Organizational Culture Compared - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 5 Words: 1443 Downloads: 9 Date added: 2017/09/12 Category Advertising Essay Did you like this example? Organizational Culture Compared MANAGEMENT 5590 Organizational culture is an idea in the field of Organizational studies and management which describes the psychology, attitudes, experiences, beliefs and values (personal and cultural values) of an organization. It has been defined as the specific collection of values and norms that are shared by people and groups in an organization and that control the way they interact with each other and with stakeholders outside the organization. (Hill and Jones, 2001) This definition continues to explain organizational values, also known as beliefs and ideas about what kinds of goals members of an organization should pursue and ideas about the appropriate kinds or standards of behavior organizational members should use to achieve these goals. Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "Organizational Culture Compared" essay for you Create order From organizational values develop organizational norms, guidelines, or expectations that prescribe appropriate kinds of behavior by employees in particular situations and control the behavior of organizational members towards one another. (Hill and Jones, 2001) Organizational culture is not the same as corporate culture. It is wider and deeper concepts, something that an organization is rather than what it has. Corporate culture is the total sum of the values, customs, traditions, and meanings that make a company unique. Corporate culture is often called the character of an organization, since it embodies the vision of the company’s founders. The values of a corporate culture influence the ethical standards within a corporation, as well as managerial behavior. Montana and Charnov, 2008) To understand organizational culture, it is imperative to first understand culture. Culture can be defined as â€Å"the beliefs, customs, practices, and social behavior of a particular nation or people; a particular set of attitudes that characterizes a group of people; or a group of people whose shared beliefs and practices identify the particular place, class or time to which they belong† (Encarta). Secondly, one must value the meaning of culture in the work place in order to comprehend its advantages. The ability to interact effectively with members of other cultures often translates into financial gain, increased employment, and better advancement prospects† (Devito 26). The next step in understanding organizational culture is to know the exact definition. Edgar Schein defines it as:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   A pattern of shared basic assumptions that the group learned as it solved its problems of external adaptation and internal integration, which has worked well enough to be considered valid and, therefore, to be taught to new members as the correct way you perceive, think, and feel in relation to those problems (Nellen). Schein describes the culture of an organization as consisting of three levels. â€Å"At the fundamental level are the core beliefs and assumptions that members of a culture see as truth† (Cheney, et. al 78). Under this level are the ideas that the system is run by the â€Å"invisible hand,† that it is necessary for the system to grow, and that workers must be supervised. The second level consists of values and behavioral norms. In this section the organization beings to recognize its involvement in the culture; it becomes aware of its culture. Artifacts are the third level of organizational culture. Artifacts are the portion of the organization that involves the five senses. They are visible and tangible. An example of a culture’s artifact is its building or the dress code. Deal and Kennedy defined organizational culture as the way things get done around here. They measured organizations in respect of: * Feedback quick feedback means an instant response. This could be in monetary terms, but could also be seen in other ways, such as the impact of a great save in a soccer match. * Risk represents the degree of uncertainty in the organization’s activities. Using these parameters, they were able to suggest four classifications of organizational culture: * The Tough-Guy Macho Culture. Feedback is quick and the rewards are high. This often applies to fast moving financial activities such as brokerage, but could also apply to a police force, or athletes competing in team sports. This can be a very stressful culture in which to operate. * The Work Hard/Play Hard Culture is characterized by few risks being taken, all with rapid feedback. This is typical in large organizations, which strive for high quality customer ervice. It is often characterized by team meetings, jargon and buzzwords. * The Bet your Company Culture, where big stakes decisions are taken, but it may be years before the results are known. Typically, these might involve development or exploration projects, which take years to come to fruition, such as oil prospecting or military aviation. * The Process Culture occurs in organizations where there is little or no feedback. Peop le become bogged down with how things are done not with what is to be achieved. This is often associated with bureaucracies. While it is easy to criticize these cultures for being overly cautious or bogged down in red tape, they do produce consistent results, which are ideal in, for example, public services. Charles Handy (1985) popularized the 1972 work of Roger Harrison of looking at culture which some scholars have used to link organizational structure to organizational culture. He describes Harrisons four types thus: * a Power Culture which concentrates power among a few. Control radiates from the center like a web. Power and influence spread out from a central figure or group. Power desires from the top person and personal relationships with that individual matters more than any formal title of position. Power Cultures have few rules and little bureaucracy; swift decisions can ensue. * In a Role Culture, people have clearly delegated authorities within a highly defined structure. Typically, these organizations form hierarchical bureaucracies. Power derives from a persons position and little scope exists for expert power. Controlled by procedures, roles descriptions and authority definitions. Predictable and consistent systems and procedures are highly valued. By contrast, in a Task Culture, teams are formed to solve particular problems. Power derives from expertise as long as a team requires expertise. These cultures often feature the multiple reporting lines of a matrix structure. It is all a small team approach, who are highly skilled and specialist in their own markets of experience. * A Person Culture exists where all individuals believe themselves sup erior to the organization. Survival can become difficult for such organizations, since the concept of an organization suggests that a group of like-minded individuals pursue the organizational goals. Some professional partnerships can operate as person cultures, because each partner brings a particular expertise and clientele to the firm. Writers from Critical management studies have tended to express skepticism about the functionalist and unitary views of culture put forward by mainstream management thinkers. While not necessarily denying that organizations are cultural phenomena, they would stress the ways in which cultural assumptions can stifle dissent and reproduce management propaganda and ideology. After all, it would be naive to believe that a single culture exists in all organizations, or that cultural engineering will reflect the interests of all stakeholders within an organization. In any case, Parker has suggested that many of the assumptions of those putting forward theories of organizational culture are not new. They reflect a long-standing tension between cultural and structural (or informal and formal) versions of what organizations are. Further, it is perfectly reasonable to suggest that complex organizations might have many cultures, and that such sub-cultures might overlap and contradict each other. The neat typologies of cultural forms found in textbooks rarely acknowledge such complexities, or the various economic contradictions that exist in capitalist organizations. One of the strongest and widely recognized criticisms of theories that attempt to categorize or pigeonhole organizational culture is that put forward by Linda Smircich. She uses the metaphor of a plant root to represent culture, describing that it drives organizations rather than vice versa. Organizations are the product of organizational culture, we are unaware of ho it shapes behavior and interaction (also recognized through Scheins (2002) underlying assumptions) and so how can we categorize it and define what it is? Bibliography Charles W. L. Hill, and Gareth R. Jones, (2001) Strategic Management. Houghton Mifflin. Montana, P. , and Charnov, B. (2008) Management (4th ed. ), Barrons Educational Series, Hauppauge:NY Cheney, George, et. al. Organizational Communication in an Age of Globalization: Issues, Reflecti ons, Practices. Waveland Press, INC. Long Grove, Illinois. 2004. Devito, Joseph A. Messages: Building Interpersonal Communication Skills. Pearson Education, INC. Boston. 2005. Encarta World English Dictionary (2005). ‘Culture. ’ MSN Encarta. Online. WWWhttps://ca. encarta. msn. com/dictionary_/culture. html. Nellen, Ted. ‘Organizational Culture Leadership. ’Edgar Schein. Online. WWWhttps://www. tnellen. com/ted/tc/schein. html. Deal T. E. and Kennedy, A. A. (1982) Corporate Cultures: The Rites and Rituals of Corporate Life, Harmondsworth, Penguin Books. Handy, C. B. (1985) Understanding Organizations, 3rd Edn, Harmondsworth, Penguin Books. Parker, M. (2000) Organizational Culture and Identity, London: Sage.

