Keeping Things Whole Essays - Fiction, Narration, Narratology

Keeping Things Whole Although it's not a lengthy poem, the few words and their layout in "Keeping Things Whole" certainly possess great significance. This poem is centered on the idea that the narrator's life is lacking purpose. In exploring the meaning of his existence, he determined that his reason for living was to keep moving so that people's lives were only temporarily interrupted. Strand's technique of splitting up his sentences helps emphasize certain phrases and ideas. When I read poetry I naturally pause for a brief second at the end of each line to allow the words to sink in, therefore taking an extra moment to realize what the author is saying. With each line in this poem only a few words long, there is a higher pause-to-word ratio, which allows for more thought for each idea the first time you read through it. Strand splits up the sentences in places where he is trying to convey more meaning, with the hope that the reader will pause and contemplate what was just read. His stanzas are concluded when he wants more attention placed on his current idea. The narrator's viewpoint towards life in this poem is quite different from how most people see it. Where he writes, "In a field / I am the absence / of field." (ll. 1-3) instead of acknowledging his existence as something, he regards it as a lack of something. This negativity towards himself is what the entire poem is focused on. He uses the idea that when his body enters an area the parts of that area are momentarily interrupted and are forced around him, just waiting to return back to normal once he leaves: "When I walk / I part the air / and always / the air moves in / to fill the spaces / where my body's been." (ll. 8-13) The "air" in that line symbolizes the existence of other people around him, and the narrator sees himself as a nuisance to those people, always being in the way. He is saying that whenever he enters into a location with a bunch of people, those people see him as a bother and simply as something that they must put up with for a little while. They can't wait for the narrator to leave so that they don't have to put up with him anymore and can therefore return to what they were doing. The last stanza explains the narrator's reason for "moving," or in other words living: "I move / to keep things whole." (ll. 16 & 17) He understands that he must keep moving and going on with his life even though he is interrupting the existence and paths of others. When I read those last two lines I felt a sense of saddened acceptance of life in the narrator's speech. Since he concluded that his existence was unnecessary and bothersome, the only way he can continue in his monotonous life is by continually moving around, so that he disturbs everyone's lives equally and doesn't become too much of a bother in one place. With that mindset, the narrator believes that his absence is what keeps things whole.

Free Essays on Greenman

The advertisement I chose to examine is, in my opinion, a prime example of an effective and successful ad. This ad, which appeared in a recent Sports Illustrated, shows a pile of M&M’s candy on a wooden table. But what made this ad immediately grab my attention was the word â€Å"SEXY† spelled out in the green M&M’s, almost in a subliminal way. Above the pile of M&M’s, the question: â€Å"What is it about the green ones?,† is seen, also printed in green. There are several reasons why I think this ad is effective. Bright colors are seen throughout the ad. The combination of such bright colors is what originally made me take a closer look. When I realized that I was looking at M&M’s candy, I thought about how tasty the chocolate candy looked. I wanted to run to Circle K and buy a bag. Then I noticed the green M&M’s appeared to be spelling something out, within the larger pile. I peered closer and saw that â€Å"SEXY† was written with the green M&M’s. Then, as I looked to the top of the page and saw â€Å"What is it about the green ones?,† I laughed to myself and immediately chose to write about this advertisement because of its creativity and uniqueness. The use of bright colors, the tasty appearance of the candy, and the humorous, â€Å"subliminal† message, helped make this advertisement appeal to me. I also think many others could appreciate this advertisement and feel that this is a good example of a successful ad.... Free Essays on Greenman Free Essays on Greenman The advertisement I chose to examine is, in my opinion, a prime example of an effective and successful ad. This ad, which appeared in a recent Sports Illustrated, shows a pile of M&M’s candy on a wooden table. But what made this ad immediately grab my attention was the word â€Å"SEXY† spelled out in the green M&M’s, almost in a subliminal way. Above the pile of M&M’s, the question: â€Å"What is it about the green ones?,† is seen, also printed in green. There are several reasons why I think this ad is effective. Bright colors are seen throughout the ad. The combination of such bright colors is what originally made me take a closer look. When I realized that I was looking at M&M’s candy, I thought about how tasty the chocolate candy looked. I wanted to run to Circle K and buy a bag. Then I noticed the green M&M’s appeared to be spelling something out, within the larger pile. I peered closer and saw that â€Å"SEXY† was written with the green M&M’s. Then, as I looked to the top of the page and saw â€Å"What is it about the green ones?,† I laughed to myself and immediately chose to write about this advertisement because of its creativity and uniqueness. The use of bright colors, the tasty appearance of the candy, and the humorous, â€Å"subliminal† message, helped make this advertisement appeal to me. I also think many others could appreciate this advertisement and feel that this is a good example of a successful ad....

