Saturday, August 31, 2019

The Great Gatsby: “It is Nick who makes Jay Gatsby into The Great Gatsby”

The ambiguous â€Å"greatness† of Jay Gatsby is imparted to the reader through the thoughts and observations of Nick Carraway, a character who is personally involved in the intricate events and relationships featured in the plot. He is therefore an excellent choice of narrator as this participatory role places him beside the ‘great' namesake of the book, which is essentially how he appears to portray the idealistic, materialistic and yet naive character of Jay Gatsby. In using Nick as such a device, Fitzgerald presents an insight into Gatsby which is gradually developed from ambiguity to admiration as he refines Nick's perception throughout the ‘riotous excursion'- as Nick metaphorically describes the action of the novel – and establishes his often negative outlook on the selfishness, greed and moral corruption of American society. Nick is conveniently able to acquire this personal knowledge of Gatsby through his approachability, causing other characters to confide in him through his inclination â€Å"to reserve judgement†. However, his negative judgement of society (from which Gatsby is ‘exempt') ironically contradicts his initial claim to impartiality, and Nick continues to judge people thereafter. This reveals his viewpoint to be increasingly subjective and lends his character the virtues of being realistic, thus possessing human failings which evoke a more complete persona, and not merely a mouthpiece for Fitzgerald's thoughts. However, covertly, he also communicates the author's condemnation of 20's society as his own, since Fitzgerald has incorporated such judgements into his personality, creating the illusion of an impartial narrator while pursuing his satirical condemnation of the Jazz Age and his apparent admiration of the idealism implicit in the American Dream (represented by Gatsby's impossible optimism). Indeed, Fitzgerald's use of this â€Å"intelligent but sympathetic observer† at the centre of events â€Å"makes for some of the most priceless values in fiction† (William Troy, 1945). The values of â€Å"economy and intensity† are achieved by his central role in events, while â€Å"suspense† is achieved through Nick's personal flaw of not fully perceiving Gatsby's character, causing revelations about Gatsby's past and present to be frequent and striking. We think particularly of how Gatsby â€Å"came alive† to Nick in Chapter 4 through Jordan's reminiscing, and of how, in Chapter 9, revelations are still made after his death (such as the schedule brought to Nick's attention by Gatsby's father) which consolidate Nick's respect for his extensive ambition. Nick's perception of Gatsby is limited in certain aspects as the latter is an ambiguous character, though this incomplete knowledge does not deter Nick's positive view, which develops from not knowing Gatsby at all to admiring him for his strangely noble, if delusory, dream. Gatsby's ambiguity simply fuels fascination in Nick, who uses the adulatory adjective â€Å"gorgeous† to describe him, and proceeds in his narrative to seek the reason for this attraction in the mystery of Gatsby. The apparent bias presented in Nick's narration may also be due to many connections felt with Gatsby as a result of similarities between both their characters and Fitzgerald himself: many of Gatsby's characteristics are often Fitzgerald's own, incorporated into his character alongside Nick's. Just as the author had fought in the war, so have his characters, a fact which had taken Daisy away from Gatsby and excitement away from Nick's life as he â€Å"came back restless†. They both seek to reclaim these things, Nick by coming East and Gatsby by reacquiring Daisy's love. Nick empathizes with Gatsby's longing, and here perhaps Fitzgerald incorporates his own experience of losing the affections of his first love, Ginevra King, this failure in achieving his own dream revealing bias in the author himself. This may be the reason for the author positing that Gatsby is â€Å"great† while also impressing his negative opinion on the causes of both his and Gatsby's failure – in this case society, and the class differences which precluded Fitzgerald's relationship with the wealthier King. In the wider context of social satire, this contrast between dreams and failure is analogous to the rich and poor within American society, and is portrayed through the rather obvious symbolism of the â€Å"Valley of Ashes† whose uncomfortable proximity to the higher class Eggs foregrounds the vast disparity between rich and poor in the Roaring Twenties. Initially Nick only perceives the visible side of Gatsby – his material possessions and his parties where guests â€Å"came and went like moths among the whisperings and the champagne and the stars† in Chapter 3. He describes the parties as dreamlike, perhaps reflecting Gatsby's outlook on life, and tempting, as wealth was in 1920s America. Fitzgerald's simile of the guests being insect-like expresses Nick's observation of the superficial materialism and immorality of American society (emphasized in the former quotation by the sibilance of â€Å"whisperings†), as they are only tempted by Gatsby's wealth, drawn like moths to his light, while making Gatsby seem somehow compelling and superior to them as they revolve around him In direct contrast to such shallowness, Fitzgerald reveals Nick's admiration for Gatsby's â€Å"romantic readiness†, and his â€Å"infinite hope† in his idealistic love of Daisy, to further build the â€Å"great† element of Gatsby's personality as it is discovered. This aspect of Gatsby, when introduced, also makes him â€Å"more real† (EK 1925) and empathetic, than American society of the time, as his dream is revealed to be for love, not material status. These poetic descriptions, though also used ‘in order to persuade us that Gatsby is a man of poetic sensibility†, do not imply that â€Å"Fitzgerald takes the dangerous, no-hands course of simply saying so† as Kenneth Tynan (1974) states. In fact, Nick's positive opinions of Gatsby are developed very subtly and implied throughout events in the plot. These gradually build the impression of Gatsby's imaginative and beautiful sensibility, such as Nick's discovery of his idealism regarding Daisy's love. At times, such usages of poetic narrative depictions contrast sharply with the dull, bare portrayal of the poorer sections of society. To this end, light is used by Nick in positive descriptions throughout the novel, his own and Fitzgerald's fascination with modern developments of his time projected through Nick's observant and admiring documentation of places lit by electric lighting, such as Gatsby's house which was ‘blazing with light,' and the important symbol of Gatsby's â€Å"hope† for Daisy's love – the symbolic green light at the end of Daisy's dock, ultimately described, with pity, as an â€Å"illusion. Light is thus used in a symbol of both Nick's admiration felt at Gatsby's â€Å"hope†, and his sympathy as it is for an immaterial romantic goal (love), which disregards Gatsby's material prominence. Nick also favourably compares Gatsby to a seismograph; an ‘intricate' device driven by unknown/seen forces which mirrors Nick's own impression o f him. This analogy is not merely an â€Å"apt†¦ symbol for the human sensibility in a mechanized age† (Edwin S. Fussell 1952), showing Nick's focus on material developments; it is also clearly used to accentuate his opinions on how admirable Gatsby's â€Å"heightened sensibility† is. Nick's use of such comparisons also suggests the ambiguity in his rendering of Gatsby. Nick only makes us aware of Gatsby's personality in strategically placed narrative elements. These staged revelations, though revealing aspects of Gatsby that hint at criminality (like his activities in Chicago and various other rumours) simultaneously emphasize his admirable qualities such as his prizing of Daisy's love. Indeed, Nick's narration increasingly overlooks Gatsby's flaws, both his and Fitzgerald's views increasingly colouring the tale and casting Gatsby's dream in a positive light. By creating this empathy with Gatsby, Fitzgerald effectively communicates the intense disappointment felt at the intrusion of reality on idealism in the final chapters of the novel, and sympathy for the failure of Gatsby's dream is invoked. Clearly, though Maxwell E Perkins (1924) feels that Gatsby's ambiguity is â€Å"mistaken† as it makes his character more nebulous, Fitzgerald actually uses this as a main method of drawing the reader into a prominent theme of illusion, the ultimate illusion being love itself. The mysteriousness of Gatsby is also used to enable Nick's â€Å"growth in moral perception† (Troy 1945) which Troy describes as a â€Å"necessity† in such a narrator; Nick gradually perceives Gatsby's â€Å"moral† side- his â€Å"innate purity†, and society's lack of this in comparison, subsequently favouring Gatsby and giving some credibility to EK's evaluation of Gatsby being â€Å"more real† than the other characters due to the paradoxically pure nature of his dream. In this respect, Chapter 4 is used to further Nick's, and the reader's, positive perception of Gatsby. It features Jordan recounting a â€Å"romantic† memory of Daisy's former relationship with Gatsby, Fitzgerald effectively digressing from Nick's narration in order to impart a very deliberate and important revelation from Gatsby's past. It is this relationship which Gatsby seeks to reclaim by means of his wealth, and is the basis of the â€Å"romantic readiness† admired in him by Nick. Nick subsequently colours his narrative with the new awareness and says that Gatsby â€Å"came alive to me, delivered suddenly from the womb of his purposeless splendor†. With this metaphor of a birth, Fitzgerald makes a clear effort to separate Gatsby's huge vitality from the â€Å"purposeless splendour† of materialism, and, by extension, of American society, which he condemns through Nick's judgement of it. In Chapter 6 Fitzgerald again manipulates narrative structure in Nick's tale of Gatsby's origins, as at this stage in the plot's chronology Nick is not privy to this information- it was imparted by Gatsby himself â€Å"very much later† in the novel, and is presented achronologically to renew readers' faith in Gatsby before it is severely challenged in chapter 8, â€Å"with the idea of exploding those first wild rumors about his antecedence†. Fitzgerald reveals a specific part of Gatsby's background through Nick's narration, selected to instill sympathy for Gatsby in the reader by describing his younger self's (Gatz's) upward struggle from poverty, and the author's admiration for the idealistic dreams that had spurred him to create a â€Å"universe of ineffable gaudiness† that he elaborated nightly until â€Å"wedding [these] visions to [Daisy's] breath†. This metaphor reveals the uniting of Gatsby's original ambitions with a dream of love, and is also used to invoke sympathy for the extent to which his dreams are ultimately and perhaps tragically revealed to have gone â€Å"beyond her, beyond everything†. This revelation of Gatsby's â€Å"childlike notion of beauty and grace† (Maxwell Geismar 1947) is illustrated by this analeptic episode, strongly suggesting Gatsby's ultimate innocence and â€Å"pure† dreams beneath his materialistic exterior Fitzgerald presents the social context of the novel through the transformation of the American Dream in the '20s: the new generation of Americans were â€Å"dedicated more than the last to the fear of poverty and the worship of success†, as Fitzgerald himself had stated at the time. Society's material methods of gaining this success are portrayed negatively through Nick's condemnation of the Dream, as Nick has established himself as valuing morals and hard work highly; his family had become â€Å"prominent† through ownership of a â€Å"wholesale hardware business†, while Fitzgerald's own childhood took place in a farming, working environment. Similarly, the values admired in Gatz's willingness and determination to work for and succeed in gaining his dreams are symbolically those lost values of society that had appealed to Fitzgerald, and would appeal to Nick's sensibilities, which is why Nick still portrays Gatsby as being â€Å"great† in contrast to Jazz Age society which seeks goals through material means rather than hard work. This is paradoxically true in spite of Gatsby's own materialism, because the latter is portrayed as unimportant to Gatsby beside his love for Daisy. Through Nick's narrative, then, Gatsby is presented as embodying the old work ethic of a meritocracy but also its transformation to materialism, and ultimately the unattainable goals of the American Dream, this factor essentially providing the grounds for seeing Gatsby as a tragic hero. His idealistic dreams as Gatz are implied to be â€Å"incommunicable for ever,† as they are, in fact, â€Å"wed to Daisy's breath† which is just as perishable as his money. In Chapter 7, Tom's revelations about Gatsby's criminal bootlegging cause the brittle faiade of Jay Gatsby to be â€Å"broken up like glass† against Tom's â€Å"hard malice†, this simile depicting Nick's dislike of the malicious Tom and of the superficiality of the American Dream, but also, crucially, the way Gatsby's dreams have been demolished due to his â€Å"reliance upon material power as the single method of satisfying his searching and inarticulate spirit† (Maxwell Geismar 1947). Gatsby is thus left â€Å"watching over nothing†, this nihilistic phrase ending the chapter and corroborating the sympathy felt by Nick at the hopelessness of Gatsby's â€Å"dead dream†, making Nick â€Å"not want to leave him†. With his death in Chapter 8, this sympathy might indeed render Gatsby not merely â€Å"great†, but genuinely tragic. Thus as readers, we feel ultimately that Nick's (or Fitzgerald's) message is that the â€Å"colossal vitality of [Gatsby's] illusion† is curtailed by the faults of society and that Gatsby himself, by contrast, is â€Å"greater† than his social milieu. Gatsby's is â€Å"the tragedy of a romanticist in a materialist society† (Kuehl, 1959), his immaterial dreams inevitably perishing in the face of society, the hopelessness that it's glamorous exterior encloses, communicated throughout the novel both by the satire of the parties, the obvious symbolic qualities of the Valley of Ashes, the similarly tragic George Wilson, and the doomed Myrtle. Clearly, though John McCormick (1971) regards Daisy as â€Å"the agent of Gatsby's downfall, just as she had been the agent of his rise,† the apparent cause of Gatsby's failure â€Å"went beyond her,† being the â€Å"vital illusion† created by society which had surpassed Daisy; she had only been the springboard for his ideals. The author's message is ultimately a poignant one of hope being obscured by failure, communicating both Fitzgerald's admiration of such dreams, and contempt of the reality which smothers them. In this sense, Nick's voice in the novel is undeniably Fitzgerald's. Having said this, Nick is rendered sufficiently autonomous to be a convincing narrator in his own right, as Gatsby finally also receives sympathy due to tangible affinities formed with him, such as that of disillusionment, which Nick empathizes with as he has been a victim of his own illusion regarding the true nature of Daisy and Jordan, and Gatsby's character itself. A â€Å"growth in moral perception† (when applied to Nick) is â€Å"the tale of the novel† (Troy, 1945) as it is this which ensures Nick's positive portrayal of Gatsby: Nick comes to discover his true history and admired ambition as Gatz, as well as the ultimate tragedy of his still believing, in the face of such adversity as his â€Å"dead dream. This moving naivety clearly proves, however, that in Gatsby's case any growth in moral perception does not apply; even though Daisy has clearly returned to Tom's alluring wealth in Chapter 8, Gatsby innocently, and dumbly, states, â€Å"I suppose Daisy'll call, too,† not perceiving the immorality of the age he lives in. As Kuehl (1959) says, â€Å"it is illusion, and not it's materialization† which is the centre of Gatsby's character – he is a dreamer despite his material status, and his â€Å"heightened† goals will never be materialized, making them pale in comparison to the concrete aspirations o f society and contradicting E. K's evaluation – Gatsby is not precisely â€Å"more real† than society, but he is â€Å"greater† in many ways, as both Nick and Fitzgerald successfully portray him at the close of the novel: the noble dreams that inspire Nick's admiration within Gatsby are only unattainable due to denounced external factors, and therefore ultimately do not subtract from Gatsby's tragically â€Å"great† portrayal.

