media and eating disorders essays

media and eating disorders essays The media today is one of the greatest influences on societies actions, personalities, and beliefs. Society conducts their lives to the point where they are just living a life that media has created for them. Sometimes this influence is taken into consideration to deeply and starts to harm society. The image of a woman in todays society as portrayed by media is one that is almost artificial. Mass media has come to develop this idea that to be a beautiful women, one has to be passive in personality, flawless, and most of all, as thin as a yard stick. Media has taken the image of a woman and warped it into something so unpractical that women and young girls are harming their bodies to look like these manufactured models. Mass media definitely has heavy influence on the growing rate of eating disorders among young girls and women in todays society. The media is something that the average American cannot escape unless they barricaded themselves in their house forever. The media is all around us. In stores, on TV, on the radio, and even on the back of a bathroom stall door. A person sees on average 3000 ads per day and spends almost 35 years watching just television commercials (Kilbourne). These forms of media we see everyday influence the way we live. This can range from the style of clothes that we wear to what we eat for dinner. Media corporations run our lives. Society as a whole feels that these things that are advertised are standards that we should be living by. Given that we as a society strive to live up to the expectations of the media the argument is if media has any influence at all of eating disorders. There is no doubt that media has an effect on this. Women and young girls, especially girls going through puberty are constantly having images of extremely skinny women shoved into their faces. They are taught and influenced that if they want to be beautiful then they must definitely look this way...

Use Conditional Probability to Calculate Intersections

Use Conditional Probability to Calculate Intersections The conditional probability of an event is the probability that an event A occurs given that another event B has already occurred. This type of probability is calculated by restricting the sample space that we’re working with to only the set B. The formula for conditional probability can be rewritten using some basic algebra. Instead of the formula: P(A | B) P(A ∠© B) /P( B ), we multiply both sides by P( B ) and obtain the equivalent formula: P(A | B) x P( B) P(A ∠© B). We can then use this formula to find the probability that two events occur by using the conditional probability. Use of Formula This version of the formula is most useful when we know the conditional probability of A given B as well as the probability of the event B. If this is the case, then we can calculate the probability of the intersection of A given B by simply multiplying two other probabilities. The probability of the intersection of two events is an important number because it is the probability that both events occur. Examples For our first example, suppose that we know the following values for probabilities: P(A | B) 0.8 and P( B ) 0.5. The probability P(A ∠© B) 0.8 x 0.5 0.4. While the above example shows how the formula works, it may not be the most illuminating as to how useful the above formula is. So we will consider another example. There is a high school with 400 students, of which 120 are male and 280 are female. Of the males, 60% are currently enrolled in a mathematics course. Of the females, 80% are currently enrolled in a mathematics course. What is the probability that a randomly selected student is a female who is enrolled in a mathematics course? Here we let F denote the event â€Å"Selected student is a female† and M the event â€Å"Selected student is enrolled in a mathematics course.† We need to determine the probability of the intersection of these two events, or P(M ∠© F). The above formula shows us that P(M ∠© F) P( M|F ) x P( F ). The probability that a female is selected is P( F ) 280/400 70%. The conditional probability that the student selected is enrolled in a mathematics course, given that a female has been selected is P( M|F ) 80%. We multiply these probabilities together and see that we have an 80% x 70% 56% probability of selecting a female student who is enrolled in a mathematics course. Test for Independence The above formula relating conditional probability and the probability of intersection gives us an easy way to tell if we are dealing with two independent events. Since events A and B are independent if P(A | B) P( A ), it follows from the above formula that events A and B are independent if and only if: P( A ) x P( B ) P(A ∠© B) So if we know that P( A ) 0.5, P( B ) 0.6 and P(A ∠© B) 0.2, without knowing anything else we can determine that these events are not independent. We know this because P( A ) x P( B ) 0.5 x 0.6 0.3.   This is not the probability of the intersection of A and B.

Savage Inequalities and Their Impact on the Life Chances of Children Essay

Savage Inequalities and Their Impact on the Life Chances of Children - Essay Example It is generally considered that the process of tracking (education by separation) is a sort of discrimination and is likely to affect the performance and educational attainment of many students. While tracking is commonly done based on the abilities and performances of students, factors such as race, class, and language also act as determinants in tracking systems in many instances. Tracking based on color or race is quite dangerous as it harms the prospects of students of color to perform like their white counterparts. Many social scientists hold that â€Å"tracking is one of the most obvious mechanisms through which students of color and those from low-income families receive a diluted academic program, making it much more likely that they will fall even further behind they're white, middle-class counterparts† (Kendall, p. 356). Ultimately, tracking, in this sense, results either in dropping out of the school or ending up in â€Å"dead-end† situations where the studen ts become incompetent to pursue higher studies. The severity of the issue needs to be understood in the light that many of such school drop-outs later turn to be criminals or anti-socialists. Labeling and self-fulfilling prophesy are the other two forms of social inequality in education in the United States. The practice of labeling students as low achievers, gifted or talented based on standardized test scores or classroom performance has adverse effects on the educational attainment and subsequent career choices of many students who have been labeled as low achievers or slow learners. Such students are most likely to internalize the label attributed to them and this naturally prevents them from performing naturally.

Sleeps Relationship to Learning and Memory Essay

Sleeps Relationship to Learning and Memory - Essay Example On the other hand, during REM, EEG waveforms change associated with increased frequencies. This is where memorable dreams occur. Sleep in mammals is described mainly by inactivity of behavior in conjunction with different electrophysiological changes in the motion of the brain.ii Factors like stress, shifting schedules, and longer work contribute to lack of sleeping time. This results to inefficient performance to workers so companies have allotted rooms for quick naps and other businesses have installed apparatus that will improve the results short-term sleeps. Sara Mednick et al. (2002) describe naps to be short periods of sleep which lasts for one hour maximum and likely to enhance one's attentiveness, efficiency and disposition. These brief periods of rest are suitable for people, who are experiencing sleep deprivations, nightshift schedules, and prolonged periods of driving. Daytime naps also improve psychomotor speed and attainment of short-term memory. However, their relation on previously learned information is not yet established although they are common among people with daily information overload. Mednick et al. (2002) suggest the psychological feeling of 'burnout', which is an amplified irritation and frustration brought by decreasing effectivene ss after a lengthened cognitive effort, is not merely a reflection of mental exhaustion but a need for a worn-out mind to experience restoration during sleep.iii Sleep is the only 2. Sleep to Human beings Especially Sleep is the only way by which one can rejuvenate oneself; a mere rest will not be any good as far as the revitalizing factor of sleep is concerned. In relation with that, studies also show the need for the brain to experience the restorative benefits of sleep, and also restore positive attitude emotionally. Matthew Walker (2009) identifies several roles of sleep in cognitive and emotional brain processes.iv 3. Sleep and Human Memory Firstly, Walker observes the role of sleep in memory processing which focused on the declarative memory. Secondly, he relates the ordered structure of sleep and memory stage evolution with the sleep-dependent plasticity models. Thirdly, he discusses the role of sleep in associate memory processing. Fourth, he touches on the emerging advantage of sleep in emotional brain reactivity. Lastly, he proposes a framework of sleep-dependent affective brain processing which will further explain the implications of mood disorders. Neurological studies have shown stimulating role of sleep in the control of brain function and emotional experience. Walker identifies that modulation of affective networks overnight and emotional experiences happened in the past are capable of affecting the restoration and maintenance of the appropriate connectivity for the next-day reactivity. Lisa Marshall and Jan Born mention the role of short wave sleep or the NREM, in benefiting the hippocampus-dependent declara tive memory, and also the valuable for the procedural aspects of memory. 4. Sleep and creativityCreativity has been defined by Mednik as the forming of associative elements into new combinations which either meet specified requirements or are in some way useful. Many studies also have explained the roll of sleep in the creative problem solving process. Denise Cai et al. find REM to be beneficial in terms of improving the associative network construction. It has also enhanced the incorporation of unassociated information,

