The Crucible belonging ; exclusion (the other) Essay Example For Students

The Crucible: belonging ; exclusion (the other) Essay The Crucible: belonging exclusion (the other)What is it to belong to a group? Is it really that simple when someone says, Either youre with us or youre not? Yes, it is that simple. Belonging and exclusion in any situation are two sides of the same coin you cant have one without the other. In any organization or group, people are bound together by a community of interest, purpose or function and if you do not believe in these same things, then you are not a part of that group. In an organization or group, you have to ask yourself, What is it to be a part of this particular group, what does it take to belong? It takes following the rules of the group, agreeing with their purpose, obeying their authorities and the ability to go the length for their cause. In The Crucible, if they did not abide as part of the group, the Christian Church, then the consequences were fatal. The Crucible told of what is was to be a scapegoat in their society and what it took to defend themselves from becoming that scapegoat. We will write a custom essay on The Crucible: belonging ; exclusion (the other) specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now To remind people in an organization why they belong takes continued focus on a common goal or common belief. By having one main function, a group is generally more effective than if everyone has different ideas and outlooks on specific topics. However, to keep everyone on the same page, the members of a group need to accurately know where they stand in reference to their goal. One way to do this is through social facilitation. This is the concern of self image through the presence of other people. Its a concept that allows members to know the acceptable opinions of the group. Someone who agrees to the ideas set out from the organization. Group polarization is the concept of changing personal opinions to extremities after a group discussion. This concept eliminates members who arent sure what they think of the groups purpose. They decide that either they agree completely or they disagree completely. Either way it means they decide if they are in or out after the group discussion. A common goal is one way to distinguish and separate the devoted members from the questionable individuals in a group. High cohesiveness is an effective tool in the success and effectiveness of an organization. However, in order for success and effectiveness, the group must ensure that everyone is willing to follow the guidelines implicitly. Traditionally, rules are set out for the members to follow. Generally, explicit rules are made in order for everyone to obviously and without question understand what is expected of them. Ideally, a clear list of what you can and cannot do and what is acceptable and unacceptable in their organization should exist. Unfortunately these requirements are not all written down implicit standards are always hiding in a group, whether they are talked of or not is up to the group. We usually call these implicit rules actual norms which are there to ensure that only the proper people are involved in the group. Implicit details often provide secret exclusion for members that dont belong. Some details are implicitly implied only because by exploiting these undercover rules, the image of the group is disturbed and the hypocrisy of the rule makers might be uncovered. Without rules people might be able to act as they please which is not the purpose of a group. Just as in society, with rules must come enforcers. There can be no expectations for people to follow the rules if there is no one to enforce the consequences. .u854a151446f3c2a63c106bd7df8a4c78 , .u854a151446f3c2a63c106bd7df8a4c78 .postImageUrl , .u854a151446f3c2a63c106bd7df8a4c78 .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .u854a151446f3c2a63c106bd7df8a4c78 , .u854a151446f3c2a63c106bd7df8a4c78:hover , .u854a151446f3c2a63c106bd7df8a4c78:visited , .u854a151446f3c2a63c106bd7df8a4c78:active { border:0!important; } .u854a151446f3c2a63c106bd7df8a4c78 .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .u854a151446f3c2a63c106bd7df8a4c78 { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .u854a151446f3c2a63c106bd7df8a4c78:active , .u854a151446f3c2a63c106bd7df8a4c78:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .u854a151446f3c2a63c106bd7df8a4c78 .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .u854a151446f3c2a63c106bd7df8a4c78 .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .u854a151446f3c2a63c106bd7df8a4c78 .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .u854a151446f3c2a63c106bd7df8a4c78 .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .u854a151446f3c2a63c106bd7df8a4c78:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .u854a151446f3c2a63c106bd7df8a4c78 .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .u854a151446f3c2a63c106bd7df8a4c78 .u854a151446f3c2a63c106bd7df8a4c78-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .u854a151446f3c2a63c106bd7df8a4c78:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: Down Syndrome Essay This is why authority and leadership are key points in keeping their sense of belonging in a group. It is well known that people tend to lose focus of what is important to them when no one is helping them along, thus the necessity for role expectations. Someone in a group must take responsibility to be relentless and bold, to take charge of situations. Leadership makes it all happen. If there is no leader in a group, it is likely that the group would not accomplish anything as they lose focus. Scatterbrained, people would be staring at each

Free Essays on Metamorphasis

Metamorphosis â€Å"When he lifted his head a little, he saw his vaulted brown belly, sectioned by arch-shaped ribs, to whose dome the cover, about to slide off completely, could barely cling. His many legs, pitifully thin compared with the size of the rest of him, were waving helplessly before his eyes.† Gregor Samsa has gone through a metamorphosis. This change has turned Gregor into a â€Å"monstrous vermin†. The anxieties, inner terrors, and cynicism, which fill Gregor’s life, are expressed by Kafka throughout the novel, metamorphosis. Franz Kafka uses these feelings as an element of Expressionism to convey Gregor’s attitudes towards his life and society. Examples depicting this element of Expressionism used in the novel are Gregor’s feelings towards his job, the effect his job has on his family, and the cruelty that his family displays. The novel opens with Gregor in his monstrous state, late for work. He infers that his job as a traveling salesman is very consequential, yet he is growing tired and frustrated, â€Å"The upset of doing business is much worse than the actual business in the home office, and, besides, I’ve got the torture of traveling, worrying about changing trains, eating miserable food at all hours, constantly seeing new faces, no relationships that last or get more intimate. To the devil with it all!† Gregor has a great amount of fury towards his job, which eventually led to his anger towards society as a whole. The fact that his office manager showed up at Gregor’s house plays an immense role in creating trepidation and anxieties in Gregor’s mind. Gregor feels strangled by his job and is too weak to tolerate the pressure. In addition to the pressure created by his office manager and society, the Samsa’s, especially Gregor’s father, take advantage of him. Gregor earns the basic income to support his family. â€Å"But of course he actually could have paid off more of his father’s debt to the ... Free Essays on Metamorphasis Free Essays on Metamorphasis Metamorphosis â€Å"When he lifted his head a little, he saw his vaulted brown belly, sectioned by arch-shaped ribs, to whose dome the cover, about to slide off completely, could barely cling. His many legs, pitifully thin compared with the size of the rest of him, were waving helplessly before his eyes.† Gregor Samsa has gone through a metamorphosis. This change has turned Gregor into a â€Å"monstrous vermin†. The anxieties, inner terrors, and cynicism, which fill Gregor’s life, are expressed by Kafka throughout the novel, metamorphosis. Franz Kafka uses these feelings as an element of Expressionism to convey Gregor’s attitudes towards his life and society. Examples depicting this element of Expressionism used in the novel are Gregor’s feelings towards his job, the effect his job has on his family, and the cruelty that his family displays. The novel opens with Gregor in his monstrous state, late for work. He infers that his job as a traveling salesman is very consequential, yet he is growing tired and frustrated, â€Å"The upset of doing business is much worse than the actual business in the home office, and, besides, I’ve got the torture of traveling, worrying about changing trains, eating miserable food at all hours, constantly seeing new faces, no relationships that last or get more intimate. To the devil with it all!† Gregor has a great amount of fury towards his job, which eventually led to his anger towards society as a whole. The fact that his office manager showed up at Gregor’s house plays an immense role in creating trepidation and anxieties in Gregor’s mind. Gregor feels strangled by his job and is too weak to tolerate the pressure. In addition to the pressure created by his office manager and society, the Samsa’s, especially Gregor’s father, take advantage of him. Gregor earns the basic income to support his family. â€Å"But of course he actually could have paid off more of his father’s debt to the ...

