Power Learning Essay

Many students are surprised at the difference in studying for college courses versus how they studied in high school. No matter how successful a student you were, the learning skills you used in high school will likely not be sufficient to guarantee success in a college course. Students discover that they need to adapt their study habits to the college setting. There are certain dependable skills that you will read about that will make the difference between failure and success for a student in college. Success in college depends on time control. Time control means learning how to control your time instead of procrastinating. There are three important steps that will help to improve controlling your time. The first step is to prepare a large monthly calendar to mark important dates for tests, due dates, and study plans for the semester. The second step is to mark a chart for a weekly study schedule that will last the semester. The last, most valuable time-control method is to make a daily or weekly â€Å"to do† list. To perform well in a college course it is most important to take effective class notes. Follow these hints to become a better note-taker. First, attend class faithfully to increase your understanding of the teacher’s ideas by hearing them in person. Second, make use of abbreviations while taking notes to save time when trying to get down information. Third, look for signals of importance, if the teacher repeats a point assume it is important. Fourth, write down the instructor’s examples and mark them with an â€Å"X† to help understand abstract points. Lastly, write down the connection between ideas, that way you’ll have them to help tie your notes together. In college, success means being able to read and study a textbook skillfully. Taking the time to preview a section or chapter will help to get a birds-eye view of the way the material is organized. Make sure you study the title and read quickly over the first and last paragraphs of the section; these may contain important introductions to, and summaries of, the main ideas. Also use a highlighter to mark the textbook at the same time you read it than go through the chapter or section and take notes. After all of that is done, study your notes than use the method of self-testing to learn  the material. As a student transitions into the college atmosphere, they find out that the skills they used in high school are different than the skills they will need for college. The key to success in college is learning how to learn. The three most valuable skills that need to be learned by students are time control, classroom note taking, and textbook study. These skills won’t free you from doing the work, but they will make your work more productive. Using these skills carefully and consistently will make academic success possible for you.

Linguistics and Children Essay

The power of language to reflect culture and influence thinking was first proposed by an American linguist and anthropologist, Edward Sapir (1884–1939), and his student, Benjamin Whorf (1897–1941). The Sapir–Whorf hypothesis stated that the way we think and view the world is determined by our language (Anderson & Lightfoot, 2002; Crystal, 1987; Hayes, Ornstein, & Gage, 1987). Instances of cultural language differences are evidenced in that some languages have specific words for concepts whereas other languages use several words to represent a specific concept. For example, the Arabic language includes many specific words for designating a certain type of horse or camel (Crystal, 1987). To make such distinctions in English, where specific words do not exist, adjectives would be used preceding the concept label, such as quarter horse or dray horse. Cultural differences have also been noted in the ways in which language is used pragmatically. In our American culture, new skills are typically taught and learned through verbal instruction (Slobin, 1979). In some cultures, new skills are learned through nonverbal observation. A distinction has also been made between cultures that encourage independent learning and those that encourage cooperative learning (McLeod, 1994). Differences in the social roles of adults and children also influence how language is used. Home and school contexts may represent different cultures, subcultures, or both and may influence language acquisition in noticeable ways. Nonverbal cues (e. g. , facial expression) and contextual cues (e. g. , shared experience) have different communicative roles in different cultures (Kaiser & Rasminsky, 2003). In some cultures, prelinguistic children (who are not yet verbalizing) are spoken about rather than spoken to (Heath, 1983). Children may be expected, and thus taught, to speak only when an adult addresses them. They are not encouraged to initiate conversations with adults or to join spontaneously in ongoing adult conversations. Additionally, in some cultures, children who enthusiastically volunteer answers at school are considered show-offs (Peregoy & Boyle, 1993). In some cultural settings, children are not asked recitational questions. Instead, they are asked only questions of clarification or for new information. Thus, when these children experience recitational questions in a school setting, they may be confused as to the purpose of the questioning and the expected response. Further cultural differences in how language is used in educational settings have been documented by Tharp (1994). These differences include variations in how stories are told, the wait time given by teachers to students during questioning sequences, the rhythmic patterns of the verbal interactions, and the patterns of conversational turn-taking. During the 1970s and 1980s, educators and linguists researched and debated the verbal-deficit perspective. This perspective contended that anyone who did not use standard English did not have a valid language and thus was verbally deficient. Although the verbal-deficit perspective has now been proven invalid, it is important to understand the research that was conducted to either support or discredit that perspective. Bernstein (1971), Bereiter and Englemann (1966), and Labov (1979) were among the researchers who studied language differences between different social groups, including middle- and lower-income groups and ethnic groups. This body of research identified specific differences in the way children from different socioeconomic and ethnic backgrounds used language in school and out-of-school settings. Implications of this research have been widely discussed and interpreted in a variety of ways. Basil Bernstein (1971) documented the different linguistic codes used by children from lower- and middle-income families in England. Lower-income children were described as using a â€Å"restricted code† or highly contextualized language, while children from middle-income families used an â€Å"elaborated code,† or decontextualized language. His research also documented differences in school achievement for these two groups of children. Interpretations of Bernstein’s work concluded a cause–effect relation between language use and school success, supporting a â€Å"verbal deficit† perspective: the working-class environment of the low-income children created a verbal deficiency responsible for subsequent low educational achievement (Winch, 1990). Here in the United States, Bereiter and Englemann (1966) conducted further research from the verbal-deficit perspective. They focused on the language of preschool African American children in Urbana, Illinois. Bereiter and Engleman concluded that the language used by African American children was not a valid language and thus recommended that these children needed to be taught English in the school setting (Winch, 1990). Academically oriented preschool curricula were developed (e. g. , Blank, Rose, & Berlin, 1978) to provide the needed English language training for verbally deficient children. William Labov (1979; Winch, 1990) explored social dialects of lower income African American children in urban settings. He studied the differences in children’s in-school and out-of-school (e. g. , playground) language competencies. His data directly challenged the verbal-deficit theory because it documented the elaborated and systematic linguistic properties of Black English. His research supported the idea that Black English was a separate language system with its own grammar and rules. Labov described dialects as having â€Å"slightly different versions of the same rules, extending and modifying the grammatical processes which are common to all dialects of English† (Labov, 1995, p.54). Labov’s research supported the idea that verbal differences are not verbal deficits. Because Labov’s research focused on language used in academic and nonschool settings, he also created a greater awareness of the role of context and dialect in communication. Tough (1977) conducted a longitudinal study of children from advantaged (college-educated, professional parents) and disadvantaged (parents who were in unskilled or semiskilled occupations) homes. The study began when the children were 3 years old, with follow-up at 5 1? 2 and 7 1? 2 years. At age 3, the disadvantaged children and the advantaged children showed significant differences in the ways they used language. Specifically, the disadvantaged children did not use language to recall and give details of prior experiences, anticipate upcoming events and possible outcomes, reason about current and remembered events, problem solve using language for planning and considering alternatives, reach solutions, create and sustain dramatic play events, and understand others’ experiences and feelings. When these children were studied again at 5 1? 2 and 7 1? 2 years, the disadvantaged children produced shorter, less complex responses. This research contributed to our understanding that children from different cultural environments may be learning to use language differently and may experience difficulty in participating in the language environment in classrooms. Further awareness of the role of cultural environments in the acquisition of language was influenced in the 1980s by ethnographic research techniques that were used by language researchers. Ethnographic studies have contributed significantly to our understanding of linguistic diversity. Ethnography uses participant observation in real-life settings and focuses on individuals within their social and cultural contexts. In her ethnographic study, Heath (1983) explored children’s acquisition of language at home and school in two communities in the southeastern United States. She found differences in communication in working-class black and white families as well as among middle-class townspeople of both ethnic groups. Heath also described differences in story structures, language, and sense of â€Å"truth† (fiction vs. nonfiction) that children learned at home that were different from those expected at school. To be successful at school, these children had to be able â€Å"to recognize when a story is expected to be true, when to stick to the facts, and when to use their imaginations† (Heath, 1983, p. 294). Heath’s research also documented valid and authentic differences in the ways language is used and in the ways in which children in those respective communities become competent language users. Heath concluded that the contrasts she found in language were not based on race, but on complex cultural influences in each community. The importance of family context in language acquisition was more recently described by Hart and Risley (1995, 1999). Findings from their longitudinal study document the significance of â€Å"talkativeness† in families in influencing language acquisition rather than the family’s socioeconomic status or ethnic group identity. Differences in language use were attributed to the complex family culture—not simply due to socioeconomic status or ethnic group identity. Among the families that were studied, the most important difference was in the amount of talking. Children in families where there was more talking developed higher levels of language in the areas of vocabulary growth and vocabulary use. These differences were strongly linked to school performance at age 9. Among these families, Hart and Risley (1995) identified five quality features in parents’ language interactions with their children: 1. Language diversity: the variation and amount of nouns and modifiers used by the parents 2. Feedback tone: the positive feedback given to children’s participation in the interaction 3. Symbolic emphasis: the emphasis placed on focusing on names and associated relations of the concepts and the recall of those symbols 4. Guidance style: parental interaction that used asking rather than demanding in eliciting specific behavior from the child 5. Responsiveness: parental responsiveness to requests or questions initiated by children Hart and Risley (1995) speculated that these categories may be â€Å"important for the language-based analytic and symbolic competencies upon which advanced education and a global economy depend† (p. 193). A current hypothesis on why children from diverse linguistic backgrounds experience difficulty in school is the socialization mismatch hypothesis. This hypothesis â€Å"predicts that children are more likely to succeed in school when the home language and literacy socialization patterns are similar to those that are used and valued in school† (Faltis, 1998, p. 23). This hypothesis has been applied to children who speak a nonstandard English dialect as well as to children who are learning a second language. Home language socialization patterns may differ from those favored in the school classroom in the following ways (Faltis, 1998): 1. The amount of talk directed to preschool children 2. The participation of young children as conversation partners with adults 3. Opportunities children have to explain or give a personal interpretation of events 4. The types of questions asked of children during storybook sharing 5. The forms of narrative that are used (e. g. , fiction, nonfiction, or ongoing narratives) In addition, the social interaction patterns used in the classroom may vary from the home culture’s with respect to expectations for competitive versus collaborative or cooperative activities as well as the â€Å"courtesies and conventions of conversations† (Tharp, 1994, p. 140).

