Wednesday, October 30, 2019

Marrige how should it be defined Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Marrige how should it be defined - Essay Example Per se, wedding engages three main functions in American, primarily Christian culture. Firstly, it identifies the unification of men and a woman, both in the eyes of the cathedral and of culture. Culture en bloc distinguishes the pair as unified and thus, various societal rules and beliefs are applied. Secondly, marriage identifies the pair under the rule as a tied unit. Partners are included in tax returns, possession of property is defined in prenuptial contracts, and the responsibility rights over kids are classified, with a whole host of additional lawful contracts. And thirdly, marriage identifies the rights of cohorts over each other. This generally consists of sexual and emotional exceptionality with the shape of a metaphorical relationship between the pair. Therefore, marriage is mainly about acknowledgment; societal, religious, lawful and private relationships are fashioned that are intended to justify the associates both as a pair and culture. Whereas the philosophies of "tying" do serve up constructive points, the form acquired by the current marriage system in America is, in lots of cases, mainly disparaging and off-putting. This isn't equivalent to that the idea of wedding is not correct, just that the ways by which it is defined is turning out to be more and more disparaging in America. Persons on both sides of the wedding controversy mostly have the same opinion that a culture will (and should) have organizations to carry out such kind of tasks (Lyla H. O'Driscoll). One major difficulty with matrimony in America is the stress on a partner's responsibility. At the same time as obligation between two cohorts is of immense value, in lots of ways wedding doesn't direct but rather pins down two associates. Firstly, and most understandable, is the limitation upon sexual and emotional relationship. Even as this perception shows prima facie optimistic, a closer inspection discloses that the restrictions placed on the pair may or may not be just that. How does the limitation of one associate do well to a pair In lots of cases, it comes out that the other half suits most requirements. But, wouldn't the accomplishment of the entire needs be even more pleasing The completion of a partner's requirements would come out to be the most important objective of any strong bond. But can any partner offer for every requirement of the other The answer is, certainly, not essentially. Marriage that is meaningful for companionship can be hetero-sexual, homo-sexual and p olygonal. Thus, this description of the characters and promising significance of wedding for wives is in agreement with the conceivability of various types of wedding (O'Driscoll, p. 136). In such cases where one associate just can't take care of the entire requirements of another one, what's the problem in having another associate On the basis of various grounds there is nothing 'wide of the mark' with this opinion but the ethical ruling of mostly Christian's morality in America squabbles this preference. I would, as a result, propose that 'common sense' and reasonableness somewhat than theological "way of thinking" be applied to the dilemma on the way. A method of "permissive matrimony" whereby "persons can decide, within extensive restrictions, the categories of human relations they desire to practice. All persons would be allowed to decide without any restraint" (Lawrence Casler). The

Monday, October 28, 2019

RCBC Savings Bank Essay Example for Free

RCBC Savings Bank Essay I. Synopsis RCBC Savings Bank is a wholly owned subsidiary of one of the countrys top universal banks, Rizal Commercial Banking Corporation (RCBC). RCBC Savings Bank was incorporated on the 15th day of January, 1996 to provide retail banking services to its target clientele and serve as the consumer and retail banking arm of RCBC. RCBC Savings Bank formally started its thrift banking operations on the 27th day of February, 1996. It grew extensively in just over a year, from a lean one-branch organization with a seven-man skeletal force to an institution with a network of six branches supported by 106 full-time personnel in 1997. In September 1998, RCBC Savings Bank acquired selected assets and assumed deposit liabilities of Capitol Development Bank. As a result of the strategic alliance, the Bank further widened the reach of its branch network and became the 2nd largest thrift bank in the country with 117 branches. One of its branches is the RCBC Savings Bank La Paz in Iloilo City. It serves many Ilonggos in banking and financing services. Despite of its fast growing business, the Management paid no attention to some internal control aspects of its branches. Like the La Paz Branch many complaints from customers regarding the efficiency and slow-moving service of the bank. The long queuing of the customers every time they do transactions to tellers is really a problem; it decreases the goodwill of the company and much more the customer satisfaction. As we all know, the competition in banking industry is high and many banks are already here in Iloilo. How would the Management address this problem? What course of actions or solutions should the Management put in place to achieve higher customer satisfaction? Is the company really into realizing its vision to be the most-sought-after by the consumer market when it comes to financial products and services?

Saturday, October 26, 2019

Vanity Fair Military Wives: Here We Go A Marching :: Victorian Era

Vanity Fair Military Wives: Here We Go A Marching In reading William Thackeray's novel, Vanity Fair, it was very surprising to learn that it was customary for soldiers' wives to follow and accompany their husbands' regiments when they went off to engage in combat. It seems rather odd when Amelia, on her honeymoon, boarded the ship (provided by His Majesty's government) that would take the troop on to Brussels. There is quite a big production as crowds gathered and cheered as the bands played â€Å"God Save the King†, while officers waved their hats and the crew rushed about. It did not seem possible that a major battle was going to take place in which many of the men would never again return to London. According to Andrew Uffindell's Women of Waterloo, â€Å"†¦ many soldiers were married, but only six or sometimes four in each company were permitted to take their wives with them on active service†. After the men had marched off to fight, the ladies who stayed behind in Brussels â€Å"suffered appalling mental tor tures as they awaited news of the fate of their loved ones† (Uffindell). After the Battle of Waterloo, many distraught British wives roamed the bloody battlefield in a state that sometimes bordered on madness. In Godfrey Davies' book, Wellington and His Army, the practice of allowing women to follow after their husbands' regiments goes so far back it is nearly untraceable. The number of women who might go abroad with the army was â€Å"unlimited for officers, but limited for men† (Davies 130). The majority of information available is about the wives whose husbands were in the infantry; much less is known about the cavalry and artillery. Soldiers' wives were restricted, or supposed to be restricted, to six per company and these â€Å"were chosen by lot on the evening before the regiment left its depot† (130). Approximately, there were twenty or thirty married women per company and each would draw a piece of paper on which was written â€Å"To go† or â€Å"Not to go†. The ones forced to stay behind were deeply sorrowful. This does not appear to be the case, however, with the famous ladies of Vanity Fair. What is startling is the general attitude of these British wives during this time of the war. The Duke of Wellington was leading the war against Napoleon and yet the entire party seemed entirely at ease: â€Å"†¦the business of life and living, and the pursuits of pleasure, especially, went on as if no end were to be expected to them, and no enemy in front† (Thackeray 286).

Thursday, October 24, 2019

A Different History Essay

The only thing worse than watching your own culture disappear is to see your own grandchildren not knowing a single thing about their native culture. The speaker of the poem A Different History, by an Indian Poet named Sujata Bhatt, expresses her feelings towards the change of her culture after the British Colonization. In this poem, the speaker explains in a disappointed tone how the culture and language changed as the generations passed on. Using strong diction and repetitions in each stanza, she describes how the culture is changing and how the people are affected too. See more: My Writing Process Essay 1 At the very first stanza, Bhatt used poetic devices such as allusions and imagery to capture the scene of the first generation of India where the British Colonization hasn’t occurred. The feeling of freedom and peace can be captured in this stanza: Here the gods roam freely, disguised as snakes or monkeys; every tree is sacred At the first three lines, Bhatt explains how India is beautiful by using an allusion of the Greek God named Pan, the God of nature. She uses the allusion of God of Pan because she’s telling us that the current culture and the past culture are still linked together. And by that she means even the Indians doesn’t belief in the western gods (Pan), but she uses the allusion of Pan to state that India is beautiful because Pan is the God of nature. And also, she stated that India is a very peaceful and holy environment and even the trees are holy too, by using imagery of gods wandering around in the jungle and trees being â€Å"sacred†. 2 Also, during the first generation, Bhatt uses the repetition of the sentence â€Å"a sin† as her choice of words to emphasize how important that particular word is and how it affects the culture. She said that it is a sin because as the generation grows, more and more people would not appreciate books because technologies are part of our daily lives now. Not only that, she advises the reader ‘you’ to be gentle to a book, without disturbing Sarasvati, a Hindu goddess of knowledge, music, arts and science (allusion), and not ‘offending’ the tree, for it is sacred, because you make papers for the books from it: You must learn how to turn the pages gently 3 And then now, on the second stanza, the changes of culture slowly happen during the second generation (the children of the first generation). Bhatt mentioned ‘oppressor’s tongue’ which clearly shows that India already has people in control of them (the British Colonization has happen). She also uses the word ‘murder’ which is a very strong diction to say that people had killed during that time: †¦has not been the oppressor’s tongue? †¦truly meant to murder someone? 4 While going into the third generation (grandchildren of the first generation), Bhatt expressed in a curious tone that why would the people in the third generation will like the language of the winners’, which she stated as a strange language. She uses the word â€Å"conquerors† to show that the British men had won over their country. And also, we can picture that many had died in cruel ways during the British Colonization including their ancestors by her using strong in this last stanza such as â€Å"torture† and â€Å"soul had been cropped out†. This stanza showed that the culture had been changed and soon the later generations will forget about their original culture: the unborn grandchildren grow to love that strange language.

Wednesday, October 23, 2019

Porters five forces Essay

Threat of New Entry: Obesity is a big problem in the United States which is becoming a government and healthcare issue. Weight Watchers has played a role in the development of a new national awareness of healthful eating, lifestyles changes, and weight control. Weight Watchers International had experienced it biggest threat mostly because of new competition and changes in technology. When the over the counter weightless drug launched it had a drastic effect on their market. Switching Cost – Weight Watchers dropped their prices not because they focused on consumers, but because they are more focus on the health insurance business. Employers are giving incentives to employees to use weight watchers for health insurance purposes. Threat of Substitutes: In the weight loss industry there are lots of substitutes but Weight Watcher appears to be in the business of helping people make lifestyle changes. However, of course they want to make a profit. Weight Watchers is innovative and this is the reason they have been around for 50 years. Weight Watchers realizes the growth in health insurance and realizes their strength is their brand and reputation. Bargaining Power of Suppliers: Presence of Substitute Inputs – Weight Watchers has the upper hand in regards to suppliers. They can turn to any alternative especially being an industry leader. Bargaining Power of Customers: Brand Identify-Weight Watchers has a great brand identity being one of the leading diet plans and having 1.4 active members. Weight Watcher uses many celebrities to market their brand to consumers. Rivalry among Existing Competitors: This force could be a big problem since new workout plans and diet products are always popping up on the market. Some diet plans are even using Weight Watchers’ formula for counting points and creating calculators. 1. Threat of new entrance3. Bargaining Power of Suppliers 5. Rivalry among Existing Competitors 2. Threat of Substitutes4. Bargaining Power of Customers Weight Watchers has a great thing going and will be around for years to come unless someone makes that magic pill to have the fat shed off you overnight. It seems as if the 5 Forces of Competitive Strategy is really working for  them. It also seems as if Weight Watchers understands its industry and where the industry is heading. They found themselves in the position to create a profitable company without totally relying on consumers. Internal forces The strongest part about the weight watchers program is the community and employee morale that comes along with the product. The program consist of two elements that really make the culture thrive. First off is the programs that it offers such as plans and dietary supplements. Second is the community and group support that really makes it hard to contest with. With all the human planning and preparation this is the key to internal success in the business market. External forces Strategy Development. (n.d.). Retrieved September 30, 2014, from http://strategyatheinz.blogspot.com/2013/05/shaping-weight-loss-with-five-forces-of_30.html

