Ethnography A World Of A Collegiate Level Student Athlete

When one wishes to gain an insider understanding of a culture from a hands-on perspective they more than normally should be recommended to conduct a form of field-work known as ethnography. According to Merriam-Webster ethnography is a study of a human culture or subculture. Ethnography is a participant observer type methodology where one does not only gain information about a culture but also gains an unambiguous paradigm through which the anthropologist can see. The ethnographer is able to interview the people of the culture along with play vital roles in the rituals and other ways of their everyday life. At first many ethnographers were doing field work in undeveloped countries such as Asia, Africa, and South America. Today however, they are moving towards the post-industrialized cultures and subcultures. I decided to conduct ethnography about the life of a collegiate level student-athlete. It is an American culture where high school graduate gains free admission to a college educ ation in turn for service in a particular sport. These sports include baseball, soccer, softball, basketball, tennis, track and field and golf. I decided to study the life of a student-athlete who participates in the football program. During my participation of collegiate leveled sports and education I have been awarded the opportunity to delve deep into the facets of acquiring and maintaining a free postsecondary education, engaging in a highly competitive athletic lifestyle, while managing theShow MoreRelatedA Night At The Perk1684 Words   |  7 Pagesâ€Å"A night at The Perk† â€Å"Ethnography or field research is a sociological method that explores how people live and make sense of their lives with one another in particular places. The focus might be on understanding the human race and the meaning they produce through everyday interactions, or places, and the organizational logics that guide our activities† (columbia.edu, 2017). A discourse community comprises of a group of people, especially within a sphere of intellectual or social activity, who share

How the Quotations and Poems Demonstrate the Main Themes...

How the Quotations and Poems Demonstrate the Main Themes or Ideas of the Film Dead Poets Society The film, Dead Poets Society, directed by Peter Weir, is set in the 1950’s at Welton Academy in the United States. Welton is a school that is based on honor, discipline, tradition, and excellence. The teachers at this school are extremely strict and academic. The Dead Poets Society has many important themes and messages, which should be considered in one’s daily life. The film teaches to enjoy oneself and live life to the fullest. It also demonstrates the value of friendship, which is dealt with in the film as loyalty, betrayal, forgiveness, and love. Dead Poets Society also shows the significance†¦show more content†¦The poem also explains that being shy or afraid will only make it more difficult to seize the day. The author discusses the importance of getting married and sharing one’s life with another person. The main message of the poem is that we should not delay because we may never get the chance again. The quotation, â€Å"Most men lead lives of quiet desperation†, from Henry Thoreau alludes to the fact that most people are not satisfied in life and give up without trying to improve it. In addition, the majority of people persist but we cannot tell because they do so quietly. Robert Frost, a famous American poet, wrote about making the right choices in life and how they affect people, in his poem titled ‘The Road Not Taken’. The poem reveals that sometimes being different and choosing the more challenging path in life can end up leaving one much more successful. The easier way is not always the best way. â€Å"Carpe Diem- Seize the Day† is a very important message and theme in the film. It involves savoring life and not letting any opportunities pass us by. Probably the most obvious and prominent theme in the film is seizing the day. This means appreciating life, not wasting time, and doing what we want because life is short. In the film, Mr. Keating teaches the boys this lesson. He encourages them by saying, â€Å"Make your lives

Economics Market Demand

Questions: 1. What is the midpoint method for calculating price elasticity of demand? How else can the price elasticity of demand be calculated? What is the advantage of the midpoint formula? 2. What are the key determinants of the price elasticity of demand for a product? What determinant is the most important? 3. In 2003, when music downloading first took off, Universal Music slashed the average price of a CD from $21 to $15. The company expected the price cut to boost the quantity of CDs sold by 30 per cent, other things remaining the same. What was Universal Musics estimate of the price elasticity of demand for CDs? If you were making the pricing decision at Universal Music, what would be your pricing decision? Explain your decision. 4. In May 2009, iTunes raised the price of 33 songs from 99 per download to $1.29 per download. In the week following the price rise, the quantity of downloads of these 33 songs fell 35 per cent. Taking this into account calculate the price elasticity of demand for these 33 songs. 5. A 5 per cent fall in the price of chocolate sauce increases the quantity of chocolate sauce demanded by 10 per cent; and with no change in the price of ice cream, the quantity of ice cream demanded increases by 15 per cent. Calculate the price elasticity of demand for chocolate sauce. Calculate the cross elasticity of demand for ice cream with respect to the price of chocolate sauce. Are ice cream and chocolate sauce substitutes or complements? Why? Answers: 1. The midpoint method is a common method to calculate the elasticity especially the price elasticity of demand, price elasticity of supply, income elasticity of demand, and cross elasticity of demand (Gordon, Goldfarb and Li 2013). The midpoint method for calculating price elasticity of demand in order to analyse the changes in demand due to the change in the price of the product is as follows: Price elasticity of demand= {(Q2 - Q1) / [(Q2 + Q1) / 2]} / {(P2 - P1) / [(P2 + P1) / 2]} Here, Q1 and P1 is the initial quantity and price level respectively while Q2 and P2 are the final quantity and price level after the changes. Price elasticity of a product can be further calculated using the percentage method. The price elasticity is measured by its coefficient Ep. it measures the percentage change in the quantity of a commodity demanded that results due to the percentage change in the price. Thus, the formula for calculating price elasticity ad per the percentage method is: Ep= percentage change in the quantity demanded / percentage change in the price = (q / p) * (p / q) If the value of Ep is greater than 1 then the demand is said to be elastic, while the demand is inelastic is the value is Ep is lesser than 1. The advantage of using the midpoint formula is that the midpoint method avoids the problem of obtaining a different answer while computing the price elasticity between any two points on the demand curve. Moreover, Thimmapuram and Kim (2013) mentioned that unlike the usual formula, the midpoint formula does not depend on the value that is taken as the old value or the new value. The midpoint method allows to obtain a better approximations and thus is useful in calculating the price elasticity for demand. 2. The price elasticity of demand for a product is determined by on or a combination of a number of key factors. The factors are as follows: Availability of substitute goods: The elasticity of a particular good becomes high, when there is more substitutes of the product available in the market. Consumers are able to switch from one good to the other even when there is a small price change for a good (Walras 2013). On the other hand, the demand for the goods become inelastic when there is no close substitute. Proportion of the consumers budget: When a good consume a greater portion in the budget of the consumer, the elasticity of the good increases. A relative increase in the price level of the good will induce the consumers to look for substitute and thus affect the demand of such good. Degree of necessity: The more a good is necessary, the lower will be the elasticity. Consumers will buy the goods that are necessary despite the changes in the goods. While, in case of luxury goods consumers reduce the demand, when the price of the product increases (Sneddon 2013). Duration of price change: in case of non-durable goods, the elasticity becomes higher in the long run than in the short run. In the short run, consumers are unable to find substitutes due to the change in the price (Ataman et al. 2016). However, it is possible in the long run and thus consumers are able to adjust their behaviour. Brand loyalty: Loyalty of the customers towards a certain brand, overrides the sensitivity to price changes and thus the demand for the good becomes inelastic in nature. The availability of the substitute and the degree of necessity of a product are the main determinants of the price elasticity of demand for a product. However, the other factors apart from availability of the substitute and the degree of necessity are important in determining the price elasticity of the products in the market. 3. The price of the CD decreased from $21 to $15. Thus, percentage change in the price = (7 / 21) * 100 = 0.33 * 100 = 33%. Expected increase in the quantity = 30% Therefore, the price elasticity for the CDs are = % change in the quantity of CD / percentage change in the price of the CD PED = 30% 33% = 0.90 In this case, the demand for the CDs is inelastic. Considering other factors ceteris paribus, the reduction in the price leads to decrease in the revenue earnings of Universal Music. Moreover, the close substitute for CD is downloading the music, thus the quantity demanded for the downloaded music increases substantially (Saada 2013). On the other hand, the price for the downloaded music falls as the consumers increase the access to internet and other download sites. The demand for the Universal Musics CDs fall as the price level of the substitutes that is downloaded music falls. It can be thus inferred that the decision regarding reducing the price level was due to the decrease in the demand for the CDs. 4. During 2009 the price of song for downloading increased from 99 to $1.29. As 1 dollar = 100 cents, $1.29 = 1.29*100 = 129 Now, the figures can be put in the following way: When P1 = 99, Q1 = 33. After increase in price of each song, the new price and quantity are P2 = 129 and Q2 = 33 * (1 35 / 100) = 33 * 0.65 = 21.45 ~ 21 Therefore, price elasticity of demand for 33 songs is calculated as follows: Ep = (dq / q*100) / (dp / p*100) = dq/dp* p/q = (Q2-Q1) / (P2-P1) * p/q = (21-33) / (129-99) * 99/33 = - 12/30 * 99/33 = - 1.2 The calculated price elasticity of demand shows that the Ep is negative as per the nature of it. Absolute value of the price elasticity of 33 songs is greater than one. Hence, it can be said that price elasticity of those songs are price elastic. It indicates that as quantity demanded for those songs decreases with the increase in price. Willingness of people for purchasing those songs decreases. The price elasticity of demand signifies that the proportional change in quantity demanded is more than proportional change in price of the downloaded songs (Phlips 2014). 5. Price elasticity of demand is given by percentage change in quantity demanded in response to the percentage change in the price of the product. = Ep Ep = = 2. This can be written in another language. Chocolate sauce can be assumed as a normal good. Hence, there is a negative relation between quantity demanded and the price of chocolate sauce. As 5 percent fall in price of chocolate sauce induces quantity demanded to rise 10 percent, 1 percent fall in sauce causes quantity demanded to rise 10 / 5 = 2 percent. Therefore, it can be stated that demand price elasticity is 2 for chocolate sauce. Cross price elasticity of demand is described as change in quantity demanded of a product in response to the change in price of the related product (Rios, McConnell and Brue 2013). Related product may be complementary or substitute. Here, chocolate sauce is the complementary product of the ice cream as the fall in price of chocolate sauce leads to the rise in the quantity demanded for ice cream. Cross price elasticity = = = 3 References Ataman, B., Pauwels, K., Srinivasan, S. and Vanhuele, M., 2016. Advertisings Long-Term Impact on Brand Price Elasticity Across Brands and Categories.Available at SSRN. Foxall, G.R., Yan, J., Oliveira-Castro, J.M. and Wells, V.K., 2013. Brand-related and situational influences on demand elasticity.Journal of Business Research,66(1), pp.73-81. Gordon, B.R., Goldfarb, A. and Li, Y., 2013. Does price elasticity vary with economic growth? A cross-category analysis.Journal of Marketing Research,50(1), pp.4-23. Hildenbrand, W., 2014.Market demand: Theory and empirical evidence. Princeton University Press. Phlips, L., 2014.Applied Consumption Analysis: Advanced Textbooks in Economics(Vol. 5). Elsevier. Rios, M.C., McConnell, C.R. and Brue, S.L., 2013.Economics: Principles, problems, and policies. McGraw-Hill. Saada, A.S., 2013.Elasticity: theory and applications(Vol. 16). Elsevier. Sneddon, I.N., 2013, October. Crack problems in the theory of elasticity. InDevelopments in Theoretical and Applied Mechanics: Proceedings of the Third Southeastern Conference on Theoretical and Applied Mechanics(p. 73). Elsevier. Thimmapuram, P.R. and Kim, J., 2013. Consumers' price elasticity of demand modeling with economic effects on electricity markets using an agent-based model. IEEE Transactions on Smart Grid, 4(1), pp.390-397. Walras, L., 2013.Elements of pure economics. Routledge.

