A Trip to Italy

Ashley Hicks Hendren ENG 101 Essay 1 A Trip to Italy Vacation and travel is a phenomenon which strikes a chord with nearly every human being on the planet. While true, there are many without the means to engage in such activity, there is little doubt that the primal urge to escape one's everyday surroundings strikes all but the most reclusive of people. There are many different locales to which one may escape, as well as a large variety of reasons for traveling.Be it sandy beaches, or snowy mountains, for family recreation or for spiritual soul-searching. . . a long vacation tends to be good for the mind. Among the thousands upon thousands of vacation hotspots spread out across the planet, one of the most popular locales is Italy. The country stands proud as one of the most visited places on Earth because there are a large variety of activities one can partake in, as well as a multitude of places to visit amongst the country's varied landscape.For the humble traveler, a trip to Italy would serve as one of the most memorable and luscious experiences they would ever partake in. Italy is a beautiful country with many reasons why one would travel there, from local cuisine, to a breadth of landmarks detailing the country's long and interesting history, and a storied culture revolving around family values. Italy is a magnificent vacation area full of excitement and enticing opportunities.From Florence to Venice, food and dining is an integral and cultured part of Italy's background, and something which any would-be tourist must experience. True Italian food carries with it a large range of emotions which impact the consumer long before it even touches one's taste buds. Walking down the winding, cobblestone streets, or perhaps even sinking down into a gondola during a romantic evening floating through the calming canals, the sights and smells of Italy's cuisine are impossible to escape.As smoke and steam bellow out from the various diners, small or large, the sizzling sounds of lean fish with the whitest of meat, and highly-seasoned potatoes dazzle the ears. Upon finding a seat in one of the various beautiful dining destinations scattered across the country, one is sure to be struck by the pure joviality of the eating environment. Much like France, the eating habits in Italy stretch well beyond the need to survive, or the cravings endure for certain tastes. Eating in Italy is as much a cultural pastime as playing baseball in the United States of America.As the smooth texture of Italy's various famed pasta dishes lay upon one's tongue, they are engaging in not just a country's dish, but its lifestyle and culture as well. Once a visitor has had their fill of Italy's expertly crafted meals, they can begin the process of true cultural immersion by visiting and learning the history of Italy's landmarks. With its mythology and culture stemming from Greece, Italy was once upon a time one of the greatest powers on the planet due to the Roman Empire.Exam ining the towering heights of the Roman Colosseum or the Parthenon is breathtaking in every sense of the word. The amount of effort and time it must have taken the Roman society to build their landmarks is staggering to consider. With even just the slightest amount of imagination, its easy to picture one of the many genius' from the Renaissance slaving away in their workshop, such as the mathematical and architectural pathfinder known as Brunelleschi, or the phenomenal creative genius of Leonardo DaVinci.Recalling the various figures and places from Italian history isn't dismissive of the fact that they are separated by time, but rather it calls to mind the fact that the beautiful tourist destinations that one can experience while visiting the country are the products of centuries, upon centuries of history. Yet, there is much to take away from a trip to Italy, beyond the ideas of delicious foods, wondrous landscapes, and Ferraris. The culture of Italy is something which could easil y stick within ones mind well after they have left.Perhaps the most striking cultural aspect of Italian everyday-life is the central role of family and familial values. In the South of Italy, in fact, it is not uncommon for even extended family to live within one home, sharing every part of their life together. While one may not observe the emotional and financial support these families give to each other internally firsthand, there is undoubtedly a sense of pride and respect that stems from these close-knit family ties which extend into societal life, such as the high respect that is held for elders no matter where one occupies Italy.In addition to this, visitors and outsiders are often treated with an immaculate kindness that permeates social gatherings. One could infer that family values in Italy have become so strong that they have stretched beyond literal family, and encapsulate the human race itself instead. Alongside these typical moral values, there is an emphasis on proper form and etiquette in all aspects of Italian life. Social appearance is a very important part of Italian life, as the projection of oneself can extend to represent not just the self, but family and country as well.First-impressions are considered one of the most vital parts of social interactions, because of the thought that said impression will last, and the fear of a tarnished reputation promotes joyous and welcoming greetings. These close meetings with people that one has, perhaps, not even met, are sure to be remembered by the various tourists who come and go. This may be due to other countries' comparatively cold salutations, such as in France or the United States, where the people between oneself and destination are just obstacles.Italy is an amazing seaside country with hundreds, if not thousands of ways to attract tourists. The famous fish dishes, pasta, and wine that Italy is host to are, undoubtedly, some of the foremost attractions for outsiders, especially for visitors a rriving from the States. . . the colorful and heavily seasoned national dishes are sure to evoke the life within ones palate, a palate that is sure to grow dormant as one becomes accustomed and overly-acclimated to their own local cuisine.Once one is tired of these dishes, if that is possible, they are sure to enjoy the strikingly beautiful landmarks which scatter the horizon, such as the Parthenon, which evoke thoughts of all the brilliant minds which stemmed from the age of the Roman empire and beyond. Lastly, it is thoroughly enjoyable to experience a culture that is in high contrast to one's own. Especially if said contrasts are positive and influential as is the case with Italy's family values and social values. Italy holds a vivid beauty that flows throughout all aspects of its culture. Works Cited â€Å"Italian Culture†. Hubpages. com. Accessed on Feb. 10, 2013. Web.

Polarization in Us Politics

Analyze the evidence that American politics is becoming more polarized. If so, is this a reaction to the polarization of political elites? Approx 1500 words 13/12/10 â€Å"The election of 2008†¦ marked the end of an epoch. No longer could Republicans count on the basic conservatism of the American people, the reflexive hostility to candidates who favour big government† (Darman, 2010, 34)In the 1970s and 1980s there was a consensus that the importance of political parties was in decline, that the shared conservative ideology of the American electorate was reflected in the similar ideology and policy of the Democratic and Republican party. Now, however, the parties are seemingly taking on renewed importance as the population of the United states grows less and less homogenous. There is now a consensus in the American media that their politics are increasingly Polarized between the liberal voters who vote Democrat, and the more traditional conservatives who support the Repub lican Party.This essay will assess the evidence for whether or not the American political system is indeed polarizing, and if so, then for what reasons? The role of political elites will also be examined, whether or not they are polarizing aswell, and whether this is a large contributing cause of the polarising of the mass? Many, including Marc Hetherington, contend that there has indeed been a period of mass and elite polarisation, and Hetherington believes that the mass polarization is a reaction to the elites increasing partisanship (2001, 621, 629).There is evidence in surveys that the political elite is polarizing; the amount of self proclaimed â€Å"very conservative† Republicans in congress and senate has risen from 12 to 30 percent since 1972, and the amount of â€Å"very liberal† Democrats has risen from 8 to 20 percent (Stone, 2010, 39), this shows that as much as half of delegates are radicals. For this reason political debate has grown more and more rancoro us, both in Washington DC and in the media. The role of information in Democracy cannot be understated, it is a cornerstone of Dahls Polyarchy (1972).Although some media companies may attest to attempting to provide news without bias, their agenda as businesses is to turn a profit and as it is common for them to take up political positions in order to gain market share. To illustrate this, Fox News 24 hour television station was introduced in 1996 (this in itself could be seen as evidence for polarization) and by 2000 had managed to attract 17 percent of the US population by adopting a staunchly conservative viewpoint (DellaVigna, Kaplan, 2007), while one must stop short of attributing the Republican success at the 2000 election to the introduction of a conservative news station.The same study shows that not Fox News' emergences causation with an increase in voter turnout (DellaVigna, Kaplan, 2007, 1228), arguably mobilising a previously disenchanted group. The radical left and righ t leaning delegates mentioned above are naturally the most visible politicians to the public in terms of media coverage as a result of the medias wont for framing politics in terms of conflict (Hetherington, 2001, 622).It follows that the mass public will draw their positions from the partisan opinions and attitudes which they are exposed to on their televisions and in their newspapers, either in support of, or by vehemently disagreeing with, the controversial politicians, political pundits and journalists, and will express these outlooks in the polls come election time. One tool which the media can use to project an image of a polarized country is by utilising state boundaries to show the success of the different parties in nationwide elections.The red state/ blue state maps are now a fixture of the news coverage as election results flood in, but it is interesting to note that as recently as 1984 Democratic victories were shown in red and Republican in blue. It is also curious that red, long the colour of Marxism, of Red China and Communist USSR (Patton, 2004). The only relevance of these points is to show that the apparent deep rooted polarized political situation is both modern and subject to quite sudden change. The red/ blue map shown in Figure one shows how modern Polarisation has manifested itself over the last four elections.The dark red and blue show that those states have voted Republican or democratic respectively all four times. Lighter shades show that party has won all but once, while purple shows states which have gone to the Republicans and Democrats twice each. On first glance this seems to back up the polarization theory, as Fiorina and Adams put it; â€Å"when the 2004 election almost reproduced the 2000 map, belief in the polarization narrative peaked as social conservatives gloated about the purported importance of â€Å"values voters† for the re-election of President Bush, and liberal commentators bitterly accepted that interpreta tion. â€Å"(2008, 564, 565)However when one examines the map in figure 2 which breaks down the 2008 election by county, rather than state. This map seems to throw an interesting side note onto the red state/ blue state theory. While there is seldom a completely red or blue dominated state, in terms of area covered on the map, there is far more covered by republican red. The fact that the democrats won the election with so much less area covered shows that the blue areas are high in population denstity- cities and large towns. Rather than Republican south versus Democratic coasts, Figure 2 indicates a division between Rural Republican and Urban Democrat areas.Fig. 1 Fig. 2 There are other problems with the above quote, which Fiorina and Abrams do draw attention to. For instance the assumed intrinsic connections common to the â€Å"value voters† are not as strong as they may seem. For instance Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry managed to pull one third of white eva ngelicals, and one third of gun owners (Fiorina and Abrams, 2008, 568). These are two criterion of the stereotypical conservative Bible-Belt citizen, and the media would have us believe that almost every single one would have supported the incumbent George W.Bush. This exaggeration is typical of the American media's attempt to depict American politics as more polarized than it is. Haley Barbour, governor of Mississippi and former chairman of the republican party here how he takes political news (in this case the pessimism about the future of the Republican party after the election of Barack Obama in 2008) with a pinch of salt; â€Å"In politics, things are never as good as they seem (in the media) and they're never as bad as they seem† (Darman, 2010)If there is such polarization in the USA, such defined political cleavages, why then is every election so tightly contested, which Barone calls â€Å"The 49 Percent Nation† (Kaus, 2004)? Surely if the nation was split along regional, urban/ rural, religious or ideological divides, then surely one group would be able to dominate the other, at least periodically, and one party would enjoy longer periods in office. In the past two decades no Presidential candidate has acheived more than 54% of the popular vote. Barbour implies that the greatest reason the democrats won the 2008 election is because it was simply â€Å"their turn† (Darman, 2010).Mickey Kaus of political comment website Slate Magazine, attributes this seemingly strange run of results to the Median Voter Theory, also known as the Black Theorem (Black, 1948). Kaus explains that the ideological positions of the Republican and Democratic parties are not fixed, they do not remain where the lines in figure 3 show, rather they will gravitate towards the point upon the scale which will guarantee the greatest support. Because of this, in both the upper and lower graphs (ie regardless of whether the voting public is polarized or not) both the main parties would lie more or less in the centre of the graph.The non proportional representation, two party electoral system reinforces this, as if their were many parties competing seriously it would allow for minority parties which could take up more extreme left or right points on the scale. Figure. 3- the vertical lines represent where ideology-driven liberal and conservative parties would be fixed upon the scale. The other line in each graph shows the how the voters are distributed along the political spectrum. In conclusion, there is significant evidence to show that a period of polarization has been occuring in the politics of the United States of America since approximately the mid 1990's.There are a myriad of reasons which could be applied, too many to be mentioned here, for example Hetherington mentions that Presidential approval ratings and poor economic performance can often lead to polarization. The greatest factor however, to stretch the US electorate's homogeneity i s the influence of the elites and the mass media. Arguably this could be seen as a give-and-take progression, with the elites emerging from the mass to elevated positions from which they may influence the mass, and the media reacting to the mass in order to produce a marketable service.Furthermore it is important to note that although the USA does exist in a somewhat polarized state, the extent of that polarization is not as clearcut as sections of the media would have one believe. The US is not simply a nation off older gun toting, gay hating, anti abortion Republicans and younger coastal, ethnically diverse gay loving pro-choice socialist Democrats. Perhaps a more apt description would be as a nation of centralist influenced by a small amount of more extreme outliers of liberal and conservative persuasion.Bibliography Political Polarization in the American Public, Fiorina, Morris and Abrams, Samuel, 2008, Stanford Resurgent Mass Partisanship: The Role of Elite Polarization, Hether ington, Marc, 2001, American Political Science Review The Fox News Effect; Media Bias and Voting, DellaVigna, Stefano and Kaplan, Ethan, 2007, Harvard On the Rationale of Group Decision Making, Black, Duncan, 1948, Chicago The Anti-Obama,Darman, Jonathan, 2010, Newsweek Fight Club, Thomas, Evan and Taylor Jr, Stuart, 2010, Newsweek