Identity and Belonging Essay

Feedback is considered by many education experts to be one of the most important elements of assessment for student learning as well as being a crucial influence on student learning (Brown, Harris & Harnett, 2012). Feedback, when applied effectively, can result in an increase in learner satisfaction and persistence as well as contributing to students taking on and applying more productive learning strategies. Feedback is a powerful strategy for teachers of all subjects and grade levels to use and has been endorsed worldwide. Feedback can be defined as ‘the information provided by an agent, for example; a teacher or parent, regarding aspects of one’s performance or understanding’ (Brown, Harris & Harnett, 2012). However, when feedback is provided to students inappropriately it can lead to negative effects. This is why, as teachers, we need to have a full understanding of what constitutes effective quality feedback as well as developing an understanding of how to apply feedback in an appropriate manner for our students as differentiated learners (Clark, 2012). Feedback is consistent with the Assessment for learning strategy which focuses assessment on in-course improvement-orientated interactions between instructors and learners rather than end-of-course testing and examinations (Brown, Harris & Harnett, 2012). Assessment for learning acknowledges that individual students learn in idiosyncratic ways and is designed to give information to teachers on how to modify and differentiate teaching and learning activities as well as giving teachers an idea of how best to provide effective feedback to their students (Brown, Harris & Harnett, 2012). There are a few guidelines in which teachers can follow to help improve the quality of their feedback to their students to increase learner satisfaction and persistence as well as catering for differentiated learning, these guidelines include timing, amount, mode, audience (James-Ward, Fisher, Frey & Lapp, 2013) and also allowing students to provide one another with feedback (Brown, Harris & Harnett, 2012). The timing in which teachers provide their students with feedback is important as feedback needs to come while students are still mindful of the topic, assignment or performance in question (James-Ward, Fisher, Frey & Lapp, 2013). Feedback needs to be provided while students are still thinking of their learning goal as a learning goal, meaning; something they are still striving for and not something they have already done (Brown, Harris & Harnett, 2012). It is extremely important to provide students with effective feedback whilst they are still working on reaching their learning target, as mentioned earlier this will influence student learning. It is extremely important for teachers to know the audience in which they are providing feedback to in order for the feedback to be most effective for student learning (James-Ward, Fisher, Frey & Lapp, 2013). This is based on the fact that no student is the same and feedback needs to accommodate for differentiated learners (Clark, 2012). Once a teacher understands his or her students individual learning they can then apply feedback in a way that is best addressed to the student about the specifics of the individuals work in terms the student can understand. Mode is also extremely important in providing effective feedback as it also supports differentiated learning. Mode stands for the different ways in which feedback can be delivered as it can be given in many modalities (James-Ward, Fisher, Frey & Lapp, 2013). Some sorts of assessment lend themselves better to written feedback, some to oral feedback and others are better in demonstrations, and teachers can decide with their knowledge of how best to provide each individual student with feedback based on how they learn and understand best, whether it is written, spoken or demonstrated, in order for the feedback to be most effective in reaching each students learning needs (Clark, 2012). Also recently there has been an increasing agreement that students are a legitimate source of feedback as peer and self-assessment practices encourage students to identify learning objectives and helps them to understand the criteria used to judge their work aiming to reach the goal of increasing self-regulation (Brown, Harris & Harnett, 2012). As timeliness can play a real issue in the effectiveness and quality of feedback from teachers, using students as a source of feedback can legitimately reduce this problem (Brown, Harris & Harnett, 2012). As there are many different ways in which a teacher can go about providing feedback on set learning tasks to their students whether it is orally, written or demonstrated, the ways in which to construct effective feedback varies depending on the student (James-Ward, Fisher, Frey & Lapp, 2013). Ultimately it is the teachers understanding of feedback and the knowing of how each individual student learns best that influences the type and quality of feedback they provide (Brown, Harris & Harnett, 2012). Effective feedback will help increase student evaluation of their own learning progress and will help reach the Assessment for learning goal of developing self-regulating learners (Brown, Harris & Harnett, 2012).

Can Humans and Animals Live in Harmony Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Can Humans and Animals Live in Harmony - Essay Example Man’s desire to advance his living standards has had devastating effects on the survival of diverse animals through clearing their natural habitats, thus exposing them to adverse weather conditions. As such, this manuscript will mull over the issue of speciesism, thereby providing mitigation measures on this predicament. Man has continually affected the animals’ natural territory in various ways since time immemorial. Additionally, man has incessantly discriminated against animals through various exploitative activities. Experts refer to this as speciesism, and this remains to be a key challenge to him (Beirne 7). For instance, his activities in deforestation, owing to his desire in increasing his settlement has left various animal species homeless, thus leaving them vulnerable to extinction. In the earlier days before the onset of civilization, animals and man lived harmoniously, with the animals dwelling in their apt natural environments. However, as he progressed with civilization, man opted to enlarge his habitat by clearing extensive tracts of forests. Moreover, as humans increased in population, they continued to deforest the planet, thereby exposing diverse animals to the adverse weather conditions. Besides, man exploits various animals in his endeavor to satisfy his needs. For instance, man’s unfulfilled desire for food compels him to kill various animals. Additionally, he utilizes various animal products for other purposes that comprise clothing and other adornments, and medicine manufacture. This has occurred uncontrolled, until he realized of the looming danger of the extinction of various animal species (Beirne 8). This compelled humans into attempt to conserve animals, particularly the endangered ones. In addition, the industrialization era led to the emission of numerous hazardous materials. As a result, many animals, including the aquatic ones died and drastically reduced in population. Furthermore, emission of various gaseous wastes has torn down a significant part of the ozone layer, thereby leaving the animals susceptible to global warming. Moreover, various improvements in technology have significant impacts on the survival of animals. Man has created sophisti cated weapons, in his endeavor to boost his supremacy and military capability. Furthermore, man tests these weapons in vast lands, which are the dwellings of various animals. This happens in many nations, leading to deforestation and death of numerous animal species. Besides, man tests nearly all of his scientific inventions on animals (Beirne 7). Moreover, man’s attempt to control some annoying animals has proved fatal to other animals. For example, the application of insecticides to manage pests often leads to the death of other animals, including the aquatic life. Besides, man has domesticated many animals in his endeavor to satisfy his unrelenting needs, thereby leading to the animals’ alteration in biological structure. Humans also involve themselves in the transportation of various animals from their natural habitats to other habitats. This has most often led to the death of several animals, since they are not adapted to these new environments. Moreover, human de velopment in biotechnology has devastating effects on animals. This results from the fact that man alters the animals’ genetic order, leading to mutations. Moreover, man has crossed various animals, leading to the formation of many sterile breeds of

They Can Get Inside You Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

They Can Get Inside You - Essay Example From the opening chapter of the book, we see that even though Winston has somehow been able to resist and question the party, he still absorbs its influence. As he sits writes in the diary for the first time, he remembers a recent two minutes hate session. Even though the charade of Goldstein and the hate sessions is so "exaggerated and perverse that a child should have been able to see through it" (Orwell 14), Winston is not entirely immune to the emotion it is intended to evoke. He feels the hatred that he is supposed to feel: "the very next instant he was at one with the people around him, andhis secret loathing of Big Brother changed into adoration". (Orwell 17) His hatred may not be directed at the intended target, but it indicates that Winston, like everyone else, is at the very least susceptible to the party's brainwashing. He feels the hatred, and that is enough: they are inside him. They are inside Julia, too. Julia appears to be a faithful party member, so much so that Winston suspects she is a spy for the Thought Police. Like Winston, she is a secret rebel, but her view of their world is different from Winston's. She is less concerned with ideologies and does not take much interest when Winston theorizes about the nature of the party. Unlike Winston, who dreams of a different world and a different life, Julia accepts the world as it is, and instead of dreaming, rebels in ways that make her life more bearable. Julia is intelligent but does not think deeply on the corruption within the party and what it means. She accepts the history she was taught in school without question, and does not remember that four years ago the country's enemy was a different one. She is bored and falls asleep when Winston reads to her from Goldstein's book. All these things indicate that Julia, despite her rebellious nature, is still influenced by the party. They are inside her, beca use she is "unwilling and unable to think too deeply on any subject whatever", just as she has been taught by the party. (Orwell 220) Winston and Julia both consider themselves intellectually free. They know the party is a lie and they are both against it, though for different reasons. But Julia is wrong when she says the party can't get inside them, and can't influence how they feel. They don't seem to understand how pervasive the party's influence really is, or perhaps they consider it unimportant because their conscious is free even if their subconscious is not. However when they are caught, they both end up losing that freedom of consciousness, and their loyalty to each other. During his stay in the Ministry of Love, Winston is subjected to mental and physical torture for an undefined length of time. O'Brien shows him that the party control the past and the present and shows him that 2 + 2 = 5 if the party says it does. Eventually Winston is allowed to physically recover, but during a dream he becomes aware that the party has not penetrated the deepest part of his mind - he still loves Julia, and hates Big Brother. He has tried to "keep the inner heart inviolate" (Orwell 293) and this has caused him to commit thoughtcrime. He decides that the only solution is to suppress his hatred towards the party and Big Brother so that it cannot escape from his subconscious, but instead O'Brien takes him to Room 101. In

