What Grad Students Can Expect on the First Day of Class

The first day of class is similar in both college and graduate school, and this is true of all disciplines. Day 1 is all about introducing the class. Common Approaches to Teaching the First Day of Class Some professors dive right into course content, beginning with a lecture.Others take a more social approach, using discussion and team-building activities like games, asking students to get to know each other, and posing non-course related discussion topics.Most professors will ask students to introduce themselves: Whats your name, year, major, and why are you here? Many will ask students to provide information and may pass out an index card for each student to record contact information and perhaps answer a question such as why they enrolled, one thing they hope to learn, or one concern about the course.Some simply distribute the course syllabus and dismiss class. The Syllabus Regardless of style, whether emphasizing content, social, or both, all professors distribute the syllabus  during the first day of class. Most will discuss it to some extent. Some professors read the syllabus, adding additional information as appropriate. Others draw students attention to main points. Yet some say nothing, simply distribute it and ask that you read it. No matter what approach your professor takes, it is in your best interest to read it very carefully because most instructors spend a lot of time preparing the syllabus. Then What? What happens after the syllabus is distributed varies by professor. Some professors end class early, often using less than one-half a class period. Why? They might explain that it is impossible to conduct class when no one has read. In reality, this isnt true, but it is more challenging to hold class with new students who have not read and have no background in the field. Alternatively, professors might end class early because they are nervous. Everyone finds the first day of class nerve-wracking — students and professors alike. Are you surprised that professors get nervous? Theyre people too. Getting through the first day of class is stressful and many professors want to and that first day as soon as possible. After the first day is done they can fall into the old routine of preparing lectures and teaching class. And so many otherwise enthusiastic professors end class early on the first day of school. Some professors, however, hold a full-length class. Their rationale is that learning begins on day 1 and what happens in that first class will influence how students approach the course and will, therefore, influence the entire semester. There is no right or wrong way to begin class, but you should be aware of the choices the professor makes in what he or she asks the class to do. This awareness might tell you a little bit about him or her and might help you prepare for the semester ahead.

Advantages And Disadvantages Of Technology - 1627 Words

Advantages and Disadvantages of Technology Technology has changed every aspect of our lives, whether it was for the better or for the worse. It has a positive impact on our lives because it allows us to connect more with people that are farther away, and it grants us access to information about anything. Unfortunately, it has changed our lives for the worse, too, it makes us over dependent on technology, and it leads to a decline in face to face conversations. Technology that is constantly in our face changes the way we think and carry out our everyday lives. For example, when you are standing in a room full of people instead of conversing with others you would take out your phone and engage yourself in this world that you have created. Integrated computers can benefit our daily lives, because it allows us to resurface old information that was part of the old conversation allowing a more personal conversation. The downside of this is that it could also resurface old fights that you m ight have had. All of these positives or negatives can be seen in Black Mirror, Her, Our Computers Ourselves, and Crispr Radiolab. The positive impact that technology plays on our lives is that it allows us to connect with people that are far away from us, whether it be via email, phone calls, or any form of social media. This is a good thing because generations before us who didn’t have the telephone or any other form of communication to talk to relatives far away would live their entireShow MoreRelatedAdvantages and Disadvantages of Technology1389 Words   |  6 PagesComputer security Introduction Technology is widespread, and the whole world is moving towards computerization. Technology has both advantages and disadvantages. This is dependent on the technology that a person uses. Different technologies have different risks and attacks associated with them. An attack is any act that will take advantage of vulnerabilities in order to compromise the controlled system. Some of the attacks include phishing, brute force, and denial of service (DoS). The attacksRead MoreTechnology Advantages And Disadvantages1707 Words   |  7 PagesTechnology has both optimistic and harmful effects on humanity. It is remarkable how someone can find an old friend through a social network, enabling them to reconnect. In a society where people have become quite mobile and family and friends are often separated, due to work, school or whatever the case may be, it is convenient to keep in touch through technology. I would like to say that technology does not technically ruin our lives, but it does mak e an effect on how we as human beings exploitRead MoreAdvantages And Disadvantages Of Technology990 Words   |  4 Pagestaught how to use technology for entertaining and educational purposes. Some kids seem to understand technology better than some adults. According to a 2010 newsroom from the America Academy of Pediatrics, â€Å"children and adolescent spend more time with the media than they do in other activity except for sleeping. The vast majority of young people have access to a bedroom television, computer, the Internet, a video game console, and cellphone†. Although, this can be a great advantage for children itRead MoreAdvantages And Disadvantages Of Technology1265 Words   |  6 Pagescomparable to relative advantage, complexity, compatibility and trialability of an innovation in DOI, respectively. Since DOI is one of UTAUT’s core elements, the two theories are very similar. However, while DOI considers new ideas in any context and its constructs focus on the characteristics of the innovations, UTAUT pays attention to new technologies in an organizational setting and its constructs place more emphasis on a user’s perception and expectation of the technologies. In this present studyRead MoreAdvantages And Disadvantages Of Technology1480 Words   |  6 PagesImagine life without the daily use of technology. Would society be able to function without the unlimited resources in the palms of one`s hands? Since the 1860s, technology has evolved at such a rapid pace in order to keep up with the environment. New tools are constantly being added to benefit people`s lives. While embracing this new technology does have its disadvantages, utilizing what is available can result in many beneficial outcomes. The prevalence of technology can be very helpful in several differentRead MoreAdvantage and Disadvantage of Technology1265 Words   |  6 PagesInternet Telecommunication is the science and practice of transmitting information by electromagnetic means. Communication is talking to someone or thing not necessarily through technological means. Telecommunication, however, is talking through technology meaning phones, Internet, radio etc... 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Consequently, practically everyone knows how to use a computer, connectRead MoreTechnology Advantages And Disadvantages774 Words   |  4 Pagescan be increased by keeping in mind the following points: centralize physical facilities and budgets; standardize processes across busin ess units; optimize processes to reduce errors and waste; relocate from high-cost to low-cost destinations; and technology enable with, for example, self-service portals. Further developments in automation, including software robots, have added a sixth point (Willcocks, Lacity, Craig, 2015). Only in the last three years has automation reached a new phase of maturityRead MoreAdvantages And Disadvantages Of Mobile Technology Essay1447 Words   |  6 PagesIntroduction ‘The centre of gravity in information technology has shifted away from the desktop and laptop computer and into the palm of your hands’ (Schwartz, 2010). The remarkable development of technology in the past decade has elevated the standards of e-commerce in the contemporary market. E-commerce has expanded from the conventional methods of electronic transactions through hardware computers into more dynamic and expedient system of mobile commerce through portable devices. Mobile computingRead MoreTechnology Advantages And Disadvantages Essay921 Words   |  4 Pages Technology can be a powerful tool in today’s world. People introduced to different technological products enjoy surrounding themselves with these devices because it helps society live in comfort. Even though technology is irresistible to people, there are several advantages and disadvantages that it has on society. In almost every organization, a large number of artificial intelligence researchers are developing and improving machines that would be of great help to their businesses. Technology have

Platypuses Free Essays

Platypuses Phylum Chordata classifies some of the most unique animals of our time. These animals all are common in a certain way. All chordates have vertebrae, a notochord that runs beneath the dorsal nerve cord, and pharyngeal slits or openings in the throat. We will write a custom essay sample on Platypuses or any similar topic only for you Order Now Additionally, all chordates have a post-anal tail that is almost always lost, a closed circulatory system and lastly, a beating heart. These derived features indicate their common ancestry. Although this phylum contains animals with many structural similarities, evolution and adaptations to selected environments forced animals to change to be able to survive and reproduce. A member of Phylum Chordata, the platypus is just one of these thousands of animals that have to compete to make a name for itself in its environment. It’s amazing how these chordates evolved from simple little organisms like tunicates to complex terrestrial amniotes like mammals. The platypus or Ornithorhynchus anatinus is an animal of Phylum Chordata. This bizarre animal is about the size of a house cat and is covered by thick waterproof hair. Platypuses have a beak like a duck, webbed forearms swimming, clawed hind feet for aid in burrowing, and a broad, flat beaver tail. Also, platypuses have a common opening for the reproductive, excretory, and digestive systems. Male platypuses have sharp venomous stingers on the heels of their hind feet to intoxicate any foe that threatens it. Males are also larger than females in size being 20 inches long and females only being about 17 inches. Their average weight is roughly three to five pounds. Platypuses’ jaws are built differently than other mammals. They have extra bones in their jaw and different muscles. It is a very unique animal and was hard to classify by scientists because it is a monotreme. Being a monotreme, platypuses are one of a few species of mammals that can lay eggs. Also, monotremes are known to have a sese of electroreception. This means that they can locate their prey by detecting electric fields formed by muscle contractions. This ties in with the platypus’ feeding modes. It feeds by neither sight nor smell, closing its eyes, ears, and nose each time it dives. Rather, when it digs in the bottom of streams with its bill, its electroreceptors detect tiny electrical currents generated by muscular contractions of its prey, enabling it to distinguish between animate and inanimate objects, which continuously stimulate its mechanoreceptors. They scoop up insects and larvae, shellfish, and worms in their bill along with bits of gravel and mud from the bottom. All this material is stored in cheek pouches and, at the surface, mashed for consumption. Platypuses do not have teeth, so the bits of gravel help them to â€Å"chew† their meal. The platypus has an advantage being semi-aquatic. They inhabit small streams and rivers around cold highlands of Tasmania and the Australian Alps to tropical rainforests of Queensland. In these places, the population of platypuses is plentiful but not really anywhere else on the globe it seems. Also, platypuses can survive living in burrows as well. They’re generally regarded as nocturnal and crepuscular. This means that they are primarily active during the twilight more than during the daytime. Platypuses are known to be capable of making noises, but these have rarely been heard. Their call is a throaty, clucking sound, and they can also communicate by growling at each other. It is used when they are in danger. Other times it is used a behavioural method to attract mates to produce healthy and strong offspring. Platypuses like to live alone, but they can sometimes share small areas of water together. As you can see, platypuses have strange habitats and communication methods for a mammal. Platypuses are one of few mammals that lay eggs instead of giving birth to live young. The females seal themselves inside one of the burrow’s chambers to lay their eggs from winter to spring. A mother typically produces one or two eggs and keeps them warm by holding them between her body and her tail. The eggs hatch in about ten days, and after, the tiny babies (called puggles) drinks their mother’s milk, which comes from tiny openings in the mother’s belly. The puggles are completely helpless when they are born and are about the size of lima beans. Females nurse their young for three to four months until the babies can swim on their own. Duck-billed Platypuses have a life span of 10 – 12 years. The platypus is unknown to its contribution to its environment. In the past, the number of platypuses decreased due to pollution effects, being hunted for its thick fur as well as being the prey of foxes, snakes, and eels. These days, the platypus population increased because of being put in captivity by the Australian government. They play a crucial role in the food web of streams by foraging on small aquatic invertebrates. Now, they are not under any immediate threats in their environments. In conclusion, animals are living organism that feeds on organic matter, typically having specialized sense organs and nervous system and able to respond rapidly to stimuli. The platypus possesses all these qualities being a sustainable chordate that plays a part in an environment. Its uniqueness of being a hodgepodge of various different animals interested my mind in finding information about its behaviors. The platypus is a one-of-a-kind animal†¦chordate†¦ mammal†¦monotreme†¦thing! How to cite Platypuses, Papers

