Irony In The Canterbury Tales Essay

Chaucer’s Use of Irony in The Canterbury Tales In The Canterbury Tales, Geoffrey Chaucer aggregates a blend of stories on a journey into a non-literal delineation of the medieval society in which he lived. Chaucer’s stories have a punch and flair, which, to a normal peruser, appear to be unprecedented to the run of the mill medieval essayist, making his story progressively superb. Certain things represent this style, particularly the author’s utilization of incongruity. A significant number of Chaucer’s characters are amusing as in they are so distant from what one would expect in the jobs they delineate, and furthermore the way that they are overwhelming. Each character has his unmistakable character with his own conduct qualities. Chaucer likewise utilizes incongruity in his silliness, with its startling quality and haphazardness. The spouse of Bath is a prime case of one of Chaucer’s characters who is overwhelming. She clearly isn't what one would expect of a moderately affluent lady in her time. Her infamous characteristics, for example, having five spouses, yet in addition wedding a greater part of them for riches and cash stick in the brain with their unexpected variation from the norm and shocking undertones: â€Å"ËÅ"Johnny and Dame Alice And I myself, in the fields we went My significant other was in London such Lent; even more diversion for me†Ã¢â‚¬ I just mean The fun of seeing individuals and being seen By arrogant fellows; for how was I to know Where or what graces Fortune may bestow’. (273) Chaucer complements her unpredictable character in this passage by depicting her indiscriminate activities and her absence of uprightness. The spouse of Bath likewise shows incongruity in her activities by her requirement for authority over others, particularly her husbands. † â€Å"ËÅ"So help me God, I need to snicker by and large/Remembering how I made them work around evening time! /And confidence I set no store by it; no joy/It was to me’ (264)†. Here, the spouse of Bath portrays her mastery and authority over her past, old, rich husbands. She gives no indications of uprightness in her activities to win her spouses, and to truly take their cash from them. In view of these amusing, overwhelming qualities of the spouse of Bath, she is a character that permits the peruser to allegorically build up a close connection with her. She sticks in the reader’s mind, and is a character who is recalled everlastingly because of her unforeseen ways and misrepresented attributes. The Friar is additionally an amusing character in his uniqueness and unexpectedâ traits. Some portion of this incongruity is because of the tremendous measure of debasement the minister has. â€Å"He’d repaired numerous a marriage, giving each/Of his young ladies what he could bear the cost of her. /He was an honorable column to his Order (8)†. In this statement, the suddenness thoroughly catches the peruser off guard he discovers that the Friar really impregnates ladies and afterward weds them to men. This is a perfect statement to show Chaucer’s additional style in his accounts, adding to the intrigue of the peruser. As the friar’s overwhelming attributes are uncovered, a psychological picture creates, to as though the peruser is in the story. â€Å"Sweetly he heard his penitents at confession/With charming exoneration, for a blessing/He was a simple man in repentance giving/Where he could would like to get by (9)†. Here, it is seen that the mini ster is a common man who places cash at a high need in his life. Incidentally, he took the pledges of virtuousness, neediness, and dutifulness, and despicably breaks every one of the three promises. One of the most incidentally degenerate characters in the book is the Prioress. All through her story and the preamble, Chaucer depicts her as somebody totally not quite the same as what she ought to be as per her employment as a religious woman. As a matter of first importance, the Prioress’ qualities and activities cause it to create the impression that she is going on the journey not on account of her adoration and regard for God, however rather to go and to go on an undertaking. â€Å"She surely was engaging/Pleasant and amicable in her manners, and stressing/To fake an elegant sort of beauty,/A masterful bearing fitting to her place,/And to appear to be stately in the entirety of her dealings (6-7)†. This shows the Prioress is faking her character, falsifying her actual motivation behind being on the journey. Additionally, the Prioress is one of the most contemptuous characters in the entire story. In the Prioress’ story, she continually expresses her enemy of Semitic view towards Jews, inferring that the best Jewish individual is a dead Jewish individual. The unexpected part is that the Prioress ought to be a mindful, cherishing individual, for she is a sacred delegate of God on earth. For some odd reason, the Prioress gets panicked at seeing a hurt creature yet could think less about Jewish individuals. â€Å"She used to sob on the off chance that she yet observed a mouse/Caught in a snare, in the event that it were dead or dying (7)†. By and large, the Prioress is one of Chaucer’s most unexpected characters in his story, and her activities appear to be random to the employment of being a cloister adherent. Chaucer oftentimes and effectively utilizes amusing funniness to add to the punch of the story. Since the cleverness is startling and creative, it draws from the peruser a longing and enthusiasm to peruse on. The tale of Chanticleer and Pertelote gives a perfect delineation of Chaucer’s humor. † â€Å"ËÅ"For shame,’ she stated, â€Å"ëÅ"you tentative poltroon! /Alas, what weakness! By God above,/You’ve relinquished my heart and lost my adoration. /I can't cherish a defeatist, come what may’ (216-17)†. Here, it is amusingly entertaining to have creatures depicting human characteristics, yet additionally to make a circumstance that is similar to a hitched couple taking a seat at the morning meal table quibbling. The funniness is legitimately presented to the peruser because of the startling being brought to words, blended in with a hint of preposterousness of the circumstance. The funny incongruity is that the wedded couple is really a chicke n and a hen. By utilizing such scenes, Chaucer adds to his story another turn that makes it all the more satisfying and diverting to peruse. The irregularity of some of Chaucer’s stories additionally adds to the funniness of the story. For example, it is interesting to consider the haphazardness of the miller’s story and the inventive psyche one must need to think of such a disordered and funny story. The miller’s story is so complicatedly bound with plays on words, sexual jokes, ignoble explanations, that it includes an interesting clever side of Chaucer to the story. Between the moronic craftsman, and the shocked Absolon, grimy scenes are portrayed, adding to Chaucer’s silly style. All things considered, the irregularity in Chaucer’s inventive and uncommon comic stories is related with incongruity because of the way that the accounts are so sudden. The unexpected and unforeseen qualities of some of Chaucer’s amusing scenes make the peruser giggle, become flushed, smile, and laugh. â€Å"He lay there blacking out, pale underneath his tan;/His arm in falling had been broken double†Ã¢ ¦ They told the town/That he was distraught, there’d got into his blood/Some kind of hogwash about â€Å"ËÅ"Nowel’s Flood (105)†. Here, when the woodworker tumbles from the roof in his contraption to spare his life and his wife’s, it is perceived how really arbitrary and sudden Chaucer can be. By and large, incongruity adds quality and decent variety to Chaucer’s story, making his compositions increasingly effective. Incongruity joined with Chaucer’s creative mind, wit,â humor, and knowledge makes The Canterbury Tales effective and intriguing to the peruser. This incongruity introduced in Chaucer’s characters and his silliness assists with increasing Chaucer’s compositions. Indisputably, the genuine achievement of the story depends in the amazing astuteness of Chaucer. Be that as it may, the absence of Chaucer’s utilization of incongruity would make the assemblage of stories a lot more blunt and less special. Along these lines, the incongruity in the story includes power, and it takes into consideration Chaucer to build his mind-boggling accomplishment with his perusers.

History of English Literature :: Literature Language Plays Essays

History of English Literature I. Presentation English writing, writing written in English since c.1450 by the occupants of the British Isles; it was during the fifteenth penny. that the English language gained quite a bit of its cutting edge structure. II. The Tudors and the Elizabethan Age The start of the Tudor tradition corresponded with the primary scattering of printed matter. William Caxton's press was built up in 1476, just nine years before the start of Henry VII's rule. Caxton's accomplishment supported composition of various sorts and furthermore affected the normalization of the English language. The early Tudor time frame, especially the rule of Henry VIII, was set apart by a break with the Roman Catholic Church and a debilitating of medieval ties, which realized a tremendous increment in the intensity of the government. More grounded political associations with the Continent were additionally evolved, expanding England's introduction to Renaissance culture. Humanism turned into the most significant power in English abstract and scholarly life, both in its limited senseâ€the study and impersonation of the Latin classicsâ€and in its expansive senseâ€the assertion of the common, notwithstanding the supernatural, worries of individuals. These powers created during the rule (1558â€1603) of Elizabeth I one of the most productive times in artistic history. The vitality of England's journalists coordinated that of its sailors and traders. Records by men, for example, Richard Hakluyt, Samuel Purchas, and Sir Walter Raleigh were excitedly perused. The exercises and writing of the Elizabethans mirrored another patriotism, which communicated additionally in progress of recorders (John Stow, Raphael Holinshed, and others), antiquarians, and interpreters and even in political and strict tracts. A bunch of new sorts, topics, and thoughts were consolidated into English writing. Italian graceful structures, particularly the piece, became models for English artists. Sir Thomas Wyatt was the best sonneteer among early Tudor writers, and was, with Henry Howard, duke of Surrey, a fundamental impact. Tottel's Miscellany (1557) was the first and generally famous of numerous assortments of test verse by various, frequently unknown, hands. A shared objective of these writers was to make English as adaptable a beautiful instrument as Italian. Among the more conspicuous of this gathering were Thomas Churchyard, George Gascoigne, and Edward de Vere, duke of Oxford. A goal-oriented and persuasive work was A Mirror for Magistrates (1559), a recorded stanza story by a few writers that refreshed the medieval perspective on history and the ethics to be drawn from it. The writer who best blended the thoughts and inclinations of the English Renaissance was Edmund Spenser.

