Trifles A Play in One Act

By showing how oblivious the men are to the challenges and accomplishments of women’s lives and women’s work, Trifles forces us to question how we perceive the world. The male characters enter a house filled with clues to a desperately unhappy situation, and do not even notice. If this is possible in the setting of the play, what important hints to the truth are we, the viewers, missing and overlooking in everyday life?Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Trifles: A Play in One Act specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The male characters assume that anything that the women do or think is trifling compared to the work of men. They assume, simultaneously, that the maintenance of domestic comfort is women’s responsibility, no matter what the obstacles. For example, they expect a clean towel, but ignore the difficulty of effective laundry in a house so cold it freezes jam. They mock the women over quilti ng versus knotting, or the state of the preserves, but undoubtedly expect a warm bed and sweet spread for their own flapjacks (Glaspell). The sheriff’s wife is said to be â€Å"married to the law† , and to need no supervision, as though she does lacks an independent mind and will (Glaspell). On the other hand, the women defer to the men, suggesting that their judgment is more valid somehow, at least in their own minds. When the two women find the canary with its neck broken, Mrs. Peters says, â€Å"My, it’s a good thing the men couldn’t hear us. Wouldn’t they just laugh!† (Glaspell). She recognizes that their feminine inferences might seem ridiculous to the men, but also could potentially send Mrs. Wright to her execution. Their concealment of the evidence they find is thus a brave act of solidarity with Mrs. Wright’s rebellion against loneliness and abuse. The Hairy Ape‘s naturalistic dialogue is mild in comparison with what th e viewing public hears regularly in reality TV shows, but it must have seemed shocking when it premiered. The cruelty of the other laborers after Yank is insulted by Mildred as a â€Å"filthy creature†, seems a bit artificially extreme, but is perhaps accurate for the era (O’Neill). The play aims to make political points about class boundaries. Thus, the conflicts, for example, between Yank and the Gentleman walking on 5th Avenue, are heightened for dramatic effect. If the viewer accepts this premise, as I do, then these artificialities work.Advertising Looking for essay on art and design? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The social and spiritual distance that Yank perceives, between himself and his fellow laborers, Mildred, the wealthy New Yorkers, the other prisoners, and finally, the Wobblies, all makes Yank feel totally alienated. His sense of isolation leads him to take a hideous risk that ends with him being crushed and thrown by a gorilla in the zoo. While possibly unrealistic – a gorilla might more likely bite and pull limbs off – this makes a powerful visual pun. Yank is embraced by a hairy ape, exactly what Mildred visualized when she watched him lose his temper. He has found his soul mate, he imagines. Yank’s death is presented as resulting inevitably from his not fitting in anywhere. He is too thoughtful and proud for the drunken stokehold laborers. His speech is too shamelessly uncensored for the refined, hypocritical Mildred. He impulsively roughs up a socialite. He is too violent for the I.W.W.. Even the gorilla rejects his companionship, dispatching him forever, in irritation with his tone of voice. Works Cited Glaspell, Susan. Trifles: A Play in One Act. Ed. Frank Shay. New York: Washington Square Players, 1916. Web. https://books.google.com/books?id=wxZaAAAAMAAJprintsec=frontcoverredir_esc=y#v=onepageqf=false. O’Neill, Eugene. The Hairy Ape. New York: Boni and Liveright, 1922. Web. https://www.questia.com/library/7232005/the-hairy-ape-anna-christie-the-first-man. This essay on Trifles: A Play in One Act was written and submitted by user Zariyah Kane to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

How does the poet convey the sadness of death in Mid-Term Break Essay Example

How does the poet convey the sadness of death in Mid How does the poet convey the sadness of death in Mid-Term Break Paper How does the poet convey the sadness of death in Mid-Term Break Paper Essay Topic: Poetry The concepts of death and grief are often interlinked. This is demonstrated in Seamus Heaneys poem, Mid-Term Break, where he conveys the sadness of death after his own brother, Christopher, dies. Heaney uses various language techniques, sound devices, symbolizations and contrasts to achieve this sense of sorrow. In the first stanza, Heaneys clever use of the phrase counting bells knelling classes to a close illustrates the similarity of school bells to funeral bells. The use of assonance and alliteration in this phrase emphasizes the funereal sounds of the bells. Also, the hard consonant sounds in counting, classes, and close foreshadow some form of cruel finality, providing a feeling of melancholy, as well as apprehension. After such subtleties, we can finally see blatant evidence to the presence of death. In the second stanza, when Heaney arrives home, he sees his father crying, even though he had always taken funerals in his stride. Because of the line he had always taken funerals in his stride, we learn that someone has died. Also, Heaneys father can be seen to be strong and unyielding. Yet, this image of him crying and grieving so openly demonstrates how distressing this death really is. Looking at Heaneys other parent; in her we do not see a soft or idealistic image of a woman sobbing gently, but rather a rough, realistic image of a mother who is saddened beyond tears. Instead of crying, she coughed out angry, tearless sighs, indicative of her anger and harsh feelings of loss. Her extreme sorrow at the death of Christopher shows that the grief brought on by death is always immeasurable. Thus, Heaney uses both his parents to compare the varying expressions of sadness after death. It is in the sixth stanza where symbolism is first used. Snowdrops represent life and innocence, while candles symbolize funeral rites, and death. Heaney contrasts the concepts of life and death in this stanza to emphasize death with subtle symbolism. He has achieved this whilst showing that there has been a loss of innocence, that being Christophers, as well as his own. This loss of innocence leaves behind regret in the reader and a sudden feeling of loss and misery. In this sixth stanza, the words, Paler now, seem to hang at the end of the verse and implies the contrast of a living Christopher to a dead one. This simple description once again stresses Heaneys sadness for his death and his longing for his brother back. The sentence then carries on to the seventh stanza, which sets up for the final line: A four foot box, a foot for every year It is this line where Heaney has concentrated most of his anger, sadness, and grief. This makes the reader finally understand the tragedy that has taken place, as well as emphasizing each and every word of the sentence. This also stuns the reader as this is where the reader first realizes how young Heaneys brother really is, and allows them to fully comprehend the shock and grief the family, and Heaney, must have felt. However, despite his feelings, throughout the poem, Heaney manages to imply, but not explicitly state, his own feelings. Rather, he sustains an impersonal sense of sorrow and grief, while describing the scenes and atmosphere of that event. This presents the audience with a sense of Heaneys numbness, a lack of any strong emotions, due to the initial shock of the tragedy. To emphasize this shock, Heaney has used a very simple free verse with little rhyme and rhythm. This allows the poem to deliver a very simple, yet effective story, and so is definite in its meaning. Phrases such as Next morning I went into the room get straight to the point and are not excessively fancy. Heaneys lack of concern for unnecessary waffle allows him to convey the sadness of death clearly and concisely. Heaney manages to convey to the reader the feeling of sadness after death. His use of various contrasts of life and death emphasize the death, and the remorse resulting from it. Also, his use of simple, impersonal language and effective sounds allows the reader to fully grasp the severity of this death. In turn, this helps Heaney to implicitly present his own feelings of sadness and sorrow. Also, the final line has been built-up so that the full impact of this event finally hits the reader. His brother is dead and his life fixed in a perpetual Mid-Term Break.

Grafftiti essays

Grafftiti essays Graffiti comes from the verb "graffiare", which means to engrave or design on solid surfaces. Some artists believe that graffiti started in an ancient time when people had no formal way of communicating verbally and drew pictures on the wall representing actions. Other then that most graffiti artists believe that graffiti had first started around the 60's. In the sixties people tagged there names on building walls, tunnels, and any place were a lot of people will see it. People also used graffiti to mark territorial spots for gangs and cultural groups. As years went by more people were following the bad example of others and more people were getting into it. Instead of most tags relating to gangs or cultural groups more individuals were tagging for a rush. As more people were tagging towns and cities were becoming filled with graffiti. Individuals usually had a specific word or term in which that they tagged every time. The individual would try to get that tag in as many places as possible to In todays style there are many different terms that are for all The most usually seen tags are called scribbles and they are a form of writing a your tag in a very cool looking style. Another common type of tagging is called a throwup and it is usually done with a couple colors and some highlights and background. it usually takes people around ten to twenty minutes to The last type of tagging is called a "peice" short for masterpeice. This type of tagging are beatiful peices with many colors and backgounds and all types of shading and coloring. WAYS COPS ARE TRYING TO REDUCE GRAFFIT ...

