Destination Report & Presentation Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Destination Report & Presentation - Assignment Example The paper intends to make a comparison between two popular tourist destinations of the country and finally make a few important recommendations for the policy maker associated with the tourism industry of the nation. Overview The world of the 21st century is moving at a fast pace. The fast pace of advancement of the modern day world is happening more on the lines of rapid change and tremendous development. It is of high importance to mention that the evolution of the telecommunication technology along with the process of emergence of high speed internet and various kinds of technology enabled gadgets has resulted in the process of playing a tremendous amount of influence in the lives of the masses around the world. It needs to be mentioned that because of the lines of emergence of high speed internet connectivity, the network of communication channels has improved in a drastic manner all over the world. Because of this technology powered transformation of the world around us, there h as always been a steady evolution of various kinds of trends associated with the factor of globalization. The trends of globalization, is resulting in the process of evolution of various kinds of new types of consumer demands. These new consumer demands are increasingly paving the way for a significant amount of business opportunity. Because of the rise of business opportunities, many firms located in different global markets are increasingly entering new markets. This is automatically triggering an increase in competition in the market. For the purpose of sustaining themselves, while retaining their competitive edge, the companies are increasing the pressure of performance on the employees. As a result of increasing stress in the workplaces, the people around the world are increasingly looking forward to relax by taking some highly enjoying vacations. The focus of this project is to compare and contrast two different tourism locations of Canada while judging them on the basis of fa ctors like tourism planning environments, destination components as well as relative position in regards to tourism destination cycle. The two popular tourist destinations that have been chosen in this case are Harbourfront Centre as well as Banff National Park of Canada. Comparison of Harbourfront Centre and Banff National Park Harbourfront Centre Brief Overview The Harbour Front Centre is a neighbourhood located on the north shore of Lake Ontario, within the premises of city of Toronto of Canada. The history of the region highlights that the harbour of Toronto has been using since the days of founding of Toronto for industrial as well as shipping purposes. However, the Harbourfront Centre was formed on the first day of the year 1991 as a non profit organization dedicated towards charity. It has a mandate to organize as well as present public events over a regional spread of around 94 acres. As of the current times, the Harbourfront Centre was transformed into a popular all year ro und tourist destination. The offering of the tourist site comprises of a sizzling blend of culture, arts, recreation along with indoor cafe and outdoor patio. Various events of

Proving Establish Liability For Each Offence Essay Example for Free

Proving Establish Liability For Each Offence Essay Archie is employed to protect the pheasants on Lord Melchetts estate from poachers. On day, from a distance he sees Liam and Craig on the estate and, knowing them to be poachers, he decides to rid himself of the problem for all time and fires his shotgun at them. Both Liam and Craig are only wounded, however, but do need to be taken to hospital for treatment. On the way to the hospital, the brakes on the ambulance fail, it leaves the road and overturns on a bend and Liam dies in the accident. With reference to the case situation above, discuss, using decided cases to support you arguments: a) The offences, if any, with which Archie could be charged and what the prosecution would need to prove to establish liability for each offence; (20) b) And whether you think Archie would be convicted of any offence. (5) a. In relation to the death of Liam, there is the possibility that Archie would be charged under homicide. Archie carried out the apt actus reus of homicide, whereby he has committed an unlawful killing in the Queens peace in the county of the realm and death occurs within 1 year and 1 day. Although Liam died only in the accident, the main cause for his death was Archie shooting at him. As such, Archie has provided for the cause in fact, according to the but-for test, where if but-for Archie, Liam would not have died. Contrary to R v. White, where the defendants mother died not from his poisoned drink but from a heart attack, Archie caused Liams death. Furthermore, Archie also undertakes the cause in law, as Liams wound is both substantive and operative. This is because it was Archies action that caused the injury (substantive) and this injury was still present at the time of Liams death (operative), as in R v. Malcherek Steel, where it was held that original injuries were still an operative cause of victims death. However, it may be argued that a Novus Actus Intervenis, an intervening event, caused Liams death and that Archie is not the main cause. This is only partially true, as the ambulances break failure was the last event of the chain of causation and causing Liams death. Yet, Archie can still be held liable if it can be established that there was a break in the chain of causation, however, there is none. Thus, the ambulance accident was merely a negligent contribution, as in R v. Benge, and Archies act is the cause of Liams death. According to the mens rea of murder, proof of intention to kill or cause grievous bodily harm must be shown, as established in R v. Moloney, holding that intention may be inferred from the defendants foresight of consequences. Here, the charge will depend on Archies intention, which might be deduced from the words that he muttered: rid himself of the problem for all time. As such, Archie knew the consequences of his actions, and had an intention to carry it out. Yet if this is the case, it must also be considered why Archie didnt actually carry out his apparent intention, to rid himself of the problem for all time, as he did not actually get rid of (ie. kill) them. However, if this is not the case, it can be said that Archies intention can be found if he foresaw death or GBH as a virtually certain consequence, as in R v. Woollin. It is also not known where and the number of times Archie shot at Liam and Craig, as this would confer an indication of any considerable intention. If Archies shooting was limited, perhaps one or two in the leg, then it can be said he had no intention to kill, but just an intention to frighten. If he only had an intention to frighten, then his act is already an unlawful act in itself, as it is dangerous and is foreseeable to cause harm. This is true with Archie, and he also had the intention to commit the unlawful act, as in R v. Lamb, where the defendant did not have the mens rea to kill, but only to shoot the gun. Archies act was also dangerous, likewise in R v. Church where it was held that dangerous would mean a reasonable man realizing the risk of creating some harm. In DPP v. Newbury Jones, it is said that if the accused intentionally commits a dangerous and unlawful act, causing harm or incidentally, the death, of another, he is then guilty of constructive murder. Therefore, in relation to Liams death, Archie can be liable for constructive manslaughter. In relation to the injuries sustained by Craig, there is the possibility that Archie will be charged under Section 20 of the Offences Against Persons Act 1861. The actus reus required here is merely wounding, as defined in JJC v. Eisenhower as breaking of the skin(skin here meaning any surface of the human body) or inflicting grievous bodily harm. The mens rea necessary includes a malicious intention and a foresight of physical harm. This foresight must involve the possibility of some physical harm to a person, as in R v. Mowatt. Archie, thus fulfills both the actus reus and mens rea for S20 of the OAPA. However, Archie may also be charged under Section 47 and Section 42. Under S47, Craig has to be seen to have sustained actual bodily harm, defined in R v. Miller as any harm calculated to interfere with persons health and comfort. Under S42, Archie has to be seen to put another person in fear of immediate personal violence and has touched another without their consent. If this can be established, Archie would be liable for Section 20 (Offence involving wounding/GBH), Section 47 (Common assault, battery GBH) and Section 42 (Assault battery) of the Offences Against Persons Act 1861. b. In the case of Liams death, Archie would be charged for murder. However, this is rather difficult to prove, as the mens rea required for murder involves proof of intention to kill or cause grievous bodily harm as established in R v. Moloney. Thus, he would not be convicted of murder, but rather involuntary manslaughter, with constructive liability. As for Craigs injuries, Archie would be charged under Section 20 of the OAPA. Further charges might include Sections 47 and 42. The conviction under Section 20 is undeniable, but for Section 47 and 42, it is only highly plausible.

