Making Children Hate Reading Essay

Making children hate reading is a book by John Halt. It shows the way he teached and his opinion of others and the method he used to help the children with their literacy skills. In John Halt’s book there are some methods he used that I don’t agree with and some that I do agree with. I will give detailed accounts of both teaching methods I agree with and one’s I don’t agree with the I will let you decide whether you agree with his teaching or not. In the beginning John Halt tells us that he never gave one of his students the opportunity to say what they really thought about a book or magazine. The children persuaded him to tell him what he wants to hear, so that when he asks them a question they can answer it and receive approval. He also gives the students tests about the books and vocabulary lists which they have to learn, also that if they came across a word they didn’t know to look it up in the dictionary and not to bother him. His nephew was given a book to read which in john halts opinion was bad book. Then the teacher proceeded to make sure they children under stood every single word and the meaning of sed words. John agreed with this method and used it on his own students. John halt began to question some of the teaching methods. With regards to looking up words you do not know in the dictionary, he was beginning to think twice. He had never looked up a word that he didn’t know in the dictionary he merely continued reading hard books and eventually gathered the meanings of the words he did not understand. As John taught a verity of age groups in the same mental area he started to develop theories about why students reading and writing suffer. His theory, Teachers. Or specifically English teachers. When a student is forced to read aloud it makes them nervous. They then stumble when reading and sometimes forget how to pronounce a word. Then the students start to laugh and the teacher makes them feel embarrassed. If this happens a few times then that person is put of reading and will sometimes refuse altogether to read out loud. For example when I was five years old I started school, and I was really happy, I couldn’t wait. When I got to English I was put in an advanced class because my vocabulary was extremely good for my age. I was told to read and I read well, until I came across a word that I didn’t know how to say it and all the other kids in the classroom started laughing at me. That made me feel really bad and at such a vulnerable age having that humiliation changed everything about school life for me. Ever since then I do not like reading aloud it makes me nervous. I can read aloud when im on my own but when it comes to speaking in front of people it really puts be back. Even now I steel have difficulty with speaking aloud an example of this is this year in English. We were told to talk about a character from the play Macbeth. To explain what their role in the play was. We were to sit in front of the class. I had planned out a really good piece of work but everyone else did something different and I’m used to being told of if I do something different so I jumped the notes and tried to make it up as I went along. Alas this did not work my nerves got the better of me and I got a lousy grade. This story show that it can happen only one time and it can change everything to do with speaking. John Halt realized this and tried to change it. He tried having the students that were nervous read aloud more often but sadly this did not work either. He was stumped. Then BAM. It hit him. If he lets the students read books that they want to read then maybe this will help then and guess what. It did. The holidays were coming up and John decided to try something new. Something that no other English teacher has done before. He told his students to read as many books as they wanted and he would not be testing them on it. So just enjoy reading books. He also said that if you don’t like a book red the first forty pages to give the writer a chance to get his story going and then If you don’t like the characters and you don’t care what happens to them put the book down and find a book you do want to read. He had found a way to help students come over their fear of reading aloud but the students still suffered from writing. Not being able to write what they were thinking down. John Halt devised a way to deal with this too. He had a new class and decided now was the right time to try out his theory. He split his class into groups and told them to write about anything they wanted as long as it wasn’t just the same word over and over again for the whole page. This worked very well. All the students including the not so bright students to come up with incredible stories. Their favorite stories were written by one of their class mates who had been writing a lot of his stories about things that happened to John Halt, they all found them very amazing and humorous stories. One day he decided to give them a topic to write about instead, and of course they all wined until they found out what they were going to write about. They were all enthusiastic that they would be writing about the day the school burnt down. John then heard about a professor had come up with another idea, which he decided to bring to hi classroom. He told his students that they were to write about anything non stop for twenty minuets, and if they got stuck keep writing the sentence before until an idea comes to you. This of course was a genus idea and it did indeed help students with their writing and although John Halt did not know it at the time, all the students handwriting and their spelling had improved just by helping them think for themselves. If you agree with the harsh way of teaching with all the x-raying books and what not and telling them to look it up in the dictionary so that they don’t bother you then I have a piece of advice for you. DON’T BECOME A TEACHER!!! If you agree with the kind helpful way of teaching good on you. Its people like you that make are country great. You picked the right side to be on, because all you old folk who still believe in the harsh stuff, be warned we are coming to get you. It’s your chouse of course, just letting you know what will happen if you pick the dark side. MWA HA HA HA HA.