Summary of The Tempest Drama by Shakespeare Essay

Summary of The Tempest Drama by Shakespeare - Essay Example The concept of unveiling the play’s events in a long continuous order dents the play. A good player needs to spell out chronological ideas but these ideas should not run as a prolonged course during the presentation (Baker 145- 150). It is advisable to initiate breaks in the play. An effective component of developing breaks in the play is using songs. The writer should have composed a simple song and made it run throughout the drama. The song should appear before the introduction of key scenes. This not only breaks the monotony in the play but also prepares the viewers for the introduction of a novel idea. Songs are also effective in emphasizing the theme of the play or in recruiting the audience to participate in the play. Audience involvement makes the play be livelier. Another effective approach is dramatizing the play and using other live performance accompaniments. This involves employing approaches such us beating of the drum or other percussion appliances in intervals. Moreover, the play may amalgamate the performance with some melodies from the background. A critical application of these apparatus can improve the live performance. Additionally, the choice of language and tone can radically develop the performance. This means the presentation of different concepts or ideas using varying tones become necessary. Some moods or themes may need to be presented using a low tone while others may demand a high tone. Similarly, some statements need to be cool while others set to depict harshness. Tonal variations sway the audience’s mood making them identify with the play’s mood. Furthermore, the practice improves audience’s attentiveness hence an effective aspect of avoiding boredom. This makes the play interesting and lively. The use of gestures is also a key component of a good play. This critical constituent entirely depends on the actors used in the play. Gestures involve the use of body idioms in speaking the desired information. This entails facial expressions and movement of body parts. Of great consideration is the correct use of these gestures because if used incorrectly, they influence negatively on the quality and usefulness of the plays. Specific expressions and movements are suitable for a particular scenario or theme. In some degrees, this should include the use of appropriate outfits and make-ups. This becomes necessary since the appearance of the performer influences audience’s attitude. It is of worth noting that, gestures outweigh verbal language in communicating certain messages. Gestures naturalize message delivery hence making the play lively (Baker, 120). Importantly, there are some stylistic devices which if effectively utilized can improve the play. Firstly, humorous characters can appear in some scenes presenting the definite message. Humorous characters may involve culprits of ignorance, the misinformed group or chauvinists. These actors simply clash with basic societal ideologie s because of their compromised state. Their condition lands them into awkward and sometimes shameful encounters, which make them perplexed.

Bussines writing (11) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Bussines writing (11) - Essay Example In today’s business world pie chart is one of the most common methods used for data representation. In a pie chart data is represented in a circular form wherein it is divided into different sectors with areas equal to the corresponding component. The percentage breakdown of the corresponding components is represented by the sectors also knows as slices. Pie charts are used in numerous ways during management meetings such as for representing resource and time allocations, budget categories, market share, expense analysis, income sources, etc (Quinn ). The purpose of a pie chart is to clearly communicate the figures than it could be by a set of numbers. A pie chart gives more clarity than a set of numbers as the figures are represented as pieces of a pie. Greater the figure, greater is the size of the piece. Apart from being clear and increasing clarity, pie charts are also very simple and visually appealing making it easy to understand. It is also very easy to resize and makes changes to a pie

Please look at attachment (New Media & International Communication) Essay

Please look at attachment (New Media & International Communication) - Essay Example The social media landscapes are positive in providing networks and updates; however, it also tends to be abused by many and takes away from the natural, physical interactions among friends and individuals. The convenience of technology with human interaction is one which is widely used by friends and family members. The interactions include convenience of giving information, planning schedules and getting to know what individuals are doing. Using technology as a form of human interaction has become more convenient than meeting with individuals physically. Remote connections, meeting individuals that normally wouldn’t occur and having continuous updates are some of the changes which are now expected from technology. This has become a substitute for human interaction and makes it more convenient to keep in touch with others through various portals. Everything from mobile technology to social media portals, such as Facebook, provides more interactions that take place remotely and which are easier to be a part of. The limitations of technology, as well as the ease of connecting to others, have been developed because of the main goals of connecting online.

Subway is a Renowned Franchising Company Research Paper

Subway is a Renowned Franchising Company - Research Paper Example The company has aggressive marketing strategies that have made it penetrate different markets while also diversifying its products.   According to the Subway Franchise offer, qualified franchisees are offered rights to establish and undertake their business operations from a single location. This retail establishment is given an opportunity to prepare and sell foot-long, specialty sandwiches, salads in combination with other foodstuffs. Accordingly, other Subway franchise operations comprise of satellite locations, community development program locations, non-traditional locations, school lunch program locations, national park locations, airport terminal locations, and theme park locations. When determining the best franchise opportunities for any franchise, it is essential that the franchisor’s trademarks, patents and other proprietary techniques and trade secrets are made available (Caffey, 2012). In the same line of argument, in order for Subway franchisees to operate ful ly and profitably the following legal rights must be granted by the franchisor: Trademarks A trademark is a phrase, word, symbol, sound or color that uniquely identifies goods or services from those sold or manufactured by others while also indicating the source of the goods (Caffey, 2012). Franchisees have the right to own and use the trademark of the franchisor; it is the initial grant under the franchise agreement (Caffey, 2012). The franchise outlets use the trademark either painted over the business premise, designed on uniforms and/or on product packaging. It should be noted that whenever the trademark symbol is seen, it gives notice that the owner claims rights in it. Across the US trademarks are regulated by and registered under federal and state laws; the Lanham Act of 1946 regulates how trademarks are created, owned and utilized (Caffey, 2012). Subway Franchisor is in this regard the owner of the licensed trademark and has an obligation under the law to ensure that the mar k is well designed and displayed by all its franchisees. Consequently, no variations in design, color, size or products/services identified with the mark are tolerated and franchise outlets who operate contrary to this restrictions risk losing their operating license (Caffey, 2012). The valuable asset of the franchisor is its trademark; hence using it properly is undoubtedly the most legally protected right among all the rights granted to franchisees. Subway franchisees will benefit from the trademark as it gives the consumers an assurance of consistent quality of goods and services. Nevertheless, the mark will make the franchise be uniquely identified thus attracting more customers (Caffey, 2012).  Ã‚  

Qualitative Cation Tests Essay Example for Free

Qualitative Cation Tests Essay Lab Report Assistant This document is not meant to be a substitute for a formal laboratory report. The Lab Report Assistant is simply a summary of the experiment’s questions, diagrams if needed, and data tables that should be addressed in a formal lab report. The intent is to facilitate students’ writing of lab reports by providing this information in an editable file which can be sent to an instructor. Observations Questions A. Write net ionic equations for all reactions that produce a precipitate. Ag+(aq.) + Cl-(aq.) -ïÆ'   AgCl (s) 2 Ag+(aq.)+ 2OH- ïÆ'   Ag2O (s) + H2O(l) 2 Ag+(aq.)+2NH3+ H2O(l) ïÆ'   Ag2O (s)+ 2NH4+ (aq.) Pb2+(aq.)+2Cl- (aq.) -ïÆ'   PbCl2(s) Pb2+(aq.)+2OH-(aq.) -ïÆ'  Pb(OH)2 (s) Pb2+(aq.)+ 2NH3(aq.)+ H2O(l) ïÆ'   Pb(OH)2 (s)+ 2NH4+ (aq.) Cu2+(aq.) +2OH-(aq.) -ïÆ'   Cu(OH)2 (s) 2Cu2+(aq.)+SO42- (aq.) +2NH3(aq.)+2 H2O(l) ïÆ'   Cu(OH)2.CuSO4(s) +2NH4+ (aq.) Zn2+ (aq.)+ 2OH- (aq.) -ïÆ'   Zn(OH)2 (s) Zn2+ (aq.)+2NH3(aq.)+ H2O(l) ïÆ'   Ag2O (s)+ 2NH4+ (aq.) Fe3+ (aq.)+ 3OH- (aq.) -ïÆ'   Fe(OH)3(s) Fe3+ (aq.)+ 3NH3(aq.)+ 3H2O(l) ïÆ'   Fe(OH)3(s)+ 3NH4+ (aq.) Pb2+(aq.)+ CrO42-(aq.) PbCrO4(s) 2Cu2+(aq.)+[Fe(CN)6]4- (aq.) ïÆ'  Cu2[Fe(CN)6] (s) Zn2+(aq.) + S2-(aq) ïÆ'   ZnS(s) 4Fe3+ (aq.)+3[Fe(CN)6]4- (aq.) -ïÆ'  Fe4[Fe(CN)6]3 (s) Ca2+(aq) + ( COO)22-(aq) ïÆ'   Ca(COO)2 (s) B. Identify the cations that precipitate with hydrochloric acid and dissolve in the presence of ammonia. Ag+ C. Identify the cations that precipitate with hydrochloric acid and do not redissolve in the presence of ammonia. Pb2+ D. Identify the cations that precipitate upon addition of two or three drops of sodium hydroxide but redissolve upon addition of excess sodium hydroxide. Pb2+,Zn2+ E. Identify the cations that precipitate upon addition of two or three drops of sodium hydroxide and are not affected by additional sodium hydroxide. Ag+,Cu2+,Fe3+ F.Identify the cations that precipitate upon addition of two or three drops of aqueous ammonia but redissolve upon addition of excess aqueous ammonia. Ag+,Cu2+,Zn2+ G. Identify the cations that precipitate upon addition of two or three drops of aqueous ammonia and are not affected additional aqueous ammonia. Pb2+,Fe3+ H. What simple test would distinguish Ag+ and Cu2+ ? Upon addition of two or three drops of aqueous ammonia, Ag+ produces brown ppt, which is soluble in the excess reagent, resulting in clear, colorless solution. Upon addition of two or three drops of aqueous ammonia, Cu2+ produces blue ppt, which is soluble in the excess reagent but produces dark blue solution.