Rites of passage of the spartan youth

Rites of passage of the spartan youth The aim of this paper is to investigate the role of rites of passage in the socialization of Spartan youth. Methodologically, our discussion will be based upon: a) ancient literary sources, in particular Plutarch, Xenophon and Pausanias, b) interdisciplinary approaches initiated by modern historians and sociologists, and c) archaeological evidence. Discussion will begin with an overview of the ancient Spartan educational system and, in particular, an assessment of the evidence for the participation of both boys and girls in festivals. It is concluded that the Spartans incorporated a system of rites of passage in their educational programme with the aim to achieving the greatest levels of socialization of their youth, both boys and girls, the main reason for which was the important role that kinetic activities played in the context of rites of passage. Key words: Rites of passage, Spartan socialization, Sparta youth. Introduction The fascinatingly complex Spartan tradition holds an important place in western political thought, while the influence exercised by the images and the fables of Sparta are still potent today. Amongst the numerous Spartan institutions admiration is caused by the eminent Spartan training [agogi], an education system which was under the guardianship and control of the State, which according to many historians lay behind Spartas success in becoming the most militarily successful Greek city-state (Kennell, 1995, Birgalias, 1999, Ducat, 2006, Koliopouos, 2004). Education was obligatory and uniform for all Spartans, a uniformity that enforced an important institutional restriction on the display of wealth, in contrast to other Greek city-states, in particular Athens. Uniformity in training and education was regulated in ancient Sparta through a system of Rites of Passage, this being defined as a ritual marking a transitional phase in a persons status in the context of social hierarchies, values and beliefs. Rites of passage are ceremonies surrounding events such landmark events as childbirth, coming of age, menstruation, marriage and death and are characterised by three phases: separation, liminality, and re-incorporation. Socialization is defined as the adoption of the behaviour patterns of any given culture, describing the process by which people are integrated and incorporated into society. The more effective socialization is, the greater the internalization of prevailing social norms and values. Social pressure and social coercion are not expressed via imitation but via the internalization of collective consciousness, spontaneously and at the same time via the obligation of the individual to accept the social norm (Durkheim, 2000, p. 17). The result of this public way of life was that each citizen of Sparta should accept the intense pressure of public opinion so that he could cope with the models of behaviour established by the Spartan society. Methodology The first category of sources upon we rely is historical evidence even though it contains plenty of voids caused by successive alterations throughout centuries. Subsequently, we will turn upon literary testimonies. At first we shall focus on historiography that provides an overall frame, in order to comprehend an era and secondly on texts of political theory and philosophy that offer direct testimonies regarding historical facts and thirdly on poetry and rhetorical speeches, (Alkman, Tyrtaios, Aristophanes, Isocrates) that light up Spartan society of the archaic and classical times. Of importance is the information from Herodotus and Thucydides, even though they present the Spartan structure of their times as very primitive. Lakedaemonion Politeia of Kritias presents the first idealized picture of Sparta, an idea that appears later in Xenophons Lakedaemonion Politeia. An analysis of Spartan society was also attempted by Plato (Politeia, Nomoi) and Aristotle (Politica). A common feature in both is a critical attitude towards the idealization of Sparta and towards the theory that presents the decline of the city as a result of contemporary political erosion. Additionally, Plutarchs work lays emphasis on the moral aspect of the education. The Lycurgus work constitutes the foundation stone of the key-elements of modern stereotypes. Since the 19th century and the birth of the science of history, through Mullers, Grottes, Foustels de Coulange projects, whose notions form a basis for the interpretation of social-politic character of Spartan society or through those of the 20th century (Nilssons, Jeanmaires and Finelys works), the issue acquired specific scientific and historical dimension. During the 20th century these approaches were enriched by the conclusions of comparative ethnology thus allocating the origin of different educational institutions and processes to a common Mediterranean past. A second instructive opinion shifts interest into the political, social and economic objectives of education, placing emphasis on its aristocratic character and on the spirit of contest, on the socialization of the young person and on the value system that youngsters inherit. (Birgalias, 1999, p. 387). Useful tools are the essays of comparative ethnology regarding age-related classes, testing and ceremonies, in order to reconcile literature with the archaeological evidence. Vidal Naque points out that literary, philosophical and historical texts, mythical narrations and social practices, on one hand, and the world of rituals related to political decisions , should be bridged. In his work, St. Hodkinson aims at presenting an overall picture of a complicated society, such as the Spartan, approaching it through diverse levels and different social groups. Modern scientific studies concerning Sparta attempt to comprehend its internal structures. (Powell 1988, 1989, Richer 1999, Cartledge and Spawforth 1989, Hodkinson and Powell 1999, Kennell 1995, Brigalias 1999, Ducat, 2006). Agogi and Spartan festivals Agogi: education of young persons, both girls and boys in Sparta which included, in addition to writing, reading and music, many kinetic activities such as games, gymnastics, sports, dancing, hunting and military exercises. These actions, apart from their incorporation into the daily educational program, were performed during public feasts and religious ceremonies where participation of youngsters constituted part of their agogi and also in the context of the rites of passages where kinetic activities held a leading role. In Sparta the body and the mind were exercised at the same time depending on the age of children. This parallel exercise dictated a concrete system of values. Agogi had clearly a social character and the function accomplished by it, was of great importance. As members of an organized society, i  ¶ndividuals are affected by the cultural level of the group, accept the educative effect of the whole and shape their personalities. The State is who determines the object ives and the means of each educational system. Spartan education aimed at infusing common harmony and at cultivating we at the expense of I. Agogi aimed, above all, at the homogeneity of the citizens.  ¶ Spartan festivals especially, Gymnopaidiai, Karneia and Yakintheia were the arena for competition between different age groups, and involved the participation of the entire body politic (Hodkinson, 2004, p. 298). Participation in religious and public events was compulsory for all youth and formed an official part of their training. Performance played an important role in these rituals and the kinetic-physical skills of young Spartans were assessed by the entire body politic (Athenaeus, 14, 630d-631b, Polignac, 2007, p. 70-71, Ducat, 2006, p. 263-265, Panagea, 2001, p. 68-71). Gymnopaidiai involved the participation of the entire body of citizens. As far as we know, each group participated with four dances: trichoria, a childrens choir, one of adolescents and another of adult males. Many scholars consider the contests of the Gymnopaidiai as tests of endurance for the children and an integral part of their education (Pettersson, 1992, p. 45-47). In the festival of the Gymnopaidiai we also identify elements of incorporation, such as dance or nudity, elements that played an important role in the integration of youth into the body politic. The game of sphere was another ritual that was assessed and characterised as a transition from adolescence to adulthood (Kennell, 1995, p. 60, Ducat, 2006, p. 270-274). At the Karneia, the role of youth was different from that in other festivals: firstly, the age of the participants was from twenty on, a rather marginal physical age for educational purposes; secondly, young Spartans didnt only participate in the events but were also responsible for organising them, which clearly indicates that they were indeed the future of the community. The participation of young Spartans in dance, contests and games constituted a great occasion of communication. Social bonds were thus strengthened and children spent more time outside, collectively and creatively. In this way young people developed better personal relationships, lived in harmony, rhythm, beauty and practically enjoyed a better quality of life. The celebration of the Yakintheia the other important religious festival of the Spartans provided a great opportunity for girls to show off their marriageable skills. In all three important religious festivals the young members of the community played a significant role, not at an individual level, as in the rites of passage, but, along with other participants of different ages, in the context of the body politic where they displayed the achievements of their training and were accordingly evaluated. The process of socialization was integrated with religious activity from an early age, confirming the socio-religious aspect towards which the educational system was directed. (Ducat, 2006, p. 276-277, Panagea, 2001, p. 68-71, Sigalos, 1959, p. 214-216, Baltrusch, 2004, p. 98). Exercising the body was the main aim of education. Young Spartans took part in many contests whose principal aim was to increase the feeling of competition amongst them. These contests mainly took place during cultural religious events, thus connecting the agogi, the education, with religious devotion. Besides the games, though, music and dance played fundamental role in such events. Dance and music had public and pedagogic function within Spartan society. All citizens participated collectively, as members of their own classes, undertaking roles hierarchically structured. Moreover, Spartan feasts were based on the unselfish attendance of citizens. Joint participation in dance under the guidance of the chorodidaskalos (dance instructor) constituted a major feature to the political and social life of Sparta. Distinction in these contests and in dances, success, and physical capacity along with morals were prominent elements of social classification. These factors had primary significa nce to the rank that someone would occupy in the social conscience. Public praise or reproach, success or rejection of a boy or a girl had decisive impact in their social recognition and status. Discussion Commenting on the fact that Sparta had been described as a democratic state, Aristotle (Pol. 1294 b 21-7) recognized that it featured certain democratic characteristics shared among the rich and the poor classes, such as uniformity in education, food provision and dress, sectors of everyday life in which the possession of wealth did not provide any advantage to its holder (Hodkinson, 2004, p. 300-326). Spartan children spent most of their childhood from around the age of seven up to the age of eighteen- training with other children, rather than living with their families. The effect of this companionship and co-existence on children was the constant experience of an intense pressure to conform to the social rules and the generally accepted models of behaviour. (Koliopoulos, 2004, p. 101). In history of education Sparta certainly possesses a concrete place. Most characteristic of all Spartan products is its constitutional system with which, for the first time, the city-state appears as the force practicing agogi, taking into account the total significance of this term. (Jaeger, 1968 p. 11). Spartan education was considered as a procedure where youngsters should participate in a common system and simultaneously a selected team should be distinguished. The principal objective was their suitable upbringing so that they could cope with their role as citizens soldiers (Legras 2005, p. 38). P. Cartledge (2004 p. 32) mentions that agogi was a system of education, training and socialization. It constituted an obligatory educational circle; a type of ordeal for young persons in order to reach the level of adults (Cartledge, 2004, p.129). Jeanmaire (1913) in his article on the Krypteia of Lacedaemonians and in his book of Couroi et Couretes (1939) interpreting the agogi refers to the survival of ancient initiative ceremonies influenced from comparative ethnology. He speaks of the rites of passage, the tests. Everybody, however, underlines the obligatory public character of the agogi and the fact that it was common to everyone. (Levy 2008, p. 76). Agogi lasted from the age of seven to the age of eighteen. Children spent most of their time living a communal life, especially after the age of twelve, and their education was basically divided into three circles based on the childs physical age, namely paides (children), meirakia (youngsters) and epheboi (adolescents). Each cycle included specific ordeals and a specific training program of intellectual and physical exercises. The Agogi constituted a range of initiative and educational cycle of age-related groups and processes. It was meticulously organized, comprehensive and competitive. Moreover, it accomplished a double function of socialization and education (Cartledge, 2004, p. 195). Exercising the body formed the nucleus of agogi. Young Spartans took part in many contests whose main aim was to increase the sense of competition amongst them. Activities of Spartan education were mainly concentrated on body training. During these festivals, fights and dances took place, where contestants demonstrated their bodily strength, the harmony of their body and their velocity in running. Distinction in these fights, success and physical ability constituted basic elements of social classification. Agogi made use of these contests, games, fights and dance in order for knowledge to be checked and the best one to be selected. The whole education was characterized by a spirit of rivalry in which awards of honors and rewards to the feat of competitions held a significant place, thus limiting discriminations based on origin and wealth. Competitions and processional demonstrations of rites of passage, that determined the physical ability of youngsters, passed also down to agogi. These events included public inspections of the skillfulness of young Spartans during festivals. The results of agogi were evaluated along with the kinetic and physical abilities of boys and girls (Kyle, 2007, p. 183, Kennell, 1995, p. 65-69). Participation in these rituals guaranteed a mutual recognition of social placement and confirmed the integration in the community, defining the first form of political identity. Writing and reading, music, poetry, dance, athletic contests, attendance at feasts, as well as participation in activities that to a modern way of thinking seem strange and bizarre, such as, pederasty and ordeals like theft and the Krypteia. All those constituted the diverse fields of expression, acquisition and application