Market Structure Essays

Market Structure Essays Market Structure Essay Market Structure Essay We can classify firms by the roles they play in the target market: leader, challenger, follower, or nicher. Suppose a market is occupied by the firms shown in Figure 1. 1. Forty percent of the market is in the hands of a market leader; another 30 percent is in the hands of a market challenger; another 20 percent is in the hands of a market follower, a firm that is willing to maintain its market share and not rock the boat. The remaining 10 percent is in the hands of market nichers, firms that serve small market segments not being served by larger firms. . 1. Market Leader Many industries contain one firm that is the acknowledged market leader. This firm has the largest market share in the relevant product market, and usually leads the other firms in price changes, new-product introductions, distribution coverage, and promotional intensity. Some well-known market leaders are Microsoft (computer software), Intel (microprocessors), Gatorade (sports drinks), Best Buy (retail electronics), McDonalds (fast food), Gillette (razor blades), UnitedHealth (health insurance), and Visa (credit cards). . 1. 1Market Leader’s Objectives Remaining number one calls for action on three fronts. First, the firm must find ways to expand total market demand. Second, the firm must protect its current market share through good defensive and offensive actions. Third, the firm can try to increase its market share, even if market size remains constant. 1. 1. 1. 1 Expanding The Total Market The dominant firm normally gains the most when the total market expands. If Americans, for instance, increase their consumption of ketchup, Heinz stands to gain the most because it sells almost two-thirds of the countrys ketchup. If Heinz can convince more Americans to use ketchup, or to use ketchup with more meals, or to use more ketchup on each occasion, Heinz will benefit considerably. In general, the market leader should look for new customers or more usage from existing customers. NEW CUSTOMERS Every product class has the potential of attracting buyers who are unaware of the product or who are resisting it because of price or lack of certain features. A company can search for new users among three groups: those who might use it but do not (market-penetration strategy), those who have never used it (new-market segment strategy), or those who live elsewhere (geographical-expansion strategy). Starbucks Coffee is one of the best-known brands in the world. Starbucks is able to sell a cup of coffee for $3 while the store next door can only get $1. And if you want the popular cafe latte, its $4. Starbucks has more than 7,200 locations throughout North America, the Pacific Rim, Europe, and the Middle East, and its annual revenue for 2002 topped $3. 3 billion. Its corporate Web site gives a peek into its multipronged approach to growth. Starbucks purchases and roasts high-quality whole bean coffees and sells them along with fresh, rich-brewed, Italian style espresso beverages, a variety of pastries and confections, and coffee-related accessories and equipment- primarily through its company-operated retail stores. In addition, Starbucks sells whole bean coffees through a specialty sales group and supermarkets. Additionally, Starbucks produces and sells bottled Frappuccino ® coffee drinks and a line of premium ice creams through its joint venture partnerships and offers a line of innovative premium teas produced by its wholly owned subsidiary, Tazo Tea Company. The companys objective is to establish Starbucks as the most recognized and respected brand in the world. To achieve this goal, the company plans to continue to rapidly expand its retail operations, grow its specialty sales and other operations, and selectively pursue opportunities to leverage the Starbucks brand through the introduction of new products and the development of new distribution channels. MORE USAGE Usage can be increased by increasing the level or quantity of consumption or increasing the frequency of consumption. The amount of consumption can sometimes be increased through packaging or product design. Larger package sizes have been shown to increase the amount of product that consumers use at one time. The usage of impulse consumption products such as soft drinks and snacks increases when the product is made more available. Increasing frequency of use, on the other hand, involves identifying additional opportunities to use the brand in the same basic way or identifying completely new and different ways to use the brand. In some cases, the product may be seen as useful only in certain places and at certain times, especially if it has strong brand associations to particular usage situations or user types. To generate additional usage opportunities, a marketing program can communicate the appropriateness and advantages of using the brand more frequently in new or existing situations and/or remind consumers to actually use the brand as close as possible to those situations. The wine industry launched a number of initiatives in the late 1990s to attract Gen-Xers and convince them wine was a casual, every day libation to be drunk like bottled water, beer or soda. Another potential opportunity to increase frequency of use is when consumers perceptions of their usage differs from the reality of their usage. For many products with relatively short life spans, consumers may fail to replace the product when they should because of a tendency to overestimate the length of productive usage. One strategy to speed up product replacement is to tie the act of replacing the product to a certain holiday, event, or time of year. Another strategy might be to provide consumers with better information as to either: (1) when the product was first used or would need to be replaced or (2) the current level of product performance. Each Gillette Mach3 cartridge features a blue stripe that slowly fades with repeated use. After about a dozen shaves, it fades away, signaling the user to move on to the next cartridge. The second approach is to identify completely new and different applications. For example, food product companies have long advertised new recipes that use their branded products in entirely different ways. Given that the average American eats dry breakfast cereal three mornings a week, cereal manufacturers would gain if they could promote cereal eating on other occasions- perhaps as a snack. Product development can spur new uses. Chewing gum manufacturers are exploring ways to make nutraceutical products as a cheap, effective delivery mechanism for medicine. The majority of Adams chewing gums (number two in the world) claim health benefits. Aquafresh and Arm Hammer are two dental gums that both achieved some success.

How to Convert Kelvin to Fahrenheit

How to Convert Kelvin to Fahrenheit Kelvin and Fahrenheit are two important temperature scales. Kelvin is a standard metric scale, with a degree the same size as the Celsius degree but with its zero point at absolute zero. Fahrenheit is the temperature most commonly used in the United States. Fortunately, its simple to convert between the two scales, providing you know the equation. Kelvin to Fahrenheit Conversion Formula Here is the formula to convert Kelvin to Fahrenheit:  ° F 9/5(K - 273) 32 or you may see the equation using more significant figures as:  ° F 9/5(K - 273.15) 32 or  ° F 1.8(K - 273) 32 You can use whichever equation you prefer. It is easy to convert Kelvin to Fahrenheit with these four steps. Subtract 273.15 from your Kelvin temperatureMultiply this number by 1.8 (this is the decimal value of 9/5).Add 32 to this number. Your answer will be the temperature in degrees Fahrenheit. Kelvin to Fahrenheit Conversion Example Lets try a sample problem, converting room temperature in Kelvin to degrees Fahrenheit. Room temperature is 293K. Start with the equation (I chose the one with fewer significant figures):  ° F 9/5(K - 273) 32 Plug in the value for Kelvin: F 9/5(293 - 273) 32 Doing the math: F 9/5(20) 32F 36 32F 68 Fahrenheit is expressed using degrees, so the answer is that room temperature is 68 ° F. Fahrenheit to Kelvin Conversion Example Lets try the conversion the other way. For example, say you want to convert human body temperature, 98.6 ° F, into its Kelvin equivalent. You can use the same equation: F 9/5(K - 273) 3298.6 9/5(K - 273) 32 Subtract 32 from both sides to get:66.6 9/5(K - 273) Multiply 9/5 times the values inside the parenthesis to get:66.6 9/5K - 491.4 Get the variable (K) on one side of the equation. I chose to subtract (-491.4) from both sides of the equation, which is the same as adding 491.4 to 66.6:558 9/5K Multiply both sides of the equation by 5 to get:2,790 9K Finally, divide both sides of the equation by 9 to get the answer in K:310 K So, human body temperature in Kelvin is 310 K. Remember, Kelvin temperature is not expressed using degrees, just a capital letter K. Note: You could have used another form of the equation, simply rewritten to solve for the Fahrenheit to Kelvin conversion: K 5/9(F - 32) 273.15 which is basically the same as saying Kelvin equals the Celsius value plus 273.15. Remember to check your work. The only temperature where the Kelvin and Fahrenheit values will be equal is at 574.25. More Conversions For more conversions, see these topics: How to Convert Celsius to Fahrenheit: The Celsius and Fahrenheit scales are two other important temperature scales.How to Convert Fahrenheit to Celsius: Use these when you need to convert Fahrenheit to the metric system.How to Convert Celsius to Kelvin: Both scales have the same size of degree, so this conversion is super easy!How to Convert Kelvin to Celsius: This is a common temperature conversion in science.

Hipaa, How it may affect me in a doctor office Essay

Hipaa, How it may affect me in a doctor office - Essay Example In case of a job change I will be able to benefit from the act as I will be able to reduce the exclusion period in group health plan and health insurance coverage. This is a positive affect that the act will have on me. As an employee in a doctor’s office, HIPAA would affect me in numerous ways from the second part of the HIPAA. First and the foremost, there would be increased pressure in order to ensure the safety of the health care data. Personal responsibility needs to be taken in order to ensure that all the rules and regulations are followed in order to the safeguard the information. Failure to do so will attract serious penalties. There will be special training on the use and understanding of the new systems. As the patient information is accessed by many, the responsibility to protect that information becomes even greater. Hence, I will need to undergo training not just on how to use the new systems but also on the various aspects of the act itself. This will help to have a clear understanding of the act and hence act within the rules and regulations defined in the act. Also training is required in using the equipments that will be in place as a result of the HIPAA act (Iyer et al., 2006). It is also the responsibility of me and my colleagues to explain the provisions and the various aspects of the act to the patients. The complexities of the act must be clearly communicated to the patients so that they can make full use of it. Also a result of the act, there will be continuous monitoring and supervision of my work. I will be monitored to see if all the procedure laid out by the hospital is being followed or not. Also I must comply with the personnel and security management systems in the hospital. Osborne, H. (2002). In Other Words†¦How the New HIPAA Regulations Affect Healthcare Communication. Boston Globes On Call.[Online]. Available at:

The Kodak Venture in China Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

The Kodak Venture in China - Case Study Example 2001) .China has indeed got all the ingredients to make an IJV(international joint venture ) a success based upon its vast population, large consumer base and less firm grasp of the brand MNC's power and few branded commodities - a marketer's dream come true.Many writers have described China as an enigma ..With many organizations having already tried and failed". (Heracleous, L. 2001) This is due to a lack of knowledge of the local environment and guanxi (relationships and connections). (see appendix below) The Kodak venture in China was different story as the international company owned by Eastman Kodak struggled to permeate into the Far Eastern Human Resource Management barriers.It is reported that currently Kodak's Chinese revenues are currently more than $300 and it has a 40 percent market share along with 5,500 outlets. (Alon 2001).Where as Kodak benefitted immensely from its focus on the franchises for rapid distribution and focused on brand equity and closer trust and consumer understanding, a strategy of long term investment and less short term costs and a strategy of establishing close relationships with multiple levels of government . (see appendix below) (Alon 2001). From an HRM perspective however Kodak had the following potential challenges in the HRM area in front of it. It is however worth identifying the conceptual framework with in which I will be commenting on the Kodak case study. (Alon 2001).This framework implies the whole organization and planning of the research and identification of the purpose and the methods applied and outcomes derived as result of the organizational framework. This chart shows the framework which served a guideline for the research procedure. In commenting on the Chinese HRM challenges facing Kodak as a Western Company the table below illustrates my approach in explaining the success of Kodak in localizing management strategies in China. (Alon 2001). What is really important is the way Kodak was able to recognize the importance of developing a corporate management culture to effectively work in the Chinese market cannot be overemphasized. With economic growth exceeding 10%, Kodak fast realized that China's enormous domestic market offers huge upside gains for those firms who successfully implement localization techniques to make their ventures more successful. In addition to settling up the methods, procedures, and environment in which to train them, Kodak also has had to devise the means via which to retain them as well, as the Heidrick & Struggles (2006) report cites that the management turnover in China ranges between 15 to 20% according to their survey of 148 executives. This situation has put those managers with the skills and expertise in this area in the position of being able to switch to jobs offering the highest compensation and fringe benefits. This leads

Managerial Application of Information Technology Assignment

Managerial Application of Information Technology - Assignment Example Also age can be a good example of data as different age groups prefer different types of movies. The information most likely to be collected is the types, class of movies people are most interest in and the type of movies children, youths, middle-aged and the elderly like watching. 2) Better bodies can state the wide range of services they provide in a site where interested individuals can log in view. Moreover these services can be provided online. This means that with a certain subscription amount, a client doesn’t have to go the gym if he/she has the necessary equipments. He/she has to follow instructions as will be provided. This will be very attractive to a huge number of people hence gaining competitive advantage over rivals. ... These are some of the information that will be gathered and stored into the database which is very essential. 4) This is a situation where no restriction exists on internet access of all sites available in the internet. This where one can access any site and there is no barriers to browsing. Some people strongly support this type of network freedom to be adopted while others strongly reject and oppose this idea. In my opinion I would oppose this idea; this is because without restrictions, internet crime levels would be so high especially those caused by hacking. Many peoples information would be insecure, can even be altered causing serious damages and many more other kinds of misuse would prevail. To avoid all these, restrictions are best appropriate put in place. This would even help when considering the factor of morality where children may be exposed to pornographic materials. 5) In Croydon visiting Nurse services, CRM systems would be of the best help. Considering all tasks are manual and paper based, CRM systems are meant to reduce the paper work considerably by far. All the data to be stored is recorded in the database systems and retrieval of data incase of client need would be fast and time saving. Moreover the systems has a larger storing capacity hence can hold large number of data of clients to almost infinity. The nurses can also communicate with each other through the system from one office to another or from one point to another thereby erasing any inconveniences that may arise due to time wastage and finding one another in numerous rooms. To make it better, it’s cheaper to acquire the system as well as to maintain

