Forces of Nature Mic Heal Porter

In dealing with strategic planning, I think that this would deal with the way an organization try’s to incorporate strategy in their decision making process. The correct strategy will allow the organization to plan a set of goals and also be able to achieve these goals. Strategic planning is how the organization tries to evolve their current status into where they feel they should be in the future. In routine planning this is the type of planning that is by the book. Routine meaning by the book and following all the procedures with no actual goals and no mention of the future. The differences between the two planning systems is that one only follows the rules and the other thinks outside the box by thinking about the future of the organization. An example of strategic planning, is when an organization starts with having a mission by coming up with the organizations strengths and weaknesses. The plan has to have an outcome that leads the organization into the future (my strategic plan. com). An example of a routine plan would be a book list of instructions and it is mapped out and the first thing they will do is try to find certain goals to move the company forward to the next level but is not worried about the future of the organization. When an organization does not use strategic planning than the organization will not be able to control their futures and be stuck following a routine approach. If an organization does not have a strategic plan they will only be able to address the immediate problems and this is a form of crisis management. When an organization has a strategic plan, the organization becomes more proactive in achieving their goals instead of reactive. When an organization is reactive they are following the set of guidelines of a routine. When an organization has a strategic plan but it is poor it is really like not having one at all. The organization that has a poor strategic planning system is not on a good track and when the plan was implemented it was done incorrectly. When the people of the organization implemented the plan not everyone bought into this plan this is one of the reasons why it is broken and it is poor. The only way to un-break or fix what is broken is to re-implement the plan to make sure that every person in the organization will buy into for the sake of the organizations future (Iowa State University, 1995-2013). The organization that does not have a strategic plan will not be able to make a future for their organization. When an organization thinks outside the box they usual are the organization will flourish in the long-run. The only problem with having a failing strategic plan is the fact that it could have been a good plan if all the members of the organization bought into it. Fixing a strategic plan is sometimes more difficult than actually rolling one out to your organization. References My Strategic Plan (2103). Researched the difference between routine planning and strategic plan. Found an article on what is the difference between a strategic plan and a business plan. Retrieved from website http://mystrategicplan.com/resources/what-is-the-difference-between-a-business-plan-and-a-strategic-plan/ Iowa State University (1995-2013). Researched what happens when an organization has a poor strategic plan. Retrieved from website http://smallbusiness.chron.com/difference-between-strategic-planning-shortterm-operational-planning-24227.html