Australian Migration Law and Practice Immigration

Question: Discuss about theAustralian Migration Law and Practice for Immigration. Answer: Introduction In this case of Malhi v Minister for Immigration Anor [2017] FCCA 119 (2 February 2017) the Minister for Immigration and Border Protection made an complain against the applicant Amanpreet Singh Malhi who was intended to get an residency visa at Australia where he married to a woman Ms. Teresa Bartlett who is a citizen of Australia. The Minister for Immigration and Border Protection had some doubt that the applicant may want a visa for permanent residency in Australia. Discussion Malhi v Minister for Immigration Anor [2017] FCCA 119 (2 February 2017) This is a case of Migration act 1958 (CTH). The applicant is a male citizen of India, aged about 26, who was sponsored by a woman, aged about 52 was citizen of Australia. This is an issue of partner visa. It was processed by the Federal Circuit Court on February 2017[1]. The applicant Amanpreet Singh Malhi applied for a partner visa on 13 October 2011 according the sec- 65 of the Migration act 1958 on the facts that he will marry to his sponsor Ms. Teresa Bartlett[2]. However, the consulates reject the visa process. Therefore, he applied to the court for allowed him to the visa for Australia. On 13 February 2014, he applied to the tribunal for allowing the decision but they also reject the visa of the applicant because the tribunal court think that applicant and sponsor unable to establish the reasons of permanent partner visa. Therefore, the applicant again applied to the Federal Court for review decisions of the delegated legislation. In Australian the Federal Court, have powers to review court decisions according the Migration Act 1958. The Federal Court only reviews those cases, which have any kind of judicial errors. The court first investigates that, previous court decision wether made according to the law or not. Applicant has rights to apply to the Federal Court for review the decision. At time of application applicant needs to fulfill the cl.801.221 of sch.2 of the Migration Regulation act 1994[3]. The Tribunal court gave its decision before applicant applied for the revision. The court gathered some evidence, which was submitted, by the applicant and the sponsor. They submitted some documents before the tribunal court make the decision[4]. The sponsor or spouse defines in the sec of 5F of Migration act 1958 that the person who is married as in hisher relationship status , they must share a mutual commitments to each other , their relation must be genuine and must live together or may live separately for temporary basis. According the cl.801.221 of sch.2, the applicant failed to establish the terms of sec-5F, so the court reject the visa process according the sec 65 of Migration Act 1958. But after submitted the above mentioned documents the Tribunal court invite the applicant to appear in the court according the sec-360 of Migration Act 1958 where the court accept the relation between the applicant and his sponsor under the sub-reg.1.15A(3) of the Regulations[5]. In this matter, the Tribunal court has made some doubts about the applicants motive to marry someone who was aged about 52 years not able to bear any children asnd they do not discussed about to get a child in future. There are some more doubts of about the relation between applicant and sponsored whether that was genuine or to get the citizenship of Australia because the sponsor is citizen of Australia[6]. In the court, Judge Jones tried to observe the relationship motive between the applicant and his sponsor. He doubts that there may be other reasons or purpose to get the visa. However, the court comes to that decisions that the jurisdiction error where Tribunal court gave so much importance on that issue for come to a decision. The tribunal court only gave importance on the intension of having the partner visa. Whereas, the Federal Court gave Judgments that the tribunal court made a judicial error at the time of giving decision. It is described that there is no need for the partie s to live with each other or show that they love each other in a romantic sense for establish the facts of genuine relation. The applicants motive was gaining a permanent visa residency in Australia and the relation with his spouse is immaterial. Conclusion The court ordered a writ of review decisions of lower court directed to the second respondent Administrative Appeals Tribunal for rejects which was establish on 20 March 2015. Court also ordered to the first respondent the Minister for Immigration and Border Protection. Reference Hammar, Tomas.Democracy and the nation state. Routledge, 2017. Hawthorne, Lesleyanne. "The impact of skilled migration on foreign qualification recognition reform in Australia."Canadian Public Policy41.Supplement 1 (2015): S173-S187. Malhi v Minister for Immigration Anor [2017] FCCA 119 (2 February 2017) Merla, Laura. "Salvadoran migrants in Australia: An analysis of transnational families capability to care across borders."International Migration53.6 (2015): 153-165. Peters, Margaret. "Immigration, Delegation, and International Law." (2017). Schilling, Meredith. "Migration law [Book Review]."Victorian Bar News160 (2016): 96. Segrave, Marie, et al. "Submission to the Senate Legal and Constitutional Affairs Committee: Migration Amendment (Family Violence and Other Measures) Bill 2016." (2016).

History of Baking Soda free essay sample

Its simple, basic and cheap. Baking soda is simply sodium bicarbonate, a substance found naturally in mineral deposits, oceans and lake sediments as trona ore. Sodium bicarbonate is also manufactured in the human body, where it helps to maintain the correct pH of the blood stream, neutralizes stomach acids and plaque acids, and carries carbon dioxide from bodily tissue to the lungs. Baking soda is a white crystalline powder (NaHC03) better known to chemists as sodium bicarbonate, bicarbonate of soda, sodium hydrogen carbonate, or sodium acid carbonate. It is classified as an acid salt, formed by combining an acid (carbonic) nd a base (sodium hydroxide), and it reacts with other chemicals as a mild alkali. At temperatures above 300 degrees Fahrenheit (149 degrees Celsius), baking soda decomposes into sodium carbonate (a more stable substance), water, and carbon dioxide. Sodium bicarbonate was discovered by two workers at a college of medicine in Berlin in the year 1800. We will write a custom essay sample on History of Baking Soda or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page At the time there was a lot of interest in the properties and behaviour of what was called fixed air (carbon dioxide). This strange material generated the bubbles in fermenting beer mash, could be made by adding acid to oda (sodium carbonate) or pearl ash (potassium carbonate), and was somehow made in the lungs of animals from the component in ordinary air, oxygen. Imported from England, baking soda was first used in America during colonial times, but it was not produced in the United States until 1839. In 1846, Austin Church, a Connecticut physician, and John Dwight, a farmer from Massachusetts, established a factory in New York to manufacture baking soda. Dr. Churchs son, John, owned a mill called the Vulcan Spice Mills. Vulcan, the Roman god of forge and fire, was represented by an arm and hammer, and the new baking soda company adopted the rm and hammer logo as its own. Today, the Arm Hammer brand of baking soda is among the most widely recognized brand names. The native chemical and physical properties of baking soda account for its wide range of applications, including cleaning, deodorizing, and buffering. Baking soda neutralizes odors chemically, rather than masking or absorbing them. Consequently, it is used in bath salts and deodorant body powders. Its ability to tabletize makes it a good effervescent ingredient in antacids and denture cleaning products. Sodium bicarbonate is also found in some anti-plaque mouthwash products and toothpaste. When baking soda is used as a cleaner in paste form or dry on a damp sponge, its crystalline structure provides a gentle abrasion that helps to remove dirt without scratching sensitive surfaces. Its mild alkalinity works to turn up fatty acids contained in dirt and grease into a form of soap that can be dissolved in water and rinsed easily. Baking soda is also used as a leavening agent in making baked goods such as bread or pancakes. When combined with an acidic agent (such as lemon Juice), carbon dioxide gas is released and is absorbed by the products cells. As the gas In addition to its many home uses, baking soda also has many industrial applications. For instance, baking soda releases carbon dioxide when heated. Since carbon dioxide is heavier than air, it can smother flames by keeping oxygen out, making sodium bicarbonate a useful agent in fire extinguishers. Other applications include air pollution control (because it absorbs sulfur dioxide and other acid gas emissions), abrasive blastings for removal of surface coatings, chemical manufacturing, leather tanning, oil well drilling fluids (because it precipitates calcium nd acts as a lubricant), rubber and plastic manufactu