Alcohol At Sporting Events And Alcohol - 2088 Words

In today’s society, sporting events and alcohol are intertwined. Social drinking has always been a part of the sporting spectrum, whether at a tailgate party, sports bar, professional stadium or arena, and even at home. Collegiate sporting events are no exception to this popular pastime. However, alcohol is not available at every NCAA sporting event. According to Mitchell (2015), only 25% of FBS colleges allow the sale of alcohol at sporting events. Obviously, the main concern for not allowing alcohol at sporting events is the risk of underage drinking, binge drinking, and rowdiness among students and fans. Despite this setback, many colleges are allowing the sales of alcohol in order to decrease the economic burden many colleges are facing. Several colleges such as the University of Maryland and the University of Memphis have recently started implementing the sales of alcohol for this reason. Not only is sales the main revenue stream for selling alcohol, but also sponsorship from the alcohol companies themselves. The idea of extra revenue may sound great for many collegiate athletic departments, but there are legal risks to take into full consideration. In a hypothetical situation where Dr. Mark Emmert resigns as president of the NCAA, the first priority that should be implemented by the new president should be the acceptance of alcohol sales at collegiate sporting events, specifically championship events. When looking at the NCAA as a whole, the biggest setback that mostShow MoreRelatedShould Alcohol Be Allowed At College Sporting Event Venues?975 Words   |  4 PagesResolution: Alcohol should not be allowed at college sporting event venues to help control spectator/fan behavior. Side: No, alcohol should be allowed at college sporting event venues. I. Introductory statement: The debate if alcohol should be allowed at college sports venues can be very intense. Many fans that go to these events want to enjoy a cold beverage and should not be restricted to enjoying that beverage just because they are at a college sporting event. According to ESPN.com news servicesRead MoreThe Impact of Alcohol Sponsorship of Sporting Events on Consumption of Alcohol Amongst High School Students: a Research Proposal2213 Words   |  9 PagesResearch Problem This research project is designed to determine the effects on the perceptions of alcohol amongst Australian high school students caused by alcohol sponsorship of sporting teams and events. Aims The aims of this research are to determine: †¢ How young Australians perceive alcohol and what effects sport sponsorship has on these perceptions †¢ Attitudes towards alcohol consumption and how these are effected by sport sponsorship Significance While research has been conductedRead MoreEssay on Kill the Buzz1250 Words   |  5 Pagesthe midst of the biggest rivalry in sports? 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These two make up about half of the sponsorship in professionalRead MoreThe Effects Of Alcoholism On The World Health Organization1447 Words   |  6 PagesIntroduction People in Australia are among the most prolific alcohol drinkers in the world according to the World Health Organisation’s report published in 2014. Australians over the age of 15 drink in average of 12.2 litres per capita per year which puts us at quite at a high level by world standards, even more than the Britons (11.6 litres) and the Americans (9.2 litres) respectively. Australians take pride in its drinking culture reputation and accept it as a social norm; not acknowledging theRead More3 Different Types of Sports Fans841 Words   |  4 PagesEverybody enjoys going to a sporting event. Whether the sporting event is Football, Baseball, Basketball, or even Hockey. Sporting events bring excitement to all of us, thinking that our team will win. If our team wins, we usually go home happy. Then if our team goes home losing, we get upset or sad inside. Anyways, we will always cheer for our team no matter what especially at the game. There are always those fans though that bugs people to death. Anytime at a sporting event, we see arguing, biasedRead MoreThe Effects Of Alcohol Poisoning On Australia1635 Words   |  7 Pageseffects of alcohol poisoning. Describing what it is, why the report is required and a specific high risk group – young Australians ages 18-24. The benefit of this report will outline the main dangers of alcohol poisoning and why it’s a big problem in Australia. Alcohol poisoning in Western Australia alcohol caused 2.85% of total health problems for Australia, Costing the medical industry in Western Australia $379,689,476.83. This includes all the problems associated with alcohol and alcohol poisoningRead MoreReport: Australian Stereotypical Contradictions Essay1617 Words   |  7 PagesAustralian government is â€Å"spending tens of millions of dollars promoting Australia using these various campaigns and on top of that Australia has got Crocodile Dundee-type films that have done well overseas† (Munro, 2010). Even more recently in the event of arguably Australia’s most famous export, Steve Irwin’s funeral where his Ute was loaded up with his croc hunting gear and driven out of the arena his funeral was held in (Bryant, 2009). According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics eighty nineRead MoreHealthy Abstainer963 Words   |  4 PagesLinda I choose to live healthy lifestyle by staying away from alcohol. The reason that I decide not to drink is because my friend got really drunk, almost to the point of alcohol poisoning, and I told myself that I would never drink based on her actions. Another reason that I do not drink is because I saw this girl who was drinking and fell flat on her face, and I called the police because her friend was too scared to do it because they were underage and thought that they would get in troubleRead MoreCauses of Spectator Violence in Sports1604 Words   |  7 PagesSports Safety and Security, â€Å"there are six event characteristics associated with spectator violence, including alcohol intoxication and availability, crowd demographics, event significance, performance quality, crowding, and performer behavior during duration of the event†(18). In order to come with a solution to spectator violence, it is important to identify the causes of these altercations. The most common cause of spectator violence in sports is alcohol intoxication. Everywhere you look in a

Ottoman and Safavid Free Essays

In the late Islamic period (16th -18th), perhaps even more so than in preceding periods, art was an instrument of dynastic expression in this great age of empires. Spurred by royal patronage, the arts flourished under the Ottomans and Safavids. Ottoman art was a vibrant synthesis of Turkish and Persian-Islamic, Byzantine, and Mediterranean culture and styles through conquest, through direct invitation of artisans, or through the migration of peoples. We will write a custom essay sample on Ottoman and Safavid or any similar topic only for you Order Now The Ottoman Turks were renowned for their architecture, as well as for their traditions of calligraphy and miniature painting. They were also renowned for their decorative arts including carpet weaving, jewelry making, paper marbling, and their characteristic Iznik ware ceramics. The Ottomans promoted themselves as the defenders of Islam, and this explains why their public art includes a rich variety of ornamental designs but no human figures. Plant- and flower-based patterns were the most common. Observing Iznik ceramics, a superficial abstraction is dominant in the naturalistic plant designs. Besides, around 16th century Ottoman Miniature Art reached its peak. The Miniatures and illuminated manuscripts were created largely for the emperors, with their focus mostly on the important and powerful figures in their retinues. A unique feature of Ottoman Miniature was that it depicted the actual events realistically, while also keeping the abstract formal expressive touch of the traditional Islamic Art. The Safavid style developed in Iran from 1500, when the country was re-united under the dynasty of this name. Unlike their Ottoman neighbors, the Safavids had no qualms about depicting human beings in all forms of art. These figures became an unusually prominent feature of the Safavid style. Depictions of elegant young men and women, often shown in outdoor settings, adorned many objects, from clothing to the bindings of manuscripts. One of the most renowned manuscripts from the period is a now-dispersed copy of the Shahnama epic. Also textiles and carpets were manufactured of luxury materials as furnishings for the court. The most famous is a pair known as the Ardabil Carpets, created in 1539-1540. The carpets were nearly identical, perfectly symmetrical and enormous. Every inch of space was filled with flowers, scrolling vines, and medallions. Although the central medallion and the repeating patterns throughout the carpet is similar to Ottoman but the Ardabil carpets have A wide range of colors than Ottoman’s which is heavily dependent on reds and blues. How to cite Ottoman and Safavid, Papers

Indigenous Cultures and Health

Question: Discuss about theIndigenous Cultures and Health. Answer: Introduction Indigenous people in Australia are the Aboriginals and the Torres Islander people who mostly live in the remote areas. As per the ABS (2013) they contribute 3% in the total Australian population. The health of indigenous people is not good compared to the non- indigenous people. The rate of mortality in young age is more common in the case of indigenous people. (AIHW, 2014). There are many challenges in improving their health condition. What is the reason leading to the differences in the health conditions of indigenous people from the non indigenous people? Why is they are deprived of the basic health facilities? These questions point towards the discrimination of these people who are related to their land and follow their ethnic beliefs. These people are not open to the western ideologies. They have a different culture, a different life styles and different ideologies. Before taking about the health conditions it is important to define the meaning of culture. Culture signifies the way to live. It frames a person thought about the right and wrong in life. It defines the way a person behaves, make decision and think. (Eckermann et al, 2010). Moving together with common beliefs and thinking forms a cultural group. Indigenous People of Australia The aboriginals are the people who belong to their land and are very close to nature. For the aboriginal people land is the law. It is like mother to them. They believe in unity and kinship. (Graham, 2008). After the colonisation these people were forced to move out of their places which had a bad impact on their life. They were neglected by the non indigenous people. This has led to the deterioration of aboriginal culture. It has a broad term effect on their health, social well being. It has given them long lasting pain and sufferings. The cultural values are getting lost. They find it difficult to adjust in the new environment and maintain the balance with the changes and their cultural beliefs. (Krysinska, Martin Sheehan, 2009). Health of Indigenous People Health condition is Australia is good but no same for all. The difference in the health conditions is significant in Australia. The mortality, birth rate, disease, life expectancy and health related risk are experienced differently by the indigenous and non-indigenous population. There is inequality, lack of health security and health inequity experienced by the indigenous people in Australia. (Public health association of Australia, 2008). They believe in the traditional treatments and those who are more in touch with their culture experience better health condition. (Dockery, A.M., 2009). The access to the health facilities is limited for these people. Health literacy is also less in the indigenous people. Due to these hazards they are mostly deprived of the medical care at the time of need. The socio economic difference makes them more prone to the environmental, behavioural and mental diseases. The discrimination on basis of race, colour and culture is evident in the health care organisations. (Adelaide, 2007). The stories of many aboriginals describe the reasons and effects of these discriminations. Gibbs reflective cycle (1988). Story of Russell Nelly The story of Russell Nelly, 58 years old aboriginal Australian depicts the poor condition of aboriginal people in regards to their physical, mental and social well being. The lack of proper care has driven him to follow a bad life style. Being neglected and looked down upon by the non indigenous people had affected him badly. Born to aboriginal parents under a tree, Nelly joined Gwonangerup mission. In his words the aboriginal people demanding a better life were incarcerated by the government in the 40s era. The struggle all along his life led him towards the alcohol and drugs addiction. In the health care organisation he did not receive a good care. He decided to walk out of the hospital on the 4th day from the ICU and the hospital caretakers did not bother to stop him. He went to jail and experienced bad behaviour in his life. He was never treated equally like others in these years. Life of Nelly is the example of the several aboriginal people. It is sass to observe that in a count ry like Australia, there are people like Nelly who struggle for their existence throughout their life and on the other hand, there are non-indigenous people who experience the best of everything. His unhealthy life style caused many diseases. He suffered from heart diseases, diabetes and blood clots. As per him, the aboriginal knowledge of the people around him was effective in the treatment. He believes that the medicinal bushes helped him to get cured. This shows the strong belief of the aboriginal people in the traditional treatment techniques. It is this belief that has to be acknowledged by the government that these people should be accepted in their own cultural background. Changing their life and knowledge to get adapted to the western ideas is not required. Personal Reflection As per my studies on the aboriginal culture and health, the outcome is poor. The evident differences and inequalities in every respect are making a bad impact on the health of these people. The poor health condition in the aboriginal women is a major concern. As per Reibel Walker (2010) there are various strategies and plans to implement cultural competency in health care organisations by the Australian government but implication of these methods are observed for improving the health of aboriginal women and kids. I feel it is time that health professionals should work in forward direction to improve the health condition of these people. What can be done? It is important to provide health safety, health literacy and equity to the aboriginal people. The access to the health facility by these people should be encouraged to maintain the health of the people. The health organisation and professionals has to understand the cultural difference and treat these people accordingly. Racism is a factor which should be avoided. It is required that the health professional should consider these people equally and provide them with better health facilities. Racism is experienced by many indigenous people in health care centres. (Durey, 2010). Cultural safety and security is defined as the actions, strategies which can improve the health condition of the indigenous people. (Coffin et al, 2002). As a health professional I believe that it is important to have knowledge of the cultural similarities and dissimilarities between our culture and the aboriginal culture. In this way the gap can be overcome. Cultural competency plays an important role in maint aining good health for the indigenous people. Good health is every human birth right. The government of Australia need to develop strategies and programs in their ethic settings. The health professionals should acknowledge the needs and help these people. Conclusion The right to good health and care is equal for all. Culture and background of a person is the most importance aspect of an individual. The aboriginal people love their cultural beliefs and wish to follow it. In order to provide them with better health facilities, it is important that the health centres and professionals develop the understanding of their culture and provide them with the facilities which make the indigenous people comfortable. To develop a good and healthy nation, health of the individuals is important. The government has introduced many action plans to overcome the problems affecting the health of these people, although the actions are yet to be used by professionals. The future practise by the health professionals should be centred to fulfil the needs of these people References Australian bureau of statistics. (2013). Estimates of aboriginal and Torres islander Australians, June 2011. ABS cat. No. 3238.0.55.001. Canberra: ABS. Australian institute of health and welfare. (2014). Indigenous health. Australias health 2014. Retrieved on 20 October 2016 from https://www.aihw.gov.au/australias-health/2014/indigenous-health/ Calma, T. (2007). Social determinants and the helath of indigenous peoples in Australia: a human right based approach. Australian human rights commission. Retrieved on 20 October 2016 from https://www.humanrights.gov.au/news/speeches/social-determinants-and-health-indigenous-peoples-australia-human-rights-based

