlimited opportunities in nursing particularly for people who would like to continue learning new things in their fields of interest. With the rapidly improving healthcare technology and a constantly growing population, nurses are able to work in a variety of diverse working environments and settings such as in home cares, healthcare clinics and hospitals. My specific career goal however is to work as children doctor. Job security is another important consideration that made me to choose nursing. This is because there is a significant shortage of nurses nationwide and I will not need to worry about finding a fulfilling career option once I complete my studies. Nursing also offers the much needed scheduling flexibility to individuals who have other commitments to attend to. For example, as a nurse I will be able to combine a real career with the other personal or family demands by working in part time basis or shifts. On the other hand, I believe pursing nursing career will translate into competitive benefits and higher salaries in

How do the qualities of reading practices outlined in McKenzie and Essay

How do the qualities of reading practices outlined in McKenzie and Grafton and Jardine's texts enable imperialism How did rea - Essay Example A discussion on the various qualities of reading practices helps in a historical understanding of the ways in which humanistic-ally trained readers assimilated and responded to imperialism and political change. For example, the introduction of printed text to the Maori people in New Zealand had a crucial influence on their understanding of the Treaty of Waitangi. In other words, the reading practices of the Maori had a critical influence on the meaning of imperialism and political change in the region. This paper makes a reflective exploration of how the qualities of reading practices outlined in McKenzie and Grafton and Jardine’s texts enable imperialism. One of the major studies of the principles of bibliography, Bibliography and the Sociology of Texts by D.F. McKenzie establishes that the material form of texts remarkably determines their meanings. According to McKenzie, texts take on different forms and meanings as they are reproduced and re-read. He maintains that a reade r in the pursuit of historical meanings moves from â€Å"the most minute feature of the material form of the book to questions of authorial, literary, and social context. These all bear in turn on the ways in which texts are then re-read, re-edited, re-designed, re-printed, and re-published. If a history of readings is made possible only by a comparative history of books, it is equally true that a history of books will have no point if it fails to account for the meanings they later come to make.† (McKenzie, 1999, p. 23). The meaning gained in the beginning is completely changed in the reading of the new forms of the text which is re-read, re-edited, re-designed, re-printed, and re-published. Therefore, one’s reading practice is influenced by the material form of the book which, in turn, affects the meaning of the text. Lisa Jardine and Anthony Grafton’s seminal article â€Å"‘Studied for Action’: How Gabriel Harvey Read His Livy† is a classi c example of how reading practice can influence one’s understanding and meaning of the text. Based on an exploration of how Gabriel Harvey practiced the reading of Livy, Jardine and Grafton establish that Harvey’s interpretation of Livy is considerably changed each time he reads it with different purposes in his mind. The article maintains that the different reading practices carried out by Harvey led to different outcomes. In fact, the different reading practices can lead to different meanings of the same text and this fluctuation in the meaning can affect the overall outcome of the reading practice. â€Å"Thus critical reading, skillful annotation and active appropriation emerge as the central skills, not just of the student of history, but of the intellectual tout court. Reading always leads to action – but only proper reading in the manner of a Gabriel Harvey.† (Jardine and Grafton, 1990, p. 76). According to Jardine and Grafton, the early modern read ers used to actively reinterpret their texts rather than passively receive it. In this article, the authors provide a convincing illustration of how the ‘reading as intended to give rise to something else’ can influence the meaning of the text and, in turn, affect political changes. To them, scholarly reading has always been goal-oriented and conducted under conditions of strenuous attentiveness. Therefore, â€Å"

Formal analytical report on employment in thehealtcare field Research Paper

Formal analytical report on employment in thehealtcare field - Research Paper Example The report contains five parts. The first part can educate individuals who would like their children to develop a career in healthcare management. This is because the part contains recommendation on steps that could be made to enhance professional development among this group of individuals. Part 2 could educate both parents and teachers on the most recommendable steps to take in encouraging students to develop a career in healthcare management. Part 3 and 4 would be of very great assistance to individual learners who want to develop career in healthcare management. This is because it contains the recommendable steps that they could undertake to enhance their acquisition of necessary knowledge and skills. Thank you in advance for reading the report. I know that the knowledge and skills you have obtained would assist you in developing competency in healthcare management or help someone else become a better healthcare manager in future. Regards (Insert names here) Table of Contents Let ter of transmittal 2 Table of Contents 2 Background 4 Purpose, scope, and limitations 4 Sources and methods 5 Report organization 6 Career development during pre-elementary and elementary education 6 Career development during high school and undergraduate education 7 Career development during postgraduate and work 8 Conclusion 9 Introduction Background Healthcare management is a very luxurious field to pursue a career. According to Buchbinder & Shunks (2011), healthcare management is a fast growing profession with increasing opportunities in different settings. This is because of the growing population that results to a greater demand for effective and high quality healthcare services. However, healthcare management has become very demanding as the healthcare institution continue to adapt complicated organizational structures to improve service delivery. Like other managements, interaction between academic and experiential learning plays a very great role in developing competency in healthcare management (Walshe & Smith, 2011). This makes individuals pursuing a career in this field to be required to advance their education to supplement their experience. Challenges encountered in healthcare management are different from challenges encountered in other management fields. According to Goldsmith (2005), healthcare management involves allocation of scarce resources among competing factions and maintaining something akin to equilibrium in the organization. Achieving this has not been easy because of interdisciplinary activities that are required to be undertaken. Multidisciplinary activities require teamwork activities. Therefore, professional in healthcare management need to understand how to achieve group cohesiveness and teamwork in the team they manage (Burn et al., 2011). This is actually among the most conspicuous challenges that distinguish healthcare management from the one taken in other management fields. Purpose, scope, and limitations This report explai ns how individuals can develop a career in the healthcare field. The purpose of the report is to inform young people who have ambitions of becoming healthcare professional about the necessary steps that they require to undertake to achieve their ambitions. Moreover,

