What You Need to Know About the Crusades

The medieval Crusade was a holy war. For a conflict to be officially considered a Crusade, it had to be sanctioned by the pope and conducted against groups seen as enemies of Christendom. Initially, only those expeditions to the Holy Land (Jerusalem and associated territory) were considered Crusades. More recently, historians have also recognized campaigns against heretics, pagans, and Muslims in Europe as Crusades. How the Crusades Began For centuries, Jerusalem had been governed by Muslims, but they tolerated Christian pilgrims because they helped the economy. Then, in the 1070s, Turks (who were also Muslim) conquered these holy lands and mistreated Christians before realizing how useful their goodwill (and money) could be. The Turks also threatened the Byzantine Empire. Emperor Alexius asked the pope for assistance, and Urban II, seeing a way to harness the violent energy of Christian knights, made a speech calling for them to take back Jerusalem. Thousands responded, resulting in the First Crusade. When the Crusades Began and Ended Urban II made his speech calling for Crusade at the Council of Clermont in November, 1095. This is seen as the start of the Crusades. However, the reconquista of Spain, an important precursor to crusading activity, had been going on for centuries. Traditionally, the fall of Acre in 1291 marks the end of the Crusades, but some historians extend them to 1798, when Napoleon expelled the Knights Hospitaller from Malta. Crusader Motivations There were as many different reasons for crusading as there were crusaders, but the single most common reason was piety. To crusade was to go on pilgrimage, a holy journey of personal salvation. Whether that also meant giving up virtually everything and willingly facing death for God, bending to peer or family pressure, indulging bloodlust without guilt, or seeking adventure or gold or personal glory depended entirely on who was doing the crusading. Who Went on Crusade People from all walks of life, from peasants and laborers to kings and queens, answered the call. Even the King of Germany, Frederick I Barbarossa, went on multiple Crusades. Women were encouraged to give money and stay out of the way, but some went on crusade anyway. When nobles crusaded, they often brought huge retinues, whose members may not necessarily have wanted to go along. At one time, scholars theorized that younger sons more frequently went crusading in search of estates of their own; however, crusading was an expensive business, and recent research indicates it was lords and elder sons who were more likely to crusade. The Number of Crusades Historians have numbered eight expeditions to the Holy Land, though some lump the 7th and 8th together for a total of seven crusades. However, there was a steady stream of armies from Europe to the Holy Land, so it is nearly impossible to distinguish separate campaigns. In addition, some crusades have been named, including the Albigensian Crusade, the Baltic (or Northern) Crusades, the Peoples Crusade, and the Reconquista. Crusader Territory Upon the success of the First Crusade, the Europeans set up a king of Jerusalem and established what is known as the Crusader States. Also called outremer (French for across the sea), the Kingdom of Jerusalem controlled Antioch and Edessa, and it was divided into two territories since these places were so far-flung. When ambitious Venetian merchants convinced warriors of the Fourth Crusade to capture Constantinople in 1204, the resulting government was referred to as the Latin Empire, to distinguish it from the Greek, or Byzantine, empire they had claimed. Crusading Orders Two important military orders were established in the early 12th century: the Knights Hospitaller and the Knights Templar. Both were monastic orders whose members took vows of chastity and poverty, yet they were also militarily trained. Their primary purpose was to protect and aid pilgrims to the Holy Land. Both orders did very well financially, particularly the Templars, who were notoriously arrested and disbanded by Philip IV of France in 1307. The Hospitallers outlasted the Crusades and continue, in a much-altered form, to this day. Other orders were established later, including the Teutonic Knights. Impact of the Crusades Some historians -- particularly Crusades scholars -- consider the Crusades the single most important series of events in the Middle Ages. The significant changes in the structure of European society that took place in the 12th and 13th centuries were long considered the direct result of Europes participation in the Crusades. This view no longer holds as strongly as it once did. Historians have recognized many other contributing factors in this complex time. Yet there is no doubt the Crusades contributed greatly to changes in Europe. The effort of raising armies and providing supplies for Crusaders stimulated the economy; trade benefited, as well, especially once the Crusader States were established. Interaction between the East and West affected European culture in areas of art and architecture, literature, mathematics, science and education. And Urbans vision of directing the energies of warring knights outward succeeded in reducing war within Europe. Having a common foe and common objective, even for those who didnt participate in the Crusade, fostered a view of Christendom as a united entity. This has been a very basic introduction to the Crusades. For a better understanding of this extremely complex and greatly-misunderstood topic, please explore our Crusades Resources or read one of the Crusades Books recommended by your Guide.

Essay on August Wilsons Fences - 961 Words

August Wilson’s Fences was centered on the life of Troy Maxson, an African American man full of bitterness towards the world because of the cards he was dealt in life amidst the 1950’s. In the play Troy was raised by an unloving and abusive father, when he wanted to become a Major League Baseball player he was rejected because of his race. Troy even served time in prison because he was impoverished and needed money so he robbed a bank and ended up killing a man. Troy’s life was anything but easy. In the play Troy and his son Cory were told to build a fence around their home by Rose. It is common knowledge that fences are used in one of two ways: to keep things outside or to keep things inside. In the same way that fences are used to keep†¦show more content†¦In the play when Cory and Troy fight, Troy kicks Cory out of the house saying, â€Å"Cory: Tell Mama Ill be back for my things. Troy: Theyll be on the other side of that fence. (Henderson) It is in this particular passage that Troy uses the fence physically to represent the dividing line between Cory and him, but more specifically the emotional barrier he’s put between him and his family. Troy grew up with an abusive father which makes his complete emotional disregard towards his family logical. If the man that raised you taught you keep your emotional guard up even with your family, you would probably treat your family the same way that Troy treated his; with complete emotional neglect and disregard. The fence working as barrier could also symbolize Troy trying to protect himself from feeling too deeply towards things which could end up disappointing him or already have. For instance, when Troy became passionate about becoming a Major League Baseball player he suffered extreme disappointment when he was rejected because of his race. It was this life lesson that reinforced Troy’s upbringing of emotional disregard towards things he could grow to either want, lov e, or feel passionate about like his family and friends. Troy’s philosophy in building the fence was that if you don’t grow an emotional attachment to something then it cannot hurt you, and he stayed by philosophy till his death. The fence also became symbolic of the barrier Troy wanted toShow MoreRelatedEssay on August Wilsons: Fences2481 Words   |  10 PagesAugust Wilson’s: â€Å"Fences† In â€Å"Fences†, August Wilson tells the story of an ex-negro league baseball hero, Troy Maxon. Troy is a bitter man, withering away in his own hatred for the way things â€Å"are†, as well as his inability to see the world has changed. Troy has an â€Å"iron grip† on his family in the beginning, however as the story progresses the family breaks loose of the physical and emotional ties that are holdingRead MoreThe Symbolic Importance of the Fence in August Wilson’s Fences1179 Words   |  5 Pages Alan Nadel argues that the object of the fence in August Wilson’s play, â€Å"Fences† symbolizes a great struggle between the literal and figurative definitions of humanity and blackness. The author summarizes the play and uses the character Troy to explain the characterization of black abilities, such as Troy’s baseball talents, as â€Å"metaphoric,† which does not enable Troy to play in the white leagues as the period is set during segregation (Nadel 92). The author is trying to use the charactersRead More August Wilsons Fences - Building Fences Essay3028 Words   |  13 PagesAugust Wilsons Fences - Building Fences The first time I read August Wilsons Fences for english class, I was angry. I was angry at Troy Maxson, angry at him for having an affair, angry at him for denying his son, Cory, the opportunity for a football scholarship.I kept waiting for Troy to redeem himself in the end of the play, to change his mind about Cory, or to make up with Ruth somehow. I wanted to know why, and I didnt, couldnt understand. I had no intention of writing my research paperRead MoreFeminist Criticism In August Wilsons Fences732 Words   |  3 PagesWithin August Wilson’s Fences, the conflict between the authority figures within the Maxson household was prevalent. At this time in history, misogyny was widespread, and men typically held a large majority of the authority positions in society. Some scenes from Wilson’s Fences would include times in which Troy Maxson would depict seemingly oppressive authority over his family members. Troy often acted in a rather arrogant manner, which contribu ted to the strong sense of patriarchy that was presentRead MoreRhetorical Analysis Of August Wilsons Fences758 Words   |  4 PagesRhetorical Analysis Paper August Wilson’s play, â€Å"Fences†, is a play about a father who is trying to make do to support his family as well as come to terms with his boisterous upbringing and the collapse of his Major League Baseball career. The Father, Troy Maxson, resents his son’s painless childhood and chances to pursue a college level football career. In multiple excerpts from the play, Troy brutally lectures his son Cory about life and adulthood. He uses short and incomplete sentences, rhetoricalRead MoreSpirituality Religion in August Wilsons Fences1072 Words   |  5 PagesFen Spirituality amp; Religion | In August Wilson’s â€Å"Fences† | | Mia Savage ENG 102 Essay #3 | 11/11/2011 | Introduction: â€Å"Fences† is one of ten plays written by August Wilson that document historic periods in Black American life. It is a colorful and thoughtfully written piece that tells the story of one family’s struggle in Civil Rights Era America, an empowering and complicated time for lower and middle class blacks struggling to attain an ideal of the â€Å"American Dream†. TroyRead MoreAnalysis of August Wilsons Fences706 Words   |  3 PagesHow would you feel if you witness that your life has been a complete failure? This is the question that Troy Maxson, the leading character in the drama Fences written by August Wilson, had to live with for the rest of his existence. It is the year of 1957 in Pittsburgh, where African descendants escaped from the savage conditions they had in the south. They were living in a world without freedom. While the play develops, the author shows the 1950s as a time when a new world of opportunities forRead MoreCharacter Analy sis of August Wilsons Fences879 Words   |  4 PagesIn the play Fences, by August Wilson, the main character, Troy Maxson is involved in numerous relationships with family members throughout the entire eight years that the story takes place. Troy is a father, husband, and brother to other characters in the play. Unfortunately for Troy, a strong-minded and aggressive man, he constantly complicates the relationships with his family members. Troys hurtful actions and words make it nearly impossible for him to sustain healthy relationships with not onlyRead More Religion in August Wilsons Fences Essay examples814 Words   |  4 PagesIn August Wilsons play, Fences, the character, Troy Maxson, is by no definition a religious man. He has created his own religion through his own philosophies, especially baseball. Sandra G. Shannons critical analysis, The Good Christians Come and Gone: The Shifting Role of Christianity in August Wilson Plays, gives analogies for the way Troy deals with h is own spirituality. It is agreeable that Troy, like other Wilson characters, deals with religion in his own way. Shannon assertsRead MoreAnalysis of August Wilsons Short Story Fences2029 Words   |  8 Pageswhat it means, other than life is hard (Calvert, n.d.) In so many ways Fences is such an ordinary story that its power comes from the ways in which ordinary people hear and view it. There is no doubt but that the metaphor of the fence prevails, working its way across work, family, friendship and the emotional pain of living a life literally dependent on garbage for survival. This is what Wilson wrote about in his Fences of the 1950s. In retrospect, however, it doesnt take a lot to put some of

