Summary of the Lawnmower Man

Summary The lawnmower man The lawnmower man is a short story by Stephen King. The lawnmower man is about Harold Parkette, who after an accident with his lawnmower and the neighbors dog, decides to sell his lawnmower. After a while the lawn starts to get higher. He decides to hire a lawnmower to do the lawn for him. He calls the firm Pastoral greenery and outdoor service. Not long after a lawnmower shows up at his house. He is the usual type, he knows all to well. While the lawnmower takes care of his lawn, he sits down whit the paper and a beer.A loud racketing roar awakens him from his thoughts. He rushes to the front lawn. He is greeted by a strange sight. The lawnmower is driving itself, and the lawnmower is completely naked and is crawling on all four behind the mower eating the grass. Harold gets terrified by the experience. The lawnmower tells Harold that he isn’t actually working for Pastoral greenery and outdoor service, but his boss is Pan, who is a apart of the greek mythology, he is the god of animals and wild.He is half goat halt human. The lawnmower man tells Harold that his boss is always looking for new recruits. Harold is frightened and goes to the phone to call the police, and tell what is going on. While on the phone with the police, the front door gets smashed and in comes the lawnmower with the lawnmower man behind him. The lawnmower man tells him that Harold made a mistake by calling the police.He gets closer to Harold, and Harold retreats to the kitchen while holding a chair in front of him. The lawnmower decides that it’s Harold turn to get lawned. Harold runs out of the door and onto the lawn. He trips over his own feet, and the last thing he sees is mower sharp blades which are green from cutting the lawn. The police arrives after the neighbors calls them, and all thats left of him is in birdbath, and the smell of newly cut grass is still in the air.

Management theories Essay

Classical Management theory and Human Relations theory have played an vital role in the history of modern management .It is two qualitative leap of modern management system. As two relatively complete system of Management theory, Classical Management theory and Human Relations theory has made its own unique contribution. This essay aims to identify key similarities and differences between two theory by comparing detailed aspects which including focus, the comprehension of structure ,basic assumptions of person and the task of leader, simultaneously, exploring how Classical Management theory and Human Relations theory can reconcile the incompatibilities between the approaches. Classical Management theory was developed during the Industrial Revolution in order to deal withthe problem about inefficiency in the factories. it mainly contained of Weber(1922)’s Bureaucratic management,Taylor(1911)’s Scientific Management and Fayol(1925)’s General Management Principles. As Taylor (1911) wrote in his books â€Å"the purpose of scientific management is how achieve the maximum efficiency â€Å",these theory highlighted the importance of using scientific and standardized methods in workplace ; pointed out the study will continue to improve the working methods; determine the many principles to operate the organization more efficiently and emphasized the salary as a potential factor of motivation. Human Relation theory was proposed by a America behavioral scientist named Mayo (1933) after that Classical Management theory had been presented for nearly 20 years . According to Meyao (1933)the most important factor that effected the productivity are not condition and treatment ,but the human relation in workplace.Human Relation theory stressed the importance of human factors ;advocated improving managers’ interpersonal skills and changing leadership; emphasized the informal organization Classical Management theory and Human Relations theory contain many aspects that share differences and few aspects share similarities. Firstly, on focus,the classical management approach emphasized a concern for task (output).Thus, using the methods of Optimization of techniques and strict management in order to improve workers output is what the classical  management theory concentrate on. In contrast ,the Human Relations Approach focuses on both the workers themselves and efficiency, This aimed at increasing the work productivity through satisfaction and collaboration. Secondly ,according to the comprehension of organizational structure .in Classical Management approach . The organizational structure should be formal and clearly. Weber (1922) wrote that an ideal administrative structure has characteristics which including: a clear organizational division of labor ;a top-down hierarchy; a professional management system and a strict independent rules and discipline. Whereas the Human Relations Theory proposed the perspective that there is a informal organization existed in enterprise besides formal organization.The role of this formal is to safeguard the common interests of the members so that protect the common interests from additional loss caused by negligence of internal individual or external interference. For instance ,a group which the members are not arranged by manager but the reason of which have common values or personal interests is a informal organization. Thirdly ,on basic assumptions of person, the classical approach adopts standardized the methods of working ,as well as training of employees and they worked more like machines. Therefore , the staff often regarded as â€Å"economic person â€Å"in Classical Management theory ,this approach also states that the salary is the only way to stimulate the enthusiasm of employees to work .While Human Relations theory proposes treated staff as â€Å"social person † so that not only does it consider collaboration factor to motivate worker but also views strong worker relationship, recognition and achievement as motivators for increased productivity. It’s based on the most popular Maslow(1943)’s hierarchy of needs which stated that every person has some needs which affects his performance and motivation. These needs in the order from the most basic are Physiological needs, Safety needs, social needs, Esteem needs and Self-actualization needs. ( Maslow ,1943) Finally ,the task of leadership under classical management theory is to set the staff to set work standards, and supervise employees complete the  project efficiently .While under the Human Relations theory, the task of leader ship was to facilitate cooperation or coordination among the workers while providing assistance and opportunities for their personal promotion and development and was to be seen as â€Å"an agent for intra and inter group communication. † (Donnelly,2008) Although both two theories on the theoretical though and the approaches are totally different. They still contain a few similarities . For example,they both believe in organizations as closed, changeless entities which shared a common point common â€Å"increased productivity â€Å",It was the final goal either of approaches focused on the target that attempted to find the most efficient way for arranging and managing tasks. It is difficult to identify which theory is more superior, in most case .modern enterprise associate two management approach to increased productivity. How to balance it is what the leader should ponder. Therefore ,the two major theoretical thought of management theory are well described by Douglas McGregor’s theory X and theory Y in his book named ‘The Human Side of Enterprise’ Theory X relates to the classical approach that holds that People need, and indeed tend to be directed and controlled .In the meantime ,leaders should use strict rule and punishments to regulated workers behavior. Theory Y relates to the human relations approach, the idea that management’s task is to create an environment where employees can be innovative and productive or satisfied in the workplace at least. For instances, In 1960s, a new mode of production named â€Å"just in time † (also named Lean Production) was implemented Toyota Automotive Corporation .JIT is good combination of two theories. it helps corporation overcome the first energy crisis .The core of JIT is produce timely and appropriately. Equalization and standard production cycle time and standard operating sequence reflect classical management, while Employees can intervene in the production process and develop personal initiative. The mode of production also stressing coordination ,this factors reflect thought of Human Relations theory. In the nutshell.As two of the most significant studies in field of  management,Classical Management theory and Human Relations theory have their own particular merits and limitations. the two theories should not be simply isolated, a single and combined together, but to be a relationship of organic whole. Because of diversity of modern economic environment, A good leader should be the one who can balance various theories and put into practice depending on different situation.which means none of management theories is superior to the other. Reference: Fayol,H (1949) General and Industrial Management.New York :Harper= Taylor,F.W(1911) The Principles of Scientific Management.New York: Harper Donnelly,R.(2008) The Role of the Manager. Scotland: Pitman Publishing. Donnelly, R. (2000) Schools of Management Thought. Scotland :Pitman Publishing. Maslow ,A. H. (1943) A Theory of Human Motivation.New York:Psychological Review. Mayo,E.(1933) The Social Problems of an Industrial Civilization.Boston :Harvard University Press. McGregor,D(1960) The Human Side of Enterprise .New York: McGraw-Hill Bibliography: Davis,R.C. (1951) The Fundamentals of Top Management .New York: Harper

Look closely at how Lennie and George speak and behave here. What does it reveal about their relationship? Essay