Tuesday, October 22, 2019

How To Write A Critical Analysis Essay Step-By-Step Guide - Paperell

How To Write A Critical Analysis Essay Step-By-Step Guide How to Write a Critical Analysis Essay: Step-by-Step Guide What Is A Critical Analysis Essay?This type of essay lets you apply your analytical skills and critical thinking. Your goal is to examine an article, a book, or other work by another person – you do it to determine how effectively its author make an argument or point. Even though many college students think that the word â€Å"critical† is always connected with a wrong impression, critique can also be positive. It depends on your position about the examined piece.How to Make a Critical EssayTo create such an essay, you need to be familiar with other similar works and examples. If you have never read classical literature, you shouldn’t work on a critical paper about a piece of modern writing. You should read the full text of an examined book. If you judge it only by first pages or even small fragments taken out of context, it wouldn’t be a correct way to criticize. Also if this piece is huge, you need to spend time reading it. The goal is to examine the eff ectiveness of a specific article, book, painting, film, or other work created by another person. To do it, you need to understand the objective of an author and also their background. There are many other tips to make the process easier. Many young people are unsure how to write a critical analysis essay merely because they have never faced the need to write it earlier and lack experience with this type of assignment. Here, we will tell you how to write a critical analysis essay step by step, starting from choosing good topics and up to logically arranging your text.How To Start A Critical Analysis Essay?Many students wonder how to write an introduction for a critical analysis essay. It’s not difficult, and it can be similar to an opening for other types of essays – you will need to provide your thesis statement, provide information on your objectives and research methods, tell readers what can they get from your paper, and describe why this paper is significant and ho w did you come to writing it.You need to read not only the examined piece but also the background information on it. Provide facts about other works by this author, where and how he or she lived and what ideas popularized. It lets you understand the point of view of the author, their objectives for writing, and the background that ties this work with other works written earlier and influenced this book. Take note of the main ideas from the text. Consider are they presented effectively and will readers understand them clearly. Determine if an author reached the goal and convinced readers that the given point of view is right.When reading a piece of writing, do it critically. Examine the style and technique, how impressive is the book for readers, it is still relevant for readers, or its ideas are too old. It will help you to examine the text and proceed to create an outline.Critical Analysis Essay OutlineThe main three parts of an outline are the Background, Summary, and Interpretati on. You can extend these sections or add more elements to your essay if needed. You should also present your essay in the usual format with an introduction, the main body, and the conclusion.BackgroundTo understand the purpose and meaning of a book, you need to provide background information on it. How to do it? Describe the historical context of this book, information about the author and his or her ideas, what is the title of the book and when it was published. In the thesis statement, you can indicate your reaction to this work. Write several sentences about your impression after reading; it should be presented briefly because you will explain it with more details in the Summary and Interpretation sections.SummaryIt is a fundamental part of the critical analysis. You should create the main content of your analytical essay, by analyzing how effectively ideas are presented in the book.InterpretationThere you write your understanding of this book. It will be subjective and based on your experience. Discuss how the book is organized, the style of writing, its effectiveness, the treatment of the topic, and how it appeals to people who read it.Practical Tips On Writing A Critical Analysis EssayLook through other referencesMany books contain a lot of references to other works. What does it mean? You should find and analyze them to understand the objectives of an author better and provide a more detailed background. When you know these references, you can change your opinion on this book.Consider sources surroundingStudy when the historical background of writing this book. Social and political circumstances could affect their writing and knowledge of these circumstances is crucial for understanding the ideas of an author and his or her objectives.Check other reviewsIf there are any reviews on this book, read them. They let you look at the book from another point of view and understand things that you haven’t noticed before. However, you should realize that e ach review is subjective.Compare to similar writingsResearch other similar books of that period. Examine if an author copies the style of other writers or present their own story with the original form of writing. It helps you determine how original is this book.If you don’t have time for writing such an essay, you can order a custom essay online from professional writers. They know how to criticize books correctly and write a paper for you.

Monday, October 21, 2019

How to Ask for a Graduate School Letter of Recommendation

How to Ask for a Graduate School Letter of Recommendation Recommendation letters are a critical component of your graduate school application, yet are entirely dependent on other people―your professors. How you request a letter influences professors responses and ultimately the quality of your recommendation. How to Request a Recommendation Letter Dont request a recommendation letter by email.Dont spring it on the faculty member. Dont ask before or after class, in the hall, or at any other seemingly random time.Arrange an appointment, explaining that you wish to discuss your plans to apply to graduate school. This gives the professor a heads up and a chance to think about whether he or she can write a helpful letter on your behalf.Don’t ask, â€Å"could you write a letter?† Instead ask, â€Å"Do you feel that you are able to write a helpful letter supporting my application to graduate school? Ask whether the faculty member feels that he or she can write a helpful letter. You don’t need any old letter―you need a good letter.Prepare. Be prepared to discuss the type of degree you seek, programs to which you are applying, how you arrived at your choices, goals for graduate study, future aspirations, and why you believe the faculty member is a good candidate to write a letter of your behalf.Remember to tell the professor the application due date. This may influence his or her decision. What Your Professor Needs to Write Your Letter Time.  Give the faculty member enough time to write a good letter. Writing a letter of recommendation isnt easy. Ask at least a month before the due date. Earlier is better given that faculty need to adjust their schedule.Don’t make faculty rush as it will result in an average or even mediocre letter. When every recommendation letter an admissions committee receives is stellar, an  average letter will hurt your application.Understand that even if you give a professor a month to write your recommendation letter he or she might not submit it until just before the deadline. Its a sad reality: Profs procrastinate too.Give the professor what he or she needs to write an informed letter, including recommendation forms, transcript, essays, and other essential information. Dont forget to include relevant links and emails for online applications.If your prof requests hard copies, print out information for each program so that faculty member has the information they need to tailor th eir letter of recommendation to the program (very effective, if they choose that route). Be neat. Place all of your documentation in a folder and neatly label each item. Clip each recommendation form to supporting documentation, relevant admissions essays, and a stamped envelope. Use a sticky note to mark the deadline on each. Neatness counts because it makes professors’ jobs easier and sends the message that you are organized.If your prof requests electronic documents, place all files into one folder and organize them by using descriptive titles. Again, be neat. Seek Advice and Pay Attention Ask for input on your choices and overall advice. If the faculty member offers to review your admissions essay, take him or her up on it―and use their advice to improve your essay.Pay attention to signals that a faculty member does not want to write a letter on your behalf. Anything other than a glowing letter can harm your application. You dont want a lukewarm letter―it’s the kiss of death.Take no for an answer. If a faculty declines to write you a recommendation letter, dont push. He or she is actually doing you a favor.

Sunday, October 20, 2019

Thanksgiving Thoughts About Expressing Gratitude

Thanksgiving Thoughts About Expressing Gratitude One of the most famous Aesops tales of gratitude is the Lion and Androcles. Androcles, a slave who was wandering in a forest, chanced upon an injured lion, which had a huge thorn stuck inside its paw. Androcles helped the lion by removing the thorn and gave the lion a new lease of life. Later, Androcles was captured, and thrown in a dungeon with a hungry lion. The lion rushed towards its victim, but it soon realized that Androcles was the same man who saved its life in the forest. The lion did not attack the slave. Instead, it licked his face like a pet dog and showered the slave with love. Thats a simple story of gratitude that we tell our kids to remind them about the importance of gratitude. Dietrich BonhoefferIn ordinary life we hardly realize that we receive a great deal more than we give, and that it is only with gratitude that life becomes rich.Gerald GoodIf you want to turn your life around, try thankfulness. It will change your life mightily. But how many of us truly remember to express gratitude? In the daily humdrum of life, you forget to thank the neighbor who keeps a watch on your kids when you need to be away at work. You forget to thank the teacher, who stays back after school to help you with your school projects. You fail to express gratitude to your parents, who have immensely contributed all through your life. And who remembers to thank the librarian, the banker, the plumber, or the garbage pickup truck driver? Gratitude should not be merely customary politeness. It should reflect a deep humility and love that we feel towards one another. Saying, thank you is just the beginning of expressing gratitude. To make gratitude go a long way, you should give back in any way possible. Just like the lion in the story. George CanningWhen our perils are past, shall our gratitude sleep?William C. SkeathThis is the finest measure of thanksgiving: a thankfulness that springs from love.W. T. PurkiserNot what we say about our blessings, but how we use them, is the true measure of our thanksgiving. Being thankful has many benefits. A thankful heart has no place for arrogance, resentment, jealousy, or anger. You will often find that people who express genuine gratitude have a pleasant and amiable personality. When you express gratitude, you make friends. When gratitude is accompanied by a generous word of praise or two, relationships thrive. Also, a grateful person can hope to gain more favors in the future from his generous friends. Basil CarpenterThank God every day when you get up that you have something to do that day which must be done whether you like it or not. Being forced to work and forced to do your best will breed in you temperance and self-control, diligence and strength of will, cheerfulness and content, and a hundred virtues which the idle will never know.Noel SmithGratitude is not a spiritual or moral dessert which we may take or push away according to the whims of the moment, and in either case without material consequences. Gratitude is the very bread and meat of spiritual and moral health, individually and collectively. What was the seed of disintegration that corrupted the heart of the ancient world beyond the point of divine remedy...? What was it but ingratitude? The story of gratitude in Aesops fable about the lion and the slave is a moral lesson where kindness and generosity triumphs. Even today, when the world is plagued by natural calamities people rise above these challenges with kindness. Teach your kids the importance of gratitude with these Thanksgiving thoughts. Sow the seed of gratitude in their heart early in life, so that they can grow up to be humble and appreciative human beings. Charles Haddon SpurgeonYou say, If I had a little more, I should be very satisfied. You make a mistake. If you are not content with what you have, you would not be satisfied if it were doubled.Henry ClayCourtesies of a small and trivial character are the ones which strike deepest in the grateful and appreciating heart.

