Kim Fuller Essay

In the early fall of 2002, Kim Fuller was employed as a district sales engineer for a large chemical firm. During a routine discussion with plant chemists, Fuller learned that the company had developed a use for the recycled material, in pulverized form, made from plastic soda pop bottles. Because the state had mandatory deposits all beverage bottles. Fuller realized that a ready supply of this material was available. All that was needed was an organization to tap that bottle supply, grind the bottles, and deliver the pulverized plastic to the chemical company. It was an opportunity Fuller had long awaited—a chance to start a business. In November 2002 Fuller began checking into the costs involved in setting up a plastic bottle grinding business. A used truck and three trailers were acquired to pick up the empty bottles. Fuller purchased one used grinding machine but had to buy a second one newï ¼â€ºSupplies and pans necessary to run and maintain the machines were also purcha sed. Fuller also purchased a personal computer with the intention of using it to keep company records. These items used $65,000 of the $75,000 Fuller had saved and invested in the company. A warehouse costing $162,000 was found in an excellent location for the business. Fuller was able to interest family members enough in this project that three of them, two sisters and a brother, invested $30, 000 each. These funds gave Fuller the$50,000 down payment on the warehouse. The bank approved a mortgage for the balance on the building. In granting the mortgage, however, the bank 0fficial suggested that Fuller start from the beginning with proper accounting records. He said these records would help not only with future bank dealings but also with tax returns and general management of the company. He suggested Fuller find a good accountant to provide assistance from the start, to get things going on the right foot. Fuller’s neighbor, Marion Zimmer, was an accountant with a local firm. When they sat down to talk about the new business, Fuller explained, â€Å"I know little about keeping proper records.† Zimmer suggested Fuller should buy an â€Å"off-the-shelf† accounting system software package from a local office supply retailer. Zimmer promised to help Fuller select and install the package as well as learn how to use it. In order to select the fight package for Fuller’s needs, Zimmer asked Fuller to list all of the items purchased for the business, a11 of the debts incurred, and the information Fuller  would need to manage the business. Zimmer explained that not al l of this information would be captured by the accounting records and displayed in financial statements. Based on what Fuller told Zimmer, Zimmer promised to create files to accommodate accounting and non-accounting information that Fuller could access through the company’s personal computer. As Fuller’s first lesson in accounting, Zimmer gave Fuller a brief lecture on the nature of the balance sheet and income statement and suggested Fuller draw up an opening balance sheet for the company. Confident now that the venture was starting on solid ground, Kim Fuller opened the warehouse, signed contracts with two local bottling companies, and hired two grinding machine workers and a truck driver. By February 2003 the new firm was making regular deliveries to Fuller’s former employer. Questions 1. What information will Fuller need to manage the business? Classify this information in two categories: accounting information and non-accounting information. 2. See what you can do to draw up a beginning of business list of the assets and 1iabilities of Fuller’s company making any assumptions you consider useful. How should Fuller go about putting a value on the company’s assets? Using your values, what is the company’s opening owners’ equity? 3. Now that Fuller has started to make sales, what information is needed to determine â€Å"profit and loss†? What should be the general construction of a profit and loss analysis for Fuller’s business? How frequently should Fuller do such all analysis? 4. What other kinds of changes in assets, 1iabilities, and owners’ claims will need careful recording and reporting if Fuller is to keep in control of the business?

Lives of the Saints Essay

In Shakespeare’s Hamlet and Nino Ricci’s Lives of the Saints both demonstrate different visions of women. Comparing weak and indecisive women in Hamlet as to strong and independent women in Lives of the Saints. Ophelia in Hamlet is characterized many times as a weak women especially in the quote, â€Å"frailty thy name is woman.† She is completely dependent on her father and proves her dependence when she acts cruel to Hamlet. Which goes against her true feelings toward Hamlet. Afterwords Ophelia agrees to not see Hamlet anymore, â€Å" I shall obey my lord.† Which shows Polonious’s control over his daughter. Ophelia’s actions show that she will do anything to please her father, even making a personal sacrifice which she doesn’t agree with. Ophelia’s desire to please her father leads her to be used as a puppet in order for the King and Polonious to spy on Hamlet, Ophelia’s willingness to spy on a person she truly loves, shows her true nature toward her father. Even when Hamlet harasses Ophelia and tells her to go to a nunnery, Ophelia had the inability to defend herself. When her father passes on, Ophelia is left by herself, with no one to give her guidance. Instead of trying to move on with her life, she calls for her brother hoping he will have a plan for her, â€Å"My brother shall know of it and so I thank you for your good counsel.† Polonious’s was irreplaceable and finally Ophelia realizes this â€Å" I would give you some violets, but they withered all when my father died.†The significance of the violets are that they symbolize faithfulness and they all died because she felt useless without her father. Ophelia’s death is in result of her dependence and weakness of character.Overall, Ophelia goes mad because she has no position in society. Men have continuously ordered her around, used her, pulling her mind in every direction. She put her faith in one person and never made her own decisions. Similar to Ophelia is Gertrude. She is also characterized by the quote, â€Å"frailty thy name is woman.† Gertrude depends on her husband. Gertrude longing for the attention that she loses when her husband dies, quickly marries Claudius, her husbands brother. Shakespeare displays that women have no back bone and our weak. As if they could not live with out others, men especially. Nino Ricci demonstrates a whole different side of women, he shows that women are strong and independent. The character that illustrates these qualities is Cristina, she raised her child Vittorio alone. Unlike the women in Hamlet, Cristina didn’t need a man to help her raise her child or to get through life. When her son gets beat up at school, she doesn’t just ignore it. She takes physical action about the situation † I’ll make her pay for this, Vittorio, you’ll see, by the blood of Christ I’ll make her pay. The wiping at some tears in her own eyes, she took me suddenly by the hand and marched me out the door into the street. (107).† Cristina is defiantly not a pushover and stands up for what she believes in. She lives in a village where the women stay at home and the men work out in the field and everyone believed in strange superstitions. Cristina was against her village’s expectations and went against what everyone thought. Cristina is outspoken and self-assured. She has a feminist point of view and is vey confident in it, she says â€Å" He’s probably slept with every whore in America by now, but for me its a disgrace. (154)†. Cristina is explaining about her husband Mario but it is also a statement in general about men. Guys can go around going from girl to girl to girl and its not a problem. But if a women were to do the same thing, even if it was just with one guy its an absolute disgrace. This book was based in 1960 and the same sentence could apply to 2012. Also has significance to the text because she had an affair and the whole town found out, which then they treated her with disgu st. Cristina also states â€Å"Women have had their faces up their asses for too long, they let their men run around like goats and then they’re happy if they don’t come home and beat them! (154)† It is demeaning that women are seen as whores when they have affairs, especially when its said by other women. They’re oppressing their own gender when saying it. She finally decides to move away and says her final words to the village â€Å" You are the ones who are dead,not me, because not one of you knows what it means to be free and to make a choice, and I pray to God that he wipes this town and all its stupidities off the face of the earth! (184)† Most women wouldn’t have spoke there mind, especially a woman like Ophelia or Gertrude. Cristina constantly fought with her father and always disagreed â€Å"Long arguments were carried on daily between kitchen and bedroom, tension hovering around.(154).† She finally got fed up with living with her father and hearing his opinion she said â€Å" Then to hell with all of you! I’ll go to Rome, Naples, anywhere.† She had the courage and strength to leave her father and start a life somewhere else, mean while Ophelia couldn’t last a couple days with out her father and killed her self. Nino Ricci illustrates women to be outspoken, independent and powerful. In the end of each story both women characters die. The difference is the way they lived their life. Cristina at least lived her life, standing up for what she believe in and having her own opinion. As for Ophelia lived a lie, as she was a spineless imbecile always doing what others told her to do and had a pathetic death. Shakespeare and Nino Ricci may have very different vision on women but at the same time they are both very accurate views.

