Response to Shooting an Elephant Essay

George Orwell, one of the most famous English authors, was born Eric Arthur Blair in Motihari, India, in 1903. His father was a colonial official for the British and his mother’s family also had colonial ties. In 1922, Orwell worked as a British imperial policeman in Burma for five years but he finally returned to England again because he recognized the injustices of the British imperial rule in Burma and could not suffer the guilt of oppressing the Burmese anymore. Later, Orwell spent the next twenty years as a writer; the essay â€Å"Shooting an Elephant,† set in the Burma of the 1920s and written in 1936, is one of his most famous works. In the early twentieth century, Burma was still a colony of Britain but anti-imperialism protests and social movements developed very fast, causing â€Å"great tension between Burmese, Indians and English, between civilians and police† (Meyers 56). Orwell’s essay â€Å"Shooting an Elephant† is based on this historical tension. In this essay, Orwell depicts an older narrator recounting his imperial policeman’s experience of killing an escaped elephant that destroyed a market and killed an Indian man in Burma. Throughout the story, Orwell chooses language carefully to develop his narration so as to help the readers explore a young imperial officer’s emotional struggle. First, Orwell begins his story with frequent use of carefully-chosen diction to indicate the young policeman’s hatred and also sympathy toward the Burmese. When he describes he was always â€Å"an obvious target† to those Burmese who hated the British Empire, he writes: When a nimble Burman tripped me up on the football field and the referee (another Burman) looked the other way, then the crowd yelled with hideous laughter. This happened more than once. In the end the sneering yellow faces of young men that met me everywhere, the insults hooted after me when I was at a safe distance, got badly on my nerves. (Orwell 94) Using the strong emotional words â€Å"hideous,† â€Å"sneering yellow faces,† and â€Å"hooted† indicates the young officer’s disgust toward those Burmese. But in the following paragraph his emotions are suddenly described in a more complex way; the narrator says, â€Å"All this was perplexing and upsetting† (Orwell 94), which is opposite to the anger and bitterness that are suggested by the diction used before. By using these two words, Orwell changes the young policeman’s emotional voice to the older narrator’s more intellectual voice to suggests a more complex feeling about what the young imperial policeman experienced because of his job. In the next sentence, Orwell uses a series of strong phrases to describe what the young police officer observes in his â€Å"dirty work†: â€Å"The wretched prisoners huddling in the stinking cages of lock-ups, the grey, cowed faces of the long-term convicts, the scarred buttocks of the men who had been flogged with bamboos—all these oppressed me with an intolerable sense of guilt† (Orwell 91). From this specific and graphic description of the prison, readers can perceive the young officer’s sympathy and guilt toward the suffering Burmese. It makes them realize that the young imperial officer is not totally inhumane. In short, Orwell uses careful diction to create the first emotional struggle of the young officer within his policing duties under imperialism. In the essay, Orwell also uses repetition to show the young narrator’s complex emotions. For example, after the young officer sees the destruction caused by the elephant and finally finds his target on the paddy field, he mentions more than three times that he is not willing to shoot the elephant. When he sees the crowd following him, he reports, â€Å"I had no intention of shooting the elephant—I had merely sent for the rifle to defend myself if necessary†(Orwell 94). After he sees the elephant, he comments, â€Å"I knew with perfect certainty that I ought not to shoot him† (Orwell 94). Then, he starts saying that the elephant was â€Å"a huge and costly piece of machinery† (Orwell 95) and the elephant seemed harmless right now. The young officer continues claiming,â€Å"I did not in the least want to shoot him† (Orwell 95). These all shows the young man’s sympathy toward the elephant, but more importantly Orwell builds up a tension here by using three different versions of repetition to show how the young officer was wavering in his position. For the first quote, â€Å"no intention† somehow indicates the young narrator’s thinking: he seems to be saying, â€Å"I have no purpose to do that and I am not going to do it. † But then in the second quote, he says â€Å"ought not to† instead of â€Å"no intension of,† which contains much more certainty of not killing the elephant. It shows that the young officer knew he should not shoot the elephant, but he certainly felt a lot of pressure and his mind was not as firm as in the last statement. In the third statement, the young officer’s tone is obviously weaker than the last two; â€Å"I did not in the least want†¦Ã¢â‚¬  this tone sounds just like a prisoner talking about how he does not want to commit a murder, finishes it saying â€Å"I didn’t want to kill that person. † The young officer’s mind was wavering and he was taking a step forward toward killing the elephant everytime he introduces his different expressions of unwilling to kill the elephant. Orwell uses this repetition not only to show the young officer’s internal conflict, but also to imply, as a possible result, that the young officer will change his mind from not shooting the elephant to actually doing that. However, under the crowd’s pressure and his position as an imperial officer, the young police officer has to kill the elephant in order to maintain his master figure. Orwell uses the change from the first person to the third person to comment on the young man’s revelation. When the young man sees that the Burmese watch him excitedly, he suddenly feels that he should shoot the elephant after all. And it is because â€Å"their two thousand wills [were] pressing me forward, irresistibly†¦[that] I perceived in this moment that when the white man turns tyrant it is his own freedom that he destroys. He becomes a sort of hollow, posing dummy, the conventionalized figure of a sahib† (Orwell 95). The narration shifts from the first person â€Å"I† to the third person â€Å"he,† indicating not only Orwell’s comment upon this decision of the young person, but also Orwell’s main argument in the essay: as a imperial officer, a person needs to betray his own good nature in order to maintain his superiority toward the colonized. Then, Orwell uses strong terms again to replay the emergency and tension that the young officer encountered earlier: A white man mustn’t be frightened in front of ‘natives’; and so, in general, he isn’t frightened. The sole thought in my mind was that if anything went wrong those two thousand Burmans would see me pursued, caught, trampled on and reduced to a grinning corpse like the Indian up the hill. And if that happened it was quite probable that some of them would laugh. That would never do. (Orwell 96) Here, words like â€Å"sole thought,† â€Å"trampled,† â€Å"reduced to a grinning corpse† are used to emphasize the young man’s anxiety in shooting the elephant, for he does not want to lose face in front of the natives. This is the remaining emotion occupying his mind at that time; even though he still has sympathy toward the elephant, as a imperial officer, he will kill the elephant to protect his â€Å"conventionalized figure of a sahib. † By way of these specific word choices, Orwell describes vividly how the young imperial officer’s pride finally defeats his good nature so that he can maintain his superior figure. Finally, Orwell ends the story using the young officer’s naive voice as opposed to the older narrator’s voice mentioned before to make his narration more believable: â€Å"I was very glad that the coolie [which is the Indian killed by the elephant] had been killed†¦it gave me a sufficient pretext for shooting the elephant† (Orwell 99). Readers may feel sympathetic that the young man does not feel guilty but happy that he is not responsible for killing the elephant and saving his face or â€Å"avoiding looking a fool† in front of the natives. They may feel pity that the young man is likely to learn nothing from this incident and even to feel lucky that someone’s death can free him of responsibility for killing the elephant. But this naive voice can increase the old narrator’s credibility because readers can feel his sincerity; he is willing to admit that his younger self really felt a bit lucky that he was out of punishment because of the elephant killing an Indian man at that time. It convinces the reader to believe what the narrator argues at last: as an imperial officer, he has to do what the natives expect of him in order to conform to his â€Å"conventionalized figure of the sahib†(Orwell 95), which is â€Å"to avoid looking a fool†(Orwell 99) in front of the natives. Overall, in this essay, Orwell uses effective language to make his narration of the story more impressive and thoughtful, and to explore an imperial officer’s struggle between his good nature and his imperial role.

