About Jørn Utzon, Architect of the Sydney Opera House

About Jà ¸rn Utzon, Architect of the Sydney Opera House Any biography of Jà ¸rn Utzon (born  April 9, 1918) will certainly say that his best-known building is his revolutionary Sydney Opera House in Australia. Yet, as a private Dane born in Copenhagen, Utzon created many other masterpieces in his lifetime. He is noted for his courtyard-style housing in Denmark, but he also designed exceptional buildings in Kuwait and Iran. His architecture combines the organic elements of Frank Lloyd Wright with Middle Eastern and Islamic elements.   Jà ¸rn Utzon was perhaps destined to design buildings that evoke the sea. His father,  Aage Utzon (1885-1970), was director of a shipyard in Alborg, Denmark, and was himself a brilliant naval architect, well-known in the area for designing custom-made yachts. Yachting and racing was an activity within the Utzon family, and the young Jà ¸rn became a good sailor himself. The Utzons grew up with sails. Until about the age of 18, Utzon considered a career as a naval officer. While still in secondary school, he began helping his father at the shipyard, studying new designs, drawing up plans and making model yachts. This activity opened another possibility - that of training to be a naval architect like his father. During summer holidays with his grandparents, Jà ¸rn Utzon met two artists, Paul Schrà ¸der and Carl Kyberg, who introduced him to art. One of his father’s cousins, Einar Utzon-Frank, who happened to be a sculptor and a professor at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts, provided additional inspiration. The future architect took an interest in sculpting, and at one point, indicated a desire to be an artist. Even though his final marks in secondary school were quite poor, particularly in mathematics, Utzon excelled in freehand drawing - a talent strong enough to win his admission to the Royal Academy of Fine Arts in Copenhagen. He was soon recognized as having extraordinary gifts in architectural design. While in school, he became interested in the works of architect Frank Lloyd Wright (1867-1959), who would remain influential all of Utzons life. He earned a Diploma in Architecture from the Academy in 1942, and then fled to neutral Sweden during War War II. He worked in the Stockholm office of Hakon Ahlberg for the duration of the War, where he studied the work of Swedish architect Gunnar Asplund (1885-1940), known for what is called Nordic Classicism. Following the War, Utzon had the great opportunity to work with the modernist architect Alvar Aalto at his studio in Finland. By 1949 Utzon had received a grant to travel in Morocco, Mexico, the United States, China, Japan, India, and Australia - a whirlwind world excursion that would eventually inform his architectural designs for years to come.. All of the trips had significance, and Utzon himself described ideas he learned from Mexico. As an architectonic element, the platform is fascinating, Utzon has said. I lost my heart to it on a trip to Mexico in 1949. On the Yucatan he saw land covered by low height, dense jungle. But by building up the platform on a level with the roof of the jungle, says Utzon, these people had suddenly conquered a new dimension that was a worthy place for the worship of their gods. They built their temples on these high platforms, which can be as much as a hundred metres long. From here, they had the sky, the clouds and the breeze.... Utzon remembered this experience as he submitted his design for the Sydney Opera House competition. The next year, in 1950, Utzon returned to Copenhagen, and opened his own practice. Utzons Architecture When looking at the architecture of Jà ¸rn Utzon, the observer notices repeating architectural details - the skylights, the white curves, the appreciation for natural elements, the stationary platform on which Utzon designs may soar. His last project, the Utzon Center in Aalborg, Denmark, opened the year Utzon died, but exhibits the elements he saw throughout his life - the Islamic-like towers, the interior courtyards, the curves and the skylights. The interior of the Bagsvaerd Church, built in 1976, was envisioned with a ceiling of clouds, a sweeping white pillow motif also seen in the 1982 Kuwait National Assembly in Kuwait City and the spiral stairway of the Melli Bank, University of Tehran Branch in 1960 Iran. Yet it is the Sydney Opera House in Australia that has captured the moniker of iconic architecture. The iconic design of the Sydney Opera House complex comes from the shell-shape of the multiple roofs - they are all geometrically part of one sphere. A bonze plaque located onsite visually demonstrates the architectural idea and design solution, who wanted the plaque to explain the spherical concept of the architecture. The key to the shell design is that each shell or sail is an element of a solid sphere. The plaque Inscription tells the story: after three years of intensive search for a basic geometry for the shell complex I arrived in october 1961 at the spherical solution shown here.I call this my key to the shells because it solves all the problems of construction by opening up for mass production, precision in manufacture and simple erection and with this geometrical system I attain full harmony between all the shapes in this fantastic complex.jà ³rn utzon Danish architect Jà ¸rn Utzon was only 38 when he won the competition to build the Sydney Opera House.   The project became the highlight of his career but brought enormous challenges in engineering and building technology. Utzons winning design, submitted in 1957, moved through a complicated process with many adaptations and innovations before the Sydney Opera House officially opened on October 20, 1973. Utzons Legacy Ada Louise Huxtable, an architecture critic and a member of the 2003 Pritzker Prize jury, commented, In a forty year practice, each commission displays a continuing development of ideas both subtle and bold, true to the teaching of early pioneers of a new architecture, but that cohere in a prescient way, most visible now, to push the boundaries of architecture toward the present. This has produced a range of work from the sculptural abstraction of the Sydney Opera House that foreshadowed the avant garde expression of our time, and is widely considered to be the most notable monument of the 20th century, to handsome, humane housing and a church that remains a masterwork today. Carlos Jimenez, an architect on the Pritzker Jury, noted that ...each work startles with with its irrepressible creativity. How else to explain the lineage binding those indelible ceramic sails on the Tasmanian Sea, the fertile optimism of the housing at Fredensborg, or those sublime undulations of the ceilings at Bagsvà ¦rd, to name just three of Utzon’s timeless works. At the end of his life, the Pritzker Prize-winning architect faced new challenges. A degenerative eye condition left Utzon nearly blind. Also, according to news reports, Utzon clashed with his son and grandson over a remodeling project at the Sydney Opera House. The acoustics at the Opera House was criticized, and many people complained that the celebrated theater did not have enough performance or backstage space. Jà ¸rn Utzon died of a heart attack on November 29, 2008 in Copenhagen, Denmark at age 90. He was survived by his wife and their three children, Kim, Jan and Lin, and several grandchildren who work in architecture and related fields. There is no doubt that artistic clashes will be forgotten as the world honors  Jà ¸rn Utzons powerful artistic legacy. The architectural firm he founded, Utzon Associates Architects, is in Hellebaek, Denmark. Sources Biography, The Hyatt Foundation, PDF at https://www.pritzkerprize.com/sites/default/files/inline-files/2003_bio_0.pdfAbout the Utzon Family, https://utzon.dk/utzon-associates-architects/the-utzon-familyJury Citation, The Hyatt Foundation, https://www.pritzkerprize.com/jury-citation-jorn-utzonGouse History, Sydney Opera House, https://www.sydneyoperahouse.com/our-story/sydney-opera-house-history.htm Fast Facts Born April 9, 1918 in Copenhagen, DenmarkInfluenced by Mayan, Islamic, and Chinese architecture; Frank Lloyd Wright and Alvar Aalto; growing up next to a shipyardBest-known as the architect of the Sydney Opera House (1957-1973) in Sydney, AustraliaDied November 29, 2008 in Copenhagen, Denmark

