A Temporary Matter by Jhumpa Lahiri free essay sample

A Temporary Matter Thesis File Hassam Mairaj ? A Temporary Matter Introduction A Temporary Matter was originally published in the New Yorker in April 1998 and is the first story in Jhumpa Lahiris debut collection, Interpreter of Maladies (1999). The collection won the 2000 Pulitzer Prize for fiction, a rare achievement for a short-story collection. The story takes place over five days, beginning March 19, at the suburban Boston home of a married couple, Nadia and Ali.During this week, when they must cope with a one-hour power outage each evening, the grief and alienation that the two have suffered since the stillbirth of their child six months earlier builds to a climax. Plot Summary The story opens with Nadia, a thirty-three-year-old wife, arriving home at the end of a workday. Her husband, Ali, is cooking dinner. Nadia reads the newspaper to find a news that the government has announced that load shedding will commence from the current day and lights will be out for one hour six times a day. We will write a custom essay sample on A Temporary Matter by Jhumpa Lahiri or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Six months earlier they went through a hard time when their first child was stillborn and till the present time could not get over that grief. Now, Nadia leaves early each morning for her job in an advertising company. After work, she goes to the gym. She also takes on extra projects for work that she does at home during the evenings and weekends. Ali stays in bed half the day. Because of the tragedy, he leaves his home rarely and works on his writing at home. Ali is a writer who spends most of his time reading novels and cooking dinner.When Ali remarks that they will have to eat dinner in the dark because of the power outage, Nadia suggests lighting candles and goes upstairs to shower before dinner. Ali notes that she has left her bag and sneakers in the kitchen and that since the stillbirth Nadia has treated the house like a hotel. Nadia had stocked their freezer with homemade foods. After the stillbirth, she had stopped cooking, and Ali had used up all the stored food in the past months. Nadia and Ali have been eating dinner separately, she in front of the television set, he in front of the computer. Tonight, they will eat together because of the power outage.Ali lights candles and sets the table . Nadia comes into the lounge and sits down to have dinner as the electricity goes off and the lights go out.. She tells Ali that at family dinners at her grandmothers house, when the electricity went off, they all had to say something—a joke, a poem, an interesting fact, or some other tidbit. Nadia suggests that she and Ali do this, but she further suggests that they each tell the other something they have never revealed before. Nadia begins the game, telling Ali that a girl they knew in college once told her that she liked Ali and she became jealous of her.Ali reveals that on their first date he forgot to tip the waiter, so he returned to the restaurant the next day and left money for him. The next evening, Nadia comes home earlier than usual. They eat together by candlelight again. Then, instead of each going to a different room, they agree on sitting outside on the terrace. Ali knows that they will play the game again. He is afraid of what Nadia might tell him. Nadia tells Ali that she once lied to him, saying that she had to work late when actually she went out with friends. Ali tells her that he cheated on an exam many years earlier.He explains that his father had died a few months before and that he was unprepared for the exam. Many other secrets are disclosed when Nadia takes his hand, and they go inside. The next day, Ali thinks all day about what he will tell Nadia next. Ali is disappointed when the light doesn’t go out at 9 but when Nadia arrives home she says, You can still light the candles if you want. They eat by candlelight, and then Nadia blows out the candles and turns on the lights. When Ali questions this, she tells him that she has something to tell him and wants him to see her face. His heart pounds.She tells him that she now will be moving to her mother’s house and it is nobody’s fault. Ali realizes that this revelation has been her planned ending for the game all along. He decides to tell Nadia something he had vowed to himself that he would never tell her. Nadia does not know that Ali held their baby at the hospital while she slept. Nadia does not even know the babys gender and has said that she is glad that she has no knowledge about the lost child. Ali tells Nadia that the baby was a girl and goes on to describe her appearance in detail, including that the babys hands were closed into fists the way Nadias are when she sleeps.Ali leaves the room and Nadia is shown with a teardrop falling from her eye. Characters Nadia Nadia is a thirty-two-year-old woman who is married to Ali. She is tall and broad-shouldered. She fell in love with Ali during college time and later married him and moved with him to a new house. Nadia works in an advertising agency and sometimes takes on extra work for home. She works out at a gym regularly. Six months before the time of the story, Nadias first child was stillborn. This tragedy has changed her habits and her relationship with her husband.While she was formerly a neat and enthusiastic housekeeper and cook, she has become careless about the house and has stopped cooking. She previously had the habit of being prepared for anything, ranging from last minute guests and daily life surprises. Now she likes spending more time at work and even keeps herself busy in work at home. Nadia’s character transformed immensely after the child incident of which she avoids talking about. She took a pride in her decision of not knowing the sex of the child for it enabled her to seek refuge in a mystery. AliAli is a thirty-five-year-old short story and poem writer who is married to Nadia. He is a tall man with a large build. After the birth and death of the child, he spends most of the time at home, writing to be published. He works in the nursery he and Nadia prepared for their upcoming child so that he has to spend less time with Nadia as she avoids coming to that room of the house because of the memories associated with it. He wakes up early and works mostly in the morning, doesnt leave the house for days at a time, and often spends the afternoons in bed.He has spent the past months preparing dinners for himself and Nadia using the foods she has stored in the freezer. Genres Drama: A drama film is a film genre that depends mostly on in-depth development of realistic characters dealing with emotional themes. Dramatic themes such as alcoholism, drug addiction, racial prejudice, religious intolerance, poverty, class divisions, violence against women and corruption put the characters in conflict with themselves, others, society and even natural phenomena. At the centre of a drama is usually a character or characters who are in conflict at a crucial moment in their lives.The conflict between the two people in a marriage at a crucial moment in their lives defines the genre of my film. The drama created by many situations arising as a result of the conflict and human psyche coming into action are the elements of my film. Themes Grief The story takes place six months after the stillbirth of Nadia and Alis first child, and the two are still overwhelmed by grief. Ali has withdrawn from the world and seldom leaves the house. He stays in bed half the day, unable to summon the energy and concentration to make progress on his writing. Nadia, on the other hand, stays away from the house as much as she can. She used to be an attentive housekeeper and enthusiastic cook, but the house seems to remind her of her loss. According to Ali, she treats the house as if it was a hotel and would eat cereal for dinner if he did not cook. The story also reveals that Nadia and Ali no longer go out socially or entertain at home. People who suffer the loss of a loved one often go through a period of not wanting to go on living themselves. They may feel unable to make the effort required to go about daily life. Sadness may drown out all positive emotions. This seems to be true for this couple, and especially of Ali. Alienation Nadia and Alis grief has led them to withdraw from each other. Until the nightly power outages began, they avoided each other. Nadia leaves for work early each morning, returns late, and often brings home extra work to occupy her evenings and weekends. When Nadia is home, Ali retreats to his computer and pretends to work. He has put the computer in the room that was to be the nursery because he knows that Nadia avoids that room. She comes in briefly each morning to tell him goodbye before leaving for work. He resents even this brief interaction, which Nadia initiates only out of a sense of obligation. Nadia and Ali do not attempt to comfort or support each other. Each withdraws from the relationship, and they