Friday, August 30, 2019

Rear Window; Alfred Hitchcock

After watching Rear Window for a second time I’ve come to realize that not only is Alfred Hitchcock a great director, but also a great movie watcher. What I’m trying to say is that he knows exactly what people want to see in certain movies. Voyeurism captures the attention of anyone, viewers want to â€Å"spy† on the characters without being seen, and they want to be in positions that reality doesn’t allow them to be in. Hitchcock knows this feeling all too well, making one of the greatest movies of all time around that one obsession viewers have. This is why Rear Window is a great movie for ENC 1102, along with the romantic tension and multiple subplots. The first time a saw the movie I really didn’t see the voyeurism of the film, mostly because it was in my high school humanities class and was told to figure out the story behind the thriller. The teacher told us to find out the mystery of Mr. Thorwald. But after refreshing myself of the movie a noticed that Hitchcock was a very smart, nosy man, just like the rest of society. I pictured Hitchcock in the wheelchair watching all those people out of his window, and then myself and came to realize that anyone would watch if it were open to you. This led me to recognize that the movie, behind the crime investigation, was all about voyeurism and how people love to see without being seen. I watched it with my brother, who is a film major at UCF, and he too thought the same thing. We discussed the movie afterwards and he came to appreciate the movie for being shot in one area. The one person that does get to live the voyeurism in the movie is James Stewart. He’s the perfect main character, L. B â€Å"Jeff† Jeffries, who is a photojournalist. While on the job he broke his leg at an auto race after a big crash. Because of this he is confined to his own apartment and begins to watch all his neighbors and how they go about their day. Behind his building is a courtyard joined by three other buildings. Throughout these three building are different characters that Jefferies watches. There’s a frustrated yet fun loving composer in the building to his right, a middle aged couple with a small dog, a dancer who seems to enjoy practicing her routines, a lonely woman who seems to live in a fantasy world, and a salesman and his unfounded wife all in the building in front of him and a pair of isolated newlyweds that live behind the shades of their apartment window to his left. As he sits cooped up in his apartment he begins to notice everyone’s behaviors, when suddenly the salesman’s wife has disappeared. Jeffries and his girlfriend, Lisa Freemont, played by Grace Kelly, become suspicious of the salesman Mr. Thorwald. He begins to watch him every day and notices things that make him that more suspicious, like sending a suitcase off somewhere, having all his wife’s jewelry, or washing the knife and saw in his sink. Where did she go? What's in the trunk that the salesman ships away? What's he been doing with the knives and the saw that he cleans at the kitchen sink? Rear Window was released on August 1, 1954 and was shot in Los Angeles, California. Its company is Paramount Pictures and is in full color and sound. It is listed under many different types of genres like crime, mysteries, thriller and romance. It was nominated for four Oscars, best cinematography, best director, best sound, and best writing. It was nominated in nine other categories at smaller award ceremonies and won four of them. Directed by Alfred Hitchcock and had two main characters, L. B Jeffries and Lisa Freemont. Though the movie is one of the greatest ever made by Hitchcock and is supposed to be shot through a rear window, I find it hard for people to have interest in a movie with two main shots. In the movie you see the buildings and courtyard the majority of the time, the other shots being the one of Jeffries apartment and close ups on the individuals in their homes. A user from IMDB. com didn’t like the movie at all, â€Å"I got impatient with Hitchcock's penchant for manipulating reality, as if it didn't matter, in setting up his character conflicts towards suspenseful endings. It's all to do with believing what you see. One should not take for granted any audiences, all of whom are familiar with real life. † (Johnclark-1). Mr. Clark went on to talk about how he felt Hitchcock didn’t bring reality into the film, one of the examples being that in New York no one ever left their doors unlocked and windows open, in fact â€Å"we installed police locks† says Clark. So another reason some people didn’t feel this movie should be ranked as one of the greatest all time. But we go back to voyeurism, and people can’t help but be nosy, and get into other people’s business. Because of this one obsession Hitchcock gets you tangled in subplots and thrilling murder stories. Unless you pay close attention and watch for those unrealistic moments in the movie, you will never even notice them. As I sat and watched the movie never did I think about what people in New York really do with their doors or how often their leave their windows open. What I’m trying to say is that you will never notice these things unless you were told about them prior to watching the movie. I must admit, after reading that review I did see those moments in the film, but never did I think about them when I saw it the first two times. I am more than positive that if you show this in an ENC 1102 class they too will not notice the unrealistic lifestyle in the movie. Another couple reasons to show it in ENC 1102 is because of the voyeurism, romantic tension, and the films multiple subplots. If there is a group of people that love to be part of drama, and know everyone’s business, it’s the age group of 18 to 20 year old college students. They will be so enriched with all the inquisitiveness going on in the movie that they won’t have problems for a week or two in their personal lives. The movie provides an insight on all the characters that live in buildings around that courtyard, and a voice over from Jeffries that voices his thoughts on all their lives. That brings me to my next point, the multiple subplots in the movie. Hitchcock gives the viewers all kinds of stories from the romantic couple who are rarely seen, to the bachelorette ballerina who brings home a guy every night, to the women who can’t get a man and begins to make believe she invites one over for dinner. Another couple with the dog, they show love to each other through the dog, then the musician who throws parties to show off his new music, but struggles just to get there and finally the salesman and his wife, the main story, the murder. Hitchcock develops all these plots that revolve around murder case. They all have something to do with it, or are related in some way to that couple. I don’t believe an 1101 class could keep up with multiple plots as in Rear Window. And then there’s the romantic tension between Jefferies and his girlfriend Lisa. It’s just another part of the movie that anyone could relate to, not just 1102. Jeffries is very intrigued by this woman but has a heavier burden on his mind, the crime across the courtyard. She insists time after time, but he never really takes his mind completely off the situation at hand. As I sat a watched Rear Window for the second time with my brother I asked him a couple questions throughout the movie to get his, soon to be, expertise on what he thought about certain parts. It was a good experience for me knowing that he has a better eye for things that regular movie goers like myself usually don’t tend to catch. He helped me understand the movie a little more, and discussed with me what Hitchcock was trying to do in his film. Even though he’s close enough, my brother doesn’t count as a critic, here are some experts on what they thought about the movie. James Berardinelli liked the movie mainly, once again, because of it voyeurism. He though Hitchcock had a great background on voyeurism, â€Å"One of the most engrossing, and, in its own way, groundbreaking, studies of voyeurism is Alfred Hitchcock's Rear Window. The film is universally regarded as a classic, and a strong cadre of critics and scholars considers this to be the director's best feature. †(Berardinelli p. 1). He goes on to talk about the movie and its suspense, but also the great main character played by James Stewart, â€Å"Not only does the movie generate an intensely suspenseful and fascinating situation, but it develops a compelling and memorable character: L. B. Jefferies, a top-flight photographer who, as the result of an accident that left him in a leg cast. (p. 1). Another praise on the movie comes from Christopher Null; he too thought the movie was a classic. The aspect of the movie that caught his eye was the way Hitchcock made it all from a rear window, â€Å"the master craftsmanship on display, placing virtually the entire film within the confines of L. B Jeffries apartment has few parallels in modern cinema. †(Null p. 1). He too agrees with me on another aspect of this great film, helping it to be one o f the all time greatest, not only for Hitchcock but for all movies. And finally my last critic is Lucia Bozzola, who liked the film for its one main shot, â€Å"Keeping the camera in Jeff’s apartment (except for a couple shots near the climax), Hitchcock limits the audience’s view to what Jeff can see and hear from his immobilized perch. †(Bozzola p. 1). Even though I thought this could be a problem for some viewers, it is still a great feat to shoot close to an entire movie on one main shot; another reason why Rear Window is one of the greatest. So after reading all the reviews from the critics and getting diverse answers from regular movie viewers, a person who has yet to see the film should see it for themselves and decide on what they think. As for showing it to either an 1101 or 1102 class, I think it should be seen by more mentally mature young adults in 1102. Primarily due to the voyeurism in the movie, watching all different characters I think they could keep up with it more. This is why Rear Window is a great movie for ENC 1102, along with the romantic tension and multiple subplots. I thank you for your interest in my movie selection and leave you with this, a quote from James Berardinelli, â€Å"Simply put, Rear Window is a great film, perhaps one of the finest ever committed to celluloid. All of the elements are perfect (or nearly so), including the acting, script, camerawork, music (by Franz Waxman), and of course, direction. The brilliance of the movie is that, in addition to keeping viewers on the edges of their seats, it involves us in the lives of all of the characters, from Jeffries and Lisa to Miss Torso. There isn't a moment of waste in 113 minutes of screen time. †