Ap Us History Essay Example for Free

Ap Us History Essay Thesis Sentence: The lives of the Plains Indians in the second half of the nineteenth century were affected by technological developments and government actions politically, economically, religiously, socially, intellectually, and geographically. Body Paragraph #2 Background Paragraph How the Indians were treated before the second half of the 19th Century. Body Paragraph #3 The technological developments and government actions affected the Indians in the second half of the 19th Century politically because: †¢ They did not have a say in government very much even though they were more â€Å"civilized† Body Paragraph #4 The technological developments and government actions affected the Indians in the second half of the 19th Century economically because: †¢ Transcontinental Railroad Indians lost their food sources, such as bison, due to the rapid constructions of buildings and technological things that did not let the bison roam free Lots of bison caused hunting - they almost went extinct Body Paragraph #5 The technological developments and government actions affected the Indians in the second half of the 19th Century religiously because: †¢ Indians that changed left their culture and spiritual practices behind Became Christians – only a few Were allowed in churches †¢ Indians that did not changed were being forced to change Body Paragraph #6 The technological developments and government actions affected the Indians in the second half of the 19th Century socially because: †¢ Indians who changed left their practices and became more â€Å"civilized† according to the white Americans They were more accepted than the non-changed Indians Body Paragraph #7 The technological developments and government actions affected the Indians in the second half of the 19th Century intellectually because: †¢ Indians who changed got the same education white Americans did Went to better schools †¢ Indians who did not change were not as well educated as the other Indians †¢ All Indians were better equipped when it came to hunting because they had guns instead of bows n’ arrows Death rate while hunting went down Body Paragraph #8 The technological developments and government actions affected the Indians in the second half of the 19th Century geographically because: †¢ Were given crappy land Were kicked out of them when the Americans found out that there was gold in that area Homestead Act/ Dawes Act Conclusion: During the second half of the 19th Century, the Indians were affected by the technological developments and government actions in many ways more than one. They were still not accepted politically. They lost a lot of economical resources in the process of the technological progression. The Indians were forced to change their religion to Christianity in order to become â€Å"civilized† in the eyes of the white Americans. They were socially accepted in some ways by the white Americans if they converted to Christianity. The Indians became intellectually smarter when they grasped new technological developments like the gun (new for them) so that they could hunt properly. However, they lost a lot of land to the white Americans geographically. The second half of the 19th Century gave the Indians more problems than happiness.

English Coursework: Frankenstein doesn’t have any heroes or villains, E

English Coursework: Frankenstein doesn’t have any heroes or villains, only victims. Do you agree with this statement? Frankenstein, by Mary Shelley, started being written in 1814 and was finally completed in the summer of 1816, at a time when gothic genre was extremely popular. It was then released in 1818, but Shelley decided to release it anonymously. It is a gothic horror novel that concentrates on isolation and ambition. The idea for the novel was supposedly first invented when Shelley was at a friend’s house when a competition was created as to whom could create the best â€Å"tale of terror† story. It is about a man, Victor Frankenstein, who tries to â€Å"play god† and creates a living â€Å"creature† that is then ostracised and consequently commits a series of murders throughout the novel. The characters involved can be viewed as heroes, or as villains, depending on the different perspectives of the reader. Frankenstein’s creation of the creature can be viewed as heroic, as he is seen to push the boundaries of science further than ever before: â€Å"A new species would bless me as its creator and source; many happy and excellent natures would owe their beings to me.† Frankenstein also sacrificed the safety of those he loved to prevent the risk of the creatures killing others when he destroyed the female creature, which angered the male creature. He was also very ambitious in the way that he chased the creature to the North Pole to put a stop to his reckless behaviour, where he met the explorer Walton, who is a hero as far as leadership and ambition are concerned, by trying to travel as far North as possible. Walton’s ambitious attitude is made clear when he says â€Å"My life might have been passed in ease and luxury, ... ...rought on himself. The novel shows the shallowness of people in society by showing what the monster had to endure because of his appearance, as well as the moral irresponsibility of Frankenstein as a scientist. Frankenstein was always the villain deep down as he attempted to play God, which I don’t think should be attempted by any human being. He was obsessed with the fact that he could create life, but never once to considered if it was the right thing to do. I think Shelley is basing the whole novel on, not what Frankenstein actually did, but what he fails to do. The way the creature is portrayed in 3rd person narrative allows us to see the creature as a hero, villain and a victim. I believe that the creature viewed Frankenstein as a father figure and was mentally tortured when his own creator neglected him. He had nothing to live for, except revenge.