Im only happy when it rains.

I’m only happy when it rains. So, we had this great idea of going to Shakespeare on the Common, a free Shakespeare production that they put on every summer down at Boston Common. Its a scenic walk about thirty minutes from MIT, the sun was shining, birds were chirping, the Red Sox were winning, so, I figured, sure, what could go wrong if we headed down to the Common to see it? On the way, we stopped at The Wrap, a local Boston fast food chain which give. As a purveyor of primarily wrapped items, theyre even nice enough to give you directions on consuming their food, which we all ignored, but I still appreciate the idea. I got a veggie burrito with mango salsa, which was pretty much the first delicious meal Ive had from a restaurant since I started this awful, misguided experiment in temporary vegetarianism. Anyway, we took the wraps (and nutella milkshakes) down to the park, set out Ruths blanket (a family heirloom), and settled into a nice picnic in Boston Common. Last year, the Commonwealth Shakespeare Company did a pretty good production of As You Like It, but I must confess that I had a hard time following the plot. This time, the company was doing a production of Hamlet, starring Jeffrey Donovan from Hitch and Book of Shadows: Blair Witch 2. Really! I actually studied Hamlet fairly closely in 21L.009 Shakespeare my Freshman year, so I was I excited to finally see a live version. Now, I learned from Professor Donaldson that Hamlet is Shakespeares most difficult play, as well as the greatest thing ever written in the English language, nobody has ever even come close to understanding it, and there has never been an acceptable production done by anybody, except for this one Russian film version with a lot of broken crosses that nobody has ever seen except Professor Donaldson. So, actually, the class didnt prepare me at all to analyze this production, but I did make a B+ on the major paper, so I figure I must have learned something. Perhaps Boo k-A-Minute gives the most insightful analysis of all. The production was pretty good, but not really inspiring. A lot of the soliloquies felt like the actors were basically just reciting Shakespeares words, although Hamlet himself did make a clear effort to apply more modern speech patterns to the plays text. They also had some well-engineered puppetry going on with the ghosts freakishly long arms, waving, waving, waving frantically about on the barren, abstract set. Also, the play got rained out right after *SPOILER* Poloniuss death, so we never got to see the ending where *SPOILER* everybody else dies. There was also a huge wading pool in front of the stage, which was necessary for that crucial scene where Hamlet, feigning madness, wanders out in front of Rosencrantz and Guildenstern with an inflatable pool toy, swims around for a while, and then starts suntanning. This also served as a terrible electrocution hazard during the play-ending thunderstorm. Still, I cant complain too muchthe price was right, and Id probably even be enticed to go see a Clay Aiken concert if it were free and staged in Boston Common. Certainly, this was several orders of magnitude more entertaining, not to mention more enlightening, than a Clay Aiken concert would be. Youre not allowed to take pictures of the production for the safety of the actors, so heres a bunch of shots of us making scary faces. Ruth 07 is watching you with her freakish giant eyes. Jon 06 is a quiet serial killer. Brian 06 is a manic serial killer. Me, eating dinner, cheerfully. Beckett 06 is so unbelievably scary that my camera would break if it focused on him. Jon 06, left, insisted on posing for every picture I took of him for fear that I would take a terrible picture and then post it on the internet. He also pretended that he doesnt know anything about this blog even though I know he reads it because I installed StatCounter last week and I keep getting hits from PLP-FIFTY-FIVE. Hi Jon 06! Hope you like this picture! After the torrent, Ruth and I were getting off the T when we simultaneously wondered whether the Starbucks in Kendall Square was open at 10:32 PM at night. Answer: nope, Chester. I knew from experience last week that Dunkin Donuts coffee would be subpar (they use solid sugar rather than a sugar syrup [like Starbucks] and it does not dissolve as well, making inferior iced coffee info courtesy Spencer 07), plus Ruth really loves her some frappuccino, so we decided to get right back on the T and backtrack past Boston Common to Newbury Street, where we found a Starbucks ready to close in about 3 minutes. We wanted to take a picture of ourselves at the cash register to prove our devotion to overpriced non-Fair Trade coffee, but the barrista quickly told us that its actually against Starbucks company policy to take pictures in the store. I joked that it was probably because of trade secrets or something (cappuccino machine design?) but then the barrista instantly became serious and told us harshly that youre not allowed to photograph the interior of a Starbucks for security reasons. Now, I know that sometimes the police get upset if you take photographs of, like, the entrances to government buildings or something, especially during the DNC, but seriously, this is not exactly a government facility, this is a tiny little Starbucks near the end of Bostons most enchanting street. So, the moral of the story is screw you, Starbucks. Anyway, we got a picture outside, and although were smiling, you can see the rage in our eyes. Oh, how we seethe, how we seethe even now. With nothing else to do, we capped off the evening by strolling into the nearby Virgin Megastore. Here, we took this picture: These were sitting on the discount CD table and cost one dollar each. Because the discount table is right in front of the cash register, we decided to take the CDs over to the clothing section in case its illegal to take pictures in a Virgin Megastore too. I was a little worried that the cashier would see us taking off with them and reprimand us for trying to steal merchandise. Oh, wait, thats right, we would be stealing Carrie Underwoods debut single. Who would steal Carrie Underwoods debut single? No, really. DID YOU KNOW? Kentucky, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, and Virginia are the only four states which are commonwealths. Edit for Eric: From a government perspective, it actually means absolutely nothing for a US State to be a commonwealth. Philosophically, the government of a commonwealth should be based on the common consent of the people, an idea dating to Oliver Cromwells rule in seventeenth-century England. However, the idea is quite outdated these days.

The Origins Of The Oldest Civilization - 1233 Words

The oldest civilization was in Mesopotamia between two rivers. Mesopotamia means â€Å"the land between the rivers.† Hence the name, Mesopotamia is found in the Fertile Crescent between the Tigris and the Euphrates Rivers, which is now known as Iraq. Since the land was very fertile in Mesopotamia, the crops grew incredibly well and that helped lead to the development of civilizations. Mesopotamia had eight civilizations: Sumer, Akkad, Babylon, Hittites, Assyria, New Babylon, Phoenicians, and Israel. Sumer lasted from 3200 b.c. until 1900 b.c. Sumer was ruled by a king who had the responsibility of maintaining the city walls and the irrigation systems. Once the king passes, his power is then passed down to the next eligible son in the family which is known as hereditary rule. Sumer was a Theocracy, meaning that the religious leaders were in charge of the government and ruling system. The officials or ruler of Sumer kept records, led armies into war, enforced laws, and collect ed taxes. The people of Sumer were Polytheistic; they believed in many gods. There was also a large religious stepped platform dedicated to every city-state’s chief god or goddess named Ziggurat. Sumerians came up with the style of Cuneiform writing and in addition they used a system of pictographs for communication. This helped them document and keep records. They also had ideas and theories of Astronomy and math. Sumer farmed and traded and it had the world’s first cities, Ur, Uruk, and Babylon. Overall ,Show MoreRelatedA Study On Cheikh Anata Diop956 Words   |  4 Pagesideas on the origins of Egyptian civilization. Throughout his work, the main themes of Dr. Diop s work was that Egypt was the center of a vast network linking Africa s main cultures and languages and that it was the product of cultural influences from the African heartland. Therefore, the originators of classical Egyptian civilization were not Mediterranean whites nor Asiatic invaders as euro-centr ic scholars claim, but black-skinned, indigenous Africans. Secondly, Greek civilization and by extensionRead MoreInformative Speech On Tattoos1286 Words   |  6 Pages Tattooing is a body modification practice used for centuries across the globe. Because of the multiple origins of tattoos, there are several techniques and countless styles. Every tattoo is unique in meaning to the person that receives it, though often they can fit into generalized categories. Tattoos have fallen in and out of popularity over the course of history, though they have never and most likely will never disappear. II. Specific Purpose and Need to Know: According to WrittenRead MoreFrom the Great Wall to the Pyramids1154 Words   |  5 PagesFrom the Great Wall to the Pyramids The Great Wall of China and the Egyptian Pyramids are both Manmade Wonders of the World and belong to two of the oldest civilizations. Ancient Egypt and ancient China both have history that date back over 4,000 years ago, and though the two civilizations co-existed simultaneously with one another, there were little contact between the two. Yet apart from some underlying differences, there are many similarities between the two cultures as is highlighted when examiningRead MoreThe Origins Of Judaism, Christianity And Islam Essay1345 Words   |  6 PagesThe origins of Judaism, Christianity and Islam happened within an area of the world that was the center of all nations; the Middle East. These faiths have a core religious belief system that includes religious writings, holy sites and figures. The religion of the Jewish people is referred to as Judaism and is considered one of the oldest religions, beginning over 4,000 years ago in an area of land called Mesopotamia. Abraham, known to the Jews as the father of their faith, entered the land ofRead MoreHinduism and Buddhism: History and Modern Appeal1696 Words   |  7 Pagesworld’s oldest and most established religions, Hinduism and Buddhism have their similarities, as well as differences. Both religions are practiced in Southeast Asia, starting in India and have influenced each other. Hinduism dates back to 5,000 years ago, while Buddhism was created three centuries ago. I will explore what the two religions share and what separates the two from one another covering the origins, number of followers, the texts used, and the belief system followed. Origin of HinduismRead MoreThe Origin Of The Firearm1532 Words   |  7 PagesBefore the discussion begins on the creation of the firearm, its evolution and its overall contribution to war and combat, we must acknowledge its very origins; gunpowder. The origins of gunpowder trace back to the nation of China, it â€Å"ironically was created in the quest for immortality/around A.D. 850† (Whipps, â€Å"How Gunpowder Changed the World†). Though it was intended for an alternative purpose, this newfound explosive powder was soon incorporated into China s weaponry and also became the leadingRead MoreEast211 Ch 1 Notes1633 Words   |  7 PagesWarm, wet climate good for rice cultivation ââ€" ª Raising of dogs o North China ââ€" ª Millet cultivation 2 accounts of the origins of Chinese civilization †¢ 1) The nuclear area thesis (Kwang-chih Chang,1960’s) o Oldest modern narrative o Argues that Chinese civilization originated from a single culture of millet farmers (Yangshao culture) in the North China Plains. Around 5000 B.C.E. they radiated outwards ââ€" ª ScholarsRead MoreThe Start Of A New Beginning1449 Words   |  6 PagesThe Start of a New Beginning Civilization is a term well known by Historians, it is one of the bases of understanding how things came to be. Western Civilization is considered the a turning point in history. It was the beginning of something new that affected life as we know it today. I however believe that the people of this time were more colonized rather than civilized. I say this because of how we see it as how barbaric it was compared to how we live our lives. The way the people came togetherRead MoreHome Sweet Homebrew Essay1461 Words   |  6 PagesBelieved discovered purely by accident, beer has played a huge role in the history of human civilization. In early civilizations, beer was used as a safe source of water and other nutrients and in later years consumed for reasons that are more social. Although the reasons for homebrewing beer have changed, the process has remained primarily the same. The oldest documentary evidence of beer brewing comes from Uruk in Mesopotamia and dates to about 3500 B.C.E.; found on clay tablets that tell theRead MoreDiversity in American Culture and Civilization1759 Words   |  7 Pagesï » ¿ Diversity in American Cultures Background Historically there is no civilization or American culture. In the territory of todays America before the Spanish conquest, there were culturally heterogeneous societies, in broad regional shared, throughout its history and with a variable duration, the influence of common civilizational horizons. Introduction The extraordinary cultural diversity inherited from the original American cultures and of the Spain of the three great religions joined