Saturday, October 19, 2019

E-waste Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

E-waste - Essay Example Regardless of the efforts by some individuals in reducing the level of e-wastes, it is unlikely that such efforts will solve the problem. E-waste, described as electronic products nearing their useful life is one of the biggest concerns for the environmentalists. Although the term e-waste describes electronic products near their useful life, some of the environmentalists use the term to describe a number of by-products and wastes dumped in the environment. According to Leonard (film), e-waste is any material dumped into the environment and has a negative effect to the environment or negatively affects the health of the people. Any by-product of the manufacturing process such as toxic fumes and wastes dumped into rivers and the soil as well as the unwanted products that consumers dispose of, whether obsolete or useless, according to Leonard (film) is e-waste. This generalization thus encompasses a number of by-products regarded as e-wastes to the environment. Since e-wastes do not dec ompose, they contribute to the biggest crisis facing human beings in this era  (Reinhardt web). Although there are efforts to recycle them, not all of these wastes are recyclable. As such, the only way that people can solve the problem is by reducing the amount of wastes produced and dumped into the environment. ... Different factors contribute to the increased amount of e-wastes in the environment. Although most of the studies concentrate on the effects of dumped e-wastes as the main contributing factors to the e-wastes, Leonard (film) includes all the stages involved in the product life cycle. As Leonard argues, â€Å"in the past decade, the world has used at least one third of the total natural resources†, which portrays a danger in waiting. While the third world countries do not take part in the high level of manufacturing, developed countries such as the united states, after extensively using their natural resources have resulted to the developing countries for raw materials. This balances the level of resources consumption in the world. The manufacturing process is yet another stage that significantly contributes to the high level of e-wastes in the environment. As the process involves the use of toxics, these contribute to the high number of toxic wastes released to the environment . The manufacturing process waste people too as they work in the highly toxic environments. They inhale the fumes from the production process, which contributes to the high levels of cancer diseases. Moreover, the production process releases fumes into the environment as well as effluents that are by-products of the manufacturing process. However, the increased culture of consumerism the world has adopted in the recent past contributes to the high level of e-wastes dumped in the environment. According to Leonard, â€Å"an average us person consumes twice as much as they consumed 50 years ago,† yet there is no way of changing this culture of consumerism in the society. the designing of

Project Management Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Project Management - Assignment Example Additionally, such technologies prove data management and visibility. It should be noted that companies and organizations that have above average performers in their warehouses usually performed with maximum quality and quantity along their production lines. Most of such organizations have been classified as world-class companies that have since lowered their warehousing costs annually. Therefore, in adopting a new warehouse for the Joshua Ltd management must consider adopting and implementing the technological systems within the warehouse. Warehouse Technology Investment Plan Most of the warehouse machineries must be in the automated equipment and visible data management that is provided for by the use of the internet monitoring technology. Even though the use of technology shall require adequate training of the employees, the system may be expensive for the very instance; however, the use of automated warehouse will be less expensive at the long run (Roberts, 2011). Additionally, t he installations and purchase of such equipment will be expensive for the company including the space that some of these automated equipments may require. ... Initiation of reporting capabilities and management planning Planning to adopt and use recommended warehouse layout and slotting tools. These tools will increase goods and services handling within and outside the warehouse. Moreover, in this category, the company may adopt highly experienced integrator systems to increase the productivity within the warehouse footprints (Mckinney, 2003; pg. 78). Finally, the new warehouse management must focus on analytics towards improving gross margin and productivity management. Background Information The current business demands especially business that are involved in supply chain can no longer ignore warehouse management system. Such companies and organizations usually expect more from warehouses especially to support them distribution operations (Site selection & industrial development, 1988; pg. 72). The warehouses provide great visibility in order, stacks statuses, and inventory especially inside the warehouse. Additionally, well-structured and organized warehouse will allow channel expansion and support sales growth as well as increase the tailored customer service fulfillment. Regardless of facility square footage or revenue of the company, different analyses have indicated warehouse management systems especially the automation are fundamental in facilitating effective and efficient warehousing technology towards best class productivity (Csapo? and Balogh, 2012; pg. 187). The contemporary warehouse management systems or technologies offer elaborate and expanded capabilities as well as improved visibility. Therefore, all companies regardless of the size should embark on effective warehouse systems and or technologies to fast track operation and service delivery within such organizations

Friday, October 18, 2019

Religious nationalism in India and how it relates to globalization Essay

Religious nationalism in India and how it relates to globalization - Essay Example Religious nationalism in India and how it affects the economic development of India has been well portrayed in the book "Religious Nationalism: Hindus and Muslims in India" by Peter Van der Veer. The author has considered many factors such as religious movements, discourses and practices, which retard the progress of globalization process in India which are untouched by others so far. The book extensively reviewed the structure of major Indian religions Hindu and Muslim identities in India. The Ayodhya issue ( Babri Masjid demolition by Hindu fundamentalists) which contributed immensely to the current conflicts between the Hindus and Muslims in India. The author argues that larger frameworks of locality were already available in India before the colonial era and the religious nationalism has builds on such earlier frameworks. The rituals of the larger community, Hindu have been incorporated to religious nationalism in this book. He claims that the transnational experiences reinforce the nationalists and religious identity in India. He attributes the Ayodhya issue as a conscious, planned action by religious and political movement. The interpretations of history in favour of either community by the fundamentalists enlarged the Hindu Muslim conflicts further. The author argues that religious nationalism combines anti-historical feature of religious discourse with an empiricist search for â€Å"facts† that has been highly influenced by orientalism, in this book. In this book Van der Veer looks, from a comparative perspective, at the development of Hindu, Sikh, and Muslim religious communities. Religious nationalism in the past 2 centuries builds on the forms of religious identities. This book also discusses the features and implications of the languages Hindi and Urdu used by Hindus and Muslims. The author tries to relate these languages to sacred languages Sanskrit used by the Hindus and Arabic used by Muslims. The book tries to

Institute of applied entrepreneurship Assignment

Institute of applied entrepreneurship - Assignment Example I would like to personally thank you for reviewing my letter of employment and genuinely hope you will find my entrepreneurial competencies to be a valuable fit for your grand organisation with a rich history in the United Kingdom. 1. Introduction Thornton’s Chocolate was founded in 1911 by Joseph William Thornton, establishing a very recognisable brand in the United Kingdom ever since. Now that Cadbury has been taken over by Kraft company, Thornton’s is now considered the largest independent chocolatier and confectionary business in the UK. Through decades of brand-building activities and increases in sales revenues, Thornton’s now boasts 360 different shops and a variety of franchises across the United Kingdom supported by 2011 revenues of ?218 million (Thornton’s 2012). Thornton’s has, however, experienced problems with maintaining market share among major competitors and the business is losing sales revenues, especially in the High Street stores that sell Thornton’s products. Thornton’s has always maintained a premium positioning strategy, justifying a higher-priced model associated with legitimate and consumer-perceived brand quality. Because of this, the business is seeking a revitalisation and restorative business strategy designed to give the business a more contemporary brand image with important target markets. This letter of employment is to illustrate entrepreneurial characteristics both internally and as related to the employment candidate to illustrate how the candidate’s competencies can benefit the new positioning of Thornton’s for sustainable success and profitability. 2. Defining the entrepreneurial organisation An entrepreneurial organisation is one that is willing to absorb risks, as being able to compete against well-established competitors, such as Cadbury, requires making decisions that are innovative and do not have a precedent established. This is necessary to achieve unique competitive advantage and differentiate one business from another that offers similar products with like characteristics and benefits. It is the risk-taking prowess of important organisational leaders that establish the foundation for an entrepreneurial organisation (Covin and Miles 1999). Once this entrepreneurial spirit has been established, the entrepreneurial organisation becomes one that is equipped to develop new products and services. A corporate entrepreneur focuses on establishing efficiencies and productive structures that can assist the organisation in aligning strategic intentions with external market conditions (Dess, Lumpkin and McKee 1999). Outside of basic managerial or executive-level decision-making such as budgeting and cost control, the entrepreneurial organisation recognises opportunities to make positive changes and then aligns the internal operational and staffing models to achieve strategic goals related to the opportunity. The entrepreneurial organisation m aintains staff and managers that are able to juggle innovative ideas in their imaginations that translate into creative work to better position the business competitively. This type of organisation looks toward people and product as tools for achieving profit growth (Gaglio and Katz 2001). Innovations should occur in human resources policies and procedures as well as related to the actual product or service in order to be considered

Thursday, October 17, 2019

Differences in competencies Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Differences in competencies - Essay Example These differences emerging can be clearly seen at various patient are situations for example variations in approaches to decision-making or nurse care. One patient care situation that brings out differences in nursing care among ADN and BSN nurses is cardiac care units. Baccalaureate nursing care approaches include altruism, values of autonomy, integrity, social justice, human dignity and unconditional regard for all patients. Their nursing practice include disease prevention, health promotion, early detection of human health deviation, quick and adequate treatment of chronic and acute illnesses as well as compassionate care for people nearing death. As a result of their training, BSN nurses are able to respond to more demanding patient care tasks like those witnessed in the cardiac care units. Johnson (1988) state that BSNs are associated with lower rates of failure-to-rescue and mortality rates. These can be attributed to their good nursing care approaches like quick and adequate t reatment of chronic and acute illnesses. Research conducted in various cardiac care units reveal that there were 4.9 fewer deaths for every 1000 patients in those hospital intensive care units (ICUs) where a large proportion of nurses had a bachelor’s degree (Van den Heede, 2009). ... These indicate higher level of clinical support among the BSNs compared to other types of nurses like the ADNs. An emphasis on compassionate care for patients indicate a higher level of promotion of human dignity among the BSN nurses. BSNs make a higher utilization of protocols or care maps in order to guide patient progress during their hospitalization period. This presents a scientific and more systematic nursing approaches among the BSN. In their efforts to maximize on patient autonomy and human dignity, BSNs emphasize on teaching patients on how skills for taking care of themselves in relation to their type of disease or medication, and adopting a healthy lifestyle. Emphasis on healthy lifestyles is an incorporation of prevention measures with treatment. It prevents the progression of the disease or emergence of other diseases that can worsen the present condition. Due to their level of education, the BSNs have a higher level of expertise as compared to the ADNs. It should be not ed that BSNs take four years to receive their Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree while the ADNs take 2-3 years to receive their degree. BSNs undertake their studies in universities and senior colleges whereas ADNs undertake their studies in community colleges. As a result of their levels of expertise, the BSNs are more competent case management as compared to ADNs. This is can also be linked to their high levels of scientific, critical-thinking and leadership skills. Due to the superior level of competency among the BSN, ADNs can work under BSN and but the BSN cannot work under the BSN. BSNs are more capacitated in working under a variety of inpatient and outpatient environments as compared to

Department of Political Economy _MA Public Policy _The Third Sector Essay

Department of Political Economy _MA Public Policy _The Third Sector and Public Policy - Essay Example Introduction Social, economical, and political spheres are critical in the wellbeing of society. These three spheres are inextricably linked, that is, the functioning of one sphere greatly relies on that of the other. Generally, public policies are shaped by economical, political, and social actions. The third sectors are critical in public policy as they integrate a wide range of institutions (governmental and non- governmental) into attaining set public policy objectives. Social capital is greatly considered as one of the key ingredients of the Third Sector and public policy (Coleman, 1988, p. 95). It is against this background that it is important to discuss what the term â€Å"social capital† means and its importance to public services. The term â€Å"social capital† has increasingly become the lexicon of everyday language; the term is gaining increasing popularity in public policy even though it is relatively new concept in the field of public policy. The term â₠¬Å"social capital† is defined in a number of ways. Even though there are different definitions to the term, there are certain aspects that create a point of convergence among all the users of the term. The users of this term agree that any definition of â€Å"social capital† should include some if not all of the following aspects: connection between individuals; clear distinction between economical and social capital; presence of contradictory and different social processes; involvement of reciprocity and trust principles; non- monetary forms of power and influence; and focus on positive aspects of social life (Portes, 1998, p. 8-9). So, how is â€Å"social capital† defined? According to the World Bank (1999), social capital encompasses norms, institutions, and relationships that shape the quantity and quality of interactions within the society. It implies that social capital is not simply the sum of institutions, norms and interactions that underpin the society, but rather they act as glue that holds the society together. Also, social capital is defined as the connections among individuals, norms of trustworthiness and reciprocity and social networks that arise from connections among individuals (Putnam 2000, p. 19). From this definition, it can be deduced that social capital requires that civic virtue be embedded in the reciprocal social relations. This is because a society needs connected and virtuous individuals for it to be considered rich in social capital. (Bourdieu 1983, p. 249) defines social capital as the aggregate of the potential or actual resources, which are connected to possession of a long-lasting network of institutionalized relationships of mutual recognition and acquaintance. From the above definitions, it is evidently clear that the term â€Å"social capital† cannot be defined entirely in a single definition that can cover all the aspects. The definition of this term seems to stem from a basic concern of explorin g processes of ensuring that there is equal access to resources, differentiation of power, and diminishing the essence of creation of elites and class formation. In most cases, the term â€Å"social capital† is defined against the term â€Å"economic capital†. Actually, there is a belief among many proponents of social capital that the concept seeks to correct the â€Å"wrongs† created by economic capital in the society (Alcock, 2010, p.