Ethics Of Cloning Essays - Cloning, Molecular Biology, Biotechnology

Ethics Of Cloning Essays - Cloning, Molecular Biology, Biotechnology Ethics Of Cloning Steve Stauff Grade: B+ Biochemistry in the Real World Ethics of cloning Most of us should know of the new scientific technology that has allowed us to clone mammals. First a sheep that was cloned in Scotland, and then a small monkey in Oregon. All this talk about cloning has forced people to think about other possibilities with this new breakthrough. Most people have come to think about the possibility of cloning humans. Which brings us to the point. Just thinking about that is a little scary. However scientists have proclaimed that within less than a year, cloning humans will be possible. When I think about that it bothers me. Its not an easy thing to accept. The strange thing is, usually, when there is a technological breakthrough people are interested in what the product can do and they accept the new idea and the new thinking that has come up. However with cloning, I do not think people are handling it the way they handled other things when they were first invented. All these new computer developments are accepted by people because they help us do our work more efficiently or they make tasks easier for us to do. But I do not sense this same thing with this issue. I do not think people are accepting it as well as they have accepted past developments. The reason for this is that the issue here is different for us. It deals with something new, something that you read about in books and see in movies. When people saw Jurassic Park and the idea of cloning dinosaurs from DNA found in mosquitoes, I do not think that many were thinking about the possibility of cloning humans just a few years later. I personally did not think it would come at least for another 10 years. Many scientists are skeptical about the issue though and they do not seem to believe that these human clones could happen. These scientists have also considered the health factors of cloning humans. Cloning humans could lead to the birth of abnormal children. One of the problems with cloning people is that when scientists are cloning a human, they are picking up all the different things that that person has been subject to. The persons cells would have been exposed to chemicals and bacteria and environmental radiation. All of these things could affect the clone and affect the process. Another problem would be that it would be very unpredictable as for how the clone would come out. We would not know about the mutations that it could have gone through and even then, I am sure there would be a hundred other things that would make us think twice. One scientist said that trying to clone an adult person would be playing genetic Russian roulette. I agree with this statement. What could cloning do? History has also shown us that we humans do not handle things like this well. Anything that gives us the ability to create and associate power has not worked out well for us. Take nuclear weapons. Nuclear weapons enabled us to enter the next level of warfare. But what else did they do? We completely destroyed two Japanese cities and they also led to the beginning of the Cold War. They created feelings of jealousy and greed and everyone wanted to learn about them and the power that they had. Now if cloning humans became possible, then many, many more of these problems would be created. The notion of power would be redefined and knowledge of cloning and any advances in it would spread quickly. I think that if they put some limit on cloning like if it was only used for scientific purposes, then it would not be that bad. I can see how one can say that cloning humans is really great. It shows how far humans have come that they can clone themselves. It could also prove to be an effective tool in different ways. I think that right now, at this state, cloning is something that we really do not need. In the past we have shown that we do not handle things like this very well and the cloning of

Patch Adams Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Patch Adams - Essay Example Patch Adams, directed by Tom Shadyac, is a film about this concept. It is about a doctor who does recognize the emotional and spiritual needs of patients with physical illnesses, and how he is successful in the medical world despite a lot of opposition. Shadyac compares and contrasts Patch Adams with the other, more traditional doctors portrayed in the film, to show Adams as an ideal doctor, who is breaking new ground with his non-traditional beliefs about the way doctors should interact with their patients. While there are plenty of good doctors out there who genuinely care for their patients, many people who study medicine are motivated by money. Such people are not necessarily concerned with the needs of their clients. For instance, in Shadyac's movie, a mother is desperate to visit her sick daughter in the hospital room where she is dying. Even though her daughter needs to see a doctor as quickly as possible and her mother wants to be with her to take care of her, hospital policy requires her to finish all the paperwork before her daughter can get proper medical attention. Hospitals often want to make sure that clients have enough money to pay the doctors before they "waste" the time of a physician. People often feel that hospitals and physicians are motivated by money rather than the desire to help people, and for this reason find it difficult to trust their doctor's words. In extreme cases people might see two or three doctors because they find it difficult to trust in them. In telling the story of Patch Adams, Shadyac challenges this view, portraying Adams as a different kind of doctor. He believes in treating the whole person rather than just their physical symptoms, a view which is very different from the one that most doctors hold. He believes in giving people the best care he has to offer. Shadyac uses the house that Patch Adams built as the symbol for this idea and the focal point of the film. The house that Adams builds is a free hospital, a place where "people will come from all over the world to fulfill their dream of helping others, where learning is the highest aim, where love is the ultimate goal." Adams' hospital is a place where all patients are welcome regardless of how much or how little money they can pay, and it is a house with "with no boss or title." Another issue that Shadyac examines in Patch Adams is the balance of power in hospitals - how doctors have it, and patients do not. In the small hospital society, the people who have power are defined by their clothes. The people who wear the long white coats have the greatest power and authority. Shadyac shows how physicians use their power by showing what they think of themselves, for example, a doctor in the film says "Physicians are business men. Patients need doctors to give them prescriptions. They don't need doctors to be their friends." This kind of attitude creates a gap between patients and doctors and makes it hard for patients to see doctors as helpful or caring. Patch Adams believes in the absolute opposite of this. He does not take advantage of the fact that he holds more power than his patients do - to him, "power is [when you]see what no one else sees, see what everyone else chooses not to seesee the whole world anew each day." Adams becomes a doctor because he wants

Describe and assess the listener's experience of two different Assignment

Describe and assess the listener's experience of two different composition or two performances of the same composition - Assignment Example How the melodic lines interweave in the songs differs too (Vazsonyi, 15). Another important aspect of the assessment is the melody; the melody range of the two songs can differ with the timbers, and the rhymes. This can also be noticed by the audiences. â€Å"Cups† two song versions differ in rhyme and timbers as well. The differences in the melody can be relatively minor, but play a role in the differences of the two songs. The parallel transpose and the simple transpose can be noted too in the two pieces when they are performed (Vazsonyi, 15). The mood in the song can be noticed by the audience, this depends also on alterations that are made on the two pieces when done. These alterations can be done in the melody that is in the rhymes or the timbers of the song â€Å"cups† the melody of the original can be intact compared to the song sung again. Harmony can also affect the differences monitored by the audiences in the tone and notes. Another aspectual difference that can be noticed by the audience is the randomness, stochastic and chance. Randomness can be different based on how the singer wants it to appear. The first instance can be unintentional randomness, which can contribute to bad music this can be due to the guitarist or any other person adding extra notes to the music the second instance is the intended randomness, this can be done to improve the quality of the music by the singer. The intention is to introduce random variations that make the singing particular by varying the music content this can also be noticed in the two â€Å"Cups† pieces. The elements of randomness can be based on chance; this is brought out by the singer waiting for the opportune moment to begin another melodic line or the moment that the drum mist plays an extra note. Stochastic composition is noted in the cups song`s beats, which are very randomly thought and extraordinarily done. This brings out the element of the musics beauty in random thoughts that the composer uses