Bibliography

Carlos Maria de la Torre y Nava Cerrada  is considered the most beloved of the Spanish Governors-General ever assigned in the  Philippines  (1869–1871). He was the assigned  Governor-General  after the  La Gloriosa  revolution. ————————————————- [edit]Governor General of the Philippines A  Carlist  army officer, he was sent from  Spain  by  Francisco Serrano  after the ouster ofIsabel II  as result of the  La Gloriosa  revolution. He was considered a liberal Spaniard who practiced the liberal and democratic principles for imposing liberal  laws. 1]  He wanted to have the bronze statue of  Isabel II, first unveiled in 1860, melted so that it would be put to better use. However, the Manila City Council saved it by declaring the statue municipal property. [2] He established the  Guardia Civil  in the  Philippines  and gave a mnesty to rebels,[3]  of which the most prominent was Casimiro Camerino (El tulisan), the leader of bandits in Cavite. [4]He organized the bandits given amnesty into an auxiliary force of the  Guardia Civil. He abolished flogging, relaxed media censorship, and began limited secularization of education. 2]  He was also very close to the  ilustrados, a group of Filipinos who understood the situation of the Philippines under Spanish rule. His supporters had done a Liberal Parade in front of the  Malacanan Palace. [5] Only two weeks after the arrival of de la Torre as Governor-General, Burgos and Joaquin Pardo de Tavera led a demonstration at the Plaza de Santa Potenciana. Among the demonstrators were Jose Icaza, Jacobo Zobel, Ignacio Rocha, Manuel Genato and Maximo Paterno. The demo cry was â€Å"Viva Filipinas para los Filipinos! â€Å".In November 1870, a student movement, denounced as a riot or  motin, at the  University of Santo Tomasformed a committee to demand ref orms on the school and its curricula. It later announced support of Philippine autonomy and recognition of the Philippines as a province of Spain. The committee was headed by Felipe Buencamino. [6] Carlos was single and he had a mistress who had great influence on him. His mistress, Maria del Rosario Gil de Montes de Sanchiz, flared up friar opposition because of many reasons. One of the reasons was she authored a book entitled  El Hombre de Dios.It was criticized because a woman wrote it. [2] Another is during a festivity in  Malacanan Palace  that was mainly attended by Philippine creoles, who are now definitely called Filipinos. She arrived at the place wearing a ribbon which said  Viva la Libertad  (English: Long live libertty) and  Viva el Pueblo Soberano  (English: Long live the sovereign nation). [2] In March 1871, he wrote to Madrid concerning his decision to get relieved from his post. However, his patron in Spain was assassinated the previous month and orders for his relief was given nine days before his letter was written. 4]  He was succeeded by  Governor-GeneralRafael de Izquierdo. ————————————————- ————————————————- ————————————————- ————————————————- ————————————————- ————————————————- ——————————â₠¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€- ————————————————- ————————————————- ————————————————- Maximo S.Viola Maximo Sison Viola  (1857-1933) was a physician, municipal councilor, and a supporter of the Propaganda Movement. Maximo Viola was known as the man who saved for posterity and financed the printing of  Jose Rizal's novel  Noli Me Tangere. Early life Maximo Viola was born on October 17, 1857 in Barrio Sta. Rita, San Miguel, Bulacan. He was the only child of Isabel Sison from Malabon, Rizal and Pedro Viola from San Rafael, Bulacan. Viola had his early education in San Miguel, Bulacan and completed a degree in Colegio de San Juan de Letr an in Intramuros, Manila.He took his pre-medical studies at the University of Santo Tomas. In 1882, he sailed to Spain and studied Medicine at the University of Barcelona, where he met other Filipino students, notably Jose Rizal, with whom he developed a close friendship. In 1886, Viola obtained his doctoral degree in medicine from the University of Barcelona. Viola was also supportive of other propagandists such as  Marcelo H. del Pilar, whom he aided financially. He returned to Philippines in 1887 and lived a full life until he died on September 3, 1933. ————————————————- edit]  Fellowship with Dr. Jose Rizal March 1887, Viola played an important role in the life of Jose Rizal, he financed the publication of Rizal's first novel Noli Me Tangere, which original manuscript had already planned to be destroy by Rizal because of financial inability to pay its publication. Thus, the first 2,000 copies of the novel were printed. In deep gratitude, Rizal gave him the last galley proofs and the first published copy, â€Å"To my friend, Maximo Viola, the first to read and appreciate my work-Jose Rizal, March 29, 1887, Berlin. † – Rizal wrote.On the same year, Viola and Rizal toured Germany, Austria, Hungary, and Switzerland where he personally met Ferdinand Blumentritt, one of Rizal’s foreigner friend and supporter. 1887, Dr. Viola returned to the Philippines and began his medical practice. In 1890, he married a native from San Miguel named Juana Roura, by whom he had five sons. However, two of them died in infancy. June 1892, he had a reunion with Rizal in Manila and learned about his friend’s fate, with his association with Rizal he was included to the watch list by the Spanish authorities and the Spanish Guardia Civil subjected his home in Bulacan had to a thorough inspection.In the peak of 1896 revolution, Viola went underg round to escape the harassment of the Spanish authorities. He was also a Manila military prison and later in Olongapo during his imprisonment, he assist Dr. Fresnell, an American doctor who was unfamiliar with tropical diseases. Fresnell later helped him secure his freedom. He was the president of Liga de Propietarios, who aided the owners of rice lands in San Miguel, Bulacan in opposing politicians who were courting the tenant’s votes at the expense of the landlords.When Manila Railroad line was being extended to Cabanatuan, Nueva Ecija, Viola once again rallied the concerned landowners in preventing the prestigious British Company from taking over their land without appropriate reparations. Dr. Maximo Viola treated his impecunious patients for free and often resorted to simple remedies so that they would not have to spend, he would disinfect common snakebites by using matchsticks instead of prescribing expensive solutions. One of his hobby is designing and building furnitur e, in the 1920’s he proved his competence by winning awards for his furniture pieces displayed in several shows in Manila.In the later years, Viola wrote memoirs of his friendship with Rizal, it came out in three parts in the Spanish newspaper El Ideal, in June to 20, 1913. The English version was done by A. R. Roces, one of the eminent writers and it was published in the Manila Times on the December 30 and 31, 1950 and January 1, 1951 issues. On September 3, 1933, Dr. Viola, aged 76 died in Barrio San Jose in his hometown. Later, another house was constructed on the same lot where an heir of Pedro Viola lived. In 1962, a marker in honor of Dr.Viola was installed in San Miguel, Bulacan Pedro Serrano Lawtaw  (1853-1928) was a 19th-century reformist, Mason, and renowned lexicographer and educator. He is also known as the only Filipino tutor in the service of a Spanish king. ———————————— Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€- [edit]  Early Life Pedro Serrano Laktaw was born on 24 October 1853 in  Kupang, Bulacan. His father was the lexicographer  Rosalio Serrana, and his mother was Juana Laktaw, who from early on fostered a love of language and literature on their sixth child.Pedro Serrano Laktaw obtained his degree of â€Å"maestro elemental† at the  Escuela Normal Superior de Maestros  in Manila and began his teaching career in 1877 in  San Luis, Pampanga. It was in Pampanga that he studied the local literature and folk traditions. His study entitled â€Å"Folklore Pampango† was included by  Isabelo de los Reyes  in the landmark book â€Å"El