Wednesday, October 16, 2019

Differences in competencies Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Differences in competencies - Essay Example These differences emerging can be clearly seen at various patient are situations for example variations in approaches to decision-making or nurse care. One patient care situation that brings out differences in nursing care among ADN and BSN nurses is cardiac care units. Baccalaureate nursing care approaches include altruism, values of autonomy, integrity, social justice, human dignity and unconditional regard for all patients. Their nursing practice include disease prevention, health promotion, early detection of human health deviation, quick and adequate treatment of chronic and acute illnesses as well as compassionate care for people nearing death. As a result of their training, BSN nurses are able to respond to more demanding patient care tasks like those witnessed in the cardiac care units. Johnson (1988) state that BSNs are associated with lower rates of failure-to-rescue and mortality rates. These can be attributed to their good nursing care approaches like quick and adequate t reatment of chronic and acute illnesses. Research conducted in various cardiac care units reveal that there were 4.9 fewer deaths for every 1000 patients in those hospital intensive care units (ICUs) where a large proportion of nurses had a bachelor’s degree (Van den Heede, 2009). ... These indicate higher level of clinical support among the BSNs compared to other types of nurses like the ADNs. An emphasis on compassionate care for patients indicate a higher level of promotion of human dignity among the BSN nurses. BSNs make a higher utilization of protocols or care maps in order to guide patient progress during their hospitalization period. This presents a scientific and more systematic nursing approaches among the BSN. In their efforts to maximize on patient autonomy and human dignity, BSNs emphasize on teaching patients on how skills for taking care of themselves in relation to their type of disease or medication, and adopting a healthy lifestyle. Emphasis on healthy lifestyles is an incorporation of prevention measures with treatment. It prevents the progression of the disease or emergence of other diseases that can worsen the present condition. Due to their level of education, the BSNs have a higher level of expertise as compared to the ADNs. It should be not ed that BSNs take four years to receive their Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree while the ADNs take 2-3 years to receive their degree. BSNs undertake their studies in universities and senior colleges whereas ADNs undertake their studies in community colleges. As a result of their levels of expertise, the BSNs are more competent case management as compared to ADNs. This is can also be linked to their high levels of scientific, critical-thinking and leadership skills. Due to the superior level of competency among the BSN, ADNs can work under BSN and but the BSN cannot work under the BSN. BSNs are more capacitated in working under a variety of inpatient and outpatient environments as compared to

Tuesday, October 15, 2019

Descriptive Statistics Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Descriptive Statistics - Case Study Example To this extent, there is not aspect of descriptive statistics that is missing since both measures of central tendency and spread are used in the study (Dellinger & Kresnow, 2010). The minorities who are included in the study are defined by their age. The study accommodated views of minors up to a minimal age of 5 years. This was based on the realization that a child of age 5 would be informed on how to wear and use a helmet when cycling. The demographic data to this effect is available in the study given that an estimated 1,725 (75%) of the children had ridden on a bicycle. Descriptive statistics is essential in this study as it allows for the summary of the data using techniques such as tables and graphical representations; thus, allowing for easy statistical commentary (Dellinger & Kresnow, 2010). The inferential statistics of the study are test of hypotheses in which the study’s hypothesis was that bicycle-related injuries among children between 5-14 years can be condensed by the usage of helmets. Subsequently, the study uses sample statistics as an inferential test to sample out a representative number of respondents for the study. This is done through the estimation of the parameters of the study. Standard t-tests are also used to examine the differences in behavior of children in wearing helmets. The p-values identified in the study are correspondent to the objectives of the study. At p

Monday, October 14, 2019

China in the Classical Era Essay Example for Free

China in the Classical Era Essay The gender systems of the Classical era in China can almost be summed up with this phrase: â€Å"How sad it is to be a woman!† (Strayer) According to the Chinese traditions when a girl child is born the family is definitely not happy about the birth. The mothers of the girl child must do three things; â€Å"first she must make the child sleep under the bed this shows the baby that she is lowly and weak, second she must give the baby a potsherd or a piece of broken pot to play with to make the girl child realize that the only thing in life for her is housework, and thirdly the mother must make an offering to the ancestors when she announces the birth of the girl child. † (Strayer) Chinese women are considered less than men, less than the servants even. She must always humble herself to the man of the family, or her â€Å"master†; she is to do whatever the in-laws require her to do as well. The gender system of the Classical era in India is much like China. â€Å"In childhood a female must be subject to her father, in youth to her husband, when her lord is dead to her sons; a woman must never be independent.† (Strayer) The female in India could never be on her own, her father rules her life as a child, her husband as a wife and if she has male children, she is less than her children if the husband ever dies. She must never be vain, show her face or her body, and woman of India is less than a person because of these rules. The gender system of the Classical era in Rome began very much the same for the females. †If each man of us, fellow citizens, had established that the right and authority of the husband should be held over the mother of his own family we should have less difficulty with women in general.† (Strayer) In Rome men were expected to rule. This may have come from the fact that in order for Roman men to reproduce they had to pillage other villages and kidnap and rape the captured women. Over that time the men obviously ruled the house, the city and the land. Women were considered imprudent, rude and considered unbridled if they conducted any kind of business without a male guardian present. In all three cultures the same patriarchy is evident. Women were to do nothing without the say so of the man. Whether it is her father, husband, brother or son, she was to do as she was told when she was told and not complain about it. In China the females did as told, even by the mother-in-law, she was humbled, regardless of the situation, the husband could do as wished as long as it didn’t bring shame to himself or his family. There really isn’t anyway for the Chinese woman to get away from the patriarchy of her family or her husband’s family. In India the only way that a woman could relieve herself from her husband’s patriarchy â€Å"was to become a Buddhist nun and entering a monastery where women were relatively less restricted and could exercise more authority than in ordinary life.† (Strayer) Even thought this relieved her of her families’ patriarchy she still didn’t have complete independence from male dominance. In Rome however, this is where the changes began for the Roman women. â€Å"When these speeches for and against the law had been made, a considerably larger crowd of women poured forth in public the next day; as a single body they besieged the doors, of the Brutus’s, who were vetoing their colleagues’ motion, and they didn’t not stop until the tribunes took back their veto†¦.† (Strayer) The women of Rome were sick of being treated as less the nothings, they began to go into the streets, talk to whomever they chose even other women’s husbands. They had decided as a group that it was time that they had some rights. The women were no longer going to sit in the houses and have absolutely no wealth, no status, and no rights. There were some men against this and some men that approved of it. In the end the women won, and was allowed a few rights. This was taken away twenty years later though. The cultures of the Classical era showed that women were less than men, they had no rights, they had no wealth and they would always be obedient. This was an act to humble the women, they were slaves. The males always dominated the women; only the Roman women as a group were able to stand up for themselves. The Chinese and the women of India did not. They were obedient. Works Cited: Strayer, Robert. Ways of the World: A Brief Global History. Boston. New York, Bedford/ St. Martins 2011

Sunday, October 13, 2019

Greek Victory In The Persian Invasion

Greek Victory In The Persian Invasion The Greek history has been greatly influenced by the wars between Greece and Persia. These wars are considered to be the milestone in shaping up the history of Greece. For Greece, the war against Persia has been regarded as a significant feature by the Athenians as they remained politically and culturally dominant in this region and therefore understood the importance of fifth century, when most invasions occurred, effectively. An important feature that played significant role in making the Greeks to win Persian wars was that of their Unity against Persia. Another important reason includes the Ionian Revolt, and associated revolts. The dissatisfaction of the Greek cities were at the heart of the rebellion with the tyrants appointed by Persia to rule them, along with two Milesian tyrants, Histiaeus Aristagoras. Ionia had been conquered by Persia around 540 BC and was ruled by some of the native tyrants that were nominated by the Persian satrap present in Sardis. In 499 BC, the tyrant of Miletus and Aristagoras with the Persian Satrap Artaphernes launched an expedition with the Persian satrap to conquer Naxos. This was done in the attempt to bolster his position. The mission became a debacle and with the fear of removal as tyrant, Aristagoras decided to incite the whole of Ionia against the Persian king Darius, into rebellion (Anderson 1991: 20-26). The paper on Greek Unity enough for Persian invasion is an important topic that has been discussed in the historical literature thoroughly. The unity and disciplines are the important concepts in the current world that changes the world order and affect the nations motivation level for fighting back with their enemies. The Greeks were divided in several classes during the time when attacked by the Persian Empire. As the War of Persia was fought in fifth century, there was strong hold of Persia all over the world having number of states in their control, it was never thought that the unity of Greeks would bring downfall of the Persian Empire by merely gathering into a group. This new world order that came into existence after the downfall of Persian Empire not only affected the population of Greece but also the whole world thereby introducing new strategies of fighting and military commands along with several other changes (Nicole, 1986). The renowned battles of Persia were however fought on the land of Greece but they started taking place from the minor region of Asia. It was a time when the colonies of Greeks in Ionia rebelled against the lords of the Persia. This rebellion was later on known as the revolt of Ionia that lasted between 494 and 499 B.C. The revolt was mainly initiated when rebel controlled by the leaders of Aristagoras of Miletus, burned and sacked the local city of Sardis due to several reasons. However it was ended when there with retook of Miletus by the Persian Empire that crushed the stronghold of rebel that is after the battle of Lade (Armstrong 1990: 24-27). The war of Ionian Revolt for the first time was between 499 and 449 B.C. However the second war that was fought among the Persian wars was fought under the period of Darius that was the time of 490 B.C. Similarly, the third Persian invasion took place under the Xerxes that is the period between 481 and 479 B.C. From the period 479 till 450 B.C., the aftermath of the Persian war was concluded and each state had experienced particular observations about the battle. During all this time, the Unity among Greeks was the most important feature that was experienced by the warriors during the battle (Boardman, 1978). Since the end of the Persian Wars, the Greek city never ceased to compete, except during short truces during which they reconstitute the forces, after which hostilities resumed. It was during one of these truces that the Athenians had engaged in expeditions against the Persians. Its expansionist policy had crystallized Athens hatred of cities often already ill-disposed towards him, for his brutality she had alienated many allies. In these clashes, in his expeditions, she lost a lot of men, resources dwindled. In 446, at the end of the truce which was discussed above, the Peloponnesians invaded Attica, Pericles decided that the new leader of business, enter into an agreement with Sparta, after which the two cities pledged to refrain from using force to settle disputes (Anderson 1991: 20-26). . Fifteen years later began the Peloponnesian War with Athens went completely ruined. It is not our intention here to identify the immediate causes of the war and the events of this conflict of paramount importance in the history of Greece. We will retain events than those which are mixed Persians. They played a role in recent years, from 412. It is true that the war took place far away from home and their area of à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬ ¹Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬ ¹influence (Anderson 1991: 20-26). The Ionian revolt that took place during the period 493 and 499 B.C. was the reason that started the Persian War later on. The worth of the Greece and its warrior was proved when the city states of the Athens quarreled constantly and that the disgust of their first invasion shook the Persia however it was a period when the fear of Persian warriors was widespread. This whole situation improved the status of Greece and made its population to have advantage of it. Due to the first invasion of Greece that was the result of their unity, the confidence level of Athens was greatly boosted afterwards affecting the politics that was way different before the war (Camp, 2001). Another important change that occurs was the way war was fought as it was in a completely different manner and scale. The Greece unity was proved to be more effective in case of the Persian invasion because they planned an attack that was land based rather than attempting to have sea invasion that is naval invasion. The plan that was made by Xerxes proved to be successful for the war that was mainly executed by having land attacks however they fought with naval invasion from the Persian side. The army used by both sides that is Greece and Persia was based on large fleets however Greece had supremacy in terms of Naval fleet that was a direct result of the second attack (Cadogan, 1980). To highlight the unity of Greeks and explain its importance in the invasion of Persia, it is important to highlight the perspective of Persian war. In the year 499 B.C., the rule of Persia was rebelled by some of the cities of Greek. Darius, the Persian king, therefore fought back the revolution thereby invaded Greece and punished the Athens for supporting unsuccessful revolt in the Ionia region. The first Persian invasion gets failed due to the destruction of Mount Athos from storm. However the second invasion was successfully won by the Greeks where the Athenians and allies beaten the Persians in the Battle of Marathon in the 490 B.C. It is the only battle in history of Greece that proved to be crucial because if the Athenians would have lost this war, they would have come under the Persians control thereby missing the opportunity of accomplishing artistic designs in the Greece (Bridges, Hall, Rhodes: 2007 453). The war in Persia has been renowned due to several aspects that made the global world to realize the importance of unity in their work. For about two centuries (fifth and fourth BC. BC), the Persians to the Greeks represented the hereditary enemy, like the English and the Germans were successively for the French there not so long ago (Isocrates, Panegyric Lysias, Funeral Oration). Everyone more or less in mind the Persian wars initiated by Darius to subjugate the whole of Greece in 490 (Marathon), then by his successor Xerxes in 480 (Salamis), and the conquest and destruction of the Persian Empire (334-323) by Alexander the Great, King of Macedonia, realizing the dream that had haunted so many minds since the victorious resistance to the invading barbarian avenge the evils that the Persians had done to Greece (Armstrong 1990: 24-27). It can be concluded at the end of the paper that the Greece unity is of particular importance in the Persian war that made the Greeks to win it. The war against Persia has presented historical lessons with respect to the importance of having unity among nations that give rise to the development and other positive changes. The Persian war is therefore considered to be a remarkable battle that presented the supremacy of the military techniques used by the Greeks during the battle. It can also be concluded at the end of the paper that the Persian war itself presented some of the important historical lessons to learn for the countries that unity was the crucial factor behind fighting back with Persians.