Role of Strategic Management in Planning

Role of Strategic Management in Planning INTRODUCTION While some firms adopt strategic opportunism as a strategic planning method used mainly by senior managers who use it to assess their firms capacity to recognize and respond to identified windows of opportunity (or threat) that may require strategic changes as it would be pointless identifying strategic opportunities that the firm lacks in the competencies and resources to take advantage of them, others firms use human judgment in making operational decision making, this could involve situation assessment, actions taken to gather additional information, generating plausible hypotheses and other alternatives which either depicts Strategy as science or art. This paper aims at analyzing certain terms and elements in strategic management that explain business strategy as an art or science, terms like design, rational, hypothesis, culture or creativity etc. It also explains situations where organisations are presented with either luck or opportunity and how to what extent judgment is exhibited in the strategic decision making. ANALYSIS Role of Strategic Management Elements in planning and decision making According to Constable (1980) Strategic Management addresses the management processes and decisions which determine the long-term structure and activities of the organisation. This further explains that strategy incorporates planning activities on Management Processes which encompasses both the formal structured process (prescriptive approach) and the informal structured processes (emergent strategy change). This provides the Managers the ability to spot opportunities for and threats to the organisation in its future plans and the changing environment in which it operates. As information is seen as input into an organisation process which produces decisions as the output, the strategy of an organisation e.g. avoiding a threat or exploiting an opportunity determines the Management Decisions that need to be taken that is expected to be a solution of apparent problems, the feasibility and the requisite resources for implementation. Beck (1987) argued that many British companies lack strategic clarity, this comprises of mainly three reasons: Thompson (1993) explains, The difficulties of forecasting in todays business environment; the lack of managerial competence in many companies; and above all, the frequent absence of strong leadership from the top. Other reason maybe the distinction between established views incompatible with the formal and elaborate strategic planning systems present in the 1960s and 1970s, however failed to work in most cases. Strategic Planning helps organizations answer series of questions about how well the company is doing and why, where it should seek to develop in the future. Thompson (1993) further argued that, Most successful companies strategically are likely to be those that are aware of where they are and of what lies ahead, those that understand their environment and those that seek to achieve and maintain competitive advantage. Also, Thompson (1993) asserted that whatever strategy exist in an organisation, organisations ace in strategic thinking are more distinguished from their less successful competitors by a common pattern of management which are highlighted below: Key success factors inherent in the economics of the business are effectively identified than their competitors. Markets are segmented to gain critical competitive advantage. The segmentation is based on competitive analysis conducted on the markets, thus, segments are separated according to its strengths and weaknesses of different competitors Successful companies base their strategies on the measurement and analysis of competitive advantage. Good strategic thinking implies an understanding of how situations will change over time, thus companies can anticipate their competitors responses. Companies are able to give investment priorities that promise competitive advantage While one may be agreeable that business strategy initiatives depend on a mixture of luck and judgment, opportunism and design to succeed, different views need to be analyzed as business strategy itself can be a combination of the aforementioned features. This is because a good business strategy will succeed irrespective of the factor of luck but a good business strategy has to be able to take advantage of opportunities, be planned with great insight and judgment without relying on the good wind of luck to see it through. Companies with superior business strategies who dominate their various industries are there because of their unique insights and capabilities in the formation and execution of their strategy. However luck seems to plays a role in performance of a companys strategy. Three broad scholastic perspectives exist for explaining the relationship between luck and business strategy; Kovenklioglu and Greenhaus, (1978) held the view that luck plays little or no role in the performance of a strategy, this is articulated by Day and Maltby, (2003) who held the view that a belief in luck is irrational. The last perspective believes that luck plays a substantial role in the long run by creating short-term success which then positively positions a company for superior performance in the long run or that luck may create a lasting success via a combination of lucky efforts. This is synonymous with Mintzbergs positioning school of thought which places a company within the context of its industry and tries to devise ways to improve its strategic position within that industry. A typical case study is the position of Microsoft in the software industry; which came about when by a stroke of luck, Paul Allen, saw a magazine in a grocery store with a picture of the new microcomputer , the Altair made by a company called MITS and decided to write a BASIC interpreter for it. This led to the formation of Microsoft which grew to become the biggest software company in the world. This position has enabled them to implement successfully their business strategy of copying the products of their competitors and making it better using the vast resources available to them, then bundling it with windows to force it down the throat of consumers in order to kill off the competition. Another illustration is the browser wars between Microsoft and Netscape in 1997, when incumbent king of browser, Netscape Navigator faced an unprecedented challenge from software king, Microsoft. Netscape navigator had the dominant market share (about 80%) which Microsoft wanted; it devised a business strategy which involved licensing Mosaic an existing browser as the platform for its internet explorer. Then it decided to give away internet explorer by bundling it with the Windows 95 plus. This was effective in stealing Netscapes market share because Netscape charged for its browser. It would have been impossible for Microsoft to keep its rigorous monopoly in the software industry if it werent for its strategic position which it had already attained through windows at a time when microcomputers was just been born. It has been said that the reason Microsoft became the biggest software company was bill gates being at the right place at the right time. Legend has it that it was Digital Researchs Gary kildall that was first contacted to supply the software for the new IBM PC but as matter of luck he turned it down preferring to fly in his airplane. This made IBM to contact bill gates who went on to supply PC DOS which was developed into windows. The table below represents the attributes of Strategy as design and Strategy Judgment, each of which exhibits the characteristics of Strategy as Science and Strategy as art respectively. STRATEGY AS ART OR SCIENCE..The concept of Strategic Thinking The term Problem Solving is most often scientific related which is an activity of finding the solution to a problem; this could also be defined with respect to strategic problems where the problem solving activity is finding a solution. Hitt explained, the concept of strategic thinking where Mintzberg also argued that Strategic Planning is an analytical process aimed at programming already identified strategies which exhibits strategy as a science, however, strategic thinking is believed to be a synthesizing process, utilizing intuition and creativity, whose outcome is an integrated perspective of the enterprise, this sees strategy as an art. Strategic Thinking denotes all thinking about strategy with specific characteristics. According to Nasi (1999) Strategic Thinking extends both to the formulation and execution of strategies by business leaders and to the strategic performance of the total enterprise and for Mintzberg (1994) who is one of the foremost advocates of strategic thinking, argued that, the term is not merely alternative nomenclature for everything falling under the umbrella of strategic management; rather it is a particular way of thinking with specific characteristics. On both two issues discussed on whether strategy is seen as a Science or an Art, a whole spectrum of views exists most of which are highlighted in the table below on the aforementioned two schools of thought on strategy. Business strategies are usually developed from a companys mission statement which is basically a statement of a companys dream and aspiration for its future based on its plans. The success of any strategy however depends on its implementation this is because strategy is more an art than a science. Science test for facts using established laws of physics whereas art deals with expressions of concepts, thoughts and ideas. In this way it mostly mimics the use of business strategies not as a way to test for the success or failure of a companys goals but rather a way to express the desire of its management for the future of the company. However, there are aspects of science in the way strategies are formed, planned and executed. The entrepreneurial school of thought sees strategy as a visionary process, it stresses the use of a cocktail of insight, judgment and intuition in the formation of strategies and this articulates the importance of judgment in business strategy For example in the decisive battle of the ball-point pen between Bic, Parker, Sheaffer and Waterman, Bics strategy that eventually won the battle was based on a very important judgment of the market need in devising a cheaper and better version of the biro pen. Bic realized that the cost of a Parker Pen which dominated the market at the time was exorbitant and it devised a strategy to reengineer its design to produce cheaper pens which could be sold for a few cents and this meant they were disposable and as such were widely adopted. Burnes (2004) wrote, Mintzberg views approach to strategy as a virtue, he compared art of strategic making to pottery and managers to potters who mould the clay with the shape of the object evolving in the hands, this can be reflected in Emergent Strategy, strategy that evolves according to need which is constantly adjusted and adapted and Crafting Strategy, developing strategy according to the needs of the organisation and environment, thus seeing strategy as an art. 205. Contrarily, Burnes further argued through the works of Hoskin (1990) who claimed Pennsylvannia Railwayss executives, Herman Haupt should be given credit for initiating a business strategy which made use of full interactive play of grammatocentrism and calculability, thus implying strategy to be a quantitatively-oriented discipline which focuses on numerical analysis for market forecast , thus portraying strategy as a science Mintzberg et al, (1998) developed in the early 1960s two schools of thought for strategy; Planning school and Design school. The Planning school was pioneered by Igor Ansoff (1965) which was based on formal procedures, formal training, formal analysis and quantification this was based more on abstract thinking. The Design school, pioneered by Chandler (1962) placed more emphasis on appraisal of organisations opportunities and threat. Mintzberg also laid out the five main interrelated definitions of strategy The Strategy as a perspective mentioned above sees strategy as an abstract concept, mainly existing in peoples mind, which characterizes strategy as an art. In addition, Mintzberg et al, Johnson (1987) further argued strategy as a social science through three views of business strategy JOHNSONS VIEWS OF STRATEGY Rationalistic view: sees strategy as an outcome of series of preplanned actions designed to achieve goals. Emphasizes strategy as a science i.e. systematic and rational attributes Adaptive or incremental view: sees strategy evolving through an accumulation of relatively small changes over time. Emphasizes strategy as art i.e. dynamic and creativity Interpretive view: sees strategy as product of individual and collective attempts to make sense of. Emphasizes strategy as a science i.e. interpreting, evidence, past events etc. Burnes (2004) continued the argument between strategy being an analytical stream (formulating strategy rather than prescribing) or prescriptive (controlled, prescriptive process on strategy based on rational model of decision making) through Mintzberg et al, Johnson work on whether strategy is a process or an a rational phenomenon but the classifications of various approach to strategy was absent which Whittongton emphasized in his four generic approaches to strategy. WHITTINGTONS GENERIC APPROACH TO LONDON Classical Approach: portrays strategy as a rational process based on analysis and quantification (strategy as science) Evolutionary approaches: uses analogy of biological evolution to describe strategy development through prediction. (Strategy as a science) Processual Approach: concentrates on nature of organisational and market processes (Strategy as art) Systemic Approach: sees strategy as a link to dominant features of the local systems, involving deliberate process, planning and predictability. (Strategy as science) An effective business strategy may include both strategic thinking and the essential elements of a strategic planning process, thus, strategic planning can drive out strategic thinking. Harrison (2003) mentioned that, Henry Mintzberg, a famous strategist defined strategic planning as an analytical process aimed at carrying out strategies that have already been identified and strategic thinking involves intuition and creativity, i.e. it is so rigid that it tend to drive-out the creative-thinking processes which accentuates strategy as an art, its way of synthesizing stimuli from the internal and external environments in creating and integrated perspective of an organisation, this displays the scientific base of strategy. Strategic thinking is seen as crafting strategic architecture thus characterized by essential elements highlighted in the below by Harrison (2003), Intent Focused: Built on managerial vision of where the firm is going and what it is trying to become. This is called strategic intent Comprehensive: A system perspective which envisions the firm as a part of a larger system of value creation. It, understands the linkages between the firm and the other parts of the system. Opportunistic: Seizes unanticipated opportunities presented to the firm Long-Term Oriented: Goes beyond the here and now. Looks several years into the future at what the firm will become, based on its strategic intent. Built on Past and Present: It doesnt ignore the past or present but instead, learns from the past and further builds on a foundation of realities of the