Organisation design

estructuring is rife once again in our organizations. Is all this really necessary or are we Just getting it very wrong? Do we keep designing in the traditional and two dimensional way we have always designed our organizations in? Let us rethink why we would restructure in the first place and how we would do it in a way that is more sustainable and less disruptive to the organization. Let's start with some simple ideas and principles. Include organization design as part of your strategic planning process. When your business model or value chain changes, your overall structure needs to change with it.For other times, accountabilities and roles need to continually evolve. Create broad roles that can evolve, not tightly defined Jobs. Remember we frequently encounter problems beyond our Job descriptions and we need to develop people so they can be redeployed. When you restructure, change the way the work is done or there will be no change. Functions focused on effectiveness cannot report to functions focused on efficiency Functions focused on long-range development cannot report to functions focused on short-range results Having the wrong people in the wrong roles will continue to make the structure ineffective.Understand that there will always be paradoxes in the system like centralization AND decentralization and learn to manage it through behavior rather than structure. No amount of restructuring can make up for leadership and culture failures. Restructures often don't change power structures. People like creating extra layers to serve their own agendas. Do not allow it if the business model and value chain does not require it. Let's improve how we do things using 4 fundamentals. 1 .Job families based on the value chain – broken down into core and support The first step is to design value chain based Job families – a Job family is a cluster of roles that have a lot in common as far as competencies and outputs are concerned. Identify the core functi ons that must be performed in support of the business strategy. Define what each function will have authority and be accountable for. Once his is clear, support Job families can be defined. Examples are Finance, Human Resources and Operations. Support should never be greater than core. . Levels of work Now define the right number of levels. The starting point, says Jacques, is â€Å"to get the right structure, including the right number of vertical layers, and well-defined accountability and authority not only in manager-subordinate working relationships, but in cross-functional working relationships as well† Oases, â€Å"The Aims of Requisite Organization,† in Requisite Organization). All roles in a level have a similar approach to work, and a similar level of complexity, regardless of the business unit or Job family they fall into.This paves the way for clear goal alignment. You should not have more than 5-6 levels of work in total for example Operational employees, First line leaders, Expert leaders, Executive Leaders and Strategic leader(s). 3. Systems thinking to get governance and matrix structures right Now make sure you put the governance , organization support and matrix structures over it that can manage the accountabilities and risk appetites of your functions and ensure you understand where to place resources between core and support and between central and decentralized functions. . Generic roles, not people And very importantly†¦ When creating the structure, ignore the people involved and just identify the core and support business functions that must be performed. Create generic roles that are not person dependent and can evolve. Have similarities in role design across levels and in Job families and only define the unique bits differently. This makes it much easier to redeploy people instead of making them redundant whilst growing other parts of the business.The ensuing picture looks like this: If we evolve the picture further to incorporate the matrix and governance designs the final design will look something like a three dimensional matrix using the Biometric design developed by DRP. Elisabeth Dossal: If you need help in developing a sustainable well-designed organization structure, please contact me on [email  protected] Com.

Privatizing of Social Security Payroll Taxes Essay

Privatizing of Social Security Payroll Taxes - Essay Example It is globally agreed by citizen that there should be prudent financial planning by the government who has got for duty to maintain an acceptable level of reserves. It is accepted that privatising social security could be a huge undertaking but its profitability could be as equally huge. Social security payroll taxes should provide with enormous income in terms of finance though opinions are divided with a large pool of thinkers trying to push rightly or erroneously the idea of privatisation. Moreover, the pools of individuals who are to benefit from social security aids are increasing considerably every year. This is particularly true with the aging up of general population there should be an attempt to ensure that there is no dismantlement in the actual state of social security policy. Rather, effort should be supplied in the attempt to higher up the social security grants with the event of overall commodity item price increase associated to the unprecedented oil crisis. It is observed however, that in relative measures of effectiveness privately owned enterprises performs better than public services as in the case of actual social security services.

GE and the Honeywell. Argument For And Against The Commission Decision Essay

GE and the Honeywell. Argument For And Against The Commission Decision - Essay Example According to Pfanz (2001), the categories of bundling might have included pure and mixed. Indeed, as the paper progresses it would be simpler to deduce the category. The Commission suggested that the bundling technique would have many pleasant effects on the merged GE and Honeywell’s competitors in the markets for aerospace equipment and jet engines. This is because the rivals’ market shares would be eroded by their incapability to compete with the joined entity package deals, which in turn would lower the profitability of their rivals leading to their exit (Schlossberg & American Bar Association. Section of Antitrust Law 2008, p. 17). The Commission thought that the ability of the company to employ bundling would enable the combined corporate to offer complimentary goods at a reduced price compared to when the products are sold separately. The Commission suggested that bundling would lower the revenues for the GE’s and Honey well’s Competitors in the market. The reduction of revenues would be advantageous to the companies since it would reduce their competitors’ ability to invest. Moreover, it would augment the companies’ capabilities of competing effectively. According to the Commission’s view, the prices could rise in future, and this would cause harm to their rivals and customers in the market. From the Commission’s presentation, bundling would have an ultimate effect of shutting out markets for the competitors who deals with single line of products. Such foreclose would help in the decrease of investments by other competitors or even eliminate them. The Commission pre dicted that the combined business would have incentives by bundling its companies’ products. This would make its competitors to be less competitive by depriving then revenues. This implies that the firms that have been deprived their revenues would not cover their fixed cost. He argued that this would be advantageous to the EG and Honeywell, since it would have unpleasant effects on their competitors spending and thus they would not compete effectively in future. In his argument, the Commission proved his points by providing proof that Honeywell uses bundling in strategic way called â€Å"multi-product† bids. Moreover, the Commission got evidence from the companies’ competitors proving that they faced Honeywell bundling, which made it difficult for them to compete. Therefore, the Commission said that if bundling were to continue, their rivals would withdraw particularly the Rockwell Collins Company

Introduction to Operations Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Introduction to Operations Management - Essay Example Management of the Zoo has arranged the facilities and services for about 10000 visitors. But this year, more than 10,000 people visited the Zoo at the occasion of August Bank Holidays. Moreover on the World Animal Day, the number of visitors exceeded 18,000 visitors, about an average of 4000 visitors at a time. There were many problems faced by the management; food ran short, there was no space for free walk in the Zoo, no staff member was there in front of the visitors and there all were queues in the Zoo. The management of the London Zoo can use some other ways of collecting data on their required information about the service quality. They can use the group focusing technique to gather the information. The groups visiting the Zoo can be requested to answer few of their questions. This style of activities can be done in quite attractive way announcing some gift hampers for the groups answering their questions and recommending some suggestions for the improvement. Interviewing technique is also a useful way to gather the data. But this technique might be not much useful or beneficial here. An interview requires mental preparation of the respondent which can not be adopted here as people come to the place for relaxation and enjoyment, they would not like this way. The above are the categories upon which information were gathered. The rating was asked from 1 to 5 with 3 as an average. The figures from the Appendices 3 and 4, it is observed that the customers rank the Zoo as an average service provider as the average of the ranking is 2.90 ~ 3. This value shows that the customers feel that the Zoo is providing entertainment of an average level. The management seems to be more dedicated towards the improvement of the progress of the services’ quality. The management realizes its responsibility that they have not only to provide amusement but the Zoo symbolizes the care of wild life. This care is reflected through the

Evaluating the impact of international environmental laws on oil and Essay - 1

Evaluating the impact of international environmental laws on oil and gas - Essay Example GEP-Oil is under attack from environment conservation agencies on its oil exploratory methods.This has led to the firm abandoning oil exploratory activities by GEP-Oil which has been operating in the Russian northern hemisphere. Oil exploration in the northern hemisphere is exceedingly complicated and an extremely expensive investment and GEP-Oil had entered into partnerships with investors from out of state in order to be able to explore for oil reserves in the arctic region. The effects of the attack by the environmental groups will mean that the firm cannot and will not be able to meet its obligations to its partners. On the other hand, GEP-Oil cannot ignore the issues that have been raised against it because it wants to be conformable to environmental protection practices and also wants good partnership and trust with the local community. This means that GEP-Oil must carefully and quickly address the situation to resume its oil exploration as soon as possible. Recommendation(s) G EP-Oil should be able to address the issue while involving the relevant stake holders in the process. This will mean that GEP-Oil will have to closely work with environmental groups in order to ensure that their issues and concerns are well addressed. This will also mean that GEP-Oil will need to involve the local communities in order to also ensure that their concerns are also taken care of. By doing this, GEP-Oil will be able to overcome the challengers posed by the situation as well as mintage any risk of the situation happening again. 1. Background of the issue The issue of environmental degradation caused by the oil exploration is one that every oil exploration firm should be able to look at carefully. GEP-Oil has found itself in the midst of the issue and this threatens to interfere with the operations and the success of the firm. GEP-Oil has being accused by environmental agencies of being careless in the way it carries out its exploratory activities. Because of this, GEP-Oil has been affected in the way it operates because it has stopped some of its operations in order to deal with the situation first. This scenario is threatening to kill the numerous employment opportunities that the firm affords the residents. GEP-Oil is also likely to lose its reputation because this has affected its ability to continue with its obligations which it owes its partners in business. On the other hand, GEP-Oil does not want to create the wrong impression within the community it operates and this has meant that the firm has to tread extremely carefully around the matter. In this paper, these issues are addressed in detail and alternatives to dealing with the situation are taken. 2. Impact of Oil/Gas Production on the Environment According to Mushkat (87) businesses are seen to promote environmental degradation by the very fact that they promote economic activity. The exploration and production of oil leads to a damage of the environment and this means that producers of o il will have to take necessary measures to mitigate the damage done to the environment. GEP-Oil will have to understand this in solving its current situation. There are a number of ways in which GEP-Oil can remedy the situation and convince environmental groups to accept that it needs to go on with oil production in the arctic region. One of this is sustainable development. As Beyerlin (2011, p. 84) says, sustainable development refers to the fact that natural resources should be exploited in a way that leaves no or little damage to the environment. This law is recognizant of the fact that exploitation of natural resources will have to be done in order for survival of human beings on the planet. This will be GEP-Oil’s biggest defence against the accusation. Oil is an immensely useful to the community and it is

Data Collection Tools, Methods, and Challenges Essay

Data Collection Tools, Methods, and Challenges - Essay Example Qualitative and quantitative research techniques are designed for different audiences: policymakers both in private and in government, funding agencies, academicians, various stakeholders and project clients. The following is a discussion of various tools of data collection in both qualitative and quantitative research and challenges faced in each. Qualitative research interview is one of the most commonly utilized data collection tool in qualitative research. Qualitative research interviews can be categorized as structured, semi-structured and in-depth. According to Holloway (2005), the aim of a qualitative research interview is to find out, in the perspective of the insider, their thoughts, feelings, perceptions and feelings. Interviews are flexible and very effective tools when there is need to reveal information on how a single individual views the world. The only challenge with use of interview as a tool of collecting qualitative research data is that it is time consuming thus t here is need for preparation, transcription and scheduling for interview. Focus group is the second tool and it refers to a group discussion often on a particular topic that has been organized for purposes of research and is monitored, guided and recorded by a facilitator, researcher or moderator. Unlike qualitative research interviews, focus groups are best used when researcher wants to generate information on the collective views of a group and what such views mean in real sense (Onwuegbuzie et al 2009). It is time effective but less flexible since the focus group may influence the result from shy individuals within the group. The dynamics of the individuals may also interfere with accurate and complete data (Onwuegbuzie et al, 2009). A standardized test is one of the commonly used tools in quantitative data collection and refers to tests that are administered and scored in a consistent manner.