endure their grief as if they were two strangers living in a boardinghouse. Deception Through the game that Nadia and Ali play of revealing secrets, viewers learn that deception has been a theme in their relationship. They have lied to each other, and the lies have been selfish ones—told not to spare the others feelings but to allow the person telling the lie to escape some discomfort or sacrifice.To avoid having dinner with Alis mother, Nadia lied and said she had to work late. Ali told Nadia that he lost a jacket she had given him, when in reality he gave it to one of his colleagues. As these examples of deception are revealed throughout the story, it is clear that Nadia and Alis emotional estrangement began before the loss of their baby. They have always dealt with difficult situations and unpleasant emotions by lying and keeping secrets. When Nadia breaks the stalemate that their grief has caused by initiating a deceptive game, she is following an established pattern.Throughout the week of power outages, Nadia appears to be reaching out to Ali. In truth, she is engineering her final separation from him. Treatment Use of dozens of everyday details to create a realistic context in which the story takes place. The realistic setting of the story and the characters in conflict, that is subtle supported by normal everyday dialogues revealing situations. Use of chiaroscuro lighting technique with high contrasts and deep shadows. Long takes and minimal close-up cutting supported by unjustified moves by the characters showing the discomfort of the characters and their incompatibility with each other.The whole story takes place at a single location which is a house, but scenes will be shot in different places of the house such as the lounge, terrace, bedroom and kitchen. Moonlight in the terrace, candle and indoor light in the lounge, kitchen and bedroom will be used. Tempo as suggested by the plot summary doesn’t show much variation apart from the climax situation, but has a smooth tempo which is gradually rises over the time span, not showing many ups and downs. Approach Feminism The story tells us about an interaction between active woman and a passive man.The world created is one in which woman are in charge. Woman act, man react. This state of affairs is a reversal of traditional gender roles in Pakistan. Freedom from tradition leaves Nadia and Ali to work out the terms of their relationship on their own. Individual personalities, free of cultural restrictions, shape their relationship and their lives. And in this marriage, that fact puts Nadia in the drivers seat. Although Nadia has been changed by the loss of her child, she has found the strength and determination to restart her life.She goes to her job, and she even works out at a gym. She still has the will to plan ahead and to take the initiative; she simply channels her energy in new directions. She initiates a game designed to gradually open a channel of communication between Ali and herself that is wide enough to accommodate the message she has to deliver. Her response to trying circumstances is to set about changing them. Ali, on the other hand, is a passive victim of those same circumstances. He stays in bed late and does not leave the house often for days.He rarely initiates interaction with Nadia; instead, he reacts to her action. When she leaves her gym shoes and satchel in the kitchen, he moves them out of his way without saying anything to her. When Nadia suggests that they eat by candlelight, he searches out candles and lights them. When Nadia starts the game of revealing secrets, it becomes the focus of his days. He spends hours thinking about what she might say to him and what he should say to her that evening. While Nadia is out interacting with the world and creating a foundation for her future, Ali languishes.He is engaged with neither the present nor the future. In fact, he is paralyzed. These incidents and others set the stage for Nadias manipulation of Ali during the week of the power outages. Readers know that Nadia is leading and Ali is following long before it is clear where they are going. Ali, however, does not even realize that Nadia is leading him until the game has played out. What lies at the heart of this story is neither a conflict between cultures nor a power struggle between the genders. The two sides are not evenly matched enough to make for a struggle.Although Ali hurts Nadia in the end by revealing a devastating secret, he is like a wounded animal whose lashing out is impulsive and, ultimately, ineffectual. Given what has transpired between Nadia and Ali, viewers have no doubt that she will recover from the blow and make a life for herself. Alis fate is much more uncertain. Realism The use of realistic elements to create an unusual situation in a realistic marriage affair. It examines how a tragic loss can lead to indifference and a breakdown in communication between two people who once loved each other.The use of irony in various forms makes the transition even more emotional, for it underscores an element of suspense as it brings about the storys denouement. Ever since the loss of their child, Nadia and Ali have lived separate lives under the same roof. Within the span of only a few months, they have constructed for themselves a routine structured on the avoidance of each other and the horrible truth that has changed their married life forever. In an effort to delay her homecoming and an inevitable confrontation with her husband, Nadia spends long hours at work.Ali, on the other hand, remains at home working on his writing. Both husband and wife are depressed, and neither is willing to acknowledge that their marriage has lost something vital, something more than just romance. The load shedding gives the couple a chance to interact with each other once more and break this communication gap they have been living with for months. In the darkness, the couple is once more able to talk to each other. Synopsis Scene 1 (night) Introduction of the two characters. Nadia enters the house and greets Ali sitting in the lounge working on some literary project.The indifference is established among the couple through their body language and manner of greeting. Nadia, after reading the notice of load shedding, leaves the lounge and goes to her to freshen up, while Ali goes to the kitchen to heat up food where he finds some birthday candles which he takes out so they can be used when the light is out. Scene 2 (night) Nadia comes back and they both have dinner between which the light goes out and they dine in dark with the fast melting candles on the table. Nadia proposes a game they should play telling each other something they never old before. Nadia initiates and tells him about the girl she used to be jealous of in college because she had a crush on Ali. Ali reveals a secret about their first meeting and the conversation carries on until the light is back. Scene 3 (morning) Ali is working in the nursery which they both had set for their upcoming child who unfortunately was stillborn. Ali chose this room knowing well that Nadia avoids coming into that room. Nadia enters the room and informs him that she is leaving for work. Nadia exits followed by Ali turning around to see a wall in the room which they both over its color and goes into a flash back to a conversation in which they mutually decided that they won’t inquire about the sex of their child before the birth. Scene 4 (night) Nadia is home early and they eat together. After the light goes out, they decide to sit in the terrace. Nadia continues the game they had started the day before and this time the things told become more intense ranging from presents disliked, poems written for hated, lies told and truth hidden. The night ends with Ali holding Nadia’s hand.The darkness seemed to make the couple talk to each other once again and remove that communication gap they have been living with. Scene 5 (night) The next night after dinner both Nadia and Ali look forward to the lights being out so that once again they can share what else they had to with each other. To their surprise the light doesn’t go out that night to which Nadia suggests to Ali that he can always switch off the lights and light the candle. Ali after doing so sits down in front of Nadia in the lounge which is followed by a silence of some seconds. Nadia gets up and switch on the lights after blowing out the candles.Ali questions Nadia’s action to which she responds that she wants him Ali to see her face when she tells him what she is about to. Ali waits anxiously to what Nadia has to tell. To his surprise Nadia informs him about her long thought out plan that she is leaving him and this house and starts to move away from the room. Ali, shocked, reveals to het the secrets, a hidden truth about the sex of their stillborn child, which he had promised himself that he will never tell her and of which Nadia doesn’t know anything. Nadia struck hard with this secret, stops while Ali gets up and moves out of the room.