Of Mice and Men is a novel Essay Example For Students

Of Mice and Men is a novel Essay Of Mice and Men is a novel written in 1937 by an author called John Steinbeck, a rising novelist after other successes as Tortilla Flat and Dubious Battle. The focus of these books as well as Of Mice and Men is of the migrant workers. Of Mice and Men is set during the height of the great depression where unemployment and widespread droughts had forced thousands of workers on to the road in search of work, moving from ranch to ranch harvesting the crops and moving on again. This is the exact situation that two of the novels main characters are in, Lennie and George. Despite there being so many, the migrant workers share similar characteristics. As the name might suggest, migrant workers migrated around the country in search of work on ranches. When all of this work had been done and all of the crop planted and harvested, they would move on. Workers would get work by going into employment offices and getting a little slip. We know this when George said They give us work cards. Moving around a lot meant that the migrant workers could not hold down friendships. Leading them to become selfish and self-centered. But George and Lennies situation is different. They have developed a strong relationship over time, with George being the brains and Lennie the braun, with them both looking out for each other. This is well displayed when Lennie said; But not us! An why? Because I got you to look after me, and you got me to look after you. Their friendship contrasts with the average migrant worker, as the boss of the Ranch suspects George is using Lennie. Say, what you sellin? Arguably the best example of a lack of friendship was when Candy said to George. A guy on a ranch dont never listen nor dont ast no questions. Reflecting the isolated loneliness they all feel. With finding friends being such a hard task, it should come as no surprise that permanent women were a rarity. It was socially accepted that because migrant workers were constantly on the move and could not settle down, they would contact women via brothels or cat houses as they were more commonly known. The migrant workers can do what they want to and move on, without any responsibilities or ties. They would prefer to have real girlfriends but they cant as they are victims of their circumstances. The brothels to them were home substitutes where they could interact socially as you would in a house, sit, talk and generally relax. The migrant workers were so desperate for a home substitute because they are always constantly on the move. This meant that the migrant workers had no real sense of home or family and no contact with them. We know this when George says Guys like use, that work on ranches are the loneliest guys in the world. They got no family. They got no place.

Misunderstanding Life Essays - Nelle A. Coley, Pedagogy,

Misunderstanding Life Misunderstanding life There were three words that changed my intellectual life and the way I had perceived things. Think about it! Those were the words that were said to me, the phrase think about it didn't have such a powerful meaning until that day. I would have never thought that three words could change a person's life, it changed mines. These words think about it became the most influential words I've ever heard. It was the person who said it and the way he said it that made me take the words in a serious way. My life in elementary was taking a turn for worst I was a bad, carefree, and a want be hard core kid. Even with my mother in the school working as a teacher assistant my behavior was at a low for about eight hours a day at school. My sixth grade teacher on the first day said I'm not going to have any loud mouth punks in this class. This is my class if you or anyone else don't like what I'm doing in here they will be asked to leave. When he announced that I believe that he was talking about me. What the teacher said to me during that time seemed to me as a bunch of garbage and it didn't effect me, I knew what I was going to do (be a pest) and not do (be a angel). Even though this was the meanest teacher that was in the school and we disagreed on many things, I felt that he sensed that I respected him. In the middle of the school year I was often catching myself doing things that I wasn't supposed to, just to test my boundaries. The process of my intellectual life changing came about b ecause of a thing that I did to a girl. One day a girl and I were walking back to class after gym, the gym was in the basement and our class was on the fourth floor. I think just because she was a girl and I had a reputation of being bad, I had to do something to her that would make her laugh or get a reaction out of her. So as we walked up the stairs I turned around and put my hands were they was not supposed to be. I heard her scream and I ran up the stairs faster than Carl Lewis. When she screamed it echoed and everyone in the building could probably hear. I ran away my classroom because I knew that the teacher would be waiting for me, he would have suspended me if she had told him what I did. So I ran to the second floor to the cafeteria were a stage was located, I know that I would have never been caught there. In the back of the cafeteria the stage was located with curtains, behind the curtains there was a closet in which no one used anymore, it had old pianos and instruments in it. The closet was so scary because it was wet from the ceiling leaking, dark, narrow, and you never knew what was in there. I waited and waited in the closet for my teacher to come in and find me but he never did. I wanted to get out of the closet and let everyone know where I was, but I knew that I would get in trouble and my mom would beat me in school if they had found me there. While I was in the closet everyone was looking for me in the school. I began to think to myself that when I get out of the closet I would be considered a coward, pervert, or a nasty little rapist. I said to myself that the sooner I came out of hiding the easier my punishment would be. I was in the closet for a long t ime when I went in it was about 10:45 and when I showed my face it was about 2:00. I guess when your in trouble time goes by fast and when your in a boring situation time goes by slow, well it flew by for me because I took

Convert Decimal Degrees into Degrees, Minutes, Seconds

Convert Decimal Degrees into Degrees, Minutes, Seconds When looking at maps and surveys, youll sometimes  find degrees given in decimal degrees (121.135 degrees) instead of the more common degrees, minutes, and seconds (121 degrees, 8 minutes, and 6 seconds). Its easy to convert from a decimal to the sexagesimal system if, for example, you need to combine data from maps that are calculated in two different systems. Or maybe youve done some math with some data in decimal degrees format and need to convert back to degrees, minutes, and seconds to plot the coordinates on a map. When you use GPS systems, for example when geocaching, you should be able to switch between the different coordinate systems on your device.   Heres How to Do the Conversion There are online calculators, but its not that tough to do the calculation from decimal degrees to degrees, minutes, and seconds by hand when needed; you start by breaking down your existing figure.   The whole units of degrees will remain the same (e.g., if your figure is 121.135 degrees longitude, start with 121 degrees).Multiply the decimal portion of the figure by 60 (e.g., .135 * 60 8.1).The whole number becomes the minutes (8).Take the remaining decimal and multiply it by 60  (e.g., .1 * 60 6).The resulting number becomes the seconds (6 seconds). Seconds can remain as a decimal if needed.Take your three sets of numbers and put them together, (e.g., 121 °86 longitude would be equivalent to 121.135 degrees longitude). FYI After you have degrees, minutes, and seconds, its often easier to find your location on most maps (especially topographic maps).Though there are 360 degrees in a circle, each degree is divided into 60 minutes, and each minute is divided into 60 seconds.A degree is 70 miles (113 km), a minute 1.2 miles (1.9 km), and a second is .02 miles, or 106 feet (32  m).  Use a negative sign before figures in the Southern Hemisphere and in the Western Hemisphere.