Coaching Leadership Development Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Coaching Leadership Development - Essay Example It may be an informal or a formal process, an informal being one in which a person with greater experience guides the one with lesser experience. Statistics in UK show that 90% companies use coaching and 51% of them consider it to be necessary and crucial for the leadership development process. These skills are often developed and adopted by managers who would influence the organization. (Wooden & Jamison, 2005) A new era brings about rapid changes in the market place and thus organizations and therefore leadership skills have acquired greater importance in the dynamic workplace. Those who employ coaching as a leadership have a greater understanding of themselves usually, since it not only allows them to grow in terms of leading the organization but also to understand their own personality and areas of strengths and weaknesses and work on themselves. (Smith, 1999) Executive coaching is one of the components of coaching that seems to be effective and a good investment of time and mone y. Competencies that are developed prove to be long term and effective and further inferences can easily be deduced as to what needs to be done to further enhance the competencies. (Dessler, 2012) Also organizations are engaging in downsizing and they have a flatter structure than before since the world is moving to a place where hierarchical structures are considered less effective and lesser manpower is required in organizations. Therefore even though it has its benefits, however, senior managers would be removed more easily and growth opportunities are better but if new managers cannot fill in the shoes of the previous managers and lack the leadership qualities then the entire organization will show a downward trend. Coaching can help build these abilities. (Warrenfeltz,... This paper approves that there are certain alternative approaches such as leadership action teams. This requires being put in situations with teams to perform in situations which are above their current capability and one person is the leader who will guide the team to success or failure and basically guide the team through the entire situation. This is a new method that has achieved a lot of success because the workplace is dynamic and situations keep changing and leaders always have to be ready. There may not necessarily be time to coach them to reaching their goals, and so learning by doing or action learning is useful in situations where the organization is pressed for time and money and the managers have a great deal of workload already. This essay makes a conclusion that a last leadership development tool that is important is the multi-rater feedback method or a 360 degree feedback method. Feedback is always an effective tool for improvement, since you are always guided and critiqued as to where you are going wrong and where you are going right, and you can go in that direction accordingly. However, feedback from different sources is even more effective as you get an overall perspective of your standing, not just from your mentor, or your coach, or your employees, but from all of the aforementioned. This helps to improve performance. However, this feedback needs to be continuous if it is to be effective. Also, one can never be sure if they encompass the entire organization’s perspective in their 360 degree appraisal and one which is free from bias because everyone has a different way of looking at things and not necessarily the correct one.

Historical Prospect of Advertising Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 1

Historical Prospect of Advertising - Coursework Example Nowadays, every person who watches television watches commercials since the whole television medium is based upon advertising As compared to the past, in around 1950s, where very few people could afford television sets in their homes, commercials were very few and short in the television industry. These commercials have vividly changed over time. For instance, when looking at today’s food advertisements, for example, the Cadbury’s chocolate advertisement, which has been common in televisions over the years, many differences are seen as the year's progress. What are some rhetorical differences between the historical food advertisement for Cadbury’s chocolate and the present day advertisement of it?The present day advertisement for Cadbury’s chocolate is common on television channels internationally and it lasts for about one minute and thirty seconds.   I first came across it on Facebook where some of my friends were expressing their love for the commerci al and there was a video of it, which I watched.   It is an interesting commercial that is eye captivating and nobody would want to miss it.Advertisements for Cadbury’s chocolate have had very many versions over the years. There was one in the late1990s on television that I had always loved and it is very different from the present day one.The present day advertisement for Cadbury’s chocolate that started showing in Canada in 2007, which is still showing internationally to-date, shows a gorilla sitting behind drums listening with deep emotions to some background song singing about feeling something in the air that is coming. The gorilla has his head lifted in the air and inhales deeply while closing his eyes as if he is passionately longing for something. He is overwhelmed and deep in thought as the song in the background continues. Suddenly the gorilla stretches his neck and is filled with a musical outburst as he plays the drums in rhythm with the background music and then the advertisement ends showing a wrapped bar of Cadbury’s chocolate with two glasses of milk being poured into the bar. The words â€Å"A glass and a half full of joy† are written beneath it.

Answering the question Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 1

Answering the question - Essay Example Zrich zum Beispiel ist 2000 Jahre alt. Die Berner Altstadt ist im UNESCO-Verzeichnis der Weltkulturgter. Es gibt noch viele Jahrhunderte alte, relativ intakte, kompakte Kleinstdte. Die dominanten Bauten in den Stdten (vorwiegend Regierungsgebude, Banken oder groe Hotels) errichtete man zum grten Teil im 19. Jahrhundert. Please mark or fill in the correct answer clearly. There is only ONE correct answer to each question or statement. TASK 1 Wie viel verstehen Sie Write your answers in ENGLISH (unless otherwise indicated) in the space provided. /2 1. Why do most of the Swiss people rent apartments or houses List two reasons. (2 pts.) a: There is little land for building, which makes houses and flats expensive. Many people can not afford purchasing ones. b: The rules for building are very strict. /1 2. If you made 3,000 CHF (Swiss Francs) per month, how much rent would you most likely pay per month (1 pt.) a. 650 CHF. b. 550 CHF. c. 500 CHF. /1 3. Most Swiss households consisted of how many people in 1990 (1 pt.) 1 or 2. /1 4. Why can't you easily change a building to have it look the way you want it (Explain the reason for the strict rules.) (1 pt.) The Swiss try to preserve their initial architecture style as many of their buildings are centuries old and considered significant part of the world culture. /3 5. Which three areas in villages are affected by building bylaws (3 pts.) a. The area for houses b. The area for industry c. The area for agriculture /1 6. Why is stability important for construction (1 pt.)It makes the constructions durable. /1 7. Where do most people live-in cities or in the countryside (1 pt.) About 1/3 of the population lives in the five biggest cities of Switzerland, however there...Das bedaeutet, dass man selbst ohne Erlaubniss nichts veraendern kann. Building in Switzerland is restricted by law, and there are several reasons for it. First of all, there is little land, so before building one has to make an accurate plan taking to account all the little details. Another important thing is to protect beautiful old architecture of Switzerland. This means that nobody can change anything without permission. So, there are very strict rules for building in Switzerland, which, on the one hand, makes houses and flats expensive, on the other hand, it guarantees the high quality of building works and the protection of the old architecture style.

Zeus As Hero Essay Example for Free

Zeus As Hero Essay One of the reasons why Zeus is a hero is because he defeats his mighty and powerful father Cronos along with the titans, and shares the glory with his many brothers and sisters. On my opinion I think a hero is someone that does something without thinking of themselves. Someone that is willing to take the risk for the sake of someone else. A hero is someone that will always be willing to help and take any major risk. This paragraph will explain how Zeus is a hero because he has demonstrated Bravery, Sharing, and his powerfulness. This paragraph will determine why Zeus is brave and will give three example of him being brave. The first example of Zeus being brave was when Zeus defeated his father Cronos; this example is one of the greatest examples because it explains all three of Zeus’s characteristics. Zeus showed himself being brave because he faced one of the most powerful gods in the world. Not only that but Cronos eager to kill Zeus and swallow him whole. The second example of Zeus being brave is when Zeus caught lightning bolt to protect his best friend Pan, Zeus was then aware he was a god. The third and final example of Zeus being a hero is when Zeus transformed into a bull and dared to take Queen Europa out of her boundaries when she was specifically under many rules of her father and one day would become Queen. But, she luckily got to become Queen of Crete and built many ships for them and Zeus. These actions prove that Zeus is a true Greek hero. The next paragraph will show how Zeus is able to share, and examples will be given to show you why. This paragraph will determine why Zeus is able to share and will give three carefully detailed examples. The first example of Zeus being able to share is when he gives Crete a magnificent gift; King Minos was in desperate need of a wall, a warrior and an army. They pleaded to Zeus to give them these three wishes and Zeus put it all into one huge gift. He gave them Talus a great bronze giant that will protect Crete no more than a thousand years. Each nine years they would bless Zeus for his gift. The second example of Zeus being able to share is when he defeats the titans and frees his brothers and sisters, not only that but Zeus gives his brothers and sisters a part of the world. Poseidon got the sea, Zeus claimed the sky, Hades took the underworld, ECT The third and final example of Zeus being able to share is when he grants queen Europa’s wish. She is then freed from her father’s rules and became Queen of Crete. The next paragraph will tell you how Zeus is loyal in the storeys told about Zeus. This paragraph will identify why Zeus is loyal, It will provide three examples from multiple storeys in the book. The first example of Zeus being loyal was when he made Queen Europa Queen of Crete she became loyal back to him by building the ship that he had requested from her. The second example of Zeus being loyal is when he promised and did give each of his brothers and sisters a piece of the world everyone then worshipped Zeus for what he’d done. The third and final example of Zeus being loyal is when Zeus agreed with Rhea to go defeat his awful father Cronos and to reclaim his brothers and sisters and become king. The next paragraph will conclude why Zeus is brave, loyal and able to share. Zeus has many characteristics that make him a hero. He has demonstrated Bravery, being able to share, and loyalty in many of the myths. For example, Zeus defeats Cronos that trapped his many brothers and sisters and the many invincible titans. Therefore, Zeus is a true Greek hero.