SWOT Analysis of Apples iPhone 5s free essay sample

The situational analysis of a company’s product is essential to understanding where a product can best succeed and, often more importantly, where it will fail. To conduct a thorough analysis of a product involves examining the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats that a product brings to a company. In the case of Apple and the iPhone 5s, these four qualities are simple to ascertain. I. Strengths The Apple iPhone 5s, has several strengths. For instance, Apple has very high consumer loyalty. In fact, data compiled by Consumer Intelligence Research Partners states that 78% of iPhone users go on to buy another, whereas Android users have a 67% retention rate. These figures are even more impressive when one examines individual Android brands. Here are some of the top smartphone companies and their respective consumer retention rates. It is this remarkably outstanding customer loyalty that allows Apple to churn out massive profits. For whatever reason, most Apple users will only use Apple products. We will write a custom essay sample on SWOT Analysis of Apples iPhone 5s or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Apple knows this, and continues to offer smartphones at a significant markup, sometimes exceeding 40% of the total cost to produce it. Due to gross overpricing, Apple is able to make larger profits than its competitors, even though it only holds 13% of the market share. II. Weaknesses While Apple may have an advantage in consumer loyalty, it has a severe disadvantage when it comes to new consumers and emerging markets, primarily because suitable alternatives are readily available. For example, the cheapest (16GB internal storage) iPhone 5s has a retail price of $649(USD), compared to the global average price of all smartphones which is $312(USD). Since an iPhone can cost more than twice as much as a suitable alternative it becomes increasingly difficult for Apple to penetrate price-sensitive markets. Another weakness the iPhone 5s has is a lack of upgrades from the iPhone 5. When one compares the specifications of these two phones, differences do not exactly stand out. They have the same 8 megapixel camera, the same 6401136 pixel resolution, the same dual core 1300 MHz processor, a scant 8 MB increase in RAM, the list goes on and on. The only noticeable advantage the 5s has increased in-call battery life by two hours. When compared to previous iPhone releases, the 5s has the fewest innovations and improvements. This could prompt consumers to wait until the iPhone 6 is released before upgrading. III: Opportunities Apple’s opportunities in the smartphone market stem primarily from its loyal user base. As long as the company continues to innovate its products in order to stay ahead of (or at least on par with) competing enterprises, the iPhone should continue to be a massively profitable product for years to come. Threats Obviously, the largest threat facing the success of the iPhone 5s is the looming monstrosity that is Android. Currently, Android is dominating the smartphone market, gobbling up an impressive 81% of the market share. This is primarily due to more flexible pricing, vast variety of phones, and compatibility with a larger variety of service providers. If Apple were to increase the variety of phone size and possibly consider lowering profit margins, it is possible to regain lost market share.

2 Forms of the Imperfect Subjunctive in Spanish

2 Forms of the Imperfect Subjunctive in Spanish Why are there two forms of the imperfect subjunctive, such as hablara and hablase? Do they mean the same thing? The -se form might be considered the traditional form of the imperfect (or past) subjunctive, while the -ra comes from an old Latin indicative form. Over time, the two verb forms came to be used identically. Today, with a few regional exceptions, the -ra form has basically replaced the -se form, and so it is the -ra form you should learn. When used as the imperfect subjunctive, the two forms are interchangeable. The -se form is sometimes known as a literary form because it is used much less, but there is no difference in meaning. Examples of the Imperfect Subjunctive in Use, Showing the -ra  Form Si fuera fcil yo tocarà ­a el piano. (If it were easy I would play the piano.)Espero que à ©l estudiara con cuidado. (I hope he studied carefully.)Le prohibieron que utilizara las redes sociales. (They prohibited her from using social networks.) There are ​very few cases where the use of the -ra form as an indicative verb form has survived in modern Spanish, although you will seldom hear them. In some parts of Latin America as well as some areas near Portugal, you may hear the -ra form substitute for the pluperfect (e.g., fuera instead of habà ­a sido to say had been). There are some speakers who use the -ra form of haber as a substitute for the conditional, that is hubiera conocido instead of habrà ­a conocido for would have known; that usage can also be found occasionally in literature. In these rare cases where the -ra form is used instead of the conditional, the -se form cant be used as a substitute for the conditional. It isnt important to learn these variations, but it can be helpful to remember they exist in case you come across them. The -ra  Conjugation Pattern for Regular Verbs -ar verbs: que yo hablara, que tà º hablaras, que usted/à ©l/ella hablara, que nosotros hablramos, que vosotros hablarais, que ustedes/ellos/ellas hablaran.-er verbs: que yo aprendiera, que tà º aprendieras, que usted/à ©l/ella aprendiera, que nosotros aprendià ©ramos, que aprendierais, que ustedes/ellos/ellas aprendieran.-ir verbs: que yo viviera, que tà º vivieras, que usted/à ©l/ella viviera, que nosotros vivià ©ramos, que vosotros vivierais, que ustedes/ellos/ellas vivieran.

Balanced Scorecard In Vodafone Group Commerce Essay

Balanced Scorecard In Vodafone Group Commerce Essay McKinsey 7S framework is very important in our working environment, I have to use these theories to analyze Vodafone Company. McKinney 7S are very useful for organization. Even in 21st Century, many company use for analyzing their company. It well know and benefit for analyzing firms, for the fact that 7S. nowadays, a lot of successful firms and organizations used McKinsey 7S to achieving their goals, In the 7S framework, there are 7 important variables can be use into the organization: structures, strategy, systems, staffs, skills, style and shared value. There seven variables can be classified as soft components and hard components. Strategy, structure and system were hard components which are usually feasible and easy to identify because they are usually in the policy statements, business plans, organizational charts, organizational structures and systems as recorded in the report. This is the only viable research organizations are very close, usually by observation or by intervi ew, to understand these poplar. Next, kotter’s 8 step change model also very important for an organization. Kotter;s model of changes work around 8 key steps that need to be planned and executed as part of any change management project. Beside that, balanced scorecard also play very important role in a firms. Kaplan and Norton (1996) had mention that balanced scorecard is a performance tools can be used in strategic map, day by day, connective an organization to the process of organizational goals. Instead of how to capture an organization the current operation, is about creating a strategy, will drive the future direction of development, the construction of a causal link, taking into account the financial and intangible resources, you can determine the success or failure. Overview and Analysis Structure The structure is the skeleton, the form of shape of organizations. It dedicates the way it operates and performs (Waterman et al., 1980). Traditionally,  enterprises and  departments,  sectors and levels  in  the lower layers  to answer  the superstructure.  Today,  planar structure,  where  the work of  the Panel of Experts  to  complete, but also  more common.  The idea is  to  make  the  organization  more elastic,  decentralization, giving  employees and  the  elimination  of  middle  management levels (Boyle, 2007) Strategy The  strategy  to  achieve  the objectives identified  in  the allocation of resources  over time, the  plan of action  or course. It different with tactic, strategy is well thought and often rehearsed. The organization  from its current location  to a new location described in the objectives, subject to constraints of the capabilities (Ansoff, 1965) Systems The  system is a  conventional  process  and  organizes the implementation of  the procedures followed  in  the  strategy and  run  day-to-day  routine matters.  The main purpose  of  these processes  is to achieve  maximum benefit.  Traditionally,  the  higher level management,  the majority of  decisions.  More and more organizations  are using innovation and latest  technology to make faster  decision-making process. Staff Staff  personnel  within the organization,  such as  engineers,  salespeople, marketer  etc.  It is different with old  organizations,  the  new  lead agency for  hiring the best  employees  to  pay more attention to.  Provide them with  strict training  and monitoring  in support of their  worker, and to give  incentives  in order to achieve  the professional distinction of  staff. Based on (Purcell and Boxall, 2008), there are two important can be apply into the organisation-strategy and competitive advantage over their competitors.