International Marketing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words - 5

International Marketing - Essay Example Conclusion and findings 10 11. References 11 1. Introduction The marketing concept stipulates that the marketing managers ought to meet, anticipate as well as to satisfy the needs of the customers (Strydom, 2004). Of notable concern is the fact that organizations during the contemporary period operate in global environments and their activities are affected by a wide range of factors. It can be noted that there are major environmental influences that affect global and international markets. As such, this paper seeks to evaluate the factors that impact on Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC). This organization belongs to the international fast food category. The paper starts by outlining the historical background of the company and the main part will discuss various factors that affect the organization in the environment in which it operates. The paper will also outline some of the strategies that can be implemented in order to improve the effectiveness of the organization. 2. Brief history a bout KFC Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC) was founded in 1938 by Colonel Harland Sanders in Kentucky. Sanders’ legacy lives on with KFC operating more than â€Å"13,000 restaurants in more than 80 countries and territories around the world serving up the Colonel’s Original Recipe,† (KFC, 2013). KFC mainly specialises in fried chicken which is quite different from the products that are offered by other competitors in the same industry. The founder of the company developed 11 unique recipes using a variety of seasonings to flavour chicken and this has significantly contributed to the success of the company. The company is very popular in different market environments it operates in across the globe. The products offered appeal to the interests of many people and this has helped the company to create a strong base of loyal customers. 3. Company’s rationale behind internationalization KFC is regarded as one of the first fast food industries to go international du ring the 1950s. The rationale behind the company’s internationalization drive was to attract a substantial number of customers so that it can sustain its operations across the globe. The company also sought to establish itself as a force to reckon with in the fast food industry across the globe. The company was mainly interested in developing its brand so that it can attract as many people as possible across the globe. However, KFC has encountered some challenges in its global operations where it can be seen that the fast food industry is comprised of competition. In order to successfully penetrate the global markets, the company ought to design a careful strategy given that the international market is comprised of competition from other rival competitors like McDonald’s, Wendy’s and Burger King. The company also faces challenges in that it lacks expertise in diversifying its products since it mainly concentrate on chicken. Of notable concern is that fact that t he fast food industry is comprised of different segments which include some of the following: family restaurants, sandwich chains, pizza shops, grill as well as chicken chains among other factors. Research has shown that McDonalds dominates in market segments such as burger while KFC dominates in the chicken segment. As such, an effective marketing strategy will help the company to gain a large market share in its operations. 4. Mode of entry in different countries The company used Harland Sanders’ franchising strategy to expand its operations in the international

Why At-Risk Students Are in Such a Situation, Solutions Research Paper

Why At-Risk Students Are in Such a Situation, Solutions - Research Paper Example The issues expose students to severe conditions that make them terminate school, knowledge acquisition and furthering their careers. This latest trend is sending mixed signals to the world with scholars asserting that it may lead to a low supply of qualified human capital. This condition may also jeopardize innovation and creativity stalling the production of new items that meet the current technological needs of consumers. The scholars also assert that a high number of students who are not succeeding academically may expose society to high crime rates. This is because nations will generate several individuals who are not productive economically due to the lack of credible sources of income. The trend would also affect peace initiatives and general economic growth in various nations. This calls for the immediate development of a viable plan to mitigate issues that hinder students from attaining high academic achievements. These students need to receive proper career guidance and moti vation from teachers. They also need to be convinced to go to school and get valuable teachings on the benefits of education in their lives by key stakeholders in the education sector. Consequently, it is necessary to discuss challenges in the education sector while focusing on at risk. As noted by Lynn (1997), the number of students who are not successful academically is increasing. The increase is attributable to various complications that touch on social, economic, and political processes. These challenges hamper the capacity to record exemplary performance in diverse aspects. Firstly, poverty is a critical element that drives most learners away from school meaning that several students are performing dismally because they lack money to pay for their tuition expenses.

Axiomatic Account of Scientific Theories Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Axiomatic Account of Scientific Theories - Essay Example As the study outlines logical axioms refer to an argument or reasoning which is taken to be true within the system of the logic they define. On the other hand, non-logical axioms are actually defining properties for the domain or of the domain of a certain mathematical theory. For instance, a non logical axiom can be presented mathematically as: x+y = y+x. In this case, the axiom can be used to imply assumptions, or a postulate. Therefore, to make a system of knowledge or a domain of knowledge an axiom is to show that its claims can be deduced from the axiom(s). From this paper it is clear thst hypothetical deductive model claims that these method requires a hypothesis to be made first. That is, a prediction is made with the expectation of its opposite to be the expected results. It is thus referred to as a falsification process since the hypotheses has to be proved not to be true but if it is done so, by the research to be true, then they are said to be collaborated by their predictions. In relation to the axiomatic account, this theory has its premise or the backdrop of reasoning in its hypothesis. More so, the hypothesis in the Hypothesis-Deductive theory is the basis of reasoning as compared to axiomatic account where the axiom is the premise for reasoning. What would be considered the best argument for scientific realism is the idea that scientific knowledge and ideas are progressive rather than retrogressive in nature. Therefore it is able to make predictions about an idea or an issue in question much successful. This element of scien tific realism makes it very much reliable as it is very clear to be followed since one aspect whether observable or unobservable leads to the other in a logical manner.

