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Monday, September 30, 2019

Why did Edward IV’s death cause a bitter power struggle in 1483?

Why did Edward IV’s death cause a bitter power struggle in 1483? Edward IV’s death caused many issues with regards to power shortly after he died because of many difficulties. This ranges from a complicated will, to the betrayal from his brother, Richard, Duke of Gloucester. Shortly before Edward IV’s death, he amended his will, and the only copy of the new will was ruined and nobody ever really knew what changes Edward IV made. Because of this, there was a bitter power struggle.This power struggle revolved around two competing factions, Woodville and Gloucester. Firstly, because of the issues with the will, there was no direct heir to the throne, and it was either going to be Edward V on the throne or Richard of Gloucester, nonetheless Edward IV’s son Edward V had to take the throne. However, because Edward V was a minor, the two factions competed to control the country until Edward V was old enough where he could govern by himself, thus resulting in a bi tter feud within the Yorkist family.This became such a struggle for power simply because Edward V’s mother, Elizabeth Woodville had such a great bond with her son, and also, because Richard, Duke of Gloucester truly wanted to become King. At the time of Edward IV’s death, both factions had their strengths and weaknesses. For the Woodville family, they had strategic advantages primarily because Prince Edward was with Elizabeth Woodville’s brother. Furthermore, Woodville’s brother was appointed ‘Governor and ruler of the Princes household’. The power and influence of the Princes counsel grew, and with it the status of the Woodville family.However, the Woodville family were seen as social climbers, and they were resented by members of established nobility, especially Gloucester, Hastings and Buckingham. Additionally, being seen a social climber in 1483 was practically as bad as sinning. This was perceived as a significant drain on the royal patr onage. For Gloucester, the strengths would be that he had the active support of two of the greatest magnates, the Duke of Buckingham and Lord Hastings. They were established enemies of the Woodville’s, having competed against Earl Rivers in 1471 for lieutenancy of Calais.Secondly, Henry Stafford was Gloucester’s most powerful ally. Buckingham had a remote claim to the throne, being descended from Edward III’s youngest son. Moreover, Lord Hastings was loyal to Edward V, but opposed the Woodville’s. The only weakness for Gloucester would be that Prince Edward was brought up almost entirely by members of the Woodville family, thereby feared by Gloucester as being more Woodville than York. The Woodville’s hoped for an early coronation on the 4th of May, as it would represent the end of Edward V’s protectorship and therefore undermine Gloucester’s position as protector.This would have been a clear, easy win for the throne for the Woodville family; however the Counsel could not make a clear decision for who to be protector. One section of the Counsel wanted Gloucester to be protector but the other section of the Counsel wanted a regency Counsel to include Gloucester. As tension brewed, Richard Duke, of Gloucester decided to end the entire struggle for power by bringing up past rumours of Woodville and Edward IV’s relationship issues.Richard, Duke of Gloucester always detested his brother Edward IV after his secret marriage to Elizabeth Woodville, as he was made to look a fool by him when he found out they was married. Furthermore, when society found out of this marriage, this almost put Gloucester at an advantage because in that century, the King was supposed to marry a person that would influence the Kingdom in a good way, not out of love. Nevertheless, Because of this, Gloucester revealed that it was rumoured that Edward IV was already married, when he was got married to Elizabeth Woodville.For this reason, t he marriage was deemed illegitimate, thus making Edward V’s inheritance of the throne illegitimate. This was a very strong move from Gloucester, and ultimately, because of this, he gained the throne, and the power to rule. To conclude, the whole situation of this bitter power struggle could have been completely avoided if Edward IV was not blinded by love. Edward IV should have made it clear whether it is his Son to rule or his brother, and not have left his wills conflicting with each other. Why did Edward IV’s death cause a bitter power struggle in 1483? Why did Edward IV’s death cause a bitter power struggle in 1483? Edward IV’s death caused many issues with regards to power shortly after he died because of many difficulties. This ranges from a complicated will, to the betrayal from his brother, Richard, Duke of Gloucester. Shortly before Edward IV’s death, he amended his will, and the only copy of the new will was ruined and nobody ever really knew what changes Edward IV made. Because of this, there was a bitter power struggle.This power struggle revolved around two competing factions, Woodville and Gloucester. Firstly, because of the issues with the will, there was no direct heir to the throne, and it was either going to be Edward V on the throne or Richard of Gloucester, nonetheless Edward IV’s son Edward V had to take the throne. However, because Edward V was a minor, the two factions competed to control the country until Edward V was old enough where he could govern by himself, thus resulting in a bi tter feud within the Yorkist family.This became such a struggle for power simply because Edward V’s mother, Elizabeth Woodville had such a great bond with her son, and also, because Richard, Duke of Gloucester truly wanted to become King. At the time of Edward IV’s death, both factions had their strengths and weaknesses. For the Woodville family, they had strategic advantages primarily because Prince Edward was with Elizabeth Woodville’s brother. Furthermore, Woodville’s brother was appointed ‘Governor and ruler of the Princes household’. The power and influence of the Princes counsel grew, and with it the status of the Woodville family.However, the Woodville family were seen as social climbers, and they were resented by members of established nobility, especially Gloucester, Hastings and Buckingham. Additionally, being seen a social climber in 1483 was practically as bad as sinning. This was perceived as a significant drain on the royal patr onage. For Gloucester, the strengths would be that he had the active support of two of the greatest magnates, the Duke of Buckingham and Lord Hastings. They were established enemies of the Woodville’s, having competed against Earl Rivers in 1471 for lieutenancy of Calais.Secondly, Henry Stafford was Gloucester’s most powerful ally. Buckingham had a remote claim to the throne, being descended from Edward III’s youngest son. Moreover, Lord Hastings was loyal to Edward V, but opposed the Woodville’s. The only weakness for Gloucester would be that Prince Edward was brought up almost entirely by members of the Woodville family, thereby feared by Gloucester as being more Woodville than York. The Woodville’s hoped for an early coronation on the 4th of May, as it would represent the end of Edward V’s protectorship and therefore undermine Gloucester’s position as protector.This would have been a clear, easy win for the throne for the Woodville family; however the Counsel could not make a clear decision for who to be protector. One section of the Counsel wanted Gloucester to be protector but the other section of the Counsel wanted a regency Counsel to include Gloucester. As tension brewed, Richard Duke, of Gloucester decided to end the entire struggle for power by bringing up past rumours of Woodville and Edward IV’s relationship issues.Richard, Duke of Gloucester always detested his brother Edward IV after his secret marriage to Elizabeth Woodville, as he was made to look a fool by him when he found out they was married. Furthermore, when society found out of this marriage, this almost put Gloucester at an advantage because in that century, the King was supposed to marry a person that would influence the Kingdom in a good way, not out of love. Nevertheless, Because of this, Gloucester revealed that it was rumoured that Edward IV was already married, when he was got married to Elizabeth Woodville.For this reason, t he marriage was deemed illegitimate, thus making Edward V’s inheritance of the throne illegitimate. This was a very strong move from Gloucester, and ultimately, because of this, he gained the throne, and the power to rule. To conclude, the whole situation of this bitter power struggle could have been completely avoided if Edward IV was not blinded by love. Edward IV should have made it clear whether it is his Son to rule or his brother, and not have left his wills conflicting with each other.

Sunday, September 29, 2019

How Technology Has Changed the World Essay

The world has surely changes a lot in just a few years. The life people are living right now is way different than the life people used to live some years back. And if there’s something responsible for this change, it’s technology. Technology has surely changed the world. It has also changed or thoughts about gadgets and other technological stuffs. Technology is that one thing that has been evolving each and every day making life of people simpler and easier. Technology is something that everyone is fond of. Doesn’t mater if it’s a 5 year old boy or a 60 year old man,. everyone is interested int technology Technology has changed the way we look at out lives. Technology has brought a drastic change in your life. In our parents time, the term â€Å"Luxury† referred to Gold, Silver, acres of land they owned. But now, the most luxurious products are â€Å"Gadgets† or technological innovations. Technology has become everything for people. You want to decorate your house, you go for a big 65†³ led TV. You love music, you go and get a 5.1 Woofer which gives enough bass to shake the whole building. What you have describes your class. Anyone today wants to stay updated. No matter who you are, you will need to know about technology if you don’t want to be called a fool. Technology has inspired a lot of us including me. So, let us all stay updated and know about gadgets. Read more:  How Technology Changed Our Lives

