To what extent do risk , rewards and motives contribute towards an Essay

To what extent do risk , rewards and motives contribute towards an entrepreneurs goals - Essay Example In other words, he is considered to have been a key figure in the entertainment and computer industry. He is largely accredited as the inventor of the iPod, Macintosh, the iPhone and the iTunes store amongst numerous others (Entrepreneur Staff, n.d.). His participation in modern- day business has contributed largely to the understanding that the design of a product plays an important role in its public appeal. This essay gives a discussion of the important lessons than can be learnt by entrepreneurs from Steve Jobs. Motivating factors for Entrepreneurs Entrepreneurship Innovation Theory The entrepreneurship theory of innovation by Joseph Schumpeter is used to explain the factors motivating entrepreneurs within an economy. The theory describes an entrepreneur as an individual who is creative, innovative and has a positive vision towards the future. Innovation occurs when an individual introduces a new product, new production method, a new entity in a given industry or discovers a new supply of raw materials (Kuratko, 2012: 122). The theory pays attention to innovation and disregards the risk taking capabilities of an entrepreneur. This model is based on a large-scale entrepreneur who is found in a developed economy. It ignores the small-scale entrepreneurs in developing economies as they imitate innovations in fast-paced economies rather than come up with new innovations. Basing on this theory is clear that Steve job was a creator and an innovator who came up with some of the most amazing innovations in the computer and entertainment industries. He was the inventor of the iPhone, iPod, the iTunes store, the Macintosh and finally, the iCloud in June 2011 before his death (Entrepreneur Staff, n.d.). Steve Jobs continuously came up with new products in the world of technology showing that an entrepreneur is one who comes up with groundbreaking innovations in a given industry. His is motivated by the drive to make things better in a particular industry. Theory of Hi gh Achievement/Theory of  Achievement Motivation McCelland’s theory of motivation stated that entrepreneurs are characterised by their ability to do things in a better way and ability to make decisions under uncertainty. The theory states that entrepreneurs have a higher achievement orientation. These people are not motivated by external factors or money (Kuratko, 2012:122). Profit is considered the best measure for competency and success. Steve Jobs had always managed to do things in a better an innovative way and wherever he worked, he succeeded in all his undertakings. He had co- founded Apple in his parents garage in 1976 but later left the company. He returned in 1997 when the company was on the verge of bankruptcy. As an entrepreneur, Steve Jobs has always been able to generate profits in all his engagements. For instance, his Apple to innovation in collaboration with Wozniak resulted to sales of over $200 million two years after its innovation. He made the first comp uter animated film ‘Toy Story’ that fuelled his success. He took up a job at Pixar and his 80 percent share was valued at $1 billion (Entrepreneur Staff, n.d.). As earlier stated, Apple’s loss in March 1997 was $708 million. Steve Jobs took over the position as the interim CEO. He entered into a partnership with Microsoft. The company recovered by the end of 1998 and its sales had soared to

Mothers Against Drunk Driving Essay Example for Free

Mothers Against Drunk Driving Essay Moral entrepreneurs refer to people who create or define what is wrong. They claim that a certain social phenomenon is a problem that deserves or calls for an immediate response or action. They persuade the society to make or set strategies or policies based on a specific viewpoint. After identifying a social problem, they work on policies that are consistent with the problem definition. A good example of moral entrepreneurs is Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) and the anti-tobacco lobby. MADD has gained public support in fighting against drink driving which was responsible for many crimes. They have increased the public awareness of drinking to make people more aware about the adverse effects of driving under the influence of alcohol. They changed their initial name of Mothers Against Drunk Drivers to Mothers Against Drunk Driving so that it would gain more meaning as it was against the law. MADD is not opposed to the individuals but to the act of drinking. It has provided grass root leadership so as to create major social change in the people attitudes and behaviour towards drunk driving. It carries out effective research in an effort of providing relevant and accurate information to the public in matters related to drunk driving. Governments, corporations, educators, the media and the public at large encourage MADD’S efforts. It is comprises of men and young women of all walks of life who are willing to join hands in fighting drunk driving as well as underage drinking. It is committed to offering assistance to victims and survivors of drunk driving through emotional, legal, medical and financial ramifications. MADD has large number of trained victims advocates across the country that provide the appropriate information needed. They inform of the criminal justice procedures and assist victims through out the period. Communication is a very important aspect in ensuring that MADD’S activities are successful. It uses the media, the Internet, public or outreach and collaborations with the entertainment industry to ensure that its issues are well addressed. It’s committed to eliminating the problem from grass root level as well as advocating for high-visibility law enforcement strategies. They advocate for severe penalties to those found guilty for instance through license revocation. To influence the public opinion to accept the definition of a problem as important and that which requires to be addressed amicably will require moral entrepreneurs to engage vigorously in public activities. After identifying the ‘evil’ in society they must influence the public with the intension of pulling them to their school of thought. They influence the larger population, legislation, organise public demonstration as well as create issues for the mass media. Tobacco smoking is a serious drug issue that needs to be addressed. Smoking is linked to dangerous health effects not only to the user but also to those surrounding them through the second hand smoke. Tobacco ingredients comprised of over 4000 chemicals all of which can cause harmful effects to the body. They include tar, carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides, hydrogen cyanide, metals and other radioactive compounds. It can cause cancer and other lung diseases. It causes irritation to the trachea and the voice box and can increase symptoms like coughing and wheezing as well as permanent damage to the air sacs of the lungs. Smoking in public should be prohibited second hand smoke can also cause cancer in human beings leading to deaths of many people. In establishing an effective strategy to gain public support it would be important to first carry out appropriate research on the effects of smoking to human beings. Disseminating this information to the public would enable them have a better understanding of the actual effects of smoking. Incorporating scholars, scientists and relevant professionals not only in the research but also in the information dissemination works to increase the credibility of the efforts against smoking. Lobbying the government to enhance laws against smoking in public places like restaurants, and bars would also be an appropriate step in the fight against adverse effects of smoking. Smoking should also be prohibited in the work place so as to protect innocent workers from the effects of second hand smoke. Installing ‘no-smoking zone’ posters in offices and in other public places would be a way of communicating to people that smoking is not tolerated. Anti-smoking campaigns can be vigorously established where mass education on the dangers of smoking would be applied. Liasing with entertainment programs would also be appropriate in disseminating information regarding smoking. Effective communication must be incorporated in all the campaign strategies. Teamwork is very crucial if any strategy is to be successful. It is therefore very important to ensure that there is collaboration with governmental as well as non-governmental programs. Incorporating people of all races, age, gender and ethnicity would bear positive responses in the fight against smoking. Essay 2 ‘Frequent fliers’ are addicts who are constantly checking in hospitals for detoxification. Their rate or frequency for such visitation could be as high as 100 nights in a year. The detoxification process is at a cost to the government especially when catered for in Medicaid and frequent visitation by same patients aggravates the problem further. (www. jointogether. org). Some patients blame their drug addiction to their social situations. A person would be a heavy user of alcohol, cocaine and heroin but after a detoxification program he or she would go back to drugs when he squandered his money on women and drugs and be rendered homeless. This would trigger their motive of going for a detoxification. They would seek the detoxification due to their homelessness and financial constraints instead of their own personal will to quit drugs. Their main aim would be to acquire a shelter rather than a solution to their drug problem. The fact that the detoxification is free and it offers quality care could be a reason facilitating the ‘frequent fliers’ in hospitals for detoxification. Medicaid programs to fund the drug and alcohol treatment cost much for the government. The cost is aggravated, as there are categories of patient and varying cost for the treatment. Patients going for detoxification may do it at different hospitals across a state and if the patient is being among the most expensive patients the cost will be very high According to hospital executives, the expensive form of detoxification is a significant moneymaker as it brings about more than 40% profits to the hospitals in question. The hospitals may be too unwilling to drop the prices, as their profits would be jeopardized. In fact many hospitals offer the care but opt for the expensive ones rather than the cheaper one. Approximately 80% of the detox patients get treated at the most expensive level as it is the only one available. New York State tends to spend more than other states on alcohol and drug related issues. There is evident wastage of government resources because over 80% of the patients in medically managed detoxification are not serious cases and could have been attended to using cheaper detoxification means. The argument presented is that if the a state paid less for the top level care it would be able to pay for others and the development of such services would be enhanced. An effort to change the detox payment system would spell doom for the hospital industry, as it is one of the hospital’s sources of profit. (www. jointogether. org). Drug treatment would be a very effective way of solving the ‘frequent fliers’ problem. It would also be less expensive and yield better results for the user as well as the government which would now reduce its expenditure costs would be minimal if patients consistently visited the same hospitals and same doctors than if they visited varying doctors. The theory that best explains the phenomenon of ‘frequent fliers’ is the first one, which explains how desperation among the drug addicts sees them back to hospitals for detox. To them, the hospitals act as a home or place that provides shelter for them and this is their main reason for visiting the hospitals. (www. jointogether. org). To my opinion better strategies should be put in place to ensure that addicts visiting hospitals for detox do so out of their own will and not due to compulsion. They ought to have realized that they have problems that need to be addressed and not as a means of seeking greener pastures when life becomes hard. Counselling is also an appropriate measure in ensuring that after the detox addicts reduced their addiction or became better people in society rather than continuing with their drugs abuse problems. Programs established to assist the drug addicts in solving the ‘frequent fliers’ problem would include those geared to increase their skills. Such programs should be geared to restoring their effectiveness or their normal lives through training. This way they would be fit better in the society and lead better lives free from drug addiction. With the training they can regain their self-respect, ethics, and morals and better handle their addiction problem. Effective training can enable them get stable employment which can provide them with the finances to cater for their basic needs for instance shelter, food and clothing and they would not require to go back to the hospitals for the provision of basic needs. With self-respect, they would not indulge in activities that do not add value to their life. Employment is about engagement of mind and time and the chances for idleness are minimized. This works to ensure that they are not attracted back to their drug addiction. More counselling professionals should be incorporated in the hospitals so that those going for detoxification for the first time do not find a reason to go back. More funding should therefore be drawn to this respect. Funding for their accommodation or shelters before they stabilize and suit well in the society is also an appropriate measure. Family members of the addicts should also be trained on how to best handle these people so that they do not go back to their drug addiction. Since drugs would best work for them, they should consequently be funded so that more money is not wasted in trying to fund the detoxification programs that are not efficient or effective to the addicts. They are patient who need help and ought not to be exploited to gain hospital profits.