Post Bureaucracy And Decentralisation In Intensive Competition Management Essay

Post Bureaucracy And Decentralisation In Intensive Competition Management Essay Organisational structure is critical to a companys effectiveness of performance, and organisational structure varies according to companies unique contexts. Since 1980s, a growing literature has argued that the age of bureaucracy has ended or is ending, and there is a fundamental move beyond bureaucracy (Heckscher, 1998, p.2). We are moving from bureaucracy to post-bureaucracy. Generally speaking, post-bureaucracy includes subcontracting, decentralisation, flexible organisational boundaries, the boundaryless corporation and networking (Ackroyd, 1991). Since decentralisation is a very important part of post-bureaucracy, I will explain it separately. There are many factors that drive organisational structure from bureaucracy to post-bureaucracy, such as fast technological change, intensive competition, rapidly changing product markets and customer demands, and the requirement of flexibility. Cost reduction is also an important factor to trigger this trend. However, this trend also generates some concerns and criticism. For subcontracting, there may be insufficient supply of suitable workers; inconsistency of workflow may lead to inflexible which is against the flexible feature of post-bureaucracy; it will also enlarge the pay difference between core workers and periphery workers; there may be also lower level of products or services provided; and it can resul t in inefficiency of teamwork. Temporary workers tend to move between companies according to the pay and benefit levels. Because of this high flow of workforce, companies may resist to train employees. It will also be more difficult for unions and government to regulate such decentralised forms. In this paper, I will first talk about the definition of post-bureaucracy and decentralisation; then I will explain the reasons why companies are fascinated about post-bureaucracy and decentralisation; and finally, I will discuss and evaluate concerns and criticism of such trend and their validity. Main Body What is Post-Bureaucracy and Decentralisation? Generally speaking, post-bureaucratic organisational structure is about moving away from bureaucratic organisational structure and it is about decentralisation, corporation and networking. Post-bureaucracy blurs the boundaries between companies and countries, and post-bureaucracy encourage interorganisational relationships which include strategic alliance, joint venture, outsourcing/ subcontracting, unilateral agreement and network organisation (Buchanan and Huczynski, 2004, p. 557-560). Post-bureaucratic organisational structure stresses spontaneity, empowerment, participation, decentralisation, flexibility, downsized and delayered, and team work between the organisation and its environment (Ackroyd, 2002; Maravelias, 2003). The autonomy existing in post-bureaucratic structure is much more than it is in bureaucratic structure. According to Heckscher and Donnellon (1994), in order to successfully build post-bureaucratic structure, there must be some trust because through this structu re, there will be many knowledge and information sharing, interaction and corporation. Unlike bureaucratic model which is about directing participants, post-bureaucratic structure requires persuading participants (Heckscher and Donnellon, 1994). One of the most obvious features of post-bureaucracy is subcontracting which means using agent temporary workers to complete specific tasks that used to be conducted by companies direct workers (Rees and Fielder, 1992). Post-bureaucracy means decentralised on many aspects of organisation; however, it does not mean that there is no domination at all (Josserand et al, 2006). No matter how decentralised an organisation is, it still requires some degree of control and hierarchies to make sure the company is on the right direction. Decentralisation means that companies give the power of decision-making to lower levels of groups (Schermerhorn et al, 1994). The lower levels of groups do not necessarily mean management groups; it can be any sub-units within the company. With the delegation, such groups can enjoy a degree of autonomy or independence (Mullins, 2005, p.1053). Decentralisation usually associated with fewer hierarchies, wider span of control and free flow of ideas (Mullins, 2005). Mullins also mentioned that there are many advantages of decentralisation, such as increased employees motivation, quick responsiveness to local changes and improved support services. Why are Post-Bureaucracy and Decentralisation fascinated? Companies are fascinated and apply more about post-bureaucracy and decentralisation because they have many advantages which contribute to the effectiveness of companies performance. There are many factors encourage companies to move from bureaucracy to post-bureaucracy. First, the fast change of technology requires companies to corporate and works together (Mayle, 2006). This is especially important for high-technology, innovation industries and telecommunication companies because technological change is more obvious in those industries. No matter how many highly skilled expertises a company has, there are always some technologies it cannot develop by itself or get access to. However, through corporation and networking, companies can share the latest information and technology-based knowledge. The wide variety of information allows people to conduct their jobs more effectively (Guetzkow, 1965). This is similar with DeGeuss idea of organizational learning which means organizations learn from each other and improve during the process of corporation (see Schneier, 1994). DeGeus argued that through organizational learning, it helps companies to better adopt and facilitate to dynamic change and then make improvement. Corporation and networking can also h elp companies to gain competitive advantages (Porter, 1996). This is true because each company has its own technological strength. If companies can share their own strength with others, there will be mutual benefits. If companies cannot follow the new technological change, they may either produce with higher cost or have lower productivity. Second, global and intensive competition requires companies to move towards post-bureaucracy, such as subcontracting and outsourcing. Because of the intensive competition, companies need to reduce production costs or improve productivity in order to stay in business and gain competitive advantages. The main reason that companies are using agencies is the requirement of reducing labour cost (Ward et al, 2001). There are a wide variety of outsourcing, such as technology services outsourcing (software, telecommunications et al) and business process outsourcing (accounting, logistics et al) (Offshoring Times, 2009). Companies can also outsource HR functions to reduce labour cost. For example, BP Amoco outsourced its human resource function to a US-based company-Exult; and Exult helped BP with almost all HR functions, such as training, employee relations and recruitment; and for the first year of their contracting, BP successfully cut its cost from US$350 million to $250 million (Pickard, 2000). The third reason is the rapidly changing product market and customer demands force companies to corporate with each other. Because of the rapid changing environment, companies need to adjust their production quickly and effectively. For example, Apple shares some internal information with its partners, such as software developers, sub-system supplies and dealers, and they work together to help Apple predict sales and adjust its production according to the prediction (Bahrami, 1992). Because of globalisation, business can be operated all over the world instead of limiting within a single country or a local area. It is costly and hard to start a new business in another area because regulation may be not the same as it is in home country, and customer preference may be different as well. However, if companies can adopt the strategy of joint venture, boundaries will not be a problem. Companies can also make good use of each others resources. For example, there was a joint venture between West European companies and companies in the ex-Soviet block. One party provided investment and experts, and the other provided labour and entry to the markets (Buchanan and Huczynski, 2004, p558). In this way, they shared their production