George and Lennies relationship in my opinion is one like a father has with a son, George is always there for lennie, he cares for him and wants the best for him, and in his own way, Lennie feels the same and acts the same. The extract given, located at the start of the book in chapter one, is one that introduces George and Lennies dream to the reader as well as establishing to the reader the closeness of their relationship, without this part in the book, we would not understand how the two men are like father and son, or how they really do care for each other, and that is why this text is so significant to the text as a whole. This extract is about Lennie trying to get George to tell him the story about them in the future (their dream), and despite not wanting to at first, Lennie is clearly used to getting his own way and acts like a child in order to get so. George at the end of the extract however, shows his authority and is very firm when there has been enough, Steinbeck makes it obvious that the two have known each other for a long time as Lennie speaks ‘craftily’ and ‘pleaded’ in order to get his own way from George. Lennie has learnt during their time together how to make George give in. This is like a father son relationship because the child often knows how to treat their parents in order to get their own way, whether with a flutter of the eyelashes or a really nice hug, children know how to get their own way, and this is the case with Lennie. Another reason it is like a father son relationship is because George is giving Lennie Hope when he says ‘we got a future’, It is a parents job to give their child something to look forward to in a hard time and as it was the great depression when the novel is set, George does this excellently with the dream of the ranch. It gives Lennie something to dream about. It is also like a father son relationship, because it becomes clear from Steinbeck’s style of writing that George has told the story of the ranch and rabbits to Lennie so many times: â€Å"He repeated his words rhymetically† This shows that George has told the story enough times to Lennie that he knows it off by heart and Lennie, a forgetful character knows it also. This shows that George is once again like a father figure to lennie, telling him bedtime stories. Fathers and Sons know they have each other to look after them and this is what Lennie and George are also both aware of: â€Å"Because I got you to look after me† This shows that they are both aware of the close relationship they have and how they are both aware of how the other one appreciates them as much as they appreciate them. This is a nice part of the novel and it leaves the reader with a sense that not everything is bad. One of the themes of the book is loniness but this part here shows that it is not George or Lennie that experience this, or at least at the beginning. And finally, George makes it clear to the reader that he is the authoritive person in the relationship as he makes it clear when he â€Å"ain’t got time for no more†, he is the one that is in charge and Lennie seems to appreciate that. The fact that George is the authoritve figure is a good way to explain why he seems so tense and agitated in this extract: â€Å"you getta kick outta that†, because he feels like he is in charge of lennie, and doesn’t want him to do anything wrong or get into trouble, knda like when a parent takes their child shopping. It is clear form reading the extract that lennie is the child and George is the father figure, but they both appreciate and enjoy each others company. 6c) How does Steinbeck present the theme of loneliness in Of Mice and Men? Loneliness is one of the main themes of mice and men and that becomes apparent from early on in the novel. Almost all of Steinbeck’s characters experience loneliness at some part in the play, although some like Curley’s Wife, Crooks and Candy experience it more than others. Steinbeck makes it very clear at the beginging that the novel is going to be based on loneliness as the novel is set in a place cale ‘Soledad’ which means loneliness in Spanish, it is these small details that in my opinion makes Of Mice and Men, such a clever and valiable read. Curley’s wife is a character that it becomes more evident throughout the book is suffering from loneliness. She has married a man she hardly knew before and now is the only lady on the ranch, people are afraid to talk to her because they don’t want to get into trouble with Curley, the short tempered bosses son. Curley’s wife is seen as a tart by the ranch men, and are a main cause of her loniness. She often goes around asking for Curley and the men are very blunt and untalkative towards her. She tells Lennie of her loneliness: â€Å"I get awfully lonely†, This shows that she knows she is lonely and addimits she â€Å"just wants someone to talk to†, Steinback uses Curley’s wife as a character that experiences Lonliness that is very obvious to the reader as she admits it herself. Crooks is another character that experiences Lonliness and in my opinion, it is crooks that experiences Lonliness the most. Crooks is a Stable buck and is black, which in 1930’s America meant there was segregation. He lives on his own in the stables and is not allowed to join in with the other men. He is just expected to enjoy his own company and so he just reads books, which makes him a very knowledgeable character. Crooks character is not very signifivant in the play, but he has a whole chapter devoted to him nevertheless, he makes it clear when Lennie stumbles across his room that the life he is experiencing is one that is not right. Crooks describes his loneliness briefly, â€Å"if I see something, I aint go no one to tell me it aint real†, Steinbeck has used something so simple to show just how lonly crooks is. He literally has no one! Annother character that experiences loneliness is Candy. His ancient dog is shot for being smelly and ‘no good’, yet it was this dog that had kept candy from being lonly for all these years. When Steinbeck describes the dog being walked out of the bunck house by Carlson, Candy immediately goes into his own world of regret and lonlieness. No one understands why Candy is so upset because no one has experienced having someone. Also when candy is trying to stop Carlson from convincing him to shot the dog, none of the other ranch ahnds stick up for Cnady, instead they all keep quiet and don’t get involved. This shows that in of Mice and men, it is every man for himself and that is another example of loneliness. When George goes down town with the other ranch hands, it is Lennie that experiences Lonliness. He has always had George to keep him company, but when crooks asks â€Å"what would you do if George did’nt come back†, Lennie takes it literally and experiences loneliness for what could be lennies first time. Lennie immediately gets violent and this shows the reader how much lennie really needs George. And finally, George. George is in my opinion the only main character that we don’t get a sign experiences loneliness. Throughout the play he has Lennie to keep him company and soon builds up a friendship with both Candy and Slim, so that as soon as Lennie runs off he has these to then keep in company in the hard time. Steinback was very clever at presenting the theme of loneliness. Almost every character experiences it, yet it is not something that you notice overly when reading the book. Steinback managed to show diffenent levels of loneliness from Crooks who has no one, to Lennie who always has George looking after him, even to the last page in the book! Without the theme of loneliness in Of Mice and Men, the novel would not be the same. It is this loneliness that drives curley’s wife to talk to lennie before he kills her , and that causes George to understand he needs to kill lennie himself. The theme of lonlineness was also a theme of the workers during the great depression in America during the 1930’s. As migrant workers travelled from ranch to ranch to find jobs, never staying at one place long and travelling on their own, meant loneliness was experienced greatly, so Steinbeck managed to make his novel even more realistic by doing this.

Management Innovation and New Technology Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Management Innovation and New Technology - Essay Example However, modern theories are moving away from this inventor mythology to more holistic approaches that are often based on complete processes and this has led to successful commercialization of new products and processes. An individual can confidently state that product innovation is a complex process rather than a one-day event. This means that there is a lot that is involved in product innovation. A number of insights are evident in the product innovation complexity. To begin with innovation starts and ends with invention (Wield & Rhode, 82). Invention refers to the discovery of new and intelligent ideas and artefacts. Despite the fact, that creating new idea is the baseline of innovation, it is noteworthy that the idea must be sorted out as to whether it is workable and or applicable into the societal context. In other words, innovation takes into consideration adapting the newly found ideas into practical productive application in particular work processes or product markets of a particular firm. The applications should not only be to specific firms but also to the entire economy and into the society. This proposition can be justified by the fact that despite Spencer Silvers discovering the Post-it brand adhesive before 1970 this noble invention was only commercialised in 1978 after the company (3M) had ignored for that long owing to lack of practical applicability (Ketteringham & Nayak 427). Silver’s moment of discovering the Post-it brand adhesive began in 3M’s Central Research Laboratories under program dubbed â€Å"Polymers for Adhesives† in 1964. It is unfortunate that despite the fact that silver came up with unique form of adhesive his new idea could not be taken seriously by the management because Silver could not find a problem to apply this great idea. It was until Arthur Fry a 3M chemist, a choir director and an amateur mechanic found a problem to Silver’s idea when he came up with the paper to paper application of the adhesive. According to Wield & Rhode (84), the complexity of product innovation can be understood by withdrawing the assumption that innovation takes a â€Å"linear flow†. It is noteworthy that successful innovation has no straight line considering that it does not spring from scientific invention all the way to develop a competitive edge. The nature of the link between a scientific invention and the technological development is in itself very complex and because of this reason, the link has often been confusing. Individuals need to understand that scientific invention benefits a lot from technological development in a number of ways that include but not limited to transfer of knowledge, network of profession, skills and instruments. In the case of 3M, it is evident that the company boasts of a poll of skilled scientists that range from chemists and engineers who worked tirelessly in 3M’s Central Research Laboratories to come up with new inventions. The idea that led i nto development of one of the best selling product of 3M named Post-it Note Pad resulted from a series of technological developments that took approximately 10 years (Ketteringham & Nayak 425). Successful product innovation is also a matter of interaction between a number of factors within and outside the organization (Wield & Rhode, 84). Studies indicate that those factors that key determinant to the commercial success of a product are found outside the areas which are commonly associated with the with the

Opera and Singing Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Opera and Singing - Assignment Example This is a feeling that makes a singer to enjoy his or her performance while on stage and it also produces the best sound and full concentration. Singing opera requires high vocal technique and the teachers normally test the ability of a young singer to absorb the kinesthetic understanding (Terry, n.p). The training enables a singer to grasp the different elements that make a good opera singer like mastering the important notes and keys to hit. The interview inspires me to venture into other genres of art in order to fit in the foreign theatre experience across Europe and America. I have gained knowledge about opera singing and this has inspired me. I think a person needs to explore his or her talents and concentrate on it to be the best. It is encouraging that Zajick was to be a medical student when she discovered her talent in opera and later changed her career. Being a Chinese, I knew nothing about opera music and the interview has exposed to this new revelation. The interview is also educative because it reveals different aspects about opera singing in which Zajick shares her experiences (Terry, n.p). The singer also educates the audience on various elements that make a good opera singer, body language, pitch levels and the kinesthetic awareness. The interview can help upcoming singers to acquire new skills and insights about the industry and the performances. However, the discussions do not apply to me and my attitude towards opera and singing. This is because opera is not a common genre in my country and people know very little about the songs. I think singing and opera is an exciting experience because of the numerous notes involved when performing. According to Zajick, a singer to dedicate time to master the notes in order to make an electrifying performance and this requires those who are fans of the genre. It is apparent that before watching the interview, I had no knowledge or experience about opera and singing, but

Hunger Games Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Hunger Games - Essay Example The plotting of the previous release covers the disparity in power between formerly thirteen districts but currently twelve and the capitol, which ideally represents power (Collins, 3-18). The capitol district capitol represents the source of power or influence and which is depicted to rule over the rest of the districts. Poverty, hunger and general misery is shown to dominate the twelve districts while great wealth and technological advancement is what characterizes the capitol district. As a way of executing the power, the capitol district invents a mechanism through which food and such other humanitarian aid would be advanced to the rest of the districts through the ‘hunger games’, which are conducted annually. Every district therefore selects young representatives who would participate in fighting contests and the winner defines the district, which will receive the food aid over the year. The capitol district is therefore shown to have the capacity and power to advan ce food aid to the rest of the districts at will though this is not the case. The program to involve the districts in the hunger games is shown through the literature to be informed by the selfish ambitions of the power district to rule through oppression. In the movie (catching the fire), Peeta as well as Katniss comes back home after they are crowned victors in hunger games for the year. However, winning the 74th games meant that the duo would leave family as well as friends as they embarked on a countrywide tour, which is called ‘victors tour’ and involves visiting all the districts in the country. On the day that the journey was to commence, the president ‘Snow’ visits the 12th district unexpectedly and had to express his disappointment with Katniss for having broken the game rules within the previous annual games in which the two won. Snow’s anger was triggered by the defiance of Katniss’s rebellion, which he blamed to have triggered rebe llion among natives in the country (Panem). Nevertheless, the tour commences and the two starts at district 11 where after addressing and congratulating the citizens for their participation in the previous games, horror strikes when one three men are executed after one whistled a familiar tune to many. Among other motives in their travel, tour around the districts was to curtail rebellion and make peace between president snow and Katniss, which never materializes. After winding up the tour and returning home, two district 8 runways reveal Katniss that unlike what was said of district 13, the inhabitants had not been wholly wiped off but that they rather adopted underground shelters where they lived. This leads to announcement of 75th annual games, which was to involve the victors of the previous 24 matches. The common name to such games was ‘Quarter Quell’ and the two victors (Peeta and Katniss) individually commit to protect each other within the games. The movie unfol ds and the fight happens within the jungle and despite many deaths, which claims the live of Peeta, Katniss succeeds to direct lightening towards the ‘force field’ having the arena and wholly destroys it. However, she is equally harmed by the force and she paralyzes temporarily only to wake in district 13. It is also revealed to her that district 12 had been destroyed through bombing but the reporting friend safely rescued her family. The main thematic expressions of the movie

OSHA Laws Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

OSHA Laws - Essay Example Authorities, later, proposed a fee of $12,000. They began an investigation following a grievance that an employee had been brutally beaten and jeopardized by a customer at the centre on September 28th, 2011. The employee filed a police report at the Racine County Department. The investigation exposed that workers at the centre had been assaulted a couple of times. In regard to OSHA, the health centre is to blame for a severe breach of the bureau’s "general duty clause" for failing to offer a workplace free from hazards, prone to cause severe harms or death (OH and S 1). The OSHA bureau also stated that these violations could have been avoided if the hospital maintained a complete record of the state/government standards. If the health centre had kept these standards, then the violence scenarios would have been avoided. The laws clearly states that workers should not be mishandled within their working centres. The case would have also been avoided if the hospital’s management followed up on the previous fighting cases. This would have used the previous cases to come up with ways of preventing future occurrences. In conclusion, managements could also log in to the OSHA website to download materials, handbooks, articles, and supplies that will assist them to avoid violations of the OSHA laws. OH and S. Worker Beaten by Patient at Health Center, OSHA Issues $12K Fine. NP, 2011. Web.

