Owl at Bridge Essay Example

Owl at Bridge Essay â€Å"An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge† Objective-tells what happens without stating more than can be inferred from the storys action and dialogue. The narrator never discloses anything about what the characters think or feel, remaining a detached observer. Third Person-here the narrator. lets us know exactly how the characters feel. First Person-in the first person point of view, the narrator does participate in the action of the story. Omniscient-a narrator who knows everything about all the characters, is all knowing. Limited Omniscient-a narrator whose knowledge is limited to one character, either major or minor, has a limited omniscient point of view. Discussion Questions: 1. What happens in this story? Peyton Farquhar is being hanged and while he is waiting, he thinks about his wife and children. Then, breaks away from his noose and goes to his house where he sees his wife and just as he is about to approach her, he gets a blow to head and dies. But, Farquhar imagined this all in a flash before his death. 2. Why does the disguised federal scout suggest to Farquhar that he should burn the bridge? The disguised federal scout suggests that Farquhar should burn the bridge because he lured Farquhar into a trap. Anyone that is caught interfering with the railroads faces automatic hanging. 3. How might one account for Farquhar’s intense sensitivity to his surroundings during and after his escape? We will write a custom essay sample on Owl at Bridge specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Owl at Bridge specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Owl at Bridge specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer Farquhar tends to exaggerate what he is going through and make it obvious that it isn’t reality. During his escape he talks about how he is practically drowning in the water, how his neck and wrist ache and how the river flows. After his escape he talks about how relieved he is to get on land and then he elaborates on how he sees his wife and how lovely she looks. 4. This story employs multiple points of view: identify which POV is being used at which points in the story. In the first part of the story, it is told in third-person but changes to omniscient third-person point during the end, the second part is told in third person and the third part is told in  first person. 5. At what point in the story do you get the first hint that the escape is a hallucination? At what point are you sure? The point in the story where I get the first hint that it is a hallucination is when he made it to dry land then saw his wife. The point I am sure he was having hallucinations was when he was shot in the back of the head at the Owl Creek Bridge.

Impersonal Subjects and Gerunds Quiz

Impersonal Subjects and Gerunds Quiz Compare these two sentences: Studying English is sometimes boring. and It is sometimes boring to study English. Both of the sentences are used to make general statements about an activity - studying English. Here is an overview of the two forms: gerund object to be conjugated (adverb of frequency) adjective Examples: Playing tennis is an excellent exercise.Reading English newspapers is often difficult. It to be conjugated (adverb of frequency) adjective infinitive Examples: It is sometimes exciting to walk in the pouring rain.It was strange to say that Russian is easier than English. Two Exceptions The phrases It is worth and It is no use take the gerund NOT the infinitive form. It is worth / It is no use gerund object Examples: It is worth driving to the lake to have a look around.It is no use studying for this exam. Quiz Change the sentences from the original to the other similar structure. Example: It is sometimes easy to forget your cell phone number. Answer Forgetting your cell phone number is sometimes easy. Playing chess requires great concentration.It is not easy to learn Chinese.It is difficult to understand the motives of many politicians.Interviewing applicants is often stressful and unrewarding.Speaking English is always useful when traveling abroad.It is never simple to move abroad.Thinking about danger is often illogical.It has been difficult to accept his death.Flying to Africa will be great fun.Working hard for so many years has been tiring for them. Original Sentences Playing chess requires great concentration.It is not easy to learn Chinese.It is difficult to understand the motives of many politicians.Interviewing applicants is often stressful and unrewarding.Speaking English is always useful when  traveling  abroad.It is never simple to move abroad.Thinking about danger is often illogical.It has been difficult to accept his death.Flying to Africa will be great fun.Working hard for so many years has been tiring for them. Sentence Changes It requires great concentration to play chess.Learning Chinese is not easy.Understanding the motives of many politicians is difficult.It is often stressful and unrewarding to interview applicants.It is always useful to speak English when  traveling  abroad.Moving abroad is never simple.It is often illogical to think about the danger.Accepting his death has been difficult.It will be great fun to fly to Africa.It has been tiring for them to work hard for so many years.