The Work of Andy Warhol free essay sample

A paper which examines the works of American artist Andy Warhol and what makes his art so popular. An examination of the art of Andy Warhol and the reasons his work is so well-known. The paper explores his methods of production mostly silk screen printing and his series producing several images of a certain subject. The paper discusses how Warhol, in his various struggles to create art, was attempting to redefine and popularize American art by making it commercial and also by making the focus upon commercialism in his art a comment upon society. Warhols art blurs the relationship between what comes first, the reality or the image. More and more people construct their lives around what they see on television. Warhol, in his own work, From a to b and Back Again, that: A whole day of life is like a whole day of TV. (Warhol 5) Both, he says, are never ending and never shut off. We will write a custom essay sample on The Work of Andy Warhol or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page The never-ending nature of life, Warhol also made use of in his epic, virtually unwatchable films. The intention by making such long films as Warhol did was to suggest that rather than art trying to change and reinterpret life, art should reflect life and be as much like life as possible. As life is no longer interior and private and personal, art should also be exterior public and impersonal.

Ordinary People essays

Ordinary People essays The novel Ordinary People explores how the heart and mind recover from afflictive losses. The author Judith Guest depicts how a tragedy can change lives drastically and even tear families apart. This novel illustrates how people deal with such emotional stresses differently, healing slowly but surely. The death of Jordan Jarrett affected the Jarrett family greatly. Calvin, his father, was one who dealt with the situation the best. He had been orphaned at a young age, so he had already dealt with the loss of his mother. When he was eleven, he learned the association of the word loss with death (pg. 49). He was more understanding and cooperative with his family that mourned. He knew the things that would comfort them, just as he had once needed comfort in his life. The death had a different impact on the mother, Beth. She went into what seemed like a state of denial. She hid her feelings from everyone and kept trying to give the impression that nothing happened and nothing was wrong. Cal once noticed this about his about his wife Beth before they had separated, there is an addiction here; to secrecy; to a private core within herself that is so much deeper than he ever imagined it to be (pg. 253). The death changed the way the once happily married couple acted towards each other; so much that they could no longer stand living with each other. Still, there was clearly still a strong bond between them. Conrads life took a turn for the worse after the loss of his brother. He was so overwhelmed with the feeling of depression, guilt, and loss that he tried to commit suicide. Luckily he survived and spent the next year trying to recover in a hospital. He thought to himself on Christmas day, only a year and a half, still it is a long time to discover that you are still in shock, still the infant stages of recovery (pg. 124). Eventually he went back to school, had a g ...

Book Report Leadership Energy Essays

Book Report Leadership Energy Essays Book Report Leadership Energy Paper Book Report Leadership Energy Paper Cottrell has tried to put complicated ideas of a process to make successful organization into orders of simple principles which can be applied in everyday situations. This is an easy to read book. However, it does not mean the content is easy to guest and it is not worth reading. In fact, all of the cases that Cottrell mentioned are all significant ones of what an energize organization looks and feels like, and there are always something could be learned. He identifies five key The conductors of Leadership Energy: synchronization, speed, communication customer focus and integrity. If these are applied and followed, they ill not only turn your organization around with positive energy, but also show a leader how to maintain this energy. Chapter one is a comparison between the famous Albert Einstein equation and the Leadership Energy equation. It is a little bit unclear and creating curiosity, but everything will be answer and become much clearer from chapter 2 on. I really like chapter 6, communication conductor, because to me, communication is the key. It could be the most important one. In my personal experience, I work at couple of different places, but only at one place that I really felt the energy to go to work, and happy with it. My manager is a great person, he always goes to talk to employees, smile a lot, and he does not hesitate to give someone a complement. Most important thing, I did not feel Like he Just said that and did not care Like some others managers whom I got. He gave me some new responsibilities, and that made me feel important. Everybody wants to feel that they are Important, and I really tried to work harder. I know that making people happy and working harder at the same time Is not easy, but he did It. He Is my role model of a great leader. I think this book Is highly recommended for anyone who Is Interested In the topic of leadership. It packs very powerful principles to turn the mass Into a highly positive place to work. As Cottrell said, a leader must have the courage to learn. He vision to lead, and the passion to share. Successfully doing this will not only help you, but also help others in your team/organization to archive high goals. Book Report Leadership Energy (E=Mac): a High Velocity Formula to Energize Your Team, Customers and Profits. By Smallwood Albert Einstein is famous with his equation E=Mac. That is a revolution in science, and now, Cottrell wanted to base on that to make another revolution in finding a key Leadershi p Energy is also E=Mac. E represents your organizations energy; M for complement. Most important thing, I did not feel like he Just said that and did not care like some others managers whom I got. He gave me some new responsibilities, and that made me feel important. Everybody wants to feel that they are important, harder at the same time is not easy, but he did it. He is my role model of a great leader. I think this book is highly recommended for anyone who is interested in the topic of leadership. It packs very powerful principles to turn the mass into a highly positive place to work. As Cottrell said, a leader must have the courage to learn, the

Managing business finance Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words - 1

Managing business finance - Essay Example Usually banks engage in selling CLOs with different tranches that represent various ranks of seniority in terms of reward/risk profile (Duffie and Garleanu, 2001). CLO’s involve three key entities; banks, CLO managers, investors and borrowers. Now, in order to understand how CLO’s work it is important to explain the way in which securitisation works. At the very beginning a CLO manager approaches various investors in order to pull up funds from them and use them to buy loans (rather issue loans). These funds are pooled in one place sometimes also called as the securitisation vehicle which serves as the source of loans for potential borrowers. This vehicle generates interests every month which are paid back to the investors in terms of the riskiness assumed by them. There are various tranches of investments which are graded according to their risk/reward profile (Coval, Jurek and Stafford, 2009). Such as a AAA rated loan is less risk and less reward generating security whereas a BB rated loan is high risk high reward generating security. This means that when the securitisation vehicle generates interest every month, the investor a ssuming the exposure to a highly rated loan (less risky) is paid first but at the cost of a lower interest rate. On the other hand the investor assuming the exposure to a low rated loan (highly risky) is paid at the last but with a high interest rate. The fact here is that there is greater chance for the highly rated securities to pay out the return whereas there are lesser chances that the low rated investment tranches will generate a return (Antczak, Lucas and Fabozzi, 2011). Due to the demand for loans bank managers prefer to issue loans by pooling up funds from different sources in order to share the risk of default. They pool funds from their syndicates which involves (also termed as syndication) other banks, hedge funds and CLO managers. A loan is then divided into

Leader profile Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Leader profile - Essay Example At the age of 16, he moved to Detroit to pursue his passion of building machineries (Ford & Crowther, 1922). After a lot of hurdled and failures, he was finally able to start up with Ford motors. Henry Ford’s vision was to bring about a car which was so cheap that everyone could afford to drive it and was also very easily and cost effectively repaired and fixed (Ford & Crowther, 1922). He translated his vision into his T car model which proved to be a great success. Today Ford Motors is a well-known brand with having stakes in other very famous brands as well, like Mazda and Aston Martin. Its headquarters are located in Michigan. Ford is ranked the second-largest automaker being US based and attains a fifth position globally for being the largest auto maker in Europe. Ford Motor Company has taken a lot of environmental initiatives in order to pursue their corporate social responsibility (Sorenson & Williamson, 1957). They have manufactured and made compressed natural gas vehic les, ethanol (flexible fuel) vehicles as well as electric and hybrid electronic vehicles. The position which Ford Motor Company enjoys luxuriously is only because of the vision of one man, Mr. Henry Ford. As a leader, he gave importance to giving value to workers along with maintaining a high level of self belief in them (Sorenson & Williamson, 1957). He always ensured to pay his workers high, which is why he was able to attract all the talent from all over the world towards is company (Sorenson & Williamson, 1957). Henry Ford understood that the only way to enhance the true potential in us is to understand the importance of work. He observed that work is an indispensable part of us as human beings and our achievement as individuals will come only as a result of us using our true working potential (Sorenson & Williamson, 1957). This is the main reason why he never thought of requiring, as for him life was work and work was life. The leadership style of Henry Ford was that of a trans formational leader. It is said so because he was able to articulate his vision with the action plans of his subordinates. Not only this makes him a transformational leader, he was also always very proactive then reactive (Sward, 1948). He was undoubtedly a charismatic leader which is completely shown by his desire to make a car which was affordable for each and everyone (Sward, 1948). The basic four traits which form the basis of a transformational leadership style are to be able to influence credibility, to inspire subordinates towards motivation, to address people with intellectual stimulation and lastly to have individualized consideration. Henry Ford had perfectly and completely mastered these four traits (Sward, 1948). Ford was always very motivation towards his workers and believed that people when happy and satisfied can be much more productive than people who are not happy an =d satisfied. He used to pay double wages than that of the market along with other rewards, incentiv es and bonuses (Sward, 1948). He also reduced the working hours a day for his workers so that they remain mentally and physically fresh. All this added to make Fords dream into a reality and the