The Main Problems of Lexicography

The main problems of lexicography The most burning issues of lexicography are connected with the selection of head-words, the arrangement and contents of the vocabulary entry, the principles of sense definitions and the semantic and functional classification of words. In the first place it is the problem of how far a general descriptive dictionary, whether unilingual or bilingual, should admit the historical element. In fact, the term â€Å"current usage† is disconcertingly elastic, it may, for instance, be stretched to include all words and senses used by W.Shakespeare, as he is commonly read, or include only those of the fossilised words that are kept in some set expressions or familiar quotations, e. g. shuffled off this mortal coil (â€Å"Hamlet†), where coil means ‘turmoil’ (of life). For the purpose of a dictionary, which must not be too bulky, selection between scientific and technical terms is also a very important task. It is a debatable point whet her a unilingual explanatory dictionary should strive to cover all the words of the language, including neologisms, nonce-words, slang, etc. nd note with impartial accuracy all the words actually used by English people; or whether, as the great English lexicographer of the 18th century Samuel Johnson used to think, it should be preceptive, and (viewed from the other side) prohibitive. Dictionary-makers should attempt to improve and stabilise the English vocabulary according to the best classical samples and advise the readers on preferable usage. A distinctly modern criterion in selection of entries is the frequency of the words to be included. This is especially important for certain lines of practical work in preparing graded elementary textbooks.When the problem of selection is settled, there is the question as to which of the selected units have the right to a separate entry and which are to be included under one common head-word. These are, in other words, the questions of sepa rateness and sameness of words. The first deals with syntagmatic boundaries of word-units and has to solve such questions as whether each other is a group of two separate words to be treated separately under the head-words each and other, or whether each other is a unit deserving a special entry (compare also: one another).Need such combinations as boiling point, carbon paper, department store, phone box be sub-entered under their constituents? If so, under which of them? Or, perhaps, it will be more convenient for those who use the dictionary if these were placed as separate main entries consisting of a nominal compound or a phrase. As to the sameness, this deals with paradigmatic boundaries. How many entries are justified for hound'? COD has two — one for the noun, and the other for the verb: ‘to chase (as) with hounds’; the verb and the noun are thus treated as homonyms. Chambers’s Twentieth Century Dictionary† combines them under one head-word, i . e. it takes them as variants of the same word (hence the term â€Å"sameness†). The problem is even more complicated with variants belonging to the same part of speech. This problem is best illustrated by the pun that has already been discussed elsewhere in this book: Mind you, I don’t mind minding the children if the children mind me (Understand, I don’t object to taking care of the children if the children obey me). Here the dictionary-maker is confronted with the problem of sameness.Should mind be considered one word with several semantic variants, and take one entry? Or is it more convenient to represent it as several words? The difference in the number of entries for an equal bulk of vocabulary may also depend on a different approach to the regularly formed derivatives, like those with -er, -ing, -ness, and -ly. These are similar to grammatical endings in their combining possibilities and semantic regularity. The derivation is so regular, and the meaning and class of these derivatives are so easily deduced that they are sometimes sidered not worth an entry.That is why the definition of the scope of a dictionary is not quite as simple as it might appear at first sight. There exist almost unsurmountable difficulties to a neat statistical evaluation. Some publishers state the number of entries in a subtitle, others even claim for the total coverage with the exception of very special terms. It must be remembered, however, that without a generally accepted standard for settling the problems of sameness and separateness no meaningful evaluation of the scope of any particular dictionary is possible.Besides in the case of a living language the vocabulary is not stable, and the attitude of lexicographers to archaisms and neologisms varies. The arrangement of the vocabulary entry presents many problems, of which the most important are the differentiation and the sequence of various meanings of a polysemantic word. A historical dictionary (the Oxford Dictionary, for instance) is primarily concerned with the development of the English vocabulary. It arranges various senses chronologically, first comes the etymology, then the earliest meanings marked by the label obs. — obsolete.The etymologies are either comparative or confined to a single language. The development is documented by illustrative quotations, ranging from the oldest to recent appearances of the word in question. A descriptive dictionary dealing with current usage has to face its own specific problems. It has to apply a structural point of view and give precedence to the most important meanings. But how is the most important meaning determined upon? So far each compiler was guided by his own personal preference. An objective procedure would be to obtain data of statistical counts.But counting the frequency of different meanings of the same word is far more difficult than counting the frequency of its forms. It is therefore not by chance that up to now many counts have been undertaken only for word forms, irrespective of meaning. Also, the interdependence of meanings and their relative importance within the semantic structure of the word do not remain the same. They change almost incessantly, so that the task of establishing their relative frequency would have to be repeated very often. The constant revisions necessary would make the publication of dictionaries very expensive.It may also be argued that an arrangement of meanings according to frequency would sometimes conceal the ties and relationship between various elements of the semantic structure. Nevertheless some semantic counts have been achieved and the lexicographers profited by them. Thus, in preparing high-school English dictionaries the staff under chief editor C. L. Barnhart was aided by semantic counts which Dr E. L. Thorndike had made of current standard literature, from children’s books to â€Å"The Encyclopaedia Britannica†. The count according to C. L. Barnhart was of enormous importance in compiling their dictionaries, but the lexicographer admits that counts are only one of the criteria necessary for selecting meanings and entries, and that more dictionary evidence is needed, namely typical quotations for each meaning. Dictionary evidence normally exists in the form of quotation slips constituting raw material for word treatment and filed under their appropriate head-words. In editing new dictionaries the lexicographers cannot depend only on the scholarly editions such as OED.In order to meet the demands of their readers, they have to sample the reading of the public for whom the dictionary is meant. This textual reference has to be scrupulously examined, so as to account for new words and meanings making their way into the language. Here again some quantitative criteria must be established. If a word or meaning occurs in several different sources over a wide range of magazines and books during a considerable period of time, it may be worth including even into a college dictionary.The preface to â€Å"The Concise Oxford Dictionary†, for instance, states that its authors find that sense development cannot be presented in every word, because obsolete words are as a rule omitted. Only occasionally do they place at the beginning a rare but still current sense, if it can throw light on the more common senses that follow, or forms the connecting link with the etymology. The etymologies are given throughout, but otherwise the compilers do not seem to keep to any consistent principle and are guided by what they think is the order of logical connection, familiarity or importance.E. L. Thorndike formulates the following principles: â€Å"Other things being equal, literal uses come before figurative, general uses before special, common uses before rare, and easily understandable uses before difficult, and to sum up: that arrangement is best for any word which helps the learner most. † A synchronic di ctionary should also show the distribution of every word. It has been traditionally done by labelling words as belonging to a certain part of speech, and by noting some special cases of grammatically or lexically bound meanings.Thus, the word spin is labelled in â€Å"The Concise Oxford Dictionary† as v. t. & i. , which gives a general idea of its distribution; its various senses are shown in connection with words that may serve as subject or object, e. g. : â€Å"2. (of spider, silkworm, etc. ) make (web, gossamer, cocoon, or abs. ) by extrusion of fine viscous thread †¦ 10. spun glass (spun when heated into filaments that remain pliant when cold); spun gold, silver (gold, silver thread prepared for weaving †¦ ). † This technique is gradually being improved upon, and compilers strive to provide more detailed information on these points. The Advanced Learner’s Dictionary †¦ † by A. S. Hornby, E. V. Gatenby and H. Wakefield supplies informati on on the syntactical distribution of each verb. In their â€Å"Notes on Syntax† the compilers state that one who is learning English as a foreign language is apt to form sentences by analogy, which at times may lead him into error. For instance, the student must be warned against taking the use of the verb tell in the sentence Please tell me the meaning as a model for the word explain, because *Please, explain me the meaning would be ungrammatical. For his purpose they provide a table of 25 verb patterns and supply the numerical indications in each verb entry. This gives the student the necessary guidance. Indications are also supplied as to which nouns and which semantic varieties of nouns may be used in the plural. This helps the student to avoid mistakes like *interesting informations. Many dictionaries indicate the different stylistic levels to which the words belong: colloquial, technical, poetical, rhetorical, archaic, familiar, vulgar or slang, and their expressive co louring: emphatic, ironical, diminutive, facetious.This is important, because a mere definition does not show these data. There is always a difference in style between the dictionary word and its definition. The word digs is a slang word but its definition ‘lodgings’ is not. Giving these data modern dictionary-makers strive to indicate the nature of the context in which the word may occur. The problem is also relevant for bilingual dictionaries and is carefully presented in the â€Å"New English-Russian Dictionary† edited by I. R. Galperin. A third group of lexicographic problems is the problem of definitions in a unilingual dictionary.The explanation of meaning may be achieved by a group of synonyms which together give a fairly general idea; but one synonym is never sufficient for the purpose, because no absolute synonyms exist. Besides, if synonyms are the only type of explanation used, the reader will be placed in a vicious circle of synonymic references, with not a single word actually explained. Definitions serve the purpose much better. These are of two main types. If they are only concerned with words as speech material, the definition is called linguistic. If they are concerned with things for which the words are names, they are termed encyclopaedic.American dictionaries are for the most part traditionally encyclopaedic, which accounts for so much attention paid to graphic illustration. They furnish their readers with far more information about facts and things than their British counterparts, which are more linguistic and more fundamentally occupied with purely lexical data (as contrasted to r e a 1 i a), with the grammatical properties of words, their components, their stylistic features, etc. Opinions differ upon the optimum proportion of linguistic and encyclopaedic material.Very interesting considerations on this subject are due to Alf Sommerfeldt. He thinks that definitions must be based on the fact that the meanings of words render complex notions which may be analysed (cf. componental analysis) into several elements rendered by other words. He emphasises, for instance, that the word pedestrian is more aptly defined as ‘a person who goes or travels on foot’ than as ‘one who goes or travels on foot’. The remark appears valuable, because a definition of this type shows the lexico-grammatical type to which the word belongs and consequently its distribution.It also helps to reveal the system of the vocabulary. Much too often, however, one sees in dictionaries no attention paid to the difference in distribution between the defined and the defining word. The meaning of the word may be also explained by examples, i. e. contextually. The term and its definition are here fused. For example, diagonal is explained by the following context where only this term can occur: A square has two diagonals, and each of them divides the square into two right-angled isosceles triangles. Very often th is type can be changed into a standard form, i. . A diagonal is one of the two lines †¦ , etc. One more problem is the problem of whether all entries should be defined or whether it is possible to have the so-called â€Å"run-ons† for derivative words in which the root-form is readily recognised (such as absolutely or resolutely). In fact, whereas resolutely may be conveniently given as a -ly run-on after resolute, there is a meaning problem for absolutely. One must take into consideration that in colloquial speech absolutely means ‘quite so’, ‘yes’ which cannot be deduced from the meaning of the corresponding adjective.HISTORICAL DEVELOPMENT OF BRITISH AND AMERICAN LEXICOGRAPHY Although, as we have seen from the preceding paragraph, there is as yet no coherent doctrine in English lexicography, its richness and variety are everywhere admitted and appreciated. Its history is in its way one of the most remarkable developments in linguistics, and i s therefore worthy of special attention. In the following pages a short outline of its various phases is given. A need for a dictionary or glossary has been felt in the cultural growth of many civilised peoples at a fairly early period.The history of dictionary-making for the English language goes as far back as the Old English period where its first traces are found in the form of glosses of religious books with interlinear translation from Latin. Regular bilingual English-Latin dictionaries were already in existence in the 15th century. The unilingual dictionary is a comparatively recent type. The first unilingual English dictionary, explaining words by English equivalents, appeared in 1604. It was meant to explain difficult words occurring in books.Its title was â€Å"A Table Alphabeticall, containing and teaching the true writing and understanding of hard usuall English words borrowed from the Hebrew, Greeke, Latine or French†. The little volume of 120 pages explaining ab out 3000 words was compiled by one Robert Cawdrey, a schoolmaster. Other books followed, each longer than the preceding one. The first attempt at a dictionary including all the words of the language, not only the difficult ones, was made by Nathaniel Bailey who in 1721 published the first edition of his â€Å"Universal Etymological English Dictionary†.He was the first to include pronunciation and etymology. Big explanatory dictionaries were created in France and Italy before they appeared for the English language. Learned academies on the continent had been established to preserve the purity of their respective languages. This was also the purpose of Dr Samuel Johnson’s famous Dictionary published in 1755. 