Case study analysis Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Analysis - Case Study Example Leadership defines the company and its purported growth pattern, as leaders possess the power to make the needed strategic as well as operational decisions. The ascent to power of new leader in an organization either may define the growth or continual slack of the company. At Ernst Benary, the current leadership has failed to take grasp of the needed changes that will conform to the changing needs of the consumers. Though history defines the growth pattern of any organization and is an important factor in leadership and positioning, there needs to be a disintegration or shift from known ways of operations to cater for the developing market. Klaudia Benary on entering the marketing department realized the stagnation and the struggling position of the company. Family ties could be purported as determinants in decision making within the company, taking to consideration the positions that Katrin Benary Thimm occupied, yet she did not have enough experience and education to play part in m anagement board. This can be defined as the beginning of the stagnation state. Failure by management to take effective and bold steps, implies that the company also lacks a directional strategy. The Benary company began its failing by lacking of strategizing leaders. The current management system at Benary is taking steps towards ensuring the initial growth associated with the company exists. Current 10 year strategy plan in the increasingly concentrated industry means that this is an important growth strategy. As the assistant managing director puts it (beyer et la p2), there is need to demonstrate capability to fulfill the growth strategy plan. Goal setting is an important strategy for growth, but has to go hand in hand with strategy implementation process that will define the steps towards ultimate achievement of organizations goal. Streamlining of the company’s resources with the strategy implementation is another managerial tool whose adoption defines the growth pattern. Any organization’s mission, vision, objectives, and steps taken towards achievement of these goals is also an important management tool for the growth strategy of the company. Ernst needs to have well defined company’s vision, mission and objectives that will help in achievement of its goals. The company was adversely affected by the World War 1, where business relations were abruptly cut following the war. This emerges as a threat to the company and so does the emergence of new international competitors from USA, Japan and Netherlands. The company was able to favorably build on its strengths that involved the breeding knowledge which helped introduced a new seed variety in the 1920’s. Management is also defined by the ability to capitalize on it strengths as it tries to outdo the threats. More threats emerged after the country experienced a struggling economy and later the coming to power of the German Nazis also became a threat. The company was headed by a fa mily of Jewish origin. This stipulated challenges and threats to the organization which it was able to conquer. The managements capability to identify threats and weaknesses and devise strategies to overcome the weaknesses will define the growth of a particular company. Motivation of employees, an important factor in any production and company dependent on employee output, also is affected by decisions of top managers. Incorporation of employees in decision making and decentralization of power is a

The High Cost of Education Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

The High Cost of Education - Essay Example As the report highlights  the cost of college education in America has over years increasingly gone too high. High tuition fee charges in colleges is now proving to be the biggest problem facing college students, parents and sponsors. In this hard economic time, students and parents are now struggling a lot sourcing for funds to meet this high cost of tuition fee. This has ranged from sourcing school loans from banks and including selling of property assets to fund education.   This trend has negatively impacted on the concerned parties to an extent where students have almost lost hope for a better future. One very strong negative impact that has so far been noticed is the discouragement it has had on the students undertaking various courses in various universities. It is quite clear from studies conducted by this team that on completion of college education individuals who graduate hardly get well-paying jobs that match the cost incurred while in college.  From this discussion it is clear that  a greater percentage of the little money earned from these jobs end up being used to repay the loans that were borrowed during school days leaving a minimal percentage for investment. This therefore renders a larger population of the newly employed and young hustling for their entire life. From these insights it is therefore paramount to consider the cry of the large young population and consider a thorough review of the entire fee payment systems in colleges with intent of lowering its cost for the benefit of the future generation.

Role of Job Designs in Managing Human Resources Essay

Role of Job Designs in Managing Human Resources - Essay Example From the technological perspective, the workplace is defined through the production processes, which take place in a discrete area of production. Essentially, the hierarchy of managers, supervisors, and workers defines the workplace organizationally. The orientations of workers and managers to the particular area define the social limits of a workplace. Such a definition need not be limited to manufacturing. The workplace can also be a department in a bank or university or a school within an education system. What is important is that the work area is discrete, has some technological or production unity which marks it off from other workplaces, and it is recognized as such by workers and managers. Therefore, it is evident that the field of Human Resource Management has evolved into a strategic, technical, and measurement-oriented area in the past few years. Predictably, this field will continue to grow in sophistication and complexity as a reflection of the world in the 21st century, presenting solutions to difficult dilemmas that could affect the workplace massively. An organization's core values are manifested by its culture; that is, in the basic ways that business is handled, such as how decisions are made and how rewards are distributed. Employees learn these ways of doing business through observing co-workers and leaders. If no expectations are established and effectively communicated, employees will "make it up" as they go along when faced with ethical dilemmas. Thus, management strategies are essential in human resource management, organizational behaviour, or organizational design because it could specify its own model or framework of the key elements. In determining the appropriate job designs for a specific company, all models and theories could be deemed as one consolidated set of behavioural elements. In building the working framework, four elements had been identified to underlie most work behaviour models: 1.) Capability - The skills, knowledge and abilities necessary to execute an action associated with the objectives of the organization. 2.) Opportunity - When individuals are provided or encounter situations in which actions can be executed with the desired effect. 3.) Motivation - The drive to execute those actions, created by a perception that they are linked to desired outcomes and rewards. 4.) Understanding - Knowledge of how an individual's actions affect the system and overall goal achievement. The first three components are derived from a long research tradition suggesting that individual performance is a multiplicative function of ability and motivation (Cummings and Schwab 1973), critiques of the simple model (Campbell and Pritchard 1976) that suggest that the environment determines the expression of ability and motivation (Dachler and Mobley 1973), and recent work suggesting that situational constraints and opportunity (e.g., advances in technology and changes in the political, social, and economic environment) are key to a theory of work performance (Campbell 1999, Howard 1995, Ilgen and Pulakos 1999). The fourth component was incorporated to help describe organizational management and HRM practices. These and other human issues have the potential to "move the needle," that

Ethics in an Academic Environment Essay Example for Free

Ethics in an Academic Environment Essay Teachers hold the power and responsibility for building the foundations of intellectually and morally great minds. Since people spend a large chunk of their class and their entire formative years in school, their position and contact with young children and adolescents allows they shape and mold what these young people’s potentials and capabilities. Teachers have the opportunity to influence and inspire the future generations. As such, it is imperative that teachers become rightful role models of ethics for their students. Karl Menninger believed that â€Å"What the teacher is, is more important than what he teaches† (cited in Hunter, 2006). Menninger’s statement stress that teachers should always be a good ethical example for their students to look up to and learn from. A teacher must show tact, tolerance and morally-charge decision-making; he or she has to refrain from preferring one student over the other and from demonstrating disrespect or irritation for any of his or her students (Hunter, 2006). In a nutshell, for a teacher to be an ethical one, he or she has to always depict professionalism. Teacher professionalism manifests as both an internal, personal practice and an explicit expression. Professionalism starts from the inside. A teacher needs to make a fundamental commitment to teaching and to all the people that his or her teaching will touch (Phelps, 2003). This commitment is actualized by a teacher’s shown competency in his or her field and his or her capacity for following the teachers’ manual or code of ethics. It is essential that teachers recognize that their accountability should lie first, foremost and only with the students they teach. Therefore, a teacher shows his or her professionalism in how he or she prepares and plans how he or she could impart knowledge to the students in best way possible. Apart from making sure students understand what he or she is teaching to them now will have a high, enduring quality and will have more than just academic significance to students’ lives. To motivate and help them give their best effort every single day and to every single student, Phelps (2003) believes that teachers ought to accept and embrace all the challenges and hardships the journey of educating and aiding the youth’s learning may possess. In doing so, teaching is elevated to more than just a job for teachers but a calling. Professionalism requires teachers to invest themselves physically, mentally and emotionally in the process of the student’s education. This act allows teachers to make personal connections with students. Personal connections, relationships and bonds with one’s students are generally positive and helpful qualities. However, heavy emotional investments can also pave the way for the loss of professionalism, for which personal sentiments were invested in the first place. Emotional investments and personal connections can destroy professionalism and lead to a bending of the credibility of teacher-student ethics when they become the main object of teacher-student relationships instead of one of its reinforcements. When a teacher forms personal opinions or connections with one or a few particular students, it leads to a closeness or familiarity that can affect a teacher’s ethical conduct and professionalism. Examples would be developing a romantic relationship with a student or creating a hierarchy of student’s value based on a personal favoritism. Apart from creating partialities in favor of a student, personal opinions could further cloud a teacher’s judgment and create bias against a student or certain students. In both aspects, the founding of personal opinion can seriously hamper a teacher’s potential to be at his or her most professional best. Teachers are therefore reminded to abide by the code of ethics and ensure the protection of the rights of students, each and every single student (University of Iowa [UI], 2008). Teachers are encouraged to build rapport and make students comfortable in their presence enough for the students to liberally and honestly participate and contribute to class discussions. However, teachers are responsible for ensuring that there is still a professional boundary between them and student to prevent their relationship from getting too casual (UI, 2008). Teachers should instill and model fairness for all students of all racial, ethnical and economic background. Overall, ethics between teachers and students depend on the level of professionalism the teacher has. Teachers’ positions or social roles emphasize respect for one’s profession and the people they encounter. Teachers should direct all of their efforts and prioritize above all how they have contributed to students’ learning and development. References Hunter, D. (2006, Oct. 18). Teacher’s ethics. Articles Base. Retrieved March 13, 2009 from http://www. articlesbase. com/article-marketing-articles/teachers-ethics-64131. html Phelps, P. (2003). Teacher Professionalism. In Find Articles. Retrieved March 13, 2009 from http://findarticles. com/p/articles/mi_qa4009/is_200310/ai_n9335958 University of Iowa. (2008). The importance of teacher ethics. Retrieved March 13, 2009 from http://www. education. uiowa. edu/resources/tep/eportfolio/07e170folder/Ethics. htm