The MacLeod Report (2009) claims that engagement strategies are Essay - 1

The MacLeod Report (2009) claims that engagement strategies are desirable for organisations and employees. With reference to aca - Essay Example 5). Engagement strategies aim at the establishment of mutual respect for what employees can be and what they can do in the organization given the right context that is beneficial for all stakeholders including the organizations, the consumers of services, and the employees themselves. Although engagement strategies are desirable for all organizations, yet they are not desirable for all employees, though for a considerable population of employees, engagement strategies are desirable. Although engagement strategies are generally desirable for the organizations, yet the same cannot be generalized for all employees. These days, many employees keep looking for employment opportunities elsewhere that would offer them better salary and job privileges rather than wanting to stay in the same organization for a very long time particularly when they are not content with their salary and/or job benefits. In the present age, there is scarcity of jobs in many industries in a vast majority of count ries around the world. In such circumstances, employees tend to avail any opportunity that they get irrespective of whether or not they are being offered sufficient salary and meanwhile, keep looking for better employment opportunities. Hence, to say that engagement strategies are desirable for all employees is not logical. According to mspb.gov (2012, p. 2), there are three components of employee engagement for the federal government, namely employees’ discretionary effort to give goal-directed performance, commitment to the organization, and employees’ satisfaction with the organization. The Corporate Leadership Council (2004) defines emotional engagement as â€Å"the extent to which employees derive pride, enjoyment, inspiration, or meaning from something or someone in the organisation. While rational commitment is defined as the extent to which employees feel that someone or something within their organizations provides financial, developmental, or professional re wards that are in their best interests† (Corporate Leadership Council, 2004). This can be stated without doubt that employees’ satisfaction has been and continues to be one of the biggest challenges in front of the management in any organization. Accordingly, the desirability of engagement strategies for the employees is limited. According to Macleod and Clarke (2009, p. 66), there are four main factors that serve as barriers to effective engagement in an organizational context; firstly, leaders either do not know what employee engagement is, what its usefulness for the organization is or they are not aware of its importance. Secondly, leaders may be interested in engagement strategies but may lack the knowledge required to address the issue. Thirdly, leaders and managers may not consent upon the idea of employee engagement. While the leaders might emphasize upon engagement strategies, managers might be ill-equipped to implement them. Consequently, the organizational cu lture cannot deliver effective engagement. Finally, leaders that do emphasize upon engagement strategies vary in their perception of and commitment to it. Many leaders tend to underestimate the potential of employee engag

Environmental economic--sustainable development Essay

Environmental economic--sustainable development - Essay Example It is in this context that this research is aimed at critically examining ANS within the empirical context of human survival that is anchored only on genuine sustainable development. Experts of development worldwide made a framework that seriously consider environment, as source of needed resources. WB focused on the relation of environment and sustainability as amongst the indicators of macro-economy (WB, 1997). Authorities perceived that ANS is a ‘green national account’ founded on the precept that generations of people are reliant on countrys asset base. This indicator covers natural resources, its utilization and the human resources. All these factors relate to a nation’s capacity to sustain growth over time (WB, 1997). Economist viewed ANS as a percentage of Gross National Income (GNI) (WB, 1997). The standard ANS is derivative of the standard national accounting measure of gross saving using four factors as adjustments (WB, 1997 & Bartelmus and Seifert, 2003). These are (a) consumption of fixed capital deducted to obtain net national saving; (b) current public expenditure on education as investment for human capital; (c) an accounting of the depleted natural resources deducted to reflect the utilization and maximization of asset in value due to extraction and depletion; (d) deductions due to pollutions and damages caused by carbon dioxide and emissions. This formula is showed, thus (WB, 1997 & Bartelmus and Seifert, 2003), Education cost means operating expenses in education, which include wages of teachers, expenses for enhancement of capacity but this does not include expenditures for infrastructures, facilities and materials necessary to education (WB, 1997& 2011). GS refer to are the differentiation between gross national income and public and private consumption with added net current transfers. Consumption of fixed capital symbolizes the alternate value of capital used up in the progression of production. Net savings means gross

Early Pascal Compilers Essay Example for Free

Early Pascal Compilers Essay The first Pascal compiler was designed in Zurich for the CDC 6000 series mainframe computer family. Niklaus Wirth reports that a first attempt to implement it in Fortran in 1969 was unsuccessful due to Fortrans inadequacy to express complex data structures. The second attempt was formulated in the Pascal language itself and was operational by mid-1970. Many Pascal compilers since have been similarly self-hosting, that is, the compiler is itself written in Pascal, and the compiler is usually capable of recompiling itself when new features are added to the language, or when the compiler is to be ported to a new environment. The GNU Pascal compiler is one notable exception, being written in C. The first successful port of the CDC Pascal compiler to another mainframe was completed by Welsh and Quinn at the Queens University of Belfast (QUB) in 1972. The target was the International Computers Limited 1900 series. This compiler in turn was the parent of the Pascal compiler for the ICS Multum minicomputer. The Multum port was developed – with a view to using Pascal as a systems programming language – by Findlay, Cupples, Cavouras and Davis, working at the Department of Computing Science in Glasgow University. It is thought that Multum Pascal, which was completed in the summer of 1973, may have been the first 16-bit implementation. A completely new compiler was completed by Welsh et al. at QUB in 1977. It offered a source-language diagnostic feature (incorporating profiling, tracing and type-aware formatted postmortem dumps) that was implemented by Findlay and Watt at Glasgow University. This implementation was ported in 1980 to the ICL 2900 series by a team based at Southampton University and Glasgow University. The Standard Pascal Model Implementation was also based on this compiler, having been adapted, by Welsh and Hay at Manchester University in 1984, to check rigorously for conformity to the BSI 6192/ISO 7185 Standard and to generate code for a portable abstract machine. The first Pascal compiler written in North America was constructed at the University of Illinois under Donald B. Gillies for the PDP-11 and generated native machine code.