Intention Plus Action Will Get Your Resolutions Fulfilled

Intention Plus Action Will Get Your Resolutions Fulfilled â€Å"Intention† is a big buzzword nowadays. In my leadership group, one woman in particular uses the word in almost every one of her communications. Sometimes I find myself responding: â€Å"I get your intention. And what ACTION are you going to take on that intention?† Intention is important and can be a huge motivator. But without action to follow it up, intention is just a nice thought. Telling my friend I intend to spend more time with her this year is actually hurtful if I don’t do it. Telling myself I intend to lose 5 pounds won’t get me far if I eat a box of cookies every day. As entrepreneur and author John Maxwell says in a recent interview about his book Intentional Living: Choosing a Life That Matters, â€Å"No one has ever been successful with good intentions alone. There has to be action.† I set out in 2015 with an intention to accomplish many things- my new year’s â€Å"Ressaylutions.† Here’s the list and how I did: Roll out a new â€Å"responsive† (mobile-friendly) website.†¨ Goal achieved! TheEssayExpert.com has launched in its new form and is mobile-friendly! I have a new home page as well which launched just last week and is almost the way I want it! Implement Infusionsoft.†¨ Goal achieved. My e-lists are now on Infusionsoft, as are our client communication and tracking system. Thank you to my new Infusionsoft virtual assistant, Anastasia Barre, who is just fixed our affiliate program and unsubscribe process! Serve 250 clients.†¨ Total clients for 2015 was 141, in part due to changes in the number of clients coming to me through my e-book. I also had some personal challenges that slowed things down over the summer and fall, but business picked back up nicely at the end of the year. I’m keeping this goal for 2016. Publish a print version of How to Write a KILLER LinkedIn Profile.†¨ Done! Yay! Next step is to market the book. Implement a robust referral program. This project has been on hold with all the activity around Infusionsoft and my website, but people who refer paying clients to The Essay Expert can expect a gift from us! And I’m going to look at making the program more consistent in 2016. Increase college essay / personal statement portion of my business to 25% of business. †¨I upped  my number of admissions consulting clients from last year, but still have not reached this goal. I realized that one thing stopping me was that I did not feel I had a good consultant in place to serve these clients. Recently I did bring on a consultant, a Yale alumna who is perfect for working with college applicants, so I feel more confident in marketing this service! I have a few resume writers sending me clients and I just got contacted by someone in China who might also be a source of referrals. I will continue to work on this one! Create more internal systems/guidelines. I have made progress in this area, adding and clarifying items in my agreements with my writers and also revamping some of the terms of service for clients. This is an ongoing project and will never end! It’s clear that the resolutions where I made the most progress were the ones where I took the most action. Are you finding the same thing as you look back at your resolutions from the beginning of last year? Here’s what I’ll be up to in 2016: Infuse my WHY statement throughout The Essay Expert’s website. †¨I learned from Paul Dunn, in a talk he gave to a group of ActionCOACH clients in Madison, that the more I can communicate my WHY to potential clients, the more they will respond to what I offer. I’ve put my WHY statement on my new homepage at TheEssayExpert.com. It reads: At The Essay Expert, we don’t go to bed until we know we’ve captured your essence on paper. That’s what gets each one of us up in the morning, because that’s what will excite the right company or school about you. Not the person next to you. Not a list of bullet points. You. I will be looking for ways to communicate this WHY on my services page and every page of my site. Provide better information on services on my site.†¨ I’ve heard from many people that they would more easily accessible information about each of my services and how it works. I’ll be working on putting more valuable information on my website in 2016! Serve 250 clients.†¨ I still believe this number  is achievable and I’m going for it! Publish 2 new editions of How to Write a KILLER LinkedIn Profile.†¨ I just published the 12th edition of the book and expect to release 2 more updates by the time 2016 is done. Get How to Write a KILLER LinkedIn Profile in front of colleges and universities. If anyone has ideas on how to do this for low or no cost, please let me know! I think if college bookstores and career centers knew about my book, they’d want to make sure to have copies on their shelves. Increase college essay / personal statement portion of my business to 25% of business.†¨ Yep I’m still gonna go after this one! Find an editor to do some of the editing of resumes and LinkedIn profiles that I’m currently doing. Doing all the editing at The Essay Expert limits the number of clients we can serve, so I’m looking for someone to take over the bulk of the editing work for resume and LinkedIn projects. I’m already taking action on this goal and am reaching out to some promising candidates. If you know someone you think would be a great match, please send them my way! (Note I used the singular â€Å"they† in that sentence, which has been voted the Word of the Year by the American Dialect Society!) Have you chosen your goals for 2016? As you refine them, remember you don’t have to change everything. John Maxwell reminds us that if you pick the areas you want to get control of or change, and if you give intentionality even an hour a day, you will get results. Let’s get intentional together for 2016 and grow our intentional-living muscle! Who’s in? Category:Life and LeadershipBy Brenda BernsteinJanuary 11, 2016 1 Comment Vladimir Starov says: January 15, 2016 at 4:14 am Congratulations on your 2015 achievements, very impressive!! And best of luck for 2016!!! Log in to Reply

SODIS in Winter Lab Report Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

SODIS in Winter - Lab Report Example The plastic bottles were then shaken for a period of twenty seconds followed by filling the bottles completely. One bottle was directly taken to the lab for the initial E.Coli count of the available raw water sample. The remaining eight bottles were labelled as 1, 1F, 2, 2F, 3, 3F, 4, 4F with the numbers on the bottles corresponding to the number of days of heat and sunlight exposure. In this case, F was used to mean foil. Then the F bottles were all wrapped in a foil in ensuring that the samples were prevented from receiving sunlight and thus limited to receiving heat. After being exposed in the heat in the first day, the one and 1F bottles were brought to the lab for purposes of carrying out a E.Coli analysis. This procedure was repeated for the second, third and fourth subsequent days of exposure. In this experimental set up the control experiments were water without the UV-A exposure or sunlight and water without heat or solar reflector. In essence, this was just but raw water sa mple Observations In this experiment the observation were noted following a certain chronological order. In the first day in which the experiment was carried out outside for a period of 2 hours and thirteen minutes, starting at 12.17pm extending to 2.30 pm with the conditions of the day characterized by a cloudy sky with light snow furries along with a little sun shine, it was such that from 1pm to13:40pm, a cling wrap was inserted on the opening in helping prevent snow from interfering with the solar reflector. It was observed that the cling wrap inside surface steamed up necessitating the removal of the cling wrap. In day two in which the experiment was carried out inside and behind glass given that snows were falling outside. In this second day of experiment, the experiment was carried out starting at 12.28 pm extending to 4.40 pm conditions being such that there was no direct sunlight or SNOWING. On day three of the experiment, the experiment was carried out behind glass. From 1 1 am extending to 1 pm, there was a cloudy sky. However, the experiment was not facing the sun’s direction since the direction of the sun could not be determined. From 1 pm extending to 1:30 pm light rain was observed and the experiment was halted at 3.30pm following heavy downfall. On the last day of the experiment, which was on day four, the experiment was carried out from 12:30pm extending to 4:30pm and it was behind glass given that it was slightly snowing outside. As was observed on this day, the bottles had a green/brown colouring sediment and was not attached on the plastic bottle, though as observed it was somewhat denser than water. Results The data wereplotted in table 1 Table 1showing number of E. Coli (in Colony-Forming Units or CFU) and the exposure time (sunlight and heat) for the SODIS Method Experiment E.Coli J+1 J+2 J+3 J+4 Traite UFC/100ml 202 95 96 18 Controle UFC/100ml 427 418 205 241 Discussion According to the graphical representation of the experimental results in F1 above, it was clear that the heat treatment group had fewer E. Coli relative to the raw water sample (control group). More evidently, the sunlight, as well as the treatment group h

The Success of Apples iTunes Download Service and the iPod Developing Literature review

The Success of Apples iTunes Download Service and the iPod Developing - Literature review Example The evolution of the Internet model has produced significant downturns in CD sales and the global recorded music market is in steep decline and the empirical data demonstrates a continued trend in falling physical CD sales in significant major markets. In contrast, the new digital business model has fuelled a sharp increase in digital sales, which whilst offsetting part of the decline in the physical CD sale market, has not managed to entirely redress the balance in stabilising sales. It is evident that the recorded music sales are in steep decline and rising digital sales are offsetting in part the physical market decline, which could potentially offset part of the physical market by the end of this year, with analysts estimating the figure to be around $23 billion. However, this is in stark contrast to the peak of $45 billion in 1997 and leading analysts Enders Analysis posit a negative forecast for global recorded music sales figure of 4.4% for the period of 2006-2012. Moreover, i t is submitted that the contemporary marketplace, the evolution of the internet business model has forced the music business in particular to rethink corporate marketing strategy and this is further highlighted by the proliferation of the multi-channel retailing paradigm as required retailers to â€Å"innovate† in order to maintain position in the marketplace. On the other side of the spectrum, the digital revolution has resulted in multiple distribution streams, challenging pre-existing methods of information dissemination.