Microsoft PowerPoint Essay Example for Free

Microsoft PowerPoint Essay The development of add-ins into existing and established computer applications such as Microsoft’s PowerPoint is increasing use and function extending not only the longevity of programs but also software development and networking. The PowerPoint versions beginning with the 2003 edition have allowed for greater among Microsoft’s in-house as well as independent developers to create add-ins for various users that in effect has created UI’s unique for individual users (Wenzel, 2007). Majority of the add-ins that has been developed have focused on enhancing the visual appeal of PowerPoint such as animation, interactivity and media. The effort is seen to be motivated by the objective of making PowerPoint not just a basic or generalist presentation (Microsoft Office, 2007). Bridging between Microsoft programs is also evident since the add-ins do not only affect PowerPoint but also other Office programs as well as other non-Office programs such as Producer 2003 or independent programs produced by Macromedia, Java and even open source technology (Harrison, 2001; â€Å"Microsoft PowerPoint Add-Ins†, 2002). Thought there have also been efforts in developing add-ins to extend from the Microsoft platform, there are still significant security issues particularly regarding macros, language and technology copyrights. Overall, current developments in PowerPoint add-ins remain focused on UI development and visual development and functionality. Accesses to the program’s functions have not differed significantly except for the increased control over performance to afford shifting between desktop and mobile use (Wenzel, 2007). The strategy for the PowerPoint franchise is its ease of use and the remaining dominance of Microsoft operating systems as a platform. However, the add-ins are indication that other operating systems are being recognized and the need to be user-focused in development.

Business Analysis of British Airways (BA)