Pride and Prejudice Narrative Techniques Essay

The passage focuses on the conversation between Elizabeth and Jane days after they received news about the departure of the Bingleys and Darcy. In this essay, I will explore the themes, the narrative techniques used and the tone of the involved characters. Austen’s dramatic form of writing is an attractive feature of Pride and Prejudice. The novel is ‘dialogic’ in nature; the dialogue between Jane and Elizabeth is a representation of their personalities and characters and Austen has purposefully juxtaposed Elizabeth opposite Jane to show the stark contrasts in their personalities, as well as their views and beliefs. Jane is protrayed as the good-natured and forgiving sister; despite being upset that Bingley had left her, she does not blame him but praises him as the ‘most amiable man’ and blames herself instead for her ‘error of fancy’. She thinks the best of others, Bingley in this case, that he is not ‘guarded and circumspect’ despite his wealth. Her love for Bingley is genuine as she sees the virtues in him but she accepts the fact that he may not love her, ‘I have nothing†¦nothing to reproach him with’. The themes of love and class are raised here, as Jane’s words indicate her resignation and acceptance that her love for a man in an upper class is not reciprocated. This reflects how class boundaries and prejudices limit love and happiness during that time. This also indirectly reflects the social standing of women; they are expected to behave in a certain manner that does not undermine their reputation, as doing so otherwise would result in a poor reputation and possible ostracism, ‘I will not repine. It cannot last long†¦we shall all be as we were before. ’ She defends her friend, Charlotte, as having true feelings for Mr. Collins, despite his ‘conceited’ and ‘pompous’ character; an indication of her maybe naive view that true love is simple and has nothing to do with practicality and materialism, ‘it is a most eligible match†¦she may feel something†¦for our cousin’. But what she does not admit openly, due to suspicions that Bingley may have left her due to her social inferiority, is that such ‘practical’ love does exist. Both sisters are aware of this, which is why both are reluctant to bring up Bingley’s name during the dialogue, ‘I have met with two instances lately; one I will not mention†¦Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ Focalisation, a narrative technique is employed by Austen here, as the narrative voice deliberately omitted Bingley’s name and referred to him as ‘Netherfield and its master’. Although the opening paragraph is narrated from an omniscient third-person view, Elizabeth is the focaliser; this evokes reader empathy towards the sensitivity of Bingley’s departure. Elizabeth, however, is angry with both Bingley and Charlotte. She disagrees with Jane that Charlotte has feelings for Mr. Collins as she feels that no one with ‘a proper way of thinking’ would marry such a man. She thinks that it is a betrayal to ‘principle and integrity’ that Jane suggested the possibility of true feelings from Charlotte to Mr. Collins and that Charlotte had betrayed love itself as her act of marrying Mr. Collins is not the ‘proper way of thinking’. Elizabeth feels that Charlotte married Mr. Collins for reasons other than love, maybe selfishly for status and wealth, ‘You shall not defend her†¦that selfishness is prudence†¦Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ Deep in her heart, Elizabeth wishes to believe in Jane’s idealistic views on true love, ‘To oblige you, I would try to believe almost any thing†¦Ã¢â‚¬â„¢; but reality has shown her that conventional love is influenced and restricted by class boundaries and practicality. This reflects how marriage was the vehicle of self-improvement and wealth acquisition for women during Elizabeth’s day (and thus Austen’s). Elizabeth views human behaviour as ‘inconsistent’ to their actual feelings and that appearance is not a good indicator of ‘merit or sense’. It also serves as an irony of her own behaviour towards Darcy, as ‘inconsistent’ to her eventual feelings for him. Elizabeth’s views of love remains ‘prejudiced’ at this stage, a structured irony staged by Austen to serve as a milestone to chart Elizabeth’s maturity later in the novel. However, Elizabeth’s burst of ‘outrage’, ‘It is unaccountable! In every view it is unaccountable! ’, can also be read as displaced anxiety and anger as she is very uncertain of her own ability to escape a similar fate of being ‘dumped’ like Jane due to possible social inferiority or having to marry for practical considerations like Charlotte. This is not openly mentioned by Elizabeth in the passage but when she subtly mentioned that, ‘And men take care that they should’, it could be interpreted that she wished to meet a man who would admire her for the correct reasons. Jane’s words, ‘It is very often nothing but our own vanity that deceives us’ foreshadows the maturity in Elizabeth; she is at the moment ‘prejudiced’ against Darcy when she had a poor first impression of him and thus unable to recognize his virtues. Later in the novel, Elizabeth would slowly let go of her ‘vanity’ – her misplaced ‘pride’ and ‘prejudice’ to realise a tender and mutual love between herself and Darcy. In conclusion, Austen’s ‘dialogic’ prose gives personalities to both Jane and Elizabeth, revealing the conscious and unconscious natures of the sisters, as well as their ‘hidden impulses and repressed longings. ’ (Walder, 1995, p54) (884 words) References Austen, J. Pride and Prejudice. ed. by J. Kinsley, Oxford World’s Classics. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2008. D. Walder, eds. The Realist Novel. London: Routledge in association with the Open University, 1995.

Peer Evaluations in Enhancing Written and Oral Communication Essay

Communicative practices such as writing and reading are important components in the facilitation of education and learning. For educators, they must realize the relative importance of these communication practices for they are vital in the enhancement of learning. One way to address this is by creating peer review mechanisms. Though such may prove to be an important component in the facilitation of education, there are cultural impediments that continue to surround the facilitation of peer evaluations. â€Å"When we deal with English-as-a-second-language students, cultural factors may influence both the operation and outcomes of peer response groups. † (Nelson, 1997, p. 78) By being constantly aware of these issues, one can create effective peer evaluation mechanism that is free from cultural bias and prejudice. A collective action and approach must be created by instructors and teachers to address such problem. â€Å"To maintain the group cohesion and harmonious interpersonal communications interpersonal relations valued by collectivist cultures, collectivists use indirect means of communicating messages that may otherwise be disruptive to the group. † (Nelson, 1997, p. 82) Thus, giving of vital information is an important tool and component in the overall facilitation of peer evaluations in enhancing communication practices. â€Å"By being informed of cultural differences in communication, they may be better able to interpret the feedback they receive from the English-as-the-second-language students and also better able to provide these students with effective feedback. † (Nelson, 1997, p. 83) Enhancing the Writing Skills Effectiveness in writing is one facet that students must acquire in school as it is vital in the overall communication process not only in the educational sector but in different aspects of society. By enhancing such skills, an international student can be fit and remained at level with native speakers of the language. The main barrier and impediment in such scenario is the lack of expertise in the local and native language. The study of Koffolt and Holt showcases several important mechanisms that can improve writing skills of international students. The article seeks to showcase how teachers can be a vital part in the overall facilitation of efficient writing among students. By doing these, students can get the development in the realm of writing. â€Å"Teachers who play a more active role in guiding their students through the entire writing process of gathering ideas, organizing, drafting, and revising can help students produce writing that is thoughtful, coherent, and polished. † (Koffolt and Holt, 1997, p. 53) By providing several important measures that a teacher must consider is an important process to guide students in the overall facilitation of improving writing capabilities. One important method is by creating feedbacks on writing works by international students. By doing this, the student can actively assess his/her standing as far as competency in writing is concerned. The creation of a feedback system â€Å"gives them the opportunity to correct deficiencies in content, language and style. † (Koffolt and Holt, 1997, p. 54) For the part of instructors, there must be an active collaboration with an international student as far as writing is concerned. The instructor must recognize the relative challenges that an international student may face during the course of writing. That is why it is essential for the teacher to actively create writing strategies that will help improve the overall capacity of the student to write. However, the teacher must recognize that the process of such endeavor is not easy. â€Å"Writing is seldom a linear activity, and it is common for writers to go back and forth among different steps of the writing process as they complete a major writing task. † (Koffolt and Holt, 1997, p. 56)

The New Coalition Government in the United Kingdom Assignment

The New Coalition Government in the United Kingdom - Assignment Example These new statutory rules had taken effect last October 1, 2010 and pertain to the gathering of sensitive information and also the handling of confidential correspondence and communications related to child protection and other serious child care incidents.#2 These are all part of social work reforms that are being implemented. However, it must be emphasized that safeguarding is a bit different from child protection in the sense that the former pertains to protecting children from mistreatment, the prevention of impairment in a child’s development and ensuring children grow up in the right environment consistent with their safe and effective care. Child protection is just a part of the overall safeguarding and undertaken to protect vulnerable children who might be suffering.#1 It requires special skill to deal with family situations in which professionals have no other choice but to intervene, or intrude into the family life of a young child. Discussion Parents today are very protective of their children and this is understandable. There are some instances, however, when the children have to be separated from their parents and other adults who might be causing them harm. This is why the English government has taken a right to take care of these vulnerable children as the protector of society.... Although this reaction might be normal for any other person, it must not cloud my judgement on the proper actions to take, such as hesitating to report the matter immediately. For example, I would naturally feel pity for the young Steve and might get into the wrong conclusions about the conditions in the home of Steve and what his parents are doing to him. The appropriate professional response would be to observe Steve objectively, such as how he acts in the classroom or what his reactions are when his stepfather arrives to pick him up. My personal reactions can interfere with my own judgment about what needs to be done in this situation. I need to be quietly inquisitive into the circumstances of Steve’s family life without being obnoxiously intrusive. I have to protect the family’s privacy but not to the extent of possibly neglecting Steve or leaving him at the mercy of his parents. The idea is to correctly identify, understand and deal with possible child abuse. My pe rsonal reactions can lead to an over-reaction, such as reporting Steve’s parents to the authorities when in fact no child abuse has taken place. Steve might just be suffering from some physical ailment. 2. Immediate Concerns – there are some tell-tale signs that all is not well with Steve. The first is his reaction when told about his misbehaviour such as intentionally bumping into other people and his classmates. He was not upset when school staff had told him it is bad for him to keep knocking other people down and even seemed to relish the seemingly violent actions. He is quite aggressive and seems tired just coming into the school in the mornings. It is also noticeable that he is restless and seems always very hungry (which means

Law and state coursework 1 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Law and state coursework 1 - Essay Example Thus in theory, a strong Parliament keeps the government in check. Whether this is true or not, however, has been the subject of lively, sometimes contentious, debate for more than a century. Marshall (1989 pp. 2-4) was of the opinion that the phrase â€Å"Collective responsibility† invokes in the first place that the Crown is advised by a collectivity. Collective responsibility is generally represented as one of the major conventions of the constitution. It involves three sets of practices. The first is the Confidence principle, which requires governments to resign or advise dissolution in case of defeats in the House of Commons (understandably, only defeats on specific motions of no confidence are now thought to compel this consequence). The second, the Unanimity principle, states that all members of the administration speak and vote together and as one in the House of Commons; and the third is the Confidentiality principle, which asserts that members of the administration are entitled to the ministerial prerogative to resist disclosure of information. This last principle has consistently been pleaded as the ground for restricting information that can be given b y civil servants to Parliamentary Select Committees, the press, and the public in general. According to Morley (1889, Marshall e. pp. 17-19), the doctrine of collective responsibility is the most important of four principal features of the British system of Cabinet government. The second principal feature is that the Cabinet is held answerable immediately to the majority of the House of Commons, and through them to the electorate. Thirdly, the Cabinet is selected exclusively from one party, which is the general rule, and which identifies the British Parliament as a ‘strong party’ system. Occasionally this rule is breached, but only on the occasion of some ‘uncommon, peculiar, and transitory

A position for the development of a moral corporate culture Essay

A position for the development of a moral corporate culture - Essay Example The paper tells that when corporations fail to make profits and lose to the competition, they will try to find solutions to restructure their business. When corporations do this, they should be more concerned about providing services that are ethical and will provide better customer service. Corporations get their revenue from consumers otherwise they will not make money. In fact, successful corporations should collect data on most of the issues the world is facing today and make the best strategy on how they can eliminate such issues. There are some particular directions that would achieve â€Å"Moral Corporation,† which are providing equal employment, eliminating discrimination, and preserving the environment. Having a moral corporation is good because it gives back to the community. How this can be done is by putting into place protective measures for the environment, organizing and writing a code of ethics, and choosing to provide help in world issues staff are interested in. This paper seeks to study why Moral Corporation and the relevance of corporate culture and ethics to Moral Corporation. It is found that moral culture and ethical behaviors are necessary for the sustainability of the corporations as well as environmental protection and development for sustainable development of society. Corporations are made up of persons. A corporation can be as responsible as a citizen. Responsibility goes hand in hand with rights and duties. Living a life with morals is a personal responsibility of an individual. If the corporations can enjoy legal rights of the citizens, for example, to sue and to be sued, responsibility automatically devolves on them. The negative externalities refer to environmental consequences of business decisions. When a company manufactures a product, environmental pollution arising out of such activity is borne by the society. This effect on society or cost relating to it is not factored into the pricing of the products. Therefore, t he producers should be made responsible for these costs associated with negative externalities and their customers should bear this cost.