John Brown's Raid at Harper's Ferry Research Paper

John Brown's Raid at Harper's Ferry - Research Paper Example Following his execution after the raid on Harpers Ferry, Brown was hailed as a martyr among the opponents of slavery. Moreover, his actions were deemed as one of the causal factors of the American Civil War. John Brown disgust for slavery stemmed back during his childhood. Evidently, he was conceived in Torrington, Connecticut on 9th May 1800 (West Virginia Archives and History). Furthermore, he was brought up with strict religious values in which his father taught him that slavery was against God’s will and sinful. Moreover, after Brown’s family relocated to Ohio, he witnessed the brutality meted against slaves by their masters and became a strong opponent of slavery. To this end, Brown passion of eliminating slavery grew to the point of advocating for violence as an end to slavery. Brown believed that the roots of slavery had grown so deep in society and only violence offered the best solution to its end. Interestingly enough, John Brown gained support from other oppo nents of slavery who had grown frustrated of the peaceful method. His first violent exploits against slavery were established on Kansas which became known as bleeding Kansas. In 1856 of May, Brown is reported to have led his sons in an attack against proponent of slavery at Pottawatomie Creek in Kansas. Consequently, Brown set his objectives his anti slavery war higher by contemplating to start a slavery uprising in the South. To this end, Brown commenced his plans of a raid and capture of a federal armoury at Harpers Ferry in Virginia. To accomplish this, he moved into a farm in nearby Potomac River, Maryland (Lieutenant Green & Major Russell). He was with his sons and loyal followers where they were trained in military tactics. Brown’s option to attack Harpers Ferry was founded on two notions. Foremost, he believed that he would be able to gain access to weapons that would be used in violent revolts against the southern slavery proponents. Second, he aimed to distribute the weapons among the enslaved negroes and eventually succeed in ending slavery. To this end, Brown conducted a night raid on Harpers Ferry on Sunday, October 16. His group was composed of 5 Negroes and 16 whites. Evidently, Brown’s initial raid was successful as they began by slashing off telegraph wires. This was a tactical moved aimed at cutting off communication between the town and the outside world. Moreover, Brown and his men seized the rifle manufacturing plant, arsenal and local armoury. They further proceeded to hold up 60 hostages from the town. A key hostage in the raid was George Washington’s great grand nephew, Colonel Lewis Washington. However, the efforts to isolate the town by cutting of communication were not successful. The apparent blunder was caused by the detention and release of a B&O train passing through the town. Upon the train’s arrival in Baltimore, the federal troops led by Colonel Robert E. Lee, were notified and sent over to Harpers F erry. Meanwhile, the local militia had barricaded the town and blocked any possible escape routes for the raiders. Consequently, John Brown marshalled his small contingent and hostages to tiny engine house next to the armoury. Upon the arrival of the federal forces, they raided the fire engine, overpowered Brown and killed most of his men. To this end, 15 insurgents and 5 citizens were killed, 3 insurgents were wounded while 5 insurgent

Environmental factors faced by dell and its competitors business essay

Environmental factors faced by dell and its competitors business essay The Dell Computer Company so far is been considered the most successful business company in the world among those that are in market for the past twenty years. In 2005, the company was titled the Number 1 Personal Computer vendor in the world besides being an unknown start-up in 1984.With its unique strategy of doing business, it has enabled itself to be the highlight of the computer industry comprising of some big giants including HP, IBM and Microsoft. Dell has maintained its sustainability and competitive advantage by using its superior customer service and market leadership and strong financial results. Environmental Analysis Internal Environment Dell has developed its structure on the concept of 3-m model. As Dell is a multidivisional company with different operating divisions representing separate profit centers, it implements the cooperative form of related constrained strategy. Dells corporate utilization consists of sharing of RD, finance, marketing, human resources, manufacturing, and information systems. This combination is possible because Dell pride itself on a flat corporate structure that encourages each worker to contribute innovative ideas (Martinsons). Core Competencies Cost Differentiation strategy Dell has remained consistent in being a cost leader in the industry and yet provide high quality PCs by using its Direct Business Model approach. This model helped Dell to keep just- in-time manufacturing, built-to-order products, low inventory and direct customer relationship with manufacturer. It also enabled Dell to cut out the intermediary costs. Build-To-Customer Order Dell has enabled to excel in another advantage over its competitors by including in its operating system the build to customer order strategy to sell PCs directly to customers. This has resulted in Dell being able to understand the customers needs better and providing the solutions that are most effective for meeting customers need. Dell has a direct dealing with its customers, suppliers and communicates directly with employees. Companys market penetration is sustained by this simple concept. Just-In-Time (JIT) Inventory The third core competency of Dell operating system or internal environment is its JIT inventory system using which has enabled Dell to meet the customers requirements within time and by using fresh inventories (less than five days old). This inventory period saves time and money for Dell. Surplus supplies cause extra costs so Dell saves this extra costs for its customers with the added advantage of custom designs for the customers. SWOT Analysis External Environment Dells external environment can be classified under three components: The Remote Environment The Remote environment is made up of economic, technological, ecological, social and political, factors. Dell faced healthy economic conditions in US till 2008 but after the crisis due to the recession in US markets the sales revenue was affected by decreased demand. This impact later affected the global revenues as the impact of crisis spread globally to other markets. There are no significant political pressures faced by Dell. Its technological environment is a rapidly changing one where its important to cope up with the advancements. The Industry Environment   The industry environment is composed of bargaining power of customers, supplier power, and threats of the substitute availability, entry barriers and competitive rivalry. Dells industry structure is highly competitive and is explained through Porter 5 force analysis. The Operating Environment The operating environment is made up of competitors, customers, labor, and suppliers. Fir the customers of Dell, it is a quality brand at a good price. Its competitive environment is intense with major brands like HP, Sun and IBM fighting neck to neck globally with Dell with very less price and quality differences. This has raised the effort for Dell to provide its customers with a unique value package that others dont offer. One of such efforts made by Dell is not using Microsofts operating system which other computer brands do, but this is considered a weakness compared to the rest. Other factors where Dell has enabled to manage the lead are: Price for Performance Dells procurement, distribution and manufacturing processes allow the company to offer powerful systems and services at prices better than competitors. Customization Every single order is built according to the individual requirements of the customers as customization is always been an asset for Dell. Service, Support and Reliability Dells services that are provided directly to the customers have allowed company to give high customer satisfaction before and after the sale. Latest Technology Latest technology is an essence of Dells strategy and this strategy has enabled Dell to stand out among all the competitors who are still relying upon indirect distribution channels. The inventory turnover of Dell is on average of six days which helps in keeping low inventory costs. Porter 5 Forces Model Summing up the External Environment of Dell, it can be said that with the operating system implemented by Dell, which includes its direct selling and build to customer order, Dell has managed to increase its sales each year and is among the top competitors of computer market. Its different approaches have allowed Dell to enter into this highly competitive market in a unique way. Dells sales are increasing dramatically which shows it is moving in the right direction However, threats from market rivalry, intensity of competition and bargaining power of suppliers and buyers is an acute issue and thus requires Dell to keep formulating hard core and sustainable operational and selling strategy in terms of the value it provides to its customers (Byrnes, 2003). Dells Business Level Strategy The market was already much fragmented when Dell entered in 1984 and had reached the maturity limit. At that time, Dell entered with its unique direct selling model which gave it a competitive edge through its low selling price. Dell has always looked to the market trends as an aid for the development of new products as the overall market for IT and related products is influenced by trends. Now customers are more aware and educated about their purchases ad so they want increased customization, portability and durability, creating a constant need for Dell to meet their demands. The competitors are also much efficient in responding to changing trends of market and to any strategy opted to get part of their market share. Thus Dell also needs to take care of this issue of intense market competition. From start till yet, the base of Dells Business Strategy is giving its customers a superior feel in what they are buying by providing them with made to customer order products at low prices and fast delivery. This strategy, although tried to be replicated by many others, has enabled Dell to sustain the intense and changing threats from market and be able to increase the scope of its operations from US to almost everywhere globally (Byrnes, 2003). Recommendations for Dell Improve few features in Dells product differentiation strategies. Control RD patents: Dependency on extreme standardization and outsourcing must be reduced. Innovative services must be introduced instead of services based on packages without patents. Affiliate with other players in market to achieve better advantages and compete using combination of huge range of products. Its simple website e-business presence might not be enough. Rethink its Virtual Network by moving from the short term outsourcing in value chain activities to lessen prices to a more appropriate long run effective idea to be better able to meet competitors. Moving from Hardware to Software would be another good option which can allow Dell to start developing proprietary software. Functional Strategies Some functional level recommendations are: Enhance customer experience by making corresponding products available at its website. Another improvement to be made can be of increasing the market share in educational market by exploring ways to generate attention from education markets particularly college students by either using product differentiation through more aggressive sales marketing. (Cuizon, 2009) Dell may use social networking sites for advertising. Conclusion Dell is working in an extremely intense market for personal computers, particularly laptops now. The industry is driven by ever changing consumer needs and demands and thus for companies like Dell, it requires constant effort to keep up with the adaptation so as to satisfy the changing needs of customers. Dell, with the help of its strengths, keeping close eye on weaknesses and investing properly in opportunities while coping with threats from macro-environment can enable itself to position and sustain itself as a significant player in the intensely competitive market.