Saturday, September 28, 2019

Shakespeare and Robert Browning

Intro Shakespeare and Browning both present the theme of desire through their central characters. Lady Macbeth (and Macbeth) is motivated by the desire for ambition and authority in ‘Macbeth’ whilst in the Browning monologues; the monologists are driven by the desire of power and control in ‘Porphyria’s Lover’ and revenge in ‘The laboratory’. All of which seem to have fatal conclusions as a result of each of their desires.As the texts were produced over 400years ago, audiences may have found the works of Shakespeare and Browning highly thought-provoking and entertaining whilst contemporary audiences finding the different aspects of desire relatable to modern situations. Lady Macbeth’s need for authority in her famous soliloquy ‘unsex me here’ reflects on the feelings of many women at that time longing for power.Likewise, audiences of the ‘the Laboratory’ are able to empathise with the protagonist’s desire for revenge upon their adulterous lover. In ‘Porphyria’s Lover’, Browning reveals an obsessive and controlling persona who can only satisfy his absolute love for his lover by strangling her, presenting his desire for control over others. Section 1: How do the writers introduce the central characters? LADY MACBETH Lady Macbeth’s introduction to the audience in Act 1, Scene 5 immediately makes it clear of her intentions. ‘Come, you spirits that tend on mortal thoughts, unsex me here, and fill me, from the crown to the toe, top-full of direst cruelty’. As this is a soliloquy, it invites the audience in to see her inner thoughts and feeling and her true desire for power. * Her use of imperative verbs, ‘come’ and ‘fill me’ not only notifies the audience of her desire for power, but the lengths she is willing go to achieve it. Lady Macbeths mention of the supernatural shows how desperate she is for her desire as she craves to posses characteristics of a man by calling upon the ‘spirits’ and this possibly confirms the dark affiliation she has to the witches prophecy as she uses commanding language ‘come’ followed by supernatural references ‘spirits’ and only calls upon them. * She says ‘come to me woman’s breast and take my milk for gall’. Stating the physical differences of males and females not only shows the limitations of her desire (she is a woman), but reflects on the position of women at the time because she is pleading to have all her feminine traits emoved to attain her desire. * Likewise, when she says ‘that tend on moral thoughts’ unsex me here’ she is asking the spirits to de-feminise and undo her natural order her as she wants to be emotionless and not feel guilty as she recognises that her desire goes against the moral order thus emphasising her strong feeling of desire and how far she will go. It could also be argued that the fact that women had to act in certain ways in the 16th century, for instance being completely against violence of any sorts, may have spurred on lady Macbeth to rebel and achieve her desire. Also, the reference to ‘direst cruelty; make thick my blood’ further supports her portrayal to the audience as an evil and corrupted character. The use of the semi-colon emphasises the use of the word ‘cruelty’ which is a trait seen to be masculine not feminine * This may have been shocking yet entertaining to the Elizabethan audiences as women at that time weren’t expected to act and think in such a way. * The fact that when we meet her when Macbeth is not present (or any one else) shows her desire for power as she is telling us what she wants THE LABORATORY Similarly, in Robert Browning’s monologue of ‘The laboratory’ the audience are made fully aware of the narrators intentions from the beginning. ‘May gaze thr o’ these faint smokes curling whitely’. The personae describes deadly arsenic fumes as something beautiful which suggests to the reader that she is somewhere where chemical reactions take place- hence the title. * The fact that we are introduced to her in this setting brings a dark atmosphere similar to intro of lady Macbeth * This may portray signs of insanity which questionable throughout the poem. Reference to the ‘devils smithy’ further enhances her desire for revenge as she knows she is doing something bad by going to a devils smithy * ‘Poison to poison her’- reinforces the narrative to kill and the first glimpse to who the revenge is on (‘her) and doesn’t mention the name * It shows how deranged the protagonist's nature has become, who goes so far as to poison her rival in love The use of rhyming quickens the pace of the poem, adding to the woman's increasing excitement as the apothecary grinds up the mixture.Many of Brownin g's poems were written about people with an unusual nature. At first glance, the poem appears to be written as if she were talking to the apothecary, but reading into it shows that she may be thinking to herself as at the start of the poem she tells the man to take his time, but as she thinks about the possibilities and power the poison will bring her she begins to hurry him. Her careless attitude towards her future crime suggests that she may have previously killed and does not care about being found out as she is proud of what she will have done. PORPHYRIA’S LOVER ‘ the rain set early tonight’- tonight is a time indicator and possibly foreshadows something that will happen tonight * Use of pathetic fallacy- weather mirrors feeling felt by the narrator * Irregular rhyme pattern- may show narrators instabilltiy * No stanzas –reflective of the narrators mental state/personality * When obsessed can’t stop talking about something * Build up of tension at the beginning to get to the climax COMPARRISON OF ALL * All start in a sinister gloomy way * Section 2: How do the writers show that desire motivates and drives these characters?LADY MACBETH * Act 1, Scene 7- ‘When you durst do it; then you were a man’ shows Lady Macbeths play on masculinity as she uses the perfect tense ‘were’ highlighting the difference now and before which provokes Macbeth and in turn manipulates him to go through with the execution of Macbeth with will get allow her to attain her desire for power (again shows how far she is willing to go to achieve happiness) * * Strong imagery and emotive lang-passionate * Blank verse instead of prose * Shakespeare uses a metaphor and contrast to show that Lady Macbeth is ruthless.In Act I scene 7, when Macbeth wants to back out of killing Duncan, she tells Macbeth â€Å"I have given suck, and know / How tender 'tis to love the babe that milks me: / I would, while it was smiling in my face, / Have pluck'd my nipple from his boneless gums, / And dash'd the brains out, had I so sworn as you†. * First, Lady Macbeth uses feminine language, showing she knows what it means to be tender and nurturing with words like â€Å"tender love† and â€Å"milk†. But then, she shocks the audience by using violent language such as â€Å"dashed the brains out†.This is an upsetting image; it makes the audience understand that Lady Macbeth would put a promise before the life of her own child. * Lady Macbeth seems to have no problem with violence of the cruelest kind: violence against a child. What makes Lady Macbeth sound even more ruthless are words like as â€Å"boneless† and â€Å"smiling† because the baby sounds defenseless, yet Lady Macbeth won’t show it mercy. * By having Lady Macbeth talk about committing infanticide, Shakespeare makes her a villain in the eyes of the audience, because in the 1600s, women were seen as soft and nurturing.Behavin g this way would be seen as unnatural and would have shocked Shakespeare’s audience. * This shows how her she is driven by desire because for Lady Macbeth (who portrays a strong personae) to talk about how she knows what I’s like to be a ‘woman’ and be nurturing, which doesn’t happen very often in the play, as a way to control her husband into getting into power shows how driven she is and again how far she’ll go. THE LAB * Browning also presents the reader with a character who is completely ruthless when it comes to fulfilling her desires.Although Lady Macbeth desires power whereas the speaker in â€Å"The Laboratory† desires revenge, they share the same determination to get what they want regardless of the consequence. When talking to the chemist about her plans for revenge the speaker says â€Å"and Elize, with her head, and her breast, and her hands should drop dead! †. Just like the presentation of Lady Macbeth, Browning al so paints a vivid image of death and murder. Worryingly for the reader, Browning strongly suggests the speaker’s enjoyment of the idea of her rival’s death.By repeating the word â€Å"and† it suggests that she is relishing the idea of revenge and also that she has thought about it just as much. Section 3: How do the writers show how desire affects relationships in the text? Section 4: How do the writers show the results/consequences of desire? LADY MACBETH * In the final stages of the play the result of Lady Macbeth’s desire for power becomes clear when she loses her mental stability and starts to re-live the murder she and her husband committed. Whilst in her room she utters the phrase: * ‘Out damned spot! * Out I say! *   The use of the command here clearly shows the fact that Lady Macbeth – a once powerful and desire driven woman – is becoming increasingly unstable. Shakespeare’s use of the repetition of the word out shows how desperate she has become, how she has lost control. The repeated use of the exclamation marks highlights the intensity of her need for her hands to ‘be clean’. The ‘spot’ to which she is referring to is that of the blood of King Duncan, however in this instance the blood is a metaphorical manifestation of her guilt, and one that will never go away.Her need for power has destroyed her; she can no longer escape the consequences of what she has done. In this dialogue Lady Macbeth also alludes to the fact that she herself has been ‘damned’, just like she may never get the spot of blood off of her skin she will never be able to clean her own soul, she will never be able to escape what she has done. Through the use of the word ‘damn’ Shakespeare successfully suggests the idea of hell, one which was key in Lady Macbeth’s initial soliloquy.In this scene many may feel a sense of sympathy for Lady Macbeth, as she is going through a traumatic experience, and yet there is no sign of Macbeth, once again taken over by desire he has abandoned his wife in her time of need. However, this scene may be considered to be appropriate by Shakespearean audiences as Lady Macbeth losing her mental stability is seen as a result of her dealing with aspects of life that are deemed to be ‘not feminine’. Conclusion: present your own ideas about the varying successes of the different writers, evaluating which of the treatments you prefer and why – exemplar to follow * Whilst Shakespeare presents highly compelling characters in the shape of Macbeth and Lady Macbeth, both of whom are driven to self-destruction by their strong feelings of desire, it is Browning’s monologist in ‘The Laboratory’ that conjures this desire most convincingly. Grind away, moisten and mash up thy paste,/Pound at thy powder, — I am not in haste! ’ Both the language and the form compel the reader to reluc tantly empathise with the persona. We feel drawn into the conspiracy she has arranged with her apothecary, driven by the imperative commands she expresses through the use of alliteration, exclamations and commanding verbs. Moreover, the use of bilabial plosives ‘ paste†¦ pound†¦ owder’ attracts the reader, caught up in the excitement she feels as she anticipates the deadly outcomes of the concoction being created. Of course, she is [in haste]. What is interesting is that all three texts make desire enticing (even though we know that moral boundaries are being challenged and broken). Browning not only shows the corruption that strong feelings of desire can bring but also succeeds in corrupting the reader as we ‘warm’ to her intentions †¦

Friday, September 27, 2019

Operations management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words - 3