Thursday, August 29, 2019

Comparative Methodological Critique

The aim of this paper is to compare two academic research papers, one informed by qualitative and another one by quantitative research designs with focus on the methodological factors. Both papers describe working lives and attitudes of gay and lesbian workers in the UK and USA, possible consequences of disclosure of sexual orientation on their working relations and organisational arrangements towards equality and diversity of working practice. These research projects add to the growing number of studies which shed light on the sensitive nature of homosexuality in the workplace and anti-discrimination policies and practices that organisations deploy to create a more inclusive working environment. Governed by the difficulty of access to gay and lesbian population both in UK and USA, and its â€Å"hidden† nature both teams chose their own strategy in unveiling the nature of work attitudes of gay and lesbian employees and demonstrating the progress organisations have made or are making towards the establishment of good practice. st paper (qualitative) The paper deals with identifying good organisational practice concerning equality, diversity and sexual orientation in the workplace, and considers any changes following the introduction of Employment equality (Sexual Orientation) regulations 2003. It also aims at addressing the gap between equality policy and practice which provides the foundation for further analysis of the significant shortfall in knowledge relating to the experience of LGB (lesbian, gay and bisexual) employees in UK organisations. Even today, the issue of sexuality still remains a sensitive one, despite the coming into force of legislation offering protection to LGB people. It is also the cause of unease for some employers in the modern world in discussing (not to mention dealing with! ) this issue, and consequential bullying, suffering and fear which make life and work unbearable for so many LGB people. So far progress has been made based on social justice and business case studies which means that this still â€Å"remains †¦an under researched area in which there have been very few case studies of particular organisations† (Colgan et al. 2007:591). Having adopted a phenomenological position in their design, the research team chose to carry out a longitudinal (2 year) qualitative study in 16 â€Å"good practice† case study organisations in the area of employment of LGB workers, to discover â€Å"the details of the situation†¦[in order to] to understand the reality† (Remenyi et a l. , 1998:35) of working relations in organisations with LGB workers. Also focusing on the ways that people make sense of the world especially through the sharing of experiences with others has dictated the use of a social constructionist framework (Bryman and Bell, 2007). The case studies involved the analysis of companies’ documentation and reports, trade union publications and websites to get an inside view of companies’ attitudes and practices. The main challenge of the project in data collection was â€Å"limited resources †¦ inability to specify a sampling frame† (Saunders et al. , 2003:170) which dictated the use of non-probability sampling. Therefore, snowballing sampling was applied as the most appropriate for this kind of research. The research team interviewed in depth 154 LGB employees who, prior to that, completed a short survey questionnaire. All completed the survey giving a complete census. However, due to â€Å"a lack of robust statistical evidence concerning the proportion of the UK population who identify as LGB† (Colgan et al. , 2007:591) and the difficulty of access to such people, it’s hard to say how representative this sample of LGB people is. Determined by these practical constraints, the research team adopted a mixed methods research strategy (case study/interviews) with various data collection methods that allowed them to have a cross-check against each other's results. Difficulty of accessing LGB employees also dictated the choice of analysis focusing only on â€Å"good practice† organisations. Hence, using survey, in-depth interview and secondary data enabled the team to combine the specificity of quantitative data with the ability to interpret perceptions provided by qualitative analysis. Though, there is evidence and justification by the research team of how respondents were selected, the project itself demonstrated a disproportioned balance of respondents not only in terms of gender (61,7% -men, 38,3% – women) but also in terms of ethnic division. This means that the balance tipped so far in terms of the depth of their research. The research team adapted an inductive research approach to accommodate the existing theories and findings as well as their own empirical studies, for example â€Å"that those in lower level and perhaps more difficult working environments are less likely to be â€Å"out†Ã¢â‚¬ ¦at work† (Colgan et al. , 2006a cited in Colgan, 2007:593). The paper also gives a good historical overview of how public and private sector organisations have made progress towards the â€Å"inclusion of sexual orientation within its organisational policy and practice† (Colgan et al. , 2006a cited in Colgan, 2007:593). This provides readers with a comparative overview of how the situation has changed following the introduction of the legislation. The research team identified the number of steps organisations took to follow â€Å"good practice† in relation to equality and diversity, at the same time outlining the differences in progress between public and private sector companies. In doing so, the authors also assert that the implementation gap between policy and practice still exists and requires further measures such as â€Å"the need to see policy championed, resourced and implemented by senior line managers† (Colgan et al. 2007). Whereas the Regulations empowered LGB people to step in and â€Å"challenge discrimination and harassment† (Colgan et al. , 2007:604), the key factor, as identified by the authors, â€Å"that prevented some respondents coming out at work †¦ the fear† (Colgan et al. , 2007) remained the main obstacle to LGB workers to blowing the whistle and reporting an incident. These findings are supported and justified throughout the paper by respondents’ statements and results of previous studies. The research team also defined the relation between the impact of the employment equality (SO) regulations, considered as independent variable, and such dependent variables like job satisfaction, being out at work, experience of harassment and discrimination, this in fact gives an idea of the existing problem in organisational practices. In terms of structure, language and appropriateness of referencing to other material this paper proves highly informative. It suggests that further research needs to be done in order â€Å"to gain a more â€Å"representative† picture of working lives of LGB employees† (Colgan et al. , 2007) as it only explored the â€Å"tip of the iceberg†, because the research project was able to examine only a fraction of the whole, and, unless an organisation adopts more effective and proactive leadership on equality and diversity, the legislation on its own will take only a small step towards the inclusivity of LGB people and the creation of harmonious equal working practices in UK organisations. The research project involved cross-sectional design that allowed the team to compare and contrast their findings derived from each of the cases. This is considered to be a great advantage of the project as it allowed the team to consider â€Å"what is unique and what is common across cases† (Bryman and Bell, 2007:64), thus facilitating an attempt to generalise their findings. The research team does not explicitly express their own opinions, allowing personal values to sway the conduct of the research and the findings deriving from it, this ensures that they acted in good faith and followed good practice. However, having conducted a survey following the implementation of (SO) Regulations 2003, this study failed to provide a sufficiently broad spectrum of opinion of how organisational culture has changed as a consequence of the legislation. Moreover, the research team did not specify whether any of the key informants or interviewees had worked in â€Å"good practice† organisations before the regulations came into force which would allow a comparative analysis of organisational practice to take place and, thereby, for data to be more representative. Much attention was focused upon good practice organisations in their study; however, there was a failure to demonstrate what was meant by â€Å"good practice†. This would have enabled readers to have a more explicit understanding of what expectations are from any organisation with LGB employees. In terms of access to respondents, although the team acknowledged the difficulty, they were not as resourceful as they might have been. Lack of robust information undermines the conclusions, arguably, brings into question the credibility of the findings as the research net was not cast widely or deeply enough. For the readership of this paper there is no ultimate enlightenment as the paper does not show any argument or advocacy that invite readers to the world of unexpected discovery; instead, it is rather a presentation or portrait. It also remains difficult to conduct a true replication of this study, even though majority of the organisations â€Å"were willing to be identified by name† (Colgan et al. 2007). 2nd paper (quantitative) This paper describes the relationship between reported disclosure of sexual orientation, anti-discrimination policies and top management support. It is also aimed at identifying work-related attitudes of gay and lesbian workers if such disclosure takes place and its effects on individual performance of gay and lesbian workers. At the time of the research very few empirical studie s had been conducted to investigate work attitude and disclosure of sexual orientation. Since the recognition of the gay and lesbian population within the workforce, inclusiveness of gay and lesbian employees in organisational diversity management policies was desperately needed. It has been argued that â€Å"an approach of workplace tolerance is needed† (Day and Shoenrade, 2000:347) which can contribute to the knowledge of human resource function when taking appropriate actions if conflict arises and to help create a more conducive environment for the disclosure of sexual orientation. Emphasising the importance of collecting facts and studying â€Å"the relationship of one set of facts to another† (Anderson, 2009:45) underpins their positivist paradigm. Focused on key unresolved questions such as â€Å"closeted homosexual workers will have a less positive work-related attitude† (Day and Shoenrade, 2000:346) the research team takes a deductive research approach to test three formulated hypotheses which together with research paper aims do not appear until well into the text. This can lead to uncertainty on the part of the readership. In terms of selection of respondents and its rationale, the research team fails to demonstrate the proportion of respondents relating to ethnics; also gender division appeared to be highly disproportioned with 485 gays and only 259 lesbians. Their chosen data collection methods (sampling, focus groups and a questionnaire) highlighted some problematic issues such as â€Å"identifying a representative sample of working lesbians and gays† (Day and Shoenrade, 2000:350) due to the sensitive nature of research and lack of current data on the lesbian and gay population. Great attention was paid to demonstrating their strategy in obtaining possibility sample. Having looked at various options, the sampling choice was justified on the basis of geographical location (USA Midwest) which it was thought would benefit in the existing research as it involves lesbian and gay population not surveyed before. A large sample would allow them to easily obtain a significant test statistic (Esterby-Smith et al. 2008), the research team sampled several resources, principally Human Rights Project (HRP), and then broadened them getting a reasonable response of 29% which â€Å"showed no statistically significant difference from the larger sample on the major variables† (Day and Shoenrade, 2000:351). However, such considerations cannot be viewed as justification for not following the principles of probability sampling and therefore team’s findings do not represent the whole gay and lesbian population of USA and cannot be generalised. In testing three formulated hypotheses the research team established three independent variables (disclosure of sexual orientation, presence of anti-discrimination policy and top management support) and 5 dependent ones (affective commitment, continuance commitment, job satisfaction, job stress and conflict between home and work) and selected a multivariate analysis to find a way of summarising the relationship between these variables and at the same time capturing the essence of the said relationship (Esterby-Smith et al. , 2008). Adopting objectivist ontology the research team aimed at analysing the relationships between these variables thus creating static view of social life (Bryman and Bell, 2007). However, there was a failure to specify which statistical test was used to demonstrate and examine interdependence between them. This, in fact, point to a lack of transparency of their project. Based on several example questions the team demonstrated it can be deduced that they were dealing with categorical data (ordinal and cardinal) and therefore the Spearman correlation test and regression analysis (linear regression model) were used to represent non-parametric data. This allowed them to measure the strength and the direction of association between the variables, and confirm whether there is any difference in the population from which the sample was drawn. The research team also used a qualitative research method. They conducted a focus-group discussion to ensure that â€Å"the construct of disclosure of sexual orientation be precisely defined and relevant to†¦ [this] population (Day and Shoenrade, 2000:351). This helped to ensure that the concept was precisely defined and relevant to the population. The lack of secondary data sources also explained the rationale of their chosen method of data analysis. However, had this data been obtained, it would have allowed to create a more comparative analysis. For each independent variable the research team demonstrated several example questions and interpretation of the results which provided readers with an overview of a critical analysis of the conclusions the research team came to. However, those who are not familiar with statistical data would find it hard to follow the argument as there was a failure to provide basic explanation of roman letters and include notes when referencing to the tables. Therefore, it is impossible to cross-check their results and to confirm their findings. Focusing on facts, and looking for causalities throughout their analysis, underpinned their positivist paradigm and reflected their research approach and strategy. Like any other quantitative researchers the team was trying to describe why things are, rather than how they are. They admit that the issue of causality should be discussed to achieve a better understanding of the relations of the variables. Nevertheless, the research team found the evidence to support portions of the three formulated hypotheses. They critically evaluated each one by giving their own suggestions and recommendations to organisations and HR practitioners on how to improve their working practice and establish the inclusiveness of gay and lesbian workers. The presence of modal verbs in the quantitative research once again emphasised the invariably implicit nature of this research often criticised by the qualitative researchers for its high level of assumptions (Bryman and Bell, 2007). Their data analysis and interpretation of their findings are well structured and presented. The ability of the research team to point out the pitfalls of their own project and critically approach their findings is considered to be a great advantage of this research paper. Conclusion The papers provide a solid foundation for further analysis in the field of equality and diversity in organisations with gay and lesbian workers. Governed by own choice for research strategy and approach to answer research questions, they were both affected by the same practical constraint during the research, extremely sensitive nature of sexual orientation and the â€Å"hidden† nature of the gay and lesbian population which led to that fact that probability sampling was impossible as there was no accessible sampling framework for the population from which the sample could be taken. Hence, one cannot confirm that both research projects were successful in generalising their findings beyond their chosen sample. Both research projects lack of robust evidence of the proportion of the UK gay and lesbian population and base their research projects on out of date information. This, in fact, stress the importance of secondary analysis to take place which would allow them to obtain good-quality and up-to-date data, and, as outlined by the quantitative research team, offer the opportunity for research to â€Å"compare an individual’ responses longitudinally† (Day and Shoenrade, 2000:361). It would also provide the opportunity to gain a more descriptive picture of gay and lesbian working lives and facilitate the emergence of a new data interpretation and theoretical ideas as new methods of quantitative data analysis are constantly appearing in the business research field. Unlike the qualitative research team which totally avoids any advice, the quantitative research team succeeded in providing various recommendations for organisations that can help them create a more inclusive environment, â€Å"this process could begin through education top management in the importance of the issue and the consequences of ignoring it† (Day and Shoenrade, 2000:360). In terms of contribution to the field unlike quantitative research the qualitative research project rather confirmed the existing findings and results of previous studies then introduced new information that would benefit and add to the existing knowledge. However, both research projects draw the parallel between UK and USA in terms of work attitude and practice in organisations with gay and lesbian workers pointing at lack of effective leadership and commitment of top management needed to create inclusive working relations in a contemporary business world. Both research teams admitted that further analysis will be required, perhaps, a combination of two research methods, as stated by the quantitative research team, â€Å"to gain a more â€Å"representative† picture of working lives† (Colgan et al. , 2007:606) of gay and lesbian workers.