Congressional Reconstruction in the south 1863-1867

The radical reconstruction of 1867-1877, known for some of the most significant changes in American history. The Radical reconstruction was supported by Congress and less popular with President Johnson as if focused on Civil rights issues, something that Johnson chad no interest in. The reconstruction was meant to improve the economy of the devastated south, Politics and social Justice following the American civil war (War of the south).It wasn't until â€Å"March of 1867 when congress adopted the Reconstruction act even though Johnson had vetoed it† (Foner, Give Me Liberty, II 566), the period of Radical Reconstruction begun, note that Johnson had his own plans for reconstruction. The Radical Reconstruction made several demands such as; voting rights for freed slaves, Radicals to conform to the idea of equality, protection of the Republican Party in the south, keeping old confederate generals from office, increased tariff on good to support state funded programs.Immediate ach ievements of the Reconstruction act of 1867 were: formation of political organization, â€Å"spread of the Republican Party in southern' states that were returned o the Union† (Foner, Give Me Liberty, II 57), which increased the public's involvement in free public education, orphanages, prisons and homes for the mentally challenged. The ‘Union league' was one of the achievements during the Reconstruction. Its formation resulted from mass political meetings which included man, woman and children who simply rallied to claim the very rights enjoyed by the white citizens.These meetings were widely attended and produced both male and female speakers such as Frances Ellen Watkins Harper and James D. Lynch. Frances was known â€Å"for her two years' tour and lectures of ‘Literacy, land and Liberations'†¦ nd James was known for his abilities to draw upon the emotion of his audience† (Foner, Give Me Liberty, II 573). In 1868-1869 new state constitutions were fo rmed for the first time with the involvement of the public, most of whom were black representatives, this is why the public was given an increased responsibility in politics.With their involvements, aside from schools and others listed above, the new constitutions removed practices such as; â€Å"whipping for punishments, property qualifications for officeholders, and imprisonment for debt† (Foner, Give Me Liberty, II 573). Other political achievements included an increased number of African Americans who now held public office (estimated 2,000), â€Å"South Carolina was the only state at this time in which African Americans made up the mass of the legislature† (Foner, Give Me Liberty, II 574). this is simply because the population was â€Å"60% blacks† (Foner, Give Me Liberty, II 574) in South Carolina at this time.Finally African Americans held a seat in every level of Government though there were only two blacks who served the U. S. Senate during this period. Hiram from North Carolina and Blanche K. Bruce from. Hiram was born free, received an education, served in the Union Army and became the first â€Å"Black Senator in American history' (Foner, Give Me Liberty, II 574). Blanche unlike Hiram was a former slave. (No addition information mentioned by Foner about Blanche). Though only for a short period the first Black and his mother a freed slave, the second black governor was not elected until â€Å"1989†.Though most blacks who held public offices gained ranks via serving the Union army, some black were born free in the north and received a proper education like Jonathan J. Wright who served on the South Carolina Supreme Court. Among many prominent black officials, Robert Smalls, â€Å"a slave who secretly guided a vessel called the Planter, through enemy waters and delivered it to the Union's Army' (Foner, Give Me Liberty, II 574)? Smalls gained his fame for this single act and later was elected as a political leader in South Carolina and was eventually elected to congress for five terms.Economically, some gained from during the Reconstruction, namely the ‘Carpetbaggers and the Scalawags'. Carpetbaggers were from the north, some simply came to the south for politics and many were Union soldiers who remained in the outh for lands and other economic advantages. Some remained for support in rebuilding and education the south by becoming teachers. Scalawags, a name given to Whites in the south who never owned slaves and now supported the Republicans to keep confederated officers out of office.Other economical advances were the suspension of debt collection and protection for property owners from loan sharks. Thus far the public school education provided by the state stood above all as an achievement during the Reconstruction. Most schools were segregated with the exception of â€Å"New Orleans, were public schools were integrated†¦ nd only South Carolina did the state university admitted black s tudents† (Foner, Give Me Liberty, II 575). By 1870 more than half the white and black population attended public school (One may note Booker T Washington's â€Å"Keep me separated but equal†).Change in office from prewar leaders to newer governments, laws were passed to end racial discrimination from service providers such as railroads and hotels, though this was not enforced equally from region to region, it was one of the first steps towards standardizing what we now call equal citizenship for all. Republican government stablished the ‘State land Commission' made attempts to improve the South's economic situations by allowing labors/farmers to claim their crops before the land owners and merchants.This was an issue since, farmers often owed the land owners and would regularly part with their crops for less than its worth. Officials believed that establishing railroads were key to improving the South's economy, they believed that this will make way for factories, towns and a variety for agricultural developments. This idea was not very successful since most Northern companies had their attentions turned to the West instead of the devastated South. Due to the failure to improve the South's economy, the economic status of most freedman remained the same.With this failed attempt came a change in government, a ‘biracial democratic government' was introduced to Americans. With this came the â€Å"overthrow of the reconstruction† (Foner, Give Me Liberty, II 575), many in the south were against the new form of government and called it corrupt and ineffective. Though corruption existed before, its aims now differ, some states were stained with â€Å"bribery, insider deals and get rich atmospheres† (Foner, Give Me Liberty, II 576). These practices soon nded due to increased taxes to support public funded services such as schools and construction of railroads.Raising of taxes backfired since it caused poor whites in the south to e nd their support for the Republican Government since they saw that their whites in the south who found it difficult to accept freed slaves as their equals and allowing them to hold offices and voting. Southern radicals who still dreams of the (golden age of the South) now sought to obstruct the reconstruction by violence, by now they not on questioned the policies of the reconstruction, they believed that they ust end the republican rule and had a disbelieve in the federal government.This movement became known as the â€Å"reign of terror† (Foner, Give Me Liberty, II 576). , giving rise to individual hate crimes on road sides against black who would not step aside for whites. These hate crimes would late become more organized and led to the formation of cults such as the Ku Klux Klan (KKK) which serves as a â€Å"military arm for the Democratic party in the south† (Foner, Give Me Liberty, II 577). Thought the main target for the KKK were predominantly blacks/ freed sla ves; Foner claims that the KKK often assaulted white members of the Republicans, artime Unionist, office holders and teachers from the north.These acts of terrorism were carried out by conservative whites in the south who preferred the olden ways. KKK activities alarmed southern government following the attack on a small town in â€Å"Colfax, Louisiana in 1873; armed whited assaulted the town with small cannons† (Foner, Give Me Liberty, II 578). Due to these circumstances, Washington approved the use of federal troops to subdue all terrorist activities, this which ultimately led to the federal government to expand its authority throughout the south.Troops shortly deployed to apprehend anyone associate with the KKK, many ere arrested and many fled. These affirmative actions in 1872 towards the KKK caused the clan o disband and eventually dissolved completely granting the South genuine peace. Another contributing reasons for the failure of the reconstruction goes to the reappea rance of racism in the North. Many believed that enough was done, blacks were now free and given voting rights and that was enough.With all the emphasis on the KKK, other political ploys were formed in the north simultaneously. The Liberal Republicans were formed, electing the â€Å"editor of the New York Tribute for president† (Foner, Give Me Liberty, II 579). Being that there was now division amongst Republicans, Democrats made Greeley their candidate for president in the election of 1874. This was done with hopes of returning the Democrats to power but failed since most voters simple refrained from voting, resulting in a landslide victory for Grant in 1874.Reconstruction was still not in the clear, in fact things had gotten worse, Journalist, James S. Pike, published â€Å"the Prostate States† (Foner, Give Me Liberty, II 578), which blamed the corruptions of the Southern states on black who held office, blacks were depicted as less than humans and animalistic instea d. This contributed o the rebirth of racism and the rise of the Democrats again. With Democrats dominating congress, the; old ones enacted a final piece of Reconstruction legislation, The Civil Rights act of 1785†¦ utlawing racial discrimination† (Foner, Give Me Liberty, II 580), though this was not upheld by the Supreme Court. In following years, Democrats would rise up and take control of few strategic southern states. These stated began calling themselves the â€Å"redeemed† (Foner, Give Me Liberty, II 581), referring to the act of returning their rightful white leaders back to office. Unlike the KKK who operated at night, armed individuals in these ‘redeemed' ctions were taken to combat these attacks which played a major role in the election of 1877.In the so called redeemed states, ballet boxes were destroyed and freed slaves/republicans were turned away from voting by armed southern Democrats which consequently led the victory of the Democrats and Ruthe rford B. Hayes as president. Though one of the most controversial elections of the 19th century, Republicans submitted after attempting to secure a promise from Hayes that he will uphold the rights for all. This marked the end of the Reconstruction in 1877, though it continued, allowed many blacks to vote and hold office.Reconstruction would not come up again â€Å"until the Civil Rights movement in the 1950's to 1960's† (Foner, Give Me Liberty, II 582). Thought many would consider the Reconstruction of 1967-1877 a failure, it did prepare a foundation for the Civil Rights movement which occurred in 1950, it was the first attempt of many to meet the promise of the nation in which everyone was truly given an opportunity. The Reconstruction also illustrates the evils of politics and how one man's neglect towards his duties can affect a nation, this referring to Grant turning a blind eye to the attacks in 1875.