Impact of Urban Living on Biodiversity and Ecosystems

Impact of Urban Living on Biodiversity and Ecosystems It is estimated that almost more than one half of the worlds population is presently living in urban areas (Sakieh et al. 2016; Weigi et al. 2014). In many parts of the world, increasing urban lands has caused changing land use and land cover (LULC) (Wu 2014). Biodiversity, ecosystem processes and functions and human habitants in an urban environment are influenced by the speed and spatiotemporal pattern of urbanization (Wu et al. 2011; Asgarian et al. 2015; Sangani et al. 2015; Wu 2014; Jaafari et al. 2015). Landscape beauty is being affected by LULC changes and urbanization has led to the destruction of aesthetic values in many parts of the world. Scenic landscapes, as one of the ecosystem services, are elements of the environment with the potential for human enjoyment and in some cases they are considered as valuable parameters for nature conservation and management (Bishop and Hulse 1994). The landscape is continually changing due to human activities but its aesthetics usually su ffers from poor quantification and inclusion in management plans. According to Naveh (1995), scenic landscapes are products of interactivity between humans and natural systems where natural landscapes become inhabited, influenced or altered by mutual relationships between ecological and socioeconomic processes. Such interrelated feedbacks can lead to physical modifications of the environment that ultimately can be seen, so landscape aesthetic assessment seem to be essential in land use planning. Understanding, analysis, monitoring and modeling of urban growth is crucial for the management of current urban systems as well as for the planning of future growth (Zhou et al. 2014). Geospatial predictive models and change detection methods can provide a further level of understanding of the causes and impacts of urban growth mechanisms (Sakieh et al. 2014a). In the process of decision making, land managers need to examine the consequences of the urban development process. Regarding the progress in computing power, easy access to spatial data sets and development of functional computer-based models, now there is a possibility in which land use managers and decision makers can evaluate the outcome of their decisions under different alternatives and at the minimum possible cost (Sakieh et al. 2014b). Inclusion of new methodologies such as spatial multi-criteria evaluation (SMCE) can further improve representation and modelling of urban growth patterns, which finally provide spatial d ecision support systems (SDSS) for better planning and management of urban areas (Dai et al. 2001; Jie et al. 2010; Youssef et al. 2011; Xu et al. 2011; Pourebrahim et al. 2011; Yuechen et al. 2011; Bagheri et al. 2013; Bathrellos et al. 2012; Sheng et al. 2012; Jeong et al. 2013, Sakieh et al. 2014b). Since 2000, there have been noticeable efforts for developing microsimulation LULC change methods such as cellular automata (CA) and agent-based models (Goodarzi et al.2016). CA-based models have a natural compatibility to raster geographic information system (GIS) and remote sensing (RS) data and are appropriate for detail resolution modeling and simulating dynamic spatial processes (Sullivan and Torrens 2000). In recent years, there have been developed some CA-based models such as SLEUTH (Slope, Landuse, Exclusion, Urban, Transportation, and Hillshade) (Clarke et al. 1997), CLUE-S (the Conversion of Land Use and its Effects at Small regional extent) (Verburg et al. 2002), iCity (Stevens et al. 2007) and DINAMICA (Soares-Filho et al. 2002). Compared with the above mentioned spatial models, the SLEUTH model requires fewer input layers and also offers various alternatives for future urban growth prediction (Norman et al. 2012). These characteristics of SLEUTH model have made it as one of the most-implemented and popular methods for land use simulation at different scales (e.g. regional, national, and even binational) (Maithani 2010; Norman et al. 2012; Chaudhuri and Clarke 2013). However, there are a number of limitations with SLEUTH. The first of these is that it is computationally expensive. It requires a high number of model runs using a multi-stage calibration process to narrow down the coefficient value for each input parameter (Goldstein 2003). The second drawback is related to non-linearity of the model for the combination of the coefficients. The Brute Force method[1] which is used in this paper for calibrating the SLEUTH can fall in local maxima and may miss the better coefficient set (Goldstein 2003, Jafarnejad et al. 2015). Urban expansion is a complicated event which mainly occurs because of increasing population and the need for more construction. Consequently, vast lands of valuable ecosystems such as agricultural lands, forests and pastures are consumed and converted to urban areas (Sakieh et al. 2014b). Therefore it is essential to understand and recognize this process in order to implement effective management and avoid reducing the aesthetic value of landscapes. To achieve this goal, areas with high aesthetic value should be recognized at the first step. In this regard, there are various approaches to determine the aesthetic impacts on different areas of the city including expert-based methods such as Multi-Criteria Evaluation (MCE), statistical approaches such Logistic Regression (LR) and Artificial Intelligence-based methods such as Multi-Layer Perceptron (MLP) Neural Networks (Riveira and Maseda 2006). These methods are repeatedly being implemented for suitability mapping of utilities such as urbanization (Pijanowski et al. 2002; Hu and Lo 2007; Pao 2008; Mahiny and Clarke 2012; Sakieh et al. 2015), environmental conservation (Singh and Kushwaha 2011; Mehri et al. 2014; Sakieh et al. 2015) and agricultural activities (Mozumder and Tripathi 2014; Bodaghabadi et al. 2015) but are less implemented for mapping aesthetic values. The MLP neural network approach has a remarkable ability to derive meaning from complicated or imprecise data and detect trends that are too complex for either humans or other computer techniques. MLP is a more accurate modelling method compared to the others (Saeidi and Salmanmahiny 2014) and has been used in this research. Accordingly, creating a suitable model to predict the landscape scenic value could provide a basis for explicit, quick and accurate integration of aesthetic evaluation into land-use planning efforts. Therefore, the main objective of this study is to evaluate the landscape aesthetic suitability and predict the spatial patterns of u rbanized lands in an effort to preserve landscapes of high aesthetic value. The following section describes how a directed modeling framework can be employed to introduce urban growth scenarios with regarding landscape aesthetic suitability, and finally to develop a city without considerable impact on its aesthetic suitability. Materials and methods Study area Gorgan is one of the cities in the northeast of Iran and the capital of Golestan province, located in 36 °, 49 ´ N and 54 °, 24 ´ E (Fig. 1). Gorgan has a mild and humid climate though summers are very hot and humid. The regional topography is very diverse and includes mountains, forests and grasslands, steppes and plains, desert and barren, rivers, wetlands and agricultural lands. Lush Hyrcanian temperate forests are located in the south, while flat areas with farmlands and rangelands make the main structure of the landscape in the north part of the case study. the region is also a destination for about two millions of tourists each year because of its aesthetic values and touristic environment, (Mehrnews 2015).Regarding the nomination of the area as a new province of Iran, rapid population growth has occurred that caused the increasing of built-up surfaces and consequently has made a series of conflicts between land developers and conservation agencies. These disagreements emphasise the importance of LULC planning in this area (Sakieh et al. 2016 b). Figure (1) Scenario based urban growth modelling In this research the SLEUTH cellular automata urban growth model was used to predict dynamics of Gorgan City developing under three different scenarios including historical, managed and aesthetically sound urban growth up to year 2030. The Historical Urban Growth (HUG) scenario assumes that the present pattern of urban growth will be maintained in the future. At the Managed Urban Growth (MUG) scenario, we tried to dictate an infill form of urban development with the aim of protecting the immediate environment of the city against urbanization. In the Aesthetically sound Urban Growth (AUG) scenario, an aesthetic suitability layer was used as the extra excluded layer in SLEUTH model to protect patches of high scenic value. Fig. 2 depicts a research flowchart of the study. The procedure for determining the aesthetic suitability map which was used as the excluded layer is explained in the following section. Figure (2) Aesthetic suitability mapping using MLP MLP is a feed forward artificial neural network model that maps different sets of input data toward a set of applicable and meaningful outputs (Rumelhart 1986). In a feed forward neural network, the information moves only in forward direction, from the input nodes, over the hidden nodes and to the output nodes. A node is considered to be a connection point that can receive, create, store or send data along distributed network routes (Ciresan et al. 2012). Exclusive of the input nodes, each node is a neuron or processing element with a nonlinear transfer function (Fig. 3). There are no cycles or loops in the network. MLP utilizes a supervised learning technique called back propagation for training the network (Rosenblatt et al. 1961; Rumelhart 1986). Learning process conducts in the perceptron by changing the connection weights after the processing of each part of data. Figure (3) Back propagation includes two main stages, forward and backward propagation, to achieve its modification of the neural status. During model training, each sample (e.g. a feature vector related to a single pixel) is entered into the input layer and the receiving node sums the weighted signals from all nodes to which it is connected in the former layer. In this regard, the input to a single node is weighted based on the following equation: Eq. (1) given: wij indicates the weight between node i and node j and o is the output from node i. The result from a given node is j is then computed from: Eq. (2) Function f is often a non-linear sigmoidal transformation that is used to weight the sum of inputs before it sends a signal to the next node. When the forward pass is finished, the performance of the resultant nodes are compared with their corresponding expected values. When a pattern is given to the network, each output node will differ from the preferred results, the difference is linked to the error in the network as well. This error is then propagated backward with weights for corresponding connections modified using a relation known as the delta rule: Eq. (3) Given: ÃŽÂ · is the learning rate of the model; ÃŽÂ ´ is the computed error; and ÃŽÂ ± is the momentum factor. This factor intends to avoid oscillation problems during the search for the minimum value on the error surface and is used to speed up the convergence procedure (Richards et al. 1999). The forward and backward passes continue until the network is properly trained for the characteristics of the targeted utility which in this research is the scenic beauty. Model training is aimed to retrieve the correct weights both for the connections between the input and hidden layers, and between the hidden and the output layer for the categorization of the unknown pixels. The input pattern is categorized to a class that possesses the node with the greatest activation level. The two training elements, automatic training and dynamic, can be employed to automatically execute the MLP. If one or both are used, the training procedure automatically restarts when the algorithm is highly oscillated or become trapped in a local minimum error surface. For each automatic restart of the model training procedure, one of the following items occurs to either learning rate or the sample used in the training procedure, or both. If only automatic training is selected and the first occurrence that the training procedure restarts, the starting weights are randomized. Through the next restarts, the weights are randomized and the learning rate is halved. If both automatic training and dynamic learning rate are chosen and the training restarts automatically, new samples are selected, the weights are randomized, and the learning rate splits in half. If only dynamic rate is chosen, and the learning rate is progressively lowered based on the number of iterations assigned and the start and end learning rates. For instance, if 10,000 iterations are specified and the model is configured with start rate of 0.1 and end rate of 0.001, it will divide 0.009 by 10,000 and lower the learning rate by the result at each iteration (Civco 1993). The acceptable error rate is related to the learning of the network and it is assessed based on the Root Mean Square (RMS error). Lower values of RMS error and higher values of total r2 shows the better fit of model. The MLP algorithm can produce both a hard and soft classifier. The hard classification output generates a discrete layer in which each cell belongs to a definitive category. Activation level maps, however, unlike the output of the hard classifier, are a series of images depicting a degree of membership for each pixel to each possible category. The output is set of images (one per class). Unlike the probability map, the sum of values for any location will not necessarily sum to 1. This is because the results from the neural network are acquired through standardizing the signal values in the range of 0-1 with the activation equation. Larger values imply a higher membership degree of the membership belonging to that corresponding category. The computation of the hard classification result is on the basis of the activation level maps. Data used for aesthetic suitability modelling through MLP method In the MLP analysis of the targeted area, multiple of factors were considered as input layers. Due to the characteristics of Gorgan City, a set of urban and natural criteria was used to model its landscape aesthetic values. These criteria were outlined during previous studies performed in our research area included gardens and agricultural lands (Othman et al, 2015; Mobargheie and Torbati 2014), tree type diversity, vegetation density (Aminzadeh et al, 2014; Weiqi et al, 2014; Chen et al, 2014; Kremer et al, 2016; Martina et al, 2016), topographic diversity (Arrowsmith 2001), buildings height and density (Weiqi et al. 2014; Chen et al. 2014), forest and urban parks (Ayad 2005; Weiqi et al. 2014), ancient sites and squares, refuges and boulevards (Bahrainy 1999; Aminzadeh et al. 2014). The GIS layers of gardens and agricultural lands, parks, squares, boulevards and refuges were obtained from the land use map maintained by the Gorgan municipality. The values of cells within these layers, together with ancient sites, were standardized using a user-defined function and based on the experts opinions. Whereas the relationship between the map value and fuzzy membership did not follow a certain function (e.g. linear, J-shaped or Sigmoidal), the user-defined function was the most applicable function and the user could reclass the map in the standard range. The ancient sites layer was obtained from Department of Cultural Heritage, Crafts and Tourism of Golestan province. The tree type for the study area consisted of six categories of tree communities (scale 1:25,000). Pattern analysis (with window size of 3 ÃÆ'- 3 pixels = 8100 m2) was applied as a filter to count the number of various classes inner a square vicinity of the central cell. Those pixels with three or more different categories in their vicinity were chosen to represent the diversity of a given location for its tree types. By using a Landsat TM image for the study area for 2012, vegetation density was calculated using the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) formula: Eq (4) NDVI is a widely used graphical indicator that can be used for detecting vegetative land cover. This index can be calculated based on red and near-infra-red (Xred, Xnir) spectral bands of Landsat image as equation 4 (McFeeters 1996). The layer was standardized using a symmetrical linear function having inflection values as: a=2879, b=5795, c=7595 and d=9545 (Fig. 4). Figure.(4) As the graph shows, by increasing the vegetation density (that is increasing NDVI values) to the point b, scenic value of landscape increases, then in a specific area remains constant (point c) then over increasing of the vegetation density due to restrictions in visibility detracts from scenic value of landscape. The building height and density layer was produced using the current status map of building density provided by the Gorgan municipality. Using a monotonically decreasing linear function in order to determine classification, this layer was standardized. The landscape aesthetic value was therefore decreased by increasing the building height and density, due to the viewshed being blocked. In the spatial input factors, a topographic diversity layer was also included. To determine this layer, a Digital Elevation Model (DEM) of the research area was acquired from National Cartographic Centre of Iran. A surface shape categorisation was performed on a DEM layer, which consisted of multiple topographic features: peak, flat, ravine, pit, ridge, saddle, slope hillside, saddle hillside, convex hillside, concave hillside and inflection hillside. The categorized layer was then analysed using a mode filter (window size of 3 ÃÆ'- 3 pixels) to specify a new score to the central cell based on most frequent values within the window. Then, a filter size of 7 ÃÆ'- 7 pixels was used to count the number of various categories within the neighbourhood of a central pixel to achieve the final map. This layer demonstrates the most diversified locations in terms of topographic features. The layer was standardized using a monotonically increasing linear function, whereby categories with highe r diversity got the higher score in the standardised value. Fig. 5 portrays factor layers used for aesthetic suitability mapping in this study. Figure (5) After preparing required inputs, the MLP model was configured according to the following data: Input variables: number of input variables = 8 (standardized factor maps) Input specifications: training points file = a raster map of 164 points, which retains the location of 164 attractive (99) and non-attractive (65) spots | maximum training pixels used = 200 | maximum testing pixels used = 200 Network topology: input layer nodes: 8 (equals to the number of input data) | output layer nodes = 1 (continuous surface of aesthetic suitability) | hidden layers =1 | hidden layer nodes = 16 Training parameters: the dynamic learning rate was employed | start learning rate = 0.01 | end learning rate = 0.001 | Momentum factor = 0. 5 | sigmoid constant a = 1.0 Stopping criteria: root mean square (RMS) error = 0.01 | iterations = 10,000 Output function = sigmoidal Once the model was trained, its performance was evaluated by plotting training RMS versus testing RMS during 10,000 model iterations. Lower values for testing error during iterations indicates proper training of the model, and therefore, it can be used to produce aesthetic suitability surface. Data processing for SLEUTH modeling For the SLEUTH modeling undertaken in this study, four urban extent years depicting the distribution of manmade features over time, two layers of the transportation network for two different time periods, one excluded aesthetics layer from urbanization, slope and hillshade layers were used. These input data layers were prepared by the integrated application of geographic information systems and remote sensing. As a model requirement, all binary urban/non-urban layers were stretched linearly and converted into a GIF format. The urban and transportation layers were created based on Landsat MSS and TM images for the years 1987, 1992, 2000 and 2010. These were then used to predict the expansion of Gorgan in 2030. Using a 30-m digital elevation model (DEM), slope percent and hillshade layers were derived. For the first and second modeled scenarios, hydrographical networks (rivers, dams and wetlands), dense forests and roads were used as excluded layers from urban growth. For the third sce nario, the aesthetic layer was added as an exclusory layer. These are shown in Fig. 6. Figure (6) Model calibration SLEUTH is a CA-based model in which five coefficients (diffusion, breed, spread, slope and road gravity) control four types of growth rules including new spreading center growth, spontaneous growth, edge growth and road gravity growth (Jantz et al. 2014). In addition, the straightforward calibration method applied by SLEUTH makes it adaptable to any particular geographic area over time (Clarke et al. 1996). In order to show the relative importance, each coefficient has a dimensionless value ranging between 0 (least important) to 100 (most important). During the calibration process, the form of urban expansion was detected via the four growth rules. The prediction of the model was based on the best range of refined coefficients derived from the calibration step. Table (1) shows the relationships between growth types and growth coefficients. Table (1) The main assumption of the SLEUTH model is based on the inherent pattern of urban dynamics whereby the city will witness the same growth in the future based on its historical trend in the past (Clarke et al. 1997). During the calibration process, the model seeks to derive the best range for each coefficient to enable better simulation based on local historical data (Silva and Clarke 2002). SLEUTH model benefits from a stochastic computation algorithm known as the Monte Carlo method. The model utilizes Monte Carlo iterations stochastically to generate multiple simulations of urban growth so parameters are standardized in a range between 0 and 100. These inputs reflect the relative contribution of each parameter to the dynamics of urban growth in the study area (Sakieh et al. 2014b). Finally, by using the best set of derived coefficients from three steps (coarse, fine and final) of calibration, the model was executed for the simulation of the historical data set. The number of Monte Ca rlo iterations support the robustness of final coefficients to run the prediction part of the model (Candau 2002; Jantz et al. 2004; Sakieh et al. 2014b). For the coarse calibration step, the default parameter values from the sample calibration scenario were employed. Five Monte Carlo iterations were specified for the coarse calibration phase, and growth parameters were set at their widest range of 0 25 100 as START, STEP and STOP values, respectively. A goodness of fit metric, known as the Optimal SLEUTH Metric (OSM) will provide the most robust results for SLEUTH calibration. The OSM is the product of the compare, population, edges, clusters, slope, X-mean, and Y-mean metrics (Dietzel and Clarke 2007). These seven metrics range between 0 and 1 and are multiplied together to calculate the OSM. The iterations are then sorted based on this metric and the best ranges of performing coefficients are chosen for the subsequent calibration stage. Applying the OSM metrics of the best perf orming iterations, the five multipliers were refined and reduced for use in the fine calibration step. The fine calibration step was executed through full resolution input layers in eight Monte Carlo iterations. Based on OSM values, the ranges for the five growth parameters in SLEUTH were further narrowed for the final phase of the calibration mode, which used 10 Monte Carlo iterations. Finally, the ranges for averaging values of the five coefficients of urban development in SLEUTH were set and the averaging was run for 100 Monte Carlo iterations. Model prediction After the calibration and performance validation of the model, the prediction step was executed using the entire data coverage and 100 Monte Carlo iterations. Prediction of the model was based on the initial seed year of the current urban pattern, using those refined values of coefficients. The output of the SLEUTH model is a continues surface in which each cell has a probability value to become an urbanized space in the future. This map is produced for every year including the first year (1987) to the last year (2030). There are three different methods used to simulate the expansion of urban area under different scenarios in the SLEUTH model. In the first method, best-à ¯Ã‚ ¬Ã‚ t multipliers derived from the calibration phases can be altered (Leao et al. 2004; Rafiee et al. 2009) and consequently the growth rules will change. In the second method, the excluded layer is weighted through a continuous range of resistance values against urbanization to show that even cells within the excluded layer have the potential to be urbanized under different probabilities (Oguz et al. 2007; Jantz et al. 2010; Mahiny and Clarke 2012, 2013). In the third method, the constraints of self-organization can be modià ¯Ã‚ ¬Ã‚ ed (Yang and Lo 2003; Xi et al. 2009). In this study, the first and the second methods were applied for two scenarios. The coefficients were altered in the MUG and AUG scenarios and an aesthetic suitability map of the study area was also used as an extra excluded layer in the AUG scenario. In th is case, the historical trend of the urban growth and two different scenarios were forecasted (Table 2). The adopted scenarios in this study used additional information regarding the study area and its development in the past. In addition, it was acknowledged that land use plans are mostly controlled by master plans for cities derived from regional land use planning (Makhdoum 2001; Dezhkam et al. 2014). The adopted scenarios were set up according to assumptions of uncontrolled and controlled growth, which allows decision makers to construct a quantitative comparative basis for evaluation of different growth alternatives. After calibration of the model, scenarios were introduced to model urban growth to the year 2030 by using two methods of parameter modification and the inclusion of the hydrology, dense forest and transportation exclusion layers in the first two scenarios as well as aesthetic exclusion layers in the third scenario. Table (2) The first scenario assumed that the present pattern of urban growth will be maintained in the future, and therefore, the originally derived parameters were used. The first exclusion layer including hydrographical networks, dense forests and roads were used for this. The prediction was conducted by means of the same resolution data and 100 Monte Carlos iterations. The second scenario used the same exclusion layer as the HUG scenario, but spread and breed coefficients were reduced (from 30 and 59 to 20 and 40 respectively) to dictate an infill urban development with the aim of protecting the immediate environment of the city against urbanization. The slope resistance coefficient was decreased to one-half of its original value, to reflect the current status of urbanization in Gorgan City which shows increasing development on steeper slopes. The third scenario (AUG) used the same coefficient values as those used for the MUG simulation, but the aesthetic suitability layer was used as an extra excluded layer to protect areas of high aesthetic value. The output from the SLEUTH model is a probability map, which shows the probability of each single pixel becoming urbanized. In order to produce a clear map that indicates future urbanized areas, a 90 % value was taken as a threshold to depict those cells which were considered most probable ones to become urbanized by 2030. [1] Brute Force refers to any of several problem-solving methods involving the evaluation of multiple possible answers (urban growth patterns) for model fitness.