Operations management - Essay Example This will increase the revenues from high margin sales of food. The report studies the operations management of a prominent five star hotel. A general analysis of the operations management of the hotel has been undertaken. The report also throws light on the operations management in the kitchens of the hotel and the importance of quality. Features like operations management in the kitchens, the rating of the restaurant by Michelin, the customer survey undertaken etc. were not given in the description provided. They have an important bearing on my analysis. Operations management is as relevant in a service facility like a five-star hotel as they are in a manufacturing facility (Krajewski, L.J., and L.P. Ritzman , 1993 ). The operations management is informed by the strategy of the hotel and plays the most important role in strategic implementation. Facility design: The operations management facility in this case is a five star hotel. The hotel has 250 double-bed rooms. All the rooms have attached toilet and bathroom facilities (en suite facilities) The hotel has no suites. There are two large dining rooms. One of these dining rooms is a restaurant that offers an ‘a la carte’ menu. The other dining room has a capacity of 300 people and serves a standard buffet menu. The other bar is a cocktail bar. It mainly focuses on the guests of the hotel who are staying there. However, members of the general public who are not staying in the hotel are also not prohibited from this bar. There are three â€Å"function rooms† that serve as banquet halls for the arrangement of parties, wedding and conferences. Functions like these are a major and consistent source of revenue for the hotel. The returns on investment in property of the hotel can only be maximized by optimum utilization of each inch of available space. The hotel seems to have succeeded in this. However, the facility design of the hotel could have been better if the hotel had left some more open space in

Thursday, September 26, 2019

Sociology involves the systematic study of human society Essay

Sociology involves the systematic study of human society - Essay Example A lot of people become engaged in different social activities and participate in different movements, events or festivities which bring people together. Globalization is a social reality of the 21st century which changed the world. Sociology is helping people accept the movement and it is encouraging greater tolerance towards diversity. Social sciences make contributions towards helping society validate a lot of commonly help assumptions. The importance of commonly held lies in that without them we would not have any knowledge, in fact questioning or proving wrong commonly help assumptions can make entire knowledge system fall apart (Uncg). The view the University of North Carolina – Greensburg depicts refers to more abstract concepts such as the universe is empirical; the universe works according to law-like principles and these laws like principles may be discovered by humans through investigative efforts. Sociology is part of the overall body of sciences and assumptions within this field also influence the body of knowledge. People tend to be curious about knowledge and many times want proof about the validity of an assumption. In the social science field whenever someone requires proof of something, there are ways to prove any assumption of theory to be true or false. Researchers can design experiments t o validate knowledge. These experiments can be performed utilizing different techniques such as observation, control groups, experimental groups, surveys and correlation (NesSmith, 21). Humans are subjected to different social interactions which provide sources of opportunities for them, but depending on the circumstance can become a constraint variable which limits access to certain experience in different people. For example an American worker which suddenly becomes unemployed may face tough times ahead. If this person lives in a city with lots of job

Discussion paper on New actors in international and global health Essay - 1

Discussion paper on New actors in international and global health focuse on NGOs - Essay Example piece of discussion I will also put light on all kinds of loop holes present in current and emerging NGOs and would end up with number of suitable suggestions and recommendations for the improvement of these supporting bodies within a country. NGOs plays a significant role in improving the struggling masses present in the third world countries and in developing nations to an extent for which, I would use various references from books based on facts and figures to make this discussion qualitative and reasonable for the reader to understand the original essence of the topic. This paper analysis and discusses about the issues raise in Non Governmental Organizations which are non- profitable at the same time around the globe. In this era, where communication is not an issue and distances are no more a deal, all the NGOs have worked together and settled down together with civil society organizations to make a remarkable difference. Some of the facts which are eye catching, as it is getting into power rapidly. â€Å"Nationally, the non-profit arts and culture industry generates $166.2 billion in economic activity every year:   $63.1 billion in  spending by organizations and an additional $103.1 billion in event-related spending by their audiences†. Non-profit sectors/non-governmental organizations work in every community which includes rebuilding cities, schools for primary education, supporting the workforce,  medical assistance, old age masses, elevating the arts, mentoring our youth, protecting natural resources, and much more. In this deal, many new names of business industry and actors are coming up with great deals to offer. They are working for humanity not in a particular region but throughout and around the globe. All these points will be discussed in detail later in this paper. As the masses of the globe situated at different corners were dipping more and more into crises like Health, lack of education, insecurity, poverty and hunger, and when these issues

Wednesday, September 25, 2019

Reasoning Paper Personal Statement Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Reasoning Paper - Personal Statement Example In general, conflict is an affliction common to all of people, but the ways that people "struggle" with one another are quite diverse. One employee might not ever discuss important issues, yet the next will argue incessantly over minutia. There is a touch of idealism revealed in our belief that appropriate control over the process of communication may lead to more equitable, humane, and satisfying forms of conflict than are often experienced. Still, the relationship between communication and conflict is not straightforward. Sometimes the ostensibly "best" forms of communication lead to the worst consequences and vice versa (Dixit and Nalebuff 2003). My description of communication in conflict entails a logical sequence of steps. The conflict situation shows that one must be able to describe what people do when they have conflict; for example, they may lash out, apologize, sulk, laugh, or disclose. The second step in analysis is to describe the characteristics of communication systems . This involves a shift in the level of analysis from individual messages to recurring patterns of communication. System characteristics are potentially more revealing than individual styles. A particular form of communication, say a single angry outburst or even a series of outbursts, may reveal little about the interpersonal relationship that is observed until the recurring events that elicit the outbursts are understood (Hardt and Harris 2007). This is hardly a new idea but it is difficult to put into practice. It is simply easier to describe individual conflict styles than it is to describe patterns of interaction. Our discussion focuses on five properties of conflict patterns: variety, symmetry, continuity, stationarity, and spontaneity. Although individuals behave strategically at times, at other times conflicts proceed without clear goals and plans. Much conflict behavior is experienced as "just happening." The spouse who is criticized by the other may automatically respond w ith a counter complaint and not make a reflective choice about those behaviors (Hardt and Harris 2007). In this conflict situation, affect is a second important dimension. Some styles are hostile (e.g., confrontation), others are neutral or friendly (e.g., conciliatory behavior and humor), and still other styles, such as conflict avoidance, are inconsistent or unclear in the sort of emotion expressed. The implications of affect are reasonably straightforward. Generally, people who are more compatible (i.e., satisfied, well-adjusted, and the like) are more friendly to one another. For example, they make fewer confrontational statements, speak in a more positive vocal tone, sit closer together, touch one another more, and so forth (Dixit and Nalebuff 2003). During the conflict, evasive comments can occur when one employee asks a question or makes a statement about conflict and the other employee responds ambiguously. Evasive comments are related to the understanding of "disqualification." Disqualifying comments can occur when employees see themselves in a "bind" (i.e., a way to avoid a conflict situation). When given a choice between the acceptation of decision, and a disqualifying response, employees usually say that they would choose the latter (Hardt and Harris 2007). The heavy use of denial by roommates is to be expected, given the awkward and unprecedented social arrangement that roommates have

Tuesday, September 24, 2019

Marketing Strategy of Nintendo Wii Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Marketing Strategy of Nintendo Wii - Case Study Example In most present day strategy literature, competitiveness seems to cover state-of the art thinking. "Strategic positioning is concern with the impact on strategy of the external environment, an organisation's strategic capability (resources and competences) and the expectations and the influence of stakeholders. (Johnson, Scholes& Whittington, 2005:17). Using Porters five forces framework, one will see that the intensity of competition in this market is very high, coming primarily from the market leaders like Sony and Microsoft. How ever, there are some other niche players in Asia and Europe. The Entertainment industry has become diverse especially with the current pace of technological advancement. Buyer's loyalty will be high with respect to those producers who dance to the taste of time (The case of Sony), offer customers a good value for their money and see them as strategic partners and not customers Suppliers tend to have a low bargaining power with the respective dealers. In the entertainment market, mostly the main company set the price including wholesalers and retailers commission. Thus, working with suppliers is not an issue at stake as their switching cost is high. "The influence of words over men is astounding." -- Napoleon. ... With the current level of sales and profit being enjoyed by participants in the market, s threat of potential entrants from China or Asia is high. China is presently considered as an emerging market. A solution for Nintendo will be to offer customers a better value for their money using the marketing mixes. 1.3 Nintendo Strategic marketing Objective "The influence of words over men is astounding." -- Napoleon. As the whole world gears for peace, marketers and other business people talk in terms of war. We see battle words everywhere in business: Japan bashing, corporate raiders, hostile takeovers, cola wars. Marketing is war. With the advent of events, ordinary business executive fancy themselves as warriors. Aggressively attacking weak companies, and defending market shares. Positioning products in people's minds and making them attractive to market segments requires careful formulation of the marketing mix. Getting the right blend of the product, promotion price and distribution is essential to put the carefully carried out analysis into operation. The aim is to portray an image for the product or service that will match with how one wants the product to be visualized in people's mind2. Thus with the recent launching of the Nintendo WII in the UK market, these features were carefully integrated to give the product a break through. Table 1: A summary of what constitute each of the Ps of the 4Ps Product Tangible products Psychological attributes Quality Services Benefits and features Packaging Styling Image Branding Customer service After care Guarantees Image Pricing Selling price Price positioning Distributor margins Credit Discounts Payment methods Price promotions