Mary Shelley vs. Frankenstein Essay

In the novel Frankenstein by Mary Shelley, the author relates her life to the events that happened in the book. Certain events in her life led her to write the horror story that eerie, rainy night at Lord Byron’s mansion in London. Mary Shelley experienced many tragedies and losses. Writing a novel like Frankenstein was her way of mourning and dealing with her grief. Her environment also had an effect on her for it inspired her to write the way she did, why she did, and why she wrote it in the first place. Mary Shelley had a desire, a wish, a craving for something she hasn’t experienced – and probably never will – motherhood. Writing Frankenstein made her feel the power of creation and that she can take care of others. She spreads the lesson that if we don’t take care of something that needs that attention, it can lead to things we don’t like. From the beginning, it was a failure. When Mary Shelley was born, her mother, Mary Wollestonecraft – the well-known woman who wrote A Vindication of the Rights of Woman – died during labor. Mary Shelley never really had a mother figure around. Her father, William Godwin, on the other hand, was always busy with business and writings that all she would do is sit around whenever her father had meetings with his fellow writers. Mary Shelley grew up in the dawn of the British Industrial Age. Britain was one of the first nations to industrialize. It was a time for the advance in technology and new things. This era could have had an effect on Mary Shelley by influencing her to use electricity and water to create the monster that Frankenstein created. It wasn’t only technology that was affected during the Industrial Revolution. Social patterns started changing too. The population boomed and new social classes appeared. There were gaps between levels of society and the upper class usually looked down on everyone else. â€Å"Reading Wollenstonecraft’s Maria and The Rights of Woman, Godwin’s Memoirs of her mother or his Political Justice, undoubtedly provided intellectual justification for Mary Shelley’s defiance of social values. â€Å"1 Mary Shelley was surrounded by workers for reforms, philosophers, a changing social climate, and even the feminist movements that her own mother started, and this caused her to write the social gaps between characters in her novel, Frankenstein. Women weren’t allowed to write before either. Her mother and other feminists who worked to be as equal as the men in society had influenced her and made her try to show the world that she, too, like any other men, can write a good novel. Mary Shelley ran away with a married man, Percy B. Shelley, to France when she was only 19 years old. Percy B. Shelley was one of her father’s friends and doing this caused her father to refuse to communicate with her for the next two and a half years. She traveled all around Europe, seeing many people and things. Percy B. Shelley impregnated her, and there was times that he left her all alone since had business to do. Mary Shelley wrote many journals. She was excited to have a baby. In February of 1815, she finally gave birth to her first child, Clara. She was two months premature and soon died early the following month. Later on after that, Mary Shelley kept attempting to have children but they kept dying. She longed to be a mother but all her attempts failed. She became depressed because of this. One summer night in 1816, Mary Shelley and many other philosophers and writers came to Lord Byron’s house in London. They couldn’t go outside because of the heavy rain so Lord Byron decided to have a contest on who can write the best horror story. Later that night, Mary Shelley had a dream. She wrote in her journal, â€Å"I saw the pale student of unhallowed arts kneeling beside the thing he had put together. I saw the hideous phantasm of a man stretched out, then, on the working of some powerful engine, show signs of life†¦ His success would terrify the artist; he would rush away†¦ hope that†¦ this thing†¦ would subside into dead matter†¦ he opens his eyes; behold the horrid thing stands at his bedside, opening his curtains†¦ â€Å"2 This of course, is the main concept of her novel which she called, Frankenstein. There are many events in Frankenstein that are related to Mary Shelley’s own life. For example, she named the first child to die in the novel William. Mary Shelley had a son who died from malaria when he was only three years old. His name was also William. Coincidence? Maybe. But there were more of these relations. â€Å"During inclement weather on a family vacation, Frankenstein happens upon the writings of Cornelius Agrippa, and is immediately fired with the longing to penetrate the secrets of life and death. Similarly it was during a wet, ungenial summer in Switzerland that Mary, Shelley, Byron and several others picked up a volume of ghost stories and decided to write [†¦ ]†3 It took Victor Frankenstein a while and first researched about how to create a life. He gathered many materials and received information from many of his professors. His mother was dying and he couldn’t accept the fact that one day life just passes someone by. He wanted to create life and this was what Mary Shelley desired also. She had suffered many losses and tragedies; first and foremost she lost her mother, then all those babies she lost. She wanted to create life also – play God. Mary Shelley had radical views and strict outlooks on society. She saw that leaving a person alone just because they were different was wrong. Mary Shelley was a caring person and she wanted to show love to all. When she eloped with Percy B. Shelley, she was misunderstood and became an outcast for she was seen as â€Å"one of those. † She understood how the monster in her novel felt and she could relate a lot to it. The monster in the novel says that all he wanted was some love and he would have been better. It seemed as if Mary Shelley spoke through the monster in the novel. â€Å"Frankenstein, in other words, can be read as the story of the experience of writing Frankenstein. What is at stake in Mary’s introduction as well as in the novel is the description of a primal sense of creation. â€Å"4 Writing Frankenstein was more like writing an autobiography of Mary Shelley’s life. She put so many evens in her life into the novel that it could have been her own life story, except that she made it more interesting and more horrific. She expressed her grief and pain through the words of the novel. Citations Page 1. Poovey, Mary. â€Å"My Hideous Progeny: The Lady and the Monster. † Page 81 2. http://www. kimwoodbirdge. com/maryshel/summer. shtml 3. Johnson, Barbara. â€Å"My Monster / My Self. † Page 62 4. Johnson, Barbara. â€Å"My Monster / My Self. † Page 63   Show preview only The above preview is unformatted text This student written piece of work is one of many that can be found in our GCSE Mary Shelley section.

Constitution - Separation of Powers and Checks and Balances Essay

Constitution - Separation of Powers and Checks and Balances - Essay Example The legislative branch of the government of the US has the legitimate power of creating rules and regulation that govern the nation and has the right to keep a complete check and balance of the actions of the executive branch (Northrup, 2003, p.44). They have the ability to override a particular president’s power to veto by gaining a majority vote comprising of two thirds majority. They even have the ability to finances several actions conducted by the executive branch and can remove a residing president through the process of impeachment. They even are the ones who approve the appointments conducted by a particular president and treaties signed. The legislative branch can maintain checks and balances over the judicial branch be creating lower courts and removing judges through the process of impeachment and they even are the ones who approve and disapprove of appointed judges. On one end is the legislative branch that makes the laws, the legislative branch is responsible for carrying out laws. It can exercise check and balance on the legislative branch through their power to veto and hold extra special session for the congress and they even participate in law making by recommending legislative amendments and they can even appeal to the people of the legislative branch. They even conduct checks and balances on the judicial branch as the judges of the Supreme Court as well as federal level judges are appointed by the President of the United States. Similarly, the judicial branch has the ability to conduct checks and balances on the legislative and executive branch. They monitor and control the executive branch as judges that are appointed cannot be controlled by the executive branch and have the right to make decisions without any influence and they can use their power of judicial review to judge actions conducted by the executive branch as

ARTICLE SUMMARY - APPLYING LEAN SIX SIGMA METHODOLOGIES TO IMPROVE

SUMMARY - APPLYING LEAN SIX SIGMA METHODOLOGIES TO IMPROVE EFFICIENCY - Article Example Moreover, certain methods like rapid cycle test to determine if the baseline of data collected is in accordance to the implementation of efficient clinic visits. Inclusive of the time-study, no- show data and physician-patient familiarity data were used during this study. The results of the study after their analysis showed that massive implication of workflow processes in internal medicine residency clinics can be a disaster if there is no arrangement that has been scheduled to curb difficulties in health care and disease management. When the Institute of Medicine came up with a report, To Err Is Human, in 1999, concerns on the quality of health care have emerged. The Institute of Medicine also came up with another report, Crossing the Quality Chasm, recommending that the quality of health care should be an issue patient encounter on federal regulations as per the overarching framework of patient to the government. When Berwick was presenting his finding he suggested that due to wid e areas of quality growth towards health care, the idea should not deviate from the real issue of patient interests and experiences towards attaining good health care. Literature reviews on this topic show the importance of major improvements required by the patients; for instance renowned author Atlas explained how patient’s mutual relation with their physician can influence the quality of medical care delivered. The presentation showed that this relationship between patient- physicians is of greater importance towards delivering quality health care than their personality’s backgrounds. Another author, Street RL also went further suggesting that the patient’s details sharing with the physician shows a strong bond of trust between the care providers and hence leads to patients following the instructions prescribed to them on treatment. A revelation also came up that most strong patient-physician relationship are as a result of past experiences and other historic mutual encounters over a period time (Atlas SJ, 2009). Joshi also suggested that a further related cultural identity among the patients and their provider can have great impacts towards results of disease management mostly in less populated areas with high occurrence of chronic diseases for example diabetes (Joshi R, 2010). This research, the Kline Internal Medicine Throughput Initiative (Kim TI), showed that the risk of a disease getting to its advanced stage is as a result the patient not presenting him or herself for checkups. Furthermore, another cause of no-show rates was said to be the long waiting time in the clinics that contributed to long medical services. Hence, a â€Å"Lean Six Sigma† methodology was adopted to determine the hindrance of efficiency and enduring health care in internal medical clinics with an aim of increasing the number of patients availing themselves for appointments and their adherence to treatment prescriptions and disease management procedure s. This ensures efficient and effective utilization of scarce health resources and personnel available per a given population. Methods In October 2008, KimIT team from Harrisburg Hospital Internal Medicine Residency program was formed to focus on the factors affecting the adherence of physicians’ treatment prescription plan using data from visits portrayed by patients for checkups in clinics. Their first role was to design a clear

Music - Rock and Roll Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Music - Rock and Roll - Essay Example This principle helps them to look and differentiate between ordinary and underground music. Modern Garage movement tries to show people how they are engrossed in their own doings and how individuals can reform themselves within the normal capitalist. The movement tries to prevent the idea of capitalist manipulation over individuals. This idea was mostly practiced by the traditional and underground music (Abbey, 2006, Pg 50). Garage movement has addressed the importance of people practicing uniqueness and avoiding indulges in normal actions. The movement has come up with a way to teach individuals on ways to become engrossed in the normal actions of the society. This is because of how the group has provided a longing of music for times and periods. The engrossment to mainstream society activities has given people an option to how people should become biased to capitalist involvement of individuals. When Garage rock was starting its movement, they received unexpected responses from peo ple at the market places. This is a normal encounter to any emerging music movement because it has not yet established itself properly. The movement found this uncertainty to be helpful to them since they were able to show people the difference between ordinary music and the way to perform real music. The movement enjoyed the mixing of the music people longed for and the changing of the past with severity and sarcasm of the current America. Modern Garage movement started with the aim of supporting an American society and still has the goal of addressing the importance of uniqueness. The first Garage group that was successful incorporated both characteristics of the past, and connected them in the modern background. This was a challenge for the underground music because they thought that Garage style was not going to be successful. This was not hard-core or confrontation music, but it brought actual rock music. The underground music became the concern with those involved with Garage music, but they also offered a chance for new music to come up. Modern Garage shows interest to go back to periods when revolt was taken lightly (Fox & Chings, 2008, Pg 44). This is demonstrated by how they play their music and the attitude presented in the performance. Modern Garage music is related to self-longing version within people’s culture. These versions started from Britain and the backgrounds of the 1960 Greek culture. It is also noted that Hollywood films have demonstrated these versions of rebellion, which are acceptable in the societal customs. Some participants claim that these actions are intrusive, and can result to violent actions while others suggests that the music is a set of music that force people to the principles of music standards. There are people who are fond of the mainstreaming music while others have a negative feeling about the music and they are interested in the underground music (Fox & Ching, 2008, Pg 57). There are certain times that indivi duals are given an opportunity to come up with modern Garage music within certain periods of longing rebellion. The periods that are demonstrated are those that show times in which revolt were realized in the societies and made people be shocked because of certain happenings. The current world has denied people a chance to revolt. This is the reason as to why people get involved into Garage rock so that they can demonstrate some rebellion as they are