Financial Risk Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Financial Risk Management - Essay Example This study involves a comprehensive study of the risk management policies followed by Bear Stearns and how it led to its demise. Risk Management: An Overview Risk is a term associated with any type of business entity. Without risk it would have been an easy task for managers of a company to allocate its resources in the most effective way. And with the world experiencing the global financial crisis in the year 2008, effective and efficient risk management is the key to success for any financial enterprise. The idea of risk management may differ from person to person. In case of regulators risk management is a means of control, for traders it is a means of hedging their risks and for risk managers it is a means of obtaining the highest return possible by allocating capital in the best possible way. Risk management takes into consideration the magnitude as well as the nature of risks involved. It is all about optimizing the risk-return profile of a company. Sources of risk are many and it is due to the uncertainties of future events. In today’s world banks are engaged in wide range of activities like trading of derivatives to its customers which results in exposure, finally leading to risks. Thus risk management plays a vital role in case of banks. Study and analysis of risk begins with study of Markowitz model of portfolio analysis where he defined selection of portfolios based on mean of variances in return of portfolios. Sharpe and Lintner further added to this analysis by assuming the existence of risk free assets. The rate of return of a risky asset is governed by its systematic risk and ‘beta’ is the measure of this type of risks. Next Black-Scholes model for pricing of options gives a measure of the risk of an underlying security by measuring the volatility in the form of standard deviation. Again works of Modigliani and Miller showed that value of the firm is not dependent on the capital structure of the firm. Increase of debt, leading to greater leverage in the capital structure of a firm increases the financial risk for the shareholders of the firm. This means, reengineering of capital structure of the firm would not help the firm, and the management should consider implementing strategies to increase the value of the firm economically. However, it is very difficult and possesses a challenging task for a company to implement these risk management theories practically. For any financial institutions like global banks, before taking up risk management system they must ensure that, they are up to date with their databases regarding various financial transactions within the company and are also aware about financial rates available in the outside market. Also they must have relevant statistical tools to analyze those data. Risk management policies followed by Bear Stearns Bear Stearns was once considered as one of the most efficient managers of risk but at the end it was their faulty risk management policies that l ed to their downfall. Bear Stearns most profitable division was the securitization of mortgage, which brought in almost half of the company’s revenues. Regarding mortgage securitization, the company followed a model that was vertically integrated and made profit at every step starting from originating loan, securitizing them and then selling them. These