The Lovable Mrs. Bennet of Pride and Prejudice Essay -- Pride and Preju

The Lovable Mrs. Bennet of Pride and Prejudice      Ã‚  Ã‚   The general impression of Austen's novels, which critic D. W. Harding says relieved him of any desire to read them, is that they offer readers a humorous refuge from an uncertain world.   In his article "'Regulated Hatred': An Aspect in the Work of Jane Austen," Harding claims that this impression is misleading and that Jane Austen is actually very critical of her society, covertly expressing downright hatred for certain members of it by means of caricature.   Mrs. Bennet, from Austen's Pride and Prejudice, is one of these "comic monster[s]".   Harding claims that in order to view Mrs. Bennet as anything other than utterly detested by Austen one must ignore this Austen's summary of her at the end of Chapter One: "She was a woman of mean understanding, little information, and an uncertain temper."1   Actually, Austen's Mrs. Bennet is much more complex than Harding acknowledges.   Austen's initial summary notwithstanding, Pride and Prejudice even loo ks at Mrs. Bennet forgivingly.   Her behavior is often provoked by her environment: both her society and her family.   Because she helps, or tries to help, her family, Mrs. Bennet's ludicrous actions can even be seen as lovable.        Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Mrs. Bennet's society and family condemn her to a series of conventional roles.   Mrs. Bennet snags a husband by playing the role of the good-humored, pretty young woman.   Mr. Bennet also believes that good looks will make a good wife, and he marries her.   However, once she and Mr. Bennet take off their courting masks and Mr. Bennet discovers her "weak understanding and illiberal mind, [which] had very early in their marriage put an end to all real affection for her" (155),... ...Mrs. Bennet in a critical and funny, but understanding way, Austen becomes the satirist that Harding claims she is not.   As a satirist, Austen helps us to deal with the Mrs. Bennets in our world.   While exposing their weaknesses, we can forgive them and even try to help them.   We can also, by understanding how a Mrs. Bennet comes to act like Mrs. Bennet, keep our sisters and ourselves from becoming like her.                   Notes    1. D. W. Harding, "'Regulating Hatred': An Aspect in the Work of Jane Austen," in Jane Austen, Pride and Prejudice, ed. Donald Gray (New York and London: Norton, 2001), 297-298.    2. All references to Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice are from the Norton Critical 3rd edition, ed. Donald Gray (New York and London: Norton, 2001).    3. Harding, 297.    4. Harding, 297.      