Primary school teachers ICT training in UK Article

Primary school teachers ICT training in UK - Article Example This will be a barrier in the ICT teaching. (Wheeler, 2000). The Teacher ICT training in UK is being offered and driven by the UK government via the Department for Education and Employement (DfEE). It is mandatory for all UK Primary School teachers to take trainings in ICT, and the UK government was working on a 100% target as of the year 2002. The DfEE has got training centers that are used for the trainings. (Wheeler, 2000). The skills that the teachers are being trained on are ICT resource skills. These vary from ability to timetable lessons, offer learning material, offer examinations, check pupil assignments and other extra curriculum activities. (Riel, 2000, p. 9-24). The next skill the teachers learn is the use of ICT educational space to enable modern trend network communications between teacher and pupil. Teachers are also trained in ICT collaborative educational skills that will enable the pupils to social be able collaborate with latest technologies such as discussion formatted ICT lists. Teachers are also trained on the autonomy management of pupil learning which will take as much creative shape as is the technology in the coming days. (Wheeler, 2000). These training are both technical and integrative skills in the classroom lessons. The technical bit of the training is including and goes beyond Computer Mediated Communication.

Management and leadership Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Management and leadership - Essay Example It is a well-known and understood fact that it takes the display of very fine management skills in order to be a good leader. Generally, good leaders are first good managers. Body One of the most fundamental differences between managers and leaders is their way of motivating the subordinates or followers. While the managers usually are risk averse in their approaches, leaders tend to take risks. Some traits that differentiate a manager from a leader are; managers prefer routine over change whereas leaders prefer the other way round; the vision of managers is short-term generally whereas leaders tend to have a long-term vision, leaders visualize things in a broad perspective whereas managers work upon details to make the plans of the leader practicable; finally, as the terms suggest, managers tend to manage whereas the work of a leader is to leader, though it takes sound management skills to be able to lead. The foundation on which leadership stands is the commitment and obedience of the followers. A leader cannot do without the help, support, and compliance of the followers. It takes management to get the followers in the position where they are ready to accept the leader as an individual with power and authority over them. Leadership without management is like trying to lead a herd of wild buffaloes. No matter how hard a leader tries, the wild buffaloes would get scattered and the man would not be able to lead them to their destination. Management essentially tames the workforce so that they get in the mood to listen to the leader and give him/her the due respect he/she deserves for being in the position of a leader. Management is about inculcating the sense of work ethics, respect for the principles of work, and a willingness to abide by them in the workplace in the workforce. These factors prepare a worker mentally and psychologically to be submissive to the leader for the matters related to work. In turn, the level of obedience of the subordinates is raised and this has a very healthy effect on the relationship between the leader and the subordinates. When managed rightly, workers know that they have to listen to the leader to be able to work toward attaining the goal as a group while keeping their personal egos aside. In this way, management essentially set the stage for a leader to perform on. Without that stage, the leader might be called as a leader but he/she might not be truly recognized as a leader, and without the recognition of a leader as such, leadership cannot be thought to be effective. The duties and responsibilities of a manager and a leader are to a large extent similar. While not every manager is a leader, every leader has to be a manager also. Although the individual with the utmost powers and the decision making authority in an organization is usually one or a small group of people who are recognized as leaders, yet down the line, every manager is a leader for the people working under him/her. For example, letâ€⠄¢s take the example of the manager of kitchen in an organization. While the manager of kitchen has to follow the menu set by the leader and use only the ingredients made available to him/her by the leader, the manager of kitchen necessarily serves as a leader for the cooks, the chefs, the purchasers, the kitchen cleaners, and other workers working in the kitchen. Management in this example means providing the workers with the resources and help they require to achieve the tasks assigned to them individually and collectively, supervising them so as to make sure they are actually working and not wasting time in gossip and other activities, making sure that the kitchen is cleaned regularly and that

Ommunist Party of Great Britain Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Ommunist Party of Great Britain - Assignment Example The working class understands the conflict from a perspective of logical options given two different hourly durations where one case requires more time than the other yet at the same wage amount, a worker would naturally consider being opportune at lesser work hours in order to save time and energy for himself or utilize additional hours with another job to augment his low monetary worth. A capitalist, on the contrary, views the conflict on account not of his superior rank or prominent place in the society but of seeing how his requirement in achieving a targeted goal or profit may not be satisfied due to deficiency with time caused by what he would seem as uncooperative laborers. Clearly, the class struggle is established via the ‘length of the work day’ issue, looming tension between respective desires of the capitalist and the worker. Beyond the mere rigid and hierarchical social system that classifies men into classes, Marx has gone to exhibit the involvement of capi talistic affairs that overlook societal divisions and that are normally bound to a mutual agreement on the same level in a capitalist society. Hence, the problem which the ‘workday duration’ presents is well within the realm of a class struggle that is mainly concerned with the state of the economy which either class obtains out of production means. (2) What does Marx mean by relative surplus value? Explain the different components of relative surplus value. (In other words, what strategies do capitalists follow that lead to relative surplus value)? By ‘relative surplus value’, Marx pertains to that which is sought through an ‘absolute surplus value’ that generates a surplus working-day duration to the extent that the laborer exceeds the yield or output equivalent to the value of his normal labor capacity. This includes means of appropriating surplus-labor by capital and presumes that the working-day is already made of necessary labor and surpl us-labor. Relative surplus-value is claimed to be absolute on providing a driving force to the absolute extension of the working-day beyond the time of work required for the laborer to sustain his existence. To acquire ‘relative surplus value’, the capitalist may adopt the component of moderately curtailing wages so that it leaves the worker no choice but to stay and extend his time to render surplus-labor but not to the point when such reduction goes under the laborer’s capability to afford his cost of living. Shortening of necessary labor makes way for an increase in surplus labor where time to create wage equivalents would be smaller and a worker tends to adjust and compensate through surplus.

Service quality management Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Service quality management - Research Paper Example Online banking, for instance provide customers with an enhanced way of running financial processes and the rapid use of mobile payment reduce the needs for carrying cash. However, most of the times banks back office have thousands of employees that are handling customer requests. This traditional way of executing customer requests is costly and slow, lead to delays in handling customer’s needs and it contains higher error rate. In our research, it was obvious that the chance for automating the back office operations is exists. By redesigning the IT-infrastructure, banks will be able to provide the same financial services with smaller operational divisions running value-adding responsibilities, such as deal originating, loan requests, and any financial process that might require human involvement such as financial reviews. In this report, we will examine and analyze the processes of providing financial services to customers in Dubai. XYZ bank is facing a lot of quality issues i n providing financial services to its customers. The process is taking long time, for example, sometimes the verification process is delayed for 7 days, and the bank is suffering the high cost of its back office. Service Quality Role in Improving Quality of Services in the Banking Industry: A Case of XYZ Bank Recent years has witnessed tremendous changes in the business world which have presented serious challenges to the performance of businesses. These changes have been attributed to a number of factors including increasing customers and shareholders’ expectations, technological advancements and increased competition among other factors (Kotler and Keller, 2006, p. 23). The banking industry is one of the industries that have been greatly impacted by the changes in the business world and particularly the technological advancements. Service quality is one of the areas that many banks have focused on in an effort to gain competitive advantage over their rivals. Service quality is defined as the sum effect of service performances that are essential in determining the level or degree of satisfaction of a particular user of the services being offered or provided (Harvey, 2008, p. 584). Quality is viewed as what the customer perceives of a certain delivered service by a particular service provider. Service quality can thus be said to be the comparison that a customer makes between his expectations with the service provider’s performance. Banks use the service quality tool to improve their employees’ productivity and customer satisfaction (David, 2001, p. 86). This paper will investigate the role that service quality plays in improving quality of services in the banking industry by looking at a case of the XYZ bank. It will look at the key issues of the bank, their consequences and how the bank is dealing with these issues. Service quality is a critical determinant and prerequisite of competitiveness for creating and sustaining satisfying relati onship between service provider and the customers (Wang and Wang, 2006, p. 4). It is thus an important indicator and measure of customer satisfaction and organization therefore needs to pay more attention to service quality that can lead an organization to gain a lasting competitive advantage. Banks have wildly employed service quality as a tool of evaluating performance of their service (Berry and Zeithami, 2009, p. 45). The advent of internet has incredibly

The Classical empires such as Han China Essay Example for Free

The Classical empires such as Han China Essay The Classical empires such as Han China of 206 BCE 220 CE and Rome of 31 BCE 476 CE had similar and different means of imperial administration. Both empires focused on maintaing a bureacracy in addition a centralized administration. However they both differed in their resistence to govern. Yet both empires were successful. Both Han China and Imperial Rome were controlled beneath one leader. The leader of the Han dynasty had the general power, however he started districts ruled by officers. The emperor also used confucianism as a method to train people to become educated bureaucrats. These individuals would then be enforced to his policies. Although, the ruler of Imperial Rome discovered a monarchy, disguised as a Republic, so that he could maintain complete control over his citizens. This allowed the citizens to feel as if they were contributing to government, and also enable the emperor to maintain control over his empire. Both societies also created a lot of centralized governments by developing large expanses of roads to promote trade, as well as imposing taxes to stimulate economic prosperity. Han China and Imperial Rome also wanted to expand the borders of their empires through imperial growth. Han China invaded territories in central and east Asia. Imperial Rome likewise conquered all of the Mediterranean area. both empires had vast armies to manage and conquer new territories and the ones and therefore the prepared had within their grasp. However, in contrast to Han China, Rome was very tolerant and fair to its new conquered territories by allowing them freedoms and exemption from taxes.