of the knowledge gained as well as the means employed for their socialisation. The testimonies we possess, stress the citys efforts to teach young children how to co-exist with children of the same age, older children and adults as part of a whole, as well as to initiate new members into its culture. (Sakellariou†¦.). The duty of the State and its educational program was to create the perfect citizen who demonstrated a deep sense of political, military and social duty, bore weapons for the defence and the glory of his city, governed its affairs, complied with its rules and maintained its values and traditions. Spartan education thus shaped the model of the citizen-soldier (Birgalias 1999, p. 388, Ducat 2006, p. 168). In addition, compliance to the accepted models of behaviour became subject to constant control, which comprises the totality of rewards and sanctions (praise and disapproval) with which society regulates individual behaviour. (Gizeli, 1993, p.119, Nova Kaltsouni, 1998, p. 80-84). The fact, after all, that education in Sparta was intensively collective contributed to the socialization of children and to the growth of their personality, thus leading to a smooth future incorporation into the society. During their education young Spartans were obliged to participate in the religious feasts of their city. The significance of such feasts, which were organized by the state, was crucial to their upbringing. In most of them, where the entire city was present, children of both sexes participated (Ducat, 2006, p. 251). Processions, masks, competitions and contests constituted part of Spartan festivals. Athletic events, dance and music the moral aim of which is always associated to the tendencies of constitution, all these are the basic elements of feasts. (Birgalias, 1999, p. 185-187). Most significant festivals were those of Karneia, Yakintheia and Gymnopaidia. Karneia is a rite of obvious importance for the community, Primitive rural ritual. (Brelich, 1969, p. 148). Î’asic education included primarily reading, writing, maths and musical acts (music, poetry, singing and dancing). Contests and different sports constituted major part of the agogi. According to Ducat (2006) three were the elements of Spartan education for young persons, the process of rites of passage and education organized by the state, the courses that like in other cities were provided by schoolteachers and the prolonged exposure to social institutions as long as children were in touch with choosing and voting for the best. Another characteristic feature of this era was the constant competition promoted among youngsters. (Ducat, 2006, p. 333-339). Thus, the attitude and behaviour of Spartan children was constantly supervised by the Paidonomos, the Ephors, the elderly and the women (Ducat, 2006, p.162). The historian Plutarch (Lycurgus 14.5-6) mentions that in certain religious ceremonies, which were particularly popular as spectacles and in which all citizens of all social ranks participated, including the Kings and the Senate, young girls composed songs which praised or mocked the deeds of the boys. Such songs that formed part of a game were in fact as effective as admonition by the adults. In this case, girls were being employed as an educational means for the amelioration of the boys. Girls learnt to become strict judges so that the young Spartan boys were obliged to make an effort to improve themselves and earn the public praise of the girls (Ducat, 2006, p. 162, Kargakos, 2006, p. 551). Pederasty was also incorporated into the military, ritualistic and educational system of Spartan agogi. The adult lover, the eispnilas, was responsible for the behaviour, the values, the performance and the character of his young beloved, the aitas. The relationship developed between a child and an adult male was in fact contributed to the childs gradual integration into adult society (Kennell, 1995, p.125-126, Kargakos, 2006, p.551). Emphasis was placed, therefore, on the process of socialization via the association of children with the older members of the community, during which attendance at political discussions played an important role (Birgalias, 1999). All decisions governing Spartan adolescence tended to stress the distinction between adolescents and younger children, as a way of integration into adult life. Educational practices and events during festivals, such as the games at Platanistas or the ritual stealing of cheese from the altar of Artemis Orthia, were performed at this age. According to Isocrates, successful stealing was publicly declared in order to attract the praise and respect of the others. Stealing and Krypteia constituted in a way a game of hide and seek, an exercise teaching children how to live and survive alone depending merely on the powers of nature and exclusively on their physical and mental strength (Xenophon, Lak. Pol. 2.9, Kennell, 1995, p. 122-123, Birgalias, 1999, Ducat, 2006, p. 202-203, Hodkinson, 2004, p. 205).   Reporting on the legislators orders in preparation of the new Spartan citizen for war, Plato (Law 1.633 b.) underlines the importance of communal meals, gymnastics, hunting and ordeals of endurance such as wrestling and the ritual whipping on the altar of Artemis Orthia. The game of sphere, the games at Platanistas, the ritual stealing of cheese from the sanctuary of Artemis Orthia and the ritual whipping that later developed into the contest of karteria (endurance), were competitive games. The city of Sparta organised such public spectacles during which children and young men demonstrated their virtues and courage, and were accordingly evaluated (Ailianus, Poik.Hist. 14.7, Kennell, 1995, p. 65-69, Kyle, 2007, p.183). Apart from fighting, dance also played an important role in the education of young Spartans. Dance and ritual were interwoven and inextricably linked to all important Spartan rites of passage, namely the passages to puberty, adulthood and marriage. Practice in dance and song constituted the fundamental means of education and the maintenance of social institutions. The circle dance formed an indirect way for the foundation of the relationship between the citizen and the city, forming, as it did, a microcosm of the community. The circle creates unity, unifying members of a group with common characteristics (Papadopoulou, 2004). The chorostasio, the area where groups sharing common characteristics (sex, age, order) and common aims (invocation of the divine, celebration) performed dancing rituals, allowed individuals to observe and be observed, choose and be chosen. Consequently, dance and music functioned as social forces, especially in the context of religious ritual, and conveyed mess ages of uniformity and unity during public events. (Naerebout, 2004). No doubt, music and dance contests held central place in the most important Spartan festivals, more specifically the Karneia, Yakintheia and the Gymnopaidiai. In the Gymnopaidies, the social/educational role of dance is reflected on the simultaneous participation of individuals of different ages: children, adults and the elderly, all sang the works of famous poets (Athenaeus, 15.678 b-c). In Gymnopaidies children had a prominent role as long as the feast mainly included dancing (orchisi) of naked youngsters, where participants, with rhythmical movements, represented scenes of fight and pangratium. They practiced different gymnastic exercises and moved rhythmically their legs as if they were in the palaistra. (Athenaeus, 15,.678 b-c). They displayed a competitive character (Xenophon Ellinika 6.4 16). It is in these feasts where we can locate evidence of primitive rites of passage. The song contests during the festival of the Yakintheia had the character of initiation and aimed at the integration of young people into the adult community. During the second day of the Yakintheia various spectacles took place. A lavish feast was held in which children wearing tunics played stringed instruments and chanting hymns to the god, groups of young people sang traditional songs and dancers performed to the accompaniment of the pipe and sung hymns (Athenaeus 4.139 d-t). Agogi incorporated many elements of such initiative rites of passage moving further on adaptations of crucial importance in order to be functional within the frames of a political society.  ¶It converted premature inaugural rituals into a governmental system (Ducat, 2006, p. 181-188, Levy, 2008, p. 147-161). In these festivals the entire society participated, and this was a fact that strengthened social bonds. Young persons demonstrated their bodily kinetic abilities and were judged by the political body. These religious feasts incorporate and bring people into the heart of society. During these contests adolescents were grouped according to ancestral races and groups and took part in the competitions (Kennell, 1995, p. 51-52). Song and dancing contests also took place during the third largest Spartan festival, the Karneia (Euripides, Alkeste, 445-451). Scenes from the ceremonial ritual are depicted on a red-figured crater from the Spartan colony at Tarentum in southern Italy; dancers, bearing baskets on their heads, perform the kalathiskos dance next to a column inscribed with the word Karneios (Papadopoulou, 2004). For young persons who participated in the feast of Yakintheia this was equivalent to the passage from adolescence to the status of adult warrior. Processions, dance and fights were some of the activities carried out by youngsters who were taking part. The myth of Hyacinth might have been related to rites of outbreak in Sparta as many elements of initiative customs exist and this was considered as a festival of resumption of the world (Richer, 2004, p. 77-84). It was a compound complex religious ceremony. Nilsson (1912, 1955) tracks down an invocation of spring within the cheerful moment of celebration Brelich (1969) says that the contrast between joy and sorrow is marking a passage to a new era. The objective of Yakintheia was, maybe, the secure integration of young persons in society. Special mention should be made to the education of Spartan girls. The establishment of rites and contests for socialisation and the passage to womanhood were immensely important for both them and the Spartan State. Girls education took place in public and was not restricted to the house, nor were they excluded from the life of men (Birgalias, 1999, p.256, Ducat, 2006, p. 232-237). Spending a large part of their life in public would have helped them to fulfil their public role as good and responsible wives. (Ducat, 2006, p. 245, Cartledge, 2004, p. 640-641). State ceremonies, such as religious processions, festivals and competitions, promoted the participation of girls in public life and their equality to men. The education and training of Spartan women gained them Pan-Hellenic fame. With systematic physical exercise girls were trained to be fit, suffer the pangs of childbirth and give birth to strong healthy Spartan warriors. Xenophon (Lakedaimonion Politeia, 1.3-5) and Plutarch (Lycurgus, 14) inform us that in certain rituals accompanied by dance and song, women participated naked displaying their fitness, the ideal promoted by Spartan education (Kokkorou-Alevra, 2002, p. 131-133). Although athletic contests, (e.g. fighting, for girls and women) are testified elsewhere in Greece, those in Sparta constituted not only as part of religious ceremonies (as in the other Greek city-states) but more importantly they were incorporated into the educational system, which included girls from all social ranks. Various testimonies survive to the fitness of Spartan women: Alcmans Parthenia (11.58-9, 11. 45-9) gives a vivid account of the athletic contests; a bronze figurine dated to c. 500 BC (now in the British Museum) which depicts a young Spartan athlete or dancer is indicative of the freedom and the robustness of the girl; Pausanias (3.13.7) also mentions female contests during a festival in honour of Dionysus Kolonatas; Hysichius reports that women competed in racing (Ducat, 2006, p. 231). Similar reports can be found in Theocrituss Helens Epithalamios (11, 22-5) in which young girls participated in racing contests that took place near the baths of the River Eurotas. Plutarch suggests that exercise was an antidote to lethargy and adolescents were prepared for harmonious marriages because of the successful co-existence of boys and girls in the playground, a common training that inspired the Edgar Degas in his Spartan Girls Challenging Boys (c. 1860-1862, London National Gallery). Such training aimed to create women with a strong sense of responsibility and conscience. In no other Greek city-state were women so actively involved in public affairs, nor was their attendance in public assemblies so decisive. Spartan women, even though they werent official members of governmental and institutional bodies, took part in important decision-making acts, being allowed freedom of speech and able therefore to influence decision making. It follows, then, that they were not considered inferior to men. If the rites of passage were significant for a boy in order to become the ideal citizen-soldier, for girls such rites were important in order to make them good mothers and capable supervisors of their households. Marriage was for the girl what war was for a boy; both situations mark the perfection of their nature and the means of entry into a situation in which each one participates in the life of the others. (Vermant, 2003, p. 40-41). The participation of children in festivals was obligatory in ancient Sparta. Such occasions, in which elements of ancient rites of passage can be discerned, enhanced communal cohesion (Kitto, 2002, p. 278-280) with the establishment of public ceremonies incorporating adolescents into adult society, organised by the community and common for all young participants (Ducat, 2006, p.182). If any young individual failed in the ordeals, he/she was considered incompetent to become a full member of the community. During the rites of passage the young person refrained from communal life and had to fight to survive in the wild, guided by certain rituals and teachings. By incorporating certain elements of these archaic rites of passage into communal life, Spartan education succeeded in forming them into a strong political system. The innovative contribution of this article is the way the subject is approached by examining physical and kinetic activities and the role played by these elements, in the socialization of a young person.  ¶Living in an era of globalization and individualism, in a world lacking of exercise and of wise management of free time and, above all, in a period deprived of social coherence, it is Spartan agogi that teaches us the value of exercise and physical activities, the culture of the body, the opposition to materialism, the value of tradition and public feasts and its effectiveness in socialization and social cohesion Conclusion What this paper has set out to establish is that rites of passage, interwoven with kinetic activities, were incorporated into the agogi; the educational system of Sparta that played a pivotal role in the socialisation of youth. Sparta was a Greek city-state unique in the interrelationship between its educational system and its political, social and economic life, a system which conveyed and propagated a complete system of values that fully expressed Spartan society: education obligatory and uniform for all; both boys and girls; by not promoting me against us, learnt to define themselves as part of the whole rather than at an individualistic level, a way of upbringing and teaching inspired obedience, bravery, discipline and professional military ability.