Case Study Analysis of Casual Togs

There is a wide range of problems that may adversely affect the progress and competitiveness of organizations. These include structural problems, communication, management issues and failure to embrace change. Given that there is no fixed approach to management that is ideal for all organizations, each company has to ensure that it adopts the most ideal approach, which can be determined by several factors in the internal and external factors that are specific to the company (Hill et al., 2014). Businesses also need to ensure that they are flexible enough to promptly change in response to the adjustments that might be taking place in the tastes and preferences of their clients or even the tactics that their competitors in the industry are using. Companies that are not flexible enough might fail to maintain their relevance towards their target market segments and lose their competitive edge (Carter et al., 2013). This report presents a case analysis of Casual Togs, a women’s apparel company that is known for its moderately priced products. Most of the company’s products are blouses, shorts and knit dresses. In the analysis, the report highlights the problems that are being faced by the company and the factors that might have contributed to these issues. The importance of addressing these issues in a business is that it provides a guidance or basis for formulating strategies that will help to improve the company’s performance. The report also provides recommendations for Cy, Casual Togs’ principal stockholder, on the changes that he needs to make in the company. It also provides recommendations on how the company should change its management practice, structure and response to change, so as to avoid a recurrence or the problems it faces. The major problems facing the firm With reference to the case study of Casual Togs, there are a number of problems that are currently being faced by the company. One of these is that many of its products are being returned by consumers because of their low quality. For any business, the quality of products that are offered to clients is among the key attributes that determine its performance in the market (Bhardwaj Fairhurst, 2010). For Casual Togs, this also led to the loss of a major portion of its old loyal consumers. It also posed a challenge to the company in attracting new clients. Consequences of this issue include a drop in the company’s revenue and its overall brand position in the industry. It has also been outlined in the case study that the company also faces stiff competition from companies that have long been in the apparels industry as well as new upcoming ones. Another issue that faces Casual Togs lies in the human resource department. The company has failed to attract the necessary skills for it to run successfully. This is evidenced by the halt in the construction of the company’s distribution centre in the middle of the construction, which was attributed to the fact that the company did not get a qualified person who could supervise the construction project. In addition to this, two of the company’s designers resigned. This contributed to a drop in the company’s overall production in its nine centres by approximately 15%. The fact that Andy Johnson, the company’s budget manager and Sol Green, the market analyst could not speak to one another also clearly depicts a communication flaw among the employees in the firm. Judy, who was the company’s vice president, is also depicted in the case study as being aggressive in her communication with other employees. There are several incidents mentioned in the case study that highlight the failure by a section of the company’s executives and employees to embrace change. For instance, Judy objected most of the proposed changes, arguing that they were either too expensive or that they had been suggested by incompetent individuals. Another incident was when Andy rejected suggestions that were made by Bill Smith, his assistant, on new approaches that could be used in the collation and analysis of daily sales printouts so as to make better sales forecasts. Even though there are several other issues that are faced by Casual Togs in its operations, three main issues have been outlined in this section. These include the decline in the company’s competitiveness, human resource issues and the resistance to change among a section of the company’s staff. Causes of the Problems The first problem about the company is the fact that it is losing its old customers, and more of its products are being returned as a result of either poor quality or late delivery to customers. For any business to effectively win over the loyalty of its target customers, it has to be dependable in terms of the products and services it delivers (Dervitsiotis, 2011). Prolonged incidences of poor quality products and services or inconsistencies tend to repel customers. As earlier mentioned, there is high competition on the apparel and fashion industry, which also increases the purchasing power of buyers. Failure of one company meet consumer expectations, regardless of how slightly the gap may be, will make even the loyal customers to switch brands (Talib et al., 2011). Late delivery of products to customers also denotes the incompetence of the department that is concerned with the delivery of the company’s products. Another issue that is affecting Casual Togs lies in the human resource management approaches. With reference to the case study presented, there is evidence of a lack of equal of opportunities for career advancement in the company. An example is Andy, who had worked with the company for 15 years without any promotion because was not related with the other managers and was also of a different nationality. According to Choi et al. (2012), one of the causes of employee turnover is the failure of organizations to provide all the employees with a chance to attain their ultimate career goals. The aggressive nature with which Judy addresses employees in the organization also intimidates the employees and lowers their self esteem. This has an adverse effect on the organizational commitment of employees and has and ultimately, affects their levels of productivity (Adler, 2013; Lutgen-Sandvik Tracy, 2012). The issue of rigidity and failure to embrace change has also contributed to the problems being faced by Casual Togs. One of the organizational aspects that have led to this is the fact that Cy, the company’s president gave all the departmental heads the freedom to make decisions that they considered to be fit for the organization. Whereas it can be argued as an approach that is relevant to the present-day business environment, it poses a challenge to decision making when rapid change are to be made because the opinions of every departmental supervisor have to be considered (Myers et al., 2012). These factors have affected the effectiveness with which Casual Togs adjusts in response to the changes in the market, leading to its dwindling performance. This shows the need for organizations to be flexible enough to maintain its relevance to the target markets (Dervitsiotis, 2011). This section has presented some of the main factors that have led to the existence of the issues that faced by Casual Togs. These include the failure of the company to adhere to quality in the design of its products and the failure to motivate employees, which adversely affects their levels of commitment. Several measures have to be put in place to ensure that the earlier mentioned issues have been overcome. Suggestions for changes to be implemented by Cy, Casual Togs’ President In regard to the issues that have been earlier identified, there are different approaches that ought to be used to change the current situation of the organization. With regard to the quality issues that have led to a loss of clients by the company and increased returns of goods, the direct measure that has to be taken is to ensure that the designers of the company’s apparel products pay attention to detail so as to enhance the quality of the products (Bhardwaj Fairhurst, 2010). There is also a need to intensify the quality management process to ensure that defective products are minimized (Rosenfeld, 2012). As presented in the case study, market research that is carried out mainly focuses in the levels of sales that should be expected in certain seasons. However, it is also vital for the organization to incorporate the on-going trends in fashion so as to effectively address customer needs (Witell et al., 2011). Human resources in any organization are among the most valuable assets, and have a key contribution towards its overall success. However, it is vital for organizations to motivate them so as to increase their productivity and organizational commitment (Bratton Gold, 2012). One of issues that are evident at Casual Togs is that employees from a certain nationality are more likely to be promoted than the other employees. In this regard, Cy, the company’s president, needs to ensure that an equality policy is implemented to provide all employees with an equal chance of promotion within the organizational ranks (Giuliano et al., 2011). This will not only motivate employees to work more, but will also attract talented job seekers. The management meetings that were held between managers and other departmental leaders within the organization were informal, marred with emotionally charged arguments, shouting and door slamming. This is a clear indication of the failure to recognize authority an order during these meetings. It is also quite unlikely that such meetings met the intended objectives. To avoid recurrence of such scenarios, the company’s president needs to change the way board meetings are held from informal to formal (Diefenbach Todnem, 2012). This will instil a sense of order, and will increase the possibilities of attaining the goals set to be met in the meetings. In the presented case, there is evidence of interference of departmental operations by managers or vice presidents of different departments. An individual from a different department could question an action carried out in another department that has no connection to his. Whereas there is need for cross-functional communication and cooperation within an organization (Hongjun Yajia, 2012), such interferences as those depicted at Casual Togs are destructive. To limit this, the company’s president needs to change the structure of the organization (Deb, 2009). Suggestions to prevent future issues at Casual Togs To prevent future problems from occurring at the organization, it is necessary for Casual Togs to ensure that it makes the necessary adjustments. These include structural changes, management practices and their response to changes taking place in the competitive environment. Suggestions for change are provided in further detail below. Management Practice There are a number of changes that ought to be made in the management practices of Casual Togs. The individual in management that raises concern in the case study is Judy, the vice president. Her aggression towards employees, as well as her interference with operations across all departments within the organization, has to be addressed. Given that she is among the majority shareholders in the company and related to the president, there is no possibility of sacking her from the position she holds. Instead, she needs to be encouraged to attend management seminars so as to improve her employee management approach (Bratton Gold, 2012). Rather than being autocratic in her management and aggressive in communicating with other employees in the organization, she needs to change and become a persuasive or democratic in her management and assertive in communication (Adler, 2013). In persuasive management, managers provide a clear explanation to their employees as to why they have made a certa in decision. In democratic management, employees are allowed to make suggestions in the decision making process, and the opinion with the highest votes is selected (Hill et al., 2014). By being assertive in communication, points or arguments are firmly put across to other employees, but respect is still maintained (Adler, 2013). Cy’s approach of management is too lenient to departmental heads within the organizations. This has also affected the way in which he handles suppliers, who often take advantage of his leniency to secure tenders even though they are supplying products at a higher price. Even though his consultative approach to management allows departmental heads to take part in decision making, there is still a need for him to exercise authority, especially when holding meetings with them (Diefenbach Sillince, 2012). Structural Change Before making a suggestion on the structural changes that ought to be implemented in the organization, it is vital to describe the organizational structure of Casual Togs as depicted in the case study. Based on the informal nature of meetings between departmental heads and the company’s president and the lack of a clear hierarchy of authority in the firm, it can be argued that the organizational structure of the company is adhocratic (Deb, 2009). Even though such a structure is ideal in encouraging creativity and innovation among employees and effectively adjusting with the changes in the market, it also has several demerits. These include a difficulty to solve routine problems that may arise in the organization, an unclear line of authority and high exposure of the organization to risk (Diefenbach Todnem, 2012). With reference to the case study, even though Judy is the vice president, she seems to have more authority that the company’s president, Cy. In this regard, the company needs to consider changing its structure to a more formal and well structured bureaucratic structure (Dervitsiotis, 2011). Even though such structures are known to limit innovation and creativity within the organization, it may be ideal for Casual Togs for a number of reasons. These include easing the decision making process, reduction of the exposure to risk and the acknowledgement of a certain structure of authority that has to be adhered to (Bratton Gold, 2012). Implementing such a structure is likely to eliminate the emotionally charged informal meetings’ scenarios and also the interference of individuals like Judy in all organizational departments. Responding to Changes in the Competitive Environment Based on the fact that the apparels industry is highly competitive and dynamic, it is also necessary for the company to be flexible enough and ready to implement changes that will maintain its relevance to the target markets (Rugman et al., 2012). One of the measures that have to be undertaken to attain this objective is to intensify market research and carry it out on a regular basis. This could be through seeking customer feedback or studying the changing trends through observation. Market research also involves studying the tactics or strategies that are being used by competing companies in the industry (Witell et al., 2011). It is through these market research efforts that the Casual Togs will be able to adjust its product designs and marketing strategies to fit the market preferences while at the same time ensuring that it effectively competes with other players in the market. Maintaining a competitive edge in the industry also depends on the skills that the company has in its human resource force (Dervitsiotis, 2011). It is important for Casual Togs to hire employees that are not only qualified, but also innovative enough to come up with designs that will be well accepted by the target markets. Innovation can also be nurtured among employees in the organization by utilizing appropriate motivational and reward strategies (Wright et al., 2012). Workers at Casual Togs also need to be informed on the inevitability of change in organizations, and why they should always be ready for it. By so doing, resistance to change among employees will be reduced. Some of the changes that may need to be implemented at Casual Togs include technological advancements in the production of its apparel and alteration of product designs to reflect the needs in the market (Myers et al., 2012). Conclusion and Recommendations Conclusion This report has presented a case study analysis of Casual Togs, a fashion business that mainly deals in the manufacture and distribution of women’s apparels. After two decades of operation, the company’s performance in the market dropped due because of a number of reasons, which have been highlighted in the report. One of these is the poor quality of products, which led to an increase in the volume of returned products. It also led to the withdrawal of many old customers. Another issue that has been identified is the failure to keep employees motivated enough to increase their organizational commitment. The causes of these issues at Casual Togs have also been presented in the paper, as well as some suggestions on how the president of the company can make the necessary changes to improve the situation at the company. Suggestions that have been provides comprise of management changes, structural changes and how the company can respond faster to changes and competition in the market. Further recommendations that can improve the company’s brand position are presented hereunder. Recommendations In order for the company to appeal to a wider market and increase its returns, it needs to consider expanding its product line. As opposed to the current products that only target ladies, Casual Togs can also consider introducing men’s and children’s clothes. As presented in the case, the products that the company distributes are mainly shorts, blouses and some knit dresses. Introduction of other female apparel like skirts, trench coats and pants can also be advantageous for the company. The case has also highlighted the high costs of production that the company incurs. Though some of these costs are inevitable, the company can reduce the overall costs by using appropriate lean production strategies, which are aimed to minimize the cost and maximize production. Some of the approaches that can be used include minimization or even elimination of errors in the design and production of products and standardization of work processes. In terms of human resource management, the company needs to ensure that it hires and strives to maintain talented and innovative employees that will contribute towards its progress in the market. Some of the approaches to motivation include offering them a reasonable remuneration and rewarding them for unique contribution. Given that the fashion industry is quite competitive, failure to motivate and retain skilled employees may tempt them to cross over and work for competitor companies, which may be detrimental for Casual Togs. References Adler, G., 2013. Management Communication. New Jersey: Prentice Hall. Bhardwaj, V. Fairhurst, A., 2010. Fast fashion: response to changes in the fashion industry. The International Review of Retail, Distribution and Consumer Research, 20(1), pp.165-73. Bratton, J. Gold, J., 2012. Human Resource Management: Theory and Practice (5th edition). London: Palgrave. Carter, M.Z., Armenakis, A.A., Feild, H.S. Mossholder, K.W., 2013. Transformational leadership, relationship quality, and employee performance during continuous incremental organizational change. Journal of Organizational Behavior, 34(7), pp.942-58. Choi, S., Cheong, K.K. Feinberg, R.A., 2012. Moderating effects of supervisor support, monetary rewards, and career paths on the relationship between job burnout and turnover intentions in the context of call centers. Managing Service Quality, 22(5), pp.492-516. Deb, T., 2009. Managing Human Resource And Industrial Relations. Excel Books. Dervitsiotis, K.N., 2011. The challenge of adaptation through innovation based on the quality of the innovation process. Total Quality Management Business Excellence, 22(5), pp.553-66. Diefenbach, T. Sillince, J.A., 2012. Crossing of Boundaries–Subordinates’ Challenges to Organisational Hierarchy. Research in the Sociology of Organizations, 35, pp.171-201. Diefenbach, T. Todnem, R., 2012. Reinventing Hierarchy and Bureaucracy: From the Bureau to Network Organizations. Bingley: Emerald Group Publishing. Giuliano, L., Levine, D.I. Leonard, J., 2011. Racial Bias in the Manager-Employee Relationship An Analysis of Quits, Dismissals, and Promotions at a Large Retail Firm. Journal of Human Resources, 46(1), pp.26-52. Hill, C., Jones, G?. Schilling, ?M., 2014. Strategic Management: Theory: An Integrated Approach. Mason: Cengage Learning. Hongjun, L. Yajia, G., 2012. Study on Chain Companies Human Resources Management. Information and Business Intelligence, 267, pp.227-32. Lutgen-Sandvik, P. Tracy, S.J., 2012. Answering Five Key Questions About Workplace Bullying How Communication Scholarship Provides Thought Leadership for Transforming Abuse at Work. Management Communication Quarterly, 26(1), pp.3-47. Myers, P., Hulks, S. Wiggins, L., 2012. Organizational Change: Perspectives on Theory and Practice. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Rosenfeld, S.A., 2012. Competitive Manufacturing: New Strategies for Regional Development. New Jersey: Transaction Publishers. Rugman, A.M., Oh, C.H. Lim, D.S., 2012. The regional and global competitiveness of multinational firms. Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, 40(2), pp.218-35. Talib, F., Rahman, Z. Qureshi, M., 2011. A study of total quality management and supply chain management practices. International Journal of Productivity and Performance Management, 60(3), pp.268-88. Witell, L., Kristensson, P., Gustafsson, A. Lofgren, M., 2011. Idea generation: customer co-creation versus traditional market research techniques. Journal of Service Management, 22(2), pp.140-59. Wright, B.E., Moynihan, D.P. Pandey, S.K., 2012. Pulling the Levers: Transformational Leadership, Public Service, Motivation, and Mission Valence. Public Administration Review, 72(2), p.206–215. Case Study Analysis of Casual Togs There is a wide range of problems that may adversely affect the progress and competitiveness of organizations. These include structural problems, communication, management issues and failure to embrace change. Given that there is no fixed approach to management that is ideal for all organizations, each company has to ensure that it adopts the most ideal approach, which can be determined by several factors in the internal and external factors that are specific to the company (Hill et al., 2014). Businesses also need to ensure that they are flexible enough to promptly change in response to the adjustments that might be taking place in the tastes and preferences of their clients or even the tactics that their competitors in the industry are using. Companies that are not flexible enough might fail to maintain their relevance towards their target market segments and lose their competitive edge (Carter et al., 2013). This report presents a case analysis of Casual Togs, a women’s apparel company that is known for its moderately priced products. Most of the company’s products are blouses, shorts and knit dresses. In the analysis, the report highlights the problems that are being faced by the company and the factors that might have contributed to these issues. The importance of addressing these issues in a business is that it provides a guidance or basis for formulating strategies that will help to improve the company’s performance. The report also provides recommendations for Cy, Casual Togs’ principal stockholder, on the changes that he needs to make in the company. It also provides recommendations on how the company should change its management practice, structure and response to change, so as to avoid a recurrence or the problems it faces. The major problems facing the firm With reference to the case study of Casual Togs, there are a number of problems that are currently being faced by the company. One of these is that many of its products are being returned by consumers because of their low quality. For any business, the quality of products that are offered to clients is among the key attributes that determine its performance in the market (Bhardwaj Fairhurst, 2010). For Casual Togs, this also led to the loss of a major portion of its old loyal consumers. It also posed a challenge to the company in attracting new clients. Consequences of this issue include a drop in the company’s revenue and its overall brand position in the industry. It has also been outlined in the case study that the company also faces stiff competition from companies that have long been in the apparels industry as well as new upcoming ones. Another issue that faces Casual Togs lies in the human resource department. The company has failed to attract the necessary skills for it to run successfully. This is evidenced by the halt in the construction of the company’s distribution centre in the middle of the construction, which was attributed to the fact that the company did not get a qualified person who could supervise the construction project. In addition to this, two of the company’s designers resigned. This contributed to a drop in the company’s overall production in its nine centres by approximately 15%. The fact that Andy Johnson, the company’s budget manager and Sol Green, the market analyst could not speak to one another also clearly depicts a communication flaw among the employees in the firm. Judy, who was the company’s vice president, is also depicted in the case study as being aggressive in her communication with other employees. There are several incidents mentioned in the case study that highlight the failure by a section of the company’s executives and employees to embrace change. For instance, Judy objected most of the proposed changes, arguing that they were either too expensive or that they had been suggested by incompetent individuals. Another incident was when Andy rejected suggestions that were made by Bill Smith, his assistant, on new approaches that could be used in the collation and analysis of daily sales printouts so as to make better sales forecasts. Even though there are several other issues that are faced by Casual Togs in its operations, three main issues have been outlined in this section. These include the decline in the company’s competitiveness, human resource issues and the resistance to change among a section of the company’s staff. Causes of the Problems The first problem about the company is the fact that it is losing its old customers, and more of its products are being returned as a result of either poor quality or late delivery to customers. For any business to effectively win over the loyalty of its target customers, it has to be dependable in terms of the products and services it delivers (Dervitsiotis, 2011). Prolonged incidences of poor quality products and services or inconsistencies tend to repel customers. As earlier mentioned, there is high competition on the apparel and fashion industry, which also increases the purchasing power of buyers. Failure of one company meet consumer expectations, regardless of how slightly the gap may be, will make even the loyal customers to switch brands (Talib et al., 2011). Late delivery of products to customers also denotes the incompetence of the department that is concerned with the delivery of the company’s products. Another issue that is affecting Casual Togs lies in the human resource management approaches. With reference to the case study presented, there is evidence of a lack of equal of opportunities for career advancement in the company. An example is Andy, who had worked with the company for 15 years without any promotion because was not related with the other managers and was also of a different nationality. According to Choi et al. (2012), one of the causes of employee turnover is the failure of organizations to provide all the employees with a chance to attain their ultimate career goals. The aggressive nature with which Judy addresses employees in the organization also intimidates the employees and lowers their self esteem. This has an adverse effect on the organizational commitment of employees and has and ultimately, affects their levels of productivity (Adler, 2013; Lutgen-Sandvik Tracy, 2012). The issue of rigidity and failure to embrace change has also contributed to the problems being faced by Casual Togs. One of the organizational aspects that have led to this is the fact that Cy, the company’s president gave all the departmental heads the freedom to make decisions that they considered to be fit for the organization. Whereas it can be argued as an approach that is relevant to the present-day business environment, it poses a challenge to decision making when rapid change are to be made because the opinions of every departmental supervisor have to be considered (Myers et al., 2012). These factors have affected the effectiveness with which Casual Togs adjusts in response to the changes in the market, leading to its dwindling performance. This shows the need for organizations to be flexible enough to maintain its relevance to the target markets (Dervitsiotis, 2011). This section has presented some of the main factors that have led to the existence of the issues that faced by Casual Togs. These include the failure of the company to adhere to quality in the design of its products and the failure to motivate employees, which adversely affects their levels of commitment. Several measures have to be put in place to ensure that the earlier mentioned issues have been overcome. Suggestions for changes to be implemented by Cy, Casual Togs’ President In regard to the issues that have been earlier identified, there are different approaches that ought to be used to change the current situation of the organization. With regard to the quality issues that have led to a loss of clients by the company and increased returns of goods, the direct measure that has to be taken is to ensure that the designers of the company’s apparel products pay attention to detail so as to enhance the quality of the products (Bhardwaj Fairhurst, 2010). There is also a need to intensify the quality management process to ensure that defective products are minimized (Rosenfeld, 2012). As presented in the case study, market research that is carried out mainly focuses in the levels of sales that should be expected in certain seasons. However, it is also vital for the organization to incorporate the on-going trends in fashion so as to effectively address customer needs (Witell et al., 2011). Human resources in any organization are among the most valuable assets, and have a key contribution towards its overall success. However, it is vital for organizations to motivate them so as to increase their productivity and organizational commitment (Bratton Gold, 2012). One of issues that are evident at Casual Togs is that employees from a certain nationality are more likely to be promoted than the other employees. In this regard, Cy, the company’s president, needs to ensure that an equality policy is implemented to provide all employees with an equal chance of promotion within the organizational ranks (Giuliano et al., 2011). This will not only motivate employees to work more, but will also attract talented job seekers. The management meetings that were held between managers and other departmental leaders within the organization were informal, marred with emotionally charged arguments, shouting and door slamming. This is a clear indication of the failure to recognize authority an order during these meetings. It is also quite unlikely that such meetings met the intended objectives. To avoid recurrence of such scenarios, the company’s president needs to change the way board meetings are held from informal to formal (Diefenbach Todnem, 2012). This will instil a sense of order, and will increase the possibilities of attaining the goals set to be met in the meetings. In the presented case, there is evidence of interference of departmental operations by managers or vice presidents of different departments. An individual from a different department could question an action carried out in another department that has no connection to his. Whereas there is need for cross-functional communication and cooperation within an organization (Hongjun Yajia, 2012), such interferences as those depicted at Casual Togs are destructive. To limit this, the company’s president needs to change the structure of the organization (Deb, 2009). Suggestions to prevent future issues at Casual Togs To prevent future problems from occurring at the organization, it is necessary for Casual Togs to ensure that it makes the necessary adjustments. These include structural changes, management practices and their response to changes taking place in the competitive environment. Suggestions for change are provided in further detail below. Management Practice There are a number of changes that ought to be made in the management practices of Casual Togs. The individual in management that raises concern in the case study is Judy, the vice president. Her aggression towards employees, as well as her interference with operations across all departments within the organization, has to be addressed. Given that she is among the majority shareholders in the company and related to the president, there is no possibility of sacking her from the position she holds. Instead, she needs to be encouraged to attend management seminars so as to improve her employee management approach (Bratton Gold, 2012). Rather than being autocratic in her management and aggressive in communicating with other employees in the organization, she needs to change and become a persuasive or democratic in her management and assertive in communication (Adler, 2013). In persuasive management, managers provide a clear explanation to their employees as to why they have made a certa in decision. In democratic management, employees are allowed to make suggestions in the decision making process, and the opinion with the highest votes is selected (Hill et al., 2014). By being assertive in communication, points or arguments are firmly put across to other employees, but respect is still maintained (Adler, 2013). Cy’s approach of management is too lenient to departmental heads within the organizations. This has also affected the way in which he handles suppliers, who often take advantage of his leniency to secure tenders even though they are supplying products at a higher price. Even though his consultative approach to management allows departmental heads to take part in decision making, there is still a need for him to exercise authority, especially when holding meetings with them (Diefenbach Sillince, 2012). Structural Change Before making a suggestion on the structural changes that ought to be implemented in the organization, it is vital to describe the organizational structure of Casual Togs as depicted in the case study. Based on the informal nature of meetings between departmental heads and the company’s president and the lack of a clear hierarchy of authority in the firm, it can be argued that the organizational structure of the company is adhocratic (Deb, 2009). Even though such a structure is ideal in encouraging creativity and innovation among employees and effectively adjusting with the changes in the market, it also has several demerits. These include a difficulty to solve routine problems that may arise in the organization, an unclear line of authority and high exposure of the organization to risk (Diefenbach Todnem, 2012). With reference to the case study, even though Judy is the vice president, she seems to have more authority that the company’s president, Cy. In this regard, the company needs to consider changing its structure to a more formal and well structured bureaucratic structure (Dervitsiotis, 2011). Even though such structures are known to limit innovation and creativity within the organization, it may be ideal for Casual Togs for a number of reasons. These include easing the decision making process, reduction of the exposure to risk and the acknowledgement of a certain structure of authority that has to be adhered to (Bratton Gold, 2012). Implementing such a structure is likely to eliminate the emotionally charged informal meetings’ scenarios and also the interference of individuals like Judy in all organizational departments. Responding to Changes in the Competitive Environment Based on the fact that the apparels industry is highly competitive and dynamic, it is also necessary for the company to be flexible enough and ready to implement changes that will maintain its relevance to the target markets (Rugman et al., 2012). One of the measures that have to be undertaken to attain this objective is to intensify market research and carry it out on a regular basis. This could be through seeking customer feedback or studying the changing trends through observation. Market research also involves studying the tactics or strategies that are being used by competing companies in the industry (Witell et al., 2011). It is through these market research efforts that the Casual Togs will be able to adjust its product designs and marketing strategies to fit the market preferences while at the same time ensuring that it effectively competes with other players in the market. Maintaining a competitive edge in the industry also depends on the skills that the company has in its human resource force (Dervitsiotis, 2011). It is important for Casual Togs to hire employees that are not only qualified, but also innovative enough to come up with designs that will be well accepted by the target markets. Innovation can also be nurtured among employees in the organization by utilizing appropriate motivational and reward strategies (Wright et al., 2012). Workers at Casual Togs also need to be informed on the inevitability of change in organizations, and why they should always be ready for it. By so doing, resistance to change among employees will be reduced. Some of the changes that may need to be implemented at Casual Togs include technological advancements in the production of its apparel and alteration of product designs to reflect the needs in the market (Myers et al., 2012). Conclusion and Recommendations Conclusion This report has presented a case study analysis of Casual Togs, a fashion business that mainly deals in the manufacture and distribution of women’s apparels. After two decades of operation, the company’s performance in the market dropped due because of a number of reasons, which have been highlighted in the report. One of these is the poor quality of products, which led to an increase in the volume of returned products. It also led to the withdrawal of many old customers. Another issue that has been identified is the failure to keep employees motivated enough to increase their organizational commitment. The causes of these issues at Casual Togs have also been presented in the paper, as well as some suggestions on how the president of the company can make the necessary changes to improve the situation at the company. Suggestions that have been provides comprise of management changes, structural changes and how the company can respond faster to changes and competition in the market. Further recommendations that can improve the company’s brand position are presented hereunder. Recommendations In order for the company to appeal to a wider market and increase its returns, it needs to consider expanding its product line. As opposed to the current products that only target ladies, Casual Togs can also consider introducing men’s and children’s clothes. As presented in the case, the products that the company distributes are mainly shorts, blouses and some knit dresses. Introduction of other female apparel like skirts, trench coats and pants can also be advantageous for the company. The case has also highlighted the high costs of production that the company incurs. Though some of these costs are inevitable, the company can reduce the overall costs by using appropriate lean production strategies, which are aimed to minimize the cost and maximize production. Some of the approaches that can be used include minimization or even elimination of errors in the design and production of products and standardization of work processes. In terms of human resource management, the company needs to ensure that it hires and strives to maintain talented and innovative employees that will contribute towards its progress in the market. Some of the approaches to motivation include offering them a reasonable remuneration and rewarding them for unique contribution. Given that the fashion industry is quite competitive, failure to motivate and retain skilled employees may tempt them to cross over and work for competitor companies, which may be detrimental for Casual Togs. References Adler, G., 2013. Management Communication. New Jersey: Prentice Hall. Bhardwaj, V. Fairhurst, A., 2010. Fast fashion: response to changes in the fashion industry. The International Review of Retail, Distribution and Consumer Research, 20(1), pp.165-73. Bratton, J. Gold, J., 2012. Human Resource Management: Theory and Practice (5th edition). London: Palgrave. Carter, M.Z., Armenakis, A.A., Feild, H.S. Mossholder, K.W., 2013. Transformational leadership, relationship quality, and employee performance during continuous incremental organizational change. Journal of Organizational Behavior, 34(7), pp.942-58. Choi, S., Cheong, K.K. Feinberg, R.A., 2012. Moderating effects of supervisor support, monetary rewards, and career paths on the relationship between job burnout and turnover intentions in the context of call centers. Managing Service Quality, 22(5), pp.492-516. Deb, T., 2009. Managing Human Resource And Industrial Relations. Excel Books. Dervitsiotis, K.N., 2011. The challenge of adaptation through innovation based on the quality of the innovation process. Total Quality Management Business Excellence, 22(5), pp.553-66. Diefenbach, T. Sillince, J.A., 2012. Crossing of Boundaries–Subordinates’ Challenges to Organisational Hierarchy. Research in the Sociology of Organizations, 35, pp.171-201. Diefenbach, T. Todnem, R., 2012. Reinventing Hierarchy and Bureaucracy: From the Bureau to Network Organizations. Bingley: Emerald Group Publishing. Giuliano, L., Levine, D.I. Leonard, J., 2011. Racial Bias in the Manager-Employee Relationship An Analysis of Quits, Dismissals, and Promotions at a Large Retail Firm. Journal of Human Resources, 46(1), pp.26-52. Hill, C., Jones, G?. Schilling, ?M., 2014. Strategic Management: Theory: An Integrated Approach. Mason: Cengage Learning. Hongjun, L. Yajia, G., 2012. Study on Chain Companies Human Resources Management. Information and Business Intelligence, 267, pp.227-32. Lutgen-Sandvik, P. Tracy, S.J., 2012. Answering Five Key Questions About Workplace Bullying How Communication Scholarship Provides Thought Leadership for Transforming Abuse at Work. Management Communication Quarterly, 26(1), pp.3-47. Myers, P., Hulks, S. Wiggins, L., 2012. Organizational Change: Perspectives on Theory and Practice. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Rosenfeld, S.A., 2012. Competitive Manufacturing: New Strategies for Regional Development. New Jersey: Transaction Publishers. Rugman, A.M., Oh, C.H. Lim, D.S., 2012. The regional and global competitiveness of multinational firms. Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, 40(2), pp.218-35. Talib, F., Rahman, Z. Qureshi, M., 2011. A study of total quality management and supply chain management practices. International Journal of Productivity and Performance Management, 60(3), pp.268-88. Witell, L., Kristensson, P., Gustafsson, A. Lofgren, M., 2011. Idea generation: customer co-creation versus traditional market research techniques. Journal of Service Management, 22(2), pp.140-59. Wright, B.E., Moynihan, D.P. Pandey, S.K., 2012. Pulling the Levers: Transformational Leadership, Public Service, Motivation, and Mission Valence. Public Administration Review, 72(2), p.206–215.