Stock Market Assignment

Journal One – The Stock Market Game First submission Date 26/10/2009| Table 1|   |   | Company| Shares bought| Share Price| Change| 3i Group| 2000| ? 2. 95| ? 5,900. 00| BP| 2000| ? 5. 65| ? 11,300. 00| Prudential| 4000| ? 6. 33| ? 25,320. 00| Sainsbury’s| 2000| ? 3. 39| ? 6,780. 00| |   |   |   | TOTAL|   |   | ? 49,300. 00| CASH HELD|   |   | ? 50,700. 00| |   |   |   | Original amount|   |   | ? 100,000. 00| Profit/Loss|   |   | 0| I will undertake an analysis of 3i Group. I have already invested ? 5,900. 00 and have bought 2000 shares at the share price of ? . 39. I will be watching my shares closely so that I can make a choice to sell, buy or hold my shares 3i Group Established in the 1945, is one of the UK's biggest investors in private companies, it says its strategy is to go for early stage growth companies rather than the financial wizardry favoured by by other ventured capitalists. It has been a big investor in technology compan ies in the past. The reason why I chose this company is because I followed the advice given to me in lecture to not pick companies that I am familiar with.This chart shows the behaviour of the share price over 6 months. I will undertake an analysis of BP. I have already invested ? 11,300 at a share price of ? 5. 65. The Beta for this company 0. 89 which is less than 1. This means that the security will be less so I may not make a profit on my return so there is a bit of a risk. BP Oil giant BP moved into the bracket of oil companies in the late nineties, with the acquisition of US concerns Amoco and Atlantic Richfield. More geared to oil production and exploration than its main rivals.BP has moved into the former Soviet Union to secure future production as its current key asset in the North Sea and Alaska wind down. The reason why I chose this company was because petrol prices have been going up, at one stage the price for a litre was less than ? 1. So I am taking a risk with this o ne but I am hoping it will turn out that I have made some profit with the choices I have made. This chart shows the behaviour of the share price over 6 months I will undertake an analysis of Sainsbury’s. I have already invested ? 780. 00 at a share price of ? 3. 39. The Beta for this company is 0. 5 again this is less than 1. The security risk is going to be high with this company. I will keep a close eye on the share price if it falls I may have to sell my shares at the right time so I do not make a loss. Sainsbury’s J Sainsbury’s UK supermarket group was originally founded in the Drury lane in London 1869. The group began life as a listed company in 1973 which at the time was UK largest ever flotation the group have moved into financial servicesI chose to invest in this company because the public need to purchase food it is a need not a want. There are many competitors out there such as Tesco and Asda, which would have been an obvious choice for me, but again I thought I would take a risk and go for a company that I do not shop in. I logged on to www. digitallook. com and at the time Sainsbury’s was a top seller, because of this small bit of information I decided I was going to buy some shares from this company. I checked on another day and the shares had dropped, so I thought maybe Sainsbury’s is not the right company to choose.I chose it because it may be going up and down but may end up as a winner. Tesco, Asda and some other competitors were on watchdog about flat packed bikes; this program may affect their Christmas sales. In this entry I will undertake an analysis of Prudential. I have already invested ? 25,320. This is the largest investment I have made but I believe it is the best one and I will make a return on my investment. The Beta for this company is 2. 24 so this proves I will make a return on my investment nevertheless there will be more of a higher risk, that I am willing to take.Prudential Insurance Group P rudential is one of the UK largest life insurers. It has operations around the world, in the UK, US and Asia. As well as providing financial services under its own name the Prudential also owns M+G Investment. I chose this company because I thought it would be a good investment and I will make a profit. I have invested over ? 25,000 in this company as I am hoping to make a good return on my money. With all the companies that I have invested my money in I have set up a profile on www. digitallook. com.I was going to set up a spreadsheet in excel but I noticed on digital look that you can create a profile with how much shares you bought, the date and how much per share. Once this information is entered it will let you know how much money you have lost that day. For the second submission I will not continue with this as I would rather set up a spreadsheet in my reflective log and use different formulae to work out whether I have made a profit or loss. Second submission for the Fantasy Stock Market Game On the 12/11/09 I read in the metro newspaper that Sainsbury's has reported an 18. % rise in profits in the past six months but warned sales could slump in the next half. The grocery chain posted healthy profits of ? 307m after like for like sales rose 5. 7% in the October. Share price rose two percent after the profit figure bettered Sainsbury's emerged as a winner in the recession as it tempted customers away from Tesco and other competitors, this was led by the advertisers (fed family for a fiver). Sainsbury's confirmed that market growth was likely to slow in the future as sales surge comes to an end.According to researchers at Nielsen Sainsbury's sales increase was the lowest out of the big four chains. Sainsbury's face a tougher challenge to maintain the sharp rises in the sales seen over the past year as food prices ease back and are expected economic recovery curves. Sainsbury's are hoping to compete in other areas as food sales came under pressure. I was w illing to take a risk as risk is associated when investing money. On the BBC news Sainsbury's said they will not be able to generate sale growth like last year because of inflation.The share price on the 13/11/2009 was 339. 30p going down by 1. 40p which is 0. 03% decrease. With this information that I found out I decided to sell my shares, luckily I sold my shares on Thursday 12/11/2009 and the share price was again ? 3. 39. I bought 2000 shares this equals to ? 6780. 00. I haven't made a loss as when I originally bought my shares the share price was the same. The other three companies have been doing well since I sold my Sainsbury's shares, the have been up everyday. On the 18/11/09 I had made a profit of ? 380, which I was pleased about.One the 19/11/09 the share prices have fallen, nevertheless I am confident the three companies will make me a profit. Reflective Log Spreadsheet This is a part of my reflective log spreadsheet that I have been keeping so far to show I have been ke eping an eye of my shares, the share prices and whether I am making a profit or a loss. Looking at this Table I have made a loss of ? 240 (3i group) comparison with the original amount I have made a profit of ? 500 with BP and with Prudential I have made a profit of ? 720. Comparison of the chosen companies with their competitors BP CompetitorsChevron and Texaco merged in 2001 creating the 2nd largest US based energy company and the 5th largest in the world. BP have signed their first big oilfield development contract. This should improve their shares, even though they are doing okay, once this contract is finalised I think it will benefit the company in more than one way. Exxon and Mobil completed there merger in 1999 to form what is now the worlds largest publicly traded energy company. Exxon and Mobil is involved in the exploration, production, manufacture, transportation and sale of crude oil, natural gas and petroleum products.The group also manufactures and markets petrochemic als, packaging films and speciality chemicals in more than 50 countries. The company is best known by the consumers as Esso and Mobil brand. Royal Dutch and Shell Transport completed their formal unification under a single new parent company RDS in July 2005. Shell is best known for the exploration and production of oil and natural gas alongside its retail petrol stations across UK. Shell's other operations include petrochemicals that are used for plastic and detergents. The share prices to date for these companies are 26/11/2009Chevron Investment (CDI) $79. 64 Exxon Mobile $76. 47 Royal Dutch Shell (RDS)? 6. 50 3i Group Competitors This company has 2 top competitors Candover Investment and CVC Capital Partners Candover Investment Their objectives is to achieve above average growth in its net assets through capital gains from its investments and to earn satisfactory income for their shareholders CVC Limited This company provide investment is over 70 companies across all industries. This company was incorporated in 1984 and operates in Australia. The share prices to date for these companies are 26/11/2009Candover Investment(CDI)? 4. 95 27/11/2009 Candover Investment(CDI)? 4. 99 CVC Limited? 4. 18 (AUD A$7. 60) Prudential Competitors Prudential have three top competitors they are American International Group, AXA and Met life incorporated Their share to date are 26/11/2009 American International Group (AIG)? 21. 00 Converted this from $34. 68 AXA? 23. 95 Metlife inc. ?20. 96 By looking at this spreadsheet compared to the last submission I decided not to purchase any more shares. I have been continuing to keep an eye on my share prices not every day like when I started this assignment.Nevertheless when I do check them they have been progressively increasing. This boost my confidence that I have made the right choice when selecting the companies to invest in. I will not be selling these shares now. I have bought them and will keep them long term so that I make a p rofit. These three companies are a long investment. Time to time I have had a look at the Sainsbury's shares to convince myself that I made the right decision in selling them. By doing this, this has confirmed my decision as the shares keep falling. The last time I checked them they were standing at ? . 24. Submission 4 Reflective Log What have you learned about the financial markets and, particularly, the stock markets? What are the importances’s of these markets? After reading and research that I have done my understanding of financial markets is as follows; A financial market is a mechanism that allows people to buy and sell (trade) financial securities (such as stocks and bonds), commodities (such as precious metals or agricultural goods), and other fungible items of value at low transaction costs and at prices that reflect the efficient-market hypothesis.Financial markets have evolved significantly over several hundred years and are undergoing constant innovation for the improvement of liquidity. Both general markets (where many commodities are traded) and specialized markets (where only one commodity is traded) exist. Markets work by placing many interested buyers and sellers in one â€Å"place†, thus making it easier for them to find each other. An economy which relies primarily on interactions between buyers and sellers to allocate resources is known as a market economy in contrast either to a command economy or to a non-market economy such as a gift economy.Financial markets facilitate: The raising of capital (in the capital markets), the transfer of risk (in the derivatives markets) and International trade (in the currency markets); theses are used to match those who want capital to those who have it. Typically a borrower issues a receipt to the lender promising to pay back the capital. These receipts are securities which may be freely bought or sold. In return for lending money to the borrower, the lender will expect some compensation in the form of interest or dividends.A stock market is a public market for the trading of company stock and derivatives at an agreed price; these are securities listed on a stock exchange as well as those only traded privately. The stocks are listed and traded on stock exchanges which are entities of a corporation or mutual organisation specialised in the business of bringing buyers and sellers of the organisations to a listing of stocks and securities together. The stock market in the United States is NYSE while in Canada; it is the Toronto Stock Exchange. Major European examples of stock exchanges include the London Stock Exchange, Paris Bourse, and the Deutsche Bourse.The stock market I had to use for this assignment was the FTSE 100. What is the overall performance of your stock investment? Please critically review the variation of your portfolio’s constituent and value. Any particular events significantly affected your investment profits? I invested in 3i Group, Bp, Prud ential and Sainsbury’s. Once I submitted the third submission I decided to sell these’s shares as they kept falling; i did not want to lose any money at the time I thought I was making the right choice due to what was being reported in the news.Over the three months the share price fell/rose by x%. This compares with an overall rise of y% for the FTSE100. I made ? 2500 losses for the shares I invested, because BP petrol is expensive; because the price of petrol is more than ? 1 per litre consumers has not got money anyway because they have been made redundant. Consumers need petrol or diesel; if they can purchase this at a cheaper price but still get the quality then that is what they will do. The competitor is shell as there petrol is cheaper and of better quality. Prudential share price falls buy 20%. Reference (http://www. oneymarketing. co. uk/pensions/prudential-share-price-slumps-20/1007734. article). 3i Group Reference for Article http://www. thisismoney. co. uk The highest risers during the period were shares in hindsight such as; insurance,clothes and food industries. I can see that the company I chose might not have been going to perform as wells shares in other sectors; this is because unfortunately the companies I chose to invest one was getting taken over towards the end of the three months (Prudential) before this happened consumers sold there shares resulting in it falling by 20%. i Group is a smaa company that invests in new businesses that are starting out; obviously the businesses that 3i group have chosen haven’t taken off as much as 3i Group would have wanted them too. The recession is still recovering, therefore it will still affect some stocks in the stock market If I could start over again, I would have invested in the supermarkets that are more known than Sainsbury’s; such as Asda and Tesco. Then I would have bought shares in Cadbury’s and Next. I would have definitely have picked Cadburys as they are now owned by Kraft at one stage the share price increased up to 746p.I would have made a profit on the money I had invested. Suppose that you can do your stock investment again, what would you do differently this time? What kind of economic factors and investment techniques would you consider? And why? If I could do my stock investment again I would have looked at the different investment techniques to support my chose such as this website; http://stocks. about. com/od/evaluatingstocks/a/063009error. htm. It gives an explanation in details what techniques I could have used and what information it would give me so that i could make an informative decision.I am 100% sure that if i did this I would have made a profit not a loss on the company I chose. At the time I thought I made the right choice but now I think it was a gamble; I could have had a bigger loss than ? 2500. I know now there is more to it that picking some companies and buying shares. There was a variety of websites that I could have visit that would have made my stock investment profitable and different financial ratios I could have used; the tools of Fundamental Analysis Stock Market – Reflective Journal Started on Thursday 15th October @ 9. 00pmI logged onto Digital Look my first thought was the first company I am going to buy shares in will be Sainsbury's because they are at the highest in the FTSE 100 table. But then I thought I need to be smart, a lot of money could go down the drain so, I am going to do some more research look at what is happening in the 3 months or more, not just with Sainsbury's but with other companies as well. Friday 16th October 2009 @ 9. 00am Logged onto the Financial Times website to have a change from the first one. I still have not decided what companies I am going to choose, or how many shares I am going to buy.Today I have decided I am going to do some research and have a close look to see if there is any important information in the news and see if there ar e a any articles that are relevant and that could give me an idea what company not to go for as they may be in trouble. 3/11/2009 Watching BBC News Was watching the news when I got back from university. I heard something about share prices were down 10%. I was hoping it was not my four companies that I chose. Theses were Sainsbury's, BP, Prudential and 3i Group. Thankfully it was BGS group. Royal Bank of Scotland and Lloyds Tsb are forced to sell off their branches.BGS group said some companies that have loads of money can borrow as much as they want, but the thing is there is no demand. This was the day I decided its times to keep an eye on my shares, to see what their doing, are they falling or increasing? Am I making a profit or a loss? Do I need to sell my shares? Buy more or hold on to them. I have invested ? 50,000 and I would like to make a profit on it, even if it is a small amount. 7/11/09 Today I looked at my four companies, 3i, BP, Sainsbury's were all down 3i group was i n the top fallers so I felt a bit disappointed but, Prudential was up today which I was pleased about.I have invested the most in this company and have taken on a bigger risk, I cannot afford to lose my money. What I have decided to do is set up a spreadsheet on excel and keep a daily track of what's going on with my shares up until the next submission date. With the other companies I was going to check my share price and make a decision. Today I will do some research and see what I can find about the companies I have chosen. I may buy the financial times and try to get an in depth understanding of what is happening in the market. I didn't buy the Financial Times but I looked on the digital look website and they said:The supermarket chain Sainsbury's half year results on Wednesday, having already worked out that it is unlikely to be able to maintain its impressive sale growth due to the effects of a reduction in inflation. After reading this on Monday 9/11/09 I am going to sell my s hares especially if they have fallen again. I will keep track of this in my spreadsheet. Monday 9/11/09 I checked the share prices today and I am pleased that all my share prices have gone up, even though I am still making a loss of ? 1180. This has improved from Saturday.I have lost a bit on Sainsbury's but not enough to sell my shares. Today I have decided not to sell my shares, I am still going to take the risk and hopefully make myself some money. I will check the paper and see if there is any information about my companies. I may be able to get an incline on what's going to happen. I will give my Sainsbury's shares a couple of days and check on Friday just to give this company a chance to improve. I believed Sainsbury's will continue to decline, so just to recap on Friday 13th November 2009 if Sainsbury's shares have gone down I will sell them. Tuesday 10/11/2009I didn't get chance to check my shares today, as I said yesterday I am giving Sainsbury's a chance and as for the oth er companies I may as well check them all together. Thursday 12/11/2009 I read in the Metro paper this morning I the business and finance section Sainsbury's has reported on a 18. 5% rise in the past six months but warned sales could slump in the next half. The grocery chain posted healthy profits of 307m after like for like sales rose 7% in the 28 week to October. Share price rose 2 percent after the profit figure increased, Sainsbury's emerged as a winner in the recession as it tempted customers away from Tescos and Asda.This was lead by advertisers feed for a fiver. According to Nielsen Sainsbury's sale increase was the lowest out of the big four chains. Sainsbury's faces a tougher challenge to maintain the sharp rises in sales over the past year as food prices ease back. Sainsbury's are hoping to compete in other areas. Friday 13/11/2009 I was willing to take a risk as risk is associated with money. In the news Sainsbury's said they will not be able to generate sales growth like last year because of a fall in inflation The share price today is 339. 30 its has fallen by 1. 0p which is a 0. 03% decrease, so I have decided to sell my shares. The information that I found out yesterday confirmed for me its time to sell my shares otherwise it will continue to fall I will continue to make a loss and eventually lose my money, that is a risk I am not willing to take. So I sold my shares today at a price of 339. 30 @ 2000 shares equals to ? 6780. 00. So I haven't lost any money on these shares because on the 26/10/2009 the share price was the same 339. 30p. Monday 15/11/2009 I now have 3 companies the shares have gone down but still continue to grow.I will not sell these shares but will continue to hold them until the end. I feel that I will make a profit on one of these three companies. 17/11/2009 Today all of my shares have increased except for BP they have fallen (0. 40% which is 2p so it isn't to bad) 18/11/2009 Great day all of my have gone up I'm not sure if I have made a profit yet as I need to refer to my reflective journal spreadsheet this is where I keep, well try to keep a daily record of my shares and whether I have made a profit or a loss. Did some research today as I wanted to know the reason behind Prudential, as it is doing so well.I looked at www. investcorp. co. uk Stock Market News and Share prices and they said: Insurance giant Prudential was one of the major risers after a price target upgraded from the Dutch broking group ING. They have upped its target price from 392p to 584p, but maintaining its `hold' rating for the shares. For me this proves my investment is a risk but its a great company choice. The saving grace of Prudential is its exposure to emerging markets through ING. This is reflective in the current share price. 19/11/2009 Checked my shares today and updated my spreadsheet.Had a look at Sainsbury's even though I sold my shares I still like to have a look to see what was happening, and also it makes me feel so much better if they continue to fall, that means I have made the right decision. I will be keeping Prudential I feel this company is the one that will make me a profit. BP and 3i Group is growing steadily. 20/11/2009 Checked my shares again 2 of the companies have fallen, Prudential has risen that I am pleased about hoping I will make a profit. 31/03/2010 I have sold my shares and made a loss of ? 2500.