Cognitive Psychology Definition Paper Essays - Psychology, Cognition

Cognitive Psychology Definition Paper Essays - Psychology, Cognition Cognitive Psychology Definition Paper April Barthel PSY360 October 31, 2016 Gerald Thauberger Cognitive Psychology Definition Paper What exactly is co gnitive psychology? Defined by Merriam-Webster Dictionary , "a branch of psychology concerned with mental processes (as perception, thinking, learning, and memory) especially with respect to the internal events occurring between sensory stimulation and the overt expression of behaviorcompare " CITATION Edind \l 1033 (Editors, Merriam-Webster, n.d.) Cognitive psychology covers a broad range of topics like our thinking, attention, memory, language, our ability to be creative, and to solve problems. How we perceive things and ho w we think and reason are all part of the cognitive process. Cognitive psychology explores how the mind works, and also what establishes the mind. This eventually is how cognitive theory formed. A t least four key milestones that contributed to the development of cognitive psychology as a discipline are the fall in behaviorism, the information processing model and computer metaphor , artificial intelligence and neuroscience. Another important factor in Cognitive Psychology is behavioral observation. Each of these factors contributed to and formed what we know of today as cognitive psychology. The Fir st milestone that contributed to the development of cognitive psychology as a discipline is the fall of behaviorism. " There was great d issatisfaction with the behaviorist approach in its simple emphasis on external behavior rather than internal processes. " CITATION McL07 \l 1033 (McLeod, Cognitive Psychology, 2007) The cognitive approach gave people an insight into the why' aspect of different behaviors, whereas the behaviorist approach only looked as the external aspects. Behaviorism focused mostly on the observational aspect of psychology. CITATION SanND \l 1033 (San Diego Figure Skating Communications, N.D.) The behaviorist did not want to accept or come to terms with the internal part of the human mind. They also tested animals with no regards to finding out if there would be a different outcome with humans. Behavioral psychologist felt that a behavior is learned. An example of this would be Ivan Pavlov, teaching the dog to salivate when hearing the sound of a bell ringing. CITATION McL071 \l 1033 (McLeod, Pavlov's Dogs, 2007) He proved that a dog could be conditioned to learn to do things such as associate a bell with food which, in turn caused them to salivate more at the sound of a bell. The problem with this is that they did not ask the million-dollar question, Why?". With cognitive psychology, takes an internal look into the mind, not just of animals but humans also, to find out why they behave as they do. Cognitive psychologists use experiments to internally investigate the human psyche. Instead of looking at the external aspect of the behaviors, they take a more in-depth look at what happens between the input and output of the mediational process. The second milestone that contributed to the development of cognitive psychology as a discipline is t he information processing model and computer metaphor. "Thecomputergave cognitive psychologists ametaphor, oranalogy, to which they could compare human mentalprocessing. Essentially, acomputer codes (i.e. changes)information, storesinformation, usesinformation, and produces an output (retrievesinfo)." CITATION McL07 \l 1033 (McLeod, Cognitive Psychology, 2007) With the invention of the computers, the way that they worked and their software gave psychologists a type of way to compare it to the human mind. The mind, like the computer, has a connection in which we have input (like seeing words on a paper), then codes it (changes it into information to be stored), and finally output (which is where we read the words on the paper). When we process the information in which we are consuming, they can be stored in the brain. The information can be stored and turned into memories, mental pictures, and different perceptions. All of the information that we intake are then changed by our senses so that it can be transformed, stored and retrieved when we deem it necessary. By using the information processing technique like this, humans compare to the workings of computers. The third milestone that contributed to the development of cognitive psychology as a discipline is artificial intelligence. " Artificial intelligence in cognitive psychology was the attempt to artificially create cognitive beings." CITATION Cog16 \l 1033 (Cognitive Science Department, 2016) With artificial intelligence (AI),

Assignment 6 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Assignment 6 - Essay Example and Czech Republic, especially reinforced after 1993 ("U.S. Department of State," July 2009). Since Steve proposes to set up Pizza outlets at Czech, he must address issues related to their eating habits, and factors that would affect the customer services:- Czechs are primarily meat eaters; pork, beef and chicken based dishes are popular. Goose, rabbit, duck are found in many common dishes. Many of Europe's popular cakes and pastries have a Czech origin. From a marketing perspective, Chicago style Pizza would have to be positioned against the Czech's popular fried cheese. The cultural differences between U.S. and Czechs are addressable, and should not unduly hamper Steve's business prospects. As a marketing strategy, Steve may wish to explore a few possibilities, such as, to provide: The primary economical advantage to Steve would be the lower wage expectations by Czechs. Hofstede's four dimension indices (http://www.geert-hofstede.com/) can be used to evaluate the business climate at Czech:- Power Distance Index (PDI): This represents the extent to which inequality in society is endorsed by people. The PDI of Czech is 57, as against the U.S. which is 40. Steve can therefore use his positional power, and expect Czech employees to be more subservient than the U.S. counterparts. Individualism (IDV): This repr... As a marketing strategy, Steve may wish to explore a few possibilities, such as, to provide: Combo flavors - Chicago style pizza with Czech fried cheese. Differential discount pricing for kids and "generation-next", targeting young adults. Weekend packages for families with ambience as near as Czech cottages and summer houses. Sober, but caring hospitality. Q.2 What comparative advantages exist in the Czech Can Steve take advantage of these The primary economical advantage to Steve would be the lower wage expectations by Czechs. Hofstede's four dimension indices (http://www.geert-hofstede.com/) can be used to evaluate the business climate at Czech:- Power Distance Index (PDI): This represents the extent to which inequality in society is endorsed by people. The PDI of Czech is 57, as against the U.S. which is 40. Steve can therefore use his positional power, and expect Czech employees to be more subservient than the U.S. counterparts. Individualism (IDV): This represents the extent to which individuals are knit into tight groups, including extended family. A lower index indicates tight grouping, whereas, higher index reflects individualism. As against Czechs index of 58, the U.S. stands at 91. This means that relatively Czechs are more group (as well as, family) oriented. Steve can use this fact to market group discount pricing strategies on eateries. Steve should also use the advantage of knowing Czech culture for better market strategy. Masculinity (MAS): A higher index means assertive (masculine) behavior versus a lower index which indicates caring (feminine) traits. As against Czechs index of 57, the U.S. stands at 62. Although this is a marginal difference, yet it does indicate that Czechs would expect a

A Long Short Screenplay and Step Outline about homelessness and hunger Research Paper

A Long Short Screenplay and Step Outline about homelessness and hunger among the working poor - Research Paper Example We used up all the money that I got last week. I also went to a friend of mine, he was broke as well, but he gave me a dollar. Let us go find something to eat. Alex and Tom, who are two 20 year old homeless individuals who work at a certain car wash in the streets, sit on a hip of garbage. They look so discouraged. They are so dirty that the people passing by do not want to get close to them. Alex looks at Tom and smiles. My friend, we have not eaten now for three days. That work at the car wash is not worth it man. It would be better to just sit and do nothing, than tire ourselves with that worthless job. This life keeps getting harder and harder. I wish I was in a school Tom, and I also wish I had a family. They both nod their heads in agreement to that. Tom looks to the left, and as if expectedly, sees Peter and Phyllis walking out of the wooden hotel outside Brands mini-shop. Peter also sees the two, and walks towards them. There is no work at the car wash, since the beginning of this week; we have only washed one car. Otherwise, we are glad that we are still alive sir. But we are very hungry; imagine we have not eaten for three days. Peter puts his right hand into the polythene bag and brings out an even smaller black polythene paper and hands it over to the boys. The boys smile and thank Peter and his wife. Peter smiles back at them, and together with his wife, they leave. As they leave, Alex and Tom eat the food gluttonously. Annette’s face is suddenly filled with gloom. She wishes her son could understand how hard things are. She works in a hardware office by the road side as a cleaner, but she does not get much from it. She goes and sits beside her son But we know those boys, how mean can you be? What if they were your kids? Okay, if you feel bad about that, then why don’t you eat all of that food yourself? Since all you ever think about is your stomach. Annette looks at Phyllis, and knows that she is hiding

Human resources contributes at SYSCO Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Human resources contributes at SYSCO - Case Study Example For a company to run its operations in a given setting it requires to comply with some rules and procedures set by the existing government authority. These regulations require professional persons to administer it. For SYSCO to receive the Optimas award for general HR excellence from workforce magazine shows that the company have complied with most of the existing regulations and that it is being administered well. Reducing workers compensation calls for strong health and safety regulations and adherence to the same. SYSCO HR team must have dealt seriously with previous injuries and accidents that had occurred in the company. They must have identified the root causes of the injuries and accidents to forge ahead in reducing the same. In addition, HR efforts have seen a reduction in employee’s turnover especially to the team that works at night. Employees and operating managers input in the survey data has helped in making decisions that retain employees. For instance, employees who work at night can receive extra pay for working at night, receive special treatments like supper, or change shifts every week with those who work during the day. Customer satisfaction is another area that SYSCO HR has worked hard to see grow. They have done this through selecting employees with customer oriented skills and trained them on how to value customers as the biggest assets of the company. Getting fee dback form customers might be another means SYSCO HR have used to capture advanced customer needs in their