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Cultural Differences and Justice - Essay Example From a social science perspective, the term refers to an individual's subjective perceptions of whether or not he/she is treated fairly (Markovsky, 1985 in Mueller and Mulinge, 2002). It is likewise important to consider that justice pertains to the application of a normative rule to the allocation of resources to recipients (ibid). It is important to examine these subjective perceptions of justice and injustice since individuals' understanding affects their attitudes and perceptions of the subject. Since cultural differences may alter a group's perception on what is just and what is not, it then implies that people's actions and approaches to these actions on the given subject also vary. The perception and understanding of justice is different in various nations and cultures, thus there is a need to focus on cultural differences when attempting to understand how a particular group views this concept. It must be noted that the concept of justice has not only emerged from levels of individual issues but also from levels of group or collective issues (Hayashi and Sekiguchi, 2006, p. 207). This is where the importance of how a group perceives the concept of justice and injustice takes place. It is from this multi-level perception that this paper considers describing how cultural differences alter understanding of injustice and approaches to justice. Collective justice perception is tended to be viewed to have associations with group-oriented cultures such as India. It connotes whether a group as a whole is treated fairly within the organisation and how such understanding of justice alters their view of said treatment (Hayashi and Sekiguchi, 2006, p. 207). In India, it may be inferred that religion is a factor that alters people's understanding of injustice and approaches to justice, accounting for a cultural difference between its people and the rest of the world. As a starting off, it is important to mention that the Indian culture and its general economic structure are heavily founded on religion and there is a need to understand the system of worship as well as the central concept of reincarnation governing people's lives. The cultural differences of the Indian people in terms of understanding justice and injustice lie on the understanding of various connections between Hinduism and general Indian culture, which includes history with an underlying caste system that has thrived for several centuries. The Indian caste system governs the social system in India, directly linking religious beliefs and social segregation into status groups, thereby creating divisions. Weber notes the prevention of the development of urban status groups by this caste system (Dumont and Gulati, 1980). He analysed how the aspect of traditionalism of the caste system is supported by religion and posits that the economic development of India is slowed as the "spirit" of