The Epistemology of Hume and Kant Essay Example for Free

The Epistemology of Hume and Kant Essay According to David Hume, the perceptions of the mind can be divided into two classes that are â€Å"distinguished by their different degrees of force and vivacity† (Hume, 2, 12). These two classes Hume designates as Thoughts (or Ideas) and Impressions. Ideas are â€Å"less lively perceptions† and Impressions are the â€Å"more lively perceptions. † Kant assumes that Ideas are merely weaker copies of Impressions. According to Hume, â€Å"the most lively thought is still inferior to the dullest sensation† (2, 11 par. 1). The remembrance of perception is merely a copy of actual perception, and all ideas are merely weaker copies of Impressions. Hume explains that it will seem that thought is unbounded and limitless, but actually thought is â€Å"confined within very narrow limits. † The apparent boundless creativity of the mind comes from â€Å"compounding, transposing, augmenting, or diminishing the materials afforded us by the senses and experience† (2, 13 par. 1-2). By this Hume means that no matter how far-fetched the products of imagination becomes, all ideas are connected and ultimately traceable to an Impression or Impressions. (3, 18). According to Hume, the mind normally connects ideas with each other through one or more of three basic principles: Resemblance, Contiguity, and Cause-and-Effect (3, 19), and that â€Å"all reasonings concerning matter of fact seem to be founded on the relation of Cause and Effect. † (4. 1, 22). However, Hume claims knowledge of cause and effect, without exception, is never attained by a priori reasoning. All knowledge of cause and effect comes entirely from experience. (4. 1, 23 par. 2). â€Å"Every effect is a distinct event from its cause. It could not, therefore, be discovered in the cause. † (4. 1, 25, par. 2). All reasoning can be categorized into two: demonstrative reasoning (concerning relations of ideas) and (intuitive) moral reasoning (concerning matter of fact and existence). Hume points out that all thought concerning existence are based on cause-and-effect, which in turn is based entirely on experience. Any conclusions that we derive from experience are based on the assumption that events of the future will conform to events of the past. (4. 2, 30 par. 2). However, this is not intuitive nor demonstrative (4. 2, 32). For instance, there is no process of argument through which, for instance, a person can conclude that whenever a billiard ball is hit by another billiard ball, it will move. (4. 2, 33 par 2). Even a highly intelligent person who for the first time observes the world would witness a sequence of events but would not be able to determine any cause and effect relationships between what he witnesses. â€Å"Such a person, without more experience, could never employ his conjecture or reasoning concerning any matter of fact, or be assured of anything beyond what was immediately present to his memory and senses. † But eventually, through experience, he will be able to form conclusions about the cause-and-effect relationships of events and objects. (5. 1, 35 par 1). According to Hume, the principle through which a person can form these conclusions is Custom or Habit (5. 1, 36). Hume’s concluding words are that any piece of literature that does not have â€Å"abstract reasoning concerning quantity or number† nor â€Å"experimental reasoning concerning matter of fact and existence† â€Å"†¦can contain nothing but sophistry and illusion. † The nature of knowledge according to Immanuel Kant For Immanuel Kant, knowledge (and thus reality) is constructed by the mind, not passively derived through the senses. In other words, the mind shapes the world. Kants Critique of Pure Reason is an attempt to answer the problems of the nature of knowledge—what it is and how it is obtained. Kant looks at the relationship between a priori knowledge, or knowledge based on reason alone, and a posteriori knowledge, or knowledge gained from the world. According to Kant, we have a priori intuitions and concepts. We have innate, logical knowledge, and this knowledge enables us to grasp a posteriori knowledge, to â€Å"understand† the external world. For example, Kants view is that space and time are just mental constructs, that space and time are forms of seeing, which serves as a precept to our experiences (Kant, a20-a23, a25-a38). Another example is the notion of causality, which in Kants view is a form of organizing mechanism that we impose upon nature to render it understandable (2a1-2a19). Kant argued that reality, as we perceive it, cannot be accounted for purely by sense perception. Kant holds that what we refer to and perceive as the external world is an artifice of the mind. His argument is that the mind itself contributes substantially to, and even synthesizes, its own knowledge (i11). According to Kant, the appearances of things are â€Å"objects of intuition†, which is one form of (mental) representation. For him this includes physical sensations (such as pain). Kants view is that appearances do not exist by themselves, but only relatively to external reality. That is, appearances do not exist independently of the human power of representation (t21). According to this view, the world, as we perceive it, is not actual reality, but is a phenomenon of actual reality as constructed by the mind. He argues that the shape of an object, for example, does not come from the object itself, but comes from us, as a result of interaction with the object Sensory input needs to be processed and recognized through the filter of the mind or it would not mean anything to us. For Kant, there are things-in-themselves, which exist independently of the human mind, and appearances, which exist only in the mind. The existence of appearances, according to Kant, entails the existence of things-in-themselves, but not in the way that we know. Thus, since the existence of things-in-themselves is just a hypothesis, the relationship of our perceptions to actual reality remains suspect, and we can never really be sure if what we perceive are not just purely constructs of the mind (p38). Hence, for him, we can never really know the â€Å"true† reality, because this reality is only perceived as it is filtered through our senses, senses that structure reality. We can only gain knowledge of appearances. Criticism of Hume There are some important difficulties in Hume’s work that he fails to address. One flaw in Hume’s arguments that Kant points out is that one of Hume’s fundamental assumptions is that perceptions (or Impressions) correspond exactly to the â€Å"real† world, although for many other philosophers the very nature of reality was a problem. Another is that Hume assumes that all knowledge comes from experience, but the notion of causation and necessity are also not explained by Hume, who claims that everything that one knows is ultimately traceable to the senses. It can be argued that the perception of causation and necessity come from a priori knowledge. References Hume, David. â€Å"An Enquiry Concerning Human Understanding. † 23 Dec 2006. http://www. gutenberg. org/dirs/etext06/8echu10. txt. Kant, Immanuel. â€Å"Critique of Pure Reason. †