Analysis of the Effectiveness of the Cluster Environment

Analysis of the Effectiveness of the Cluster Environment Victoria Mamatova Trends and analysis of the effectiveness of the cluster environment Abstract Today competitiveness is a common? topic in the world, and it is used as a device to reach the optimal economic growth and stable development. Among the main problems for the development of industrial clusters in the absence of an obvious approach is to evaluating its performance. This research has reviewed the economic effectiveness indicators of innovative clusters. This work provides a review of several methods and approaches of evaluating the cluster performance. Then the most appropriate and fully describing approach will be chosen as the most optimum one. Introduction Clusters, due to their inherent capability to support cooperation between different innovation actors in a region, provide a favourable environment encouraging RD driven innovation closely linked to the markets needs. Clusters are now a new trend in the field of innovation and new technologies. In developed countries, they have long been a platform where innovative ideas are born and implemented into practice. Russia also recently discovered a similar phenomenon, but already rapidly developing more and more opportunities in this area. The aim of this work is to study the methods for assessing the effectiveness of innovation clusters, and identifying common trends in the development of the cluster environment. This research proposal expects to have the following outcomes by the end of the project. First, it is important to define the measurement of the economic effectiveness of each cluster. The next objective is to develop quantitative and qualitative indicators that evaluate the effectiveness of clusters, to apply these indicators to the analysis of clusters and confirm the validity of these indicators. Then the analysis of the mechanism and methods required for analysis of cluster environment will be discovered.   In addition, it will be discussed the different approaches towards clusters and find the most appropriate one. Then given a review on the consequences of these concepts for economic and industrial policy. Finally, it will provide description of national and regional approaches in supporting clus ters and identifies the main challenges that clusters meet today for its proper functioning and development. Nowadays there is no any system or standard accepted, where would be a unite criteria for estimating performance of the cluster. Clusters can be estimated by each criteria separately. However, it is hard to define the whole effectiveness of cluster with separated values such as profit or performance or sustainability etc. Recent publications in foreign literature offer a variety of ways and methods to assess performance and efficiency of the cluster. However, many of them are evaluated in only one cluster parameter. Literature Review The origin of clusters. The current state of research regarding the cluster concept has evolved based on the studies conducted on agglomeration of firms. The first studies in this field started with four empirical observations (Marshall, 1890; Krugman, 1991; Malmberg, Solvell Zander, 1996): most part of the world, national economic and industrial areas are concentrated in very few regions. In these regions investors, universities, government or any other stakeholders of companies are operating. These companies have a longer life and effectiveness than isolated one due to the concentration of resources in this area. The later studies conducted by Porter (1990) and Krugman (1991) highlighted and added new dimensions to Marshalls observations. Despite criticisms regarding the generality of the approach, the widely accepted descriptions regarding clusters are: Geographic concentrations of interconnected companies and Institutions in the particular field (Porter, 1998, p. 45). Clusters a re not seen as fixed flows of goods and services, but rather as dynamic arrangements based on knowledge creation, increasing returns and innovation in a broad sense (Krugman, 1991). Porter (2000) redefines the cluster concept in a new analysis, concentrating on the type of relations that exists between cluster members à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬ ¢a geographically proximate group of inter connected companies and associated institutions in a particular field, linked by commonalities and complementaritiesà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬- (Porter, 2000), and defining its boundaries that can à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬ ¢range from a single city or state to a country or even a group of neighbouring countries (Porter, 2000). Modern clusters. Now there is a cluster concept (Porter, 2007) that says that companies gain more competiveness and therefore effectiveness inside the cluster. It also claims that firms in the cluster have a longer life than other isolated companies. There is competition within the cluster. This competition can be among cluster members in an advanced way in the international market. It is worth mentioning that reducing competition is the most important goal among members of the cluster. The idea of reducing competition means ensuring agencies to cooperate more clusters to have an easy access to commercial inputs. Reaching the above goals in cluster facilitates outer-cluster competition and also business and enterprise firms can make the cluster ready for international competition (Kim, 2002). Nowadays there are two problems concerning clusters: economic integration and cluster effectiveness. Economic integration of clusters should be supported by the government with laws (Litzel, 2009), while clusters should consider the intensive intra-regional relationship between its elements (businesses, suppliers, institutions etc.). A cluster model. In order to understand the cluster model from the viewpoint of relations between firms, researchers have defined different models that take into account supplier chains relations, directly based on specific characteristics of urban areas, and clusters which define a typology (Malmberg, Solvell, Zander, 1996) that describes four different agglomerations, which highlights the conceptual differences between the clusters and the other three models.   Based on the role of different cluster members and the interaction between them, Markusen (1996) has defined four models of clusters. Markusen compares its models of modern clusters with the Marshal one, in which the cluster is rather comprising small firms that collaborate with each other, are in direct competition or in a supplier-producer relation. In a hub-and-spoke cluster, there are few dominant firms that represent the core of the cluster and are surrounded by numerous small firms that are linked directly to t hem. In a satellite platform cluster, a group of branch facilities of externally based multi-plant firms (Markusen, 1996) are located in a particular geographic region in order to benefit from governmental facilities or low costs with supplies and workforce. The last category, the state centered (He Fallah, 2011) or state anchored cluster (Markusen, 1996) is defined around a public, governmental or non-profit organization that dominates the region and the economic relation between cluster members. In short, the industrial cluster literature highlights the importance of cluster governance operating horizontally between cluster firms and institutions in local contexts, be it learning and innovation for economic upgrading or implementing CSR measures for social upgrading. This horizontal governance can be contrasted with the vertical governance in GVCs that links global lead firms to both first-tier and local suppliers in international production networks (see below). Cluster firms in developing economies often find themselves confronted by conflicting demands from global buyers, which seek lower labor costs while simultaneously requiring suppliers to comply with higher quality or social standards that would incur additional expenditures (Barrientos Smith 2007; Lund-Thomsen Pillay 2012). The fear of global buyers being foot-loose can keep cluster actors from making sustained investments in infrastructure or workforce development, thereby hindering local joint action. Such anxie ty has grown in the face of global economic recessions (Ruwanpura Wrigley 2011). Industrial clusters. A number of studies have been conducted to show the investment criteria for choosing the industrial clusters in decision-making, which can be separated into several strands. A main group of studies presents that firms will select investment location depending on the development of an innovation system or a technological system in a region (Braunerhjelm et al., 2000, Malerba, 2002, Cooke, 2002, Yeh Chang, 2003, Fleming and Sorenson, 2003, Chang and Shih, 2004, Bell, 2005, Asheim Coenen, 2005). It is reasonable to expect that industrial clusters will emerge from the location where innovation opportunity is available and accessible, as in the link between firms clustering and their probability to innovate (Baptista and Swann, 1998). These building blocks in the innovation system research institution, infrastructure, innovation network, and technology transfer mechanism, will affect the competitiveness of the industrial cluster. Network externality (Dayasindhu, 200 2) and market proximity (Krugman, 1995, Cook et al., 2001) are sometimes the critical criteria when creating a new start-up in an industrial cluster. Innovational clusters. Innovation through industrial clusters can be defined as a way to increase the competitiveness of small and medium enterprises by reaping the benefits generated by the local structures and synergies via cooperative relationship (Idrissia, Amaraa and Landrya, 2012). The clusters provide alliances, which among other things promote flexibility in terms of production volume and variety, reductions in investment costs, reduction in transaction costs and increase in operational efficiency, increased bargaining power, and the development of technology innovation processes (Rabellotti, 1999; Solvell, Ketels and Lindqvist, 2008; Bas, Amoros and Kunc, 2008). The synergy of industrial clusters is also recognized as a relationship network including companies in the same industry sector and that offer them the possibility to achieve innovation and improve product and process development. According to Kuei-Hsien, Miles and Ghung-Shing (2008), network relationships can differ entiate the value of the productive chain when the partners are engaged in activities of common interests allowing the improvement of pro-active actions in the final product or service, which creates a stimulating environment for the innovation process. Engel and del-Palacio (2009) extended Porters (year) definition of industrial agglomeration to delineate a Global Cluster of Innovation Framework that describes business clusters defined not primarily by industry specialization but by the stage of development and innovation of the clusters constituents. While industry concentrations do exist, they are not definitive. It is rather the nature and the behavior of the components that is distinctive-the rapid emergence of new firms commercializing new technologies, creating new markets, and addressing global markets. Methodology The purpose of my research is to estimate the economic effectiveness of clusters performance. Therefore, the main methods of evaluating cluster effectiveness would be economic methods of evaluating project effectiveness. These methods allow seeing the economic feasibility of investment and detecting one of the most financially advantageous of clusters. It is accepted to divide methods of evaluating to dynamic, those that take into account the time factor, and static: accounts. The first group to overview is static methods. The rate of profit is the ratio of the average annual income to total investment costs (Rutherford, 2002). This method can be used to compare several alternatives to capital investment. The most profitable cluster will be considered as one if its rate of profit is not less than the rate of return alternative. The second method is method of determining the payback period. Payback period is a period of time through which the full return on investment due to income from the project (Rutherford, 2002). The payback period of a given cluster is an important determinant of whether to undertake the position or project, as longer payback periods are typically not desirable for investment positions. The next group is dynamic methods. The first is method of net present value (NVP). This method compares the investment volume of the cluster with a total sum of the discounted net cash flows generated during the period of the intended investment. NPV shows if used in the calculation of the rate of return reach R (where R is Interest rate) of the investment within the project life cycle. It should be noted that disadvantages of this method is impossibility to assess which of the alternative cluster are better with great NPV and a long payback period, or a lower NPV, but faster payback. The method of internal rate of return (IRR) This method shows the rate at which the present value of the net revenue from the investment of the project is equal to the present value of the investment and the value of net present value: zero. The disadvantage of this method is that the IRR analysis is not suitable for ordinary investment flows. Then all quantitive and qualitive should be summerised to get number that actually describes effectiveness of each cluster. Each number describes one cluster, so there will be 5 numbers for 5 clusters. The method that will be used to summerise all the criteria is analytic hierarchy process developed by Saaty (2008). This method helps to determine the root of any problem through a hierarchical view of the elements. The main idea of the method is to split the problem into smaller elements, the next step they are compared in pairs. Then the next level is estimated by stating priorities and values each criteria. The output is a relative degree of interaction of the elements in the hierarchy. Overall, these are the main methods that will be used in my study. All of them are quantitative methods. That means that it requires quantifiable data involving numerical and statistical explanations. That is why firstly there will be data collected and analysed from financial and performance monthly reports. Statistica or MS Excel will be used to proceed the data and define the main financial and performance values and then count PP, NVP, IRR that mentioned above. There is no particular soft to build the analytic hierarchy process, so MS Excel is an appropriate option. Anticipated Results By the end of this project there will be five values that fully describe the effectiveness of each (of five) cluster. According to these values, it is possible to choose the most effective one. Therefore, it is very useful tool for investors that can easily define the cluster to invest. Companies also can define their weak sides and where they should improve performance, as priority system is used in the hierarchy analytical method. As it was mentioned before, there is no union system to identify the overall cluster effectiveness. This project will be an example of another working tool for measuring the most effective cluster. Moreover, after finishing project there will be gaps and mistakes revealed (if there any). And then recommendations will be given considering these gaps and how to fix them or improve it. Conclusion The purpose of this review was to view trends in evaluating the economic effectiveness of clusters performance within the past five years and see the rapid improvement in innovation clusters. It is clear from the research that creating and integrating clusters and cluster policy is widely practiced in todays economy. That is why there are plenty of methods of estimating cluster effectiveness such as static and dynamic methods of effectiveness analysis. These methods will be analyzed to find out the one that can fully describe the effectiveness. In this research the most appropriate method will be found and reviewed on the consequences of concepts for economic and industrial policy, as today clusters meet some challenges for its proper functioning and development. References Baptista, R., Swann, P. (1998). Do firms in clusters innovate more?. Research policy, 27(5), 525-540. Krugman, P. (1991). History and industry location: The case of the manufacturing belt. The American Economic Review, 81(2), 80-83. Kuei-Hsien, N., Miles, G., Chung-Shing, L. (2008). Strategic development of network clusters. Competitiveness Review: An International Business Journal, 18(3), 176-81. Litzel, N., Mà ¶ller, J. (2009). Industrial clusters and economic integration: theoretic concepts and an application to the European Metropolitan Region Nuremberg, 44-47. Malmberg, A., Sà ¶lvell, ÃÆ'-., Zander, I. (1996). Spatial clustering, local accumulation of knowledge and firm competitiveness. Geografiska Annaler. Series B. Human Geography, 85-97. Marshall, A. (1890). Principles of economics: An introductory volume (Eighth Edition). London: Macmillan. Ortega-Colomer, F. J., Molina-Morales, F. X., Fernà ¡ndez de Lucio, I. (2016). Discussing the Concepts of Cluster and Industrial District. Journal of Technology Management Innovation, 11(2), 139-147. Porter, M. E. (2000). Location, competition, and economic development: Local clusters in a global economy. Economic Development Quarterly, 14(1), 15-34. Porter, M. (2007). Clusters and economic policy: Aligning public policy with the new economics of competition. Cambridge: Harvard Business School, 2. Rutherford D. (2002). In Routledge Dictionary of Economics (2d ed.). London, New York: Routledge. Ruwanpura, K. N., Wrigley, N. (2011). The costs of compliance? Views of Sri Lankan apparel manufacturers in times of global economic crisis. Journal of Economic Geography, 11(6), 1031-1049. Saaty, T. L. (2008). Decision making with the analytic hierarchy process. International journal of services sciences, 1(1), 83-98.