Common Plastics We Use Every Single Day

Common Plastics We Use Every Single Day You probably do not realize the impact that the invention of plastic has had in your life. In just 60 short years, plastics popularity has grown considerably. This is largely due to just a few reasons. They can be easily molded into a wide range of products, and they offer benefits that other materials do not. How Many Types of Plastic Are There? You may think that plastic is just plastic, but there are actually about 45 different families of plastics. In addition, each of these families can be made with hundreds of different variations. By changing different molecular factors of the plastic, they can be made with different properties, including flexibility, transparency, durability, and more. Thermoset or Thermoplastics? Plastics can all be separated into two primary categories:Â  thermoset and thermoplastic. Thermoset plastics are those that when cooled and hardened retain their shape and cannot return to original form. Durability is a benefit meaning that they can be used for tires, auto parts, aircraft parts, and more. Thermoplastics are less hard than the thermosets. They can become soft when heated and can return to their original form. They are easily molded to be formed into fibers, packaging, and films. Polyethylene Most household plastic packaging is made from polyethylene. It comes in almost 1,000 different grades. Some of the most common household items are the plastic film, bottles, sandwich bags, and even types of piping. Polyethylene can also be found in some fabrics and in mylar as well. Polystyrene Polystyrene can form a harder, impact-resistant plastic that is used for cabinets, computer monitors, TVs, utensils, and glasses. If it is heated and the air is added to the mixture, it turns into what is called EPS (Expanded Polystyrene) also known by the Dow Chemical tradename, Styrofoam. This is a lightweight rigid foam that is used for insulation and for packaging. Polytetrafluoroethylene or Teflon This type of plastic was developed by DuPont in 1938. The benefits of it are that it is almost frictionless on the surface and it is a stable, strong, and is a heat-resistant type of plastic. It is most commonly used in products like bearings, film, plumbing tape, cookware, and tubing, as well as waterproof coatings and films. Polyvinyl Chloride or PVC This type of plastic is durable, non-corrosive, as well as affordable. This is why it is used for pipes and plumbing. It does have one downfall, however, and that is the fact that a plasticizer has to be added to make it soft and moldable and this substance may leach out of it over a long period of time, which makes it brittle and subject to breaking. Polyvinylidene Chloride or Saran This plastic is recognized by its ability to conform to the shape of a bowl or other item. It is used mainly for films and wraps that need to be impermeable to food odors. Saran wrap is one of the most popular wraps for storing food. Polyethylene LDPE and HDPE Perhaps the most common type of plastic is polyethylene. This plastic can be separated into two different types, including low-density polyethylene and high-density polyethylene. The differences in them make them ideal for different uses. For example, LDPE is soft and flexible, so it is used in garbage bags, films, wraps, bottles, and disposable gloves. HDPE is a harder plastic and is used mainly in containers, but was first introduced in the hula hoop. As you can tell, the world of plastics is quite large, and getting larger with the recycling of plastics. Learning more about the different types of plastic can enable you to see that this invention has had a strong impact on the world at large. From drinking bottles to sandwich bags to pipes to cookware and more, plastic is a big part of your everyday life, no matter what type of life you lead.

What Postmodernism Is Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

What Postmodernism Is - Essay Example The essay "What Postmodernism Is" concerns postmodernism era. Postmodernism intends to establish that it is not in the power of human beings to change the world for their own benefits. Humans do not possess an unlimited potential to understand the world. Modernists were of the view that it is possible to understand reality with complete certainty by way of observation and reasoning. Modernism ended abruptly when philosophers began to question the ability to understand truth objectively. The postmodernist is suspicious of such realities. They do not have any concrete reason to defy such objective facts. It is only suspicion and virtue of hypocrisy that keeps them from believing in them. Some objective realities are simply inescapable. There cannot be a world in which there is no objective truth. For example, hurting kids under every circumstance is completely wrong. There cannot be any possible world in which such a practice could be considered acceptable. If this objective reality is denied and it is assumed that reality cannot be understood objectively, then it is hypocritical. I think that there are many realities which are perfectly understood by everyone. This is because truth can be described objectively which suggests that truth is completely attainable. A world where truth is not attainable would be a picture of complete chaos. This is why postmodernism is hypocritical. If there is no absolute truth as postmodernists suggest, then everyone would be free to violate moral principles/

Improve Healthy Environment Zen Hair and Spa Research Paper

Improve Healthy Environment Zen Hair and Spa - Research Paper Example The concern has also been identified as a potential health hazard, especially to the attendants who are always in the shop. Objectives Application of artificial nail products is associated with environmental impacts that include emission of dust, vapor, and scent. The products use has also been associated with presence of bacteria. As a result, there is a normally developed irritation felt in the nose, throat, eyes, and the skin leading to discomfort. This has been the reason for the customers’ complaints. I therefore propose that we implement ventilation system that can improve healthy environment at the store. Planning The nature of work in a nail salon calls for measures to ensure health safety of all the people who may be exposed to the chemicals and the emissions within the shop. The environmental protection regulations therefore recommend that appropriate steps be taken in order to regulate possible contact with the used chemicals and their vapor. An exhaust system that drains vapor and dust from worktables is therefore recommended. Similarly, application of appropriate â€Å"room air cleaning devices† are required in every enterprise that operates a nail salon. A properly modeled and properly functional ventilation system is a necessity towards ensuring that people in the shop are protected from possible health hazards. EPA regulations further recommends that proper clothing be ensured while in the nail shops and that, chemical containers are tightly fixed to eliminate chances of possible infiltration of the immediate atmosphere by vapors and dusts from the chemicals. Proper cleanliness is also emphasized (EPA, P. 3-8). One of the equipments that Zen can use in order to reduce and possibly eliminate air pollutants in its workshop is â€Å"salon pure air I† (Salonpureair, p. 1). The equipment, like its alternative â€Å"Salon Pure Air II† costs about 950 dollars and has available accessories (Salonpureair, p. 1). An alternative to the salon pure air equipment is the Salon air purifier that is designed to ensure â€Å"healthy and comfortable environment† for personnel and customers in a nail salon. The salon air purifier is highly regarded for it quality services and is a favorite among magazine readers. It costs about 850 dollars and it is portable besides its capacity to operate without breaks. It efficiently filters out â€Å"nail dust, hair clippings, pollens, bacteria, mold spores, and other airborne dust debris† besides eliminating chemical fumes and smells during salon services (Aerovex, p. 1). Sunflower II is another air cleaner option that is available at only 218 dollars (Aerovex1, p. 1). The organization should therefore purchase and install one of these equipments to facilitate cleanliness and health safety in its shop. Due to product standardization, these equipments can be obtained from any reliable supplier. Aerovex systems company is particularly reliable due to its establishm ent, pricing and after sales services. Zen should therefore purchase Salon Air purifier. This is because while the equipment, being sold at 850 dollars, is less expensive as compared to Salon Pure air, its operational features such as portability, filtration and elimination of vapors are efficient in maintaining health safety in the salon (Aerovex1, p. 1). Responsibilities The nature and impacts