Organisational Commitment Study Research Methodology

Organisational Commitment Study Research Methodology Table of Contents (Jump to) Research Methodology Introduction Research Design Sample Population Sample Selection Sample Size Procedures Measuring Instrument Gathering of Data Organisational Commitment Job Satisfaction Job Descriptive Index and Job in General Stress in General Human Resource Management Practices (HRM) Trust in Management Turnover Intention Turnover Statistical Methods Summary Results Conclusion Research Methodology Introduction This chapter addresses the research methodology used in the study of Organisational Commitment, its’ antecedents and consequences as described in the first chapter. The first section of this chapter after the introduction presents the research design. Sample and population are presented in the second section. The third section looks at measuring instrumentation, reliability, validity and scoring techniques. The third section looks at data gathering procedures. The fourth section describes methods for statistical analysis. The last section summarises this chapter. Research Design This study used a relational research design to determine the relationship between antecedents and consequences of organisational commitment. Research into organisational commitment is largely dependent on the perceptions of employees and employers. Perceptions are generally acquired through subjective self-reports or opinion. A design based on surveys is therefore appropriate. Relational surveys empirically examine the relationships between two or more variables, constructs, and/or factors. Descriptive surveys are primarily used to provide personal and demographic information. Correlation studies are used to: measure relationships; check consistency of those relationships; and to make predictions. This allows the researcher to test hypotheses by confirming or refuting their predictions which is consistent with Grounded Theory and the formation of theoretical frameworks. It follows that predictive validity is most often achieved by statistical methods such as correlation and regressi on (Saunders et al, 2009). Sample Population The population of the study is all past and present employees of company X. Sample Selection Given that this company is a small specialised Information Technology consulting company with a small population (n = 25) all employees were approached to participate. Electronic survey links were sent to the entire population and 100% response rate was achieved where all of the respondents completed all of the surveys. Sample Size Sample size determines statistical significance in a relationship. The central limit theory dictates that the larger the absolute size of the sample the closer the more likely it is to have a normal distribution. It has also been shown that the minimum sample size of 30 will produce a normal distribution or near normal distribution (Stutely, 2003). DeVaus (2002) provides this formula to calculate minimum sample size: Where: is the minimum sample size required is the proportion belonging to the specified category is the proportion not belonging to the specified category is the z value corresponding to the level of confidence required (see Table A2.1) is the margin of error required Table 1 Confidence Levels and associated z values This formula is used for small populations: Where: is the adjusted minimum sample size is the minimum sample size (as calculated above) is the total population Saunders et al. (2009) advise that, in cases where the population is less than thirty, data should be collected from the entire population. There are limitations associated with minimum size. In particular the margin of error cannot be smaller than the reciprocal of the population. It follows that in order to achieve a 5% margin of error the minimum sample size required is calculated thus: where is the sample size Applying the DeVaus (2002) formulae to the sample in this study requires the whole population if a confidence interval of 95% and 5% error is to be achieved. Procedures The researcher requested permission from the Managing Director of the organisation to conduct interviews and circulate surveys among the employees. In addition permission was granted to access human resource management records and employer/employee correspondence where legal, relevant and appropriate to the study. The researcher is an employee of the organisation with free access to the employees which facilitated the ease of data gathering and clarification where necessary. Most of the group are in possession of post graduate degrees and a number have a Masters level qualification which further facilitated the process as the group all have a deep understanding and appreciation for the process. An employee meeting was called in the presence of the Managing Director where it was explained that the participation in the study was optional or voluntary, anonymous, and that the information would be treated confidentially. In order to avoid any peer group pressure, no discussion was entertained in the group information session and employees were invited to discuss any interest or concerns directly with the researcher in private. It is interesting to note that all employees wanted to participate and most had no desire to remain anonymous inviting the researcher to discuss any aspect of their responses with them. Three approaches were used during the gathering of data: Online Surveys; Interviews; and Analysis of Human Resource records and employee correspondence. Surveys are a popular, economical and convenient way to collect standardised data which facilitate easy comparisons (Saunders et al., 2009). Unstructured interviews were conducted to: determine aspects of the organisations’ Human Resource Management practices; determine reasons for Turnover with ex-employees where exit interviews or detailed resignation explanations were not available or unclear; determine impressions of Turnover survivors for perceptions about Turnover reasons. Human Resource records were used to determine biographical data such as: pay grade; age; tenure; absenteeism; education; and vacation habits Turnover reasons were collected from exit interviews and employee correspondence. Measuring Instrument This study aims to determine the relationship between Stress, Turnover, Turnover Intention, Organisational Commitment, HRM practices and Job Satisfaction. The following instruments were used in surveys to measure the variables: Organisational Commitment: Allen and Meyer (1990) Job Satisfaction: Brodke et al.’s (2009) Revised Job Descriptive Index (JDI) questionnaire based on the original of Smith et al. (1969) Job Stress: Stress in General (SIG) questionnaire of Brodke et al. (2009) Management Trust: Trust in Management (TIM) Brodke et al. (2009) Turnover Intention: three point questionnaire baed on Sjà ¶berg and Sverke (2000) Gathering of Data The online surveys were created in Google Forms using the organisations’ internal infrastructure which is hosted on Google Apps. Google Forms is part of the Google Apps suite and facilitates the creation, distribution, and collation of survey data electronically. The surveys were distributed from the facility in Google Forms by way of a link in an email. The anonymous survey responses are automatically collected and stored on Google Drive where the information is made available in a tabular format (Microsoft Excel). Organisational Commitment Organisational Commitment was measured using the Organisational Commitment Scales (OCS) developed by Meyer and Allen (1997). The reliability of the OCS has been demonstrated in numerous studies over the last two decades. The