Countable and Uncountable Nouns - Proofeds Writing Tips Blog

Countable and Uncountable Nouns Countable and Uncountable Nouns You might not have heard of countable and uncountable nouns before. However, it is useful to know the difference, as they work slightly differently with certain words. In this post, we explain how to use them correctly. Countable Nouns Quite simply, countable nouns are things that can be easily separated or counted. For example, we can refer to three apples, five people, or six guitars. These are also referred to as count nouns. When a noun can be counted, we can use words like number (e.g., a large number of eggs) and fewer (e.g., I have fewer eggs than you) with it. We can also say an egg or some eggs, depending on the number described. Uncountable Nouns Certain things, such as butter or water, cannot be counted as they are typically an undifferentiated mass. Other examples include sand, milk, and coffee. Many abstract concepts are uncountable nouns, too, including music, love, happiness and sadness. Uncountable nouns are also known as mass nouns. As with countable nouns, we have specific words we use with uncountable nouns. For example, amount (e.g., a large amount of sand) instead of number and less (e.g., there is less sand here than I thought) instead of fewer. We can also say some butter, refer to a certain weight, such as 100g of butter, or say the butter, but we never say a butter. Countable or Uncountable If in doubt about a particular word, ask whether it easily be counted or separated into distinct units. If it can be, it is probably a countable noun. Professional Proofreading To get your paper professionally proofread, upload it today at Proofed!

The Impact of Globalization on Strategic Management Term Paper

The Impact of Globalization on Strategic Management - Term Paper Example Since suppliers may not be relatively reliable in other areas where the producing firm is not available, there comes a time when globalization is the only option. Due to growth of both local and international markets, analysts sought to address and bring about strategic management and globalization of firms in view of attaining maximum customer satisfaction. Business Globalization Globalization of businesses is growing rapidly, leading to emergence of a new field of study called global strategic management. Whereas revolution of events over the past few years has a clear picture showing the impacts of global strategic management that includes the collapse of communism, the evolution of information, and Europe unification, the challenge of reaching the goals of complete realization of goals of global strategic management remains. Challenges remain due to slow adaptation of some business in different societies. However, as globalization of businesses stretches to different corners of t he world, many companies with great strategic management are living witnesses of the many benefits globalization can bring. Due to strategic management, globalized countries have been able to encounter and integrate business in a different culture with different local problems as well values that erupt in a different part of the world (Ramamurti & Hashai, 2011). Managers have come together and sought the different series of moves to use in different environment in order to win maximum clientele participation in the promotion of the company’s products. Importance of Globalization Globalization has brought about new insights of emerging systems of strategic management in diverse parts of the globe. This is witnessing the creation of force that characterizes integration of markets across the globe. Global strategic management has led to dissemination of advanced technology that is unifying the globe despite fear and relentlessness of modern technology. The need to have a great m ode of information technology across the globe is the driving force behind dissemination of technology that has brought the current global transition (Hitt, 2010). The world owes theses concerted efforts to managers who came with this great idea of diversifying business through information and technology. Due to globalization of strategic management, it is possible to diffuse information technology. As a result, a government is able to foster joint research and project development in other countries, corporations are able to sell sophisticated products in other nations, and individuals are able to exchange ideas and knowhow necessary for globalization (Hitt, 2010). With the help of strategic management, developed countries are uniting with the less developed nations across the globe to integrate or fuse technology towards modernization and advancements. Since technology requires strategized plans, globalization is making it possible for strategy managers to introduce technology in d ifferent and, subsequently, remote corners of the globe and making sure people use it accordingly. Globalization is acting as a foundation for construction of companies around the globe because of technology that is turning the world to a coherent business community (Ramamurti & Hashai, 2011). Therefore, globalization of technology is resulting in an enormous need for strategic management. Through globalization, strategic managers are now able to

Strategic Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 5

Strategic Management - Essay Example ff and this along with their loyalty and commitment ahs made them what they are today- unqualified leadership in the entertainment and media industry. Another name in the reckoning is that of News Corporation, which again has drawn heavily from its diversification plans, both in US and abroad. As a matter of fact, the non US revenues of NC is much higher than that of its US earnings, which is one of the main reasons that it has sustained itself in the market for long, and provided strong competition to giants like Walt Disney, Time Warner, etc. Coming to the Walt Disney, this corporation needs to undertake massive diversification and expansion plans, in line with what its major competitors are doing. This could be seen in make a more emphatic presence in areas like digital cable, video on demand services, and owns cable networks. Again it also needs to trim its work force and make it more accountable and productive. By pursuing a lean yet efficient workforce strategy, it could become more efficient and cost conscious. Besides, there is need for greater degree of streamlining its resource systems, and adopting strategic plans in tune with current requirements of business to remain on top. With a large number of players in the industry and potential rivals on the anvil, it is also necessary that WD takes up some innovation plans and modernizes its business to entail newer growth avenues. The future of the entertainment electronics was never so immense, albeit challenging and it is now for WD to take up this challenge gratefully and prove that it is indeed a worthy contender in the genre of entertainment for a long time to come. By plunging into the deeper realms entertainment business, it has perhaps everything to win and nothing to

The Black Death Essay Example for Free

The Black Death Essay The Black Death was one of the worst pandemics in human history. In the 14th century, at least 75 million people on three continents perished due to the painful, highly contagious disease. Originating from fleas on rodents in China, the â€Å"Great Pestilence† spread westward and spared few regions. In Europe’s cities, hundreds died daily and their bodies were usually thrown into mass graves. The plague devastated towns, rural communities, families, and religious institutions. Following centuries of a rise in population, the world’s population experienced a catastrophic reduction and would not be replenished for more than one hundred years. Origins and Path of the Black Death The Black Death originated in China or Central Asia and was spread to Europe by fleas and rats that resided on ships and along the Silk Road. The Black Death killed millions in China, India, Persia (Iran), the Middle East, the Caucasus, and North Africa. To harm the citizens during a siege in 1346, Mongol armies may have thrown infected corpses over the city wall of Caffa, on the Crimean peninsula of the Black Sea. Italian traders from Genoa were also infected and returned home in 1347, introducing the Black Death into Europe. From Italy, the disease spread to France, Spain, Portugal, England, Germany, Russia, and Scandinavia. Science of the Black Death The three plagues associated with the Black Death are now known to be caused by bacteria called Yersinia Pestis, which is carried and spread by fleas on rats. When the rat died after continual bites and replication of the bacteria, the flea survived and moved to other animals or humans. Although some scientists believe that the Black Death was caused by other diseases like anthrax or the Ebola virus, recent research which extracted DNA from the skeletons of victims suggests that Yersinia Pestis was the microscopic culprit of this global pandemic. Types and Symptoms of the Plague The first half of the 14th century was marred by war and famine. Global temperatures dropped slightly, decreasing agricultural production and causing food shortages, hunger, malnutrition, and weakened immune systems. The human body became very vulnerable to the Black Death, which was caused by three forms of the plague. Bubonic plague, caused by flea bites, was the most common form. The infected would suffer from fever, headaches, nausea, and vomiting. Swelling called buboes and dark rashes appeared on the groin, legs, armpits, and neck. The pneumonic plague, which affected the lungs, spread through the air by coughs and sneezes. The most severe form of the plague was the septicemic plague. The bacteria entered the bloodstream and killed every person affected within hours. All three forms of the plague spread quickly due to overpopulated, unsanitary cities. Proper treatment was unknown, so most people died within a week after infection with the Black Death. Death Toll Estimates of the Black Death Due to poor or non-existent record-keeping, it has been difficult for historians and scientists to determine the true number of people that died of the Black Death. In Europe alone, it is likely that from 1347-1352, the plague killed at least twenty million people, or one-third of Europe’s population. The populations of Paris, London, Florence, and other great European cities were shattered. It would take approximately 150 years-into the 1500s- for Europe’s population to equal pre-plague levels. Initial plague infections and recurrences of the plague caused the world’s population to drop by at least 75 million people in the 14th century. Unexpected Economic Benefit of the Black Death The Black Death finally lapsed in approximately 1350, and profound economic changes took place. Worldwide trade declined, and wars in Europe paused during the Black Death. People had abandoned farms and villages during the plague. Serfs were no longer tied to their previous plot of land. Due to a severe labor shortage, serf survivors were able to demand higher wages and better working conditions from their new landlords. This may have contributed to the rise of capitalism. Many serfs moved to cities and contributed to the rise in urbanization and industrialization. Cultural and Social Beliefs and Changes of the Black Death Medieval society did not know what caused the plague or how it spread. Most blamed the suffering as a punishment from God or astrological misfortune. Thousands of Jews were murdered when Christians claimed that the Jews caused the plague by poisoning wells. Lepers and beggars were also accused and harmed. Art, music, and literature during this era were gruesome and gloomy. The Catholic Church suffered a credibility loss when it could not explain the disease. This contributed to the development of Protestantism. Scourge Spread Across the World The Black Death of the 14th century was a tremendous interrupter of worldwide population growth. The bubonic plague still exists, although it can now be treated with antibiotics. Fleas and their unknowing human carriers traveled across a hemisphere and infected one person after another. Survivors of this swift menace seized the opportunities that arose from altered social and economic structures. Although humanity will never know the exact death toll, researchers will continue to study the epidemiology and history of the plague to ensure that this horror never happens again.