Bergers Disease: IgA Nephropathy

Bergers Disease: IgA Nephropathy Sarah A. Poorman IgA nephropathy, or Bergers disease, is one of the most prevalent, primary, and chronic glomerular disease and an imperative cause of renal failure (Mayo Clinic, 2017). IgAN is one of the most common renal diseases present in todays world. It can occur at any age, perceiving first evidence of renal disease when people are in their teens to late 30s (Wyatt and Julian, 2013). It is twice more likely to appear in men than women, being the most common amongst Asian and Caucasian populations (Wyatt and Julian, 2013). Early stages of Bergers Disease may not have symptoms. It can be silent for years, sometimes even decades before a single symptom shows. The most common symptom witnessed is hematuria, or bloody urine (NIDDK, 2015). This is a definite sign of a damaged glomeruli. Usually, the tint of urine will become a hue of pink or resemble the color of tea or cola (National Kidney Foundation, 2016). Another common symptom to arise is albuminuria. This is when urine contains an overabundance or albumin. Albumin is a protein, typically found in the blood, which maintains fluid balance throughout the human body (Nephcure, 2016). Blood loses its capacity to absorb fluid from the body once albumin leaks into the urine. Due to the lost blood supply, low blood albumin levels will occur. Too much fluid will let to edema, or swelling, of various body parts. The most common body parts to experience edema are the legs, feet, and ankles, leaving the face and hands to be the least commonly affected (NIDDK, 2015). Foamy urine is a signal of albuminuria. The least common symptoms associated with IgAN are high blood pressure and high cholesterol levels (NIDDK, 2015). Glomerulus is a system of capillaries situated at the beginning of a nephron in the kidney (Wyatt and Julian, 2013). Its focal objective is to assist as the first phase of the filtration process of the blood, which is carried out by the nephron in the creation of urine (Mayo Clinic, 2017). IgA nephropathy, or IgAN, is considered an autoimmune disease that affects the glomeruli of the kidneys. Glomeruli are tiny filtering units where the blood is cleared. As the IgA deposits build up in the glomeruli, it causes the kidneys to leak blood and protein into the urine. Human IgA antibodies have two subclasses, IgA1 and IgA2, while IgA1 constitutes 85% of the total IgA in the circulation, starting in the bone marrow (Wyatt and Julian, 2013). Predominantly, these deposits consist of IgA, but they can also exhibit IgG and IgM antibodies by themselves or combined. As the IgA deposits build up in the glomeruli, it causes the kidneys to leak blood and protein into the urine. IgA in the glomerular deposits are exclusively of the IgA1 subclass and are in the polymeric form (Wyatt and Julian, 2013). IgA1 exhibits galactose deficiency in the O-linked glycans in the hinge region of the heavy chain (Suzuki et al, 2011). Going all the way back to basic chemistry, galactose, or Gal, is a monosaccharide sugar that is composed of the same element as glucose, but has a different arrangement of atoms (Maillard et al, 2015). The Fc receptor will blind the GD-IgA1 to create immune complexes that leads to the complement activation. The transcription of IgG and IgM trigger the pathways of complement activation, containing immune complexes (Maillard et al, 2015). Eventually, over time, the massive discharge of ctyokines, components of the ext racellular matrix, and oxidants that disrupt the function of the glomerular basement membrane will induce apoptosis (the product of TGF-B and IL-6) and glomerular scarring (Maillard et al, 2015). This creates the destruction of the kidneys which leads to the major development of end-stage renal disease. To put it simply, T cell-dependent activation of B Cells is initiated by APCs, which processes the antigen, and creates peptides to present, in MHC 11, to CD4+ T cells. This results in the production of T Helper cells. With the interaction of B and T cells, the expression of CD40L, a protein apart of the TNF (tumor necrosis factor) family, begins. Isotype switching of naà ¯ve B cells towards IgA1 and IgA2 producing plasma cells takes place. The B cells carry the antigens to the surface of the cell by Ig expression. They present this to MHC II, which aids in the recruitment of T cells. With the expression of CD40L and cytokines and signals from APCs will begin the regulation of production for IgA the IgA immunoglobulin will typically bind oneself to an antigen or infection found in the body. This will result in the activation of an immune response, which will find a way to rid the body of the infection. People with IgAN have an augmented blood result of IgA that signifies less galactose than what is considered normal. This galactose-deficient IgA, or GD-IgA1, in the blood, is recognized as foreign by the other antibodies circulating the blood. But, when an individual has IgAN, a flawed arrangement of IgA antibodies attach their selves to another IgA antibody, as an alternative of an infection or antigen, resulting in the creation of immune complexes. These immune complexes turn out to be jammed in the kidneys glomeruli, causing damage to the filters. Inflammation takes place, which causes blood and proteins to leak out of the kidneys and into the urine. Eventually, this will lead to end-stage renal disease (ESRD) and total kidney failure, resulting in death or the dire need of a kidney transplantation. Currently, there is no known cure for IgA nephropathy, with no ultimate way of knowing what path the ailment will take. Once the kidneys are scarred, they cannot be repaired. Therefore, the vital goal of IgA nephropathy treatment is to inhibit or delay the inevitable, end-stage renal disease. Some people experience complete remission and others live normal lives with low-grade blood or protein in their urine. Treatment with numerous of medications can slow the progress of the disease and help manage symptoms such as high blood pressure, protein in the urine, and swelling. Some of the medications that are currently being used to treat IgAN are as follows: 1) Angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors or angiotensin receptor blockers (ARBs) which lowers blood pressure and reduces the amount of albumin in the urine. 2) Omega 3 Fatty acids, which aid in the reduction of inflammation throughout the body, in this case the glomeruli, leaving no harmful side effects. 3) Immunosuppressants such as corticosteroids medication (prednisone) will suppress the immune system response, allowing to protect kidney function. However, these can cause serious side effects such as high blood pressure and high blood sugar. 4) Statin therapy are cholesterol lowering medications that are known to help slow the damage to the kidneys. 5) Mycophenolate mofetil, or CellCept, has been successfully used in some pati ents who have had persistent protein in the urine, however, most studies so far have failed to show the benefit for using this medication. There are no sources in the current document.   Ã‚  

Maxima and Minima of Functions

Maxima and Minima of Functions This term paper presents concise explanations of the subjects general principles and uses worked examples freely to expand the ideas about solving the problems by suitable methods. Each example shows the method of obtaining the solution and includes additional explanatory techniques. For some topics, where it would have been difficult to understand a solution given on a single problem, the solution has been drawn in step-by-step form. All the figures used have been taken from Google Book search. The term paper covers the necessary definitions on MAXIMA AND MINIMA OF THE FUNCTIONS and some of its important applications. It covers the topic such as types of other method for solving the big problem in a shortcut method known . The aspects of how to develop some of the most commonly seen problems is also covered in this term paper. The motive of this term paper is make the reader familiar with the concepts of application of maxima and minima of the function and  where this is used. Focus has been more on taking the simpler problem so that the concept could be made clearer even to the beginners to engineering mathematics. MAXIMA AND MINIMA The diagram below shows part of a function y = f(x). The point A is a local maximum and the point B is a local minimum. At each of these points the tangent to the curve is parallel to the X axis so the derivative of the function is zero. Both of these points are therefore stationary points of the function. The term local is used since these points are the maximum and minimum in this particular Region. The rate of change of a function is measured by its derivative. When the derivative is positive, the function is increasing, When the derivative is negative, the function is decreasing. Thus the rate of change of the gradient is measured by its derivative, Which is the second derivative of the original function? Functions can have hills and valleys: places where they reach a minimum or maximum value. It may not be the minimum or maximum for the whole function, but locally it is. You can see where they are, but how do we define them? Local Maximum First we need to choose an interval: Then we can say that a local maximum is the point where: The height of the function at a is greater than (or equal to) the height anywhere else in that interval. Or, more briefly: f(a) à ¢Ã¢â‚¬ °Ã‚ ¥ f(x) for all x in the interval In other words, there is no height greater than f(a). Note: f(a) should be inside the interval, not at one end or the other. Local Minimum Likewise, a local minimum is: f(a) à ¢Ã¢â‚¬ °Ã‚ ¤ f(x) for all x in the interval The plural of Maximum is Maxima The plural of Minimum is Minima Maxima and Minima are collectively called Extrema Global (or Absolute) Maximum and Minimum The maximum or minimum over the entire function is called an Absolute or Global maximum or minimum. There is only one global maximum (and one global minimum) but there can be more than one local maximum or minimum. Assuming this function continues downwards to left and right: The Global Maximum is about 3.7 The Global Minimum is -Infinity Maxima and Minima of Functions of Two Variables Locate relative maxima, minima and saddle points of functions of two variables. Several examples with detailed solutions are presented. 3-Dimensional graphs of functions are shown to confirm the existence of these points. More on Optimization Problems with Functions of Two Variables in this web site. Theorem Let f be a function with two variables with continuous second order partial derivativesfxx, fyyand fxyat a critical point (a,b). Let D = fxx(a,b) fyy(a,b) fxy2(a,b) If D >0 and fxx(a,b) >0, then f has a relative minimum at (a,b). If D >0 and fxx(a,b) If D If D = 0, then no conclusion can be drawn. We now present several examples with detailed solutions on how to locate relative minima, maxima and saddle points of functions of two variables. When too many critical points are found, the use of a table is very convenient. Example 1:Determine the critical points and locate any relative minima, maxima and saddle points of function f defined by f(x , y) = 22+ 2xy + 2y2- 6x Solution to Example 1: Find the first partial derivatives fxand fy. fx(x,y) = 4x + 2y 6 fy(x,y) = 2x + 4y The critical points satisfy the equations fx(x,y) = 0 and fy(x,y) = 0 simultaneously. Hence. 4x + 2y 6 = 0 2x + 4y = 0 The above system of equations has one solution at the point (2,-1). We now need to find the second order partial derivatives fxx(x,y), fyy(x,y) and fxy(x,y). fxx(x,y) = 4 fxx(x,y) = 4 fxy(x,y) = 2 We now need to find D defined above. D = fxx(2,-1) fyy(2,-1) fxy2(2,-1) = ( 4 )( 4 ) 22= 12 Since D is positive and fxx(2,-1) is also positive, according to the above theorem function f has a local minimum at (2,-1). The 3-Dimensional graph of function f given above shows that f has a local minimum at the point (2,-1,f(2,-1)) = (2,-1,-6). Example 2:Determine the critical points and locate any relative minima, maxima and saddle points of function f defined by f(x , y) = 22- 4xy + y4+ 2 Solution to Example 2: Find the first partial derivatives fxand fy. fx(x,y) = 4x 4y fy(x,y) = 4x + 4y3 Determine the critical points by solving the equations fx(x,y) = 0 and fy(x,y) = 0 simultaneously. Hence. 4x 4y = 0 4x + 4y3= 0 The first equation gives x = y. Substitute x by y in the equation 4x + 4y3= 0 to obtain. 4y + 4y3= 0 Factor and solve for y. 4y(-1 + y2) = 0 y = 0 , y = 1 and y = -1 We now use the equation x = y to find the critical points. (0 , 0) , (1 , 1) and (-1 , -1) We now determine the second order partial derivatives. fxx(x,y) = 4 fyy(x,y) = 12y2 fxy(x,y) = -4 We now use a table to study the signs of D and fxx(a,b) and use the above theorem to decide on whether a given critical point is a saddle point, relative maximum or minimum. critical point (a,b) (0,0) (1,1) (-1,1) fxx(a,b) 4 4 4 fyy(a,b) 0 12 12 fxy(a,b) -4 -4 -4 D -16 32 32 saddle point relative minimum relative minimum A 3-Dimensional graph of function f shows that f has two local minima at (-1,-1,1) and (1,1,1) and one saddle point at (0,0,2). Example 3:Determine the critical points and locate any relative minima, maxima and saddle points of function f defined by f(x , y) = x4- y4+ 4xy . Solution to Example 3: First partial derivatives fxand fyare given by. fx(x,y) = 43+ 4y fy(x,y) = 4y3+ 4x We now solve the equations fy(x,y) = 0 and fx(x,y) = 0 to find the critical points.. 43+ 4y = 0 4y3+ 4x = 0 The first equation gives y = x3. Combined with the second equation, we obtain. 4(x3)3+ 4x = 0 Which may be written as . x(x4- 1)(x4+ 1) = 0 Which has the solutions. x = 0 , -1 and 1. We now use the equation y = x3to find the critical points. (0 , 0) , (1 , 1) and (-1 , -1) We now determine the second order partial derivatives. fxx(x,y) = -122 The First Derivative: Maxima and Minima Consider the function f(x)=34à ¢Ã‹â€ Ã¢â‚¬â„¢43à ¢Ã‹â€ Ã¢â‚¬â„¢122+3   on the interval [à ¢Ã‹â€ Ã¢â‚¬â„¢23]. We cannot find regions of which f is increasing or decreasing, relative maxima or minima, or the absolute maximum or minimum value of f on [à ¢Ã‹â€ Ã¢â‚¬â„¢23] by inspection. Graphing by hand is tedious and imprecise. Even the use of a graphing program will only give us an approximation for the locations and values of maxima and minima. We can use the first derivative of f, however, to find all these things quickly and easily. Increasing or Decreasing? Let f be continuous on an interval I and differentiable on the interior of I. If f(x)0 for all xI, then f is increasing on I. If f(x)0 for all xI, then f is decreasing on I. Example The function f(x)=34à ¢Ã‹â€ Ã¢â‚¬â„¢43à ¢Ã‹â€ Ã¢â‚¬â„¢122+3 has first derivative f(x)  =  =  =  123à ¢Ã‹â€ Ã¢â‚¬â„¢122à ¢Ã‹â€ Ã¢â‚¬â„¢24x  12x(x2à ¢Ã‹â€ Ã¢â‚¬â„¢xà ¢Ã‹â€ Ã¢â‚¬â„¢2)  12x(x+1)(xà ¢Ã‹â€ Ã¢â‚¬â„¢2)  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚   Thus, f(x) is increasing on (à ¢Ã‹â€ Ã¢â‚¬â„¢10)(2) and decreasing on (à ¢Ã‹â€ Ã¢â‚¬â„¢Ãƒ ¢Ã‹â€ Ã¢â‚¬â„¢1)(02). Relative Maxima and Minima Relative extrema of f occur at critical points of f, values x0 for which either f(x0)=0 or f(x0) is undefined. First Derivative Test Suppose f is continuous at a critical point x0. If f(x)0 on an open interval extending left from x0 and f(x)0 on an open interval extending right from x0, then f has a relative maximum at x0. If f(x)0 on an open interval extending left from x0 and f(x)0 on an open interval extending right from x0, then f has a relative minimum at x0. If f(x) has the same sign on both an open interval extending left from x0 and an open interval extending right from x0, then f does not have a relative extremum at x0. In summary, relative extrema occur where f(x) changes sign. Example Our function f(x)=34à ¢Ã‹â€ Ã¢â‚¬â„¢43à ¢Ã‹â€ Ã¢â‚¬â„¢122+3 is differentiable everywhere on [à ¢Ã‹â€ Ã¢â‚¬â„¢23], with f(x)=0 for x=à ¢Ã‹â€ Ã¢â‚¬â„¢102. These are the three critical points of f on [à ¢Ã‹â€ Ã¢â‚¬â„¢23]. By the First Derivative Test, f has a relative maximum at x=0 and relative minima at x=à ¢Ã‹â€ Ã¢â‚¬â„¢1 and x=2. Absolute Maxima and Minima If f has an extreme value on an open interval, then the extreme value occurs at a critical point of f. If f has an extreme value on a closed interval, then the extreme value occurs either at a critical point or at an endpoint. According to the Extreme Value Theorem, if a function is continuous on a closed interval, then it achieves both an absolute maximum and an absolute minimum on the interval. Example Since f(x)=34à ¢Ã‹â€ Ã¢â‚¬â„¢43à ¢Ã‹â€ Ã¢â‚¬â„¢122+3 is continuous on [à ¢Ã‹â€ Ã¢â‚¬â„¢23], f must have an absolute maximum and an absolute minimum on [à ¢Ã‹â€ Ã¢â‚¬â„¢23]. We simply need to check the value of f at the critical points x=à ¢Ã‹â€ Ã¢â‚¬â„¢102 and at the endpoints x=à ¢Ã‹â€ Ã¢â‚¬â„¢2 and x=3: f(à ¢Ã‹â€ Ã¢â‚¬â„¢2)  f(à ¢Ã‹â€ Ã¢â‚¬â„¢1)  f(0)  f(2)  f(3)  =  =  =  =  =  35  Ãƒ ¢Ã‹â€ Ã¢â‚¬â„¢2  3  Ãƒ ¢Ã‹â€ Ã¢â‚¬â„¢29  30  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚   Thus, on [à ¢Ã‹â€ Ã¢â‚¬â„¢23], f(x) achieves a maximum value of 35 at x=à ¢Ã‹â€ Ã¢â‚¬â„¢2 and a minimum value of -29 at x=2. We have discovered a lot about the shape of f(x)=34à ¢Ã‹â€ Ã¢â‚¬â„¢43à ¢Ã‹â€ Ã¢â‚¬â„¢122+3 without ever graphing it! Now take a look at the graph and verify each of our conclusions. APPLICATION AND CONCLUSION The terms maxima and minima refer to extreme values of a function, that is, the maximum and minimum values that the function attains. Maximum means upper bound or largest possible quantity. The absolute maximum of a function is the largest number contained in the range of the function. That is, if f(a) is greater than or equal to f(x), for all x in the domain of the function, then f(a) is the absolute maximum. For example, the function f(x) = -162 + 32x + 6 has a maximum value of 22 occurring at x = 1. Every value of x produces a value of the function that is less than or equal to 22, hence, 22 is an absolute maximum. In terms of its graph, the absolute maximum of a function is the value of the function that corresponds to the highest point on the graph. Conversely, minimum means lower bound or least possible quantity. The absolute minimum of a function is the smallest number in its range and corresponds to the value of the function at the lowest point of its graph. If f(a) is less t han or equal to f(x), for all x in the domain of the function, then f(a) is an absolute minimum. As an example, f(x) = 322 32x 6 has an absolute minimum of -22, because every value of x produces a value greater than or equal to -22. In some cases, a function will have no absolute maximum or minimum. For instance the function f(x) = 1/x has no absolute maximum value, nor does f(x) = -1/x have an absolute minimum. In still other cases, functions may have relative (or local) maxima and minima. Relative means relative to local or nearby values of the function. The terms relative maxima and relative minima refer to the largest, or least, value that a function takes on over some small portion or interval of its domain. Thus, if f(b) is greater than or equal to f(b  ± h) for small values of h, then f(b) is a local maximum; if f(b) is less than or equal to f(b  ± h), then f(b) is a relative minimum. For example, the function f(x) = x4 -123 582 + 180x + 225 has two relative minima (points A and C), one of which is also the absolute minimum (point C) of the function. It also has a relative maximum (point B), but no absolute maximum. Finding maxima or minima also has important applications in linear algebra and game theory. For example, linear programming consists of maximizing (or minimizing) a particular quantity while requiring that certain constraints be imposed on other quantities. The quantity to be maximized (or minimized), as well as each of the constraints, is represented by an equation or inequality. The resulting system of equations or inequalities, usually linear, often contains hundreds or thousands of variables. The idea is to find the maximum value of a particular variable that represents a solution to the whole system. A practical example might be minimizing the cost of producing an automobile given certain known constraints on the cost of each part, and the time spent by each laborer, all of which may be interdependent. Regardless of the application, though, the key step in any maxima or minima problem is expressing the problem in mathematical terms.