How the Dow Jones Industrial Average Is Calculated

How the Dow Jones Industrial Average Is Calculated If you read the newspaper, listen to the radio, or watch the nightly news on television, you have probably heard about what happened in the market today. Its all fine and good that the Dow Jones finished up 35 points to close at 8738, but what does that really mean? What Is  the Dow? The Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJI), commonly just referred to as simply The Dow, is an average of the price of 30 different stocks. The stocks represent 30 of the largest and most widely publicly traded stocks in the United States. The index measures how these companies stocks have traded over the course of a standard trading session in the stock market. It is the second-oldest and one of the most referenced stock market index in the United States.  The Dow Jones Corporation, the administrators of the index, modifies the stocks being tracked in the index from time to time to best reflect the largest and most widely traded stocks of the day. The Stocks of the Dow Jones Industrial Average As of April 2019, the following 30 stocks were constituents of the Dow Jones Industrial Average index: Company Symbol Industry 3M MMM Conglomerate American Express AXP Consumer Finance Apple AAPL Consumer Electronics Boeing BA Aerospace and Defense Caterpillar CAT Construction and Mining Equipment Chevron CVX Oil and Gas Cisco Systems CSCO Computer Networking Coca-Cola KO Beverages Dow Inc. DOW Chemical Industry ExxonMobil XOM Oil and Gas Goldman Sachs GS Banking and Financial Services The Home Depot HD Home Improvement Retailer IBM IBM Computers and Technology Intel INTC Semiconductors Johnson Johnson JNJ Pharmaceuticals JPMorgan Chase JPM Banking McDonald's MCD Fast Food Merck MRK Pharmaceuticals Microsoft MSFT Consumer Electronics Nike NKE Apparel Pfizer PFE Pharmaceuticals Procter Gamble PG Consumer Goods Travelers TRV Insurance UnitedHealth Group UNH Managed Healthcare United Technologies UTX Conglomerate Verizon VZ Telecommunication Visa V Consumer Banking Walmart WMT Retail Walgreens Boots Alliance WBA Retail Walt Disney DIS Broadcasting and Entertainment How the Dow Is Calculated The Dow Jones Industrial Average is price-averaged meaning that it is computed by taking the average price of the 30 stocks that comprise the index and dividing that figure by a number called the divisor. The divisor is there to take into account stock splits and mergers which also makes the Dow a scaled average. If the Dow werent calculated as a scaled average, the index would decrease whenever a stock split took place. To illustrate this, suppose a stock on the index worth $100 splits is split or divided into two stocks each worth $50. If the administrators did not take into account that there are twice as many shares in that company as before, the DJI would be $50 lower than before the stock split because one share is now worth $50 instead of $100. The Dow Divisor The divisor is determined by weights placed on all the stocks (due to these mergers and acquisitions) and as a result, it changes quite often. For example, on November 22, 2002, the divisor was equal to 0.14585278, but as of September 22, 2015, the divisor is equal to 0.14967727343149.   What this means is that if you took the average cost of each of these 30 stocks on September 22, 2015, and divided this number by the divisor 0.14967727343149, youd get the closing value of the DJI on that date, which was 16330.47. You can also use this divisor to see how an individual stock influences the average. Because of the formula used by the Dow, a one point increase or decrease by any stock will have the same effect, which is not the case for all indices. Dow Jones Industrial Average Summary So the Dow Jones number you hear on the news each night is simply this weighted average of stock prices. Because of this, the Dow Jones Industrial Average should just be considered a price in itself. When you hear that the Dow Jones went up 35 points, it just means that to buy these stocks (taking into account the divisor) at 4:00 p.m. EST that day (the closing time of the market), it would have cost $35 more than it would have cost to buy the stocks the day before at the same time.

What do international students need to know before they come to UK Essay

What do international students need to know before they come to UK Challenges an International Student Likely to Encounter - Essay Example In my case study, I will explore potential threats to the comfort and academic excellence of an international student. My views, encounter, and success in the new environment will be shaped by Maslow hierarchy of needs which outlines various needs and preparedness one ought to have towards attaining excellence in all spheres of life. Further, some of my ideas and facts will be drawn from diverse academic resources presented by specialist in the light of the case study. Finally, other ideas will be corroborated by interviews I conducted with students and lecturers. Background Located strategically at the centre of England, the University boasts a total student population of â€Å"23,207 inclusive of 2,500 international students† (University of Wolverhmpton, 2013). According to factual information presented in the university official web site, University of Wolverhampton traces its way back in the mid- 1800s as Wolveharmpton Mechanics Institute and college of Arts. It later gain ed the current status 1969 as the University of Wolverhampton. It offers over six international courses such as international foundation, undergraduate courses, postgraduate courses, pre master’s program, English pre-sessional course, just to mention a few. Also, the university has three campuses located in Telfoord, Walsall and the city campus. It has modern and well-equipped accommodation facilities with different options to suit the needs and privacy of every student. The university offers over one hundred courses in its various academic programs. Food and Accommodation Burnapp (2009, p.13) points out that â€Å"what a body needs to survive such as food, water and somewhere to sleep . . .† aid in excellent physiological development. The university has taken this into great consideration with spacious and fully functional hall of residence. However, this is enjoyable for those who had been accommodated. As an international student, accommodation becomes a major chall enge and if not addressed before taking that flight you may be unlucky and forced to spend some few days under someone’s roof, your â€Å"good Samaritan† and it can be a hell of experience without a friend who has settled there or a relative to turn to at such hour of need. Many students are often misguided and fail to prioritise accommodation. All they do is to firmly fix their eyes on the academic part of it. This is absolutely wrong for an international student. Nelson (2012) in an interview mentioned the importance of accommodation for an international student, but for him all had been done by his parents prior to his coming. This clearly shows how accommodation is so valuable for an international student. We didn’t stop at importance of accommodation and further talked about food. â€Å"I managed to find my local food† (Nelson, 2012) something we shared in common as I managed to find my local favourite dish with much ease. Undoubtedly, it will be abs olutely right to authoritatively say food and accommodation play major role which an international must consider before taking a flight. Security Every student needs to feel safe each. The university authority does not take students security lightly. Every student is required to flush out their issued ID to pass the security guards on the ground. This is unlike my country institutions which indeed, each student is issued with student identification card but hardly used at the entrances making it

Memo 3 Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Memo 3 - Article Example This is supposed to have an ending that leans on either a positive, negative or neutral side of the issues being addressed. This defines the scope and focus of the piece of publication. In the article as written, a look at the language used brings a collection of language misfits in its presentation. Though most of the errors appear in relatively less defined areas of the piece of writing, they are well defined as per the English laws of language. For instance, the author states that ‘Her husband, who was an alcoholic, verbally and emotionally abused her’. In this sentence, there is a missing subject. The proposition for this correction is as simple as a consideration to remove the verb â€Å"was† or simply inserting a subject. Secondly on the issue of language, there are so many contractions that have been used. In an academic writing, and for the sake of the public that is to enjoy reading the article, contractions are supposed to be highly minimized. For instance, ‘†¦and she’s been threatened with death.’ These contractions have been used a lot and they fall short of the seriousness the article is supposed to express. The theme has been chosen right and expressed efficiently. However, there are some changes that need to be done especially on the balance of the addressed issues. The theme is purely domestic violence. It has also expressed violence against women and in particular, Byars is the greatest subject. The blame for all her misfortunes has been put on the men in her lives. Notwithstanding, the psychological analysis of the issue would practically have some blame put on her as well. If we look at her earlier life, she is seen to get married at the tender age of just 18 years. This is an age too tender to even think about having deep commitments in relationships leave alone marriage. Secondly, she is seen to get married to men who are purely alcoholic. This would perhaps be used to define her social setting where she would be taken to

Standardization and Adaptation Marketing Strategies Essay

Standardization and Adaptation Marketing Strategies - Essay Example The first strategy is standardization, commonly referred to as â€Å"standardization when necessary†. This is a marketing policy that involves the use of the same product, distribution networks, promotion and prices in all markets. This marketing strategy is employed to increase the quality of products and to streamline the distribution channels. It also uses same product promotion tactics and prices in virtually all environments. Brands such as Coca-cola, Nike, and Levis have used this marketing strategy in their global markets. Coca-cola, for example, sells the same product in all countries throughout the world. Standardization is normally embraced by companies who view the world as a global village where the consumers have same tastes, needs and desires and hence they use same product and strategy in all the markets. Adaptation strategy is the other approach that is has been used in marketing. This strategy entails adjusting products, distribution channels, promotion tactics as well as prices to every kind of market that a company operates in. This line of attack does not view the market as homogenous. It takes into consideration differences in culture, taste, consumer behaviour, government policies and infrastructure in every market. The users of this strategy, therefore, adjust their products, brands, design and labels to conform to a different environment, consumer behaviour and competitiveness. Factors such as national identity, language and climate are also considered in this approach. An illustration of a product that has clinched the adaptation strategy in its global market is cell phone manufacturer Nokia. The firm has over the years established its handsets to conform to the market needs. This has enabled Nokia to fully satisfy the needs of each of its local markets that could have otherwise remained unsatisfied had the company not used this approach. Adaptation strategy helps fully respond to the needs of the local consumers by using specific prices, distribution channels and promotion tactics based on the characteristics of the market.     

Purpose and Importance of Induction, Training and Appraisal in a Assignment

Purpose and Importance of Induction, Training and Appraisal in a Business Today To Ensure an Effective Workforce - Assignment Example It is evidently clear from the discussion that staff induction programs are designed with the intention to provide an overview of the working conditions along with core values and ethics of the business to the new joiners. It is vital for the companies in the sense that it ensures the new employees to get quickly acquainted with the working process of the business along with performing as per their skills and competencies as early as possible. This aspect is also deemed to be quite relevant in the hospitality sector where effective and proactive operations of the employees further set the overall image of the company in front of the potential customers. It can be stated for the managers in the hospitality sector including the management of the Hilton hotels group that effective induction programs include certain specific points. These aspects encompass stating the policies and working procedures of the company to the employees, having an introduction with the existing team members al ong with introducing the infrastructure of the company among others. Similar to induction program, training and development is also another vital approach to the managers in building an effective workforce. Training and development accelerate the performance of the employees as they are able to enhance and develop their skills and competencies. Training and development also enable employees to get acquainted with the working process of the company. For example, when a candidate joins a company as a full-time employee, he/she has little knowledge about the type and the standards of work performed in the workplace. Consequently, the role of proper and systematic training and development came into existence.