Essay --

2. Critical Literature Review We relate the methods with respect to the criteria. The plan of the suggested approach is replacement, wrapping and migration. 2.1Replacements of Legacy Systems Replacement is not one of the policies. It may make sense to complete reshape of the legacy system from scratch. Reshaping the application from scratch is costly risky and time consuming, but has a good thing that it fulfills the organizations demands by giving a solution according to need and demand. Replacement can take place either by a strategy or incrementally. If the legacy system has defined structures then replace it incrementally. 2.2Wrapping Strategies The wrapping is another approach used for the implementation of SOA from legacy code. The useful legacy code is sticked with code wrapper to be integrated into an SOA system if the legacy system has a high business value and good quality code, wrapping can be a good option. The problematic thing in this approach is that it does not change the fundamental features of the legacy applications that are being integrated. Wrapping will not solve problems already present, such as problems in maintenance and Upgrading. In many cases, studying the internals of the legacy system is important and white-box modernization tools are required. 2.3Overview of wrapping techniques Sneed [11, 12] proposed a tool supported method for maintaining legacy code within an SOA environment. Legacy code Segments that accomplish a desired service or data reform are identified using Clustering tools and a new component is built by them. The new component is set a WSDL interface, and a SOAP framework is used. The technique has been demonstrated by wrapping a COBOL calendar function extracted from the legacy ... ...antage is that it is time consuming skilled resources are necessary for this and source code is required. There is still no general migration technique that can be applied that solves all of the problems that a developer may face. The required goal can be achieved by combining two or more modernization strategies according to the advantages and disadvantages of every strategy in the context. The reuse of legacy system components and their exposition as services are not always easy. In certain situations their exposition, as services will have an increased risk and a greater cost than their replacement completely with a new SOA architecture. The problem of modernization of legacy system has no perfect solution. Choosing a strategy is based completely on the objectives of the SOA architecture the budget and resources available and required time to achieve the project.

Coming Home Essay Essay

How does the poet bring out the theme of ‘passing of time’ in the poem ‘Coming Home’? The poem ‘Coming Home’ by Owen Sheers, explores the description of the poets visits to his family, and how the passage of time has changed some things and make some things feel odd. There are three main characters in this poem, namely the mother, father and the grandfather, as well as the narrator, who is the poet and reflecting on this visit of his. It is in the form of omnipresent narration, which gives it somewhat of a constant flow throughout each stanza. The reflection is done in a low tone, which makes the reader not focus at any particular part of the poem, while the vivid imagery and attention to detail captivates the readers mind throughout the poem. Passing of time is something that is evident in all of us, and appears to speed up when we are not with people close to us. The first stanza talks of the poets’ mother. A lot of time has passed since the poet last met his mother, and her hug is somewhat awkward since it is different from his memory of hugging her, probably when he was a teen or young adult. He calls the hug awkward, but only in the unfamiliar or odd sense of its meaning, rather than its negative meaning. The reader also gets the idea that the mother is taking the initiative to bridge the gap in their uneasy relationship. This is connected to the idea of passing of time, since it shows the awkwardness that is brought about by separation from one another over the time that has elapsed. The next scene is one where the mother is shown to be making something of dough. This involves a lot of physical process, and due to the fact that it is made of flour, this patting action also makes some of the flour go up and cover her face. This part of the poem shows the urge of the mother to try and cook something for her son, so as to continue some sort of tradition or some force of habit, despite her old age. This part also gives a great attention to detail, such as aptly describing the kind of motion involved in making whatever she is making, and also the point when the flour which covers her covers her and makes her face wrinkles disappear. The kinesthetics shown in this stanza (kneading, flipping, patting) also appeal to the auditory senses. The second stanza talks of the father working outside in a farm. The poet says that his father still goes outside, which tells us that it is a force of habit to keep doing what he wants to do.

Lee’s film & Brokeback Mountain

Ang Lee’s film, Brokeback Mountain, is one of passion, emotional struggle, heartache in relationships and unanswered questions in everyday life. Using a natural setting and authentic attire he examines the tumultuous relationship of two cowboys in a rugged area of Wyoming. The film poses various questions for the viewer, and how one is able to examine life, while fearing suspicion and choices, plagued with guilt and uncertainty.First of all, the main characters Jack Twist and Ennis Del Mar are stereotypical of Western gentlemen during the 1960s, on the outside. Ennis is a soft-spoken man with a chip on his shoulder, while Jack is a loud-mouth rodeo fiend. But, slowly, they find their way together, despite a time when homosexuality was seen as a societal ill, particularly in rural America. We know this to be a taboo topic, because it is something that was not widely accepted in mainstream media prior to the release of this film.Several themes throughout the film apply to daily life, as we are able to analyze what drives individuals to difficult decisions. There is a thin line between love and obsession, and the basic human needs of affection, attention and survival all need to be nurtured. Communication is necessary, and divorce may be a result of a combination of lying, deceit and hiding one’s true self (Rose & Urschel 2006). This also proves that the reality of a dilemma can either be found in a one-night stand, or an affair that lasts for decades.Brokeback Mountain allows the viewer a chance to reflect upon our own values of consequence, presenting a very real relationship. When we usher aside our feelings of sexuality between two men, we can understand this to be a universal romance story. This forces us to understand a new knowledge of a bond between humans that transcends gender and stigma, and that, while circumstances may be different for each individual, we are all ultimately striving for happiness and love.This is a story that can be told to future generations to examine morality and life decisions. References Ossana, D. & Schamus, J. (Producers) & Lee, A. (Director). (2005). Brokeback mountain [Motion Picture]. United States: Focus Features. Rose, J. & Urschel, J. (2006). Understanding the complexity of love in brokeback mountain: an analysis of the film and short story. Journal of Men’s Studies, 14(2), 247-251. Retrieved from Academic Search Premier.