factors as well as getting access to markets. For network and partnerships, such as strategic alliance, there are many advantages, such as more access to resources and diversity of perspectives (Sturtevant and Lange, 1996). Strategic alliance can help companies to share resources and work efficiently. For example, in 1991, IBM, Apple and Motorola conducted a project (PowerPC) together; during the project, IBM provided their RISC microprocessor technology to Motorola; and then Motorola produced high-speed PowerPC chips for both Apple and IBM (Bertrand, 1992 as cited in Sengupta et al, 1998, p27). Greater flexibility, risks-sharing and options-generating can be achieved through partnerships (Evans, 1982). Partnerships can also help companies to respond quickly to unexpected change and adjust to it more efficiently (Hart, 1937). Some argued that companies use subcontracting and outsourcing in order to weaken trade unions bargaining power (as cited in Wallis, 2000, p730). Trade unions generally focus their attention on a unionised direct workforce. Therefore, companies can take advantage of this feature and undermine trade unions bargaining power. According to Prowse and Turner (1996), during the 1984-5 strike on coal industry, NCB introduced subcontracting on some coal-site tasks in order to fragment workforce and undermine organised labour force power in coal industry. Through subcontracting and outsourcing, pressure from hard, dangerous or boring tasks can be decreased. For some highly repeated low-skilled tasks, such as switching buttons, the turnover rate is high; because this kind of tasks requires almost no knowledge about the company, so it is a good idea to use agency workers to reduce employees pressure. This is also the case for some dangerous and unhealthy jobs. For example, for some strong-noisy jobs, no matter how good the protection device is, it is still bad for workers hearing if it lasts for a long time. It is humanity to use different people for short times. This is even the case in hospitals. In the accident and emergency department, staffs pressure is high because working in this department requires speed, efficiency and it often associated with some bloody occasion (Purcell et al, 2004). If hospitals can outsource some jobs to professional agencies, jobs can be completed as well as reducing employees pressure. There are other reasons that attract companies to use subcontracting and outsourcing. Subcontracting give employers chances to get access to specialist skills unavailable within the company (Holmes, 1986). For example, according to RJB Mining representatives, through subcontractors, they can get workers with specialist skills to undertake discontinuous tasks (Wallis et al, 2000, p.729). For hi-tech industries, it is sometimes hard to find highly-skilled workers within local areas. For example, ICTUK, a company which provided computer service to client companies, found that it was hard to find employees with skills they needed; so, ICTUK used Indian agency that provided required employees from India to UK (Purcell et al, 2004, p712). Because tasks are different at different time, if the company keeps all skilled workers as direct workers, it will be costly. By using subcontractors, company can get needed workers as well as saving money. Another reason companies prefer to subcontractor s is that it will be cheaper through outsourcing. Since they are temporary workers, the rate of pay is usually lower than direct workers; and companies do not need to provide some benefits to workers from contracting companies, such as holiday pay (Rees and Fielder, 1992). By using subcontracting, companies can also avoid investment in the latest machines and tools, which can save companies lot money (Lorenz, 1998). In addition to that, workers from contracting companies can conduct tasks more quickly than companies direct workers because they tend to focus on specific areas and require little or no training on needed skills (Wallis et al, 2000). It is also believed that using subcontracting can help companies to avoid morale problems on laying off regular employees (Kalleberg, 2003). Problems and Concerns about Decentralisation and Post-Bureaucracy Although there are many advantages of post-bureaucracy and decentralisation, there are still concerns and problems; they are inefficiency of the supply of skilled workers, hard for contractors to recruit and keep employees, imbalanced treatment between core workers and periphery workers, less control of temporary workers and their work, hard for government and unions to regulate, not good for teamwork within companies, and training programs constraint. Criticism of post-bureaucracy happened mostly in subcontracting. For subcontracting, concerns and problems mainly come from three aspects-the supply of labour (contractors), the demand of labour (client companies) and the government and unions. It is argued that the contractor sometimes experience insufficient supply of skilled/suitable labour which can cause problems (MacKenzie, 2000). Mackenzie mentioned that the insufficient supply of skilled/suitable labour cause problems to both contractors and client companies. For contractors, if they do not have the skilled workers to satisfy other companies need, they will have bad reputation, and their business will endanger and encounter close down. For companies which want to use agencies, if they cannot find the suitable workers they want, and hard to recruit direct workers, they will either complete these tasks with bad quality or not complete these tasks at all. The other problem faced by contractors is that it is hard for them to retain employees from different levels. Temporary workers are quite fluid, and sometimes contractors are not able to provide people required by client companies; people who work as temporary workers tend to move to contractors who provide the best p ay rates (MacKenzie, 2000, p.715). It is not possible for contractors to offer the highest pay rate all the time, so it is difficult for them to keep skilled workers at different times. This is especially true when the product market is competitive. Purcell argued that within competitive market, specialist skilled workers are usually in high demand; and they often chose to work for contractors who offer the highest bidder or achieve employment flexibility that fits in with their preferences rather than the employers (Purcell, et al, 2004, p.713). Because of the feature of highly fluid labour force, contractors tend to restraint and avoid training programs (MacKenzie, 2000, p.718). Through BTs case, he argued that BTs loss of qualified workers discourage BT to train its employees because BT was afraid that workers might leave the company after training. BTs reaction is reasonable. Just imagine, if BT keeps training all its employees with whatever the latest market requires, BT will o f course get qualified skilled workers. But, because workers tend to move towards best pay and benefits provision, finally, BT may end up with loss of qualified workers, and at the same time, it may increase its competitors competitive advantage because competitors get the qualified workers that BT have trained. It is believed that the client companies also take risks during subcontracting. The most obvious one is that they cannot always get the employees they want. If companies rely on subcontractors as traditions, once there is insufficient supply of skilled workers, companies may feel hard to recruit qualified workers (MacKenzie, 2000, p.716). For employees who get the required skills do not mean that they will complete the tasks correctly and effectively. Therefore, even if companies get skilled workers, there is also the possibility that they may interrupt the workflow or project (Roque, 2009). Based on Roques own experience, subcontract workers sometimes make decisions without asking client companies which may cause problems because they do not know the companies very well; subcontractors may also miss their deadlines or break their contracts. If the outsourced tasks are part of the whole project, ineffectively completing of those tasks can affect the project as a whole. Whats more, if managers in client companies do not know how to effectively use subcontract workers, there will be also risks of completing tasks ineffectively (Lyytinen and Ropponen, 2000). It is also complained that using temporary workers can lead to less effective teamwork (Purcell et al, 2004, p.715). They