reliability of each of the scales can be seen through Cronbach’s alpha of: between 0.77 and 0.88 for affective commitment; 0.65 and 0.86 for normative commitment; and 0.69 and 0.84 for continuance commitment (Fields, 2002). The OCS is comprised of 22 items measured on a 7 point Likert scale ranging from 1 (strongly disagree) to 7 (strongly agree). Job Satisfaction The Job Descriptive Index (JDI) was painstakingly developed by Smith, Kendall, and Hulin and published in their book, Satisfaction in Work and Retirement (1969). Patricia Cain Smith (1917-2007) relocated from Cornell to Bowling Green State University in the mid-1960s bringing the JDI Research Group with her. The group has operated since 1959 with different members and is one of the longest running research groups in the field. They make their family of scales available free of charge to researchers. The scales include: the Job Descriptive Index (JDI) including the Job in General (JIG); Stress in General (SIG); and Trust in Management (TIM). These scales consist of phrases and adjectives that describe facets of the job or the job overall. Participants select â€Å"Yes†, â€Å"No† or â€Å"?† in response to each word or phrase. â€Å"Yes† means the word or phrase describes the job. â€Å"No† means the word or phrase does not describe the job. â€Å"?† means that the respondent is unsure or cannot decide. The scales are scored 3, 0, 1.5 for â€Å"Yes†, â€Å"No†, and â€Å"?† respectively. The 2009 revision of the JDI, JIG, SIG and TIM are utilised in this study. Job Descriptive Index and Job in General The Job Descriptive Index (JDI) and Job in General (JIG) are self-report measures of job satisfaction. The JDI measures satisfaction with five facets of the job: attitudes towards co-workers, the work itself, promotion opportunities, remuneration and supervision. The JIG scale measures overall satisfaction with the job (Brodke et al., 2009). There have been two major updates to the JDI since it was introduced by Smith, Kendall, and Hulin in 1969. The first update was made in 1985 (Smith et al., 1987) and the second was made in 1997 (Kihm, Smith, Irwin, 1997). The JDI Research Group (Bowling Green State University, OH, USA) then updated the JDI family of scales in 2009. Table 2 Correlations among the JDI facets (Brodke et al., 2009)* lists correlations among the JDI scales which demonstrates that each of the JDI facets and the JIG measures a distinct aspect of job satisfaction and no facet correlates higher than 0.50 with any other facet. Cronbach coefficients above 0.80 or higher are considered to have high levels of reliability. Table 2 Correlations among the JDI facets (Brodke et al., 2009)* Table 3 Validity Coefficients Pearson Correlations (Brodke et al., 2009) shows the correlations of the JDI facets with SIG and the single item measure of Overall Job Satisfaction: â€Å"Considering everything, how would you rate your overall satisfaction with your job?† rated on a five point scale from 1 (very dissatisfied) to 5 (very satisfied). Brodke et al. (2009) have shown that the JIG scale is a good predictor of Turnover Intention. Table 3 Validity Coefficients Pearson Correlations (Brodke et al., 2009)* Stress in General The relationships between workplace stress and negative personal and organisational outcomes are well documented. Stressors and Strains are important concepts related to stress. Stressors precede the experience of stress and strains are the outcomes of the stress experience. The SIG is a measure of the experience of work stress, which emerges between the initial existence of work stressors and the resulting physical and psychological strains (Brodke et al. 2009). This is the stress that is experienced as a result of work stressors prior to the acknowledgement of the strain. The SIG is thus a good measure of Job Dissatisfaction and predictor of Turnover Intentions. The 2009 revision used in this study is based on the SIG scale developed by Stanton et al. (2001). Brodke et al. (2009) showed that this SIG scale shows a reliability coefficient of 0.79. Furthermore the scale correlates positively and significantly with the Faces stress measure (r = 0.54, p Human Resource Management Practices (HRM) The Managing Director and a team manager were interviewed about all aspects of their interaction from recruitment to exit. Marketing material was collected and analysed. The JDI facets that measures Opportunities for Promotion and Supervision are also used in assessing perceptions of HRM practices. Trust in Management Trust in Management (TIM) self-report survey consists of twelve phrases and adjectives describing characteristics of senior management or executives. Participants select â€Å"Yes†, â€Å"No† or â€Å"?† in response to each word or phrase. â€Å"Yes† means the word or phrase describes the manager or executive. â€Å"No† means the word or phrase does not describe the manager or executive. â€Å"?† means that the respondent is unsure or cannot decide. The scales are scored 3, 0, 1.5 for â€Å"Yes†, â€Å"No†, and â€Å"?† respectively. The TIM is considered a single scale and is composed of four dimensions: Ability, Benevolence, Consistency, and Integrity. Table 4 Cronbach’s alphas and correlations among the TIM summary scores and the TIM dimensions (Brodke et al., 2009) shows how the dimensions of the TIM scale are correlated. Table 4 Cronbach’s alphas and correlations among the TIM summary scores and the TIM dimensions (Brodke et al., 2009)* Table 5 Validity Coefficients with Selected Outcome Measures Pearson Correlations (Brodke et al., 2009) shows the Pearson correlations with JDI facets. Brodke et al. (2009) contend that the TIM dimensions are distinct although highly correlated. Table 5 Validity Coefficients with Selected Outcome Measures Pearson Correlations (Brodke et al., 2009)* Turnover Intention This study makes use of Sjà ¶berg and Sverke’s (2000) three item Turnover Intention scale which measures the strength of the respondent’s intention to leave their current job. The scale is scored from 1 (strongly disagree) to 5 (strongly agree). A high score indicates a higher degree of Turnover Intention. Nà ¤swall et al. (2006) showed the Cronbach alpha coefficients for this scale to lie between 0,76 and 0,87. Turnover Actual turnover information is derived from Human Resource records including ex-employee correspondence in the form of letters of resignation. Statistical Methods Data analysis was conducted using an installation of the statistical programming language â€Å"R† through the web based front-end â€Å"R-Studio† on a virtual Amazon Web Services Machine Image (R version 3.0.1, Nickname Good Sport, 2013-05-16). R is a GNU project which is free under the GNU General Public License. The researcher considered the following tests given the nature of the study: Descriptive Statistics are used to describe the location, shape, and dispersion of the sample data collected Inferential Statistics to calculate the strength and direction of the relationships between the research variables Regression tests were used to examine cause-effect relationships between the research variables Summary Data was primarily derived from the perceptions and experiences of employees. Statistical analysis was performed on the data in order to yield empirical evidence and to gain an understanding of the inter relationships between the antecedents and consequences of Organisational Commitment. Online surveys were conducted using various scales. Secondary data were collected from sources such as informal interviews and company HR records and policies. Data analyses are based on quantitative methods through a statistical analysis in order to answer the research questions posed.