The audience to empathise Essay Example for Free

The audience to empathise Essay Willy Russell was born and brought up in, Whiston just outside Liverpool. He was born in 1947. Russell comes from a working class background. He grew up with mostly women around him: his mother, grandmother and his aunts. This had a big influence on his work and writing about women, and class, such as Shirley Valentine, Mrs Johnstone and Mrs Lyons and Rita in Educating Rita. After leaving school with one English O-level, first he became a ladies hairdresser and ran his own salon. Russell then undertook a variety of jobs, also writing songs which were performed in local folk clubs. Besides he wrote songs and sketches for local radio programmes. At 20 years of age, he returned to college and became a teacher in Toxteth. Around this time he met his later wife Annie and became interested in writing drama. Carol Chandler is the first character we meet in Our Day Out. She is the main character in the play. Carol is a thirteen year old girl who is described as arriving to school in her uniform which Willy Russell describes as doubling up as Sunday best. She is an underprivileged young girl and she goes to a class for unintelligent people in a secondary modern school in Liverpool. Mrs Kay in Our Day Out is a teacher what acts more like a mother towards carol. Carol is seen cuddling up to Mrs Kay on the coach. This is something a mother would do. Mr Briggs finds that Carols and Mrs Kays relationship strange, as he is not as open with his emotions as Mrs Kay and Carol. The moment on the cliff is a changing point in the play. Carol realises she has confidence, by telling Mr Briggs what to do. But the reason for her sudden confidence is because. Carol becomes aware of the fact that she is unable to change her life due to of her back ground and abilities. This is why she keeps asking Mrs Kay when they have to go home. In this scene Mr Briggs finds out that the children in the progress class are not too bad and his he grows very close to Carol in this scene and he appear to be a pleasant person compared to other people misconceptions and he is mean because he does not understand the pupils in the progress class. In the play Our Day Out, some of the characters are very much at contrast to each other. Mr Briggs, a teacher is a very insecure character; his behaviour is due to not wanting people to see who he really is. His philosophy is that everything has to be organised and in place. An example of this is when he makes the pupils stand in a straight line. Stop! Slater, walk walk! You boy come here. Now stop. Willy Russell is making a point that he is trapped in his own view and in reality, things arent always as straightforward and in place as they seem. An example of this is when the children are in the shop and the counter cannot be seen for pushing, impatient kids. If Mr Briggs were at the counter then this would not have occurred, as his own regimented ideas would have been practiced. Mr Briggs like many other characters is trapped in to their class. Rita (Susan White) in Educating Rita is the main character in play. She is a women in her late 20s who is a hair dresser. But she has got bored with her life and the way she lives it . She is looking for something more in her life but does not know what it is. so she goes to the open universty to help her find what she is looking for. Frank is a fifty year old university lecture whose boredom and isolation have led him into being an alcoholic to alleviate his depression. Due to his excess drinking Frank has started giving Open University courses to cover his drinking cost, thus teaching Rita. Frank refers to Rita as breath of fresh air scene1 act1 because she is different compared with the other types of students that go to the univisty. Rita is probably a hairdresser because Willy Russell was one; this probably matches his struggling in his education Rita and Franks relastionship is built on frank teaching rita. When Rita gets what she wants from the course ie a new life she loses intrest in the course. When Rita came into the room talking in her common accent and swearing, Frank is shocked as he was expecting a polite lady with a upper class manner like the rest of his students. You can empathise with the way Rita wants to move her life on a find some thing better Willy Russell show us this in a very simple but effectiv way that puts across many feelings of power and life. Mrs Johnston from Blood Brothers is a working class women from liverpool who has 7 children and 2 more on the way. In the play her life is contrasted with Mrs Lyons. Mrs Lyons cannot have children but is upper class; she has a rich husband and a good lifestyle. At the beginning of the play Mrs Johnston is described as being 30 but looking 60, she has been let down in life and is stuck, so when Mrs Lyons suggests that she have one of the twins, This seamed like a very good idea at the time because Mrs Johnston would not be able to survive with any more children. Blood brother is a very good example of the contrast of two very deferent lives. Mrs Johnston gets a job as a maid for Mrs Lyons who is a middle class person with a big mansion for a house, however there is only two people living in it. Hello, Mrs. Johnston. How are you? How are you enjoying the job? Oh its, its smashing thank you, Mrs. Lyons. Its such a lovely house its a pleasure to clean it Yes, its a pretty house isnt it? Its a pity its so big. Im finding it rather large at present When Mrs Johnston confides in her employer of her problem after she finds out she is going to have twins Mrs Lyons uses the situation to her advantage and persuades Mrs Johnston to give her one of the twins at birth and makes her take an oath on the bible that she will never tell anyone of the adoption as Mr Lyons is against it. She tells Mrs Johnston that when twins find out that theyre brothers that die. Mrs Johnston is a very superstitious is May because of her social class. Overall I think that Willy Russell get many important issues across the stage in his play he does this a very watch able way and enjoyable way. His characters in the play are very deep people that have lives that put across many problems in the world. He is very good at making us understand the Characters in the plays and their feeling. Willy Russell is a very talented play writer whose plays will last the test of time.