argued that since temporary workers are from outside of the company, they know little about the companys culture and doing things differently from direct workers. Because there is no direct control or less control from client companies, the quality of products and services provided by subcontract workers is not guaranteed. During research conducted in hospitals, Purcell et al found that temporary agency staff can cause problems on quality control and continuity of patient care which add more pressure on regular staff in hospitals (2004, p. 718). If a company does not have any experience on decentralisation, decentralisation may not be helpful. For example, after applying decentralisation, t here will be small groups of workers; and those small groups may feel aimless or they may work towards wrong directions (Bahrami, 1992, p. 37). For government and unions, it is hard to regulate and intervene. According to Lorenz (1998), the agreements between contractors and client companies are never in written form except for the order form. Lorenz also argued that because of these incomplete contracts, they cannot use courts to resolve disputes; they can only solve disputes, misunderstandings and ambiguities through discussion until they agree with each other. Then, it will be harder for government to intervene in disputes happened between those two parties. The triangular relationships in employment are especially hard to handle (Deakin, 2001). Governments are trying to regulate subcontracts, and there is extra subcontract administration cost added to governments ordinary costs (Howell, n.d.). In addition, it is argued that through decentralization, some macroeconomic policies are harder to implement and finally decrease stability (Prudhomme, 1994). For unions, it is easier for them to organise stable direct workers; and the emergence of temporary work agencies give unions new challenges to organise and regulate this kind of labour force because most of those temporary worker are not stable, and they move between companies, even between industries (Heery, 2004). In addition to that, many skilled workers have left unions and become self-employed open shop workers or employees of specialty subcontractors (as cited in Perng et al, 2005, p.1). In this way, union membership will decline, and unions bargaining powers will be weakened. It is possible that decentralisation costs companies more. Because of the centralised structure, companies can allocate and distribute resources more centralised and effectively. According to Lyons and Bailey (1993), through decentralisation, cost advantages, such as economies of scale, may be diminished. One advantage of subcontracting is that it can foster work flexibility. However, this is not always the case. Based on MacKenzies study about telecommunication industry, because workloads were different at different times, number of temporary workers required was different as well (2000). Using subcontractors supposed to be flexible, but contractors were not satisfied by the inconsistency of workflows. Therefore, in order to achieve agreements, client companies tried to make forecasts about workloads and tried to stay with that. According to Atkinson and Meager (as cited in MacKenzie, 2000), the effort of trying to manipulate workloads was contravene the flexible feature of contracting. It is argued that pay and benefits for core workers within companies and periphery workers in contractor firms are not equal. According to Atkinson and Gregory (as cited in Wallis et al, 2000), Workers who stay in the company permanently are core workers, and they enjoy great pay and benefit packages, and they usually do not need to worry about unemployment; however, for the periphery workers (subcontracting workers, temporary workers, part-time workers and self-employed workers), their jobs are insecure. It is also argued that the pay rate on the same kind of job is different for core workers and periphery workers (Mangum et al, 1985; Kalleberg, 2003). It is unfair treatment. According to Callaghan and Hartmann, because of subcontracting, there is a two-tiered system of employment, which means that core workers have good pay, benefits, opportunities for training and job security; while peripheral workers have lower wages, no benefits, worked in low-skilled jobs with few training opp ortunities, and face significant job instability and insecurity (see Smith, 1997, p. 328). However, temporary workers are not always in worse conditions compare with core workers. Purcell et al (2004) stated that for some professional agencies, such as nurses, the hourly pay rate for temporary nurses was even higher than the NHS-employed average nurses. No matter whose pay rate is higher, generally speaking, there are imbalanced treatment on pay and benefits between core workers and peripheral workers. Conclusion Post-bureaucracy encourages subcontracting, decentralisation, corporation and network. Companies with post-bureaucratic structure usually have loose management style, wider span of control and fewer hierarchies. Therefore, there will be greater autonomy within company which motivate employees to take responsibilities and contribute more to the company. Decentralisation is part of post-bureaucracy, and it is about giving more power to lower levels of work units. Small units can thus respond quickly to instant changes. Post-bureaucracy and decentralisation attract organisations because of both outside and inside incentives. It is generally about either reducing production costs, improving productivity or get resources, knowledge, information and technologies that are not available within one company. Through subcontracting, companies can get different levels of skilled employees that are not available within companies. In this way, companies can adjust number of workers used according to market change and periodical workload. Companies can also avoid bad reputation of dismissing employees all the time. Through subcontracting, labour cost can also be decreased because temporary workers pay rate tends to be lower than direct workers. Contract workers usually complete tasks quickly because they are focus on specific areas and require little or no training. Through network and partnership, companies can get wider range of resources and information. Companies can also contribute its own strength to the same project in order to get the best result. Through partnership, companies can share risks on unknown or new areas and get a wide range of perspectives from experts. By learning from each other, companies can always follow the fast changing technology, product market and customer demand. Although there are so many fantastic advantages that attract organisations to move to post-bureaucracy, there are also concerns and problem associated with it, and most of the problems focus on subcontracting. The insufficient supply of skilled/suitable workers from contractors is a big problem for both contractors and client companies. Because of the insufficient supply, contractors may lose clients and get bad reputation; while for client companies, without these required workers, tasks cannot be completed. This insufficient supply mainly due to that temporary workers tend to move towards best pay and benefit provision. This phenomenon may also lead to companies restrain training programs. Through subcontracting, there is a danger that products/services may be provided in poor quality because of the limited control by client companies. In addition, many people complained about the imbalanced treatment between core workers and periphery workers. Generally speaking, on the aspects of pay rate, benefit package, training provision and job security, periphery workers are in worse condition compared with situation for core workers. Whats more, segmentation of workforce is also hard for government and unions to organise and regulate. According to the concerns and problems mentioned above, post-bureaucracy still has a long way to improve. Solutions can be provided based on the problems. Government and unions can make special rules for those labour; companies can keep several contractors instead of one in order to get needed workers all the time; client companies and contractors can try to balance core workers and temporary workers pay and benefit package together; and client companies can assign certain people from own companies to supervise subcontracting workers work, and make sure they are in good quality.