Cold War Essay -- essays research papers

War is normally associated with destruction and death to end a conflict or some sort of disagreement but that is not always the case. After World War II the United States and the Soviet Union began a war that would span decades yet there would be no direct battle between the two nations. This time is called the Cold war because of its lack of battle between just the two nations. Even though it was never the soviets verse the Americans the Soviets often fought the Americans. What could have went so horribly wrong that two nations who at one point were fighting on the same side can suddenly disagree so violently that they aid others to fight each other? The reasons are many and in-depth but it all started at the end of World war II. When the smoke cleared after the last battle of World War II two powers arose. One a democratic society the other a socialistic society neither wanting one to be better than the other. Central Europe, mainly Germany, was the center of the disturbance at the end of the war. The reason that Germany became such a volatile area is because the Soviets controlled one half while the Allies controlled the other and neither was willing to cooperate with the other. As Germany was being divided most of the other European countries were suffering and in need of aid. The United States gave as much aid as they could but there was no possible way to relieve everyone. All over south eastern Europe Communist and socialist parties were rising and gaining power blam...

Gothic Art and Architecture

Gothic art and architecture played a very important role in the appearance of medieval times. The approximate time frame of the Gothic stage began in 1125, preceding the Romanesque period. Gothic art was first considered very ugly and was believed that barbarians were only capable of making such pieces. So, the name gothic meaning ghost was given to this time period. Now in the 20th century people think Gothic art is beautiful and admire it greatly. The First Methodist church in Notate by Red Barrel is a Gothic church.While looking at the church you take note of the pointed arches. This is a feature that began in the Gothic time period, and replaced rounded arches of the Romanesque period. Pointed arches are on every window and on the frame of the door. Inside you can see a simple barrel vaulting system. Another feature of Gothic art that The First Methodist Church has is the wonderful stain glass windows. They were very long and told a religious story. The stain glass allows the wal ls to be thinner and let a nice color filled light in.This light fills the church, and back then would be one of the only systems of light. The most dominant feature of Gothic architecture is the size, or height of the church. They believed that the higher the church the better, because they were closer to heaven. Some even contained towers so they could be closer to heaven. The one in Notate is very tall and has a very high ceiling. The ground plan for the church is in a cross, Just like medieval times. Inside the church is very complex along with the high ceilings.There are no painting, but the columns are highly decorated and complex. The First Methodist Church in Notate has many Gothic features, but is missing some characteristics. It does not have flying buttresses, or a rose window, which were strong Gothic traits. Also there were no windows on the east end where the sun rises. Alters were mainly put on the eat end, so when the sun rose it would fill the alter with light. Goth ic architecture is very beautiful, and the town of Notate is very lucky to have such a marvelous Gothic church in its town.

The Singer Solution to World Poverty

The Singer Solution to World Poverty Peter Singer is an Australian Philosopher. He is considered as a controversial ethicist, who gives one-fifth of his income to famine relief agencies.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on The Singer Solution to World Poverty specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Recently he wrote an article in The New York Times â€Å"The Singer Solution to World Poverty† in which he has suggested that those who have money to spend on luxury should generously donate to help poor people. In this article he has represented some unconventional thoughts about rich people`s obligation for needy ones. However, he has overlooked many facts and has unanswered many questions. Peter Singer has suggested that prosperous people of America should limit their luxurious activities for the sake of poor, hungry and malnourished people. Here question arises what does luxury means? Everyone in this world has different perception about luxury for example ma ny people consider Television as the basic need of life in order to get information and current situation of the world where as some people consider it as a luxury like Peter Singer who strongly believes that the amount of money we spent to buy a TV could be donated to a hungry person who can buy healthy food for himself with that money (Singer). Today people do not consider TV as a luxury but they rely on it for their daily activities they wanted to know about weather emergencies, current events and happenings that are going on across the global. One more important question is about â€Å"necessity†. Most of the American people consider toilet paper a necessity whereas other might consider it as a luxury those people who are living in stricken localities. In this article Peter Singer emphasizes on the need to save lives of poor people by donating that money which goes for luxuries (Singer). Money should be donated to the organizations like UNICEF that could send the money ac ross the boundaries. With that money clothes, food shelter and basic necessities of life could be provided to needy people.Advertising Looking for essay on social sciences? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More However, many people doubted the amount of money they donate to such organizations would really reach to the people it was send for? Peter strongly believes that people of America may become kind one day and they start donating money for hungry children in foreign countries. There is urgent need to realize the fact that if a person just gives up eating out in a restaurant for only one month he could easily save amount that can save life of a child (Singer). From this it could be suggested that saving life of a child is much more valuable than dining out. The perception of donating might be difficult for few years but gradually prosperous people would start donating and this trend could be passed on to generations to generations. Another important question which has left unanswered is that what will happen if organizations such as UNICEF will receive more and more money, they will become power full and would be able to take decisions that might affects the whole world. It could result in causing anarchy, more poverty, hunger and destruction (Singer). According to Peter there is greater need to help people overseas but what about poor needy people of America? Here poverty level is rising day by day, when the government is unable to resolve their issues than how can they give permission to organizations to give money to foreign countries (Singer). Therefore it could be concluded that there are various facts is this article that are left unclear. Although Peter`s thoughts are really good and humanistic but there is no practical application of his perceptions in today`s world. Work Cited Singe, P. The Singer Solution to World Poverty. 5 September 1990. people.brandeis.edu. 20 June 2011 http://peopl e.brandeis.edu/~teuber/singermag1.html.

The Effects on Civilization essays

The Effects on Civilization essays Michael Adas points out in his book Machines as the Measure of Men, that eighteenth century French bourgeois definition of civilized grew to become the standard for Western culture. He argued this to be right due to European expansionist efforts growing further toward a globalize ideal. Societys attitudes toward time, work and nature had transformed due to the changing technology. Similarly, James Gleick focuses on our contemporary culture, in Faster, as being defined by particular experiences of time and work. The argument, that the Enlightenment thinkers predicted and or hoped for this type of society, and the argument that we are suffering with the consequences of revenge effect of the efforts initiated by the European authors of the philosophy of progress are two debates that could be easily argued. In my opinion I believe that we are suffering from the revenge effect. There is one thing about history that is always right, it will never change. Through textbooks, videos, magazines, etc., society has learned about our past cultures; the way they worked, slept, ate, and how they carried out day to day projects and controversies. Back in the 1800s society had no concept of time. People were just aware of night and day. They didnt have the advances in technology such as medicine that we have today. They didnt wake up in the morning, look at their clock and say to themselves, I just wasted the last hour of my life laying in bed. Most of them didnt have a wish list such as wanting to travel the world or buy a new car before they died. Most of them didnt even have a education to know what any of these luxuries were. I believe as new technology developed, enlightenment thinkers predicted that between our attitudes, work, beliefs, technology, etc. that society would put a greater burden on time, but would do it in ...