Experimental economics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Experimental economics - Essay Example Loss aversion states that the disadvantage in losing an object is considered greater than the advantage of acquiring an object. The research paper explores the relation between endowment affect and status quo bias with loss aversion. Findings of the Article The researchers conducted various studies to establish the endowment act. An experiment on a certain group of people involved endowment of either lottery tickets or money. It was found in the study that nobody would willingly part with the lottery ticket for money. It was believed that in a market setting, the discrepancies between the Willingness to Pay (WTP) and Willingness to Acquire (WTA) would reduce. A series of experiments were conducted to understand the endowment affect. The first experiment revealed that the market clearing price coincided with the point of intersection of induced demand and supply curves and transaction costs were low. Since the income effects are insignificant and transaction cost is low thus when mark et clearing occurs objects are owned by people who value it the most. The volume of trade was low due to the price reservation of the buyers and sellers and was attributed to the lack of willingness on the part of the owner to part with his belonging. Indifference curves are reversible and they do not intersect. In the presence of loss aversion, the reversibility concept is not applicable. The primary affect of endowment does not lie in increasing the attraction towards the goods one owns. Rather, it enhances the pain in giving up the good.

Performance Enhancing Drugs in Sports Essay Example for Free

Performance Enhancing Drugs in Sports Essay Athletes use performance enhancing drugs to boost their game. The professionals who use these drugs are ruining the integrity of the game. Many people don’t understand why professional athletes would go to such extreme measures to be better when they have already proven themselves. Athletes are just taking away from their natural ability by using these dangerous drugs. The risk of using performance enhancing drugs is a lot greater than the reward, because an athlete’s reputation could be tarnished and their career ruined. Money is one of the major reasons why players use them; if they perform at levels higher than what their natural abilities could do they will be offered a large sum of money. Athletes are also putting their long term health in danger. These drugs have many dangerous side effects that are going unnoticed by the players. Even kids are starting to use performance enhancing drugs. Young kids look up to professional athletes and they watch everything they do. Kids want to be just like the pros so they will do exactly what they do to become better and unfortunately that is using drugs. Professional athletes who use performance enhancing drugs are setting bad examples for young athletes trying to follow their dreams. Performance Enhancing Drugs have been available in the United States for a long time, but they have only been starting to become a topic of discussion in the last fifteen to twenty years. Almost all of these drugs are manufactured outside of the United States, so that makes them more dangerous to take. Due to the fact that the drugs were not manufactured here they have not been evaluated by the U.S Food and Drug Administration. Some of these substances are naturally occurring, easily available and completely legal, while others are manufactured illegally, or banned by many sporting organizations. One form called HGH is the most commonly used substance; it increases an athlete’s muscle mass and performance. Athletes can be suspended for using performance enhancing drugs, but some people think that the organizations are not doing enough to stop pla yers from using them. For example if a player in major league baseball is found to have been using an illegal substance they would end up receiving a fifty game suspension, but they can still come back and play once the suspension has been fully served. The punishment should be a lot greater so athletes will not even think about using them. Professional athletes are paid by how well they perform, so by taking steroids to boost their ability they will receive more money. It’s not fair for the athletes who play the game fairly, because other players will have a competitive advantage over them. Every athlete should have an equal opportunity when playing professionally, because if they see other players taking illegal drugs to do better they will start doing the same. Using performance enhancing drugs will just cheat an athlete out of their true talent; they will not be respected for what they had accomplished during their careers. For example, there was a professional baseball player named Barry Bonds who took a great risk in using these illegal drugs. He was an excellent player throughout his career, but over the years his body had become significantly stronger. He broke numerous homerun records while in the Major Leagues including the most homeruns ever hit during a single career. He was later proven to have been using performance enhancing drugs. This caused him to jeopardize all of his records that most players would have to work really hard to get. A couple of years later Barry Bonds was sent to court over this issue and was later convicted of obstruction of justice. This is just one of many examples on how such a foolish mistake could ruin such a promising life forever. Many world records and Olympic medals have been taken back because the athlete used performance enhancing drugs. Another example of an athlete that took performance enhancing drugs is Ben Johnson during the 1988 Summer Olympics in Seoul, Korea. He set a world record in the 100m dash. He ran a 9.79, which at the time was a new world record. A few weeks later his medal was taken away from him, because he tested positive for human growth hormones. Even though this was a great feet in the history of track and field, nobody will be able to say he did it with natural talent and athleticism. He would end up not being able to compete ever again. The senseless decision to take performance enhancing drugs could ruin an athlete’s entire career. Many High School students have started to use these dangerous drugs; this is starting to become a major problem because athletes are just cheating themselves and are not becoming better. Professional athletes are setting very bad examples for high school students. Something every student has to deal with no matter if you play a varsity sport or is just a normal student is the pressure to do well and succeed. Some school districts have even been contemplating to add drug testing to high school athletes. This will eventually stop people from cheating to become professional athletes. Students also need to know what they are doing is wrong and could dangerously affect their long term health and could possibly lead to death. One statistic that may not seem extreme is that 2.3 percent of all high school students have used some type of performance enhancing drug. This is a dangerous statistic that no one is really addressing. If a young student wants to become pro they need to work hard and not give in to the temptation of using drugs to boost their athletic abilities. If they were to get caught using these drugs they could be suspended from school and their future and dreams could be ruined by one irresponsible decision. If professional athletes didn’t use these terrible drugs less high school students would use them. It’s very important for professionals to make sure they are setting good examples for young aspiring athletes. Professional athletes are slowly starting to raise awareness about this topic and are traveling to schools across the country informing students about the consequences that could perhaps present themselves. The use of performance enhancing drugs greatly affects the idea of the American dream. The American dream is the vision of growing up and being able to do whatever you desire The USA is built on the id ea of the meritocracy, and that is the impression that only the best is good enough. Kids have dreams becoming professional and making a lot of money. An athlete who would cheat themselves to reach these goals is ruining this entire concept. If kids start to think it is okay to cheat in order to achieve lifelong goals they will end up just hurting themselves, and will grow up to think that it is ok. Athletes who cheat in order to be successful may think they are living the American dream, but in reality there not. Cheating your way to get to the top is not the right thing to do. People who work hard and put in a lot of effort have an unfair disadvantage when it comes to being successful. Using illegal drugs in order to make large amounts of money is not right and unfair. If more people start doing this the concept of living up to these expectations could be tarnished forever. On the other hand athletes who have worked and trained hard their entire life have the right to be proud of themselves for what they had achieved. They can live life knowing that they did things the right way and that is all that matters. When it comes to living up to the American dream one should be happy and feel accomplished of everything they have done. The use of performance enhancing drugs in sports is a growing problem here in the United States. Athletes are taking away from their natural ability and are cheating themselves. They take these drugs in order to perform better and gain a competitive advantage. If players are caught using these drugs the player’s integrity could possibly be ruined forever. In today’s world it is becoming more and more difficult to get away with drug use in professional sports, the testing is much more advanced and the consequences are even greater. In situations like these the risk is a lot greater than the reward. Athletes need to live up to their true potential and not worry about being better than humanly possible. If an athlete just works hard every day he or she could reach goals that they didn’t think they would be able to reach. These dangerous drugs have much more negative effects on one’s body than positive ones. Some people may think that athletes are pushed to us e these dangerous substances when in reality they are just putting pressure on themselves to be better. Many of the modern day athletes are not aware of what kind of harm they are doing to their bodies; most think that they are making their bodies so strong so they will be able to handle long term side effects much more easily. This topic should receive a lot more attention that it is receiving, and there should be more programs developed to raise awareness and discuss the dangerous side effects of choosing to participate in athletic events in this matter. It must be difficult for athletes who don’t get caught using these drugs to live their life knowing that they not only cheated themselves but the nature of professional sports. These athletes are setting a terrible example for young athletes and are only caring about their own careers and not how their actions reflect the entire world. Athletes should end their careers asking one question and that is: Do we want to hurt our bodies and ruin the integrity of sports in order to be successful.