Dramatic Devices in A J.B.Priestley’s play, An Inspector Calls :: English Literature

Dramatic Devices in An Inspector Calls Essay This book â€Å"The Inspector calls† is a gripping drama written by J.B Priesly, it deals with the many problems in the world from famine, how minorities were treated and the underclass people. It also shows Priesly’s view on the homeless and the poor. He served in the first world war and believed that the world should of learned from it’s mistakes but as it turns out it did not and that angered him. So after the Second World War he wrote the book â€Å"Inspector calls†. This book uses the device of dramatic irany to portray his characters as not so clever and somewhat fools. It also has a lot of twist’s and turns and cliff hangers. The reason this book is successful good on stage is that Priesly has a good use of mystery and suspense in the book. Priesly uses the convention of a detective genre very well and also uses the whodunit element. All the family members in there own way are responsible for the death of Eva Smith. For example Sheila got her fired from the only good job that she could keep just because the hat looked better on her and she thought that she was laughing at her. There was also Mr Birling who fired her because she was one of the ringleaders that started a strike for higher wages. Eric used her for just a good time, as did Gerald. Eric however got her pregnant and offered her money but she refused. When Eva Smith whent to the charity that Mrs Birlin worked at Eva Smith used the name Mrs Birlin which greatly angered the real Mrs Birlin who used her influence to not give money to Eva Smith. The play also uses dramatic irany well. For example when Mrs Birlin said â€Å"The father should be responsible for the baby† or when Mr Birlin says â€Å"The Titanic†¦.. absolutely unsinkable†. Priesly uses dramatic irany to make the readers or the audience laugh and portray the characters as dim witted. Some more of the devices that made the play successful on stage are the cliff hangers at the end of the scenes or the acts are successful and entertaining. Some of the better cliff hangers that seemed good are when at the end of the scene the Inspector is telling everyone that they indeed had some part to play in the death of Eva Smith. The reason it’s so effective is that it’s a clever cliff hanger that seems to keep people hooked on what the family members have to do with the