Use of English Essay Example for Free

Use of English Essay I. Fill each of the numbered blanks in the following text. Use only one word in each space. (15 points) In a major breakthrough in diving, scientists have developed an artificial gill capable 1 obtaining oxygen 2sea water. The question of 3. fish breathe puzzled man for centuries. Now, fortunately, a team of chemists, physicists and mathematicians at Tokyo University have built two forms of artificial gill, which imitate the breathing method used 4.. fish. They are also developing a lightweight version 5. could be worn on the back. They expect that the first model will be 6.for human trials within three years and could be7 .. sale in the shops within five to ten years. Fish transfer oxygen directly to the blood, and the artificial gill will be 8. to transfer oxygen through a mouthpiece into human lungs. This process of taking oxygen 9 of water occurs through the ultra-thin surface of hundreds of fine, hollow threads. As water streams over them, the dissolved oxygen in10 . passes through to become a breathable gas. At the moment, the human gill has a 10-litre volume, 11.. has to be halved to produce a machine small 12.to be commercially successful. In 13..to this, the team is optimistic, believing it will have huge value both for commercial and leisure purposes 14.. it will let people dive, in shallow water, for as 15as they like. II. Read the text below and use the word given in the brackets to form words that fit in the gaps. (10 points) There has been much debate in recent times about when young people should take up a second language. This has been especially fuelled in recent times by the increasing 1.(important) placed on the English language. It is now commonplace to see parents providing a substantial amount of 2.(funds) on additional tuition on language lessons to give their children every 3.(competition) edge. In the past decade, language institutes have sprung up in 4 ..(number) urban centres, all claiming to provide rapid 5.(advance) in English. There has been a push by many parents to expose their children to English in their 6..(formation) years. This, many claim, will make the language more 7(instinct) and ensure that all pronunciation errors can be avoided. There is some evidence which points to youngsters who have been raised in 8(language) families, where the language spoken at home is different to the one that they 9..(conversation) with in their external environment. While these children can switch between two languages with greater 10.(easy) it remains to be seen whether this is advantageous when learning additional languages. III. Complete the second sentence so that it has a similar meaning to the first sentence, using the word given. Do not change the word given. You must use between 3 and 8 words including the word given. (15 points) 1. When I realised what had happend, I became quite afraid. OVERCOME I when I worked out what had occurred.[pic] 2. It looks as if hes forgotten about the meeting again. TO He seems. about the meeting again. 3. You can see that they made a big effort with the school play. DEAL You can see that. into the school play. 4.You have to work here for two years before they consider you for promotion BEEN They will consider you for promotion.for two years. 5. It was a bad idea to turn up unexpectedly without calling first. BLUE You shouldwithout calling first. IV. Find one word which is appropriate for all three gaps in each of the following sentences. (10 points) 1. We were aiming to raise one million euros for charity, but we†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.short by quite a long way. I did a survey online and it said that I†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.into the category of people who should consider a career change. Jane seemed confident going into the interview, but then she†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦to pieces and made a complete mess of it. 2. I don’t like parties because I’ve never been good at†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.talk. I wish you wouldn’t try to make me look †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦..in front of other people. We sat up chatting into the†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦hours. 3. I’m planning to go to the funeral, just to†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦..my last respect. I was surprised when Caleb said I looked nice because he doesn’t usually †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.me compliments. I might not have a lot of money, but I always make sure I †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦my way. 4. There’s no†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.for believing that the Queen is going to abdicate. She is only working here on a temporary†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ We chose Turkey on the†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.that it’s much cheaper than Greece. 5. We hope it won’t be too long before we start a †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. My dad thought that the whole thing reflected badly on the†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦name. Our dog’s got a great personality and we all treat her like one of the†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦..

The Job Of A Graphic Designer :: essays research papers

'Graphic designers create the visual presentation and design of goods, from gravestone markers to detergent boxes, from album covers to dog food cans'; (The Princeton Review Guide to Your Career.) Graphic artists, or graphic designers, are the bases of the graphic world. It is their designs that are sent to layout artists and then to the printers and then onto the outside world on cd covers, cereal boxes, billboards, posters, and basically anything that has to do with a visual representation.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Graphic artists, even though most love what they do, can have a highly stressful job because they must meet time deadlines and design limits to satisfy the customer. They are usually self-employed, but graphic artists are also important to advertising agencies, commercial art and reproduction firms, publishing firms, manufacturing firms, department stores, the motion picture industry, and government agencies. A graphic artist must be able to listen to the client and use his input towards an eye-catching design. The tools of a graphic artist The equipment that a graphic artist uses computers, mainly Macintoshes because of their dependability, ease of use, and graphics capabilities. For storage they use Zip disks ranging from 100 megabytes to 250 megabytes, and Jazz drives which can go from 1 gigabyte to 2 gigabytes, and now they even use protable Fire-Wire hard drives, or even CD-R S, CD-RW's, and nowadays DVD. Training   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  No specific training is required for a graphic artist, since anyone with talent can get a job for themselves, but those who want the best jobs will want to have training in, or at least be familiar with, Photoshop, Freehand, Quark Express, and Multi Ad Creator. Also, if working with web design, should be familiar with InDesign, Dreamweaver, Fireworks, and Flash.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  When looking for a job with a larger company, they may wish to see a portfolio, which is a collection of projects that you have done in the past, or even work that you have done during training courses.

Pakistan-Vietnam Comparison Essay

Introduction Vietnam and Pakistan are two different nations displaying a broad spectrum of cultural values that these nations observe in their politics, economics, social and environmental domains. My study gave me an opportunity to learn about cultural comparisons between the two countries on a macro level which involve not only contrasts but incredible similarities and eventually how these 2 different societies have come out in past 50 years merely due to their cultures, behaviours and actions taken. Culture is one of the key Performance Indicator that builds up a country and displays the frame of mind of the respective nation. The Colonial Occupation & Cold War Era Pakistan and Vietnam share a similar background of colonial occupation. Pakistan appeared on the map of the world in 1947 after a long struggle against the British Occupation and then as a result of Sub-continent partition. The British had left behind a system which was later embraced by both Pakistan and India especially in the area of politics and education. As elaborated by (Marilyn. B. Young,2002), Vietnam was once a French Colony from 1861 till 1954. In contrast to Pakistan, The French colonial system had less impact on the Vietnamese society since before the French, Vietnam had been under strong influence of China therefore the Vietnamese culture has deep connections with the Chinese culture. Even during French occupation, China continued to have influences and links in Northern Vietnam. It was not surprising that Vietnam later emerged as a communist state. (Marilyn. B. Young,2002) explains Vietnam War as one of the most prominent cold war that started in 1963 when Ngo Dinh Diem was assassinated in South Vietnam and National Liberation Front (NLF) started to operate in that region. NLF was strongly supported by North Vietnam establishment. This movement sparked the attention of the United States and then began the infamous involvement of the US army that resulted in 2 million Vietnamese causalities. During this phase Vietnam was in complete disorder and civil unrest was observed in the most hideous form. The war left the nation with horrifying memories and shattered economy. Pakistan though has not faced Cold War directly like Vietnam but it had a major impact on its society due to the Afghanistan Cold War which erupted as a result of Russian assault. Millions of Afghan Refugees flocked to Pakistan for shelter along with some undesirable elements that infiltrated which brought drugs and weapons into the country. By the end of Cold War and Taliban taking over Afghanistan, Pakistani nation was left with bigger challenges to face, both political and economic in nature. Most of the Afghan Refugees didn’t leave but they contributed in country’s economy by establishing businesses in the textile & transportation industry. In Pakistan around 1. 5 million Afghanis are living adding diversity in Pakistan’s cultural scene. It is very interesting to see how involvement of other nations like stated above can impact a country’s various cultural domains which we will discuss in following topics 1) Politics 2) Economy, and 3) Other Cultural Aspects. Politics One of the elements that Pakistan adopted from British colonial was the ‘Parliamentarian’ system. The system however is extremely mutated where power is concentrated at the Federal level and is centralized. Provisional autonomy is inadequate when it comes to distribution of wealth & natural resources with no accountability. The power distance has created an imbalance in the society and among the provinces which has given rise to biased approach by the people to support and elect parties that speak their language and belong to their provinces with a belief that if they elect politicians in the Federal government from their own region, they will get the due attention to the problems in their area. This has given rise to multiple regional political parties. The Politicians exploit the regional associations of the people who are divided based on ethnic background and language. All parties in Pakistan belong to elite families which continue to elect their own family members within the party without consultation with rest of the party members. High Collectivism is observed among the elite and the ruling groups to support common interests. The society shows high individualism by mostly supporting individuals of the political parties based on their regional or language affiliations. In contrast, the society shows high collectivism on religious matters and other national issues like Kashmir whereby society unites for the cause irrespective of race, language or ethnicity. The Political System failed miserably due to frequent intervention of the Military and mainly due to the feudalistic attitudes of the politicians and government. On top of this bureaucracy is working for the welfare of the elite rather than the people of Pakistan. There is a culture to suppress the under-paid subordinate to get work done by fair or unfair means. This has given rise to corruption throughout the Government & Institutions. Consultation is a far cry when it comes to making decisions on any level. (Wikipedia, 2009) explains Vietnam’s Governing Model which is centralised but is based on a single-party constitution over 58 provinces. The single party is the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV); clearly the Chinese influence has seeped into the Vietnamese Political structure as well. Non party independent candidates are allowed to contest elections. But CPV holds absolute power, an authoritarian regime (Tuong-Vu, 2009) argues, on state level which controls the workings of parliamentary, executive and judicial domains. The party agenda is established by the Politburo which is a 14 member party policy making committee. The President, Prime Minister and General Secretary are members of the Politburo. In contrast to Pakistan, President holds more power as compared to the Prime Minister. For example, in Pakistan the PM has the power to appoint the Army Chief while in Vietnam this decision lies with the President, the Pakistan National Assembly consist of members from multiple parties while majority in Vietnam National Assembly members belong to the CPV etc. In another contrast, there is no visibility of actual opposition party in the Vietnam which has curbed accountability of the ruling party & government officials augmenting corruption. High Collectivism of the CPV is seen in running the country’s political, judicial and economic streams. Same is observed in Pakistan’s government framework. A great positive advancement and signs of individualism for Pakistan in past few years is the independent media and up-rise of the civil society for an independent Judiciary. The media is getting stronger and freedom of speech is on the rise.