The Preatorian Guard Essay -- History, Emperors of Rome

Introduction Their name alone invokes many vivid images; from heroic men clad in Roman red iron to bloody battlefields, where they stand disciplined and ordered while chaos reigns all around, and even of the quiet corridors of the Emperors’ palace, where a change in power and leadership is only a blade thrust away. These fierce and hardy men formed the iconic symbol of the Ancient Roman Army: the Praetorian Guard. Rigid and unwavering, these soldiers were the bodyguards of the most powerful men in the ancient world: The Emperors of Rome. Formally created in 23 BC by Gaius Julius Caesar Augustus the Praetorian Guard Served as Bodyguards for the Emperors, About nine cohorts of five hundred men each formed the early Praetorian Guard; they were stationed right outside the center of Rome. The Praetorian Guard were recruited primarily from central Italy, unlike most of the Roman Army, the Guards were made up of all Italian citizens and they are referred to as â€Å"the true-born sons of Italy† by Piso the chosen heir of Galba. â€Å"The Praetorians therefore became the symbolic living descendants of the glorious Roman past† (Wasileski 32).The Praetorians were thought to be the Emperors’ symbol of power â€Å"The Praetorians were a visible symbol of that [Emperor’s] force in the Capital† (Wasileski 1). The transition from Bodyguard to Political Power gave the Praetorian Guard a sense of power, especially the Praetorian Prefects Most of the infamous stories surrounding the Praetorian Guards assassinating their emperors are in fact only about a few guards following a very ambitious Praetorian Prefect. Praetorian Prefects usually do not serve with Praetorian’s before taking command. They are mainly administrators for the Guard and most do not have ... ...ki 20). It also should be known that the Praetorian Guard was still a personal bodyguard and on most occasions they served their Emperors faithfully and they actually helped keep the peace and continued to do their duty to the Emperor overall. However with the realization of their political powers the Praetorian Prefects will use the Praetorian Guard to affect what happens behind the palace doors more frequently and more suiting to their own agendas. Those loyal and heroic men of the Guard are slowly being turned into infamous tools used to further corrupt ambitions and disloyal treasons. Though despite all of the bribes and corruption the Guard will always be that awe striking symbol for Roman might, they will always be remembered as the Emperor’s right hand. They will always take their place in the hallowed annals of history as the Emperor’s elite bodyguards.