Women in the Second Industrial Revolution Essay -- Essays Papers

Women in the Second Industrial Revolution The Second Industrial Revolution had a major impact on women's lives. After being controlled fro so long women were experiencing what it was like to live an independent life. In the late nineteenth century women were participating in a variety of experiences, such as social disabilities confronted by all women, new employment patterns, and working class poverty and prostitution. These experiences will show how women were perceived in the Second Industrial Revolution. Women were confronted by many social obligation in the late nineteenth century. Women were living lives that reflected their social rank. They were expected to be economically dependent and legally inferior. No matter what class women were in, men were seen as the ones who go to work and make the money. That way, the women would have to be dependent since they were not able to go to work and make a good salary. No matter what class a woman was in, she could own property in her own name. When a woman became married she " lost control of any property she owned, inherited, or earned" ( Kagan et al. 569). A woman's legal identity was given to her husband. Getting a divorce was very difficult, most nations would not even end a marriage by having legal consent. Court trials were expensive which made it hard for a women to afford. Even if a divorce was granted the women would not receive anything. The children, land, house, and all of her belongings would be given to the man. If the father choose he could take the children away from the mother at any time and give them to someone else to raise and care for. The illustration above represents the typical appearence of a woman during the re... ...en started taking more of a stand on their beliefs. Women's movements started forming, which made it possible for women to get a higher education. Women became more intelligent and confident in their abilities to fight for more rights such as voting, higher pay in their jobs, and to be treated equally. Today women are the product of hard work and achievement and continue to gradually overcome their minority status. Works Cited 1. http://www.colby.edu/personal/rmscheck/GermanyB4.html 2. http://lcweb.loc.gov/exhibits/bnf/bnf0006.html 3. http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/mod/1873anthony.html 4. http://www.theblackswan.com/review/bits22.html 5. http://sol.slcc.edu/distance/inet/ecn274/women/education_1900.htm 6. Kagan, Donald et al. The Western Heritage Brief Edition. Prentice Hall, inc.1996. 7. Roberts, Nickie.Whores in History. Harper Collins, 1992.

Motivation in management Essay

The study of motivation aims to facilitate understanding of what prompts employees to initiate action, what influences their choice of action and why they persist in such action over time. Motivation is important to business practitioners since it assists in seeking high performance within organisations. While effective employee motivation improves productivity, it also generates challenges for managers to channel motivation towards the accomplishment of organisational goal. This essay intends to examine several motivation theories with reference to the film the Devil wears Prada, and then discuss some challenges managers may face when attempting to motivate employees in the contemporary world of work. Following this introduction, three motivation theories including ERG theory, two-factor theory and reinforcement theory are exemplified by the film the Devil wears Prada in the findings part. Then, conclusions generating from findings as well as recommendations suggesting implications for managers will be given evolutionarily. Findings Motivation refers to the forces either within or external to a person that arouse enthusiasm and persistence to pursue a certain course of action. The rationale behind theories of motivation is to provide a framework through which organisations can better influence their employees’ drive to work and increase their enthusiasm with their roles. Theories of motivation mainly contain content theories focusing on the underlying needs that motivate, process theories explaining the way employees select behavioural actions and reinforcement theories examining the relationship between behaviour and its consequence. Among so many theories concerning motivation, the ERG theory, two-factor theory and reinforcement theory are selected to be discussed in this essay. Besides, using film to simulate and examine organisational behaviours is considered to be an effective way to assist students in applying management theories, and even the primary instructional medium which can be incorporated into an organizational behaviour class as proposed by Gerald W. Smith. (Gerald, 2009) To illustrate motivation theory for further understanding, the Devil wears Prada is rather a good choice. Alderfer EGR Theory To some extent, Alderfer’s ERG theory can be considered as a condensate of famous Maslow’s five needs hierarchy theory. ERG theory considers the intrinsic factors that drive employees to behave more productively as well and Alderfer classified underlying human needs that generate motivation to three categories, containing existence needs, relatedness needs and growth needs. (Samson & Draft, 2012) Motivating employees through satisfying their intrinsic needs is an effective way to understand and accelerate motivation in workplace. In the devil wears Prada, Andy’s progress in her job as Miranda’s assistant is an excellent illustration to understand this theory. Existence needs include all material and physiological desires for physical wellbeing. When Andy initially takes the job in Runway and strives for being Miranda’s second assistant, she is identified to be motivated by her existence needs that affording living expenses in New York and getting career started after graduation from university. She considered ‘this stuff’ has nothing to do with her, indicating she felt unrelated with this workplace, unlike Emily who have great enthusiasm towards fashion industry and therefore are extremely motivated especially by strong needs for growth (chance to go Paris for Fashion week). Then, after being frustrated by failure to complete missions and Miranda’s reprimand, Andy gradually gets involved and emerges relatedness needs, which encompass external esteem and relationships with significant others like co-workers and employers. She seriously cares about her competence of this job and wants to be recognized in Runway. Being successfully motivated, Andy becomes most productive assistant and wins appreciation of Miranda on the basis of her capacity. Andy seems to have a bright future of career at that point. However, Andy chooses not to persist as she realizes that her growth needs, which represent internal esteem and self-actualization, can never be satisfied in Runway. She eventually decides to turn another way to pursue the job satisfying all her needs. Herzberg’s two-factor theory Herzberg’s two-factor theory of motivation considered satisfaction and dissatisfaction as two separate entities caused by quite different factors, which were named hygiene factors and motivators. Hygiene factors are characterised as extrinsic components of job design that contribute to employee dissatisfaction if they are not met, while motivators are intrinsic to the job itself and include achievement, recognition, responsibility and opportunity for growth. (Samson & Draft, 2012) Herzberg believed that hygiene factors work only in area of dissatisfaction, while employees are highly motivated just by the presence of motivators. It is the only motivational theory that splits out demotivating factors from true motivators. This two-factor theory seems to be illustrated in the Devil wears Prada as well. When Andy starts to work as Miranda’s second assistant, she is driven by several hygiene factors that generate job dissatisfaction, referring to working status, co-worker relationships, supervisory style and company administration. Andy has to deal with all of Miranda’s sudden requests no matter when and how difficult, indicating a terrible working status. She is not into Runway’s culture as well as her colleagues, and finally becomes frustrated about her job in Runway. However, after Andy gets involved in her job, motivators, referring mostly to Miranda’s recognition and her advancement at work, starts to continually burst Andy’s enthusiasm as well as productivity. At this stage, Andy’s capacity and even potency is successfully stimulated. Moreover, Adrian Furnham, Andreas Eracleous and Tomas Chamorro Premuzic (2008) stretched to further examine motivation in workplace based on combining two-factor theory with personality variables. For instance, they released that motivators were associated positively with extraversion, whilst high scores in the hygiene-related factor were negatively associated with extraversion. Andy, who concerns friends a lot and is recognised to be highly extroversive, also complies with this finding. It is interesting that she is so highly motivated by her recognition and advancement needs, that she even overcomes job dissatisfaction and gets used to her ‘mission impossible’ spontaneously, indicating her high degree of extraversion personality leads to more sensitively react to motivators than hygiene-related factors. Reinforcement Theory of Motivation While satisfying human needs are the key sources that drive employees to behave more productively, to the extent that managers understand employee needs, the organisation’s reward systems can be designed to meet them and reinforce employees for directing energies and priorities towards attainment of organisational goals. In the devil wears Prada, the main reinforcement tool utilized by Miranda to modify Andy’s behaviour at first she takes the job is recognised to be punishment, which mostly refers to reprimanding. Miranda berates Andy severely following her failure of getting the flight Miranda needs and actually succeeds in reducing the likelihood of the behaviour recurring under the circumstance in the film. However, it is worth noticing that Andy is totally frustrated and don’t know what her fault is when Miranda punishes her through reprimanding. This indicates the controversial use of punishment in organisation which is often criticised for failure to direct the correct behaviour. (Samson & Draft, 2012) Then Miranda’s reinforcement tool changes to avoidance learning, which stops ignoring Andy after Andy is into her position and shows her capacity. Miranda also encompass positive reinforcement that she offers ‘gifts’, such as cosmetics and bags, as well as higher level task indicating recognition (delivery of the mock-up book), and promotes Andy by replacing Emily. In contrast, Emily is given extinction reinforcement tool at this stage as her chance to go to Paris is withdrawn. Conclusion In the first 30 minutes of the film, it shows that motivation arising from satisfying existence needs only leads Andy to ‘deign to work’ and turns to be not enough to boost Andy’s productivity Miranda requires. Andy tends to just accomplish her tasks passively and evaluates her job requirements are not reasonable due to inadequate motivation. No extra, or even required passion or efforts is given spontaneously, which is described by Nigel as ‘not trying’. It indicates the inefficiency for organisations to drive employees to work only relying on payment. Besides, while the motivation from satisfying growth needs perfectly stimulates Emily to make every effort, the assistant job can never meet the growth needs of Andy, based on diverse aspirations of them two. It indicates one of the complexities faced by managers that identifying purpose derived from work for individuals is sophisticated, and meanwhile bound to motivate employees effectively as well as sustainably. Moreover, the film reveals the implication of two-factor theory for managers that poor hygiene factors will generate dissatisfaction, while recognition, achievement and opportunities for growth are powerful motivators that stimulate employees’ productivity. What’s fascinating about this is that even things like human relations training and job participation don’t intrinsically motivate people. They may charge a person’s battery, but it will run flat again at some point of no real motivation is instilled. Recommendation Although it is a special situation that employees with particular personality, like Andy, can be forced to get involved through experiencing failure, the lesson of motivation, that employees will emerge relatedness needs and then generate higher motivation once they concern and feel related to workplace, is rather a useful inspiration for managers to encompass enhancing employees’ involvement as motivation issues. To the extent manager generates employee’s involvement, they can initiatively get into organisational norms and makes additional efforts to behave towards management’s expectations. Besides, as motivation arises from within employees and typically differs for each employee, organisations should learn about employees’ living conditions as well as personality variables that contribute to their diverse needs, with the intention of increasing job satisfaction and performance. On the basis of such knowledge, motivators aim to accurately satisfy employees’ intrinsic needs and then burst their productivity to the greatest extent, can be established. Reference Adrian Furnham and Andreas Eracleous Tomas Chamorro-Premuzic (2008) Personality, motivation and job satisfaction: Hertzberg meets the Big Five, Journal of Managerial Psychology, Vol. 24 No. 8, 2009, pp. 765-779 Jennifer Kunz & Stefan Linder (2012) Organizational Control and Work Effort – Another Look at the Interplay of Rewards and Motivation, European Accounting Review, 21:3, 591-621 Samson, D. and Daft, R.L. (2012) Management (Fourth Asia Pacific Edition).Cengage Learning: South Melbourne Smith, G.W. (2009) Using Feature Films as the Primary Instructional Medium to Teach Organizational Behavior, Journal of Management Education, Vol. 23 No. 4 462-489