Hancock & film Essay

Hancock is a film starred by Will Smith as Hancock himself. This film separates itself from the rest of the films for it is an unconventional story of a super hero. The media has instilled in its audience that as a superhero, one must be a good role model. He should be, if not perfect at all, at least close to being one. And yet, this film is a story of the superhero who was a drunkard and undisciplined and selfish man. He seemed ordinary. It was hard to somehow believe that he can save lives. That was what was special about this film. It created a new image of a superhero. It showed a different angle on creating a good superhero. It showed that man is capable of becoming a hero, no matter how bad he can become at times. With these differences it had, it was rather right to question if the film was an effective superhero film. The location and the setting of the film were appropriate to its story. It had the view of an everyday and ordinary life of an ordinary man. Since Hancock was not to be considered as the typical superhero, it seemed that he was treated as an ordinary but strong character. His environment emphasized his strength and his goodness. His strength was presented when people around him tried to insult him. This was shown in scenes where he was called an asshole and then he made sure he was able to teach the person who called him with such name a lesson. Nonetheless, he was provided with the attitude of goodness. His environment was filled with criminals and law breakers. It showed that even if Hancock was drunkard, he wanted to make sure that he saved lives and put criminals in jails. The Mise-en-scene of the film was even so effective in aiding the story through out the duration of the film despite the weakness of the storyline. Hancock, as a superhero film, was expected to have low angle shots to show the authority of the protagonist or the superhero. However, there were a number of high angle shots in the film which suggests the authority of the audience. The shots of Hancock were always either close up shots or medium shots. This focuses the film to Hancock himself. It relayed the message to me that Hancock should be closely watched for the story centers around him and I, as an audience, am a part of his environment. With this, there seemed to be something different with the film. It is not just any typical superhero film. It is rather more emotionally attached in the part of the audience, given the high angle shots and the close up and medium shots of the character. This may be a good one, but also, it can be a bad one. Focusing on its bad effect, it lost its capacity to establish the authority and superiority of the lead character, who was supposed to be treated as an ordinary human yet a superhero. The shots were not moderately thorough which resulted to the was confusion in the shots whether he should be an ordinary lead character or the superhero. If the cinematography was good, it should have made it possible for the audience to identify the character’s role with its visual content, even without the dialogues of the film. The editing of the film was fairly clean. However, there were effects which were slightly disorienting or confusing. One example is when Hancock flew with the car of the pursued criminals. The car bumped on buildings but the buildings were broken instead of the car. One would ask the question, ‘How can that be possible? ’ Although it must aslo be considered that this film is a fiction and it should contain improbable scenes. As the audience, my reason for stating that the editing was fairly clean is because it was able to put to visual an ordinary setting. There were clean cuts of the frames. The transition from one scene to another was clear. On the other hand, there were only minimal special effects like the flying of Hancock, the breaking of the buildings, cars and roads. Other than that, there was nothing more to suggest in the editing that Hancock was a superhero film. Moving on to the musical scoring and sound effects, the film was able to have its audio presented well. The musical scoring was appropriate to the scenes where it was played. An example is when Hancock was flying and the song was Get out the Way by Ludacris. There were birds and other things that were blocking him in flying faster to where he was needed. Another example is the scene where Hancock was in jail and Ray and Mary were thinking about him. The background sound was dramatic and it showed the emotions of the character towards each other. The sound effects were in same manner as appropriate as the musical score. The crashing of the cars, the breaking of the buildings, the flying of Hancock, the cheering and booing of the crowd, the flashing of the camera of reporters, and many other sound effects were placed in the proper scenes. Even the small details were given the proper sound effects. Nothing was taken for granted when it came to the audio. The characters’ delivery of their lines was clear which suggests the usage of proper and reliable devices. The volume of the background sounds were also just enough for the audience to get the hold of both the emotion of the character and the setting of the scene. All in all, the sound of the film acted as its soul. And it is but fair that this made the film live justifiably well in its technical sense on music and sound. The most important contributor in this film was its Mise-en-scene. It was well provided and it was very effective in its purpose in identifying the film as a superhero yet, seemingly ordinary world of Hancock. It was a very good establishing point of the story. It was able to tell the story as clearly as possible. Although I must say that the story was not as strong as it should have been and the cinematography lacked a little organization. Still, the Mise-en-scene was able to provide the audience the factors and elements they it needed in order to be well-informed about the film. It provided the proper imagination for the audience to fully grasp what the scriptwriter and the director wanted to convey. The question whether Hancock was an effective superhero film or not, I must answer that it did not have the strongest justification for a yes. The visual of the scenes were good, however the shots and angles were not as good. There seemed to be something missing in the scenes. The sound in the film provided the audience well with aid to the visual but it was not quite enough. The film needed a tighter interconnection of the visual and the audio in the technical aspect so as to deliver the story well. And although the Mise-en-scene and the sounds of the film were independently provided well, it still lacked the spice to say that the film was indeed an effective superhero film.

Present Progressive Tense of Spanish

Present Progressive Tense of Spanish The present progressive tense of Spanish is formed with the simple present tense of estar followed by a present participle, also known as a gerund. Differences Between Progressive and Simple Tenses Thus, the present progressive forms of comer are: Estoy comiendo. I am eating.Ests comiendo. You are eating.Est comiendo. You/he/she are/is eating.Estamos comiendo. We are eating.Estis comiendo. You are eating.Estn comiendo. You/they are eating. Something you may notice right away is that the simple present tense can also be translated the same way. Thus comemos can also mean We are eating. So whats the difference? The main difference is that, like the other progressive verb forms, the present progressive (also known as the present continuous) tense emphasizes the process, or that something is in progress, more than the simple present does. The difference can be a subtle one, and there isnt always a big difference in meaning between the simple present and the present progressive. Again, the matter is one of emphasis. You may ask a friend,  ¿En que piensas? or  ¿En que ests pensando? and they both would mean What are you thinking about? But the latter places more emphasis on the thinking process. In some contexts (but not all), the connotation of the Spanish progressive might be conveyed in a sentence such as What are you thinking? where the English verbal emphasis gives a slight change of meaning. How the Present Progressive Is Used Here are some examples of sentences where the in-progress nature of the verbs action can be seen: Estoy escribiendo el plan de negocios para mi empresa. (I am writing the business plan for my enterprise.)Estamos estudiando la posibilidad de hacerla bianualmente. (We are studying the possibility of doing it biannually.) ¿Le estn saliendo sus primeros dientitos? (Are his first baby teeth growing out?)Me estoy rompiendo en pedazos. (Im falling apart. Literally, Im breaking in pieces.)Los libros electrà ³nicos estn ganando popularidad. (Electronic books are gaining popularity.) The present progressive can suggest that something is happening right now, and sometimes it can indicate that the action is something unexpected or likely to be of short duration:  ¿Quà © es esto que estoy sintiendo? (Whats this Im feeling now?)No me molestes. Estoy estudiando. (Dont bother me. Im studying.) ¿Ãƒâ€°sto es lo que ests diciendo? (This is what youre telling me?)Puedo ver que ests sufriendo. (I can see youre suffering.) And sometimes, the present progressive can be used for almost the opposite, to indicate that something is constantly happening over and over, even though it may not be happening at the moment: Sabemos que estamos comiendo maà ­z transgà ©nico. (We know we are constantly eating genetically engineered corn.)Las unidades se estn vendiendo ilegalmente en los Estados Unidos. (The units keep on being sold illegally in the United States.)Los barcos de aluminio satisfarà ­an bien si usted est pescando mucho en los rà ­os. (The aluminum boats would be quite suitable if you are fishing all the time in rivers.) Keep in mind that while many of the sample sentences here are translated using the present progressive in English, you shouldnt habitually translate that English form to Spanish that way. Spanish students frequently overuse the progressive, partly because it is used in English in ways that it isnt in Spanish. For example, the English sentence We are leaving tomorrow, would be nonsensical if translated using the Spanish present progressive, as Estamos saliendo would typically be understood to mean We are leaving now or We are in the process of leaving. Other Progressive Tenses Progressive tenses can also be formed by using the other tenses of estar. Although some of the tenses are seldom used, they are used much like their English counterparts. As with the present tense, the use of a progressive rather than simple tense puts an emphasis on the continuing nature of the action. An example is the preterite progressive, which indicates that an action continued over a period of time but came to a definite end. This can be seen in this sentence: La compaà ±ia estuvo comprando derechos de agua. (The company was buying water rights.) The same sentence could be reworded into the imperfect progressive (La compaà ±ia estaba comprando derechos de agua) without a change in translation, but its meaning would change slightly. In the imperfect, the sentence doesnt clearly indicate that the purchasing came to an end. Progressive tenses can even be formed using the perfect tenses of estar. For example, the future perfect progressive is used in this sentence: Habrà © estado viajando aproximadamente 24 horas. (I will have been traveling about 24 hours.) Key Takeaways The progressive tenses are formed by combining a form of estar with the present participle or gerund.The progressive tenses emphasize the continuing nature of the action.English speakers should be careful not to overuse the progressive tenses in Spanish, which uses them less frequently than English does.