Technology works on artworks Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Technology works on artworks - Research Paper Example This essay seeks to shed light on some of the artworks done by Andison, an artist of Canadian origin. Through these, together with the themes therein, it will be discovered that text, as a form of art, is not exactly or entirely what Plato Socrates made it look like. Art as we all know is a piece of creative representation of thoughts and ideas either in form of text or images, with the intention of communicating something to the viewers. According to Plato’s Socrates, art is inhuman, artificial and very much away from reality art. This includes text. On the other hand when we study the works of Andison, it’s trying to counter the theory of Plato. It is showing the flexibility and how human and real art is. Basing our arguments on the contrast brought out by Andison about the opinion of Plato, we can have different opinions as well about the reality of art. It is so clear from an artist point of view that what matters the most is how the work of art is interpreted considering each detail of the information given either through texts or any other artistic work. In the heartbreak scrabble game, Andison is trying to bring out the fact that art is flexible contrary to Plato who thinks that any written word or piece text is rigid. It is showing how one can derive many words from the word heartbreak. By sliding the tiles of this scrabble we see the freedom which comes along with art inform of a text. She is also using a text to prove that text is not dead, this is shown by how imaginary one becomes on sliding the tiles of the scrabble. This means that a single text can grow. This is also clearly brought out by the piece showing a woman in a flower garden. It is through this that we can derive different meanings and of what the artist is communicating. It brings different imaginations and different feelings on viewing it. From the word game, â€Å"heartbreaking†, it can also be seen that art is human, contrary to