present. Hypothesis Driven: A sequential process in which creative ideas are then critically evaluated. Is willing to take a risk STRATEGIC LUCK While some firms hope to yield above expected normal returns from implementing business strategies, they must however be consistently conversant with the future value of those strategies than other firms playing in the same market. Other firms gain advantage in strategy implementation which is either a manifestation of these special insights into the future value of strategies, or a manifestation of a firms good fortune and luck, as sometimes, the price of the strategic resource acquired may be based on expectations on the return potential of that strategy However, unexpected greater organisational profits can simply be unexpected, a surprise, and a manifestation of a firms good luck and possibly not its ability to accurately anticipate the future value of a strategy. Even well-informed firms can be lucky in this manner. Some organizations actual returns on strategies could be greater than the expected returns; this resulting difference is often regarded to be manifestation of a firms unexpected good fortune. Although most of the success of the company has been deliberate and designed, luck has also been part of it. Luck can also play a role in the formation of business strategy as was the case of the battle of the ball-point pen, when Chicago businessman Milton Reynolds, stumbled upon a new product on a business trip to Argentina, he then bought a few samples knowing that another company Eversharp had bought the patents for a million dollars and widely publicised it, devised a strategy to be first to market in order to take opportunity of the publicity already gained in the US. Reynolds then sold the Pens for hefty prices to anxiously waiting customers thereby making millions of profit. Strategic luck can be demonstrated in the success of the POST-IT Notes originally developed the firm 3M. The idea of Post -it notes came from Dr Spencer in 1968 but didnt emerge until 6 years later when it appears to be a solution for a problem of Art Fry (a colleague of Dr Spencer at 3M) in finding songs quickly in his Hymnal book. Even though Dr Spencer was talking to colleagues and anyone ready to listen about his discovery, no one really knew how to use it until Art Fry came up with the idea of using the post it note to retrieve quickly what he needed from his hymnal book. As a result post it notes became really popular and was used in almost every office. Had it not been the problem Art Fry that require a solution post it notes may not have known the success they had and still have. (Big success) The more accurate an organisations expectations about a potential strategys return are, the less luck plays in generating above normal returns but when the organisation has less than perfect expectations, luck can play a role in determining an organisations returns to implementing its strategies. Consequently, strategies yielding above normal returns may be as a result of a firms ability to uniquely implement a strategy which either reflects the competence of the firm to make accurate expectations, underestimating the true value of the strategy or it had no special expectations but the strategy still yielded above normal returns, these are real reflections of a firms good fortune and luck. Exxon recorded its fourth-straight year profits, enduring wild swings in oil prices and a worldwide drop in demand in 2008. Falling oil prices in the latter half of 2008 hurt its oil production arm (CNN Money.com, 2009). Thus, Barney (1985) explained, because luck is, by definition, out of a firms control, an important question for managers becomes, How can firms become consistently better informed about the value of strategies they are implementing than any other firms? Firms that are successful at doing this can, over time, expect to obtain higher returns from implementing strategies than less well-informed firms, although, as always, firms can be lucky. Another perspective of luck is that it only affects performance of strategy in a few instances but which when averaged out over a lengthy period of time appears to be insignificant. These two views are consistent with scientific inquirys assumption of causality. This perspective is most evident in sports, whereby a team like Manchester united may perform poorly in a few games due to some bad luck but will generally do better than the other teams over the course of the season due to their superior football strategy. STRATEGY AS DESIGN Johnson, Scholes, Whittington (2005) introduced the idea of strategic lenses[1] which design lens is part of, they explained the design lens as a strategy idea formulated through objective and careful analysis and planning which is implemented down throughout the organisation by the top management. Johnson et al stated, Strategy as design views strategy development as the deliberate positioning of the organisation through a rational, analytic, structured and direct process. Johnson et al (2008), argues that strategic design basically builds on two main principles; Managers are, or should be, rational decision makers. Managers should be taking decisions about how to optimise economic performance of their organisations. Although most strategies are by design or deliberate, some of them are however emergent. Porter (1990) was one of the proponents of deliberate strategy which argue for the creation of detailed plans on which a business can exert its full influence because market conditions will be relatively stable for the strategic planning period. Mintzberg, a Proponent of the emergent school of thought argued for the creation of objectives or goals for the future of the company but leaving the implementation to the flexibility of market forces. In order words Mintzberg advocates leaving the strategy open to changes in market conditions. These schools of thought make it inappropriate for me to agree with the statement that strategy is a mixture of design as this is not always the case. The success of Amazon can be attributed to the design of its strategy. Following the effervescence of online shopping, Amazon has successfully designed its strategy to meet customers requirements and needs in a way. It has allowed customers to shop from their homes, offices or any other locations without having to physically go in the shop. Amazon also appears to offer a wide range of products and services, and gives the chance to post any comments, rate the products their bought and offer review for products as well which helps buyers in their choice. Amazon has grown from strength to strength over the years as a result of this well design strategy. (Bokardo) Rational choice is being based on the consideration of the decision making consequences and thus be the anticipations of the future effects of possible actions. Invariably by implication, considerations would be given to the diverse benefits and limitations of different strategic options on the basis of evidence that informs on the likely outcomes of decisions made. As Johnson et al (2008) stated, the assumptions typically underpinning a design view of strategy are in two forms which are as follows: In terms of how strategic decisions are made: Systematic Analysis Strategic positioning, an analysis that provides basis for the comparing organisational strengths and resources with changes in its environment in order to be able to take full advantage of opportunities and circumvent threats. Analytic thinking precedes and governs action Objectives are clear and explicit and basis upon which options are evaluated. Making assumptions about the form and nature of organisations Organizations are hierarchies. Organisations are rational systems Organizations are mechanisms by which strategy can be put into effect. STRATEGIC OPPORTUNISM Just as in science field, strategic planning demonstrates the importance of the use of rigorous flexible methods, results and theories in order to take advantage of strategic opportunities with an impact by improving the direction of the knowledge thats been produced. The above expresses the term strategic opportunism an ability to remain focused on long-term objectives while staying flexible enough to solve day-to-day problems and recognize new opportunities. A managers most important role is to plan a long-term, strategic course for the company, keeping the company geared towards that direction. Given that goals are often static contrary to the business environment, success in this role could however elude managers as each day brings an incessant stream of surprises, new information and opportunities. It can be said that the difference between successful and failing companies is in their ability to sense and respond to opportunism in their business environments. Mintzberg Environmental school of thought sees strategy formation as a reactive process, in effect a response to the external environment. The importance of opportunism to the overall strategy of a company cannot be over emphasized be it technological or financial opportunism. Bernand stated, the challenge for managers, then, is to maintain both flexibility and direction. While no magic formula exists for balancing todays plan against a five-year plan, strategic opportunism can be an effective way to respond to immediate concerns while setting and pursuing long-term goals. This can be illustrated in the case of the Snapple Beverage Corporation, a drink company that was founded in 1972. Having known a good success in the 1990s in the cold channel dominated by small independent drinks distributors, Snapple was bought in 1992 for $143 million by a private firm (Thomas H. Lee) that sold it a year a later after taking in public for the $1.7 billion to a successful firm, Quaker Oats. However under the ownership of Quaker, Snapple was deficient, thus it was later sold in 1997 for the modest sum of $300 million to the Triarc Company. Triarc took this opportunity (of getting a company for a small price) and put back Snapple on track, using the niche market they were previously in, instead of following the mistakes of other firms that wanted Snapple to compete with big brand names. Triarc used the failure Quaker oats as an opportunity and made it as they sold Snapple in 2000 for the staggering sum of $1.4 billion to Cadbury Schweppes. Strategic opportunism focuses mainly on identifying and exploiting the immediate market opportunities at hand with a view to leverage the companys existing strategic assets and competencies and avoids commitment.Harrison (2003) argued that, although strategic thinking is based on strategic intent, it does exhibit a certain level of intelligent opportunism, which he defined as the ability of managers to take advantage of unanticipated opportunities to further intended strategy or redirect a strategy. Therefore, it can be concluded that Strategic Opportunism is characterized by the following according to Aaker (2004): Driven by a focus on the present. Premise that environment is so dynamic and uncertain that it is not feasible to aim at a future target. Strategic flexibility and willingness to respond to opportunities is necessary. Change is the norm. Minimizes risk of missing emerging opportunities. Reduces risk of strategic stubbornness. Requires decentralized structure. Needs entrepreneurial personnel. STRATEGIC JUDGMENT Judgement is usually what the decision makers add to uncertainties or ambiguities in any business strategy. Arguably, its believed that managers gain judgment through past experience and its the experience of specific situations and activities that gives specific types of judgment. Pettigrew (1973) argue that experience is the most important source of what managers call their personal development. Mumford (1980) and Stuart (1986) stated that, the process of acquiring the experience which shapes managerial judgment can also be facilitated by working with those who have already demonstrated ownership of the desired qualities of judgment. Conclusively, since strategic judgment has been attributed to experience acquired, thus, can be related to Strategy as experience which is one of the strategy lenses. According Johnson et al (2005), The Strategy experience lens views strategy development as the outcome of individual and collective experience of individuals and their taken-for-granted assumptions most often represented by cultural influences. Thus, an apparently coherent strategy of an organisation may develop on the basis of a series of strategic moves of which make sense in terms of previous moves. Its being discussed that strategic judgment most often influenced by experience, which can be further broken down into various forms. Managerial judgment in strategy planning or formulation could be as a result of certain circumstances, development and experience. Furthermore, Johnson et al (2005) discussed the elements that act as influence on judgment: Individual Experience and Bias Individual experience could be in terms of the mental (cognitive) models people build over time to help make sense of their situation. It exhibits certain characteristics; Cognitive bias is inevitable The future is dependent and related to in terms of the past experience Bargaining and negotiation between high-ranking individuals in terms of how issues are being understood Collective experience and organisational culture Johnson et al (2005) defined Organisational culture as, the basic assumptions and beliefs that are shared by members of an organisation, that operate unconsciously and define in a basic taken-for-granted fashion an organisations view of itself and its environment. Its also depicted in these characteristics; Managers understanding of the strategic position of their organisation Likelihood of strategic drift[2] Innovation requiring the questioning and challenge of basic assumptions The taken-for-grantedness of a firm may include its strengths which may provide bases for competitive advantage. CONCLUSION In summary, Strategy as design describes the strategic management process which is really the steps and sub-processes of an organisations strategy needed to maintain or improve the organisations performance. Its also been argued that business strategy requires judgment. Though, judgment is most often a personal evaluation and analysis which each individual is committed to, firms and managers captured by their past have higher resistance to change and low in innovation. Conclusively, some innovative business strategies are determined by culture of managers and organisations with their personal judgment, expectations and adequate design methodologies planning, others are simply a variation of luck owning to the fact that some firms just happened to be in the right place at the right time, by taking full advantage of some opportunities that may arise in the global market place, thus, realising it and then developing it into a successful strategy. REFERENCES Aaker, D (2004) Strategic Market Management (7th Edition) England: John Wiley Sons, Inc Burnes, B (2004), Managing Change (4th Edition) England: Pearson Education De Wit, B Meyer, R (1998) STRATEGY: Process, Content, Context (2nd Edition) London: Thompson Learning Fifield P. (1998), Marketing Strategy, 2nd Edition Butterworth: Heinemann. Harrison, J (2003), Strategic Management of Resources and Relationships: Concepts and Cases USA: John Wiley Sons Hitt, M.A; Freeman, R.E and Harrison, J.S (2001), The Blackwell Handbook of Strategic Management, Oxford: Blackwell Publishers