WRITE A PLAN HOW YOU WOULD POSITION YOURSELF FOR VICE PRESIDENT HUMAN Essay

WRITE A PLAN HOW YOU WOULD POSITION YOURSELF FOR VICE PRESIDENT HUMAN RESOURCE - Essay Example The Human Resources Department is tasked with specific functions to carry out its objectives. In order to perform these functions well, its personnel should possess the necessary qualifications, most especially, the person leading them – the vice president for human resources. It is in this regard that this essay is written to present a plan for the position of vice president for human resources in a particular organization. The plan would entail presenting the general scope of responsibilities and further detailing the specific roles and responsibilities of a vice president for human resources. In addition, the mission and vision of the department would be identified to present the focus or objective of the department and identify the department’s strategy to attain organizational goals. According to Wytenburg, â€Å"the Vice President of Human Resources/HR Director is responsible for establishing the company’s personnel base (employed and otherwise) and ensuring this base is adequate and appropriate to its strategic and operational needs. This role will often involve such things as career coaching and organizational development, leadership planning and development, and the planning and delivery of training and education.† As the Vice President for Human Resources, the scope of the responsibilities encompasses five functions: job organization and information, acquisition or recruitment of personnel, maintenance, development and research on human resources. The vice president is tasked to supervise, control, and direct the overall implementation of personnel policies while his or her managers and staff takes care of specialized personnel functions. The specific and technical duties of a vice president are complex and multifarious in terms of performing general management functions in relation to top management and to the human resources department personnel. The detailed responsibilities of the position require

Sustainability and Ethics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Sustainability and Ethics - Essay Example The very issue of fuddling may also lead to the civil society organisations competing with each other for funding and therefore render it impossible for the civil society organisations to work in concert to have creative and constrictive regulation of the business environment.Given the fact that these organisation can be manipulated by the very businesses they are supposed to regulate, it becomes clear that they may not work for the good of the public but may seek the good of the individual people running them. In this kind of scenario, it can be said that their value to the society is not only reduced but that they are actually harmful to the very public they are supposed to protect. However, it cannot be assumed that all civil societies are easily manipulated by private business through funding. Some of them are well managed and are able to retain their authority and are run with integrity. These few civil society organisations are most likely to be helpful to the public and help i n protecting the public from other organisations that may be unethical in the way they operate.There are a number of issues that affect the way a business is run. Sustainability has become a major beacon in the development of business strategies and it is important for any business manager to be able to know what business sustainability is in order to carefully and effectively include it in the business model and ensure that the business has a good sustainability plan (Brockett and Rezaee, 2012). However, the challenge to its is that there are various definitions of sustainability, and although they are all similar, they all defer from each other in at least one critical way.

Is information society the consequence of a revolutionary change from Essay

Is information society the consequence of a revolutionary change from previous social relations or has there just been gradual evolution - Essay Example An information society would be meaningless if it is following a set agenda. This could be a politically backed agenda or could derive its motivation from a number of different areas, most of which remain within the state itself. The society has a very pertinent role to play as far as the information spreading regimes are concerned. If the society is naà ¯ve and does not actually know what this information would do towards their own lives, it would be safe to state that such an information society is serving the cause of absolutely no one. Propagation of political thought within an information society would be equivalent to meeting an objective or a goal which is intended and hence motivated in such a manner that it changes the perceptions of the people. Following an agenda within an information society is therefore filled with different dispositions, all of which have an important role at understanding the dictum of bringing in a social change, one that is either of a short-term na ture or meant to bring a long run progression. Then there is the important discussion of political tilts getting shifted through the incorporation of media outlets and under such aegis, an information society would only work best towards providing that competitive advantage that has been envisaged.