Organisational structures and cultures

Organisational structures and cultures Introduction Case study: This case study is about Mr Smiths restaurant. Mr Smith is a foreigner who has lived in the UK for many years. His family in Africa operates a chain of restaurants across the continent and he is therefore familiar with this kind of business. At present the Smith Restaurant has a central location in London, close to many attractions and is easily accessible by public transport. His restaurant is a small family business he is the founder, owner and also the Managing Director. Although he has two Assistant Managers and three Supervisors, he has a direct control over management and operational issues such as hiring of staff, marketing, sales promotion, accounting and finance department. The restaurant has fifty employees mostly made up of international students who work part time. These students are attracted by the flexible working conditions that Mr Smith offers. This allows them to work part time during term time and full time during vacation. Recently the restaurant has seen a big increase in its customers due to the popularity of its European and International cuisines. These factors have convinced Mr Smith of the wisdom of opening similar restaurants throughout the UK. Mr Smith is the one who makes all decisions and he has a direct control over management and other operational issues. The current issue at the restaurant is that Mr Smith is reluctant to recruit new staff and to cope with the increased activity in the restaurant he has reduced staff lunch time. Some staff felt that these changes should not have been introduced without their consent. When one employee complained about the situation, he was sacked. The rest of the employees are unhappy but they are afraid to voice their concerns for fear of loosing their jobs. According to Mr Smith, he pays his employees very well and therefore they will be happy with his decisions; his decisions are not for debate; managers should make the decisions and subordinates must obey. He does not believe in consulting staff when he has to make important decisions. As a result, a feeling of helplessness, alienation, and fear have developed amongst staff. The recent changes in employees working conditions have increased the levels of absenteeism and lateness. Mr Smith is now very concerned that if such trends continue, the restaurant may not be able to cope with the increased customer demand. Being one of the longest serving employees, Mr Smith asked me to consider the above issues and advise him in light of the expansion and recent developments of the business. My task is to advise him on the followings within the chain of new restaurants. Organisational structures and cultures; Approaches to management and leadership styles; Motivational theories and their application; Group behaviour, teamwork and technology TASK 1: Organisational structures and cultures within the UK restaurants Organisational structure creates a framework of order and command through which the activities of the organisation can be planned, organised, controlled, and directed towards the goals and objectives of the organisation. The structure defines tasks and responsibilities, roles, relationships and communication. Within the UK, most restaurants have entrepreneurial, functional and geographical structures. Entrepreneurial Structure: This structure is appropriate for small owner managed companies, for examples: a small restaurant, a small-scale industrial unit, or a small proprietary concern. Functional Structure: This is the most commonly used basis for grouping activities according to specialisation that is organising the business according to what each department does. Specialised skills and delegation of authority to managers are needed to look after different functional areas. Geographical structure: Activities are grouped according to location. Different services are provided by geographical boundaries according to particular needs and demands, the convenience of consumers, or for ease of administration. Advantages and disadvantages of organisational structures The UK restaurants may have hierarchical, tall or flat structure Hierarchical structure: Refers to †¢ Authority: the right to exercise powers such as hiring and firing or buying and selling on behalf of the organisation †¢ Responsibility: the allocation of tasks to individuals and groups within the organisation †¢ Accountability: the need for individuals to explain and justify any failure to fulfil their responsibilities to their superiors in the hierarchy Tall and flat hierarchical structures: In the tall structure there are narrower spans of control and more levels of command that is many managerial levels and fewer staff. In the flat structure there are broader spans of control and few levels of command that is few managerial levels and many staff. For example, the McDonalds restaurants all have a flat structure. The manager in each place of business controls the other assistants and employees. He takes all the decisions and he is in charge of the main functions like, R D, marketing, finance and human resources and the other staff do the selling. Advantages of tall and flat structures Organisational cultures Charles Handy defined it as: The way things are done around here Every business is made up of different cultures, and the cultures that are present within the business depend on the management styles and organisational structures that are used. Handys four types of cultures are: Power culture: Best suited for small entrepreneurial organisations and relies on trust, empathy and personal communication for its effectiveness. Role culture: Emphasizes on power and position within the organisation. This type of culture applies when organisations are big and inflexible. Task culture: Job-oriented or project-oriented. This works well in a matrix organisation structure. Person culture: Works around educated individuals. Examples are groups of barristers, architects, doctors or consultants. Looking at Handys four main types of organisation cultures it can be seen that most of the UK restaurants adopt the power culture. Organisational structure and culture of Mr Smiths restaurant After analysing Mr Smiths case study and the latest issues, it is clear that his restaurant is adopting an entrepreneurial and hierarchical structure, and a power culture since it is a family owned business where there is excessive reliance is on the owner-manager; Mr Smith has authority, responsibility and accountability within the organisation. The distribution of tasks, the definition of authority and responsibility, and the relationship between members of the organisation are established on a personal and informal basis. Therefore I am convinced that the management style, organisational structure and culture are influencing employees behaviour within organisation. However, with Mr Smiths plan to expand and develop new restaurants across the UK, there is need for a formal organisational structure and culture, which has to be carefully designed, so as to avoid conflict and encourage the willing participation of staff for effective organisational performance. I believe that Mr Smith business should have a flat structured along functional lines with major areas including, Sales and Marketing, Human Resources, Accounting and Finance, and Purchasing Departments. With a flat structure the business will have: †¢ A wide span of control encouraging delegation and motivation through job enrichment. †¢ Lower management overhead costs. †¢ Better communications as horizontal and lateral communication is encouraged. †¢ Real and meaningful promotions. †¢ Closer contact between top management and lower levels Factors that may influence individual behaviour of Mr Smiths employees The individual: The individual is a central feature of organisational behaviour. When the needs of the individual and the demands of the organisation are incompatible, this can result in frustration and conflict. Then it the work of the management to integrate the individual and the organisation and to provide a working environment where individuals needs is satisfied as well as organisation goals are achieved. The group: Group exists in all organisations and are essential to their working and performance. People in groups influence each other in many ways and groups may develop their own hierarchies and leaders. Group pressures can have a major influence over the behaviour and performance of individual members. The organisation: Individual behaviour is affected by patterns of organisation structure, technology, styles of leadership and systems of management through which organisational processors are planned, directed and controlled. Therefore, the focus of attention is on the impact of organisation structure and design, and patterns of management, on the behaviour of people within the organisation. TASK 2: How organisational theory underpins principles and practices of management, how this would impact on the new restaurants? The study of management theory (also termed management thinking) and its application in organisations brings changes in behaviour. It helps to understand the principles underlying the process on management. It helps to understand the interrelationship between management theory, principles and practices of management, and behaviour in organisations. Managers learned about how they should behave. This will influence their attitudes towards management practice. The different approaches to management theory are: Classical approach; scientific management; Bureaucracy; Human relations approach; Systems approach; and Contingency approach. These various approaches underpin the common principles of management that organisations should practice in their business, which mean they are based on views of organisations, their purpose and responsibilities, structure, division of work, hierarchy of management, technical requirements, rules and regulations and behaviour. Fayol 14 Principles of Management: 1. Division of work: Specialisation increases output as employees become more efficient. 2. Authority: Gives managers the right to give orders. 3. Discipline: Employees must conform to respect the rules that govern the organisation and the use of penalties for breaking the rules. 4. Unity of command: Only one superior should give orders to employees. 5. Unity of direction: Organisational activities having the similar objective should be directed by one manager using one plan. 6. Subordination of individual interests to general interest: The organisation interest should dominate employees or group interests. 7. Remuneration: A fair wage for workers and their services. 8. Centralisation: The degree to which subordinates participate in decision-making. 9. Scalar chain: Communications should follow this chain. 10. Order. People and materials should be in the right place at the right time. 11. Equity. Managers should be kind and fair to their subordinates. 12. Stability of tenure. High employee turnover is inefficient. Management should provide orderly personnel planning and ensure that replacements are available to fill vacancies. 13. Initiative. Employees who are allowed to originate and carry out plans will exert high levels of effort. 14. Esprit de corps. Promoting team spirit will build harmony and unity within the organisation. Suggestion: Mr Smith should follow these principles of management. Managers will have to perform these five functions (by H Fayol): Plan and forecast; organise; command; coordinate; and control. The different approaches to management theory Classical approach: †¢ Emphasis on purpose; †¢ Formal structure; †¢ Division of work; †¢ Hierarchy of management; †¢ Technical requirements; †¢ Common principles of organisation. Scientific management and Bureaucracy are the two sub-grouping of the classical approach. Scientific management F .W Taylor (1911): †¢ Scientific selection and training of workers; †¢ Development of a true science for each element of an individuals work; †¢ Co-operation with the employees to ensure work is done as set; †¢ Division of work and responsibility between management and the employees; †¢ Improve production efficiency through work studies, tools, economic incentives. Bureaucracy Max Weber (1947): †¢ Formal hierarchical structure; †¢ Organisation by functional specialty; †¢ Rules and regulation; †¢ Impersonality; †¢ Employment based on technical qualifications. Human relations approach: †¢ Elton Mayo and the Hawthorne Studies (1933) discovered that the informal organisation, social norms, acceptance, and sentiments of the group determined individual work behaviour. †¢ Maslow, McGregor, Herzberg, and many others stressed the importance of social relations in organisations, understanding workers and managers as human beings with social and emotional needs. Systems approach: Organisations are open systems that constantly interact with the external environment: Inputs (resources and information) transformation process outputs (products, services, information) feedback Contingency approach: Contingency theory does not identify or recommend any particular approach to organisation and management. Appropriate management approach depends on situational factors faced by an organisation. Suggestion: After comparing the above managerial approaches I believe that the classical approach will best suit Mr Smith restaurants. The classical approach centres on understanding the purpose of an organisation and then examining its structure. They play emphasis on the planning of work, technical requirements, principal of management and behaviour. Attention is given to the division of work, duties, responsibilities, maintaining specialisation and co-ordination, hierarchy of management and formal organisational relationships. TASK 3: Different leadership styles and their effectiveness Definition: Leadership in an organisation is to lead employees to work in a given direction to achieve its goals and objectives. The three styles of leadership are: Autocratic leadership: All authority is centred on the leader and decisions are enforced by means of rewards and the fear of punishment. Communication is one-way, from the leader to the followers. Advantage: Quick decision-making. Disadvantage: Its effect upon group morale; creates conflict. Democratic leadership: In contrast, democratic takes into account the suggestions of the members and of the leader. It is a human relations approach, in which all members of the group can participate and contribute to improve the quality of the final decision. Advantages: Increased morale and support for better decisions through shared ideas among group members. Disadvantages: Slower decision-making and diluted accountability for decisions. Laissez-faire leadership: The leader exercises very little control over group members. A member is given a goal and mostly left alone to decide how to achieve it. The leader functions mainly as a group member, providing only as much advice and direction as is requested. Advantage: Opportunity for individual development offered to group members. All persons are given the chance to express themselves and to function relatively independently. Disadvantage: Lack of group cohesion and unity toward organisational objectives. Without a leader, the group may have little direction and lack of control. The result can be inefficiency or even worse, chaos. Suggestion: Mr Smith is applying an authoritative leadership in his first restaurant because his business is small. But now that he wants to expand his business he has to adopt a different style of leadership. I would suggest that he has to adopt the democratic leadership within his new restaurant. This is because the democratic style is a human relation approach in which all staff participates and contributes in the decision-making. This will prevent conflict between staff. Different motivational theories and their application Definition: Motivation can be described as the direction and persistence of action. It is concerned with why people choose a particular course of action in preference to others. The purpose of motivational theories is to predict behaviour. The difference theories of motivation are: The hierarchy of needs are shown as a series of steps in the form of a pyramid; it implies a thinning out needs as people progress up the hierarchy. Based on Maslows theory, once the lower-level needs have been satisfied (physiological and safety needs) people advanced up the hierarchy. Therefore to provide motivation for a change in behaviour, the manager must direct attention to the next level of needs (love or social needs) that seek satisfaction. McGregor Theory X Y Theory X assumptions: People inherently dislike work. People must be supervised to do work to achieve objectives. People prefer to be directed. Theory Y assumptions: -People view work as being as natural as play and rest. -People will exercise self-direction and self-control towards achieving objectives they are committed to. -People learn to accept and seek responsibility. Herzbergs Two-factor theory McClelland theory: Need for achievement: Personal responsibility Feedback Moderate risk Need for power: Influence Competitive Need for affiliation: Acceptance and friendship Cooperative Suggestion: Mr Smith does not delegate; does not give employees responsibilities; employees are not considered part of the group; they feel insecure in the employment; they cannot voice their opinions; he imposes his rules and regulations on employees. In addition he has reduced employees lunch-time. Here Mr Smith is using McGregors Theory X; employees are unhappy and de-motivated to work as their lunch-time has been reduced but their wages have not increased. Therefore, since he wants to expand his business throughout UK, I will recommend the Maslows hierarchy of needs theory to Mr Smith. Managers will have to provide motivation for a change in behaviour by satisfying the lower-level needs so that the employees basic salary, safe working conditions (need to stay alive, have food, shelter) and job security, fringe benefits, protection against unemployment, illness are satisfied. This will encourage the willing participation of employees for effective organisational performance. The relationship between motivational theory and the practice of management The purpose of motivational theories is to predict behaviour; and behaviour of people in organisations depends on practices of management. If managers practise Fayols 14 principles of management, then employees at all levels are motivated to work. People generally respond in the manner in which they are treated. Therefore, to control human behaviour a heavy responsibility is placed on managers and the activity of management, where attention must also be given to appropriate systems of motivation, job satisfaction and rewards. Accordingly, Mr Smith must understand how good management practices will motivate staff to work. Managers should plan and forecast, organise, command, coordinate, and control appropriately in an attempt to satisfy employees needs so that they are motivated to work. This will create an organisational climate in which employees can work willingly and effectively to achieve the goals of the organisation. Managers should get the best performance from employees to attract more customers. Managers should apply this policy: The needs, wants and rights of employees to be treated fairly and with dignity. TASK 4: Nature of groups and group behaviour within organisations A group comprises two or more individuals who interact in the collective pursuit of a common goal. They share values and goals, are involved in regular activities together, and identify themselves as members of the group and are identified as such by others. (From lecture notes AJ). Another useful way of defining group is a collection of people who share most, if not all, of the following characteristics: A definable membership; Group consciousness; A sense of shared purpose; Interdependence; Interaction; Ability to act in a unitary manner. Formal groups (official groups): Created to carry out specific tasks set up by the organisation to complete assigned tasks. Formal groups may be divided into two categories: 1. Functional groups: Consist of varying size of work units, with a manager and subordinates who are responsible for a range of duties and functions within the organisation, for example: the finance department, the salaries section and the revenues section. 2. Task groups: Created for the dispatch of specific business or operations, such as a project team, management team or co-ordinating committee. Informal groups (unofficial groups): Created by the individual members for the purpose of sharing a common interest. Importance of informal groups: The spread of information through informal networks the grapevine is often much faster and more influential than through formal groups. There is the potential for conflict between roles held in formal and informal groups particularly in respect of leadership, where the informal leader may not be the same person as the formal leader. Two informal groups: 1. Interest groups: develop around the shared pursuit of a specific goal by certain employees, which may or may not be related to the organisation. 2. Friendship groups: Individuals joining together for various social activities The factors influencing Group Behaviour: Cole (1996) Size of the group Leadership and management style Group cohesiveness Motivation of group members Norms of groups Group/team roles The work environment The group task Factors leading to effective teamwork within the new business Peters and Waterman defines five factors for effective teamwork: 1. The numbers should be small: each member will then represent the interest of his or her department. 2. The team should be of limited duration: Exist only to resolve a particular task. 3. Membership should be voluntary. 4. Communication should be informal and unstructured. 5. It should be action-oriented. The team should finish with a plan for action. The influences that threaten success of teamwork The team does not work around the unreliable people. A smaller group of people does most of the work and a larger group pretends to help. Sometimes team members do not work well together and may work against each other. This may result dysfunctional teams, caused by: Lack of trust is the most common problem afflicting teams; Lack of team cohesiveness Lack of a clearly defined purpose Impact of technology on team functioning Technology: Technologies such as e-mail, mobile phones, blackberry, groupware and computers can improve and in some cases delay team functioning. To be able to function effectively, teams must be kept up-to-date with knowledge as technology changes. Communication: Successful teams communicate successfully by email, mobile phone, phone technologies such as blackberry and 3G data cards and 3GB USB dongles, groupware and personal computers. Change: Successful teams can successfully bring-up change. Teams will become less effective and efficient if they do not respond to changing internal and external factors. In contrast, responsive teams are more effective, efficient and, are able to rise to the challenges of the modern business world. Networks and virtual teams: In the modern connected world, it is easier for teams to communicate and network. It is possible to create virtual teams which never (or rarely) meet in physical locations and use a range of web tools to communicate and collaborate. Global and cross-cultural teams Task 5: Strategies for the restaurants stakeholders needs Employees: †¢ Mr has to adopt HR practices to ensure that the organisation is able to achieve success through people. †¢ Staffing the organisation: Sufficient numbers of the right people in the right place, at the right time, and at the right cost for the organisation. †¢ Reward and recognition: Creating structures that maximise recruitment, retention and motivation; obtaining the best performance from the people available. †¢ Performance improvement throughout the organisation, for individual, team and organisational effectiveness †¢ Managing behaviour ensuring that individuals are encouraged to behave in a way that allows and fosters better working relationships. Customers: Mr Smith and his area managers should monitor the changing requirements and expectations of its customers, and the quality of service they require. Conclusion and recommendations With Mr Smiths plan to expand and develop new restaurants across the UK, there is need for a formal organisational structure and culture, which has to be carefully designed to encourage the willing participation of staff for effective organisational performance. Mr Smith should follow the principles of management managers will have to perform these five functions (by H Fayol); plan and forecast; organise; command; coordinate; and control. The classical approach will suit his business as it plays emphasis on the planning of work, technical requirements, principle of management and behaviour. Alongside he has to adopt the democratic leadership in which all members of the group can participate and contribute to improve the quality of the final decision. Area managers will have to provide motivation for a change in behaviour by satisfying the employees needs through rewards. Reference Websites: 1. http://ezinearticles.com/?id=1269812 2. http://choo.fis.utoronto.ca/FIS/courses/LIS1230/LIS1230sharma/history6.htm (Maslows hierarchy of needs) 3. http://www.hnc-business.co.uk/unit3.html Module Tutor Lecture notes and emails: Dhlamini S., 2009. Organisations and Behaviour (unit 3) H1, HND in Business. London: Guildhall College Bibliography Book: Mullins L J ., 2000. Essentials of Organisational Behaviour. Essex: FT/Prentice Hall