Hemingways Economy Of Style English Literature Essay

Hemingways Economy Of Style English Literature Essay A Clean, Well-Lighted Place is arguably not only one of Hemingways best short stories but also a story that clearly demonstrates the techniques of Hemingways signature writing style. Hemingway is known for his economic prose-his writing is minimalist and sparse, with few adverbs or adjectives. He includes only essential information, often omitting background information, transitions, and dialogue tags such as he said or she said. He often uses pronouns without clear antecedents, such as using the word it without clarifying what it refers to. Hemingway applies the iceberg principle to his stories: only the tip of the story is visible on the page, while the rest is left underwater-unsaid. Hemingway also rarely specifies which waiter is speaking in the story because he has deemed such clarification unnecessary. The essential element is that two waiters are discussing a drunk old man-the rest can be omitted according to Hemingways economy of style. When the older waiter contemplates the idea of nothingness, Hemingway loads the sentences with vague pronouns, never clarifying what they refer to: It was all a nothing.  .  .  . It was only that.  .  .  . Some lived in it  .  .  . Although these lines are somewhat confusing, the confusion is the point. This nothingness cant be defined clearly, no matter how many words are used. Hemingway uses fewer words and lets the effect of his style speak for itself. The Deceptive Pacing of the Story Hemingway does not waste words on changing scenes or marking the passage of time, leaving it up to us to keep track of whats happening and the storys pacing. For example, only a brief conversation between the waiters takes place between the time when the younger waiter serves the old man a brandy and the time when the old man asks for another. Hemingway is not suggesting that the old man has slugged back the brandy quickly. In fact, the old man stays in the cafà © for a long time. Time has lapsed here, but Hemingway leaves it up to us to follow the pace of the story. The pace of A Clean, Well-Lighted Place may seem swift, but the action of the story actually stretches out for much longer than it appears to. The sitting, drinking, and contemplating that take place are languid actions. We may read the story quickly, but the scenes themselves are not quick. Just as Hemingway doesnt waste words by trying to slow down his scenes, he also refrains from including unnecessary transitions. F or example, when the older waiter leaves the cafà © and mulls over the idea of nothingness, he finishes his parody of prayer and, without any transition that suggests that he was walking, we suddenly find him standing at a bar. Hemingway lets the waiters thoughts serve as the transition. When he writes, He smiled and stood before a bar, were meant to understand that the waiter had been walking and moving as he was thinking to himself. And when the waiter orders a drink at the bar, the bartender offers him another just two sentences later. Again, Hemingway is not suggesting that the waiter gulps his drink. Instead, he conveys only the most essential information in the scene. Existentialism and the Lost Generation The term Lost Generation refers to the writers and artists living in Paris after World War I. The violence of World War I, also called the Great War, was unprecedented and invalidated previous ideas about faith, life, and death. Traditional values that focused on God, love, and manhood dissolved, leaving Lost Generation writers adrift. They struggled with moral and psychological aimlessness as they searched for the meaning of life in a changed world. This search for meaning and these feelings of emptiness and aimlessness reflect some of the principle ideas behind existentialism. Existentialism is a philosophical movement rooted in the work of the Danish philosopher Sà ¸ren Kierkegaard, who lived in the mid-1800s. The movement gained popularity in the mid-1900s thanks to the work of the French intellectuals Jean-Paul Sartre, Simone de Beauvoir, and Albert Camus, including Sartres Being and Nothingness (1943). According to existentialists, life has no purpose, the universe is indiffer ent to human beings, and humans must look to their own actions to create meaning, if it is possible to create meaning at all. Existentialists consider questions of personal freedom and responsibility. Although Hemingway was writing years before existentialism became a prominent cultural idea, his questioning of life and his experiences as a searching member of the Lost Generation gave his work existentialist overtones. Themes, Motifs, and Symbols Themes Life as Nothingness In A Clean, Well-Lighted Place, Hemingway suggests that life has no meaning and that man is an insignificant speck in a great sea of nothingness. The older waiter makes this idea as clear as he can when he says, It was all a nothing and man was a nothing too. When he substitutes the Spanish word nada (nothing) into the prayers he recites, he indicates that religion, to which many people turn to find meaning and purpose, is also just nothingness. Rather than pray with the actual words, Our Father who art in heaven, the older waiter says, Our nada who art in nada-effectively wiping out both God and the idea of heaven in one breath. Not everyone is aware of the nothingness, however. For example, the younger waiter hurtles through his life hastily and happily, unaware of any reason why he should lament. For the old man, the older waiter, and the other people who need late-night cafà ©s, however, the idea of nothingness is overwhelming and leads to despair. The Struggle to Deal with Despair The old man and older waiter in A Clean, Well-Lighted Place struggle to find a way to deal with their despair, but even their best method simply subdues the despair rather than cures it. The old man has tried to stave off despair in several unsuccessful ways. We learn that he has money, but money has not helped. We learn that he was once married, but he no longer has a wife. We also learn that he has unsuccessfully tried to commit suicide in a desperate attempt to quell the despair for good. The only way the old man can deal with his despair now is to sit for hours in a clean, well-lit cafà ©. Deaf, he can feel the quietness of the nighttime and the cafà ©, and although he is essentially in his own private world, sitting by himself in the cafà © is not the same as being alone. The older waiter, in his mocking prayers filled with the word nada, shows that religion is not a viable method of dealing with despair, and his solution is the same as the old mans: he waits out the nighttime in cafà ©s. He is particular about the type of cafà © he likes: the cafà © must be well lit and clean. Bars and bodegas, although many are open all night, do not lessen despair because they are not clean, and patrons often must stand at the bar rather than sit at a table. The old man and the older waiter also glean solace from routine. The ritualistic cafà ©-sitting and drinking help them deal with despair because it makes life predictable. Routine is something they can control and manage, unlike the vast nothingness that surrounds them. Motifs Loneliness Loneliness pervades A Clean, Well-Lighted Place and suggests that even though there are many people struggling with despair, everyone must struggle alone. The deaf old man, with no wife and only a niece to care for him, is visibly lonely. The younger waiter, frustrated that the old man wont go home, defines himself and the old man in opposites: Hes lonely. Im not lonely. Loneliness, for the younger waiter, is a key difference between them, but he gives no thought to why the old man might be lonely and doesnt consider the possibility that he may one day be lonely too. The older waiter, although he doesnt say explicitly that he is lonely, is so similar to the old man in his habit of sitting in cafà ©s late at night that we can assume that he too suffers from loneliness. The older waiter goes home to his room and lies in bed alone, telling himself that he merely suffers from sleeplessness. Even in this claim, however, he instinctively reaches out for company, adding, Many must have it. The thought that he is not alone in having insomnia or being lonely comforts him. Symbols The Cafà © The cafà © represents the opposite of nothingness: its cleanliness and good lighting suggest order and clarity, whereas nothingness is chaotic, confusing, and dark. Because the cafà © is so different from the nothingness the older waiter describes, it serves as a natural refuge from the despair felt by those who are acutely aware of the nothingness. In a clean, brightly lit cafà ©, despair can be controlled and even temporarily forgotten. When the older waiter describes the nothingness that is life, he says, It was only that and light was all it needed and a certain cleanness and order. The it in the sentence is never defined, but we can speculate about the waiters meaning: although life and man are nothing, light, clealiness, and order can serve as substance. They can help stave off the despair that comes from feeling completely unanchored to anyone or anything. As long as a clean, well-lighted cafà © exists, despair can be kept in check.