Strategic Planning: Sony Corporation

Strategic Planning: Sony Corporation Strategy planning concern the future it is the process of obtaining the goals set by the management for the company in for the future and how they can be achieve. Strategic planning process its a wide process which looks at the wider picture and usually its flexible when it comes to achievement of goals for the organization the process developed some goals for middle level and lover level management to achieved and works on the strategic plans for the future based on the achievement of the goals set for the middle and lover management in short it can be say that strategic planning is the planning of the future for the company. Based on the above definition the company of Sony will be look with regards to its strategic planning in the past, current and future. Sony:- Sony its a Japanese company which has its headquarter based in Minato. It is one of the largest electronic product manufacturers in the world. The company Sony has many products in the market from electronic appliances for home to mobile phones and play stations which is used by many people around the world, the company has established itself in the markets of all continents whether is America or Asia, Sonys products are used by many consumers with a confidence in them. For the purpose of this assignment the strategies of Sony will be discussed which were used by the company in the past and with regards to that the current strategies will be look and based on the analysis of past and current strategies the future strategies will be identified. 1990 to 2000:- Sony always tries to differentiate its products from the competitors and provide its customers with latest technology from CD players to mobile phones the strategy at this stage of Sony was to provide its customers with over the top technologies . The company use many strategies to make success some of them were successful and some were not the company was also subject to some restructuring as a part of its strategy by looking at the company restructuring processes over the years in this period it can be seen that the company Sony was not to the mark when choosing its strategies the company has to change the strategies quite number of times at the time in 90s the strategy of Sony seems like working with different strategies and see which one is working for them. In 1993 Sony introduced its customers with Mini Disc format which was an alternative to Philips Digital Compact Cassette after this introduction the company adopt the strategy to promote its own audio compression technologies under the brand name of ATRAC it was an attempt to go against the widely used format of MP3 at that time and beside that Sony also try to challenge the industry standard Dolby Digital 5.1 surround sound format with its newer and more advance sound format called SDDS (Sony Dynamite Digital Sound) while the Dolby Digital was proving six audio channels at that time Sony Dynamite Digital Sound provide its customers with 8 channels of audio. This new format of Sony also had the feature of providing the users of the system a backup system using having mirrors arrays of bit on both side of the film which provide reliability to the users if the film get damage on one side it became an instant hit among the customers but after a few years it was not in that much demand due to being overshadowed by the home theatre system of Dolby Digital 5.1 system which reduces the sale of Sony systems but at that time Sony did nothing to compete with the system with its own home theatre system which was design to sale in the motion picture industry. In 1998 Sony introduce its memory stick format flesh memory cards to be use in Sonys digital cameras and portable music players which was on the format on SD card format which was adopt many competitors in the industry, it provide the users an opportunity to save their data on those memory sticks and can save up to 1000 pictures and songs on that small device it grow popular among the people at that time and its still widely used in many products this was the result of Sony strategic planning which always focuses on providing the customers latest technologies so the customers preferred the company more than the competitors, Sony also work with other manufacturer such as Philips in developing or working on new products and by doing this the company was able to grow in the industry. Despite the success in Sony planning the company was subject to many restructuring due to change in policy and some of the strategies not working and resulting in a loss the problem can be seen that at that time the planning of Sony was very aggressive and the company was trying to grow its market share fast which result in some plan getting failed inconsistency can be another reason in the planning of Sony because the world of music and electronics devices change rapidly everyday and every other month new products come into the market making the old one unwanted, while the competitors were developing new technologies whether its in MPÂ £ player or home theatre systems Sony did not tried to compete with them with updating their current product at that time. 2000 to 2010:- Over the years from 2000 to 2010 Sony developed many products which can be widely seen in the market and most of them are dominating the market now some of the products are Blue Ray Discs:- The blue ray discs by Sony are a popular product and it is now widely used by many people whether it is in movies or games the introduction of blue ray DVDS allowed the users to enjoyed the movies in better qualities and it has more data storage capacity than normal DVDs . The introduction of blue ray discs help Sony to captured the market from Toshiba HD TVS and due to that the company Sony was able to have increased its market share compare to the competitor Toshiba. Sony Vaio:- Sony introduces its range of laptops under the name of Sony Vaio which is a stylish laptop and come under many colours, Sony spend lots of its money on the marketing of the laptop which like all the other products of Sony became an instant hit and even today many people like to prefer Sony Vaio over the laptops of its competitors such as Toshiba and Acer due to the features it provides and also due to its stylish looks. In August 2006 Sony and Dell had to recall many batteries due to being sued by a couple in April over exploding laptop batteries which were result to overheating and overpower. Sony admitted the batteries had some flaws which could result in batteries overheating and catching fire it affected the reputation of Sony badly and many of the other laptop manufacturers such as Acer and Toshiba had to send back the batteries they bought from Sony and also considered to ask for compensation as it was also claimed by a Japanese newspaper that Sony was aware of the flaw in battery and did not do anything to prevent it or to study the problem fully. Play Station:- The first play station was release by Sony in 1994 to compete against other gaming console in the market and it provide the gamers an opportunity to enjoy the games at better quality and better sound and the gamer enjoyed it. In 2006 Sony release play station 2 which was more updated and has many better feature than play station 1 it was an attempt to compete with other competitors in the market which were Microsofts Xbox live and Nintendos WII later on the Sony introduced play station 3 with much more graphics and better gaming experience for the gamers Sony also has developed the play station 3 can be used to access internet and to play blue ray movies and just like Nintendo WII it provide the gamers an interactive experience when playing the games and this has been a huge part of the console success. Mobile Phones:- Sony also has its own brand of mobile phones which were used widely mainly in Asia and the company also introduced the first mobile phone with 12 mega pixel camera in it beside that Sony also introduce one of its famous walkman mobile phone lines which were W11i and W880i in 2007 and 2008 and they had a music system build in it and were also provide the customers a chance to connect to the internet while listening to their favourite music the product was an instant hit and Sony also spend well plan time on its marketing campaign and use celebrities in their adverts which attract many customers and the Sony Ericson phones were used by many music lovers. Current Strategies Of Sony:- After discussing the past strategies of Sony it can be seen that the company emphasis on providing the customers with best technologies and marketing its products efficiently but they did had some fail strategy in the past as well it effects its reputation. Besides, in order to regain Sonys competitive advantages, they appoint the first foreign chairman, Howard Stringer to head the company with the aim to secure Sonys main ground and hope that an outsider will assist Sony to think outside the box. As Hamel Prahalad (1994) suggest, intellectual leadership are essential to develop industry foresight, anticipating which trends are likely to emerge, so it is important to build Sonys new core competence to shape the industry. However, Priem and Butler (2001) have shown that the Resources Based View, as currently constituted, contains a theory of sustainability but not a theory of competitive advantage (i.e., value creation).They argue that simply advising practitioners to obtain rare and valuable resources in order to achieve competitive advantages and, further that those resources should be hard to imitate and non-substitutable is not very helpful in providing practical help (Johnson et al, 2005: p155). After all the fail strategies and their affects on Sonys reputation the company now working on developing the reputation for that purpose Sony employed chairman from their own country Japan and also a foreigner chairman to make their strategies work. In the current weaknesses of Sony it can be seen that they had problems with their management and leadership styles which were more concern about getting the tasks done instead of defining the ways for the teams to how to obtain the tasks and what resources should be used. In order to understand the current business strategy of Sony it will be wise to look at their corporate statement which state Our companies are known for creating products that enrich peoples lives. Through Sony Corporation of America and its operating companies Sony Electronics Inc., Sony Pictures Entertainment Inc. and Sony Music Entertainment we are also dedicated to improving peoples lives. Our commitment extends to helping local communities, fostering better educational systems, funding research to cure devastating diseases, supporting the arts and culture, helping disadvantaged youth, protecting and improving the environment and actively encouraging employee volunteerism.(http://www.sony.com/SCA/philanthropy.shtml) After looking at the statement it can be seen that Sony Current strategies are not only based on providing the customers with best products but also it include building the reputation back which was affected in the past due to the poor strategic choices made by them. Sony is also working on working on the green environment and providing the customers not only equipments which provide them best musical or gaming experience but also which are environmental friendly to play it part in making the world a green world and being giving the customers the image of the social responsibility of the company and building its reputation back which has been damage due to all the bad strategic choices made by the company management in the past. Sony Future Strategies:- Upon looking at the past of Sony it can be seen that the reason of the failure of strategies was that they were not properly planned and implement the resources were not fully utilized by Sony up to their full capacity as for any company it is very important for its efficiency that the resources should be utlizied up to maximum capacity as Priem and Butler (2001) have shown that the Resources Based View, as currently constituted, contains a theory of sustainability but not a theory of competitive advantage (i.e., value creation).They argue that simply advising practitioners to obtain rare and valuable resources in order to achieve competitive advantages and, further that those resources should be hard to imitate and non-substitutable is not very helpful in providing practical help (Johnson et al, 2005: p155). The strategies that should be utilized in the future by Sony should be of following: Competitive Positioning:- Sony has a establish brand name in the market which cannot be denied and everyone knows about the brand and products of Sony but the company did not utilized their brand name fully due to miss planning for example when the home theatre system was introduce and became popular many people were using Sonys products but they switch to the new system because Sony did not do anything to develop their own home theatre system for their customers which lead the customers to switch to another company therefore the main priority involve is to update their systems and products up to the expectations of the customers and they should work on the strategy to develop the products with competitive advantage in their mind the product should be of the nature that provide better features to the customers than the competitors just like Sony did with their mobile phones when Samsung introduce a 8 mega pixel camera Sony Ericson introduce a mobile phone with 12 mega pixel camera and also it has introduce sm art phones for the customers as well which are widely used all over the world this strategy should be continued by Sony. Build Better Market:- Sony needs to understand that it has to not only maintain its current position in the market but also expand its share in the market as Finlay (2000; p11) suggest that organization alter itself and the products and services it offers in order to match the needs of customers in its chosen marketplace which is a market-based approach, so called because the organization looks to the marketplace to see how it should act and how it should evolve. Besides, based on the environmental factors, Mintzberg et al (1998) developed the environmental school which argue people in strategic management must consider the range of decisional powers available, given the forces and demands of the external context. Sony insufficient in responding to the external market had caused them to lost ground in key growing areas and their strategy must be able to cope with the external environment. SWOT Analysis:- Swot analysis provide and wider picture to the company about its current strengths and weakness which relates to the internal environment of the company and give a better understanding that what is required to be done and with the analysis of the external environment of the company it helps in indentify what are the opportunities and threats available to the company and how they can be use for the betterment of the company. By using swot analysis the following have been identified. Strengths:- Sony has the following strengths, Sony has a strong brand name which is globally recognisable. Sony develop the products which are future base which attract more customers to buy the products thus increase in sale. Sony has strong customers based who use Sonys products all the time from music systems to mobile phones. They have top level management and expert chairman now which can guide the company towards success in the future. Sony has always been consider the leader in technology and present the products in the past which have attract many customers to the company. They have motivated staff which works for them all the time to develop new products and improve the current one the company is offering. Weaknesses:- Just like the strengths Sony has the following weaknesses which needs to be overcome to made the company more profitable, Sony has shown in the past the company is inconsistent in its planning and do not do anything to tackle the competitors products. The company has been subject to many capitals structuring in the past. The industry is rapid in nature and can change at any moment. The management has been inconsistent as well. Opportunities:- Its a rapidly growing industry which means Sony has changes to grow much further in the industry. Sony has the team to develop new products and update their existing ones as well to capture more share of the market. They have a strong customer based all over the world which means Sony can increase it sell in all over the world if they overcome their weaknesses. Threats:- Just like Sony the competitors in the market are also well establish and have strong customer based in order to get the customers from them Sony has to improve its product much more. With the losses the company suffer for the last few years may cause the investors think twice before investing into Sonys new projects. The world of technology is always changing which means Sony has to work on developing futuristic products and keep on updating the old one to meet the customers demand and to survive in the market. Recommendations for Sony:- As it can be seen from the past and present of Sonys that the company emphasis more on developing the products and not on going head to head with the competition which result in the competition getting the most of the market while Sony has the technology the company lack of strategic planning and more over lack of control over the activities result in the company losing its customers due to the controversies from the sue on batteries to customers blaming Sony to promoting spam mails using the play station website. All this effected the reputation of the company now Sony needs to rebuild the reputation by not only doing what they do best which is providing the customers the best products in term of technology but also they need to build a strategic plan to overcome all the obstacles the company face in the past. Sony now needs to employ a team of managers who can look after their business well and also needs to monitor and control their performances as it was the bad management decision which affected the company and the company should made all their plan with keeping the future in mind in short the company needs to work with consistency in their operation and should also need to have a backup plan just in case the first plan fail for example when the company was sued for the batteries fault Sony should have tested the batteries fully and as it was reported that the company was aware of the fault in batteries than Sony should have tested the batteries properly and should have look for ways to overcome that fault same goes with the home theatre system Sony should have come up with a way to compete with it instead of just leaving the way it was, this were the faults or mistake which result in Sonys strategic failure and in order to build the company position more strong this faults should not be repeated and all the plan should be made after going through with every details about them and any fault should be identified and ratify at the initial stage and in the same manner every move of the competitors should be though about and a counter plan should be ready for it by doing this Sony can not only captured more market but can also be the market leader. Sources:- Bowman, C. Asch, D. (1996), Managing Strategy, MacMillan. Â · DeWit, B. Meyer, R. (2004), Strategy: Process, Content, Context,3rd Edition, Thomson International Business Press. Â · Finlay, P. (2000), Strategic Management: An introduction to business and corporate strategy, Prentice Hall. Â · Hamel, G. Prahalad, C.K. (1994), Competing for future, Harvard Business School Press. Barney, J. B. (1991), Firm resources and sustained competitive advantage, Journal of Management, Vol. 17, No. 1, p99-120. Â · Barney, J. B. (2001), Is the resource-based view a useful perspective for strategic management research? Yes, Academy of Management Review, Vol. 26, No. 1, p41-56. Â · Hamel, G. Prahalad, C.K. (1990), Capabilities-Based Competition, Harvard Business Review, Vol. 70, No. 3. Â · Hamel, G. Prahalad, C.K. (1990), The core competence of the corporation, Harvard Business Review, Vol. 68, No. 3, p79-91. Â · Hodgson, G.M. (1998), Evolutionary and competence-based theories of the firm, Journal of Economic Studies, Vol. 25, No, 1, p25-56. Â · Markides, C. (2004), What is strategy and how do you know if you have one?, Business Strategy Review, Vol. 15, No. 2, p5-12.