Jean Jacques Rousseau and Mary Wollstonecraft Essays

Jean Jacques Rousseau and Mary Wollstonecraft Essays Jean Jacques Rousseau and Mary Wollstonecraft Paper Jean Jacques Rousseau and Mary Wollstonecraft Paper Essay Topic: Bad Boy a Memoir Jean Jacques Rousseau and Mary Wollstonecraft were both born in the 18th century, within 47 years of each other, and both were regarded as important philosophical thinkers of their time. Jean Jacques Rousseau was born in Geneva, Switzerland in 1712; his father was a watchmaker and his mother died while giving birth to him. His father Isaac, who taught him to read, and appreciate the countryside, consequently brought up Rousseau. His father had to leave Geneva when Rousseau was 10 years old to avoid going to prison; he was then brought up by his aunt and later by an uncle. In his writings The Confessions he recalls only happy memories of his childhood, although to the reader it does have some strange features such as not being allowed to play with children of his own age, Never once, until I left my fathers house, was I allowed to run out alone into the road with the other children (The Confessions: Book 1, 1953, pp21). When Rousseaus father had to leave Switzerland, he was put into the care of his Uncle Bernard, who had a son of Rousseaus age. Together they were sent to a place called Bossey to board with a pastor called M. Lambercier, for an education. Up until this point Rousseau had had a childhood with no formal education at all. Rousseau also recalls his time at Bossey with fond memories, and claims; The manner of my life at Bossey suited me so well that if only it had lasted longer it could not have failed to fix my character for ever. (The Confessions: Book 1, 1953, pp25). After leaving Bossey and spending a few years living with his uncle, he was sent at the age of thirteen to be an apprentice engraver. He lived here for about three years before running away at the age of sixteen to travel across Europe, where he becomes a Catholic briefly before converting back to Protestantism. Rousseau ended up in Paris, leading a somewhat unsettled life, where he eventually died in 1778. He left behind him a cult following, his name and writings became infamous during the French revolution. Mary Wollstonecraft was born in 1759 to John Edward Wollstonecraft, who was a tyrant and a bully, and Elizabeth Dixon. She was the second child of six. She had an elder brother; Edward and four other siblings were born after her, James, Charles, Eliza and Everina. They were brought up as Anglicans. Wollstonecrafts paternal grandfather owned a silk weaving business, and her maternal grandfather was a wine merchant. In 1765 her paternal grandfather died leaving the silk weaving business to her father. However her father was a bit of a snob and he didnt care very much for being a tradesman, so he took the money from the business and invested in farming. This had disastrous consequences as her father knew nothing of farming, and the family spent their time moving from one farm to another, leaving their debts behind them. Between the years 1759 and 1776 they had moved about the country on numerous occasions and tried their hand at farming at places such as Epping, Whalebone, Essex, Yorkshire and Wales. By the end of the 1770s the family fortune was at very low ebb. In 1775 Mary Wollstonecraft met Francis (Fanny) Blood, who became her closet friend and companion until her death in 1785. Her mother died in 1782, and in 1784 Mary Wollstonecraft, her sister Eliza, and Fanny opened a new school in Islington, where they were joined by her other sister Everina. After Fanny Bloods death Wollstonecraft returned to find the school had suffered in her absence, so she closed it and turned her mind to writing by way of making a living. In 1786 she earned herself ten pounds after her first publication, which was a pamphlet entitled Thoughts on the Education of Daughters. Mary Wollstonecrafts life was changed, as was most of the world, by the French Revolution in 1789, and went to live in Paris in 1792 to witness first hand the effects of the French revolution. Wollstonecraft went on to produce many more important writings during her lifetime, one of her most famous being A vindication of the rights of women. Wollstonecraft died on 10th September 1797 of childbed fever 11 days after her second child was born. In 1798 William Godwin, her husband published a book called Memoirs of Mary Wollstonecraft, which seemed to have a negative effect on her popularity. Jean-Jacques Rousseaus ideas on childhood and education were considered quite revolutionary at the time, and even today they continue to be quite controversial. Rousseau was famous for being a social critic; he felt that social life corrupted human nature. Rousseau strongly believed that: We are all born good, but civilisation turns us all into moral slaves. (Lecture notes, 13/10/03) It is upon this belief that Rousseau wrote one of his most controversial pieces in 1762, which was a novel called Emile. This book was based on Rousseaus thoughts that people developed through various stages and that different forms of education may be suitable to each specific stage. Rousseau alleged it was possible to sustain the original nature of the child by careful control of his education and environment. This was done through a close investigation of the different physical and emotional stages through which the child passed from birth through to maturity. Geraint Parry mentions in the book Emile: Learning to Be Men, Women, and Citizens that: It is intended to portray an ideal of education that is as close to nature as it is possible to attain in the world as we now find it. (The Cambridge Companion to Rousseau, 2001, pp249) In Emile, Rousseau divides the childs development into five stages, and a book is devoted to each. The five stages are: Stage one Infancy (birth to two years), Stage two The age of Nature (Two to Twelve years), Stage three Pre-adolescence (Twelve to Fifteen years), Stage four Puberty (Fifteen to Twenty years) and Stage five Adulthood (Twenty to Twenty Five years). (www. infed. org) The books that are most fundamental to Rousseaus belief of childhood being a crucial phase of self-development are books one, two and three. Rousseau attempts to show the reader how a persons self-development can be determined by the way he is educated in his childhood. Rousseaus belief that society was corrupt fuelled his ideas on education. Geraint Parry mentions in Emile: Learning to be Men, Women, and Citizens that The significance of education for Rousseau is that it seems to offer a means of solving one of the central dilemmas of his social and political thought. A fundamental objective is to create a virtuous circle in which transformed human beings could live in a transformed society (The Cambridge Companion to Rousseau, 2001,pp248) Rousseau says in book one of Emile: We are born sensitive and from our birth onwards we are affected in various ways by our environment. As soon as we become conscious of our sensations we tend to seek or shun the things that cause them, at first because they are pleasant or unpleasant, then because they suit us or not, and last because of judgements formed by means of the ideas of happiness and goodness which reason gives us. (Emile, 2003, pp7) Rousseau backs this idea up when he writes his Confessions later in his life when he recalls some of his childhood memories, one in particular of his time at Bossey when he was chastised by Mlle Lambercier for a wrong doing and found that the experience of being beaten by her wasnt as bad as he had first thought it would be, and he goes on to say: Who could have supposed that this childish punishment, received at the age of eight at the hands of a woman of thirty, would determine my tastes and desires, my passions, my very self for the rest of my life,.. (The Confessions, book one, Penguin 1953, pp26) It is clear from Rousseaus writings that he strongly believed that Childhood is a crucial phase of self-development. Much of his work was read and admired by Mary Wollstonecraft. She was born nearly fifty years after Rousseau, but his writings on education were something that Wollstonecraft admired: the ideas she had begun to acquire about education, filtered down from Rousseau (The Life and Death of Mary Wollstonecraft, Claire Tomalin, Penguin 1992, pp49) Wollstonecraft was seen as very insightful, in the sense that she longed to bridge the gap between mankinds present circumstance and an ultimate perfection. She was beyond doubt, a child of the French revolution. She saw a new age of reason and compassion close at hand. Wollstonecraft, in her writings, attempted to undertake the huge task of helping other women. Helping them to fight for a better education did this. Which in turn helped them to achieve a better life, not just for themselves, but also for their children and even their husbands. In reality it took more than a century before society sat up and took notice of her beliefs and put her views into effect. Mary Wollstonecrafts experience in childhood and as a young woman, in a class-bound and male-dominated society, influenced and shaped the ideas she would later develop into a feminist argument. (A Vindication of the Rights of Woman, Penguin 1992, pp2) It is possible to see that Wollstonecrafts own childhood experiences have shaped her beliefs on childhood as a crucial phase of self-development. Unlike Rousseau, however Wollstonecraft is primarily concerned with the childhood and education of females. This is because in 1784 she opens a school for girls in Newington Green, near Islington. Wollstonecraft quickly became convinced that the young women they were trying to teach had already effectively been enslaved into submissiveness to men through their previous social training. As there were no qualifications that were needed to become a teacher sadly this venture failed, but it did lead her to start writing about her ideas on childhood and education, especially for women and girls. In 1786 Wollstonecraft was published for the first time. She earned herself ten pounds from the publication of a pamphlet called, Thoughts on the Education of Daughters. In this publication she proposed to intentionally explore the enlightenment ideals to include education for women; because she believed their rational natures were no less capable of intellectual achievement than were those of men. Wollstonecraft was for a short time a Governess to the Kingsborough family in Ireland. The position of a Governess was a hard one. She was employed to bring up the children of the Kingsborough family. Wollstonecrafts experiences in her childhood and as a young adult no doubtedly had an effect on her ideas about childhood being a crucial phase of self-development. In the introduction to A Vindication of the Rights of Woman it states; Mary Wollstonecraft may have been recalling her own childhood when her narrator in Maria The Wrongs of Woman says that her mother was a vague and uncertain figure. She seemed to dote on her oldest son, a boy, (Penguin 1992, pp3) it is clear from this quote that Wollstonecrafts childhood experiences, especially those with her mother and father have stayed with her into her adult life. It has shaped her very ideas and thoughts on how parents should show affection and bring up their children. She has dedicated a whole chapter to Parental Affection in her book A Vindication of the Rights of Woman. Wollstonecraft writes very clearly about parental affection, and she also makes it clear where she believes parents are going wrong with their children; Parents often love their children in the most brutal manner, and sacrifice every relative duty to promote their advancement into the world. (Penguin 1992, pp270), Wollstonecraft is trying to make the point to her readers that the child will only suffer if it is brought up in this manner. The parents will rob the child of the vital stage of having a proper childhood if they neglect everything else while pushing their children to become the child genius they dream of them becoming. Wollstonecraft goes on later in the chapter to describe the qualities of a good mother, which she lists as; To be a good mother, a woman must have sense, and that independence of mind which few women possess who are taught to depend entirely on their husbands. (A Vindication of the Rights of Woman, Penguin 1992, pp272), Wollstonecraft is trying to reiterate that to have any hope of being a good effective mother, a woman must be in possession of good sense and have her own mind. A woman must also be independent from her husband, Wollstonecraft felt that if a woman relied too much on her husband it would effect her abilities as a mother, this is backed up by what she states later in the chapter; Meek wives are, in general, foolish mothers; wanting their children to love them best, and take their part, in secret, against the father, who is held up as a scarecrow. (A Vindication of the Rights of Woman, Penguin 1992, pp272). In conclusion it is clear to see from both Jean-Jacques Rousseaus and Mary Wollstonecrafts writings that they both believed that childhood was a crucial phase in a persons self-development. It was important for them to try to relate their beliefs to the general public which is why they emphasise it in their books, and also the reason that they write about it so successfully is because of their own personal experiences in their own childhood which seems to have provided them with a solid base to work upon in their adult life.