Electronic Music :: Art

Electronic Music Lets go back to 1916 where Hugo Balle, Tristan Tzara, Marcel Janco, and Richard Hue- Isenbeck are finding the Dada artistic movement. These guys are a bunch of anarchists living in Zurich, Switzerland. The Dada movement preaches the â€Å"essence of spirit† the freedom of expression, hatred to â€Å"the great war† (or what we later called World War 1) , with a want to preserve the middle class, while humankind was degrading morally, with little or no hopes for a bright future. This goes in context with this CS3 course in how before world war 1, man thought so much was to come. The Dada movement expressed the deterioration or our civilizations due to wars through sound and not words. They thought sound was more sincere and liberal. These guys noticed that music doesn’t have a specific language, so more people can relate to it. They would rebel against what was happening in the world by creating music based on industrial noises. You have to think that back then everyone listened to polka, piano, and Stravinsky. When all of a sudden this â€Å"Dada† movement started using tools to bang on pots and pans to create music. It was not in any way popular, but these guys contributed the base for â€Å"Electronic Music†. Electronic Music is basically making noises into music not by instruments, but rather through alternative sources. The Dada Movement didn’t use electricity to make their music mainly because it’s the early 20th century and electricity was somewhat a luxury. So to be honest it was in the 1920’s that the worlds first synthesizer was born officially launching an era still very active today in all of our lives, yes, called electronic music. The first instrument was made by a Russian electronics genius named Leon Theremin and he called his synthesizer a â€Å"Theremin†. The cool thing about this synth is that it didn’t have a keyboard like synths do now; it was simply a device that senses changes in electromagnetic waves. Basically you stand in front of it and wave your hands back in fourth and it will make noises and tones out of that. So as everyone else go into Hollywood and Rock N Roll, the world was still not speaking the same language of music. People in the Middle East listened to Um-Kilthoum at the same time Elvis was dancing to the Jail House Rock.

Reformations of School Essay -- Essays Papers

Reformations of School Education plays a fundamental role in the development of any nation. History is witness that those nations who did not recognized the importance of education were doomed, and education played a key role in the success of the developed nations. A successful country like America faces many challenges regarding education. Some of these challenges are: how to better achieve educational opportunity, and to find ways to deal with such problems and educational dilemmas for American children. To find the answers and solutions to these problems we can not ignore the dialogue of reforming of schools, instead, new ways of education, restructuring of American schools, and recommendations to improve might be the only answer to these problems. In the following paragraphs, problems like weak curriculum and poor standards in the schools have been identified, and recommendations have been made to eliminate these problems. Also the problems and errors regarding the distribution of funds by the governm ent for the schools have been addressed, and recommendations have been made that these funding should be distributed equally and accordingly to the states. The federal government should take this issue more seriously and assist the states on a greater level. It is a very sad fact that even now when we have entered the 21st century, a first world country like America which is supposed to be a role model for the rest of the world is facing the problem of poor standards in their schools such as goals, expectations, and requirements. There is a great contradiction on people’s standards vs. the school’s standards. People set high standards that are very hard and sometimes impossible to achieve by students and teachers, whereas some schools do not match these standards and even pass kids who cannot read or have poor educational skills. In order to have high academic standards there has to be high performance in public education systems. The system needs to be changed fundamentally. Teachers can play an important role and should come together on a common platform to achieve a common goal and that is the improved quality of education. Good communication between school, school boards, and school administration is very important, so teachers can be heard and listened to. School should only hire highly qualified and proficient teachers. Students are usually int... ...me states there is five times as much spending on students in some school districts as in others ($15,744 versus $2,932 during 1994-95 in Illinois, for example)† (by Patricia Albjerg Graham, article#1). If we observe the above data, it is very noticeable that federal government is playing a less active role in financing the education. One way to provide high quality of education is that federal government should get more involve with the current schooling system. Parents in general public can play their part and instead of criticizing the present system, they should elect the candidates in the government who give higher priority for the education and reserve more funds for the improvement and reforming of the school systems. Bibliography: References: Textual Resources: a) Article #1 (Educational dilemma for Americans). b) Article #2 (Restoring the impulse to Dream). c) Article #3 (How to teach a children). d) Class notes. Non-textual Resources: a) American School Board Journal (March 2000 issue). b) Http://education-world.com. c) Reforming American Education from the Bottom to the Top by Evans Clinchy. d) One on one conversation with parents.

Operational Management Kaplan Nortan Generic Map Essay

In Kaplan & Norton Generic Strategy map, one perspective is the learning and growth perspective. Explain the significance of this perspective. Write the requirement of the perspective in detail and what outcome can be achieved if it is followed. Significance * Learning and growth strategies are important for the long term development of the firm * Learning and growth perspective defines the intangible assets which are needed to enable the activities and customer relationships to be performed at high level * It includes measurement for people (employee retention, training, skills, morale) * It also measure critical real time information needed for front line employees * The chain of cause and effect relationships tend to cause improvements in business processes , which in turn cause improvements in sales and financial measurement of profitability. The direction of cause and effects relationship can be emphasized as: Learning and growth  º Internal business process  º Customer  º Financial * It continuously develop and deliver new innovative products and services * Organization innovation and learning perspective is used to maintain infrastructure needed for long term growth and improvements. Learning and Growth perspect ive: In learning and growth perspective organizations purpose is â€Å"to achieve its mission and how it will sustain its ability to change and improve† it defines the intangible assets that are needed to enable activities and customer relationship to be performed at high levels of performance so that the firm can serve its customer well. This perspective is also the base of forming strategy if base is well structured and aligned with the organizational objective strategy can prove itself more effective. It is important important for the long term development of the firm. Requirements Requirements of learning and growth perspective are listed below: * Strategic competencies * Strategic technologies * Climate for action Strategic competencies: Strategic competencies are the strategic skills and knowledge required by the work force to support the strategy. Strategy itself is of no use until unless supported and implemented by the workforce of the organization. Employees should be involved in decision making so that they considered themselves a part of the firm and take rational decisions about .If some employee is doing well for the organization firm should reward him and give him recognition for the job that he has performed well this thing gives us the concept of motivation it is the driving force that drives a person to achieve its objective. Strategic Technologies: These are the materials and process technologies, information system, databases, tools, and network required to support the strategy. Once strategy is made now it requires some technical software tools for its processing it can be some software that enable the work force to reduce times in the operations of the business. An organization can gain competitive edge over its competitors by using technologies. Climate for actions: Climate for action provides the cultural shifts needed to motivate, empower, and align the workforce behind the strategy . it’s the course of action that how organization is going to align its strategic competencies, strategic technologies with each other . organization matches its abilities with its strategies and oversees if it can perform as they have made the strategy. It’s a point where organization checks its strategic fit between the organizational plan and resources employed for it . It accesses the climate prior to the action . Outcomes As it focuses on intangible assets of the firm mainly on the internal skills and capabilities of the employees that are required to support the value creating internal processes. It also describes how technology people are combined to support the strategy and if it is implemented it can lead in the improvement in the internal processes, customers, and financial perspective