Global Perspective

However, we did not jump right into the semester with enthusiasm and excitement. Our first lecture was on photography, although I am very interested in photography, this lecture was tedious. To see the slides that Stephen Puppeteers was presenting the lights had to be shut off, which made it very easy to doze off or have your mind be somewhere else. Despite the dark lecture hall and the dullness of Mr.. Pettifoggers voice, his photographs were incredible.His photographs ranged from beautiful breathtaking landscapes to people from developing countries with health robbers and lost limbs. The variety of his photos Is really what lured me In. I was fascinated. I had no Idea what I would be learning and experiencing throughout this semester when I signed up for this course. Even after I had had this first lecture and had attended my first discussion I still did not fully understand. As I wrote my first assignment, I babbled on and talked mostly about my past with music, still believing th is course would be all about music.Little did I know, I was all wrong. I attended ACH lecture and finally began to catch on that I would be learning something new and enjoyable every Wednesday. Each lecture after photography got more intriguing and interactive with the audience. This course by far had the most entertaining lectures, bringing students on stage to dance and act. But even after all of these lectures I was not prepared for the final lecture. This fall performance was unbelievable. It had me with goose bumps up and down my arms and legs.I could feel the beat of the drums through my whole body ND I automatically and unconsciously began swaying and tapping along to the beat. They immediately began pulling students from all over the lecture hall onto the stage and put some sort of instrument in their hand. Despite the fact that these students had never played such instruments they quickly picked up on them and joined in on the organized beat. Although this music was made up as It went along, and there were no written notes, it was still highly organized.The students knew they could not just play along to any beat they desired. There were still rules they had to abide by. As the stage continued on with their instruments, the audience was then engaged within the music with singing, clapping, dancing, and stomping. It was unreal. We all consolidated to actually compose our own beautiful music. Was amazed. The instructors some how managed to get every single person In that lecture hall participating In our freshly composed music. And from what I could see everyone seemed to be enjoying It Just as much as I was.It was a wonderful performance. It as by far the best performance all semester, as my teaching assistant informed us it woo a De. I am lucky to nave Eden addle to experience sun an event. Entering this course I did not have high expectations, it was only filling general education credits for me. However, now that I have successfully completed this c ourse it was certainly so much more. I am fortunate enough to have been able to take such a class that bestowed me with such in depth introductions to various forms of arts, from photography, theater, Jazz, classical, dance, and so much more.

Roberto Clemente Essays - Roberto Clemente, Clemente, Free Essays

Roberto Clemente Essays - Roberto Clemente, Clemente, Free Essays Roberto Clemente Team: Pittsburgh Pirates Roberto Clemente was born in Carolina, Puerto Rico on August 18th 1934. He was the first Hispanic baseball player to be inducted into the baseball Hall of Fame. He was also the second baseball player to be put on a postage stamp. Roberto Clemente was plagued with back pain during his career, but still he proved to be one of the greatest baseball players of all time. Roberto Clemente had always like baseball. He was also fortunate to join a professional Puerto Rican baseball team at the age of 17. He spent his first season with the Brooklyn Dodgers farm team. He was thinking about quitting because he was treated very strangely. The franchise was trying to hide Clemente from the Giants so when he played good, they would bench him. But when he did bad, they would keep him in the game. Clemente later returned to Puerto Rico after his first, disappointing season to visit his brother, who was dying from a brain tumor. While he was there, a drunk driver smashed into his car and permanently damaged three spinal discs, which would bother him through the rest of his career. In 1954, the Pittsburgh Pirates drafted Clemente for $4,000 and put him out in right field. During his first season he gunned down 18 runners. He got 20 runners out in his second season. In his second season he had a .311 batting average and had 5 homeruns. Then in 1958 he led the National League in outfield assists with 22. In 1960 Clemente had a fantastic year. He hit 16 homers, batted .314 and had 94 R.B.I?s (runs batted in). He led his team to the National League pennant. And shocked the nation with an upset over the Yankees in the World Series. Clemente batted .310 for the series. He won his first batting title in 1961, hitting .351 with 23 homers, 10 triples, and 89 RBIs. Clemente used to overswing the bat and his head would "bob" when he swung a bat. So Clemente started using a heavier bat. After that he went on to enjoy 11 of 12 seasons with his batting average above .300. In late December of 1972 an earthquake struck Nicaragua. More than 6,000 people were killed, 20,000 injured. After hearing that some of the supplies they had sent to Nicaragua were not getting to the right people, Clemente decided to take matters into his own hands. He flew to Nicaragua in a cargo plane and make sure that distribution was carried out properly. On New Year's Eve he boarded an overloaded DC-7 Air Force Plane that he rented for $4,000 to fly to Nicaragua. The plane crashed into the ocean shortly after takeoff. Roberto Clemente was the first Hispanic baseball player ever inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame, and in 1994 a statue of him was unveiled at Three Rivers Stadium at the all-star game.

1984

1984 This maybe nonsatisfactory in answering the many themes and symbols that are rampant in the book but may provide an idea of what to write in an essay. (I'm a sharing person.) George Orwell's novel, "1984" was an interesting book. It reminded me of the book, Fahrenheit 451, which also tells of a place where people conform to all rules of the existing society although it proves to be harmful in the end. In 1984, Orwell told of much more procedures to keep the citizens from rebelling such as telescreens and the use of exhaustion- physical and mental while Fahrenheit 451 uses desensitization through television and the clown. (Unsure if it was the clown or not on the television that was affecting Milly) Throughout the novel, George Orwell illustrates the harsh world that could exist in the future time of 1984. The place known as Airstrip One, once known as England, was decaying.PartyThe towns were dilapidated and many of the buildings were crumbling. He predicted that government would hav e a hold on people and that privacy would be nonexistent. In 2002 of America, it seems that his prediction is close to being true. The internet, a growing economy, has many problems with privacy. With threats of more terrorist actions and threats against the U.S., the government has tried a new initiative to inspect every single email that contains words that could mean a decisive threat against the U.S. (for example- "bomb", "Anthrax", etc.") Like the telescreens of 1984, people are watched from "behind the scenes" to make sure that nothing wrong is happening. Although the idea of the U.S. Government initiative may be a good idea at first, it could present a step that will leads to an idea equal to that of telescreens.Winston Smith was a rebellious...

Write About Kids and Discover a Pot of Gold

Write About Kids and Discover a Pot of Gold Writing short pieces on kids-related topics is a good way to earn extra dollars as a freelance writer in between writing on longer, more complex projects.    I’m not referring to those long feature articles that child experts often write, but those ideas on children’s crafts, parties, sports, games, educational projects, recipes, short kids’-says, etc. that nearly anyone can write. Have you come up with a solution to end your child’s fear of the boogeyman, for example? Is your five-year-old always saying the cutest things? Well, there’s quick and easy in writing about those things. I began writing short familial or kids’ pieces quite Driving through the South one year with yet another young granddaughter, both of us numbed I wrote about other kid-related incidentsan article for a newspaper about how I remained connected with my twin grandsons in another state when they were young and another for Mature Living about how one preteen granddaughter and I collaborated on writing a middle-grade novel, are but two. My grandchildren are young adults now and my larder of kids’ things to write about is pretty much empty, but for those of you parents-slash-writers (or non-writers) with young children and real-parent advice or ideas on almost anything, a pot of gold (well, almost) awaits you in pursuing these profitable family/child related articles. There are many parenting magazines that deal solely with family/children related features; however, the opportunities don’t stop at THEIR doorstep. Many general magazines, Christian magazines, inspirational magazines, educational magazines, retirement magazines, and even the true romance magazines are always looking for good family/child pieces.    If, like me, however, your children and grandchildren are grown, you can still tap into these markets One of the really neat compensations for writing these short pieces IS the compensation.   I’ve written twenty-page essays that have paid less than what these have paid.   And, if you take into consideration the return of investment vs. the time spent composing these pieces, you definitely come out on top.   Here’s what I mean.   Let’s suppose a kids’ say takes only 20 minutes, give or take, to put together, and pays $50.   If you do three, you’ve earned $150 for an hour’s work.   True, these amusing kids’ quips will not come to you in neat packages of three, but the end-game is still the same$150 an hour.      So, get out your pencil, or crayon, or tap out a few lines on your keyboard and make some fast and easy money writing about and/or for kids. Mature Living- request guidelines Woman’s World- send short kids’ says/anecdotes to Woman’s World, 270 Sylvan Ave., Englewood Cliffs, NJ 07632 (magazine can be bought at checkouts in supermarkets)/ pays $50 for kids’ says. Media for Living- mediaforliving.org/contact/ pays around $50 FamilyFun- http://familyfun.go.com/magazine/contact-us-819817/ pays $1.25 per wd., $75 for simply supplying an idea to be written