Monday, September 23, 2019

Free trade is beneficial and should be promoted Essay

Free trade is beneficial and should be promoted - Essay Example Like in capitalistic national economies, rules and regulation restrict operations in international businesses and this forms the basis of defining different types of international trade environments. Free trade is one of the types and defines an international trade in which no regulations exists. Buying and selling of commodities are only subject to laws of demand and supply and not domestic laws or international barriers. This is contrary to the current international trade environment in which laws restrict trade and treaties exist to facilitate trade with specific partners. This paper argues that free trade is a better option for the contemporary global economy. Diversified views exist against free trade. One of such arguments is the risk of structural unemployment that a domestic economy may experience when it opens up its borders to free trade. According to the perspective, free trade may make some industries more competitive than others may and therefore shifts investments and d emand for labor to the more competitive industries and ventures. The consequence is dissertation of some industries that may render experts in those industries jobless. Finding jobs with redundant skills, especially at old age may be a challenge and a threat to people’s welfare and economic growth. It is also argued that free trade exposes an economy to trends in other economies and to global economic trends. Inflation in one country may induce inflation in another country because traded goods from the affected country transfers the inflation effect into the recipient economy. Similarly, recession in one economy may reduce its potentials to import commodities and reduce demand for another country’s export. Cases of perishable commodities would result into economic loss in the exporting countries. Opponents of free trade also claim that the international market favors some economies than others. Countries that are more efficient are able to trade at competitive advantag es and this hinders development of emerging economies that lack such advantages. This basis limits benefits of free trade to developed countries that continues to expand their economies while economies of developing countries stagnate. Regulations are also necessary for environmental conservation and free trade is a threat to this because it eliminates or weakens environmental laws. Organizations that produce commodities in less regulated environments also have advantage over those that operate in strictly regulated environments and this may facilitate the urge to eliminate all environmental regulations. Doing so, based on the opponents’ perspectives, is a key to global environmental concerns such as the contemporary global warming. There are also circumstances in which natural justice requires regulations. Examples are in cases of economic downturns such as the recent global recession that called for regulations to prevent unemployment rates (Edge 1). Moral and rational anal ysis of the opposing arguments identifies weaknesses in their validity. Threats of structural unemployment are for example not real, because people can operate in different industries and organizations’ compositions identify diversity. Transition that focuses interest from one industry to another will therefore only shift employment in that direction. Limiting free trade in order to protect domestic industries and domestic economies is also not rational because such industries failed to thrive in previous restricted market environment and all economies suffered from previous recessions under regulated trade. A moral perspective, rather that rule based approach can also help in resolving issues such as environmental protection and protection of employments during economic crisis (Edge 1). A review of arguments for free

Sunday, September 22, 2019

Quezon City Essay Example for Free

Quezon City Essay Pizza Hut is now more than just a pizza place. It offers a unique casual dining experience that is different from the usual fast-food environment. The casual dining restaurant now has an expanded pizza menu, appetizers such as ribs and a new line of desserts, soup options, smoothies, a variety of pasta dishes and a whole lot more. Veering away from plastic and tiles typical of fast-food joints of old, Pizza Hut now has a very classy, casual-dining feel with sleek wooden furniture, warm, ambient lighting, and a touch of whimsy dominating the whole interior. With the new ambience come more customer interaction and service that is made doubly fast and extra friendly. Philippine Pizza Inc. , the franchise owner and operator of Pizza Hut, has over 150 restaurants, here in the Philippines since it began in 1984. Its locations are strategically located from Ilocos Norte to Mindanao are now the country’s most popular pizza restaurant, with its dine-in restaurants, delivery units and express counters. For the more discerning food enthusiast, there’s Pizza Hut Bistro. A breakthrough concept in dining, Pizza Hut Bistro concept offers the best of casual dining, giving you the chance to enjoy the best Italian-American, along with classy ambience and first class service. The history of the best pizza and the largest chain of pizza restaurants in the world began in 1958, with the vision and the passion of two brothers, from Wichita, Kansas. Being students, they had to borrow $600 from their mother to open a tiny pizza restaurant: the very first Pizza Hut. Fifty years later, with more than 12,000 restaurants in more than 90 countries, Pizza Hut is the first choice for pizza lovers and still remains true to its founding beliefs: that because we love pizza and care about our customers, we have a responsibility to offer great products and service. * Their Goal is to Reach 85% recognition of the new Product in their target market. * As with all businesses, the most important goal of a Company is to increase revenue and profits * Customer satisfaction is for most. * Practice what they preach: Integrity, Ethics and Open Communication. FACILITIES †¢ Air Conditioning†¢ High Chairs †¢ Childrens Menu As with all businesses, the most important goal of a company is to increase revenue and profits. * Customer satisfaction is for most. * Practice what we preach: integrity, ethics and open communication ORGANIZATIONAL CHART Jorge Araneta (C. E. O) Lars Peterson (C. O. O) Edwin G. Nava (VP-Operation) Randy Venezuela (Area Coach) Mary Anne Reyes (Restaurant General Manager) Nerisa Musa Leomar Miranda Wilma Pascual (Local Store Marketing manager)(Inventory Manager) (Training Manager) DEPARTMENT : Dining.