Folk-lore Filipino† and exhibited at the  Exposicion Filipinaheld in Madrid in 1887. ————————————————- [edit]  Involvement in the Propaganda MovementMoving back to his home provice of  Bulacan, he became a director of a  Malolos  school. It was at this time that he joined activiely in civic causes. Together with  Marcelo H. Del Pilar, Mariano Crisostomo, Jose Gatmaitan,  Mariano Ponce, he formed a benevolent association calledCaja de Jesus, Maria y Jose  to give scholarships to indigent children. Together with  Ambrosio R. Bautista,  Deodato Arellano,  Marcelo H. del Pilar  and  Doroteo Cortes, he helped form a  Comite de Propaganda  to extol democratic principles and expose friar abuses. Pedro Serrano Laktaw also co-authored with  Rafael Enriquez  and  Marcelo H. el Pilar  other satirical works, such as  Dasalan at Toksohan, andPasion dapat ipag-alab ng Puso ng taong babasa. This group continued to finance the publication of  La Solidaridad, even when  Marcelo H. del Pilar  left Manila for Barcelona to escape arrest. In 1887 he was awarded a government scholarship to study at the Escuela Normal of Salamanca, Spain. He took up postgraduate studies at the Escuela Normal in Madrid. He achieved renown as a teacher and was hired as a private tutor to the Prince of Asturias, who later became King  Alfonso XIII.He was acclaimed as the only Filipino tutor in the service of a Spanish king. In 1889 he compiled the first modern lexicography of the Tagalog language  Diccionario Hispano-Tagalog  to much notice. He issued the follow-up volume â€Å"Diccionario Tagalog-Hispano† in 1914. ————————————————- [edit]  Masonic Activities He was attracted by the ideals of fraternity and enlightenment and he was recruited into  Freemasonry, joining on 1 April 1889 the LodgeRevolucion  in Barcelona, Spain with  Graciano Lopez Jaena,  Jose Rizal,  Mariano Ponce,  Marcelo H.Del Pilar,  Jose Alejandrino,  Antonio Lunaand  Juan Luna. This lodge was later renamed to  Solidaridad No. 5. The Masonic grandmaster  Miguel Morayta  of the Spanish  Gran Oriente Espanol  designated Pedro Serrano Laktaw and  Antonio Luna  to establish  Freemasonry  in the Philippines. Returning to Manila in 1890 he helped found other Masonic lodges throughout the country. Working with an early Masonic recruit  Moises Salvador  and  Jose A. Ramos, who was based in London, he established the first all-Filipino lodge called  Nilad, which became the motherhouse of all lodges.It was officially recognized by the  Gran Oriente Espanol  the following year, with  Jose A. Ramos  designated as head and Serrano as its first secretary. His Masonic name was  Panday Pira, a legendary cannon maker of the 16th century. In Manila he was arrested for his masonic proselytizing and later released by Governor-General  Ramon Blanco y Erenas. For having renounced the Masonic movement, he was expelled from the organization on 16 April 1893. Thereafter he wrote for  Espana Ori ental  and  Revista Catolica de Filipinas.In the second half of the  Philippine Revolution  he resumed his propagandistic career, writing articles for  El Heraldo de la Revolucion. He continued writing nationalistic articles under the American regime, for other organs such as  Ang Bayan,  Ang Kapatid ng Bayanand  Kalayaan. He cemented his reputation as a lexicographer and grammarian when he pulished  Diccionario Tagalog-Hispano  in 1914. Together with his earlier volume  Diccionario Hispano-Tagalog, the two books were described as the only lexicographical studies of scientific value by an American linguist Leonard Bloomfield.His  Estudios Gramaticales Sobre la Lenga Tagalog  was published posthumously published in 1929 and today he is remembered as one of the spelling reformers of the Tagalog language, along with  Jose Rizal  and  Trinidad Pardo de Tavera. Pedro Serrano Laktaw married Roberta Buison in 1887 by whom had 13 children, including Rosalio, Jr. , Pedro, Isidro, Jose, Manuel, Consuelo, Balbino, Hermenegildo, Pedring, Teresa, Patricio. He died on 22 September 1928 and was buried in  Mandaluyong, Rizal. Bibliography Carlos Maria de la Torre y Nava Cerrada  is considered the most beloved of the Spanish Governors-General ever assigned in the  Philippines  (1869–1871). He was the assigned  Governor-General  after the  La Gloriosa  revolution. ————————————————- [edit]Governor General of the Philippines A  Carlist  army officer, he was sent from  Spain  by  Francisco Serrano  after the ouster ofIsabel II  as result of the  La Gloriosa  revolution. He was considered a liberal Spaniard who practiced the liberal and democratic principles for imposing liberal  laws. 1]  He wanted to have the bronze statue of  Isabel II, first unveiled in 1860, melted so that it would be put to better use. However, the Manila City Council saved it by declaring the statue municipal property. [2] He established the  Guardia Civil  in the  Philippines  and gave a mnesty to rebels,[3]  of which the most prominent was Casimiro Camerino (El tulisan), the leader of bandits in Cavite. [4]He organized the bandits given amnesty into an auxiliary force of the  Guardia Civil. He abolished flogging, relaxed media censorship, and began limited secularization of education. 2]  He was also very close to the  ilustrados, a group of Filipinos who understood the situation of the Philippines under Spanish rule. His supporters had done a Liberal Parade in front of the  Malacanan Palace. [5] Only two weeks after the arrival of de la Torre as Governor-General, Burgos and Joaquin Pardo de Tavera led a demonstration at the Plaza de Santa Potenciana. Among the demonstrators were Jose Icaza, Jacobo Zobel, Ignacio Rocha, Manuel Genato and Maximo Paterno. The demo cry was â€Å"Viva Filipinas para los Filipinos! â€Å".In November 1870, a student movement, denounced as a riot or  motin, at the  University of Santo Tomasformed a committee to demand ref orms on the school and its curricula. It later announced support of Philippine autonomy and recognition of the Philippines as a province of Spain. The committee was headed by Felipe Buencamino. [6] Carlos was single and he had a mistress who had great influence on him. His mistress, Maria del Rosario Gil de Montes de Sanchiz, flared up friar opposition because of many reasons. One of the reasons was she authored a book entitled  El Hombre de Dios.It was criticized because a woman wrote it. [2] Another is during a festivity in  Malacanan Palace  that was mainly attended by Philippine creoles, who are now definitely called Filipinos. She arrived at the place wearing a ribbon which said  Viva la Libertad  (English: Long live libertty) and  Viva el Pueblo Soberano  (English: Long live the sovereign nation). [2] In March 1871, he wrote to Madrid concerning his decision to get relieved from his post. However, his patron in Spain was assassinated the previous month and orders for his relief was given nine days before his letter was written. 4]  He was succeeded by  Governor-GeneralRafael de Izquierdo. ————————————————- ————————————————- ————————————————- ————————————————- ————————————————- ————————————————- ——————————â₠¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€- ————————————————- ————————————————- ————————————————- Maximo S.Viola Maximo Sison Viola  (1857-1933) was a physician, municipal councilor, and a supporter of the Propaganda Movement. Maximo Viola was known as the man who saved for posterity and financed the printing of  Jose Rizal's novel  Noli Me Tangere. Early life Maximo Viola was born on October 17, 1857 in Barrio Sta. Rita, San Miguel, Bulacan. He was the only child of Isabel Sison from Malabon, Rizal and Pedro Viola from San Rafael, Bulacan. Viola had his early education in San Miguel, Bulacan and completed a degree in Colegio de San Juan de Letr an in Intramuros, Manila.He took his pre-medical studies at the University of Santo Tomas. In 1882, he sailed to Spain and studied Medicine at the University of Barcelona, where he met other Filipino students, notably Jose Rizal, with whom he developed a close friendship. In 1886, Viola obtained his doctoral degree in medicine from the University of Barcelona. Viola was also supportive of other propagandists such as  Marcelo H. del Pilar, whom he aided financially. He returned to Philippines in 1887 and lived a full life until he died on September 3, 1933. ————————————————- edit]  Fellowship with Dr. Jose Rizal March 1887, Viola played an important role in the life of Jose Rizal, he financed the publication of Rizal's first novel Noli Me Tangere, which original manuscript had already planned to be destroy by Rizal because of financial inability to pay its publication. Thus, the first 2,000 copies of the novel were printed. In deep gratitude, Rizal gave him the last galley proofs and the first published copy, â€Å"To my friend, Maximo Viola, the first to read and appreciate my work-Jose Rizal, March 29, 1887, Berlin. † – Rizal wrote.On the same year, Viola and Rizal toured Germany, Austria, Hungary, and Switzerland where he personally met Ferdinand Blumentritt, one of Rizal’s foreigner friend and supporter. 