Starbucks Coffee and Farmer Equity Program (C.A.F.E.) Essay

Starbucks Coffee and Farmer Equity Program (C.A.F.E.) - Essay Example According to the research findings, Starbucks has not been left behind and has also joined the campaign to make the livelihood of the people better through the Starbucks Coffee and Farmer Equity Program (C.A.F.E.) practices program. Environmental care and sustainability form the basis of a positive society, a fact clearly reflected through C.A.F.E. This program ensures that the coffee firm outsources its raw materials in a sustainable way that safeguards the lives of the farmers and the environment. Through this program, Starbucks gives back to the community through developing their lives and making them self-reliant and empowered. However, this program does not work in isolation. The initiative works in similar dynamics like the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) initiative in two main dimensions. First, they both empower civil organizations in regulating the activities of their jurisdictive organizations. More so, they help in achieving line sustainability missions for the people in their areas of operation. This paper compares the two initiatives in terms of the two main areas of similarity in order to know their effectiveness. Both initiatives have hugely empowered the civil groups as regulators in their social responsibility plans. First, they have done so by outsourcing some of the services from the civil groups. Starbucks, for example, has outsourced the carbon sustainability area to SCS Global, which sets the standard for their carbon sustainability limits. SCS Global is also tasked with setting the standards for other sustainability initiatives that are undertaken by Starbucks in order to ensure that the organization is acting within correct limits of sustainability. On the other hand, according to Dacy, Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) has outsourced their initiatives to social groups in the United Kingdom that deal with forest initiatives and school in order for them to help in regulating the level of sustainability that they push into the forestry. Fo rest Stewardship Council (FSC) has also outsourced to government-sponsored forest rehabilitation centers to enhance the scope of sustainability of the initiative.

Depression and what you learned about it Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Depression and what you learned about it - Essay Example However, it stops being a normal state of mind whenever there is a constant feeling of sadness the cause of which is not in any way directly related to the loss of something or someone valuable. If it is indeterminate in a sense the feeling of sadness cannot be pinpointed with accuracy, then there is depression. A depressed mood is not necessarily a mental or psychological medical condition when it is associated with adverse life events such as a recent death of a loved one (as mentioned above earlier), experiencing a traumatic natural disaster, a job loss, financial difficulties, a divorce, bad relationships, or major life stages such as reaching middle age or having a menopause already. It has a number of symptoms which can serve as warning signs to seek treatment right away. Some of these common symptoms are loss of appetite, memory loss, lack of mental concentration, loss of interest in normally pleasurable activities, lack of energy, insomnia, or excessive sleeping. The depressed person usually has negative thoughts about life, low feelings of self-worth, guilt, helplessness, anxiety, and irritability which can lead to suicide (Beck & Alford, 2009, p. 30). Whenever the feelings of sadness (depression) persist over a long period of time without any direct cause for it, then it becomes a serious mental condition which is clinically termed as a major depressive disorder (MDD) based from the differential diagnosis approach recommended by the American Psychological Association (APA) using their Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition (DSM-IV). The severity, frequency, duration, and kinds of symptoms exhibited by a depressed person may vary from one individual to another because of so many factors. However, depression is a common but serious ailment that is often not treated because either the depressed did not recognize it as such, or is

Less stuff, more happiness Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Less stuff, more happiness - Essay Example It is actually a change of paradigm of how we think, of how we prioritize things in our lives, on how we arrange our values and belief system and what we believe and think that could make us happy. And his idea is grounded on good reasoning, economics and pragmatism and is actually doable. He opened his speech or lecture by asking what’s in the box? This is quite intriguing and invites to listen more to know he is up to. This is actually a good strategy because it engages us and gets us into thinking. He then outlined his thesis that less may actually be more. Less stuff means less space and it would equal to less carbon footprint saving us dollars and the environment along the way. TED proposed a strategy on how to do this which is he called â€Å"Life edited† which is really living little. He enumerated his three approaches that are edit ruthlessly, think small and make multifunctional things. By editing ruthlessly, he meant cutting the extemporaneous things in our li ves – to think before we buy if the thing we intend could truly make us happy. By thinking small, he meant efficiency to limit consumption to what we actually need. In his words, he put forth the idea that small is sexy. And lastly, he put forward the idea of being multifunctional with things that can do several functions. As a conclusion, he answered his question intriguingly of â€Å"what’s in the box†. That it doesn’t really matter because he knows he doesn’t need it. Because less is more and we have to lessen to make room for the good stuff. Going through his speech/lecture made me think about lot of things. He made me reevaluate what does it take to be happy and lead a good life. So I dissected the term in a manner that we study things in school. The term â€Å"good† refers to anything that is desirable or can be qualified under specific standards, or a moral occurrence, definitions that are general and relative. Inferring from TED†™s lecture, I now define the term from a psychological perspective to be an act or state of mind that yields more benefits than harm and offers a net good. Being happy and leading a good life therefore means engaging in activities that generate net good to a person’s life. I mention this because TED missed something on what makes us truly happy. He only argued that we do not need a lot of things to be happy but he did not answer the bigger question of what makes us happy. Such, I will pick up where TED ended and will provide my own thoughts on what makes us happy with TED’s lecture in mind. Beyond the material things that get us in debt by our acquisitiveness, I believe that the best things in life that could make us truly happy are free. These things do not come from department stores or do we need to purchase them with our credit cards but actually comes from our social ties that make our heart quiver with joy and happiness. They usually come from our social ties t hat not only minimize our sadness but also make us happy. We can find these ties from our family and loved ones and they do not cost us anything except time and our willingness to open ourselves to love and be loved. Like TED, I will also mention an advantage. Unlike him, I will not equate it in dollar terms but rather, in psychological term as what I have previously mentioned. Social ties lead to a person’s longer lifespan in addition to a better quality of life. The quality of life manifests not only on the person’

Environmental Issues and the Industrial Revolution Essay

Environmental Issues and the Industrial Revolution - Essay Example Checking all the angles and dimensions of a revolution is the name of the game, but Industrial Revolution analysts forgot to examine the most important of all dimensions – environment. Various sorts of pollutions such as contamination of water, ozone layer destruction, etc. are making headlines everyday, which is an alarming situation (Hobsbawm, 1999). Following are the three most environmentally negative impacts of the Industrial Revolution. Forests and Trees Demolition Due to the Industrial Revolution, deforestation is taking place, which has led to a very disastrous scenario. Forest trees and natural resources are consumed in the industries for production, thus demolishment of trees is taking place massively. Forests and trees are responsible for consuming the carbon dioxide gas and produce oxygen which is necessary and essential for human beings’ survival. Now because of deforestation, cutting of trees is making a colossal negative impact on the environment. Wildlif e is also immensely affected through it, which can lead to finish wildlife too (Mayumi, 1991). Contaminated Crops Lal (2004) illustrated that impure water waste which comes out from the industry either goes into the sea or in the fields, hence making crops and food items polluted and contaminated. Food items radically are not healthy enough, and it also spreads various diseases in humans. Most of the factories were established in the countryside with an idea not to pollute cities, but instead, it started polluting crops. Impure water wastage is the core reason of unhealthy fruits and vegetables availability in the consumer market and this situation prevails due to the unplanned Industrial Revolution. Air Pollution Industrialization gave humans beneficiary cars and motorbikes so that they could travel distances in minutes, but everything comes with a price; air pollution is the biggest price which humans are paying for this technological advancement. Air pollution has disturbed human beings in several ways and it is the major reason of the damage in the ozone layer. Due to impure gas exhaustion from the vehicles, air becomes polluted, causing diseases such as lungs cancer, asthma etc. Pressure horns of the vehicles mentally affect humans, which causes tumor and various mental diseases. Cities are affected the most due to air pollution (Seinfeld, 1986). Environmental Actions in U.S The Industrial Revolution effects were later discussed among individuals, environmentalists and analysts, who were quite distressed after watching tremendous destruction of the environment in the world due to this revolution. NGOs have taken this issue very seriously and demanded governments to set rules and regulations for environment protection. Consequently, various actions started in order to save the environment through 1880s, but in 1950s and later, these actions reached their peak due to the occurrence of various environmental issues. Therefore in 1970, Government of U.S had to come up with a refined environmental action legislation which intended to protect the environment of the country. This was a big move indeed, but its practical implementation throughout the country was the main issue. Industrialists were not pleased from the verdict as it brought several limitations on them (Dunlap & Mertig, 1991). Establishment of Laws Arbuckle and Miller (1976) demonstrated that the outrageous appeals from environmental act