Interpersonal Relationships In Swamp Angel and Fifth Business Essay

Interpersonal Relationships In Swamp Angel and Fifth Business In the novel Swamp Angel the main character, Maggie, asserts that "swimming is like living , it is done alone". This is, in fact, a very telling statement with respect to the life of both Maggie and the life of Dunstan, the main character in the novel The Fifth Business. Maggie's comparison of life to swimming raises interesting points about the way in which each of the two characters proceed along the road of life. Maggie's statement is actually a simile which compares swimming alone to living life. In most cases a simile is used to take certain characteristics of one entity and to bestow them upon another entity in which they are not usually found. Maggie's comparison of swimming alone to life is no different. It is generally held, in modern society, that life is a journey that is made with the help of others. Intimate interpersonal relationships are viewed as support systems in life. Many people view these relationships as that which makes life worth living. Maggie's statement directly refutes these claims. When one is swimming alone there is no one to rely on for safety and guidance. The owness of survival, in essence not drowning, falls squarely upon the shoulders of the swimmer alone. Maggie's comparison leads one to believe that the same is true for life. In life , as in swimming alone, one should rely only on oneself for survival. Maggie's comparison of life and swimming alone, and all that it implies, can easily be viewed as the personal motto that both Maggie and Dunstan live by. Each character is very strong willed and independent as one would expect. Anyone who lives life alone would have to be both of these. the characters also sha... ...stan to be less of a man and in turn himself to be the greater man. Through analyzing the personal relationships of both Maggie and Dunstan many similarities can be found. Both characters display a pattern of maintaining relationships which lack depth. that is to say that the relationships never reach an emotional level where intimacy is evident. I also becomes evident that both characters pride themselves on independence. Neither character is willing to lean on another person , as this is viewed as weakness. If these characters can be viewed as spokespeople for Ethel Wilson and Robertson Davies it would seem as though both authors would agree with Maggies statement that "swimming is like living, it is done alone". This statement is defiantly applicable to both characters but it seems dangerous to assume that the characters are representative of the authors.

Philosophical Foundation of Ecological Ethics :: Ecology Ecological Philosophy Papers

Philosophical Foundation of Ecological Ethics ABSTRACT: Principles of Buddhist philosophy central to the formation of an ecological paradigm of mentality include a dynamic vision of the world, a system of relative truth apart from dogmas, a moral foundation for scientific knowledge, an emphasis on nonviolence and the absence of repressive scientific methods, and the progressive movement of the intellect to Universal Consciousness which postulates the unity of microcosm and macrocosm. The comparative analysis of laws and principles of modern ecological science and basic Buddhist thought points to their common intentional direction. Buddhist philosophy declares the creative participation of humankind in the united world synergistic process and forms to be the foundation of an altruistically marked ecological ethics. Entirety and interdependence of onthological reality Global scales of crisis which destroyed our planet requires the united measures and efforts of East and West in formation of ecological ethics. " East and West — two parts of mankind’s consciousness. If a man realizes it he can become a perfect human being. And only after that he can solve those global problems of surviving, which mankind is facing now. (A. Govinda) The fundamental idea of all Buddhist philosophy is the inseparable unity of subject and object, man and nature, substance and mind. The Buddhists consider world and man as a dynamic psychophysical entirety. It’s character and direction which is called stream (santana) that makes a principle of absolute change (anytyata). Anityata is of a deep ecological importance. It raises a problem of uneternity of psychocosm’s spheres and admage of its being destroyed. According to Buddhist religious doctrine the category " anitya " must occupy a certain position in each analysis. Speaking of a statement it is important to take into consideration its change and movable character. Only stable and permanent efforts of all living beings make this world better and without this direction for making kindness our world can become worse and suffering permanent characteristics of sansara can acquire rude and vulgar forms. Besides simple constatation of change anityata says about non-reversibility of former conditions. It’s impossible to reverse one’s life. It’s impossible to return of the history of a country back as well as impossible to make the planet evolution come to beginning. The principle of emptyness ( shunyata ). Buddhism denyes the inherent existence of things and phenomena. If you take away the reasons and conditions of existense of something then it will disappear itself because it doesn’t have inherent existence. Philosophical Foundation of Ecological Ethics :: Ecology Ecological Philosophy Papers Philosophical Foundation of Ecological Ethics ABSTRACT: Principles of Buddhist philosophy central to the formation of an ecological paradigm of mentality include a dynamic vision of the world, a system of relative truth apart from dogmas, a moral foundation for scientific knowledge, an emphasis on nonviolence and the absence of repressive scientific methods, and the progressive movement of the intellect to Universal Consciousness which postulates the unity of microcosm and macrocosm. The comparative analysis of laws and principles of modern ecological science and basic Buddhist thought points to their common intentional direction. Buddhist philosophy declares the creative participation of humankind in the united world synergistic process and forms to be the foundation of an altruistically marked ecological ethics. Entirety and interdependence of onthological reality Global scales of crisis which destroyed our planet requires the united measures and efforts of East and West in formation of ecological ethics. " East and West — two parts of mankind’s consciousness. If a man realizes it he can become a perfect human being. And only after that he can solve those global problems of surviving, which mankind is facing now. (A. Govinda) The fundamental idea of all Buddhist philosophy is the inseparable unity of subject and object, man and nature, substance and mind. The Buddhists consider world and man as a dynamic psychophysical entirety. It’s character and direction which is called stream (santana) that makes a principle of absolute change (anytyata). Anityata is of a deep ecological importance. It raises a problem of uneternity of psychocosm’s spheres and admage of its being destroyed. According to Buddhist religious doctrine the category " anitya " must occupy a certain position in each analysis. Speaking of a statement it is important to take into consideration its change and movable character. Only stable and permanent efforts of all living beings make this world better and without this direction for making kindness our world can become worse and suffering permanent characteristics of sansara can acquire rude and vulgar forms. Besides simple constatation of change anityata says about non-reversibility of former conditions. It’s impossible to reverse one’s life. It’s impossible to return of the history of a country back as well as impossible to make the planet evolution come to beginning. The principle of emptyness ( shunyata ). Buddhism denyes the inherent existence of things and phenomena. If you take away the reasons and conditions of existense of something then it will disappear itself because it doesn’t have inherent existence.