1887, Dr. Viola returned to the Philippines and began his medical practice. In 1890, he married a native from San Miguel named Juana Roura, by whom he had five sons. However, two of them died in infancy. June 1892, he had a reunion with Rizal in Manila and learned about his friend’s fate, with his association with Rizal he was included to the watch list by the Spanish authorities and the Spanish Guardia Civil subjected his home in Bulacan had to a thorough inspection.In the peak of 1896 revolution, Viola went underg round to escape the harassment of the Spanish authorities. He was also a Manila military prison and later in Olongapo during his imprisonment, he assist Dr. Fresnell, an American doctor who was unfamiliar with tropical diseases. Fresnell later helped him secure his freedom. He was the president of Liga de Propietarios, who aided the owners of rice lands in San Miguel, Bulacan in opposing politicians who were courting the tenant’s votes at the expense of the landlords.When Manila Railroad line was being extended to Cabanatuan, Nueva Ecija, Viola once again rallied the concerned landowners in preventing the prestigious British Company from taking over their land without appropriate reparations. Dr. Maximo Viola treated his impecunious patients for free and often resorted to simple remedies so that they would not have to spend, he would disinfect common snakebites by using matchsticks instead of prescribing expensive solutions. One of his hobby is designing and building furnitur e, in the 1920’s he proved his competence by winning awards for his furniture pieces displayed in several shows in Manila.In the later years, Viola wrote memoirs of his friendship with Rizal, it came out in three parts in the Spanish newspaper El Ideal, in June to 20, 1913. The English version was done by A. R. Roces, one of the eminent writers and it was published in the Manila Times on the December 30 and 31, 1950 and January 1, 1951 issues. On September 3, 1933, Dr. Viola, aged 76 died in Barrio San Jose in his hometown. Later, another house was constructed on the same lot where an heir of Pedro Viola lived. In 1962, a marker in honor of Dr.Viola was installed in San Miguel, Bulacan Pedro Serrano Lawtaw  (1853-1928) was a 19th-century reformist, Mason, and renowned lexicographer and educator. He is also known as the only Filipino tutor in the service of a Spanish king. ———————————— Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€- [edit]  Early Life Pedro Serrano Laktaw was born on 24 October 1853 in  Kupang, Bulacan. His father was the lexicographer  Rosalio Serrana, and his mother was Juana Laktaw, who from early on fostered a love of language and literature on their sixth child.Pedro Serrano Laktaw obtained his degree of â€Å"maestro elemental† at the  Escuela Normal Superior de Maestros  in Manila and began his teaching career in 1877 in  San Luis, Pampanga. It was in Pampanga that he studied the local literature and folk traditions. His study entitled â€Å"Folklore Pampango† was included by  Isabelo de los Reyes  in the landmark book â€Å"El Folk-lore Filipino† and exhibited at the  Exposicion Filipinaheld in Madrid in 1887. ————————————————- [edit]  Involvement in the Propaganda MovementMoving back to his home provice of  Bulacan, he became a director of a  Malolos  school. It was at this time that he joined activiely in civic causes. Together with  Marcelo H. Del Pilar, Mariano Crisostomo, Jose Gatmaitan,  Mariano Ponce, he formed a benevolent association calledCaja de Jesus, Maria y Jose  to give scholarships to indigent children. Together with  Ambrosio R. Bautista,  Deodato Arellano,  Marcelo H. del Pilar  and  Doroteo Cortes, he helped form a  Comite de Propaganda  to extol democratic principles and expose friar abuses. Pedro Serrano Laktaw also co-authored with  Rafael Enriquez  and  Marcelo H. el Pilar  other satirical works, such as  Dasalan at Toksohan, andPasion dapat ipag-alab ng Puso ng taong babasa. This group continued to finance the publication of  La Solidaridad, even when  Marcelo H. del Pilar  left Manila for Barcelona to escape arrest. In 1887 he was awarded a government scholarship to study at the Escuela Normal of Salamanca, Spain. He took up postgraduate studies at the Escuela Normal in Madrid. He achieved renown as a teacher and was hired as a private tutor to the Prince of Asturias, who later became King  Alfonso XIII.He was acclaimed as the only Filipino tutor in the service of a Spanish king. In 1889 he compiled the first modern lexicography of the Tagalog language  Diccionario Hispano-Tagalog  to much notice. He issued the follow-up volume â€Å"Diccionario Tagalog-Hispano† in 1914. ————————————————- [edit]  Masonic Activities He was attracted by the ideals of fraternity and enlightenment and he was recruited into  Freemasonry, joining on 1 April 1889 the LodgeRevolucion  in Barcelona, Spain with  Graciano Lopez Jaena,  Jose Rizal,  Mariano Ponce,  Marcelo H.Del Pilar,  Jose Alejandrino,  Antonio Lunaand  Juan Luna. This lodge was later renamed to  Solidaridad No. 5. The Masonic grandmaster  Miguel Morayta  of the Spanish  Gran Oriente Espanol  designated Pedro Serrano Laktaw and  Antonio Luna  to establish  Freemasonry  in the Philippines. Returning to Manila in 1890 he helped found other Masonic lodges throughout the country. Working with an early Masonic recruit  Moises Salvador  and  Jose A. Ramos, who was based in London, he established the first all-Filipino lodge called  Nilad, which became the motherhouse of all lodges.It was officially recognized by the  Gran Oriente Espanol  the following year, with  Jose A. Ramos  designated as head and Serrano as its first secretary. His Masonic name was  Panday Pira, a legendary cannon maker of the 16th century. In Manila he was arrested for his masonic proselytizing and later released by Governor-General  Ramon Blanco y Erenas. For having renounced the Masonic movement, he was expelled from the organization on 16 April 1893. Thereafter he wrote for  Espana Ori ental  and  Revista Catolica de Filipinas.In the second half of the  Philippine Revolution  he resumed his propagandistic career, writing articles for  El Heraldo de la Revolucion. He continued writing nationalistic articles under the American regime, for other organs such as  Ang Bayan,  Ang Kapatid ng Bayanand  Kalayaan. He cemented his reputation as a lexicographer and grammarian when he pulished  Diccionario Tagalog-Hispano  in 1914. Together with his earlier volume  Diccionario Hispano-Tagalog, the two books were described as the only lexicographical studies of scientific value by an American linguist Leonard Bloomfield.His  Estudios Gramaticales Sobre la Lenga Tagalog  was published posthumously published in 1929 and today he is remembered as one of the spelling reformers of the Tagalog language, along with  Jose Rizal  and  Trinidad Pardo de Tavera. Pedro Serrano Laktaw married Roberta Buison in 1887 by whom had 13 children, including Rosalio, Jr. , Pedro, Isidro, Jose, Manuel, Consuelo, Balbino, Hermenegildo, Pedring, Teresa, Patricio. He died on 22 September 1928 and was buried in  Mandaluyong, Rizal.