Organisational structure Essay Example for Free

Organisational structure Essay Various Structures Practical Illustration organizational structure: It refers to a formal system of tasks and reporting relationships that coordinates and motivates employees to work together to achieve the organizational goals. Formal system of task and reporting relationships showing how workers use resources. It Involves the following structures: 1) Functional Structure It refers to the organizational structure composed of all the departments that an organization requires to produce Its goods or services. tOf3 2) Dlvlslonal structures It refers to the organizational structure composed of a series of business units to produce a specific kind of product for a specific kind of customer. It is used by most large corporations. It involves 3 main types: a) Product Structure, where divisions are created according to the type of product and service. b) Geographic Structure, where divisions are based on the area of a country or world served. c) Market Structure, where divisions are based on the types of customers served. 3) Matrix Structure It refers to the organizational structure that groups people by function and product teams simultaneously. It results in complex relationships. The structure is very flexible. Each employee has two bosses (functional manager and product manager) 4) Product Team Structure It refers to the organizational structure where members are permanently assigned to a team empowered to bring a product to market. It involves no two-way (dual) reporting. It involves forming cross-functional teams composed of a group of managers from different departments working together to perform organizational tasks. Existing AFC Organizational Structure: It is very clear that Abu Qir Fertilizers Company extremely represents applying the unctional very steep highly centralized extensively rigid structure.

Essay --

Sumedha Kucherlapati -MS in Information Management Systems-2014 ____________________________________________________________________________________ My earliest memories as a child were playing â€Å"SUDOKU† with my sister and thoroughly enjoying it. As I grew up my love for logical games grew with me. When I started working at Deloitte, I was always applauded for my analytical and problem solving skills. Further due to the professional exposure at Deloitte as Business Technology Analyst, I got acquainted to business to technology transition of real life challenges and requirements. This fascination has progressively transformed into my career goal to be the best blend of technical and functional consultant and I believe that doing a Masters in Information Systems management will help me step closer to my goal. I have always excelled in education and did my entire high school on scholarship. My undergraduate studies in Electronics and Telematics from GNITS, one of the top three private colleges in the state has given me a very substantial knowledge of the basic areas of Computer Science. Courses like Cryptographic algorithms, Network analysis, Wireless Communication Network and Computer Networks helped me learn about Information security, Computer Architecture and gave me an insight into hardware of electronic devices. To complement my theoretical knowledge, I presented a paper on â€Å"Use of Compact Fin-FET memory circuits to increase read, write capability.† This article focused on the results of an independent-gate Fin FET SRAM cell simultaneously enhancing the read data stability and memory integration density. The paper fetched us first prize at a National Level technical fest. I also headed the IEEE, ISTE s... ...lp 275 Special and differently abled children on the ‘National Impact Day' conducted by Deloitte which is the biggest Annual event of the firm. Working at Deloitte has helped me understand that to stand out as a leading consultant it is very important to have business insight along with technical expertise and MISM course structure at your esteemed university would equip me with perfect blend of the same. My experiences assured me that I am on the right path towards my goal and would like to continue pursuing my skills in this direction. I strongly feel that courses like IT Project Management and Consulting Communications in your curriculum would further boost my skill set. I would be honored to be under the unmatched guidance of the eminent professors at Heinz college and am looking forward with great hope to get an opportunity to join your university.