1 The idea of purity involved a tendency to oppose change, and S. Johnson’s Dictionary was meant to establish the English language in its classical form, to preserve it in all its glory as used by J. Dryden, A.Pope, J. Addison and their contemporaries. In conf ormity with the social order of his time, S. Johnson attempted to â€Å"fix† and regulate English. This was the period of much discussion about the necessity of â€Å"purifying† and â€Å"fixing† English, and S. Johnson wrote that every change was undesirable, even a change for the best. When his work was accomplished, however, he had to admit he had been wrong and confessed in his preface that â€Å"no dictionary of a living tongue can ever be perfect, since while it is hastening to publication, some words are budding and some falling away†.The most important innovation of S. Johnson’s Dictionary was the introduction of illustrations of the meanings of the words â€Å"by examples from the best writers†, as had been done before him in the dictionary of the French Academy. Since then such illustrations have become a â€Å"sine qua non† in lexicography; S. Johnson, however, only mentioned the authors and never gave any specific referenc es for his quotations. Most probably he reproduced some of his quotations from memory, not always very exactly, which would have been unthinkable in modern lexicology.The definitions he gave were often very ingenious. He was called â€Å"a skilful definer†, but sometimes he preferred to give way to sarcasm or humour and did not hesitate to be partial in his definitions. The epithet he gave to lexicographer, for instance, is famous even in our time: a lexicographer was ‘a writer of dictionaries, a harmless drudge †¦ ’. The dictionary dealt with separate words only, almost no set expressions were entered. Pronunciation was not marked, because S.Johnson was keenly aware of the wide variety of the English pronunciation and thought it impossible to set up a standard there; he paid attention only to those aspects of vocabulary where he believed he could improve linguistic usage. S. Johnson’s influence was tremendous. He remained the unquestionable authority on style and diction for more than 75 years. The result was a lofty bookish style which received the name of â€Å"Johnsonian† or â€Å"Johnsonese†. As to pronunciation, attention was turned to it somewhat later. A pronouncing dictionary that must be mentioned first was published in 1780 by Thomas Sheridan, grandfather of the great dramatist.In 1791 appeared â€Å"The Critical Pronouncing Dictionary and Expositor of the English Language† by John Walker, an actor. The vogue of this second dictionary was very great, and in later publications Walker’s pronunciations were inserted into S. Johnson’s text — a further step to a unilingual dictionary in its present-day form. The Golden Age of English lexicography began in the last quarter of the 19th century when the English Philological Society started work on compiling what is now known as â€Å"The Oxford English Dictionary† (OED), but was originally named â€Å"New English Dictionary on Historical Principles†.It is still occasionally referred to as NED. The purpose of this monumental work is to trace the development of English words from their form in Old English, and if they were not found in Old English, to show when they were introduced into the language, and also to show the development of each meaning and its historical relation to other meanings of the same word. For words and meanings which have become obsolete the date of the latest occurrence is given. All this is done by means of dated quotations ranging from the oldest to recent appearances of the words in question.The English of G. Chaucer, of the â€Å"Bible† and of W. Shakespeare is given as much attention as that of the most modern authors. The dictionary includes spellings, pronunciations and detailed etymologies. The completion of the work required more than 75 years. The result is a kind of encyclopaedia of language used not only for reference purposes but also as a basis for lexicol ogical research. The lexicographic concept here is very different from the prescriptive tradition of Dr S. Johnson: the lexicographer is the objective recorder of the language.The purpose of OED, as stated by its editors, has nothing to do with prescription or proscription of any kind. The conception of this new type of dictionary was born in a discussion at the English Philological Society. It was suggested by Frederick Furnivall, later its second titular editor, to Richard Trench, the author of the first book on lexicology of the English language. Richard Trench read before the society his paper â€Å"On Some Deficiencies in our English Dictionaries†, and that was how the big enterprise was started.At once the Philological Society set to work to gather the material, volunteers offered to help by collecting quotations. Dictionary-making became a sort of national enterprise. A special committee prepared a list of books to be read and assigned them to the volunteers, sending t hem also special standard slips for quotations. By 1881 the number of readers was 800, and they sent in many thousands of slips. The tremendous amount of work done by these volunteers testifies to the keen interest the English take in their language.The first part of the Dictionary appeared in 1884 and the last in 1928. Later it was issued in twelve volumes and in order to accommodate new words a three volume Supplement was issued in 1933. These volumes were revised in the seventies. Nearly all the material of the original Supplement was retained and a large body of the most recent accessions to the English language added. The principles, structure and scope of â€Å"The Oxford English Dictionary†, its merits and demerits are discussed in the most comprehensive treaty by L. V. Malakhovsky. Its prestige is enormous.It is considered superior to corresponding major dictionaries for other languages. The Oxford University Press published different abridged versions. â€Å"The Sho rter Oxford English Dictionary on Historical Principles† formerly appeared in two volumes, now printed on thinner paper it is bound in one volume of 2,538 pages. It differs from the complete edition in that it contains a smaller number of quotations. It keeps to all the main principles of historical presentation and covers not only the current literary and colloquial English but also its previous stages.Words are defined and illustrated with key quotations. â€Å"The Concise Oxford Dictionary of Current English† was first published in 1911, i. e. before the work on the main version was completed. It is not a historical dictionary but one of current usage. A still shorter form is â€Å"The Pocket Oxford Dictionary†. Another big dictionary, also created by joined effort of enthusiasts, is Joseph Wright’s â€Å"English Dialect Dictionary†. Before this dictionary could be started upon, a thorough study of English dialects had to be completed.With this a im in view W. W. Skeat, famous for his â€Å"Etymological English Dictionary† founded the English Dialect Society as far back as 1873. Dialects are of great importance for the historical study of the language. In the 19th century they were very pronounced though now they are almost disappearing. The Society existed till 1896 and issued 80 publications, mostly monographs. Curiously enough, the first American dictionary of the English language was compiled by a man whose name was also Samuel Johnson. Samuel Johnson Jr. a Connecticut schoolmaster, published in 1798 a small book entitled â€Å"A School Dictionary†. This book was followed in 1800 by another dictionary by the same author, which showed already some signs of Americanisation. It included, for instance, words like tomahawk and wampum, borrowed into English from the Indian languages. It was Noah Webster, universally considered to be the father of American lexicography, who emphatically broke away from English idi om, and embodied in his book the specifically American usage of his time.His great work, â€Å"The American Dictionary of the English Language†, appeared in two volumes in 1828 and later sustained numerous revised and enlarged editions. In many respects N. Webster follows the lead of Dr S. Johnson (the British lexicographer). But he has also improved and corrected many of S. Johnson’s etymologies and his definitions are often more exact. N. Webster attempted to simplify the spelling and pronunciation that were current in the USA of the period. He devoted many years to the collection of words and the preparation of more accurate definitions. N.Webster realised the importance of language for the development of a nation, and devoted his energy to giving the American English the status of an independent language, distinct from British English. At that time the idea was progressive as it helped the unification of separate states into one federation. The tendency became reac tionary later on, when some modern linguists like H. Mencken shaped it into the theory of a separate American language, not only different from British English, but surpassing it in efficiency and therefore deserving to dominate and supersede all the languages of the world.Even if we keep within purely linguistic or purely lexical concepts, we shall readily see that the difference is not so great as to warrant American English the rank of a separate language, not a variant of English (see p. 265). The set of morphemes is the same. Some words have acquired a new meaning on American soil and this meaning has or has not penetrated into British English. Other words kept their earlier meanings that are obsolete and not used in Great Britain. As civilisation progressed different names were given to new inventions on either side of the Atlantic. Words were borrowed from different Indian languages and from Spanish.All these had to be recorded in a dictionary and so accounted for the existen ce of specific American lexicography. The world of today with its ever-growing efficiency and intensity of communication and personal contacts, with its press, radio and television creates conditions which tend to foster not an isolation of dialects and variants but, on the contrary, their mutual penetration and integration. Later on, the title â€Å"International Dictionary of the English Language† was adopted, and in the latest edition not Americanisms but words not used in America (Britishisms) are marked off.N. Webster’s dictionary enjoyed great popularity from its first editions. This popularity was due not only to the accuracy and clarity of definitions but also to the richness of additional information of encyclopaedic character, which had become a tradition in American lexicography. As a dictionary N. Webster’s book aims to treat the entire vocabulary of the language providing definitions, pronunciation and etymology. As an encyclopaedia it gives explana tions about things named, including scientific and technical subjects.It does so more concisely than a full-scale encyclopaedia, but it is worthy of note that the definitions are as a rule up-to-date and rigorous scientifically. Soon after N. Webster’s death two printers and booksellers of Massachusetts, George and Charles Merriam, secured the rights of his dictionary from his family and started the publication of revised single volume editions under the name â€Å"Merriam-Webster†. The staff working for the modern editions is a big institution numbering hundreds of specialists in different branches of human activity.It is important to note that the name â€Å"Webster† may be attached for publicity’s sake by anyone to any dictionary. Many publishers concerned with their profits have taken this opportunity to issue dictionaries called â€Å"Webster’s†. Some of the books so named are cheaply-made reprints of old editions, others are said to be entirely new works. The practice of advertising by coupling N. Webster’s name to a dictionary which has no connection with him, continues up to the present day. A complete revision of N. Webster’s dictionary is achieved with a certain degree of regularity.The recent â€Å"Webster’s Third New International Dictionary of the English Language† has called forth much comment, both favourable and unfavourable. It has been greatly changed as compared with the previous edition, in word selection as well as in other matters. The emphasis is on the present-day state of the language. The number of illustrative quotations is increased. To accommodate the great number of new words and meanings without increasing the bulk of the volume, the editors excluded much encyclopaedic material.The other great American dictionaries are the â€Å"Century Dictionary†, first completed in 1891; â€Å"Funk and Wagnalls New Standard Dictionary†, first completed in 1895; the â€Å"Random House Dictionary of the English Language†, completed in 1967; â€Å"The Heritage Illustrated Dictionary of the English Language†, first published in 1969, and C. L. Barnhart’s et al. â€Å"The World Book Dictionary† presenting a synchronic review of the language in the 20th century. The first three continue to appear in variously named subsequent editions including abridged versions.Many small handy popular dictionaries for office, school and home use are prepared to meet the demand in reference books on spelling, pronunciation, meaning and usage. An adequate idea of the dictionaries cannot be formed from a mere description and it is no substitute for actually using them. To conclude we would like to mention that for a specialist in linguistics and a teacher of foreign languages systematic work with a good dictionary in conjunction with his reading is an absolute necessity.