Wish You Well by David Baldacci

Character development is an important part of all novels. A character's mindset can change throughout the story as they go through events that may change there mindset. In Wish You Well by David Baldacci, Oz's personality and attitude change from the beginning to the end of the novel. His point of view alone effects the story. As the book starts off Oz is a little immature boy. He is not self efficient and relies completely on his mother Amanda and his older sister Lou. â€Å"Fortunately, his fearful cries would be replaced by a smile when Oz would at last focused on her, and she would want to hold her son always, keep him safe always. (Baldacci p. 4) Amanda had protected Oz his entire life and made him feel a sense of attachment. He never had to make his own decisions or face an event where his hope or faith was challenged. Until the car accident, his mother was severely injured and his father was killed. â€Å"Oz reached for his mother, incomprehension the only thing between the little boy and possibly fatal panic. † (Baldacci p. 14) This was the first and only time in the story that we see Oz in panic. Lou being older feels she understood more about the world and life than Oz. She had loved her father but clearly did not have the same type of relationship with her mother. After the accident and her father was dead, Lou seemed to get a negative outlook. She never once had a positive thought that possibly her mother could might get better and regain consciousness. Oz on the other hand never lost his faith. He always though positively. Throughout the novel Oz makes comment to his grandmother, diamond, and Lou that his mother could and was getting better. His love for her was so strong that even though deep down he knew the reality of her healing was not likely, he would do whatever he could to make it possibly come true. Oz thinks that wishing for his mother to regain her health at the wishing well will make her better. â€Å"I wish that my mother will wake up and love me again. He paused and then added solemnly, And Lou too. † (Baldacci p. 131) Oz truly cared about his mother and sister and risked his fear to try and make them all happy again. He was truly a caring character who changes from being a shy innocent boy. Into a caring self confident young man. Lou and Oz both loved each other and there mother. However, each characters point of view was different regarding the citation. Lou was kind of angry and tried to think about things realistic. She knew the odds of her mother getting well and there family going back to normal was limited. She realized it and tried to move on. As opposed to Oz who hoped and wished that his mother and Lou would get better and things could go back to the way they were. In the end even though both character's points of view where vastly different, they each helped each other get through some tragic events in the novel together, through love and perseverance.