Why Does Income Inequality Exists - 1442 Words

- - - â€Å"WHY DOES INCOME INEQUALITY EXIST?† Submitted to: - Submitted by: - - - - 4. Why does income inequality exist? Income inequality, also known as economic inequality or wealth and income differences typically refers to inequality among individuals and society, but it can also refer to disparity among countries. There are many reasons for this phenomenon to happen within the societies, most of them are often inter-related. However, we could say that the most important factor that causes greater income inequalities are wages and salaries. The determination of wages by the market is a major cause of economic inequality. Wages work in the same way as price and by applying the law of supply and demand, the wage is†¦show more content†¦But having both parents at home couldn’t still guarantee equality either way. At worst, a person marries their peers which make it two professionals of the same job at home thus the two gets minimum wage if the situation calls for a lack of demand of their profession. Another cause of the existence of wealth and income differences is the wealth concent ration which is also known as wealth condensation. This refers to a theoretical process by which under certain conditions, newly-created wealth concentrate in the possession of the already-wealthy individuals in the society. As for example, those who have capabilities and rich can make investments and save up great fraction of their income thus, accumulating their chance of getting even richer. Another one is the use of family inheritance, and individual may receive wealth from their family and would be able to establish eventually his own business therefore increasing their income. Those who owns a business would earn more income and the workers or his employees make a lesser wage and therefore unable to build his own build his own to increase his income. Globalization is also a factor in income inequality. This term refers to the increasingly global relationships of culture, people, and economic activity. This contributes in theShow MoreRelatedWhy Does Income Inequality Exists?142 7 Words   |  6 Pages- - - â€Å"WHY DOES INCOME INEQUALITY EXIST?† Submitted to: - Submitted by: - - - - 4. Why does income inequality exist? Income inequality, also known as economic inequality or wealth and income differences typically refers to inequality among individuals and society, but it can also refer to disparity among countries. There are many reasons for this phenomenon to happen within the societies, most of them are often inter-related. However, we could say that the most important factor that causesRead MoreWhy The Income Inequality Affects The Health Of People Essay1695 Words   |  7 PagesIncome inequality also causes obesity however; we mostly blame individuals for being obese. Being obese can have a serious impact on mental and physical health. it is an illness that is associated with stereotypes. The biggest one is â€Å"if poor people become obese they cannot be not poor†. People in this mentality also exclude the structural and social conditions that cause illnesses such as obesity. Social life affects the health of people, especially the socioeconomic level. How much you earn monthlyRead M oreMicroeconomics : Income And The United States1702 Words   |  7 PagesMicroeconomics: Income Inequity in the United States No matter which country you would look into whether it’s from wealthier to those less wealthy countries through the eyes of economics, there are bound to be types of inequity within their borders. Inequity is a very crucial problem in the United States, you would think that our economy here in the states is booming, and the citizens are living life easy or without worry. Life is the United States isn’t as it seems, in fact, Inequity is in factRead MoreThe American Dream1560 Words   |  7 Pagesof the economic inequalities in the country and the world. People protested the â€Å"1%†, the top group of wealth owners in the country, and aimed for equality. The media even started to show the inequality between the 1 percent-ers and the rest of the population. The gap between the mega-rich and the rest clearly exists, but people rarely talk about the gap between gender, races, and all the inequalities at all levels of wealth. It is important to understand that a wea lth gap does exist between the richRead MoreThe Ambiguity Of Income Inequality1143 Words   |  5 PagesThe Ambiguity of Income Inequality Pundits say that income inequality has been one of the greatest downturns of our country’s growth and development, however a puzzle exists where economics and politics meet that does not make the solution to income inequality easy to find. Political leaders, economists, and bankers all agree that policies have appealed more to the interests of the governing class than those of the ordinary people. The comments surrounding this topic mostly stem from the strongRead MoreGlobalization Effect on Pakistan1531 Words   |  7 Pagesadvantage. For some other nations, globalization has not had such a positive influence. In certain parts of the world, it has led to a worsening of the economy, exploitation of labour, decrease in local production and worst of all, an increase in inequality. Pakistan is a developing country neighboring India and China. It is the 6th most populous nation in the world and has a population density of 212.4 people/km2 (MEAS 2010). It is made up of 4 provinces, each of which speaks different languagesRead MoreFinancial Gaps in Mexico and The Pearl by John Steinbeck756 Words   |  4 Pagesdiscussed in this paper (i.e., â€Å"To what extent is this financial gap in Mexico?† â€Å"Why does this gap exist?† and â€Å"What could we have done to prevent this gap?†) provide a basis of understanding of this topic. Although The Pearl was written in 1945, this paper will be focusing on these issues in present-day Mexico. The first goal of this paper will be to analyze the extent of this gap in Mexico. Economic inequality has become so apparent that poor criminals are kidnapping wealthy citizens for sumsRead MoreIs Inequity A Big Problem? The United States?1714 Words   |  7 Pagesa decent paying job. That is why throughout this paper I’ll be discussing why inequity is a big issue in the United States from how income is distributed through causes of income inequality, social status, and even how the government interventions is trying to alleviate income inequity. What is income inequality? First we must define what exactly income inequality really is and that is according to Definition of ‘Income Inequality’ (2015) said to be unequal income distributed to household or individualRead MoreCapital Analysis : Capital And Income Inequality Essay1743 Words   |  7 Pagesthe Twenty-First Century is written for all Economics scholars and Econ major students all over the world. Since the book is mainly talking about the wealth and income inequality in the United States and Europe since the 18th century, it is a great reference for scholars who is writing papers about wealth distribution and income inequality. In addition, since the book was announced to be made into a documentary movie, it will be an original reference for those who are interested in the movie. ThomasRead MoreWealth Inequality in the US with Sociological Viewpoints Essay1102 Words   |  5 PagesWhat is wealth inequality? â€Å"It is the difference between individuals or populations in the distribution of assets, wealth or income.† [1] In sociology, the term is social stratification and refers to â€Å"a system of structured social inequality† [2] where the inequality might be in power, resources, social standing/class or perceived worth. In the US, where a class system exist, (as opposed to caste or estate system) your place in the class system can be determined by your personal achievements. However