Strategic and Change Management and HRM (NESTLE Company Assignment

Strategic and Change Management and HRM (NESTLE Company - Assignment Example For the marketing function to be successful, all the marketing aspects of the marketing function must be effectively executed and coordinated. The marketing mix elements include Product, Place, Price and Promotion. Product refers to the characteristics of the product and brands which is likely to give or deny the organization a competitive advantage. Price refers to the pricing regime and how it compares to the competition with regards to getting customers to purchase more. Place refers to the the distribution strategy. Channels of distribution must enable the organization to get its products to the target customers. Lastly, promotion refers to efforts by the organization to get customers to purchase more of its products. Such efforts include advertisements and other sales promotion efforts such as discounts and giving out coupons redeemable against company’s products among others efforts. Nestle brand portfolio is spread across almost every food and beverage portfolio, with consumers having a choice of different kinds of products and services. Some of the food and beverage categories covered by Nestle include baby foods, bottled water, cereals, chocolate and confectionery, dairy and frozen food. So wide and vast is Nestle UK & Ireland offering that it is estimated that about 97 per cent of UK households consume one or more of Nestle products such as Nescafe, Kit Kat, Buxton and Smarties, while about two billion of Nestle products are sold in the U.K every year (Nestle, 2014). This just shows how widespread usage the product enjoys. It is thus easy to see why Nestle is the most dominant brand in the food and wellness industry. Its expansive product lines mean that it is almost possible that someone at any given time will be having a choice between buying a Nestle product and that of the competition. Besides, the sales of Nestle products have been impressive with good profits being posted. The challenge the firm faces now is to

Organizational behaviour - HRM report Assignment

Organizational behaviour - HRM report - Assignment Example The healthcare organization can be considered as one of the largest organization in terms of bed capacity and employee strength. The employee strength of the organization is 1000. The organization has adopted the workplace diversity aspect in the business operation process. Strong multicultural workforce of the organization states that the organization believes in workplace diversity. Human resource management is considered as one of the important organizational departments that help to manage the overall performance of the organization. The functions or the activities of human resource department includes recruitment, selection, orientation, training, performance management, leadership, motivation, performance management, performance appraisal, compensation, reward distribution and employee retention. Now-a-days, several organizations within the healthcare industry are trying to improve the human resource management practices in order to increase the efficiency in the business perfo rmance. Effective human resource management practices help the organizations to maintain effective workplace environment that influence the employees of the organization to improve their performance level. Efficiency in this human resource department helps the management of the organization to motivate its employees. Several healthcare organizations are trying to maintain strong workplace diversity as the management of these organizations believe that the knowledge sharing and skill of entire workforce can get increased due to having multicultural employees in the organization. An organization cannot manage a diverse workforce without having effective managerial and leadership skill. In addition to this, employee motivation can be considered as an important aspect as several motivational techniques or tools help an organization to maintain effective relationship with the effective and skilled employees. These aspects will help the organization to retain their skilled employees. In a ddition to this, effective human resource management practices can help an organization to maintain sustainability and corporate ethics in each and every business operation processes. It is highly important for an organization to develop and maintain strong relationship with the external and internal stakeholders in order to develop a strong image within the competitive industry. It is clear that the Red Line Hospital can be termed as one of the largest private hospital due to its 200 bed capacity. Moreover, the healthcare organization has 1000 multicultural employees. Therefore, it is important to analyze the efficiency of human resource department and organization behaviour of the organization. Kurt Lewin’s change management model, Maslow’s hierarchy of needs theory, Herzberg’s motivation theory has been discussed in this study with respect to the workplace diversity and organization behaviour of Red Line Hospital. Different types of leadership styles has been discusses in this study in order to help the organization to improve its multicultural workplace performance. Lastly, the assignment will

Reflective Account Essay Example for Free

Reflective Account Essay On an occasion at work I was aware of a staff member communicating very negatively, for example sighing and tutting and general negativity. Supervision was due so it was brought into meeting that last had concerned had noticed a change in the person’s general attitude, I asked if there was a specific reason and was told there was not. Although they agreed that they were being negative. We discussed the workload and it was decided it was not that. It was mentioned by the staff member that they were feeling a little unsure of how to deal with a service user who had dementia and was unpredictable and seemed to have taken a dislike to the staff member . We discussed at length the way forward and I arranged for some training in challenging behaviour and dementia. The staff member realised she could not avoid the service user and that if she had mentioned her concerns sooner the problem would not have escalated. She tried to hide her feelings but they were shown in a different way. I agreed to mentor and support the staff member with the service user helping her to find an appropriate approach, the service user was feeding on the negative behaviour of the staff .In a few weeks the situation was improved undoubtedly and the staff member is more positive and no longer showing any sign of negativity. I recorded everything we had discussed and we both signed it. At the following supervision the staff had been on a training workshop and was awaiting further news of more. She mentioned previously that she felt it was a weakness in her that is why she had tried to cover it up but since our discussion and my ongoing support she would never hesitate to mention any concerns she had in the future. I felt that we needed to improve activity at the Centre; the service users are a mixed group (physically and mentally frail) so I needed to find something they could all do and enjoy. I signed myself onto three one day courses with another staff member. The courses were all different but aimed at dementia sufferers. The first one ‘Bringing stories to Life ‘, I thought was going to be about putting together a Life Story, I could not have been more wrong! The ice-breaker at the beginning of the workshop was letter bingo, it involved walking around so I have adapted this so that my service users are seated, we use sets of the 26 letters of the alphabet and the service user chooses a letter and then gives me a word beginning with that letter before answering a quiz question, which I write down and while they are playing two alike trying to match up. I take the words and make up a little story or poem. The feedback from that activity has been very positive. Also from the workshop which involved using props to tell a story I have been able to do this activity several times? Using the props seems to help the quietest of the service user to join in and the feedback discussion afterwards have become very enjoyable to all. The second workshop was about using pictures (not personal) to story tell. Again this activity has been very successful, there was one or two people who were unsure but has we progressed they too joined in. The picture is given to the service user and they are asked open ended questions about it and everything is validated. Before we start we decide who is going to scribe and afterwards that person will firstly read back what as been said and ask if the service users would like to add anything? When everybody is satisfied the scriber will type the ‘story ‘ up and each service user gets a copy , we keep a copy in a folder for all to look at and we also pin a copy too our notice board . The third workshop was along the same line but using senses to make a story/poem, again we have done this a couple of times. We used a bottle of water some soil in a bag, cotton wool, leaves and bubbles, we pass the items around the room one at a time and ask the service user to say the first word they thought of when looking / touching or smelling the item .one thing we came up against was that the service users said the same thing as the previous person, so we are trying to adapt this activity further. From all three workshops I and my staff member redeveloped our armchair exercise which we do daily. We had heard the service users discuss how they were bored with doing the same exercise week after week and listening to the same music disc. So we put together some more upbeat music and sat and compiled our version of seated exercise ,using the same safe exercise taking advice from one of our other services ‘Ageing Well’ who had spent several weeks showing us seated exercise . Of course before we started any of the new activities we had a meeting with all the staff who were going to be involved. We discussed what we had learnt from each workshop and asked for feedback from the staff, some of them felt unsure about using the props and pictures, so me and the staff member who came with me agreed to lead the first one, we arranged a date and agreed on a theme for it and it was decided we would use props for the first one .I was to lead and the staff member was going to scribe. Before we started we went to each service user and asked them to sign a consent form to allow us to take photographs. This would allow another staff to get a little involved with out feeling to unsure .the discussion /feedback with the service users was great ,they were still talking about how much they had enjoyed themselves when they were going home. They were excited when I told them that there would be photographs to look at the following week. I discussed with the staff the following day how they felt about the activity and was pleased they were all positive. I continued to share taking the lead with the staff member who attended the training with me for several sessions to enable the other staff to be able to learn from us. Although with all the activities there is no right or wrong way. That is why we validate everything that is said. The change in the majority of service users is a pleasure to see, even the quietest person as become much more vocal and willing to join in with most of the activities we do. One person in particular who is hard of hearing and registered blind joins in, when in the past he as chosen not to. He still talks about certain themes we have done the story telling to, for example at Halloween we took the opportunity to do this theme, we used pumpkins and plastic spiders, I passed these things around the room and we used ‘The Monster Mash’ song to do some light movement to music before using props to make up a story relevant to the theme. I asked the service user to describe the spider, for example what he thought it was felt like and he got really into it and even had a photograph taken. Since then I have heard him telling others about ‘the day we let him hold the Tarantula ‘and how he danced to ‘spooky music’. Changing what we do and the way we do it as had a very positive effect all the way round. We still do the other activities for example Bingo, dominoes etc.During our action plan meeting we discuss which service users are in the centre that day and adapt our activity to suit, of course what we plan for the day may change if we ask the service users they may want to do another thing so if we can we will accommodate the majority. Usually the day is spent doing group work but if needed we do offer one to one.

Fahrenheit 9/11 :: essays research papers

Fair?enheit 9/11   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  It was a typical Saturday at Florida State University. The Noles has defeated, pretty decisively, UNC and the people were conducting normal activities. However, this Saturday was different in the fact that Academy Award winner Michael Moore was to speak to students at the Ruby Diamond auditorium about the upcoming 2004 presidential election. I had received my ticket from the College Democrats, who had arranged for their group to have block seating. During the event itself, which included an introduction by Andrew Gillium, a local Tallahassee politician, Michael Moore talked about his various complaints about President Bush’s policies and told young voters to vote for the Kerry/Edwards ticket. He also showed some extra clips from his movie Fahrenheit 9/11. This movie, which is a â€Å"documentary†, grossed over 110 million dollars in the U.S (Kopel 2). The budget for the film itself was only 6 million dollars. Michael Moore had won the Oscar for Bowli ng for Columbine the year before for Best Documentary, and so this film was very much anticipated by both sides of the political aisle. To add to this expectation, Moore was an outspoken opponent of the Bush administration and had used his 2003 acceptance speech at the Oscars to blast Bush’s war on Iraq. This film, at least from my perspective, was the result of great passion and zeal.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The film itself, in the words of many commentators, a â€Å"two hour hate letter to Bush†, and in my opinion it was. This film was coming out on the heels of Mel Gibson’s hit success, The Passion, and the same type of intense controversy was surrounding Fahrenheit 9/11. The movie premiered in June, and according to a friend of mine the opening night was jammed pack in Tallahassee itself, which was showing the film only at the Miracle 5 Theater. All across the nation, Moore’s film was number 1, grossing huge amounts of money. It was expected to generate huge profits all across the globe, for it was a film many who oppose President Bush were waiting to see. I was amazed at how this film was treated as if it were Moses handing down the law, and with all the hype I decided that it was time for me to see it I did not think I would get to see this movie. My beliefs about the war and terrorism could be thought of as Pro-Bush, and I highly distrusted anything Moore had to say after seeing Bowling for Columbine, which I believed contained distortions.