Wednesday, August 28, 2019

International Law Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words - 1

International Law - Essay Example Due to the increase in these multinational corporation cases, American courts employed the doctrine of forum non conveniens, as a shield to limit the increasing use of the American legal system by foreign plaintiffs. The argument behind all this is that the foreign victims tend to take advantage of the procedural and substantive law.2 As a result of global development and globalization of most business activities, the multinational corporations are discussed at an international platform. The globalization of these corporations as well as economic institutions in the world brings wider media coverage that even the very small accidents can be viewed by millions in the world. This keeps the whole world alert about the multinational corporations, which are best known to violate human rights. ... The reasons for the inclusion of the Alien Tort Statue in this Act were not very clear, but however its enactment was originally for the use against pirates, and to prevent the mistreatment of foreign ambassadors, but it was left inactive and forgotten until 1980 when it was rediscovered and put into use by lawyers.5 The Alien Tort Statute was first used in solving the Filartiga V. case. The plaintiffs were a Paraguayan father and daughter who brought a complaint with the help of human rights activists. They alleged that the defendant a former Paraguay police officer had tortured their brother and son to death. They won the case and were rewarded a significant monetary amount.6 Since the enactment of the Alien Tort Statue, a significant number of cases have been brought forth concerning human rights abuses committed abroad including claims against American corporations. The Alien Tort Statute has really helped to solve many cases. This statute has made it possible and easier for fore igners to bring civil cases in the United States district level courts, for crimes committed anywhere in the world by an individual, government, and corporations that violates the law of nations or treaty of the United States.7 The Alien Tort Statue also gained importance in kadic V, Karadizic. Karadizic expanded the capacity of human rights claims under Alien Tort Statute to cover private non-state actors who violated human rights. This means that, it was directly applied against corporate defendants and this indicated that American courts were, and are willing to consider claims based on violations of international human law against Multinational Corporations.8

Community of Practice Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Community of Practice - Essay Example panics lack access to health care services because of low personal income, poor geographic access to health providers and cultural factors that focuses on traditional methods in terms of healthcare. In terms of using family and community resources there is a great link between schools and Hispanic families and the community in terms of using the available resources of computers in accessing various health information (Koton, 2001). Religion is considered as the most outstanding aspect of the Jewish community. Hypertension is most prevalent in the Jewish society. Religion is regarded as a major community and family stressors in the access of healthcare services in dealing with such disease such as diabetes that is common in the Jewish society. Despite the Jewish territory being endowed with various natural resources, the constant conflicts within the region has contributed to low level of access of health services. In addition, the conflicts have further led to lack of employment for the population resulting into poverty (Green,

Tuesday, August 27, 2019

Working with and Leading People Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 2

Working with and Leading People - Essay Example Since we worked as a team, the activities and assessments seemed to be much easier. The learning experience of working in a team is highly commendable because students have the opportunity to share ideas and to benefit from collaborative learning, assertions supported by Gallegos and Peeters (2011, p. 33). This paper will present an in-depth reflection on my experience of working in a team. From my experience, working in a team is highly beneficial as it promotes higher levels of efficiency because several individuals work on a task together and have the opportunity to combine their efforts. As identified by Hansen (2006, p. 16), the level of efficiency attained when working in a group is much higher than the efficiency resulting from a single individual. For example, we worked on a series of activities as a team, a factor that registered higher levels of efficiency. For example, we were able to complete the activities in a shorter time span compared to an individual working on the activities alone. Since the team members were willing to cooperate, we completed most of the activities in record time (Volkov & Volkov 2015, p. 269). I noted the difference in the quality of work produced, a factor, which is related to efficiency. Therefore, working in a team promotes efficiency in two different aspects. According to the skills identified by Hughes and Jones (2011, p. 60), a team can produce a higher quantity of work, which meets the expected quality. In terms of speed, the activities were completed in a short time because the group designated different roles and responsibilities for all the members of the team. Working in a team allowed students with different capacities and talents to work together. Therefore, it was possible to undertake a collaborative learning because we share ideas. The sharing of ideas between different members of the team was highly beneficial because each member learned new ideas. As

Monday, August 26, 2019

TQM IMPELEMENTION Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

TQM IMPELEMENTION - Essay Example The leaders rely on the assumption that punishment and reward modes are the most effective motivators at a work place. They actively engage in rewarding hardworking workers in a given organization without understanding the need of engaging in such activity (Edwards, 1994). Severe punishment measures introduced at the work place, for instance, in a given organization to curb the act of laziness, therefore, ensuring almost equal output in the organization. Such an assumption positively boasts the general outcome of the organization without the leader’s knowledge of it. The leaders engage in optimizing every process area in an organization, which leads to the optimization of the entire organization with time thus ensuring growth and stability in an organization. The managers or leaders, further, engage in the assumption that better results achieved by setting specific objectives within the organization. The set objectives within an organization foster stiff competition among work ers at the workplace to ensure the set objectives attained thus brings positive success in the organization. ... Further, competition as an assumption steps in because it is a necessary aspect in the day to day life. Managers who fail to accept that competition in a given organization cannot be avoided fail to effectively manage their organizations to the required standards. With this in place, the managers require a theory to act as a guide in order to realize the importance of quality management, as stated in the above assumptions, for the success of their organizations in the future market place. According to Edwards Deming theory of profound management, called the system of profound knowledge, the theory explores the current style of management undergoing revolution. It further explores the system of profound knowledge, which provides a map of theory to understand in details the organization we work for. The theory relates to the above discussion because it focuses on the transformation of an individual in a given organization in order to continuously teach other people, to become a good li stener, and help people to pull away from their current beliefs and practices. The Edwards Deming theory of system of profound knowledge directed to the leaders or managers in a given organization basing on the assumptions provided (Edwards, 1994). The profound knowledge appeals to managers or leaders appearing in four parts, such as in psychology, variation knowledge, system appreciation, and theory of knowledge practice. A manager needs to fully understand the four parts of the profound knowledge in order to fully apply in the process of transforming from the present Western management style to that of optimization. The four parts of the profound knowledge cannot be separated thus should work hand in hand for