How Has Pop Music Changed over the Last 80 Years Essay

Over the past 80 years, pop music has changed largely due to many reasons. For example, our technology has developed majorly, resulting in auto tune being overused by popular artists of this generation, along with the change in the way we regard music now. Also, the genres of music that are now popular have changed, and rap and alternative/indie music have advanced massively in popularity. To begin with, technology has progressed a great deal, which has influenced music produced recently. An example of this is auto tune, which has been used by countless artists; Rihanna, Chris Brown, Ke$ha, Kanye West and Justin Bieber are only a small number of these. This means that music these days is much less natural, and artist’s voices are often entirely altered. Another way the development of technology has changed how we listen to pop music, is websites on the Internet such as YouTube, which allow us to explore different genres of music much more easily. Since TVs, radios, and cellular devices have been made more accessible, advertising for new music has become much more common, this means that we are introduced to new genres and styles of music. The development of technology has provided us with an overall easier access to music, and has opened us to different types of music that we would not have originally listened to. It also provided artists with a chance to use new types of editing to change the sound of their music. Music is popular with children, teenagers and adults. More often than not, teenagers are seen with mp3s and earphones, but children are often singing music from TV shows, and adults singing songs from ‘back in the day’. In the 50s, pop music stopped being a genre listened to by children and adults alike, but started being specifically for teens. Artists like Justin Bieber, One Direction, Elvis and The Wanted used sex appeal to make their music sell. Elvis was nicknamed ‘Elvis Pelvis’ for the way he moved his hips, and most boy bands are known better for their good looks than their music. Younger artists are now coming in with new music, and their music is appreciated more by teens who feel more of a relation with them, because of the closer age gap.

Eth/316 Community Profile Comparison

Community Profile Comparison ETH/316 October 10, 2012 Community Profile Comparison ( Demographic Comparison Table (Camden, NJ/Princeton, NJ) Population| | Camden, NJ| Princeton, NJ| Total Population CaucasianAfrican AmericanAsianOther| 78,79017%52%3%28%| 13,38180%6%7%7%| Median Age| 28. 5| 37| Household Demographics| | Camden, NJ| Princeton, NJ| Median Home Price| $81,600| $677,400| Median Household Income| $29,042| $83,509| Percentage of Married Population| 19. 86%| 67%|Families with children under the age of 18| 60%| 46%| Educational Demographics| | Camden, NJ| Princeton, NJ| High School DegreeFour Year DegreeGraduate Degree| 51. 33%3. 70%1. 98%| 94. 67%30. 33%41. 24%| Community Amenities| | Camden, NJ| Princeton, NJ| SchoolsLibrariesParksChurches| 4681613| 211211| Community Affiliations| | Camden, NJ| Princeton, NJ| Religious Majority| Catholic: 32. 74%| Catholic: 28. 60%| Political AffiliationDemocratic PartyRepublican Party| 67. 37%31. 23%| 67. 29%31. 2%| Crimes: Per 100,000 Res idents| | Camden, NJ| Princeton, NJ| MurderRapeRobberyVehicle Theft| 46. 892. 3900. 3656. 3| 0. 00. 029. 737. 2| Responsibilities of the Individual to the Community No matter who you are or where you live, we are all part of a bigger community. As an individual, we are still part of a family be it big or small. We all are someone's neighbor in a , tribe, village, city, county, state, region, country and the world which makes us inherently responsible to each other.At the same time, full human potential cannot be reached if individuality is suppressed by society, First and foremost, the duties of each individual within any community are cooperation, respect and participation. An individual must think beyond themselves and always be vigilant that they are just a part of a larger intently even if the individuals in that intently have different believes, religions or interests . In all free societies there is a constant struggle between individual rights and individual responsibilities. According to the U. S.Department of State, every Individual right has a corresponding duty to the community and the bottom line is that all have the responsibility of the individual to watch over others in the a community to make sure that common ste standards are objective are obtained and that they are beneficial to all. According to John B. Cobb, Jr. , Ph. D. who is Professor of Theology Emeritus at the Claremont School of Theology, † In a community the idea of the common good takes on a far richer meaning than in a society understood as founded only on a compact and made up of atomic individuals.Because the good of each is bound up with the good of others, we can consider which changes in the society as a whole conduce to the good of those who participate in it. † If you choose or not to be a part of a community, we still have the same obligations to the community of which we are a part. Responsibility of the Community to the Individual Defining Social Responsibilit y within the Community Conclusion References Princeton, NJ Livability Score. (2012). areavibes. Retrieved from http://www. areavibes. com/princeton-nj/livability/   trulia. 2012). Princeton Township Real Estate Overview. Retrieved from http://www. trulia. com/real_estate/Princeton_Township-New_Jersey/   Sperlings. (2010). Best Places to Live in Camden, New Jersey. Retrieved from http://www. bestplaces. net/city/new_jersey/Camden   U. S. State Census Bureau. (2010). New Jersey. Retrieved from http://quickfacts. census. gov/qfd/states/34000. html Cobb, J. B Jr. (2011) The Common Good: Individual Rights and Community Responsibility Retreived from http://www. religion-online. org/showarticle. asp? title=3351

Different perspective of human

Motivation is a force in workers that enable them to go the extra mile in executing their official functions. As human beings are different, so are the factors that motivate them. Human idiosyncrasies and attitude would determine what motivate them. While some are motivated based on monetary incentives, other are motivated by the actualization of accomplishment they attain in their official function. It is then germane that managers know what really motivate each worker under their supervision for the organization to attain maximum effectiveness and efficiency. There are plethora theories on motivation. The Scientific school of thought of Frederick Taylor sees workers as machine that would be motivated only by monetary and economic incentives. This school of thought disregards the human relations aspect and informal networking among workers. The reward system advocated by the scientific school of thought on motivation is a piece-meal reward system. In this instance each worker are rewarded based on what he is able to produce. The Scientific school sees human being as naturally lazy who tend to devise ‘soldiering’ tactics to dodge work. Hence, close observation is advocated by this school of thought. The incentive through extra payment and reward for bonus work done is seen as the motivational factor for increasing productivity by the scientific school of thought. The Human Relations School, in an experiment in Hawthorne led by Elton Mayo, discovers those workers are really motivated by informal interrelationship at the work place. The welfares for workers would go a long way to motivate them in accomplishing more. Thus, the human relation school sees human resource as the most vital resource in the organization that should be catered for maximum productivity. Other motivational theories that stemmed out of the human relation school include Abraham Maslow’s ‘Hierarchy of need theory’, McGregor ‘X and Y theories’, Fredrick Herzberg ‘Two factors theories’, i.e. the ‘motivators’, and ‘hygiene’ factors, David McClelland ‘achievement theory, Victor Vroom’s ‘Expectancy theory, Adam’s ‘Equity theory’, etc. These theories have a meeting point, whereby they advocate that there are different levels and types of motivational factors. According to these theories when Individual workers are motivated by the right factors, they tend to put in the extra effort at ensuring they accomplish the target they have set for themselves as a way to repay the organization for meeting their needs and aspirations. REFERENCES Garner, Rochelle (2003), â€Å"Executives' Guide to Call Center Excellence: Motivational Strategies—Just Desserts† February. http://www.destinationcrm.com/articles/magazine_index.asp?IssueID=140   ( 1/11/06). Moore, Dianne-Jo (1991), â€Å"7 Motivational Strategies – Manager's Motivation Of Workers† Modern Machine Shop http://findarticles.com/p/search?tb=art&qt=%22Dianne-Jo+Moore%22 (2/11/06) Wertheim, Edward G. (2005), â€Å"Historical Background of Organizational Behavior† http://web.cba.neu.edu/~ewertheim/introd/history.htm (11/09/06)   