Anne Hutchinson: A Pioneer Of Feminism And Religious Freedom Essay

I walked into the schoolroom, and I could see my children sitting in rows based on their grade. I had been asked by the teacher, Miss Ashbury, to come and talk about the remarkable journey that led me to the Narragansett, an Indian territory in the liberating colony of Rhode Island. I sat down in the creaky wooden rocking chair and began my tale: â€Å"Hello, children! I will be telling you the story of how I ended up in Rhode Island, where we all live. It all began a long time ago, when I first arrived here in America. â€Å"In a mere blink after I first set foot upon this mysterious, new land called America, two years flew by. The fall of 1636 was fast approaching. Leaves turned bright hues of yellows and orange, though mostly brown, and there was a subtle bite that crisply lingered about the air at daybreak. It was only five o’clock when I slipped out of the house, as silent as the night that had come and gone. This was my thinking time. Usually, I walked around the estat e, which lay just outside of Boston, and that day was no different. I most likely started my walk by reminiscing of my hometown in Mother England. Alford in Lincolnshire, England had been wonderfully picturesque and quaint. On July 20, 1591, I was baptized as Anne Marbury by my loving parents, Francis Marbury, a reverend, and Bridget Dryden, my wonderful mother. We moved around a lot, mostly because Father was banned from preaching at several churches due to his radical philosophies. In fact, he had been imprisoned and put under house arrest more than once (Reuben 2). I supposed the reflection of my childhood was brought about by the evening before. There had been the birth of the Atkins’ twin boys, Hugh and Silas, as well as the Doran’s, who had their firstborn, Humility (Barnett 1). Being one of the most trusted midwives in the area, of course I was there to help them (Reuben 2). Goody Atkins, after the successful delivery of two rosy cheeked boys, queried about when the next conventicle would be. I told her that they were held every Wednesday at two o’clock at my place. I told her that nearly fifty people, though mostly women, came regularly to discuss their beliefs about the great Puritan faith. What had begun as an intimate gathering had blossomed into a town-wide affair. She told me eagerly that once she was back on her feet, she would definitely join. I met her enthusiasm with even greater zeal on my part, recounting the numerous advancing theological thinkers that came. At this time, there were even a couple public religious leaders that had begun to join, like John Cotton, my idol and inspiration. An avid supporter of intellect, Sir Henry Vane, the governor of the Massachusetts Bay Colony, appeared at a few recent meetings too. I found this was a terrific way to pass time in a culture where virtually every other activity was banned or considered sinful (2). The women who came to these meetings found them as an effective outlet to express their views on serious topics without being mocked, ignored, or worse, punished. In this society, a womanâ €™s voice was vanquished by the overpowering male population that governed the colony. â€Å"I had been out walking for an hour or so, and it was now six o’clock. The sun’s rays just brimmed over the horizon. Hurriedly, I went into the kitchen where William, to whom I owe the lovely surname Hutchinson, was. Bread, milk, and porridge were on the table, prepared for another glorious day (Olver 3). Filing down the stairs, all fifteen of my pious and healthy children greeted us each with a somnolent, â€Å"Good morning, Mother. Good morning, Father.† They shuffled around the table, said a prayer of thanks, and began to eat. Since it was a Saturday, we cleaned the home, dusted, polished, washed the laundry, and did other chores. It was to be spotless for the Lord’s Day. When everyone finished, it was supper time. Another meal and prayer of gratitude was enjoyed. After, we turned in early, ready for church the next day. â€Å"Ever since I could walk, I had been going to church. My father being a pastor, no matter how outrageous, I was brought to almost all his discourses. As an adult, I found the most amazing mentors. Clergymen John Cotton and John Wheelwright had both preached near Alford, Lincolnshire. Once, when we were still in England, I made the thirty mile trip to attend one of Reverend Cotton’s famed sermons. It was instant admiration of the utmost level. John Wheelwright had been introduced to me when I married William, since William’s sister Mary was married to Wheelwright. They influenced my beliefs and theories of religious and as chance would have it, wound up in the Boston area. My family attended the Boston Church, which had the largest congregation around (Lewis 2). Dressed in our Sunday best, we piled into the horse drawn wagon and headed to church for a blissful day of worship. Life could not be any better. â€Å"My days as a simple midwife and mother continued for a year, give or take. By then, a singularly particular thing had changed in regards to the meetings I held. Over a hundred people, men and women alike, now attended. They became biweekly. During these gatherings, I voiced my interpretations of Reverend Cotton’s and other ministers’ sermons. I elucidated that God did not have to speak to us through religious figures, such as priests; man could have his own personal relationship with Him. Moreover, I believed in salvation by grace, in that one could not prepare to be saved by performing virtuous deeds, which I knew upset many a congregation member. People disagreed with my sights, but, after all, this was the New World, a land of religious freedom, where people could believe what they wanted to and not be prosecuted for it, unlike in England. Oh, the irony of it all. Instead, I found the oppression of the Puritan faith, dare I say, even greater than that of the Anglican Church. Here, in Massachusetts, the Bible is law. No more, no less. But I disagreed, and this was accepted without much grace in the community (2). â€Å"John Winthrop, a politician who strongly opposed, nay, hated my opinions, ran against dear Governor Vane. After losing to Winthrop, the beloved Governor Vane returned to England in August. My brother-in-law John Wheelwright had been promoted to the head of the Boston Church some time before. Not long after Winthrop’s succession, Wheelwright was banned from the colony for alleged sedition. Then, the final leaf in the book of misfortune was turned. It was the fall of 1637, a scant year after I had thought of my life as the epitome of the New World success story. Reverend John Cotton, a man whom I respected and followed, turned against me. He joined forces with the powerful Governor John Winthrop. Together, they brought me before the colony’s General Court on the charges of sacrilegious views and sedition, not unlike my brother-in-law (2). I knew had no chance. My sex would be of no help either. Still, I had to try. â€Å"The trial was nothing more than a sham. The judges were the prosecutors and they were all Winthrop’s supporters. My followers had barred from activities that held any leverage in the community because of their theological dissent. The outcome was inevitable, so I publicly repented my sins in court, claimed to wholly espouse the orthodox Puritan ways, and prayed to God. Miraculously, I was permitted to stay, while under the custody of the sheriff Joseph Weld. During this time, I was brought to Reverend Cotton, where he and others attempted to further the orthodox ways into my morals. Not long after the trial ended, I could no longer accept the ludicrous ideals of the rigid Puritan culture and confessed to my true controversial views. On accounts of deceit under oath, I was tried again. Known as perjury, it is, put plainly, illegal. Immediately excommunicated by the Boston Church, I packed up my belongings, family, and moved to Rhode Island, dubbed â€Å"The Sewer.† I purchased land from the Narragansett Indians and have been living comfortably and at liberty ever since (2). â€Å"Today, I simply hope for a brighter future for your generation and those afterwards. Perhaps there will be justice and liberation for them, and I would certainly like to think that I, Anne Marbury Hutchinson, was proscribed from the Massachusetts Bay Colony, a place I cherished, for the benefit of the future of mankind. Thank you.† Works Cited Barnett, Jill. â€Å"Colonial Names: Great Names from American History.† Nameberry.com. N.p., 20 Jan. 2010. Web. 20 Oct. 2012. . Lewis, Jone Johnson. â€Å"Anne Hutchinson.† About.com Women’s History. N.p., n.d. Web. 20 Oct. 2012. . Olver, Lynne. â€Å"The Food Timeline: Colonial America.† The Food Timeline: Colonial America. Food Timeline, 21 Oct. 2012. Web. 20 Oct. 2012. . Plant, David. â€Å"Sir Henry Vane (the Younger) 1613-62.† Sir Henry Vane, the Younger, 1613-62. British Civil Wars and Commonwealth Website, n.d. Web. 20 Oct. 2012. . Reuben, Paul P. â€Å"PAL: Anne Hutchinson (1591-1643).† PAL: Anne Hutchinson (1591-1643). N.p., n.d. Web. 24 Oct. 2012. .