8 C’s of business letter Essay

Clarity The first element of all business letters is that they should be clear. This includes the purpose of the letter and words used within the text. Clearly state your point near the beginning to allow the reader a clear understanding of the letter’s purpose. Conciseness Avoid using extra words in a business letter. The element of conciseness refers to stating an idea in the fewest words possible. Don’t add superfluous information or extra words to fill space. Simply state the information that’s important and pertinent, and leave it at that. Consideration A business letter should also be considerate. This element is important because you must think about the reader and his feelings and point of view. Make the letter about him and not you. Courtesy   Business letters should show respect to the reader and should demonstrate the writer’s personal respect for the reader and the company he works for. Concreteness Concreteness refers to using vivid wording within the letter that appeals to the reader’s senses. If a business letter is dull, the reader may skim through, missing important points. Cheerfulness When writing a business letter, demonstrate a positive attitude that expresses joy and cheer. Correctness A business letter must always be accurate. This means ensuring every word within the document contains accurate facts and figures. This includes proofreading the letter to check for grammar and spelling mistakes. Character Every business letter should show a bit of uniqueness from the writer. This gives the letter character and may make it more interesting. The Importance of Good Business Letter Format The basic business letter format is the same across a range of industries, with few variations for content and style. The letter should be left-aligned, single-spaced with a one-inch margin and a standard 11- or 12-point type size. The top line below the letterhead should be the month, day and year, followed by one line of space and the address of the recipient. Place one line of space after the recipient’s address and use a simple, professional greeting, followed by a colon and another line of space. Each following paragraph should be separated by a line. Insert one line after the last paragraph, followed by a closing and a comma; leave four lines of space for your signature, and type your name and title. Professionalism A well-formatted letter conveys an immediate sense of professionalism to the reader, particularly if it is printed on quality paper and folded neatly. It lets the recipient know that you took the time to craft a letter carefully, even before he reads the content. When it comes time to follow up, the reader will know where to look for the pertinent information, such as the date and return address. Communication Knowledge When you use the accepted format for a business letter, it lets the reader know that you have a basic understanding of standard business communication practices. A poorly formatted letter, on the other hand, sends an immediate message to the recipient that you do not have the knowledge or you view the communication as informal; as a result, the content might not get the attention it deserves. Showcases Content When writing a business letter, your main objective is to get a message across; the design of the letter itself should fade into the background. By using an improper letter layout, you immediately draw attention to the format rather than the message. By following the standard guidelines for the paragraph content — introducing your point and providing immediate support — you build your case quickly and concisely, making it easy for the reader to focus on the letter itself. Business letters are the unique form of business communication with all the stake holders of the company. The stakeholders include all those who are interested in the running of an enterprise. The business letters are used to convince these stakeholders or persuading them to agree with the writer regarding the topic under discussion. These letters are written as a way of persuading the customers or clients to accept the contract or proposal or enter into an agreement. It is a modern way of communication between both the parties. This is a method winning a contract or bringing business to an organization. A well-written and formatted letter represents the business identity as well as conveys the professionalism of a company. Formats and variation of business letter Proper Business Letter Formats Business letters in the United States, use four common letter formats. Variations differ for other countries such as the date is composed in another style. All proper business letter formats are acceptable but the block is more common. Block Letter Format: The common block letter format is formatted with all of your text flush with the left margin. Paragraphs are doubled spaced and all line text single spaced. The margins are a standard word processor setting of one inch. (see the image of Block Letter Format). Semi-block Letter Format: For the semi-block, the only difference between the semi and alternative block is as opposed to have the body text justified left, the first line of each paragraph is indented. Alternative Block Letter Format: The alternative block letter format moves the return address, date, closing, name, title and signature to the left side of the page. Simplified Letter Format: This format takes the same properties of the block letter with one exception, the greeting or salutation is eliminated. This is a helpful format when you don’t know the recipient’s gender is male or female, or Mrs. or Miss.

How to Write an Essay in APA format According to Structure

How to Write an Essay in APA format According to Structure An Essay in APA Format: Writing Tips Eventually, every college student faces one of the scariest writing assignments - writing an essay in APA format. From the first look, it seems like a daunting and time-consuming task, especially if you usually write your essays in a different style. However, this writing challenge is not as difficult as you may think. Learn the basics of APA before starting your essay and use our tips to format your essay properly. How to Write an Essay in APA Format You can find below advice that will be useful while preparing your essay. Do not be afraid to start writing an essay in APA format. Everything you need to know is gathered here. To write a great essay using APA format, you need to understand what is APA format. It is official publication style of the American Psychological Association. Usually, essays in this style are used in social sciences. This style of writing requires specific structure, as well as spacing and margins. Keep in mind that your teacher has strict requirements for the format of your essay, so do not gloss over it. Otherwise, you will lose some points. Guidelines to this format have pretty clear demands to formatting, however, always check instructions of your teacher. They may include some specific requirements. Lets dig into basics of APA format: Margins of the essay should be identical, preferably one-inch at each side of the paper. Your essay should have double spaces. Do not forget to add running head on every page at the top left (running head should be maximum 50 characters and include the shortened title of your essay). Add page number in the top right corner. Title page of your paper has been formatted in APA style. Crucial elements of your title page are the title of your essay, your name, and school affiliation. Add additional information if it is required in your teachers instructions (usually, course title, the name of the teacher and the date). Make sure that title is brief and clear. Also, it should define what your essay is about. The title of your essay should be 12 words maximum. One of the important components of the essay in APA format is a reference list. It should be located at the end of your paper and consist list of the sources that you cited in the paper. List reference list alphabetically. Font recommended to usage by American Psychological Association is Times New Roman size 12. Please keep in mind, that instructions of your teacher may be different! The structure of the essay in APA format is standard: title page; abstract; introduction; body; conclusion; reference sections. Writing an essay in APA format is a time-consuming but interesting task. If you learn our tips and be careful while writing your essay, you will get the desired grade. Remember that only practice makes perfect. Do not be afraid of challenging tasks and good luck!