Fixing Racial Disparity Essay -- Racism

The term minority encompasses African Americans and Hispanics that live in the United States. These special populations are often overrepresented in the criminal justice system. Although our laws designed to make life fair and equal for minorities, they still report unfair treatment and struggles that white Americans do not experience. Policy changes in areas of social prevention, arrest and incarceration, and discharge, such as implementing help groups for youth, reform of and creating trust in law enforcement, and strong exit programs, can lead to fair treatment and reduction of representation of minorities in the criminal justice system. When looking at social prevention, one issue that should be addressed is education problems in minority communities suggested by Horton (2002). Judge Mathis speaks about young African Americans turning to crime because they are uneducated and how a mentor who pushed him to go to school made a big difference in his life (Levister, 2010). According to Charles Ogletree, a Harvard Law School Professor, after school and mentoring programs help keep young people out of trouble (Devarics, 2009). There should be policies to provide these programs to the youth. There should also be policies that provide funding to update or build new schools and ensure proper teaching methods in these communities. A recent lawsuit in Tangipahoa Parish, LA addressed this issue. It was presented as a desegregation suit but all the plaintiff wanted was equal education opportunities for the children in minority communities as are afforded children in neighboring white communities. This suit resulted in new schools, renovation of others, implementation of similar education programs, and fair access to extracurricular ac... ...al Profiling: What the Evidence Suggests. Journal of Human Behavior in the Social Environment, 6(4), 87. Retrieved from EBSCOhost. Jan, T. (2009, July 20). Harvard professor Gates arrested at Cambridge home. Retrieved May 27, 2012, from boston.com website: http://www.boston.com/news/local/breaking_news/2009/07/harvard.html Levister, C. (2010, March 4). Judge Mathis reaches out with 'jail to judge' message. Retrieved May 27, 2012, from blackvoicenews.com website: http://www.blackvoicenews.com/news/44093-judge-mathis-reaches-out-with-jail-to- judge-message.html Toth, R. C., Crews, G. A., & Burton, C. E. (2008). In the margins: Special populations and American justice. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Prentice Hall Walker, S., Spohn, C., & Delone, M. (2012). The color of justice race, ethnicity, and crime in America (5th ed.). Belmont, CA: Wadsworth.

Financial Sector Development Essay

ABSTRACT This paper is an attempt to examine the relationship between financial development and income inequality. In doing so, we have used Bangladeshi data for the period 1985-2006. We have employed auto-regressive distributed lag (ARDL) methodology for cointegration. We have also carried out sensitivity analysis and stability tests. Our findings suggest that financial development increases income inequality. Economic growth seems to equalize income distribution. Inflation and trade openness also worsen income inequality. Finally, income inequality is being increased by social spending in the country over long run. This study provides new directions for policy makers to reduce income inequality to share the fruits of economic development among the wider spectrum of the society. Keywords: Financial sector, development, trade openness, income inequality, Bangladesh JEL Classifications: D14, D33, F1 INTRODUCTION Economic growth and its correlates have been the focus of a large number of studies over the recent past. These studies primarily put emphasis on various aspects or sources of growth. One of the important correlates of economic growth that has been studied prominently is the extent of financial sector development. The positive and robust relationship between well-functioning financial system and economic growth is empirically a well established fact. Higher levels of financial development are significantly and robustly correlated with current and future rates of economic growth, physical capital accumulation, and improvements in economic efficiency (see, Khan, 2000; Goldsmith, 1969; McKinnon, 1973; Roubini and Sala-i-Martin, 1992; King and Levine, 1993; Easterly, 1993; Pagano and Volpin, 2001; Beck, Levine and Loayza, 2000; Khan and Senhadji, 2000; Christopoulos and Tsionas, 2004; Iqbal, et al., 2006; Khan, Qayyum and Skiekh, 2005 and Shahbaz, 2009). It is argued that capital market improvements benefit the rich more than the poor and hence contribute to increase income inequality. The main reason is that rich individuals have more potential than the poor ones to exploit new opportunities. It is also believed that the access of the poor to bank credits may be impeded because of the high cost involved therein, and, as such, financial development may be regressive for the poor, particularly at the initial stages of development (Greenwood and Jovanovic, 1990). The financial sector charges high set up cost against financial services during early periods of development to gain advantages from the screening and risk pooling. This cost is beyond the affordability of the poor people. As they are not in a position to use their savings for this outlay which pushes them further below in the income inequality trap (Clarke et al., 2003; Dollar and Kraay, 2003; Beck, Demirguc-Kunt and Levine, 2004). Financial market imperfections such as financial asymmetries, transaction costs, and contract enforcement costs may be especially binding for poor entrepreneurs who lack collateral, credit histories, and connections. These credit constraints will impede the flow of capital to poor individuals with high-return projects (Banerjee and Newman, 1993; Galor and Zeira, 1993), thereby reducing the efficiency of capital allocation and intensifying income distribution (Greenwood and Jovanovic, 1990; Banerjee and Newman, 1993 and, Aghion and Bolton, 1998). The relationship between financial development and reductions in income inequality is not only a correlation, but also a causal relationship. The positive relationship between private credit and economic growth for the poor might be driven by higher demand for financial services as the poor constitute a larger share in national income. Similarly, reduction in income inequality might lead to political pressure to create a more efficient financial system that allocates the funds to the projects based on market criteria, not on political considerations. No particular study has determined whether financial sector development benefits the whole population, primarily benefits the rich, or disproportionately helps the poor (Honohan, 2004; Beck et al. 2004; Claessens and Perotti, 2007 and Bittencourt, 2006). But in the case of Pakistan, Shahbaz (2009) documents that financial development, improves agriculture and manufacturing sectors and investment activities improve the incomes of bottom 20% of the population. The rest variables such as economic growth, financial instability, increase in prices, and overall high income inequality lower the income share of the poor from national income. The issue on the nature of relationship between financial development and income inequality has been discussed in many studies using few control variables with traditional estimation techniques such as Ordinary Least Squares (OLS). For instance, Dollar and Kraay, (2003) found that more trade would lead to improve income distribution, whereas higher inflation, higher government consumption and financial development would lead to higher income inequality. The specification of Li and Zou, (2002) is similar to the one in Barro, (2000) with the level of the gini coefficient as a dependant variable and control variables including inflation, financial development, government spending and openness. Their results suggest that higher inflation leads to lower income inequality, whereas higher government spending, an improved financial sector and better education abate it. Calderà ³n and Serven, (2003) find that financial depth increases income inequality while better education decreases it. Finally, the findings of Lopez, (2004) are based on the estimation of a dynamic panel with fixed effects for the change in the gini coefficient. The results suggest that improvements in education and lower inflation rates reduces the levels of income inequality, while financial development, trade openness, and reduction in government size will be associated with an increase in income inequality. Lopez also finds that economic policies are likely to be pro-poor in the long-run (i.e., the growth effects offset the increase in inequality) but might also lead to a temporary short-run increase in income inequality in the absence of compensatory measures. The effect of financial development is, however, not very large and is dominated by agricultural factors and other sectoral factors (Kakwani and Pernia, 2000; Khan and Senhadji, 2000; Christopoulos and Tsionas, 2004). With the development of a financial system, the capacity to bear the high costs of small credits (Rajan and Zingales 2003) increases. Moreover, the growth of a formal financial system makes poor people more accessible to informal credit that offers opportunities for profitable investments. Finally, in a framework of competitive markets of goods and production factors, credit may improve the well-being of the poor, even if they do not directly receive the loans from financial institutions (Beck et al. 2004)[1].. Finally, Ang (2008, 2009) scrutinizes the link between growth in financial sector and income distribution for the case of India. This paper indicates the important role of financial sector to decrease income disparity. It is documented that connection between financial development and income inequality exists and is significant. The results of this study show that financial development and increased banking density seem to improve income distribution by raising the income of the bottom 20 percent or the poor segments of the population. This study again provides support for linear relationship between finance and inequality. There is no space to validate Greenwood and Jovanovic (1990) hypothesis. Moreover, Ang (2009) probes an active link between financial liberalization and income disparity over the period of 1951 upto 2004 for the case of India. It may be noted on the basis of empirical evidence that financial reforms do not seem to provide any equal access to financial services and hence income discrimination has intensified in India. For the case of Brazil, Bittencourt (2006, 2009), has checked the effects of financial development on income disparity for the periods of 1980s and 1990s. The study uses time series and panel data approaches to examine the said nexus. The econometrical exercise indicates that financial development declines income inequality because easy access to financial services seems to increase income share of the bottom 20 percent of the population. Shahbaz (2009) also seems to investigate the impact of financial development, financial instability on the income of poor segments of population with the battery of other control variables such as economic growth, inflation, agriculture, and manufacturing shares to GDP for the case of a small emerging economy like Pakistan. The evidence proves the validation of McKinnon Conduit Effect in Pakistan. But, financial instability weakens the beneficial impact financial development on income share of the bottom 20 percent of the population. The main reason is that financial crisis seems to increase credit constraints for poor individuals. Furthermore, developments in agriculture and manufacturing sectors enhance the welfare of poor people by raising their incomes. Finally, study conducted by Shahbaz, (2010) indicates that financial development is associated significantly with equal income distribution. The estimate of economic growth is linked with high income inequality. The trade openness worsens income distribution and this provides the support to accept the Leontief Paradox for Pakistan. The income inequality is positively correlated with financial instability. The main objective of this endeavour is to investigate the relationship between financial development and income inequality in an Autoregressive Distributive Lag (ARDL) framework for Bangladesh utilising data over the period of 1985-2006. This attempt is the first of its kind for Bangladesh.