Fact Finding Techniques In System Investigation

Fact Finding Techniques In System Investigation Fact-finding is an important activity in system investigation. In this stage, the functioning of the system is to be understood by the system analyst to design the proposed system. Various methods are used for this and these are known as fact-finding techniques. The analyst needs to fully understand the current system. The analyst needs data about the requirements and demands of the project undertaken and the techniques employed to gather this data are known as fact-finding techniques. Various kinds of techniques are used and the most popular among them are interviews, questionnaires, record reviews, case tools and also the personal observations made by the analyst himself. Each of these techniques is further dealt in next pages. Two people can go into the same area to gather facts and experience entirely different results. One spends weeks and gets incomplete and misleading data. The other is finished in a few hours and has complete and solid facts. This session outlines some of the things a person can do to achieve the latter. Requirements analysis encompasses all of the tasks that go into the investigation, scoping and definition of a new or altered system. The first activity in analysis phase is to do the preliminary investigation. During the preliminary investigation data collecting is a very important and for this we can use the fact finding techniques. The following fact finding techniques can be used for collecting the data: Interviews Analysts can use interviews to collect information about the current system form the potential users. Here the analysts discover the areas of misunderstanding, unrealistic exception and descriptions of activities and problems along with resistance to the new proposed system. Interviews are time consuming. Questionnaires Here the analysts can collect data from large groups. Questionnaires could be Open-ended or Close questionnaires. Open-ended questionnaires are used to learn feelings, opinions, general experiences on process detail or problem. In it, questions are answered in their own words. Where as in closed questionnaires a set of prescribed answers are used and specific response have to be selected. This is a costly affair as the questions should be printed out. *Getting Cooperation in Fact Finding: The cooperation of operating people is crucial to fact gathering. However, if the operating people believe that the purpose of the fact gathering is to make changes in the work with the object of reducing staff, it is naÃÆ' ¯ve to expect them to help. The key to obtaining cooperation is two-way loyalty and trust. We get this by commitment to developing improvements that simultaneously serve the interests of employees while they serve the interests of owners, managers and customers. Process improvement projects should be undertaken with the object of making the company as good as it can be, not reducing staff. Of course process improvements will change the work, often eliminating tasks. This is obvious. Not quite so obvious is the fact that eliminating tasks does not have to mean reducing staff. It can mean having resources available at no additional cost to do any number of things needed by the organization, not the least of which could be further improvement work. And, no one is in a better position to improve the work than the people who know it firsthand. When organizations are truly committed to their people and their people know this, their people can relax and enthusiastically commit themselves to continuous improvement. This article is written for companies that want to capture the enormous potential of enthusiastic employees embracing new technology. They cannot accomplish this with lip service. The employees of an organization are its most valuable resource. When executives say this sort of thing publicly but then treat their people as expenses to be gotten rid of at the first opportunity, that is lip service. Resources should be maintained and utilized, not dumped. When they are dumped, trust dissolves. Meanwhile the people and their society have changed significantly in the last few decades. The popularization of computers stands high among the factors that have contributed to recent social change. Young people are being exposed to computers early in their education. A sizeable portion of the work force is comfortable working with computers. This was certainly not so a generation ago. Another social change that is very important to process improvement is the increasing acceptance of involving operating level employees in the improvement process. It has become rather commonplace to form teams of operating people. Along with the increasing acceptance of employee involvement has come a dramatic change in the role of the internal consultant who is learning new skills for working with teams. This article addresses the role of the facilitator who gathers facts about work processes to use with an improvement team. The facilitator follows a work process as it passes through departmental boundaries and prepares an as-is Chart. Then an improvement team made up of people from the departments involved in the process studies the as-is Chart and develops a To-be Chart. Facilitators learn how to study work processes. Facilitators are a great help as they gather and organizing the facts of work processes and guide the study of those facts by improvement teams. *What Facts to Gather? Knowing what facts you want to gather is crucial to effective fact gathering. When a people do not know what they are looking for but attempt to learn everything they can, in effect to gather all of the facts, they embark on endless and often fruitless effort. Knowing what facts not to gather is just as important as knowing the facts that are needed. There is a pattern to fact gathering that is particularly helpful during process improvement. It makes use of the standard journalism questions: what, where, when, why, who and how. This pattern focuses on the information that is relevant for process improvement and avoids that which is not. How it accomplishes this is not completely obvious. It goes like this. *Distinguishing Between Facts and Skill: No matter how carefully facts are gathered, they will never match the understandings of people who have experienced the work first hand for years. Those people possess the organizational memory. They have accumulated detailed knowledge that is available to them alone. They access this knowledge intuitively, as they need it, in a fashion that has the feel of common sense. But, they cannot simply explain it to someone else. For instance, we could ask an experienced medical doctor what he does when he visits a patient and expect a general answer like, I examine the patient and enter a diagnosis on the patient record form. However, if we then asked How do you do that? How do you know what to write as the diagnosis? we would be asking for detail that took years to accumulate. During those years this detail has been transformed from myriads of individual facts to intuitively available skill. We simply cannot gather it. The information that the doctor and for that matter all employees can readily provide answers the question, What? The information that cannot be provided because it resides in the realm of skill answers the question, How? Rather than attempt to gather the skill and settling for simplistic/superficial data we acknowledge that that information is not accessible to the fact gatherer. However, this information is critical to effective improvement. In order to get at it, we must invite the people who have it to join in the improvement development activity. This is the fundamental strength of employee teams. They provide the organizational memory. And, dont think for a moment that medical doctors have skill but clerks dont. In all lines of work there are differences of skill levels. Our object in process improvement should be to incorporate into our changes the finest skills available. So we use teams of the best experienced employees we have. To do otherwise invites superficiality. *Using the Description Pattern: The description pattern provides facts, not skills. We organize these facts on charts as effective reminders of the steps in a process. When these charts are used by people who are skilled at performing those steps, we have the knowledge we need for improvement. Therefore: What Answer this question at every step. This tells us what the step is and provides the necessary reminder for the team. Where This question deals specifically with location. Answer it for the very first step of the process and then every time the location changes and you will always know location. When When dealing with processes, this question generally means how long. Ask it throughout the fact gathering, making note of all delays and particularly time-consuming steps. Who This question deals specifically with who is performing each step. The easiest way to collect and display this information is to note every time a new person takes over. How This question is important but it changes the fact gathering to skill gathering. We should rarely get into it. Instead we leave this information to be provided by the team, as needed. Why This question is different. It is evaluative rather than descriptive. It becomes most important when we study the process for improvement but while we are fact gathering, it is premature. Just gather facts. Later as a team we will question the why of each of them. http://www.freetutes.com/systemanalysis/images/decriptivepattern.gif Follow this pattern and: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ You will always show what is happening. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ You will always show where the work is happening. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ You will show who is doing the work whenever a person is involved. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ You will show when most of the processing time is occurring. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ You wont bog your readers down with how the individual steps are done, non flow detail. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ You wont bog your readers down with how the individual steps are done, non flow detail. *How to Initiate Fact Gathering Public Announcement: A public announcement can go a long way towards inspiring cooperation. It can also provide an opportunity to forestall the anxieties just discussed. The people working in the areas affected by the project are informed that a five or ten minute meeting will be held at the end of a work shift and that a senior executive has an important announcement. (This senior executive should be a person whose authority spans the entire project.) The meeting includes an announcement of the project, its objective, who is involved in it, a request for the support of all employees and an invitation for questions. It is conducted by the executive mentioned above because it is important that statements about the intent of the project be made by someone who has the authority to stand behind his or her words. It is also helpful for the executive to introduce the analyst and the team members who have been assigned to the project. The issue of staff cuts may be introduced by the executive or may surface as a question. (Or, it may not arise at all in organizations where loss of employment is a non-issue.) If it is addressed, it should be answered directly and forcefully. I guarantee there will be no loss of employment because of work improvement. This is not a difficult guarantee for executives who genuinely believe that their people are their most valuable resource. (Note, this is not a guarantee that there will be no loss of employment. If we fail to improve our work, there is a pretty certain guarantee that there will be loss of employment.) This meeting can also have constructive side effects. One is that the analyst gets a public introduction to the people from whom he or she will be gathering data. Simultaneously, everyone is informed of the reason for the project, making it unnecessary for the analyst to explain this at each interview. And, the explanation carries the assurances of the boss rather than an analyst. *Common Sense Protocol Where to Get the Facts? It is critical that the analyst go where the facts are to learn about them. This means going where the work is done and learning from the people who are doing it. If there are a number of people doing the same work, one who is particularly knowledgeable should be selected or several may be interviewed. Unfortunately, analysts often try to collect data in indirect ways. Occasionally this may be for no better reason than that the analyst is too lazy to go where the work is done. Or, the analyst may have been instructed to keep the project a secret because management wants to avoid stirring up concern about job loss. Unfortunately, when employees learn (and they will) that secret projects are underway in their areas, their anxiety levels will rise all the higher, encouraging more non-cooperation. Introverts tend to be attracted to research type work and they also tend to find excuses to avoid meeting people. They are often tempted to use written procedures as their source of data rather than going directly to the operating people. Or, they may simply assume data to avoid having to go after it. Sometimes an analyst arrives in the supervisors office (a proper practice when visiting a department for the first time) and the supervisor wants to provide the information rather than having the analyst bother the employee who does the work. This could be motivated by a sincere desire to help. The supervisor may also want to slant the data. Regardless of the motive, it separates the analyst from the work place and the person doing the work. Whatever the reasons, each time an analyst settles for collecting data at a distance from reality, the quality of the analysis suffers. Guesses replace facts. Fantasy replaces reality. Where the differences are small the analyst may slide by, but professionals should not try to slide by. Where the differences are large the analyst may be seriously embarrassed. Meanwhile, the quality of the work suffers and, in the worst cases, major commitments to work methods are made based on faulty premises. Introduction to the Employee at the Work Place When we are gathering data, everywhere you go people are accommodating you, interrupting their work to help you do your work. The least you can do is show that you are willing to return the favor. When the time is not convenient, agree to come back later. Occasionally an employee will suggest that it is an inconvenient time and ask that you come back later. Sometimes, however, the employee is seriously inconvenienced but for some reason does not speak up about it. A sensitive analyst may notice this. However, to be on the safe side it helps to ask, Is this a convenient time? Coming back later is usually a minor problem. Typically you have a number of places to visit. Pick a more convenient time and return. Dont be surprised if the employee appreciates it and is waiting for you with materials set out when you return. Whatever you do, dont start suspecting that every time a person puts you off that person is trying to scuttle your work or is a difficult employee. Assume the person is honestly inconvenienced and simply come back later. If someone puts you off repeatedly, it is still a minor inconvenience as long as you have data to collect elsewhere. Give the employees the benefit of the doubt, knowing that every time you accommodate them their debt to you grows. If you do in fact run into a genuinely uncooperative and