Memoirs Of A Mountain High :: essays research papers

It was the summer of 94 when I took a Wilderness Leadership Semester from the Colorado Outward Bound School . Needless to say that it was the most emotional, challenging, and rewarding experience that I have had in all of my 19 ears of existence. One week spent running the Upper Green River in westernColorado and northern Utah. Through The Gates of the Ladour Canyon and Dinosaur National Monument, we floated to end where the Green meets the Colorado River just beyond Echo Canyon. The high desert canyons echoed with rapids ovarious classes; Hells Half Mile and Disaster Falls were the most memorable. Upon completion we headed to climbing camp in Wyoming at a place called Vedauwoo (va-da-vu).Two weeks of vigorous climbing these granite towers left many scars both physically and emotionally for this rock was indeed as sharp as knives. Somehow no matter hard climbed; even if successful, this rock always seemed to have the last say. By this time a month had passed and I was very grateful to have that one shower on the way to the Gore Range in Colorado. This section of the course was by far the most demanding, the mountaineering section. Stepping off the bus in Frisco, Colorado we looked back knowing that we were not to see civilization for at least a month. There were 8 men and women in my group from all over the country. Each one had a unique personality not knowing that we would all become closer to each other than family, possibly being dependent during life threatening situations which we experienced on many occasions. This in itself could be another long story. By the end of this section we were required to do what they call a solo. In addition to rest up for the 15 mile marathon and finals, (a week of travel) this was also used for reflecting on our experiences. The solo was for three days. During these three days we were all to be separated about a quarter to half mile apart, alone. All of our flashlights, candles, and watches were taken away along with any books which were left at base camp. All we were allowed to take was our clothes, a tarp(not a tent) which wasn't but 5ft by 2ft, a water bottle, a pencil, paper, and our iodine to purify the water.I also want to note that we had the choice to fast or take a survival pack which consisted of a few crackers and raisins. I wanted the full experience so I chose to fast. This was a trip in itself, no food for three days. My spot on this solo was at around

Burning Bright

Is It Love? â€Å"Burning Bright† is a story about an older woman marrying a man young enough to be her son. Marcie is almost sixty. When her husband Arthur died and the local help fell away, she endured incredible loneliness at the end of a five-mile dirt track until the church recommended a handyman, Carl, who could help out on the farm. This silent man from nowhere marries Marcie, but remains mysterious. In the twenty-first century, seeing an older women and a young man is common. For most people though, the question is if the couple is truly in love.Many older women and men have large sums of money which could be given to their younger spouse if they die. In Rosh Rash's â€Å"Burning Bright,† Marcie is much older than Carl, and there is a huge disconnect in their relationship because of age. The first question that has to be answered is if Marcie's marriage with Carl is a believable love story. I think that it is not really a true love story. There is a part in the story where Carl and Marcie are talking about why he has not been married, and Carl tells Marcie that she is not too old for him(Rash 7).Farther on in the story, when Marcie and Carl got together, they did not have the typical fairytale love story meeting. Carl met Marcie because of the preacher giving him some much needed work. He got laid off from his carpentry Job. Marcie dated Carl Just because she became lonely. Later, they are at dinner, and Marcie thought that their conversation would get more comfortable. When she tries to talk to him about the fire, Carl is very short with her on words and tries to make the conversation short. He did not like to be around her, so he would sit outside and attend to himself.When they go to bed, they show love to each other, but it is the same thing every day. It is basically a routine for them. One of the examples that they use for their routine would be when Marcie says, â€Å"But at night as she readied herself for bed, he'd always come in . Theyd lie down together and he'd turn to kiss her good night, always on the mouth. Three, four nights a week that kiss would linger and then quilts and sheets would be pulled back (Rash). † I found this particularly interesting at the end of the story when Marcie chooses to pray for rain. She is praying for Carl to stop burning items.She also praying for her quality of life back, something Carl could give her. Marcie mentions she thought the longer they were together, the more he would talk, but it is not so. I think that their marriage will probably not last as long as they want it too, but as long as their both trying to work things out together, as of getting Carl to talk they relationship should be great. Now days, couples Just like Marcie and Carl. Some relationships are different than Marcie and Carl's relationship. What are some thoughts about the relationships in the world today that's Just like Marcie and Carl?