Project Management - Module 1.6 not 1.4 Coursework

Project Management - Module 1.6 not 1.4 - Coursework Example Subsequently designer is expected to insure that all sub-consultant work is coordinated. Pertinently conceptual design approves further details that may emerge. This document should clearly outline the prearranged civil, architectural, structural, mechanical, electrical, fire protection design and plumbing. It is vital to include up-dated cost approximation of all key features and component of design. Upon the approval of the design by the owner, the design team immediately starts the execution of this final contraction design particulars (Norman, E. et al 2008).The authenticated design development package entails a completer concept therefore no further alteration to the plans, elevations, or building systems will be permissible except when it comply with construction or code supplies. 1) Guideline and objective establishment- the first project stage is to outline the scope which sets up the expectations, estimated cost, constituted high level plans, and finally established timelines for each activity to be executed. 2) The concepts which involve mapping, user training, and walkthrough phase where the new system is learned, business process is revised to ensure that they carry out flawlessly corner to corner in meeting the organization’s objective. 5) Customization (infrastructure phase); it is the stage where the data from the old system is transferred into a newly developed supplementary system. The appropriate information technology infrastructure is constructed. 6) Cover phase is the final phase in that the old system is closed down and new system kicks off fully with a constant improvement in the method of undertaking business. However, the methodology used does not contend to limit the choice of the software to be used for word processing, spreadsheets, etc. The pertinent issue is faithfulness to the methodology in organization for the team to produce

“The Things They Carried” Essay Example for Free

â€Å"The Things They Carried† Essay In â€Å"The Things They Carried,† Lieutenant Jimmy Cross is torn between being a good leader to his soldiers and his love for Martha, thus making him a truly dynamic character. A dynamic character is someone who undergoes an important, internal change because of action in the plot. For example, personality or attitude would be two that play a role in against Lieutenant. Jimmy cross shows us in the story just what a dynamic character is, and I am going to explain how he acts before the climax and how he evolves after. Dreamy Lieutenant Cross must lead his men through rice paddies in Vietnam. No matter how hard he tries to be a good leader, he cannot stop fantasizing about Martha. He would rather be back in New Jersey with her, a girl who does not love him back. The hardest thing that Lieutenant carries is his emotional attachment to her. It tortures him that she doesn’t feel the same way, but she never will. His love for her is to the point it’s an obsession. As it mentions in the story all the soldiers carry all their necessities they want to make them feel warm and at home, whereas, Jimmy Cross carries in his wallet two photographs of Martha. It reads, â€Å"The first was a Kodacolor snapshot signed love, though he knew better,† and â€Å"The photograph had been clipped from the 1968 Mount Sebastian Yearbook.† We can see this whole dream the he carries around with him distracts him from his job. Throughout the whole story Lieutenant Cross struggles to stop thinking about Martha and start being a better leader to his soldiers. Although he proves to us he is so wrapped up in his fantasies; it takes the death of Ted Lavender for Lieutenant Jimmy Cross to open his eyes and snap out of it. Cross believes he could have prevented it if he wouldn’t have been thinking about Martha. There he decides he has to learn to think only of his job in the field. He will never forgive himself for mistaking the responsibility of his men. Jimmy Cross was being selfish and his now paying for it by having to go on throughout the day missing a soldier. Martha had a way of leading on Jimmy Cross and to allow his love for her to grow. The letters she sent in the mail, the pebble she sent him, and to the words separate but together  quality can make Jimmy Cross very distracted. A lot of times its easy to just get your hopes up and to think about that daily non-stop. Jimmy had a love for Martha that she didn’t ever give back. Often leading him to get his hopes up. I suppose it would be hard to be so far away and just to have that someone you know will be there when you get home and to love you like you love them. That’s all Lieutenant Jimmy Cross wanted. However to overcome all this he burns all of Martha’s letters, throws the pebbles away, and concentrates on being a leader he was supposed to be in the beginning to his soldiers.

Cross-Cultural Differences

Cross-Cultural Differences Communication is the process of exchanging ideas, facts and figures from one person to another. The term cross cultural implies interaction with people of different cultural, ethnic, age and class backgrounds. Cross cultural communication is a form of global communication which describes how people of different culture communicate and interact with each other in different ways among themselves. Cross cultural communication is a field of study that draws various ways that we have learned to speak and gives non-verbal messages. Communication is interactive in nature and is greatly influenced by our relationship with others. Different words may mean different meanings to different people. In addition to this what makes cross cultural communication really difficult is the difference in language even the same word can mean different things. Thus miscommunication is likely to happen when it involves significant cultural differences among the communicators. This is what known as Cross Cultural difference. CULTURAL DIFFERENCES AND SIMILARITIES For understanding cultural issues in an organization it is essential to understand employee behavior. Five conclusions that can be drawn about cross cultural impact on employee behavior are discussed as follows: Firstly, individual behavior varies across cultures. Employees based on India, Japan, U.S and Germany is likely to have different perceptions, attitudes and patterns of behavior. Secondly, culture itself is an important variable. Various other factors like standard of living and geographic conditions also causes change in behavior of people. Thirdly, behavior of people within organization remains quite diverse across cultures. Though organizations themselves appear to be increasingly similar but the people who work within organization differ markedly. Fourthly, the managerial behavior also differs from culture to culture. A manager may adopt one set of behavior when working in one culture but may change those behaviors when moved into a different culture. Lastly, cultural diversity can be an important source of energy in enhancing organizational effectiveness. Today many organizations are realizing the virtues of cultural diversity. FUNDAMENTAL PATTERNS OF CULTURAL DIFFERENCES There are six different cultural patterns that tend to vary from one person to another person. These are discussed as follows: Different communication styles The way people communicate varies widely within people of different cultures. What may mean to one person may have a different meaning to other person. This aspect of communication style is known as language usage. Some words carries different meaning across different cultures. Another aspect of the communication style is the degree of importance given to verbal and non-verbal communication. Non-verbal communication not only includes gestures and facial expressions but also involves seating arrangements, sense of time, personal distance etc. Different attitudes towards conflicts Some cultures see conflict in positive manner while others view it as something to be avoided. In the U.S conflict is not considered to be desirable however people often are encouraged to directly face conflicts as they arise. In eastern countries conflicts are considered to be embarrassing; a written exchange might be favorable means to address the conflict. Different approaches to completing the tasks Approaches to completing tasks vary from culture to culture. The reason behind this is different judgments of the rewards associated with the accomplishment of the task, different notions of time and access to resources available. For example Asian culture tends to give more importance to the developing relationships and emphasize more on the task completion towards the end as compared to the European-American culture. Different decision making styles The role played by an individual in decision making process varies from culture to culture. For example in US decisions are frequently delegated i.e. an official assigns the responsibilities to the subordinates associated with the task while in Japan consensus is the preferred mode. Different attitudes towards disclosure In some cultures it is not considered appropriate to be open about emotions, personal feelings and information or a conflict or misunderstanding. When you are working with others or dealing with a conflict questions like what was the conflict about? Or what was your role in the conflict may seem natural to you but may seem intrusive to others. Different approaches to knowing Differences are likely to occur among cultural groups when it comes to knowing things. For example European culture tends to consider information acquired by measuring and counting rather than the other ways of coming to knowing things. Compare that to African cultures preference for affecting ways of knowing things including rhythm and symbolic imagery. EXAMPLE Mr. A went for an interview in a Japanese firm named ABC Electronics Ltd. On selection he was told that after a months training he has to visit Japan for a five years project. Mr. A also accepted the opportunity for working with MNC and was looking forward for the project. During his visit to Japan that is one of the largest economies in the world he observed various cultural differences not only at workplace but even in the society also. Some of the common aspects and challenges that he observed in Japanese culture are discussed as follows: Rules and etiquettes Japanese adheres closely to rules and regulations. It was clearly evident from the low crime rates. Aspects of etiquettes include vocabulary, grammar for polite conversation, Principles for exchanging gifts and greeting others. This made him aware that Japanese are very certain about their rules and regulations. Hierarchy In Japan a strong hierarchical structure still exists with respect, responsibility and authority being rewarded based on age, status and experience. When communicating with Japanese it is considered wise to pay attention towards the face. Face is closely linked with personal pride and forms the basis for an individuals status and reputation. Damaging face through over confrontation can be disastrous for business relationship in Japan. Concept of time Time is one of the major challenges while working in Japanese culture as Japanese are very strict regarding the punctuality. While working being early or on time for all appointments, meetings whether formal or informal is a show of respect and sincerity towards the task while any event of being late requires an apology. Communication styles Understanding communication style is another biggest challenge that is often faced while working in Japanese culture. Japanese have a preference for indirect and high context communication. They emphasize more on the impact of body language, developing relationship, emotions and other non-verbal communication. Harmony In Japan there is more emphasizing on collectivism rather than individualism. They place significant emphasize on loyalty towards the group. In Japanese culture it is important to understand that praising or prioritizing any one individual over others is likely to be embarrassing. OVERCOMING CROSS CULTURAL DIFFERENCES No matter whom you are or where you live or which culture you come from it is important to recognize that although other people may dress like you or even work for the same company they are not just like you. Some of the common aspects that Mr. A observed and decided to follows in order to overcome cross cultural differences are discussed as follows. The key to effective cross cultural communication is knowledge. It is very essential for people to understand the potential problems of cross cultural communication and to be prepared to adjust your behavior accordingly. Try to learn from generalizations about other cultures, but do not use those generalizations to oversimplify your ideas about other persons. One should practice and practice because the more effort you put in observing and learning about other culture more easily you can overcome cross cultural difference. One should not assume that his way of communicating is the only right way of communication in fact one should keep questioning about his assumptions about the right way to communicate. Try to listen actively and empathetically. By putting yourself in the other persons shoes especially when other persons perceptions and ideas are completely different from your own, you might need to operate at the edge of your own comfort zone. Another key ingredient that helps in overcoming cross cultural difference is developing awareness about an individuals culture. This is because if you dont have understanding about different cultures than how do you communicate to someone who understands and relates to the world differently to you. Reflective listening plays an important role in overcoming cross cultural differences. It is very helpful in checking out the meaning of what someone says by repeating back what you have heard which in turn helps you to confirm what has been said accurately. Another important point that one must keep in his mind at workplace is to be wise. People need to be aware how to interact with people with respect and knowledge. One must show maturity of thought and action in dealing with people. CONCLUSION Thus working across different cultures requires a diverse skill set and a different business approach from business in general. When bridging the cultures both similar and foreign to our own certain strategies are crucial for the success of international project which are briefly described as follows. Learning about the project beforehand This helps to get a feel for the atmosphere, attitude and the angle that the business has. Observing new environment One must carefully observe how people act, dress and treat each other. This will keep a persons observation skills engaged and alert to elements that will help you to adjust in new environment easily. Allow more time Working across different culture takes more time to adjust. Communication may be slowed and logistics may be different. Give yourself more time to process information before taking any decision. Learn to tolerate uncertainty Definitive and concrete answers may not always be given especially when you working with Japanese culture with high tolerance for uncertainty.