Liberal mind set essays

Liberal mind set essays The Liberal mind, or lack there of is obsessed with gaining, controling and keeping power over the populace of the United States through clever, but all too obvious means in the name of " Gun Control" "Government health care" "free perscription drugs" and so forth. They love freedom (for them and their kind only) and hate most other people so vilely, that it seeps out of their voices at every turn, but they are " the champions of human rights"..Just a few things to think about. When was the last time you heard a Republican tout about " the people need protection from themselves" or " Government Regulations will save you". A larger, more controling Government is NOT the answer to ANYTHING, this country is made by the people, for the people and run by the people. Some people feel that the issue of Freedom of Choice is a Constitutionally given right, is it? the right to MURDER an innocent, unborn baby because the mother doesnt want to deal with it? think about this: Abortion means: No formal charges, no trial, no judge, no jury, no appeal: instant exectution. Liberals would scream to the high heavens , and rightly so if this was done to a criminal, but they scream even more when someone trys to prevent them from doing this to a baby, how screwed up is that? Dont fall for their liberal games, their lies and double talk, for you will quickly loose touch with yourself, your kind, decient soul. ...

HRM Innovation and Change Lab Report Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4500 words

HRM Innovation and Change - Lab Report Example some employees of the existence of HRM policies and initiatives and the related positive impact on employee retention and overall HRM practices at these News Corporation media companies, the general agreement is that key performance indicators on the relative success of HRM initiatives have been gathering positive momentums at these media giants. Thus this paper has successfully established a set of positive correlations between a number of HRM related key performance indicators and the organizational outcomes especially concerning employee retention strategies at News Corporation. Particularly the environment and employee welfare related policies have shown a progressive improvement. Further employee retention strategies at News Corporation and labor turnover figures are interconnected in such a way that staff members have particularly been affected by a lack of concern for their negative experiences while dealing with customers. Finally this study has clearly identified a positive set of outcomes related to HRM practices and motivation thus News Corporation has acquired a greater dimension of integrity at the inner-house operational level on par with CSR initiatives. News Corporation is a global media company founded by Rupert Murdoch and is the world’s largest publisher of English language newspapers. Its operations span across a number of countries such as Australia, the United States, the United Kingdom and so on. News Corporation has been faced with stiffer competition in both digital and conventional publishing and therefore it ought to design and implement some far superior and innovative HRM policies and initiatives. News Corporation has initiated a number of changes in the workforce management and HRM practices. Work ethics is differentially applied to generate enthusiasm among employees. Workers at News Corporation are motivated through a good mixture of both financial and non-financial benefits. Performance-related pay might encourage employees to

Delphi and Nominal Group Techniques Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Delphi and Nominal Group Techniques - Assignment Example This eliminates the effect of dominant members of the group imposing on other members to make one decision. However, the method can be time consuming and costly since each participant has to be separated and the decision-making process has to repeated for a long time. The nominal group technique is another way of making decisions, and in my opinion, the main advantage it presents is that it allows members to give their individual opinions and participate in constructive problem solving. Since each member is allowed to give their own view, other member can hear the individual opinions and decide whether every member makes sense. However, the main disadvantage is that it does not allow members to develop their ideas to the fullest since the decision-making process is usually time-limited. The nominal group technique is the one applicable to my decision-making process, since it can take in the input by all the relevant managers in the firm. This technique would be used by collecting all the decision makers in the firm and having them decide on the best

Business law concepts Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Business law concepts - Essay Example An employer has to pay wages even if no work is there for the employee to do. The common principle is that wages has to be paid if an employee is accessible for work. This again depends on whether the terms in the contract are expressed or implied. The case on hand with regard to Lessex Police Constabulary agree with Highspots Nightclub is similar to the case of Scottbridge Ltd v Wright wherein a night-watchman was called for to be on the building between 5 pm and 7 am every night. Other than some minor duties the watch man was mainly required to be in the premises to prevent any intruders. When the night watch-man claimed his wages the employer refused to pay saying that he had no work. The Court of Session preserved the EAT judgment that he has to be paid at least the national minimum wage rate for the hours he was at work. It was in the hands of the employer to render him with work and just because he did not have any work to do will not nullify his right to be paid.