Sunday, August 25, 2019

Lifestyle choices of the Christian family Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Lifestyle choices of the Christian family - Essay Example A parent should never assume the role of peer. Parents also need to communicate with children about basic facts such as choice of friends, and healthy activities to engage themselves in. The family should be a cohesive unit where communication flows both ways. Qualities such as love, honesty, tolerance should be enforced so that children will be free to communicate any misunderstandings or changes to family members. Another effective way of setting limits and communicating healthy lifestyle choices is in the examples set by parents. The old adage, ‘children live what they learn’ should not be taken lightly. It is easier and more practical for children in today’s society to abide by the rules and limits set out by the family when they realize that others are also living according to those rules and boundaries. The church community has a moral responsibility in providing support and limits in our current culture. The current culture tends to hold the church up to ridicule by indicating that their Christian ideas and values are archaic. To rise above this view the church needs to implement programs that will give support to families in different areas of their lives. There are many needs that the society is not able to satisfy adequately. The church community needs to be strong and purposeful and present themselves as a viable alternative in the mix of culture that exists in today’s society. They also need to have a welcoming atmosphere (Edgell, 2005). In spite of the media and other influences many persons still believe that the church has a major role. Although it would appear at times that the family is losing the battle as the strongest influence in their child’s lives, it is not as widespread and as damaging as it appears. Other institutions in the society such as schools and other civic clubs and organizations tend to work together with the family in influencing the

Saturday, August 24, 2019

Taxation Law Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Taxation Law - Essay Example It is important to note that perpetual form of employment has some elements of a contractual type. This is because both parties have to agree on work done, how it is to be done, remuneration among other things. There are several factors that should be deeply looked at when determining whether one is an employee or is self-employed. Top among those factors is the Terms of Employment. It is important to analyse the substance of a contract rather than only look at its wording. In Ferguson v Dawson1 the judge found that workers would be self-employed only and would thus avoid deduction of income tax and insurance from their salaries. Plaintiff worked on the defendant’s building site. He argued that he was an employee when he suffered an injury and could recover damages for breach of statutory duties. The judge held that the actual nature of their relationship was that of an employer/employee and plaintiff could recover damages. It is essential that courts exercise their power in a keen way. This ensures that they cannot be abused when the plaintiff wishes to be compensated whilst he had readily chosen to be employed as an independent contractor in order to avoid tax. Sebastian is under no legal or contractual obligation to accept any of the projects offered and, therefore, no contract exists between him and Giga Systems Limited. Control is also a factor that should be considered in trying to make out the existence of the employer/employee relationship. In a typical master/servant relationship, the master has total control over the actions of his servant. Bramwell LJ in Yewenes v Noakes2 stated: The control can be seen in employment relationships where the employer exercises total control over the actions of his employee. It, therefore, emerges that such a relationship exists where an employer tells his employee what to do and how to do it. While the test may still be in use, it appears to be outdated. This is due to the simple reason that

Friday, August 23, 2019

BangChak and Esso Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

BangChak and Esso - Essay Example Both companies have prepared their financial statements in accordance with Thai Financial Reporting Standards (Bangchak Annual Report 2013, 2014; Esso Annual Report 2013, 2014). Furthermore, the company’s disclosures are prepared using guidelines provided by the Federation of Accounting Professions and the Thai Securities Exchange Commission. Both companies prepare its financial statements on a consolidated basis. The company adopted changes in TFRS related to Income taxes, Foreign Currency Translation and Operating Segments for preparing its financial statements for the year 2013 (Bangchak Annual Report 2013, 2014; Esso Annual Report 2013, 2014). The company uses historical cost accounting method for recording values of its assets, and transactions. Interest bearing liabilities are recorded at their fair value. For assets/liabilities classes, where it is not possible to ascertain historical values the company uses judgments. The company calculated depreciation of its assets u sing a straight-line method over the useful lives of assets based on their costs less residual value, which are subject to scrutiny every year. In some asset classes, both companies recognize impairment in their value on the basis of their recoverable amounts. It also amortized capital leasehold rights on a straight-line method and recognized operating lease payments in the income statement. The accounting strategy of both companies seemed to be appropriate that is to provide true and fair financial information and supporting data.

Thursday, August 22, 2019

Creative Play Essay Example for Free

Creative Play Essay Creative development is provided within settings through role play, music, dance and messy activities. Creativity can stem to a range of other things to, such as problem solving, knowledge and understanding of the world, Personal social and emotional development and physical development. When creative activities are set out for children they can gain a great deal of satisfaction and it can increase the child’s confidence and self esteem. Children do not necessarily have an end product in mind but they may just want to explore and enjoy the creative materials they are using. Children are learning all the time and we as practitioners need to make learning fun and enjoyable. It is important that we provide enough opportunities for children to develop creatively we can do this by providing resources that they may not have access to at home and offering support in exploring these materials. As practitioners we are good observers and reflectors and should encourage children to reflect on their experiences to. From children’s reflections you can then look at where an activity should go next and how you can adapt that activity to support the individual child’s learning. Children can learn from as young as newborn. They begin to learn skills such as grasp, facial expression, textures, smells and sounds. The first sign of a child’s creativity begins with exploring sounds and listening to familiar voices around them. They may link these sounds to key people such as their parents, siblings, grandparents or carers. The process of a newborn is to become familiar with its surroundings and to sense a gain of belonging. They can gain this from bonding with its parents. As the child gets older they begin to learn new skills and have more opportunities in which they are able to explore. They become more inquisitive and like to have free flow of activities within the setting they are in and practitioners need to encourage them to explore the surroundings without taking charge of their play. For babies we offer opportunities for them to explore a wide range of materials and resources such as musical and light toys and natural ‘holistic’ objects such as brushes, wool, saucepans, utensils, wood, sponges and a range of different textured fabrics. Babies use the senses to acquire the skills of play they explore by using their hands and eyes. Children gradually learn to understand the properties of the objects that they played with – whether they are hard or soft, or big or small; whether the have a ight or a wrong way up; whether their shape changes or stays the same; whether they taste or smell good, and so on. Babies learn so much from exploratory play and we as practitioners provide them with a safe and secure place to do this. We let the children take risks which they may not be able to do at home such as having out blunt cutlery, pasta and other exciting and interesting objects in which they can play with and learn from. Children are more likely to l earn through play if you make it exciting for them and you help in supporting their play. When supporting children within their play you should aim to provide minimum intervention in children’s play activities while keeping them safe from harm. You should support rather than direct their play and help create a play environment that will stimulate their self directed play and provide maximum opportunities for them to experience a wide variety of activities. You can show support within children’s play by providing flexible planning and enable them to choose from a broad range of play opportunities both indoors and outdoors. You should support their play by giving the child a choice of whether or not they wish to be involved in the play activity. By giving the child plenty of space to play especially when they are taking part in physical and imaginative play and to provide challenging play opportunities to avoid boredom; risk taking is part of the enjoyment of play. Creative play allows children to express their feelings through art, music, role play, singing and story telling. It is important that as practitioners we introduce new concepts of play to children in order to expand on their existing knowledge. When supporting a child in creative play practitioners should not stress that they are to produce an end product, and that there is no competition to who produces the best piece of work as children develop at different levels and stages. Practitioners should support the fact that the child has had a learning experience whether they have just explored the resources and materials or they have reached the end product. All children should be praised for the efforts they have made and feel pride in what they have achieved and learnt and we should support children in not being disappointed in their efforts of creative play. Children’s creative development is broken down into 4 sections these are responding to experiences, expressing and communicating ideas, exploring media and materials, Creating music and dance and developing imagination and imaginative play. Children need the opportunity to explore and investigate and have a sound knowledge of where they want to go in life. Creativity can give your child a chance to experience and develop new skills and sharing their knowledge and skills with others It is a way in which children explore and develop an understanding of the world. Through creative play children develop social, material, and imaginary worlds and their relationships with them, they elaborate all the while a flexible range of responses to the challenges that they may encounter. Creativity plays a part in all the learning areas within the foundation stage for example; Personal, social and emotional development, creativity builds upon a child’s curiosity and encourages a positive approach to new experiences.