Environmental Determinism Related to Ancient Greece, Rome and Medieval Times Essay

Environmental determinism essentially means where you live has a direct correlation with how you live. Countries that need to focus on hunting and gathering cannot focus on other aspects of their society like military power, religion, technology and education. Geographic luck is another factor of environmental determinism. Geographic luck means that people have strong advantages to their lives because of where they currently live. Environmental determinism allowed countries to grow their military power and allowed them to enhance their weaponry, which was shown during the Peloponnesian War, the Punic Wars and the Viking Invasions. During the period of Ancient Greece, the Peloponnesian War showed military changes because of environmental determinism. After the Persian War, the Persian Empire was very weak (â€Å"Peloponnesian War. â€Å"). The Athenians saw this as a great opportunity to attack and take control of some very important land. Some of the land that they wanted to capture was called the Fertile Crescent and was very rich with many resources such as very rich soil which is opportune for growing crops, as well as large rivers of water for drinking (â€Å"Fertile Crescent. â€Å"). The Athenians were able to attack the Fertile Crescent because of environmental determinism. The land the Athenians were on allowed them to create a strong civilization early, which allowed them to grow their military power, which in turn also allowed them to defeat the Persians in the Persian War. Environmental determinism also allowed the Athenians focus on upgrading their navy to a high enough level that they could travel the long distance of attacking the weakened Persian Empire. Environmental determinism also factored into the primary reason the Peloponnesian War started. When the city states divided up between the Delian League and the Athenians, and the Peloponnesian League and the Spartans, in the agreement it stated that each side was to not get involved with the opposite sides affairs and the Athenians ignored that rule because of environmental determinism (â€Å"Peloponnesian War. â€Å"). Corcyra and Corinth were in a small war of their own and it was a Peloponnesian League matter, however, Corcyra had a large navy and Athens was afraid of Corinth taking this navy because they were a part of the Peloponnesian League, while Corcyra was still undecided on which side it was on. Environmental determinism factors into this because Corinth was powerful enough because of their developed civilization to make Athens worried, and Corcyra had a powerful enough navy that Athens was willing to start a war with the Peloponnesian League to start a war. At the beginning of the war, environmental determinism seriously affected the Athenians. Pericles, the most important general in Athens, decided at the beginning of the war to take a defensive strategy by keeping the army within the Athenian walls (â€Å"Peloponnesian War. â€Å"). He thought this would wear the Spartan army out to the point where they would retreat. The main problem with this strategy was that all of the Athenians crops were located outside of the Athenian wall. Athens still had a secret trade route which allowed them to eat, however they could not sell their crops and they had to keep buying crops so they were rapidly losing a large amount of money. The plan also backfired a second time, because the Athenians were hit with a plague which killed a third of their people in 3 years, including Pericles. Environmental determinism is shown because the crops had to grow there because the soil within the city was not rich enough and the Athenians could not grow crops outside the other side of the Athenian walls, because they were located right on the coast of the Aegean Sea (â€Å"Ancient Greece Map. â€Å"). Athens was hit by the plague before the Spartans because of environmental determinism as well. They are closer to where the plague started, which was in Ethiopia, where it then moved through Rome and the Persian Empire. In the next phase of the war, environmental determinism influenced the decisions of Athens and Sparta. One of the new leaders of the Athenian war party, Cleon wanted to be much more physical than Pericles was, and he saw his opportunity in Italy (â€Å"Peloponnesian War. â€Å"). The city state of Syracuse in Sicily was allied with Sparta and when they attacked a tribe called the Leontini, Cleon chose to help fight back. He chose to fight against Syracuse for the reason that he wanted to weaken the Spartans because their grain supply came from Syracuse. The Spartans used Cleon’s over-aggressiveness against him, by setting up a Spartan colony named Heraclea right near Athens. This forced Athens to make a decision of sending its troops to Syracuse and getting attacked in Athens, or not attacking Syracuse altogether. This goes back to environmental determinism again, because generals such as Brasidas of Sparta was able to come up with this plan, because the Spartans had a growing and strong enough colony that they did not need to focus on hunting and gathering and could focus on military matters. Focusing on military matters helped the Spartans again when the Athenians attacked the city state Boetia. This was important for the Athenians, because Boetia was a short distance away from them and did not want to get attacked, as well as they needed morale boost because they were losing the war, however the Spartans outsmarted them. When the Athenians were attacking and the fight seemed to be over, Boetia brought out their two hidden lines of cavalrymen and encircled the Athenians, and then routed them. In the final stage of the war, the Athenians were finally finished off because of environmental determinism. The Athenians sent 130 ships in one final effort to attack in Sicily (â€Å"Peloponnesian War. ). Because of environmental determinism however, the Syracusians were able to upgrade their navy with a new piece of equipment, which rammed the ships and damaged them on water, which made them not mobile and sink. In this battle the Athenians lost twenty thousand people, and that was enough for the Persians to get involved in the war and ally with Sparta. Environmental determinism takes a big part in this move, because the Persian army was now attacking from the east, while the Spartans were attacking from the west and the Athenians were conquered. Because of where Athens was situated, they could not even flee from the incoming attacks, because they were surrounded by the Persians coming over the water, and the Spartans coming by land. In conclusion, the Spartans were successful in defeating the Athenians by outsmarting them with new tactics that were studied and by defeating them with a stronger army, which they were able to create because of environmental determinism. Environmental determinism influenced other parts of history too, as shown in Punic Wars in the period of Ancient Rome. During the three Punic Wars fought by Rome and Carthage, Rome was successful because of military power and strategies they could develop because of environmental determinism. Before the Punic Wars started, Carthage extremely wealthy and was the most technologically advanced city in the region, as well as having the strongest naval power (â€Å"Punic Wars. â€Å"). Rome was very powerful as well with the biggest land army in the region. These two countries were allowed to become this advanced and this powerful because of environmental determinism. Both cities were so well developed and had such a strong way of life that they could focus on expanding their empires instead of worrying about if they were going to survive. In 264, there was a dispute in Sicily and both Rome and Carthage got involved and that was the beginning of the Punic Wars. Because of Carthage’s large navy, they were able to win many battles on water, however the Roman fleet were able to break their naval superiority, with allowed them to take Sicily as their own, making it their first overseas province. Carthage and Rome went to war over Sicily because of the land. The Sicilian land was very rich with its soil and natural resources, as well as having many wealthy cities and many major ports for trading. It was also located right between the capitals of Carthage and Rome. Rome and Carthage also wanted to go to war because of where they were located. Both cities were located on either side of the Mediterranean (â€Å"Ancient Rome Map. â€Å"). By defeating the other power there, Carthage or Rome could become the main power in the Mediterranean which would allow them to trade and make themselves even more powerful. So, because of environmental determinism and greed, the Punic Wars had begun. In the second Punic War, environmental determinism would urge Carthage to attack the Roman Empire once again. In 237 B. C, Carthage established a new base of influence in Spain under the powerful general Hamilicar Barca (â€Å"Punic Wars. â€Å"). After his death, his son Hannibal took command of the forces in Spain, and in 221 B. C, Hannibal took these forces and marched his army across the Ebro River into Saguntum. This was an important gesture, because Saguntum was under Roman protection which showed that Hannibal wanted to continue war against the Roman Empire. Carthage, using its ninety thousand infantry, killed as many as fifty thousand Roman soldiers, destroyed the Italian countryside and recaptured Sicily, but since the Romans have such a large infantry, this was not a large enough causality to faze them as they fought back. Rome pushed back and took all of Italy, as well as Carthage’s ties in Spain and North Africa. Environmental determinism played a role in many factors in this part of the Punic Wars. Firstly, the Roman Empire was able to bounce back so easily after losing fifty thousand troops because their population was so large and was still growing. This has to do with the fact that the land the Romans were on was very rich in resources and could maintain a large amount of people living there. Secondly, Carthage used a maneuver where they destroyed the Italian countryside. This was a smart move by the Carthaginians, because it stopped the Romans from getting some of their food supplies, as well as them losing a large sum of money, and the Carthaginians were able to do this maneuver before the Romans could stop them because they are located closer to the countryside than Rome is. In the third and final of the Punic Wars, the Romans used environmental determinism against Carthage to capture the Carthaginian power, money and land. Before the war started, Rome and Carthage had signed an agreement that they could not attack Rome or anyone else without consulting Rome, or else war would start again (â€Å"Punic Wars. â€Å"). This treaty was broken by Carthage, when they chose to attack Numidia, who was allied with Rome. Carthage was fending off the Roman army until the young general of Rome Scipio the Younger used environmental determinism to defeat Carthage. Rome launched a forceful attack on the harbour side of Carthage, and pushed the enemy troops towards their citadel. Carthage then surrendered after seven days and the Romans succeeded in destroying Carthage. This was important, because Rome destroyed a city that no one could defeat for 700 years, and the Romans were not done there as they later moved east and gained Macedonia. Environmental determinism allowed Rome to attack from both sides of Carthage and surround them, because Carthage was located right next to the Mediterranean Sea. The Roman Empire succeeded in becoming the main power in the Mediterranean because of military techniques, a strong army, and advantages of positioning because of environmental determinism. During Viking Invasions in the Medieval Times, the Vikings and Europe would experience cases in which environmental determinism aided them as well. During the Viking Invasions, the Vikings disrupted and benefitted many European countries because of environmental determinism. The Vikings began their raids in 789 A. D when Norwegian ships attacked Portland, located in the British Iles (â€Å"Medieval Maritime Culture. ). The Vikings then continued to raid Europe including Spain, France, Constantinople and England and find parts of Russia, Greenland, Norway and Canada. This is important because it shows how powerful and influential the Vikings were in Medieval Times, by finding new land and establishing it as a major trade centre, and converting whole countries to different religions as shown when they converted Greenland and Iceland to Christianity in 1000. Environmental determinism is shown in why the Vikings began to raid. The Vikings began to raid partially because of the terrible weather conditions that they were subject to in Scandinavia, as well as a lack of agriculture which led many Vikings to sail south in search of land. Because Scandinavia was farther away from the equator, this made the weather colder, which also allowed for fewer crops to grow. This was the main premise on which the Vikings began to head south. Environmental determinism also allowed the Vikings to have a large army which allowed them to attack many places with a high degree of effectiveness. The Vikings were able to sail in fleets of many hundreds of ships filled with 100 people each, because of environmental determinism. The Vikings developed themselves into a powerful people in Scandinavia which allowed them to focus on strengthening their people instead of keeping their population or army at the same level. This is much like what happened in the Peloponnesian Wars and the Punic Wars. The Vikings were also able to attack strong countries so well because of their advanced technology. The Vikings developed a ship called a â€Å"longship†, which was very fast and very agile (â€Å"Viking Timeline. â€Å"). They used these boats to travel quickly, allowing them to attack more people at a faster rate and gain more land. This along with their strong navigation system called â€Å"celestial navigation†. This was important because it allowed them to find land and capture it efficiently. The Vikings were able to invent these powerful and innovative ships and means of travel because of environmental determinism. The Vikings were a very civilized culture that were very strategic and very smart because of their way of life. Their way of life was so enhanced because of environmental determinism. The Vikings could not grow as many crops as countries that were closer to the equator, so they had to adjust to their surroundings accordingly (â€Å"Viking Timeline. â€Å"). For example, the Vikings of York were very close to a river, so they consumed a large quantity of freshwater fish. Around the year 1000, the Vikings used their innovative ways to develop a square rigged sailboat that they called the â€Å"knaar†. The knaar was used as a merchant ship that the Vikings used to form and trade with their colonies in the Orkney Islands, Shetland Islands, Faroe Islands, Iceland and Greenland. This was important because this allowed them to solve one of the problems that is caused by environmental determinism. The colonies the Vikings had were so far apart that it would take long periods of time to trade between them, or they would not trade at all, so the Vikings made the knaar to help solve this problem. This showed once again that the Vikings were ground-breaking with new technology during the Medieval Times. This technology along with their large military power allowed them to attack larger armies and successfully defeat them. The Vikings used environmental determinism as a reason to claim new land as their own by attacking and using their large armies, innovative weaponry, and navigation. They also solved their problem that environmental determinism caused by making their colonies too far away by adapting and creating new technology. In conclusion, in all three cases the main factors of the reasoning or victories of the winning sides were because of environmental determinism. Whether it was the Spartans defeating the Athenians because of new militaristic techniques combined with their strong army, Rome using Carthage’s positioning against them to conquer the Mediterranean, or the Vikings successfully defeating armies much bigger than theirs in Europe using new technology; environmental determinism was the main factor in success.

Views of the Essence of Numbers over the Course of History Essay

Views of the Essence of Numbers over the Course of History - Essay Example The second is the idea that mathematics and numbers are simply a way of interpreting and interacting with arbitrarily defined symbols, and that holds their only usefulness (36). The final is the idea of the logicians led by Russel, who claim that mathematics are useful because the universe is structured in a logically coherent way, and mathematics are thus simply an expression of that logic (36). The latter two theories have enough holes in them that they have been considered disproven, so many mathematical philosophers rely on the first, Platonic theory to describe the role of numbers in our universe. This, however, is completely un-provable, and sidesteps around the problem of describing what numbers are without actually explaining anything; if numbers are simply things that exist in another realm, that is not philosophically useful and thus not a very compelling theory. I believe that numbers and mathematics actually need to be explained by a new theory, and that while we currentl y do not have a completely formulated theory to explain what numbers are and how mathematics work, each of the aforementioned theories has some of the components that a complete theory of mathematics must have. The single biggest problem with the Platonic theory is its lack of utility. Its main usefulness is in the fact that it describes mathematical principles as being fundamentally true based on their existence in the Platonic realm, allowing mathematicians to pursue their goals unhindered by doubt. The theory, however, is impossible to prove, because if numbers exist in a non physical realm that has no contact with our own then it obviously cannot be observed (36). The theory that numbers exist in a non-physical realm is just as useful and un-proveable as the theory that numbers exist only in physical form inside of black holes; it could be true, but if so, who cares? This theory does, however, hold one of the fundamental principles that must be in any theory of numbers, which is the idea that numbers, even though they may certainly not exist in any kind of physical way, are real. Their interaction with the physical world, such as the fact that one can use numbers to plot a path to the moon, execute that plot and then end up on the moon, shows that there is something fundamentally real. So while the Platonic theory is fundamentally marred by its lack of usefulness and the impossibility of proving (or disproving) its accuracy, its assertion that numbers are real in some way must be part of any eventual theory of numbers. Without numbers being real things no theory of mathematics is complete. Like the platonic theory of numbers, formalism, which states that mathematics are simply a series of series of convention governing symbols (36), has both problematic and useful components for creating a useful theory of numbers. The fundamental problem with formalism is that it fails to account for the fact that, as shown above, numbers do have some relationship to real ity. It is useful, however, in admitting the failings of numbers when applied to the real world. Numbers, when interacting with physical bodies, rely fundamentally on human conceptions and sensibilities. For example: when a person sees two coins, they can say that there are two coins and in some senses be correct. The problem, however, is that this relies on a human made category of what constitutes a â€Å"coin.† When someone shaves a small amount off of one of the coins,