Two methods of losing weight, Eating right and exercise vs cosmetic Essay

Two methods of losing weight, Eating right and exercise vs cosmetic surgery - Essay Example The only similarity that eating right and doing exercise, and cosmetic surgery is that all of these phenomena work toward the establishment of the same aim that is, weight loss. When we include junk food in our diet, we are just giving our bodies empty calories that are of no use except for putting extra fat on us. We become obese and acquire a number of diseases that obesity directs toward us. When we do not exercise properly, we become lethargic and our bodies become inactive and lazy, which again put on us extra fat. Eating right and exercising regularly enable us to lose weight and become smart and energetic. Cosmetic surgery also intends to do the same. The person goes through a number of operations and surgeries to get that extra fat off the arms, belly and legs. Weight is significantly reduced and the difference is very obvious. Hence, we can say that all of these techniques help us to reduce weight. In contrast, eating right not only helps in losing extra weight by cutting off empty calories, but also provides the body with essential nutrients that it needs to stay healthy and active. Whitney, Whitney and Rolfes (2010, p.157) assert that, â€Å"A well-planned diet delivers adequate nutrients, a balanced array of nutrients, and an appropriate amount of energy (kcalories). It is based on nutrient-dense foods, moderate in substances that can be detrimental to health†. Cosmetic surgery only tends to make the body lose the extra fat that it has and does not provide any nutrients. Instead, the person has to take supplements to make up for the nutrients and multivitamins that the body loses in the process of losing weight through cosmetic surgery like liposuction. Hence where healthy diet provides body with healthy nutrients and exercise energizes the body while making it lose weight, cosmetic surgery has only one advantage of weight loss. Another contrast is that healthy diet and exercise have no side

Equal-employment opportunity laws Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Equal-employment opportunity laws - Essay Example Organizations should have a zero tolerance attitude for discrimination and should make sure that employees know about the policy in order to minimize the organization’s liability (Wexler, et al, 2010). Organizations should implement health and safety laws that are defined by Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). Employers are liable for any workplace injuries or health and safety issues if proper measures are not followed for the protection of employees. In case of any negligence, the organizations become liable and have to face lawsuits along with liability to pay for the damage. In case of any workplace accident or violence, the reputation of the organization also suffers so for minimizing liability, the standards defined by OSHA should be followed (Milam-Perez, 2003). Employees working in a workplace are affected because of nondiscrimination policy and health and safety laws because they are protected because of such policies and laws. When nondiscrimination policy is defined and elaborated by the employers, the employees are well aware of the impact of their attitudes towards other employees. The employers themselves are restricted to exercise any act of discrimination towards the employees. The nondiscrimination policy prohibits the employees to be discriminatory and hence, the workplace environment as a whole is disciplined and friendly for all the employees (Wexler, et al, 2010). Employees are at advantage because of nondiscrimination policy. As far as health and safety laws are concerned, again the employees are at advantage because they can see that they are well protected. As per the health and safety laws, the employees should be provided with personal protection equipment, proper medical facilities and training programs for safety. The e mployees who are aware of the health and safety laws are

Plato's Apology Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Plato's Apology - Essay Example 1.2. Socrates’ method was to approach every known wise man and interview him in order to find one wiser than him. In asking a series of questions, he is able to deduce the speaker’s wisdom (21c) 1.3. Socrates found that when he probed each wise man with questions, he always discovered a fault in his ideas, which showed him not wiser than Socrates (21d-e) 1.4. Socrates surmised what the Delphic oracle meant by him being wiser than the other ‘wise men.’ â€Å"I am wiser than that other fellow, because neither of us knows anything of great value; but he thinks he knows a thing when he doesn’t; whereas I neither know it in fact, nor think that I do,† thereby making him wiser in that single respect (21d). 2. Socrates’ defense: 2.1. Against the old accusations 2.1.1. Socrates was accused of receiving money for teaching. While he denied it, he said that there is nothing dishonourable about this (19e to 20a). 2.1.2. The accusation of being too inquisitive – a â€Å"busybody† (19c) – Socrates simply denied, and countered that his accusers were angry at him because he unmasked their lack of wisdom. 2.2. Against the new accusations (by Meletus) 2.2.1. On the charge that Socrates corrupted the young, Socrates asked Meletus if he believed the laws, the judges, the Councillors, the people in the Assembly, all contributed to the improvement of the young, Meletus answered yes, and that only Socrates corrupted them (24e-25a). Socrates drew a parallel with horse trainers, and showed that normally, majority of influences would tend to be bad and the few good. This showed Meletus charge is not for the welfare of the young, but for his own spite (25c). 2.2.2. On the charge that Socrates was an atheist because he believed in demigods, Socrates pointed out that this was a contradiction in itself, since to believe in demigods was to believe in God, and therefore he could not be an atheist at the same time (26a-27e). 3. When Socrates proposed his own punishment, he first argued that what he had done was to provide a good for others, for which his punishment should actually be some â€Å"benefit† (36d) such as â€Å"free meals in the Pryteneum† (37a). One might say that by such levity, Socrates was treating the entire matter trivially; this is hard to imagine, however, since he was a perceptive and wise man and could appreciate the gravity of the situation and the seriousness of his adversaries. One could only deduce that he was being brutally honest and rational in asserting that he deserved to be rewarded rather than punished, for the good he had done to others, and treating no one unjustly (37b). 4. Socrates’ view of death is a blessing, not an evil (40c) and the afterlife can only be one of two things – a non-existence, or transformation of the soul to a different world. If it were the first, then the dead person will have no awareness at all, like a deep sleep whe re the sleeper did not even dream, which is then â€Å"a marvellous gain† (40d). If death were so, then Socrates would count it to be a most â€Å"agreeable† thing comparable to a single night’s rest. On the other hand, if death were a transformation then he counts it as the greatest blessing, to be rid of the false â€Å"jurors† who ruled against him and instead be in the presence of the demigods and great men who lived righteous lives (41a). By so dissecting the possibilities of the afterlife, Socrates is able to comfort his friends with his vision of death. He goes to meet death as a great adventure, or at the very least a restful sleep. Therefore, Socrates did not fear death, but only saw it as

The Oil Crises in the 1970s Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

The Oil Crises in the 1970s - Term Paper Example The oil blockade had a whooping impact on the economies of US and Western nations as they had to pay high prices for their oil imports and transportation cost in those nations became more costly due to the oil embargo imposed OPEC. â€Å"OPEC and its members and OPEC's involvement in the crisis† On October 17, 1973, OPEC implemented â€Å"oil diplomacy’ which banned its member nation’s exports of oil and announced embargo on its exports to Western nations and the USA that supported the war against Israel by Egypt and Syria. This oil embargo had been devastating impact on US economy as it put a full stop to the epoch of cheap gasoline, and the US share markets witnessed an unprecedented fall by about $97 billion followed by the worst economic recession in USA and other parts of the world. OPEC declared that it would penalize those who helped Israel in the War by slashing down the petroleum production by 5% a month till the Israel vacated the occupied provinces by reinstating the rights of the Palestinians over the region. It cited both USA and The Netherlands as the true enemies of Islam and threatened that it would deploy an indefinite ban of export of petroleum products, which would be in operation against Western nations. Customarily, before 1973, oil prices were fixed by Petroleum companies and in December 1973, OPEC announced that henceforth, it would fix the price of the oil products. Due to this, the price per barrel of oil escalated to $11.65 per barrel in December 1973 which was 130% increase as compared 1973 October price and 387% higher than 1972 price level. (www.history.com). â€Å"The Founding of OPEC† OPEC is an intergovernmental institution established on September 10-14, 1960 at the Baghdad Conference by Venezuela, Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Kuwait and Iran. Apart from the above five founding members , Indonesia , Qatar ,UAE , Libya , Nigeria , Algeria , Angola , Ecuador and Gabon joined the OPEC later . Initially, OPEC hea dquartered at Switzerland later shifted to Vienna in Austria in 1965. The core aim of OPEC is to coalesce and synchronize petroleum exploration, production and marketing strategies among Member nations so as to secure stable and just prices of oil product, an effective, viable and uninterrupted supply of petroleum products to consumer nations and to secure a just return on the capital employed on the petroleum resources by the oil-producing nations. (www.opec.org). â€Å"Yom Kippur War† This is also known as 1983 Arabs- Israeli War, or Ramadan War, which was waged against Israel by alliance of Arab nations, headed by Egypt and Syria and lasted from October 6 to 25, 1973. In the War, the USA, UK, Netherlands and France supported Israel and aggrieved by this, the Arab nations retaliated with a revolt in 1973 through an oil embargo against Western powers. Arab coalition made a surprise attack on Israel occupied regions on Yom Kippur and Egypt, and Syrian forces entered Golden He ights and Sinai Peninsula of Israel. In the Yom Kippur War, USA and its allied supported Israel by supplying arms while USSR supported the Arab Coalition and this war paved to almost direct confrontation between two superpowers during the cold war regime. In the War, Israel almost captured Egypt’s city of Suez by encircling the Egypt’s Army. In 1978, the Camp David Accord was signed where it was agreed to