Now and Then :: Technology Media Essays

Now and Then Once upon a time, there were friendly places near and far... Boy is that an understatement in today's society! Today's society depends upon fighting for you and you alone. Not caring what the other person wants, needs or deserves. Fifteen years ago a small community, such as the one Jen's grandmother lives in today, was very friendly. Small communities pulled together in times of need. If your neighbor ran out of sugar, she didnt care to come knocking on your door with a measuring cup, instead of going all the way to the store to get more, simply because you were her friend. In todays society, if you run out of sugar, you hop in your car and drive 25 minutes to get 5lb of sugar in order to drive 25 minutes back home. You dont know your neighbors, and your neighbors dont know you. There is no hope in wanting to know them and vice versa. Our society has changed drastically over the past twenty years. We have become an information society. Relying on our televisions, radios, and computers to obtain information that was once obtained by going to the local beauty parlor or stopping for a cup of coffee and chatting with the judge executive of your town. Cell phones have also become a major source of information. Instead of going out and having a nice serene sit on your front porch in the afternoon of a warm day, people would rather sit in front of their television and watch Oprah, Judge Judy, and The John Walsh Show. Could the reason that we dont leave our homes as much as we used to, be because of all the violence that today's society has brought with it? The local news on television has publicized roughly five murders in the past week. All these murders have been in the state. Is the television shaping societys view of the world, causing citizens to become couch potatoes? Television is one of the biggest society shaping effects that there is in todays world. There are various cable companies and numerous channels within each company. The view you take on life all depends on what channel you are going to watch on television. If you watch the presidential debate on one channel, that channel may make Mr. Snuggles, whose platform is terrific, and who is an all out good guy, look like a cruel and evil villain in a bad comic book, while another channel shows his true identity.

Gender issues in America today Essay

Women of the whole world face problems on their way to have equal rights with men. These problems differ and depend on the laws of the country they live in. By the last 40 years in the US, thanks to the activity of women’s rights movement, women succeed in the struggle for equal rights, but till the complete equality with men in the aspects of professional practice, salary and policy, there are far more left to gain. American women who want to raise their children in the world with more equality try to change the situation and find some people who have the same position on the issue among representatives of different political parties and members of nongovernmental organizations. When in 1960 drugs which help to control the birthrate came into existence it became possible for women to choose their own life journey. Marriage, children and housekeeping stopped to be the only opportunity. Harmless and more trusting contraception provided women with possibility to appreciate the alternative to all their traditional roles in society. At the same time in the 60s the movement for civil rights, demanding to put an end to racial discrimination and the act about civil rights of the year 1964 undermined the gender discrimination too. This is why the verdure of women’s movement in 70s was not just a case of fortune. Representatives of women’s movement were demanding equal professional opportunities and law defense for all American women. As a result in 60s – 80s the Congress constituted several laws oriented to protect women’s rights. Among them injunction of the Supreme Court of 1965 which opened for women the access to professions earlier considered as men’s ones, the injunction of the Supreme Court of 1971 which forbid the employers to deny women with preschool children, and a law published in 1970 which prohibit gender discrimination in all educational programs financed by government. By the end of 70s among labor force were more women than ever before in peace history (during the Second World War a lot of women went to work, when their men were on battlefields but after 1945 they returned to household chores). But as women were making progress in the career their possibilities were gradually restricted. A term â€Å"glass ceiling† describe the invisible barrier which faces a lot of women on their carrier ladder whilst their men-colleagues with the same professional skills and experience avoid all these problems. In the 80s in the US were accepted several laws oriented to ease the affect of â€Å"glass ceiling† so, for example, in 1984 the injunction of the Supreme Court prohibited to oppose to women’s joining clubs. Earlier these clubs gave to men the capacity of intercommunication for the purpose of further career development. In the same year the Supreme Court resolved that legal services have no right to restrain the career development of their employees in virtue of gender. However the problem of â€Å"glass ceiling† is still exist in the US. In 2002 two members of the House of Representatives – a man and a woman – submitted a report on the problem. The report dwells upon the fact that still too few women occupy administrative positions almost in all spheres. In the report it was also mentioned that the wage gap now is 80 cent earned by woman for every dollar earned by man. â€Å"The wage gap is a statistical indicator often used as an index of the status of women’s earnings relative to men’s. It is also used to compare the earnings of other races and ethnicities to those of white males, a group generally not subject to race- or sex-based discrimination. The wage gap is expressed as a percentage (e. g. , in 2005, women earned 77% as much as men) and is calculated by dividing the median annual earnings for women by the median annual earnings for men. The Equal Pay Act was signed in 1963, making it illegal for employers to pay unequal wages to men and women who hold the same job and do the same work. At the time of the EPA’s passage, women earned just 58 cents for every dollar earned by men. By 2005, that rate had only increased to 77 cents, an improvement of less than half a penny a year. Minority women fare the worst. African-American women earn just 69 cents to every dollar earned by white men, and for Hispanic women that figure drops to merely 59 cents per dollar. The wage gap between women and men cuts across a wide spectrum of occupations. The Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that in 2005 female physicians and surgeons earned 60. 9% of the median weekly wages of male physicians, and women in sales occupations earned just 63. 4% of men’s wages in equivalent positions. If working women earned the same as men (those who work the same number of hours; have the same education, age, and union status; and live in the same region of the country), their annual family incomes would rise by $4,000 and poverty rates would be cut in half. † It is also interesting to follow up how the wage gap was changing through years : â„â€" Year Percent â„â€" Year Percent â„â€" Year Percent 1 1951 63. 9 20 1970 59. 4 38 1988 66. 0 2 1952 63. 9 21 1971 59. 5 39 1989 68. 7 3 1953 63. 9 22 1972 57. 9 40 1990 71. 6 4 1954 63. 9 23 1973 56. 6 41 1991 69. 9 5 1955 63. 9 24 1974 58. 8 42 1992 70. 8 6 1956 63. 3 25 1975 58. 8 43 1993 71. 5 7 1957 63. 8 26 1976 60. 2 44 1994 72. 0 8 1958 63. 0 27 1977 58. 9 45 1995 71. 4% 9 1959 61. 3 28 1978 59. 4 46 1996 73. 8 10 1960 60. 7 29 1979 59. 7 47 1997 74. 2 11 1961 59. 2 30 1980 60. 2 48 1998 73. 2 12 1962 59. 3 31 1981 59. 2 49 1999 72. 2 13 1963 58. 9 32 1982 61. 7 50 2000 73. 3 14 1964 59. 1 33 1983 63. 6 51 2001 76. 3 15 1965 59. 9 34 1984 63. 7 52 2002 76. 6 16 1966 57. 6 35 1985 64. 6 53 2003 75. 5 17 1967 57. 8 36 1986 64. 3 54 2004 76. 6 18 1968 58. 2 37 1987 65. 2 55 2005 77. 0 19 1969 58. 9 Here we may see how year after year American women were fighting and wining cent by cent nowadays amount of their salary. There are also periods when they were losing positions but on the whole we see gradual percentage growing from 63. 9% in 1951 to 77 in 2005 and the struggle continues. What do women do now? First of all more and more women enter colleges and universities and work within the chosen profession. Women have the opportunity to act participating in operations of nongovernmental organizations as Fund of businesswomen and women-professionals, American association of businesswomen, American association of women with university education, National association of working women ect. Activity of women from nongovernmental organizations is diverse. Some of them collect money for promotion of more women in government. Others like members of American association of businesswomen offer to create unions for experience exchange and improving of professional skills for women who dream about successful career. Many of these organizations try to influence the US government in order to pass laws oriented to support the campaign against women’s discrimination. Some of them like National women’s organization conduct national protest actions drawing attention to the most vexed women’s problems. More and more men and women get involved in movement for gender equality, send e-mails to the members of Congress or contribute money to nongovernmental organizations, because they want their daughters to have more opportunities of choice. Women in national policy. Quantity of women represented in national policy grows but that is still not equality. In the year 2004, for example, women occupied 14 out of 100 seats in the US Senate, 59 out of 425 seats in the House of Representatives (the number of women in legislative body of the US is more than 22. 4%), 2 out of 9 seats in Supreme Court, 3 out of 15 seats in the Presidential Executive Office but there was no woman in the Cabinet. The example of nongovernmental organization working in order to increase the number of women in the US government is the Emily’s List, famous for having collect money for election to the US Senate of 6 women – which is still remains a record. Women also write letters to the elected representatives, expressing their opinion on topical issues, aggressively intervene in local centers of republican and democrat supporters all over the country, assist to many nongovernmental women’s organizations and take part in mass political actions. One of the mass action, oriented to gain gender equality is the program â€Å"Take Our Daughters to Work†. It was started about 10 years ago in order to show to the next generation of American women the importance of education, professional women’s abilities and to organize forum for girls. Companies permitted to the employees to bring their daughters to work at one day so that they could see the professional life of the parents. Now this day received a name â€Å"Take Our Daughters and Sons to Work Day†. Women’s rights movement which was so active in 60s and 70s provided millions of American women with the access to education, opportunity of career development, economical independence and strengthened their influence in political sphere. Nowadays US women are able to achieve much more and have more opportunities to choose than 40 years ago. Major part of American women feels their responsibility to create equal society for their children. To have equal rights for American women doesn’t mean to be less feminine or less caring for their children. This is something much deeper and more global, that means they should be treated as humans whose ideas are to be taken seriously, who have the opportunity to show their power and who are respected.