eventually have to impose a time, it is nice to be able to remind that person of how many times you have rescheduled for his or her benefit. At such times you will also appreciate the project-announcement meeting when the senior executive brought everyone together, described the importance of the project and asked for support. As you are about to start the interview the employee may bring up a subject for idle conversation such as the weather, a sports event, a new building renovation, etc. People often do this when they first meet in order to size up one another (on a subject that doesnt matter) before opening up on subjects that are important. Since the purpose, on the part of the employee, is to find out what you are like you will do well to join in the conversation politely and respectfully. Then when it has continued for an appropriate amount of time, shift to the subject of the interview, perhaps with a comment about not wanting to take up too much of the employees time. *Respect: Most of the time analysts gather data from people at the operating levels who happen to be junior in status (i.e. file clerks, messengers, data entry clerks). Be careful not to act superior. One thing you can do to help with this is to set in your mind that wherever you gather data you are talking to the top authority in the organization. After all, if the top authority on filing in the organization is the CEO, the organization has serious trouble. Dont treat this subject lightly. We all receive a good deal of conditioning to treat people in superior positions with special respect. Unfortunately, the flip side of this conditioning leads to treating people in lesser positions with limited respect. Unintentionally, analysts frequently show disrespect for operating employees by implying that the way they do their work is foolish. The analyst is usually eager to discover opportunities for improvement. When something appears awkward or unnecessarily time-consuming the analyst is likely to frown, smile, act surprised, etc. In various ways, an analyst can suggest criticism or even ridicule of the way the work is being done. The bottom line is that the analyst, with only a few minutes observing the work, is implying that he or she knows how to do it better than a person who has been doing it for years. This is unacceptable behavior. Dont do it! Go to people to find out what is happening, not to judge what is happening. First get the facts. Later we can search out better ways and invite knowledgeable operating people to join us in that effort. *A Caution about Instant Improvements: While the analyst cannot match the employees detailed knowledge of what happens at their workplaces, it is not at all difficult to discover some things that those people are unaware of, things that involve multiple workplaces. During data collection, opportunities for improvement of a certain type surface immediately. Some of them are outstanding. The analyst discovers, for instance, that records and reports are being maintained that are destroyed without ever being used. Time-consuming duplication of unneeded records is found. Information is delivered through roundabout channels creating costly delays. The only reason these opportunities were not discovered earlier by the employees is that the records had never been followed through the several work areas. These instant improvements simply werent visible from the limited perspective of one office. The people preparing the reports had no idea that the people receiving them had no use for them and were destroying them. The people proc essing redundant records had no idea that other people were doing the same thing. These discoveries can be clearly beneficial to the organization. However, they can be devastating for the relationship between the analyst and the operating employees. The problem lies in the fact that the analyst discovers them. This may delude the analyst into believing that he or she is really capable of redesigning the procedure without the help of the employees. After all, they have been doing this work all these years and never made these discoveries. I found them so quickly. I must be very bright. Most people spend a great deal of their lives seeking confirmation of their worth. When something like this presents itself, an analyst is likely to treasure it. It becomes a personal accomplishment. It is perceived as support for two judgments, I am a lot better at this than those employees. and Employees in general are not capable of seeing these kinds of things. Both of these judgments are wrong. The credit goes to the fact that the analyst was the first person with the opportunity to follow the records through their flow. If any one of those employees had done the same thing, the odds are that the results would have been the same. The analyst is apt to alienate the employees if he or she grabs the credit for these discoveries. If this prompts the analyst to proceed with the entire redesign of the procedure without the help of the employees, he or she will be cut off from hundreds of finer details, any one of which could seriously compromise the effort. Taking credit for these early discoveries can also alienate employees even if they are invited into the improvement activity. For instance, it is not uncommon for an analyst who is about to go over a new process chart with a group of users to start by telling them about the discoveries made while preparing the chart. This can appear very innocent, but the fact is, the analyst does this in order to get the credit for the discoveries before the team members spot them. Instinctively, the analyst knows that as soon as the employees see the chart those discoveries will be obvious to them as well. An analyst who realizes that the enthusiastic involvement of the team members is much more important than the credit for one idea or another will want to keep quiet about early discoveries until after the employees get a chance to study the chart. In doing this the analyst positions himself or herself to provide professional support to knowledgeable employees. Soon they make these obvious discoveries for themselves and this encourages them to become involved and excited about the project. It makes it theirs. In the end the analyst shares the credit for a successful project, rather than grabbing the credit for the first few ideas in a project that fails for lack of support. *Recording Technique: Recording Data The keys to effective data recording are a reverence for facts and knowing how to look for them. You do not go into data collection with a preconceived notion of the design of the final procedure. You let the facts tell you what shape the procedure should take. But, you must be able to find facts and know how to record them. This is done by breaking down the procedure into steps and listing them in proper sequence, without leaving things out. The analyst keeps his or her attention on the subject being charted, follows its flow, step by step, and is not distracted by other subjects that could easily lead off onto tangents. The analyst becomes immersed in the data collection, one flow at a time. Record what is actually happening, not what should happen or could happen. Record without a preference. Wash the wishes from your eyes and let the facts speak for themselves. When later you have them neatly organized and present them for study the facts will assert their authority as they tell their story. *The Authority of the Facts: There are two authority systems in every organization. One is a social authority set up for the convenience of arranging people and desks and telephones, dividing up the work and making decisions. The other authority system is reality itself. Too often the former is revered and feared and attended to constantly, while the latter is attended to when time permits. Yet, whether we come to grips with the facts or not, they enforce themselves with an unyielding will of steel. Reality is whether we are in touch with it or not. And, it is indifferent to us. It is not hurt when we ignore it. It is not pleased or flattered or thankful when we discover it. Reality simply does not care, but it enforces its will continuously. We are the ones who care. We care when reality rewards us. We care when reality crushes us. The better we are able to organize our methods of work in harmony with reality, the more we prosper. When we are unable to discover reality, or deny reality we are hurt. Period! So we enter into data collection with respect for reality. We demonstrate respect for the people who are closest to reality. And, we do our best to carefully record the unvarnished truth. *Observation: A person who has been doing a job for years will have an understanding of the work that goes well beyond his or her ability to describe it. Dont expect operating people to describe perfectly and dont credit yourself with hearing perfectly. Sometimes it is a lot easier for a person to show you what he or she does than to describe it. A demonstration may save a good deal of time. A person might be able to show you how the task is done in minutes but could talk about it for hours. Most people are able to speak more comfortably to a human being than to a machine. Furthermore, a tape recorder doesnt capture what is seen. If you are going to use a tape recorder, use it after you have left the interview site. It can help you capture a lot of detail while it is fresh in your mind without causing the employee to be ill at ease. *Level of Detail: As covered earlier while explaining the Description Pattern, you can gather facts but not skill. If you attempt to gather enough information to redesign a procedure without the help of experienced employees, your data collection will be interminably delayed. For instance, if you are studying a procedure that crosses five desks, and the five people who do the work each have five years of experience, together they have a quarter of a century of first-hand experience. There is no way to match that experience by interviewing. No matter how many times you go back, there will still be new things coming up. Then, if you redesign the procedure based solely on your scanty information, your results will be deficient in the eyes of these more experienced people. It doesnt do any good to complain that they didnt tell you about that after you have designed a defective procedure. Save yourself a lot of time and grief by not bothering to record the details of the individual steps and concentrate on the flow of the work. It goes here. They do this. It sits. It is copied. This part goes there. That one goes to them. Never mind the detail of how they do the different steps. Just note the steps in their proper sequence. Then, when it comes time to analyze and you invite in those five people, they bring with them their twenty-five years of detailed experience. Voila! You have the big picture and you have the detail. You have all that you need to discover the opportunities that are there. *Defused resentment: When people who have been doing work for years are ignored while their work is being improved, there is a clear statement that their experience is not considered of value. These people tend to feel slighted. When the organization then pays consultants who have never done the work to develop improvements, this slight becomes an insult. When the consultants arrive at the workplace trying to glean information from the employees so that they can use it to develop their own answers, how do you expect the employees to react? Do you think they will be enthusiastic about providing the best of their inside knowledge to these consultants? Here, let me help you show my boss how much better you can figure out my work than I can? Really! We dont have to get into this kind of disagreeable competition. Instead we honestly accept the cardinal principle of employee empowerment which is, The person doing the job knows far more than anyone else about the best way of doing that job and therefore is the one person best fitted to improve it. Allan H. Mogensen, 1901-1989, the father of Work Simplification. By involving operating people in the improvement process, you also reduce the risk of getting distorted or misleading data. Their experience is brought into improvement meetings, unaltered. If they get excited about helping to develop the best possible process they will have little reason to distort or withhold the data. *How to Keep the Data Organized: One important characteristic of professional performance is the ability to work effectively on many assignments simultaneously. Professionals have to be able to leave a project frequently and pick it up again without losing ground. The keys to doing this well are: 1. Knowing the tools of the profession and using them in a disciplined manner. 2. Working quickly. 3. Capturing data the same day that it is gathered *Using the Tools of the Profession with Discipline: In this respect, there is more professionalism in a well conceived set of file names and directories than there is in a wall full of certificates belonging to a disorganized person. For that matter, a three-ring binder may do more good than another certificate. A professional simply keeps track of the information that he or she gathers. Perhaps the worst enemy of data organization is the tendency on the part of intelligent people, who are for the moment intensely involved in some activity, to assume that the clear picture of it that they have today will be available to them tomorrow or a week later or months later. One way of avoiding this is to label and assemble data as if it will be worked on by someone who has never seen it before. Believe it or not, that person may turn out to be you. A word about absentmindedness may be appropriate. When people are goal-oriented and extremely busy they frequently find themselves looking for something they had just moments before. The reason is that when they put it down their mind was on something else and they did not make a record of where they put it. To find it again they must think back to the last time they used it and then look around where they were at that time. Two things we can do to avoid this are: 1. Develop the discipline of closure so that activities are wrapped up. 2. Select certain places to put tools and materials and do so consistently. *Working Quickly: An analyst should take notes quickly. Speed in recording is important in order to keep up with the flow of information as the employee describes the work. It also shortens the interview, making the interruption less burdensome to the employee, and it reduces the probability that something will come up those forces the interview to be terminated prematurely. At the close of the interview it is a good idea to review the notes with the employee, holding them in clear view for the employee to see and then, of course, thank the employee for his or her help. Skill in rapid note-taking can be developed over time. This does not mean that you rush the interview. Quite the contrary. Address the person from whom you are gathering information calmly and patiently. But, when you are actually recording data you do it quickly and keep your attention on the person. For process analysis data gathering, you dont have to write tedious sentences. The charting technique provides you with specialized shorthand (using the symbols and conventions of process charting in rough form). See the rough notes following. *Same Day Capture of Data: The analyst then returns to his or her office with sketchy notes, hastily written. These notes serve as reminders of what has been seen and heard. Their value as reminders deteriorates rapidly. While the interview is fresh in mind these notes can bring forth vivid recall. As time passes they lose this power