Comparison of Monsson Wedding to Heat and Dust Essay -- essays res

Despite differing in form, the film â€Å"Monsoon Wedding,† directed by Mira Nair and the novel â€Å"Heat and Dust,† by Ruth Prawler Jhabvala, have many similarities. Both of these texts convey an Indian world and the people in it. â€Å"Monsoon Wedding† is a party arthouse, party Bollywood film which deals with the leadup to the wedding of two young people, Aditi and Hermant. It combines their story with that of Aditi’s father, Lalit, and his family responsibilities, as well as the events occurring in the lives of their servants, Dubey and Alice. This combining of multiple storylines into one cohesive narrative is one of the characteristics of Bollywood films. The title of the film refers to the monsoon, or rainy season, in India. The majority of the film is set in the buildup to the monsoon, when the oppressive heat is at its strongest. This is metaphorically linked to the buildup of tension and anxiety in the days leading up to the wedding. The monsoon itself, like the wedding, symbolises cleansing and renewal before a new start. One thing that sets this film apart from other Bollywood films is that it deals with taboo issues in its portrayal of Uncle Tej’s pedophilia. This is seen from the point of view of his pat victim, Ria. The audience is not told explicitly what is occurring, but through the use of shots of Ria appearing distressed followed by shots of Tej, it becomes apparent that something sinister is happening. This particular storyline climaxes with Ria’s public accusation...

Mesopotamia Is Great :: World History

Mesopotamia Is Great The "Land Between the Rivers" has been a source of both savage barbarism and great civilizations. Mesopotamian culture reached its peak between ca 3000-550 BCE. Yet, much of Mesopotamian culture goes unnoticed, despite its rich heritage. A vast bulk of the great early civilizations developed in the land known as Mesopotamia. It can, in fact, be proven, without question, that because of Mesopotamia's extensive trade routes, its excellent leaders, and the astronomical growth in technology that occurred, that Mesopotamia was one of the greatest civilizations to have ever existed. For its time, Mesopotamian culture had the greatest trade routes. Its trade network reached from the sands of Egypt to the deserts in India. Most certainly no civilization in the western world at that time had not heard of the great cultures that existed between the Tigris and the Euphrates. Egypt, in itself, had an excellent trade route with its access to the Mediterranean sea. Mesopotamia, however, had trade routes not only in Egypt, but in many other locations to the east as well. All previous trade routes had been confined from village to village. Through its extensive trade route, it can be seen that Mesopotamia was a great civilization. Mesopotamia did not only have trade routes as a testament to its greatness, but a flourishing government as well. As Mesopotamia was racked with barbarian invasions, the rise of some of History's most fearsome and great leaders can be seen. Sargon I, for example, managed to unify one of the largest areas of civilization at that time. Sargon I is also noted having never lost a single war in his entire life. As well, with Mesopotamia, the first system-and indeed the most extensive in that point in time-of codified law. King Hammurabi's aptly titled system of codified law, the Code of Hammurabi, while seemingly harsh in today's view, was heralded as a just and fair law back in its day. History also shows that one of the greatest Ziggurats of all time was created in the land of Mesopotamia.. Nebuchadrezzar II's Hanging Gardens of Bablyon is noted as being one of the greatest marvels of the ancient world. With such a glorious string of leaders, it is obvious to conclude that Mesopotamia w as one of the greatest civilizations ever to have existed. Aside from its string of incredible leaders, History shows that Mesopotamian culture gave birth to some of the greatest technology man has ever developed.

Powerful Imagery and Settings in David Guterson’s Snow Falling on Cedar

Powerful Imagery and Settings in David Guterson’s Snow Falling on Cedars Snow Falling on Cedars, a novel by David Guterson, is a post World War II drama set in 1954 on the island of San Piedro in Washington State. The story’s focal point is the murder trial of Kabuo Miyamoto, who is accused of killing a fellow islander, Carl Heine, Jr., supposedly because of an old family feud over land. Although the trial is the main focus of the story, Guterson takes the reader back in time through flashbacks to tell a story of forbidden love involving two young islanders, Ishmael Chambers and Hatsue Imada (Kabuo’s future wife). At the time of their romance, interracial relationships were considered strictly taboo because of racial bias. It is through both this love story and Guterson’s remarkable use of setting and imagery that the reader is informed as to why racial prejudice is so high on the island of San Piedro at the time of the trial and why Kabuo is not merely on trial for Carl’s murder, but also for the color of his skin. While Snow Falling on Cedars has a well-rounded cast of characters, demands strong emotional reactions, and radiates the importance of racial equality and fairness, it is not these elements alone that make this tale stand far out from other similar stories. It is through Guterson’s powerful and detailed imagery and settings that this story really comes to life. The words, the way he uses them to create amazing scenes and scenarios in this story, makes visualizing them an effortless and enjoyable task. Streets are given names and surroundings, buildings are given color and history, fields and trees are given height and depth, objects are given textures and smells, and even the weather is given a purpose in the... ...ght out of the book and construct in front of the readers eyes, rather than form in the back of their minds. To sum up the overall experience that Snow Falling on Cedars delivers through imagery and setting would be to say that it is like a pop-up book for adults, without the need for the pop-up feature. Racial tension is not something that can be imagined or understood without some sort of emotional history or background attached to it. Emotions like hatred or others, such as desire, that the characters feel for one another, would feel shallow and empty without the descriptions that make them seem real and understandable. All these elements need to be present in order for the story to carry itself and the reader through to the end. Snow Falling on Cedars does that and more. Work Cited Guterson, David. Snow Falling on Cedars. New York: Vintage Books, 1995.

Why same-sex marriage should be legal

Why same-sex marriage should be legal. BY aurore1997 Ladies and gentlemen, good morning. Here we are today about to debate whether or not individuals in love with each other should be able to get married or not. Yet twelve years and 3 months is the time that has passed since the first homosexual marriage was made official in a Canadian province. Since 1996,because of the Defense of Marriage Act which prevented-and still does- homosexual couples from receiving benefits traditionally conferred by marriage ; states have scrambled to efine their own stance on the issue.The restriction of marriage to heterosexual couples should be abolished because it is discriminatory to homosexual couples. Most conservatives use Christianity as a backup for their argument. But unlike what they may all think, homosexuality is not a sin. It is a strong tendency ordered towards a moral evil, you may want to discuss this point but it was said in a Vatican letter in the year 1986. Under the papacy of his hol iness John Paul II. There's absolutely no eason of principle that emotional union should be restricted to heterosexual couples.Nor are there any constitutional reason,in fact the act that ‘defines' marriage to be the union of a man and a woman was proven unconstitutional. As it goes against the tenth amendment of the United States constitution. We believe that our society is open-minded but the issue of gay marriages proves us wrong. Homosexuals are called perverts by the majority of the world population. People that are supposed to set examples do not, in February 2004, a Belgian cardinal publicly aid that he would not open his door for any homosexuals because they are sexual perverts.They are not perverts, they are sensitive humans like you and me , they just have a different sexual orientation, in fact a recent study proved that homosexuals rate their relationship more favorably than heterosexuals do and the average homosexual relationship lasts longer than the average hete rosexual relationship. According to this study they ‘know how to love' better than heterosexuals do. Despite all these factors, people still dare to call homosexuals perverts Just because they are the minority.Is this not similar to racism ? In my opinion it sure is. Regarding the Belgian cardinal harsh words,a Vatican spokesperson said, â€Å"People with a homosexual inclination must be accepted with respect,compassion and sensitivity†. Homosexuals feel more accepted after the marriage according to a survey. They also observed that people give more credibility and less perversity to their relationship when they are officially and legally arried.We observed through bullying that what society feels about you can make you feel confident but it might as well push you to suicide. Refusing to legalize homosexual marriage gives the right to society to mock homosexuals and to exclude them because they are different. Exile leads to depression and to suicide in most cases. Do we want more unnatural deaths in this country ? I am sure we do not. The restriction of marriage to heterosexual couples should be abolished because it is discriminatory to homosexual couples.