Suffolk County Legislators

Today, we are in an age where local government is extremely important. Each county of every state has elected legislators that represent town throughout that county. I have selected two legislators which are both republican. The first is Cameron Alden a 49 year old man that represents the greater Bay Shore Area. He is also on the Conservative and Independence lines. The second legislator is Angie Carpenter, a very nice lady, that represents West Islip. Cameron Alden was born on August 28, 1950, in Bay Shore and grew up in Islip, Long Island, New York. He graduated Islip High School in 1968, where he played varsity football, basketball and baseball. Mr. Alden graduated from Suffolk County Community College in 1970 with an AA degree. He was a member of the SCCC varsity baseball team. Mr. Alden graduated from Dowling College in 1974. He was a member of the Pi Alpha Sigma Honor Society and played varsity basketball and golf Mr. Alden attended Tuoro Law School, graduating in 1990 with a Juris Doctor. He was admitted to the New York State Bar in 1991. (www.co.suffolk.ny.us) Prior to attending Law School he was a local Bay Shore business owner. A catering/grocery store and school bus companies were among those he owned. (www.co.suffolk.ny.us) Alden chose community-development work after undergoing a mastectomy during a bout with male breast cancer in law school, which â€Å"totally changed my focus† to an interest in public service.(Interview) He practiced law at the Town of Islip Community Development Agency, which provides affordable housing and economic development projects in the Town of Islip. He is a former Assistant Town Attorney for the Town of Islip. Cameron Alden was elected to serve as a Legislator for the Tenth District and sworn into office January 2, 1998. Legislator Alden has been selected by his colleagues to serve as Vice-Chairman of the Parks/Land Preservation and Planning Committee. In addition Legislator Alden is a member of the Energy/Environment and Transportation, Health and Human Services, Public Works, and Finance Committees. (www.co.suffolk.ny.us) The 10th Suffolk County Legislative District (L.D.) serves Islip, East Islip, Bay Shore and Brentwood. There are 52 election districts (E.D.s) with 33,058 registered voters. (www.co.suffolk.ny.us) Alden says his primary focus would be to ease the burdens on taxpayers. A critic of the LILCO-LIPA deal, Alden admits he does not yet have many specific legislative initiatives but says he is the better candidate because his fiscal policies would be more conservative. (Interview) Currently Cameron is working on a proposed bill that would support the elimination of taxes on clothing in Suffolk county. This proposed bill would enable signs 6to be erected throughout Nassau asking consumers to come shop in Suffolk due to its no lax bill as long as the clothing items are under one hundred and ten dollars. He has also worked on such other bill like trying to raise the salaries of Suffolk county legislators because he fells they are underpaid. Mr. Alden does not really receive a large amount or Pac money from anyone but he does have many supporters. These supporters include the Police and other safety bureaus and also many factory unions. (Interview) Angie Carpenter was born on Long Island in the mid fifties and is currently happily married and a mother of two. (Interview) Angie's dedication to the community is what led to her nomination to run for the Legislature, a position she has held since February 1993. (Interview) Legislator Angie M. Carpenter is founder of ACT Communications Group, a full-service advertising and marketing company specializing in multi-media graphic design and printing. The business is currently run by her sons Richard and Robert enabling her to devote her attention full-time to her duties as an elected official in Suffolk Government, but still affording her the opportunity to remain sensitive to the concerns of the business community. (www.co.suffolk.ny.us) Angie continues to devote her time and efforts to her community and constituents. As former Chairman of the Legislature's Economic Development and Education Committee, Angie Carpenter worked to bring the Touro School of Health Services to downtown Bay Shore which is opening early in 1999. She has worked tirelessly to increase aid to Suffolk Community College, and led the fight to cut tuition costs so that the college is affordable for all of our residents. (www.co.suffolk.ny.us) She continues in her role as an avid supporter of the college and is extremely proud of the fact that the fastest growing campus of Suffolk County Community College is in her legislative district. Angie worked from the beginning, to see the construction of the $54 million-dollar Health and Technology Building scheduled to be completed in the Fall Semester of 2000 (Interview). Angie has almost served every committee during her tenure on the Suffolk County Legislature. Currently Angie is serving as the Legislature's Budget Committee Chairman, and Vice Chairman of the Public Safety Committee. She continues to serve as a member of the Economic Development and Education Committee, Budget Committee, Consumer Protection, Labor and Investigations, and Veterans and Seniors, as well as the Public Safety Committee, Parks, Planning and Land Preservation Committee, the Health and Human Service Committee, Sports Committee, and the Public Works Committee. (www.co.suffolk.ny.us) In the past, Angie has helped in implementing a mass transportation public information program for Suffolk County, enacted a linked Deposit Program to promote local business expansion, directed the County Health Department to provide free testing for prostate cancer and cosponsored a resolution to provide environmentally safe golf course management to help protect our groundwater and hopefully help reduce the risk of breast cancer. (www.co.suffolk.ny.us) She has made efforts to invest in the county†s Timber Point Golf Course to maximize its economic potential and preserve jobs for the county workers employed there. (Interview) Most recently, Angie co-sponsored legislation to rollback sales tax on clothing and shoe purchases under on hundred and ten dollars per item. Angie has also sponsored a resolution to â€Å"boot† the vehicles of deadbeat parents that are not complying with the child support payments. This â€Å"booting† of cars is huge lock that goes over the tire and wheel and makes automobile impossible to drive. A resolution that Angie sponsored last year now requires the Suffolk County Health department to hold annual Public Hearing and Health Fair. This gives government an opportunity to hear first hand from our residents about the County†s health care delivery system and also raises public awareness or what is available. (Interview) Over the years, Angie's commitment to her community has been recognized time and again with honors from Islip Town, Boy Scouts of America, Loyal Order of the Moose, The American Legion, Pronto, Zonta International, the West Islip and Bay Shore School Districts and Suffolk County Arts Council, to name a few. She has been involved in the community as President and founder of the Chamber Council of Islip Town, President of the West Islip Chamber of Commerce, Vanderbilt Museum Trustee, Board of Our Lady of Consolation, Salvation Army, Youth Enrichment Services and ASK US (an after school care program in West Islip). (www.co.suffolk.ny.us) Angie has dedicated her efforts to the growth and expansion of business here in Suffolk. She has brought education to the forefront as one of the many issues addressed under her leadership, and continues her unwavering commitment to her family, community, and those she was elected to serve. (www.co.suffolk.ny.us) She receives her support from many people including the Police, the Suffolk County UNE, and many other unions countywide. (Interview) Legislators, Cameron and Angie are very willing to do what their people are asking for and sacrifice a lot of their time to make their residents happy. In my own opinion I think Angie Carpenter is a better Legislator than Cameron Alden because I feel Angie had sponsored and produced more bills than he has and in my eyes she is a nicer and more heart worthy person.

Military Tribunals essays

Military Tribunals essays In Guantanamo Bay there are several detainees who have been there for over year nearly two years now. These are members of al-Qaeda, Taliban, or those suspected of being or supporting other terrorists. Recently a few have been released on that there innocent, and many others delivered to their own country to be tried by them because of political pressures. All of these events are happening because of Bushs Military Order to create military tribunals to convict war criminals. This paper will look at the advantages and failings of these military commissions. It will also take a look at a case tried in the civil court that many supporters of the military tribunals thought should be held within them. Then conclude by giving the opinions of this writer on arguments given. Proponents of Bushs Military Order for military tribunals argue that the tribunals are better to try the terrorists than our criminal justice system. They argue that military tribunals can dispense justice swiftly, close to where our forces may be fighting, without years of pretrial proceedings or post-trial appeals (Gonzales). They also give example of how the terrorists trials for the 1993 bombing of the World Trade Center took five months of testimony, 207 witnesses, and 1,003 exhibits not to mention many days of legal arguments and four days of jury deliberations (Dean1, 2). That was for the first trial the second one, involving the remaining defendants, took over eight months to complete. These examples show how that a large amount of time would take to prosecute terrorists in our criminal justice system. That it could take a long while for justice to be dispensed and that it would be costly to us. Also proponents argue that American citizens placed as jurors risk their lives and their families from other terrorists. They also speak of the problem of a unanimous finding of guilt beyond a reasonable doub...

Photosynthesis Vs Photovoltaic Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Photosynthesis Vs Photovoltaic - Essay Example Plant cell converts sunlight into chemical energy by the photosynthesis process and solar cell converts it directly into electrical energy which is then used by humans. Photosynthesis is a natural process which is automatically carried out in all plants but electricity generation by solar cells is an artificial procedure. Solar cells need to be installed for this purpose and it requires much investment. Therefore, they are much expensive as compared to the plant cell. Another significant difference between both cells is that the bad photosynthetic cell can repair itself whereas there is no such provision in case of solar cells.  Both photosynthesis and photovoltaic energy conversion systems deal with transfer and conversion of heat energy into another form. Thus both systems should show compatibility with the Laws of Thermodynamics. The first law of thermodynamics accounts for the energy conservation of heat systems i.e. energy cannot be created nor destroyed, it only transforms fr om one form to another. According to, â€Å"A change in the internal energy of a closed thermodynamic system is equal to the difference between the heat supplied to the system and the amount of work done by the system on its surroundings†. Both plant and solar cells do not create energy but rather convert one form (solar irradiation) of energy into another. A certain amount of "transformation energy" will be used as the molecules of the "working body" do work on each other when they change from one state to another.

Empress Wu Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Empress Wu - Essay Example Her thirst and quest for power made her do the unthinkable from murdering her own daughter and son. Empress Wu Zhao was born in Wenshui part of the Shanxi Province in 624 A.D. Her father Wu Shihuo was a rich merchant who educated her daughter well. The education the Empress received at a young age was very pivotal for her political shrewdness and prowess (Woo 5). During the time of her birth, China was under the rule of the Tang dynasty which accorded women more freedom compared to the earlier dynasties. The Emperor at the time Tai Tzong had encouraged cultural awareness in which the women were allowed to be economically independent and were well enlightened in the fields of philosophy, social ethics and culture. The power of female sexuality was at that time widely recognized in medieval china; the ladies of the Sui and Early Tang dynasty elite were relatively independent. They could ride horses, henpeck their husbands and they took charge when their men were away for herdsmen or military duty (Will 128). Due to this, Emperor Wu was adequately educated in the disciplines of music , writing, reading, and Chinese classics. By the time she was thirteen years old, Empress Wu not only recognized her womanly beauty, but she also appreciated her intelligence and wit. Due to her intelligence, Empress Wu was soon recruited to the court of Emperor Tai as a concubine and she doubled up as a secretary in the Imperial Study. She obviously took her chance to study more about official documents and politics. The rest is history. Empress Wu held power for more than a century in one guise or another, firstly she ruled as a consort; the favored wife of Emperor Gaozong, then secondly as the ruler behind the throne of her youngest son and finally herself until her death. She ruled with sheer ruthlessness and decisiveness as she stabilized the Tang dynasty when it seemed to be crumbling and

Intensive Lifestyle Modification for CAD Reversal Successfully Reduces Research Paper