Refutation in Thelogical Religion Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Refutation in Thelogical Religion - Essay Example In Dostoevsky (1880), for example it appears that a refutation of religion does not involve only a refutation of theories regarding God and his kingdom but it necessarily involves a refutation to all possible authorities at once. Dostoevsky finds Nihilism to be the only alternative of religion and thus he supports a religious anarchy as a system which may allow human beings to dwell on earth with a piece that he compares to heavenly kingdom. However, on the other hand, handing over complete political authority to church had already shows threatening result which Dostoevsky himself had seen and considered as a result of political and economical lust in theological authorities which must choose to refute all worldly facilities and charms in order to sit on an authoritative position in religion. Compared to religious view of Dostoevsky, Freud and Sartre- who had borrowed a large part of their theories from Dostoevsky- proposed two analytical alternatives to understand the theory of reli gion. In his Origin of religion, Freud examines the idea for why men must find out a God whatever his situations are.

The hockey stick controversy and the legitimacy of IPCC's research Paper

The hockey stick controversy and the legitimacy of IPCC's about the human impact on climate change - Research Paper Example The controversy also looks at the question of the sturdiness of the impost offered by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). These arguments have been taken up by the fossil fuel industry and have been funded by lobby groups that attempt to cast doubt on climate science. The controversy became prominent in the 1990s when a group of scientists who used proxy indicators to indicate temperature records in the previous centuries found different reasons that caused global warming and argued them differently (Jolis, 2012). A group of scientists such as Michael E. Mann, Raymond S. Bradley, and Malcolm K. raised some of those controversies by using statistical analysis of an assortment of proxies to come up with the first quantifiable hemispheric-scale reconstruction presenting global configurations of annual surface temperature. The graph shows temperatures that dates back to 1400 whereby they shaded the areas to show emphasis of uncertainties whereby the two standard error l imits were larger than in earlier centuries. The above group of scientists published a paper in 1999 that traced back climatic changes for the previous 1000 years using extended graph that showed a descending tendency in proxy temperatures from a medieval warm period trailed by a 20th century escalation and a steep upsurge in measured temperatures since the 1950s. According to United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) and Third Assessment Report (TAR), the year 1998, was the warmest year in the northern hemisphere for the last 1000 years. The above organizations used the controversial hockey stick graphs to publicize the featured information. The information became a focus for dispute for the people who were contrasting to the strengthening scientific agreement that late 20th century warmness was unique. Some of the scientists who were opposed to these changes were Willie Soon and Sallie Baliunas. However, scientists later dismissed their publication as deeply flawed (McKitrick, 2010). I also disagree with the legitimacy of the previous research used by the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) since their research shows less dramatic results if techniques that are more reliable had been used to analyze the data. Later researches have shown that an increase in greenhouse gases due to human activity is a prime cause global warming. However, arguments in favor for global warming were already accepted widely as a prime cause for increased temperatures in the world. Conclusions made from other scientists shows that making the world warmer undoubtedly is not determined by reconstructions of temperature aforementioned to direct records. Most error pieces fall inside the stated hockey stick pieces created by Mann and his team of scientists but can be collected to indicate the late temperatures. There are major doubts about the correctness of all previous temperature re-establishments, and these qualms have sometimes to be glossed over by scientists who presented the hockey stick as suggestion for global warming (Regalado, 2005). Michael E. Mann, Raymond S., Bradley, and Malcolm K., have remodeled northern hemisphere temperatures for the previous 2000 years to incorporate a wider set of proxies than what was accessible for the original study and updated measurements from the late years. I the new reconstruction, different methods am used as compared to the previous methods used in the original case. It shows

Fraud, Errors and Illegal Acts Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Fraud, Errors and Illegal Acts - Term Paper Example Internal control, proper reporting mechanism and the implementation of sound accounting policies and procedures shall rest with the management due to which, role of management has increased. A forensic accountant must have an in-depth study of the documents presented and should have the command to use computer software and so on. Forensic auditors must have excellent written and oral communication skill. Auditors must be aware of IT application and business processes to have a grip on IT related frauds. To nab the tax dodgers, Internal Revenue Service has number of trained people who gather information from different sources / channels to be used to detect tax frauds. IRS has the power to confiscate property of the tax defaulter / tax dodger in order to pressurize them to clear their tax liabilities. FRAUD, ERRORS AND ILLEGAL ACTS The Auditors’ Responsibilities to Detect Fraud, Errors and Illegal Acts The basic responsibility of an auditor is to detect fraud, errors and illega l acts that takes place in an organization and report it to the competent committee for audit to take appropriate measures to prevent fraud, errors and illegal acts (Alleyne & Howard 2005). ... controls, absence of controls, ineffective controls and overriding of controls by the management that culminates fraudulent expenses and skimmed of assets; to pinpoint the individual(s) that are involved in fraudulent transaction, their attitude and past history; identify the loopholes attracting fraud(s) and to suggest management / competent committee of the Board to plug in the identified loopholes (AICPA 2002). After the debacle of Enron and World Com, the American legislatures drafted and promulgated an act named as â€Å"Sarbanes Oxley Act-2002† just to restore the investor’s confidence. The act sets the new pattern of accountability and imposition of penalties for the wrongdoers (Alleyne & Howard 2005). According to laid down criteria, auditors have to take into account the mentioned criterion while auditing an enterprise. Auditors who have conducted audit of an organization shall keep audit reviews for a period of five years. Auditors are to certify the effective ness of internal controls of an entity wherein they conducted audit. They have to advise the management to form a team of experts from finance, audit, information technology, operation, risk management and legal to evolve comprehensive procedure for an effective control on financial transactions (Alleyne & Howard 2005). The team of experts should directly be reporting to the CEO/CFO of the company for necessary guidance and instructions in light of the audit reports. Management should bear the cost of compliance to improve / revamp existing system for an effective internal control. Auditors should not encroach upon the discretions of management for implementation of comprehensive procedure concerning effective internal controls or overcome the internal control deficiencies.  

The Spirit Catches You and You fall down Assignment

The Spirit Catches You and You fall down - Assignment Example I would answer respond ‘yes’ assumption that the author was evenhanded in her presentation of Hmong culture and medical culture. The tumultuous history has greatly influenced the Hmong culture. Their fighting and fleeing from persecution which made them undergo a lot of torturous events such as their livers and kidneys being extracted from their bodies. In this case, their culture includes many folktales and beliefs that relate to these events. For instance, the Hmong believed that the American doctors were feeding on the liver, kidneys and hearts of Hmong patients when they die. The Hmong’s view of medicine is opposite from the doctors’ concept. Western medicine is specialized and scientific. The Hmong perception of medicine is that life, death and life after death are interconnected. According to Anne, when Lia fainted, her parents assumed that her soul was frightened and thus fled from her body as a result (Fadiman, 28). The Hmong’s most important duty is to honour and conserve their religion. On the other hand, the doctor’s most important duties are to ensure the healing of a patient. This two aspects conflict when the doctor prescribes medicine for a Hmong patient and the Hmong patient chooses to ignore the doctor’s instructions because of religious and cultural values. Doctors should understand that the Hmong belief is that diseases occur as a result of fugitive souls and can be cure by sacrifice of animal shamanism (Fadiman, 77). In the same way, the Hmong society should understand that doctors are professionally trained to handle medical issues. In this case, both parties may find a common ground to argue or relate thus find a solution to conflict between traditional culture and modern medicine. Lia was eventually taken into foster care until she recovered fully. The foster care parents were amazed by Foua and Nao Kao decision of denying their daughter medical rights in regard to cultural beliefs

All dance is narrative not only in its presentation but also in its Essay

All dance is narrative not only in its presentation but also in its form, its technique and its ways of continuing its lineage - Essay Example (The library of Congress, 2008). With time this evolved as a narrative tool. However, the narration was limited to the presentation of the dance. However in the nineteenth century, the art of dancing was more popularized through literatures. The influence of the popularization of music also contributed to the popularity of dance. Many other factors like an improvisation of the women’s role in the society and the strengthening of their physical activeness towards the beginning of the twentieth century were also influential in the development of social dance styles (The library of Congress, 2008). With this, techniques specific to different kind of dances evolved and were standerdised. Gradually these techniques became so expressive that these within itself tuned out to be narrative in nature. An good example to this is the evoloution of social dancing. The arena of social dancing emphasizes on the sociability of the art than on set rules and competition. The inclusiveness is the basic principle adhering to the social style of dancing and is not performance oriented. This style of dancing more relies on the spontaneity in accordance to the situation than on the rules and regulations. However the various disciples with in the social dancing style share some universal principles. It is creative, spontaneous, coordinated and conventional in terms of these principles (Renzland P, 2008). Some of the social dances which are popular in America today are Break Dancing, Alpine, Hip Hop Dancing, Argentine Tango, Balboa, Cajun, Ceili(dh), Charleston, Circle Mixers, Contra, Hambo, Irish Set, Lindy Hop, Old-Time-Waltz, Polka, Ragtime, Scandinavian, Scottish (Country/Folk) Dancing, Square, Vintage, Zwiefache and Zydeco. In short, it is the style of dance which connects the art form wit h the common public.Here the techniques of dancing in terms of these