Saturday, October 12, 2019

My Philosophy of Education :: Educational Teaching Teachers Essays

My Philosophy of Education While thinking about my personal philosophy of education and such questions as "What is the purpose of education?' or "What is the role of the teacher?" I have come to realize that my personal views can only be described as eclectic. I find that I agree with some (but not all) of the tenets of many of the major philosophies so far as education is concerned. My personal belief is that there is no single "way" of educating or education that is correct for every child, and as a future teacher I believe that I must be willing to be flexible and adaptable to any given situation , utilizing my knowledge of the various philosophies of education to create an approach to education that will provide each student with a learning environment and a learning experience that is best for him or her. When it comes to the curriculum taught in schools, I agree with the Perennialists' view that the curriculum should include the works and ideas of the Great Thinkers of the past, the fine arts, and philosophy, as well as the view that teachers should also instruct students in both character training and positive moral development. This is not just a job for the parents of children but for all adults in society as well, and since teachers spend almost as much time with children as their parents it is foolish to think that children will not look at the teacher as a role model whether or not the teacher intends for them to. I also agree with the Essentialist point of view that the curriculum should include such subjects as reading, writing, history, mathematics, sciences, foreign languages, computer skills, geography, social studies, and government. I feel that students who have a strong background in the basics of a variety of topics will have a better school experience and will be better prepared not only for higher education experiences, or experiences in the job market, but for life experiences in general. I also feel, like the Social Reconstructivists, that students need a curriculum that addresses the topics of cultural pluralism, human relations, social problems, and global issues as well. Students need to be aware of what goes on in the world, of their role in it, their responsibility to it, and of the ways that they can bring about changes in a positive way.