American Woman

American Woman The struggles America has dealt with have been expressed in the lyrics of popular songs, specifically issues pertaining to government, politics, the period of the Cold War and Vietnam War. Another American issue that has been expressed in popular music is the drug world and its complications, creating a strong and forceful depiction of America. The song titled â€Å"American Woman† has been expressed through many different medium of art. American Woman† has two versions; the first version was made by the Canadian rock band the â€Å"Guess Who†, the second version was made by the American singer and composer Lenny Kravitz. â€Å"American Woman† is a successful song that has caused many controversies over the years; for example, regarding the â€Å"Guess Who† version, it refers to attacks on U. S. politics and government, especially for the Cold War and Vietnam War, while Kravitz’s version expresses his personal take on drug use a nd his personal battle with drug addiction. â€Å"American Woman† is a product of the Vietnam War and its issues.When the vocalist of â€Å"The Guess Who† referred to American woman, he actually referred to The Unites States. Some lyrics of the song reflect the political and government issues of the U. S. For example, â€Å"Don’t come hangin’ around my door, I don’t wanna see your face no more, I got more important things to do, that spend my time growin’ old with you† (L. 18-21). This part of the song is basically saying that Canada has its own troubles that they have to deal with, and they don’t need to get into some wars over opinion with the U.S. The â€Å"Guess Who† version also refers to America’s imperialistic attitude at the time of the Vietnam War. For instance, â€Å"I don’t need your war machine; I don’t need your ghetto scenes† (L. 35-36). This phrase is referring to the nuclear we apons that the U. S. used in Vietnam and the after math of the explosives. During the time of the Cold War and the Vietnam War, America tried to get Canada to adopt nuclear missiles and join in the war. The â€Å"Guess Who† showed in the lyrics of â€Å"American Woman† the rejection of war activities.For example, â€Å"Colored lights can hypnotize, Sparkle someone else’s eyes, now woman, I said stay away, American woman, listen what I say† (L. 37-40). These lyrics basically refer to the explosions of the bombs that occurred in Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia from 1955 to 1975 (Vu Tung). The phrase implies that Canada does not like wars, and it tells the U. S. government to bother someone else. At the time of the Vietnam War, Canada had economic growth, political independence and regime survival in a post-Cold War environment.In the Kravitz’s version of the song â€Å"American Woman† the original political themes of the song were replaced by his p ersonal takes on drug use and his personal battles with drug addiction. When Kravitz mentions American woman as a white girl, he actually refers to the use of cocaine. For instance, â€Å"Huh, American Woman, stay away from me, American woman, mama let me be† (L. 1-2). In this phrase, he is refusing to use drugs, especially, cocaine. Furthermore, he is also saying that drugs don’t let him be the person that he wants to be.In America, the number of drug users increases every year. Drugs are everywhere, especially at parties and night clubs. Kravitz used the lyrics of â€Å"American Woman† to transmit the message of avoiding drugs. For example, â€Å"Colored lights can hypnotized, Sparkle someone else’s eyes† (L. 13-14). This phrase also reflects how the use of drugs can captivate people by making them feel good; however, Kravitz refuses to take drugs, and he wants to stay away from them. In the song â€Å"American Woman† Kravitz shows his per sonal experience using drugs and the negative effects of the illegal substances.For instance, â€Å"Don’t come knocking ‘round my door, I don’t wanna see your shadow no more† (L. 11-12). In these lyrics the singers is referring to his personal experience using drugs. When he mentions shadows, he refers to how painful and hard is the addition of these illegal substances. Kravits throughout the song shows how he fought to quit drugs. In the following lyrics expressed â€Å"I gotta go, I gotta get away, Baby, I gotta go, I wanna fly away† (L. 29-30). Although the drug world at first glance seems amusing, from Kravitz’s experience, he prefers to get away from temptations.In conclusion, â€Å"American Woman† is an extraordinary song that has caused many controversies over the years; for example, regarding the Guess Who’s version, it refers to attacks on U. S politics and government, especially for the Cold War and Vietnam War, while Kravitz’s version referrers to the rejection of the drug world and his personal experience with cocaine. The challenges that America has had over the years, have been subjects for songs, paintings, poetry, films and art in general, especially those themes that are related with the U.S. government, politics, wars and illegal drugs. America will always be the subject of inspiration for artists around the globe because it is a country with a variety of cultures and population issues. Work Cited * The Guess Who. â€Å"American Woman†. Elyrics. net. 200-20013. Web. March 20, 2013. * Kravitz, Lenny. â€Å"American Woman†. Elyrics. net. 200-20013. Web. March 20, 2013. * Vu Tung, Nguyen. â€Å"Vietnam’s Membership of ASEAN: A Constructivist Interpretation†. Military and Government Collection. Vol. 29, Dec 2007. Web. March 20, 2013.

Cultural Diplomacy: a Filipino Perspective Essay

I. WHAT IS CULTURAL DIPLOMACY? Considered as a relatively new term in international relations and among governments, a commonly cited definition of cultural diplomacy is that of Milton Cummings, an American Political Scientist which defines Cultural Diplomacy as â€Å"the exchange of ideas, information, values, systems, traditions, beliefs, and other aspects of culture, with the intention of fostering mutual understanding† between or among nations (Kang, 2013) or simply put, it pertains to a cultural form of international communication between and/or among nations (Kieldanowicz). It was only during the past decade when governments started to and have increasingly paid attention to the practice of Cultural Diplomacy and have acknowledged the growing importance of cultural dimensions in analyzing the ever-increasing complexity of foreign affairs (Kang, 2013). Art and culture are two important aspects of cultural diplomacy, as these are the forefront of many countries’ promotional efforts. The showcasing of a country’s cultural heritage, as made possible by cultural diplomacy, provides a country with the opportunity of showing who they are and create a positive image which will help them achieve their political aims (Kieldanowicz). This belief was echoed by Philippine DFA Secretary Albert del Rosario was quoted saying â€Å"DFA recognizes the impact of culture in modern diplomacy and sees it as an effective tool in protecting our national interest, in advancing our advocacies and in achieving the development agenda of the country in the international arena. Cultural diplomacy is described as â€Å"†¦a course of actions, which are based on and utilize the exchange of ideas, values, traditions and other aspects of culture or identity, whether to strengthen relationships, enhance socio-cultural cooperation or promote national interests; Cultural diplomacy can be practiced by either the public sector, private sector or civil society.† From this definition, we can gather that cultural diplomacy is similar to an agreement between two countries for the purpose of strengthening their relations through their cultures. II. PHILIPPINE ISSUES IN LINE WITH CULTURAL DIPLOMACY The first issue which the group considers significant in line with the establishment of cultural diplomacy is the young population’s patronization of Korean, Japanese and American pop culture. As previously mentioned, art and culture makes up our identity as Filipinos, however with the continuous and increasing â€Å"Japanesation, Koreanisation and Americanization† of our young generation, the young population is slowly losing its Filipino identity this then becomes a hindrance to the promotion of local Philippine culture, so the question is how could the Philippine local culture be promoted abroad if locally, there is difficulty in promoting, much less preserving it. III. PROJECTION OF ISSUES ON FOREIGN POLICY The ‘Japanesation’, ‘Koreanisation’ and ‘Westernization’ of the Filipino pop culture must be addressed by the Philippine government. We believe however, that action must first be taken in the local or domestic level and extend it later on to the international level by virtue of foreign policy. In line with this issue the government may sponsor students to study sociology with focus on Philippine culture, or establish art competitions such as song-writing and painting contests and the like. This will later on be reflected in the foreign policy by the establishment of government sponsorship of foreign students studying of Philippine culture and society. As we know, globalization is defined as â€Å"worldwide integration and development† and it has helped in improving the economy of different countries. Nowadays, there is a need for all the countries need to improve their exports to be able to make it in the international market. But despite that, globalization has also caused problems such as in cultural diplomacy, an example of this is the Business Process Outsourcing Industry. Even though the pay is nice in such an industry, there is an issue concerning cultural clashes. Since most of the BPOs came from the western side of the earth and then merely outsourced, there is a clash of what are the ways of living in one certain country and the ways of doing things when brought to the receiving country. There would be a lot of issues that would need to be addressed which causes in problems in cultural diplomacy. Let’s use the call center business as an example. Let’s us say that there is a new call center has been outsourced here in the Philippines. In the country where the call center originated they do no not celebrate Christmas or Lent but here in the Philippines we do celebrate these events. This is where the clash begins, because these are two different countries with two different cultures, it would be hard to make or form a cultural diplomacy. There is a need to have talks to address such issues and so that both parties can agree on decide on something to agree on to form a partnership through cultural diplomacy.