The Sarbanes-Oxley Act: Protecting Corporate Assets Essays -- SOX Act,

Internal Controls. Kind of like a brick wall, or a fire wall on a computer. Internal controls act as a way to keep a company and its assets safe, as well as make sure that the company maintains complete and accurate accounting records. Internal controls are in charge of the overall well being of a company from its assets to its employees, even to its sales and reputation. A lot of things are involved with internal controls such as; Sarbanes-Oxley Act, stock well being, well being and safety of assets and accounting accuracy. One of the Internal Controls main purposes is that of keeping a companies assets safe, whether that be from employees, robbers, or misuse from outside parties. As one can figure keeping a companies assets would be a very important task that would keep a company running smoothly and successfully if all went well. Internal Controls will work to maintain the safety of all assets of a company by assuring no unauthorized use or access, and keeping close watches over all records and information. Another main task of the internal control is that of keeping the accounting records up to date and accurate at all times. In the past months there has been quite a bit of emphasis on the importance of a company keeping complete and accurate accounting records for many reasons. A companies well being may depend on its records accuracy, if there happen to be a problem spotted a simple solution would be to revert back to the records, but what if the records are inaccurate, or incomplete? It is extremely important that Internal Controls keep close watch over the accuracy of the companies accounting records of all forms. The Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 or SOX was created by the governments sector of Public Compan... ...d to companies loosing billions of dollars to those unethical practicing members of a company. As one can see internal controls in a company can make or break a company. With all participation and strict principals internal controls can provide a great basis for a company and catch all errors to ensure a smooth run for a company and avoidance of any scandals. With a loose internal control system or unethical practices a company can get a bad wrap, loose customers and investors, loose profit and assets, as well as loose all reputability. There will always be problems within companies, but with the close running of a company’s internal control and ethical practices, government involvement, and outside audits and over views a company can lower their risk of loosing anything valuable to their company, and staying out of the public’s eye in a negative manner.