Marks And Spencer: The Biggest High Street Retailers

Marks And Spencer: The Biggest High Street Retailers Marks and Spencer is one of the biggest high street retailers in UK with over 600 UK stores and nearly 303 stores in 41 territories. The home country of Marks and Spencer is United Kingdom. The head office is located in central London at Waterside House. As the companys principle is to value quality, innovation, personalize service and security to their customers in a very unique manner which builds the trust of the customers towards the company. MS offers stylish, high quality clothing, home products and outstanding service especially their own food brands since 125 years. Through massive supply chain including more than 2000 suppliers globally we have used the analytical to tools which are explained as follows: Pestle analysis Political Analysis: In spite of cultural differences MS have functioned very efficiently in terms of macroeconomic policies and also improved good relations with other countries to expand the business. Economical Analysis: As the current scenario the economic conditions are adverse because of the recession therefore MS is not able to achieve the desired targets due to which they have to reduce their cost of products and even bargain with the suppliers. ( ) Socio-cultural Analysis: MS adopt certain social and cultural aspects which vary from country to country in terms of their lifestyle, values and beliefs. This leaves the impact on diffusion of products onto the market. As changes in the lifestyle results in both opportunities and threats to the firm. Technological Analysis: MS uses advance technology in order to serve their customers such as enhanced online shopping were customers can make choices from various products that are available in relation to clothing, food etc. This provides flexibility in running the business more efficiently. (http://www.oxbridgewriters.com/essays/marketing/marks-spencers-corporate-objectives.php). Environmental Analysis: MS has developed plan A which makes the company to fight against climate change, waste reduction etc. This is the first company that has removed the artificial colours from the food items. They give points to the customers if the customer uses their bags while shopping. This way the MS is environmental friendly. Legal Analysis: MS has high holding status, so this will influence the environmental regulation with which in duties must comply. MS has standard accounting methods. MS is listed in on London stock exchange, they are founding member of business in the community. Industry life cycle period There are 4 phases in the life cycle, the MS had started from introduction phase it had taken a long time to developed and move towards the growth phase. In 20th century the growth of MS was strong enough to compete in the market. The company is still in the growth stage as they are innovative and creative in terms of developing new products and because of this only they havent reached to the maturity and decline stage. Five Forces Threat of New Entrants: In 19th century; there were new entries like Asda, Tesco, and Sainsbury. Even Zara and Top Shop were entering the market. So MS faced high threat from them and started avoiding product differentiation decreasing the cost through mass production. Bargaining Power of Buyers: MS bargaining power increases because the quality and the price of the products are high therefore they cannot hold the customers as Tesco, Asda and Top- Shop do so they have come up with quality products with cheaper prices to attract the customers, thus MS is becoming more price sensitive. The Bargaining Power of Suppliers: MS bargaining power is very high as it is known for its quality value products. So supplier can threaten the market by increasing high price or decreasing the quality. As MS is doing partnership widely which increases bargaining power of supplier. Threat of Substitute Product Service: Due competition substitute products services are available, MS is having brand name which is valuable, but substitutes are also available like Tesco, Asda, Manchester United, Zara and Top Shop. Intensity of Rivalry among competitors: The Rivalry among the competitors is strong, In case of MS, there are many competitors so they use tactics like sales promotions, advertising, product differentiation and diversifying the structure by introducing other brand products. Threats Due to high competition, the products substitution is possible this will further reduce the price of product e.g. Primark. MS products are value perspective but there are very small group which constitute value perspective and consumer perspective products as it is having value added pricing methods as other retailers use market skimming method. Opportunities The competitive advantage helped the company to expands its business keeping in mind the futuristic vision in terms of diversification to help market development from the existing products by welcoming new products and make them exist in the global market this denotes the expansion matrix in terms of MS as the company is on the edge of establishing its brand across the territories. External Analysis: From the above mentioned analysis one can state that MS produces the superior quality products and thus MS can sustain in strategic market for long time but have to be protective from competitors. MS has strong advertising strategy (example: clothing). Mostly there sales promotions are done by online purchases and creating awareness in all the public places like tube station, train station, bus station etc. Buyers of MS are gradually falling because the Tesco and Sainsbury are providing quality products with cheaper rates. So through all this we can say that MS needs to take quick decision regarding various polices and strategies that they are following. Strategic Alliances Economy of scale: In case of MS economy of scale it uses the concept of mass production and through this they could reduce the cost per unit as well they raise more revenue. As it is one of the trustworthy brands it had to keep hold on efficiency. Economy of scope: MS has varieties of products in the different range of stores and locations. This diversification of their products and services as this core quality is giving greater opportunity to compete in the global market. Economy of learning: MS has additional competence as learning of new markets, new customers and new preferences according their previous pitfalls and achievements. (http://www.marketingteacher.com/Lessons/lesson_PEST.htm) Evaluation of Company Performance by Balanced Scorecard Approach. Customer Perspective: MS has now understood its quality value attributes were not working longer as their business strategy because customers are trying to get quality goods at a cheaper price. As a result now they moved from product focus to customer focus to attract the customers towards them. E.g. innovative online shopping and giving more value added services. The Internal Business Perspective: This perspective highlights the internal capability of firm. MS has invested to open a retail park, food stores in different towns travel hubs in airports, stations etc. The speed and flexibility of getting the products into the stores has improved by managing inventory. To provide a good service to the customer, the company has invested in systems infrastructure. This helps to reduce the export cost ignites distribution. MS have launched an expertise division to fight against the climate change, waste reduction trading in ethical way etc. (Marks Spencer Annual Report 2009, http://annualreport.marksandspencer.com/). The Innovation Learning Perspective: From time to time; it is coming up with new ideas. For e.g. It has introduced Per Una in 2008 and introduced Cook Asian Bakery cup cakes along with lingerie collection in 2009. MS is conducting activities to train leaders of next generation with the Flagship leadership programme new line management developing programmes. They even have benefit package for their employees (Marks Spencer Annual Report 2009, http://annualreport.marksandspencer.com/). The Financial Perspective: In this year the total revenue of the company have increased by 0.4%. Whereas international market revenue has increased by 25.9%.But the UK market has decreased by 1.7%. Company interim dividend has decreased from 8.3 pence per share to 5.5 pence per share. MS company shares increased by 5.87 per cent to 361 pence per share in, 2009(Marks Spencer Annual Report 2009,http://annualreport.marksandspencer.com/).It is satisfied with its performance in the first half of this year as the Company has increased the shares of the clothing food market. Financial Ratio Analysis: The previous sections we have used numerous tools and techniques to analysis the company the strategic performance. In addition to conclude the precise strategic appraisal of MS is explained below. MS Company Current Ratio is 0.62 times in 2009.It was 0.60 times in 2008. It is less than 1; MSs networking capital is negative. It is unusual in a company like MS. In 2009; Quick ratio was 0.33 times in 2008 but it has decreased to 0.32 times in this year. The stock has increased because of slow moving inventory. Cash ratio is 0.13 times in this year; it was 0.16 times in 2008. In 2009 Total Debt ratio is 0.74 times 0.75 times in 2008. In this year its profit margin is (0.03). This helps MS to sustain in the market. This analysis helped to explain the internal structure of the firm which is explained as follows. (Marks Spencer half year results 2009/10, http://corporate.marksandspencer.com/page.aspx?pointerid=3e7ce29a8f244dc38e22943f16d954d3) Environmental Scanning Internal analysis: The MS has some powerful strength as their competitive advantages to sustain in the market: Strong brand name: MS achieved popularity in UK because of their quality, service and innovation; and effectively stepped in global market to diversify their brand internationally. MS also developed very high reputation from all kind of customers by maintaining their standard and never compromised the quality standards. Good Financial Position: The Company has a very strong cash flow position where the company doesnt require taking any loans from any financial institutions. They can easily manage funds from the revenue they generate. The company indicates to have a strong balance sheet as there is increase in their turnover and trading profits. Generic Strategies: Cost leadership: To compare with Industry competitors MS is not focusing to be a cost leader as to maintain their quality. Differentiation: MS always differentiate their products and services to keep their position in the retail market. For example to be a UKs leading clothing retailer maintain fashion trends and great value with more clarity and newness of all range from children to old generation. E.g. Women wear PORTFOLIO and INDIGO, AUTOGRAPHF, SLIMFIT SHIRT, AND NORTH COAST and for Men, etc. limited collection and 35 and under for younger customers DINE IN FOR TWO FOR Â £10 in Food and also always customer focusing and removing duplication that are priority issues. Focus: MS gearing a focus generic strategy by concentrating on narrow market segment such as a particular buyer group and age, social class, income and occupation. Market segments through value like premium price, high quality, mid-priced and low-price segment. These are the key points applied to achieve differentiation from their competitors like Tesco, Asda, Top shop, Clarks, Zara and Next. As a tacit skill they come up with new ideas to improve the business e.g. MS maintain to keep their own brand products in stores. MS have decided to introduce the other brand products like HEINS, NESTLE etc. Value Chain Analysis: Due to the effect of the recession few years back MS had face some drawback in business especially in food industry but they quickly rectified most of the problems. To overcome from problems they have restructured their supply chain and technology recently. Before MS depends on middle man as their main clothing supplier which led 5% to 7% additional cost plus more operational cost ultimately the cost of the products are more as compared to their competitors. Inbound Logistics: MS has controlled and improve effective computerised inventory control system which is centralised over the globe in order to delivery each item to the shop floor. According to Stuart Rose (Annual report 2009) MS always focuses on environment friendly manufacturing, recycling process through Plane A project which gives very successful achievement in food and clothing industry as well as very controlled operational cost led the company to reduced the price of goods . As an added value the company has a powerful website to integrate the online order management to fulfil the potential benefit. MS has signed an agreement with Amazon for e-commerce services to the retail sector (Press release 2009) which has efficient work flow design. Outbound Logistics: In order to provide continuous replenishment services and products to the customers MS has efficient automated system such as RFID to improve stock accuracy and inventory processes and delivery method. They have their own delivery vehicles and warehouses all over the world. They have closed 21 warehouses to consolidate their GM operations into four large warehouses within UK. In addition to this MS made agreements with third party logistics operators to integrate their suppliers in the supply chain. In case of International distribution they moved forward with direct sourcing as an add strategic value planed to implement SAP within their core commercial system in 2010 and going to outsource their HR system to save time to consent rate in core business (MS case study 2009) Sales Marketing: MS has excellent approach in sales and marketing in advertising, store seasonal promotions. They have proved that products are value for the money. Their recent sales improvements and marketing campaigns are such substantial achievement in retail industry (Annual report 2009) Service: To retain the existing customers and to attract new customers MS targeting more on value added services such as Insurance, Credit card, Tourism, Home delivery etc. Not only this MS has also established in HRM, Technology development, Procurement and General Administration and still keep looking to improved through standard dedicated RD team. In regards to Boston Matrix MS have penetrated into the market through its various new products and services which deals with selling products into the market and achieved main objective in terms to increase the market share of current products; also it has secured a dominant growth in the market. As they are diverse in their products the company has also opened new retail outlets in different countries and have occupied the market in a better manner. Therefore, the Boston Matrix analysis in terms of MS doesnt have any dogs and problem child because they are not losing any revenues which they have invested but in terms of cash cows they are not successful in gaining revenue from some international territories due to recession. But in terms of stars MS hold a strong market due to their reputation. Boston Matrix in a very simplified manner: In relation to the diamond porters competitive advantage in the market MS hold a very strong position as it has withstand in the international market keeping in mind firms restructuring strategies which has helped to increase the productivity and innovativeness as per the demand of the customer. The company is supported by skilled personnel, capital and infrastructure thus gaining sustainability in the world market. Even the government inspires MS to launch its desired products because of the companys loyalty towards the customers. Strengths: MS is the largest retail industry in the global market. It has strong financial backup and also holds good reputation among the customers, suppliers and the distributors. The brand is very famous among the market in UK as well as over the globe. Even they have diverse range of products which makes them unique in their behaviour as they have their in house production. These key points have helped MS sustain in the global market. Weakness: Marks and Spencer is in strong competition with Top Shop, Zara and Next for example the production life cycle of Zara is just 6 weeks even when it comes to clothing outlets these retailers offer the same price range as MS and even more fashionable products. In terms of food shopping MS faces competition with Sainsburys and Tesco as they offer high quality value added foods. Conclusion: Using both environmental analysis techniques (SWOT and PESTEL) and portfolio analysis we have seen that MS have various internal strengths and weakness in its current business activities as well as number of opportunities and threats. The portfolio of MSs products in terms of BCG matrix is either dogs (cash in balance) or question marks (cash cow). In food and clothing (with its focus differentiation generic strategy) relative market shares is low with low industry growth and Financial services industry growth is high but MSs market share is low and will require substantial capital investment to turn them into stars.