Wednesday, August 21, 2019

Acromegaly Essay Example for Free

Acromegaly Essay I. Introduction The human body contains various structures and organs that allow regulations and maintenance of homeostasis. Foundation is built through the framework of the skeletal system, motion is possible due to the muscular system humans have and other body systems that allow humans to perform daily actions. All of this anatomical structures are possible due to the two main controlling system found in the body; the nervous system and endocrine system. The nervous system can be considered as information processor of the human body, but for it to be more effective in transferring and processing information; it works in tandem with the endocrine system. The purpose of the endocrine system is to act in response to the information the nervous system has processed. The endocrine system is made up of glands that secrete hormones, chemicals that are secreted to the bloodstream to be spread in specific target organs in the body. Seven major glands are found in the body, in which each gland works to ensure that the body develops properly and be regulated to maintain homeostasis. However, certain conditions are inevitable in the human body and anything bad or harmful to the endocrine system can affect a human’s development and growth. II. Endocrine Disorder  The Disorder Each person is unique and grows differently from each other. Various aspects can be considered when considering diversity. These aspects can be factors of the development of the human body itself. Some may be hereditary, inborn and some can be a result of exposure to unhealthy surrounding. A person grows, but there are cases where growing exceeds the normal rate and reaches to extreme compare to other people. This occurrence is called acromegaly, in which the secretion of growth hormone (GH) in the pituitary gland exceeds its normal production even after the growth plates in the body has closed already. Thus, making structures and bones that are still responsive to growth hormone particularly in the hands, feet and face to overgrow (Marieb, 2010). Acquiring the Disorder Acromegaly is a disorder of hyper secretion of growth hormone, in which the chances of getting it is very rare and can vary through the development of the human body. This condition is due to abnormal production of growth hormone that functions to determine body size, affecting tissues in the body. From muscle growth, short, facial bones to the long bones of the body, growth hormone acts as a metabolic hormone that affects human size and shape in an extensive period of time. It is very comparable to a person with gigantism disorder, only difference is that in acromegaly there is a continuous growth of different structures in the body even though the growth plates have closes. The chance of getting this disorder is low, estimated 40 to 60 out of a million people yet it is hard to identify early on (Abbassioun, 2006). One person can develop and acquire the disorder and not be able to notice it right away. Gender and Age Preference of the Disorder The fact that acromegaly is a disorder in the endocrine system, there is an equal chance of male and female acquiring it, unlike if it was a disorder in the reproductive system. Both sex has a percentage of 55 to 59 patients in a million on acquiring the disease (Parkinson, 2003). It seems very few but many of the people that have the disorder tend to disregard or notice it. There is a possibility that the disorder will take years before a patient will notice the major changes of appearance in the body. Even though some may notice it, there are high chances that the person that has it will not look for medical help for treating the disorder. In terms of age bracket, in children when there is an overgrowth it is often termed as gigantism. However, when it exceeds beyond the child age limit, on adults to be exact, it is highly considered as acromegaly. Geographical Preference of the Disorder Acromegaly is a rare disorder in the endocrine system with certain treatments and therapy to reduce the chances of the disorder from getting worse. Worldwide, acromegaly is equally distributed, however, the number of cases left untreated is often found in many developing countries. With the inability to pay for treatments and therapy and the lack of professional skill, most cases of acromegaly in developing countries are not cured. Fatality of the Disorder The increase of size and mass of bones, muscles and many tissues in the body as a result of acromegaly tends to disrupt the normal functions of many organs. For instance, the enlargement of the bones can overgrow faster than tissues and structures around it. In some cases, it can cause cardiovascular disease and respiratory disease due to the enlargement of bones and muscles that inhibits both cardiovascular and respiratory system to function normally. Bones can also get brittle and fragile and even result in more chronic disease such as osteoporosis. Treatment of the Disorder There are numerous treatments on the condition of acromegaly. Certain therapies and treatments worldwide are known to be effective. Out of a hundred patients with acromegaly, 60 of those patients can be cured through surgery (Stewart, 2000). In particular, the reductions of growth hormone levels are the most effective treatment known today for cases of acromegaly. If things comes to worse, the removal of a tumor in the anterior pituitary is the most practical thing to do to take out excessive amount of growth hormone. However, treatment of acromegaly cannot change back what the disorder have already done to the human body such as bone deformities (Bolanowski, 2006). III. Topic Hormone  Growth hormone or somatotropin is the hormone involved in the disorder of acromegaly. Produced by somatotrophs in the anterior pituitary gland, it functions as a metabolic hormone and determinant of body size. Growth hormones functions mainly on growth effects but it also has other aiding purpose in different parts of the body such as mobilization of fats, blood level increase, glycogen breakdown and more. The chemical nature of this hormone is protein based, hence the name somatotropin. It is originally made in the hypothalamus where it is secreted, then passes through the anterior pituitary gland before it enters the bloodstream. It is regulated through negative feedback, inhibiting the release of growth hormones when the amount in the bloodstream is high already. In terms of target tissues, it is very general, pretty much all the bone structure and most of the muscular system is affected by the growth hormone. It also has a very short half-life, ranging from twenty to thirty minutes. Typically, growth hormones are secreted the most during sleep; however, it decreases with age. Growth hormones cannot be naturally conjugated due to its own ability to inhibit its release when it is too much in the body already. IV. Mechanism of Action  Normal Effect of Growth Hormone The release of growth hormone in the body is due to two hormones that has antagonistic effects found in the hypothalamus. Growth hormone-releasing hormone or GHRH activates growth hormone release when it is needed to synthesize protein and does its growth promoting functions in the body. Inhibition of its secretion is due to the release of growth hormone-inhibiting hormone or GHIH (Marieb, 2010). GHIH is triggered by increase on levels of growth hormone in the bloodstream. There are two ways growth hormone can be classified in terms of when it is activated. First is indirect action, where it functions as a growth promoter. Second is direct actions such as metabolism and anti- insulin. Effect of Growth Hormone to Person with Acromegaly Hypersecretion of growth hormone is the major cause of acromegaly, Over secretion of growth hormone in children can be considered as gigantism, however, in adults, which age bracket shouldn’t grow bigger than before, an occurrence of over secretion of growth hormone is considered acromegaly. With gigantism body grows at a proportion, to say the least. In the disorder of acromegaly, a body part grows while certain structures everywhere else in the body doesn’t, which result in oversized parts of the body such as the hand or face. The main receptors of growth hormone on its indirect actions are skeletal and muscular.