Business Analysis of British Airways (BA) British Airways plc provides air services operations both at international and domestic level. Its major business is commercial flight. It also caters to various services like cargo freight, mail services and other auxiliary services all over the world. Mainly it runs its business in United States and Europe. It is situated in Harmondsworth, Middlesex, employing 42,755 people all over. It is emerging to be competitive and sustain its integrity as the best airlines which stress superior customer service. It has 300 destinations throughout the world; this extent of operations offers customers with world-class services at various destinations. Its customers range from explorers to executive. The aim of this report is to enable readers to comprehend strategic review and analysis of British Airways by explaining: History of British Airways Current strategic situation Potential Strategic options Recommended strategic direction with rationale Identification of critical success factors Performance measurement criteria The procedure used to compile this report is mainly extensive reading of various text books on corporate strategy, online journal articles and company’s website. All the information, surveys and experimentations included are taken through proper referencing from standard sources. II. Main Body 1. History of British Airways British Airways which originated as Aircraft Transport and Travel started its maiden daily international scheduled air services between London and Paris after World War 1. In 1939, UK government merged British Airways and Imperial Airways to form British Overseas Airways, which became a state owned company. BOAC’s main operation was long haul services and British European Airways was established to serve continental European and domestic market. Both BOAC and BEA expanded their business geographically over a period of time and BOAC started its flights to New York (1946), Japan (1948), Chicago (1954) and west coast of the US (1957). At the same time BEA expanded its network to Belfast, Edinburgh, Glasgow and Manchester. In 1970, BEA started its charter airline services, BEA air tours. BAOC and BEA were merged together in 1972 under British Airways Board and in 1974 British Airways was formed. In 1976, British Airways started its first supersonic passenger service jointly with Air France. British Airways was privatised in 1987 and was merged with British Caledonian. In 2002, British Airways CitiExpress was formed by merging British Regional Airlines and Brymon Airways which were wholly owned subsidiaries. Other two wholly owned subsidiaries of British Airways, British Airways Regional and Manx Airlines were also merged with British Airways CitiExpress making it a single entirely owned regional subsidiary airline. In 2003, British Airways sold Dba, its German subsidiary to a German based low cost airline Verwaltungsgesellschaft. Same year British Airways Holidays introduced its first program after re-integrating with British Airways. In 2004, to clear their debt, British Airways sold their 18.6% of stake in Australian airline Qantas for  £1.1billion and also sold their London Eye to Tussauds  £95 million. In 2006, British Airways CitiExpress was renamed as BA Connect and the same year, they sold 14.6% stake in an Indian based business services Provider VVNS Holdings. British Airways also sold its Travel Clinic business to MASTA (Medical Advisory Services for Travellers Abroad). Meanwhile British Airways came to an agreement with Maley Hungarian Airlines for code sharing on each other’s flights. They also started a flight from London to Calgary, Canada. At the same time they acquired American Airline’s Stake in Iberia Airlines. In 2007, British Airways started flights from London to New quay in UK and also they announced their intention of their investment in 777-200 ERs which were scheduled for delivery in 2009.In 2006 they also sold their regional operations of BA connect to an European regional airlines Flybe. At the same time, British Airways launched its new subsidiary, BA CityFlyer in Lodon city Airport. BA CityFlyer was expected to operate 250 flights a week from the Docklands airport to six UK and European destinations. In May 2007, British Airways placed an order for eight airbus A320 family aircraft which were scheduled to be delivered between 2008 and 2010. Same month they announced their decision to replace 14 oldest Boeing 737’s with Airbus A319 aircraft, but they were also de-listed from New York Stock Exchange in the same month. British Airways launched their services from Paris and Brussels to New York in January 2008 and in April, 2008 from London to New York. Each week British Airways operated 62 flights from Gatwick and 55 flights from Heathrow. To make best of EU-US Aviation agreement, that allowed carriers to fly between any destinations in the EU and US, British Airways started their first commercial flight inJune 2008 from Paris to New York under a new subsidiary airline â€Å"OpenSkies† In July 2008, British Airways bought L’Avion, a French airline, which expected to be integrated with OpenSkies by early 2009. In the same month British Airways and Iberia, a Spain based airline group held talks for the merger of two companies. 2. Current strategic situation 2.1 Internal analysis British Airways deals with the operations of domestic and international scheduled air services for freight and mail, carrying passengers and various supplementary services. The company mainly function in the America and Europe. Company’s operations are also spread across Australia, Middle East, East Asia, India and Africa. Its head office is located in Harmondsworth, Middlesex. As on March 31, 2008 it employed 42,377 people. British airways had 245 aircraft in service at the end of March 2008 in comparison to 242 in March 2007. During the financial year ended March 2008,  £8,753 million (approximately $17,572.3 million) revenue was recorded which was 3.1% increase over 2007,  £8,75 million (approximately $1,756.6 million) was the operating profit which was 57.4% increase over 2007,  £680 million (approximately $1,365.2 million) was the net profit in comparison to  £290 million (approximately $582 million) net profit in 2007. Airlines business and Non-Airlines business are the two segments in which the company has divided its business. Cargo operations, main scheduled passengers and revenue from ancillary services comprises airlines business. In addition to scheduled services, chartered services are also provided by company’s passenger transportation services at both domestic and international level. It’s among the largest scheduled international passenger airlines in the world with airline route network of 300 destinations. More than 33 million passengers travelled through British Airways in FY2008. BA Connect is a wholly owned subsidiary of British airways which operates on regional (UK) routes. Heathrow International Airport is the company’s principal base, where it carries 41% (approx) of airport passengers. Gatwick, London is its second base of operations. It maintains hangers, operates offices and other support services at Gatwick, Heathrow and other UK airports. Space and desks under lease or license is also occupied by the company throughout the UK including Glasgow, Newcastle, Manchester, Edinburgh and Birmingham. During the financial year ended March 31, 2008, 805,000 tons of cargo was carried by its cargo transportation services to destinations in the America, Europe and other parts of the world. Passenger aircrafts carries the majority of cargo, while the remaining is carried on part-chartered freighter aircraft or leased. A range of services to other air lines is also provided by British Airways like airframe maintenance, consultancy services, cargo handling and computer and communication services. Non-airline businesses comprise mainly Airmiles Travel Promotions (the UKs famous travel loyalty scheme provider) and BA Holidays (company’s subsidiary which offers sightseeing, transfer options, hotels and cars across 250 destinations over the world). 2.2 External Analysis We will briefly analyse the external analysis of British Airways based on â€Å"Porters five forces analysis† and PESTEL analysis. 2.2.0 Porter’s five forces analysis :http://www.themanager.org/Models/p5f.htm Competitor’s rivalry within the industry High. Rivalry is high due to power of buyers and threats of substitutes. It’s the only force which determines industry attractiveness. They compete with other airlines on the same city-pair routes, from charter services, from other modes of transport and from charter services. Virgin Atlantic, easy jet and other European airlines are in tough competition with British Airways as there is a free market for domestic flights operating in the whole of Europe. These airlines are free to decide the fares and operate on any route. There is competition not only in the air but also on ground as well, for instance a 17% decrease in rail journey times between London and Manchester in 2004 and 2007 led to 20% growth in the train’s share in total market. British airways introduced a corporate responsibility centre stage that helps the company to stand out from the other competitors. Threats of new entrants Low. Competitor’s mergers and acquisitions also have the potential to effect their revenue and market position. Very high cost is required by new entrants to start. British Airways have invested a huge amount on infrastructure, computers and online services. Therefore initial investment required to start up this business is very high. Further, its brand name and strong market position reduces the threat of new entrants. Bargaining power of suppliers High. Main suppliers of airline industry are for fuel, in-flight services and aircraft. The cost of changing suppliers proves very high in airlines business. The suppliers generally have a powerful brand in Airlines industry. For instance, like British Airways have Boeing and Airbus aircrafts, therefore they need to avail the services and maintenance of aircrafts from them. Bargaining power of buyers High. British Airways customers do don’t have any control over the prices or they lack bargaining power. However, they are very powerful as very high competition prevails in the airlines market. Their top competitors include Ryanair Holdings plc, Ryanair, Air France KLM, Virgin Atlantic Airways, Lufthansa etc and many times these airlines provide competitive offers to the customers with very low prices. Threat of substitutes Medium. The airlines industry has suffered a high loss of customer confidence after September 11, 2001 disaster in New York. There is no direct replacement available for airlines for long/overseas journeys. Coaches, Trains or ship/ferries can be used for short journeys. Rapid development of technology can be an indirect substitute of air transportation. According to International AirTransport Authority, Corporate Air Travel Survey 2002, for last 12 months â€Å"no frills/low cost† airlines were used by 1/3 of all business travellers basically for cost benefit. Further, video conferencing was used by 37% to save money and travel time. PESTEL The beginning of the new millennium has made the airlines industry witness the most difficult time it has ever faced. Political instability and unprecedented crisis have resulted from terrorist attacks in September 11, 2001 in New York and July 7, 2005 in London together with wars in Iraq. These incidents resulted in new security regulations from the US and EU and customer travelling confidence have also reduced. Economic factors are of vital importance. Fourth quarter of 2008 showed a 2.0% lower GDP than fourth quarter of 2007. This is mainly due to the recent credit crises and thereby economic slowdown. Company showed an operating profit of  £89 million as on 31st December’2008, which is 88% down compared to 2007. Further,  £70 million was the loss before tax for the same period and fuel cost went up by 48.4% to  £2,244 million. It is mainly due to economic weakness and fall in the value of sterling. Impacts of social factors vary from country to country. Size of potential market and customer’s needs are affected by them. Demographic changes have led to the growth of â€Å"grey† market which is incurring more expenses on travelling and leisure. Tastes, fashions and lifestyle are also changing. So as to maximize its capability to operate and plan in a most effective scheduling and routes possible, British airways is using route planning software. Use of standard technology will minimize cost and provide quality service to freight customers and passengers. (Gomm, 2005). Technology also enables to reduce the personal costs like automated check-in processes and e-ticketing and thereby enables the airlines to offer standard services with less human resource. BA is the first airline to introduce a unique technological system called â€Å"Microwave Landing Technology†, which increases the rate of safe landing during low visibility by 20%. Power of Trade Union is an important legal factor affecting British Airways. British Airways is aware of the consequences caused by Trade Unions (August 2004 and August 2005 strike actions). Factors which British Airways must consider are legal regulations on customer rights, employee rights and rise in ecological and environmental issues. 2.3 SWOT British Airways which has strong international operations network with 300 destinations across the world has its own strengths and weaknesses. Here is the SWOT analysis which helps to understand their business scenario better. Positive Negative INTERNAl Strengths Weakness Strong geographical presence at international level High employee productivity High Service Quality Large Airport Presence Strong operating performance first-rate new fleet of aircrafts Use of High end technology Competitive and quality customer service Bad performance at key markets in terms of revenue growth High Debt of the company Highly Dependent on Fuel Lack of effective marketing strategyEXTERNAlOpportunityThreats Growing global tourism industry and an increase in international travellers Growing air cargo industry EU-US aviation agreement Buracratic systems and management poor decision making Drastic change in technology and customer behaviour Intense competition from low cost airlines Increase in fuel cost Economic slowdown due to credit crunch 2.4. Current strategy â€Å"One Destination seeks to ensure our customers fly confident that, together, we are acting responsibly to take care of the world we live in.† is the vision of British Airways. Their corporate responsibility vision is to become the world’s most responsible airline and they have developed guiding principles describing what they are doing to achieve this goal. Leading the industry towards finding innovative solution is their determination. They plan to continually review how they fly, what they fly and what they buy to become the most responsible and efficient airlines in the world. The British Airways has developed a strategy where their main concern is to establish themselves in Terminal 5 and also acquire new aircrafts depending upon their financial performance by March 2010. They have adopted an approach to truly deliver this vision, uniting all areas of the organisation, divided into 4 major pillars:EnvironmentThey aim to minimise their impact on the environment, including their contribution to air quality, waste, climate change and noise. British Airways was the first airline to report its environmental performance in 1992 since they recognise the impact they have on our planet while delivering socially and economically vital service of air transport. So as to become the world’s most responsible airline, their environment strategy aims to minimise and manage the environmental impacts. Main focus: How they fly Efficient operation to minimise their impact on environment. What they fly Adopting recent technology including alternative fuels, airframes andengines to minimise their impact. What they buy Using economic tools like emissions trading for fully reflecting the cost oftheir environmental impact. Goals across these areas are: By 2010 landfill by zero waste in the UK. By 2025 they aim to improve the carbon efficiency by 25% reducing the carbon dioxidefrom 111 to 83 grammes per passenger per kilometre. By 2015* average noise per flight to reduce by 15%†¢By 2050 their net CO2 emissions to reduce by 50%*measured as the network average quota count (QC) for combined landing and take-off cycle. Comprehensive plan developed to achieve the Goals†¢Climate change British Airways overall strategy is to ensure maximum contributionto their share of global carbon dioxide emission reductions by 2050†¢Waste Focus on recycling, reducing, reusing and responsible waste disposal. Noise Their impact on the local communities nearby airport to be reduced. Air quality Air quality for communities nearby airport to be improved. Community Providing support to local communities in the country where British Airways operate is the main belief of the company. Conservation projects, small individual programmes, 120 international communities and various charities were helped by BA’s support. London Benchmarking Group reported British Airways direct and in-kind donations of  £5.7m last year. British Airways offer variety of support like cargo space, funding, fund raising events, merchandise, free flights and excess baggage. Their main concerns for support are Sustainable Tourism and Heritage, Education and Youth Development, Environment and Supporting employees. Marketplace British Airways suppliers and customers are involved in one destination in their marketplace pillar, to facilitate building up more sustainable business and to persuade dedication to corporate responsibility. Issue covered by their marketplace pillar comprises: How they fly Reliable customer What they buy Responsible procurement What they fly Sustainable products and services Goals across these areas are: 10% of customers to be encouraged to counterbalance their carbon on ba.com by 2012. By 2012 100% of their strategic suppliers to be audited for ethical practices. Corporate responsibility to be used as a decision criteria by 75% of corporate customersby 2010. Workplace British Airways aim to provide a work environment that engages, develops, motivates and support their colleagues. Encouraging employees to be committed to Corporate Responsibility is the main aim of British Airways workplace As employees plays a vital role in making up the airline and they need them onboard One destination. This commitment is not only going to help them deliver a great place to work, rather it will also ensure quality customer service in the industry. Issues covered by their workplace pillar comprise: How they fly Responsible colleague What they buy Tools to do the job What they fly Invest in people Our goals across these areas are: Every year British Airways 50% employees donate money to charity through ‘Pay Roll Giving’. Every year British Airways 50% employees donate time to communities and charities. 75% of employees committed to delivering our corporate responsibility goals by 2010 British Airways have recognized performance objectives to evaluate their development in each of these four sections. British Airways aim to deliver its corporate responsibility strategy by a programme plan developed including over 80 programme level activities and hundreds individual projects. Business Plan BP10Bring Terminal 5 aliveIn order to improve the operational performance and enhance customer experience British Airways main concern is successful delivery of terminal 5 at Heathrow base. Terminal 5 denote their sole biggest challenge and change. British Airways â€Å"Fit for 5† programme was set to be accomplished in the 1st year, which involved essential agreement modification and implementation on highly superior work performance all over the Heathrow terminals. BA Basics and Brilliance The British Airways board aims to offer â€Å"Brilliance† in its activities and deliver the â€Å"BA Basics† constantly. Business Plan 10 (BP10) primarily focuses on baggage performance and punctuality with additional plans to recover â€Å"BA Basics† in various areas for the long term. British Airways aims to offer â€Å"Brilliance† to their customers in numerous vital areas such as their customer services, Terminal 5, ba.com, their premium customer experience and their network and schedule from London. Competitive cost base Main priority of BP 10 is cost control; they expect savings from various areas of business too. The need to decrease considerable deficit position and resolution of pension’s problem is predominantly acknowledged in BP10. It’s quite difficult for them to achieve a competitive cost base if they are to accomplish their growth and investment plans. Invest in growth In the first year of the plan they campaign to commence a competition for the new long haul aircraft, if the pension’s deficit satisfactorily resolves. In order to meet their explicit growth plans they intended to secure first of these aircrafts in 2009, whilst the replacement of fleet will be started by 2011 with the second batch. The strategic significance of the operations in London and Gatwick airport is recognized in BP10. The key to British Airways network development programme from London airport is the operations maintenance of BA Connect’s London city, as part of British Airways regional business sale to Flybe. BP10 enablers The vital aspect behind implementation of BP10 is constant engagement and participation of British Airways’ people. A major segment of British Airways broader communication strategy was local face-to-face communication as it was accepted to be the most effectual engagement. The second major possibility for change in the business remained IT. British Airways investment plans in this sector comprised constant advancements in the functionality and usability of ba.com, Terminal 5, encouraging a variety of departmental change programmes and automating corporate processes plus simplifying services by use of employee self service. 3. Potential Strategic options After going through BA’s vision, goal and their current strategy, we are of the opinion that BA’s current strategy is very competitive and will definitely help British Airways to achieve their goals. In addition to the above strategy, we also have identified few more potential strategic options which could be helpful for BA’s further growth. The accessibility to enormous products and services creates an opportunity to exploit them appropriately. Making the most of global variations and technological trends serves as a potential opportunity to work with. The potential strategic options which British Airways could utilize for further development of business could be Virtual reality, which may serve as an innovative simulation, share expertise and attaining network software. Some of the potential strategic options for British Airways are discussed below:Global tourismThere are many factors which have a very strong influence on the airline industry and one of them is trends in global tourism industry. As per the World Tourism Organization survey, approximately 898 million international tourists travelled globally in 2007 which is 6% higher than the previous year (846 million- 2006). As per the Tourism Satellite Account research which is done by World Travel and Tourism council, it is been predicted that world travel and tourism will grow at an average rate of 4.3% per annum for the period of 2008-2017 and will generate $13 trillion for that period. Rising Air Cargo Industry There is a tremendous growth in the Air Cargo market and the volume of the business is doubling in every 10 years time. As per the International Civil Aviation Organization, the cargo business is expected to grow at an average rate of 6.5% per annum in next 20 years. Approximately 22.17 million tons of freight was carried throughout the world and it is expected to grow up to 60million in 2017. In 2008, BA transported 805000 tons of goods and these numbers will increase tremendously in coming years due to its operations presence in most part of the world and will be benefited by the growing trend in cargo market. Open Skies Agreement Open Skies aviation agreement between EU and US is an air transport agreement, which allows airlines of both EU and US to fly between any points among EU, US and non EU countries like Switzerland. This is the replacement for the previous agreement made between US and each European country. To take advantage of this agreement, British Airways started new subsidiary airlines â€Å"OpenSkies† and for the first time it started to fly direct flights from continental Europe to the US. The first flight of open skies was on June 2008, from Paris to New York. The new agreement has enabled British Airways to increase its operations in the key regions. Several Strategic options can also be identified with the help of the Ansoff Matrix analysis discussed below. Ansoff Matrix Market Penetration Market penetration strategy involves consolidating and protecting/building the existing product/services in the existing market. It occurs when a company with its existing product penetrates a market. This strategy starts with the existing customers of the organization. This strategy can be used to increase sales without losing focus on their existing product/services. British Airways can penetrate in the market through their joint business agreement with Iberia and American airways thereby gaining competitors customers, by upgrading the quality of their services and also increasing the frequency of the flights in the existing market. It is comparatively cheaper to retain existing customers than finding new ones. Product Development Product development strategy emphasises on building a new product with existing and new capabilities beyond current expectations in the existing market. In the present scenario of economic downturn, it is quite difficult to introduce new product considering the cost involved in developing new product and it is risky to predict customer reaction too. British airways have already invested a huge amount in setting up its infrastructure especially in Terminal 5. They should rather emphasise on maintaining and upgrading the quality of present services. Market Development Market development strategy focuses on finding new segments, territories, new uses of existing market with existing product/services. British Airways may go for new market development considering the current strategic situation of the market. However, as the company already operates in more than 300 destinations therefore we would recommend them to concentrate on maintaining the quality of services at the existing markets thereby further build up its position. Diversification Diversification concentrates on developing a new product in new market with existing and new capabilities beyond current expectations. Since British Airways have numerous services operating almost all over the world, it would involve high degree of uncertainty and financial risk to go for diversification. Mergers and acquisitions could be an important alternative for further growth. However the current financial situation of British Airways does not allow the same as they have already invested a huge amount on its current projects and it might prove to be difficult and risky too. Although British Airways may consider this decision once the company’s position is strengthened and there is potential for growth and acquisition in the market. It may be a useful strategy in order to attain fast market growth. Thus the strategy which we would advise British Airways is to concentrate on existing market and existing services and accomplishing its ongoing investment project. So as to achieve further growth in the market British Airways should make the best possible use of its investment projects and strengthen its brand name by providing new offers to the current customers and appealing to new niche market. 4. Recommended strategic direction with rationale After discussing the current strategy and potential strategic options for British Airways, we would like to further recommend the following strategic directions:Develop opportunitiesBritish Airways should try to continue their business tie-ups in the new market once they regain their financial stability. Though BA’s talks on merger with Quantas Airways Limited failed, they need to strengthen their existing joint business with Quantas to have a good hold on the Australian market. They need to concentrate on Asian and Middle East market which has a high potential for growth. Distributing the risk British Airways should concentrate on their Cargo industry which has got a great potential. They should also try to reach more markets through code sharing with other airlines which is a cost effective option. Manipulating strengths British Airways have got a very strong base in Heathrow Airport, UK. BA’s Terminal 5 presence will help them to maintain high standard of service as it will enable them to handle increased volumes of customers and baggage. Upgrading Customer experience They should focus on providing better facilities like T5 lounge, which provides premium customers better comfort and luxury like a private members club. They should strengthen their customer base by constantly upgrading their flight schedules, offering better competitive packages for customers and being competitive with the facilities provided on board so as to attract more customers and thereby creating an opportunity for increasing revenue. Controlling cost of expansion plan British Airways has been moderately successful by following its effective strategies. Currently, we would advise BA to control its expenditure on buying new fleets and expanding to new destinations. They also need to reduce the cost of high aircraft utilization so as to minimize environmental risks. Services British Airways needs to concentrate on providing value for money to the customers. There is an intense competition in the market from Virgin Airlines, Singapore Air, KLM, Quantas and Emirates who also fly in the same route. They might lose their customers if they do not provide something unique from their competitors. These days the number of low cost airlines is increasing through out the world in both domestic and international market. Hence, cost effective and better services should be provided. Passenger friendly airports It is of extreme importance for passengers to feel that their purchasing needs are met. British Airways should aim to establish an image of a major international hub with standard facilities.