Top 5 ACT Reading Strategies

Top 5 ACT Reading Strategies The ACT Reading test is, to many of you students out there, the most difficult of the three  multiple-choice tests on the exam. It contains four passages of approximately 90 lines in length with 10 multiple-choice questions following each passage. Since you only have 35 minutes to read each passage and answer the questions, its necessary that you use some ACT Reading strategies to boost your score. Otherwise, your scores will land somewhere in the teens, which is not going to help you get a scholarship. Time Yourself You will not be able to have your cell phone during the test, so bring a watch that has a silent timer, silent being the key word. Since youll be answering 40 questions in 35 minutes (and reading the passages that go along with them) youll need to pace yourself. Some students who take the ACT Reading test have reported only being able to finish two of the four passages because they took too long to read and answer. Keep an eye on that watch! Read the Easiest Passage First The four ACT Reading passages will always be arranged in this set order: Prose Fiction, Social Science, Humanities, and Natural Science. However, this doesnt mean that you have to read the passages in that order. Choose the passage thats easiest to read first. For instance, if you happen to like stories, then go with Prose Fiction. If youre a little more scientific-minded, then choose Natural Science. Youll have an easier time answering questions about a passage that interests you, and doing something right builds your confidence and sets up you for success in the next passages. Success always equals a higher score! Underline and Summarize When youre reading the passages, be sure to quickly underline important nouns and verbs as you read and jot down a brief summary of each paragraph (as in two-three words) in the margin. Underlining important nouns and verbs not only helps you remember what youve read, it also gives you a specific place to refer to when youre answering the questions. Summarizing is key to understanding the passages in their entirety. Plus, it allows you to answer those What was the main idea of paragraph 1? types of questions in a flash. Cover The Answers If youve gotten the gist of the passage, then rely on your memory a little bit and cover up the answers to the questions when you read them. Why? You may just come up with the right answer to the question and can find the match inside the answer choices. Since ACT writers include tricky answer choices to test your reading comprehension (a.k.a. distractors), the wrong answer choices can often trip you up. If youve thought of the correct answer in your head before reading them through, youll have a higher likelihood of guessing correctly. Review Reading Basics You will be tested on whether or not you can find the main idea, understand vocabulary in context, detect the authors purpose, and make an inference. Youll also need to be able to quickly and accurately find details inside the paragraphs, kind of like a word search! So, before you take the ACT Reading test, be sure to review and practice those reading concepts. Youll be glad you did! Summary Practicing with ACT Reading strategies is key for successful usage. Do not go blind into the test. Practice these reading strategies at home with some practice exams (purchased in a book or online), so you have them firmly under your belt. Its much easier to answer questions when youre not being timed, so master them before you get to the testing center. Good luck!

What educational position needs to be made for boys with autism in Literature review

What educational position needs to be made for boys with autism in Saudi Arabia - Literature review Example This paper gives an insight into the present educational support available for the autistic children, with a special focus on the special education programs for such students in Saudi Arabia. This paper also makes a review of the studies that explored the teachers' perspectives regarding the integrative model for students with autism. To achieve better results from the various special education programs and therapies, the general and special educators, the parents of children with autism, the policymakers, and other associated professionals should bear in mind the various critical peripherals of an effective educational program for the autistic children, within the present educational system of the kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Autism a form of developmental disorder that makes an appearance in an individual during the first 3 years of his life, and â€Å"affects the brain's normal development of social and communication skills† (PubMedHealth, Autism, 2010). This disorder, which is associated with impairment in the neural development, is characterized by faulty social and communicating skills, and in the perceived stereotyped and restricted behaviours of a child. Autism influences the information processing within the human brain that occurs due to the changes in the structure, organisation, and connection, of the nerve cells and the synapses (Levy, Mandell, and Schultz, 2009, par. Neurobiology). ... This  disorder, which is associated with impairment in the neural development,  is characterized by faulty social and  communicating skills, and in the perceived stereotyped and restricted behaviours of a child. Autism influences the information processing within the  human brain that occurs due to the changes in the structure, organisation, and connection, of the nerve cells and the  synapses (Levy, Mandell, and Schultz,  2009, par. Neurobiology). Autism is a part of the Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASDs) that includes three clinically recognised disorders. These are: Autism; Asperger syndrome that shows the same characteristics as Autism, but is less severe in the sense that the child shows no impairment in cognitive and language development; and  Pervasive Developmental Disorder-Not Otherwise Specified  (or PDD-NOS). The PDD-NOS is diagnosed, after all the standard diagnoses tests for Autism and Asperger Syndrome have failed to meet the required criteria (Johnson, C., Scott M., and the Council on Children with Disabilities, 2007, 1183-1186). Autism can be defined as a disorder of the â€Å"affective contact, as an organic dysfunction of biological origin, and as a neurological or brain disorder† (Marwick, Dunlop and MacKay, 2005, 8). This disorder vitiates the functional abilities of a child to form appropriate social relations, and communicate effectively with those around him, while also failing to answer correctly to an external stimulus. The exact nature of the cause of this disorder still remains unknown, though many scientific papers suggest that Autism may originate from genetic mutations that take place within the human body. However, there are no clarifications, whether this disorder results from the rare pairings of some

Business Law Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 16

Business Law - Essay Example One such case referred in the article was decided in 1991 at California in which a developer named Mark Borough California, Inc. litigated against consulting engineers. These engineers designed an artificial lake but its liner failed and therefore a $5 million amount was claimed against the engineers. So the engineers took the position that the contractual agreement involved the limitation of liability clause that restricted their liability to their fee earned on the project i.e., $67,640 and the trial court accorded with the engineers. Succeeding cases endorsing ‘LOL’ include Valhal Corp. v. Sullivan Associates, Inc., Union Oil Company of California v. John Brown E&C,., and R1 Associates, Inc., v. Goldberg-Zoino & Associates, Inc. Although such cases also exist where the claim was overturned by the court, for instance Ricciardi v. Frank. This case was settled in New York city in which a house owner litigated for the failure in problem identification in the water encroac hment in the basement. The LOL clause constrained the liability of engineers in this case to only an amount of $375 but in this case the clause was ruled to be as invalid as it didn’t entailed the option for the house owner to buy complete protection and the clause was provided in the inspection report after the inspection had been done (Fishman, 2011). The article provided the ways to increase the chances of enforcement of this clause. It has been presented that if the clause has been inserted into by parties having equal strength to bargain, and its drafting has been clarified, it will lead to enforcement unless the state law contrary to this clause exist or it has been decided that the clause enforcement had been unconscionable. The article recommends negotiation of the LOL clause among the two parties. The limitation offered on the liability should be equitable. The article offered