The Bell Jar :: essays research papers

It is 1953, and Esther Greenwood has just finished college for the year, and she has a won a one month internship at the Ladies Day magazine. She is one of twelve winners. All twelve girls are staying at the Amazon Hotel, while they deal with their hectic work schedule and social lives, as well. Esther’s boss for the month is Jay Cee, and Esther’s best friend for the month is Doreen. One night, Esther and Doreen were in a cab, on the way to one of the events that the Ladies Day had planned for them. They got stuck in a traffic jam, and ended up finding a man by the name of Lenny Shepherd. Esther and Doreen follow Lenny back to his apartment, and they all drink. Doreen and Lenny start getting more intimate, so Esther decides to leave and go back to the hotel, leaving Doreen there. Not too many days later, Esther attends a banquet with the other contest winners, and she indulges in caviar and crabmeat salad. Later, she feels sick and goes back to the hotel. All of the contest winners got food poisoning from the crabmeat salad. Near the end of the internship, Esther goes on a date with a man named Marco. Early on in the date, Esther knew she didn’t like him very much, and he ended up assaulting her. Esther was torn inside, and the next day she decided to go home to New England. When her mom picks her up, she told Esther of the news that she was not accepted into the writing program she worked so hard to apply to. Over the next few weeks, Esther becomes depressed. She refuses to bathe, and she wears the same clothes over and over. Her dream was to become a poet, but now she can’t even write. She goes to the Doctor, asking for more sleeping pills; instead he referred her to a psychiatrist. The psychiatrist is Dr. Gordon. He believed that Esther would do well with electro-shock treatments. She went to one, and hated it. It terrified her. After this, Esther becomes obsessed with suicide. She even attempted suicide a couple of times, but each time she was unsuccessful. She tried hanging herself, drowning herself, and slitting her wrists. One day, she decided to take a bunch of sleeping pills, and she woke up a couple of days later in the hospital.

Perceptions of the Cold War Essay -- Cold War Interviews

This is an interview project with the goal of discovering how people understand the Cold War. In this essay, I will analyze how people understand the Cold War today. I will explain to what extent their definition or understanding of the Cold War differs from the definition provided. I will explain why the respondents’ understanding of the Cold War is different from the way the Cold War is defined in this course or explain why the respondents’ definition is similar to the way the Cold War is defined in this course. This course defines the Cold War as the geopolitical tensions, and proxy wars fought between the United States and the Soviet Union. The Soviet Union and the United States repeatedly annoyed each other through political scheming, military alliances, spying, publicity, arms accumulation, financial aid, and proxy wars between other nations, but did not fight directly during the Cold War (John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum, n.d.). The Cold War is a title that was given to the communication that established for the most part between the United States and the Soviet Union after World War II (Trueman, 2013). The Cold War began in 1945 and ended in 1991 (History Rocket, 2012). The Cold War began because the communist nations did not permit fundamental human freedom, so the United States had hostility against the communists (History Rocket, 2012). The increase in weapons of mass destruction had many worried. The Cold War defined American political view and molded foreign policy (Naranjo, 2014). Mary Wheatly a registered nurse born in 1968 was the first person interviewed. The first words that come to mind when Mary think of the term Cold War is â€Å"the United States and Russia having a disagreem... ...finition provided in the Overview section of this unit’s reading. I have explained why the respondents’ understanding of the Cold War is different form the way the Cold War is defined in this course. Works Cited History Rocket. (2012). Why was the Cold War important? Retrieved February 10, 2014, from http://www.historyrocket.com/World-War/cold-war/Why-Was-The-Cold-War-Important.html John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum. (n.d.). The Cold War. Retrieved February 10, 2014, from http://www.jfklibrary.org/JFK/JFK-in-History/The-Cold-War.aspx Naranjo, R. (2014). Historical analysis of the Cold War. Retrieved February 10, 2014, from http://ehistory.osu.edu/world/articles/ArticleView.cfm?AID=66 Trueman, C. (2013). What was the Cold War? Retrieved February 10, 2014, from http://www.historylearningsite.co.uk/what%20was%20the%20cold%20war.htm