Olympic Games Free Essays

In the present age, sports are more and more popular over the world because it is not only a good way to leisure but also can help people to keep fit. So, the most famous sports party the Olympic games become more important in people’s lives. The Olympic games will be held evey four years and people all over the world will enjoy the glamor of sports during that time. We will write a custom essay sample on Olympic Games or any similar topic only for you Order Now Then, who will host the next Olympic games becomes very important and many countires want to host the Olympic games. London will host the 2012 Olympic games.The issue of which it is good or bad to be the national host becomes a hot issue. Some people assert that there are more advantasges than disadvantages to be the host. At the same tme, many people argue that it is bad for national host. In this essay, I will discuss the benefits and drawbacks for host nations in the last 20 years. Main body Some people support that there are more advantages than disadvantages give their reasons as follows. At first, it can improve the facilities of the host country.For example, the 2008 Beijing Olympic games, the main cities of Beijing, Shanghai, Tianjing, Hongkong, Qingdao, Shenyang have got a lot of benefits. These cities have built many sports centers and changed many old things to new. At second, it improve the financial income of the host country. During the Olympic period, people all over the world go to see Olympic games, it makes a sharp increase of the need of common day life commodities and services. The huge numbers of tourists increase the tourism of the country. At the same time, there will be many opportunities for investors to invest because the Olympic games. These are all increase the financial income of host country. At third, it also has positive effect on the economy of host country. As the statistics collected by Chinese government, from 2001 that has confirmed China would host the 2008 Olympic games to 2008, the direct effect on economy caused by Olympic games lead the GDP of China increased about 0. 3% to 0. 4% every year. The Olympic games is the most big world sports party until now, it needs best equipments and products to ensure success of Olympic games. So, the technology and products of host country will be better, it leads the operate structure and techlogy more efficiency. After that, the Olympic games can create more opportunities to find a job. As the Olympic games, the city will add more modern things to made the city more beautiful, so there will need a lot of people in different jobs, not only quantity but also quality. Moreover, it can improve people’s knowledges and people will be enthusiatic on sports. More and more people will be interested in sports, it is very good for people’s health.During Olympic, people must learn English to communicate with foreigners, it is very good. At last, it can show this country to the world and improve the status of the host country. During the Olympic games, people all over the world see games by TV, the world focus on the host country and city, people will know the country and it is intangible assets. Money cannot buy. The other side of coin argue that there are more drawbacks to host Olympic games. At first, the host country must bulid many sports centre and it will cost a lot of money.And these money can be used for other things. For example, the government spend 280 billions on 2008 Beijing Olympic games. If China had not host the Olmpic games, these money can be invested to West of China to make the people live more comfortable. After that, there are too many people in the host country during that period and it may harm the environment. Because there are so many people, there will be more rubbish than before, just like daily life commodities, the need of plastic bags and so on. People who smoking can harm the environment direcly.There are also many people travell around the host country, we cannot guarantee that everyone do not throw rubbish on floor. Moreover, after the Olympic games, the utilization of these sports centre and facilities that built for Olympic games will decrease. Some facilities are creat only for Olympic games will be waste and a research by China government has showed that the utilization has decreased more than a half after the 2008 Beijing Olympic games. As the experience of the last 20 years, it will cause inflation because of the increase of so many sports centre. Another reason can be that Olympic games will leads more pressure and stress on traffic. Because there are so many people, so there may be always traffic jam. At last, it will have a strength stress on employment after Olympic games. After Olympic games, some people will stay on their original job. However, most of them will find new job. Many people will be unemployment. Conclusion In a word, we can see there are both many benefits and drawbacks for host nations. In my opinion, I strongly commit to the notion that there are more benefits than drawbacks.To be a host, it must renew the host city and makes the city more beautiful and modern. They cycle of host country’s economy will be better and financial income will increase. It makes the GDP grow fast. The unemplyment rate decrease and more people have jobs. More people interested in sports because the impact of Olympic games. Olympic games can also increase the status of the host country. As the reasons, I think there are more advantages than disadvantages for host nations in the last 20 years. How to cite Olympic Games, Papers

ANWR Essay Example For Students

ANWR Essay Over the last thirty years the United States has been faced with the problem of dependence on foreign countries for oil and the tight control that these exercise on the energy policies and economics of America. Many of these instances include: the oil embargos of the 1970s, the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait in 1990, and the terrorist attack on the World Trade Center in 2001. Since the 1970s, one solution offered to reduce our nations dependence on foreign countries for oil has been opening up drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR). Proponents say that drilling in ANWR would make the United States more self-sufficient in the area of energy, while at the same time not doing excessive damage to the environment of the area. Opponents of drilling in ANWR cite the environmental problems of off-shore drilling and maintain that this land should be left alone and allowed to stand as an environmental wonder. Given that some environmental groups do not mind allowing technology to inv ade the environment when it profits them and given the threats of global terror and the ever-increasing dependence our nation has on foreign oil, I believe it is in the best interests of the United States to open up the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge for oil drilling. Before stating both sides of the argument, I would like to make two observations that I found interesting while researching from the book, Taking Sides. The first thing that I found interesting was that in an environmental science class and in an environmental science textbook, the two articles used to present the pros and cons of opening up oil drilling in ANWR were not written by environmentalists or scientists or even oil technology experts, but rather by an economist, a physicist and a lawyer. The second thing that ran through my head as I was reading both articles was the time at which both were written. To Drill or Not to Drill: Let the Environmentalist Decide, written by Dwight R. Lee, a professor of economics, and Fools Gold in Alaska, written by physicist Amory B. Lovins and lawyer L. Hunter Lovins, were both written in the months prior to the September eleventh terrorist attacks in the United States and the subsequent United States invasion of both Afghanistan and Iraq. As I read both articles, especially that of the Lovins, which opposes oil drilling in ANWR, I could not help but wonder if each of the three men would either have different views or in the case of Lee a different argument for his views, if they had to write their articles post 9/11. Another interesting fact about ANWR is that, ANWR is home to one of the worlds largest caribou herds as well as 200 other wildlife and plant species. (Cunningham, William P. Cunningham, Mary Ann and Saigo, Barbara, pg. 413)My argument in favor of opening up oil drilling in ANWR is based on two things: the questionable conclusions that the Lovins article draws from past energy policies and the latest factual and no-so factual data they had available to them at the time. I believe that given the world we live in today, the principles that the Lovins and other use to argue against oil drilling in ANWR can be applied to argue why oil drilling should be open in the tract of land in Alaska. By drilling for oil in Alaska the U.S. will become more self-efficient on fuel, and the opportunity for employment will cause the current unemployment rate to decrease. The drilling creates opportunities not only for oil companies, but also boating and airplane carriers. In the article, the Lovins write, In sum, even if drilling in the Artic Wildlife Refuge posed no environmental or human rights concerns, it still could not be justified on economic or security grounds. (Armory B. Lovins and L. Hunter Lovins, page 130) This may have been true when they wrote the article but the economics of the United States and the world have changed. They argue that the amount of oil in ANWR and the projected price per barrel for this oil would not generate enough of a profit to making drilling worth it. One part of this argument

Albinism Essays - Skin Pigmentation, Albinism, Free Essays

Albinism Essays - Skin Pigmentation, Albinism, Free Essays Albinism Albinism is a term used to describe people and animals that have little or no pigment in their eyes, skin, or hair. People with this condition have inherited genes that do not produce normal amounts of a pigment called melanin. It is equally common to all races and consists of two major classes. The first, Oculocutaneous albinism includes eyes, skin, and hair. Ocular, the second, involves mainly the eye. The oculocutaneous variety can be divided into 10 different types, the most common being ty-negative and ty-positive. Ty-negative leaves the person with no melanin pigmentation, hampers vision to a much more severe degree then ty-positive, and is caused by a genetic defect in the enzyme called tyrosinase. People with ty-positive will have very slight pigmentation and fewer vision problems. Ocular albinism may give the bearer slightly light hair and skin color, compared with the rest of their family, as well as the more obvious affects to their eye. The pigment loss may allow for involuntary back-and-forth movement of the eyes, crossed eyes, and sensitivity to bright light. Nerves going from the brain to the eye are not routed properly and have more never fibers crossing to the opposite side of the brain than normal. Both types of albinism are passed from parent to child and almost always require that both parents carry an albinism gene. This is referred to as autosomal recessive inheritance and the parents may have normal pigmentation, yet carry the gene and have a baby with albinism. A new test can now identify carriers of the gene for ty-negative and any other types where the tyrosinase enzyme doesnt function. A blood sample is used to determine if the gene is present by reading the DNA. X-linked inheritance differs from autosomal recessive inheritance, because only the mother carries the gene. The albinism gene is passed on the X chromosome from the mother to almost always her son. It can be recognized by ophthalmologist because of subtle eye changes. Albinism is unselective in race. Caucasians and non-Caucasians share this gene defect equally. One in 17,000 people have some type of albinism. In the autosomal recessive inheritance, if both parents carry the gene-yet neither have albinism, there is a one in four chance that the baby from each pregnancy will be born with albinism. Treatment of albinism consists primarily of visual rehabilitation. Surgery can be used to correct crossed eyes, but does not correct problem with the routing of nerves, so does not give binocular vision. Sensitivity to bright light can be combated with tints or sunglasses. Some specific optical aids, such as bifocals and magnifiers, are also very helpful to this condition. The affects of this disease are not reversible, however because it is a part of their genetic makeup and can only be help with some of these types of aids. Albinism is a very misunderstood condition and because of this children can have a tough childhood. They are prone to isolation due to the misunderstandings. People question there parenthood, possibly thinking that it is a mixed marriage and outcast them. They may face criticism and ridicule in the classroom. Other students will not be able to understand why they appear this way and deal with it the best way they know how, laughing, smirking, giggling, etc. Children with albinism may need special emotional support from both their parents and teachers. They should be included in all group activities as well, so they dont stand out.