Communication Skills in Management

Communication Skills in Management Introduction Organisations bring together people from different backgrounds. To ensure that diverse groups of people working in an organisation are organised such that they work towards common aims and goals, communication is an essential skill for any leader. Organisational leaders select various communications strategies depending on the situations that they encountered in their work environments.Advertising We will write a custom report sample on Communication Skills in Management specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Communication strategies are crucial in organisations, particularly in the information age. Organisations are growing into immense complexities and are constantly looking for mechanisms of becoming competitive. One of the ways of gaining competitive advantage is by â€Å"discovering and implementing a communications strategy that supports company business objectives for its customers, workforce and partners† (Perry Bodkin, 2000, p.89). Good communication strategies have multiple benefits for an organisation ranging from enhancing workforce motivations to the creation of additional customers and retention of the existing clientele. The main aim of this paper is to provide an outline of communication skills and discuss its benefits. It also discusses how managers can deploy communication skills to make their work efficient and effective. The discussions of the paper are based on the existing literature of the roles of organisational communication in enhancing the success of organisations and on the understanding of the roles of communication in organisations developed over the semester. Thus, an opportunity is seized to offer authors personal opinion on the development of communication skills, propose an action plan for learning and utilisation of the communication skill in the future. Communication is selected for discussion as a managerial skill that is essential in an organisation since its incorporation or its negation in an organisation determines the extent of effectiveness of organisational leadership. The benefits of good communication Communication refers to exchange of information, either verbally or non-verbally. Verbal communication entails the transfer of meaning through sounds and words. Non-verbal communication entangles transfer of meaning, intentionally or unintentionally, via symbols or actions.Advertising Looking for report on business communication? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More In organisational settings, communication refers to exchange of information between organisational leaders and employees and or from employees to employees (McShane, Olekalns Travaglione, 2010, p.54). It also entails the transfer of information from the organisations to the customers and the owners (shareholders). Organisations’ leaders encounter various pressures to comply with various demands raised by a myriad of organisational stakeholders while still ensuring that an organisation remains competitive in the short and long run. Ensuring compliance to these dual anticipations, organisational managers have to design and execute various business strategies (Fernstrom, Reed, Rahavi Doohe, 2012: Malina Selto, 2001). Although failure of such strategies may initiate at the design phase, many of business strategies, irrespective of how well they have been designed, have more failure rates at the implementation and execution phases (Kaplan Norton, 2004). In the implementation and the execution phase, communication is of great paramount. Philport and Arbittier (2007) agrees with this assertion and further adds, â€Å"MBA- trained managers know a lot about how to decide a plan and very little about how to carry it out† (p.69). Consequently, when leaders have communication challenges, showcased by inadequate expertise in execution of communication strategies within an organisati on, harmonious operation of all organisational stakeholder may be impaired. The benefits of good communication in an organisation may be studied from the paradigm of the challenges that organisations encounter when leaders in an organisation fail to embrace effective communication strategies. The effects of poor organisational communication, a key indicator of lack of possession of good organisational communication skills are reflected in a research conducted by McFarlin, Sweeney and Cotton (2003), in which 197 management executives for 197 companies were surveyed to unveil their anticipations for success of their communication strategies. The research findings indicated that only 63 percent of all the surveyed executives had expectations for their strategies of communication to succeed.Advertising We will write a custom report sample on Communication Skills in Management specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Considering that 37 percent o f the surveyed executives were not sure whether their communication strategies would succeed, the researchers concluded, â€Å"much of expectation and performance failures were a failure to execute the company’s strategy effectively† (McFarlin, Sweeney Cotton, 2003, p.380). Strategies are implemented through the collective effort of all people who must work to attain given goals and missions for which an organisation is established to accomplish. For coherency in operation of all these stakeholders, effective communication is important. A leader who endeavours to develop business strategies that would succeed requires ardent communication at all hierarchical structures of business administration. Such an effort in incredibly important since the implementation of new business strategies often involves change (Williams Seaman, 2001). People are normally reluctant to change. Consequently, it is important that leaders within an organisation effectively communicate the be nefits that employees would gains once they embrace proposed organisational change. Poor communication often results to resistance to change especially where the persons working in an organisation consider the changes being implemented as threats to their jobs and personal excellence. For instance, while personnel at the headquarters of an organisation may be fighting for standardisation of products produced by an organisation to ease supply chain and logistics challenges, personnel at departmental levels for various products may be opposed to such an endeavour. In such a situation, a leader deserves to portray assertive communication skills to ensure that things are done in a manner that would of benefits to an organisation. How leaders should use communication Communication is the tool that enables leaders within an organisation to articulate their ideas to the employees and/ or employees to articulate their ideas to the leaders. Wok and Hashima (2013) argue that good communicatio n is essential in fostering morale of workers.Advertising Looking for report on business communication? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More This means that leaders in an organisation should deploy communication as a tool for breaking down communication barrier channels to enhance free interaction between the leaders and employees or employees and their fellow workers. When leaders communicate effectively, employees get satisfied with their jobs. Since job satisfaction is correlated to employees’ retention, it implies that leaders can utilise communication as a tool for dealing effectively with issues of employees’ turnover. This suggests leaders who are effective communicators experience low incidences of turnover. Leaders deserve to plan and design effective formal and informal communication strategies to take into consideration mechanisms of handling negative perceptions about an organisation in the effort to boost strategic initiatives for re-claiming and or acquiring new market. Wal-Mart is perhaps one of the best organisations whose focus on effective communication led to success of the company. For i nstance, the company was in 2010 incredibly criticised for labour practices that were highly questionable. Critics claimed that the company pursued policies that encouraged gender discrimination, low wages incommensurate to the efforts of the employees and even mistreatment of employees. The organisation was also challenged for putting small retailers out of business through her pricing strategies. Wal-Mart also encountered situations in which her organisational culture failed to measure up to the cultures of new possible profitable markets. Faced with these challenges, the organisation’s leaders focused on deployment of communications as the tool for clearing the negative profiling coupled with provisions of employees with clear channels of articulating their issues with the Wal-Mart leadership. Borrowing form the case of Wal-Mart, it is evident that leaders needs to put in place strategies for ensuring that people are free to expresses themselves whenever certain issues the y perceive as having negative implications on their work or where conflicts between personal needs and work requirement emerge. This underlines the significance of open communication in an organisation. Impediments to communication lead to low workforce productivity through reduced work morale and job satisfaction. In fact, according to Dasgupta, Suar and Singh (2013) communication is an essential tool for resolving work force conflicts. This implies that when leaders are effective communicators, communication is used in management of employees’ conflicts. One of the noble roles of managers in an organisation is to monitor and control processes and the manner of execution of job elements allocated to different people. Consequently, communication is the means by which managers are able to get information from the employees on work progress and possible impediments to successful completion of the job facets. Work groups are composed of people who have different opinions and lev els of innovation and creativity. To turn around these diversities into organisational success, managers should deploy communication to garner information of the workforce talents and capabilities, which are essential in successful realisation of organisational aims, goals and objectives. Understanding how to effectively communicate with employees and other organisational stakeholders call for managers to have an understanding of issues that may hinder their capacity to communicate effectively. Such hindrances encompass barriers to effective communication in an organisation. They include information filtering, selective perception, emotions, information overloads, language barrier and communication comprehension (Robbins et al., 2011). Zeng, Anh and Matsui claim that management has the noble role of identifying hindrances to effective communication and looking for strategies for resolving them (2013, p.457). Additionally, management also needs to resolve the problem of gender and cu ltural barriers to effective communication Robbins et al. (2011), effective managers seeks for ways of overcoming barriers to effective communication by enhancing interpersonal and intrapersonal communication. This provides an amicable opportunity for an organisation to achieve its aims, objectives and goals. This suggests that communication is used in an organisation to eliminate ineffective communication created by communication barriers. My development for communication skills this semester At the beginning of the semester, I had very poor communication skills. As an introverted person, I encounter challenges in opening to people with whom I am not well acquitted. Faced with this challenge, I have the perception that it would influence my effectiveness in the work environment where I expect to pursue a career as an organisational leader. Possession of good communications skill is essential in helping a leader to succeed in his or her work involving planning, directing, controllin g and monitoring the process of execution of tasks within an organisation through people. Based on these cognitions, which has been developed in the course of my university education, I consider communication skills as essential skills to develop. In fact, the skills are required in aiding leaders to create channels for open communication in an organisation. On the successful development of the learning contract at the beginning of the semester, I considered developing the goals that I would work towards in the course of the semester. This was critical in availing means of evaluating the learning outcomes. I maintained a journal for tracking various experiences coupled with the outcomes of efforts of improving my communication skills. In the process of development of the communication skills, I chose to read widely from the university library on how communication skills can be developed and implemented. This was followed by actualisation of the skills by engaging in practical implem entation of the acquired knowledge in the university settings. My focus was on face-to-face communication. I realised I had challenges in articulating information through words and non-verbal forms of communication. Making a strategic decision to implement communication skills in a university setting introduced the need to develop the ability to deal with people from cross-cultural environments. This is because a university is an institution that brings people from different cultures and different demographic characteristics. In my case, I am an international student from Middle East. I have challenges in communicating well in English since it is not my native language. This underlines the significance of developing effective communication skills when dealing with people from mixed backgrounds due to challenges of the language barrier and proper articulation of information to create the desired meaning. In the effort to determine whether I have developed communication skills, I had several goals that I intended to achieve. The first goal was to improve my performance in the work groups’ assessments in all the subjects that I take in the university. This goal was essential in measuring my success in development of communication skills. Effective communication of ideas is necessary in answering questions correctly. Language barrier is also an important aspect, which may contribute to poor understanding of questions. Secondly, I would like to have improved peer relationships in both class setting and the whole university at large. This goal is crucial since communication skill is essential in helping to break down peer conflicts. I also want to develop good relationships with sports’ teams, which I encounter during sports competitions. As an introverted person, I also find it difficult to communicate well with people even those who are close to me including my family members. Hence, my goal is to create better channels for communication with family members and friends. Ability to communicate effectively is a function of having good listening skills. Thus, my last goal was to develop better listening skills. In a short time basis, for the period that I was engaged with the learning contract, I believe that these goals are crucial preliminary steps that I can deploy to enhance good organisational communication in the future. Evidence of skills