The Management Environment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

The Management Environment - Essay Example Although it is difficult to believe that Supply chain management is a recent concept since even Shakespeare discussed how ships and merchandise at sea can be at risk from various threats, the process of actually managing a supply chain through technology and modern communication tools is certainly a recent innovation. With reference to globalisation, logistics is simply the science of getting the required materials, goods or equipment to the right people at the right time and the development of this field owes a lot to the military history of civilisation which goes all the way back to the Roman era where armies had to be kept in supply even in far flung regions of the empire (Christopher, 2005). In the modern world, when supply chain management and the philosophy of logistics are combined in an efficient manner a company can become richer and more powerful than any emperor of the past. Supply chain management not only allows the right people to have the right things at the right time, it also makes sure that there is no wastage in the process and the overall costs of the business are reduced (Van Hoek, 2005). For the company, it could mean less mistakes in ordering the right part, making sure that production facilities around the world are occupied and that production matches the consumption as well as client requirements. Every business decision and every business choice comes with an associated cost which must be borne by the shareholders or the owners of the business which means that costs need to be reduced to ensure a healthy profit. An efficiently managed global supply chain does exactly that by cutting down costs in several important areas of business (Christopher, 2 005). Lummus and Demarie (2006) give the example of supply chain management experts such as Renee Gregoire and James Correll who discussed the importance of supply chain management with reference to

The Post-modernist Era in Dance- review of 5 pieces Essay Example for Free

The Post-modernist Era in Dance- review of 5 pieces Essay Having read and experienced various modern techniques during this semester, I believe that I acquired a grand knowledge of modern concepts. The past few weeks were even more important to my improvement because I had a chance to execute long modern dance combinations with different dynamics and emotions. It led me to feel the music and put effort into it. Especially the classes I had last week, I felt the power of dancing with the heart. It was the same great feeling as performing on stage, and I think that it is the way it should be every class in order to improve both technically and artistically. Throughout classes like that I believe that the four years in college will be worth it, and I will have much more confidence and ability to face the audition process. Through the readings, I have been learning the dance development and changes throughout the years. In the post-modernism, the modern dancers and choreographers continued to experiment new feelings and movements. For example, Robert Wilson’s Einstein on the beach, which had the costumes based on photography of Albert Einstein and music by Phillip Glass, has no story behind the scene. It was first performed in 1976 in the Avignon Festival. Through the video I watched, I thought it was really interesting because it mixed modern dance, theater and music all at once. The piece is exciting and sometimes slow but still lively. In contrast, Pilobolus’ Untitled, which was first performed in 1975, had a story behind, and the music is softer than Wilson’s work. I think the choreography is not as exciting as Einstein, but the idea of focusing on the long skirts and the dancers often pushing it up to show their bare legs is deep and interesting. Having watched the video of Light Part 7 choreographed by Kei Takei and first performed in 1973, I believe that Takei wanted to bring the idea of primitive and earth throughout her choreography. Although the piece is extremely slow and has simplistic movements, it is powerful and deep in meaning. On the other hand, the most exciting piece I watched of post-modernism is Mark Morris’s LAllegro, il Penseroso ed il Moderato, in which the dancers perform energetic, fast and lively movements. The costumes are simple dresses, and each dancer wears a different color. Although the costumes and setting are not sophisticated, the choreography and music catch the audience’s attention easily. The video that I liked the most was a little part of Pina Bausch’s Cafe MÃ ¼ller, in which there is a tension between the woman and the man. I cached my attention because the intention and expression that the dancers put on the dance are strong and powerful. I felt a bit of anger and sadness in the piece because the dancers transmitted those feelings. It is the main reason that makes someone be a dancer. Transmitting the feelings and expressing themselves through movements is the power that dancers have. It strongly relates to my modern class because I try every day to improve my artistic and energetic movements.

United States Parcel Service Essay Example for Free

United States Parcel Service Essay Founded in 1907 as a messenger company in the US, UPS has grown substantially into a multi-billion dollar corporation. Today UPS is a global company with one of the most recognized and admired brands in the world. They are the world’s largest packaging and Delivery Company and a leader of transportation and logistics services. Every day they manage the flow of goods to more than 200 countries worldwide. In 1907 there was a great need of private messenger and delivery services in America. A young entrepreneur named James E. (Jim) Casey, borrowed $100 dollars from a friend and established the American Messenger Company in Seattle, Washington. Six years before the US Parcel Post system was established, messengers would run errands, deliver packages, carry notes, baggage, and deliver food from restaurants. Most of the deliveries were made on foot, and bicycle for longer trips, because there were few automobiles in existence and horse and wagons were many used for deliveries to department stores. At only 19 years of age Jim and his partner Claude Ryan ran the service, taking phone calls within their basement. The company did well despite stiff competition, according to accounts that there were quite a few messenger services already in the area, some of which Jim had worked for in the past. The messengers were a handful of teenagers including Jim’s younger brother George, these messengers ran off very strict policy of customer courtesy, reliability, round the clock service and low rates. These same principles guide UPS today, and are summarized by Jim’s slogan: best service and lowest rates. Between 1913 and1918 the company focused on package delivery for retail stores. The year in 1913 brought several significant changes, as improvements of the automobile and telephone were causing a decline in the messenger business. For the next two years their biggest client was the US Post Office, for which they delivered all special delivery mail entering the Seattle area. During this period the company started combining packages addressed to a certain neighborhood on to one delivery vehicle. Doing this enabled them to use manpower and motorized equipment more efficiently while still keeping up their low rates principle. Also during these times, Jim agreed to merge with competitor Evert (Mac) McCabe. The merge reflected a shift in the primary focus of the business form messages to packages and created a new name: Merchants Parcel Delivery. The young company built a strong reputation among stores in the city, and by 1918 three of Seattle’s largest department stores had become regular customers. Due to their high standard of service and personalized attention to every package handled many stores got rid of their own delivery cars, some of which Jim would purchase and slap the name Merchants Parcel Delivery on the side. In 1919 the company adopted its current name the United Parcel Service, and made its first expansion beyond Seattle to Oakland, California. â€Å"United† served as a reminder that the companies operating in each city were part of the same organization, â€Å"Parcel† identified the nature of the business, and â€Å"Service† indicated what was offered. In 1922 they introduced their innovative â€Å"common carrier† service that they acquired in a company in Los Angeles. This new common carrier service included automatic daily pickup, acceptance of checks made out to the shipper, and weekly billing. UPS was one of the few companies in the U.S. to offer common carrier service at the time. In 1924 they created another technological that would shape their future, by introducing the first conveyor belt system for handling packages. The retail delivery service had also expanded to include all the major cities on the U.S. Pacific Coast. It wasn’t until 1930 that UPS extended its reach to the East Coast when it began consolidating the deliveries of several large department stores in the New York area. During WWII, there were shortages of fuel and rubber which influenced retail stores to restrict their delivery services and encourage customers to carry home their packages. The trend continued after the war, throughout the 1930s and 40s they had continued to expand their retail store services, though by the early 50s it was clear that contract service to retail stores was limited. In 1952 UPS decided to expand its services by acquiring â€Å"common carrier† rights to deliver packages between all customers. This placed UPS in competition with the U.S. Postal Service, and in direct opposition to the regulations of the Interstate Commerce Commission or the (ICC). So they decided to begin common carrier operations in cities where they could do so without authority. In order to satisfy the growing public demand for their services, they went before regulatory commissions and courts to obtain certification to operate over wide areas. It wasn’t long until UPS provided air service through privately operated aircrafts in 1953. They tried this in the past in the year 1929 but due to a lack of volume the service had to end the same year. When they began their air operations, they offered two-day service to major cities along the east and west coasts. It wasn’t until 1979 when air service was available in every state, between the 1950s and 70s the company was still restricted from operating in many parts of the country and fighting with the ICC to freely ship in all states. In 1975 was when they were first able to serve all 48 contiguous United States, and now available coast to coast and all around the world. Before this was available senders sometimes had to transfer a package between several carriers before the package reached its final destination. Because demand for air delivery was increasing during the 1980s UPS began to assemble its own jet cargo fleet. In 1985, UPS entered the overnight air delivery business, due to the growing demand for faster service. By 1988 UPS, officially became an airline, after they received authorization from the FAA to operate their own aircraft. The UPS Airlines was one of the fastest growing airlines in history and today is one of the 10 largest airlines in the United States, and features some of the most advance operating systems in the world and operates in more than 200 countries and territories. `By 1993 UPS was delivering 11.5 million packages a day, and with such a high volume they had to develop new technology. That’s when they came up with the handheld Delivery Acquisition Device that we see every UPS delivery driver using. It was developed to record and upload data to the UPS network, so customers can have real-time information about their packages, in case of any change in sche dule or delays. It wasn’t until 1994 that UPS.com went live, allowing for customers to be able to track their packages. Then in 1995 they became the first company to allow same day departure and over-night deliveries. Over the past 100 years, UPS has become an expert in transportation growing from a small messenger company to a leading provider in air, ocean, ground, and electronic services. The company maintains its reputation for integrity, reliability, employee ownership and customer service. As the world’s largest package delivery company and leading global provider of specialized transportation and logistics services, UPS continues to develop the frontiers of logistics, supply chain management and e-commerce, by combining the flows of goods information and funds.