The Struggles of the Youngers in A Raisin in the Sun Essay -- Raisin S

The Struggles of the Youngers in A Raisin in the Sun   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Lorraine Hansberry's A Raisin in the Sun depicts the struggles of three generations of the Youngers family in the 1950's of poorer Chicago.   Act 2, scene 2 of the play displays an understanding of the Youngers and the atmosphere in which they live.   In just a few pages, Lorraine Hansberry reveals the struggles enforced upon the characters individually as well as with their united desires as a family.   Individually, each character must overcome prejudice from his family and associates, while still enduring struggles and hardships that diminish any intended goals.   Together, however, the Younger family must overcome the racial bigotry incurred by society, while still maintaining social pride and integrity.   In contrast, a predominant expression of hope and encouragement is a factor in the lives of such characters, as revealed by the author.   With the use of dramatic elements to interpret the events of this section of the play, in addition to the issues of race and gender, it is obvious that the Youngers represent a black family struggling towards middleclass respectability not only in society, but in their own home as well.      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   To interpret the significance of this scene, it is necessary to consider the environment, including the way the scene is set up and other devices used to interpret the situation.  Ã‚   Set in the home of the Younger's, the scene represents the Youngers' living conditions.   Objects such as packing crates are thrown into the scene, representing the moving of the family.   All dramatic elements intertwine to offer an o... ...p; Props such as the bed, the phone, the radio and the newspaper had bold meanings associated with them.   The actions of the characters and the struggles they faced with issues of racial discrimination and gender differences symbolize the struggles of society as a whole.   The time, the 1950's, the reference to the Ku Klux Klan, and the place Chicago, represent a period of great trials and tribulations for black people overcoming the slavery of their people in America.   Throughout the entirety of the play, issues of gender and race play a recurring role.   It isn't until Act 2, scene 2 of the novel when hope is sought for these issues.   Through the revelation of this section, it is discovered that the Younger's are a family with a lot of pride who struggle and seek hope to better their position in the corruption around them.   

Fleas Essays -- essays research papers

Fleas are very small insects. They are all flightless and do not have eyes, although two ocelli may be present. Their antennaes are short and their mouthparts are adapted for piercing and sucking. The female flea lays a few eggs daily that total up to 300 to 400 in its lifetime. The eggs are laid usually on animals and most drop off where they spend most of their time. Bedding, floor crevices, carpeting, along baseboards and areas near their favorite sleeping and napping sites are especially likely places where eggs will be found. These eggs hatch into larvae, which are baby fleas. The larvae spin a cocoon and, depending on environmental conditions, emerge as adults in as few as five days. The adult fleas then mate after a blood meal and then lay eggs. The life cycle is then repeated--until control measures break the cycle. The total life cycle can last from 25 days to several months. The bodies of both adults and young fleas have many backward pointing hairs and powerful leg muscle s. Fleas can jump 80 times their own height and 150 times their body length. Fleas have many mites and parasites and can have up to 150 living in them at one time. Adult fleas can cause medical problems including flea allergy dermatitis (FAD), tapeworms, secondary skin irritations and, in extreme cases, anemia. Some people may have a severe reaction, such as a general rash or inflammation, which can result in secondary infections caused by scratching the irritated skin area. Fleas may transmit bu...

Harimann International Essay

Executive Summary Vikram Dhawan is the president of Harimann International that he established in May of 1990. Vikram established the business in an effort to fund his impending Masters in Business Administration in the United States. The business is located in Delhi, India where tax incentives are offered for business who export goods and materials to targeted countries including Japan, Canada, and France. Incentives in India include no tax on goods shipped to target countries, incentives on shipments exceeding 150,000 INR, partial rebated duties taxes on raw materials imported for the use of exported goods, cash incentives, and license renewals for materials used in production. Harimann International in its first year, 1990, focused on the exporting of linen household goods. Business was slow and profits were low until 1991 when a particular type of hand-embroidered table linen became very popular. Sales and orders increased. Dhawan was then faced with the inability to rely on his supplier after the demand exceeded their ability to provide material need for the impending orders. Dhawan then established a second manufacturing facility employing over 100 employees and producing an average of 1,000 garments a day. In January of 1992 one of Harimann International’s first clients Pioneer Trading Company requested samples and later placed an order with Harimann for six styles of garments. The order well exceeded the 150,000 INR requirements and qualified for other incentives provided by the Indian government. Pioneer Trading Company also placed a stipulation on the order that it had to be provided by the deadline of April 6th. This deadline would give Harimann International about two months to fulfill the order. Placing the order would allow Harimann to make a large profit, but also allow him to continue to employ workers for an extend period of time that would be furloughed in other cases. Decision Problem What should Harimann International choose to do? Should they accept the order and potentially make a high profit deal, continue the relationship with Pioneer Trading Company, and benefit Harimann International employees or deny the deal and not suffer the potential for a lose by not meeting the April 6 deadline established by Pioneer Trading Company? Analysis of the Industry and the Company Textile production and trade is the leading industry in India. According to India Brand Equity Foundation (ibef.org) the textile industry provides â€Å"14% of the industrial production, 4% of India’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) , and 10.63 % of export earnings.† The textile industry is second only to agriculture in providing employment to the people of India proving over 35 million employment opportunities. The textile industry in India produced over 7.58 billion in revenue compared to the United States at 7.21 billion between April and July of 2010. Indian government provides incentives to organizations exporting large amounts of textile products. Incentives include tax breaks on imported raw material as well as exported finished goods, cash incentives, and insurance benefits to employees of the organization. Possible Decision Alternatives Harimann International is faced with a number of decisions to be made. First Vikram Dhawan can reject the order entirely and risk losing an established customer who has helped his organization grow over the past year. A second alternative is to accept the order as well as the deadline of April 6th leaving the risk of not meeting the deadline. This alternative has the potential of making a substantial profit due to the size of the order and the incentives provided by the Indian Government. This alternative also provides more work for employees of Harimann International that would not have been provided if the order is not accepted. The alternative also has the potential for disaster in that it if the deadline is not meet the respected client could and future profits could be lost. The third is to accept the order, not meet the deadline, and sell at a reduced price to Pioneer. This alternative also has the risk of losing an established customer and future business. Evaluation of Alternatives Three alternatives face Vikram Dhawan of Harimann International. The first is to not accept the offer and reject the proposal of delivering the product to Pioneer Trading Company. The decision would have lasting repercussions with the relationship between the two companies and inevitably cost Harimann International future profits. Harimann International will also incur a loss due to purchasing the product already and having to resale. The decision trees found in tables 3 and 4 show the loss after selling the embroidered product at 65 % of cost and the unembroidered product at 90% of cost to be a loss of $45,202.50. The second is to accept the offer with two different outcomes. The first outcome is that the order is completed and delivered on time. This outcome of alternative two will gain a profit of $315,238. The completion of the order will also keep a good relation between the two companies with the possibility of further profit for Harimann International in the future. The second outcome is some what more complicated. The second outcome consists of probabilities that Dhawan believes will occur. As seen in tables 3 and 4 the probabilities will be applied if the shipment is not delivered on time. If the order is not delivered on time Dhawan believes that the probability of 50% payment will occur 40% of the time. The payment for this occurrence will create a loss for Harimann International of $72,081. The probability of 30% payment Dhawan believes is 40% netting a loss of $311,380. The final probability is 20% of a 20% payment of $360,720. Recommendations After careful review of the two alternatives Dhawan should proceed with the order. With an 80% chance of completing the order and a profit of $315,238 he should take the risk. Tables 3 and 4 both show the probability in dollars of accepting the order to be in the positive at $270,132.32. Table 3 uses color codes to label the arithmetic occurring and 4 is a more simple way of presenting the decision tree. Table 1 shows the total profit that can be made by achieving the order on time. Table 2 shows the loss that will be incurred if the order is not delivered on time. Even though the possibility of incurring a $360,720 loss is possible, the probability of it  occurring is very small. With an 80% chance of completing the order on time Dhawan should take and complete the order with Pioneer Trading Company for a profit and securing future business that will also bring in more profit for Harimann International.