American Literature Essay

Exploration Period, 1492-1607 Characteristics The first European writings about North America are written in this period. European writings describe the explorers’ travels and impressions of the continent and its Native people. Major Writers or Works Prose: Christopher Columbus, Alvar Nunez Cabeza de Vaca, Bernal Diaz del Castillo, Thomas Harriot, and Samuel de Champlain. Oral narratives: Seneca legend â€Å"How America was discovered. â€Å" †¢Colonial Period, 1607-c. 1765 Characteristics The Colonial period was dominated by Puritan beliefs and thus literature of this period is usually  historical, religious, or didactic. The most common genres were tracts, polemics, journals, narratives, sermons, and some poetry. The first slave narratives were written at this time. Imaginative literature was rare; in some colonies, it was banned for being immoral. Major Writers or Works Poetry: Michael Wigglesworth, Anne Bradstreet, Edward Taylor. Prose: John Smith, Roger Williams, Cotton Mather, Jonathan Edwards’ Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God, Benjamin Franklin’s Poor Richard’s Almanacks. Narratives: Mary Rowlandson’s A Narrative of the Captivity and Restoration of Mrs. Mary Rowlandson. †¢Revolutionary Period, 1765-1790 Characteristics This period begins with the passing of the Stamp Act in England and ends in 1790. The Revolutionary period usually refers to writings that are politically motivated, either in support of British rule, in support of American patriotism and independence, or relating to the Constitution. Major Writers or Works Prose: Thomas Jefferson’s Autobiography, â€Å"Declaration by the Represent-atives of the United States of America,† Thomas Paine’s Common Sense, Alexander Hamilton and James Madison’s Federalist Papers. Drama: Royall Tyler’s The Contrast. Verse and Ballads: â€Å"Yankee Doodle,† â€Å"The Liberty Song. † †¢Early National Period, 1775-1828 Characteristics During this period, a body of distinctly American imaginative literature began to emerge. As with the novel, poetry, essays, and sketches also began to flourish. The publishing world and readership in America also began to grow. Slave narratives were published with increasing frequency. This period is sometimes called the Federalist period after the conservative federalists in power at the time. Major Writers or Works Poetry: Phillip Freneau, William Cullen Bryant, Phillis Wheatley. Prose: Judith Sargent Murray, Mercy Otis Warren, Washington Irving, Lydia Maria Child Narratives: Olaudah Equiano’s The Interesting Narrative of the Lfe of Olaudah Equiano. Novels: Hannah Webster Foster’s The Coquette. †¢Romantic Period, 1828-1865 Characteristics The Romantic period covers the period between Jacksonian democracy to the end of the Civil War. This period was the first major explosion of a distinctly American body of literature; for this reason, this period is also referred to as the American Renaissance. Many of American literature’s most well-known writers emerged during this time. Readership increased significantly and the 1850s saw a number of immensely popular novels. Issues and subjects addressed in the literature of this time ranged from the American identity, to the slavery debate, to historical narratives, to poems and narratives inspired by romanticism, to prose works examining national unity. Major Writers or Works Poetry: Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, Lydia Sigourney, Edgar Allan Poe, Walt Whitman’s Leaves of Grass, Emily Dickinson. Prose: Edgar Allan Poe, Nathaniel Hawthorne, Rebecca Harding Davis, William Lloyd Garrison. Narratives: Frederick Douglass, Harriet Jacobs Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl. Novels: James Fenimore Cooper, Nathaniel Hawthorne, Catharine Maria Sedgwick, Herman Melville, Susan Warner, Maria Susanna Cummins’ The Lamplighter, Harriet Beecher Stowe’s Uncle Tom’s Cabin, William Wells Brown, Harriet E. Wilson. Drama: George Aiken’s play, Uncle Tom’s Cabin, based on Stowe’s novel. †¢The Age of Transcendentalism, 1836-1860 Characteristics Transcendentalism, though varied, investigated the relationship between nature, humanity, society, and the divine. Major Writers or Works Prose: Ralph Waldo Emerson’s â€Å"Nature,† â€Å"Self-Reliance,† and â€Å"The American Scholar,† Margaret  Fuller’s â€Å"Woman in the Nineteenth Century,† Henry David Thoreau’s Walden, Bronson Alcott. †¢Realism, 1865-1900 Characteristics The post-Civil War period was an era of increased industrialization and urbanization as the nation attempted to recover emotionally, culturally, and politically from the aftermath of the war. Though there were still elements of romanticism, this period was considered realistic in its emphasis on unidealized and truthful depictions. Major Writers or Works Poetry: Walt Whitman, Paul Laurence Dunbar, Emily Dickinson’s poems published posthumously. Prose: Sarah Orne Jewett, Mary E. Wilkins Freeman, Zitkala-Sa, Charlotte Perkins Gilman’s â€Å"The Yellow Wallpaper,† George Washington Cable, Kate Chopin. Novels: Mark Twain’s The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, William Dean Howells, Bret Harte, Louisa May Alcott’s Little Women, Henry James, Helen Hunt Jackson’s Ramona, Frances E. W. Harper’s Iola Leroy. †¢Naturalism, 1900-1914 Characteristics An offshoot of realism, naturalism claimed to give an even more realistic and unflinching depiction of contemporary life. Naturalism was characterized by a pessimistic view of humanity and human existence. Major Writers or Works  Prose: Frank Norris, Jack London, Stephen Crane, Hamlin Garland. Novels: Frank Norris’ McTeague, Theodore Dreiser’s Sister Carrie, Jack London’s The Sea-Wolf, Stephen Crane’s Maggie: a Girl of the Streets. †¢Modern Period, 1914-1939 Characteristics A period in British and American literature spanning the years between WWI and WWII. Works in this period reflect the changing social, political, and cultural climate and are diverse, experimental, and nontraditional. Major Writers or Works Poetry: Robert Frost, Carl Sandburg, Wallace Stevens, William Carlos Williams, T. S. Eliot, Edna St. Vincent Millay, e.  e. cummings, H. D. Novels: Edith Wharton, Willa Cather, Sherwood Anderson, John Dos Passos, F. Scott Fitzgerald, William Faulkner, Sinclair Lewis, John Steinbeck, Ernest Hemingway. Drama: Eugene O’Neill’s The Emperor Jones, Susan Glaspell’s, Trifles, Clifford Odets. †¢Harlem Renaissance, 1920s and 1930s Characteristics The Harlem Renaissance was the first major burgeoning of visual, literary, and performing arts by African Americans concerned with African-American life, art, culture, and politics. The influence of the Harlem Renaissance remained strong for the remainder of the 20th century. Major Writers or Works Poetry: Langston Hughes, Countee Cullen, James Weldon Johnson, Claude McKay. Prose: W. E. B DuBois, Jean Toomer. Novels: Zora Neale Hurston, Nella Larsen, Passing, Jessie Redmon Fauset, James Weldon Johnson, Claude McKay. Drama: Randolph Edmonds, Langston Hughes. †¢Lost Generation, 1920s Characteristics After WWI, a group of American writers grew increasingly disillusioned by, and resistant to, what they saw as hypocrisy in dominant American ideology and culture. Many of these writers left America in search of a more artistic life in London or Paris. Major Writers or Works  Poetry: Ezra Pound, T. S. Eliot. Prose: Gertrude Stein, T. S. Eliot. Novels: F. Scott Fitzgerald, Ernest Hemingway’s The Sun Also Rises. †¢Beat Writers, 1950s Characteristics Beat Writers’ writing was generally anti-traditional, anti-establishment, and anti-intellectual. Major Writers or Works Poetry: Allen Ginsberg’s Howl, Lawrence Ferlinghetti. Prose: Gertrude Stein, T. S. Eliot. Novels: William Burroughs, Jack Kerouac’s On the Road. †¢Postmodern or Contemporary, 1940-present Characteristics In British and American literature, the postmodern period refers to literature written after WWII. The postmodern period reflects anxieties concerning, and reactions to life in the 20th century. Postmodern works are often highly experimental and anti-conventional. Major Writers or Works Poetry: Sylvia Plath, Marianne Moore, Robert Penn Warren, Anne Sexton, Gwendolyn Brooks, Adrienne Rich, Philip Larkin. Prose: Eudora Welty, Raymond Carver, John Cheever, Alice Walker. Novels: Saul Bellow, Ralph Ellison, John Updike, Kurt Vonnegut, Jr. , Richard Wright, Thomas Pynchon, E. L Doctorow, James Baldwin, Toni Morrison. Drama: Edward Albee, Arthur Miller, Tennessee Williams, Lorraine Hansberry, August Wilson, David Mamet.