Friday, October 11, 2019

Island of the Sequined Love Nun Chapter 39~41

39 Showtime The Sky Priestess rolled over in bed and slapped the beeping intercom as if it was a mouthy stepchild. â€Å"I'm sleeping here,† she said. â€Å"Get in character, Beth. We have an order, due in Japan in six hours.† â€Å"Why don't these fuckers ever call at a civilized hour?† â€Å"We guarantee freshness. We have to deliver.† â€Å"Don't grow a sense of humor on me at this point, Sebastian. The shock might kill me. Who's the chosen?† â€Å"Sepie, female, nineteen, a hundred and ten pounds.† â€Å"I know her,† the Sky Priestess said. â€Å"What about our pilot?† â€Å"I'm putting two of the staff on him to make sure he stays in his bungalow.† â€Å"He's still going to hear it. Are you sure you don't want to sedate him?† â€Å"Use your head, Beth. He has to fly. We'll do it with smaller explosions. Maybe he'll sleep through it.† She was wide awake now and starting to feel the excitement and anxiety of a performance. â€Å"I'll be ready in twenty minutes. Have the ninjas start my music.† Tuck had Favo in a headlock and was administering affectionate noogies to the old man's scalp. â€Å"I love this fuckin' guy. This fuckin' guy is the best. I love all you fuckin' guys.† Malink had never seen noogies and wondered why this bizarre ritual had never showed up in the party scenes in People. He prided himself on understanding white people's habits, but this was a new one. Favo didn't seem to be enjoying the ritual nearly as much as Tuck was. The tuba had all been drunk. Maybe it was time to rescue his friend. â€Å"Now we go find the girl-man,† Malink said. Tuck looked up, still holding Favo, whose eyes were starting to bug out a little. â€Å"‘Kay,† the pilot said. Malink led them into the village, his bowlegged gait more wobbly than normal. A dozen Shark men and Tucker crashed and staggered behind him. As they passed by the bachelors' house and onto the trail that led to Sarapul's side of the island, the music started: big band sounds with easy liquid rhythms echoed through the jungle. The Shark men stopped in their tracks and when the music paused, just for a second, they shouted, â€Å"Pennsylvania 6-5000!† and the music began again. â€Å"What's that?† Tucker asked. Women and children were stirring from their sleep, creeping off into the bushes to pee, rubbing sleepy eyes and stretching creaky backs. Malink said, â€Å"The Sky Priestess is coming.† â€Å"Who?† Tuck finally released Favo, who he had been dragging by his head. The old man gasped, then grinned and sat splayed-legged on the trail. â€Å"We have to go,† Malink said. â€Å"You should go back now.† The music paused and Malink, along with the rest of the Shark People, shouted, â€Å"Pennsylvania 6-5000!† â€Å"Go now,† Malink ordered, once again the chief. â€Å"The Sky Priestess comes. We must get ready.† He turned and strode back into the village. The other Shark men scattered, leaving Tucker standing on the trail by himself. Tuck heard the sound of large prop planes mixing with the big band music. The Shark People were draining out of the village onto the trails that led to the runway. Within seconds, the village was deserted. Tuck staggered back to the beach where he'd left his fins and mask. As he stepped over the logs of the drinking circle, there was an explosion and he thought for a moment that he'd found another land mine until he realized that the sound had come from the direction of the runway. Not trusting himself to find the path through the village, Tucker decided to follow the beach back to the compound. After he'd gone a hundred yards or so, he saw something white lying on the beach and bent to pick it up. A long spiral notebook. The moon was high in the sky and he could see a name printed on the cover in bold permanent marker: JEFFERSON PARDEE. Beth Curtis, dressed in surgical greens, waved the guards away from Tuck's door and knocked. She waited a few seconds and knocked again, then walked in. She could just make out a sleeping figure through the mosquito net. â€Å"Case, get up. We've got to fly.† The body did not stir. â€Å"Case?† She pulled aside the netting and poked the sleeping figure. A green coconut rolled out of the bed and thumped at her feet. â€Å"You sleep with a coconut? You pathetic bastard.† She jumped back and a groggy Tucker Case groaned. â€Å"What?† â€Å"Wake up. We fly in half an hour.† Tuck rolled over and blinked through the hangover fog. The sun was coming up and the roosters were going off all over the island. The room was only half-lit. â€Å"What time is it?† â€Å"It's time to go. Get the plane ready.† Beth Curtis walked out. Tuck rolled out of bed, crawled to the bathroom, and emptied his stomach into the bowl with a trumpeting heave. 40 Unfriendly Skies Tuck spooled up the jets as he watched the guards scramble around the Lear. Each time one walked past the nose, Tuck flipped on the radar and chuckled. The microwave energy wasn't enough to boil the guards in their skins, which was Tuck's fantasy, but he could be reasonably certain that they would never have any children and he might have planted the seeds of a few choice tumors. Once in Houston a maintenance man made the mistake of walking in front of Mary Jean's jet with an armload of fluorescent bulbs meant for the hangar, and Jake Skye had shown Tucker a little trick. â€Å"Watch this, Jake had said.† He flipped on the radar and the bulbs, bombarded by the microwaves from the radar, lit up in the maintenance man's arms. The poor guy threw the bulbs in the air and ran off the field, leaving a pile of glass shards and white powder behind. It was the second-coolest thing Tucker had ever seen, the first being the time they had used the Gulfstream's jets to sandblast the paint off a Porsche whose owner in-sisted on parking on the tarmac. Tuck was waiting for one of the guards to walk behind the jets when Beth Curtis came on board. She wore her business suit and carried the briefcase and the cooler, but this time she sat in one of the passenger seats in the back and fell asleep before they took off. Tuck took the opportunity to suck some oxygen from the emergency supply to help cut through his hangover. When they were five hundred miles out over the Pacific, Tuck peeked into the passenger compartment to make sure Beth Curtis was still sleeping. When he was sure she was still out, he checked the fuel gauges, then pushed the yoke forward and dropped the Lear down to level off at a hundred feet. Traveling at almost six hundred miles per hour at only a hundred feet off the water did exactly what Tuck had hoped it would. He was absolutely ecstatic with an adrenaline rush that chased his hangover back to the Dark Ages. He dropped another fifty feet and laughed out loud when some salt spray dashed the windscreen. It was a clear sunny day with only a few wispy columnar clouds rising off the water. Tuck flew under and through them as if they were enemy ghosts. Then a speck appeared on the horizon. A second later Tuck recog-nized it as a ship and pulled the jet up to two hundred feet. Suddenly something rose off the ship's deck. A helicopter, going out to spot and herd schools of tuna for the factory ship. Tuck pulled up on the yoke, but the helicopter rose directly into his path. There wasn't even time to key the radio to warn the pilot. Tuck threw the Lear into a tight turn while pulling the jet up and whizzed by the helicopter close enough to see the pilot's eyes go wide. He could just make out men shaking fists at him from the deck of the factory ship. â€Å"Eee-haa!† he shouted (a bad habit he'd picked up in Texas cowboy bars, and if this wasn't cowboy flying, what was?). He steered the jet back on course and leveled off at two hundred feet. He was still dangerously low and burning fuel four times faster than he would at altitude, but hell, a guy had to have some fun. He wasn't paying for the fuel, and there hadn't been much low-level flying when he'd worked for Mary Jean. People on the ground might have trouble remembering the numbers on the side of the plane to report to the FAA, but you don't soon forget a pink jet flying close enough to the ground to cool your soup. â€Å"What in the hell was that?† Beth Curtis appeared in the cockpit doorway. â€Å"Why are we so low?† A wave of panic akin to being caught smoking in the boys' room swept over Tuck, but he couldn't think fast enough to come up with a viable lie. He said, â€Å"You haven't surfed until you've surfed in a Learjet.† Much to his amazement, Beth Curtis said, â€Å"Cool!† and strapped herself into the copilot's seat. Tuck grinned and eased the jet down to fifty feet. Beth Curtis clapped her hands like an excited child. â€Å"This is great!† â€Å"We can't do it for long. Burns too much fuel.† â€Å"A little while longer, okay?† Tuck smiled. â€Å"Maybe five more minutes. We can catch a tailwind at altitude that'll save us some time and fuel.† â€Å"Is this what you were doing the night you crashed?† Tuck winced. â€Å"No.† â€Å"Because I could understand if it was. What a rush!† She reached out and grabbed his shoulder affectionately. â€Å"I love this. How could you let me sleep through this?† â€Å"We can surf some more on the way back,† Tuck said. And with that his resolve was gone. He'd planned to ask her about the music and explosions from last night. He'd planned to ask her about Jefferson Pardee's notebook, which he carried in his back pocket, but he didn't want to break this mood. It had been too long since he'd had any attention from a beautiful woman, and he gave himself to it like a jonesing junkie. â€Å"I'm sorry,† she said, â€Å"but you'll have to wait here.† Beth Curtis retrieved her briefcase and cooler from the back of the plane and met the dark-suited Japanese on the tarmac. There was another Lear spooling up nearby and a couple of workmen in coveralls waited beside a large cardboard carton. Tuck watched as Beth Curtis handed the cooler to one of the suits, who ran to the waiting Lear. Within seconds, the door was pulled shut and the other Lear was taxied out to the runway. Another one of the suits handed Beth a thick manila envelope, which she stashed in her briefcase. She turned and ran back into the plane. She stepped into the cockpit and put her briefcase behind the copilot's seat. â€Å"I'll be right back, ten minutes max. I've got to make sure these guys get my TV on board unbroken.† â€Å"TV?† â€Å"Thirty-two-inch Trinitron,† she said with a smile. â€Å"To replace the one that you're using.† â€Å"I want a thirty-two-inch Trinitron,† Tuck said to her back, but she was already out the door. He looked out the window to make sure she was busy with the television, then pulled her briefcase from behind the seat and threw the latches. To his amazement, it was unlocked. He removed the manila envelope. Under it lay a small automatic pistol. He could take it, but then what? Hold it on Beth Curtis until she confessed to whatever she and the doctor were doing? And what was that? Research? There was no law against that. He left the gun untouched and opened the envelope. He wasn't sure what he expected to find: research notes, bearer bonds, stock certificates, cash, something that would shed some light on all this clandestine behavior for sure. What he found was four issues of People magazine and four issues of Us. Beth Curtis was smuggling American cheese out of Japan and that was it. He put the envelope back into the briefcase and slid it behind the seat, then pulled Jefferson Pardee's notebook out of his pocket. Perhaps there was something inside that would tell him how the notebook had gotten to a beach some seven hundred miles from where its owner was supposed to be. He flipped though the pages where Pardee had scribbled phone numbers, dates, and a few notes, but the only things he recognized were his own name, the names of Sebastian Curtis and his wife, and the word â€Å"Learjet,† followed by â€Å"Why? How? Who paid?† and â€Å"Find other pilot.† Pardee was obviously asking the same questions that were circling in Tuck's mind, but what was this about another pilot? Had Pardee come to Alualu looking for the answers? And if he did, where was he now? â€Å"What's that?† Beth Curtis said as she came through the cockpit door. Tuck flipped the notebook shut and stuffed it in his back pocket. â€Å"Some flight notes. I'm used to keeping a log for the FAA. I guess I brought this along out of habit.† In the midst of the lie, he almost panicked. If she asked where he had gotten the notebook in the first place, he was dead. Maybe better to confront her here in Japan anyway – while he knew where the gun was. She said, â€Å"I didn't realize there was any paperwork to flying a plane.† â€Å"More than you'd think,† Tuck said. â€Å"I'm still getting used to how this plane handles. I'm just writing down things I need to remember, you know, climb rates and engine exhaust pressures, fuel consumption per hour at altitude, stuff like that.† Right, he thought. Baffle her with bullshit. â€Å"Oh,† she said with what Tuck thought was indifference until she reached behind her seat and pulled out her briefcase. He held his breath, waiting for the gun to appear. She took out an issue of People and opened it on her lap. She didn't look away from the magazine until they were well over the Pacific, heading home. â€Å"You know, we haven't seen much of you lately. Maybe you should come up to the house and have dinner with Sebastian and me tonight.† She had slipped on her fifties housewife personality. Tuck had been thinking about Pardee's notebook and where he'd found it. He wanted to get back to the village tonight. If Pardee had come to Alualu, maybe the old chief knew something about it. â€Å"I'm a little tired. We got a pretty early start. I think maybe I'll just fix up something quick at my place and get to bed early.† She yawned. â€Å"Maybe tomorrow night. Around seven. Maybe we can try out my new TV.† â€Å"That'll be fine.† Tuck said. â€Å"I have a few things I'd like to discuss with you and the doc anyway.