Beauty Essays

Beauty Essays Beauty Essay Beauty Essay The concept of beauty is a controversial issue in today’s look-oriented modern society as the media constantly tries to give it a set definition. Motivated by material profit, television programs, glamorous magazines, and fashionable websites often provide their own distorted image of the perfect human being. However, due to the fact that it is a subjective and relative concept, beauty is indefinable and therefore an unreachable and utopian ideal. The idea of beauty has undergone a great amount of changes over time, and as a result it is indefinable and almost impossible to give a completely factual definition. What people considered to be beautiful years ago no longer pertains to today’s modern society. These changes can be seen especially through the changes in the preferences of the female body image. During the Victorian Era, women were considered beautiful if they were plump and full-figured, as it was a sign of their wealth. Oftentimes they wore tight corsets that made their waists unrealistically thin while accentuating their hips, breasts, and buttocks. However at the start of the 1900’s being slender became more fashionable, as women were encouraged to be more physically fit and the idea of the â€Å"Gibson Working Girl† was created as the epitome of physical attractiveness. During this time period women often bound their breasts in order to create a more slender appearance. By the 1950’s â€Å"beautiful† women were thin and had a large bustline, like Mariyln Monroe who was a size sixteen. In today’s western modern society the perfect and ideal weight of women involves being skinny and having large breasts, which is normally achieved through cosmetic surgeries such as liposuction and breast implants. Like the ideal image of beauty is unobtainable because it changes over time, it is also relative because it varies between cultures. Different cultures have varying definitions of beauty depending on their societal trends and traditions, making it impossible to have a set designation for the term. People often go through a great amount of trouble in order to fit in with their own culture’s unique definition of beauty. In Asian cultures it is considered attractive to have pale skin, and many Asians often wear sun masks or carry parasols to avoid coloration. Some even powder their faces in order to make their complexion paler and thus more â€Å"attractive†. In Western civilizations like America, perfect skin is often characterized as being tan, and many Americans often risk their own health by visiting tanning salons. Americans also use expensive bronzers and fake tanning sprays that give their skin a more golden color. Cultural differences of beauty can even be traced back to the Native Americans who tightly bounded their heads with cloth in order to elongate their skulls. Similar to variations among cultures, definitions of beauty are also subjective as they can also differ among individuals. Beauty is a relative ideal as its meaning differs among individuals. While some may view beauty as based on inner traits such as personality, intelligence, confidence, grace, charm, and elegance, others may believe that it is only physical factors that make a person attractive. People’s perceptions of beauty are often reflected in their fashion styles and depicted in the clothes that they wear. Many strive to create their own unique style which shows their individual opinion on what they perceive as alluring. One person may find that a leopard print jacket, a yellow tank top, and pink polka dot shorts are beautiful, while another could disagree entirely. Each person is entitled to their own beliefs. Beauty cannot have a set definition, or else it would ruin the natural sanctity of human individual uniqueness. Its value can only be determined at a personal level. True beauty comes from within a person and is an expression of a person’s own identity. Although beauty is relative because it varies among individuals, many people still try to achieve it through pointless and risky cosmetic surgery, and unsafe diets. While beauty is subjective as it often changes throughout time, among cultures, and varies between individuals, many still make the choice to undergo irreversible surgeries in order to artificially make themselves more attractive. Science is placed above nature, as people destroy their bodies in order to feel a small and most likely temporary sense of attractiveness. The website beauty101. org defines beauty as â€Å"a characteristic of a person, place, object or idea that provides a perceptual experience of pleasure, meaning or satisfaction;† By this definition painful cosmetic surgery and rueling fad diets go against the ideals of beauty as they typically are not pleasurable, are meaningless, and overall are unhealthy. There is no point in cutting a totally healthy body, and cosmetic surgery takes away from appearances given to humans by nature. Unhealthy eating decisions also contribute to the distortion of the ideas of beauty, and in a study conducted by the South Carolina Department of Mental Heath, it was concluded that around eight million Americans every year struggle with the hardships that come with an eating disorder. Beauty is ubiquitous, and people need to embrace that everyone is beautiful in their own unique way.

The Yellow Pages Scam Keeps on Taking

The Yellow Pages Scam Keeps on Taking While the so-called â€Å"yellow pages† scam comes and goes, a new group of Canada-based telemarketers is now attacking U.S. small businesses, nonprofits, churches and even local governments, according to complaints filed by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC). How the Scam Works The â€Å"yellow pages† scam calls sound so innocent: Somebody calls your organization saying they simply need to confirm your contact information for a business directory. What could possibly go wrong? They never asked for money, right? Whether they mention money are not, you are soon sent an invoice demanding you pay hundreds of dollars for your new listing in an online â€Å"yellow pages† directory – not at all something you ever asked for or wanted. If you don’t pay, the scammers will often play you recordings – sometimes doctored – of the initial call to â€Å"prove† that you or your employees had approved the charges. If that doesn’t do the trick, the companies start calling you repeatedly to â€Å"remind† you of things like legal fees, interest charges and credit ratings. According to the FTC, the companies would go so far as posing as debt collection agencies, offering to stop the harassing calls in return for a fee. â€Å"In the face of threats,† said the FTC, â€Å"many people just paid.† FTC Files Charges In separate complaints, the FTC charged Montreal-based telemarketing firms; Online Local Yellow Pages; 7051620 Canada, Inc.; Your Yellow Pages, Inc.; and OnlineYellowPagesToday.com, Inc., with running â€Å"yellow pages† scams targeting businesses in the United States. How to Protect Your Business The FTC recommended four ways you can protect your business from the â€Å"yellow pages† scam: Train your staff:   Educate employees on how the scam works and how to recognize dangerous calls. Check the BBB: Always check the calling company’s reputation out for free on the Better Business Bureau’s website. Inspect your invoices: Consider implementing a purchase order review system to ensure you are only paying for services you requested. File a Complaint: If you suspect you have been contacted by a scammer or start getting bogus bills, file complaints with both the FTC at ftc.gov/complaint and with the BBB. â€Å"Businesses and other organizations should train their staff to hang up on cold calls about business directory services,† said Jessica Rich, Director of the FTC’s Bureau of Consumer Protection in a press release. â€Å"Report them to the FTC. We can pursue these cases even if the scammers hide in another country.†

Research Methdologies and Emerging Technologies Assignment

Research Methdologies and Emerging Technologies - Assignment Example The products and services provided by Google are spread all over and are in use by the common internet users. The project idea is termed as a wearable computing innovation by Google Inc. The product is also termed as Head Mounted Display (H.M.D). The new buzz word that has people stunned is the Google glasses. Only this year Google Inc launched the project in the name of â€Å"Project Glass† that is based on a state of the art facilitated concept in the field of virtualization. It is another step towards the already fast growing concept of virtualization. With cloud computing and virtual networks dominating the field of science and technology, the virtual glasses concept will further enhance the field of upcoming technology. People have seen the ordinary 3D glasses and other similar products but Google is focusing on bringing about total new dimensions in this field. The project is aimed at going commercial and officially public as soon as the current year and is expected to c apture large market of customers who use gadgets and other digital equipment in their daily life to a larger extent. This product is a venture of Google X laboratories which is responsible for number of other similar innovative products. The purpose of this laboratory is to come up with such innovative products and benefit the company through its competitive advantage attribute (PatentBolt, 2012). While some term this product as an aliens like instrument and others call them Star Trek sort of glasses, but these glasses are a reality and are just a few months or at most an year away from the public domain. Massive research and development input has been invested into this project and the pioneers behind the Google map and mapping applications have contributed towards this product through their ideas and expertise. One of the person who is at forefront of entire concept is Steve Lee. The product is created in a very crafty manner and instead of covering the whole face, a slim thin lin e runs through the forehead like a thin copper wire with a small screen attached to one side of the forehead . Through the use of voice instructions, the person using the device can perform number of built in instructions namely photo shoot, geological location determination, and various other features. Other features that are supposedly chained to this product include 3G and 4G connection support, though no official word has been heard from the company itself, instead the insiders who are working on this project and have been part of the pilot tests conducted time to time keep coming with information about its specifications(Bilton, 2012). While the early model is said to have a low resolution camera, it won’t go without a consideration that later models will have further enhanced digital capabilities. A small feature that is being explained for the novice states that anyone who desires to take a picture of something that is in front of them ,would not need to bring out the mobile phones, or other digital photography associated gadget, rather through these glasses, they can capture the scene since it is built in with a camera. These glasses might look odd in the beginning but the real end users who are wearing it will have the real taste of this gadget and will be fully absorbed in the digital world. The main theme behind the entire project is to reduce the dependency on the windows based application that

Hard Rock Cafe Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Hard Rock Cafe - Essay Example A list of all activities required to complete the project (typically categorized within a work breadown structure), 2. The time (duration) that each activity will tae to completion, and 3. The dependencies between activities. With help of this CPM a manager can easily see the overral progress and which operations are to be crashed in order to complete a project in time. The total duration of the project is a sum of operations durations on the Critical path. Critical path is the sequence of activities which add up the longest overall duration. An additional parallel path through the network with the total durations shorter than the critical path is called a sub-critical or non-critical path (â€Å"Critical Path Method†, 2011). In the case of Rockfest, critical path is found using MS Project, Figure 1. In the first collumn there is the operations description, in the second, operations duration. There is Ganth diagram on the scheme with red marked crithical path. Therefore, the o verral duration of the project should be 23 weeks (the critical path duration). Crashing a project means shortening some operations to fullfill project’s time requirements. If activity B (Selection local printer) would take 5 weeks instead of planned 3 weeks we must crash some operations because activity B is on the Critical Path. The crashing time should be 5-3=2 weeks.