Saturday, September 21, 2019

Professional development as an occupational therapist

Professional development as an occupational therapist The concept of reflection in learning is not new. It can be traced back as far as Aristotles discussions of practical judgement and moral action in his Ethics (Grundy 1982 cited in Boud et al 2005a P11). In 1933, Dewy stated that there were two kinds of experiential process leading to learning. The first process was trial and error and the second was that of reflective activity which involved the perception of relationships and connections between the parts of the experience.'(Boud et al 2005a P12). He explained reflection as a learning loop, continually feeding back and forth between the experience and the situation. (Boud et al 2005a). In more recent times (1980s), reflective practice has been introduced and divided into three core components: Things that happen to a person, the reflective process that learning has occurred and the action that was taken from this new perspective (Jasper 2003 p2). These can be summarised as experience-reflection-action cycle (ERA) and is a way that learning from experience can be understood and developed. Kolb (1984 cited in Jasper 2003) developed an experiential learning cycle which has been suggested to be the most effective way of learning from our experiences by linking theory to practice: Observation- Something that has happened to you Or that you have done Action Reflection reviewing event or experience in your mind Concept development/theorising- Understanding what happened (Kolbs experiential learning cycle 1984, cited in Jasper 2003 p3) As illustrated, reflection is an important part of the learning loop. Another significant part of reflection is that the process of learning continues so that the learner changes from Actor to Observer, from specific involvement to general analytic detachment creating a new experience to reflect and conceptualize at each stage (Moon 2005 p25). It has been suggested that reflection itself can be identified into two types of ways reflection-on-action and reflection-in-action (Schon 1983). Reflection-in-action is reflecting while doing the action, which occurs subconsciously, instinctively and unconsciously, often seen in the more experienced practitioner who can monitor and adapt their practice simultaneously. Reflecting-on-action involves thinking about action after it has occurred, often seen in novice practitioners who need to step back and think about the situation over in their minds. (Finaly 2004) Another style of reflection is Gibbs reflective cycle. It has characteristics of all other strategies/ frameworks for reflection that have been developed. However, Gibbs cycle stops at the stage of action and therefore does not provide a way to close the cycle or move to reflective practice in terms of taking action (Jasper 2003). This is because Gibbs framework had its foundations from an education context as opposed to a practice one: Description (what happened) Action plan Feelings (if it arose again (what were you what would you do) thinking and feeling) Reflective cycle Conclusion Evaluation (What else could (what was good you have done) bad) Description (what do you make of the situation) Gibbs reflective cycle (1988, cited in Jasper 2003 p77) Chris Johns model of structured reflection was developed in the 1990s. It has gone through many changes and the 1994 version is the easiest to use when beginning reflective practice. Johns says that the model: consists of a series of questions which aim to tune the practitioner into her experiences in a structured and meaningful way. It emerged as a natural sequence through which practitioners explored their experience in supervision (Jasper 2003 p84). The focus of Johns model is about making us aware of the knowledge that we use in practice. This is taken as a core question, which is explored through five cue questions, that are further divided into detailed questions: description of the experience, reflection, influencing factors, could I have dealt with the situation better and learning (Jasper 2003 p85). The framework is presented in appendix one. Many people have defined reflection, Johns (2009 p3) defined reflection as Learning through our everyday experiences towards realising ones vision of desirable practice as a lived reality. It is a critical and reflexive process of self-inquiry and transformation of being and becoming the practitioner you desire to be. Furthermore, Boud et al (2005a p18) suggested that reflection is a form of response of the learner to experience. Where experience is the response of a person to a situation or event e.g. feelings, thoughts, actions and finishes at the time or immediately thereafter. The situation or event could be a course or an unplanned reason in daily life. It could be influenced by something external or an internal or evolve from discomfort. Reid (1993 p305) proposes that reflection is a process of reviewing an experience of practice in order to describe, analyse, evaluate and so inform learning about practice There are many positive uses to reflecting on practice. Johns (2009 p15) suggests that the positive uses of reflection encourages the expression, acceptance and understanding of feelings .He suggests that feelings of negativity can be looked into and turned into positive ones in order to understand future situations and learn new ways of responding. Furthermore he suggests that reflection is empowering, which in the end will lead to desirable practice. Boud et al (2005b p11) suggested that In the case of reflecting on learning, firstly only learners themselves can learn and only they can reflect on their own experiences. Boud et al suggest that teachers can support reflection, but only have access to thoughts and feelings by what individuals decide to reveal about themselves. Therefore the learner is in total control. Secondly, reflection is a purposeful activity directed toward a goal and lastly the reflective process where both feelings and thoughts are interconnected and interactive. Negative feelings, can form major barriers toward learning. Positive feelings and emotions can improve the learning process, keeping the learner on the task and providing a stimulus for new learning. (Boud et al 2005b p11) Reflection can be used to support occupational therapy (O.T) principles and values, continuous professional development (C.P.D), ethical, legal and professional codes of conducts/standards of practice and it has suggested to be a core process competent, essential to O.T practice (Bossers et al 1999 p116). The College of Occupational Therapist incorporate the benefits of reflective practice in their learning strategies (McClure 2004). Reflection aids professional practice and the importance of this ensures high standards of care and is shown in documents such as A Vision for the Future (Department of Health 1993).This is also shown in the Professional Standards of Practice (2007) which states that O.Ts should maintain high standards of competence of knowledge, skills and behaviour (standard 4 professional development and lifelong learning and standard 1 service quality and governance) Ethically, lifelong learning and professional competence (standard 5.4 and 5.1) state that O.Ts shall continuously maintain high standards of knowledge, skills and behaviour and be responsible for maintaining and developing their personal and professional competence. (College of Occupational Therapists 2005). Reflection is also an important part of continuous professional development (Fish Twinn 1997, cited in Martin Wheatley 2008) and is now a requirement for registration to practice, as is evidence based practice which is an ethical and professional imperative (Duncan 2006 p8). The O.T Codes of Ethics states that O.Ts shall be responsible for maintaining evidence of their continuing professional development (College of Occupational Therapists Code of Ethics and Professional Conduct 2005, 5.3) therefore, this can be done through reflection. New learning and continuous professional development depend on how skilfully you can reflect on your and others practice, to gain new insights, see new relationships, make new discoveries and make explicit the new learning that occurs (Aslop 2004 p114). Any new knowledge learnt from the experience will be saved for future reference for when similar situations arise. (Aslop 2004 p115) To demonstrate reflective practice, In the following reflective account, I am going to use Johns model of reflective structure (1994) mixed with Gibbs reflective cycle (1988) and will be reflecting-on-action (Schon 1983). I feel both are extremely valuable models and help to express different ideas/feelings in different ways at different points. Other models I could have used are Goodmans levels of reflection (1984), Bortons development framework (1970) and Fish et al strands of reflection (1991). A mix of both Gibbs reflective cycle with Johns model of structured reflection, will combine theoretical reflection and practice environment. Johns model is helpful in having cue questions. It provides personal awareness of ourselves, our knowledge and actions .It asks what you could do rather than what you will do (Jasper 2003 p98). Gibbs reflective cycle provides a good framework for the reflective process e.g. learning by reflecting on an event and usually away from the scene of practice. It encourages a good description of the situation, looks at feelings and the experience, concludes where other options are considered and if the situation arose again, what you would do differently. The following narrative describes a critical incident that had a significant effect on me which made me stop and think and raised questions. This incident was the role of occupational therapists (O.Ts) within social care and the impact of this upon a service users journey. The names within this narrative have been changed to protect the innocent. The role of O.T and Social worker have been combined within social care producing the title Self Directed Support Practitioners (SDS practitioners) Occupational therapy as a new profession is facing new challenges from the introduction of the Health Professions Council. The council want greater integration of health and social care provision and the College of Occupational Therapists is preparing for these changes by seeking to refocus the organisations of the work of the O.Ts by its strategic document from interface to integration (Dimond 2004 P397). Hence the role of an S.D.S practitioner. Brian was a 60 year old man, who lived in a bungalow on his own; with no outside help e.g. care packages or adaptations. His daughter visited him on regular occasions to take him shopping, to appointments and check on his health. Brian was admitted to hospital due to a fall last year whilst using the toilet. The nearby hospital released him about 2 months ago after he spent a few nights there. His daughter reported that Brian was still having problems with self-care, cooking and general mobility. An S.D.S practitioner and myself carried out a home visit on Brian. We received a referral from Brians daughter regarding his health and ability to perform activities of daily living (ADLs). Upon assessment of Brian, we found that he used the sink (which seemed to be coming off the wall) to aid standing from the toilet. His mobility was generally good but had difficulties raising and lowing himself in and out of the bath and rising his legs over the lip. He had slight problems in the kitchen due to mild arthritis when opening cans and jars, lifting heavy equipment and gripping cutlery. Brians mood and motivation was very low and he seemed angry at life in general. His daughter said she could not cope with looking after Brian anymore and needed help with this. She also seemed very low in mood and appeared stressed. When we assessed Brian, I was unsure and slightly confused how to assess in an S.D.S way. I was thinking about my O.T values and beliefs and how I could incorporate these within the assessment. This would involve me assessing in a holistic way, promoting independence, empowering and motivating him as well as using activity as a therapeutic tool. I was unsure how to implement social work values as they seemed to clash with my own, for example I found it difficult to establish when it would be appropriate to provide care packages. This made me feel extremely confused and concerned that I was not providing the best service for Brian when carrying out the assessment and going against my professional ethics of respecting autonomy (decision-making of service user), beneficence (benefits of treatment against risks and cost), non maleficence (do no harm) and justice (distributing benefits, risks and costs fairly) (Butler Creek 2008) Overall I was trying to achieve independence for Brian with the least amount of equipment and help necessary. When assessing Brian in the bathroom, whilst he was sitting on a bath board and using a grab rail, he managed to lift his legs over the side of the bath and had good sitting balance. His toilet transfers needed support, so we offered a toilet frame to aid this. When assessing his kitchen abilities, Brian struggled to lift heavy pots and pans and filling the kettle. He also had difficulty gripping cutlery and standing for periods of time when preparing food. The S.D.S practitioner suggested meals on wheels to overcome the problems Brian faced in the kitchen. Throughout the assessment Brian was not very happy and laughed at his capabilities. He became very angry when we suggested that he used the equipment provided and he mentioned that he wanted a wet room and why could he not have one of these, as his friends had one fitted not that long ago. We explained sensitively that funding would not allow this and he was very capable of transferring safely with the equipment in place. This made me think about funding and O.Ts values and beliefs, which in turn made me feel unhappy as Brian could not have something he wanted and personally I can understand how comforting and aesthetically pleasing this would be. However installing a wet room could reduce Brains mobility, as he would no longer need to lift legs over the edge of the bath, maintain unsupported sitting balance and therefore would lose those skill. Therefore this idea would go against my O.T and personal beliefs. Also due to funding he was not eligible for such a major adaptation. The outcome of the event was not very good. Brian refused equipment and care packages and became angry. That made me feel sad as I wanted to help Brian, to live an independent life as possible and reduce the dependence upon his daughter. Due to Brian declining the equipment, we had to record and have him sign that he understood the risks of this. Looking back at the event, I feel maybe I could have convinced Brian further to accept the equipment and care packages suggested. Although the care packages conflicted with my O.T and personal values, as they take away independence, skills and the use of activity as a therapeutic tool; I can see a place for these with extremely impaired individuals. In Brians case I would have suggested adapting equipment within the kitchen, such as grips for cutlery, automatic tin openers, a kettle tipper and a perching stool. The emotions I went through during this experience were anxiety, excitement, and inquisitiveness during the start of the event, followed by sadness toward the end. The most important emotion for me was sadness. I feel that I can learn and grow from this, to tackle the situation differently next time. To evaluate, the good aspects of the experience was the enormous opportunities for continuous professional development as the role of O.T continues to grow. I also feel my understanding of O.T, social work, clinical reasoning and inter-personal/professional skills have been developed. I also feel more confident if I were ever to be in this situation again to promote and air my values and beliefs. However, I feel that the role of an S.D.S practitioner causes confusion, loss of role identity and crossing over of professional boundaries. The S.D.S practitioners themselves were not happy with this title and their role which caused problems within multidisciplinary teams. Although I feel not a lot went well, I believe if I had been more confident to contribute my O.T knowledge it would have aided the situation. The S.D.S. practitioner that I was with managed to balance out the professions well, but I feel provision of adapted equipment should have been encouraged. Her style of reasoning was perhaps due to little knowledge of O.T and herself coming from a social work background. I am now more prepared for the role of an S.D.S. practitioner. If carried out again I would definitely gain more insight into the values and beliefs of social workers and be more vocal about my O.T ones. I would have tried to encourage Brian to take the equipment and explained more as to why this was important. Perhaps reasoning with him that it was important for him not to lose his existing skills i.e. use it or lose it. I have learnt that theory; personal, professional standards, values and beliefs, ethics and legal issues often influence practice. I have learnt the importance of reflecting in order to develop myself professionally and personally. My needs in order to develop my professional practice at this stage of my career are huge. I mainly need to develop my knowledge, communication skills, professional skills and clinically reasoning skills. I have also learnt the role which I play within a team and according to Belbins team roles (2010), I am a monitor-evaluator mixed with team worker. This means I try to see all the options and judge accurately, working co-operatively sensitively and diplomatically (Belbin 2010). In general, looking back over the situation, the role of an S.D.S practitioner promotes big ethical issues. In the code of ethics It states that O.Ts can only provided services in which they have been taught to do so (5.1) and that O.Ts shall recognise the need for multi-professional collaboration but not undertake work that is deemed to be outside the scope of O.T. (5.3) (College of Occupational Therapists Code of Ethics and Professional Conduct 2005). Also ethically, are you doing good, doing no harm, promoting autonomy and justice (Butler Creek 2008) by working in such a manner? Am I affecting the service users human rights on freedom of thought, expression or conscience? (article 9 10) (Butler Creek 2008). Other issues that are concerned with S.D.S practitioner work is when working in such a way there is no team liability (every professional is accountable for their own actions and cannot blame the team for negligence which has lead to harm), no defence of inexperience (the patient is entitled to the reasonable standard of care whoever provides the treatment), determination of competence (carried out by competent colleagues or external assessors), refusal to undertake activities outside scope of competence (no O.T should undertake activities which are outside the scope of her professional practice) (Dimond 2004 P112). To conclude, reflection can identify learning needs, and new learning opportunities. It can illustrate ways in which we learn best, differently and new courses of action toward an event. Reflection can help solve problems supporting personal and professional development and offers an escape from general practice. Reflection shows us the cost of our actions, reveals our competences to others and achievements to ourselves. From observations, reflection lets us build on our theory, helping us to make decisions or resolve doubt and empower or release ourselves as individuals (Jasper 2003). However, reflective practice has been criticised for its lack of definition, modes of implementation and its unproven benefit (Mackintosh 1998 cited in Johns 2009 p22). Platzer et al (2000, cited in Johns 2009 p22) noted that students may be opposed to to reflection that would involve talking about themselves. This was also highlighted by Cotton (2001 cited in Johns 2009 p22) who suggests that reflection becomes a type of surveillance, assessment and control. Appendix One Johns Model of Structured Reflection. Core question what information do I need in order to learn through this experience? Cue questions (Jasper 2003) 1. Description of experience Phenomenon Casual Context Clarifying 2. Reflection What am I trying to attain Why did I get involved as I did What were the cost of my actions for: myself, family, patient, colleagues Feelings about experiences Patients feelings How do I know how the patient felt 3. Influencing factors Internal influences on decision-making External influences on decision-making What knowledge influenced decision making 4. How differently could I have dealt with the situation Choices available Consequences of choices 5. learning Feeling about experiences The sense made of this experiences thinking of past and future practice How experience changed my ways of knowing empirics, aesthetics, ethics and personal