International Dentists Insurance Company

International Dentists Insurance Company Introduction To maneuver a company to success the past, present and the future environment of the business must be reviewed regularly to avoid risks. The management should therefore create a risk management utility to handle possible risks that might affect the operations of the entity.Advertising We will write a custom report sample on International Dentists Insurance Company specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The case study company, The International Dentists Insurance Company (IDIC failed to do so and now it has to face the consequences since it is being faced with problems that it could have been solved if they were detected early. The Mega Insurance Company (MIC) has however offered to buy the company so as to save it from the eminent solvency. This is a dangerous move for MIC and therefore there is need for risk analysis to determine what risks face MIC if it buys IDIC. To begin with, if MIC buys IDIC half of its employees will ha ve to be laid off this is because MIC will be introducing a new system which is not familiar to the IDIC staff, IDIC filling system will also be changed and computer illiteracy is very high hence the IDIC staff will need a lot of training. Risk Management Process The Enterprise Risk Management (ERM) management process will be used for this report; it can be defined as the â€Å"process of aligning strategy, processes, people, technology and knowledge with a purpose of evaluating and managing the uncertainties the enterprise faces as it creates value† (Dempster, et, al, 2008). There are processes involved with this such as: risk identification, analysis, evaluation, risk treatment, monitoring and review, communication and content analysis. The approach has been chosen for this report, because it is a structured and comprehensive move towards risk management, instead of the traditional individual or â€Å"silo† approach to risk management (Bennett, ET, al, 2000). ERM als o endeavors to establish risk management in all important decisions all over the organization including understanding behavioral risks that can be conducted through a human resource (HR) audit. Risk Analysis of threats The first step in risk management is to identify the threats facing the normal operations of a company in order to identify how they will affect efficiency in the routine operations. The above issues create a threat for MIC as the laid-off employees will need compensation while those will stay behind will need new training on the new system.Advertising Looking for report on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More This will definitely cost MIC a large amount of capital, time and labour. Another threat is handling IDIC clients, MIC has to facilitate the change, and not all stakeholders will be willing to co-operate, IDIC records are kept in files hence MIC will need to access the clients inf ormation by reading through the files which is tedious, they will also need to change the data so as to incorporate it into their system and finally they have to contact the clients and explain to them the new policies of the company. In addition, MIC will need to change their system so as to accommodate the new employees, clients and information; and this therefore requires it to expand and upgrade their system. Integrating the employees into their system will also cause a security threat to MIC hence they will require proper management to prevent this from happening. IDIC had a broker insurance system therefore clients information could be accessed by other companies hence this posses a threat to MIC security system. All of the above threats make MIC vulnerable since these are complicated issues that require immediate solutions and resources too (Hubbard, 2009). Impact Analysis Laying 50% of IDIC employees will create a problem for MIC and the staff union; in previous occasions th is usually created a depressing image for a company due to the negative publicity which reduced the clients trust in it. Training the staff about the EPR system and the computer technology will be very tedious and as indicated above, it will need both human and capital resources. This will reduce productivity for a while since the employees will obviously be slow and also it will create a financial problem for the company. The outdated filing systems will be difficult to extract information from; such systems are characterized of missing some data, wrong data entry, and misplaced data among others: MIC will therefore need experts to get the information and arrange for it to be applicable. MLC will therefore have to solve the above issues with much care so that they will not adversely affect its operation which can be bad for business (Frenkel, ET, al, 2002). Risk Determination Operational risks Threats Impacts of threats Vulnerability Risk Level of risks and recommendations IT systems malfunction There could be system failures if changes are not well implemented. Impact on normal operations. Low production High-hire experts to install the new system Breach of security systems. Medium. Sharing databases with IDIC will be very risky because the systems are completely different. Impact on normal operations Corruption of databases Medium-enhance the security system Lack of cooperation from the MIC employees They highly determine the success of the operation. Impact normal operations Low productivity High-communicate to employees Union unrest and dispute resolution. The union will raise disputes and argue with MIC leading to legal issues. Impact MIC Bad publicity High Failure to introduce new procedures that fit in with the changes. The old procedures might work under the new system but not effectively. Impact normal operations It will lead to inefficiency Medium-introduce new procedures Loss of clients to competitors The bad publicity will cost MIC some clients. Impact normal operations Loss of revenues Medium-ensure that the system doesn’t affect the clients Changes in legislation There will be slight changes in employment and insurance laws. Impact on MIC Not significant Low-educate stakeholders about the new laws Loss of key personnel and their expertise IDIC might lose valuable employees to competitors due to the changes. Impact on operations. Loss of skilled labor Medium-give them enticing incentives Financial risks Threats Impact of threats Vulnerability Risk due to threats Risk level and recommendations Funds management and liquidity issues. .MIC will need a lot of financial resources to implement the changes. Impact on operations. Financial problems Medium-borrow loan from banks Change in revenues Due to loss of some clients revenues will fall. Business continuity Encourage clients to stay and acquire others too Medium-advertise their services and stability Impact of changes in the economy Low. T he changes might affect the general economy but very remotely. Impact on ability to meet general obligations. Not significant Low-acquire more clients Risk Management Plan Control Recommendations MIC needs to create some controls to manage these threats; the controls can be general for all or they can also be specialized according to the specific threat. The controls can also be assigned to specific limit or be handled by the company as a whole on the other hand, having specialists to handle them will be much easier faster, and more efficient. A team should be formed that should comprise of a team leader and the members. The members should be from all the departments affected: for example there should be an expert on computer systems, information management and data analysis, public relations officer, operations manager, legal issues manager, and human resource manager among others. The above experts will then appoint other people to whom they will delegate various responsibili ties to make the work easier. The experts will also ensure that the transition is done in an efficient way and also cost effectively. MIC should also assign resources to the team so that they can be able to execute their responsibilities. The computer systems expert will ensure that the security systems are functioning well and if need be, upgrade them. The expert will then organize the IDIC training by hiring the trainers and providing all the necessary resources through the management and then coordinate the activity so that it takes the least time but achieve the required results. The information management expert will co-ordinate the recovery of data from the IDIC systems so that all the data required is achieved.The expert will also ensure that all the data that is missing will be acquired through other methods. The expert will also ensure that all the clients and employees from IDIC confirm that the information pertaining to them is correct. The public relation officer or comm unications manager will communicate to the company’s stakeholders and update them on the new developments in the entity. Any communication inward or outward should be directed to the manager so as to prevent false rumors from spreading. The manager should also ensure that there is a person handling the media because information getting to them should be from the right person due to the fact that the media is a very powerful tool in influencing people as they tend to trust the media more than any other source of information. The expert should therefore ensure that the media is broadcasting the correct information about the company and the crisis at hand. The supervisor is also responsible for communication in the company since the employees and the clients need information regarding the issue. They should therefore be provided with guidelines on what to do during the crisis to avoid confusion and panic (Knief, 1991). The expert can use written materials to provide the informat ion or call for meetings so that questions raised would be answered. The human resource expert will be responsible for the inclusion of the IDIC staff into MIC: the expert should offer guidelines on how the process should be carried out, announce who will be laid off and if there is compensation then the manager should also clearly explain how it will be distributed to the employees. The operations expert will ensure that the normal company activities run smoothly without interruption and if they will be affected, the expert should ensure that the interruption is minimal. The legal officer will handle all legal issues concerning the change and represent the company in any legal suit filed against it. The officer will also oversee any agreements and contracts agreed upon regarding the acquisition and ensure they are properly documented for future purposes. MIC management will be the core players in this: they should ensure that there are enough resources for the change; they should a lso monitor the activity to ensure that everything is going as planned. They need to create a time frame in which the activity should be done so that the team appointed can plan so as to meet the deadline (Crouhy, et, al, 2001) Conclusion Every business will always be faced with risks, what matter is how the risks are mitigated to avoid interruption of the entity’s operations. Companies should ensure that that they are always ready for any possible risk so as to prepare in advance. Despite the risks facing MIC the company can successfully buy IDIC without undergoing major problems once all the risks are taken into consideration and managed.Advertising We will write a custom report sample on International Dentists Insurance Company specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Reference list Bennett, W, Golub, Leo M, Tilman. (2000). Risk management: approaches for fixed income markets. NJ: John Wiley Sons. Crouhy, M, Galai, D, Robert M. (2001).Risk management. Canada: McGraw-Hill. Dempster, M. A. H. Alan, H, D. (2008).Risk management: value at risk and beyond. Paris: CRC Press. Frenkel, M, Ulrich H, Gunter D, Rudolf. (2002).Risk management: challenge and opportunity. Deutschland: Huschens. Hubbard D, W. (2009). The failure of risk management.NJ: John Wiley Sons. Knief, A. (1991). â€Å"Risk management†. Washington, D.C: Hemisphere Pub. Corp.