† â€Å"Good,† she said. â€Å"I think we should spend more time together. Now explain to me what all these gauges mean.† 41 What's a Kidney? Privacy is a rare commodity on a small island and secrets weigh heavy on their keepers. Malink was weary with the burden of too many secrets. If he could only go to the drinking circle and let his secrets out, let the coconut telegraph carry his secrets to the edges of the island and let him walk light. But that wasn't going to happen. Secrets sought him out now, even from the old cannibal. He stood with Sarapul and Kimi examining an eighty-four-foot breadfruit tree with a trunk you couldn't get your arms around. Kimi held an ax on his shoulder, waiting for Malink's judgment. â€Å"Why so big?† Malink asked. â€Å"This tree will give much breadfruit.† â€Å"This is the tree,† Sarapul said. â€Å"The navigator has chosen it.† Kimi said, â€Å"We will plant ten trees to take its place, but this is the one.† â€Å"Why do you need such a big tree?† â€Å"I can't tell you,† Sarapul said. â€Å"You will tell me or you won't cut the tree.† â€Å"If I tell you, will you promise not to tell anyone else?† Malink sighed. Yet another secret. â€Å"I will tell no one.† â€Å"Come. We'll show you.† Sarapul led Malink and Kimi through the jungle to an overgrown spot piled with dried palm leaves. Malink leaned on a tree while the old cannibal pulled away the palm fronds to reveal the prow of a canoe. Not just any canoe. A forty-foot-long sailing canoe. Malink hadn't seen one since he was a small boy. â€Å"This is why we need the tree,† Sarapul said. â€Å"I have hidden it here for many years, but the hull is rotten and we need to fix it.† Malink felt something stir in him at the sight of the big eye painted on the prow. Something that went back to a time before he could remember, when his people sailed thousands of miles by the eye of the canoe and the guidance of the great navigators. Lost arts made sad by this reminder. He shook his head. â€Å"No one knows how to build a sailing canoe anymore, Sarapul. You are so old you don't remember what you've forgotten.† â€Å"He can fix it,† Sarapul said, pointing to Kimi. Kimi grinned. â€Å"My father taught me. He was a great navigator from Satawan.† Malink raised a grizzled eyebrow. â€Å"That is where you learned our language?† â€Å"I can fix it. And I can sail it.† â€Å"He's teaching me,† Sarapul said. Malink felt the stirring inside him grow into excitement. There was something here he hadn't felt since the arrival of Vincent. This was a secret that lifted him rather than weighing him down. But he was chief and dignity forbade him from shouting joy to the sky. â€Å"You may cut the tree, but there is a condition.† â€Å"You can't tell anyone,† Sarapul said. â€Å"I will not tell anyone. But when the canoe is fixed, you must teach one of the young ones to be a navigator.† He looked at Kimi. â€Å"Will you do that?† Kimi nodded. â€Å"You have your tree, old man,† Malink said. â€Å"I will tell no one.† He turned and walked and fell into a light bowlegged amble down the path. Kimi called to him, â€Å"I hear my friend, the pilot, was in the village last night.† Malink turned. The coconut telegraph evidently ran even to Sarapul's little corner of the island. â€Å"He asked about you. He said he will come back.† â€Å"Did he have a bat with him?† â€Å"No bat,† Malink said. â€Å"Come tonight to the drinking circle. Maybe he will come.† â€Å"I can't,† Kimi said. â€Å"The boys from the bachelors' house hate me.† â€Å"They hate the girl-man,† Malink said, â€Å"not the navigator. You come.† After a nutritious dinner of canned peaches and instant coffee, Tuck checked the position of the guards, turned out the lights, and built his coconut-headed surrogate under the mosquito netting. Only the second time and already it seemed routine. There was none of the nervousness or anxiety of the night before as he crawled below window level to the bathroom and pried up the metal shower tray. He dropped through the opening and was reaching up to grab his mask and fins when he heard the knock on the front door and froze. He heard the door open and Beth Curtis call, â€Å"Mr. Case, are you asleep already?† He couldn't let her see the dummy in his bed. â€Å"I'm in the bathroom. Just a second.† He caught the edges of the shower opening and vaulted back into the bathroom. The metal tray fell back over the opening, sounding like the Tin Man trying to escape from a garbage can. He heard Beth Curtis pad to the bathroom door. â€Å"Are you all right in there?† â€Å"Fine,† Tuck said. â€Å"Just dropped the soap.† He snagged a bar of soap off the sink and placed it in the bottom of the shower tray, then threw open the bathroom door. Beth Curtis stood there in a long red silk kimono that was open in a narrow canyon of white flesh to her navel. Whatever Tuck was going to say, he forgot. â€Å"Sebastian wanted me to bring you this.† She held out a check. Tuck tore his eyes from her cleavage and took the check. â€Å"Five thousand dollars. Mrs. Curtis, this is really more than I bargained for.† â€Å"You deserve it. You were very sweet to take the time to explain all the instrumentation to me.† She leaned over and kissed him on the forehead, keeping the warm pressure of her lips there a little too long. Tuck imagined her tongue darting though his skull and licking his brain's pleasure center. He could smell her perfume, something deep and musky, and his eyes locked on her breasts, which were completely exposed when she leaned forward. He felt as if he had been staring at an arc welder and that creamy powdered image would travel across his field of vision for hours. A chasm of silence opened up and wrenched his attention back into the room. â€Å"This is very generous,† he said. â€Å"But it could have waited. It's not like I have anywhere to spend it.† â€Å"I know. I just wanted to thank you again. Personally, without Sebastian around. And I thought you might be able to explain some of the finer points of flying a jet. It's all so exciting.† Never a man of strong resolve, the combination of sight, scent, and flattery activated Tuck's seduction autopilot. He glanced toward the bed and the switch clicked off. Sexual response was replaced by the dummy Tuck shaking its coconut head. He looked back at her and locked on her eyes – only her eyes. â€Å"Maybe tomorrow,† he said. â€Å"I'm really bushed. I was just going to catch a shower and go right to bed.† For an instant her pouty smile disappeared and her lips seemed to tighten into a red line, then just as quickly the smile was back, and Tuck wasn't sure he'd seen the change at all. â€Å"Well, tomorrow, then,† she said, pulling the front of her kimono together as if she had only just noticed that it had fallen open. â€Å"We'll see you at seven.† She turned at the door and threw Tuck a parade queen wave as she left, once again the darling of the Eisenhower era. When she was safely out of the bungalow, Tuck ran to the bed and picked up the green coconut. â€Å"What in the hell was that about?† The coconut didn't answer. â€Å"Fine,† Tuck said, fitting the head back on the sleeping dummy. â€Å"I am not impressed. I am not shaken, nor am I stirred. Weirdness is my business.† Even as he said it, he dismissed the hallucination as his own good sense manifesting a warning, but the duel cravings for a drink and a woman yanked at his insides like dull fishhooks. He turned off the light and let the cravings lead him out the bathroom hatch to the moonlit sea. Forty minutes later he took his place in the circle of the Shark men. Chief Malink stood and greeted Tuck with a jarring backslap. â€Å"Good to see you, my friend. How's it hanging?† â€Å"It hangs with magnificent splendor,† Tuck said, his programmed response to the truck drivers and cowboys who used that expression, although he wondered where Malink had heard it. â€Å"But I'm a little parched,† he said. A fat young man named Vincent was pouring tonight and he handed Tucker the coconut cup with a smile. Tuck sipped at first, fighting that first gag, then gulped down the coconut liquor and gritted his teeth to keep it from coming back up. The older men in the group seemed festive and yattered back and forth in their native language, but Tuck noticed that the younger men were sulking, digging their toes into the sand like pouting little boys. â€Å"Why so glum, guys? Someone kill you dog?† â€Å"No,† Malink said, not quite understanding the question. â€Å"We eat a turtle today.† Having your dog killed must mean something different here than it means back in Texas, Tuck realized. Malink sensed Tuck's confusion. â€Å"They are sad because the Sky Priestess has chosen the mispel from their house and she will be gone many days now.† â€Å"Mispel?† â€Å"The girl you followed last night is mispel of the bachelors' house.† â€Å"Sorry to hear that, guys,† Tuck said, acting as if he had the slightest idea what a mispel or being chosen was. He figured that maybe it had something to do with PMS. Maybe when the women started getting cranky with the old Sky Priestess cramps, they just checked her into a special â€Å"chosen† hut until she mellowed out. He waited until the cup came around the circle before he brought it up again. â€Å"So she was chosen by the old Sky Priestess, huh? Tough luck there. Did you try giving her chocolate? That takes the edge off sometimes.† â€Å"We give her special tuba when she comes,† Malink said. â€Å"Tastes like shit!† several of the men chanted. Abo, the fierce one, said, â€Å"I am chosen and now Sepie is chosen. I will marry her.† Several of the other young men seemed less than pleased at Abo's announcement. â€Å"Come on, man,† Tuck said. â€Å"You might need a little attitude adjustment, but you're not chosen.† â€Å"I am,† Abo insisted. â€Å"Look.† He turned his back to the group and ran his finger across a long pink scar that ran diagonally across his ribs. â€Å"The Sky Priestess chose me for Vincent in the time of the ripe breadfruit.† Tuck stared at the scar, stunned, hoping that what he was thinking was as far off as his PMS theory had been. â€Å"The Sky Priestess? That was the music last night, all the noise?† â€Å"Yes,† Malink said, â€Å"Vincent brings her in his airplane. We never see it, but we hear it.† â€Å"And when someone is chosen, then does the jet always fly the next day?† Malink nodded. â€Å"No one was chosen for a long time until Vin cent sent you to fly the white airplane. We thought Vincent was angry with us.† Tuck looked to Abo, who seemed satisfied that the chief was backing him up. â€Å"Where do you go when you are chosen?† â€Å"You go to the white house where the Sorcerer lives. There are many machine.† â€Å"And then what? What happens in the white house?† â€Å"It is secret.† Tuck was across the circle in Abo's face. â€Å"What happens there?† Abo seemed frightened and turned away. Tuck looked around at the other men. â€Å"Who else here has been chosen?† The fat kid who had been pouring twisted so Tuck could see the scar on his back. â€Å"What's your name, kid?† â€Å"Vincent.† â€Å"I should have known. Vincent, what happens in the white house?† Young Vincent shook his head. Tuck turned to Malink. â€Å"What happens?† Malink shook his head. â€Å"I don't know. I have not been chosen.† A familiar voice called out of the dark, â€Å"They make them sleep.† Everyone turned to see Kimi coming down the path from the village. The old cannibal creaked along behind him. Abo barked a reproach to Kimi in his native tongue. Kimi barked back something in the same language. Tuck didn't have to know the language to know that Kimi had told the fierce one to fuck off. â€Å"Kimi, are you okay?† Tuck barely recognized the navigator. He was wearing the blue loincloth of the Shark men and he seemed to have put on some muscle. Tuck was genuinely delighted to see him. The navigator ran to him and threw his arms around the pilot. Tuck found himself returning the embrace. Several of the young men had stood and were glaring at Kimi. One of the jugs of tuba had been kicked over, but no one seemed to notice the liquor running out on the sand. â€Å"Kimi, do you know what's going on here?† â€Å"A pretty white woman with yellow hair. She come out of the fence and take the girl away. They will put her to sleep and when she wakes up she will have a cut here.† He drew his finger across the back of his ribs. â€Å"No!† Abo screamed. He leaped over the crouching Malink to get to Kimi. Without thinking, Tuck swung around and caught Abo under the jaw with a roundhouse punch. Abo's feet flew out from under him and he landed on his back. Tuck rubbed his hand. Abo tried to struggle to his feet and Malink barked an order to two of the young Vincents. Re-luctantly, they restrained their friend. â€Å"Vincent has sent the pilot,† Malink reminded them. Tuck turned back to Kimi. â€Å"What happens then?† â€Å"You owe me five hundred dollars.† â€Å"You'll get it. What happens then?† â€Å"The chosen has to stay in bed for many days. There are tube stuck in them and they are in much pain. Then they come back.† â€Å"That's it?† â€Å"Yes,† Kimi said. Malink stood now and addressed Kimi. â€Å"How do you know this?† Kimi shrugged. â€Å"Sepie tells me.† Malink turned to Abo, who had stopped struggling and now looked terrified. â€Å"She said she would not tell. The girl-man put a spell on her.† Tuck stood rubbing his knuckles, watching this little tropical opera and feeling like someone had snapped on a light and found him french-kissing a maggoty corpse. The cooler, the surgical garb, the flights on short notice, the second jet waiting on the tarmac in Japan, the guards, the secrecy, the money. How had he been so fucking stupid? Malink was hurling a string of native curses at Abo, who looked as if he would burst into tears any second. â€Å"You dumb motherfuckers!† Tuck shouted. Malink stopped talking. â€Å"She's selling your kidneys. The doc is taking out your kidneys and selling them in Japan.† This revelation didn't have quite the effect that Tuck thought it would. In fact, he seemed to be the only one concerned about it at all. â€Å"Did you hear me?† Malink looked a little embarrassed. â€Å"What is a kidney?†