International Business Entry Modes

Introduction An international entry mode is an institutional agreement necessary for the entry of a company’s products, technology and human capital into a foreign country or market. The reluctance of firms to change entry modes once they are in place, and the difficulty involved in doing so, make the mode of entry decision a key strategic issue for firms operating in today’s rapidly internationalizing market place.The choice of mode will depend on internal characteristics (eg firm size, international experience) and external characteristics (eg the sociocultural distance between the host country and the home country) as well as the trade-off between desired mode characteristics (risk adverse, control and flexibility). The diagram below conveys 3 broad categories of modes of entry, and their fundamental trade offs.Further to the issues discussed above, no matter which of three of the export modes the manufacturer uses in a market, it is important to think about what lev el of ‘mindshare’ the manufacturer occupies in the mind of the export partner, as there has been a strong proven correlation between mindshare levels and how willing the export intermediary is to place on company brand in front of another, or how likely the intermediary is to defect. Good mind share will depend on scoring well across the three drivers of commitment and trust, collaboration and mutuality of interest & common purpose.  Control Key and Word – Text and Graphics.Export Modes Baring in mind the factors discussed above we will now review the different types of entry modes, beginning with export modes, as they are typically the modes used in initial entry to international markets, as they require a lower financial investment than other modes and can be viewed as a ‘toe in the water; for in experienced and smaller firms or where there may be risks (eg political, economic environmental) preventing FDI. The three major types of exporting are indirec t, direct and cooperative.Indirect export modes are modes in which the exporting manufacturer uses independent organizations located in a producer’s country, they include the use of an export buying agent, a broker, an export house, a trading company, or a piggyback. Indirect export modes may be appropriate for firms with limited- rather than long term- international expansion objectives. For example, if international sales are primarily used as a means of disposing of surplus production. The lack of contact with firms abroad will provide limited information to develop a plan for international expansion.In the use of such modes, there is limited control over the marketing mix (other than product). A direct export mode may be more appropriate in gaining a little more control, in which the manufacturer sells directly to an importer, agent or distributor in the foreign target market. The local party will bring the advantage of existing distribution networks, and will provide goo d local market knowledge. However, a company must be careful in entering into contracts as they can be difficult and costly to terminate, and can go wrong when there is a conflict in interests (e. . it may sell rivals goods or competing product lines). Similarly, there is a serious disincentive for the agent/distributor in that if it performs well and develops the market, it risks being replaced by a subsidiary of the principal. Intermediate modes As a firm gradually evolves towards more foreign based operations, Intermediate modes will become more suitable modes of entry. This will likely include firms possessing some sort of competitive advantage that are unable to exploit this advantage because of resource constraints.Intermediate modes take the form of contract manufacturing, licencing, franchising, a joint venture or a strategic alliance. Contract manufacturing- where manufacturing is contracted to an external foreign partner provides a low risk and potentially low cost mode of entry. Benetton and Ikea are a good example of companies who successfully rely on a contractual network of small overseas manufacturers. Benetton has over 80% of its production outsourced to 450 contractors (located in low cost production countries such as India and China).As a result of the money saved on labour, Benetton can sell products 20% cheaper, helping it to maintain a low cost position in comparison to competitors. Of course, this method may not be appropriate for every company as there is a loss of knowledge and intellectual property rights, and the transaction costs involved must also be considered. Licensing differs from contract manufacturing in that more value chain functions have been transferred to the licensee. In outsourcing production and downstream activities a licensor irm can concentrate on its core competences and therefore will remain technologically superior in its product development- for example Apple licenses its brand to manufacturers of accessory prod ucts, and the BBC licenses rights to broadcast TV shows around the world. However a lack of control over licensor operations and therefore quality may lead a company to use franchising (a sub variant of licensing) in which the franchisor gives a right to the franchisee against a payment, EG a right to use a total business concept/system, including the use of trademarks/brands, against some agreed royalty.Franchising not only provides a greater degree of control than licensing, but It can also be seen as low cost and low risk as the franchise are the ones investing in the necessary equipment and know-how. This entry mode has been seen to generate great successes for companies such as McDonalds who now franchises 25000 restaurants globally. However, it should be noted that there is still a lack of full control over franchisee’s operations, which can result in problems with cooperation, communications, quality control etc, and a risk of damage to the company’s internation al reputation if some franchisees underperform (‘’free-riding’’).Another intermediary mode that will allow greater control is a joint venture, in which 2 ‘parent’ companies create a new ‘child’ company. This high degree of control and local knowledge is a clear advantage of such an entry mode. The shared knowledge and resources gained through a JV as compared with wholly owned subsidiaries will bring many advantages such as economies of scale. However of course there is a loss of confidentiality and flexibility, and the use of double management will raise questions about how the company is split- 50/50?If 50/50, it is difficult for the board to make decisions, if at all! Hierarchical modes of entry allow the highest degree of control for a firm, while at the same time, the highest degree of risk as the firm completely owns and controls the foreign entry mode. To have a wholly owned subsidiary a firm can either acquire an existing company (acquisition) or build on its own operations from scratch (greenfield/brownfield investment). An acquisition will provide rapid entry, access to distribution channel, an existing customer base.This may be the only feasible way of establishing a base in the host country in saturated markets, or where there are substantial entry barrier and therefore little room for a new entrant. Of course, as with intermediary modes, there is the issue of contracts, negotiation and the different management styles between companies. If difficulties (eg no appropriate acquisition) are encountered with acquisitions, it may lead firms to prefer to establish greenfield (new facility) and brownfield (existing facilities) operations.Out of the two- greenfield is seen as an advantageous option because the new plant will involve the latest technology and equipment, avoiding the problem of trying to change the traditional practices of an established concern. Although this is a big investment for a com pany involving slow entry into the foreign market, the returns are long term and the firm has control over the entire operation. Conclusion It cannot be stated categorically which alternative is the best.There are many internal and external conditions which affect this choice and it should be emphasized that a manufacturer wanting to engage in global marketing may use more than one of these methods at the same time (Petersen and Welch, 2002). Such ‘mode packages’ may take the form of a concerted use of several operation modes in an integrated, complementary way. Zara is a good example of this- in markets where the hierarchical model is used, there is high growth potential and relative low sociocultural distance between the home country of Spain and target market.The intermediate modes (usually joint venture and franchising) are mainly used in countries where the sociocultural distance is relatively high. For example in 1999, Zara entered into a 50-50 JV with the German firm OTTO Versand, which had experience in the distribution sector and market knowledge in one of Europe’s largest markets, Germany. Whereas franchising is used by Zara in high risk countries which are socio-culturally distant or have small markets which allow sales forecast such as Andorra, Puerto Rico or the Philippines. International Business Entry Modes Introduction An international entry mode is an institutional agreement necessary for the entry of a company’s products, technology and human capital into a foreign country or market. The reluctance of firms to change entry modes once they are in place, and the difficulty involved in doing so, make the mode of entry decision a key strategic issue for firms operating in today’s rapidly internationalizing market place.The choice of mode will depend on internal characteristics (eg firm size, international experience) and external characteristics (eg the sociocultural distance between the host country and the home country) as well as the trade-off between desired mode characteristics (risk adverse, control and flexibility). The diagram below conveys 3 broad categories of modes of entry, and their fundamental trade offs.Further to the issues discussed above, no matter which of three of the export modes the manufacturer uses in a market, it is important to think about what lev el of ‘mindshare’ the manufacturer occupies in the mind of the export partner, as there has been a strong proven correlation between mindshare levels and how willing the export intermediary is to place on company brand in front of another, or how likely the intermediary is to defect. Good mind share will depend on scoring well across the three drivers of commitment and trust, collaboration and mutuality of interest & common purpose.  Control Key and Word – Text and Graphics.Export Modes Baring in mind the factors discussed above we will now review the different types of entry modes, beginning with export modes, as they are typically the modes used in initial entry to international markets, as they require a lower financial investment than other modes and can be viewed as a ‘toe in the water; for in experienced and smaller firms or where there may be risks (eg political, economic environmental) preventing FDI. The three major types of exporting are indirec t, direct and cooperative.Indirect export modes are modes in which the exporting manufacturer uses independent organizations located in a producer’s country, they include the use of an export buying agent, a broker, an export house, a trading company, or a piggyback. Indirect export modes may be appropriate for firms with limited- rather than long term- international expansion objectives. For example, if international sales are primarily used as a means of disposing of surplus production. The lack of contact with firms abroad will provide limited information to develop a plan for international expansion.In the use of such modes, there is limited control over the marketing mix (other than product). A direct export mode may be more appropriate in gaining a little more control, in which the manufacturer sells directly to an importer, agent or distributor in the foreign target market. The local party will bring the advantage of existing distribution networks, and will provide goo d local market knowledge. However, a company must be careful in entering into contracts as they can be difficult and costly to terminate, and can go wrong when there is a conflict in interests (e. . it may sell rivals goods or competing product lines). Similarly, there is a serious disincentive for the agent/distributor in that if it performs well and develops the market, it risks being replaced by a subsidiary of the principal. Intermediate modes As a firm gradually evolves towards more foreign based operations, Intermediate modes will become more suitable modes of entry. This will likely include firms possessing some sort of competitive advantage that are unable to exploit this advantage because of resource constraints.Intermediate modes take the form of contract manufacturing, licencing, franchising, a joint venture or a strategic alliance. Contract manufacturing- where manufacturing is contracted to an external foreign partner provides a low risk and potentially low cost mode of entry. Benetton and Ikea are a good example of companies who successfully rely on a contractual network of small overseas manufacturers. Benetton has over 80% of its production outsourced to 450 contractors (located in low cost production countries such as India and China).As a result of the money saved on labour, Benetton can sell products 20% cheaper, helping it to maintain a low cost position in comparison to competitors. Of course, this method may not be appropriate for every company as there is a loss of knowledge and intellectual property rights, and the transaction costs involved must also be considered. Licensing differs from contract manufacturing in that more value chain functions have been transferred to the licensee. In outsourcing production and downstream activities a licensor irm can concentrate on its core competences and therefore will remain technologically superior in its product development- for example Apple licenses its brand to manufacturers of accessory prod ucts, and the BBC licenses rights to broadcast TV shows around the world. However a lack of control over licensor operations and therefore quality may lead a company to use franchising (a sub variant of licensing) in which the franchisor gives a right to the franchisee against a payment, EG a right to use a total business concept/system, including the use of trademarks/brands, against some agreed royalty.Franchising not only provides a greater degree of control than licensing, but It can also be seen as low cost and low risk as the franchise are the ones investing in the necessary equipment and know-how. This entry mode has been seen to generate great successes for companies such as McDonalds who now franchises 25000 restaurants globally. However, it should be noted that there is still a lack of full control over franchisee’s operations, which can result in problems with cooperation, communications, quality control etc, and a risk of damage to the company’s internation al reputation if some franchisees underperform (‘’free-riding’’).Another intermediary mode that will allow greater control is a joint venture, in which 2 ‘parent’ companies create a new ‘child’ company. This high degree of control and local knowledge is a clear advantage of such an entry mode. The shared knowledge and resources gained through a JV as compared with wholly owned subsidiaries will bring many advantages such as economies of scale. However of course there is a loss of confidentiality and flexibility, and the use of double management will raise questions about how the company is split- 50/50?If 50/50, it is difficult for the board to make decisions, if at all! Hierarchical modes of entry allow the highest degree of control for a firm, while at the same time, the highest degree of risk as the firm completely owns and controls the foreign entry mode. To have a wholly owned subsidiary a firm can either acquire an existing company (acquisition) or build on its own operations from scratch (greenfield/brownfield investment). An acquisition will provide rapid entry, access to distribution channel, an existing customer base.This may be the only feasible way of establishing a base in the host country in saturated markets, or where there are substantial entry barrier and therefore little room for a new entrant. Of course, as with intermediary modes, there is the issue of contracts, negotiation and the different management styles between companies. If difficulties (eg no appropriate acquisition) are encountered with acquisitions, it may lead firms to prefer to establish greenfield (new facility) and brownfield (existing facilities) operations.Out of the two- greenfield is seen as an advantageous option because the new plant will involve the latest technology and equipment, avoiding the problem of trying to change the traditional practices of an established concern. Although this is a big investment for a com pany involving slow entry into the foreign market, the returns are long term and the firm has control over the entire operation. Conclusion It cannot be stated categorically which alternative is the best.There are many internal and external conditions which affect this choice and it should be emphasized that a manufacturer wanting to engage in global marketing may use more than one of these methods at the same time (Petersen and Welch, 2002). Such ‘mode packages’ may take the form of a concerted use of several operation modes in an integrated, complementary way. Zara is a good example of this- in markets where the hierarchical model is used, there is high growth potential and relative low sociocultural distance between the home country of Spain and target market.The intermediate modes (usually joint venture and franchising) are mainly used in countries where the sociocultural distance is relatively high. For example in 1999, Zara entered into a 50-50 JV with the German firm OTTO Versand, which had experience in the distribution sector and market knowledge in one of Europe’s largest markets, Germany. Whereas franchising is used by Zara in high risk countries which are socio-culturally distant or have small markets which allow sales forecast such as Andorra, Puerto Rico or the Philippines.