The Importance of Core Competencies to the organisation The WritePass Journal

The Importance of Core Competencies to the organisation INTRODUCTION The Importance of Core Competencies to the organisation INTRODUCTION  The Importance of Core Competencies to the organisation1. Facilitates strategy development2.   Encourages innovation 3.   Enforces recruitment and selection process Identifying Core CompetenciesLimitations of the ApproachCONCLUSIONBIBLIOGRAPHYRelated INTRODUCTION In this assignment, I will aim to evaluate this statement as it relates to the overall corporate strategy within a corporation. I will state whether managers are required to rethink their understanding of the corporation and whether this concept is still relevant today. I will illustrate my understanding of the concept by drawing on examples of different organisations. Finally, I will conclude by agreeing whether it is crucial for managers to re think their ideas of managing core competencies as it relates to the corporations they operate in both in the present and in the future. The concept of understanding corporations is based on the definition of core competencies. Prior to the 1990’s Prahalad and Hamel suggested that our understanding of corporations was defined as a collection of Strategic Business Units (SBUs). The SBU system was apparently flawed. This is because, each business unit operated independently from the corporation, with the risk of losing its corporate image. The system failed to appreciate the component parts of the corporation which delivered the corporate business strategy, in terms of resources, processes and people. There was an obvious need to radically change the concept of business management within this area. Subsequently, it led to the suggestion that corporations should function as a group of core competencies. This concept set out the framework for managers to establish and acknowledge their competencies. Core competencies can be defined as the skills and intentions which enable a corporation to leverage its resources.   Resources may either be tangible or intangible. Tangible resources, as the name suggest are those visible possession of the firm, they are categorised as land, and building equipment or machinery. Core competencies in this case, can be referred to as intangible resources which are non- visible assets of the corporation. Contrary to characteristics tangible resources they are quite difficult to acquire and recognise. This is because of the processes involved in identifying and developing them. Managers should concentrate on integrating skills throughout all aspects of the corporation. By understanding those core competencies that lead to successful growth, managers are able to formulate ways to reach and stretch these resources towards new goals as the environment changes. It is required that managers acknowledge their own competencies and align them with that of the corporation. Competencies are not only based on individual skills but rather a collection of skills across the corporation. (Fundamentals of Strategy Gerry Johnson, Kevan Scholes and Richard Whittington page 65) Mastering Strategic Management – Tim Hannagan page 13 The competency approach enables the recognition of unique and distinctive resources. Every organisation is unique in terms of its resources and this is relevant with regards to the scope and extent of its core competencies.   By evaluating a corporation’s core competencies managers are able to recognise strengths and weaknesses, using this valuable information to identify the key areas that it may build on but more importantly areas which needs improvement.   Managers can decide which skills require further development or in this global environment, what areas can be exploited outside the firm. By examining these areas an organization can correctly manage its day to day activities and if necessary eliminate the areas that are not beneficial to the set organization. (The Changing Nature of Organizations page 99)   The Importance of Core Competencies to the organisation Once managers have a clear understanding of their core competencies and design ways of leveraging them within and outside the corporation. They are able to achieve successful growth. This results in gaining a competitive edge.   Below, I will outline the interrelationship between core competencies and the definition of a corporation itself. They include: (1) Facilitates strategy development, (2) Encourages innovation and (3) Enforces recruitment and selection 1. Facilitates strategy development Unless the strategy that a corporation adopts is centred on its strengths and not its weaknesses it will never archive its set goals. The exploration and further development of any corporation core competencies is of utmost importance in strategy development. The knowledge and understanding of these provide managers the information needed to identify opportunities in the business environment and the necessary resources to take advantage of these (Strategic Intent) (Mastering Strategic Management- Tim Hannagan pg13) (Long term corporate sustainability through competitive advantage) Porter claimed in 1996, that a company can outperform rivals only if it can establish a difference that it can preserve. Only when a manager is able to identify his/her corporation strengths and core competencies can the organization create opportunities and overcome the challenges it faces from competitors. The key advantage is that, the corporation is able to differentiate themselves from their competitors, gaining a competitive edge impossible to imitate. 2.   Encourages innovation The concept of core competencies encourages companies to diversify. It is essential that managers drive the core competencies of the corporation to reach its full potential, creating effective and profitable use. Innovation is interlinked with a company’s core competency. Competencies encourage the formation of knowledge, skills and abilities. This could be further extended to motivation. Competency models dictates and evaluates ideal patterns for employee performance. Through creativity employees are encouraged to generate ideas with regards to problem solving, in turn analysing these approaches and find suitable solutions. Innovation encourages employees to constantly look for ways to improve the organisation in terms of profit generation and competitive advantage. This is carried out by gathering useful sources of information through utilising available technologies. The innovative organisation should encourage staff to use their initiative and offer rewards for their creativity. (business-strategy-innovation.com) An example might be Apple: Apple sets the standard for innovation, under the legendary leadership of Steve Jobs. The company cultivates innovation from its staff fostering new ideas and launching successful products such as iPod, iTunes, iPhone and iPad. Apple seizes opportunities in the marketplace to simulate growth by leveraging its system of employees, customers, supplies, partners and global networks. (http://creativityandinnovation.blogspot.com) 3.   Enforces recruitment and selection process Competencies are effective because they dictate behaviours required to achieve business strategy. On this assumption, the assessment of competencies is one means of selecting employees. Ideally, competencies will enable organisations to form a model of the kinds of employees it wishes to attract through recruitment. (Human Resource Management by Bratton and Gold pg 247-248) HRM (Boom and Sparrow, 1992, p.13) claimed that competency frameworks lie at the heart of all approaches in order for the objectives of the corporation to be aligned. This is achieved through various human resource activities of recruitment and selection, appraisal, training and rewards. Core competencies enhance a common understanding of effective behaviour in the workplace and provide a basis for more consistency in performance management practices. (Whiddett and Hollyforde.2003). (Human Resource Management by Bratton and Gold pg 247-248 An example might be The Virgin Group: The Virgin brand is very much unique. The most distinctive competency is that of its owner Sir Richard Branson. His leadership style and entrepreneur skill has proved an asset to the firm, which other organisations are unable to replicate. One can describe the Virgin Group recruitment and selection process highly intensive. Their systematic approach allows the selection of employees who meets specific criteria. This competency, coupled with Branson leadership skills forms intellectual and human capital which is distinctive, therefore, impossible for other firms to copy. Identifying Core Competencies Identify core competencies highlights areas of expertise and instructs managers to focus on important areas within a corporation.   With reference to the statement by Prahalad and Hamel,’ managers will be judged on their ability to identify, cultivate and exploit their core competencies.   It is acknowledged that this approach presents a degree of difficulty for managers. As a guideline manager can utilise the three conditions suggested by Prahalad and Hamel to determine core competencies. They are: (a) Potential to wide variety of markets (b) Contribute significantly to the perceived customer benefits of the end product and (c) difficult for competitors to imitate. These conditions assist managers to address the difficulties stated earlier. Once adopted will assist to identify the activities or resources which contribute to the competitive advantage of the corporation or those which are unlikely to compete with rivals. In this section, I will go on to explain further these conditions which will be fulfilled with examples of corporations where this has been the case. (a)   Potential access to a wide variety of markets The core competency must create opportunities for entrance into new industries to sustain competitive advantage and growth. An example might be TESCO: The supermarket initially started behind its rivals Sainsbury’s and ASDA in terms of market penetration, size and quality. TESCO’s corporate strategy was to establish itself as a quality entrant. This strategy has proven effective since, the supermarket sector is now dominated by Tesco.   Management adopted an evolutionary policy which created a base for expansion and a reputation for size and quality. As a result, this rejuvenated the business.   The company leveraged expansion into different markets, enabling Tesco to maintain its position as one of the world’s largest retailers. (checksure.biz) The Grocers: The Rise and Rise of Supermarket Chains by Seth, Andrew. Randall, Geoffrey. Publication: London Kogan (netlibrary.com.) (Mastering Strategic Management, Tim Hannagan pg 25) (b)   Contribute significantly to the perceived customer benefits of the end products The core competency must be perceived by customers to providing value. Customers are then willing to pay the maximum price. This provides key insights into customer’s needs and preferences An example might be Dell computers: Dell has completely re-invented the business model, the company has created a niche market through producing manufacturer-to order’ personal computers for consumers. Through internet technology, customers are able customise components of the personal computer to suit their needs and process orders online via the Dell website. The company has promised to deliver complete computer system configuration and to assemble computer system according to customer specifications.   In addition, the company has deployed online customer service representatives and online chat forums dedicated to customer concerns. (Supply Chain Strategy: The Logistics of Supply Management by Frazelle Edward. pg 277) (netlibrary.com.) Key to Dell’s strategy is its warehousing and logistics technology. The company avoids the need to anticipate stock overflow and stores finished goods in large warehouses. This reduces the need for in-house sorting. This work is done in the sorting centre. This new logistics model has enabled Dell to operate and efficient storage and delivery system with the company achieves significantly higher financial returns than their competitors. The key to success is the substitution of information for inventory and work content. (Supply Chain Strategy: The Logistics of Supply Management by Frazelle Edward. pg 278) (netlibrary.com) (c)   Difficult for competitors to imitate The core competency should create uniqueness which is distinctive to the organization.   The key here is ensuring that the competency is better than competitors which aren’t easily copied. An example might be Coca Cola: Coca Cola is the global leader of bottled beverages. The key competency lies within its brand name. It is the best known product in the world and its popularity has truly made it universal. There is a distinctive taste of the company’s products which is impossible for competitors to imitate. The company provides a powerful portfolio of beverages to its customers and consumers. This includes carbonated drinks, bottled water and packaged juices. With an increased focus on marketing the company continuously aims to extend existing brands and explore new beverage segments in different markets.   This enables the company to capture and maximise its growth.   The company focus is on innovation through advanced marketing intelligence systems. Coca Cola is able to execute and refine its channel-marketing and multi-segmentation strategies. The company is very keen to contribute to the local and global community. Coca-Cola provides sponsorships particu larly to sporting events, such as the Olympics, FIFA World Cup and UEFA European Championships.   This allows, continued recognition of the brand, key to the company’s success. www.coca-colafemsa.com Limitations of the Approach The core competency approach has proven beneficial to the managers in terms resource based management.   Below I will highlight a few disadvantages to this approach as they relate to the (a) suitability, (b) adaptability and (c) sustainability within corporations. The aim here is to provide managers with the necessary tools to undertake practical decisions which affect the performance of the corporation. (a) Suitability – This point highlights that managers should incorporate system to support resources within the corporation. Inadequacy will impact negatively on the corporation. The corporation must be capable in creating activities catered to the building and maintaining of resources.   (Building The Capability to perform by Kim Warren pg229) In addition, the three tests recommended by Prahalad and Hamel to identify core competencies in practice may prove demanding for managers. As a result, managers tend to produce an exhausted list of traits they would like the corporation efficient in. There is an obvious confusion between personal competencies and corporate ones. Corporations usually evaluate their competencies firstly, on the personal level rather than referring to generic competencies that apply to the firm as a whole. (b) Adaptability Managers fail to recognise that core competencies can be applied to every aspect of the corporation. There is a tendency to believe that it extends only to customers.   Any competency which fails to satisfy a customer’s need is deemed a liability. The resource based view states clearly that this approach is inaccurate. It is obvious, that some competencies may indirectly contribute to adding value for customers.   An example might be that of HR department, the main function includes recruiting, appraising and developing staff across many functions invisible to customers. (Competitive strategy Dynamics by Kim Warren pg230) The three tests recommended by Prahalad and Hamel to identify core competencies in practice, may prove demanding to organisations. As a result, what tends to emerge is a wish list of what the organisation would like to be good at. Part of the problem is that there is  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   confusion between personal competencies and corporate ones. Companies are usually tempted to start on the personal level when pursuing competencies. The solution is for companies to synthesize the skills of their people into generic competencies that apply to the firm as a whole. (The Changing Nature of Organizations pg99) (c) Sustainability-This addresses the issue that valuable competencies may reside only among certain people. Shockingly this may not include senior managers. The danger here is, if the people depart, so too, the competencies. A typical example already mentioned is the case of Sir Richard Branson and Virgin Atlantic.   Similarly this can be applied to Apple and Steve Jobs. The disadvantage of having this key competence is at the same time creating a barrier for imitation by your competitors but also difficulty in finding a suitable substitution. (The Changing Nature of Organizations pg 100) CONCLUSION Throughout the century our understanding of corporations has evolved dramatically. This understanding has been further influenced through the development of management theories. A primary example is that of Prahalad and Hamel. They have fuelled a radical re- thinking of the term corporation and the necessary guidelines for managers to execute their core competencies successfully. I believe that, this is the concept by which we understand corporations today. Hopefully, I have provided adequate evidence to support this concept and explained its importance for managing resources effectively within modern corporations. In addition, I have attempted to illustrate the inter-relationship between cultivating and exploiting key resources in order to establish corporation identity. I have shown this with examples of TESCO, Virgin, Dell and Apple. The fundamentals of this concept will be explored further as corporations seek to cope with external and internal pressures of the business environment. As such, managers need to be skilful and proactive in designing new and innovative ways of developing their core competencies. Again, I emphasize that managers should carefully assess the corporation and its desired goal. In doing so they are able determine the appropriate approach to build their core competencies. In this volatile business environment the future remains a mystery. By no means will this change our understanding of the corporation. The key to cultivating core competencies is ultimately gaining competitive advantage. It will be interesting to see how managers will embrace opportunities to sustain these valuable resources. BIBLIOGRAPHY Blogging Innovation (Internet) business-strategy-innovation.com/wordpress/2011/04/innovation-competency-model Accessed 25/04/2011 Creativity And Innovation Driving Business Innovation Index (Internet) http://creativityandinnovation.blogspot.com Accessed 25/04/2011 HRM (Boom and Sparrow, 1992, p.13) Supply Chain Strategy: The Logistics of Supply Management by Frazelle Edward. pg 278 Leeds Metropolitan Library online (Internet) netlibrary.com.ezproxy.leedsmet.ac.uk/Reader/   Accessed 22/04/2011 Check Sure Instant online credit check (Internet) checksure.biz/ftse_100_companies/tesco-plc.asp Accessed 22/04/2011 Mastering Strategic Management, Tim Hannagan pg 25) Human Resource Management- Theory and Practice, 4th Edition by Bratton and Gold pg 247-248 Fundamentals of Strategy Gerry Johnson, Kevan Scholes and Richard Whittington page 65 The Grocers: The Rise and Rise of Supermarket Chains by Seth, Andrew. Randall, Geoffrey. Publication: London Kogan Coca- Cola FEMSA (Internet) coca-colafemsa.com/femsa/web/conteudo_en.asp?idioma=1tipo=27617conta=44id=73211 Accessed 24/04/2011 The Financial Time guide to strategy how to create and deliver a useful strategy by Richard Koch Competitive Strategy Dynamics by Kim Warren London Business School