Write a Marketing Plan and Plan Report for a launch event of a new Essay

Write a Marketing Plan and Plan Report for a launch event of a new Master programme in Events Marketing Management, the only course of its kind in the world. Th - Essay Example The main purpose of this paper is to write a Marketing Plan and Plan Report for a launch event of a new Master programme in Events Marketing Management. The event shall take place on London Metropolitan University premises in June 2006. The underlying assumption is that there will be launch of the programme in June 2006, and the main goal of promotion marketing plan is to make positive public opinion and awareness towards Programme launch by this date. The London Metropolitan University needs to implement an integrated marketing plan to achieve a level of 100% enrolment at the Course during its first year, in order to do this it need to strategically categorise the potential students into various segmented areas. Consideration also needs to be given to the large number of students who have not decided on whether they want to join the Course. The plan advises what methods need to be used along will how they need to be implemented to obtain the overall objectives of the plan. The theoretical part or this paper will analyse the plan written in terms of academic marketing theory. Following are the key terms and concepts explained; they could be found over marketing plan in order of appearance. The main distinction of this marketing plan is in its core objective – promotion and marketing of new Master’s programme. Since it is not a tangible product or service, some characteristic points will be considered further. Context Analysis determines the overall strategic direction, it must be a â€Å"comprehensive and through analysis of the background situation†1, therefore consideration must be given to the market, customer, company (internal) and general environment (external) contexts. 2 These are specific ‘goals’ that need to be achieved during the timescale of the overall plan. It is important that these ‘goals’ are clearly understood and accepted by everybody involved. All of these

Unilateral Decision Making in Human Resources

Unilateral Decision Making in Human Resources Human resource management is a series of activities which first enable working people and the organisation which uses their skills to agree about the objectives and nature of their working relationship and secondly, ensure that the agreement is fulfilled Torrington and Hall (2002: 13). There has been an argument about who are the decision makers in the organisation. Is it the Management who are responsible for strategy forming and implementing the strategy or is it the employees who are the life line of the organisation who have the knowledge about the product. Who are best capable of making the decisions? In the essay there is the discussion about the various perspectives and the way decisions are taken. A brief introduction of three types of perspective: Unitary Perspective: A Unitary perspective has one source of authority and one focus of loyalty, which is why it suggests team analogy. Each accepts his place and his functions gladly, following the leadership of the one so appointed. Fox (1966) ( pg 2). Pluralistic Perspective: A Pluralist frame of reference recognises that the legitimacy and justification of trade union in our society rests not upon their protective function in labour markets or upon their success, real or supposed, in raising the share enjoyed by their members, but on social values which recognise the right of interest-group to combine and have an effective voice in their own destiny. This means having a voice in decision making. Marxist Perspective: the Marxist perspective sees the process and institution of joint regulation as an enhancement rather that reduction in managements position; at best they provide only limited and temporary accommodation of the inherent and fundamental division within capitalist based work and social structure. In the essay we would be concentrating more on unitary perspective and pluralistic perspective as they have closer relevance to the statement/argument. The essay gives the outline of how various perspectives effect the decision making process. The effects of various factors on factors like employee relations, employee contract, job regulations, and perspectives have been discussed representing them with a few examples. The corporation is the master, the employee is the servant. Because the corporation owns the means of production without which the employee could not make a living, the employee needs the corporation more than vice versa. Peter Drucker Business Capitalism Work Management regards its own unilateral decision-making over Human Resource issue as legitimate and rational; any opposition to it, either internal or external to the organisation, is seen as irrational. Managements unilateral decision making over Human Resource issue is legitimate and rational can be accepted only if the employer and employee feel that they are one big family (unitary perspective). As fox has summarised that the unitary perspective can be justified when employees and employers have a common goal and objective i.e., to maximise the success of the organisation and workers willingly accept to obey the decision taken by the management. Armstrong (1999) says that the philosophy of Human Resource Management with its emphasis on commitment and mutuality is based on the unitary perspective.fox also states that in unitary perspective there are no teams. Nor are they any outside it; the team stands alone, the members (employees) have an obligation of loyalty to their leader Fox (1966) (p.03). Therefore from the above references it is clear that the decision taken by the management is legitimate and rational and its the duty of the employees to follow it without opposing it. The employers are responsible for the effective running of the organisation and they would have a long term plans of the organisation and the decisions would be taken according to the company vision and objectives. The employees need to understand that the employers would always think to better the company and maximize the profits, opposing decisions taken by them would not only be disloyalty shown towards the organisation but also unethical practise to go against the people who have provided them with food and shelter which are the basic needs (Maslows hierarchy). The above statement is very strong in countries like India where the trade unions have more political view than the welfare of the members of the trade unions. The trade unions go on strikes just to overpower the management. States like West Bengal where the trade unions have the upper hand to the management. That is the main reason why no multinational company wants to set up their base in west Bengal. Whereas states like Karnataka where the unions are discouraged have come up because the IT industry does not encourage trade unions. It may not affect the Industry, but there would be change in the perception and image of the industry if trade unions are introduced. We must seriously consider whether it is the right time to have trade unions in the IT sector. It might hurt the industry Kris Gopalakrishnan, CEO MD, Infosys Technologies (Forbes rated Infosys among the 5 best performing companies in the software and services sector in the world). The success of the organisation has been unitarist approach. Unitary perspective also overcomes the problems of disputes between rivalry unions. In this method the accountability becomes clear because everyone is assigned a responsibility. Unitary perspective approach towards job regulation is unilateral in internal regulations. A unitary approach manager takes all the decisions without the consultation of the employees as the employer would know best for the employees. If the decision would be put forward to the employees there would be conflicts of interest. For example during the recent recession period, when the companies had to lay off employees it would not be advisable for the organisation to consult its union about whom and how many are to be removed. The union which is formed for the welfare of the employees would not agree to such decisions and hence it would result in strikes (Jet Airways employees calling for a strike because 150 of its employees were given the pink slip. The organisation was going through huge losses and the only way it would reduce its loss would be by reducing its man power which was not accepted by the Union, hence it resulted in strike). Therefore it is necessary for an organisation to limits the powers of trade unions in decision making. When the Theory X and Theory Y- Mc Gregors is taken into consideration it proves that employees of Theory X would oppose any decision taken by the management as the employees under theory X dislike work and do not care about the organisation goals. Thereby it becomes necessary for the management to take the decisions and employees opposing it are seen as irrational. But the organisation does not have any control over the external Job Regulations because external job regulation consists of forces which are partially outside the enterprise. Therefore, the organisation does not have complete control over the external job regulation. In context with the labour contract, the unitary perspective manager recruits the employees for a particular assignment and when an employee enters into a contract with the employer its his/her duty/responsibility to follow instructions given by the employer, as the statement refers anyone opposing it is seen as irrational would be true because when an employee goes against the contract it is irrational or not fulfilling the terms of the contract. The method of negotiations and bargaining is not encouraged in unitary perspective because the organisations face the problem of firstly recognizing the right union (multiple numbers of unions in an organisation has increased). Therefore the only way to solve this problem would be non recognition of unions. If the management needs to make unilateral decisions which has to be accepted by the employees the decision makers need to have a few traits in them. Firstly they should have a problem solving ability and how they can fit into the wider scheme. Secondly they should have a strong desire to achieve the goals, they should be self confident and self disciplined, they should have the ability to listen and communicate effectively. Finally they should be analytical and intelligent (not to intelligent). Robert.H. David Wilson. Managing organisations. (Pg198) When Unitarism is related to the labour process it becomes clear that the management has the whole authority to make all the decisions because in it is perceived that all the raw materials, means of production and the product of labour belongs to the management. Therefore the decisions taken by the management are legitimate and rational as they own everything and anyone opposing would be considered as irrational. The statement holds true in this situation because once a person/organisation is the owner of a particular thing, he/they should have the freedom to do what he/they want to do with it, without anyones interference. When there is a problem with the organisation it is the management that is held responsible for it. For example even if an employee has faulted in his work and the customer may have some problem with it is the organisation that has to pay the compensation to the customers not the employee. The statement is only applicable for a unitary approach organisation but it has its own draw backs which are low employee morale, low productivity and absenteeism, negative attitude towards work/ job, management rivalry, disagreement, incompatibility, incongruence. There may be various reasons for the following. But to avoid the following there has to be a two way communication between the employee and the employer. The above theory can be accepted but to a certain extent as the external factors cannot be controlled by the organisation. Factors like supply, demand, government policies all play a major role in the working of an organisation. Therefore external factors cannot be considered as irrational. The organisation needs to be flexible and change accordingly to the change in external factors. According to Dunlop (1950) industrial relations system consists of three agents management organizations, workers and formal/informal ways they are organized and government agencies. The Du nlops model gives great significance to external or environmental forces. In other words, management, labor, and the government possess a shared ideology that defines their roles within the relationship and provides stability to the system. The Dunlops theory projects that all the actors have to a common understanding; they cannot work without each others support. The effect of a decision taken will have an effect on the other actors; therefore considering there interference is irrational will not help in the smooth running of the organisation. This is the reason why trade unions were formed which represents the employees. Trade unions have been recognised by all the governments. In a free market unions are encouraged as it is a symbol of democracy which allows the employees the right of expression. In the modern day business there are new techniques like Delphi method; Quality Circles are introduced for the betterment of the organisation. This shows employee participation in the de cision making process of the management has become very important; therefore the management considering any opposition from the employees as irrational will be wrong. A unitary approach becomes really hard when the company is a Multi National Company, because the business market would be different in different countries therefore having a unilateral approach may not suite the organisation. To gain a competitive edge the organisation needs to make the best use of its resources and there are more chances of mis communications in unitary approach, which may result into conflicts. A pluralistic perspective completely agrees with the above said statement as a pluralistic manager believes conflicts are inevitable. It is something that cannot be avoided. The only way the conflicts can be solved is by collective bargaining. In a collective bargaining, its a Win-Win situation for both the employers and the employees. It keeps the morale high and even the productivity high. Therefore considering any interference of the employees of the organisation as irrational cannot be justified, its the right of the employee to have a say in the decision taken by the employer as it will be the employees who would be following those decisions. Ex. If an employer decides to extend the shift (working hours) it has to be consulted with the employees as it will be them who would be working for long hours. If the decision is taken without consultation it would result in conflicts. Every organisation has a member representation of the employees because the organisations have understood the importance of employee satisfaction. Therefore the above statement cannot be agreed on if the organisation follows pluralistic approach. Workers in various countries have been opposing the unilateral decision making process. They feel the managers have been mis using their powers. Even though the management owns the organisation it can only buy the labour power it cannot buy labour because labour is not saleable, therefore the management can restrict its decisions to labour power not labour. Therefore any decision taken which affects the labour can be opposed and it would be considered as rational. When pluralism is related to job regulation as stated by Bean (2000) (p.370) it is generally conceded in the liberal democratic world that working people should have the right to participate in the making of decisions that critically affect their working lives. From the above quote it shows the importance of employee involvement in the decision making process. The employers need to understand that employees play a major role in functioning of the organisation, by involving them into the decision making process not only increases the motivation of the employees but also increase the productivity of the employees. In the modern techniques there are various methods adopted like to increase employee participation in the organisation. It may sometimes result in new fresh ideas which may work in favour of the organisation. Therefore considering ideas from the employees while making decision can be very useful. Sometimes these ideas may contradict the decisions of the management, the manage ment needs to analyse the suggestion and implement it if it is for the betterment of the organisation. The management cannot consider these ideas as irrational. While making rules for the organisations various factors influence them, factors like State, the availability of labour. Supply and demand etc. play a crucial role and none of them can be considered as irrational when they oppose the decisions made by the organisation. The draw backs with pluralistic approach would be rivalry between the trade unions, it makes it hard for the organisation to negotiate when there are more than one trade unions and hence the unions and the management would loose valuable time and money in negotiating the problems. It is the duty of the unions to act as a mediator between the employees and management, but the unions have become so political that they just see how the party(the political) party they represent is benefitted. Example. TATA Nano project was shifted from Singhur (West Bengal, India) to Gujarat (India) because the opposition party wanted to put the ruling government down. There was loss of employment for the state (west Bengal) when the company made the decision to move out, and the union did not achieve any gain out of it. Therefore it can be concluded that the unions no longer work for the welfare of the employees, they have diverted themselves to work for the political party that is supporting them. The Marxist approach states that the management makes profit by exploiting the labourers, i.e. by paying them low wage compared to the work they have done. Conclusion From the above arguments and analysis it becomes clear that the argument is an Management regards its own unilateral decision-making over Human Resource issue as legitimate and rational; any opposition to it, either internal or external to the organisation, is applicable only in Unitary Perspective but this can be implemented in very Public/Private sectors. Some organisations have been successful after adopting such approach but this method cannot be adopted in all sectors as in this fast growing business world and the rate of attrition increasing it becomes very essential for an organisation to take care of its employees and other concerns which are attached to the company, considering their opposition as irrational can be very easily be a reason for the downfall of the organisation. An organisation may enjoy supreme authority when they have a unitary approach but the organisation to decide its transfers and promotions very carefully. It would play a major role because if a manager is recruited from outside the organisation may not be able to adapt to the organisations culture and there would be regular oppositions for his decisions. From the above essay we can argue that no one type of perspective is suitable for all organisations. Some companies may adopted a particular perspective and been successful but it does not confirm that all companies will be successful by following such a perspective. An organisation may have both Theory X category employees and even Theory Y category employees, it is the responsibility of the managers to use the resources available and make the best use of them. To conclude from the above essay it can be concluded that an organisation needs to be flexible but also needs to have authority over its employees. The management needs to take suggestion from its employees but the final decision needs to be taken by the management and its the duty of the employees to follow the decisions as they are under contract/agreement with the employer to render there services to the organisation. The management can have complete control over its internal part of the organisation and anyone opposing it would be going against the contract therefore can be considered as irrational but this can be said the same towards the external forces, the management does not have complete control over them, and considering their opposition as irrational would not be appropriate. Both the perspectives have their own advantages and disadvantages, its the responsibility of the management to balance their business and make profits after all- The only and only social responsibili ty of a business is to make profits- Milton Friedman (Noble Prize in economics).