Life and Music

Music is as diverse as the people listening to its many different genres. My wife and I are just two of the millions of people around the world who listen to music almost everyday. However, my wife and I have a lot of differences when it comes to music although I can say that we share the same passion for it ever since when we were still at a young age. For my part, learning music was at first an academic task because it was part of a class that I had to take during my earlier days in school. There was simply no chance for me to enjoy music as people should.When I was ten years old, I bought my first AM transistor from my classmate. It was the first time in my life when I got the chance to enjoy the music of the Beatles and other bands playing country music at the time. That moment in my life opened the windows of my imagination inasmuch as it sparked a great deal of musical interest on my part. From then on, I simply just could not have enough of music and I was stuck with the pleas ure of listening to tunes over the radio. My wife has a strong cultural influence coming from the Philippines because she, too, is a Filipino.I recall my wife telling me that she always watched â€Å"An Evening with Pilita Corales† together with her parents when she was still young. Pilita Corales is considered as the Queen of â€Å"Kundiman†Ã¢â‚¬â€traditional love songs written and sung in Filipino language—in the Philippines. If my wife was fond of watching that show way back then, I was fond of watching â€Å"Lawrence Welk† on the television together with my father and mother. Apparently, our differences in our earliest exposures to music hold one reason why my wife and I still have differences today in terms of music.It is interesting to know that despite the fact that my wife lived in a country that is perhaps one of the most culturally rich countries in the world, she enjoyed spending time in the playground than doing folk dances which often involv ed materials that were indigenously available. Those dances, as she recounted, were always played to the rhythm of local music which, at that time in her life, never seemed important to her. She was too young in fact that she found it more fun to play in the school’s playground than to spend some of her idle time listening to local music and performing local dances.I had the same experience when I was still as young as my wife during her childhood days. The only difference, perhaps, was that I was doubly busy or I had a tougher time at school for I did not only have to learn English but I also had to study music as part of the school curriculum. I had to catch up with my school work and so I barely had the time to realize the pleasure of listening to music and enjoying what it had to offer beyond sensory experience. Today, things have changed a lot—and for the better. Fortunately, my wife and I soon learned and appreciated music in our lives.In fact, my wife and I bega n to watch musical plays like â€Å"Annie†, â€Å"The Lion King†, â€Å"Blue Man Group†, â€Å"Tarzan†, â€Å"Mama Mia† and â€Å"Miss Saigon† soon after we got married. Perhaps it was the moment in our lives when we realized that we shared one thing in common after all—the love for music. Each time we are able to watch a musical play, we always love the live performance due to the outpouring emotions that one can feel before a stage of actors and actresses giving justice to a number of different melodies and rhythms that can not be easily heard beyond every performance night.Max Weber understood music as â€Å"a deeply meaningful part of a society’s culture† (Turley, 2001, p. 635), which is perhaps why sooner or later people will begin to realize the importance or the role of music in their lives, regardless of whether or not the music they are listening to is indigenous or foreign. That being the case, it is easy to se e why people can relate music; music touches our inner soul and reaches for the depths of our being that we oftentimes find difficult to express, let alone reach.For me, music helps us remember a lot of things simply because music holds memories. As I see it, music expresses feelings even if there are no words to it and it also raises our level of thinking about freedom. Howard Gardner even categorized our abilities to appreciate and even produce music as part of multiple human intelligences (Pfeifer & Scheier, 1999), which makes sense to say that it is crucial for human beings to have an ear for music. Doing so can broaden our mental horizons and enable us to appreciate life even more.While my wife enjoys listening to the music of the Monkees, Carpenters, Beatles and Michael Jackson as much as I do, I still try to go beyond the sheer pleasure of listening to their music. I teach art and I try to incorporate music into my profession. As much as possible, I try to play music whenever I have my art class so that my students will be able to express their feelings more whenever they hold their brushes and begin painting images with beautiful colors. The way I see it, music is so strong it can evoke our inner feelings and give us the inspiration to make stunning artworks.Because music can stir our emotions and our memories, music can push art students and artists to greater lengths. In general, music helps people unlock the rarely touched parts of their being (Grant, 2003, p. 173). I cannot imagine my life and my wife’s life without music as it has already been an integral part of who we are. Music helps my wife and I remember a lot of things about our past and our culture. It also helps us appreciate our lives and our marriage better each day without having the need to force ourselves to listen to music.