Friday, September 20, 2019

An Unforgettable Experience - Original Writing Essay -- Papers

An Unforgettable Experience - Original Writing It was my first time at Dubai Airport, the symbol of United Arab Emirates' aviation ascendancy. The bustling International airport was a long way away from my rural residence. Due to the long distance, we had been obliged to take the taxi instead of making use of public transport. The atmosphere in the car was generally silent, but occasionally my parents moaned about all the minor discomforts of the journey. It felt like we were in a funeral. Hours after departing my house, we started noticing frequent aeroplanes, low down in the sky indicating the proximity to the airport. The roads had become more congested and the air was more contaminated than from where we had initially departed. During the taxi ride to Dubai Airport a sense of inexplicable anticipation had built up within me. As we arrived at the airport, I stared in awe at the size and beauty of the place. Just looking at the sheer number of people in the airport overwhelmed me. When traveling by plane, most people are in fear of getting hijacked or the plane crashing, but the main form of fear for me was fear of getting lost at the airports or there being complications with the flight tickets. Although the reasons for my fear were trivial in comparison, they built up a sense of nervousness with me. As I perambulated through the long, tedious, oblique passageway of the edifice into the capacious waiting room, I started quivering in obvious trepidation. The waiting room was an enormous room abundant with people from many different social classes. Parents tightly held their children's hands in solitude of losing them in the... ...rries has been deeply carved into my heart where it will stay forever, and so will Linda. I had always thought of myself as a "boring person" who did the most tedious things and who would never fall in love but I was wrong. I used to think that my life was like a bittersweet symphony, similar to the words of a sad song, where the words have no meaning. My life had always been like a pointless existence in my view. This dramatic experience taught me that merely to exist is not enough. Life must have a purpose; a meaning; a reason. Life must encompass dreams of aspiration. From that day, I decided what my goal of life would be. The realization of the value of life stimulated me to become a doctor and help save other people's valuable lives. I guess I gained something from this journeyà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦but not what I really wanted. An Unforgettable Experience - Original Writing Essay -- Papers An Unforgettable Experience - Original Writing It was my first time at Dubai Airport, the symbol of United Arab Emirates' aviation ascendancy. The bustling International airport was a long way away from my rural residence. Due to the long distance, we had been obliged to take the taxi instead of making use of public transport. The atmosphere in the car was generally silent, but occasionally my parents moaned about all the minor discomforts of the journey. It felt like we were in a funeral. Hours after departing my house, we started noticing frequent aeroplanes, low down in the sky indicating the proximity to the airport. The roads had become more congested and the air was more contaminated than from where we had initially departed. During the taxi ride to Dubai Airport a sense of inexplicable anticipation had built up within me. As we arrived at the airport, I stared in awe at the size and beauty of the place. Just looking at the sheer number of people in the airport overwhelmed me. When traveling by plane, most people are in fear of getting hijacked or the plane crashing, but the main form of fear for me was fear of getting lost at the airports or there being complications with the flight tickets. Although the reasons for my fear were trivial in comparison, they built up a sense of nervousness with me. As I perambulated through the long, tedious, oblique passageway of the edifice into the capacious waiting room, I started quivering in obvious trepidation. The waiting room was an enormous room abundant with people from many different social classes. Parents tightly held their children's hands in solitude of losing them in the... ...rries has been deeply carved into my heart where it will stay forever, and so will Linda. I had always thought of myself as a "boring person" who did the most tedious things and who would never fall in love but I was wrong. I used to think that my life was like a bittersweet symphony, similar to the words of a sad song, where the words have no meaning. My life had always been like a pointless existence in my view. This dramatic experience taught me that merely to exist is not enough. Life must have a purpose; a meaning; a reason. Life must encompass dreams of aspiration. From that day, I decided what my goal of life would be. The realization of the value of life stimulated me to become a doctor and help save other people's valuable lives. I guess I gained something from this journeyà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦but not what I really wanted.

Thursday, September 19, 2019

Corporate Law Essay -- Business, Free Market

Harmonization of private international law aspects concerning corporations is the best way to resolve the uncertainties surrounding corporate cross-border mobility. Harmonization of substantive laws concerning corporations is, on the other hand, unattainable and undesirable? Discuss in relation to: (i) Regulating company law matters; AND (ii) Regulating their insolvency. 1. Introduction Modern day corporations with their multilateral nature have created their owned corporate governance regime. Proponents argue that this corporation are replacing states and brining their own current in world’s economy especially the free market. Further, with the wave of globalization these firms have established themselves so firmly in the local and cross border markets that are beyond the imagination as to compare to the perception when the idea of company was formally conceived in legislative instrument. The ongoing process of globalization has also provided corporation with profound changes in the way they conduct their business. Today international transactions are not merely exchange of goods with the foreigner as was in the recent past. Now, corporations are involved in every transaction and there are number of agreements and process going in between such transactions. Comparatively there are more complex legal regimes on one hand, and liberty of abolition of national b arriers with great competition. Today, corporations have a number of methods to capture any market around the globe. There are thin line for demarcation of the area of private international law and public international law as both govern the relationship between international person and states or international person with international person or both depending on th... ...ng. [FN9] That is, the con-tracts between shareholders and other constituencies and the constitution between shareholders and managers create appropriate incentives for the value of the firm to be maximised and distributed amongst the various claimants. The need for judicial intervention should be limited to exceptional cases (although the definition of ‘exceptional’ may be debated). Much attention has been paid to the role of contracts in the theory of the firm, but the role of the constitution as a regulator of collective action by shareholders has not been analysed systematically. [FN10] In the section that follows, I initially *422 analyse the role of organisational constitutions in regulating collective action in general terms, having regard to the constitutional economics of James Buchanan and Gordon Tullock. [FN11] I then apply this model to corporations.

Wednesday, September 18, 2019

White Mans Image :: essays research papers

This program is part of the PBS series American Experience. In this episode, a critical eye is cast on the early efforts by Congress to "civilize" Native Americans. This homogenization process required the removal of Native American children from their homes and placing them in special Indian schools. Forced to stay for years at a time without returning home, children were required to eschew their own language and culture and learn instead the ways of the white man. Archival photographs and clips, newspaper accounts, journals, personal recollections, and commentary by historians relate the particulars of this era in American History and its ultimate demise. ~ Rose of Sharon Winter, All Movie Guide In 1875, Captain Richard Pratt began an ambitious experiment that involved teaching Indians in Florida to read and write English, putting them in uniforms and drilling them like soldiers. "Kill the Indian and save the man," was Pratt's motto. With the blessing of Congress, Pratt expanded his program by establishing the Carlisle School for Indian Students. Native Americans who attended these schools help tell the story of an experiment gone bad and its consequences for a generation of Indians. In 1875, Captain Richard Pratt escorted 72 Indian warriors suspected of murdering white settlers to Fort Marion in St. Augustine, Florida. Once there, Pratt began an ambitious experiment which involved teaching the Indians to read and wri te English, putting them in uniforms and drilling them like soldiers. "Kill the Indian and save the man," was Pratt's motto. News of Pratt's experiment spread. With the blessing of Congress, Pratt expanded his program by establishing the Carlisle School for Indian Students to continue his "civilizing" mission. Although liberal policy for the times, Pratt's school was a form of cultural genocide. The schools continued into the '30s until administrators saw that the promised opportunities for Indian students would not materialize, threat they would not become "imitation white men." Native Americans who attended the schools help tell the story of a humanist experiment gone bad, and its consequences for a generation of Discover the tragic, long-term consequences of attempts to "civilize" Native Americans in the 1870s at the Carlisle School for Indians.