History of Transformational Leadership Essays - Leadership

History of Transformational Leadership Essays - Leadership History of Transformational Leadership Paul Boyle, David Portion, Steve Garthe, Tina Zerkle, Diallos Holmes Transformational Leadership is a recent theory James Burns cited in 1978 Transformational leadership is defined Focus on moral values Concentration on motivation Leaders have a power of inspiration Leaders sets example Further Transformational leadership analysis Bass also did extensive work with the subject Bass cited that there are certain values in a transformational leader Bass work put this theory in to book form The author reinforced earlier beliefs about transformational leaders Transformational Leadership Transactional Leadership Differences between Transformational and Transactional Leaders Understand leaderships purpose Set values and morals Nurture Relationships Self disciplined and motivated Have Heart and Compassion References Terry, Robert, W. Authentic Leadership: Courage in Action, 1993. pg. 84, and Action Wheel Publishing University of Phoenix. (2014). Essentials of Organizational Behavior. Retrieved from University of Phoenix, LDR300 website.

Reference Kobe Bryants and Michael Jacksons upcoming trial essays

Reference Kobe Bryants and Michael Jacksons upcoming trial essays America has faced an overwhelming number of celebrity trials recently and these seem to become a common thing in national courts. Take the latest loud cases of Kobe Bryant or Michael Jackson for example, which both have found their own audience, critics, commentators andfollowers, who knows? In this work I will try to discuss the need for anonymity in the like cases, while my personal belief is that the less information leaks out from the courtroom, the less the scandal has the chances to reincarnate very soon in a similar case. The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language interprets ones being anonymous?as an either state of having an unknown or unacknowledged name? of having an unknown or withheld authorship or agency?and, eventually, having no distinctive character or recognition factor? For the sake of supporting my personal position, I will concentrate on the first and last definitions. According to Amanda Paulson, the news media stick to the former meaning mentioned above and completely ignore the latter. In her article When the only unknown is victims name'the author insists that while withholding names of rape victims, the media still offer a complete set of their personal details, including addresses, telephone numbers, e-mail, photos, etc. It is a common fact that the media are actively involved in investigating the accusers, while the logical consequence of such an easily reached informational database is that people dont really need the name of the accuser anymore 'the person automa tically becomes exposed to the public opinion boosted by the newspapers, television reports and then simple rumors . It is yellow press?priority to supply everything a humans bread-and-shows?nature might ask for, and they do so. According to a journalism ethics specialist, the celebrity angle, the intense competition, and the Internet have all kind of lined up to creat...

Factors Contributing to the Confederacys Loss of the Civil essays

Factors Contributing to the Confederacys Loss of the Civil essays The phrase "war is expensive" has become a cliche over the decades as humans experience the ugliness of wars and their consequences. As most outcomes of war show, the winners tend to be the "richer" ones who can afford to lose and pay the higher price. Applying this to the Civil War, it can be stated that the Confederacy lost the Civil War because it was "poorer" one. The South lost because the war was just too expensive, making it difficult to purchase the required resources and manpower to overcome the North. Shortage of imperative resources, inadequate manpower, and the blockade that limited its source of supplies were three major problems that the Confederacy faced during the Civil War, which ultimately crumbled its goals to secede. The foremost problem facing the Confederacy during the Civil War was the inadequate manpower. Even counting slaves, who obviously could not be expected to fight to protect, the South's manpower was nothing compared to that of the North's. Consequently, the South was not able to afford loses or even stalemates because anything but dominations would be the Norths gain. Because the South lacked men, it was not able to suffer unnecessary causalities; therefore every battle was crucial to the Confederacys existence. When there were stalemates, the North clearly knew it was a tremendous gain for them because they had more soldiers. Although the South had better-trained soldiers, it was not able to suffer from the assault of inexperienced Union soldiers. The North might have lost more men, but because of its massiveness in number, the North was progressing in regards to the war as a whole, just because the South could not afford the casualties since war is expensive. Secondly, another problem the Confederacy faced was the shortage of resources and supplies. Because its economy is largely based on cotton, the South faced the a few problems the North did not have to. ...

The causes of marital infidelity in our society Essay

The causes of marital infidelity in our society - Essay Example According to a number of experts, sex is not the only requirement that continues a healthy relationship; however, intimacy is the factor that plays the vital and crucial role in sustaining different issues of lives in a collective manner. In addition, sexual desire is considered the basic factor that brings two people closer to each other; however, it is indicated by the studies that it is essential that a couple should be understanding each other through presence of intimacy. Moreover, it is essential that two people in a relationship should effectively communicate with each other, as reports have indicated that opposite sex attraction is not the greatest concern in the case of marital infidelity, but the inefficient communication that takes people far away from each other. According to a survey in the year 2000, more than thirty percent of males admit that they had slept with another woman once during their marriage. (Duncombe, pp. 23-25) In addition, approximately twenty percent of women admitted doing the same during the survey. Interestingly, all these men and women accepted that they were having a passionate sexual relationship with their partners in marriage. In this regard, it was not the absence of sexual satisfaction that prompted these participants in betraying their partners, but lack of communication. (Aaron, pp. 33-34) In other words, sexual desires for others would be the only cause of marital infidelity for some people; however, collapse o f communicational bond is one of the major factors that cause marital infidelity in relationships. A number of other causes have been indicated by the experts, as it is observed that a relationship starts affecting, when a partner divert his focus from the his/her partner to other platforms, such as career, business, friends, etc. Studies have indicated that most of the extra-marital affairs do not begin with sexual attraction, but general mode of friendship that involves sharing of personal issues and