Physics of Toilets :: physics toilet toilets

Throughout the ages we have seen timeless inventions to numerous to name. We have seen everythingfrom the inventio of the radio to the engine to the atomic bomb. But there is one invention that goes onunappreciated, even looked down upon. The toilet. The toilet is an amazingly simple invention which,without it, the world would be a very different place. Without toilets there would be waste in our housesas well as in the streets that would have to be manually taken care of. Without the flush toilet there is nopossible way that the world could survive as populated as it is. It is an invention that has become, in ourtime, a necessity. The Birth of the Flush Toilet The first successful attempt at a true water flush toilet as see them today came as early as 1862. Known as a "washout", it consisted of a bowl with a hole in the bottom on the front or back. Below this was a p-trap filled with water in order to prevent gas escape. Such wonderful devices became very popular over to the outhouses and earth closets (portable outhouses). They were much liked, though known to often flush incompletely. An improvewment was made on the "washout" when the bowl was combined as one with the p-trap. This was known as a "washdown". Though it was an improvement, neither the washout nor the washdown were known for aconsistent complete flush. Nearing the end of the centruy, sanitaryware manufacturers discovered that by diverting some of the water from tank pipe into the bowl acting almost like a jet flush. It was also learned that if the shape of the p-trap exit were changed it would act almost as a siphon sucking everything from the bowl. Thus the modern flush toilet was born. Though people often credit Thomas Crapper for the invention of the flush toilet, he was in actuality only the owner of one of the first largest toilet manufacturers. It was in fact a collection of ideas of many people from Leonardo DaVinci to John Harrington to Alexander Cumming and on through history. The Basic Concept Behind the Flushing Toilet Flushing a toilet is the perfect example of basic physics. A toilet is little more than a storage tank of potential energy. The tank on the back of every toilet, as most people know, is filled with water. When the flushing lever is pressed all of the stored water in the tank is suddenly released through a hole in the bottom of the tank.

The Character of Rev. Arthur Dimmesdale in Nathaniel Hawthornes Scarle

The Character of Dimmesdale in The Scarlet Letter      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Nathaniel Hawthorne's The Scarlet Letter, provides us with intricate characters to analyze and evaluate.   Hawthorne carefully constructs his characters, giving them each different emotions, values, physical attributes, and thus creating different souls.   One sees character development throughout the book, until at the end, one is left with an image of a seemingly "real" person.   One of Hawthorne's carefully constructed characters is, Arthur Dimmesdale.   With Arthur, one sees how sin changes him dramatically, causing in him moral conflicts.   Dimmesdale is continually trying to see who he is.         Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In the beginning of Hawthorne's novel, we are introduced to Hester Prynne, who has been condemned for adultery.   Through this sin, she has a child named Pearl.   The bigger controversy though, is who is Hester's "partner in crime."   But for seven years, Hester does not reveal it to anyone, not even her husband, Roger Prynne, who comes to town the day she is brought up on the scaffold.   Prynne is not happy about finding his wife convicted of being an adulteress.   He feels that the other guilty party should be up on the scaffold with her.   His deep want to find the guilty party, leads him to disguise his identity, and he becomes, Roger Chillingworth.   Hester agrees to keep his secret.   The novel takes us through the seven years that Hester keeps quiet.   A reader of the novel finds out early that Arthur Dimmesdale is the man Hester is trying to protect.         Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   One notices, that even in the beginning, there is deep inner conflict affecting Dimmesdale.... ...ter of Dimmesdale is excellently constructed through the actions and words that Hawthorne writes.       Works Cited and Consulted Brodhead, Richard H., "New and Old Tales: The Scarlet Letter," Modern Critical Views Nathaniel Hawthorne, New York, Chelsea House Publishers, 1986. Dibble, Terry J., Cliff Notes on The Scarlet Letter, Lincoln, Cliff Notes, Inc., 1988. Fogle, Richard Harter, "The Scarlet Letter," Hawthorne's Fiction The Light and The Dark, Norman, University of Oklahoma Press, 1975. Hawthorne, Nathaniel. The Scarlet Letter. New York: St. Martins, 1991. Matthiessen, F.O., "The Scarlet Letter," Critics on Hawthorne, Readings in Literary Criticism: 16, Coral Gables, University of Miami Press, 1972. Matthiessen, F.O., Twentieth Century Interpretations of The Scarlet Letter, Englewood Cliffs, Prentice-Halls Inc., 1968. The Character of Rev. Arthur Dimmesdale in Nathaniel Hawthorne's Scarle The Character of Dimmesdale in The Scarlet Letter      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Nathaniel Hawthorne's The Scarlet Letter, provides us with intricate characters to analyze and evaluate.   Hawthorne carefully constructs his characters, giving them each different emotions, values, physical attributes, and thus creating different souls.   One sees character development throughout the book, until at the end, one is left with an image of a seemingly "real" person.   One of Hawthorne's carefully constructed characters is, Arthur Dimmesdale.   With Arthur, one sees how sin changes him dramatically, causing in him moral conflicts.   Dimmesdale is continually trying to see who he is.         Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In the beginning of Hawthorne's novel, we are introduced to Hester Prynne, who has been condemned for adultery.   Through this sin, she has a child named Pearl.   The bigger controversy though, is who is Hester's "partner in crime."   But for seven years, Hester does not reveal it to anyone, not even her husband, Roger Prynne, who comes to town the day she is brought up on the scaffold.   Prynne is not happy about finding his wife convicted of being an adulteress.   He feels that the other guilty party should be up on the scaffold with her.   His deep want to find the guilty party, leads him to disguise his identity, and he becomes, Roger Chillingworth.   Hester agrees to keep his secret.   The novel takes us through the seven years that Hester keeps quiet.   A reader of the novel finds out early that Arthur Dimmesdale is the man Hester is trying to protect.         Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   One notices, that even in the beginning, there is deep inner conflict affecting Dimmesdale.... ...ter of Dimmesdale is excellently constructed through the actions and words that Hawthorne writes.       Works Cited and Consulted Brodhead, Richard H., "New and Old Tales: The Scarlet Letter," Modern Critical Views Nathaniel Hawthorne, New York, Chelsea House Publishers, 1986. Dibble, Terry J., Cliff Notes on The Scarlet Letter, Lincoln, Cliff Notes, Inc., 1988. Fogle, Richard Harter, "The Scarlet Letter," Hawthorne's Fiction The Light and The Dark, Norman, University of Oklahoma Press, 1975. Hawthorne, Nathaniel. The Scarlet Letter. New York: St. Martins, 1991. Matthiessen, F.O., "The Scarlet Letter," Critics on Hawthorne, Readings in Literary Criticism: 16, Coral Gables, University of Miami Press, 1972. Matthiessen, F.O., Twentieth Century Interpretations of The Scarlet Letter, Englewood Cliffs, Prentice-Halls Inc., 1968.