Cell Division & Cell Cycle Study Guide :: essays research papers

CELL DIVISION Cell division involves 2 phases: 1- MITOSIS The process by which nuclear material is divided 2 identical daughter cells result 2- CYTOKINESIS the process by which the cytoplasm and its contents (organelles) separate into equal parts. cytokinesis begins before mitosis is complete cytokinesis differs in plant and animal cells ANIMAL CELLS the cell membrane pinches near the middle of the cell, dividing the cytoplasm into equal parts(2 new cells) PLANT CELLS a cell plate develops across the centre of the cell, creating a new cell wall between the 2 new cells Cells alternate between stages (phases) of dividing and not dividing. This sequence is called the cell cycle. The 2 major phases of the CELL CYCLE are: 1- DIVISION PHASE During this phase the cell undergoes mitosis (nuclear division) There are 4 phases of mitosis: Prophase Metaphase Anaphase Telophase 2- INTERPHASE During this phase, the cell takes in nutrients and builds proteins that are used by the cell for energy Chromosomes duplicate (DNA replication) This is the period of growth and repair for the cell (in preparation for the division phase) THE CELL CYCLE CELL CYCLE: the continuous process of mitosis, cell division, and interphase. HOW CELL GETS READY FOR MITOSIS Nucleus makes a copy of its chromatin(replication) Chromatin coils into double stranded chromosomes joined in the middle by a centromere 2 sets of DNA are bundled together nucleus is ready for mitosis to begin. Animal cell division: cell membrane pinches near the middle of the cell, dividing the cytoplasm into 2 new cells Plant cell division: a cell plate develops across the centre of the cell, forming a new cell wall between the 2 cells Original cellïÆ'  , parent cell New cellsïÆ'  , daughter cells # of chromosomes in the nucleus of each cell is identical to eachother and to the number in the original cell Why must nuclear membrane break down in mitosis? So that the contents of the cell can divide. The NUCLEUS controls the process of mitosis. REGENERATION: repair of injured cells or the making of lost body parts Normal Cell Replacement: cells die when they receive instruction to do so when they are no longer needed

Why Should HR & Line Managers Work Together? Essay

The primary reason human resources and line managers should work together is because both parties have a vested interest in ensuring the company achieves success. Through working together, line management becomes more proficient in tactical human resources functions. This frees up time for human resources professionals to devote more time to strategic HR management. Department Staffing The human resource department’s main function is to support the workforce needs of the organization. HR and line managers should communicate regularly and frequently to determine the skills and qualifications required for seamless operation of department functions. Whenever there’s a vacancy in a line manager’s department, an HR recruiter or employment specialist and the line manager review the job description for accuracy and completeness. During the recruitment and selection process, HR advises line managers on how to identify qualified candidates and existing department staff capabilities. Workforce Strategy Strategic planning between HR and line managers involves reviewing projections concerning future business demands to determine whether to train current employees to prepare them for promotion or to recruit candidates with higher level skills to augment the current employee knowledge base. By working together on immediate and future staffing needs, HR and line management benefit from reduced cost per hire and turnover. In addition, the organization benefits from appropriate succession planning and adequate staffing. Related Reading: Performance Management Training and development is an HR function that prepares line managers for a number of leadership tasks. One such task is conducting employee performance appraisals. Human resources trainers develop learning objectives based on line managers’ understanding of the organization’s coaching philosophy. Leadership training topics include how to provide employees with constructive feedback and how to conduct fair and unbiased assessments of  employee performance. HR and line managers should therefore work together to ensure the organization maintains a consistent approach to performance management. Inconsistencies within an organization’s performance management system negatively impact employee job satisfaction, which is another reason HR and line managers should work collaboratively. Conflict Resolution Workplace conflict is inevitable whenever department employees represent different cultures, work styles and personalities. When conflicts arise, line managers typically seek the advice of HR in resolving issues between employees or issues between employees and their managers. If there is already dissention between HR and line management, it can be difficult for human resources to determine what underlies the conflict and how to resolve it. A positive working relationship between HR and line management facilitates easier handling of workplace investigations and mediating differences between staff. When HR and line management work together, it’s easier for HR to investigate workplace issues because the human resource staff may have greater confidence that line managers document their employment actions and decisions appropriately and according to company policy.