How an organisation communicates Essay Example for Free

How an organisation communicates Essay Introduction The aim of this assignment is to relate how an organisation communicates its core values and mission to the public, shareholders and employees. This is an objective that can easily get overlooked in the rush to master environmental analysis, strategic choice and outsourcing decisions. However it is important in practice and it is a challenge that many organisations take very seriously. Setting of organisational objectives is the starting point of managerial actions. An organisation’s end results for which an organisation strives is termed as mission, purpose, objective, goal, target etc. Many times, these terms are used interchangeably as all these denote end results. This unit is about providing direction to people in the organisation and enabling, inspiring, motivating and supporting them to achieve what the organisation has set out to do. It is expected to apply different styles of leadership appropriate to different people and situations. For the purposes of this unit, an organisation can mean a self-contained entity such as a private sector company, a charity or a local authority, or a significant operating unit, with a relative degree of autonomy, within a larger organisation. Task 1 Relate the organisation’s purpose, values and vision to people across the organisation (1.1, 1.2, and 1.3) An organisation’s mission is its basic purpose: e.g., what is it for? Why does it exist? A mission statement formalises the organization’s mission by writing it down. Johnson Scholes and Whittington define a mission statement as ‘a statement of overriding direction and purpose of an organisation’. Some companies refer to ‘vision statements’ instead of mission statements. Below is an example of Tesco’s mission statements; Tesco (a UK supermarket chain) their vision is to be the most highly valued by its customers. Their core purpose is to create value for customers to  earn their life time loyalty. This objective sits right at the heart of their business as one part of their values – ‘No one tries harder for customers.’ For Tesco to be considered a force for good, they must be a good neighbour and a responsible member of society. They know that if they look after their staff, they will look after their customers. Work can be a large part of their lives so people deserve an employer who cares. That’s why one of their values is ‘Treat people how we like to be treated’. They are committed to providing opportunities for their people to get on and turn their jobs into careers and across all of their markets they offer a wide range of competitive benefits. According to Michael Hyatt, the author of the New York Times bestseller, Platform; Get noticed in a Noisy World, it is crucial to translate the core values into behaviours that are easy to understand by your employees. He has identified 6 ways to communicate the core values to every member of the organisation. Living the values; leading by example is the best communication tool any leader possesses. A survey conducted by Deloitte has found that 70% of the employees who agree that their companies had performed well financially said their executive management team speaks to them often about the core values associated with the culture of the company.  Hiring new people based on values; recruiting people who already have values that are in alignment with the company’s core values. You can always easily train a person on how to do the job, but it becomes much harder to train a person to have the same values as your organisation.  Reviewing people based on values; incorporating core values as part of performance management process. Reviewing people based on values is interrelated with rewarding people for demonstrating the values.  Business objectives are the ends that an organisation sets out to achieve. A business creates business plans to enable it to achieve these ends – thus plans are the means to the ends. The objectives and plans that an organisation creates are determined by balancing the requirements of the various stakeholders in the organisation. The stakeholders are those individuals and groups that are affected by and have interest in how the business is run and it achieves. Every business has a range of stakeholders including: The  objectives that a company establishes are based on blending the various interests of these stakeholder groupings.  For example; an objective to be the market leader, will benefit all stakeholders because customers will receive high quality products, shareholders will receive high dividends, and employees will receive good wages and so on. Organisations create a hierarchy of objectives. At the top level, an organisation will often create a ‘mission’ setting out the purpose of the organisation. This will be followed by a set of objectives relating to such aspects as: Objectives about employee satisfaction Objectives about cutting pollution Objectives about customer satisfaction Objectives about market share Objectives about return to shareholders.  A business plan will then enable an organisation to achieve its objectives. The business plan must be set within a time frame and set out how the organisation and the various components of the organisation will work towards meeting required objectives. Responsibilities for delivering various parts of the plan will be allocated to key individuals and performance targets will be established which enabled the plan to be delivered. The business will create a series of polices, programmes and budgets to enable it to achieve planned targets. It is also essential from the outset to clarify how the plan will be evaluated on an ongoing basis. (businesscasestudies.co.uk) Motivation in Virgin Media, the word motivation could be defined as the driving force behind actions and behaviour. It leads individuals to take action to achieve a goal or to fulfil a need or expectation. Understanding what motivates employees at work ensures that a business not only has employees that have the knowledge, skill and ability to do the job, but who are also committed to achieve a high standard of work. There are much positive behaviour that indicates employees are motivated including taking responsibilities, helping colleagues, a commitment to achieving company targets and goals as well as interest and concern of the business. Virgin Media recognises that reward is one of the many motivating factors for a lot of its people and offers competitive salaries. It also offers bonus schemes such as it’sASPIRE field  pay and reward scheme. The scheme rewards every Net Promoter Score (NPS) of 9 or 10 with  £10. However, as a forward thinking business, it understands the importance of different motivational factors. It offers additional benefits including private health care, life assurance, company pension scheme and staff saving scheme. The opportunity to progress within the organisation is also an important factor. All virgin media technicians are managed through the ‘Your Story Framework’ for career progression. This includes regular meetings to discuss performance, review progress against set objectives to enable progression within the company. (businesscasestudies.co.uk) One theorist whose studies became influential is Elton Mayo. Mayo’s research concluded that motivating factors include recognition, a sense of belonging and involvement as well as social aspects of the workplace. In 1943, Abraham Maslow published his theory of a hierarchy of needs. Maslow identified that as individuals, we have five set of needs. At the first level, basic needs are those of food, water, warmth and shelter with wages that meet those needs. Safety needs include protection from danger, for example; health and safety at work as well as job security. Social needs include a sense of belonging in work teams. He identified esteem needs as those of self-confidence, feeling useful and needed by other people. Maslow proposed that having satisfied all the lower needs an individual would then be able to realise their own potential for self-actualisation. (businesscasestudies.co.uk) Task 2 Explain the skills necessary to provide support and advice to people during periods of setbacks and change. (2.1 and 2.2) Change is something that happens in businesses all of the time. Change can occur in an organisation’s internal or external environment. As a result, this process of change is constant. Effective managers are proactive in creating solutions to improve the organisations performance. They must then manage employees through the change process. Managers have to plan and drive change initiatives. This involves managing the change process and making it part of an organisations strategy. Strategies a business achieve its aims and objectives. This helps businesses to develop in a more focused way to the environment in which it operates, whilst facing new challenges with more certainty.  Organisations  require skilled and well qualified managers and leaders to drive change initiatives and effectively manage employees through the process. (businesscasestudies.co.uk) When business is booming, employee morale usually soars. It seems like everyone’s getting bonuses, hiring assistants and basking in the company’s success. But when bad news rolls in, the collective mood of employees can plummet. This can happen when the firm looses a big account, suffers a severe downturn or experiences regulatory of legal setbacks. Employees will then look to managers for guidance and reassurance. During trying times, the manager becomes more than the business owner. They must lead employees by setting an inspiring example. When managers’exhibit strength in the face of adversity, they assure the troops that they are able to steer the company through a rough patch and prevent it from sustaining lasting image. Managers must delegate freely to manage a fast-growth business. But boosting employees’ morale during tough times is one job no one can pass off. (Democratic Leadership style) Managers should make themselves visible when setback occurs. They should start attending staff meetings they normally skipped. Help clerks do filing, answer the phone alongside customer service representatives or relieve exhausted workers on the assembly line or loading dock. By pitching in with a positive attitude, they will lift everyone’s sprit. There is no single best way to build morale in the midst of organisational setbacks. While some employees will shoulder crisis without much complaint, many others will react negatively. Managers can customise behaviour to address those employees’ personality. Here’s one morale booster that will work for all employees; see out their advice and act on it. By soliciting their suggestions and implementing as many of them as possible you make them feel like problem solvers who can exert at least some control over an unpredictable situation. This in other word will be identified as the democratic leadership style which is also known as participative leadership. It is a type of leadership style in which members of the group take a more participative role in the decision-making process. (psychology.about.com) Example; if a country zoning board imposes a steep fine on your business, ask employees for ideas on how to cut costs. Approve even modest proposals  to save office supplies; this will help employees take ownership of the crisis and work together to outlast it.(edwardlowe.org) There are different types of support and advice people may need and this could be provided in many ways.(www.invo.org.uk) Personal/Professional Development; to review people’s progress and performance and provide positive feedback and encouragement and/or to see if they need any additional pointers to further develop their skills. For example, members of the public who take on research roles such as peer interviewing, may need feedback and guidance when they first put their skills into practice. Practical Support; to help people to familiarise themselves with a new research environment, for example, all research team members might need help with finding their way around a new location or building. Members of the public may need support with meeting their practical needs, such as payment of fees and expenses, making travel arrangements, parking, and assessing childcare. Emotional/Psychological Support; to help people to cope with any distress that arises as a direct consequence of being involved in research, for example, if they become upset after discussing a sensitive or emotional topic, or from hearing about other people’s bad experiences, or from returning to an environment that has been traumatic in the past. Some people may also be challenged by others about the benefit of public involvement in research and may be helped by being prepared to cope with professional or criticism. Emotional/Psychological Support is often as relevant to researches as it is to involve members of the public. On-the-job-Support; to allow people to let off steam or raise any concerns after a difficult meeting or frustrating experience. Some of these types of support can be provided through informal mechanism that develops organically as colleagues start to work together and form a team. Others may be better provided through a more formal approach that will need to be properly resourced. Communicate with Customers and Employees; do not be reluctant to confront bad news. Develop a strategy to disseminate information. It may not be customers you need to talk to, but suppliers and vendors. Managers also have to engage their employees. Listen to staff and address any specific challenges they face. ‘Keep them up to par with what is going on; even you don’t have all of the answers’. Conduct overall cost Analysis; as a manager, look at where you can reduce overhead. Negotiate with suppliers for a better price, find ways to save money. If the company has a bunch of products that doesn’t sell, cut back on inventory. ‘Companies think that because headcount is the biggest line, item on their budget then that is where they should cut costs. Getting rid of employees is the easiest strategy but it might not be the right one’. ‘Layoffs are generally a reaction versus a well thought out strategy. As a manager, you don’t want to cut so deep it hurts the company’. Empower Employees; find ways to increase moral and empower employees to be the best that they can be, their inputs and opinions should be valued. ‘Happy employees, take care of customers’. Employees are an important asset because they are in direct communication with customers. Motivated employees attract more satisfied customers which in turn, lead to increased profits’. Embrace Change; ‘Most people are not good at taking risks when they are threatened, we have a tendency to react by fright or flight’ says James.By becoming too defensive, it could reduce chances which could lead out a set of crisis situations. When face with a company setback, it is necessary to stay positive; look at what is working, be proactive, find new growth opportunities, preserve-hang in there and ride out the storm. (www.inc.com) Task 3 Analyse the need for integrity, fairness and consistency in managerial  decision making. (3.1, 3.2, 3.3 and3.4) Decision-making is a crucial part of good business. It is good information and experience in interpreting information. Decision-making increasingly happens at all levels of a business. The board of directors may make the grand strategic decisions about investment and direction of future growth (www.tutor2u.net) Often, association leaders must make decisions that members do not agree with but maybe greatly affected by. Members may feel they have little to say over the actions implemented by their leaders. Association staff members are often charged with implementing decisions made by leadership, including communicating the decisions to members and helping members understand that the decision will ultimately result in good. Recently, the Interior Design Educators Council (IDEC) leadership increased annual membership dues. This change alone would help to fund the association better and also provide new opportunities and means for future development. This single alteration has expanded the parameters of this organisation dramatically. They are now considering additional functions, retreats, scholarships programs and resources etc.  It is no secret that economic times are difficult, we find ourselves suddenly in a world of hopeful get-rich-quick strategies, and ‘’extreme couponing’’ champions. Asking people to give more when they have less is not a decision that is considered to be popular. Although the actions and decisions of our leaders are sometimes confusing to others, we must have confidence in the leadership in place, and in the decisions that they make more times than not, members voted them into the position of leadership. (www.raybourn.com, 2012) I think that for unpopular decisions, the more personal the communications method, the better. The scale and geographic spread of an organisation will have a big influence, but the nearer one get to a face to face communication, the better. So, phone is better than email. Video conference is better than phone, in person is better than video conference.  It is useful to think about unpopular decisions from the point of view of the decision itself (unpopular outcome) the process of coming up with the decision (fair process), and the opportunity to deal with the consequences of the decision (work grounds).(www.changingorganisations.com) Different types of communication styles could be used to communicate difficult and unpopular decisions. In business world, communication is necessary for conducting business in an  efficient manner. Any business involves two types of communication; external communication that is directed to the actors in the business environment, and internal communication or organisational communication that is directed to employees. In addition, it is not possible to imagine organisational communication without conflicts. Conflicts are normal in any organisation, because people have different opinions. People communicate their thoughts, idea, knowledge and fears differently in conflicts situations. Managers and team members should know and understand these different styles of communications to avert conflicts. Oral communication is one common form of internal communication for example, in a group or one to one meeting. Nowadays, electronic communication is growing in importance. This can involve written communication, such as an email, text or tweet or oral communication via video conferencing. Intranet; enterprise has recently developed a new intranet system called ‘the hub’ this replaced a purely information based system. It enables input from employees at enterprise’s locations across Western Europe and North America. This channel of communication supports enterprise’s core values. When the outcome of a decision is not known with certainty, a manager faces a decision-making problem under either conditions of risks or conditions of uncertainty. A decision is made under risk when a manager can make a list of all possible outcomes associated with a decision and assign a probability of occurrence to each one of the outcomes. The process of assigning probabilities to outcomes sometimes involves rather sophisticated analysis base on the manager’s extensive experience in similar situations or on other data. An example of a decision made under risk might be the following; a manager decides to spend  £1000 on a magazine ad believing there are three possible outcomes for the ad, 20 percent chance the ad will have only a small effect on sales, a 60 percent chance of a moderate effect and a 20 percent chance of a very large effect. This decision is made under risk because the manager can list each potential outcome and determine the probability of each outcome occurring. Accommodation Style; people prefer to keep their emotions in control and to speak indirectly, using metaphors or other techniques to prevent a conflict from escalating and damaging the relationship. Discussion Style; most managers’ keep their emotions controlled but try to speak clearly and accurately about their disagreements  to the other person. Engagement Style; people in this group are more comfortable with feelings and express them openly. They try to be direct about what their concerns are and are often passionate in their conversations.(psychosocial.actalliance.org) There is no normal style of communication. It simply varies between people and cultures. Communication styles can vary between people in an organisation. As we work with people from different communities and countries, it can be expected we will meet people whose communication styles may differ from our own. It is therefore, important to clear up misunderstandings and misinterpretations early on and to be open to different styles of communications. In contrast to risk, uncertainty exists when a decision maker cannot list all possible outcomes and cannot assign probabilities to the various outcomes. When faced with uncertainty, a manager would know only the different decision option available and the different possible states of nature. The states of nature are the events or conditions that can influence the final outcome or payoff of a decision but cannot be controlled or affected by the manager.  My suggestion is to use the following as a starting point; Summarise the issues relating to the decision Outline the process you went through to arrive at the decision Say what the problem is   Provide opportunity for people to tell you the implications of the decisions from their perspective Ask them to identify possible action or solutions in response to the implications they raise.  Conclusion It is more powerful if top senior managers and directors in every work place get to their people (employees) before the decision is finalised, they need to tell workers what they are contemplating and ask them what the implications are from their own perspective. (Don’t assume you know what their perspective is, even if you know them well and used to do their job yourself). You can then problem solve with them about how to alleviate the negative implications they have identified. And you never know, they might identify some positive implications or opportunities the organisation has not thought of. Bibliography (n.d.). Retrieved March 4th, 2014, from businesscasestudies.co.uk: http://businesscasestudies.co.uk/business-theory/strategy/business-objectives-planning-and-stakeholders.html#axzz2v2QsaooB (n.d.). Retrieved March 4th, 2014, from businesscasestudies.co.uk: http://businesscasestudies.co.uk/teacher-resources/#axzz2v2QsaooB (n.d.). (K. Cherry, Producer) Retrieved March 5th, 2014, from psychology.about.com: http://psychology.about.com/od/leadership/f/democratic-leadership.htm (n.d.). Retrieved March 5th, 2014, from edwardlowe.org: http://edwardlowe.org/digital-library/maintaining-employee-morale-during-setbacks/ (n.d.). Retrieved March 6th, 2014, from www.invo.org.uk: http://www.invo.org.uk/different-types-of-support/ (n.d.). (R. Bowett, Producer) Retrieved March 7th, 2014, from www.tutor2u.net: http://tutor2u.net/business/organisation/decisionmaking.htm (n.d.). (C. M. Brown, Producer) Retrieved March 8th, 2014, from www.inc.com: http://www.inc.com/guides/2010/10/7-tips-for-dealing-with-a-company-setback.html (Ducham)