Intensive Lifestyle Modification for CAD Reversal Successfully Reduces Circulating Levels of Metabolic Hormones Insulin and Leptin - Research Paper Example of the deaths reported from United States due to Coronary vascular disease is also 30 and this is reported maximum for the age groups above 65 (United States, 2006) Among various pathogenic factors, insulin resistance and visceral obesity are considered most significant. (Duvnjak and Duvnjak, 19- 24) . The observed metabolic abnormalities are due to insulin resistance in muscles and surrounding adipose tissue along with the adverse impact on tissue by compensatory hyperinsulinaemia, which is insulin sensitive (Duvnjak and Duvnjak, 19- 24). In addition, abdominal adiposity is also considered a high risk for cardio vascular diseases (CVD). Also, the increasing obesity is found to decrease adiponectin that has important cardiometabolic actions (Bray et al, 30-40). Significant breakthroughs have also been achieved in understanding the key initiators for coronary artery disease. The initiation and progression of atherosclerosis has been found to be associated with leptin. Studies have also shown that plasma leptin concentration has direct relation to the incidence of coronory artery disease and thus could be used as a risk indicator for the developm ent of the disease (Dubey et al, 124 - 128). . It is clear that the role played by obesity in the cardiometabolic risk is very vital for the development of treatment strategies for the patients with a high risk for cardio vascular diseases (CVD).A critical role played by adipocytokines between insulin resistance and cardiovascular disease has been established. It is also anticipated that effective interventions to improve the functions of endothelial or adipose tissues could significantly reduce the occurrence of cardiovascular events in the obese individuals with metabolic syndrome (Hamdy, 231 - 241). One of the effective ways to treat the people with high cardiovascular risk is through the various lifestyle modifications like restricted calorie intake and increased physical activity (Hamdy, 231-241). The impact of

Subject Specialism Reflection Essay Example for Free

Subject Specialism Reflection Essay I have a degree in Computer Networking and Communication. Since then I have been continually developing my subject knowledge via various mediums. I have been teaching my subject specialism for a number of years, and in that time I have gained tremendous amount of knowledge that has helped me to deliver more confidently to make the teaching and learning experience more enjoyable for me as a tutor and for the learners. The first point to mention here is the teaching observations they have helped me to plan and deliver my sessions according to the national standards. This has enabled me to demonstrate my knowledge of the subject area. I also attended one day course on Usability and accessibility on 7th February 2007 at The McDonald St Paul Hotel. The part that interested more was to learn and understand about the various challenges disable people face when using websites. Details of course in appendix. †¢ Disability Discrimination Act and legal obligations †¢ Overview of disabilities and assistive technologies †¢ Overview of standards and guidelines †¢ How to incorporate accessibility into an organisation †¢ Benefits of accessible websites This led me to investigate this issues further. The following website was quite useful: http://www.tiresias.org/ , it provides lots of guidance on how ICT can be made accessible for specialist use. I need to learn more regarding latest software and advance courses. I also need to deliver to more advance level of learners. An opportunity has arisen for me to develop my skills to do this. I shall be attending an advanced Excel course in a couple of weeks time organised Crown Enterprise and Training. I feel that in some areas of ICT I already have the requisite skills so it is important that I deliver higher end IT courses which would be more in line with my level of knowledge and skills. Otherwise my experience will only be of teaching at lower level of IT courses and very little experience of teaching higher level and that will not help my long term plans of teaching higher-level courses. I was actually a member of the British Computer Society, http://www.bcs.org/ , for a period of time, though this is no longer the case I do however continue to access their website regularly to update my knowledge on the latest developments in the computer industry as it relates particularly to using technology for learning and for professional development. I have developed myself academically and professionally through the first year of the PGCE course. I need to build on this foundation in the second year and extend both my pedagogic and professional skills. One of the key components that should help to do this would be the ICT module taught on the course. From the content of the module I look forward to learning how to design a web page. This should enhance my capacity in delivering my specialist subject area of IT by exploring the idea of using a web page to deliver part of my course/courses. I shall explore various websites for developing web pages and undertake any training that might become available. I also intend to develop my knowledge about learning to use Apple Mac in the first instance and then hopefully to apply this knowledge in order to teach Graphic Design. This is quite a challenging target and I would need to tap into all the available resources to achieve this. I need to identify some interactive websites and online learning materials that would allow me to enhance my professional and pedagogical capacities further. The important lesson for me to learn is as suggested by Hughes and Kennewell (2007, p.100) is to approach ICT so that â€Å" what becomes increasingly important is not so much what you know about a topic, but your willingness to learn new skills, to be open to advice and not to hide your ignorance of relevant knowledge. Regular reading of educational, professional and hobby literature in ICT will be important throughout your teaching careers, as well as attending local, regional and national conferences.† References British Computer Society, 2008. Professional Development. [online] (updated 5 May 2008) Available at: http://www.bcs.org/ [accessed 6 May 2008] Hughes Tiresias, 2008- Making ICT accessible for blind and partially sighted. [online](updated 10 May 2008) Available at: http://www.tiresias.org/ [accessed 11 May 2008]

Hitlers leadership strategies

Hitlers leadership strategies Actually in many ways he was a good leader. He was able to get a whole country to back him up in a just cause or what he passed off as a just cause. He was also a wonderful speaker he had powerful words, he understood the power of words and used that to his advantage. Not saying Hitler was a good guy, but he did have great leadership skills. He also has some very good ideas such as the eugenics notion of breeding out genetically inherent diseases in the species an excellent idea, however his methods to go about doing that were very, very wrong. He had some good ideas the way of going about them made them wrong and evil to now where no one will willingly sit down and discuss weaknesses of the genes in our species and even dare to suggest that we should use our knowledge of genetics to carefully guide our future reproduction to make our species stronger. When these things are suggested people imagine the horrors of WWII and the Supermen of blond haired, blue eyed whites. He was a strong leader who had a few good causes to go after, such as the terrible injustice that post WWI Germany went through and the economic situations that not only Germany but the whole world were going through at the start of his leadership. He was able to break a few of the barriers the German People had internationally without war, he also turned the German economy completely around. Hitler BEFORE WWII was considered by many in and outside of Germany to be a great man for the job of Leader. He was hailed by many early on as being a good man. It wasnt until the breakout of war and the questionable steps leading up to the war that he lost favor in the eyes of the world. And it wasnt until the end of WWII that his real horror show was revealed to the world and we came to know the man for his true colors. Hitler was a Good leader, a master of manipulating the masses; alongside his Propaganda Minister, Josef Goebbels, this enabled him to influence and control many who would otherwise never have become Nazis. This is why he remained in power for twelve years, nine of them remarkably successful. This is what separates them from him; he created National Socialism and, in the early days, was driven by a rabid anti-Semitism. This was later dampened for, even in the early Thirties, such racism was unsavory to many Germans. Arguments must take into account the huge economic and social recovery undergone during the 1930s; hit harder than many by the Great Depression Weimar Germany was collapsing and it was under the Third Reich that it recoveredunemployment went to ZERO, national pride increased, and Germany was accepted again as a respected European power. Say what you like but under the Fuhrer many would argue, and have even now, that this appeared to herald a golden age for Germany. Thus the regime, Hitler, did do alot of good at the beginning. Many would say the regime was simply fortunate to have attributed to it the natural emergence from economic slump; Hitler actually did very little well for the nation it could be argued. Either way, in terms of the man himself; Hitlerà ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚ ¢s anti-Semitism developed during his time as a tramp on the streets of Vienna where he saw prosperous Jewish business men better off than he was; if was from this that he developed his conspiracy theories and hatred. Of course, anti-Semitism was common at the time and Hitlerà ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚ ¢s theories were therefore not considered evil at the time in themselves. However, as is widely known all we revolted by the revelations of the Allied advance in 1945 wherein the Extermination camps of the SS were uncovered. It is worth noting that it was Himmler, Hedrick and others who in fact created the final solution at the Wansee conference during WWII, Hitler was not at the meeting. It depends very much as to how you view the power structure within Nazi Germany as how far you think Hitler controlled this solution. i direct you to Ian Kershaw if you wish to know more. Hitler was terrifying, not mad, but so embedded within his own neuroses that he came to be what is called Evil. He felt betrayed and was thus embittered by Armistice of 1918 and subsequent crippling Treaty of Versailles; the creation and advancement of the Nazi Party was as much a fault of the allies as anyone else. He played on the militarism and nationalism within the Prussian elite and population as a whole and this created the spell he had over them. By 1945 Hitler was so caught up in his own propaganda myths that he believed himself to be infallible and invincible; you need only look at his handling of the Battle of Stalingrad to prove this. Upon realizing his mistake, he shot himself after taking poison If he wouldà ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚ ¢ve used his leadership skills for the good he wouldà ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚ ¢ve been a really good leader. Hitler was well spoken, very charismatic and had a way to get others to follow his visions and beliefs. just sucks he used it for the dark side How his quest for the perfect Arian race included a really specific work out regime for the youth of Germany which is perhaps the reason that Germany excelled in the Olympics during and shortly after hitters reign I have one more thing to add, I watched a documentary on Hitler and his speeches were so motivating and entertaining that Jewish people would actually go to his speeches because they were so popular it was like the thing to do and a few admitted to actually have been moved by him. The way he delivered his speech really grasped everyone in the crowd Adolf Hitler was born on April 20, 1889 in Braunau, Austria, a small town across the Inn River from Germany. Soon after Hitlers birth, his father, Alois Hitler, moved the family to Linz, Austria. Hitler attended school in Linz and at first was a good student, but in high school he was a very poor student. Hitlers academic abilities angered his father because his father hoped that Hitler would study to become a government worker as he had been. Hitler, however, wanted to become an artist. In 1907, Hitler went to Vienna Austria. In an attempt to fulfill his dream of becoming an artist. This attempt ended when he failed the entrance exam to the Academy of Fine Arts. When Hitlers mother died in 1907, he decided to remain in Vienna. He took the entrance exam a year later and failed again. He did not have steady work in Vienna, but, instead, took a variety of odd jobs. He lived in cheap rooming houses or slept on park benches and he often had to get meals from charity kitchens. During his time in Vienna Hitler learned to hate non-Germans. Hitler was a German-speaking Austrian and considered himself German. He ridiculed the Austrian government for recognizing eight languages as official and believed that no government could last if it treated ethnic groups equally. In 1913, Hitler went to Munich, Germany and when World War I began in 1914, he volunteered for service in the German army. Hitler was twice decorated for bravery, but only rose to the rank of corporal. When World War-I ended. Hitler was in a hospital recovering from temporary blindness possibly caused by a poison gas attack. The Versailles Treaty that ended the war stripped Germany of much of its territory, forced the country to disarm, and ordered Germany to pay huge reparations. When the army returned to Germany. The country was in despair. The country was bankrupt and millions of people were unemployed. In 1920, Hitler joined the National Socialist German Workers Party known as the Nazis. The Nazis called for all Germans, even those in other countries, to unite into one nation; they called for a strong central government; and they called for the cancellation of the Versailles Treaty. Hitler became leader of the Nazi party and built up membership quickly, mostly because of his powerful speaking ability. Hitler organized an army for the Nazi party called the Storm Troopers (Brown Shirts) who were called upon to fight groups seeking to disband the Nazi rallies. On November 9, 1923, Hitler led more than 2,000 Storm Troopers on a march to seize the Bavarian government. The attempt failed and Hitler was arrested and sentenced to prison for five years for treason. While in prison, Hitler wrote Mein Kampf (My Struggle). In this book. he stated his beliefs and plans for Germanys future. Hitler only served nine months in prison and when he was released, he began to rebuild the party again. He set up a private battle-ready elite guard known as the Schutzstaffel (SS). By 1929, the Nazis had become an important minor political party. In 1930, a worldwide depression hit Germany, yet Germany also had the debt of paying for the damage it had caused in World War I. Hitler protested against paying the debt and said that the Jews and Communists were the cause for Germanys defeat in World War I. He promised to rid Germany of Jews and Communists and to reunite the German speaking part of Europe. In July, 1932, the Nazis received about 40% of the vote and became the strongest party in Germany. On January 30,1933, President Paul von Hindenburg appointed Hitler Chancellor of Germany. Once in this position, Hitler moved quickly toward attaining a dictatorship. When von Hindenburg died in 1934, Hitler already had control of Germany and he gave himself the title Fuehrer (leader). Under Hitlers government, called the Third Reich, there was no place for freedom. The government controlled every part of ones life. Hitler used extensive propaganda to brainwash the nation into believing his theory about creating the perfect Aryan or nordic race. Therefore, it was Hitlers plan to rid the nation and eventually the world of Jews, Gypsies, Negroes, handicapped, and mentally ill persons. This plan was called the Final Solution. World War II began in 1939 when Hitler invaded Poland to begin his unification of all German-speaking peoples. By this time extermination camps were being established throughout Germany, Poland, and Russia. Before Hitler was stopped in 1945 by the Allied countries, he had caused the extermination over 12 million people. Hitler committed suicide in his bunker on April 30, 1945 and seven days later, Germany surrendered.