Porgg and Bess date base Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Porgg and Bess date base - Research Paper Example This was very risky at the time as people were vastly nurturing racism at the time and it was very hard for George to convince or gather an audience. Just as expected, the opera did not get a credible response in the United States and this went to an extent of it not receiving recognition as an original opera (Gershwin 11). Summertime is a popular song associated with the opera. The opera is presented in a rather European orchestra manner and this gives it a form of uniqueness as compared to the other operas presented in the United States in those days. The songs’ presentation was in a smooth accord to show the troubles of the blacks and in an effort to bring out the ever-indulging issue of love (Fisher 12). The plot of the opera is very descriptive and clear. This is from the manner in which it presents itself. It talks about a beggar of the black community who survives in the streets by borrowing money from passersby. The beggar is disabled and thus many are the people that have pity on him and ensure that they leave something for the man to purchase food (Standifer 23). The beggar goes by the name Porgy. In the same town, Charleston, South Carolina there is the young woman who goes by the name Bess. Bess lives with her very harsh lover and despite the physical abilities of Porgy, he commits himself to ensuring that Bess gets rescue from that evil man who is also a drug dealer. This is slightly different from the original novel but eventually the play gets in line with the book and the plot does not differ. It is also very imperative to include the detailed synopsis of the opera as a part of the full biography. The major part of the play is the act that begins by the expression of an evening at a particular location known as Catfish Row. In the location, a piano player by the name Jasbo Brown engages in the entertainment of people through his talent. There is the presence of a young mother by the name Clara in attendance. As explained earlier, the oper a involves the playing of the song â€Å"summertime† that is very imperative in the development of the general plot. Clara who sings it as a lullaby to her child does the song provision. The opera portrays the characters in a rather diverse manner. This is one of the reasons as to why it has much acclamation over all the years it has been in the various theatres. The fact that Jasbo Brown is quite successful shows the difference in social status in the society. This is brought out in a manner that he presents his music and the number of fans that he gains by this talent. This brings him more fame and recognition to a point that there are different places that he performs and receives payments. A sharp contrast to the success and the life of Jasbo is the conditions that Porgy lives. The fact that he is disabled does not give him an upper hand in society. Rather, there are the various points in his life that show the struggles that he goes through. Being disabled does not allow him to get any decent job or employment and this leads to him leading a miserable life. In order to survive, Porgy earns food for survival through living off the streets and begging. Drama is also one of the major characteristics of the opera (Gerswin 13). The amount of drama is observed when Robbins, one of the players in the tenement, portrays anger towards his wife for telling him not to exercise his

Managing Financial Resource and Performance Assignment

Managing Financial Resource and Performance - Assignment Example Different stakeholders have competing and sometimes even conflicting interests with the company. It is the job of the company to ensure that a proper balance is strike between the two types of interests (Reeve, Warren and Duchac, 2012). Government: The government is concerned with the compliance o food grade standards and production quality maintenance of Coca Cola Company. Coca cola has to make sure that the food produced is of highest quality and complies with the adherence standards of the regulatory norms. Creditors: for the benefit of its creditors which include company distributors and vendors, the company organizes creditor meetings and also conducts regular surveys through distribution satisfaction survey. Training programs educate on the manner of sales and distribution is conducted at regular intervals by the company at its various head offices (CCI, 2010). Suppliers: for the benefit of suppliers and for engagement in sustainable relationships with the suppliers and contractors of the company, Coca Cola Company conducts Improvement Audits on a regular basis. It also organizes regular training programs among its suppliers for proper and standardised sourcing of ingredients for its produce. Plant visits educate suppliers about their quality standards and compliance level expected off them. Media: For the media, the company has regular publications of annual reports, press releases and CRS reports. The analysts can also come to investor conferences and analyst meetings when they are held. On any occasion the media can contact the company of the CCI Corporate Website and put their queries through the Online Feedback forms. Regulatory Bodies: the regulatory bodies are concerned with the environment friendliness of the production and waste disposal processes undertaken by the company. The production line and waste management teams of the operations department at Coca Cola have to assure that all

Reward Management Theories

Reward Management Theories Reward management has been described as a key function in HRM systems in modern organizations, and it is often designed to attract, retain and motivate employees (Milkovich and Newman, 2004 cited in Yu, Ying ying and Angeles, 2011, pp 2). Because of the strategic nature of human resource in the attainment of corporate goals and organizational competitiveness (Wright and McMahan, 1992), many authors have discussed the subject of reward management from different perspectives. Some of these perspectives focus on dividing reward systems into two categories; Extrinsic and intrinsic rewards. Extrinsic reward systems generally focus on offering performance-linked salary increases, monetary rewards, long term incentive plans, team-based rewards, and security benefits to employees (Laursen and Foss, 2003). These authors argue in favour of the values of these types of reward in boosting the morale of employees and improving their productivity as the same time. The result of this to the organization is better bottom line performance through increased revenue and profitability (Yu, Ying Yang and Angeles, 2011). Intrinsic rewards are non-monetary rewards and could come in form of enriching job responsibility and empowerment (Oldham and Cummings, 1996), providing training resources and comprehensive learning opportunities (Hennessey and Amabile, 1998), and maintaining good interpersonal relationships among employees (Ruppel and Harrington, 2000). Yu, Ying and Angeles (2011) identify two reward management perspectives based on the above classification and they call extrinsic reward systems, utilitarianism and intrinsic reward systems, romanticism. According to these authors, these are the two highly debatable theories of reward management in the HRM field. One of the basic assumptions underlying the theories of reward management is that the performance and motivation of employees can be improved by establishing a link between efforts and reward s through formalised and specific individual targets (Fay and Thompson, 2001). Although many authors and writers have established that there are enormous benefits for organizations in putting in a place an effective reward management system, some authors still warn against over-reliance on reward systems because of its potential to create several organizational issues which focus on fairness and diversity (Beer and Cannon, 2004). Many other authors have critically examined the underlying philosophies of reward management and the variables that make up a typical reward mix. Baeten (2008 cited in Jonathan and Clare, 2011, pp 2) provides a deeper insight into this when they argue that there are 34 different possible theories underlying a reward management system. Eisenhardt (1988 cited in Jonathan and Clare, 2011, pp 3) however limits reward management theories to two namely: The agency theory and the institutional theory. Agency theories of reward management basically seek to align organization and individual objectives. The main aim is to use incentives to direc t employees towards the interests of the owners of the business, and to design the reward mix to reflect that. On the other hand institutional reward management theory focuses on the formal and informal pressures exerted on organizations by other organizations with which it is connected. Some of these pressures could come in form of employment legislations, legal requirements, tax policies, and a desire to adopt the policies that others have adopted so as to gain the security that conformity is perceived to bring (DiMaggio and Powell , 1991). Finally other known theory of reward management under the institutional classification is normative pressure. This occurs when members of an organization collectively come together to define the conditions and methods of their works. 4 The design of policy and set of procedures HP operates in a highly competitive industry with a peculiar high staff turnover rates. Employees are often influenced by competitive reward policies that contribute to the attainment of their personal development goals and objectives. Kerr (1999) argues that rewards should be the third thing in an organization; measurements should be second, and clear articulation of the desired outcomes should be the first. In designing a reward policy for HP the following are the key objectives to be attained: 4.1 Policy statement HP`s goal is to attract and retain the most talented workforce which are strategically connected to the organization`s ability to meet its strategic goals and objectives. With this in mind we seek to offer a combination of the most competitive and flexible financial rewards in the US mobile and computer industry to all cadres of employees immediately they join us. We believe that this is important to the maintenance of our existing leadership position in the industry and we seek to pursue this policy as doggedly as possible with all fairness and equity. 4.1.1 Procedures Aim The central aim of this policy is to enable enhance HP`s ability to recruit the most talented experts in the US mobile and computer technology industry which we consider as strategic to the achievement of our corporate goals and objectives. Scope This financial reward policy shall apply to all regular full time and regular part time employees of HP immediately they join the company. Principles The entire reward policy of this company shall be built on a foundation of equality, commitment to diversity, fairness and a sense of good judgement The entire reward policy will be operated as transparently as possible and it will be made to comply with national regulatory frameworks for employee engagement in the computer and mobile technology industry All categories of employees that contribute more by measure of productivity shall be financially rewarded more. HP shall not take any extra contribution of any employee for granted. We believe that is crucial to fulfilling our commitment to equality and fairness. Responsibilities Role Accountability Rewards team Ensuring that financial policy reward activities are firmly in place and monitoring that the underlying principles of the reward are upheld HR Director and HR leadership team Providing control initiatives in situations where the principles of the policy are not upheld Senior management group Ensuring the proper alignment of HP`s corporate strategy and the reward policy 4.2 Correspondence to relevant national legislation The US department of labour has established regulations regarding employeesà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ salaries and wages in place. One of such regulations is the fair labour standard Act of 1938 which is administered by the wages and hour division. This Act establishes standards for minimum wages, overtime, pay and record keeping. These standards affect over 130 million full time and part time employees at both private and public sectors of the US economy. This act promotes fairness, justice and equity and empowers employees to initiate a law suit against any employer who violates any of the principles and policies of the Act. This new policy thoroughly complies with the standards set out in the US department of labour Act of 1938 in all fairness and equity. The policy is also transparent enough to give employees the autonomy to institute law suits against HP if the companys policy is perceived to be contradictory to national legislations. 4.3 International implications The ILO (International Labour Organization) is the body in charge of administering labour standards and the organization presently comprises of 183 nations all around the world. The ILO has adopted 188 conventions which are treaties creating international labour law standards. The US has only adhered to two of these labour law standards which are the convention on the abolition of forced labour and the convention on the worst form of child labour. The US has resisted the adoption of the other parts of the convention including those that regulate remuneration and rewards to employees from an international perspective. Compensation and rewards at both executive and employee level have not been thoroughly developed in line with ILO standards. The US claims that its policies have been developed internally and competitively and do not need to be adjusted to reflect international standards. As competitive as the existing reward policy in HP is, it is still important to adopt an internation al view in its implementation. Source:http://www.iclg.co.uk/khadmin/Publications/pdf/4390.pdf-accessed on 30-04-2011 5 Evaluation of policy and procedures 5.1 Reward evaluation matrix Armstrong, Brown and Reilly (2009) prescribe six metrics for evaluating the success of any reward management policy. In view of this the procedures for evaluating the effectiveness of HP`s reward policy are set out below. Reward Aspect Measured By Reward strategy Clear reward strategy and annual plan in support of business strategy and plan Productivity and reward costs Profit, value added or sales per employee Total pay and reward costs compared with competition in the US computer industry Financial reward Financial recognition for behaviours in line with strategy and values Appropriate forms of rewarding performance and contribution in place Proportion of staffs covered by methods of rewarding performance and contribution Risk assessment of bonus plan design Clear demonstration of return on costs of bonus Employment Ratio of job offers to acceptances Staff involuntary turnover to resignation rates and retention of high performance to key skill staff Staff turnover and absence levels Reward management general Actual market position compared to desired Equal pay reviews carried out and acted upon Quantity, quality and frequency of reward communication Engagement and satisfaction with rewards Surveyed overall employee engagement levels Employee overall satisfaction with pay and rewards Employee opinions that rewards are competitive Employee opinion that performance is rewarded and managed effectively Employee opinion on level of understanding of reward Managers feel reward arrangements are flexible and meet their needs. 6 Conclusion Reward management is an integral part of the measure of the competitiveness of an organization. As a key component of the overall human resource strategy, reward management is central to the productivity of employees which is also linked to the overall profitability of an organization, as well as its long term survival. It is no longer plausible to think that a well crafted strategy can deliver an organization`s core values without involving the element of employee reward management. Available and existing research in this area suggests a strong link between the effectiveness of strategies with the involvement of an appropriate reward system (Richard and Ralph, 2001). Reward management is increasingly becoming a source of sustained competitive advantage for many organizations. The old pay structure which is based on job analyses, descriptions and specifications is no longer supporting the attainment of long term organizational goals and objectives (Gomez-Mejia and Balkin, 1992). This report has established a clear link between reward management and the sustainable attainment of organization goals and objectives through the contribution of extrinsically and intrinsically motivated employees. Through an example of a world class organization the role of a reward policy and its evaluation criteria has been discussed with a view to establishing a link between efforts and rewards through formalised and specified targets (Kessler and Purcell, 1992, cited in Giovanni and Tommasso, 2011, pp 2). In establishing the reward policy for an organization, the organization`s corporate objectives are important inputs to the entire process, and an alignment between these aim and objectives and the reward policy is strategically important to the effectiveness of the reward policy