Tuesday, September 17, 2019

I was taught to see racism only in individual acts of meanness, not in invisible systems conferring dominance on my group Essay

Through work to bring materials from women’s studies into the rest of the curriculum, I have often noticed men’s unwillingness to grant that they are overprivileged, even though they may grant that women are disadvantaged. They may say they will work to women’s statues, in the society, the university, or the curriculum, but they can’t or won’t support the idea of lessening men’s. Denials that amount to taboos surround the subject of advantages that men gain from women’s disadvantages. These denials protect male privilege from being fully acknowledged, lessened, or ended. Thinking through unacknowledged male privilege as a phenomenon, I realized that, since hierarchies in our society are interlocking, there was most likely a phenomenon of while privilege that was similarly denied and protected. As a white person, I realized I had been taught about racism as something that puts others at a disadvantage, but had been taught not to see one of its corollary aspects, white privilege, which puts me at an advantage. I think whites are carefully taught not to recognize white privilege, as males are taught not to recognize male privilege. So I have begun in an untutored way to ask what it is like to have white privilege. I have come to see white privilege as an invisible package of unearned assets that I can count on cashing in each day, but about which I was â€Å"meant† to remain oblivious. White privilege is like an invisible weightless knapsack of special provisions, maps, passports, codebooks, visas, clothes, tools , and blank checks. Describing white privilege makes one newly accountable. As we in women’s studies work to reveal male privilege and ask men to give up some of their power, so one who writes about having white privilege must ask, â€Å"having described it, what will I do to lessen or end it?† After I realized the extent to which men work from a base of unacknowledged privilege, I understood that much of their oppressiveness was unconscious. Then I remembered the frequent charges from women of color that white women whom they encounter are oppressive. I began to understand why we are just seen as oppressive, even when we don’t see ourselves that way. I began to count the ways in which I enjoy unearned skin privilege and have been conditioned into oblivion about its existence. My schooling gave me no training in seeing myself as an oppressor, as an unfairly advantaged person, or as a participant in a damaged culture. I was taught to see myself as an individual whose moral state depended on her individual moral will. My schooling followed the pattern my colleague Elizabeth Minnich has pointed out: whites are taught to think of their lives as morally neutral, normative, and average, and also ideal, so that when we work to benefit others, this is seen as work that will allow â€Å"them† to be more like â€Å"us.†

Monday, September 16, 2019

One of My Worst Days

I received unbelievable news that changed my life forever. While sitting at â€Å"Designing U† hair salon with my mother Lashed all morning, boredom soon kicked in. I logged onto Backbone and started reading many deviating posts that all mentioned a guy named Drew. As time went by, I started to wonder was everyone talking about my church friend Dander Johnson. Once realization set in, my biggest fear became true.While continuing to read the Backbone posts, I came across Dress cousin Davison Johnson status. Davison explained how he couldn't believe something this tragic appended, â€Å"Drew was the light of everyone eyes, he was always caring and helping anyone with anything†, says Davison. Not only was Drew his cousin they were like two peas in a pod. From going to the same school all their lives , to becoming stars on Bilabial High School football team. As minutes passed by my father Charles contacted my mother lashed and l.He informed us that Drew had been out all mor ning with two of his friends. The two other teenagers were a boy and a girl, whom I don't know personally till this day. The young lady was known to be the driver, according to her, while driving down highway 78, he swerved to dodge another vehicle and lost control of the car. With the vehicle flipping and neither of the teens wearing seat-belts it didn't make the situation better. The two teens were rushed to the RE and My church friend Drew was pronounced dead at the scene.I had many unanswered questions to why this occurred. For instance, â€Å"Why did Drew have to be the only one? † â€Å"Why couldn't he leave this world a peaceful way† and â€Å"Why couldn't his family and I see him walk across the stage this year? â€Å". Drew would've been a senior this year and would've had the chance to shine on the football like he Ovid doing. His football number, #52, was spray painted onto BBS football field as the team played in the playoffs last November.Their school al so recognized his family and framed his Jersey. This incident brought everyone closer. Till this day everyone still remembers him as the kid who dreamed to make it to the NFG one day and as the loving and caring person he was. I have realized that people's leave sooner than expected and no longer question God because I know he makes no mistakes. I always tell myself that Drew and I will reunite one day. One of My Worst Days By Closures

Sunday, September 15, 2019

Oral history archive department in modern libraries, Essay

The main aim of the research is to discuss the uses and the value of an oral history archive department in modern libraries, especially British libraries and American ones which are pioneers in this domain. It has been realized or discovered that the oral history archive can be used to explain the concept or idea of windowing time in physical and digital libraries. Of late digital and oral history archive libraries carry a variety of useful information and documents that include the past and present ones. This paper therefore tries to view the use and the value of this kind of sound archive in which it is divided into main categories and subsections. The first section is the introductory part that tries to give a brief explanation about the oral history archive. There is a problem in question or objective, which touches on what is to be investigated that is the use of this archive. The hypotheses are also constructed to provide answers to the objectives of the research. The other areas include research context/literature review; methodology; work plan; recourses; ethics and conclusion. 1. Working Title The use and the value of an oral history archive department in Modern Libraries and Information Centres. 2. Introduction. Many scholars realized that Oral history archive libraries can be used to obtain information as fast as possible. According to Portelli (1998), the archive holds several hours of gramophone, films, audio, video and Compact Disks. The oral history archive has been of great help in various departments because instant information has been obtained through what is called oral debriefing. This is a situation whereby a comprehensive and condensed verbal testimony is obtained from individuals (Medical Tribune 2007). Other areas where the oral history archive has been applied include areas such as psychology, witness interrogation in criminal investigations, which occur in both oral and visual formats (Sangster 1998).The archive tentatively is currently being used to help in knowledge management especially when it comes to labor market. This is an area in commerce and industry where the changing labor market requires employees to shift from one position to another or from one job to another. As this happens there is loss of organizational memory, the so called the body of data and knowledge which is relevant to an individual organization’s existence (Perk and Thomson 1998 and Gregory 1991). These therefore are of the uses of oral history archive that make it become recognized as a powerful device or tool especially in Britain to capture the already existing institutional knowledge and information. Learning has been enhanced by the use of Oral history archive. The new curriculum requires students to have sound and good communication skills that prepare them to answers questions either during interviews as they look for jobs after schooling or in classroom (Rolph 1998). Criminal investigation department also employ the use of an Oral history archive when they are interrogating criminals. 3. Aims and objectives In this section, the paper discusses the problem in question or the objectives of carrying out the research. Oral history archive has been viewed as a unique and powerful tool by people. In order to clear this perception and make things more clear, this research paper tries to answer the question. The problem to be researched on is therefore the value and the use of an oral history archive in modern libraries and information centres and why people view it as a useful tool in modern libraries. The paper shall also look at the role, if any, of the information specialist of the future in an oral history department and the skills the information specialist must have to operate in such a department. Besides, the paper shall also look at and address the question of how interviewing targets are chosen by the oral history department, how expensive it is to put up an oral history department from scratch at the various libraries, why people view it as a useful tool in the modern libraries and the skills that are required by an information specialist in order for him/her to be able to operate in the department. Today, many educationists are being encouraged to introduce oral history as a powerful tool for serious scholarships in all universities in order to encourage learning. However, there are a number of universities that have introduced and developed extensive collections of oral history while others have not realized the usefulness of the library. For example; Harvard, Princeton and University of California have taken the lead in the development and introduction of oral history archive (Gowers 2006). In addition, the university libraries mentioned above in this domain have operated smoothly from 1955, the British Library has been the pioneer for a lot of researchers of this topic. The reason is simple. The Sound Archive Department of British Library at the present time holds over a million discs, One hundred and eighty five thousand audio tapes, and a lot of video and sound records. These collections which include written literature, dramatized stuff, and music recordings plus sounds of wildlife are collected from across the world. They entail cylindrical equipment created in the nineteenth century to the most recent Compact Disks, Digital Versatile Disk and mini discs. 4. Scope and Definition In order to discover the use and the value of an oral history archive department and to create a sensible project in range and time, the scope of the project will focus mainly on the opinions of curators, librarians and others who are working in this sector. It is important though to be aware that this will emphasize basically on personal viewpoints and changing theories and therefore might not provide a perfect answer. It will also be necessary for the research to stay neutral and determined on the questioners and not go beyond the objectives set as those working in these departments will be more involved with the issues concerning their departments than be drawn to the personal issues. 5. Literature Review The literature review section tries to look at what other scholars have discussed about the same topic to be researched on. This is very important since it avoids or solves cases of duplication of other people’s work. Since other people or scholars at one time had realized the importance of Oral history archive in the modern libraries, it is therefore in order to access their ideas on the topic. The oral history archive has been viewed as a useful tool in a number of areas such as psychotherapy, witness interrogation in crime investigation and learning institutions that are provided in both oral and visual formats (Rolph 1998, Gregory 1991, Parker 1999 and Sarah 2004). According to Ritchie (2003), oral history has useful information or materials that are often ignored by librarians. This is also sometimes overlooked in relation to cost value calculation (Swain 2003). The archive has played a key role in helping in audio collection, attitude and value clarification as well as necessitating multi-media approach to learning (Christel 2006 and Thomson 2000). The most obvious area where oral history archive has been used according to Perks and Thompson (1998) is in learning institutions. This is a case where a tape recorder is used in classrooms to help students understand the concept being taught in class room. However, it has been noticed that a tape recorder has not been effectively and efficiently used as compared to the use of movie, slide or overhead projectors (Lukenbill 2002). One advantage when one uses a tape recorder is that it can be stopped anytime especially when the instructor wants to emphasize important points or to allow urgent questions arising (Thompson 2000). Tapes can also be replayed to enhance re-examining or revisiting and requesting of any order that is desirable. Proper understanding of the lesson is therefore emphasized. Since the new curriculum requires students to have skills in understanding comprehension, analysis and evaluation. Oral history has been of great use to check and examine all these concepts. It is also noted that oral communication skills are very important when it comes to times of interviews where questions are phrased (Swain 2003). The interviewer and the interviewee have to be clear and precise especially in calling for specific information. The questions asked especially during the interviews need also to be answered in the most accurate manner as possible (Ritchie 2003). According to Perks and Thompson (1998), accuracy actually plays a major role in interviews and this can be facilitated by the use of oral history archive. The concept is also emphasized by Seale (2004). As a way of facilitating learning, oral history archive through the use of tapes has facilitated immediate feedback during teaching in schools. This has been done in connection with other secondary sources like books more so in secondary schools. Students’ needs are addressed as soon as possible. This rules out cases of negative delays which is commonly experienced in the traditional scholarly research where numerous collections are required (Thompson 2000). A good teacher who knows how to use tapes only needs to locate appropriate tapes in which he is expected to prepare summarized notes according to students’ understanding. This should be done after testing the entry behavior of the students before opting to use the tapes for instruction (Parker 1999). Oral history archive has also been helpful in clinical libraries (Schacher 2001). Clinicians when giving psychotherapy to patients who are mentally disturbed have used the information contained in the Oral history archive. Such patients may be suffering from Schizophrenia or psychosis (Schacher 2001 and Thompson 2000). As patients talk about their illness the clinician is able to come up with appropriate measures to provide assistance.