Resistance to change

Livingston 1 Ajax Minerals – Resistance to Change Resistance to change has been renowned as an organizational challenge; however, a comprehensive understanding of the different ways that resistance can be manifested is commonly practiced and highly beneficial to companies. A U. S. mining company, Ajax Minerals realized Just how beneficial it is to understand the components of how changes affect all branches of their company. Ajax Minerals recognized their organization was operating at full capacity and in the next couple years were going to have major competitive threats from another company.If the matters of the future challenges that Ajax Minerals were anticipating weren't addressed and handled appropriately, the organization would be expecting to experience grave danger. What it all boils down to are the issues concerning how Ajax Mineral organization would react regarding resistance of changes that would ensure competitiveness and livelihood for the company. If this subjec t matter about how employees and management adapt to change weren't predicted and then addressed, Ajax Minerals future looked bleak. Ajax Minerals introduced a couple of sources relative to ensure the lively-hood Resistance to change This prevailing viewpoint inherently makes It easy o slip Into an Interpretation of resistance as dysfunctional for organizational learning. This essay contends that this dominant perception Is largely a result of an assumption favoring the management or change agent as rational, and the consequential treatment of resistant behaviors as irrational. The aim of this article, then, is to offer a recapitulation's of resistance beyond the contextual confines of change, and explore its functional roles, particularly in stimulating organizational learning. Firstly, the conceptualizations of resistance and organizational learning will be explored.In particular, due to the aim to explore the fundamental features of resistance beyond the organizational literature and the overwhelming diversity of the conceptualization, this essay will draw on the work of Hollander and Nowhere (2004), who have conducted a comprehensive review and analysis of resistance based on a large number of published work on the topic. Then, Jots and Barber's (2003) pain metaphor and Wick's (2003) assertions on the importance of moments of interruptions will be employed to show how resistance can be seen as a resource that acts to signal that something Is going wrong and needs rectification.It will be further argued that, by triggering awareness and directing attention to a problem, resistance acts to call for evaluation of and reflection on the situation, hence stimulating organizational learning. Finally, recognizing that possible limitations to the functional effects of resistance cannot go unaddressed, the last section discusses several variables that can potentially limit the capacity of resistance In stimulating organizational learning.Therefore, the central argument of this article Is as follows: Re-conceptualizing resistance as a resource rather than as a deficit sheds light on Its national potentials. In view of its fundamental features, resistance does have the potential to stimulate organi zational learning. However, whether or not this translates to reality remains dependent on a wide range of variables surrounding the organization concerned.Conceptualizing Resistance Despite a surge in studies on resistance In the past few decades, resistance remains a theoretically eclectic concept (Numb, 2005). As Hollander and Londoner (2004) claim, the concept of resistance is still unfocused and vague. Due to the lack of a clear and systematic definition, there is little consensus on what constitutes assistance, and the language of resistance has in fact been used in research to describe vastly different phenomena on a range of different dimensions (Hollander & Nowhere, 2004) .In terms of Its dimension and scope, resistance can describe actions occurring at the Individual, collective or Institutional level (Hollander & groups to work conditions to organizational or social structures (Hollander & Nowhere, 2004). In addition, resistance can take different directions or goals, and can be aimed at achieving change or curtailing change (Mulling, 1999). Resistance can also manifest in various modes. Among the diverse array of literature on resistance, the most frequently studied mode of resistance is one which involves physical bodies or material objects in acts of resistance (Hollander & Nowhere, 2004).This can refer to formal, collective and overt actions such as protests and formation of unions Capper, 1997, as cited in Hollander & Nowhere, 2004), as well as informal, routine and covert individual actions such as feigning sickness and pilfering (Parkas & Parkas, 2000; Scott, 1985) . Apart from the physical and material mode, resistance can also take place in various other forms. For example, resistance can be accomplished through symbolic behaviors such as silence (Pickering, 2000, as cited in Hollander & Nowhere, 2004) or breaking silence (Hughes et al, 1995, as cited in Hollander & Nowhere, 2004).From their review and analysis of the conception of resistan ce based on published work on resistance in the social sciences, Hollander and Nowhere (2004) proposes a seven part typology of resistance that includes: overt resistance, covert resistance, unwitting resistance, target- defined resistance, externally defined resistance, missed resistance and attempted resistance, each offering in the levels of resistor's intention, target's recognition as resistance, and other observer's (such as a researcher or other third party) recognition as resistance.Among these, overt resistance, one which is intended to be visible and which is readily recognized as resistance by targets and other observers, is the most widely accepted and recognized form of resistance and is the core of the conceptualization of resistance (Hollander & Nowhere, 2004). On the other hand, covert resistance, which is conceptually similar to everyday resistance (Scott, 1985) and routine assistance (Parkas & Parkas, 2000) are both intentional and observable, but may not necessari ly be recognized by the target as resistance. These two forms of resistance will form the basis of the conceptualization adopted in this essay.Amid the vast conceptual differences, however, Hollander and Nowhere (2004) identify two core elements that are consistent across all conceptualizations of resistance: action and opposition. Generally accepted as a key component of resistance, action may involve conscious, active and expressive behavior and can emerge either at the verbal, cognitive or physical level (Hollander & Nowhere, 2004). In addition, as reflected by some terms commonly used to describe resistance- contradiction, tension, rejection, challenge, disruption and conflict (Albert, 1991; Hollander & Nowhere, 2004), resistance always involves some form of opposition.Bauer (1991), however, draws a distinction between resistance and opposition in his definition of resistance in the context of resistance to change in organizations. According to Bauer (1991), resistance is an exp ression of conflict of interest, values, goals, or means to ends which is unanticipated by the change agent, and which transforms into opposition only after being institutionalized through formal channels of expression. As the overwhelmingly diverse nature of the conception implies, pinning down a definitive conception of resistance in organizations is unfeasible.Therefore, for the purpose of this essay, the notion of resistance will draw on Barber's (1991) definition of resistance This conceptualization will, however, extend beyond Barber's (1991) definition to include acts of opposition such as every day, routine resistance, which may not have been institutionalized through formal channels. Further assumptions are that these acts are visible, observable, and arise from conscious oppositional intentions. In other words, the forms of resistance discussed in this essay will focus on what Hollander and Nowhere (2004) term as overt resistance and covert resistance.To sum up, resistance will be conceptualized as: Unanticipated oppositional action arising from a conflict of interest, values, goals or means of achieving a goal, expressed with conscious oppositional intention and in forms that are observable. Conceptualizing Organizational Learning In a fashion very similar to that of assistance, the concept of organizational learning is still a vastly multi-dimensional, diverse and fragmented area with little convergence despite a proliferation of research since the sass (Wang & Aimed, 2002).Organizational learning, in the simplest sense, refers to a change in organizational knowledge (Schulz, 2002). It involves acquisition of new knowledge (Miller, 1996) by means of added, transformed or reduced knowledge (Schulz, 2002). Essentially a multilevel phenomenon, organizational learning encompasses learning at the individual, group/team and organizational level Cost & Bauer, 2003; Lima, Laughingstock, & Chant, 2006; Marauded, 1995).While it is commonly acknowledged that all learning starts with individual learning, and that individual and group learning have positive effects on organizational learning (Lima et al, 2006), the notion of what really constitutes organizational learning remains excessively broad, diverse and controversial (Wang & Aimed, 2003). This essay adopts the perspective proposed by Baleen (2000) and Jots and Bauer (2003) that learning at the organizational level involves consolidation of knowledge generated from the individual and group level which leads to changes in airmailed procedures within an organization.Formal procedures refer to ‘a set of explicit constraints within which organizational activities unfold' (March, Schulz and Chou, 2000, as cited in Jots and Bauer, 2003, p. 29). As Baleen (2000) notes, organizational learning is a realignment of the organization through reinvention of organizational settings, in which ‘new missions are formulated, new plans and goals are set, structures are redesigned, processe s are reengineering and improved, strategic beliefs are modified, and the operational causal map is altered (p. 92). This conceptualization of learning can also be associated with Argils and Scion's (1996) notion of double-loop learning, the form of learning which occurs when errors are detected and corrected in ways that involve the modification of an organization's underlying norms, policies and objectives. Organizational learning can thus denote phenomena such as changes in formal written rules or employees' collective habits Cost & Bauer, 2003).Resistance and Organizational Learning Resistance in organizations usually emerges in two opposite directions, either for the purpose of existing existing structures or to resisting change initiatives (Mulling, 1999). Yet, the dominant perception of resistance that permeates management wisdom is arguably rooted in studies of the latter. In fact, most studies on resistance to change rest on the widely held and accepted assumption that peop le resist change and this is an issue management has to overcome (Dent & Goldberg, 1999). In addition, change is subordinates (Dent & Goldberg, 1999).This results in a bias that favors the change agent as rational and objective, and treats resistant practices as inappropriate (Dent Goldberg, 1999; Jots & Bauer, 2003), irrational and dysfunctional behavior that has to be overcome if effective and lasting change is to be achieved (Collisions & Cracked, 2006; Ford, Ford, & Diadem's, 2008). Many studies have set out to explore the causes of resistance to change and subsequently offer strategies to overcome resistance (Examples? ). Yet, most do not in fact offer ways to overcome resistance per SE, but instead suggest strategies for preventing or minimizing resistance (Dent & Goldberg, 1999).Rather than offering solutions, these approaches arguably further perpetuate he view that resistance is dysfunctional and should be avoided altogether. This perception carries particularly significant implications for an era in which managing change and learning is seen as the key tasks of organizational leaders (Marauded, 1995), as indirectly prescribes a negative association between resistance and learning. In today's highly turbulent and competitive business environment, the capacity to learn at the organizational level is highly valued and widely regarded as a viable survival strategy (Broadband, McGill, & Beech, 2002; Lima et al. 2006). At the earth of this, then, is the ultimate desired outcome of organizational learning- the flexibility and ability to adapt and cope in rapidly changing environments (Broadband et al. , 2002; Catcher- Greenfield & Ford, 2005). Hence, a key challenge for organizational leaders is to maximize organizational learning in order to develop an organization that has the capacity to recognize, react, enact appropriate responses, and adapt to environmental changes (Alas & Shrill, 2002; Broadband et al. , 2002). Such capacities are inevitably embedded in an organization's knowledge base (Alas & Shrill, 2002).In view of this, the perception that resistance to change is dysfunctional for organizational learning lies in the fact that in the context of change in which employees are expected to learn and adopt new skills or behavior, resistance is seen as a refusal to learn and consequently translated to signify disruption to the change process (Alas & Shrill, 2002). However, looking beyond resistance to change to studies on other kinds of resistance, one can see that resistance can in fact be viewed in a more positive light than in the context of resistance to change.In the context of everyday, routine resistance to existing oracle conditions, for example, studies have found acts of resistance to be strategies that can stimulate structural (Parkas & Parkas, 2000) or even revolutionary (Scott, 1989) change. Therefore, what is needed is an exploration of the issue beyond the confines of perspectives on resistance to change. We should look beyond the context of resistance to organizational change efforts, and explore resistance in a more general sense, based on the fundamental characteristics of various kinds of resistance that typically manifest in organizations, regardless of the goals or directions.In fact, whether aimed at resisting or instigating change, resistance in organizations can manifest in very similar ways, from more overt forms of resistance such protests or more subtle forms of resistance such as foot dragging, false compliance, pilfering, feigned ignorance, slander, intentional carelessness, feigned sickness, absenteeism, sabotage, among others (Hollander & Nowhere, 2004; Mulling, 1999; Parkas & Parkas; 2000, Scott, 1989).Exploring the fundamental phenomenon without the constrictions of a preconception or underlying assumption, which will also enable us to better explore the functionality of resistance in organizations, and how it may, in fact, stimulate organizational learning. Re- conceptualizi ng the Role of Resistance in Organizational Learning Following the preceding proposal, it is necessary to recapitulation resistance not as a dysfunctional phenomenon, but as a resource that, if recognized and utilized appropriately, can produce positive effects for the organization.In fact, some scholars have already suggested that we look beyond overcoming resistance and instead focus on discerning the source of resistance and treat it as a signal that something is going wrong in the organization (Lawrence, 1954; Sense, 1997). Jots and Bauer (2003) further extend this idea with the pain metaphor to show the diagnostic potential of resistance, and proposed a shift of attention from the causes to the effects of resistance. Drawing on a functional analogy to acute pain in the human body system, they suggest that resistance plays the same role within an organization as pain does in the human body.Just like how pain functions as a signal for the body, resistance functions as a feedback loop for management, by means of an alarm signaling that problems exist and should be looked into and acted on to prevent further damage Cost & Bauer, 2003). This is can be further illustrated by a predictable cycle of events that follows the experience of acute pain in the human system. When pain occurs, it shifts attention to the source of pain, enhances the person's body image and self- reflective thinking processes, interrupts present activity and brings it under evaluation, and stimulates a new, altered course of action (Wall, 1979).Jots and Bauer (2003) argue that even though acute pain may initially disrupt and delay ongoing activities, its functions in prompting internal attention, indicating the location and hypes of problem, and stimulating reflection render it an important resource that can be crucial for survival. Transferring the same diagnostic functions of pain to resistance, resistance can be seen as a functional resource for an organization to diagnose and rectify c urrent activities that are potentially damaging Cost & Bauer, 2003).Like a person who is unable to experience pain, an organization that is not capable of detecting resistance, or as Jots and Bauer (2003) label, ‘functional collective pain' (p 1 1), will be disadvantaged through its inability to detect threats to survival. More specifically, when resistance occurs, whether it is aimed at resisting change initiatives or resisting existing (everyday) conditions in the organization, it is an indication that changes are needed.Regardless of the context or situation that triggers resistance, it fundamentally signifies an existence of tension and conflict of interests in the current state of affairs, implying that things are far from ideal and that there are areas that could and should be investigated and rectified. Envisage two distinct approaches to such a situation: one organization disregards signs of assistance or suppresses the acts of resistance while another organization tak es time and effort to diagnose, reflect and identify necessary changes to make.The latter will arguably be better off in the long run because it has