Abortion Essay -- essays research papers fc

Abortion (Pro-Life) Movement Introduction Abortion is one of the most controversial and talked about topics of our time. It is discussed in classrooms, work places and even on the Internet. Abortion is defined as the termination of pregnancy after, accompanied by, resulting in or closely followed by the death of an embryo or fetus. This definition includes accidental abortion such as, miscarriage and stillbirths. But this is not what is being debated. People want to know if abortion is ethical, if the fetus can feel pain, and when it is more human than non-human. These questions are very difficult to answer and may never be answered in our lifetime. But one thing we as humans do know is that we have opinions, ranging from completely anti abortion (pro-life) to completely for abortion (pro-choice), and anywhere in the wide spectrum in between. Abortion is a movement that was erected almost 40 years ago. This movement has been very controversial over the years; the main reason being that it is something that there is virtually no in between. You either are, or you are not. Both movements, (pro-life and pro-choice) have been one of the most controversial movements in a political presents. The opposition feels that pro-choice does not mean Pro-abortion, it is the right in choosing whether to reproduce, adopt, or abort. It is every human being's right to make there own decisions, and so it is a woman's right to make the choices that affect her life as she see's morally right. It is a woman's right to choose what she does with her body and it should not be altered or influenced by anyone else. As you can see, there are two sides of this movement that are constantly looking for contradictions in what other believes. There are many different viewpoints on abortion in the United States of America. Where most Americans do not feel that abortion is necessarily 'good,' they do believe it is a 'right.' Others have similar opinions. They embrace contradictory opinions and consider abortion a form of murder and yet still feel it should be legal for the truly desperate. However, most Americans think abortions are morally troubling. A recent study by George Hunt shows that neither age nor gender appears to have any effect on people’s current views on abortions. - (Wolf p54) Movement Now that we know so much ... ... that way is not suitable for them, they need to make that decision to create a movement to ultimately achieve their discourse. Through researching movements, furthermore, the pro-life movement, I have to revert to an original statement I already made and that is, movements in today's society are essential. Bibliography Books Used Clark, Thomas. "Thou Shalt Not Play God" The Humanist July-August 1995: p3 Hunt, George W.. "Of Many Things" America 31 January 1998: p2 Lavelle, Marianne. "When Abortion Comes Late In Pregnancy, Though Rare, Most Lefevere, Patricia. "Ex-abortion Providers; Conversation Tales" National Catholic Reporter 16 March 22 2000: p6 Merril, Ted. "Abortion; Extreme Views Ignore Reality" Medical Economics 15 July 1996: p33 McMillan, Jeff. "Focusing On a Woman's Right To Self Defense" The Chronicle of Higher Education. 6 December 1998: pA12 "No Easy Quick Fix Solutions To Abortion Issues" National Catholic Reporter 8 November 1996: p20 Thomas, Judy. "Pro-life Turns Deadly" Newsweek May 13 2000: p64 Wallace, Bruce. "When One Fetus Lives and One Dies" Maclean's

kathak dance :: essays research papers

Kathak is the classical dance of north indian style that was characterized by rhythmic footwork danced under the weight of more than 100 ankle bells, spectacular spins, and a representation of themes from Persian and Urdu poetry alongside those of Hindu mythology. The word kathak means "to tell a story". It is derived from the dance dramas of ancient India. Kathak arose from the fusion of Hindu and Muslim cultures that took place during the Mughal period. More than any other South Asian dance form, kathak expresses the aesthetic principles of Islamic culture. The origins of the kathak style lies in the traditional unfolding of Hindu myths by Brahmin priests called kathiks, who used mime and gesture for dramatic effect. Gradually, the storytelling became more stylized and developed into a dance form. With the arrival in northern India of the Mughals, kathak was taken into the royal courts and developed into a sophisticated art form; through the patronage of the Mughal rulers, kathak took its current form. The emphasis of the dance moved from the religious to the aesthetics. In cooperation with the aesthetics of Islamic culture, abhinaya which is defined as the use of mime and gesture, became more delicate, with emphasis placed on the performer's ability to express a theme in many different ways. There are two main centers of education called gharanas, which are both named after cities in northern India and which expanded under the patronage of regional princes. The Lucknow gharana developed a style of kathak that is characterized by precise, finely detailed movements and an emphasis on the exposition of thumri, (which is a semiclassical style of love song). The Jaipur gharana required a mastery of complicated pure dance patterns. Nowadays, performers present a blend of kathak based on the styles of both gharanas. A traditional kathak performance features a solo dancer on a stage, surrounded on all sides by the audience.

Fighting Rising College Tuition Costs Essay -- Education Policy

Declining state support, educational race for top rankings, uneven financial aid, or economy downfall: there are reasons all across the board as to why the cost of college tuition is getting out of hand. Envision a senior girl whose heart had been set on her dream college for years. An elite, honorable college where everyone seems to want to go. She has been telling her parents from an early age she was going to one day be a member. While on a visit to the college in late fall of her senior year, she fell in love with the beautiful campus which seemed to spread for miles. The advisers and professors she met with were polite and unquestionably convincing. Her favorite part of the visit was seeing how happy all of the current students seemed to look with their college decision. Overall, she believed she had found her home for the next four years. She went home excited to tell her parents the good news. This is where the excitement soon ended. 35,000 dollars a year was the out rageous sticker price for her dream college. Her parents said there was no way possible they could ever afford to send her. Tears started flooding down her face; her dreams were crushed. Now what was she going to do? Where was she going to go? Although this story has been made up, similar situations like these are arising more and more often. College tuition has reached an all time high; with the economy in its current standings, there needs to be solutions so every young adult has an equal opportunity to go to college. No one disputes the importance of a college education in today’s job market. Society has taken on a much higher demand for the well educated. With this being a growing trend, why does it seem colleges are trying to make gettin... ...ons need to be fulfilled if results are to be seen in the pocketbooks of every young adult looking for an equal opportunity to go to college. Works Cited â€Å"Barack Obama and Joe Biden: Making College Affordable For Everyone.† Web. 6 Dec. 2010. Berman, Talia. â€Å"Student Debt Crisis: Are There Any Solutions?† WireTap. 23 Aug. 2006. Web. 6 Dec. 2010. Block, Sandra. â€Å"Rising costs make climb to higher education steeper.† USA TODAY. 12 Jan. 2007. Web. 6 Dec. 2010. Dickeson, Robert. â€Å"COLLISION COURSE: Rising college costs threaten America’s future and require shared solutions.† Lumina Foundation for Education. 2004. Web. 6 Dec. 2010. Ehrenberg, Ronald. â€Å"Tuition Rising: Why College Costs so Much.† Cornell University. Web. 6 Dec. 2010. â€Å"Rising College Costs.† Web. 6 Dec. 2010. â€Å"What is a 529?† Web. 6 Dec. 2010. â€Å"What It Costs to Go to College.† Web. 6 Dec. 2010.