Critical Analysis on the Context of Multi-agency Team Work Essay Example

Critical Analysis on the Context of Multi Critical Analysis on the Context of Multi-agency Team Work Paper Critical Analysis on the Context of Multi-agency Team Work Paper This essay will focus upon a critical incident analysis in the context of multi-agency team work and inter-professional working. The details of the incident will be drawn from the authors recent experience with the Community Housing Support Team, in particular from Care Programme Approach meetings. The names of both clients and staff, as well as details pertaining to their locale have been changed or omitted to comply with the UKCC’s Code of Professional Conduct, Clause 10, (UKCC, 1992). The situation used within this assignment is based upon two clients who co-habit in a first floor maisonette as common law husband and wife. Mr Client has a diagnosis of paranoid schizophrenia which is controlled with xenobiotics and is the main carer for Mrs Client who has a diagnosis of chronic schizophrenia also controlled by xenobiotics that are administered by Mr Client. Mrs Client also has a prolapse of the uterus which causes her to suffer from double incontinence. Arrangements have been made for Mrs Client to have the required operation to repair the problem, however prior to admission Mrs Client becomes very anxious and has twice refused to have the operation. Both clients have a poor dietary intake, poor personal hygiene, high caffeine intake, and a heavy smoking habit. The conditions that the clients are now living in due to the above being ongoing for some time are now less than satisfactory, and to that end the present situation and what should be done about it, has become the primary focus of the various professionals and agencies involved in care of the clients. Each client has their own keyworker representative from the agencies and professionals involved in their care, these are a community psychiatric nurse (CPN), social worker, and a member of the housing support team (HST). Both the clients have home care workers visiting as part of the social work input, and they also share the same general practitioner (GP), and psychiatric consultant. Housing support team input was on a daily basis with both clients and their role was to assist the clients with shopping and encourage the clients to use leisure facilities and local transport. The housing support team although referred to separately within this essay are officially part of the social work team, as this is the source of their funding. The social work keyworkers roles were to visit the clients on a regular basis and to assist with benefits, finances etc, as well as assisting the clients in conjunction with the rest of the care team if a crisis arose. The social work department had also arranged for home help to visit on a regular basis to assist with housework and hygiene. The clients community psychiatric nurse’s role was to monitor medication and mental state. These are the defined roles as the author understands them, however the care team as a whole interchanges, shares, or crosses over roles as a matter of course throughout the care deployment. In order to properly analyse the inter-professional working of the clients care team, it is important to collate the differing aims of each profession involved. Mr and Mrs Client’s keyworkers from the housing support team were of the opinion that the client’s accommodation had reached the stage where it was posing a health risk for both the clients and other residents in the building. Because the housing support team had daily input with both clients they were also able to pick up on various other aspects of care that appeared to require revaluation, such as medication and mental state, and had encountered such an issue with Mr Client giving Mrs Client the incorrect dosage of medication. Taking into account the issues raised the housing support team felt that they were maintaining a poor quality of life for the clients, and that alternative sheltered accommodation, and care approach should be discussed as this was unacceptable. The social work keyworkers in addition to their normal visits had arrangements for further visits outside of the care plan agreement as there was a recognised need for more intense support at this time. It was felt that placement in a nursing home as a couple with continuing input from the housing support team and community psychiatric nurse, would improve the clients quality of life. The clients general practitioner and consultant had made a referral to residential services. Both clients community psychiatric nurse felt that the clients mental state did not warrant an admission into hospital, however further arrangements should be made regarding medication and accommodation. These various agencies and professionals come together, in this case every six months, to partake in a care programme approach meeting (CPA). The care programme approach was first considered in nineteen eighty-nine then again in nineteen ninety in a Department of Health circular, before being implemented in nineteen ninety-one as an official guideline. However inter-collaborative working has been an aim of government policy in mental health services since the nineteen seventies, (COUCHMAN, 1995). Its target group being psychiatric clients in hospital, community or other specialised mental health service. The aim of the guidelines were to encourage greater efficiency and co-operation between the various agencies and professionals involved in the care of a client or clients. This was to be done by systematically assessing all the clients needs and the agency or profession that could best meet those needs, the appointment of a keyworker from one of the agencies or professions involved, to reach agreement between the carers involved and the client, and then to implement, monitor and set regular review dates, (COWART SEROW, 1992), In addition to the care plan approach meetings there is almost daily interaction between the agencies and professions involved. In addition to this there are meetings within each individual agency or profession, usually on a weekly basis, concerning the most appropriate delivery of care within the role of the individual agency or profession. The diagram in Appendix A shows the ways that clients enter the psychiatric services, and where inter-professional collaboration happens, it also shows that this care team is a hybrid parallel pathway team. Efficient inter-professional collaboration exists only where there is good group dynamics and working relationships, both within the care team and within the government who’s laws and guidelines that care team follows. However when reviewing the history of British social policy it is easy to become pessimistic, Webb, (1991) points out, â€Å"exhortations to organisations, professionals and other producer interests to work together more closely and effectively litter the policy landscape, yet the reality is all to often a jumble of services fractionalised by professional, cultural and organisational boundaries and by tiers of governance†. In order to overcome these problems they must first be identified and then strategies devised to overcome them. Whilst in the community with the housing support team the author observed that the main problem or cause of problems was communication, whilst ironically, most if not all of the problems encountered could have been avoided or solved more efficiently with effective communication. However the author feels this may be viewed by many as an over-generalisation, and so will break this down further into some of the ‘sub’ problems. A key difficulty is that working together appears to be the logical way forward, yet it is the authors experience that little consideration is given to the effects of such an activity, (CARLING, 1995). From an agencies or professions point of view collaborative activity raises two main difficulties first it looses its freedom to act independently when it would prefer to maintain control over its domain and affairs. Second, it must invest scarce resources and energy in developing and maintaining relationships with other organisations, when the potential returns on its investment are often unclear or intangible, (HUDSON, 1987). The main sources of conflict within an organisation and inter-professional collaboration are communication, power, goals, values, resources, roles and personalities. As mentioned previous a major source of conflict is the misunderstanding or breakdown of communication. However communication can also be used as a tool for clarifying opposing views. It is the authors observation that most values within an organisation are internalised and are therefore difficult to change, but they can be clarified through communication so as not to become a barrier. This kind of logic is a skill that can only be learnt through the application of common sense and the wisdom of experience, (BILLIS HARRIS, 1996). Conflict situations often arise suddenly, the author has observed that the more people that attend a meeting or that are involved in a decision regarding care organisation the more potential there is for conflict to occur. Power causes conflict when there are relationships within