Learning Organization Essay Example for Free

Learning Organization Essay EXECUTIVE SUMMARY are proliferating as corporations seek to better themselves and gain an edge. Unfortunately, however, failed programs far outnumber successes, and improvement rates remain low. Thats because most companies have failed to grasp a basic truth. Before people and companies can improve, they first must learn. And to do this, they need to look beyond rhetoric and high philosophy and focus on the fundamentals. Three critical issues must be addressed before a company can truly become a learning organization, writes Harvard Business School professor David Garvin. First is the question of meaning: a well-grounded, easy-to-apply definition of a learning organization. Second comes management: clearer operational guidelines for practice. Finally, better tools for measurement can assess an organizations rate and level of learning. Using these three Ms as a framework, Garvin defines learning organizations as skilled at five main activities: systematic problem solving, experimentation with new approaches, learning from past experience, learning from the best practices of others, and transferring knowledge quickly and efficiently throughout the organization. And since you cant manage something if you cant measure it, a complete learning audit is a must. That includes measuring cognitive and behavioral changes as well as tangible improvements in results. No learning organization is built overnight. Success comes from carefully cultivated attitudes, commitments, and management processes that accrue slowly and steadily. The first step is to foster an environment conducive to learning. Analog Devices, Chaparral Steel, Xerox, GE, and other companies provide enlightened examples. CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT PROGRAMS  CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT PROGRAMS are sprouting up all over as organizations strive to better themselves and gain an edge. The topic list is long and varied, and sometimes it seems as though a program a month is needed just to keep up. Unfortunately, failed programs far outnumber successes, and improvement rates remain distressingly low. Why? Because most companies have failed to grasp a basic truth. Continuous improvement requires a commitment to learning. How, after all, can an organization improve without first learning something new? Solving a problem, introducing a product, and reengineering a process all require seeing the world in a new light and acting accordingly. In the absence of learning, companies-and individuals -simply repeat old practices. Change remains cosmetic, and improvements are either fortuitous or short-lived. A few farsighted executives – Ray Stata of Analog Devices, Gordon Forward of Chaparral Steel, Paul Allaire of Xerox-have recognized the link between learning and continuous improvement and have begun to refocus their companies around it. Scholars too have jumped on the bandwagon, beating the drum for learning organizations and knowledge-creating companies. In rapidly changing businesses like semiconductors and consumer electronics, these ideas are fast taking hold. Yet despite the encouraging signs, the topic in large part remains murky, confused, and difficult to penetrate. Meaning, Management, and Measurement Scholars are partly to blame. Their discussions of learning organizations have often been reverential and utopian, filled with near mystical terminology. Paradise, they would have you believe, is just around the corner. Peter Senge, who popularized learning organizations in his book The Fifth Discipline, described them as places where people continually expand their capacity to create the results they truly desire, where new and expansive patterns of thinking are nurtured, where collective aspiration is set free, and where people are continually learning how to learn together. To achieve these ends, Senge suggested the use of five component technologies: systems thinking, personal mastery, mental models, shared vision, and team learning. In a similar spirit, Ikujiro Nonaka characterized knowledge-creating companies as places where inventing new knowledge is not a specialized activity it is a way of behaving, indeed, a way of being, in which everyone is a knowledge worker. Nonaka suggested that companies use metaphors and organizational redundancy to focus thinking, encourage dialogue, and make tacit, instinctively understood ideas explicit. Sound idyllic? Absolutely. Desirable? Without question. But does it provide a framework for action? Hardly. The recommendations are far too abstract, and too many questions remain unanswered. How, for example, will managers know when their companies have become learning organizations? What concrete changes in behavior are required? What policies and programs must be in place? How do you get from here to there? Most discussions of learning organizations finesse these issues. Their focus is high philosophy and grand themes, sweeping metaphors rather than the gritty details of practice. Three critical issues are left unresolved; yet each is essential for effective implementation. First is the question of meaning. We need a plausible, well-grounded definition of learning organizations; it must be actionable and easy to apply. Second is the question of management. We need clearer guidelines for practice, filled with operational advice rather than high aspirations. And third is the question of measurement. We need better tools for assessing an organizations rate and level of learning to ensure that gains have in fact been made. Once these three Ms are addressed, managers will have a firmer foundation for launching learning organizations. Without this groundwork, progress is unlikely, and for the simplest of reasons. For learning to become a meaningful corporate goal, it must first be understood. What Is a Learning Organization? Surprisingly, a clear definition of learning has proved to be elusive over the years. Organizational theorists have studied learning for a long time; the accompanying quotations suggest that there is still considerable disagreement (see Definitions of Organizational Learning on page 77). Most scholars view organizational learning as a process that unfolds over time and link it with knowledge acquisition and improved performance. But they differ on other important matters. Some, for example, believe that behavioral change is required. for learning; others insist that new ways of thinking are enough. Some cite information processing as the mechanism through which learning takes place; others propose-shared insights, organizational routines, even memo. And some think that organizational learning is common, while others believe that flawed, self-serving interpretations are the norm. How can we discern among this cacophony of voices yet build on earlier insights? As a first step, consider the following definition: A learning organization is an organization skilled at creating, acquiring and transferring knowledge, and at modifying its behavior to reflect new knowledge and insights. This definition begins with a simple truth: new ideas are essential if learning is to take place. Sometimes they are created de novo, through flashes of insight or creativity; at other times they arrive from outside the organization or are communicated by knowledgeable insiders. Whatever their source, these ideas are the trigger for organizational improvement. But they cannot by themselves create a learning organization. Without accompanying changes in the way that work gets done, only the potential for improvement exists. This is a surprisingly stringent test for it rules out a number of obvious candidates for learning organizations. Many universities fail to qualify, as do many consulting firms. Even General Motors, despite its recent efforts to improve performance, is found wanting. All of these organizations have been effective at creating or acquiring new knowledge but notably less successful in applying that knowledge to their own activities. Total quality management, for example, is now taught at many business schools, yet the number using it to guide their own decision making is very small. Organizational consultants advise clients on social dynamics and small-group behavior but are notorious for their own infighting and factionalism. And GM, with a few exceptions (like Saturn and NUMMI), has had little success in revamping its manufacturing practices, even though its managers are experts on lean manufacturing, JIT production, and the requirements for improved quality of work life. Organizations that do pass the definitional test – Honda, Corning, and General Electric come quickly to mind – have, by contrast, become adept at translating new knowledge into new ways of behaving. These companies actively manage the learning process to ensure that it occurs by design rather than by chance. Distinctive policies and practices are responsible for their success; they form the building blocks of learning organizations. Building Blocks Learning organizations are skilled at five main activities: systematic problem solving, experimentation with new approaches, learning from their own experience and past history, learning from the experiences and best practices of others, and transferring knowledge quickly and efficiently throughout the organization. Each is accompanied by a distinctive mind-set, tool kit, and pattern of behavior. Many companies practice these activities to some degree. But few are consistently successful because they rely largely on happenstance and isolated examples. By creating systems and processes that support these activities and integrate them into the fabric of daily operations, companies can manage their learning more effectively. 1. Systematic problem solving. This first activity rests heavily on the philosophy and methods of the quality movement. Its underlying ideas, now widely accepted, include: †¢ Relying on the scientific method, rather than guesswork, for diagnosing problems (what Deming calls the â€Å"Plan, Do, Check, Act cycle, and others refer to as hypothesis-generating, hypothesistesting techniques). †¢ Insisting on data, rather than assumptions, as background for decision making (what quality practitioners call fact-based management). †¢ Using simple statistical tools (histograms, Pareto charts, correlations, cause-and-effect diagrams) to organize data and draw inferences. Most training programs focus primarily on problem solving techniques, using exercises and practical examples. These tools are relatively straightforward and easily communicated; the necessary mind-set, however, is more difficult to establish. Accuracy and precision are essential for learning. Employees must therefore become more disciplined in their thinking and more attentive to details. They must continually ask, How do we know thats true? , recognizing that close enough is not good enough if real learning is to take place. They must push beyond obvious symptoms to assess underlying causes, often collecting evidence when conventional wisdom says it is unnecessary. Otherwise, the organization will remain a prisoner of gut facts and sloppy reasoning, and learning will be stifled. Xerox has mastered this approach on a companywide scale. In 1983, senior managers launched the companys Leadership Through Quality initiative; since then, all employees have been trained in small-group activities and problem-solving techniques. Today a six-step process is used for virtually all decisions (see Xeroxs Problem-Solving Process). Employees are provided with tools in four areas: generating ideas and collecting information (brainstorming, interviewing, surveying); reaching consensus (list reduction, rating forms, weighted voting); analyzing and displaying data (cause-andeffect diagrams, force-field analysis); and planning actions (flow charts, Gantt charts). They then practice these-tools during training sessions that last several days. Training is presented in family groups, members of the same department or business-unit team, and the tools are applied to real problems facing the group. The result of this process has been a common vocabulary and a consistent, companywide approach to problem solving. Once employees have been trained, they are expected to use the techniques at all meetings, and no topic is off limits. When a high-level group was formed to review Xeroxs organizational structure and suggest alternatives, it employed the very same process and tools. 2. Experimentation. This activity involves the systematic searching for and testing of new knowledge. Using the scientific method is essential, and there are obvious parallels to systematic problem solving. But unlike problem solving, experimentation is usually motivated by opportunity and expanding horizons, not by current difficulties. It takes two main forms: ongoing programs and one-ofa-kind demonstration projects. Ongoing programs normally involve a continuing series of small experiments, designed to produce incremental gains in knowledge. They are the mainstay of most continuous improvement programs and are especially common on the shop floor. Corning, for example, experiments continually with diverse raw materials and new formulations to increase yields and provide better grades of glass. Allegheny Ludlum, a specialty steelmaker, regularly examines new rolling methods and improved technologies to raise productivity and reduce costs. Successful ongoing programs share several characteristics. First, they work hard to ensure a steady flow of new ideas, even if they must be imported from outside the organization. Chaparral Steel sends its first-line supervisors on sabbaticals around the globe, where they visit academic and industry leaders, develop an understanding of new Xerox’s Problem-Solving Process Step Questions to be Answered What do we want to change? Expansion/ Divergence Lots of problems for consideration Contraction/ Convergence One problem statement, one â€Å"desired state† agreed upon What’s Next to Go to the Next Step Identification of the gap â€Å"Desired state† described in observable terms Key causes documented and ranked 1. Identify and select problem 2. Analyse Problem What’s preventing us from reaching the â€Å"desired state†? How could we make the change? What’s the best way to do it? Lots of potential causes identified. Key causes identified and verified 3. Generate potential solutions 4. Select and plan the solution Lots of ideas on how to solve the problem Lots of criteria for evaluating potential solutions. Lots of ideas on how to implement and evaluate the selected solution Potential solutions clarified Criteria to use for evaluating solution agreed upon Implementation and evaluation plans agreed upon Implementation of agreed-on contingency plans (if necessary) Effectiveness of solution agreed upon Continuing problems (if any) identified Solution List. Plan for making and monitoring the change Measurement criteria to evaluate solution effectiveness 5. Implement the solution Are we following the plan? Solution in place 6. Evaluate the solution How well did it work? Verification that the problem is solved, or Agreement to address continuing problems work practices and technologies, then bring what theyve learned back to the company and apply it to daily operations. Inlarge part as a result of these initiatives, Chaparral is one of the five lowest cost steel plants in the world. GEs Impact Program originally sent manufacturing managers to Japan to study factory innovations, such as quality circles and kanban cards, and then apply them in their own organizations; today Europe is the destination, and productivity improvement practices the target. The program is one reason GE has recorded productivity gains averaging nearly 5% over the last four years. Successful ongoing programs also require an incentive system that favors risk taking. Employees must feel that the benefits of experimentation exceed the costs; otherwise, they will not participate. This creates a difficult challenge for managers, who are trapped between two perilous extremes. They must maintain accountability and control over experiments without stifling creativity by unduly penalizing employees for failures. Allegheny Ludlum has perfected this juggling act: it keeps expensive, high-impact experiments off the scorecard used to evaluate managers but requires prior approvals from four senior vice presidents. The result has been=a history of productivity improvements annually avenging 7% to 8%. Finally, ongoing programs need managers and employees who are trained in the skills required to perform and evaluate experiments. These skills are seldom intuitive and must usually be learned. They cover a broad sweep: statistical methods, like design of experiments, that efficiently compare a large number of alternatives; graphical techniques, like process analysis, that are essential for redesigning work flows; and creativity techniques, like storyboarding and role playing, that keep novel ideas flowing. The most effective training programs are tightly focused and feature a small set of techniques tailored to employees needs. Training in design of experiments, for example, is useful for manufacturing engineers, while creativity techniques are well suited to development groups. Demonstration projects are usually larger and more complex than ongoing experiments. They involve holistic, system wide changes, introduced at a single site, and are often undertaken with the goal of developing new organizational capabilities. Because these projects represent a sharp break from the past, they are usually designed from scratch, using a clean slate approach. General Foodss Topeka plant, one of the first high commitment work systems in this country, was a pioneering demonstration project initiated to introduce the idea of self-managing teams and high levels of worker autonomy; a more recent example, designed to rethink small-car development, manufacturing, and sales, is GMs Saturn Division. Demonstration projects share a number of distinctive characteristics: †¢ They are usually the first projects to embody principles and approaches that the organization hopes to adopt later on a larger scale. For this reason, they are more transitional efforts than endpoints and involve considerable learning by doing. Mid-course corrections are common. †¢ They implicitly establish policy guidelines and decision rules for later projects. Managers must therefore be sensitive to the precedents they are setting and must send strong signals if they expect to establish new norms. †¢ They often encounter severe tests of commitment from employees who wish to see whether the rules have, in fact, changed. †¢ They are normally developed by strong multifunctional teams reporting directly to senior management. (For projects targeting employee involvement or quality of work life, teams should be multilevel as well. ) †¢ They tend to have only limited impact on the rest of the organization if they are not accompanied by explicit strategies for transferring learning. All of these characteristics appeared in a demonstration project launched by Copeland Corporation, a highly successful compressor manufacturer, in the mid-1970s. Matt Diggs, then the new CEO, wanted to transform the companys approach to manufacturing. Previously, Copeland had machined and assembled all products in a single facility: Costs were high, and quality was marginal. The problem, Diggs felt, was too much complexity. At the outset, Diggs assigned a small, multifunctional team the task of designing a focused factory dedicated to a narrow, newly developed product line. The team reported directly to Diggs and took three years to complete its work. Initially, the project budget was $10 million to $12 million; that figure was repeatedly revised as the team found, through experience and with Diggss prodding, that it could achieve dramatic improvements. The final investment, a total of $30 million, yielded unanticipated breakthroughs in reliability testing, automatic tool adjustment, and programmable control. All were achieved through learning by doing. The team set additional precedents during the plants start-up and early operations. To dramatize the importance of quality, for example, the quality manager was appointed second-in-command, a significant move upward. The same reporting relationship was used at all subsequent plants. In addition, Diggs urged the plant manager to ramp up slowly to full production and resist all efforts to proliferate products. These instructions were unusual at Copeland, where the marketing department normally ruled. Both directives were quickly tested; management held firm, and the implications were felt throughout the organization. Manufacturings stature improved, and the company as a whole recognized its competitive contribution. One observer commented, Marketing had always run the company, so they couldnt believe it. The change was visible at the highest levels, and it went down hard. Once the first focused factory was running smoothly -it seized 25% of the market in two years and held its edge in reliability for over a decade-Copeland built four more factories in quick succession. Diggs assigned members of the initial project to each factorys design team to ensure that early learnings were not lost; these people later rotated into operating assignments. Today focused factories remain the cornerstone of Copelands manufacturing strategy and a continuing source of its cost and quality advantages. Whether they are demonstration projects like Copelands or ongoing programs like Allegheny Ludlums, all forms of experimentation seek the same end: moving from superficial knowledge to deep understanding. At its simplest, the distinction is between knowing how things are done and knowing why they occur. Knowing how is partial knowledge; it is rooted in norms of behavior, standards of practice, and settings of equipment. Knowing why is more fundamental: it captures underlying causeand-effect relationships and accommodates exceptions, adaptations, and unforeseen events. The ability to control temperatures and pressures to align grains of silicon and form silicon steel is an example of knowing how; understanding the chemical and physical process that produces the alignment is knowing why. Further distinctions are possible, as the insert Stages of Knowledge suggests. Operating knowledge can be arrayed in a hierarchy, moving from limited understanding and the ability to make few distinctions to more complete understanding in which all contingencies are anticipated and controlled. In this context, experimentation and problem solving foster learning by pushing organizations up the hierarchy, from lower to higher stages of knowledge. 3. Learning from past experience. Companies must review their successes and failures, assess them systematically, and record the lessons in a form that employers find open and accessible. One expert has called t9is process the Santayana Review, citing the famous philosopher George Santayana, who coined the phrase Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it. Unfortunately, too many managers today are indifferent, even hostile, to the past, and by failing to reflect on it, they let valuable knowledge escape. A study of more than 150 new products concluded that the knowledge gained from failures [is] often instrumental in achieving subsequent successes. In the simplest terms, failure is the ultimate teacher. IBMs 360 computer series, for example, one of the most popular and profitable ever built, was based on the technology of the failed Stretch computer that preceded it. In this case, as in many others, learning occurred by chance rather than by careful planning. A few companies, however, have established processes that require their managers to periodically think about the past and learn from their mistakes. Boeing did so immediately after its difficulties with the 737 and 747 plane programs. Both planes were introduced with much fanfare and also with serious problems. To ensure that the problems were not repeated, senior managers commissioned a high-level employee group, called Project Homework, to compare the development processes of the 737 and 747 with those of the 707 and 727, two of the companys most profitable planes. The group was asked to develop a set of lessons learned that could be used on future projects. After working for three years, they produced hundreds of recommendations and an inch-thick booklet. Several members of the team were then transferred to the 757 and 767 start-ups, and guided by experience, they produced the most successful, error-free launches in Boeings history. Other companies have used a similar retrospective approach. Like Boeing, Xerox studied its product development process, examining three troubled products in an effort to understand why the companys new business initiatives failed so often. Arthur D. Little, the consulting company, focused on its past successes. Senior management invited ADL consultants from around the world to a two-day jamboree, featuring booths and presentations documenting a wide range of the companys most successful practices, publications, and techniques. British Petroleum went even further and established the post-project appraisal unit to review major investment projects, write up case studies, and derive lessons for planners that were then incorporated into revisions of the companys planning guidelines. A five-person unit reported to the board of directors and reviewed six projects annually. The bulk of the time was spent in the field interviewing managers. This type of review is now conducted regularly at the project level. At the heart of this approach, one expert has observed, is a mind-set that enables companies to recognize the value of productive failure as contrasted with unproductive success. A productive failure is one that leads to insight, understanding, and thus an addition to the commonly held wisdom of the organization. An unproductive success occurs when something goes well, but nobody knows how or why. IBMs legendary founder, Thomas Watson, Sr. , apparently understood the distinction well. Company lore has it that a young manager; after losing $10 million in a risky venture was called into Watsons office. The young man, thoroughly intimidated, began by saying, I guess you want my resignation. Watson replied, You cant be serious. We just spent $10 million educating you. Fortunately, the learning process need not be so expensive. Case studies and post-project reviews like those of Xerox and British Petroleum can be performed with little cost other than managers time. Companies can also enlist the help of faculty and students at local colleges or universities; they bring fresh perspectives and view internships and case studies as opportunities to gain experience and increase their own learning. A few companies have established computerized data banks to speed up the learning process. At Paul Revere Life Insurance, management requires all problem-solving teams to complete short registration forms describing their proposed projects if they hope to qualify for the companys award program. The company then enters the forms into its computer system and can immediately retrieve a listing of other groups of people who have worked or are working on the topic, along with a contact person. Relevant experience is then just a telephone call away. 4. Learning from others. Of course, not all learning comes from reflection and self-analysis. Sometimes the most powerful insights come from looking outside ones immediate environment to gain a new perspective. Enlightened managers know that even companies in completely different businesses can be fertile sources of ideas and catalysts for creative thinking. At these organizations, enthusiastic borrowing is replacing the not invented here syndrome. Milliken calls the process SIS, for Steal Ideas Shamelessly; the broader term for it is benchmarking. According to one expert, benchmarking is an ongoing investigation and learning experience that ensures that best industry practices are uncovered, analyzed, adopted, and implemented. The greatest benefits come from studying practices, the way that work gets done, rather than results, and from involving line managers in the process. Almost anything can be benchmarked. Xerox, the concepts creator, has applied it to billing, warehousing, and automated manufacturing. Milliken has been even more creative: in an inspired moment, it benchmarked Xeroxs approach to benchmarking. Unfortunately, there is still considerable confusion about the requirements for successful benchmarking. Benchmarking is not industrial tourism, a series of ad hoc visits to companies that have received favorable publicity or won quality awards. Rather, it is a disciplined process that begins with a thorough search to identify best-practice organizations, continues with careful study of ones own practices and performance, progresses through systematic site visits and interview and concludes with an analysis of results, development of recommendations, and implementation. While timeconsuming, the process need not be terribly expensive ATTs Benchmarking Group estimates that a moderate-sized project takes four to six months and incurs out-of-pocket costs of $20,000 (when personnel costs ax included, the figure is three to four times higher). Bench marking is one way of gaining an outside perspective; another, equally fertile source of ideas is customers. Conversations with customers invariably stimulate learning; they are, after all, experts in what they do. Customers can provide up-to-date product information, competitive comparisons, insights into changing preferences, and immediate feedback about service and patt ern of use. And companies need these insights at all levels, from the executive suite to the shop floor. At Motorola, members of the Operating and Policy Committee, including the CEO, meet personally and on a regular basis with customers. At Worthington Steel, all machine operators make periodic, unescorted trips to customers factories to discuss their needs. Sometimes customers cant articulate their needs or remember even the most recent problems they have had with a product or service. If thats the case, managers must observe them in action. Xerox employs a number of anthropologists at its Palo Alto Research Center to observe users of new document products in their offices. Digital Equipment has developed an interactive process called contextual inquiry that is used by software engineers to observe users of new technologies as they go about their work. Milliken has created first-delivery teams that accompany the first shipment of all products; team members follow the product through the customers production process to see how it is used and then develop ideas for further improvement. Whatever the source of outside ideas, learning will only occur in a receptive environment. Managers cant be defensive and must be open to criticism or bad news. This is a difficult challenge, but it is essential for success. Companies that approach customers assuming that we must be right, they have to be wrong or visit other organizations certain that they cant  teach us anything seldom learn very much. Learning organizations, by contrast, cultivate the art of open, attentive listening. 5. Transferring knowledge. For learning to be more than a local affair, knowledge must spread quickly and efficiently throughout the organization. Ideas carry maximum impact when they are shared broadly rather than held in a few hands. A variety of mechanisms spur this process, including written, oral, and visual reports, site visits and tours, personnel rotation programs, education and training programs, and standardization programs. Each has distinctive strengths and weaknesses. Reports and tours are by far the most popular mediums. Reports serve many purposes: they summarize findings, provide checklists of dos and donts, and describe important processes and events. They cover a multitude of topics, from benchmarking studies to accounting conventions to newly discovered marketing techniques. Today written reports are often supplemented by videotapes, which offer greater immediacy and fidelity. Tours are an equally popular means of transferring knowledge, especially for large, multidivisional organizations with multiple sites.