Thursday, October 10, 2019

Frederick Herzberg Essay

Frederick Herzberg’s two-factor theory, also called the motivator-hygiene theory. This theory has identifies that there are hygiene factors that can lead to job dissatisfaction but if a hygiene factor is improved it does not improve job satisfaction. Examples of these hygiene factors in the workplace are organizational policies, quality of supervision, working conditions, wage or salary, relationships with peers, relationships with subordinates, status and security. Improving one of these factors such as salary cannot make a person more satisfied with their job it just satisfies that aspect. The other half of Herzberg’s two factor theory is motivator factors, which are ways to achieve job satisfaction. Motivator factors are related to what people actually do in a day’s work. The presence or absence of these motivators changes an employee’s view of their job. Examples of these motivator factors are achievement, recognition, the work itself, responsibility, advancement, and growth. Job dissatisfaction can result from these when they are low. But to enrich these factors will result in higher job satisfaction unlike in the hygiene factors. Essentially in order to properly motivate employees improving salaries and working conditions does not work, an employer has to improve the quality of the job, the quality of the work and the quality of the goal. In the article The Best Places to Launch a Career one can see facets of Herzberg’s two-factor theory at work with big companies trying to attract the Generation Y’ers, which make up approximately 78 million people who will be entering the workforce from 2004 to 2022. The first of course is salary. Companies have raised base salaries in order to attract prospective employees but this is not the main drawing point as shown later in the article. Higher salaries is just an example of a hygiene factor that while maintained well will continue to keep employees from becoming dissatisfied. The rest of the article addresses motivator factors. Companies have begun to appeal to the next generation of employees by â€Å"making themselves more transparent, flexible, responsive, even nurturing. † By doing this they are drawing employees of the Generation Y traits more agreeable to the motivator factor side of Herzberg’s theory. These traits being inherent in this generation such as having high expectations for their job and their peers, demanding meaningful work, wanting constructive feedback from their peers and employers, and most importantly they want to be in a position of influence. In order to address these traits the article addresses several companies that are rethinking the way they are handling this generation that does not shy away from discipline and who demand authenticity. For example, the article states that New York Life Insurance recently discovered that only 3% of corporate interns accepted positions with their company. To change this they took away all the perks and instead gave them more strict expectations, gave them business etiquette classes, and a challenge to brainstorm new marketing strategies for the company which was later used in a advertising campaign. When New York Life changed its strategy they incorporated the motivating factors such as giving more meaningful work, responsibly, and recognition through the brainstorming for the company, growth through etiquette classes, and an all over enrichment of the job and their personal careers. Another example is JPMorgan Chase & Company is changing how it attracts prospective Gen Y employees. Rather than flash money signs and bonus amounts as incentives, they are giving a more realistic view of what it means to be employed with the company. To do this, the article states, that they allowed a New York University film grad to follow three fellow Generation Y employees though their days at work in a documentary style film. The result being that prospective employees will have a realistic view of duties and the work that goes into obtaining the annual bonus. Yet again appealing to the motivation factor of the two-factor theory but not completely ignoring the importance of the hygiene factors. In summation, the article addresses that the Generation Y does not want just money or perks such as free lunches and on-site massages like Google Inc. offers but they want a chance to grow, a chance to achieve, a chance to do something meaningful and accept all the responsibility that comes with it. Google appeals to this aspect by giving employees one day a week to brainstorm new ideas for the company. Herzberg’s two-factor theory, while being debated by scholars on its merits because of its difficulty to be verifiable through additional research, seems to be a very viable theory that can in one way or another be applied to any work place and results of more satisfied employees will be seen. Herzberg said it all when he said â€Å"If you want people to do a good job, give them a good job to do. † Reinforcement theory defined by the textbook is the administration of consequence as a result of behavior. Therefore if you want a behavior to continue you positively enforce it by giving positive rewards or if you want a negative behavior to stop you administer a negative consequence. By using reinforcement strategies people can be taught a behavior or have a behavior enforced through classical conditioning by associating a behavior with a desired result. These strategies include positive reinforcement and negative reinforcement. Positive reinforcement is the administration of positive consequences that tend to increase the likelihood of repeating the desirable behavior in a similar setting. In this is the law of contingent reinforcement that states for a reward to have maximum reinforcing value, it must only be delivered if the desired behavior is exhibited. Rewards can be given either continuously or intermittently and both have different results in changing a behavior. Continuous reinforcement teaches what behavior is desired more quickly than intermittent reinforcement but behaviors under intermittent reinforcement are lasts longer. Negative reinforcement is the withdrawal of negative consequences, which tends to increase the likelihood of repeating the behavior in a similar setting. Essentially behavior is reinforced by not receiving the punishment or avoiding a negative consequence. Punishment reduces the likelihood of a person repeating the behavior but the punishment has to fit the negative behavior. Arbitrary punishment can lead to dissatisfaction in a person and therefore just increase low performance. Extinction is the withdrawal of reinforcing consequences of a given behavior resulting in the frequency of the behavior being reduced. The article RAZR’S edge is wholly an example of reinforcement theory. A team of 20 or so people secretly toils on a new phone that will be a high end toy for the rich and ends up making a blockbuster phone that is so slim it redefines phone size for an entire industry. The resulting phone ended up being huge mass market phone that sold over 50 million units in approximately two years. The team members were then asked to appear at a meeting at company headquarters where they received not only a natural reward in the form of a standing ovation but were rewarded with a large amount of stock options. Therefore the team members were positively rewarded with a contrived reward of stocks for a job well done. In breaking the article down, one can also see some other examples of positive consequences for behavior at Motorola. The first example being Motorola’s Geoffrey Frost, credited with coming up with the marketing campaign â€Å"Hello Moto† and bringing the company back into good standing with consumers being promoted to executive vice president. His hard work was rewarded with a contrived reward of higher pay and position in the company as well as natural rewards of compliments, special projects, and recognition. The second example in the article is the team leader Jellicoe who had previously worked on another successful phone being given a special project to create the thinnest phone and to do it in a restricted time frame. He was positively rewarded for a previous job well done with a natural reward of being given a special project to work on. He was also rewarded by being able to assemble his own team to work on this new project and was given autonomy to work on the project in secret from the rest of the company. The third example of positive reinforcement in the article is the team that was assembled to design the phone. It was a team of 20 engineers who had shown talent before in other projects. These engineers received a natural reward for jobs well done in the past and for continually exhibiting behaviors such as creativity and the ability to continue to innovate at Motorola by being asked to be on this special project where they would have the liberty to completely redesign a phone that would change the phone market at the time. The fourth example of positive reinforcement is when Jellicoe sets up a competition among five of the engineers with who can come up with the best design to solve a technical challenge with a design complication. The result being Tadd Scarpelli coming up with the best solution to the problem and his reward being that his design was the one used for the phone as well as the recognition for a problem well solved, therefore reinforcing the positive behavior of thinking critically and being creative. The article RAZR’S edge is wholly a look at positive reinforcement in the form of both natural and contrived rewards for a team who made the seemingly impossible. But when broken down there are many examples of how past behaviors were rewarded with special jobs, recognition, and compensation. As the article says, Scarpelli to this day still approaches strangers and asks them if they like â€Å"his† phone which seems to be the ultimate reward. According to the textbook, expectancy theory argues that work motivation is determined by individual beliefs regarding effort/performance relationships and work outcomes. Breaking this theory down is that people will do what they can do when they want to do it. There are three factors that go into expectancy theory. Netflix through has set its company up to create an environment where when expectancy theory comes into play it has a high value on its ability to obtain, retain, and motivate its employees to keep innovating new strategies in order to keep it number one in on-line movie rentals. The first factor being expectancy, which is the probability that work effort will be followed by performance accomplishment. Essentially this will have a higher value the more a person is certain that the level of performance expected can be achieved. The second is instrumentality which is the probability that performance will lead to various work outcomes. This second factor like the first is given a number the higher the number the more certain the person is that an achievement will receive various outcomes. The last is valence which is the value to the individual of various work outcomes. This factor is also given a value the higher the value the more desirable the outcome is to the person. When these three are set up as an equation where motivation equals expectancy times instrumentality times valence as factors approach a zero value the less motivational appeal there is to do a certain task. When reading the article Netflix: Flex to the Max one can use expectancy theory to explain the success Netflix has had motivating its employees. First and foremost are the expectations and goals set by the founder Reed Hastings. He clearly states what he wants from his employees such as hard work, high performance, uniting them on one focused goal, and giving them the freedom to achieve it. He hires the best of the best and will immediately let them go if performance is not excellent. By setting clear goals that each individual is certain that the level of performance expected can be achieved there is a high value in an individual’s expectancy factor. At Netflix an individual’s instrumentality value will also be high as once the performance is achieved the various outcomes are desirable. Secondly, Hastings offers employees high salaries, unlimited vacations, and freedom to create their own compensation packages. The third part of the equation, being valence, will also be high for an individual at Netflix. Working for a company that not only gives them the freedom to work on their own schedule while expecting excellence but encourages them to hire three people they loved working with which creates a better workplace for all employees. While this places a positive value on why valance is high for an individual at Netflix, a negative one is that if one doesn’t live up to expectations they are swiftly shown the door. Therefore, wanting a positive outcome is more desirable in order to stay at a company that pays well and expects excellence but gives large amounts of freedom. When all these factors in expectancy theory are so well laid out from clearly set goals, which have to be attained in order to maintain the various outcomes that range from unlimited vacation to major stock options, and the desirability to make Netflix a great work environment by bringing in people one wants to work with again. Motivation with all of these factors in place is high and the motivation to continue to be employed there is higher therefore Netflix is becoming more successful in retaining the types of employees it needs to stay ahead in the on-line movie rental business. The textbook defines the self-concept as the view individuals have of themselves as physical, social, spiritual or moral beings. The self-concept in humans embodies several different aspects such as personality traits, values, attitudes and believes, and behavior. In order to change the self-concept there are several steps that need to be accomplished for an overall change. First being self examination, which is a self evaluation to isolate discrepancies in one’s self-concept and then having the desire to work on changing them. The second step being a self expectation where one sets goals for themselves and places the according demands in order to reach these goals. Third, is self-direction which is taking responsibility for oneself by monitoring and adjusting through insight and growth. Lastly, is self-realization where one has reached the full potential, are willing to take risks, and will venture out to make new opportunities. When looking at General Electric’s methods for training their leaders it shows that they realize self-concept is important and that it is not easy to change and develop. Recognizing and evaluating leadership capability on day one of employment is a new concept that they are working with also because they believe in changing and nurturing leaders earlier will create a larger pool of talented people that can only improve the company. It is because of these two important realizations that GE funds its Crotonville facility. It is from this facility that its future leaders are molded, strengthened and trained. This campus while expensive is funded through good times and bad because of their belief that human capital is the most important thing they can keep working on. Not only because helping people learn to change their self-concept to make them the best leader possible but because, as the article states, companies that provide people with opportunities to learn and grow become talent magnets. Another practice that GE has that helps develop the self-concept besides its training facility is that they believe changing up job assignments allows people to hone and discover new talents instead of just assigning them at what they are good at. Therefore, they get more well-rounded leaders, managers, and workers. For example, the article gives John Dineen who is in Erie, Pa. There he is learning many facets of the company, such as, how to deal with customers, labor negotiations, and the companies supply chain, Dineen is learning through GE’s idea that feedback is key so employees learn how they have performed and then mentor, support and train their employees to help them improve key skills. The article also points out that while you can try to coerce people into doing what a company wants by firing and demoting it just does not work in this day and age. General Electric’s programs for training and improving its future leaders is very much about changing and working with self-concept. In the self-examination step, they evaluate employees early to recognize what behaviors they have as good and which ones need to be honed. Then employees accept not only feedback but mentoring, a trip to Crotonville for extensive training and courses in making them the best leaders possible. They set goals in order to work on what is weak not improve what is good. GE recognizes the importance of giving people a chance to change and work on their lesser traits rather than reinforce already strong ones. Well-rounded employees that can think on their feet take risks, and will venture out to try new jobs and ideas, are what makes GE’s program so great. GE is not just training employees but creating strong confident talented leaders who can take on anything even if it is to be a leader in another company. The relationship between satisfaction, performance and rewards can be described in three arguments. One argument is that satisfaction causes performance which is if job satisfaction causes high levels of performance, he answer is to increase employees’ work performance to make them happy. Another argument is that performance causes satisfaction which is that if high levels of performance cause job satisfaction, the answer is to give attention to helping people achieve high performance and then job satisfaction would be high as well. The hitch in this argument is that if job performance is high but an individual feels that the reward is not equal to performance then job s atisfaction will not continue to be high. The third argument is rewards cause both satisfaction and performance. This argument states that properly rewarding employees can positively influence both performance and satisfaction. I personally believe the best overall argument is the last one, that rewards cause both satisfaction and performance. The average person does not go to a job thinking if I do my best today the reward will be greater satisfaction at the work place but I go to work for the money. While performing well may equal satisfaction on a personal level if the job well done is not recognized by a reward people become discouraged, even if the only reward is a raise. In accordance with Herzberg’s two-factor theory rewards also may not be monetary but a new job assignment or more freedom to move about in a job unsupervised can be a reward as well. Knowing that you are trusted to do a job well done can be extremely rewarding. Therefore rewards cause satisfaction and job performance. Netflix has the best example of rewards causing both satisfaction and performance. While Netflix gives rewards more upfront than most companies the incentive to keep these rewards by hard work and above average performance. For a Netflix employee high salaries, unlimited vacation, freedom to get the work done and do the job you were hired to do because you are good at it are all rewards. They realize if job performance does not live up to expectations they will be shown the door. The employees of Netflix have great amounts of job satisfaction because they realize that it is a great place to work because of the rewards they receive for doing the job they were hired to do exceptionally well. Also shown in the article The Best Places to Launch a Career attracting Generation Y employees is based on the argument rewards cause both performance and satisfaction. The article touches on the fact that Generation Y does not just want to come to work, do the job, and go home. They want an opportunity to work hard, have new assignments, develop themselves and have a chance to advance in the work place. All of these being rewards to cause high performance and satisfaction. In the article Dan Black states â€Å"If you don’t make an effort to provide and environment in which this generation can do their best, they’re going to find one where they can. If a job is done well by an employee they may feel personal satisfaction but that can only be for so long before they begin looking for the benefit of their hard work. Even in a volunteer position the reward is free, it is seeing the benefit of your work reflected in others. Volunteers feel personal satisfaction of where they volunteer and perform well because the reward is high. If there was n o reward to volunteering people would be less inclined to do it. All of these points continue to cause me to believe that rewards cause both satisfaction and performance. Without being rewarded whether it be monetary or just seeing the benefit of a job well done in a volunteer aspect people will discontinue to be satisfied in the area they are working in and performance will slack. The age old question of â€Å"what’s in it for me? † says it all. No one does anything without personal benefit. Without reward what would be the point of performing well, without reward nothing would be satisfying, and without performance and satisfaction a firm could only produce poor quality work.