Saturday, September 14, 2019

A Case Analysis: Integra and Intex’s Problem Project

Marketing and promoting new technology has always been undemanding due to the growing trend in business and commerce of going electronic. However, not all technology is successful in their entry into the world of business.One very good example of this incident is that of Integra and Intex’s Banking and Loan Insurance Software System (BLISS) project. Although the software was completed, it was never introduced to credit unions. What happened then? How come such a very innovative project became a wasted product?   What were the mistakes made? Most significantly, what can the two businesses do to cope with the damaging effects the project has brought about?Case BackgroundThe BLISS project was spearheaded by two firms, namely, Integra Financial Corporation and Intex Consulting. Integra Financial Corporation, a life insurance company based in Quebec, Canada, is active in insurance, trust services, securities brokerage and asset and portfolio management (Roy, 2003, p. 445). The co rporation is responsible for approximately 8 billion dollars of assets while the work force consists of more than 2,200 permanent employees (Roy, 2003, p. 445).On the other hand, the partner company, Intex Consulting is a firm that specializes in the installation and design of information systems. It is actually a Canadian branch of a large international information system integration firm who wishes to gain its prominent place in Canadian banking business (Roy, 2003, p. 445). The firm is widely known for its expertise in the U.S. banking industry concerning system integration and development (Roy, 2003, p. 447).Although Integra has a competitive share in the insurance banking business, it does not have the whole of Canada. The company only emerges in Quebec due to one of its unique insurance plan. This plan is the Loan and Mortgage Insurance plan, also called the corporation’s â€Å"cash cow† (Roy, 2003, p. 446).What makes it different from plans of other insurance co rporations is its special software that enables a customized calculation of the expenses per client and directly links Integra’s database with the participating banking institutions. However, the software is limited for use only in Quebec where the banking institutions have somewhat similar structures. When it comes to the national market, Integra cannot venture into it since the different banking structures and institutions are diverging and dissimilar. Thus, the loan insurance plan was inapplicable.This very challenge has allowed the search for a way to penetrate the loan insurance business in the national network. It is in this situation that contact was made with Intex Consulting regarding Integra’s dream software. Thus, after the meeting of the two business establishments, the BLISS project was born and launched in the beginning of 1996 (Roy, 2003, p. 448).The primary goal of the joint project was to develop an appropriate technology solution to connect Integraâ⠂¬â„¢s loan insurance systems with its prospective clients’ banking and loan systems, particularly, a software system that can bridge the differences of the different structures of the diverse banking institutions and loan systems (Roy, 2003, p. 447).Key persons in both companies were then appointed for the project’s completion. Everyone was eager to see the results and was very optimistic because at that time, the project was a major endeavor and a promising success.Everyone saw the proposal as a means to expand the company. In addition, everyone was confident with the decision of pursuing the project. One would actually ask why but why not? Everyone believed that Integra is capable of doing so, due to its very long and successful experience in loan insurance business and that Intex has the guts of designing and developing an error-free software system since the firm is known for its competitiveness (Roy, 2003, p. 448).

Friday, September 13, 2019

Business environment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 1

Business environment - Essay Example e up with a new image, ‘Beyond Petroleum.’ This and some other campaigns are intended to reduce the bad image the company has developed, that is not very environmentally friendly. The market for petroleum is based on its demand and supply conditions. These conditions are there for every market. The demand and supply help determine the price and the quantity of oil that should be supplied to the world. The major contributor to oil supply in the world is Saudi Arabia. The market in the UK is said to be self sufficient till 2016. The industry produces around two million barrels of hydrocarbons per day. Even though the country is self sufficient, the oil reserves are declining. According to the article ‘Oil, gas and petroleum: Overview,’ (2006) the oil reserves are mainly in the North Sea and off the coasts of Aberdeen, Suffolk, Norfolk, Liverpool and Morecambe Bay. UK is known for its ability to extract oil in larger quantity from the deep sea by using advanced engineering techniques. UK exports oil in its raw form. The country is now focusing of making full use of the existing oil fields instead of looking for new smaller fields. The Oil, gas and petroleum: Overview article (2006) provides us with the following figures, the petroleum industry by itself exists of 200 companies who perform different processes including, refining, distribution and marketing. The basic structure of the market is based on two divisions, retail and commercial. The retail side of the structure includes petrol sold from filling stations while the commercial side includes the government and its agencies, industrial and agricultural transporters, power generators etc. The petroleum industry gives way to thousands of jobs to contractual workers and on a full time basis employs, 150,000 people. According to the Staff Report to the Federal Trade Commission, the industry is controlled by seven companies, five of them are American and the other two are British-Dutch. The American

Thursday, September 12, 2019

The Things They Carried Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

The Things They Carried - Article Example In the rest of the story these items are used as a way of emphasizing the different kinds of emotional baggage that each man carries with him. Jimmy’s photographs signify his innocence and inexperience, while other photographs are used to remember partners and children. Some items denote rank, others denote role in the army, and still others provide much needed reminders of life at home, far from the war. One question which the book explores is how far the men live out their predestined fates – some returning from the war unharmed, while others are killed, and still others are damaged by physical or mental injury. By basing the story around these tiny objects, the author seems to be saying that people’s lives can be mapped out just from looking at what they have on their person. In some ways the book confirms this initial impression that everyone just follows a set plan, as if the objects are a map to the path that the person is fated to follow, but in other ways there is a deeper questioning of the whole meaning of war. It seems to me that the book is showing the reader that human life is not negotiable, and it is predestined to go a certain way, which in turn is decoded through everyday objects. It is true that people are largely controlled by a larger fate, but at the same time acts of heroism and love single out moments when people make moral choices, and this is not due to fate. The point is that acting out of free will is an exceptional thing, while following along a predetermined path is what most people find themselves

Wednesday, September 11, 2019

Item Analysis Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Item Analysis - Assignment Example This information needs to be interpreted in context to the principles on the basis of which the test was designed. A test that was given at the beginning of a course simply to assess which concepts a class was familiar with would be expected to have a positive skew; as there would be fewer items that students would be able to answer. On the other hand; if this test was given to assess mastery or proficiency; these scores would indicate that a number of course goals were not met. If the test were given in order to choose a few individuals who are proficient in very advanced concepts; it would be acceptable that a majority of scores are clustered towards the lower half; as only a few individuals would qualify by getting higher scores.It is also necessary to assess if these results are caused by a few erroneous or confusing items. This may be done by evaluating the trends seen for each item. A competency test typically contains a few simple items, a few difficult items and a few items w ith moderate difficulty. A speed test, on the other hand, requires all items to be similarly difficult. For a competency test; it is necessary that we choose items that not only have different levels of difficulty; but also discriminate between individuals who are able to solve it and those who are not. A good item would typically help us in understanding how well the individual test taker has mastered the individual concept while also helping us differentiate those who did master the concept from those who did not.... Also; the Alpha coefficient is affected by the length of the test; with the reliability being higher and more trusted for a longer test than a shorter one. The given test is only 10 items long; and this may compromise the reliability to some extent. The skewed scores also present other concerns. The Standard Error of Skewness for this test may be calculated by using the Tabachnick & Fidell’s (1996) formula . This provides us with a SES value of 0.245. If we define the acceptable limits within which the value of skewness may fall as being between 2 SES both sides of zero; then we may accept a value that falls between – 0.49 and + 0.49. the obtained value of + 0.78 is well outside these limits, indicating that there is a positive skew to the scores and a significant clustering of scores towards the lower side of the scale. This information needs to be interpreted in context to the principles on the basis of which the test was designed. A test that was given at the beginni ng of a course simply to assess which concepts a class was familiar with would be expected to have a positive skew; as there would be less items that students would be able to answer. On the other hand; if this test was given to assess mastery or proficiency; these scores would indicate that a number of course goals were not met. If the test were given in order to choose a few individuals who are proficient in very advanced concepts; it would be acceptable that a majority of scores are clustered towards the lower half; as only a few individuals would qualify by getting higher scores. It is also necessary to assess if these results are caused by a few erroneous or confusing items. This may be done by evaluating the trends seen for each item. A