Importance of Manners in Pride and Prejudice Essay -- Pride Prejudice

Importance of Manners in Pride and Prejudice Manners have survived throughout the many passing years of history and culture to influence the ways human beings interact even today in the way we relate to one another: what is acceptable and unacceptable social behavior. Proper manners in everything from conversation to eating have long been distinguishing mark of social status. Even now they are often important in business and social situations. But in the eighteenth century, manners were paramount. Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice, set at the end of the eighteenth century, explores the many humorous eccentricities in a world of etiquette and proper conduct. When love, pride, clumsiness and transparency are all run through the gauntlet of delicate manners, a whimsical sort of satire is achieved. The context of propriety creates the cunning irony that brings this book to life. A perfect example of the irony in Pride and Prejudice is seen in the relationship of Mr. and Mrs. Bennet. While Mrs. Bennet is constantly theatrical and melodramatic, Mr. Bennet is very quiet and reserved. Mr. Bennet is always toying with his wife's tendencies to exaggeration. When Elizabeth Bennet refuses to marry the dim-witted and unattractive Mr. Collins, her mother is inconsolable. She bursts into a fit and tells Elizabeth that if she doesn't marry Mr. Collins, then she will disown her as a daughter. Mr. Bennet at this point steps in and provides the ironical relief: "An unhappy alternative is before you, Elizabeth. From this day you must be a stranger to one of your parents. --Your mother will never see you again if you do not marry Mr. Collins, and I will never see you again if you do." (p... ...he irony. From the bumbling Mr. Collins, who means less than he says, to the ironical parries of Ms. Elizabeth Bennet, Pride and Prejudice is certainly a comedy of manners. Each character, in their own way is either outside the traditional bounds of propriety, or bound within them so clumsily that even sincerity often comes across as humorous. In each situation shown, the characters began in a context of manners that set stage for the illuminating irony each character in some way sets forth. As shown through the situations and characters in the novel, Pride and Prejudice is a book brought to life by the context of propriety. Within this context are created the many ironical contradictions and pretenses exposed by its various colorful characters. Work Cited: Austen, Jane. Pride and Prejudice. New York: Airmont Books, 1992.