Focal Point Consultants Essay

While observing CanGo for last two weeks we at FPC (Focal Point Consultants ) have identified some six major issue that we feel should be addressed to allow the organization to better achieve there over all goals. First Concern—Priority 1 CanGo appears to have a financial issue and there is has not been a complete audit to address this issue. Also CanGo needs to learn how to use the resources that they already have and redefine the processes and procedures. First Recommendation The financial team at CanGo needs to work with all the key areas of the company to conduct an audit of current processes. This audit will allow for everyone to review all the current processes that are in place and determine what they can do to enhance them and at the same time the financial team can use this data to outline how much the current processes are costing the company overall. At the conclusion of this analysis the reports will allow for the company to cut spending in the correct areas so that they can improves the others. There are many things that can be done to make improvements without spending money or having to acquire new technology or devices. Within the warehouse for example the layout can be enhanced even more so that people are not wasting time walking. Minor and Major changes to just the layout will allow the CanGo to improve efficiency and overall performance. Each department head needs to complete a detailed time study on the processes they outlined above. Once this time study is complete then the data can be used to see what is taking the longest and make changes to that process. By taking these steps it will allow CanGo to approach improvements in the correct manner by taking those actions that don’t have ny hit to the company’s bottom line. After all these types of changes are complete that is when and only when money should be spent on new technology and devices to make processes more efficient. Second Concern—Priority 2 The loyalty of customers for the specific targeting market is declining. Second Recommendation Think about how you want to be treated as a consumer. Now apply that same concept to the targeting market. Review the evaluations that are submitted by the consumers. It will tell what impression the company is making. Also, spend time in the Customer Service department. This the first point of contact for consumer. How they are handle will determine whether a consumer will return: Customer service might just be the most critical of all in running your business. If your customers like how they are treated, not only will they keep coming back, but they will refer you to others. Treating customers as individuals and not as a stepping stone up your ladder of success can go a long way. Listen to their concerns and build a relationship with them. If your customer feels as though you have their best interest they will be loyal to you. Your customers can really do a lot of your marketing for you. Word of mouth, especially in a world where Facebook and Twitter are some people’s main way of communicating, is a very powerful tool (Debs Marketing Connections, 2012). Third Concern – Priority 3 Online purchases CanGo has talked about that they have a high rate of items added to the online shopping cart. Although this information does not support the amount of purchases actually received via CanGo’s online website. Third Recommendation  Having a high rate of items added to an online shopping cart means that you have a good storefront and getting customer’s to actually place the items within there shopping carts. This is only one piece of the multipart puzzle. The shopping site needs to be enhanced to entice the customer to actually complete their purchase as that is how we are going to make money overall. Since there is a high traffic volume to the website we would also recommend that the marketing team reach out to a third party website advertising company that will pay to place ads on CanGo’s website. This will drive also be another source of revenue for CanGo so they can then reinvest this money back into the company. Fourth Concern – Priority 4 While Reviewing the video’s from weeks 3 and 4 I saw a issue that they is an issue within the warehouse and they do have a solution but no really reviewed the reports that Debbie provided. I think that these reports should have been reviewed while in the meeting so that they could have discussed all the points of the issue and the recommended solution to the warehouse productivity issue. Then Liz asked the group a question I wonder how the board will feel about this recommendation. Fourth Recommendation A solution to this problem would be to complete a full audit of the issue and do a trial run analysis of the proposed solution. This would allow for recommendations to be made to the board and the results of the proposed solution can be given right away. As people need to see measurable figures so that they can tell if something will be worth putting the time and money into the project. Fifth Concern – Priority 5  In the week 4 Videos they are talking about the market segment of boys in Japan. They ask each other questions about how they can get the market analysis complete and then the gentlemen having lunch say that I will do it. Fifth Recommendation There are a couple of thing on this problem that needs to be solved first managers should not interrupt an employee’s lunch unless it is extremely urgent. This is an issue because the employee stated he is â€Å"Just trying to enjoy my lunch break†. The Manager should have approached the employee at a later time when he was not at lunch. Then there is the issue of the market analysis. This assignment should get assigned out to a third party marketing company that can tap into the market in Japan and gauge what the consumer wants. This would be a lot more cost effective than attempting the complete this analysis on their own and wasting resources that they don’t have in the first place. Sixth Concern – Priority 6 Sales are not increasing as projected for the company possibly due to the design of the online purchasing process. Sixth Recommendation Place a test run on the current online purchase process as a consumer. Time the entire process to see how long it takes. As the test run is being completed, keep the consumers’ needs and wants in mind. Determine if needs were met as well as satisfied. View the information available to see if it’s appealing to lead to the purchase the item. Also, notate likes and dislikes of the experience. Have a group of employees to assist to gather more information for comparison. Determine what updates can be implemented to entice the consumer to make a purchase. Keep track of different trends to keep a competitive edge for things like: 1.  In-store pick up. In the past few months we’ve seen Walmart implement in-store pick up for orders placed online, while Sears and Kmart are going a step further bringing online purchases out to your car. In Chicago, Sears and Kmart are even testing home delivery and bundling items with those from its retail partners at Sears’ Marketplace, further blurring the lines between online only retailers and those that came before. And in Florida, Farm Stores lets shoppers order groceries online and pick up at a drive through. 2. Pick up depots.  Smaller retailers without a vast network of stores like Walmart or Sears may open designated pick up locations for goods ordered online. Retail consultant Neil Stern of McMillan/Doolittle points to French retailer Chronodrive. com as an example. 3. Mobile Apps. Smartphones are the dominant cell phone and apps for all platforms are growing. The ones that allow for price comparisons or send out coupons are already among the most heavily used with good reviews, but we’re just getting started. 4. Less flash more function. Forget about flashy apps or features like virtual dressing rooms.  Consumers haven’t responded to these and rightly so. Maybe the technology will get there, but until it does, user reviews are better gauges of clothing fit and quality than any technology can offer. 5. Video. Look for more user-generated video on retail sites. Retailers are letting customers upload video clips modeling new clothes or using a new purchase. Davis believes this is one trend that will definitely pick up speed. 6. Social networking. Facebook and Twitter aren’t even close to played out yet. Consumers can increasingly â€Å"like† or follow a favorite retailer and get discounts or tips on deals.  JCPenney is using Facebook to actually sell goods and more than 12 million consumers â€Å"like† Victoria’s Secret on Facebook as of last month (March), making it the most popular retailer on the site (its Pink brand ranks No. 2, according to the ChannelAdvisor Facebook Commerce Index). That’s an active population of customers reaching out and requesting information from the retailer. And social shopping is just getting started, says Jim Okamura, managing partner at Okamura Consulting, a group specializing in online retail. There’s evidence (that Facebook offers) a good return on investment and there are a lot of retailers that haven’t done anything yet,† he says. â€Å"This is going to be the year of Facebook testing. 7. Daily deals and flash sales. This may seem like a very crowded playing field, but sites like Ruelala and OneKingsLane are reproducing at a furious pace. And based on how quickly many items sell out, often within minutes of email notifications going out, more will jump on this popular trend. 8. Retail based social networks. This is one trend experts don’t expect to happen at any large level. Sears is still trying to build a social network of its own customers and Walmart tried and abandoned a similar effort, neither attempt bodes well for its success. Facebook really owns this space, but look for small, focused sites to create communities of like-minded users, says Okamura. 9. International. â€Å"There’s been an accelerating trend in international or cross border e commerce, of small niche online retailers are now doing 10-20% of their sales outside of their own country,† says Okamura. Look to online shops like SousVide Supreme that sells specialized cooking equipment and StyleTrek. com, a community built to launch up and coming international designers as models. Other big name retailers like Zara and Top Shop are building out their online business to reach U. S. shoppers, even as the store base grows more slowly. 10. Deal aggregators. Of course there are always deal sites, like Dealnews, ConsumerSearch, FatWallet and Brad’s Deals that are cutting through the din of so many sites and sales to bring consumers only the information they’re interested in. (Forbes, 2012).