Over the period of 9 weeks, I maintained a journal where I was recording the success details for my process of development of communication skills. In the journal, I was recording the changes in my grades since I enrolled for the learning contract. Therefore, my analysis for success in the contract is essentially quantitative. The evidence derived from the analysis of the data entered in the journal indicates that I have attained a lot in term of performance improvements, although having spent a lot of time in extra tasks involving development of communication skills. This made me to minim ise time required in studying other subjects. In terms of performance, my grades have been steadily improving since I decided to develop communication skills. They have charged from credits to distinctions for the subjects that have involved group work discussion and collective group work challenges. This achievement is attributed to the effort that I made as the group leader to enhance active involvement of all members and tracking the group members’ ability to understand the subject matter under discussion. I also made an effort to ensure that whenever a group is formed, the first task was the creation of avenues for a good group communication by allowing adequate time for members to introduce themselves to one another. This was crucial in eliminating possible hindrances to group communication articulated to fear. One of the groups had two domestic students and two international students. This give room for development of crosses cultural communication skills. In the group, effort was made at the initial phase to lay down the anticipated outcomes, setting periods when the outcomes would be achieved and the contribution of each member in the realisation of the anticipations. This was essential in ensuring that all group members were at the same knowledge levels, which was essential in creating the synergies required for the improved grades. At the beginning of the semester, it was incredibly difficult for me to create friendships. Following the initiative for creating open communication with other students amid their diversity differences, I have managed to create close and effective personal relationships with other people. These friendships have survived even after I finished the assessment for the capacity to develop effective communications skills upon taking the learning contract. During my interaction processes, I am likely to call people with whom I have had group work experiences. This suggests my efforts for creating open communication and tru sting relationships yielded fruits. On the extracurricular activities platforms, I play soccer. For a long time, I was feeling that there are some important ideas that the team would implement to enhance its performance. Unfortunately, before taking the initiatives to develop communication skills, I was too afraid to speak about them. Through the creation of open communication channels, am now able to deal with the inhibitors to communication in the team. This has changed me from being a passive team member to an active member. Through the ideas that I have been able to articulate in the team, I have been made the assistant –captain. Additionally, I have also managed to develop better interaction processes with the team members. Indeed, some team members come seeking my opinion and advice on some issues affecting our team. This did not happen before. Despite the communication skills learning contract helping me to communicate effectively, listening skills have been instrument al in gathering information from the team members on areas where strategic initiatives needs being developed. Without the listening skills, it is problematic to interpret the issues that affect the team performance. This opening up of the group to engage every team members in the decision making process has seen the team register improved performance in all games. My friends and family members have noted the effort that I have been making to communicate better with them. They are to the opinion that the efforts that I have made over the last 9 weeks were incredible in aiding them to communicate better with me. The arguments that I have been engaged with friends and family members have also been based on open communications. This has reduced incidence of conflicts. How I will use these skills in the future Currently, I have managed to develop good communication skills, which have proved to be effective. The main concerns are how to utilise these skills in the future in the work envir onment. The lessons, skills and knowledge developed during the semester are important in enabling me to resolve work conflicts through effective communication. The plan is to continue developing the skills so that I can also incorporate various issues that may make communication strategies in a work environment different from the communication strategies required in the university settings with peers and/or with family members. Conclusion Leaders in a dynamic operational environment for an organisation require having good communication skills for them to have the capacity to win the confidence of all employees and other organisational stakeholders. Communication is an important aspect of an organisation, which helps to facilitate the transfer of information from one person to another within the organisation. In the course of the last 9 weeks, I had been learning communication skills via experience. The results indicated that I have realised positive outcomes. The plan is continue wi th this learning spirit to become an effective. Reference List Dasgupta, S., Suar, D., Singh, S. (2013). Impact of managerial communication styles on employees’ attitudes and behaviours. Employee Relations, 35(2), 173 – 199. Fernstrom, M., Reed, K., Rahavi, E Dooher, C. (2012). Communication strategies to help reduce the prevalence of non-communicable diseases: Proceedings from the inaugural IFIC Foundation Global Diet and Physical Activity Communications Summit. Nutrition Reviews, 70(5), 301 –310. Kaplan, S., Norton, P. (2004). How strategy maps frame an organisations objectives. Financial Executive, 20(2), 40−45. Malina, M., Selto, F. (2001). Communicating and controlling strategy: An empirical study of the effectiveness of the balanced scorecard. Journal of Management Accounting Research, 13(3), 47−91. McFarlin, B., Sweeney, D., Cotton, L. (2003). Attitudes toward employee participation in decision-making: A comparison of European and American managers in a U.S. multinational. Human Resource Management Journal, 31(4), 363−383. McShane, S., Olekalns, M., Travaglione, T. (2010). Organisational Behaviour on the Pacific Rim. Australia: McGraw Hill. Perry, M., Bodkin, C. (2000). Content analysis of Fortune 100 company web sites. Corporate Communications: An International Journal, 5(2), 87-97. Philport, J., Arbittier, J. (2007). Advertising: Brand communications styles in established media and the Internet. Journal of Advertising Research, 37(2), 68-76. Robbins, S., Judge, T., Millett, B., Boyle, M. (2011). Organisational Behaviour. Frenchs Forest, NSW: Pearson Education Australia. Williams, J., Seaman, E. (2001). Predicting change in management accounting systems: National culture and industry effects. Accounting, Organisations and Society, 26(5), 443−460. Wok, S., Hashim, J. (2013). Communicating and sharing working relationships with older employees. Journal of Communication Management, 17(2), 100–1 21. Zeng, J., Anh, P., Matsui, Y. (2013). Shop-floor communication and process management for quality performance: An empirical analysis of quality management. Management Research Review, 36(5), 454–477.