Fighting for Equality and Freedom Essay -- American History Civil Righ

Across all nations and cultures, the enduring pursuit of equality in life seems global and timeless. Some would believe that their own country has achieved a true democracy with no residual inequalities of which to speak, while others know they are at the other end of the spectrum, enduring unjust laws that should not be bestowed on any human. Through the course of history many countries have fought for that democracy and all the equality that it implies. While some believe they have reached that goal, others continue to fight for the most basic human rights, even in this time of enlightenment. The journey each country takes on its road to that place may vary by origination, length, severity and outcome, but the goal seems to be the same. Looking at two such journeys through the writings of Martin Luther King, Jr. in his â€Å"Letter from Birmingham City Jail† and from an excerpt of Aung San Suu Kyi’s In Quest of Democracy, the underlying theme of equality is thoug htfully penned with examples universally recognizable from each of their own perspectives, respectfully acknowledging their own histories, religions, and obstacles to illuminate the path toward that common goal of a just society despite unjust laws. In â€Å"Letter from Birmingham City Jail,† King’s detailed writings demonstrate his understanding of the need to painstakingly explain his position to those controlling the unequal democracy under which he was being detained at that time. Even while writing of the history of his people as slaves, King skillfully avoids coming across as just another complainer, laying out the blunt truth as it was. He calls upon history to show that this never should have been in the first place, referencing the New Testament of the Bible ... ...rom suffering under unjust laws imposed by unfair rulers. Two people at different ages in their lives, different stages in their quests, of different histories and religions, one black, one Asian, one male, one female, with one goal for all. While Suu Kyi may one day be in a position to continue her fight, sadly the world lost King too soon. Their examples, as documented in their writings, of persistence, perseverance, and grounding in what is good and just for all mankind should be followed by all, to be benefited from by all. Works Cited King, Martin Luther, Jr. â€Å"Letter from Birmingham City Jail.† Reading the World: Ideas that Matter. Ed. Michael Austin. New York: Norton, 2007. 173-187. Print. Suu Kyi, Aung San. â€Å"From ‘In Quest of Democracy.’† Reading the World: Ideas that Matter. Ed. Michael Austin New York: Norton, 2007. 191-196. Print.

How and Why does Macbeth Turn from War Hero to Murderer? Essay

The tragedy â€Å"Macbeth† was written by William Shakespeare at the beginning of the seventeenth century. In that period, people were highly preoccupied by witchcraft. It was a controversial topic, as King James himself was interested in the issue. This Zeitgeist given, it seemed like a good way for Shakespeare to start his play in the spirit of three witches making predictions, as it would guarantee the tragedy’s appeal to the general public and the king. We are therefore presented, in Act 1, scene 1, with three witches in a deserted place. They plot to meet Macbeth and make predictions about the future. Some of the representative lines which potentially lie behind the further action are â€Å"Fair is foul, and foul is fair: / Hover through the fog and filthy air,† (Act 1, scene 1). One interpretation of this is the imminent change set to happen in the universe, the transition of the good into bad and the bad into good. The play is set during the battle between the Scottish army and Norway, around the beginning of the eleventh century. Some of the main characters of the play are real. Duncan I was King of Scotland in that period, one of his generals being Macbeth. What actually hapenned in the real world back then is very similar to the storyline. Macbeth killed the king, but eventually got murdered himself by Malcom, who was one of the king’s sons. The elementary difference between the play and history is the personality of the characters. The actual Duncan wasn’t very popular, while Macbeth ruled Scotland well. Initially, the character of Macbeth is introduced as a war hero, well respected by his fellows and as a man of honour, appreciated by the king himself who was at the same time his first cousin, â€Å"O valiant cousin! / Worthy gentleman!† (Act 1, scene 2). As the three witches make predictions about Macbeth’s future, that he will become thane of Cawdor and then king, he is reluctant and can’t believe his ears, challenging the witches’ reason, â€Å"But how of Cawdor? the thane of Cawdor lives / A prosperous gentleman; and to be king / Stands not within the prospect of belief,† (Act 1, scene 3). Despite this, he is interested to find out more, â€Å"Speak, I charge you,† showing that he is prepared to believe in the supernatural and deceive his own knowledge and conscience. After the earliest prophecy becomes true, the thought of murder crosses Macbeth’s mind for the first time, â€Å"If good, why do I yield to that suggestion / Whose horrid image doth unfix my hair, / And make my seated heart knock at my ribs, / Against the use of nature? Present fears / Are less than horrible imaginings: / My thought, whose murder yet is but fantastical, / Shakes so my single state of man that function / Is smothered in surmise, and nothing is / But what is not,† (Act 1, scene 3). Macbeth is scared of his own thoughts and what his conscience might make him do. Trying to escape the horrible situation of making a decision, he thinks that, if it is meant for him to be king, he doesn’t have to do anything himself, â€Å"If chance will have me king, why, chance may crown me, / Without my stir,† (Act 1, scene 3). Struggling with his conscience, Macbeth asks the natural elements to hide his ambitions, â€Å"Stars, hide your fires! / Let not light see my black and deep desires: / The eye wink at the hand; yet let that be / Which the eye fears, when it is done, to see,† (Act 1, scene 4). When lady Macbeth receives a letter from her husband, announcing his new title and the witches’ predictions, her reaction is cold and unexpected, portraying her as a villain of particular dimensions. In the subsequent soliloquy, she somewhat accuses Macbeth of being too good, by the notorious line, â€Å"†¦ yet do I fear thy nature; / It is too full o’th’ milk of human kindness,† (Act 1, scene 5). She then promptly decides to influence Macbeth to commit murder, â€Å"Hie thee thither, / That I may pour my spirits in thine ear,† (Act 1, scene 5) as she believes that what the witches have said is going to become true and is destined for the main character, â€Å"Which fate and metaphysical aid doth seem / To have thee crowned withal,† (Act 1, scene 5). As soon as Macbeth and lady Macbeth meet, she presents him with her ambitious plans. Initially, he’s firm about not willing to go on with the deed of murdering Duncan, â€Å"We will proceed no further in this business,† (Act 1, scene 7) realising that the king has honoured him very recently and it would be a good idea to take advantage of the respect he has earned from many people, rather than ending it so brusquely, â€Å"He hath honoured me of late, and I have bought / Golden opinions from all sorts of people, / Which would be worn now in their newest gloss, / Not cast aside so soon,† (Act 1, scene 7). It is impressive how little it takes for Macbeth to change his opinion. His wife plays the love, promise and manhood cards which prove to be winning, â€Å"Was the hope drunk / Wherein you dressed yourself? [†¦] From this time / Such I account thy love. [†¦] And live a coward in thine own esteem, / Letting â€Å"I dare not† wait upon â€Å"I wo uld†,† (Act 1, scene 7). Eventually, lady Macbeth persuades Macbeth to murder Duncan, â€Å"I am settled,† (Act 1, scene 7). Both the witches and lady Macbeth are extraneous elements from Macbeth’s point of view. He can’t control their existence and influences and, finally, he’s left with himself to decide what to do next. Only a weak mind could be manipulated by the witches and lady Macbeth, and having a weak mind is hardly an acceptable excuse for a respected character like Macbeth. Therefore, I believe it is ultimately his own fault for committing the deed and it was his corrupted mind that lead him from a prosperous gentleman to a horrid criminal.