Literary Analysis Never Marry a Mexican Professor Ramos Blog

Literary Analysis Never Marry a Mexican Sandra Cisneros â€Å"Never Marry a Mexican† introduces readers to Clemencia. Cisneros eludes Clemencia as a woman who appears proud of her Mexican heritage, yet knows not how the slanderous phrase â€Å"Never marry a Mexican† uttered from her well-meaning mother’s trusty lips about Clemencia’s own Mexican father negatively foreshadows her seedy life and gloomy world perspective later down her destructive journey of adulthood. Simply put, Clemencia’s relationship with her mother is like she never had one (Cisneros 131) especially during the final moments of her sickly fathers life. When Clemencias mom meets a white man during her fathers hospitalization, Clemencias mom instantaneously begins dating him. Why not? Owen Lambert is definitely not Mexican. Clemencias mother seems to be in her own world as she completely disregards her life with her former husband and their children. This does not bode well for Clemencia as she holds a lot of resentment towards her mother, that will likely never resolve due to the fact that Clemencias mom is not around in the world anymore. Even though her mother may not be in this world anymore, Clemencia will always wonder why her mom did marry her father. On the other hand, Cisneros depicts Clemencia to be a bit of a â€Å"daddys girl, so the degrading way her mother talks about him as if Clemencias father is â€Å"nothing but a showoff(Cisneros 128) irks Clemencia immensely. Clemencia sees her father not as a showoff, but just like his things: calidad. Quality† (Cisneros 129). Clemencias father was not born in the US, so her own father views US Mexicans to be not on par with the Mexicans who originate from Mexico. In her father’s opinion Mexican girls who didnt know enough to set a separate plate for each course at dinner, nor how to fold cloth napkins, nor how to set the silverware† (Cisneros 127) are ridiculous. Clemencia knows not how to do these things. When Cisneros begins to describe Clemencias intimate life, Clemencia appears to be a femme fatale through the eyes of others. She has numerous affairs with married men but will never marry herself as Clemencia claims shes too romantic† (Cisneros 127). Why is that? Does she not consider herself being able to love or have someone love her? Clemencia thinks of herself as â€Å"amphibious,† a person who â€Å"doesn’t belong to any class.† When she was young, she moved away from home and lived with Ximena, whose husband recently left her. At this point, Clemencia coveted the idea of becoming an artist, hoping to be like Frida Kahlo. But she and Ximena lived in a dangerous neighborhood, where gunshots rang out all night long. This reminded Clemencia of her childhood since the two girls grew up in an even worse neighborhood. Once their father died, their mother married a white man despite their protests, justifying her decision by pointing out that she married so young that she never got the chance to be young, â€Å"your father,† she said, â€Å"he was so much older than me.† Clemencia holds this against her mother so much that she has disowned the old woman entirely. The anger Clemencia feels toward her mother has to do with the idea that her mother is disloyal to her father. In her eyes, not only has her mother betrayed her father’s love, but she’s also betrayed her cultural identity by marrying a white man, of course, this is in keeping with her mother’s belief that no woman should never marry a Mexican man. And while Clemencia seems sometimes to agree with this sentiment, she still appears to want her mother to respect her father’s legacy. As such, she condemns marriage in general, turning away from it in her own life in favor of independence. Clemencia addresses a man named Drew in her narrative, asking him if he remembers speaking Spanish to her as they make love. When Clemencia and Drew lie together, she writes, her skin is dark against his, and he calls this beautiful. He whispers Spanish into her ear while â€Å"yanking her head back by the braid.† Despite these intense moments, though, every morning he leaves before the sun rises. Still, Clemencia admits that she likes when he speaks to her in her own language; â€Å"I can love myself and think myself worth loving,† she says. When Clemencia says she can conceptualize herself as â€Å"worth loving† when Drew talks to her in Spanish during intercourse, it becomes clear that her notions of self-worth and love are entangled in a broader consideration of cultural identity. This makes sense, considering how much attention she pays to her mother’s ideas about how romance and cultural identity interact with one another. For her, then, love is a complicated mix of identity and passion. Clemencia asks Drew if his son knows the role she played in his birth. Pushing on, she insists that she was the one who convinced Drew to have the baby when his wife was pregnant, he was unsure whether or not it was a good idea to have a child, but Clemencia convinced him to not suggest that his wife get an abortion. When it finally came time for his son to enter the world, Drew wasn’t next to his wife in the hospital room; while she was in the throes of labor, he was having sex with Clemencia in the very same bed in which his son was conceived. â€Å"You’re nothing without me,† Clemencia tells him now. â€Å"I created you from spit and red dust. And I can snuff you between my finger and thumb if I want to.† Critics praise Cisneross ability to explore conflicts directly related to her upbringing, including divided loyalties, feelings of alienation, and degradation resulting from poverty. Although she addresses important contemporary issues associated with minority status throughout her two collections, critics have described her characters as idiosyncratic, accessible individuals capable of generating compassion on a universal level. Commentators laud her lyrical narratives, vivid dialogue, and powerful descriptions, applauding her poetic depictions of life as a Chicana woman, as well as her deft treatment of such controversial themes as sexism, racism, and poverty.

MIH514 - Cross-Cultural Perspectives - Mod 2 Case Assignment Essay

MIH514 - Cross-Cultural Perspectives - Mod 2 Case Assignment - Essay Example In March 2003 the manager of Dunken Donuts in Yonkers, New York posted a sign inviting customers to complain if they heard employees seeking other than English behind the counter. 1 day later he removed his sign because the complaints were that he was being discriminative. The interesting thing about the case is that the manager spoke Spanish as his first language but always spoke English at work. He felt that there were good reasons to speak English only at work and those reasons related to bonding of employees in a team atmosphere. He feels that when a language other than English is spoken, it causes poor attitudes and people do not get along as well (Rodriquez, 2005). On the other hand, in another case, the manager of an insurance company was consistently angry about Tony who liked to speak Cantonese to his Chinese co-workers. The manager believes that employees should only speak English while on the job. Eventually the company did put together an English speaking only rule and Tony left the company. Tony felt that the English only rule violated antidiscrimination laws. Certainly by leaving the company, the company has lost the diversity of information that Tony may have had (Thornton, 2004). However, the Supreme Court declared that employers could, in fact, enforce English only rules in the workplace. Many people find this a boon for working conditions but it is difficult to see it one way. While many think it is positive for the work place, there are just as many that believe that having language diversity is as important as cultural diversity, knowledge diversity and more. For example when Tony lost his job, he got a job recruiting Cantonese speaking Engineers and Scientist (Thornton, 2004). Interestingly enough, though the Supreme Court supported the use of English only rules, Title VII of the Civil Rights Act states that it is discriminatory unless there is a business necessity. As there is confusion in the law, so there is also confusion

Comparison & Contrast between activities involved in Strategy Assignment

Comparison & Contrast between activities involved in Strategy Formulation versus Strategy implementation - Assignment Example Strategy formulation and implementation are two important aspects, which are interrelated. Strategy formulation and implementation are important facets of strategic management in a corporate for long-range performance. Strategy management comprises of three phases namely, diagnosis, formulation, and implementation (Hill and Jones 2012:20-21). Strategy formulation entails development of long-range plans for effective management of environmental opportunities and threats. This is in the light of corporate strengths and weaknesses. Hill and Jones (2012:20) state that formulation encompasses defining corporate mission, objectives, setting policy guidelines, and developing sound strategies. Formulators of strategy attach some estimate or risk to discernible alternatives. They appraise corporate strength and drawbacks with the resources, which are available. Formulation gives a clear set of recommendations in order for the corporate to accomplish its mission successfully (Hill and Jones 2012:20). Formulation of corporate strategy entails creating sustainable competitive advantages. This happens through giving prudent and practical solution to problems that may affect the corporate. Strategy implementation encompasses putting strategies, which corporate formulates into practice. This entails designing and management of systems in order to achieve best integration of people, processes, structures, and resources in order to attain organizational set goals. This is the step in which corporate converts its strategy into operationally effective action. Formulated strategy gains commitment of resources of organization or corporate. Strategy implementation aims at bringing sound ideas into practice. For implementation of corporate strategy to be effective, strategic managers in organization should support the chosen plan. Second, the strategic supervisors should allocate sufficient resources. Third, the formulated strategy