Hannibal’s Life and Conquest

Research Paper Hannibal’s Life and Conquest Hannibal is one of the greatest generals of his time. To better understand Hannibal and his crusades against the Romans you must know a bit about his family history. Hannibal was only 25 years old when he was put in command of the Carthaginian armies and the Carthaginian government in Spain. Even at a young age he knew his responsibilities, so he kept his father's plan of military conquest and his brother-in-law`s policy of strengthening Carthaginian power by democracy. He is one of the sons of Hamilcar Barca, a Carthaginian leader.He had several sisters and two brothers, Hasdrubal and Mago. His brothers-in-law were Hasdrubal the Fair and the Numidian king Naravas. So his family is either well known or rich. He was still a child when his sisters married, and his brothers-in-law were close associates during his father's struggles in the Mercenary War and the Punic conquest of Iberia. To better understand Hannibal’s rise to grea tness one needs to look into his father’s history. After Carthage's defeat in the First Punic War, Hamilcar set out to improve his family's and Carthage's fortunes.With that in mind and supported by Gades, Hamilcar began the subjugation of the tribes of the Iberian Peninsula. Carthage at the time was in such a poor state that its navy was unable to transport his army to Iberia (Hispania); instead, Hamilcar had to march it towards the Pillars of Hercules and transport it across the Strait of Gibraltar. Hannibal had once asked his father and begged to go with him to war; Hamilcar agreed and demanded that he swear that as long as he lived he would never be a friend of Rome.There was a story stating that, Hannibal's father took him up and brought him to a sacrificial chamber. Hamilcar held Hannibal over the fire roaring in the chamber and made him swear that he would never be a friend of Rome. According to that tradition, Hannibal's oath had taken place in the town of Peniscola, today part of the community of Valencia, Spain. Hannibal's father soon went on the conquest of Hispania. His father soon died in the battle. Soon after Hannibal's brother-in-law Hasdrubal gained command of the army. Hasdrubal made Hannibal serve as an officer under him.Hasdrubal then pursued a policy of consolidation of Carthage's Iberian interests, even signing a treaty with Rome whereby Carthage would not expand north of the Ebro River, so long as Rome did not expand south of it. Hasdrubal also tried to consolidate Carthaginian power by doing diplomatic relationships with native tribes. As a part of his deals Hasdrubal arranged the marriage between Hannibal and an Iberian princess named Imilce. So Hannibal got hooked up with a wife. Soon enough though there was assassination of Hasdrubal around 221 B. C. E.It was the rise of the Great Hannibal was proclaimed as the commander-in-chief by the army and confirmed in his appointment by the Carthaginian government. This meant that not o nly was the leader of the military but also the political leader as well. Hannibal had spent two years consolidating his holdings and completing the conquest of Hispania south of the Ebro River. Rome however was started getting scared because of the growing strength of Hannibal in Iberia. Rome decided to make an alliance with the city of Saguntum, which lay a considerable distance south of the River Ebro and claimed the city as its protectorate.Which in a previous agreement they were breaking their treaty. Hannibal obviously perceived this as a breach of the treaty signed with Hasdrubal. So this forced Hannibal with his hands tied behind his back to siege to the city, which fell after eight months. Rome reacted to this (of course) apparent violation of the treaty and demanded justice from Carthage. Rome declared war on Carthage. This begins the second Punic War. I believe this was just all done to invoke a war. Because Hannibal's great popularity, the Carthaginian government did not make a fuss about Hannibal's actions.Hannibal was now determined to carry the war into the heart of Italy by a rapid march through Hispania and southern Gaul. After hearing the declaration of war Hannibal immediately starts off towards Rome. The problem was he had to go by land because Rome controlled the seas. Hannibal takes an army of thirty-five to forty thousand men, some on foot and others on horse, along with fifty war elephants across the Pyrenees and the Alps. Bad luck falls into Hannibal's lap as early snows and landslides kill many of his men and almost all of his war elephants.While traveling through the Alps he fights battles at Arausio and Genua, easily defeating the Roman warriors, although his troops are in horrible shape. He enters Italy with only twenty-six thousand men and five or six war elephants in September 218. Hannibal and his troops spent the winter in Po Valley. In the spring Hannibal was joined by the Gauls, northern Italians who were subdued into fightin g the Romans. Now Hannibal had a sufficient army of infantry and cavalry. The hardened Carthaginian troops easily crushed the Roman armies in their way, but without siege equipment the Carthaginians could not destroy the Roman cities.So instead of trying to siege the city they simple killed the Roman soldiers and moved on. (He was a bad ass mofo if you know what I mean. ) Sometimes the Romans would retreat into their city surrounded by high walls so that they would not die. In 217 Hannibal won a major battle at Lake Trasimene. The Romans counterattacked with some 25,000 men, but their consul, Gaius Flaminius, was defeated and killed in an ambush between the hills and the Trasimene lake. Two legions were annihilated. One legion for a roman army comprised about 5,000 men.Hannibal`s army along with the Gauls would roam the Italian countryside and destroy any opposing army. In 216 he defeated a huge Roman army at the city of Cannae in southwestern Italy. At Cannae the Romans loss was mu ch greater than that of Hannibal suffered. The Romans lost twenty-five thousand men and ten thousand were captured, on the other hand Hannibal only lost five thousand and seven hundred men. Hannibal, being a military genius, let the Romans advance at his main infantry, while his cavalry charged around the sides easily defeating two other groups of Roman infantry.Then after destroying the two side groups of Romans the cavalry swept around the back of the main Roman attack force. Hannibal used this strategy often because it worked so good that and the Romans had no to much pride in their formations. Even though he was killing Roman soldiers he was not destroying any cities. They were very frustrated and annoyed of Hannibal they needed him to get out of Italy, so the Romans sent armies led by Scipio, a great Roman general, to attack Carthage in Africa. Carthage ordered Hannibal to Africa to protect the city of Carthage.This was the clash of the titans, Hannibal vs. Scipio. They met at Zama, a city near Carthage. This would end up to be the final battle of the Second Punic War, and the great Hannibal would be the loser. Of course he lost with the exhaustion of all his troops and heading all the way back to Africa. Hannibal escaped but his army didn't. After the war Carthage had to pay Rome a very large sum of money and agree to terms that they could only wage war in Africa, even to the point where they needed Rome's permission. Hannibal returned to Carthage and became one of the two chief magistrates.He then challenged the aristocrats of being corrupt; the aristocrats told Rome that Hannibal was planning another attack on Rome with Antiochus III of Syria. Rome, already very pissed off with Hannibal, decided to deport Hannibal out of Carthage. Hannibal traveled to Syria and was made a member of the Syrian court. Vowed to his father's words embedded in his heart and mind he had advised Antiochus III to declare war against Rome. Antiochus III decided to go on this ad vice and wage war on Rome, this turned out to be called the Syrian War.Though soon after Syria was defeated and Hannibal left to become a member of the Prussian court. Hannibal and his awesome persuasion skills convinced Prussia to go to war against Rome. Instead of directly attacking Rome, Prussia attacked Rome's ally Pergamum. Rome came into the fight and demanded that Hannibal be handed over to them. Instead of being humiliated Hannibal took his own life. Hannibal Barca, being eternal enemies with Rome, fulfilled his father's words and while doing so became one the greatest generals of his time.He could almost come close to being as great as Alexander the Great. So the start of his greatness all started with his family and the first Punic War. If people were to talk about the Punic war it would be about 2nd Punic war and Hannibal. Just to spite the Romans in the end he ended up taking his own life so no Roman can have the justice to say they killed the Great Hannibal. References 1. Harold Lamb: Hannibal (Doubleday & Company, INC. , Garden City, New York 1958) 2. http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Hannibal 3. Cormac O’ Brien: Outnumbered (Fair Winds Press, Beverly, MA 2010) 4. ttp://www. livius. org/ha-hd/hannibal/hannibal. html 5. ——————————————– [ 1 ]. http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Hannibal [ 2 ]. http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Hannibal [ 3 ]. http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Hannibal [ 4 ]. Harold Lamb: Hannibal (Doubleday & Company, INC. , Garden City, New York 1958), 71 [ 5 ]. Harold 75-78 [ 6 ]. Harold 51-52 [ 7 ]. Harold 180 [ 8 ]. Cormac O’ Brien: Outnumbered (Fair Winds Press, Beverly, MA 2010), 53 [ 9 ]. http://www. livius. org/ha-hd/hannibal/hannibal. html [ 10 ]. Harold 259 [ 11 ]. Harold 152

Of Personal Development, Critical Thinking and Enhanced Quality of Care Essay

In this reflection paper, I would like to relate some unforeseen events during the course as well as my experience of being assessed. The medical practitioner assigned to me was a consultant of medicine for geriatric patients. The fact that he is not a physiotherapist may be considered an unforeseen occurrence. I did not really expect him to come from a different field. The similarity in language and way of thinking of practitioners from the same field would have facilitated the process. At first, similar to my feelings in collaborating with my nurse classmates, I had the same feeling of hesitation in associating with my DMP. However, as the course progressed, I realized that he could be a very good mentor. He patiently guided me throughout all the pertinent tasks that I had to carry out. I attended the clinic with him at Saint Pancrase Hospital for the morning Clinic, which finished at twelve o’clock, then the Ward round from two o’clock at Saint Pancrase hospital for two hours. I then went to University College London Hospital for My OSCE after four o’clock at the T10 ward. For the last fifteen years I have been working in a community, this is my first time to examine a patient thoroughly in a hospital, not only to examine the patient but also to perform my Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE). Since he wanted to examine me on COPD patient with some complications, he was right that it was hard on me. Yet I did it and enjoyed the experience despite the situation under pressure. It was very long observation from my DMP, which again for long time I did not observe, was indeed a complicated but a true learning experience. I am grateful to my DMP and the way he taught me. I enjoyed his teaching, his approach, and his skills as a consultant were excellent. I will miss his teaching. My experience with him made me see the value of having a competent mentor regardless of the field that one is interested in. The presence of a coach and mentor made learning easier because it made me confident that I can rely on someone who is an expert and possesses a learning attitude, as well as one who is willing to help me out in the process. Admittedly, there were some difficulties in relating with him at the beginning because we were from different fields of study. But again, this experience is a test of flexibility in adjusting to the demands of the situation. I my best to work with him and follow the guidelines and advice which he gave me. In the course of our interaction, I have learned to become more comfortable in dealing with him. There is value in having a good working relationship with one’s superiors and colleagues; it makes the learning journey so much easier. I also feel that I should further develop a mentoring relationship with an expert in this field to be able to reach my full my potential. Empirical research from both educational and industrial settings suggests that students and employees both have increased probability of success if they have had a mentor. While mentors are effective for everyone, sometimes organisations implement mentoring programs to support particular parts of their populations, often newer employees. And while mentoring programs are always established with the best of intentions, their results are often mixed (Werner, 2004). To make the most of my clinical exposure, I hope to establish a strong mentoring relationship with a doctor or a medical allied professional who will be able to coach me on increasing competence in my clinical practice. I have realised that coaching and mentoring are very effective ways of developing my leadership potential because it does not only develop me in terms of technical expertise, but it will also allow me to actually experience how these experts undergo the coaching and mentoring exercise. I have also realised that a novice in any medical allied field acquires clinical judgment and skill over time. Knowledge is refined through actual clinical experience; this moves her from a rule-based, context-free stage to a more analytical, logical and intentional pattern of thinking (Benner, Tanner, & Chelsea, 1996). To effectively provide a conducive learning environment, these medical professionals need venues for examining and developing their problem solving and reasoning skills towards making clinical judgments (Miller, 1992). I realised that such venues transpire through numerous learning experiences. In particular, I am contemplating about being able to practice in a large hospital to permit such comprehensive clinical exposure. I have also realised that participating in varied learning experiences offers the chance to apply classroom theory in the clinical setting. This was a point that was shared with me by my DMP. Clinical experiences enable the formation of meaningful related information on the basis of what the nurse has learned in the classroom. There is an expectation that with more experience, this novice can move from the level of advanced beginner to the level of competence by program completion. Clinical judgment is defined as nursing decisions about which areas to assess, analyzing health data, prioritizing which task to do, and who should carry it out (Carnaveli & Thomas, 1993). For clinical judgment to be assessed as sound, it should be arrived at using critical thinking and logical reasoning, that will enable the deduction of valid conclusions, and the decisions that may be borne from these. I am thankful for this experience as they have given me profound insight on the areas that I could further develop to become a more competent professional in this field.