DVD player Essay

Keyboard The keyboard is usually a long rectangle shaped piece of plastic with rows keys. The keyboard is used to type letters and numbers into a word processor. They are also used for gaming; some keyboards have with special gaming features. A keyboard used to be used to give commands to operate the computer before there the invention of mice. A keyboard can be connected to the computer by USB port or wirelessly. Some keyboards are designed for use by people who are visually impaired. The Waterside library has a keyboard on every computer; there are two types of keyboard in the library, the average sized plain coloured keyboards (above left) used mostly people without eyesight problems and then the larger sized keyboards (above right) for visually impaired members with a contrasting coloured keyboard. The contrasting coloured keyboard makes it easier for the visually impaired to identify buttons on the keyboard. The good thing about the larger sized keyboard is that the keys help the user to recognise when they have been pressed with a nice distinct click. The libraries facilities are available to the whole community including the visually impaired. It would be unfair for visually impaired people if they were not able to use the same facilities just because the equipment didn’t suit their needs. The Library has made a big effort to make sure all sections of the community are able to use the facilities available without feeling excluded and discriminated against. If the library didn’t have this specialised equipment the visually impaired members would find that they make lots of mistakes when typing and this would put them off using the library again. Mouse There are two types of mouse, they are optical or roller ball. Mice can be wired or wireless. A mouse is an object that the user holds under one of the user’s hands. Most mice have two buttons the left and the right. Sometimes the mouse may have a wheel between the left and right buttons. The wheel is used to scroll up and down. The mouse is used to control the motion of the cursor, which is displayed on the monitor. It can be used to open and close windows by clicking on icons and carry out tasks such as printing. All computers in the library have a normal mouse connected to them however there are two mice connected to the computers with a large keyboard, the special mouse (above right) and the Dell wired mouse (above left). The library uses wired mice because wireless mice are easily stolen as they are not attached to the computer, people can not move a wired mouse away from the computer it is wired to. The special mouse is used by people who find it difficult to use a normal mouse, for example a person who had his fingers taken off in an accident and only had a palm left would not be able to hold a mouse or click, however they would be able to use the other mouse as they could their palm to roll the ball around and press the buttons. This equipment can also be used by people with learning difficulties, poor visibility and limited hand movement. All these types of people could not have used a computer independently without assistance from members of staff, by having this special mouse means members of staff spend less time assisting one library members and are more able to help other people and organise stock. This arrangement ensures that people with disabilities are not discriminated against and are made to feel welcome in the library. Barcode scanner A barcode scanner is a laser light that scans barcodes. They save time and money. A barcode scanner can be connected to the computer through USB. They are used in shops to scan items that are purchased, issued or returned. In the library staff use a barcode scanner located at the issue desk to in libraries to scan the barcodes on stock and members cards. Before libraries used barcode scanners had to type the code in by keyboard, this took time and often mistakes were made when typing in codes, resulting in members and stock details being inaccurate. The library needs its information to be accurate as people don’t want to find that stock have had taken out under there member number by mistake and that they have to pay for it because it wasn’t returned. A barcode scanner is quicker and more accurate then entering in codes by a keyboard. This means that the staff can give their members a good quality service which will encourage them to use the library. Flatbed scanner A scanner scans and converts documents in to a digital image. That can be stored on the computer. It can be use by members of the library and staff. The advantage is that users can scan images/documents so as they can be sent by email or inserted in to documents. The flat bed scanners are available to staff and members in the library. They are not used very often. This is because digital cameras and phone cameras are very common and people can easily get pictures into digital format. However they are available if anyone wants to scan an A4 document. They are free of charge to use but their use is supervised by a member of the library staff. Storage devices Hard drive A hard drive is a storage device that records data. There are two types of hard drives External Hard Drives and Internal Hard Drives. The external hard disk drive is similar to internal hard disk drives; they include a normal hard disk drive which is mounted in a disk enclosure. Key benefits to using external disk drives are adding additional storage space or adding an easily removable backup source. It could also be useful for preventing the heat from the drive increasing the heat inside a computer case. The internal hard disk gives computers the ability to remember things when the power goes out. Key benefits to using internal disk drives are that it stores and retrieves data much faster than a floppy disk and CD-ROM and has a large storage capacity. It does not need connected every time the user needs to use it. In the library members are not allowed to save on to the hard drive, this is because members could be saving viruses on to the computers or filling the computers hard drive up unnecessarily. If members were allowed to save on to the hard drive all the files saved on that computer station would be available to opened, read, viewed and edit the file unless it has been saved as a password protected file. This means that any user could look at another users documents, so long as they are saved on the hard drive of the computer and there is no password. Floppy disk A floppy disk is a data storage device. Floppy disk is a plastic square shaped object with a disk of thin magnetic storage inside it. Floppy disks are read and written by a floppy disk drive. The library computers no longer have floppy disk drives on their computer. This means that members can not use floppy disks on the computers in the library. If the library computers did have a floppy disk drive and people could use floppy disks most people would still prefer to use other storage devices as they are more robust and hold a lot more data. Optical disk There are three types of optical disk they are DVD, CD and blu ray. DVDs are of the same as CDs, but they store more than six times as much data. CDs are used to store music these can be played in CD or DVD player. You can’t play blu ray DVD on a normal DVD player but you can play DVDs on a Blue-ray player. Blu ray players are backward compatible; this means that blu ray player can also play normal DVDs. In the library members can not use optical drives because they are blocked instead they must use an external optical drive. The library has two external optical drives these can be borrowed from the issue desk. Members plug them in to the USB port and can then use them to open files saved on a compact disk or save on to a disk, listen to CDs and play DVDs. If a member needed to save his or her work but did not have another compatible storage device like a memory pen or have forgotten to bring it with them they can borrow the external optical drive and buy a compact disk from the issue desk and save on to that. This means that members are still able to save there documents even if they don’t own another storage device or haven’t brought it with them. Members can request the external optical drive and use it to play music, CD’s or DVD’s. Memory pens Flash memory data storage device are also known Flash Drives, Memory Sticks, Pen Drives, and Memory Pens. Memory pens are more effective at transferring data than floppy disks or burning CD’s. Storage capacities can range. The USB is usually protected by a removable cap. There is no external power required. Memory pens easily taken to any library and plugged in to the USB port, the documents can be opened at any computer they are plugged on to. Members of the library can use memory pens to save data on as they are unable to save on to the libraries computers hard drives. The library computers have two USB ports at the front of the computers to make it easy for the members to connect their memory pens. Random access memory RAM is the most common computer memory, it is used by programs to perform tasks while the computer is on. The data which is in the RAM will be lost when the computer power is switched off so it is important to save before switching off. Random access memory can improve performance, the more RAM in a computer the faster it will perform. There are several different types of RAM available for computers; these vary in cost and speed. The amount of RAM on the computers in the library is 512Mbyte memory . The library didn’t need to buy extra RAM for their computers as the amount all ready on them was sufficient for general use and more than adequate for use in libraries where people use the computers for basic tasks such as word processing, surfing the internet and checking emails. The memory size is also adequate for the staff to run galaxy and any other software they need. By taking the standard memory the library were able to save some money which they were able to use in other areas. Magnetic tape data storage Magnetic tape is most commonly packaged in cartridges and cassettes. The device that performs actual writing or reading of data is a tape drive. When storing large amounts of data, tape can is less expensive than other data storage. Tape storage is used with large computer systems, mainly for backups and archives. However magnetic tape is much more likely to get damaged. In the library every evening when the library is closed a member of staff will put a back up tape in to the server. Staff will back up the server while the library is closed at night.