Burberry Strategy Essay

INTRODUCTION It is important for every business to clearly understand how resources and capabilities affect firm performance. As Grant (2005) defined, resources are the productive assets owned by the firm and capabilities are what the firm can do. In fact, companies that have sustainable competitive advances have been developed and exploited based on their internal resources and capabilities. Furthermore, they have successfully exploited external environment. In this essay, I will explore the topic area of ‘Resources & Capabilities’ with regards to a UK’s fashion group; the prominent designer label, Burberry GRP. In particular, the research will focus on the Strategic Business Unit of Burberry; understanding and explaining how they utilize the resources and competencies to achieve a competitive advantage. In order to do this, this paper will address on theory based from work in the areas of the ‘Resource-Based View’ and ‘Resources and Capabilities’ as well as using theoretical frameworks to give a holistic view of the strategic issues Burberry. After their reform, Burberry recovered rapidly, after the crisis of September, 2008. With 500 stores in over 50 countries, total revenues grew from 27% to  £1,501 million which is more than double its nearest rival, Chanel (with total revenues of  £ 651, 3). Retails revenues reached  £ 962 million and wholesale achieved  £ 441 million (Burberry’s a and Chanel financial report, 2012). As a result, Burberry has substantial surplus resources and is therefore able to withstand and compete in the hypercompetitive fashion market sector. Thus, Burberry achieved brand value up to more than  £ 2, 5 billion in 2012. Gucci, Prada and Chanel gained approximately of  £ 5.8,  £ 4.95, and  £ 4.2 billion respect ively. BODY The Resource-Based View In 1990s, the role of resources and capabilities become known as the basic for firms strategy and the primary source of profitability coalesced has become the resource-based view. Resources and capabilities are an important component of strategy to archive the competitive advantage. According to the  resource based view (RBV), assets and capabilities create value for the firm that leads to a sustainable competitive advantage (Hall, 1993). Burberry, Chanel and Gucci all compete in the same environment, yet Burberry is superior in performance. A Resource-Based View argues that Burberry is distinguished not by the environment, but by their internal resources. Peteraf (1993) adds to this view by arguing resources have to be heterogeneous and not perfectly mobile in order to transform a short run competitive advantage into sustained competitive advantage. Based on Grant’s model, through VRIN frame work, this research will now find out how Burberry use their resources to initiate their organizational capabilities and competences and ultimately achieve their strategic Capability. As displayed in Grant’s model showed above, in order to maintain operations, companies must have tangible, intangible, and human resource. â€Å"Tangible resources are known to be the easiest way to identify and evaluate† (Grant, 2005), however, this author assert that intangible resources contribute to total asset value much more tangible. Also, Hall (1992) mentions, intangible assets like the â€Å"feedstock† of capabilities are essential for a sustainable competitive advantage. They are assets without specific physical forms; such as intellectual property rights, trademarks, copyrights, technical know-how, brand name, reputation and so on. Core Competencies Prahalad & Hamel (1990) move away from the RBV and coined the term ‘Core Competencies’ to distinguish those capabilities fundamental to a firm’s performance and strategy. These are the organizational capabilities that are achieved through the effective deployment of a firm’s resources. Core competencies are distinctive and differentiating competencies that lie at the heart of an organization. This includes not just the products and services a company sells but also ‘soft’ areas of a company’s activities, such as branding, organizational innovation and service† (Hamel and Prahalad, 1994). Frà ©ry (2006) adds to this view and describes core competencies as the basic building blocks for a firm’s corporate strategy. Burberry have two key core competencies in Brand Name and Digital Innovation. Brand Name With a luxury fashion brand such as Burberry, brand name and reputation are extremely important. Burberry has gone through many ups and downs on the path of development and it has many competitors that include: Coach, Polo, Armani, Chanel and Gucci and so on. While Gucci focuses on luxury accessories, Coach concentrate mainly on the production of bags ( as does Chanel) and also produces accessories that range from watches and shoes to scarves and dog collars, and Chanel focus on bags. Armani’s and Polo’s marketing positioning is more focused on clothing. Burberry has succeeded in penetrating both the accessory and luxury goods. Moreover, Burberry’s resources include its high brand equity, its popular trench coat product and its signature check design. It is has a long history serving with the soldiers of World War I and it has been well received by the Royals; once by Queen Elizabeth II and once by Prince Charles. This means that customers now acknowledge them as the supplier of products to the royal family (Instyle, 2012). Referring to Burberry, customers immediately think of a luxury, high quality, and diverse fashion. However, in 1997, the new Burberry management knew that they could not rely on this benefit anymore. They realized that over the years, trends and customers change and become more diverse. From that issue, the new management believed that the problem with Burberry was undermined by a poor image and was now overly dependent on a narrow customer base comprising of middle aged, ‘fashion-conservative’ men (Fletcher, 2003). Their new strategy sought to change the position the brand of Burberry defined by ‘Britishness’, authentic outerwear heritage, historic icons, democratic luxury positioning, innovation and intuition (Burberry’s b annual report, 2011) which was aimed at the younger generation, while still retaining the traditional customer base. Recent advertisement of Burberry has brought all the characteristics of the England, â€Å"from a British landscape with aristocratic looking models to edger advertisement with models in bikinis.† (Jacobson), They also make their mark on pop culture by using iconic British representative, such as model Kate Moss and the up and coming actress Emma Watson. Their use of reputable fashion photographers is also to be noted. Considering these factors, Burberry is targeted towards different segments of the population with one common theme, luxury. With the advantage of the supplier of the royal, all of which attach a strong sense  of ‘Britishness’ with the Burberry’s brand. In November, 2011 Burberry was again included in Interbrand’s Top 100 Global Brands; was awarded the 2010 British Graduate 100 Award for ‘Where Fashion Graduates Want to Work’; and was recognized as the 13th most innovative company in the world by Fast Company magazine, as well as receiving the Inaugural Innovation Award at the 2010 British Fashion Awards (Burberry’s c annual report, 2011). This means, Burberry has a strong and sustainable competitive advantage that hard to beat. Digital Innovation Competition has always seen as a great source for innovation, while other brands focus on decors the boring store, Burberry opened up a new era of shopping by digital. Its business is driven by: Digital focus and integration (Burberry’s d annual report, 2011). In danger of being consigned to history a decade ago, Burberry has undergone a creative and digital revolution under the direction of chief creative officer Christopher Bailey, who joined the company in 2001. (Clark, 2012). The news follows the launch of the brand’s ‘Runway to Reality’ strategy, which allows VIP consumers to buy items from its runway collections immediately, via an iPad app. Also ‘Burberry Retail Theatre‘ was broadcast the brand’s Spring Summer 2011 women swear show live stream directly into 25 flagship stores worldwide, creating live simultaneous virtual trunk show events on 21 September 2010. Customers in store will explore the collection through iPads where they will be able to buy immediately through a custom-built Burberry app following a private viewing of the show on high definition screens spanning 3Ãâ€"3 meters. Burberry has been developing and testing over several months custom-designed, digitally charged in-store ‘Retail Theatre’ environments with enhanced acoustics and state of the art visual technology, creating the ultimate experience for modern luxury consumers. ‘Burberry Retail Theatre’ is at the heart of our retail growth strategy. This investment in cutting edge technology in partnership with Verizon enables us to more closely connect the Burberry brand with our consumers worldwide. This interactive retail investment will enable long term sustainable growth well beyond these  exciting global digital events.’ (Alexander, 2010) Moreover, the photo sharing website, which give consumers as well as fashion photographers a chance to try on iconic Burberry trench coat by online, allowing consumers to place immediate orders from the collection with a seven-week delivery. Burberry continued its digital democratisation of fashion with its Tweetwalk, partnering with Twitter to post backstage Twitpics of every look before they were sent down the runway, meaning the brand’s Twitter followers saw its runway looks in advance of fashonistas in the front row. During the Tweetwalk the brand’s Instagram account was taken over by Mike Kus, the most-followed Instagram user in the UK (Burberry’s e annual report, 2011). With digital innovation, Burberry has to prove to the fashion industry all over the world that the fashion industry needs to keep with the new shopping generation with lively images rather than images on the magazine and yet the luxury customers now very knowledgeable and they quickly make purchase decisions. Grab their attention in the digital boom trend is also the best way to Burberry became the first brand to appear in the consumer’s mind, rather than a different brand. Sustained Competitive Advantage Here have been many academics that have critiqued the Sustained Competitive Advantage over the years. According to Barney (1991) â€Å"to have sustained competitive advantage when it is implementing a value creating strategy not simultaneously being implemented by any current or potential competitors and when these other firms are unable to duplicate the benefits of this strategy†. Some other authors have suggested that a sustained competitive advantage is simply a competitive advantage that lasts a long period of calendar time (Jacobsen, 1988; Porter, 1985). In relation to Burberry, they have high negotiating powers with suppliers because they can offer unique products with the sophistication, elegance, a sense of pride to customers because they wearing what the Royal family do. Their resource is rare and it is this uniqueness that offers them value with regard to suppliers and customers. Their core competences allowed them to create the exceptional customer value assets that set it apart from its competitors. (Hamel and Prahalad, 1994). CONCLUSION It is important for every business to clearly understand how resources and capabilities affect firm performance. In fact, companies having sustainable competitive advance have been develop and exploit based on their internal resources and capabilities. This paper has illustrated how Burberry has maintained its competitive advantage in the face of exhaustive efforts from its competitors by using its resources and capabilities such as brand name and shopping through digital technology. In fashion industry, a usual strategy is brand name, and Burberry is no exception. This strategy aims to through more coordinated use of brand assets and greater integration of its global organization, Burberry has more opportunity to enhance consumer responsiveness and operate more efficiently and effectively. Furthermore, the company has also expanded its customer base with introduction a new aspect of the brand is defined by ‘Britishness’, authentic outerwear heritage, historic icons, democratic luxury positioning, innovation and intuition (Burberry’s f annual report). As brand name strategy is rather common among fashion, Burberry has attempted to bring in some differentiation to stay ahead. A breakthrough in the transition from conventional shopping to shopping combined with enjoys the overwhelmed digital features and sound. â€Å"Fashion is supposed to be about making things relevant. Yes, it is luxury. Yes, it is aspiration. Yes it is supposed to be inspiring. But I think there is nothing more inspiring than talking digitally because you can get attitude, you can get music, you can get sound, and you can get video and movement. You can actually articulate so much of your brand using this medium,† (Vogue Chanel, 2011). Innovation of digital technology has a breakthrough in the fashion industry in general and in particular luxury fashion and Burberry is leader. It also allows Burberry to create the exceptional customer value assets that set it apart from its competitors (Hamel and Prahalad, 1994). It has created brand awareness, as well as establishes and reinforces a luxury positioning of Burberry. REFERENCES Alexander, E. (2010) [online] Available from: http://www.vogue.co.uk/news/2010/09/08/burberry-retail-theatre-launch [Accessed 6 December 2012] Barney, J.B. (1991). Firm Resources & Sustained Competitive Advantage. Journal of Management, 17(1). pp 99-120. Burberry’s a annual report (2011) [online] Available from: http://201011.annualreport.burberry.com [Accessed 1 December 2012] Burberry’s b annual report (2011) [online] Available from: http://201011.annualreport.burberry.com [Accessed 3 December 2012] Burberry’s c annual report (2011) [online] Available from: http://201011.annualreport.burberry.com [Accessed 3 December 2012] Burberry’s d annual report (2011) [online] Available from: http://201011.annualreport.burberry.com [Accessed 4 December 2012] Burberry’s e annual report (2011) [online] Available from: http://201011.annualreport.burberry.com [Accessed 4 December 2012] Burberry’s f annual report (2011) [online] Available from: http://201011.annualreport.burberry.com [Accessed 4 December 2012] Channel’s annual report (2011) [online] Available form: http://annualreport.channel4.com/assets/downloads/hi-res/c4_annual_report_2011_financials.pdf [Accessed 1 December 2012] Clark, N. (2012) Burberry boosts digital approach with interactive campaign. Marketingmagazine, 29th May,p. 5. Fletcher, R. (2003), Brava, bravo!, The Sunday Telegraph, 5th October. Grant, R.M. (2005). Contemporary strategy analysis. 5th Edition. Oxford: Blackwell Ldt Hall, R. (1992). The strategic analysis of intangible resources. Strategic Management Journal, Vol 13, (2), pp. 135-144. Hall, R. (1993). A framework linking intangible resources and capabilities to sustainable competitive advantage. Strategic Management Journal. Vol 14 (11), pp. 607-618. Hamel, G & Prahalad, C.K. (1994). Competing for the Future. Harvard University Press : Harvard University Press. Instyle. (2012) Burberry [online] Available from: http://www.instyle.com/instyle/fashiondesigners/keymoments/0,,20226013_burberry_20236334,00.html [Accessed 6 December 2012] Jacobsen, R. (1988). The persistence of abnormal returns. Strategic Management Journal, 9. pp. 41-58 Jacobson, L. Burberry case studies. Weblog [online] Available from: http://laurenmjacobson.wordpress.com/case-studies/burberry-case-study [Accessed 6 December 2012 Peteraf, M.A. (1993). The Cornerstones of competitive advantage: A Resource-Based View. Strategic Management Journal, 14(3). pp 179-191. Prahalad, C.K. & Hamel, G. (1990). The Core Competence of the Corporation. Harvard Business Review, 68(3). pp 79-91. Porter, M. (1985). Competitive advantage. New York: Free Press Vogue festival Christopher Bailey (2012) Video. Vogue Chanel [online] Available from: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QWSwtfAtDyA [Accessed 9 December 2012]