Analysis of Tenth of December by George Saunders

Analysis of Tenth of December by George Saunders George Saunders deeply moving story Tenth of December originally appeared in the October 31, 2011, issue of The New Yorker. It was later included in his well-received 2013 collection, Tenth of December, which was a bestseller and a National Book Award finalist. Tenth of December is one of the freshest and most compelling contemporary stories, yet we find it almost impossible to talk about the story and its meaning without making it sound trite (something along the lines of, A boy helps a suicidal man find the will to live, or, A suicidal man learns to appreciate the beauty of life). We have to chalk this up to Saunders ability to present familiar themes (yes, the little things in life are beautiful, and no, life isnt always neat and clean) as if were seeing them for the first time. If you havent read Tenth of December, do yourself a favor and read it now. Below are some of the features of the story that particularly stand out; perhaps theyll resonate for you, too. Dreamlike Narrative The story shifts constantly from the real to the ideal, to the imagined, to the remembered. Like the 11-year-old protagonist of Flannery OConnors The Turkey, the boy in Saunders story, Robin, walks through the woods imagining himself a hero. He trudges through the woods tracking imaginary creatures called Nethers, who have kidnapped his alluring classmate, Suzanne Bledsoe. Reality merges seamlessly with Robins pretend world as he glances at a thermometer reading 10 degrees (That made it real) and also as he begins to follow actual human footprints while still pretending that hes tracking a Nether. When he finds a winter coat and decides to follow the footsteps so he can return it to its owner, he recognizes that [i]t was a rescue. A real rescue, at last, sort of. Don Eber, the terminally ill 53-year-old man in the story, also holds conversations in his head. He is pursuing his own imagined heroics- in this case, going into the wilderness to freeze to death in order to spare his wife and children the suffering of caring for him as his illness progresses. His own conflicted feelings about his plan come out in the form of imagined conversations with adult figures from his childhood and finally, in the grateful dialogue, he imagines between his surviving children when they realize how selfless hes been. He considers all the dreams hell never achieve (such as delivering his major national speech on compassion), which seems not so different from fighting Nethers and saving Suzanne- these fantasies seem unlikely to happen even if Eber lives another 100 years. The effect of the movement between real and imagined is dreamlike and surreal- an effect that is only heightened in the frozen landscape, especially when Eber enters the hallucinations of hypothermia. Reality Wins Even from the beginning, Robins fantasies cant make a clean break from reality. He imagines the Nethers will torture him but only in ways he could actually take. He imagines that Suzanne will invite him to her pool, telling him, Its cool if you swim with your shirt on. By the time he has survived a near drowning and a near freezing, Robin is solidly grounded in reality.  He starts to imagine what Suzanne might say, then stops himself, thinking, Ugh. That was done, that was stupid, talking in your head to some girl who in real life called you Roger. Eber, too, is pursuing an unrealistic fantasy that he will eventually have to give up. Terminal illness transformed his own kind stepfather into a brutal creature he thinks of only as THAT. Eber- already tangled in his own deteriorating ability to find accurate words- is determined to avoid a similar fate. He thinks: Then it would be done. He would have preempted all future debasement. All his fears about the coming months would be mute. Moot.   But this incredible opportunity to end things with dignity is interrupted when he sees Robin moving dangerously across the ice carrying his- Ebers- coat. Eber greets this revelation with a perfectly prosaic, Oh, for shitsake. His fantasy of an ideal, poetic passing wont come to be, a fact readers might have guessed when he landed on mute rather than moot. Interdependence and Integration The rescues in this story are beautifully intertwined. Eber rescues Robin from the cold (if not from the actual pond), but Robin would never have fallen into the pond in the first place if he hadnt tried to rescue Eber by taking his coat to him. Robin, in turn, saves Eber from the cold by sending his mother to go get him. But Robin has already saved Eber from suicide by falling into the pond. The immediate need to save Robin forces Eber into the present. And being in the present seems to help integrate Ebers various selves, past and present. Saunders writes: Suddenly he was not purely the dying guy who woke nights in the med-bed thinking, Make this not true make this not true, but again, partly, the guy who used to put bananas in the freezer, then crack them on the counter and pour chocolate over the broken chunks, the guy who’d once stood outside a classroom window in a rainstorm to see how Jodi was faring. Eventually, Eber begins to see the illness (and its inevitable indignities) not as negating his previous self but simply as being one part of who he is. Likewise, he rejects the impulse to hide his suicide attempt (and its revelation of his fear) from his children, because it, too, is part of who he is. As he integrates his vision of himself, he is able to integrate his gentle, loving stepfather with the vitriolic brute he became in the end. Remembering the generous way his desperately ill stepfather listened attentively to Ebers presentation on manatees, Eber sees that there are drops of goodness to be had even in the worst situations. Though he and his wife are in unfamiliar territory, stumbling a bit on a swell in the floor of this stranger’s house, they are together.

Marking Mix Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Marking Mix - Essay Example The main challenges are limited distribution facilities and narrow market. This, product diversification has been used to dispose of by-products and to capitalize on a company's research-and-development efforts. In fact, the diversification of a product line has been a basic way of achieving long-term market survival. If one considers the rapid technological advances that are being made and the new products being developed, then diversification does not become an incidental or peripheral activity, but a pivotal activity worthy of vigorous and sustained pursuit. The Temperature Sensors are safe for users, so any ethical or social problems are exist. If the company starts to sell this product in other regions, it should ensure that Temperature Sensors are suitable for different temperature regimes and can be used in countries with severe weather conditions. Also, it is important to product Temperature Sensors with scales and marks on different languages so target population can easily read and understand the product information. Gray leaf spot resistant is a new chemical product aimed to protect vegetation from gray leaf spot disease. This is an improvement of existing products. In this case, attempts to diversify product lines create a risk, for dealer and customer reaction is always uncertain. To some extent, the risk may be reduced through the use of marketing intelligence, as is the case when products that enjoy good differential advantages are discovered. A product- program starts with screening and then consideration of what is to be done to bring a product to the market. Firms may follow a check list that covers various aspects of product introduction, based on a study of trade practices. Product diversification may result in either trading up or trading down. In trading up, the manufacturer adds related items to his line that will sell for an increase in price, whereas trading down is the reverse process. There are two objectives involved in a decision to increase the number of variations in price a nd quality: to gain sales by catering to a new segment of the market, and to gain sales in the existing market by trading up or down (Dobson and Starkey 2004). The main ethical and social concerns are safety of chemicals and effectiveness of the product, environmental and legal compliance. If the company wants to sell this product overseas, it is important to take into account legal regulations and standards applied to chemical products and pesticides in a foreign country. The company should test the product in different environment and ensure it is safe enough for different geographical locations and weather conditions. As markets become more heterogeneous, and diverse products are developed to satisfy them, manufacturing efficiency will decline (Paley, 2006). Ramadan Iftar Box 2 is a revision of the existing product line popular in Lebanon. This product is a reaction to competitor's moves and consist of adjustments of current product lines, or they may involve the development of new products. The former are mainly defensive moves and the latter mainly offensive (Paley, 2006). Most companies use the defensive strategies to improve the profitability of existing lines and develop new products to meet competitors' lines. However, the