STRATEGIC CHANGE MANAGEMENT Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

STRATEGIC CHANGE MANAGEMENT - Assignment Example Hard elements are easily identified and defined, and management can influence them directly. These elements include strategy, structure as well as systems. On the other hand, soft elements are skills, shared values, and staff. In addition, soft elements are more intricate to describe, less tangible as well as influenced by culture more. Nevertheless, these soft elements are as essential as the hard elements of an organisation to be successful (Smillie & Hailey 2001). Burke & Litwin Causal Model of Organizational Performance and Change propose linkages that theorize the way performance is determined by external and internal factors. It offers a framework to evaluate organizational together with environmental aspects that are successful change keys and it illustrates how these dimensions must be causally linked to attaining a change in performance. Kurt Lewin came up with a change model with three steps: unfreezing, changing as well as refreezing. The model symbolises a quite simple but practical model for getting to understand the change process. These steps are: Unfreezing that entails decreasing those forces that drive behaviour currently, acknowledgment of the need for change and occurrence of improvement. Changing, that is, development of new behaviour or attitudes and the change implementation. The third stage is refreezing that entails stabilising and reinforcing change at the new level (Smillie & Hailey 2001). The 7-S model bases on hypothesis that, for a company to perform well, the seven elements must be aligned as well as mutually reinforced. Thus, the model can be utilized to assist to find out the needs to be realigned to enhance performance or to sustain alignment, as well as performance all through other forms of change. Whatsoever the kind of change e.g. restructuring, organizational merger, new processes, new systems, leadership

The Oil Crises in the 1970s Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

The Oil Crises in the 1970s - Term Paper Example The oil blockade had a whooping impact on the economies of US and Western nations as they had to pay high prices for their oil imports and transportation cost in those nations became more costly due to the oil embargo imposed OPEC. â€Å"OPEC and its members and OPEC's involvement in the crisis† On October 17, 1973, OPEC implemented â€Å"oil diplomacy’ which banned its member nation’s exports of oil and announced embargo on its exports to Western nations and the USA that supported the war against Israel by Egypt and Syria. This oil embargo had been devastating impact on US economy as it put a full stop to the epoch of cheap gasoline, and the US share markets witnessed an unprecedented fall by about $97 billion followed by the worst economic recession in USA and other parts of the world. OPEC declared that it would penalize those who helped Israel in the War by slashing down the petroleum production by 5% a month till the Israel vacated the occupied provinces by reinstating the rights of the Palestinians over the region. It cited both USA and The Netherlands as the true enemies of Islam and threatened that it would deploy an indefinite ban of export of petroleum products, which would be in operation against Western nations. Customarily, before 1973, oil prices were fixed by Petroleum companies and in December 1973, OPEC announced that henceforth, it would fix the price of the oil products. Due to this, the price per barrel of oil escalated to $11.65 per barrel in December 1973 which was 130% increase as compared 1973 October price and 387% higher than 1972 price level. (www.history.com). â€Å"The Founding of OPEC† OPEC is an intergovernmental institution established on September 10-14, 1960 at the Baghdad Conference by Venezuela, Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Kuwait and Iran. Apart from the above five founding members , Indonesia , Qatar ,UAE , Libya , Nigeria , Algeria , Angola , Ecuador and Gabon joined the OPEC later . Initially, OPEC hea dquartered at Switzerland later shifted to Vienna in Austria in 1965. The core aim of OPEC is to coalesce and synchronize petroleum exploration, production and marketing strategies among Member nations so as to secure stable and just prices of oil product, an effective, viable and uninterrupted supply of petroleum products to consumer nations and to secure a just return on the capital employed on the petroleum resources by the oil-producing nations. (www.opec.org). â€Å"Yom Kippur War† This is also known as 1983 Arabs- Israeli War, or Ramadan War, which was waged against Israel by alliance of Arab nations, headed by Egypt and Syria and lasted from October 6 to 25, 1973. In the War, the USA, UK, Netherlands and France supported Israel and aggrieved by this, the Arab nations retaliated with a revolt in 1973 through an oil embargo against Western powers. Arab coalition made a surprise attack on Israel occupied regions on Yom Kippur and Egypt, and Syrian forces entered Golden He ights and Sinai Peninsula of Israel. In the Yom Kippur War, USA and its allied supported Israel by supplying arms while USSR supported the Arab Coalition and this war paved to almost direct confrontation between two superpowers during the cold war regime. In the War, Israel almost captured Egypt’s city of Suez by encircling the Egypt’s Army. In 1978, the Camp David Accord was signed where it was agreed to

The Importance of Transformational Leadership During a Company Crisis Research Paper

The Importance of Transformational Leadership During a Company Crisis - Research Paper Example The Importance of Transformational Leadership during a Company Crisis: The Case of Wal-Mart Background of the Study A great deal of research on leadership has been carried out as such concept has been associated with a wide range of factors including the process of decision making, leader-follower interaction, and goal establishment and accomplishment, to name a few (Steane, Hua, and Teo, 2003). The notion that the concept of leadership can make significant contribution for research and development has been widely acknowledged by academicians and organizational leaders alike. Due to the rapid changes in globalization and technological trends, there has also been an increase in the need and attempt of companies to place more efforts in retaining a strong workforce while addressing the complex demands and preferences of their customers (Nielsen, Randall, Yarker, and Brenner, 2008). Because of these concerns, organizations have identified the need to effectively implement leadership, es pecially as it has been frequently linked to favorable outcomes such as an increase in performance, effectiveness, and commitment as well as improved organizational success. Hence, effective leadership becomes a crucial necessity for any company. Innovation and creativity alone may not be sufficient enough to address both internal and external pressures while the implementation of various policies and practices do not always necessarily take effect unless effective leaders are made. Leaders must possess the values and objectives that are necessary to instigate any needed change while retaining an empowered workforce to help achieve success (Jung and Sosik, 2002). The vision that they establish and the values that they live out and demonstrate to their followers plays a relevant role when such leaders make decisions that will impact the entire organization. Majority of leadership studies have indicated that transformational leadership can be the most effective form of leadership to b ring about change in any group of individuals by positively inspiring these people to create the necessary change for their success (Conger, 1999). Leaders who take the transformational approach are generally capable of motivating their followers to embrace such changes, improve their performance, and be prepared to open up to new practices, all for the better of the organization (Avolio, Zhu, Kho, and Bhatia, 2004). Company Background and Description of the Crisis Sam Walton founded Wal-Mart Stores Inc. in 1962, with its first headquarters located in Bentonville, Arkansas. It was first known across the United States as the â€Å"largest grocery retailer† and has actually expanded to include a total of 8,500 in 15 countries, with the stores taking a different name. For instance, in the United Kingdom, the stores are known as Asda, while in Mexico, some stores are known as Walmex, while India has taken to the name Best Price (Buerkle, 1999). Among the crises plaguing Wal-Mart include a negative image with regards to how it pays its workers. According to an article published in Bloomberg Businessweek, Wal-Mart has been struggling to improve its reputation because of the low wages it has been known to