Finance Midterm

FINA300 Fall 2011 Benedictine University 100 points Name: ___________________________________________________ 1) Which of the following statements is CORRECT? a. The New York Stock Exchange is an auction market, and it has a physical location. b. Home mortgage loans are traded in the money market. c. If an investor sells shares of stock through a broker, then it would be a primary market transaction. d. Capital markets deal only with common stocks and other equity securities. e. While the distinctions are blurring, investment banks generally specialize in lending money, whereas commercial banks generally help companies raise capital from other parties. (2) Which of the following statements is CORRECT? a. A hostile takeover is the main method of transferring ownership interest in a corporation. b. A corporation is a legal entity created by a state, and it has a life and existence that is separate from the lives and existence of its owners and managers. c. Unlimited liability and limited life are two key advantages of the corporate form over other forms of business organization. . Limited liability is an advantage of the corporate form of organization to its owners (stockholders), but corporations have more trouble raising money in financial markets because of the complexity of this form of organization. e. Although the stockholders of the corporation are insulated by limited legal liability, the legal status of the corporation does not protect the firmâ€℠¢s managers in the same way, i. e. , bondholders can sue its managers if the firm defaults on its debt. 3) The retained earnings account on the balance sheet does not represent cash. Rather, it represents part of the stockholders' claim against the firm's existing assets. Put another way retained earnings are stockholders' reinvested earnings. a. True b. False (4) In finance, we are generally more interested in cash flows than in accounting profits. Free cash flow (FCF) is calculated as after-tax operating income plus depreciation less the sum of capital expenditures and changes in net working capital. a. True b. False 5) Other things held constant, which of the following actions would increase the amount of cash on a company’s balance sheet? a. The company repurchases common stock. b. The company pays a dividend. c. The company issues new common stock. d. The company gives customers more time to pay their bills. e. The company purchases a new piece of equipment 6) Ryngard Corp's sales last year were $38,000, and its total assets were $16,000. What was its total assets turnover ratio (TATO)? a. 2. 04 b. 2. 14 c. 2. 26 d. 2. 38 e. 2. 49 7) A new firm is developing its business plan. It will require $615,000 of assets, and it projects $450,000 of sales and $355,000 of operating costs for the first year. Management is reasonably sure of these numbers because of contracts with its customers and suppliers. It can borrow at a rate of 7. 5%, but the bank requires it to have a TIE of at least 4. 0, and if the TIE falls below this level the bank will call in the loan and the firm will go bankrupt. What is the maximum debt ratio the firm can use? (Hint: Find the maximum dollars of interest, then the debt that produces that interest, and then the related debt ratio. ) a. 41. 94% b. 44. 15% c. 46. 47% d. 48. 92% e. 51. 49% 8) Which of the following could explain why a business might choose to operate as a corporation rather than as a sole proprietorship or a partnership? a. Corporations generally face fewer regulations. b. Less of a corporation’s income is generally subject to federal taxes. c. Corporate shareholders are exposed to unlimited liability, but this factor is offset by the tax advantages of incorporation. d. Corporate investors are exposed to unlimited liability. e. Corporations generally find it easier to raise large amounts of capital. (9) You recently sold 200 shares of Disney stock, and the transfer was made through a broker. This is an example of: a. A money market transaction. b. A primary market transaction. c. A secondary market transaction. d. A futures market transaction. e. An over-the-counter market transaction 10) Below are the 2007 and 2008 year-end balance sheets for Tran Enterprises: Assets:20082007 Cash$ 200,000$ 170,000 Accounts receivable864,000700,000 Inventories 2,000,000 1,400,000 Total current assets$3,064,000$2,270,000 Net fixed assets 6,000,000 5,600,000 Total assets$9,064,000$7,870,000 Liabilities and equity: Accounts payable$1,400,000$1,090,000 Notes payable 1,600,000 1,800,000 Total current liabilities$3,000,000$2,890,000 Long-term debt 2,400,000 2,400,000 Common stock 3,000,000 2,000,000 Retained earnings 664,000 580,000 Total common equity$3,664,000$2,580,000 Total liabilities and equity$9,064,000$7,870,000 The firm has never paid a dividend on its common stock, and it issued $2,400,000 of 10-year, non-callable, long-term debt in 2007. As of the end of 2008, none of the principal on this debt had been repaid. Assume that the company’s sales in 2007 and 2008 were the same. Which of the following statements must be CORRECT? a. The firm increased its short-term bank debt in 2008. b. The firm issued long-term debt in 2008. . The firm issued new common stock in 2008. d. The firm repurchased some common stock in 2008. e. The firm had negative net income in 2008. (11) Chang Corp. has $375,000 of assets, and it uses only common equity capital (zero debt). Its sales for the last year were $595,000, and its net income was $25,000. Stockholders recently voted in a new management team that has promised to lower costs and get the return on equity up to 15. 0%. What profit margin would the firm need in order to achieve the 15% ROE, holding everything else constant? a. 9. 45% b. . 93% c. 10. 42% d. 10. 94% e. 11. 49% 11) Which of the following statements is CORRECT? a. Most rapidly growing companies have positive free cash flows because cash flows from existing operations generally exceed fixed asset purchases and changes to net working capital. b. Changes in working capital have no effect on free cash flow. c. Free cash flow (FCF) is defined as follows: FCF =EBIT(1 – T) + Depreciation – Capital expenditures required to sustain operations – Required changes in net working capital. d. Free cash flow (FCF) is defined as follows: FCF = EBIT(1 – T) + Capital expenditures. e. Managers should be less concerned with free cash flow than with accounting net income. Accounting net income is the â€Å"bottom line† and represents how much the firm can distribute to all its investors- both creditors and stockholders. (12) Last year Harrington Inc. had sales of $325,000 and a net income of $19,000, and its year-end assets were $250,000. The firm's total-debt-to-total-assets ratio was 45. 0%. Based on the DuPont equation, what was the ROE? a. 13. 82% b. 14. 51% c. 15. 23% d. 16. 00% e. 16. 80%

Current Trends in the War on Terror Essay

As the world is cowering in terror from the 9/11 attacks and the bombing incidents in Indonesia and other parts of the world, the world’s attention is shifted now to where the attacks may occur next and what can be done to address the situation. Some suggest that the answer lies in being able to suppress and perhaps eliminate all of the terrorist cells all over the world. The problem there, however, is that any attack that is targeted at eliminating terrorist cells would necessarily involve any host country where they may be located and in any Middle Eastern country, such an attack could prove disastrous (Campbell & Flourney 372). The more practical and ideal solution to this problem therefore lies at a more fundamental level; a more basic level wherein the country has more controls and no international liability (Kochler 37). The solution to this problem is by improving border security in order to prevent the occurrence of these terrorist attacks while the international community seeks for answers to address this problem at a global scale. At this point in time, domestic policies would be the best option in fighting the war against terror. This short discourse will therefore seek to shed light on the issue of terrorism and the crucial role that the border security plays in such. To gain a better understanding of the problem, it is important to first analyze the current trends that have been taken relative to border security to ensure the safety of the public from terrorist attacks. This will then be supplemented by an explanation on how border security can take an even larger role. The most crucial aspect in relation to border security and its role in the war against terror concerns the aviation industry. Since the 9/11 attacks, the public confidence with regard to air travel has greatly been shaken (Taylor 2). The attacks had the effect of sending a message that now, even airplanes could be used as missiles to target buildings regardless of whether there were people on board the aircraft of not. Every plane crash that is reported on the news is suspected to have been caused by a terrorist attack rather than just an equipment malfunction or a pilot error. In response to these attacks, security has been considerably increased in airports all over the world. Every passenger is now subject to a full body search and every hand carried and checked in item is thoroughly inspected for any suspicious objects that can either cause an explosion or aid a hijacker in gaining control over the aircraft (Campbell & Flourney 52). The impact has not been limited to airport security as even airplane manufacturers and airlines have resorted to installing devices and taking precautions with regard to what to do in case an airplane is hijacked. One of the safety measures that have been suggested and is highly debated is the issuing of arms for the pilots so that they may be able to defend themselves against any terrorist hijackers that are able to force themselves into the cockpits (Lott 1). The current controversy with regard to airline security concerns the proposal to equip the pilots of airplanes with weapons in order to protect themselves from any hijackers that manage to enter the cockpit (Taylor 2). This proposal is of course faced with a lot of opposition because of the implications of allowing pilots to be armed in aircrafts. There is a lot of concern with regard to the security of the other passengers on board just in case the armed pilots do decide to turn on the other co-pilots and hijack the aircraft themselves or hold passengers as hostages for whatever purpose. The proponents for arming the pilots argue that it is the best option because the pilots need to defend themselves against the terrorist hijackers (Keeler 151). The problem with this is that it negates the training of the pilots which is that in times such as hijackings they are not supposed to deal with the terrorists but instead secure the cockpit and land the plane as soon as possible (Will 1). The concern here is that the plane should be landed right away in order to protect not only the passengers but also the people on the ground who may become targets or victims as the 9/11 experience has shown. The duty of the pilot is not concern himself with whatever goes on in the cabin but instead make sure that the plane is safely on the ground where there are more units who can deal with the situation properly. Pilots are not adequately trained to deal with hijacking situations in terms of dealing directly with the terrorist hijackers (Will 1). Another argument for the arming of the pilots is that such a measure is only designed to protect the pilots from terrorist hijackers who succeed in gaining entry into the cockpit (3). While there as some merit to this precautionary measure, there is no guarantee that the armed pilots will do just that. There are instances when certain people, pilots included, enter a â€Å"cowboys or renegade† mode (Will 1). Most of the pilots have received a degree of military training as fighter pilots and there is some truth to the profiling of fighter pilots â€Å"live wires and risk-takers† (Will 1). The end result in these situations could be that instead of protecting the cockpit and landing the plane like they are supposed to, a number of these former fighter pilots could engage the terrorist hijackers.