Impact of Cushioned and Ball Chair on Classroom Behaviour

Impact of Cushioned and Ball Chair on Classroom Behaviour The Impact of Air Sit Cushioned and Ball Chair on Classroom Behavior of Students with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) Nader Matin Sadr1, Hojjat Allah Haghgoo2, Sayyed Ali Samadi3, Mehdi Rassafiani2, Enayat Allah Bakhshi 2 1. Ph.D Candidate of Occupational therapy 2. PhD 3. Ph.D University of Ulster Introduction: Increasing number of children with autism spectrum disorder is 1 case per 110 Students is a great challenge for education system (1). Difficulty in engagement in class tasks, low attention span, and inappropriate behaviors are common in these students, which interfere with student’s ability to participate in the educational mainstream (2). One reason that children with ASD have limited success in educational improvement with some intervention strategies is that these strategies do not address the sensory issues that may underlie the disruptive behavior (Ayres, 1972; Dunn, 2000). In an extensive research on 200 children with autism, %95 had difficulties in sensory modulation. Physiological need for proper sensory stimulation leads to spending most of student time on stereotype and repetitive movements to adjust their sensory system. Therefore, their attention would not be concentrated on learning and assignments in class. Greenspan and Wieder argued that the decrease in sensory processing may resulted in social isolation and inattention to class tasks (2).Viola and Noddings stated that children with low sensory sensibility require additional sensory stimulation to accomplish the tasks which require attention and concentration (3). Therefore, one of the prominent approaches to address the behavioral problems in these chi ldren is sensory integration approach. Sensory integration approach includes integration of three essential sensory systems: the proprioceptive, the vestibular, and the tactile systems. These systems, regulate the awareness of the body in space, joint and limbs positions, control sensations of gravity and movement, and perceives the sense of touch (4). Sensory Integration theory is focused on these special key sensory systems which are useful in person’s interpretation and application of sensory information. Proper sensory integration is a gate to successful educational learning through successful application of sensory and perceptual systems which would lead to forming vital skills for doing on task behaviors (4). Occupational therapists who work in school often use sensory techniques to increase students’ levels of attending, on-task behavior, and performance in the classroom. Many clinicians perceive these approaches to be successful in promoting functional classroom behavior. According to previous findin gs, 99% of occupational therapists use sensory integration techniques (5). Smith and Miller had been in contact with 292 occupational therapists in 1992 and found that Sensory Integration based-therapy was the most common applied technique among all of them (6). The effects of proper sensory integration, improve students ability to educational achievements and success by goal directed use of sensory and perceptual systems. This method can lead to success in learning (Gilman). Furthermore, formal research conducted on sensory-based interventions has supported this belief (Schilling, 2004; Schilling Schwartz, 2004; Schilling, Washington, Billingsley, Deitz, 2003). Hemmingsson and Borel in their investigations emphasized on lack of environmental modification in the classroom that directly refers to the limitation of student’s engagement. So, lack of proper changes in environment can lead to restriction in learning. Furthermore, previous emphasis in pediatric occupational therapy has been on modifying the individual’s behavior with less emphasis placed on changing the environment, but focus is now shifting to ergonomic and sensory modifications to promote academic success (Asher, 2010). Various sensory-based strategies, including the use of alternative seating devices, have been examined by researchers and in many cases have been found to promote functional classroom behavior (Fertel-Daly, Bedell, Hinojosa, 2001; Schilling et al., 2003; Schilling Schwartz, 2004; Zissermann, 1992). Two of these functional methods are the using of balls and air cushions rather than common chairs. The use of therapeutic balls have been lead to marke d improvements in the in-seat behavior and legible word production, in school age children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD; Schilling, 2004; Schilling et al., 2003) and to increase in engagement and in-seat behavior of preschoolers with ASD (Schilling Schwartz, 2004) (7). Clinicians have been using dynamic seating systems such as the Disc ‘O’ Sit cushion for many years to assist students to increase their attention span. While clinical evidence that these systems can lead to desired results, but very little research has been completed and published to support their use. Sitting on a ball allows the child to pay more attention to activities while receiving stimulation in a passive form, rather than seeking stimulation from disruptive activities. Gamache-Hulsmans (2007) stated that students said they feel better when sitting on ball chairs. Students also felt more comfortable and said their backs did not hurt when sitting. The ball chairs are soft compared to regular classroom seats and are more fun to sit on (3). To what extent, dynamic seating chairs will effect on attention to on task behaviors and in-seat behavior? Therefore, in this research, the effects of sitting on ball and air cushion were investigated. With regards to thousands of special students with difficulty in sitting and classroom performance, these devices may be optional selection for solving the mentioned class behavior problems. Materials and Method Research Design: A single subject multiple treatments withdrawal design A-B-A-C was used to investigate the effects of 3 seating options including common chairs, therapy balls, air cushions on the in-seat, on class task behavior, communication and social behavior of four students with ASD. During the 2 A phases students were sitting on common chairs, in B phase on air cushions, and during C phase they were sitting on therapeutic balls. Participants: This investigation performed in an especial school for ASD students. A convenience sample including four participants was recruited from the Preschool students in autism elementary school in Mashhad, Iran. Participants were diagnosed as ASD by specialists and taking their own medications regularly throughout the study. According to teachers’ report, all children were identified as having difficulty with in-seat behavior and on task behavior. Procedures: Informed consents were obtained prior to experiment and contents were comprehended and signed by students’ legal representative. Data collection: Gilliam Autism Rating Scale-Second Edition (GARS II) and Vineland testes were given and were used to examine social and communication skills of students in the first and final of research for all students of class. To assess the students’ class behavior, staff was instructed to give no additional feedback on students sitting behavior either positive or negative throughout the duration of the study. But, if a student exhibited behavior that could be potentially harmful to him, peers, or the staff must have been prevented by staff. To remove any novelty effects, students were introduced with stability balls and air cushion instead of their chairs for 2 full days, before baseline data collection. Video recording: Setting camera recorders in class, Students’ behaviors during class task (sitting period and attention performance related to class tasks) were recorded all the day-time. Students’ behaviors were quantified three times per week, one day after another, with an overall of 12 sessions. Two occupational therapists were trained as observer of videos. In-seat data were collected via momentary real time sampling (MTS); the observers coded the student’s behavior on the basis of several behavioral classifications. The mean score across raters was used to calculate weekly on-task and in seat behavior. Videos were regularly checked throughout the study to determine inter and intra rater reliability agreement. Observers individually, watched videos every 10-s intervals, stopped it and marked the observation on each child’s designated worksheet, thus resulting in 60 observations per session per participant. This MTS interval would serve to make the obs ervations more valid and representative of the child’s behavior throughout the baseline and interventions periods. Additionally, GARS II and Vineland testes were given and were used to examine social and communication skills of students in the first and final phases of research for all students of class. Students’ class behaviors during two intervention phases (each 1 week) were compared with class behavior during baseline and withdrawal phases (each one week). Teacher Social Validity Scale: Social validity questionnaire was used at the end of the study to evaluate teacher opinion regarding the intervention. The questionnaire consisted of 8 questions and assessed effects of intervention on sitting and activity participation as well as the extent of preference of stability balls or air cushion instead of chairs. Questions were answered on a 5-point Likert scale that ranged from strongly disagree (1) to strongly agree (5). On-Task Behavior:† Engagement was defined as â€Å"oriented towards appropriate classroom activity or teacher and either interacting with materials, responding to the speaker or looking at the speaker† (Schilling Schwartz, 2004, p. 427). This definition included reading, and writing as well. In-Seat Behavior: Data on in-seat behavior was defined according to Schilling and Schwartz (2004) and quantified during video review. â€Å"Any portion of the child’s buttocks in contact with the seat portion of the chair† (Schillling Schwartz, 2004, p. 427) and â€Å"the four legs of the chair in contact with the floor† (p. 427). For the intervention phase (B), any portion of the participant’s buttocks in contact with the air cushion, air cushion in contact with the chair and the four legs of the chair in contact with the floor. For the intervention phase (C), in-seat behavior was defined as â€Å"any portion of the participant’s buttocks in contact with the ball, the ball in contact with the floor, and at least one foot in contact with the floor† (Schilling Schwartz, 2004, p. 427). GARS-2: The GARS is a screening instrument used for the assessment of individuals’ ages 3–22 years old who exhibit behavioral characteristics that may be indicative of autism. This is a standardized instrument, which consists of 42 items divided into three subscales that describe specific, observable and measurable behaviors. The items included in this instrument are based on the definition of autism adopted by the Autism Society of America (2003) and on the diagnostic criteria for autistic disorder published in DSM-IV-TR. Vineland Materials: Therapy balls: The selected therapy balls to be used in classroom use, had 55-cm-diameter (n Sit ball by †¦) with five little feet to prevent it from moving or rolling when used as a sitting ball. Therapy balls were individually fitted with air pressure into the ball (at different degrees of inflation) that confirm the student could sit comfortably with his feet flat on the floor with knees and hips flexed at 90 degrees. Air cushion: The Disc ‘O’ Sit cushion is a round and widely available. The Disc ‘O’ Sit, are instability cushions, strong enough to sit. It is designed to fit on a classroom chair and provide movement while seated (7). Chair: A general wooden with iron frame classroom chair without armrests (height, 72 cm; depth, 34 cm; width, 39 cm; seat height, 36 cm). 1. Participant 1, speak with himself slowly and repeatedly with low attention and cannot tolerate sitting on chair. Participant 2 an 8-yr-old boy, he has low level endurance for performing occupation and sitting. He was hyperactive. Participant 3 an 8-yr-old boy, he has visual perceptual problem with low attention and endurance. Participant 4 a 11-yr-old boy, auditory problem, he likes, Results: During Phase A1 the number of times Hossin was on seat ranged from 11 to 18 (mean [M] = 14). During Phase B, the range was 30–36 (M = 34). During Phase A2, (chair) 15-38 (M = 23). During Phase C, (ball) the range was 2-10 (M = 6). The number of on seat for Hossin shows increase on air cushion and decrease in sitting on ball. During Phase A1 the number of times Hossin was on task ranged from 23 to 32 (mean [M] = 27.5). During Phase B, the range was 42-56 (M = 50). During Phase A2, (chair) 33-44 (M = 39). During Phase C, (ball) the range was 47-51 (M = 48). The number of on seat for Hossin shows increase on air cushion and decrease in sitting on ball. Each child’s data are presented in separate graphs in Figure (A) Total number of times that Hossin was on seat each phases. (B) Total number of times that Hassan was on seat and engaged each session. (C) Total number of times that Parsa was on seat and engaged each session. (D) Total number of times that Amir was on seat and engaged each session. Films was regularly checked throughout the study for determining inter and intra rater reliability agreement. Final inter rater agreement percentages ranged from 93% to 100% for in-seat behavior and from 80% to 90% for on-task behavior. They had a mean age of 8.75  ± 1.9 years, mean height 132.5  ± 9 cm, and mean weight 29.25  ± 8.5 kg. Each child demonstrated a unique response to the use of the therapy ball chair and air cushion. Discussion: Conclusions: This investigation suggests that dynamic seating in the classroom, increases in-seat behavior on task behavior for children with ASD. However no one type of seating was found appropriate for all children with ASD. For some forms of classroom behavior, the use of dynamic seating appears proactive, serving  as a positive behavior support strategy to assist in creating an opportunity for learning. References 1.Koegel L, Matos-Fredeen R, Lang R, Koegel R. Interventions for children with autism spectrum disorders in inclusive school settings. Cognitive and Behavioral Practice. 2011. 2.Schilling DL, Schwartz IS. Alternative seating for young children with autism spectrum disorder: Effects on classroom behavior. Journal of autism and developmental disorders. 2004;34(4):423-32. 3.Horgen KM, Kathryn M. Utilization of an Exercise Ball in the Classroom: Its Effect on Off-task Behavior of a Student with ADHD [thesis]: University of Wisconsin; 2009. 4.Wu W-L, Wang C-C, Chen C-h, Lai C-L. Influence of Therapy Ball Seats on Attentional Ability in Children with Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder. 2011. 5.Tunstall H.R. Effects of Alternative Seating on the Academic Engagement of Children With Autism 2010. 6.Lang R, O’Reilly M, Healy O, Rispoli M, Lydon H, Streusand W, et al. Sensory integration therapy for autism spectrum disorders: A systematic review. Research in Autism Spectrum Disorders. 2012;6(3):1004-18. 7.Schilling DL. Alternative seating devices for children with ADHD: Effects on classroom behavior. Pediatric Physical Therapy. 2006;18(1):81.

Tuesday, August 20, 2019

Breast Implants Essay -- essays research papers

Breast Implants One of the first uses of silicone in a medical implant came in the form of lifesaving tubes implanted into young children to funnel excess fluid from the brain into the chest cavity, where the fluid could be safely metabolized and excreted. Since these "shunts" were first used, in the late 1950s, silicone in various forms has come to be an important part of many implants. "It is used in tracheotomy tubes, in artificial lenses for the eye, in artificial heart valves and in facial implants for birth defects or re-constructive surgery after cancer" (Ames 1). The most widely used implementation of silicone is through breast re- constructive surgery through elective surgery of an individual, or re- constructive surgery to replace breasts due to women recovering from mastectomies from breast cancer or miscellaneous types of accidents. The early history and use of implants showed no ill effects of the use of paraffin or silicone. Because of this newly developed surgical process and relatively little use of FDA guidelines there was no comprehensive testing done to ensure the utmost safety of a silicone recipient. By this time the millions of women throughout the world who already had Dow's silicone prosthesis implanted into their breasts had no idea of the dramatic health risks. Because of these potential health risks, women should avoid the use of breast implants. In 1976, Congress gave the FDA authority to regulate breast implants. By this time breast implants had been in use for a significant amount of time and were considered "grandfathered." This means that they were allowed to remain on the market, even though they have not gone through stringent testing. The FDA felt there was no evidence to substantiate that the implants were harmful. Furthermore Congress also gave the FDA the power to go back and require manufactures to provide proof that the implants were indeed safe and effective, if it was felt that there was a reason to do so. (Bruning 7) "In 1977, Richard Mithoff, a Houston attorney, wins the first lawsuit for a Cleveland woman who claims that her ruptured impla... ...'s internal memo's, thousands of these memo's revealed lack of long term testing, complaints from doctors, and leakage of silicone from the implants. The most outrageous incident discovered was complaints from surgeons of implants rupturing in the operating room, as they tried to install them into women's breasts (Byrne 98). Pathology reports indicate considerable silicone reaction to the extruded material can cause severe foreign body reaction in susceptible individuals. A letter written to Dow Corning from Charles A. Vinnick a predominant cosmetic surgeon in California wrote: " I am loathe to publish my series of cases as I feel that it may open Pandora's box. I do feel, however, that rapid dissemination of this information is very necessary to protect your comapny and my colleagues" (Bryne 98). Vinnick complained to Dow about an incident when he removed a pair of silicone implants, the gel in a ruptured implant was terribly runny while the gel inside the other implant was of ideal cohesion. This difference led him and some others to believe that when silicone gel came into contact with tissue fluids and fat the gel's consistency changed.