Social Stratification Essay Example for Free

Social Stratification Essay A. What is Social Stratification? 1. Social stratification is defined as a system by which society ranks categories of people in a hierarchy a. There are four fundamental principles of stratification: †¢ Social stratification is a characteristic of society not just due to individual differences †¢ Social stratification persists over generations †¢ Yet, most societies allow some sort of social mobility or changes in peoples position in a system of social stratification †¢ Social mobility may be upward, downward, or horizontal †¢ Social stratification is universal but variable (it changes) †¢ Social stratification involves both inequality and beliefs 2. Social Stratification is patterned social inequality. It is also the unequal distribution of societal resources. Saying that inequality is patterned indicates that the differences occur: a. on a wide-scale basis b. with regularity   c. and along lines of certain specific, identifiable characteristics (race, class, and gender) 3. Stratification is usually based on three major premises: a. Power: the ability to impose one’s will on others b. Prestige: the respect given by others c. Property: forms of wealth 4. Patterned: if we know whether a person or group possesses or does not possess certain traits, then we will be able to predict with reasonable accuracy how this person or group is likely to fare in the social hierarchy a. Social Hierarchy: A set of ranked statuses 5. Social Inequality: Some types of people systematically experience advantages in society while other types of people are systematically disadvantaged in our society a. Some members of our society are thought of as haves, and others are thought of as have-nots. b. The determination of who is socially advantaged and who is included among the ranks of the socially disadvantaged is based, in part, on certain characteristics these individuals possess and, in part, on how society values or devalues these characteristics 6. Social stratification affects people’s lives and can be manifested in various ways in society. 7. Social Inequality is a structured and systematic phenomenon that affects people in various social classes throughout their lives. a. Because of this patterned inequality, social stratification affects people’s life chances: †¢ Life Chances: Opportunities that individuals do or do no have to engage in certain activities, and the opportunities that they do or do not have to accomplish certain goals simply because of where they are located in the social hierarchy (ex. Smart children born into wealth vs. poor families) B. Caste and Class Systems †¢ People are divided into different groupings and their lives are structured according to these groupings. There are certain things that some people cannot do, simply because their station in life prevents them from being able to do them. †¢ Other people, in a different social stratum, are able to do these things specifically because they occupy a more favorable position in the social hierarchy. †¢ Depending on how much individual mobility is possible; societies may be classified as either a caste system or a class system. 1. A caste system amounts to social stratification based on ascription a. A caste system consists of a fixed arrangement of strata from the most to the least privileged, with a persons position determined unalterably at birth. b. The most extensive contemporary example of a caste system is found in India, especially in rural areas. c. Caste discrimination is officially illegal but exists nonetheless. The traditional castes of India: †¢ Brahmans: mostly priests and scholars. †¢ Kshatriyas: warriors, rulers, and large landholders †¢ Vaishyas: merchants, farmers, and skilled artisans. †¢ Shudras: laborers and unskilled artisans. †¢ Harijans: Sometimes called untouchables, they are ranked so low that, technically, they are outside the caste system itself. d. Caste boundaries in India are reinforced further by the practice of ritual pollution or ritual avoidance. e. A caste system may be determined by many ethnic and cultural factors. European imperial powers in Africa imposed a caste system based on skin color: all whites were in a higher position or caste than any nonwhite f. Caste systems shape peoples lives in four crucial ways: †¢ Caste system largely determines occupation †¢ Caste systems largely mandate endogamy †¢ Powerful cultural beliefs underlie caste systems †¢ Caste systems limit out group social contacts g. Although caste influences remains strong in India, the situation is changing due to communication, transportation, industrialization, and the growth of a middle class. 2. In a class system, social stratification is based on individual achievement a. Class Systems. People who can be considered peers in society because of their similar life chances, similar life circumstances, and similar opportunities, constitute a social class. †¢ In a class system social standing is determined by factors over which people can exert some control, and some mobility does take place. b. In a class system, status inconsistency, the degree of consistency of a persons social standing across various dimensions of social inequality, is lower than in a caste system c. Structural social mobility: a shift in social position of large numbers of people due more to changes in society itself than individual efforts (Ex. Computer Industry) d. Stratification persists because it is backed up by an ideology: cu ltural beliefs that directly or indirectly justify social stratification e. Ideological support for inequality. An ideology or pattern of beliefs justifies social inequality in the Unites States, which legitimizes or justifies a particular societal arrangement. †¢ Ideological Hegemony: Refers to the control over the production of cultural symbols. †¢ One of Karl Marx’s famous quotes is: â€Å"the ruling ideas of any epoch are the ideas of the ruling class because they control the mental means of production. †¢ Thus, the elite has many weapons at their disposal in order to keep society and the lower classes under control. Two of the main ways are the use of force, and the mass media. †¢ Force: use the police, military, National Guard, FBI, etc. †¢ In the long run, it depends on legitimacy in order to maintain stratification. †¢ This is the belief that existing social and political institutions are the best ones for society. †¢ All ruling elite uses their position at the top of society to create an ideology. †¢ This is a complex set of beliefs, values, and norms, which rationalize and support the elites power and privileges. †¢ The dominant or most important and valued ideas in history have been the ideas of the ruling class. †¢ The Government or big corporations do not necessarily control the mass media, but the ruling class does influence what kind of information we get and what kind of ideas we listen to. †¢ Anti-government and Anti-business views are rarely expressed, and Hollywood gives us its share of who are enemies are: both foreign and in this country. †¢ Most of the media gives the same messages of free enterprise, equality of opportunity, individualism, hard work, and consumerism. †¢ This ideology, taught through the mass media, is used by the elite to confuse, distract, and divide the lower classes. †¢ Marx argued that the class in power imposes its ideology on the entire society, and that false consciousness occurs when people in a class accept an ideology that is contrary to the best interest of that class. †¢ Marx argued that false consciousness will exist until the exploited stratum develops a sense of class consciousness, at which time the stratum will become a true social class and begin challenging the ruling class. C. The Functions of Social Stratification 1. The Davis-Moore thesis is the assertion that social stratification is a universal pattern because it has beneficial consequences for the operation of society 2. This thesis implies that societies become more productive as they approach meritocracy: a system of social stratification based on personal merit 3. Criticisms of Davis-Moore: a. It is difficult to specify the functional importance of a given occupation †¢ Some are over/under rewarded (EX. Baseball player, entertainer vs. teacher, garbage collector) b. Davis-Moore ignores how social stratification can prevent the development of individual talents c. The theory also ignore how social inequality may promote conflict and revolution (instability) D. Stratification and Conflict 1. Karl Max: Class and Conflict a. Marx saw classes as defined by peoples relationship to the means of production †¢ Capitalists (bourgeoisie) are people who own factories and other productive business †¢ The proletariat are people who sell their productive labor to the capitalists b. Critical evaluation: †¢ Marxs theory has been enormously influential   Ã¢â‚¬ ¢ His work has been criticized for failing to recognize that a system of unequal rewards may be necessary to motivate people to perform their social roles effectively 2. Three reasons suggested why Western Capitalism has not experienced a Marxist revolution: a. The capitalist class has fragmented and grown in size, giving more people a stake in the system b. The proletariat has also changed †¢ Blue-collar occupations, lower prestige work involving mostly manual labor, have declined †¢ White-collar occupations, higher prestige work involving mostly mental activity, have expanded c. Workers are better organized than they were in Marxs day their unions have been able to fight for reform d. The government has extended various legal protections to workers e. Supporters of Marxist thought have responded: †¢ Wealth remains highly concentrated   Ã¢â‚¬ ¢ White-collar jobs offer no more income, security, satisfaction than blue-collar jobs did a century ago †¢ Class conflict continues between workers and management †¢ The laws still favor the rich 3. Max Weber identified three distinct dimensions of stratification: Class, status, and power a. Max Weber argued that social standing consists (Of three parts or dimensions: class, which he regarded as determined mainly by economic standing or wealth; party, which was equivalent to political power; and status, or social prestige and honor. b. Following Weber, many sociologists use the term socioeconomic status: a composite ranking based on various dimensions of social inequality education, occupation, income †¢ Socioeconomic status. Following Webers lead, contemporary sociologists often use the broader concept of socioeconomic status to refer to a persons ranking along several social dimensions, particularly education, occupational prestige, and income †¢ Education. Education can lead to income attainment, but the benefits are not equally shared by racial and ethnic minorities, or by women. †¢ Wealth consists of consists of the total amount of money and valuable goods that a person or family controls †¢ It is more unequally distributed than income †¢ assets, such as real estate and jewels, and   Ã¢â‚¬ ¢ income consists of occupational wages or salaries and earnings from investments †¢ Occupational Prestige: Occupation serves as a key source of social prestige since we commonly evaluate each other according to what we do †¢ Because there are so many specific occupations, sociologists often categorize occupations into a smaller number: †¢ White-Collar †¢ Professional, manager, and administrator †¢ Technical †¢ Clerical †¢ Blue-Collar †¢ Craft, precision production, and repair †¢ Operative †¢ Labor (excluding farm) †¢ Farm worker †¢ If this scheme is too unwieldy, sociologists often divide occupations into two categories: white-collar and bluecollar. †¢ The pink collar is a category that reflects the segregation of women into certain occupations, such as kindergarten teachers and secretaries. †¢ High incomes usually are associated with high-prestige occupations, but there are exceptions. †¢ Sociologists sometimes use the term prestige to mean the honor associated with an occupation or other position in the social system, and esteem to mean the honor that accrues to the individual filling the position. c. Critical evaluation: Webers views have been widely accepted in the United States although hard economic times may lead to a renewed emphasis on the importance of economic classes E. Inequality in the United States †¢ US society is highly stratified, but many people underestimate the extent of structured inequality in US society †¢ Power is also unequally distributed †¢ Schooling †¢ Ancestry, race, and gender 1. Sociologists usually conceptualize American society as consisting either of three or nine distinct social classes: a. In the three-class model, society is divided into a lower class, a middle class, and an upper class b. In the nine-class model, each of these classes is further divided into three subclasses: lower-lower, middle-lower, lower-middle, middle-middle, etc. 2. Measurement of class. To measure social class standing, sociologists have developed three main methods: a. the objective method ranks individuals into classes on the basis of measures such as education, income, and occupational prestige; b. the reputational method places people into various social classes on the basis of reputation in the community class; and c. Self- identification allows people to place themselves in a social class. c. The lower classes. †¢ The upper-lower class, also called the working class, consists of service personnel, semiskilled operatives, and other blue-collar workers who do not earn enough to accumulate substantial savings. These people are vulnerable to disruptions in their income. †¢ The lower-lower class is made up of people who lack education and live in the most dilapidated sections of the community and in substandard housing. †¢ The lower-lower class may be divided into two subgroups: †¢ The working poor are lower-lower-class people who have jobs but who simply cannot earn an adequate income; and †¢ The chronically poor are mostly unemployed or work only occasionally. 4. Class, race, and gender. These three dimensions often interact to produce a persons place in society, the manner in which people are treated, and their self identify. F. The difference class makes a. Class and health b. Class and values c. Class and politics d. Class, family, and gender G. The Myth and the Reality of Mobility in the United States †¢ Amount of mobility. Sociologists frequently focus on the intergenerational mobility of individuals: upward and downward movements in socioeconomic status measured between the standing of children compared to that of their parents. 1. Myth versus reality a. Four general conclusions †¢ Social mobility, at least among men, has been high †¢ The long-term trend in social mobility has been upward †¢ Within a single generation, social mobility is usually incremental, Not dramatic †¢ The short-term trend has been stagnation, with some income polarization b. Mobility varies by income level c. Mobility also varies by race, ethnicity, and gender 1. Determinants of mobility †¢ Social Mobility: The movement of persons and groups within the stratification system. a. Steepness of the socioeconomic pyramid: that there are not enough high status jobs to satisfy everyone. b. Starting position on the socioeconomic ladder: some people begin closer to the top than others. c. Structural mobility: the movement of entire categories of people due to changes in society itself. d. Types of mobility †¢ Upward and downward †¢ Intragenerational social mobility is a change in social position occurring during a persons lifetime †¢ Intergenerational social mobility is upward or downward social mobility of children in relation to their parents 2. Social stratification can be determined by a number of variables, each of which can cause someone to be advantaged or disadvantaged compared to others in society. a. It is not necessarily the impact of any one variable in U.S. society that leads to stratification – it is a unique combination of stratification-related factors that determines how one succeeds in society. b. Some of these traits are within our control, others we have little control over (ascribed vs. achieved) Who can tell me which is which? †¢ Major ascribed social stratifiers: race, sex, and age †¢ Major achieved social stratifiers (education, income, occupation, religion, etc.) SOCIAL stratification is the main reason for relational set of inequalities in economic, social, political and ideological dimensions. It is a system whereby people rank and evaluate each other. On the basis of such evaluation, one is rewarded with more wealth, authority, power and prestige. It is broadly organised into three parts: upper class, middle class and lower class on the basis of power and wealth. This has resulted in the creation of a number of levels within our society. Social stratification causes social disparity and many problems as it is an unjust system with monopoly of power and wealth in a particular group. It affects life chances, lifestyles and prestige. It creates emotional stress and depression for the people belonging to lower social stratum as they have unequal access to wealth, power and prestige. It creates a huge gulf between the people in terms of their incomes and a range of measures associated with social position, education, health, and psychological well-being. It is distinctly perceived that disparity causes chaos in society. These are the stumbling blocks in the way to progress and development of the country.