If I Were a Poor Black Kid

English 112 20 February 2013 If I were a poor black kid Gene Marks is a contributor to Forbes and the author of the article, â€Å"If I were a poor black kid. † In the beginning of his article he agrees with Mr. Obama and quotes the president’s statement, â€Å"This is the defining issue of our time†¦This is a make-or-break moment for the middle class, and for all those who are fighting to get into the middle class. Because what’s at stake is whether this will be a country where working people can earn enough to raise a family, build a modest savings, own a home, secure their retirement. It is hard not to agree with the president and Mr. Marks that these are important times for the middle class. However, Marks seems to think that technology is the way forward, which oversimplifies this complex problem. He refers, over nine times in the article, that â€Å"technology† is the way out of poverty. Marks’ contends that, â€Å"The biggest challenge we face isn’t inequality. It’s ignorance. †Ã‚   He makes this statement in spite of having no experience of being black nor poor.Mind you, this is coming from a white guy who was raised in the suburbs and was the former owner of Marks Group PC, a 10 person customer relationship management consulting firm based outside Philadelphia. The point he refers to as â€Å"being poor† are black children that reside in West Philadelphia. He lacks any knowledge regarding these individuals, considering his only understanding of â€Å"West Philadelphia† is not from him his own personal experience but only from a few teachers he knows, which he openly states.It is easy to agree with Marks when he talks about all of the technology enabling things he would do if he were a â€Å"poor black† kid: * Use homework tools like Backpack, and Diigo * Purchased hardware at outlets like Tiger Direct and Dell’s Outlet. * Study sites like SparkNotes and CliffsNote s * Watch relevant teachings on Academic Earth, TED and the Khan Academy. * Get free books from Project Gutenberg * Do research on sites such as, CIA World, Factbook, and Wikipedia These are great ideas for everyone to use whether you are from West Philadelphia or a student at Thomas Nelson.However, these are not cures to grow the middle class. The articles effectiveness is directly calling attention to a national problem, due to the fact that this article was written in Forbes which is intended for wealthy people. The affluent are a key part to any solution for issues of this magnitude. He fails to suggest to his readers any steps they can take to help the situation, but focuses his article on kids who will never pick up a copy of this magazine.What makes this sad is that Gene Marks’ is stating all of these things he would do if he were a poor black kid, yet has failed to actually reach out to these children. For example, Marks’ explains how his kids are just â€Å"l ucky enough to have parents and a well funded school system†¦Ã¢â‚¬  If Marks’ made more of an active attempt to help these children he would be tackling the problem. Marks’ could bridge the span of division by not only talking about the situation but actually doing something about it. Marks’ has an abundance of words, however no action which makes him apart of the great divide.Though this may not be his intent, this article is full of â€Å"between the lines† racial stupidity and arrogance. Marks writes as if poor and black are the same, he states this eight times in the article. Poor does not discriminate among races, bigotry is what discriminates. Unfortunately, Marks under emphasizes the most important elements of success even though he clearly states them, â€Å"It takes brains. It takes hard work. It takes a little luck. † These are well understood methods for success; they are easier said than done.Marks may have good intentions, yet th ey seem underwhelming and overly simplistic to move his audience into appropriate action. Just explaining that there is a problem is not motivating enough to help the situation. Kids don’t just wake up one day, nor do any, and know how to set goals for their futures or what tools are available to help themselves academically. These children need mentors, role models, people who are actively involved in helping them become successful, and not contributors to Forbes who think they are â€Å"rich† lecturing them on a way out of their condition.

Malaria in Nigeria Essay

Malaria is one of the devastating cases in the world, It has become a major problem because its spreading in 109 countries. Almost 90% of malaria death comes from Africa, around 66% of the people’s lives are in high risk. So in total, less than 15% of the global total malaria deaths occur in Asia and Eastern Europe. (author) Why is malaria dangerous? Malaria in humans is caused by many types of parasites but the most dangerous and the one that causes 90% of deaths around the world from malaria is plasmodium falciparum. This parasite is the most dangerous one because it affects the behavior of the red blood cells, Red blood cells get infected by the parasite and become sticky and it becomes impossible to pass through our body organs so they get stuck. This can result to further complications. When this happens inside the brain, it results to coma or even death. (Q&A) How do people in Nigeria try to prevent malaria? There isn’t any cure for malaria yet, it can only be prevented In my own opinion, I think malaria could be prevented by distributing treated bed nets, treating water drinking it, avoiding stagnant water. Malaria prevention is crucial as malaria can be fatal. Prevention is better than cure and involves killing the mosquitos and also repelling them. Prophylactic drugs; Several drugs, most of which are used for treatment of malaria, can be taken preventively. Generally, these drugs are taken daily or weekly, at a lower dose than would be used for treatment of a person who had actually contracted the disease. Use of prophylactic drugs is seldom practical for full time residents of malaria-endemic areas. Prevention of malaria involves protecting yourself against mosquito bites and taking ant malarial medicines. But public health officials strongly recommend that children and pregnant women avoid going to areas where malaria is common. (WebMD) Malaria is a serious disease, which in the worst case may be fatal. Its widespread in tropical and subtropical areas. Some ways which malaria can be prevented * Avoid mosquito bites; mosquitoes bite particularly at twilight and at night, so you should take most precautions at this time. Spray your room with an insecticide before to kill any mosquitoes that has go inside during the day. Otherwise use a mosquito net around your bed, impregnated with an insecticide such as pyrethrum. * Long trousers, long sleeve clothing and socks thick enough to stop the mosquitoes biting will also protect you and should be worn outside after sunset but it may be hard to follow such advice in hot climate. Light colors are less attractive to mosquitoes Preventive medicines should be given to breastfed, as well as bottlefed, babies because they’re not protected by the mother’s medicine passing into the breast milk. Its important to check with your pharmacist or doctor regarding the correct doses for children aged 12 years or under. Pregnant women are discouraged by the WHO from travelling to malria regions whre there’s cloroquine-resistant falcipaium malaria because malaria increases the risk of abortion, premature birth , still birth and maternal death. Just as for children an extra effort should be made to protect your self from mosquito and malaria if you’re obliged to travel. (nil) Insecticide-treated bed nets may be low-tech, but they are a highly effective way to prevent the spread of malaria. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, widespread use of treated bed nets has been shown to reduce transmission of the disease by about 90 percent. But the nets—which cost several dollars each—may be difficult to come by or too costly for those who need them most. Reapplication of pyrethroid insecticide at the recommended intervals of 6 to 12 months can also pose problems with older nets. Bibiliography No author. Stop Malaria Now! Nil Nil 2008. 21 November 2012 . Bibliography author, No. Stop Malaria Now! Nil Nil 2008. 21 November 2012 . nil. Netdoctor. nil nil nil. 01 november 2012 . Nil. The Lagos State- Malaria Control Program. Nil Nil 2012. 22 November 2012