Monday, August 19, 2019

Music in Jane Austens Persuasion Essays -- Austen Persuasion Essays

Music in Jane Austen's Persuasion      Ã‚  Ã‚   In Persuasion Jane Austen tells the story of Anne, a young woman who suffers terrible losses yet does not let these losses embitter her.   But the death of her mother during Anne's youth and the loss of her true love in her early adulthood certainly leave their mark on Anne.  Ã‚   She survives with great strength of character, yet she withdraws from life.   But Anne does not withdraw alone; she takes her music with her.   Music has been called the language of the heart.   It has an enduring quality, and it can cross barriers and build bridges.   Music moves us.   Words, too, can cross barriers, build bridges, and touch our hearts; and like beautiful music, a good story is timeless.   In Persuasion, Austen uses music to define Anne's character, to show her connectedness to people or her lack of it, and to show her gradual reawakening to life and to love.    Anne's great depth of character is illustrated by her appreciation of books and music, two things that give her deep and lasting pleasure.   When confronted by Mary for being tardy in coming to her, Anne mentions that she had "a great many things" (41) to do in getting ready to leave Kellynch Hall.   Most of her preparations are for her father and Elizabeth, but when talking about preparing her own possessions to be moved, the only items she mentions specifically are her "books and music" (41).   Anne's regard for books and music is also seen as Anne compares herself to the Miss Musgroves.   The Miss Musgroves use music, but for purposes other than the purely artistic appreciation of it.   They have a "grand piano forte and a harp," but their time is not invested in playing them, but in arranging the piano and harp, along with "flower stands ... ...e pattern.   Anne, like Cinderella, is a young woman who is mistreated by her own family and who has lost her only true love because of their interference.   Yet, like a fairytale heroine, Anne triumphs over adversity and is reunited with her Prince Charming.   Austen uses the timelessness of music to develop this story. She weaves together two parallel interactions, Anne's relationship with Captain Wentworth and Anne's relationship with music, just as a musician weaves together the melody and harmony in a song.   Each of these relationships enriches and mirrors the other; they are "instrumental to the connexion" (235).   Tales of romance are tales of the heart, and Austen desires to stir our hearts.   What better way to communicate Anne's story than with music, the language of the heart.        Work Cited Austen, Jane.   Persuasion. 1818. Oxford: Oxford UP, 1990.

Sunday, August 18, 2019

Cider House Rules Essay -- essays research papers

The Cider House Rules" is a movie based on John Irving's best selling book. It is a very wonderful, touching, and real 1943 ¡Ã‚ ¦s life story. The story centered on an orphanage child named Homer and a sick doctor, Dr Larch who will have an emotional bond with Homer. I watched the movie before, and my first impression on this movie, I think it is a very good, and relax movie, where you can watch it with your family, although some of the scene may be offended for children. The Cider House Rules, begins in the 1920s in St. Cloud's orphanage in Maine where Homer Wells is born and spends most of his teenage years. Three times he is adopted by good families, but later returned to the orphanage. Dr. Larch, who is in charge there, would just as well have him stay, for he later becomes a good assistant to the doctor in performing abortions and delivering babies. Wally Worthington, whose wealthy parents are in the apple and cider business gets to know Homer when Wally, takes his girlfriend Candy to the St. Cloud's orphanage for an abortion. These three become close friends and Homer accompanies them back to their hometown where he spends the next six months. It's a new life for Homer, and he realizes that his years at the orphanage are just the past and it is time for him to move on. Wally, who became a captain in the Air Force during WW II, crashes his bomber in Burma, and his both of his legs are paralyzed. Candy, who is not good of being left alone, had an affair with Homer, fe...

Saturday, August 17, 2019

Jollibee Case Study Essay

1. Introduction Anil K. Gupta and Vijay Govindarajan argue in their article, â€Å"Knowledge flows and the structure of control within multinational corporations†, that mainly all previous research on strategic control within multinational companies (MNCs) has paid attention to why these choose to go abroad. They instead argue that for successful offshore business, one must understand how communication flows within the different sub-units of the organization. As Jollibee Foods Corporation considers whether they should establish a fourth store in Hong Kong, it faces several challenges. One of the main challenges regards knowledge transfer between its Filipino facilities and the newly established ones abroad. It is therefore relevant to look at the following research question: What consequences does the current â€Å"strategic control over its subsidiaries† have on the knowledge transfer between the Jollibee headquarters on the Philippines and the offshore Jollibee Food plants in Hong Kong? In answering the research question, we will start by explaining the framework of Gupta & Govindarajan’s (1991) on different kinds of subsidiaries, with attention paid to knowledge transfer and their related control instruments. Further we will examine what kind of challenges Jollibee Foods Corporation is facing with its expansion to Hong Kong. Finally, the above analysis will provide us with information about the existing opportunities on the Chinese market and will enable us to suggest a reconstruction of the offshore business in Hong Kong to make it more successful. Jollibee meets several tasks in their offshoring project, but due to space limitation there will in this paper only be focus on two selected challenges, the challenges of adjusting to Chinese taste and their management structure. 2. Jollibee Foods Construction and its strategic control over its subsidiary in Hong-Kong Gupta and Govindarajan (1991) proposed that there exists a certain association between different types of subsidiary units and the strategic corporate control of that subsidiary. They defined four ideal types as; Implementor, Global innovator, Integrated Player and Local Innovator, based on the amount of knowledge that flows and the direction of this knowledge, between the subsidiary and the rest of the MNC. Upon Tingzon ´s arrival the main strategy of the offshore business has been â€Å"flag planting†. Flag planting aims at establishing a presence in each market before competitors, and so, emphasizing at implementing customer expectation, influencing taste and building brand (case p. 11). The initial plan in Hong Kong has been to become one of the major players in the market fast. The previous international strategy meant that the subsidiaries in Hong Kong functioned as implementors. An implementor is characterized by a high degree of knowledge inflow from the headquarters but with a low degree of knowledge outflow; hence mainly applying the strategy used in the parent company without any local adaption (Gupta and Govindarajan 1991). Functioning as an implementor has meant that the established Hong Kong stores have not been engaged in any knowledge creation, but simply followed instructions from the Filipino headquarters. Furthermore one can argue that Jollibee’s approach to Hong Kong has been to primarily implement the already existing practices from the Philippines. For example, the menu offered in Hong Kong is almost the same as the Filipino one, knowledge of what to sell has simply been brought in from headquarter (case page. 12) Further evidence arguing for that the Hong Kong subsidiary has been operating like an implementor can be seen in the management transfer of the CEO’s brother-in-law, from the parent company to the Hong Kong subsidiary (case page 12). In addition, the store-level managers were all Filipino while little crew were Chinese and staffing problems consequently grew. To solve the problem the Manila based Franchise Service Manager worked continuously with Hong Kong for more than six months, without success. In 1997 a dispute over discipline between the four Chinese Managers, and the five Filipino Managers, resulted in the Chinese Managers leaving Jollibee with only Filipino crew left (page 12). This points towards the subsidiaries in Hong Kong adapting the characteristic of an implementor, e.g. pure inflow of knowledge from the parent company and little outflow of knowledge from the Hong Kong subsidiary. Furthermore is the overall â€Å"flag planting† strategy of Jollibee very i ndicative of the skewed power balance between Jollibee and its subsidiaries. 3. Organizational Challenges Jollibee experienced the internal challenges of organizational culture clash between its implemented Filipino workers and the Chinese staff. Furthermore the implementation of the international menu was not as successful as expected (case p. 13). The strategy of focusing on Filipino expatriates in new markets, might has helped Jollibee’s entry to the Hong-Kong market, since they already had a distinguished costumer group of Filipinos. But as Tingzon asks in the case â€Å"might we risk boxing ourselves into a Filipino niche that prevents us from growing enough to support operations in each country?† (case p. 11). We found that the expatriate-led strategy have prevented further expansion of the company on the Hong Kong market. This is due to the local knowledge that resides in Chinese workers and managers are not exploited when only employing Filipino managers. As stated above, in the early entry into the Hong Kong market, Jollibee did also employ Chinese managers but due to their sole implementation of inflows from headquarters, clashes arose between the Chinese and the Filipino managers. Furthermore one major challenge to successfully establish a fourth store and gain more market share is to adapt the prevailing menu to the Chinese taste. The main challenge for Jollibee now is how to realize, and best use, the knowledge that resides in Chinese workers. 4. Altering the Strategy for the Hong Kong Subsidiary From the above section we can conclude that there exists several challenges of how the subsidiary in Hong Kong has previously been structured, for example has one of the sub-franchisees tried to suggest changes to the menu. To be able to attract more local costumers he proposed low fat chicken and Chinese tea, as he sensed a demand for these products among the Chinese people (case p. 12). He has tried to implement these changes for several of months but has not yet received a go-ahead from the headquarters. This indicates that Jollibee mainly sees its subsidiaries as implementors, without any outflow of local knowledge to the other subsidiaries. But for Jollibee to succeed in opening a fourth store and increase its market share on the Hong Kong market, reconstruction and adaption to the local market is crucial. The top management saw a high profit potential in Hong Kong, and therefore urged Tingzon to open the fourth store. But as the profit potential is high, the competition in Hong Kong for similar food companies, such as McDonalds, is also very intense. Jollibee Food Construction does not have the competitive advantage of a first mover and is not alone on the market. For example has their main competitor, McDonald’s, both stronger brand recognition in the Hong Kong market and they are stronger financially. Hence Jollibee has to take on a different subsidiary strategy than the â€Å"implementor†, in order to success (Hymer p. 61). With this in mind the strategy of the Hong Kong sub-division can become a successful sub-division if it adapts the characteristics of a local innovator instead of trying to be an implementor, with both low inflow and outflow of knowledge. One main challenge for Jollibee is to attract more local employees and as Gupta and Govindarajan’s proposition 3 states; under norms and administrative rationality will the composition of the top-management for the specific subsidiary consist of mainly locals if the division acts as a local innovator (Gupta and Govindarajan 1991). As an implementor has the possibility for autonomous initiative been low while it as a local innovator exists space to adapt to the local environment, e.g. for Jollibee to take on a more Chinese menu. 5. Conclusion In conclusion, as Jollibee decide whether or not to establish one more store in Hong Kong, they have to look over their strategic control over its subsidiaries. As examined above, the company has mainly viewed their subsidiaries as implementors. We found this international strategy insufficient, and that it hindered them to fully exploit the market potential in Hong Kong. The prevailing challenges for Jollibee now is how to realize and best use the knowledge that resides in Chinese workers. Due to limitations of the paper, it is only a fraction of possible explanations that have been highlighted and these revolve primarily around the importance of increasing the local engagement in the Hong Kong subsidiary, and increase the local innovation towards more local taste. Hence we argue for Jollibee’s subsidiaries in Hong Kong to adapt towards a local innovator role. 6. Bibliography Case: Bartlett, C. A. (2001). Jollibee Foods Corporation (A): International Expansion. Harvard Business School Gupta, A.K.,Govindarajan, V. (1991). Knowledge flows and the structure of control within multinational corporations. Academy of Management, Review 16(4) 768-792 Gupta, A.K., Govindarajan, V. (2000). Knowledge flows within multinational corporations. Strategic Management Journal 21, pp. 473-496. letto-Gilles, G. (2005). â€Å"Hymer ´s seminal work†, in Part III Modern Theories in Transnational Corporations and International Production. Academic Books, Copenhagen Business School. Published by Edward Elgar Publishing, Inc. Schlegelmilch, B., Ambos, B., Chini, T. (2003/4). Are you ready to learn from your offshore affiliates? European Business Forum, 16