The Genre Of Documentary Photography

The Genre Of Documentary Photography In his examination of Lt. Col. Oliver L. Norths portrait, taken by Harry Benson for Life Magazine (1987), Andy Grundberg (1988) emphasizes the importance of the camera position, background elements and attitude of the subject towards a heroic appearance, even though the reality was somewhat different, visible in another, less interesting news photograph of Colonel North facing the full house of Congress. The juxtaposition of the two photographs makes one think of the kind of information photographs leave behind. Is it an actual reflection of the actuality or something more interpretable and selective? Putting this into the perspective of the pre-photographic history one could say that photographs are better representations of the historical events than say, paintings or drawings. Nevertheless this is not entirely true because photography can also be biased exactly as a painting using different capturing techniques, angles, and recently computer aided photo manipulation which makes everything so much easier to tamper with. John Griersons which is generally accepted as being the father of the documentary genre characterized it as the creative treatment of actuality. The first question that comes to my mind is why did he use the term actuality and not reality? For this we have to take a look at the definition of actuality. According to the Merriam-Webster online dictionary actual means existing in fact or reality. In my opinion reality is what you interpret and you think something is, and actuality is what it really is by looking at the facts. Reality and actuality are strongly connected and one can say that reality is what you perceive from actuality. John Tagg (p.172, 1988) argued that It is not a question of the struggle for truth but, rather, of a struggle around the status of truth and the economic and political role it plays. One of the iconic photographs that apply to this statement is Dorothea Langes Migrant Mother and the extensive debates around the truthfulness of the photograph. Is it that important that the photograph was staged, edited and cropped or not? The point is that even though it might be a staged photograph it still conveys the reality of the time. Lange was sent on assignment for the Farms Security Administration to document the poverty of the share-croppers. The story she associated with the image was not entirely true but it efficiently showed the condition of the migrant workers. It is arguable that the changes made to the original Migrant Mother photograph created the notoriety of the image (i.e. the editing out of the thumb, and the possible staging of the photograph). If we look at some of the other images from the shoot we can see clearly that at least one of the children is smiling. This could lead to the belief that Lange posed the two children with their faces behind her mother to hide their light heartedness. The final portray and the iconic image of the Migrant Mother is relating to what Grierson refers as creative treatment of actuality and nevertheless a reality for everyone who saw the image at the time. Another very well-known photograph which had a lot of debate whether is true or not, is one made by Duane Michals called This Photograph is My Proof. Duane admitted  [1]  he is gay in many of his interviews, so how can this photograph be true? He realised he is gay before his 20s and the photograph is taken when he was in his 30s thus leading us to think the photograph was staged. Tagg (p.16, 1993) argued that The camera seems to declare: This really happened. The camera was there. See for yourself. Ask yourself under what conditions would a photograph of the Loch Ness Monster or an Unidentified Flying Object become acceptable as proof of their existence? It seems that for Tagg the actuality of a photograph can only be proven by other means and not only by the photo on itself. The general belief is that photography is an objective medium able to portray an objective reality, but if we think about it one photograph is just one point of view. Just by changing the angle in which you take the photograph you can change its whole meaning. Edward Weston and Paul Strand were among the ones that strongly believed the mechanical nature of the camera is the most powerful argument for the truthfulness of photographs. In the book On photography, Sontag argues that (p176, To us, the difference between the photographer as an individual eye and the photographer as an objective recorder seems fundamental, the difference often regarded, mistakenly, as separating photography as art from photography as document. But both are logical extensions of what photography means: note-taking on, potentially, everything in the world, from every possible angle. This approach suggests that every image taken for artistic purposes or for recording purposes has a documentary quality. It means that even though someone took a photograph for aesthetic purposes its still a recording, but from another point of view. She further explains that the two attitudes underlie the presumption that anything in the world is material to the camera. If we could photograph the same subject from every angle by many different creative eyes we could end up with a series of images that show the actuality. Martin Parr had a different approach on documentary photography adding humour and irony to almost If not all of his photographs. He has a unique way of telling a story which is often harsh. His creative style is covered in irony, and this generates a very strong statement about society. His approach seems to be very close to actuality even if his unique style is very distinct. In her book called Documentary Dilemmas, Caroline Anderson (p.1, 1991) talks about Frederick Wiseman and his documentary film Titicut Follies saying that he (i.e. Wiseman) considered his films as reality fictions. Anderson (p.1, 1991) argues that Wiseman didnt want to be responsible for representing social actuality in an objective manner. He used the ambiguous term of reality fiction as an excuse to be able to classify his work in both documentary genre and as an artistic creation. Anderson (p.2, 1991) claims that Wiseman used the term of reality fiction as a claim upon film theory and not to point at the inevitable tension between actuality and film. Nevertheless Titicut Follies is still a documentary film. Elizabeth Cowie (p.22, 2011) referring to the recording of actuality in both photography and film, claims that two different predilections exist. There is the need for reality as a fact and the ability to review it, and on the other hand there is the need of rational knowledge, conveyed through logical interpretation. This idea reflects upon John Griersons creative treatment of actuality in a sense that a documentary creation has to represent the actuality but also to help the viewer see the reality which the creator wants to deliver. Looking at my own photographs for an example of Griersons statement I chose a photograph which shows a woman sleeping on the pavement between two bags that read A bag For Life. This photograph was taken a few steps from my place and could be a good example of the creative treatment of actuality. My intention was to articulate the fact that the woman was homeless but the reality is she can be anyone and anything and she just happened to enjoy the sunshine. A while ago I was asking myself if documentary photography is the middle ground between art and actuality. I was putting actuality, documentary photography and fine art photography in a hierarchy, fine art photography being on the highest ranks. This is because actuality on its own is not interesting, it does not have that spark of genius documentary photography and it does not have the creative approach of fine art photography. One of the best examples of how documentary photography shed light on the social injustices around the world is the Magnum Agency. Founded by Robert Capa, Henri Cartier- Bresson, George Rodger and David Chim Seymour the agency had, and still has, the purpose of chronicle the world through the distinctive eyes of each member thus creating a complete image of the society. Documentary photography indeed can be seen as a genre which binds the aspirations of photojournalism with the ones of photographic art, thus becoming a kind of bridge or grey area, if you like. The main characteristic of documentary photography is the appetite for social subjects that go beyond the simple story in the newspaper, becoming increasingly subjective but at the same time holding a grip to actuality and truth. For me creativity represents the fingerprint which the photographer applies to the raw actuality with the purpose of creating his own reality to share with the world.

Symbols and Symbolism in The Rime of the Ancient Mariner :: Rime

Symbols in The Rime of the Ancient Mariner A close reading of The Rime of the Ancient Mariner will reveal that the Ancient Mariner-who is at once himself, Coleridge and all humanity-having sinned, both incurs punishment and seeks redemption; or, in other words, becomes anxiously aware of his relation to the God of Law (as symbolized by the Sun), and in his sub-consciousness earnestly entreats the forgiveness of the God of Love (represented by the Moon-symbol). ... For Professor Lowes, while he has disclosed a Coleridge of amazing intellectual grasp ... stops short on the border line of purely imaginative experience. In his long study of The Ancient Mariner, he seems to miss the essential allegory.... when all is said, his unsparable book is content to be a review of Coleridge's intellectual and creative relation to his available sources in books, in conversations and in his life history, not (save on occasion as supplying a casual argument) to articulate part with part in the poetic intention as a whole .... ... There is nowhere here or elsewhere in the book [The Road to Xanadu] a hint of the history behind the Mariner's glittering eye, a suggestion of the poet's bold transfer of the glitter in the dead seamen's eyes (Death) to those of the Mariner (Life-in-Death). The poet introduces the Mariner abruptly and repetitively as one with a glittering eye. A similar emphasis is given to the epithet bright-eyed (as in the penultimate stanza of Part VII); and when the fearful question, "Why look'st thou so?", is asked, our thoughts revert to that sinister glitter. Now consider this stanza in Part III: One after one, by the star-dogged Moon, Too quick for groan or sigh, Each turned his face with a ghastly pang, And cursed me with his eye, and these stanzas also from Part IV: The cold sweat melted from their limbs, Nor rot nor reek did they: The look with which they looked on me Had never passed away. An orphan's curse would drag to hell A spirit from on high; But ohl more horrible than that Is a curse in a dead man's eye! Seven days, seven nights, I saw that curse, And yet I could not die; and these again from Part VI: All stood together on the deck, For a charnel-dungeon fitter: All fixed on me their stony eyes, That in the Moon did glitter.