Motivational Strategy and Action Plan Essay

Determine the motivational strategy or strategies that would likely be most appropriate for each of your three employees on basis of their individual characteristics. Indicate how you would leverage their employee evaluations to motivate each of the three employees. Describe one or more of the motivational theories and explain how the theories connect to each of your selected motivational strategies. Team Member Name Summary of Individual Characteristics Motivational Strategy and Action Plan Relevant Theory Tina Engaged Passionate Persistent Inspirational Leader Happy Emotional stable This employee would not really need much motivation, since already in engaged, passionate and is a leader at work. I would suggest that the employee uses an action plan to continue with positive attitude. Also since the employee has passed reviews, to advance in progress with promotions in the company. McClelland theory is relevant to this situation. It relates to this situation because for the most part the employee is happy at the job. Brittany Competitive Good communicator Influential Independent Emotional Quick thinker This employee shouldn’t much motivation since she is so competitive. However we could motivate her to be more engaged and happy at job since so emotional. An action plan for this strategy would be to assign her to do task she is interested and likes to do that are easy and take little thought since she is a quick thinker. This situation relates to the self-efficiency theory because employee is independent. She likes to do things on her own and feels she can. Denise Timid Considerate Neutral decision maker Eager Happy with job Encouraging This employee needs motivation in company involvement in communication since timid and shy. She can demonstrate these skills in an action plan by being more involved in conferences, presentations, and meetings. This situation could be also related to the McClelland theory because for the employee is happy with job, but there is room for opportunity.

Definition and Examples of Parrhesia

Definition and Examples of Parrhesia In classical rhetoric, parrhesia is free, frank, and fearless speech. In ancient Greek thought, speaking with parrhesia meant saying everything or speaking ones mind. An intolerance of parrhesia, notes S. Sara Monoson, marked tyranny of both the Hellenic and Persian varieties in the Athenian view. . . . The coupling of freedom and parrhesia in the democratic self-image . . . functioned to assert two things: the critical attitude appropriate to a democratic citizen, and the open life promised by democracy (Platos Democratic Entanglements, 2000). Examples and Observations The author of [Rhetorica] ad Herennium discussed a figure of thought called parrhesia (frankness of speech). This figure occurs when, talking before those to whom we owe reverence or fear, we yet exercise our right to speak out, because we seem justified in reprehending them, or persons dear to them, for some fault (IV xxxvi 48). For example: The university administration has tolerated hate speech on this campus, and so to some extent they are responsible for its widespread use. An opposing figure is litotes(understatement), where a rhetor diminishes some feature of the situation that is obvious to all.(Sharon Crowley and Debra Hawhee, Ancient Rhetorics for Contemporary Students. Pearson, 2004)To best reflect the meanings in its own context, parrhesia should be thought of as true speech: the parrhesiastes is the one who speaks the truth. Parrhesia required that the speaker use the most direct words and expressions possible in order to make it clear that whatever he might be saying wa s his own opinion. As a speech activity, parrhesia was largely limited to male citizens.(Kyle Grayson, Chasing Dragons. University of Toronto Press, 2008) What is basically at stake in parrhesia is what could be called, somewhat impressionistically, the frankness, freedom, and openness, that leads one to say what one has to say, as one wishes to say it, when one wishes to say it, and in the form one thinks is necessary for saying it. The term parrhesia is so bound up with the choice, decision, and attitude of the person speaking that the Latins translated it by, precisely, libertas [speaking freely].(Michel Foucault, The Hermeneutics of the Subject: Lectures at the College de France 19811982. Macmillan, 2005)The Fearless Speech of Malcolm XMalcolm X is the great example of parrhesia in the black prophetic tradition. The term goes back to line 24A of Platos Apology, where Socrates says, the cause of my unpopularity was my parrhesia, my fearless speech, my frank speech, my plain speech, my unintimidated speech. The hip hop generation talks about keeping it real. Malcolm was as real as it gets. James Brown talked about make it funky. Malc olm was always. Bring in the funk, bring in the truth, bring in the reality. . . .When Malcom looked at black life in America, he saw wasted potential; he saw unrealized aims. This kind of prophetic witness can never be crushed. There was no one like him in terms of having the courage to risk life and limb to speak such painful truths about America.(Cornel West, Firebrand. Smithsonian, February 2015) Eisenhower on the Military-Industrial ComplexWe annually spend on military security alone more than the net income of all United States corporations.Now this conjunction of an immense military establishment and a large arms industry is new in the American experience. The total influenceeconomic, political, even spiritualis felt in every city, every Statehouse, every office of the Federal government. We recognize the imperative need for this development. Yet, we must not fail to comprehend its grave implications. Our toil, resources, and livelihood are all involved. So is the very structure of our society.In the councils of government, we must guard against the acquisition of unwarranted influence, whether sought or unsought, by the military-industrial complex. The potential for the disastrous rise of misplaced power exists and will persist. We must never let the weight of this combination endanger our liberties or democratic processes. We should take nothing for granted. Only an aler t and knowledgeable citizenry can compel the proper meshing of the huge industrial and military machinery of defense with our peaceful methods and goals, so that security and liberty may prosper together. . . .Disarmament, with mutual honor and confidence, is a continuing imperative. Together we must learn how to compose differences, not with arms, but with intellect and decent purpose. Because this need is so sharp and apparent, I confess that I lay down my official responsibilities in this field with a definite sense of disappointment. As one who has witnessed the horror and the lingering sadness of war, as one who knows that another war could utterly destroy this civilization which has been so slowly and painfully built over thousands of years, I wish I could say tonight that a lasting peace is in sight.Happily, I can say that war has been avoided. Steady progress toward our ultimate goal has been made. But so much remains to be done.(President Dwight Eisenhower, Farewell Address , January 17, 1961) Straight Talk as a Rhetorical TropeI read S. Sara Monosons excellent work on parrhesia (frank speech) in ancient Athens. I thought, this is itwe can use this ethic of parrhesia as our own democratic ideal! But then I began to notice that our popular culture in fact already praised something like parrhesia: straight talk. Political theorists also have a similar ethic: sincerity. But the problem was that a lot of straight-talkers seemed deeply undemocratic: straight talk seemed to have become a trope, another tool of crafty politicians and smart advertising executives.(Elizabeth Markovits, The Politics of Sincerity: Plato, Frank Speech, and Democratic Judgment. The Pennsylvania State University Press, 2008)