Ethnic Background Essay

My name is Stephanie Flowers and until this class assignment I never thoughtfully considered what my actual ethnic background was. After looking up the meaning of my last name I found it to be of Welsh origin. This means that I could possibility trace my family roots back to Great Britain. After reading chapter one of Race and Ethnic Relations I discovered that being a part of a certain ethnic background does not mean that you have to be part of that race, but you have to practice the common cultural traditions of that subculture. So based off of my name some people might think that I was English. I grew up with a few household traditions that I consider to be a part of my ethnic background. To begin with, I would consider my family to practice Irish traditions. We always have huge St. Patrick’s Day party at my house that turns into an all-day drinking and eating celebration. I might not know all the reasons behind this celebration and what I consider a part of my family tradition, but it is still a part of my ethnic background in my opinion. Drinking is a big part of being Irish and in my family most celebrations do involve some type of alcohol. In Irish culture it is normal to introduce alcohol to children before the actual drinking age, I think this is good because we grow up with this around us and never take consumption of alcohol to extremes because it such a part of everyday life. I am would also consider myself to be of German ethnicity. My family has a good luck tradition for New Years. We eat pork roast and sauerkraut in hopes that the next year will be filled with lots of happiness and joy. I personally love this tradition and get upset when I sometimes only get to eat this meal once a year. It is one of my top five meals to eat that my grandma cooks. Being from the United States of America I do think that I have picked up so many different traditions from all of the friends that I have had throughout my life. This is why I love living in this country I get to experience so many different cultures and ethnic backgrounds. My boyfriend is of the Catholic religion, his family maintains this culture by attending mass for Christmas, Easter, and whenever they feel the need strengthen their relationship with god. This is the way that they maintain their ethnic background. They are a common group of people who believe the idea that they all share the share cultural heritage. This stems from his Irish background where Catholicism is the main religion practiced in that country. So to me this is the way to stay in touch with being from Ireland even though they now live in America. My cousin Rachael is half Mexican. Her mom was an immigrant and came to this country to start a better life. I love getting to go to their house in Texas; her mom makes the best Mexican dishes. What I have noticed from her Mexican culture and ethnicity is that food is a way of bringing the family together, it is a time of bonding in their household. I believe that by cooking traditional Mexican food it keeps her in touch with her roots and makes her feel better connected to her homeland. After doing this assignment I am very interested in doing more research on my family roots and discovering more about who and where I came from. Like it says on the Ancestry. com commercial, â€Å"you don’t have to know what you’re looking for; you just have to start looking. † So that’s what I am going to start doing. Also, I would like to conduct interviews with the elderly people in my family and possibility start filling out my family tree, which would be an easy way to connect the dots of my family history. I will still continue to maintain my Irish and German background by drinking on St. Patrick’s Day and eating pork roast and sauerkraut. I am very proud to be an American and I wish I didn’t take all of the rights that I have in this country for granite.

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Essay

If you have read the books you will be glad to know that major key moments are intact. Much is missing however I will not dwell on that. The focus is on how well the movie plays out and for me it rolls wonderfully through thrills, excitement, drama and need I not forget romance: towards a satisfactory (though slightly rushed) conclusion. ‘It All Ends’, says the poster slogan, this may be a fairly miserable title for the bloodshot-eyed fans that have followed Harry Potter on his journey to defeating He-who-can-not-be-named. However, in my opinion, the film could not have ended on a better note. With the efforts of director David Yates and those involved in the production of the movie, a truly aesthetically amazing and visually captivating movie was created. Part two of the Deathly Hallows chapter has given David Yates justification on the decision to split the chapter into two films. The movie begins where part one left off, with Voldemort stealing the ‘elder wand’ from Dumbledore’s coffin. For those who have watched part one, the beginning is a smooth transition to part two, however for those interesting individuals who have watched the movie as a stand-alone may be left quite confused. Never-the-less in this episode Harry Potter (Danielle Radcliffe), Hermione Granger (Emma Watson) and Ron Weasely (Rupert Grint) continue their strides to destroying Voldemort’s ‘Horecruxes’ which are the vital objects that are keeping him alive and living for eternity. Harry and his companions find most of the Horecruxes, however the last two, one of which Harry later finds to be himself and the second being Voldemort’s snake Nagini become very tricky. Once Potter finds out that he is the final Horecrux, he confronts Voldemort for which the non-book-readers assume is the final time. Throughout this scene, a combination of emotions are portrayed, anger and disappointment from Potter’s career Hagrid, Self-fulfilment from Voldemort and grief from Draco Malfoy’s mother. Whereas the viewer’s feel mainly aghast from the fact that ‘the boy who lived came to die? – One of my favourite quotes from Voldemort himself. Throughout the Harry Potter saga we are revealed to new characters and new clues where it is almost all revealed in this film although the more in depth areas of the saga is left to be known to the elite book readers. The portrayal of Severus Snape has always been a joy to watch but in this movie we are left with a dramatic engraving in our memory. He elevates his portrayal as one of the most complex characters in young adult literature to an unforgettably piercingly emotional one. One of the most spectacular moments is when Severus Snape, played with magnificent disdain by Alan Rickman, is attacked by Voldemort’s snake Nagini, and we witness this only from behind a frosted glass screen – a nice touch from director David Yates. Even though the film ends with a classic villain verses hero face-off, the material is handled considerably well. Fans will know how it is going to end though Deathly hallows part two still has that rare ability to cause viewers to question the outcome of the film even though it was long ago decided. With JK Rowling’s final chapter being split into two, the first part was sombre, very long and deeply tedious. However the second part is exact opposite, it is concise, rousing and deeply moving, and of course answers many of the mind-boggling questions we have all been waiting to learn. For new-comers the movie may strike them as mystifying but for the committed and semi-committed fans the movie will definitely be a worthy climax to the end of the most successful film franchise in history. It’s surely as good as gold.

An Occurence at owl Creek Bridge by Ambrose Bierce Essay

â€Å"An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge†, is one of the best American short stories and is considered Ambrose Bierce’s greatest work. First published in Bierce’s short story collection â€Å"Tales of Soldiers and Civilians† in 1891, this story is about Peyton Farquhar, a southern farmer who is about to be hanged by the Union Army for trying to set the railroad bridge at Owl Creek on fire. While Farquhar is standing on the bridge with a rope around his neck, Bierce leads the reader to think that the rope snaps and he falls into the river, and then makes an amazing escape and finally returns to his farm, to be reunited with his wife. However the ending of the story is totally different, in fact, Farquhar is hanged and these imaginings take place seconds before his death. Ambrose Bierce’s trick ending succeeds because of the way he manipulated the text by changing the narrative point of view from one type to another. â€Å"An Occurrence at Owl Creek B ridge† is divided into three sections, with each section having a different narrative form. In the first section, the author uses dramatic narration: the story is told by no one. With the disappearance of the narrator, the reader is now the direct and immediate witness to the unfolding drama. The reader views the work from the outside. In the beginning of this story the readers are informed of all the preparations for a man about to be hanged: the set up for the hanging, the characters involved and the surroundings. The narrator gives an incredible and beautiful snapshot of the scene describing the water, the guards, and his restraints. â€Å"†¦Vertical in front of the left shoulder, the hammer rested on the forearm thrown strait across the chest- a formal and unnatural position† (Bierce pg. 90, line 10). This type of narration is the least personal and the reader receives the least information on the character’s thoughts and feelings. Although the author describes details, the reader has to fill the blanks as to what actions and events lead up to the situation. The reason for this type of narration in the first section of the story is to get the readers curiosity going. One wonders what Peyton Farquhar could have done to be hanged; was he alone in what he did, why is he involved in a military issue when he is a civilian? In paragraph six and seven and through the second section, the author changes his point of view to one which is third person omniscient: all knowing. The  omniscient narrator is not a character in the story and is not involved with what happens. He imposes his presence between the reader and the story and controls all the events. From an outside point of view, the narrator provides enough information to summarize, interpret and wonder. As the story evolves, the reader begins to read thoughts of the characters: Farquhar, his wife and the soldiers. The reader becomes involved in Farquhar’s life as the narrator summarizes his situation. The reader is told of him being a planter and owning slaves, that he is a secessionist and devoted to the Southern cause. Nevertheless, the narrator leads the reader to believe Farquhar and his wife are kind people, she fetched the water for the soldier to drink with her â€Å"own white hands† (Bierce pg.92, line 15) instead of ordering one on her colored slaves to do it. Farquhar’s principles and devotion towards the south is explained in this section and the reader gets to know who he really is. This makes the reader feel sympathetic towards him and his wife. The purpose of the omniscient narrator in the 2nd section is to give information of the characters and to get a glimpse into Farquhars life. The reader finds out how devoted his wife is to her husband. The reader can now relate to Farqhuar and understand how and why he got caught trying to destroy the bridge. Section three is intended to create suspense. Bierce wants the reader to believe that what is being described actually happens. In order for the reader to believe that what is being described is actually happening, the story must be narrated from the characters point of view (limited omniscient point of view). With a limited omniscient point of view, the narrator limits his or her ability to penetrate the mind of a single character. The reader may be shown the character’s voice, feelings and thoughts through dialogue, monologue or stream of consciousness. As a result, the reader becomes more and more directly involved in interpreting the story. By using this point of view all of what Farquhar is experiencing seems so real. The advantages of the limited omniscient point of view are the tightness of focus and control that it provides. If the third section was told in an omniscient point of view, the author would have not been able to fool the reader, for he would have â€Å"seen† what was really happening. Seeing the whole action and knowing the soldiers thoughts would have given away the ending. â€Å"An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge† was written in three different sections, with each having a different narrative form. The first, using dramatic point of view, describes where the action takes place. The second, omniscient point of view lets the reader comprehend the victim’s thoughts and actions. And finally, the third section, limited omniscient point of view creates suspense by being only in one mind. With the ability to switch from one form to another, Bierce was able to create a tale of intrigue, captivation and a twist-ending.