Its me,,,i want boyfriend

The project would start with a photography contest in the city that according to â€Å"Tex† will lend a human face to â€Å"hookers† or â€Å"whores†, who also have human rights and need government protection. Tex said â€Å"as long as poverty is there, you expect more people to engage in prostitution. † He said there are about 500,000 sex workers in the country, 3,000 of whom are in Baguio City, one of the country's top tourist draws. Nation ( Article MRec ), pagematch: 1, sectionmatch: 1 Among others, Filipino sex workers face health issues, made worse by fear of being enied access to health services., which has began â€Å"talking† to and organizing sex workers in Baguio, Tex said, has taken note of various anecdotes, illustrating the stigma that sex workers face as they have yet to secure recognition from the government. â€Å"In the most extreme (cases), we hear of sex workers complaining of rape to authorities, but rarely get serious results on the ground that they are not believed to have been raped because they are prostitutes. As if sex workers have no rights,† Tex said. In Baguio, more than 300 sex workers, mostly street ookers including males, are â€Å"talking† with WHORE.When finally given legal recognition, the advocacy group, a member of the Asia Pacific Sex Workers Union and the Sex Workers ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) group, said sex workers â€Å"can become members of unions fghting for their rights and welfare. † In Thailand, sex workers are recognized by the government and are able to raise their concerns to the government. â€Å"But we are not going for decriminalizing sex workers while criminalizing clients like the Swedish model,† Tex said. â€Å"It didn't even work here. WHORE'S advocacy is facing daunting challenges, however. For one, the Catholic church here headed by Catholic Vicar Carlito Cenzon of the Baguio Vicariate is opposing the legalization of se x workers. â€Å"No way', Cenzon said. Even the supposedly liberal women's group Gabriela is against legalizing prostitution. â€Å"Legalizing [prostitution] is not an option, but instead [the government must] remove them (prostitutes) from poverty,† said Cordillera women Igorot leader Mila Singson, regional coordinator of the Gabriela Women's partylist.Although Singson said her roup has rescued a number of women who became sex slaves, she believes that â€Å"women involved in prostitution should be criminalized. † The UN report â€Å"Sex Work and the Law in Asia and the Pacific† said that â€Å"legal recognition of sex work as an occupation enables sex workers to claim benefits, to form or Join unions and to access work-related banking, insurance, transport and pension schemes. â€Å"In decriminalized context,† it says, â€Å"the sex industry can be subject to the same general laws regarding workplace health and safety and anti-discrimination protecti ons as other industries. 00 Decriminalization, according to the UN involves the repeal of laws criminalizing sex work, being clients to sex workers or engaging in activities associated with sex work. 00 It should also repeal laws that require mandatory testing or treatment for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) or other ST's, as well as laws that allow detention of sex workers for rehabilitation or correction.

Christmas and Women Essay

â€Å"It was not the hard work which he hated, nor the punishment and injustice. He was used to that before he ever saw either of them. He expected no less, and so he was neither outraged nor surprised. It was the woman: that soft kindness which he believed himself doomed to be forever victim of and which he hated worse than he did the hard and ruthless justice of men. † (Faulkner 158) In William Faulkner’s Light in August, Joe Christmas’s misogynistic view towards women has reason behind it, based on his negative past with significant female characters. The above quote emphasizes his feelings towards women, describing how Joe is able to handle the harshness of a man, but cannot stand the weak and nurturing nature of a woman. Moreover, he believes women are only out to make him cry, as we see with his attitude towards the dietitian and Mrs. McEachern. Over the course of his life, beginning with the absence of a mother, Joe has been impacted by several female influences, from a brief stint with an orphan girl, Alice, up to his lack of a relationship with his mother, Millie. These women have led to Joe’s distrust and pure hate of femininity. Alice, a twelve year-old girl from the orphanage, is his first encounter with a maternal figure. Joe relies on Alice as a supportive comfort, as he does not have a mother or any adult figure to turn to, for that matter. â€Å"He had liked her, enough to let her mother him a little; perhaps because of it. And so to him she was as mature, almost as large in size, as the adult women who ordered his eating and washing and sleeping, with the difference she was not and never would be his enemy. One night she waked him. She was telling him goodbye but he did not know it. He was sleepy and a little annoyed, never full awake, suffering her because she had always tried to be good to him. He didn’t know that she was crying because he did not know that grown people cried, and by the time he learned that, memory had forgotten her. He went back into sleep while still suffering her, and the next morning she was gone. Vanished, no trace of her left, not even a garment, the very bed in which she had slept already occupied by a new boy. He never did know where she went to. † (Faulkner 127-8) When Alice leaves, Joe is confused and feels lost. He then has no one to rely on, learn from, or be close to, in such a setting. With this experience, he feels as if women are unpredictable and will leave at any given point. There is not consistency in relationships with them and, therefore, they cannot be trusted. â€Å"The incident speaks volumes of what the child at the orphanage had lacked, the lack that was to warp him away from womankind† (Brooks xxiii). It is understandable that this â€Å"abandonment† could have such an impression on a young mind with no real stability in his life. The Freudian theory applies here, with the idea that childhood experiences mold an individual most significantly and they determine the attitudes and perceptions of said individuals in their futures. (Hamblin and Peek 303) Also at the orphanage is the dietitian, who is another female influence, contributing to Christmas’s misogynistic attitude. After Joe has been caught consuming pink toothpaste, he expects punishment. However, she does not reprimand him immediately and he agonizes over the anticipation. â€Å"It never occurred to her that he believed that he was the one who had been taken in sin and was being tortured with punishment deferred and that he was putting himself in her way in order to get it over with, get his whipping and strike the balance and write it off† (Faulkner 115). This is when he first gets the idea that women are only out to make him cry. He believes that the dietitian is intentionally torturing him by not immediately carrying through with a punishment for his wrongdoings. The action which â€Å"adds salt to the wound† is when the dietitian, believing that the boy will convey his knowledge of her amorous actions to an orphanage authority, tries to bribe him with money. Therefore, Joe becomes confused and unsure of what to do. This only emphasizes the notion that women are unpredictable and hard to read, and that they possibly represent temptation. When Joe leaves the orphanage, he moves into the country with Mr. and Mrs. McEachern. It is possible that he would have responded positively to Mrs.  McEachern’s nurturing manner had he not dealt with those negative incidents with female figures at the orphanage. However, whenever Mrs. McEachern tries to show kindness towards Joe, he retaliates with acts of cruelty, such as when she offers him food and he dumps it on the floor angrily. Later, Joe says to himself: â€Å"‘She is trying to make me cry,’ he thought, lying cold and rigid in his bed, his hands beneath his head and the moonlight falling across his body, hearing the steady murmur of the man’s voice as it mounted the stairway on its first heavenward stage; ‘She was trying to make me cry. Then she thinks that they would have had me’† (Faulkner 158). By relying on her, Joe thinks that he would show weakness. He can handle McEachern’s harsh ways, but the weakness of Mrs. McEachern disgusts him. He fears displaying weakness, perhaps because he is weak in not knowing his past and not understanding who he is through his adolescence. Because he does not know his parentage, he struggles not only with his racial identity, but his personal identity as well. And, â€Å"the more Mrs. McEachern attempts to mother Christmas, the further her pushes her away† (Schisler 2008). Throughout Joe’s young adult years, he has relationships with several women, namely prostitutes (or â€Å"waitresses†). He routinely tells them of his racial status, either to shock or disgust them or to test their feelings toward him. With these reactions, he travels from woman to woman to find his identity. However, his first real love is with the waitress, Bobbie Allen. Joe’s initial attraction is to her manly features, such as her masculine hands. He tells her that he is part Negro to test her love for him. He sincerely opens up to her often, but when she ultimately rejects him, he is crushed. She could have been the one to â€Å"save† him from his hatred of women and his hateful past. A contribution to their relationship is Joe’s distance from nature. He is far from nature, the natural representation of femininity (Brooks xvii), and he does not accept the natural processes of life. Thus, he gets frightened and frustrated and runs away. â€Å"In the notseeing and hardknowing as though in a cave he seemed to see a diminishing row of suavely shaped urns in moonlight, blanched. And not one was perfect. Each one was cracked and from each crack there issued some liquid, death-colored, and foul. He touched a tree, leaning his propped arms against it, seeing the ranked and moonlight urns. He vomited† (Faulkner 208-9). These urns are a metaphor for women and femininity, in relation to Greek literature and the Bible (Bleikasten 286). Their cracked state and oozing liquid represents that Bobbie is no longer alluring and it shows Joe’s perception of women and how he expects them to be perfect, when he subconsciously knows that they are not. The feminine atmosphere has caused him to vomit, as he is disgusted by Bobbie and the natural processes of life. Furthermore, there is probably the most influential female role in the novel, Miss Joanna Burden. Miss Burden is Joe’s strongest lover emotionally. Again, he is attracted to her masculine qualities, not only physically, but personality-wise. During her first encounter with Joe, she takes her rape â€Å"like a man† and does not struggle or put emotion into it. She is predictable and follows a routine, much like a man, which Joe admires. Burden’s struggling betrays â€Å"no feminine vacillation, no coyness of obvious desire and intention to succumb at last. It was as if he struggled physically with another man for an object of no actual value to either, and for which they struggled on principle alone. † Also, she is a social outcast and is a pariah from the community, sharing a man’s alienation, much like Joe Christmas (Brooks xvi). In Burden, Joe could have stability to support his shaky lifestyle and troublesome past. However, their relationship is ruined because they both believe the only way it can end is in murder. Hence, Joe must kill Joanna in self-defense, fear, and love. This is the end of Joe’s amorous relationships for the rest of his life. Furthermore, Joe has been impacted by a woman who was not even there throughout the course of his life. His mother, Millie, influenced his heritage by having relations with his father. This determines his entire struggle for identity and the issues with his race in the novel and his complete lifetime. In addition, her absence as he grows up gives him no maternal love or comfort as a young child. Perhaps if she had shown him that he could have healthy relationships with women, he could see that many females can be beautiful and trustworthy people. Overall, Joe’s misogynistic attitude has been shaped by years of emotional abuse and love lost. His absence of a maternal figure when he was young and the abandonment of Alice, the only person he ever truly trusted and went to for comfort, taught him that women were unpredictable. His amorous relationships with Bobbie and Joanna taught him that, while a woman may appear attractive with masculine and predictable qualities, she is ultimately still a woman, and, therefore, untrustworthy and weak. All of these elements combine Joe and who he is, his outlooks of life, and the course his life takes.