Definitions of Sprituality

Definitions of Sprituality Finding a universal definition of spirituality is challenging and problematic. According to Maher and Hunt (1993): â€Å"what makes the process of defining spirituality so elusive is the nature of the term itself. It is value laden and seemingly so cultural, religiously and ethnically bound, that any meaningful definition appears to be an exercise in futility (p.22)†. Nevertheless, the challenges associated with defining spirituality have not prevented an explosion in the development of (supposedly) spirituality measures. Hill and Hood (1999) carried out an extensive review of spirituality measures and found more than 120 definitions of spirituality. Yet, how these researchers define spirituality is a question that still needs to be answered. Unruh et al. (2002) carried out another review of the literature to look into different meanings of spirituality and religiosity and identified seven themes highlighting how spirituality is defined in health literature including: (1) tran scendence or connectedness to a belief or higher being; (2) existential, not of the material world; (3) relationship to God, a spiritual being, a higher power, or a reality greater than oneself; (4) not of the self; (5) a life force of the person, integrating aspect of the person; (6) meaning and purpose in life; and (7) summative, including definitions that included many of the abovementioned themes, as well as values and motivations. Furthermore, McSherry and Cash (2004) also carried out another review to look into the different definitions of spirituality and concluded that it would appear that there is no such thing as a universal definition of spirituality and the theoretical probability of creating one is virtually impossible. Given that Unruh et al. (2002) and McSherry and Cash (2004) carried out an exhaustive review of the available definitions of spirituality, it is not relevant to undertake another review of how spirituality is defined in my study. However, for the purpose of this thesis three principles for considering an appropriate definition of spirituality have been adopted. These principles were originally identified by Spilka (1993) and allow for an individual, multidimensional and subjective operationalization of spirituality. Hill et al. (2000) summarized these principles as follows: (1) spirituality as grounded in a belief in a higher being (i.e. God), which considers spirituality to be relevant to the thoughts and practices that underpin theologies either broadly or narrowly defined; (2) spirituality as grounded in self-fulfilment, a conceptualization of spirituality that focuses on human achievement or potential; and (3) spirituality as grounded in the connecting of oneself to a larger â₠¬Ëœsystem’, which focuses on one’s relationships with the broader reference group, nature or ecology. Although these are not definitions of spirituality per se, each of them offer a contemporary understanding of spirituality. In my thesis, a number of definitions of spirituality were identified and evaluated according to Spilka’s (1993) three principles. Considering the first principle, Pargament (1999a) describes spirituality as, â€Å"a search for the sacred (p.12)† whereas religion is â€Å"a search for significance in ways related to the sacred (p.12)†. According to Hill et al. (2000) the ‘sacred’ is an entity (e.g. God or Ultimate Being), object, principle or concept that transcends the self, that is, set apart from the ordinary and is worthy of worship. Operationalizing this definition, Pargament suggests that the self transcends through searching for the sacred. Hence, search for the sacred may not include an intermediate ‘sacred’ acts such as the pursuit of academic excellence, or the like as worthy of worship, or self-fulfillment and personal satisfaction (Pargament, 1999b). In this definition, Pargament suggests that spirituality is placed within the broader domain of religion suggesting that it can be influenced by the beliefs, values and principles of a specific religion. However, t his is challenging and asserts the difficulty in determining a universal definition of spirituality considering that there is no one universal religion practices throughout the world. The fact that different religious doctrines have adopted diverse and often competing religiosities may therefore render a universal definition of spirituality (Moberg, 2002). Moreover, placing spirituality within the domain of religion restricts research to a narrower and more traditional conceptualization of God (Stifoss-Hansen, 1999). Taking into consideration that there are various types of religions and that although the majority of UK’s population follow a more traditional Anglo-Celtic (e.g. Catholic) religious beliefs and practices (59% of the UK population is reported as being Christian) (UK Census, 2011), there are many who follow other religious beliefs and practices. Pargament’s definition of spirituality might not therefore be applicable to peoples following Islam, or peoples of a Dharmic (e.g. Buddhism) origins, for instance (McSherry and Cash, 2004). Hence, the ongoing use of Pargament’s definition of spirituality could be argued to be limited. Considering the second principle, Stifoss-Hansen (1999) provided a different definition of spirituality to that of Pargament. Stifoss-Hansen (1999) proposes that spirituality includesdifferent characteristics that are not in line with Pargament’s definition of spirituality. These characteristics include connectedness, authenticity, existentialism, meaning if life, holism and self and community, which are considered as aspects of an individual’s spirituality indicating that spirituality must be considered a broader, not a narrower, concept to religion. According to Stifoss-Hansen, â€Å"spirituality is people’s search for meaning, in relation to the big existential questions (p.28)†. Operationalizing this definition, it seems broader than that provided by Pargament and goes beyond the possibly narrow limitations of traditional religion. Yet, there remains a question whether searching for existentialism can result in one living a spiritual life. Pargament (1999a) debates that it may might and also it may not. For Pargament, finding meaning in life, which might be considered as part of existentialism, is not spiritual in nature or complexity. Further consideration of Stifoss-Hansen’s definition of existentialist spirituality suggests that one seeks to know the self, free from beliefs, feelings and identities or labels created upon fear of losing one’s physical and psychological identities (Ho and Ho, 2007). Seeking the self has a higher degree of complexity and may therefore require a lifetime dedication and self-discipline to master (if mastering the pursuit is, truly, possible) (Hamel et al., 2003). Hill et al. (2000) offered another definition of spirituality adopting Pargament’s definition as a foundation. Hill and his colleagues stated that spirituality is â€Å"thoughts, feelings and behaviours that arise from a search for the sacred (p.66)†. They even developed a criterion for considering Pargament’s definition of spirituality. According to Hill et al., â€Å"the term ‘search’ refers to the attempts to identify, articulate, maintain, or transform while the term ‘sacred’ refers to the divine being, divine object, Ultimate Reality, or Ultimate Truth as perceived by the individual (p.66)†. Opposing to Pargament’s definition, Hill et al. suggest that even though an individual’s spirituality can be expressed through religion, it does not essentially need the institution of religion. In this definition, Hill et al. (2000) consider the role of a Being or Purpose that is superior to the individual; namely the Trans cendent which might or might not involve God as the Higher Being. One’s Higher Being or Purpose may be placed within or beyond the individual, or that the transcendent may be external to the individual, a recognition of something more superior to the individual (Mahoney and Pargament, 2004). With regards to the third principle identified by Spilka (1993): spirituality as grounded in the connecting of oneself to a larger ‘system’, Reed (1992) offered a definition of spirituality that focuses more on the individual relationships with self, others, nature and a power greater than the self. According to Reed: ‘‘Specifically spirituality refers to the propensity to make meaning through a sense relatedness to dimensions that transcend the self in such a way that empowers and does not devalue the individual. This relatedness may be experienced intrapersonally (as a connectedness within oneself), interpersonally (in the context of others and the natural environment) and transpersonally (referring to a sense of relatedness to the unseen, God, or power greater than the self and ordinary source (p.350)†. In this definition it appears that spirituality is firmly centered on interpersonal relationships and the community; where nature or the environment has a central role in one’s experience of spirituality. Contrary to some other definitions of spirituality offered, the one offered by Reed suggests that one can only know who they are after they have achieved connectedness with others, not independence (Tacey, 2003; Hamel et al., 2003). Considering Reed’s definition of spirituality further, by its very nature, it appears to be holistic. It demonstrates that spirituality means an awareness of oneself and our relationships with everything that is not the self (Meehan, 2002). It highlights that individuals seeking spirituality must identify, understand and value the essential socio-spiritual fabric connecting them with all others and nature (Fraser and Grootenboer, 2004). Such a definition of spirituality implicitly takes into account a level of awareness that is post-convent ional in orientation. Reviewing each definition of spirituality presented so far, if spirituality is considered as a universal phenomenon relevant to all persons (Helminiak, 2008), then it is critical that research arrives at a universal definition of spirituality. However, it appears that there are different perspectives to what spirituality ‘is’ and, thus, in my thesis I adopted the definition that was developed during the European Association for Palliative Care Congress in Vienna with the aim of identifying one definition of spirituality in Europe. According to Nolan et al. (2011): â€Å"Spirituality is the dynamic dimension of human life that relates to the way persons (individual and community) experience, express and/or seek meaning, purpose and transcendence, and the way they connect to the moment, to self, to others, to nature, to the significant and/or the sacred (p.88)†. This definition of spirituality agrees with the three principles highlighted by Spilka (1993) and are in line -in part- with the other definitions; however it is more comprehensive. This definition is also in line with the spiritual well-being framework identified by Fisher (1998) which states that spiritual well-being is not limited to only religious or spiritual behaviours (e.g. belief in God, reading the Bible, church attendance, or praying) and experiences, but extends to the affirmation of life in relationships with oneself (personal), others (communal), nature (environment), and God (transcendental others). Given that it could be argued that while no one definition of spirituality is possible, Nolan et al.’s (2011) definition of spirituality is used as a working definition of spirituality in my study to find out whether the definitions of spirituality offered by participants fits with this definition and to find out how participants in my study viewed spirituality and how it links to their well-being. The next section now moves on to present the literature review aims and questions.

The Civil Rights Movement: The Struggle Continues Essay -- Racism, Civ

Civil rights are the rights to personal liberty and are provided by the law. The Constitution and the Bill of Rights promises everybody civil rights. But many people, including lots of black people, have been denied their civil rights. Black people, and also some white people who help them, have struggled for these rights for a long time. Many people have helped and many kinds of groups have been formed to help win equal rights for everyone. Things are a lot better used to be, but the struggle is not over.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Soon after the Declaration of Independence was signed there were groups that tried to end slavery. They were in Pennsylvania, Virginia, Rhode Island, Delaware, New Jersey, and Maryland, and Connecticut. It took a long time to win freedom for slaves. Lots of slaves were taken to freedom in the North on the Underground Railroad. The Underground Railroad is the name of the system that slaves traveled in secret from one place to another. They usually hid during the day and traveled at nighttime. Some slaves even fought to be free. Nat Turner was a preacher that led a slave revolt in Virginia in 1831. But they all ended up being executed..   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  President Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation of 1863 freed slaves in the Confederate states. But it did not guarantee anyone an education, a job, or a place to live. The Thirteenth Amendment to the Constitution made slavery illegal. The Fourteenth and Fifteenth amendments were passed later, and they were supposed to give blacks all their civil rights, especially the right to vote.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The Reconstruction period was 1865 – 1877. During this time many black people had important government jobs. Louisiana, South Carolina, and Mississippi had black lieutenant governors, and Mississippi’s speaker of the house was black. The superintendent of public education in Florida was black. The South had 22 black representatives in Congress.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  White Southerners who hated blacks started the Ku Klux Klan in 1866. It was also called the KKK. They tried to stop black people from voting and having other civil rights. They would wear white sheets and masks with pointed hoods. They would beat up blacks and public officials. They would burn crosses by the houses of people they wanted to scare. The KKK was declared illegal in 1... ... bad that they boycotted all the buses in Montgomery. They lost so much money that the law was changed so blacks cold sit anywhere just like whites. During the boycott was when Dr. martin Luther King Jr. became an important black leader. He didn’t believe in using violence. He received the Nobel Peace Prize. But in 1968 he was assassinated and there were riots in 50 states because the blacks were so angry and frustrated.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  From that time until now there have been new laws passed and things have gotten better. But even now blacks and other minorities are involved in the civil rights movement. Lots of like Spanish Americans, Jews, Orientals, Native Americans, immigrants, homosexuals and others are involved now. The leaders, black and white, sometimes don’t agree on how to win civil rights. Most people are working peacefully, but others, that are called militants, think peace hasn’t worked and that violence is necessary. Many people think that blacks still do not receive fair treatment from authorities like the police. Even now the civil rights movement is still working for equal rights for all like we were promised in the Declaration of Independence.