had the avenue to identify and rectify its problems, including any possible latent issues or conflicts that had initially caused resistance. In the former organization, however, problems will remain, if not have effects on the organization, regardless of whether it was perceived to be so. Hence, employing Jots and Bauer (2003)g's pain metaphor, it can be argued that in tuitions of pain/resistance, the intuitive tendency is to approach it in ways similar to those suggested in the cycle of events proposed by Wall (1979).In this sense, resistance does not only stimulate reflection, but is itself a resource for reflection. Therefore, as will be discussed later, resistance can be particularly useful in stimulating a specific kind of learning, reflective learning, in organizations. In addition to Jots and Barber's (2003) pain metaphor, an alt ernative way to highlight the potential function of resistance is to understand it within the framework of Heidegger (1962, s cited in Wick, 2003) three modes of engagement.Drawing on these three modes of engagement, Wick (2003) describes three modes of engagement in the organizational context- the ready-to-hand mode, the unready-to-hand mode and the present-at-hand mode, to explore the disconnections between organizational practices and theories, from which he emphasizes the function of the unready-to- hand mode of engagement in bridging the gap between theory and practice. The unready-to-hand mode refers to moments when an ongoing activity is interrupted and when problematic aspects that caused the interruption become salient (Wick, 003).In other words, unready-to-hand mode denotes moments of interruption in organizational processes or activities. According to Wick (2003), such moments interrupt the relevant actors of the organization, prompting them to take efforts to make sense of the interruption. Because a moment of interruption causes partial detachment from the organizational activity and makes the activity more visible, it is an opportunity to get a richer and clearer glimpse of the picture, to reflect, and to gain a better understanding of the issues concerned (Wick, 2003).It is during these moments when relevancies that have previously gone unnoticed can be discovered (Wick, 2003). Therefore, being such a rich resource, the potential illumination that interruptions of organizational activities can offer should not be overlooked. For it's many similar characteristics to moments of interruptions as illustrated by Wick (2003), resistance could be seen in the same light as the unready-to-hand mode of engagement. In many ways, resistance is parallel to a scenario of the unready-to hand mode as resistance is fundamentally a form of interruption to ongoing organizational activities or processes.Therefore, drawing on Wick's (2003) viewpoint and placing resi stance within this framework, we can, again, see resistance as a resource that makes underlying problems visible and allows the organization to reflect and discover issues or problems that would otherwise remain invisible. Both Jots and Bauer (2003) and Wick's (2003) propositions highlight the potential diagnostic function of resistance in stimulating awareness and directing attention to a possibly malfunctioning area within the organization, which inherently links to its function as a useful resource in stimulating reflection and learning.The following section, then, will focus on reflective learning, and illustrate how resistance can function as a resource that stimulates reflective learning at the organizational level. Resistance as a Resource: How resistance cans Stimulate Learning Reflective learning refers to ‘the process of internally examining and exploring an issue of concern, triggered by an experience, which creates and clarifies meaning in 1983, p. 99)'. In short, reflection is the key to learning from experience.A key human mechanism for making sense of and learning from experiences (Boyd & False, 1983) affliction has traditionally been seen as an individual phenomenon (Essence & Termed, 2007). Now, however, there is increasing recognition of the rationale of reflection for work at the organizational level (Essence & Termed, 2007). In the organizational context, reflective learning refers to a communal process of reflection of an experience or issue which requires critical examination and reconstruction of meanings (Essence & Termed, 2007).Semester and Termed (2007) argue that this is an important process for organizations because experience is both the dominating feature and resource in work and organizations. Therefore, capitalizing on experience and learning from it is intrinsically linked to the survival of organizations. Yet, reflective learning does not take place voluntarily and naturally. Because of the human tendency to reduce cogni tive dissonance, we tend to adopt strategies to avoid perceiving information that contradicts our perceptions and beliefs (Markus & Cajon, 1985, as cited in Essence & Tamer, 2007).Essence and Tamer (2007) claim that, for this reason, reflection only occurs in dynamic situations and does not generally arise during stagnant situations. In other words, reflection needs to be provoked by uncertain or ambiguous situations in which ‘customary meanings are no longer satisfactory' (Chon, 1983; Rogers, 2001; Wick et al, 2005, as cited in Essence and Tamer, 2007, p. 233). At this point, the logic of bringing in resistance, as an example of such situations is clear, as resistance arguably fits the depiction and shares many parallels with situations of uncertainty and ambiguity.To different extents, all these situations can be seen as forms of unanticipated and undesirable interruptions to ongoing organizational activities which require deeper reflection and understanding. Therefore, in v iew of the nature of resistance and situations that trigger a ‘felt need' for reflection, it can be argued that resistance can in effect function to stimulate reflective learning in organizations. Existing studies showing how resistance leads to change can serve to support the proposition that resistance stimulates organizational learning.While there is a dearth of studies within the organizational literature exploring the direct links between resistance and learning, the relationship can in fact be understood in relation to the connection between resistance and change, as he central aim of organizational learning is the capacity to change in order to cope and survive (Alas & Shrill, 2002). In view of the central aim of organizational learning, some connections with resistance become apparent because dealing with resistance is fundamentally about coping.An organization that is able deal with resistance in a functional way and utilize resistance to its benefits will arguably ha ve a greater capacity to cope and survive in unpredictable situations because ultimately, whether dealing with resistance or with other internal or external predicaments requires the name set of capabilities: the ability to recognize, react and enact appropriate responses. As an example of how resistance can instigate changes, Scott (1989) has reported that routine forms of covert resistance, displayed through actions such as foot-dragging, pilfering, feigned ignorance and sabotage could have revolutionary capacity.In addition, Parkas and Parade's (2000) study of technological change in a health maintenance organization has shown that although informal resistance was effects, resistance, in general, has been observed to produce the following effects: firm the resisters' self identities, rouse renegotiation of roles and relationships, trigger reinterpretation of the dominant managerial discourses, and challenge managerial control, albeit to different extents.The central fact is that resistance Jolted managers and supervisors out of their habitual modes of taking employees for granted' (Parkas & Parkas, 2000, p. 401). While there is no basis to establish a direct link to organizational learning, this example does show an instance where resistance has functioned to stimulate learning by performing the following functions: signaling existence of a problem, stimulating a reflection on the situation, and consequently leading to some form of change.This implicitly illustrates that resistance can play a role in stimulating organizational learning. Limitations However, even though it has hitherto been contended that resistance can function to stimulate organizational learning, one needs to avoid slipping into an idealistic interpretation of the role of resistance and recognize the various limitations that can inhibit its functions. Furthermore, it is crucial to note that while resistance can function to stimulate organizational learning, it by no means imply that resis tance will result in learning.In reality, whether or not resistance leads to positive outcomes, or whether it stimulates learning at all depends chiefly on a wide range of other internal or external factors surrounding the organization in question. Firstly, international in nature, resistance is defined by both the resisters' perceptions of their own behavior, and the targets', or even a third party observer's reactions towards that behavior (Hollander & Nowhere, 2004).Therefore, how resistance is perceived, or whether it is recognized t all, depends largely on the perspectives and interpretations of the relevant actors because the same action may well be perceived differently by different observers. As an example, in their studies of Filipino domestic helpers in Hong Kong, Groves and Change (1999) have reported how the same behavior was perceived as resistance by one researcher (an Asian woman), but perceived as childish and deferent behavior by another researcher (a White man). Th is demonstrates the complexity involved in the recognition of resistance.Even when acts of resistance are intended to be visible and re in fact observable, cultural and social factors, among others, may mean that they may not necessarily be understood as resistance by the target (Hollander & Nowhere, 2004). Cultural differences, for instance, may be a particularly relevant variable that could come into play considering the multicultural nature of many contemporary organizations. The possibility that even observable acts of resistance may not be recognized as resistance highlights a key problem: if resistance is not recognized at all, all its potential constructive functions are completely eliminated.For resistance to be functional, it must first be recognized as resistance, and experienced as an unpleasant and undesirable phenomenon. As Jots and Bauer (2003) assert in the metaphor to acute pain, ‘pain needs to be experienced as negative in order to be functional' (p. 1 1). The refore, for resistance to stimulate organizational learning, it has to be first recognized by its target as resistance. Beyond the problem of the perception and recognition of resistance, other complex set of factors can come into play, adding to the complication of the issue.Even when assistance is recognized, further factors could downplay any potential functions of (2005) contend, a wide range of factors exists as ‘disconnects' that widen the gap between ideals and realities. Ultimately, resistance is a deeply sociological phenomenon, encompassing issues such as power and control, equality and differences, social contexts and interactions (Hollander & Nowhere, 2004). This, coupled with the complex nature or organizations and organizational learning, unquestionably points to the complexities involved in conceptualizing the relations between resistance and organizational learning.Particularly, constrains to learning can stem from the existing management, organizational cultur e and organizational configurations (Stubbiness, Freed, Shania, & Doer, 2006). Examples of some specific contextual factors within an organization include: power relations, politics and decision-making authority, culture of communication and interaction and level of management control. One key factor that predisposes organizational learning is the structure and culture of an organization. As Evans, Hoodwinks, Rainbow and Union (2006) claim, the wider social structure of an organization can be essential in enabling or preventing learning.Taking horizontal and vertical organizational structures as examples, one can see that resistance is more likely to stimulate and consequently lead to organizational learning in horizontal organizational structures than in vertical organizational structures. Horizontal organizations, with their emphasis on lateral collaborations, permeable boundaries, mutual understanding and effective communication processes (Baleen, 2000; Dent & Goldberg, 1999) ove r centralized control and decision making, have a better capacity to respond effectively to ambiguity and unanticipated situations (Baleen, 2000).This is also inextricably related to the underlying mindset of an organization. As Catcher-Greenfield and Ford (2005) note, the mindset of the relevant organizational actors can have a direct impact on the level of acceptance or denial towards unanticipated, and particularly, undesirable events (Catcher-Greenfield & Ford, 2005) On one end of the continuum is an acceptance of reality, in which the relevant actors, such as supervisors or managers, are able to let go of past perceptions, experiences and comfortable attitudes, to address new realities that have surfaced.On the other end of the momentum is denial, in which the actors' mindsets are rooted in past experiences and perceptions, and do not accept that there are problems with existing ways, and that change is needed (Catcher- Greenfield & Ford, 2005). Hence, the structure and underly ing mindset of an organization can have direct implications on what ensues after resistance has surfaced. Stubbiness et all's (2006) study of a secrecy-based organization in the defense industry serves to show how organizational learning can be impeded by cultural factors within the organization.In the company, which has an internal culture that does not encourage learning and knowledge transfer beyond individual work units, Stubbiness et al (2006) found that social distance, absence of dialogue between top and middle management, the professional and organizational culture of the company that rarely considers the needs of employees, and the secrecy culture that limits information flow, have all proven to be obstacles to collective reflection and learning.Considering the assumption that learning requires collective reflection (Bout, Creases, & Dougherty, 2006), resistance will likely fail to stimulate earning within an organizational culture such as this which does not support exampl e, Campbell (2006) study of learning in a Catholic church shows how learning can be impeded in dogmatic organizations with rigid rules and authoritative power structures. In such an organization, where beliefs, principles and rules are commonly accepted as authoritative and beyond question, inputs from the lower levels of an organization is normally unwelcome.When learning occurs, it is driven by directives from above (Campbell, 2006). It was observed that in such a culture, the top dervish seeks to maintain control of the entire organization by means of protecting the integrity of organizational principles, leaving little space and flexibility for other organizational actors, such as supervisors and middle managers, to respond to the realities facing the organization at large.While the example of a Catholic Church is a somewhat extreme example, it serves to show how organizational culture and power relations can severely limit the functions of resistance. In all likelihood, resista nce may be suppressed or disregarded. In other words, in such organizations here bottom-up changes are highly improbable, resistance will most likely fail to stimulate organizational learning. Conclusion This essay has presented an overview of the conceptualization of resistance and explored the dominant perspective on resistance in relation to organizational learning in current management wisdom.It has been contended that the negative connotation often prescribed to resistance is largely contributed by the prevalent assumption that views resistance as irrational behavior within the context of resistance to change. Drawing on Jots and Barber's pain metaphor and Wick's reposition about moments of interruption, it has been argued that resistance could be recapitulation in a more positive light. Rather than being seen as an obstacle to overcome, resistance can be seen as a functional resource: as a signal that serves to warn and direct attention to a problem.While providing organizatio ns with the opportunity to attend to and rectify a problem before the problem expands or deteriorates, resistance simultaneously serves to stimulate organizational learning by instigating a felt need for reflection and change. The pain metaphor, in particular, implies that when a warning signal emerges, the intuitive reaction is to manage and rectify the problem. Applying this to the organizational context, then, suggests that resistance will naturally lead to an awareness of the need to change.Yet, the relationship between resistance and learning is not a simple and straightforward one. Ultimately, whether or not resistance can function to stimulate learning is dependent upon many variables. The first problem pertains to the issue of recognition. Due to a range of possible reasons such as perceptions and cultural barriers, an intentional act of resistance may not necessarily be recognized as such y its intended targets. If resistance is not acknowledged and recognized, its potentia l function in stimulating organizational learning is completely eliminated.Furthermore, additional factors, such as organizational structure and culture, may also act to limit the functions of resistance in stimulating organizational learning. Therefore, while resistance does have the potential to stimulate organizational learning, whether or not that translates to reality remains dependent on a wide range of factors surrounding the organization concerned. References Alas, R. , & Shrill, S. (2002). Organizational learning and resistance to change in