Arab Nationalism in the Modern Context

Arab Nationalism in the Modern Context ‘Arab Nationalism’ was an important part of anti-colonial struggle. A generation on it has little meaning today. Discuss. This essay will examine to what extent Arab nationalism as an ideology was of significance to the anti-colonial struggle and the influence of Arab nationalism in present times. A prominent question of interest in this study will be: was western domination eliminated due to the might of Arab nationalism? Certainly there has been a debate surrounding the significance of Arab nationalism today, this essay will highlight central issues surrounding the debate such as whether Arab nationalism has terminally declined or has just become a lessened force. A further question of concern will be: If Arab nationalism has gone into political remission could it be revived or gain appeal in present times? Furthermore this study will analyse when Arab nationalism was at its strongest and when the greatest expression of Arab nationalism were evident. Arab nationalism is considered to be a nationalist ideology which objective is to achieve a unified Arab nation encompassing the entire territory which is categorised as â€Å"the Arab World† from the Atlantic Ocean to the Persian Gulf (Karsh Arab nationalism and the set of beliefs surrounding the ideology were believed to have the capability to dissolve such matters in order to redeem and revert back to an indigenous culture and heritage. Most of the Arab world experienced colonial suppression and were ruled by western powers such as Britain and France. Was Arab nationalism vital in the struggle against colonialism? It is deemed that â€Å"†¦through the imperial world during the decolonizing period, protest, resistance, and independence movements were fuelled by one or another nationalism† (Said, 1993). The end of the Second World War caused vast political, social and economic transformations to the world order subsequently certain colonised nations gained their independence. In spite of this, the end of explicit or direct colonialism obviously did not equate to the termination of colonial dominance. European powers sought to retain their power across the Middle East and North Africa and colonialism still dominated large parts of the region. European imperialist presence was still evident as certain monarchies were under their rule and were still well disposed to them. For example, Egypt had been granted independence by the British in 1933 however Britain still played a direct role in Egyptian affairs and exercised a huge influence over the nation. It would be in this context that Arab nationalism would serve to provide a compelling set of beliefs and gain ground as a robust force in opposition to foreign occupation. Rafik Asha deemed that â€Å"(Arab) nationalism constitutes the vital soul-force of our people, the bloodstream of Arab life and political vitality, the spirit which guides a resurgent people towards freedom from domination, servitude and pat ronage† (Pfaff, 1970). The Arab nationalist movement was immensely advanced by Gamal Abdel Nasser whom attained power in Egypt and became the nation’s president. In 1956, Nasser nationalised the Suez Canal which had still been occupied by the British. Furthermore, he fought against British, French and Israeli hostility and attacks towards Egypt later on that year. Both these forms of action exhibited a defiant attitude towards the Western powers and inevitably forced them into submission. During this epoch, Arab nationalism gained immense support and popularity throughout the Middle East and North Africa due to Nasser’s leadership furthermore many people in other Arab nations believed that they shared a common struggle against colonial powers.

Influences on comprehension, fluency, and word recognition Essay

Influences on comprehension, fluency, and word recognition - Essay Example Rather, it is a thinking process, where the reader thinks about what the symbols, signs and the words mean (p.99). To further contextualize the definition, the authors cited explanation from other sources that underscore how the reading comprehension reduces uncertainty and builds the bridge between the new and the known (p.99). The RAND Corporation also developed a similar definition, that which considers reading comprehension as the process of simultaneously extracting and constructing meaning through interaction and involvement with written language (Sweet and Snow 2003, p.10). Based from these definitions, one can infer several important insights. First, reading comprehension is a big concept that encompasses word and symbol recognition, the level of reading fluency and the ability to understand and think about the texts being read. Consequently, this paper will refer to reading comprehension as inclusive of cognition, fluency and word recognition. In addition, the framework also reveals that it is a construct resulting from social and/or cultural processes. The understanding required for the symbols and texts entails the influences of the environment, not unlike how children acquire cognitive abilities and behaviors. These points are important because they underpin the position that technology, motivation and instruction are crucial in developing reading comprehension ability. A study undertaken by Lietz (1996) measured the reading comprehension skills of students across six countries. There were at least four variables identified as major influences in a learner’s reading comprehension: gender, the education of the parents, the education of the learner, and the number of books and resources available (p.398). This study corroborates the position that reading comprehension is affected by environmental factors. For example, the education of the parents implies numerous dimensions. First, there is the level of awareness regarding the learner’s cognitive development. A higher educational attainment would mean a better understanding of the psychology of the learner. It could also be influence the perspective of the parents on education, academic performance and reading. Based from such perspective, the availability or unavailability of resources – which was also an identified variable - such as books, computer, the Internet, among others are determined. The body of literature on this subject echoes this theme. Alcantara et al. (2003), found that the attitudes of the parents, siblings and peers as well as the home background (i.e. whether the learner is read to or provided with sufficient reading materials) are crucial in the acquisition of reading comprehension ability (p.89). What these studies highlight is the fact that reading comprehension is a skill that is learned through a complex process, involving many factors. Student Motivation The student motivation is easily the most important variable that influences re ading comprehension or the acquisition of the ability. As has been mentioned earlier, reading comprehension is a cognitive process. This prompted Paris and Stahl (2005) to conclude that motivational processes are integral to it. It was argued that, generally, motivation, along other constructs, is behind comprehension, which for its part is considered as a psychological phenomenon (p.29). They demonstrated the dynamics of