Discipline in School and at Home Essay

Sometimes, when people hear the words discipline, they picture kids gone wild. We did use gentle discipline. And in school and home have to a calm, peaceful feel to it. We also had a lot of fun. A lot of the preparatory works have to follow where discipline was concerned. We have to use to teach care of self, care of the environment, control of movement, and grace and courtesy. The sense of order, ability to concentrate, and self-discipline gained from those activities made all our later life easier. It helps our life be more polite to teachers and parents as well as to others. We believed in following God, respecting one another, being responsible, and doing our best. We can use demonstrations to show them how to treat one another and even how to respect others’ property. We learn how to treat our toys, books, and learning materials with care. We studied religion and used many character-education lessons and books. Discussions about values were common in our home. Current research demonstrates that quality relationships with adults and peers make a tremendous difference for young people. A sense of connection or belonging is an important protective factor. Students who perceive a sense of connectedness or community at school and/or home are less likely to engage in risky behaviors (smoking, using drugs, engaging in violence). They are also more likely to be successful academically. Young people who grow up in families that they perceive as both kind and firm are more likely to thrive. Positive Discipline teaches parents and teachers how to be kind and firm at the same time and how to invite a sense of connection from the youngsters they are involved with. The approach is neither permissive nor punitive. Positive Discipline is an effective way for parents, teachers and students to learn life skills and build a sense of community and connectedness based on mutually respectful relationships. Even though we didn’t follow a schedule rigidly, we have a schedule or â€Å"rhythm† for our days. More important, we have to the stability of parents and teachers who loved us and each other and spent a lot of time with us. Freedom within limits is a very important in our school and home. While freedom to follow our interests help us experience success and independence, the limits were extremely important as well. We only enjoy the amount of freedom what we could handle responsibly. PROBLEMS [pic] Some basic statistics create a picture of the problem. # More than 30% of middle school students report being victimized three or more times by peers over the course of one year. # In a survey of high school students nationwide, the Center for Disease Control found that 17. 4% of students had carried a weapon (e. g., a gun, knife, or club) on one or more days in the month preceding the survey. Male students (29. 3%) were significantly more likely than female students (6. 2%) to have carried a weapon. CDC 2001 data. 1 # The same survey showed that 6. 6% of high school students had missed one or more days of school during the 30 days preceding the survey because they felt unsafe at school or on their way to or from school. (CDC) # During the 12 months preceding the survey, 19% of high school students had seriously considered attempting suicide (14.8% had a specific plan). Female students (23. 6%) were significantly more likely than male students (14. 2%) to have considered attempting suicide. (CDC) # Nearly one half (47. 1%) of students nationwide had consumed one or more drinks of alcohol on one or more of the 30 days preceding the survey (i. e. , current alcohol use). And 30% reported episodic heavy drinking in the month prior to the survey (5 or more drinks on one or more occasions). (CDC) 1CDC Youth Surveillance data available at CDC website http://www. cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/ss5104a1. htm [pic]. HOW TO SOLVE THE PROBLEM The techniques used in Positive Discipline have been shown to have a positive impact on schools. A study of a school-wide implementation of classroom meetings in a lower income Sacramento elementary school over a four-year period showed that suspensions decreased (from 64 annually to 4 annually), vandalism decreased (from 24 episodes to 2) and the teachers reported great improvement in classroom atmosphere, behavior, attitudes and academic performance. (Platt, 1979) A study of a parent and teacher education program directed at parents and teachers of students with â€Å"maladaptive† behavior using the tools used in Positive Discipline, showed a statistically significant improvement in the behavior of the students in the program schools when compared to the control schools. (Nelsen, 1979). Smaller studies examining the impacts of specific Positive Discipline tools have also shown positive results. (Browning 2000, Potter 1999, Esquivel). At Home The young person’s sense of connectedness with his or her family is associated with positive outcomes. A national study of 12,000 adolescents showed that a sense of connectedness with their family was protective against every health risk behavior except history of pregnancy. (Resnick et. al. 1997) The questions asked of the teens in this large study included whether or not the teen felt wanted or loved by family members, whether they perceived caring by their mother or father, how many activities they engaged in with either parent in the previous week, and parental presence during different times of the day. b) At School. A young person’s sense of connectedness with school or â€Å"sense of community† in school is associated with positive social and academic outcomes. As above, there is a strong correlation with a student’s perception of being â€Å"connected† and the sense of â€Å"community† with academic and social well being. This has been examined by numerous researchers. Resnick, et. al. (1997) asked students questions such as â€Å"Do you feel that teachers treat students fairly? † â€Å"Are you close to people at your school? † â€Å"Do you feel part of your school? † He found that a sense of connectedness to school was protective against health risk behaviors. These findings are consistent with those of Goodenow (1993) who found a relationship between the students’ sense of belonging and their academic achievement and motivation. CONCLUSSION This was probably one of the most important parts of disciplinary approach. We respected our teachers and parents. Teachers and parents also respect their students and child with their opinions. As we grow older, we should be more decision-making responsibility. We felt respected and didn’t have a need to rebel because we know we would consider our responsible, well-thought-out ideas. For example, when I was in third grade or so, I had the choice of how to handle my schoolwork before a week-long trip during the school year. I decided to do two weeks-worth of work in one week, working day and evening to allow myself a week off during my trip. When there was a behavioral problem, we often used logical consequences. Even though we had a schedule, we didn’t follow the clock exactly. Our schedule is more assignment or project based. If we procrastinated in completing our work for the day, the logical consequence was that our school day lasted longer until our assignments were finished. The interventions included using class meetings, a constructivist curriculum, a focus on meaningful work and team building. In schools that successfully implemented the program the sense of community increased. More interesting perhaps was that examined individually, students with a higher sense of community were found to accept the established norms of the school, whatever those were. In longitudinal studies the researchers found that students coming from schools that had implemented the program to increase a sense of community and work for higher- level thinking, did better than their classmates from comparison schools when they arrived at middle. There is some evidence that a sense of community among staff members may be an â€Å"important precursor to the development of a sense of community among students. † (Royal and Rossi, 1997) Not surprisingly, modeling appropriate relationships among the adults seems to support students in developing appropriate interpersonal relationships. Teachers’ sense of community is also related to their job satisfaction and effectiveness. There are many, many studies (not individually cited here) that show that parental involvement is related to school success. Interestingly, when more closely examined, authoritative parenting is strongly related to parental school involvement and â€Å"academic encouragement,† both of which are associated with school success. The positive impact of â€Å"school involvement† is significantly less if the parent does not also have a â€Å"kind and firm† parenting style.