Shanghai-Hong Kong Stock Connect Literature review

Shanghai-Hong Kong Stock Connect - Literature review Example All the trading activities are limited to the utilization of RMB as the standard currency. This investment channel has opened up new markets which have not been available to international investors operating in Hong Kong. This channel has expanded the access to investment options which are available to different investors within China. International investors in Hong Kong can be able to access and purchase shares listed in the mainland stock market while operating from their location (Sekine 2014). All these transactions will be facilitated through local stock brokers and agents within the different locations. Previously, the investors within the different regions could only access stock within their market and had to be registered in either Hong Kong or Chinese markets to be able to conduct trade there. Despite the development of a joint stock market investment opportunity which presents significant benefits to trader, there are various restrictions in the trading activities which investors can pursue. These restrictions have occurred as a result of the regulation available within the market. There is need for regulation to be implemented in seeking to ensure there is market control in how trading is conducted. The channel has created formula for defining the eligible investors who will be allowed to conduct trade within the channel that is being developed. Investors from Hong Kong and international investors are allowed to access all types of eligible stocks within the shanghai stock market. This will nevertheless not be the circumstance for investors listed in the shanghai stock exchange. The investors from shanghai who can trade in shares within Hong Kong are only institutional investors and individuals who have RMB 500,000 of investment or cash. Only ‘A’ shares from the Shanghai market are included within the eligible shares which can be traded in the channel. Certain constituent stocks of these ‘A’ shares are also accessible to Hong

Rhetorical Crtique Essay Example for Free

Rhetorical Crtique Essay On this rhetorical critique, I will be talking about the driving community of the state of Florida. As we all know, Florida is infamous for its terrible accidents. John Couwels and Vivian Kuo, journalists for CNN, prepared an article about the multi-car crash that occurred on January 29th,2012, where 11 people were killed and 46 others were injured. I chose this article because car accidents are a daily event in the state of Florida. However, the roads are spacious and for the most part, well designed. Florida drivers are being held accountable for the wreck due to their lack of safety precautions used while driving through a high fog/smoke area, caused by a nearby forest fire. This article is great for a project proposal; it addresses the drivers bad decision making when faced with cautious situations. The article named â€Å"Florida Highway Patrol: Some drivers didnt slow before crashes†, explains that the Florida Highway Patrol prepared a traffic report holding the drivers of the crash, responsible for their actions by continuing to drive without headlights or warning signals, and without slowing down. The highway patrol quadrupled their staff on the road, and reported that conditions were clear enough to drive. Barely half an hour later, a car crash involving 25 vehicles closes the I-75 by gainesville. According to the report, drivers did not take the proper precautions assigned after fog and smoke warnings were placed on the road, causing more vehicles to smash into accidents that did not have enough time to be cleared from the road. This article informs us really well of a community problem. The authors use quotes from people who attended the scene giving a sense of complete reasoning or â€Å"truth† over emotion. The article continues by saying that the highway patrol has already accepted different measures and policies to promote a more secure Florida through professional law enforcement and traffic safety awareness. The specific type of writing is quoted when witnesses or police officials are interviewed. The writing that is used in the article is useful for making the reader visualize the event through a witness eyes.

The Role of RNA Polymerase and the Death Cap Mushroom Essay Example for Free

The Role of RNA Polymerase and the Death Cap Mushroom Essay Being a health care worker, the role of how substances affect the body are always fascinating and intriguing. The role of the Death Cap Mushroom, which is appropriately named, is one that is simple but can have fatal implications. In Britain, the Death Cap Mushroom is attributed to 75% of all fatalities that are caused by ingesting mushrooms (Kibby, 2006). These are deaths that are certainly avoidable, but yet continue to happen. The Death Cap Mushroom scientific name is the Amanita phallodes. When it is ingested, it causes a deadly reaction in the human body. The major toxin mechanism is the inhibition of RNA polymerase II in DNA reproduction. The reason this becomes deadly is that this is a vital enzyme in the synthesis of the messenger RNA and without it, protein synthesis cannot happen and new cell production ceases. (Karlson-Stiber C, Persson, H (2003). When the human body is no longer able to recreate the template for new cell reproduction, the old cells die and new ones can no longer be reproduced and this quickly causes system failure in the body and the organs begin to fail rapidly. Due to the onset of symptoms taking between 12 and 30 hours to be visible, the damage has already taken place and is irreparable and can quickly lead to death. (Elpel, T (2011). The two vital organs that are affected first are usually the liver and the kidneys. This can quickly become a life threatening process. Although there is no cure for the toxicity, it has been treated with large doses of penicillin and Vitamin C, but there this is not a proven treatment and the only prevention of the ingestion of these mushrooms is safe. In most cases, if the person actually survives, a liver transplant would be needed to allow the person to live. Education on how deadly ingesting the Death Cap mushroom is sorely needed to prevent the unnecessary deaths that it causes each year. References 1.Kibby, Guide to mushrooms of Britain and Europe, Octopus Publishing, (2006) 2.Karlson-Striber C, Persson, H, (2003)Cyto toxic fungi overview-Toxic 3.Elpel, T (2011) Amanitaeac: The Deadly Amanita Family