Two Methods of Losing Weight

Two Methods of Losing Weight Teri Holland-Hill Com/155 November 11, 2012 Meghan A. Anderson A high protein diet and exercise vs. Gastric bypass are two different approaches to the same conclusion, one involves major surgery the other a lifestyle change. A newsletter from the Wolfe Clinic stated that by the end of an average lifetime, a person would have consumed between 60,000 and 100,000 pounds of food. It would be good to know, that eating that amount of food is more healthy than not. Maintaining a high protein diet combined with exercise is important to a person’s health. I.Visiting the Doctor First A. Asking the right questions B. Lab Work II. High Protein Diet A. More meat, Less Vegetables and Carbohydrates B. Number of Meals A Day C. When To Eat III. Exercise A. How Many Times a Week B. Exercise Programs Home or Gym IV. Gastric Bypass A. The History of Gastric Bypass B. The Cost Visiting the Doctor Before beginning any diet and exercise program, it is important to see th e doctor, ask questions, and pass a health exam before proceeding. In order to be successful in the execution of a plan, the groundwork must be laid and have a solid foundation.Asking the right questions and formulating a plan or a roadmap is important when beginning to develop a weight loss plan. Not all body types can succeed on the same weight loss plan, some need more diet changes and some need more exercise. Once the doctor has gathered all the information and he has answered all questions, the next step would be lab work. The lab work will make sure there is no underlying condition that may slow things down. High Protein Diet Researchers have stated that high protein diets are the most popular because they do a better job of satisfying hunger than fats and carbohydrates.Participants in a study published by the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition reported higher weight loss when they deleted 20% of the fat from their total calories, 30% protein was increased, and 50% account ed for carbohydrates. That is still a high ratio of carbohydrates but as long as there is an exercise plan to go along with the diet, burning them off should be no problem. Another point to consider is number of meals to consume each day. Eating smaller meals more often may be better for a person’s particular metabolism. Life is fluid.We never know what is going to transpire when we will wake in the morning, so having an adjustable diet plan might be important. Other variables to consider are energy level, stress levels, and getting enough rest. One must maintain a high enough energy level to keep going throughout the day. Managing stress levels and making sure to get enough rest each night will go a long way to helping achieve definite weight loss goals. The key is to make every effort to maintain the diet once it is started, bearing in mind to keep it skewed towards higher levels of protein.Many have asked the question, when is a good time to eat, before exercising or after ? According to experts and researchers in the field, it is advantageous to feed the body before and after exercising, as this is most beneficial in helping to burn more calories. Some people will skip meals because they think they will lose weight faster, but the body goes into a survival mode drawing protein from the muscles, therefore causing loss of muscle mass. With the proper diet and the correct number of meals, the liver and kidneys are where the protein is normally stored.So if the subject is consistently missing meals when exercising, not only are they slowing metabolism but also depriving the body of the fuel it needs to complete the workout, thus sending the body to another source for protein, the muscles. Therefore, loss of muscle mass minus protein equals a slow metabolism, which makes it harder to lose weight. When eating, the meal should not be too heavy while still providing enough energy for the workout. The meal should include complex carbohydrates and a protein. S ome examples of meals are brown rice, which has a nutty flavor, broccoli, and beans are a good source of protein.For snacks, try apples, nuts, bananas, and even a good fiber bar etc. Stay away from processed foods and packaged foods as they have too many chemicals that the body does not need. It can be as simple as eating a hamburger without the bun or baked chicken instead of fried. There is a multitude of sources for protein, it is all about keeping an open mind and trying not to limit them. Exercise A question that seems asked quite often is â€Å"how often should a person exercise? † This all depends on what one wants to accomplish.If a person is looking to build muscle, working out every day is what they will have to commit to or if they just want to get in shape, once every three days for about two months is good. However, if one has never worked out, or it has been years since they have worked out, they need to take things slowly and not rush. Pacing oneself and if the y need to stop or cannot finish the whole workout, that is ok. It is better to be safe than sorry! Exercise Programs: Home or Gym Another question that seems to be on the minds of some is â€Å"where is the best place to exercise? This is a simple answer exercise wherever is the most comfortable surroundings. Whether it is going to a gym or exercising at home, the environment should be conducive to achieving a positive outcome. Gastric Bypass Not everyone can lose weight simply by diet and physical exercise some have to take a more radical approach. One example would be Gastric Bypass surgery. This type of surgery is for morbidly obese people who have tried losing weight on their own but have run into roadblocks or through no fault of their own cannot accomplish their goal.For these people there is a procedure called Gastric Bypass. Although it was first attempted in the 1950s it is only recently, within the last 15 years or so that it has become popular as an extreme measure for w eight loss. As with any surgical procedure, gastric bypass surgery is a serious undertaking that the doctor will approve when all other weight loss attempts have failed. Additionally, gastric bypass should probably only be performed in cases where the person is 100 pounds overweight or more.It is important to make sure that the patient is willing to follow through after the procedure and change their diet and eating habits, as well as getting more exercise. In a recent study of gastric bypass surgeries with a five year follow up, of 88. 6% of patients contacted, 93% of obese or morbidly obese patients and 57% in super obese patients managed to keep the weight off. The average cost of gastric bypass surgery is between $25,000 and $35,000 dollars, with complications in some cases driving the cost even higher.Unfortunately, this is an extreme hardship financially for those without insurance to cover the procedure. Conclusion We have looked at a couple of different methods of weight los s. One involves behavior modification in terms of diet, meal planning, and exercise, the other involves a more radical surgical procedure. Either way the benefits to the patient will be a healthier lifestyle and a longer lifespan. Each patient is an individual and the type of plan that works with one, may not work with another.Flexibility, desire, determination, and responsibility are all important if the patient desires a successful, positive outcome to their weight loss plan.References American Journal of Clinical Nutrition http://ajcn. nutrition. org (n. d. ) retrieved from http://WebMD. com/diet/guide/high-protein-diet-weight-loss Annals of Surgery 2000 April; 231(4)524-528 http://ncbi. nih. gov/pmc/articles/PMC1421028 MacLean, L. MD, FACS, Nohr, C. MD, FACS, Rhodes, B. PDt, MSc (Nutr), FDC Wolfe Clinic (n. d. ) retrieved from http://thewolfeclinic. com

Conflicts and disputes on commercial projects Essay

Conflicts and disputes on commercial projects - Essay Example The business deal is characterised by a choice to close the deal or walk away from it and on the other side a contractual agreement is entered into out of shear necessity. Contractual agreements have no option of walking away from hence senior managers should be aware of this fact before appending their signatures on the dotted lines. Even if a project and its distribution of work is better defined and the parties are better prepared and even if the contract is better drafted there still will be changes that give rise to disagreements between parties. In any commercial project, there will be unforeseeable changes that will require to be handled by the parties in a commercial manner. Hence there is need for an effective way of handling such disagreements for the project to be completed on time and with satisfactory results for the parties involved (Altfeld, 2010, p. 3-7). The presence of attitudes and aspects such as confrontation, problem solving, compromising, smoothing and withdraw al could all be applied by a strong facilitator to solve conflicts between team members. Leaders need to understand that most conflicts, in fact, contribute enormously to the experience and well performance of a team and for that reason must be regarded as constructive elements of multi-framework as long as the conflict is managed properly and channelled by a facilitator. Facilitation helps others to voice their views comfortably and avoid power and personality conflicts, (Spiess & Felding, 2008, p.407) According to Lowe and Leiringer, (2006, p.264) disputes and conflicts on projects or contracts are unpleasant and unavoidable at the same time as they divert valuable resources from the overall aim, which must be completion on time, on budget and to the quality specified to other unnecessary tasks such as dispute or conflict negotiations. In addition, they generally cost money and take time to solve, and they can destroy relationships which may have taken years to develop. Conflict i n part of western societies and idioms; to use the academic jargon, there is a western dialect argument idiom. Conflict can be said to be a part of dynamic capitalism and an integral part of commercialism conflict in the current commercial world. It can as well be seen as the functional and necessary part and its management is seen where the emphasis is on the axiom that it must be in the interest of all the parties to avoid disputes by managing conflict in such a way that disputes do not arise as this is sometimes described as dispute avoidance. The understanding of a dispute on the other hand it is important as it can be said to only develop when conflict is not or cannot be managed. A dispute can be described as the unnecessary or dysfunctional element that brings about a diversion of resources from the real goal in terms of settling unnecessary scores. During dispute resolution, there must be occasions where the parties have legitimate disputes and that the techniques of dispute resolution are employed to bring about the conclusion or resolution of the dispute. Commercial management needs to recognise both conflict management and dispute resolution and hence have a different approach in addressing each of them. There has been strong evidence for the ability of commercial banks to signal their strong conflicts through their organisational structure. Contrary to the impression in the congressional hearings, the potential for conflict of interest was not something that was discovered among commercial banks the day after the 1929 crash of the stock market. Some bankers were well aware of the problem even in the middle decade, before the market heated up. The farmers’