Dalton Trumbos Johnny Got His Gun: The Horror Of War :: War World War I

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Cold Fusion Research Paper -- Energy Research Papers

Cold Fusion Research Paper As the world becomes more aware of the growing need for a more abundant energy supply, one energy source has been swept under the carpet and virtually ignored. This source is cold fusion. Cold fusion is: â€Å"A reaction that occurs under certain conditions in supersaturated metal hydrides (metals with lots of hydrogen or heavy hydrogen dissolved in them). It produces excess heat, helium, and a very low level of neutrons. In some experiments the host metal has been transmuted into other elements. Cold fusion has been seen with palladium, titanium, nickel and with some superconducting ceramics.† (Infinite) In 1989 Stanley Pons and Martain Fleischmann announced to the press that they had discovered cold fusion. This announcement sent the scientific community in an uproar and the public news media went crazy. The public saw a new source of clean energy that had very little environmental effects. The scientific community saw a paper, which was not peer reviewed, of a scientific principle go out into the public without their consent. While the concept of cold fusion is contrary to the accepted views of physics, this small fact is not what had the community outraged. It was the way Pons and Fleischmann presented the experiment that caused problems. The accepted way of presenting research results within the scientific community is to first publish your experiment to the rest of the scientific community, have other scientist verify your results, and then only after your results have been tested and verified should you go to the press. Science often has experiments that are contrary to the current theory, when these experiments are observed the theory is changed to allow the results to happen and be pre... ...could all be showing the same effects without there being any merit to their clams. The theories behind cold fusion are contrary to popular theory and therefore naturally run up against great resistance. Theories on why cold fusion is observed are still being developed, but a definitive theory is yet to be reached. There is a need for a new theory because cold fusion has been observed in such a verity of experiments that the possibility of error is not probable. The overwhelming number of experiments that have produced an effected dubbed ‘cold fusion’ forces a new theory to be considered. Until a new theory is prescribed the world will have to do without the potential energy source of cold fusion. The world is in need of a clean energy source, therefore a theory must be devised and tested that will allow cold fusion to enter the physics community as a viable

CIPD Profession Map and HR/L&D practitioner services Essay

1. Introduction. The HR Map can be found on the CIPD website. It is an on-line self assessment tool created and based on research and collaboration with some of the organisations. It is continuously reviewed und updated. The HR Profession Map was developed by the profession for the profession. It was created by both specialists and generalists, working in the UK and globally, across the private sector public and third sectors. 2.The summarise the CIPD Profession Map. 2.1 The architecture of CIPD Profession Map. There are ten professional arrears which describes what need to be known for each area at four bands of professional competence and gives an extended definition of what HR people need to do and what they need to know for each area of the HR profession at four bands of professional competence. Each area gives a detailed explanation of the key requirements of people who work in that area. There some examples of areas. Strategies, Insights and Solutions – which must focus on the needs of the customers and employees, add value to the organisation, develop understanding of the organisation and use the insights to tailor strategy and solutions to meet organisational needs now and in the future. The other example is Leading and Managing the Human Resources – where HR professionals need to be able to leads and manage a fit for purpose HR function, act as a role- model leader, ensuring that the function has the right capability and organisation design. As the leader makes efforts within supporting, developing and works collaboratively to support each other, each understanding what their own role is and how it contributes to the overall organisation strategy. The Eight Behaviours There are eight behaviours which describe how HR people should carry out their activities. 2.2 How the Map works? The 4 Bands of Professional Competence define the contribution that professionals make at every stage of their HR career. For example within Band 1 you should be able to demonstrate supporting colleagues with administration and processes effectively manage information and data. At Band 2, should be able to advise on HR related issues and show a clear understanding of the evaluation process and the solutions available. At Band 3, should be able to lead a professional area, acting as a consultant or partner, addressing key HR challenges at an organisational level. At Band 4,  should be able to leading the function or professional area. 2.3 Comment on the one of the professional areas – Insights, strategy and solutions. For Insights, strategy and solutions, to build the picture of how my organisation is currently functioning on the market, from both business and HR related view. So I need a high level of curiosity. I analyse internally and externally my organisation and tried t o place the organisation in the bigger picture. I also try to match what is going on inside with the market by connecting with other specialists within my company using the credible behaviour. I used the analytical tools, experience and the necessary information to understand where my organisation is currently and what are the coming trends, business and HR related. I develop actionable insights so my curiosity to identify opportunities and risks, collaborate internally to choose appropriate priorities and activities. I used my curiosity to develop and implement situational HR solutions, by extensive research. Supported by the behaviour I am able to build capacity and capability. I am creative and seen as credible when I inspire others people, regardless the management level they are on. I inspire and help to develop not only colleagues in my team but also other teams such as payroll or operational. Managing people and helping them reach performance, means that I understand how each person works to do the task that I understand the goals and I can work using the appropriate tools. With my professionalism and curiosity, I can find the proper way to manage issues, situations and difficult situations than advise accordingly and support each individual, assess team culture and provide insights. Being curious means being very interested on how the business is working, how each department and individual is contributing within the organisation, how the business suits the market, how the competition or similar companies are working and functioning. Being curious means being up to date with the job requirements, including law, HR and others departments’ processes or company policies. Having the necessary knowledge and being constantly interested in understanding the changes, develops my credibility as an expert and professional in the area, where people rely on me. I understand the business and I am capable to implement changes. Being curious as an HR Professional I constantly seek feed-back to develop. Managing you, it is very important as HR professional, inside the organisation. Constantly developing yourself, growing and being seen as an important part of the  business while you represent HR is an important step. Being curious allows me to support the HR function design and service delivery, resource planning and development, delivering value and performance in groups and teams. Managing upwards and across means being the support point for fixing HR related issues to all levels of organisation. 3. How an HR Practitioner should ensure the services provided are timely and effective? 3.1 Different customers and their needs. From the definition that the customer is anyone, internal or external, who is affected by processes, products or services of HR, I had have a look who are our customers. The HR department in our company is a service department to a range of customers. We entertain a wide variety of customers within our company; the 3 key users that we deal with are the external candidates, who wish to work for our company, employees and management. Those who use HR’s services, whether staff, managers, candidates, etc., will have needs. External candidates except that the requirement process is easy to understand and that the induction could be helpful to understand the company strategy and values. Employees want professional HR support therefore HR needs to be responsive and clear about what services it offers. Employees except response quickly and effectively and want to contact to HR easy. Therefore it is very important to offer support to employees regarding equal opportunities to ensure all staff members have the same rights and privileges. Managers want an HR function which understands the workforce and can help management balance employee and business needs. They want HR team which help identifying the issues and works with managers to resolve them. They would like HR to help them with their most challenging people. Therefore providing management with correct and precise information regarding an employee’s duties, schedules, and expectations of the job itself and on the area the person would be working in is very important. As an HR practitioner it is important to indentify and manage properly the needs. 3.2 Prioritising conflicting needs. The needs of employees and managers sometimes could be conflicted. To prioritise conflicting needs effectively, the HR practitioner first has to determine what is the most important. Managers require high levels of  production and longer working hours. Therefore the target for employees has been increased. It is very difficult for employees as there a half term just has started and they want more time off to spend the quality time with children. HR department should work with managers and employees to find the right balance. First the conversation could be done, where everybody should concentrate on what can be done. A way of resolving this conflict is to focus on the needs of the organisation. Ensuring that the some workers from the agency are recruited will help this. Coaching and counselling employees and managers will also help and providing an effective reward and recognition system. Where there is the need for efficiency as well as effectiveness, there will always be conflicting needs. The better HR professionals are able to identify these conflicts, quickly and prioritise them. This in turn allows the HR person to manage time more effectively. 3.3 Effective communication. There are a range of communication methods and all of them need to be considered to ensure it is appropriate for the recipient. We should think what is the best method not straight away using the technology. Emails There are advantages to using emails; it is a convenient way to convey information to a wide audience. Information can be sent quickly and any time of the day. However the disadvantages are that it can be open for interpretation of information or tone. It is impersonal and there’s no guarantee that the recipient has read the email. Team briefings Team briefing can be an effective way of communicating information to a targeted audience. It can work well to provide key details that can be filtered. In my company the team briefing is done before each shift starts, The casual conversation. It is quite vital to spend some time with the customers, showing that you understand them, asking about the feedback in formal and informal way. Therefore the simple conversation is vital. 3.4 Effective service delivery. By providing HR services to employees and management, we need to be sure that the employees are happy with our service. Therefore it is vital to build trust with the users. If we provide confidential and good advice, the employee is more likely to stay with company for a long period of time. It will also allow for company to have a good name throughout the industry and encourage potential candidates to apply to work with us. Actively building and strengthening relationships with customers should be a focus of every HR function.