organisations between individuals of unequal power, the classic example being the doctor/patient relationship, or the nurse and the consultant. This can cause additional conflict where there are differently structured organisations working together as the power differences between individuals then become unclear. For example the power relationship between the community psychiatric nurse and the social worker. Another common cause of conflict is different goals, different methods of reaching those goals, different values, unclear or overlapping designation of responsibilities, lack of information and personality conflicts. It is acknowledged within health care that some conflicts can not be resolved, Mallory, (1981) states that unresolved conflicts need to be managed carefully within any work group in order to balance the level of conflict. Banton, (1985) remarks that the essential point is that conflicts of interest are of fundamental importance in all major areas of life in our society and therefore full consensus is only possible when people are prepared to restrict themselves to the trivial. Conflict in an open environment can be beneficial to the work environment as when handled in a mature and professional manner conflict can lead to creativity, innovation or growth, however if to much energy is expended in non productive activity then conflict becomes destructive. It is the authors opinion that conflict is an inherent part of the nursing and general health care culture, and that psychiatric nurses in the community are prime candidates for this because of the need to work collaboratively with people both professional and non professional of varying social, ethnic and educational backgrounds. Collaboration suggests that the combined power of the agencies or professions is distributed evenly, yet nurses are employed in a hierarchical system. Huber, (1996) suggests that nurses find that working in groups creates a situation in which there are a number of different colleagues and a variety of client types and different personalities to work with, these are complex interrelationships, and added to that complexity is the fact that there are multiple providers requiring co-ordination and communication to manage the care for any client. Within healthcare as a whole there is an interdependence between its members. The multi-disciplinary team breaks down into multiple care providers each relying on the other to carry out a portion of the work. For example a member of the housing support team can not monitor a clients medication if the clients community nurse has not organised the Doset box from the pharmacy. The source of conflict can be organisational, interpersonal or a combination of both. Personal and organisational goals and values may also be in conflict with or over general policies, a general policy being the course of action taken by an institution, department or unit. Policies in the main are meant to soothe conflicts over specific issues, they are designed to give about standard ways to make decisions in recurring situations. However different people within the care team may approach situations with differing viewpoints on how to best deal with certain issues, differences may occur over such things a clerical or managerial routines, or over record keeping and information sharing. Clashes may result at the intersection of a nurses professional judgement as an autonomous professional with standardised policies developed by the institution and designed to produce uniform behaviour, (AJN, 1987). Resource allocation comes under organisation issues and is especially important in the case of Mr and Mrs Client as the general consensus is that sheltered accommodation of some description is required, which inevitably will require funding. Budgeting has caused conflict over scarce resources within organisations. In the case of Mr and Mrs Client the funding for the accommodation should come from the social services department. Power conflicts can be both organisational and interpersonal and result in role conflicts. Role conflicts have been identified as being of two types, role overload and role ambiguity. Role overload is when a carer is expected to perform the work of other employees or disciplines in addition to providing their normal care tasks. Whereas role ambiguity is when the role and responsibilities of the carer expands faster than is officially recognised, (JOHNSON, 1994). To assist in making interprofessional collaboration joint working recommendations such as those stated in Building Bridges, (1996) have been suggested these include commitment on all levels of care approach and delivery, to maintain a primary focus on the service users, jointly owned or shared strategies for care of people with severe mental health problems, agreed procedures for access to services, agreed procedure for information exchange, clarification of roles and responsibilities and regular reviewing of interprofessional dynamics. ?vretveit, (1997) states that UK policy in the nineteen nineties has asked the question, what is wrong with the service? Rather than what problems need tackling in the outside world. In future it should re-focus on how partnerships between the users of the service, professional workers and managers can be achieved, in other words how can we make an integrated service truly democratic? The solutions to nearly all the crisis encountered by the care team can be or could have been solved or at least minimised through the effective use of communication. It is felt that it would also be important in interprofessional collaboration to have shared values and cultures, while a mismatch along these lines between health and social services has been well documented. (SMITH, 1993). Collaboration is the basis for team building and with the changes to healthcare, work redesign, restructuring and reengineering depend on effective collaboration, co-operation and group accomplishment. Proactive conflict resolution in work groups is the essence of building successful teams which are flexible and adaptable, and have a high degree of trust and communication. Therefore the ingredients for successful interprofessional collaboration may be a common goal, interdependence, co-operation, co-ordination of activities, task specialisation and therefore role clarity, equal division of effort and mutual respect. Team building is defined as being the deliberate process of creating and unifying a group into an effective functioning work unit to accomplish specific goals, (FARLEY STONER, 1989). In conclusion, collaboration has been called the most effective strategy for managing conflict to achieve long term benefits. However a wide differential in power (both felt and actual), exists between nurses, social workers, and consultants, and this hinders effective collaboration. Therefore with wide differences in power the most commonly used techniques seem to be compromise and accommodation. There are indications however that this is changing as the health service as a whole is and has undergone some major changes with the implementation of the care plan approach, care management and the formation of community teams such as housing support and community support teams, and as a result effective interprofessional collaboration could soon become more commonplace. (BALDOCK, 1974). REFERENCES. AJN, (1987), Conflict Management. American Journal of Nursing, New York. BALDOCK. P, (1974), Community Work and Social Work. Routledge and Kegan Paul, London. BANTON. R et al, (1985), The Politics of Mental Health. MacMillan Publishers LTD, University Press Oxford. BILLIS. D HARRIS. M, (1996), Voluntary Agencies. Challenges of Organisation and Management. MacMillan Publishers LTD, London. CARLING. P. J, (1995), Return to Community. Building Support Systems for People with Psychiatric Disabilities. The Guilford Press, London. COUCHMAN. A, (1995), Research and Evaluation Issues in Interprofessional Education. CAIPE, London. COWART. M. E SEROW. W. J, (1992), Nurses in the Workplace. Sage Publications, London. FARLEY. M STONER. M, (1989) The Nurse Executive and Interdisciplinary Team Building. Nursing Administration Quarterly. Volume 13, Number 2, Pages 24-30. HUBER. D, (1996), Leadership and Nursing Care Management. W. B. Saunders Company, USA. HUDSON. B, (1987), Collaboration in Social Welfare: A Framework for Analysis. Policy and Politics. Volume 19, Number 4, Page 243-256. JOHNSON. M, (1994), Conflict and Nursing Professionalization. Mosby, St Louis. ?VRETVEIT. J, MATHIAS. P, THOMPSON. T, (eds), (1997), Interprofessional Working for Health and Social Care. MacMillan Publishers LTD, Hong Kong. SMITH. R et al, (1993), Working Together for Better Community Care. SAUS Publications, Bristol. UKCC, (1992), Code of Professional Conduct. Clause 10. 3rd Edition. United Kingdom Central Council for Nursing, Midwifery, and Health Visiting, London. WEBB. A, (1991), Co-ordination, A Problem in Public Sector Management. Policy and Politics. Volume 19, Number 4, Page 229-242. BIBLIOGRAPHY. ROPER. N, LOGAN. W, TIERNEY. A. J, (1986). The Elements of Nursing. Churchill Livingstone, London. LYTTLE. J, (1994) Mental Disorder Its Care Treatment. Bailliere Tindall, London. SELIGMAN. M, (1991). Learned Optimism. New York.