External factors upon the activities of a business Essay

Introduction In this assignment, I will describe how external factors (political, legal, and social) are impacting upon the activities of a business. My chosen business is McDonalds and I will be explaining how the issues affect in both UK and India. McDonalds – is the world’s largest chain of fast food restaurants. They mainly serve hamburgers, cheeseburgers, chicken products, French fries, breakfast items, soft drinks, milkshakes and desserts. They also have options such as salads, apples, milk, and Snack Wraps on the menu. Legal Factors These are the laws and regulations affecting the business. Some of the other factors may include: freedom of information, data protection, employment law and copyright etc. UK and India’s Legal Factors Health and safety – In the UK and India, the health and safety law is very important for each individual or employees especially in the workplace, to prevent injury, death and illness. This affects some businesses especially in India because they need to have all equipment for health and safety which will cost them a lot to fill it up. Food Hygiene – In both countries, McDonalds has to be very hygienic in order for the business to stay open and successful. The impact of an unhygienic restaurant would be catastrophic for the company’s image. Recruitment and Selection Law – All workers must be treated equally. For example In UK, you cannot dismiss a worker for being pregnant. There should be proper warning before dismissing a worker otherwise it will be treated as unfair dismissal. The Government makes it mandatory to have a written contract of employment. It contains the details of the wage rate; working  hours, and other necessary details regarding working conditions. The National Minimum Wage in UK is currently  £6.31 while in India; the minimum wage is 118 rupees per day or about  £1.50 which is very low compare to UK. In contrast to the UK, India can employ individuals aged fewer than 16 and the child labour in India has a poor image as children are often left unpaid. Social Factors These are the aspects of population like for example; immigration, age of population, taste and fashion, belief, individual’s personality, attitudes and lifestyle. UK Social Factors Immigration – This has negative impact upon the social factors in UK. A long time ago, there wasn’t that many people living in the UK, however, in the 21st century, a lot of people from different part of the world started to migrate and live in UK. The major impact is on population. It has an advantage such as a lot of people are skilled to be employed in the business. However, some migrants might be illegal entrants or maybe visa over stayers. Ageing Population – The demographics in UK illustrate that the numbers of older people are increasing. McDonalds can benefit from this ageing population as they can increase the range of their hot drink products in order to target and meet the needs of older people. McDonalds can sell more healthy products such as fruits and salads. Lifestyle – Businesses are always affected by the lifestyle as people have different fashions, tastes, ethics, beliefs etc. As UK is a multi-cultural country, McDonalds needs to provide different selections of foods from different cultures such as in India McDonalds do not sell any beef products as it is prohibited in their religion. India Social Factors High population growth – In India, due to high population, people have a hard  time to find a job, as a result of this people don’t have enough funding for their daily expenses. High degree of corruption level – Corruption is a major issue that adversely affects its economy in India. The causes of corruption in India include excessive regulations, complicated taxes and licensing systems so they add extra cost to the business. Bollywood popularity – Bollywood is the nickname for the Indian film industry. It became very popular as Indians are in love with movies. Political Factors Political factors are factors that deal with the public. For example; EU membership, taxation government support for business, infrastructure (roads), skills, business ethics (corruption). UK Political Factors EU membership – McDonalds will need to act in accordance to the European regulations. One of the regulations is the working hours where workers must only work for no more than 48 hours. Taxation – McDonalds is affected by the government taxes, such as income taxes and business rates as it is a large business, meaning that a lot of tax is taken away from their profits. And McDonalds will have to pay tax. Tax has an impact on McDonalds as it will be taken off their annual profit which will result in less diligence for shareholders. India Political Factors Infrastructure – India isn’t modernized unlike UK; the technology systems are much less advanced which could affect the business ability to produce, to sell, expand, and demand. The roads are not well established. And if McDonalds in India have poor machinery, poor buildings and facilities, then  it won’t benefit the business and won’t be able to expand.

Why September is Atlantic Hurricane Season

The Atlantic hurricane season begins on June 1, but an equally important  date to mark on your calendar is September 1—the start of the most active month for hurricane activity. Since official record keeping of  hurricanes began in 1950, over 60% of all Atlantic named storms have developed in the months of August or September. What is it about late August and September that produces a  flurry of tropical cyclones within the Atlantic Ocean? Generation of Storm Seedlings One of the reasons why cyclone activity climbs is the hyperactive African Easterly Jet (AEJ). The AEJ is an east-to-west oriented wind, much like the jet stream that flows across the US. As you may remember, temperature contrasts drive weather, including the flow of wind. The AEJ flows across Africa into the tropical Atlantic Ocean, thanks to the contrast in temperature between the dry, hot air over the Sahara Desert and the cooler, humid air over the forested areas of central Africa and the Gulf of Guinea. Since the flow near the AEJ goes faster than that further away in the surrounding air, what happens is that eddies begin to develop due to these differences  in speed. When this happens, you get whats called a tropical wave—an unstable  kink or wave in  the main flow pattern that is visible on satellite as clusters of thunderstorms. By providing the initial energy and spin needed for a hurricane to develop, tropical waves act like seedlings of tropical cyclones. The more seedlings the AEJ generates, the more chances there are for tropical cyclone development. Sea Temperatures Still in Summer Mode   Of course, having a storm seedling  is only half of the recipe. A wave wont automatically grow  into a tropical storm or  hurricane, unless several of the  atmospheres other conditions, including  sea surface temperatures (SSTs),  are favorable. While temperatures may be cooling off for us land-dwellers as fall begins, SSTs in the tropics are just reaching their peak. Because water has a higher heat capacity than land, it heats more slowly, which means the waters that have spent all summer absorbing the suns warmth are just reaching their maximum warmth at summers end. Sea surface temperatures must be 82 °F or warmer for a tropical cyclone to form and thrive, and in September, temperatures across the tropical Atlantic average 86 °F, nearly 5 degrees warmer than this threshold. Seasonal Peak   When you look at hurricane climatology, youll see a sharp increase in the number of named storms forming between  late August into September. This increase typically continues until September 10-11, which is thought of as the seasons peak. Peak doesnt necessarily  mean  multiple storms will form at once  or be active across the Atlantic on this particular date, it simply highlights when the bulk of named storms will have occurred by.  After this peak date, storm activity typically declines gently, with another five named storms, three hurricanes, and one major hurricane  occurring on average by the seasons November 30 end. Most Atlantic  Hurricanes at Once Although the word peak doesnt necessarily point to when the greatest number of cyclones will happen at once, there are several occasions when it did. The record for most hurricanes to ever occur at the same time in the Atlantic basin occurred in September 1998, when as many as four hurricanes—Georges, Ivan, Jeanne, and Karl—simultaneously spun across the Atlantic. As for the most tropical cyclones (storms and hurricanes) to ever exist at one time, a maximum of five  occurred on September 10-12, 1971. Peak Locations   Cyclone activity not only heats up in September but the activity in places where you can expect cyclones to spin up increases, as well. In late summer and early fall, theres generally an increased chance that storms will develop in the Caribbean Sea, along the Eastern Atlantic Seaboard, and in the Gulf of Mexico. By November, cold fronts and increasing wind shear—two disrupters to tropical development—penetrate into the Gulf of Mexico, Atlantic, and sometimes into the western Caribbean Sea as well, which spells the end of the peak August-October period.