Malcolm Gladwell

Interaction Between Personality and Environment A theory that an individual’s behavior is most likely based on factors such as personal convictions, personality, or inherited genes is a common belief in nowadays’ society. This theory seems like reasonable and logical because it is quite natural that a person’s behavior follows his or her characters. Malcolm Gladwell, however, in his essay, â€Å"The Power of Context: Bernie Goetz and the Rise and Fall of New York City Crime,† examines those factors affecting peoples’ behaviors and comes up with his own theory.Gladwell believes that the environmental conditions have the most significant influence on how one behaves. Throughout his essay, he presents a few different studies to help persuade the readers and to substantiate his argument. However, those cases and Gladwell’s theory are quite radical because they are only implied to certain situations, not to all circumstances and criminal cases. Ev en though environmental conditions have a more substantial impact on people’s behaviors, it is the interaction between personality and environment that actually determines the criminal actions.The influence that people’s immediate environment has on them is significant; people are affected by their environmental conditions more than by their previous intention. Gladwell discusses the relationship between environment or situation and an individual’s behavior in the Power of Context; that is, surroundings are closely related to a person’s character, and this theory is well applied when studying the criminals.As Gladwell insists, â€Å"[Broken Windows Theory and the Power of Context] are both based on the premise that an epidemic can be reversed, can be tipped, by tinkering with the smallest details of the immediate environment† (Gladwell 157). The outcome can be a whole different story by a simple and trivial factor. Similar to Broken Windows Theory, if one is at the place, where is dirty and depressed and has relatively high crime rates, one will likely think that violations of law such as throwing away garbage on the road and even committing a serious crime are fairly acceptable.In contrast, even though one was once intended to commit a crime, if one is at the place where is comfortable and tidy, one cannot commit a violent act easily and actually begins to think again about breaking a law. This theory flows into Gladwell’s argument about the Tipping Points that forces people toward violence. Gladwell believes that the little things around people can act as catalysts and significantly change the outcomes of certain situations. As Gladwell notes, â€Å"The Power of Context is an environmental argument.It says that behavior is a function of social context† (Gladwell 159). There has been a similar argument about influence of surroundings in earlier days, but it shows little difference from the claim of Gladwell. Ea rly environmentalism emphasizes the importance of fundamental social factors; crime is the result of social injustice, structural economic inequities, racism, and decades of social neglect (Gladwell 159). However, according to the Power of Context, Tipping Point – the critical point in an evolving situation that leads to an irreversible development – may be as simple and trivial.People do not have to solve the big problems or undertake some heroic steps to decrease a crime rate. All they need to do is scrubbing off graffiti and arresting fare-beaters. An individual’s personality or character also plays an important role in decision-making. Although environmental conditions can greatly affect individual’s action more than anything, their characters may also become a significant factor that determines violent behaviors.Personal convictions, experiences, and even genes can affect disposing individuals to crime. As Gladwell reveals, â€Å"All of those theori es are essentially ways of saying that the criminal is a personality type – a personality type distinguished by an insensitivity to the norms of normal society †¦ People who aren’t taught right from wrong are oblivious to what is and what is not appropriate behavior† (Gladwell 159). Most criminal cases are strongly related to criminals’ personal backgrounds or personal issues.It is quite obvious that people who have not taught what is and what is not right or wrong from their parents or in schools as they grew up are ignorant of illegal or violent actions and more likely commit crimes than educated people. Personality can be built throughout one’s entire life. Whether it is from family, friends, or teachers, the impact of these external forces can influence one’s character significantly. Those external forces may seem like an environmental condition, but the concept is quite different from the environmental factors that Gladwell uses in his argument because they are continuous surroundings.Family, friends, or teachers are usually key components of one’s life, and thus they play a crucial role in shaping one’s personality. Gladwell, in his essay, discusses many aspects of an individual’s character development. As he proposes an example, â€Å"People who grow up poor, fatherless, and buffeted by racism don’t have the same commitment to social norms as those from healthy middle-class homes† (Gladwell 159). This example perfectly demonstrates the idea that personality is shaped by individual’s constant character development and that character can have great influence on his or her decision-making.Those continuously shaped personalities or characters often interact with context in determining an individual’s behavior. Through effective examples of psychological and social experiments, Gladwell stresses his argument of the Power of Context. Interrelationship between person ality and environment eventually determines the individual’s behavior. In the example of the poor, the fatherless, and people suffered by racism committing violent actions, it is not because of either their pure personalities or environmental conditions; interact between both is that forces those people to commit a crime.Poor or fatherless surrounding is obviously the environmental factors, but those factors shape people’s personality throughout their life. As Lillian Rubin, Goetz’s biographer, writes, â€Å"there seems to be something seductive about the setting† (Gladwell 159). The Power of Context reveals that a poor environment leads people to commit violent actions, but people themselves are the one who are motivated to do immoral things. As Gladwell asserts, â€Å"Environmental Tipping Points are things that we can change: we can fix broken windows and clean up graffiti and change the signals that invite crime in the first place† (Gladwell 16 5).Motivations that come from environment, whether they are trivial or significant, force people to commit a crime even more. However, as the quotation insists, those Tipping Points can be changed and fixed easily by people’s little attention and slight changes in the surroundings. Gladwell uses the example of graffiti to support this argument. Even a little motivation such as graffiti in a subway can act as a catalyst that leads people to commit a severe crime because it may stimulate some people with bad experiences of childhood.The effects that environmental conditions have are quite significant, but those situations usually interact with people’s inner minds or personality greatly. People are influenced by the small changes in circumstances and force themselves into committing crimes, but this also means that the rate of crime can be decreased by fixing the slight things that affect people’s behaviors and that force people toward violent actions. Environment al conditions cannot be solid reasons for every crime occurred; personality is closely related to the surroundings when studying the criminal cases.In today’s world, building one’s personality is a multi-layered experience, influenced by environmental conditions. Some people may argue that the influence of immediate environment on decision-making is significant while others claim that personality or character plays a key role in controlling one’s action. However, the interrelationship between personality and environment is the most influential factor that determines one’s all kinds of behaviors. Every person carries pieces of identity that are not identical to other people’s, but even those, in some ways, are influenced by others all the time.Moreover, personality or character is affected not only by other people but also by social structures a person resides within, the family he lives with, and even the media he always faces. Personality can be f lexible depending on the surroundings. Therefore, although environmental conditions have a much more significant influence on people’s actions, the interaction between personality and environment is the one that actually controls how and why people behave in a certain way. Malcolm Gladwell Interaction Between Personality and Environment A theory that an individual’s behavior is most likely based on factors such as personal convictions, personality, or inherited genes is a common belief in nowadays’ society. This theory seems like reasonable and logical because it is quite natural that a person’s behavior follows his or her characters. Malcolm Gladwell, however, in his essay, â€Å"The Power of Context: Bernie Goetz and the Rise and Fall of New York City Crime,† examines those factors affecting peoples’ behaviors and comes up with his own theory.Gladwell believes that the environmental conditions have the most significant influence on how one behaves. Throughout his essay, he presents a few different studies to help persuade the readers and to substantiate his argument. However, those cases and Gladwell’s theory are quite radical because they are only implied to certain situations, not to all circumstances and criminal cases. Ev en though environmental conditions have a more substantial impact on people’s behaviors, it is the interaction between personality and environment that actually determines the criminal actions.The influence that people’s immediate environment has on them is significant; people are affected by their environmental conditions more than by their previous intention. Gladwell discusses the relationship between environment or situation and an individual’s behavior in the Power of Context; that is, surroundings are closely related to a person’s character, and this theory is well applied when studying the criminals.As Gladwell insists, â€Å"[Broken Windows Theory and the Power of Context] are both based on the premise that an epidemic can be reversed, can be tipped, by tinkering with the smallest details of the immediate environment† (Gladwell 157). The outcome can be a whole different story by a simple and trivial factor. Similar to Broken Windows Theory, if one is at the place, where is dirty and depressed and has relatively high crime rates, one will likely think that violations of law such as throwing away garbage on the road and even committing a serious crime are fairly acceptable.In contrast, even though one was once intended to commit a crime, if one is at the place where is comfortable and tidy, one cannot commit a violent act easily and actually begins to think again about breaking a law. This theory flows into Gladwell’s argument about the Tipping Points that forces people toward violence. Gladwell believes that the little things around people can act as catalysts and significantly change the outcomes of certain situations. As Gladwell notes, â€Å"The Power of Context is an environmental argument.It says that behavior is a function of social context† (Gladwell 159). There has been a similar argument about influence of surroundings in earlier days, but it shows little difference from the claim of Gladwell. Ea rly environmentalism emphasizes the importance of fundamental social factors; crime is the result of social injustice, structural economic inequities, racism, and decades of social neglect (Gladwell 159). However, according to the Power of Context, Tipping Point – the critical point in an evolving situation that leads to an irreversible development – may be as simple and trivial.People do not have to solve the big problems or undertake some heroic steps to decrease a crime rate. All they need to do is scrubbing off graffiti and arresting fare-beaters. An individual’s personality or character also plays an important role in decision-making. Although environmental conditions can greatly affect individual’s action more than anything, their characters may also become a significant factor that determines violent behaviors.Personal convictions, experiences, and even genes can affect disposing individuals to crime. As Gladwell reveals, â€Å"All of those theori es are essentially ways of saying that the criminal is a personality type – a personality type distinguished by an insensitivity to the norms of normal society †¦ People who aren’t taught right from wrong are oblivious to what is and what is not appropriate behavior† (Gladwell 159). Most criminal cases are strongly related to criminals’ personal backgrounds or personal issues.It is quite obvious that people who have not taught what is and what is not right or wrong from their parents or in schools as they grew up are ignorant of illegal or violent actions and more likely commit crimes than educated people. Personality can be built throughout one’s entire life. Whether it is from family, friends, or teachers, the impact of these external forces can influence one’s character significantly. Those external forces may seem like an environmental condition, but the concept is quite different from the environmental factors that Gladwell uses in his argument because they are continuous surroundings.Family, friends, or teachers are usually key components of one’s life, and thus they play a crucial role in shaping one’s personality. Gladwell, in his essay, discusses many aspects of an individual’s character development. As he proposes an example, â€Å"People who grow up poor, fatherless, and buffeted by racism don’t have the same commitment to social norms as those from healthy middle-class homes† (Gladwell 159). This example perfectly demonstrates the idea that personality is shaped by individual’s constant character development and that character can have great influence on his or her decision-making.Those continuously shaped personalities or characters often interact with context in determining an individual’s behavior. Through effective examples of psychological and social experiments, Gladwell stresses his argument of the Power of Context. Interrelationship between person ality and environment eventually determines the individual’s behavior. In the example of the poor, the fatherless, and people suffered by racism committing violent actions, it is not because of either their pure personalities or environmental conditions; interact between both is that forces those people to commit a crime.Poor or fatherless surrounding is obviously the environmental factors, but those factors shape people’s personality throughout their life. As Lillian Rubin, Goetz’s biographer, writes, â€Å"there seems to be something seductive about the setting† (Gladwell 159). The Power of Context reveals that a poor environment leads people to commit violent actions, but people themselves are the one who are motivated to do immoral things. As Gladwell asserts, â€Å"Environmental Tipping Points are things that we can change: we can fix broken windows and clean up graffiti and change the signals that invite crime in the first place† (Gladwell 16 5).Motivations that come from environment, whether they are trivial or significant, force people to commit a crime even more. However, as the quotation insists, those Tipping Points can be changed and fixed easily by people’s little attention and slight changes in the surroundings. Gladwell uses the example of graffiti to support this argument. Even a little motivation such as graffiti in a subway can act as a catalyst that leads people to commit a severe crime because it may stimulate some people with bad experiences of childhood.The effects that environmental conditions have are quite significant, but those situations usually interact with people’s inner minds or personality greatly. People are influenced by the small changes in circumstances and force themselves into committing crimes, but this also means that the rate of crime can be decreased by fixing the slight things that affect people’s behaviors and that force people toward violent actions. Environment al conditions cannot be solid reasons for every crime occurred; personality is closely related to the surroundings when studying the criminal cases.In today’s world, building one’s personality is a multi-layered experience, influenced by environmental conditions. Some people may argue that the influence of immediate environment on decision-making is significant while others claim that personality or character plays a key role in controlling one’s action. However, the interrelationship between personality and environment is the most influential factor that determines one’s all kinds of behaviors. Every person carries pieces of identity that are not identical to other people’s, but even those, in some ways, are influenced by others all the time.Moreover, personality or character is affected not only by other people but also by social structures a person resides within, the family he lives with, and even the media he always faces. Personality can be f lexible depending on the surroundings. Therefore, although environmental conditions have a much more significant influence on people’s actions, the interaction between personality and environment is the one that actually controls how and why people behave in a certain way.