Objective Of The Value Management Construction Essay

Objective Of The Value Management Construction Essay The initial massage from the city authorities is to have the new-build modern local government administrative headquarters consist with high quality specification, to replace the old aged located government in various locations. Their investment is to integrate the public sector department to increase efficient administration. The aim of the VM study of the new project is to achieve the concept of the value for money aspect. Which is mean the stakeholder need and the objective in clearly identify. OBJECTIVE of the VALUE MANAGEMENT Value Management (VM) is a service that maximises the functional value of a project by managing its development from concept to occupancy through the audit of all decisions against a value system determined by the client. VM consist of the combined application of value methodologies and other methodologies at organisational level (from strategic to operational) in order to improve organisational effectiveness (G.Moris Pinto). Value methodologies included the process, tool and techniques from the Value analysis (VA). VA is aimed at the organised approach to the identification and elimination of unnecessary cost (J. Kelly S.Male), The value methodologies include the concept of function, which is the basic need or must in term of preference, the concept of cross functional teamwork which is based on a multidisplinary team approach in the environment of workshop to enable a broad view and an increased knowledge of situation and the concept of a structured process, which is based on creative thinking, in the vertical or lateral thinking to approach solution or solving the problem. VM Strategic Briefing Study A VM in the strategic level is least appropriate given information and unclear basic need of the construction project at this stage. The client is clearly exposed to the high risk and danger of unclear objective. The critical mission here is to define the project function and make it clear, simple and understandable sentence to satisfy the clients objective has yet to be confirmed. The VM at this stage is to analyse the initial information available and fully aware of the problem which may occur at surround the project and to develop the project objective that formally authorises a project and the strategic fit with the corporate aim of the client organisation. The strategic planning in stage is comprises with three processes, in the stage one: Orientation and diagnostic phase and the stage two: workshop phase. The final stage is the implementation phase. Pre- Workshop Study Orientation and Diagnostic phase In initial phase is planning to discover the information and documents of the project that may use at the workshop phase. The value manage will meet the commissioning client, project sponsor and key stakeholder to conducting interview, briefing the value process and the reviewing documents. Throughout the document analysis, the agenda of the workshop will be developed. Identify the key stakeholder by interview is the first approach to define the need and expectation of the key stakeholder, to understand the organisational structures and corporate culture that is crucial for the preparation of agenda at the workshop. Throughout the documents analysis, general information will discover like the existing size of the organisation, the location of project, the existing drawing of the project to review if there any constraint of the underground services, if possible take a site condition survey and record the surround the project environment that will help for the understanding the risk that may impact the project. Refer to quick review the cost estimation, the construction estimated budget of 25 million which is mean the GBP 2000/m2, reference from the Spons prices book 2008, cost modal for a high quality City office in the central of London was GBP 2004.45 sqm (not include fit-out) in the year 2004, the estimation budget is meet the average satisfactory level. However the construction in the city is exposed in high risks and uncertainty such as the construction difficult, compensation for the use of title, delay on the site acquisition, and preservation of culture heritage building, volatility of the interest, exchange rate and prices escalating that may cause the budget over run and put the project in to the high risk. And to deliver the effective high accuracy cost estimation is require a substantial amount of time, cost and labour intensive. It is highly recommended for Private Finance Initiative (PFI) procurement route as it is preferred Government Construction Strategy. PFI is mean the p rivate sector invest in the workforce to provide a service to the public sector, including capability and facilities, rather than the public sector acquiring the necessary assets itself through a traditional procurement process (C. Dale G. Stephen), there way of arrangement also is budgetary benefit for the government. Selection of Cross Functional Teamwork Member The team member is greater in number at the strategic stage to generate idea or thinking and smaller when the technical detail of the project is being involved, the initial size of team tends to be large as 18-20. The client build team member composition should be selected from the multidiscipline to provide input relevant at the strategic stage. They should be architect, accountant, engineer, operator and maintenance. The involving with the design team is highly recommended at the initial stage. That design team can be proactive identifying a batter way of proceeding throughout the project largely lost. The weakness of the independent review team overseeing the work of design team, there are totally independent, no preconceived ideas contributed during the workshop. There can be only a reactive or as audit team. The tool of the selection of is recommended to be taken by the ACID test (refer appendix A). There are several factor need to take into account during the selection of the team members. To avoid multiple representations from one discipline. To prevent argument in favour of the multiple represented organisation. To provide the hierarchical mix within the team, the mix in team is generate creative comprehensive thinking which is reflect from difference level rather than being control by few senior. To understand the relationship between team member. The completeness of team member need to be further with the client any apparently missing members. Proposed Agenda for the VM Study to Focus The main agenda of the local government is seeking for a new government office in the city centre for integrated all local government in the single location, to perform all function of local government administrative in the sustainable and high quality building that fulfil the socio-economic, recreational and spiritual of the residents and employees. The figure 1.1 indicates the job plan and the sequential of the activity in the process of value management. Figure 1.1 the value management Benchmarked Brainstorming Brainstorming is a group of participants gathering idea. All ideas are recorded and none are discarded under the prioritisation exercise. The session duration is taken about thirty minute to an hour that produce ideas may resemble science fiction. Client Value System The Client Value System is to focus the client business to explore the place of structured value criteria within an existing quality environment. A client value system diagram will construct by the view of the client and decide the value criteria by the client. After complete the matrix diagram, the ranked value criteria in order that represented the satisfactory client value criteria. Time Cost and Quality Draw a triangle with the time, cost and quality at each angle. A dot placed within a triangle that describes the relative important of time, cost or quality in relation to the project as the team consensus. Timeline Timeline is a focusing technique or a simple milestone used to show duration of the project that will happen. The aim is to sensitising the team to the critical anticipated dates. Function analysis system technique The FAST is a method that helps to describe and to interpret complex system. Starting by a principal function that will be decomposed to component functions, further decomposed to element function. The objective at the strategic stage is to lay the foundation for the solution to the problems that offers the best value for money. FAST is the closing techniques that lead to the primary objective after the issue analysis. Expected Output of the VM Study After the event of the workshop, the anticipate deliver of the VM study will be robust business case with the project mission statement for the purpose of the project that clearly define the scope and the capital expenditure budget with the cashflow constrains and the whole life cost of the building. A high level risk has been registered that the project possible to process for the next project briefing study. Simple programmes include the phases of the project and organisational structures for the project delivery with the initial procurement strategy plan. Recommendation of the follow-up VM Study Project briefing study VM Concept design study VE / RM Final sketch / Scheme design workshops VE / RM Operation work shop. VE / RM Fig Value Opportunity mapped out on a modified RIBA plan of work. Source : Male et. Al (1998) The Value Management Benchmark Despite of the value study, the OGMs Achieving Excellence in Construction Framework for Construction Procurement shell keep reviews in its gateway at all the relevant stages of the project. Project team should regularly measure the effeteness of the process and outcome. Conclusion In generally the form of the modern building should in the characteristic by: The concept of sustainable building, which is refers the structure and process using is environmental responsible resource efficient throughout a building life cycle. The concept of simplicity and clarity of forms eliminates of unnecessary detail, which is focus on efficient and waste reduction. Form follow function that the finish building design should derive directly for its purpose. VM study should consider the whole life value generated to the business and community and not simply focus on minimising initial capital cost. Does the building deliver social and economic benefit for the surround community? Is the building design and construction of high quality, including detailing?

Shakespeares Hamlet - Comparison of Gertrude and Ophelia Essay

Hamlet -- Comparison of Gertrude and Ophelia      Ã‚  Ã‚   Gertrude and Ophelia occupy the leading roles for females in the Shakespearean drama Hamlet. As women they share many things in common: attitudes from others, shallow or simple minds and outlooks, etc. This essay will delve into what they have in common. The protagonist’s negative attitude toward both women is an obvious starting point. John Dover Wilson explains in What Happens in Hamlet how the prince holds both of the women in disgust: The difficulty is not that, having once loved Ophelia, Hamlet ceases to do so. This is explained, as most critics have agreed, by his mother’s conduct which has put   him quite out of love with Love and has poisoned his whole imagination. The exclamation â€Å"Frailty thy name is woman!† in the first soliloquy, we come to feel later, embraces Ophelia as well as Gertrude, while in the bedroom scene he as good as taxes his mother with destroying his capacity for affection, when he accuses her of such an act That blurs the grace and blush of modesty, Calls virtue hypocrite, takes off the rose From the fir forehead of an innocent love And sets a blister there. Moreover, it is clear that in the tirades of the nunnery scene he is thinking almost as much of his mother as of Ophelia. (101) Other critics agree that both women are recipients of Hamlet’s ill-will. In the Introduction to Twentieth Century Interpretations of Hamlet, David Bevington enlightens the reader regarding the similarities between Gertrude and Ophelia as the hero sees them: Yet to Hamlet, Ophelia is no better than another Gertrude: both are tender of heart but submissive to the will of importunate men, and so are forced into uncharacteristic vi... ... â€Å"An Approach to Hamlet.† Twentieth Century Interpretations of Hamlet. Ed. David Bevington. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall, Inc., 1968. Rpt. from An Approach to Hamlet. Stanford, CT: Stanford University Press, 1961. Pennington, Michael. â€Å"Ophelia: Madness Her Only Safe Haven.† Readings on Hamlet. Ed. Don Nardo. San Diego: Greenhaven Press, 1999. Rpt. from â€Å"Hamlet†: A User’s Guide. New York: Limelight Editions, 1996. Pitt, Angela. â€Å"Women in Shakespeare’s Tragedies.† Readings on The Tragedies. Ed. Clarice Swisher. San Diego: Greenhaven Press, 1996. Excerpted from Shakespeare’s Women. N.p.: n.p., 1981. Shakespeare, William. The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark. Massachusetts Institute of Technology. 1995. http://www.chemicool.com/Shakespeare/hamlet/full.html Wilson, John Dover. What Happens in Hamlet. New York: Cambridge University Press, 1999.

Burden: The Name Says it All in Faulkners Light in August :: Light August Essays

Burden: The Name Says it All in Light in August  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚      Expecting parents put so much thought, time, and energy into the choosing of a name for their baby. They turn to family trees and dictionaries of names to help in their important decision. In many ways, a child's name can determine who they will become and what kind of person they will be. Then there is the last name. It's automatic; no one has a choice in it. The last name perhaps has more of an impact on determining who a person will become, because the last name carries generations of ideals, memories, and pride. William Faulkner chose very significant last names for the characters in the novel Light in August (1932). Light in August is a story about Joe Christmas, a man shunned from society because of his possible black heritage. The novel describes parts of his youth with a very strict and religious adopted family, his struggle with himself, and his life in Jefferson, Mississippi. There he becomes involved with and eventually murders Joanna Burden, a so-called "nigger lover." Jo anna is a very odd woman with a rather unusual past. Her last name represents generations of self-imposed struggle and despair. Faulkner gave her and her family the last name of Burden to further illustrate, explain, and characterize Joanna and her nature. Joanna is first mentioned in Chapter Two by a townsman-type narrator as, "a woman of middleage. She has lived in the house since she was born, yet she is still a stranger, a foreigner whose people moved in from the North during Reconstruction. A Yankee, a lover of negroes, about whom in the town there is still talk of queer relations with negroes in the town" (33). It is clearly evident that Joanna Burden has no sense of community with the townsmen, nor they with her. In fact, in regards to the fire at her home, one man says, "My pappy says he can remember how fifty years ago folks said it ought to be burned, and with a little human fat meat to start it good" (35). Furthermore, another character elaborates by saying, "They say she is still mixed up with niggers. Visits them when they are sick, like they was white. . . . Folks say she claims that niggers are the same as white folks. That's why folks dont never go out there" (38).