Religion In Life Of Pi Theology Religion Essay

Religion In Life Of Pi Theology Religion Essay If you stumble about believability, what are you living for. Love is hard to believe, ask any lover. Life is hard to believe, ask any scientist. God is hard to believe, ask any believer. What is your problem with hard to believe. Life of Pi is a tale about survival, belief in God and coming of age that unfolds while the protagonist is floating in a lifeboat on the Pacific Ocean. Belief in God is clearly a major theme in this novel, and has been the most controversial in reviews of the book. Throughout the novel, Pi makes his belief in and love of God clear. This exhilarating story begins with an old man in Pondicherry who tells the narrator, I have a story that will make you believe in God. The protagonist explores the different issues of religion and spirituality from an early age and survives even 227 days shipwrecked in the ocean. Storytelling and religious beliefs are two closely linked ideas in the novel. On a literal level, each of Pis three religions, Hinduism, Christianity, and Islam, come with its own set of tales and fables, which are used to spread the teachings and illustrate the beliefs of the faith. This book defends not only the common spirit behind these three religions, but the rituals and ce remonies of each. Its as if all three religions find harmonious common ground in this character. Seems unlikely, but then again, the protagonist argues passionately that the miraculous happens in our darkest moments. These three religions are really all the same except for small differences in the practice of their faith. Hindus have a great capacity for love; Muslims see God in everything; and Christians are quite devout. In this case, Pi enjoys the wealth of stories, but he also senses that, as Father Martin assured him was true of Christianity, each of these stories might simply be aspects of a greater, universal story about love. Pi remains unattached to any one interpretation of God. Sure, he believes each religion but he doesnt guard their specific tenets jealously. Pi shares a rich parable: Each time the milkmaids try to possess Krishna he vanishes. Likewise, each time a religious faith tries to claim sole ownership of God, true religion vanishes. This story reveals a few of the workings of Pis complex religious beliefs. You may have wondered how anyone could ever hold Hindu, Christian, and Muslim beliefs all at once. Pis answer: without a trace of jealousy. Stories and religious beliefs are also linked in Life of Pi because Pi asserts that both require faith on the part of the listener or devotee. Surprisingly for such a religious boy, Pi admires atheists. To him, the important thing is to believe in something, and Pi can appreciate an atheists ability to believe in the absence of God with no concrete proof of that absence. Pi has nothing but disdain, however, for agnostics, who claim that it is impossible to know either way, and, who therefore refrain from making a definitive statement on the question of God. So Pi sees that this as an evidence of a shameful lack of imagination. To him, agnostics who cannot make a leap of faith in either direction are like listeners who cannot appreciate the non-literal truth a fictional story might provide. Regarding with the plot of this novel, we begin with a little boy, Pi Patel, who is the main character of Yann Martels novel Life of Pi. Hes the son of a zookeeper who runs a small zoo in India. Despite all his familys ideas of modern secularism, Pi is drawn to religion. In his adolescence he adopts not only the beliefs of Hinduism, but Catholicism and Islam as well. Each religion gives Pi something that he felt was missing in his spiritual life so, because of this, he never feels compelled to choose one belief system over the other. Religion will save us, I said. Since when I could remember, religions had always been close to my heart. So, in this case and because of his family, he was first introduced to Hinduism and describes it as the religion of his birth and a deep part of himself. For him, Hinduism is not a religion to be left behind when he discovers another, but rather the intrinsic framework of his own spirituality. Then, when he finds out Catholicism, he studies it through curiosity for what it entails, not because of any dissatisfaction with his current understanding of Hinduism, largely for his own pleasure. The same is true at the time that he later adds the religion of Islam to his quilt of religious beliefs. While the young boy is comfortable with his firm and serious belief in three seemingly disparate religions, the leaders of these religions are obviously not so happy when they learn of his expanded view of religion. As chance would have it, Pis priest, pandit and imam all happen upon Pi and his parents at the same time. This ensuing conversation captures current religious discord as all of the religious leaders agree that Pi cannot be Hindu, Catholic, and Muslim at the same time and despite their prodding, Pi insists that he simply wants to love and adore God. He says: I just want to love God (Martel 69) and will not choose between religions. Then, during his adolescence, he also discovers atheism through his biology teacher, Mr. Kumar. Though Pi greatly respects Mr. Kumar, and calls him his favourite teacher, Pi isnt comfortable exploring all the ideas of atheism or seeing how science holds its own beauty without need for a deity. He decides that atheists are his brothers and sisters of a different faith, but it is not a belief that he understands or chooses to explore. In fact, the concept of atheism frightens him so much. Pi, who asks many questions when he is presented with other religions, is very silent when Mr. Kumar always offers some of his atheistic views: Religion? Mr. Kumar grinned broadly. I dont believe in religion. Religion is darkness. Pi answers: Darkness? I was puzzled. I thought, Darkness is the last thing that religion is. Religion is light. Was he testing me? Was he saying, Religion is darkness, the way he sometimes said in class things like Mammals lay eggs, to see if someone would correct him? (Only platypuses, sir.)(1.7.9 11) and finally explains: It wasnt for fear of angering Mr. Kumar. I was more afraid that in a few words thrown out he might destroy something that I loved. Pis education includes both science and religion; he comes to love both these disciplines but agnosticism the suspension of belief (e.g., I dont have enough evidence to believe in God so I wont commit one way or the other.) drives the boy bonkers. For Pi, belief is one of the most beautiful actions of human life. To live otherwise is to live statically. One can either choose a rich, dynamic life or a static, uncommitted life. Yet, this religious discussion takes place well before Pi is set adrift in a lifeboat filled with wild zoo animals. Here it is the groundwork that shapes the rest of the story, a wonderful and incredible story that is only and exclusively meant to make listeners believe in god. Part two of the book begins the tale of Pis shipwreck and subsequent survival. When Pi is 16, his family decides to sell the zoo and immigrate to Canada to escape the increasingly undesirable political developments in 1970s India. They will get a better price for many of their animals in America, so the family and several of the animals of the zoo begin their journey on a Japanese cargo ship named Tsimtsum. Midway to Midway the ship suddenly and quickly sinks for unknown reasons. When this unfortunate event takes place, Pi finds himself in a lifeboat with a hyena, an orangutan, a wounded zebra, and an adult Bengal tiger. There are no other human survivors, and it is not long before the animals do away with each other-the hyena dispatches the zebra and the orangutan and the tiger dispatch the hyena-, leaving Pi and the tiger alone in the lifeboat. In the same way, we can clearly assert that Pi Patel wins lots of different challenges covering from his psychic and spiritual learning to his basic and essential instinct and survival throughout his horrific and very hard adventures at sea. The most relevant fact is that his unbelievable believing in God, helps him to survive multiple obstacles that he faces on the lifeboat. His study about all three religions, serves as a great defensive safeguard from the difficult harsh situations of life. It is a very long journey filled with too much danger, loneliness and doubt, but most of all an exploration of faith. This astonishing character maintains all his religious beliefs while on the life boat through his daily ritual prayers, which helps to sustain him. Hes faced with physical difficulty almost all time, ranging from salt-water boils, to the threat of death by a tiger, to cold, to starvation, to dehydration, to dementia and many other difficulties. He continues to pray regularly, an d must plead to God in order to survive his ordeal. He remembers the misery he felt after such a long time away from God, saying: It was natural that, bereft and desperate as I was, in the throes of unremitting suffering, I should turn to God (Martel 315). With Pi keeping his ritual prayers going, that helped him to survive. Also, he was able to maintain somewhat the religious lifestyle that he had prior to the sinking of the Tsimtsum. He also makes many religious relationships throughout his journey and lots of comparisons between Orange Juice and the Virgin Mary. She came floating on an island of bananas in a halo of light, as lovely as the Virgin Mary (Martel 111). Truly, Pis religious faith remained strong throughout his journey on the Pacific Ocean. Straightway, when Pi eventually washes up on the shores of Mexico, and the tiger dashes off into the jungle never to be seen again, he is nursed back to health by locals. While Pi is recovering, two men from the company that owned the Japanese cargo ship come to visit him. They are very anxious because they are looking for answers about what might have caused the ship to sink so then he tells them the fantastic and amazing tale that he experienced and was presented through the book. Obviously, the men do not believe him so they became very upset and tell Pi that they want to know what really happened. They only want to know a rational truth. After some discussion, Pi agrees to tell them another story, another one that does not involve animals or any marvellous fact. His second boring story involves a handful of human survivors, including one who kills the others, even including Pis mother. He affirms that at the end of the story he kills the killer and is left as the only survivor. N either story sheds any light on why the ship might have sunk. Before the men leave, Pi asks him about which of the two stories is the best, since neither provides factual information that they can use. The men who appears at the beginning, who was listening the whole story, agree that the story with the animals was a better story. This is the point of the book. It is the reason why readers are supposed to now believe in god. When it comes down to a choice between realism and fantasy, or science and religion, which story is the best? Religious minded readers may find comfort in the notion that it is better to believe in an uplifting story over more believable, but less entertaining facts. However, this argument is unlikely to be persuasive to atheists or encourage them to believe in God.