Tok Presentation

Why did we choose this topic? We think that knowing the past is an important thing – to understand what is happening and to prevent the â€Å"same† mistakes from the past. However, there is a slight problem in our knowledge of past. And that’s why we asked this question: †¦.. Real-life situation You might be thinking†¦why did they choose this topic? Isn’t it obvious that what we know really happened? Are they trying to show us some stupid conspiracy theories or what? So here comes the real life situation. It is no made-up situation because, unfortunately, it happened to me recently. I was reading sources for my EE. The second source I read basically overthrew/contradicted my whole research question. I am writing about a ruler in medieval Japan who brought peace which lasted 250 years and how he accomplished this peace. As I read the second source, it stated that the one that actually established the peace was not this ruler, but the one before him. With this newfound information my whole EE practically fell apart. So, I had two contradictory sources and a load of questions: How it could be possible for such a contradicting sources to exist? And how do we know which one is true and which one isn’t? Sources Okay, now let’s get back to our knowledge of past. Where do we get it from? Well, there are different sources that together help us gather our historical knowledge. We can categorize them into two groups: primary and secondary. Well, I hope you all know what primary and secondary sources are, but if you don’t let me say it really briefly. Primary sources are those that were created by people who witnessed the events that are under study and secondary are sources, which are build upon (analyze and interpret) primary ones. Now, let’s try to make a list of the sources so that we can demonstrate how some of them can become unreliable. PrimarySecondary Diaries Journal/magazine article Pottery (physical stuff)History textbook for schools LettersBook about history InterviewsEncyclopedias SpeechesReviews Documents Photographs Now that we have a list of sources, we need to think about what could possibly affect them. Those can be all four of our tools of knowledge – perception, emotion, reason and language. Using these, we? ll show you how the sources can reflect the past not very accurately. Let’s start with primary sources. What can affect them? Let’s start with written accounts and diaries. First, the writer must perceive the event. What can go wrong in perception? Well, each person perceives things selectively, according to what they expect to see, according to their emotions, culture, traditions and so on. Let’s imagine a soldier named Joe. After surviving a battle he writes a letter to his wife. I believe I do not have to mention that this letter will later become a primary source for us. It consists of many emotional sentences about the death of John, Joe’s friend, who died during the battle and there is only little information about the battle itself and its outcomes. This shows us already, that Joe perceived very little from the battle, but instead concentrated on what was happening to his friend (which is natural, but for historians that are studying the battle rather unfortunate. However, Joe describes something from the battle. He says that their enemy‘s ranks consisted of thousands of soldiers compared to their barely thousand. However, other sources from the same battle state, that the armies were equal in numbers. So, obviously, Joe exaggerated as people tend to under stress situations. But his wife will never know this bit of information Furthermore Joe writes that it was the enemy who actually provoked the battle, while source written by someone from the other side states that is was the exact opposite. So obviously nobody wants to admit to be the aggressor. This was just an example of how perception and reason can influence the given account of an event from the past. Now let’s watch a little video. I hope you know the guy that will be show in it 😉 So, what can we say about some speeches of politicians or propagandistic films or pictures? These also count as primary sources, however I think it is obvious why they cannot be very reliable. Their purpose is to manipulate and distort the truth. For us, and for historians, sometimes it might be very hard to distinguish whether something is a propaganda and manipulation of facts or whether it is not. It is essential for the historians and us to be able to distinguish what is propaganda or manipulation and what is not. Even though such sources contain manipulated information which is useless for historians who want to know the truth, they are still valuable since they help us understand the historical context of that time. Furthermore data and official documents can also contain manipulated information and that is even harder for us to see, because we tend to believe â€Å"official† things. To get back to our knowledge issue, knowledge of the past that we gain from primary sources can be inaccurate, since primary sources tend to be very subjective. But there are plenty of orimary sources, which give us an objective and therefore probably accurate account of the past, such as photographs, data and official documents (if they are not manipulated). Excluding the fact that they can be misleading, without primary sources, we would be practically lost, since it is thanks to them that we have got at least some information about the past. Secondary sources: Now let’s move to secondary sources. The most widely â€Å"used† secondary source are historians and textbooks they write. Historians are very important for us, receivers of the knowledge. Why? If we only had primary sources, we would be lost. First, they are sometimes very hard to understand (especially if they are in a language you don’t speak 🙂 and also there can be overwhelming number of them and we then might not be able to distinguish the important ones from the ones that contain no valuable information. That’s where historians come in handy. They gather the information, read through as many sources as possible, interpret the information included and then write books that should be understandable for us. But, there are several problems. The first, maybe not the obvious one, is that historians do not always get all the information they need to give an account of a particular event. It’s like a puzzle. They have many pieces, but sometimes the pieces don’t fit together or there are some pieces are missing. Then they have to throw the odd ones out and they might find out that even more pieces are missing. Then they have to fill in the gaps themselves. This â€Å"filling in the gaps† can be very dangerous, especially if the historians are biased. Quite often historians are nationally biased. They have been raised in one country along with its traditions and culture and therefore, even if they are trying their best, they are going to write the history from their country’s point of view. Another problem comes in understanding the primary sources. The main obstacle in this case is language, which might have been rather different at that time. As much as historians may try, the translation can almost never be perfect. Sometimes those are just minor mistakes that don’t matter, but in some cases, the translation might be fatal. However, we will never know whether the translation was wrong or not. Furthermore, these sources can be further translated, so we basically get a translation of translation and the source can completely lose its original meaning. To conclude and get back to our question, even though (we hope) they are trying to be as objective as they can, historians can make mistakes in â€Å"filling the gaps†, in being nationally biased and in the translation of the sources. However, their role in our knowledge of past is essential, since they put all the pieces of information into a meaningful whole. Now let’s look at us. We are the receivers of knowledge. Since our own knowledge of past is way more limited than the knowledge of historians, we are more prone to making wrong conclusions from primary sources. Because of this same factor, we might also overlook some vital points. Also, have you ever thought about checking whether a certain historian is telling the truth? Or did you just blindly believed everything he said, just because he has the title of historian? This is a typical ad hominem fallacy that we all can make. Lastly, we, similarly as historians, are nationally biased, which also â€Å"clouds† our reasoning. Final Conclusion To conclude our presentation, we should now see that we know our past only to a certain extent. It depends on the reliability and amount of the primary and secondary sources that we have. We also need to be aware of the biases or drawbacks of the primary and secondary sources in order to distinguish the biased or manipulated sources. In the future, we might have a better knowledge of past, since new and new sources are discovered every day. And, what do you think Jarka did with her EE sources? She was kinda hopeless at first, but then she decided to read the remaining sources. The rest, supported her research question (thankfully), so she could conclude (with almost 100 % certainty) which one was the one that was not true. ? Also, primary sources serve the purpose of the writer and were not written to become parts of textbooks in the future. P. S. do not have to reflect truth, but rather a ‘personal’ truth. Often we do not have written accounts from peasants and lower classes, simply because they didn? know how to write, didn? t consider it necessary, useful†¦ CONCLUSION =our knowledge of past is in many cases not the same as the past itself, because it is based on human interpretation of why and how certain events happen = also, new evidence is constantly being found and it might completely change our view of what and why happened = also new technologies are invented =thus we can say that past is stil l alive and changing†¦ = try to gather as much different sources as u can- compare them†¦ do what historians do†¦.