Influence of Shyness on Personal Development and Happiness Essay

â€Å"I have severe difficulty socializing to others†; â€Å"They think I’m unfriendly but in reality, I do want to connect to them but I don’t really know how†; â€Å"My anxiety always gets in the way, that’s why I’m painfully conscious around people†. These are some of the thoughts shared by people who are shy or those who feel uncomfortable when attention is on them because they are afraid of falling short of the standard of the superficial authority or of their perfectionist expectations on how things are supposed to be. Shyness, regarded as a personal attribute for a person, is also considered to be a psychiatric disease (Lane, 2008). This condition may vary in different degrees to what extent a person would display its symptoms, such as uneasiness and avoiding the things he fears to deal with. It could also be experienced inwardly without showing its complications to others but the one who suffers, when hiding his difficulties, could probably add worries and problems to his psychological self. Unusual situations are the common circumstances that trigger shyness. Also, the person’s environment may contribute to his shyness. If he is psychologically maltreated, there is a high risk that degree of shyness and avoidance to others would increase. But, the deeper root of shyness can be explained by genetics. There has been progress in determining suspected genes involved in personality but only a little development in confirming relationships between these. A gene-linked polymorphic region (5-HTTLPR) is examined and identified to be related with shyness (Ebstein et al. , 2003). According to WHO, embarrassment, excessive shyness, timidity, self consciousness and, social-phobia and lack of self-confidence are also symptoms of a disease called erethism. Erethism is a clinical condition in which appears in cases of mercury poisoning. Moreover, shyness is sometimes inappropriately interchanged with introversion, high sensitivity, social phobia and social anxiety disorder but is much related to the said terms in certain cases. According to Whitten (2001), introversion is not similar to shyness because introverts prefer being alone and are energized with that but they are not anxious in social situations. Unlike with them, the shy, because they fear social encounters, thinks that he has no choice but to avoid socializing which sometimes is not really where his heart at. But, there can be cases that a person would be an introvert and shy at the same time, it is when they are very sensitive to the social environment but it doesn’t matter because they get their energy within their selves not on others. Another term, in which shyness is related, is the social anxiety disorder. Its difference with shyness is, its scope is wider and it includes panic attacks. In relation to shyness, it also brings fear, apprehension or worrying about being evaluated by others in social situations that causes depression to the sufferer. Varying degrees of shyness and as to how the shy handles his trait contributes a lot on what can be the impact of shyness on the person. It is considered harmful when it has been controlling people’s lives because it brings incessant negative evaluation of the self, excessive self-consciousness and negative self-preoccupation that inhibit social confidence. In cases like that, the shyness is needed to be cured or if not, lessened because it hinders the disposition in life of some individuals. Shy people may tend to be unfriendly because they believe they lack social skills and may resort to withdrawal from people. But essentially, they desperately wanted to connect to others and wished to have as many friends as those people who are not shy have. The problem is they appear to be antisocial at times which they do not intend to be. Their socializing attitude might be the root of this one. Carducci (2000) observed that they expect others to get in touch with them and drag them out of isolation. But their efforts are also needed for starting and maintaining relationship to others. Also, being fear of negative judgement and rejection, people who are shy are likely to be afraid of socializing. From this arrangement, it could only lead to individual’s avoidance which causes isolation. Aside from emotional pain brought about by separation from others, this situation may hinder personal development which can be benefited through relation from other people. In social situations, people who are shy are driven to be self-conscious and inhibited in their actions. Perfectionist standards on social performances were set and followed by these people. For example, they tend to feel responsible of the awkwardness sometimes experienced which is not their fault at all. These worries leave room for low self-esteem and shape a negative view of the self. According to Howard (1958), self-esteem contributes a lot to a person’s ability in handling difficult situations because it helps in dealing with problems. It also gives confidence to a person which he will need in achieving his goals. But for shy people who has a high tendency of having insecurity, instead of focusing on their strengths, their weaknesses are given more attention. Acceptance of imperfections is very hard for them, not realizing that all people have vulnerability on their own such as failures, weaknesses and anxieties. Their true capabilities were just left confined and full potentials were not maximized because they were already intimidated by anticipation of failure. Moreover, shy people blame themselves for having no sense of self-efficacy due to low self-esteem. Howard (1958) defined self-efficacy as the belief in self that they can achieve their desired goals. Shy people tend to criticize and evaluate themselves inferior to others. Self-doubts are then established which promotes poor decision-making, weak judgement of things that severely affects one’s life and his disposition. Zimbardo and Radl (1982) described shy people as those who tend to behave in an inhibited manner, such as speaking less of the usual, in the presence of others. They usually hold back their feelings and opinions on certain things preventing them to express themselves. Because of nothingness to say, the shy would then tolerate silence. McMahon and McMahon (1986) told that, â€Å"†¦silence may be perceived as an indicator you do not approve of what’s going on or that you would rather be someplace else†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (p. 225) As a result, many people do no not understand them well and may cost them to miss out of opportunities for social relations. Shy people struggle and find it hard to initiate and maintain conversations. Starting a chat with somebody is usually feared and avoided by a shy person because it is either he is anxious that he has nothing to say or the topic that he will put up would disinterest the other person and that the other would badly evaluate him personally. There is a tendency for the shy to choose topic of conversations that would impress the other. And in the process of overthinking only about the topic, he would forget to be attentive to the actual thing discussed by the two of them because his mind was already drifted away. Also, a shy person is scared to have conversations that suddenly drop like a dead balloon. When this would happen, he would resort to leaving the person he talks to, because he has nothing to say, thus, leaving a bad impression to the other. Shyness can be a serious threat to communication because it brings about distractibility and may interfere thinking processing which were caused by irrelevant thinking reactions which arise from being conscious from social evaluation. Merill (1965) stated that frustration can arise in cases where there is a failure in comprehending someone’s temporary disinterest due to certain circumstances. Also, this can hinder development of essential relationship to others. Self- doubts will be triggered because of depressing situations like this. As a result, a person may tend to avoid this sort of encounter that will only lead to further alienation and despair. Sociability is a human affiliative need that is needed to be nourished. Socializing includes people skills which needs understanding the self and controlling our responses, communicating effectively and empathizing accurately, and most importantly, it provides respect, trust to relationships (Rifkin, 2009). The different benefits of social relations contribute to a healthy well-being of a person. Heider (1958, quoted in Weiss) notes that there are six basic â€Å"provisions of social relations† –the things that are given when in a relationship (p. 232). First is the attachment, the sense of being secured and comfortable which we experience through our closest relationships. Shy people do not have an issue with this one because they reveal their true self in front of people they know and know them very well such as family. Another is social integration which is the sense of having shared interests and attitudes and offers companionship and sense of belongingness to society. For this, shy people find it hard or it takes time to fit into the society due to draw backs. Next is the guidance that we grasp from friends or authorities which we lean on at times when we need an advice that most of shy people are deficient to because they lack certain relations such as relation to some authorities. Sense of reliable alliance, knowing that there are people who will offer their help when emergency arises, and opportunity for nurturance, when our sense of importance and needed is shown while taking care of others, are nurtured through closest relationships. Last is reassurance of worth, it is when others let us feel being valued and looked up to as a competent person which shyness hinders a lot. Concern for others and love we feel from them are the necessities for a person to grow and to have worthy and productive life. Without these, a person may suffer emotional depression. (Corey, 1986) Most of shy people were likely to suffer social inhibition. One reason could be the lack of social skills at the beginning of interaction: According to Merill (1965), lonely people who would like to make new friends fail because they do the wrong things during the initial and critical moments. They avoid the other’s person gaze, they do not smile and they seem tense or preoccupied with other things. All of these discourage any comment from the other person, who does not realize that this apparent unfriendliness is due to a considerable discomfort and an inability to cope with it. (p. 104) People respond negatively to others who have undesirable anxieties and depressing behaviors which turn people away. As a result, social support needed by people with negative attitudes is inadequately given. (Plotnik, 1996) Anxiety is clearly seen on the outside. The shy, having his face registered blankly or anxious, or avoiding eye contact to others, can be interpreted by others as a sign of being aloof so the shy appears to be unapproachable. Plotnik (1996) says that high self-esteem, confidence and self-worth are the benefits of social support. These things promote our physical and psychological well-being. So if social support is lacked, it results to poor mental, physical and emotional health and the shy people have a disadvantage to this. Popenoe (1977) claims that the self-identity provided by social interaction helps people learn new roles in life. It also enhances our self-image which prevents loss of self-identity that may cause emotional stress. When people discover their new roles, they tend to develop their selves and aim for the best changes to make in oneself. But, due to shyness, social interaction experienced by some is very limited that the benefits like the desired change reduced also. Shy people do not want to stay disturbed by problems related to shyness forever. That is why they discover or think of ways resolving the problems that are crippling them. The usual effect of the harmful shyness is mental distress in form of loneliness. According to Heider (1958), loneliness is a personal anxiety which is a result of certain lack in either social integration or attachment in relationship. In order to free themselves from these bothersome issues, certain strategies were reinforced by shy people. Unfortunately, for some, they employ ineffective and irresponsible strategies to overcome shyness. Examples of these are alcoholism and drug addiction. Reason of this undertaking is that they feel energized because they thought that it would be better to detach themselves from their true selves and be more outgoing which they thought most people prefer. According to James, lack of support from social connections and poor stress management contribute a lot to psychosocial deficit (2009). Disadvantages and problems associated from shyness are disturbing and bothersome. Shyness should not greatly affect one’s life and disposition in a negative way. These should have been prevented only if shyness will be cured or if not, learn its ways and have the control of it, not the other way around. However, this is a self-inflicted issue which is just within the self. Treatment for this is easy only if handled accordingly and the shy individual is properly counselled and guided by an expert.