Personal Values Essays

Personal Values Essays Personal Values Essay Personal Values Essay This paper is about personal values development. In this paper I will be examining my personal values, ground rules, and ethics development. Primarily a focus on developing these values, rules, and ethics will be discussed in the paper. Included in this paper would be what my values are the sources that shaped my values, and the criteria and decision-making factors I make the most of to revise them. Finally I will discuss the potential impact of my values and performance in the workplace. What are personal values? Included are many definitions out there that can define values and how they can relate to ones personal beliefs. My definition would be what I believe and what I am against. My personal value is that I believe that I should provide a quality of life suitable for my family. I believe that spending the most time with my family is important. I believe that a job should let one work from home. How did I develop these types of values? I believe I learned them from growing up in a family oriented home. I had a mother that stayed home and a father that worked. I believe most of my values where developed from how I grew up and what I learned throughout life. How can I develop and improve values? By living and learning is a way to develop better values. I believe that a person can develop more and improve his or hers values by experiencing what is right or wrong and how someone handles those situations. Developing ground rules in relation to values and ethics are important. Rules can provide a path or guideline to be able to improve and develop more positive values. Rules can also enhance the ethical development that can be learned. My rules would include if the values help me improve personally and professionally, and stick with the values. If the behavior is something I am against then I must understand why I am against the behavior. I believe that rules are important and should be followed which can help better shape someone’s values. Ethics is defined as â€Å"a system of moral principles and the rules of conduct recognized in respect to a particular class of human actions or a particular group, culture, etc. † Values and ethics are varying much are intertwining with each other. Ethics is a much bigger then just values. Ethics is a system of all the values and principles. How can I develop ethics? This question is hard to find an answer to right now. My answer would be I believe I would interconnect all my values and rules that I know o develop the ethics that are who I am. I believe my development of ethics has just started by understanding what ethics are and understanding what are my values. Let’s return to the first part of this paper when I explained a few of my values. What are my values? My values are that family comes first, and provide a lifestyle suitable as explained earlier. My values are more to my life then just that. Values are what make who I am special and different. I believe in fighting for my country in which I have been a in the military for 13 years and counting. I believe the military has engrained a few of my values. Several sources have shaped my values. As said before in this paper my parents have shaped my values by how they raised me and how their values became apart of mine. The United States Navy and Army have shaped my values by influencing their values and ways into my life. The military has and will continue to shape my values in a positive direction and I will bring these values into my professional life on the civilian side. Examples of the military that shaped my values would be the willingness to take chances and adapt to change. When I first joined the military I was not apt to take chances or use to change. After boot camp and several years after I am use to change but I still need to work on taking chances as in doing things I am not use to doing. Taking chances will always be something I need to work at and the military as provided me a way to better concur that challenge. The military has also shape my values how I work on a team. I absolutely love to work with others on team then do things myself. I believe that I learn more with working with others and providing my skills as a team member. Other examples that shaped my values would be being a student at the University of Phoenix. Being a student at the University of Phoenix has taught me values on how to research, work as a team, and writing papers. In researching I learned I need to look at more then just one reference. As working as a team I learned that all people in the group have strength to contribute. Writing papers I learned formal APA style and how to site references. The criteria and decision-making factors that I make use of with my values would help me figure out ways to improve or change my values in a positive way. The criteria of my values would include learning, and expiring how my values impact the way I think and live. Decision-making factors I would make use to be to analyze if making a certain decision according to my values would impact my work or life. I believe making solid decisions through using common sense of the situation would lead to success in making the right decision. What is the potential impact of my values and my performance in the workplace? The impact can be positive or negative depending on the decision you make upon the values you have within the workplace. If you are required to do a job you feel uncomfortable with due to the fact you are inexperienced at the task, how do you handle that? Values and common sense comes in. Do you ask? Do you take a chance at the task? You will have to decide on the proper value to implement to make that decision. Here’s another example of impact of values and performance in the workplace. What if you are tasked to do something boarding illegal? Do you tell someone? Do you suggest not doing the task? Every value you have will be tested and everyone will have to decide what to do. Bad values and judgment can have an effect on the workplace. For example, if you are showing up everyday, but bad performance of work. What needs to happen as a manager? If the person is you with the bad performance ask yourself why? Even those with good values, have bad values that can interject with the proper decision making process in the workplace. One idea to get around the bad values is to understand why and ask for assistance. I believe that values and performance in the workplace will always be an issue in a positive and negative sense. An employee will always have values because they are not machines, they are human. Businesses need to understand and train everyone about ethics and values. That is why business has their own rules and procedures on values and ethics. In conclusion this paper was about personal values development. In this paper I discussed developing my values, rules, and ethics. I included what my values are the sources that shaped my values and how the importance’s of the sources are to my life. I then discussed criteria and decision-making factors I make the most of to revise my values. Finally I discussed the potential impact of values and performance in the workplace. I believe this paper has given me more insight on my values, rules, and ethics has they relate to my personal and professional life. I know that my values will grow and learn ethics throughout this course and professional. I believe that having a general understanding how my values interconnect with events or things that have happen. My hope is to further understand values and ethics and project what I learn throughout the rest of my life. References Dictionary. com Unabridged (v 1. 1), Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary,  © Random House, Inc. 2006. Retrieved on July 3, 2008 from http://dictionary. reference. com/search? q=ethics

Journalism, mass media and communication. Worksheet Essay

Journalism, mass media and communication. Worksheet - Essay Example Firstly, he examines the structural patterns of the publishing industry, where he argues that the present circumstances affecting the industry are major challenges that only require public commissioning to solve. Current challenges affecting the industry include online and digital technologies, whereby more and more young people are embracing online technologies. He also discusses the effect of in-depth research in the industry, which can help in revitalizing the industry to be able to meet current challenges (Hind and Stern-Weiner). Article 2: The second article is about a conversation with John Scher, the Co-CEO of a concert and live event promotion company based in the New York City: the Metropolitan Entertainment. Scher examines the various changes in the concert business, as he compares the present day business environment with four decades ago. He also examines challenges in concert promotion business, and points out the impact of having big publicly traded companies do concert promotion. The problem of the lack of young big acts is also a worrying trend in concert music, considering that those that rise to fame only do so for a short period. The need for a transformation in concert music is eminent for the concert promotion business to be successful (Hind and Stern-Weiner 3). Article3: The third article is entitled: Copyright and the Commodification of culture. The author explores the copyright institution in-depth, examining it as the institution that governs producing, distributing and the consumption of information and culture. He achieves this by firstly exploring the origin of copyright in relation to the rise of capitalism together with the printing press. He also examines the growth of the culture industry and how it used copyright to develop and maintain market dominance. Another important issue discussed is on processes of legislation, litigation, encryption as well as market penetration relate to the growth and development of internet distribut ion of movies and music (Karr 2). 2. what questions would you ask the author (at least 2 questions) To the first author on the influence of power to publicity, I would ask the author what impact does he think in-depth research focused on general readership would have on the falling sales of books? The other question is with regard to his: Considering where the publishing is currently and the challenges, where do you see the industry in the next ten years? There are questions as well for the other author on the piece of music. What do you think has contributed to the lack of young big acts? Considering the challenges facing concert events and live event promotions what recommendations would you give to bring back the business to its glory? 3.Do you agree with the main premise of the reading? Why or why not?What evidence or personal experience would you offer to? Article 1: Yes, I agree with the main premise of the reading. From my personal experience with online books and articles, I believe that book publishing is under severe pressure and that innovative strategies are needed to renew the industry (Hind and Stern-Weiner 4). Article 2: With regard to the second article on music, however, I do not agree with the interviewee’s argument that the reason concert promoters are not having as many shows as they used to have in the past is because of the lack of big acts. I believe there are big acts and very promising young artists in the market. My argument is that the problem is with the promoters such as John Scher, who have been surpassed by the current times. They need to adopt to the changes in the music industry and start

The value of the internet in an organisation Essay

The value of the internet in an organisation - Essay Example This paper will present detailed and comprehensive overview of the Internet with respect to different organizations. Internet mostly acknowledged basically â€Å"the Net,† the Internet is a universal structure of computer networks-a networks, in which users at any one computer can receive information from any other computer (as well as they can communicate straightforwardly to users at different computers in different locations). Nowadays, the Internet is a, supportive, public, self-financing facility available to hundreds of millions of users internationally. Actually, the Internet makes use of a part of the whole resources of the presently accessible public telecommunication networks. In principle, what differentiable the Internet its usage of a collection of protocols known as TCP/IP (Turban, Leidner, McLean, & Wetherbe, 2005, p. 71). The appearance and growth of the Internet has made business markets more workable and competitive than over before. With the Internet, every organization (small, medium, and large) in the world is potentially a local competitor. At the present, all the busi ness marketers understand that the Internet is a precious instrument or technology for extending reach to international markets and dealing customers in a superior way (Summers, Gardiner, Lamb, hair, & Mcdaniel, 2003, p. 67). Various features of the way individuals or organizations carry out their activities and survive in the twenty-first century will be measured via the huge web of electronic networks that was referred to normally as the information thruway however at the present is generally acknowledged as the Internet (Turban, Leidner, McLean, & Wetherbe, 2005). The Internet is a wide-reaching collection of networks that connects the millions of businesses, government agencies, educational institutions, and individuals (Shelly, Cashman, & Vermaat, 2005, pp. 11-12). More than one-half billion people all over the world