What attributes of eco-labels are important to consumers Essay

What attributes of eco-labels are important to consumers - Essay Example The authors used an online discrete choice/ choice-based conjoint to investigate the drivers that influence consumer preference on over eco-labels (Delmas & Lessem, 2014). Consumers cannot assess the environmental qualities of a product until it arrives at the market. The presence of eco-labels seeks to bridge this information gap between manufacturers and consumers by presenting the ingredients and environmental qualities of a certified product. The environmental attributes of a product are essential to consumers since they influence their purchasing decisions. Eco-labels influence consumers’ preferences on products. A research that used a discrete choice experiment and a latent class choice model to investigate the significance of consumers’ preference for wine back labels and identify the correlation of these labels relative to price confirmed this (Mueller, Lockshin, Saltman, & Blanford, 2010). The research established that simple eco-labels statements derive positive customer response while eco-labels with difficult messages like the chemical ingredients of a product derives negative responses (Mueller, Lockshin, Saltman, & Blanford, 2010). More so, the presence of private benefits in eco-labeled products derives positive consumer responses (Delmas & Lessem, 2014). Such benefits may include health benefits, increased durability, and high quality. In this context, such factors will affect consumer’s willingness to buy cleaning products. Health attribute influences consumer preferences for eco-labeled products. Developed countries like America offer eco-labels health claims through independent agencies. Various studies derive that most consumers always prefer healthier products. The increased customers’ demand for healthier food products has led to the use of eco-labeling (McCluskey & Loureiro, 2003). The authors conducted an empirical study on consumer preferences and willingness to buy various types of food

Service marketing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Service marketing - Essay Example One-third of revenues is from advertising, one-third from companies distributing products through gift packs, and one-third from sales of consumer information. Spin-off publication â€Å"One Step Ahead† is likewise successful. The firm upgraded by changing its name to CD Marketing Services, while maintaining â€Å"Circular Distributions† for the existing door-to-door distribution. Under CD Marketing , Lifestyle Marketing brand concentrated on the sale of marketing information, and invested heavily in new technological capacity; ?400,000 of investment reaped additional ?33 million in sales and ?2.4 million in profits. Two new publications are Emma’s Diary Pre-School Guide and Married Life†¦The Small Print, which both attracted higher than average response rate and additional revenue through advertising and sample packs. More importantly, the new publications aimed to collect new data and build a database about its consumers. CD publications enjoyed a high res ponse rate. Services offered by Lifecycle Marketing were availed of most especially by financial services and home shopping businesses. These services include: Segmented lists of consumers that organizations can rent for one-off use Licenses by which other organizations may incorporate CD’s data in their own databases Inclusion by client-companies of specific questions in its publications; the data generated shall be for the contracting client’s exclusive use Later, the firm embarked on systematically supplying information to companies as a regular activity. In the meantime, the traditional fmcg business was still strong, and the company is ways by which it can be improved. New clients were attracted by the door-to-door service include Internet Service Providers which distributed free CD ROMS to targeted households. The Analysis for New Service Development strategy During its early days, Circular Distributors distributed generic products in a homogeneous market, for tr ial purposes that, it was hoped, would encourage future purchases. The company eventually developed the B2B consumer information service by which data it has gathered from its consumers are organized, packaged and sold to companies. Somewhere in between the company has been able to successfully create four publications, the latter two of which are used to gather data from consumers who are constantly expanding due to lifestyle changes. All three types of services – door-to-door distribution, publications, and information databasing and sales – are growing significantly, but while information sales is highly competitive because of the number of players already established in the industry, door-to-door distribution and publications have a huge following but few competitors. These three classes of services shall be analysed in the following discussion. Marketing Analysis Size – The market size for the door-to-door delivery service is substantial, but due to the phy sical nature of the service reliance on manpower limits the extent of the service and the geographical scope is limited. Publications would have a wider reach, as far as GPs (for obstetrics and paediatrics), vicars (for weddings), registrars (for births) and similar channels of survey questionnaire

Providing Ethical Alternatives Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Providing Ethical Alternatives - Essay Example Natural products contain â€Å"no artificial color, flavor, chemicals, preservatives, saccharine, aspartame, irradiated food and meat produced without use of growth hormones or antibiotics† (Brewer, 2004). The market has two co-owners who are equal partners. The CEO is the eldest child who holds an MBA. All family members work in the market in one location or another, so this is definitely a family-run business, though the market employs organic chefs, business managers, and others who develop relationships with local farmers and growers. Products offered include natural or organic foods, supplements, health and beauty aids, meats, plants and seed. Both locations offer cooking classes for specific food categories on a rotating schedule. The company belongs to local, regional and national growers associations, with a co-owner holding offices in two of the organizations. In the company’s mission statement is a major goal of enhancing the local economy, which affects local residents, by buying from local growers as much as possible. The statement goes on to further explain that buying locally also eliminates much of the fuel consumption that occurs when products are shipped across the country. This helps Providing Ethical Alternatives 2 reduce the environmental impact of vehicle emissions. One of the co-owners has spoken at congressional hearings several times to promote labeling of all foods that are genetically modified (GMO).

Global Trade Operations Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Global Trade Operations - Essay Example The International Commercial Terms (Incoterm) are rules and regulations that govern international trade because when two parties are involved in international trade disputes or misunderstanding may arise hence making Incoterm a central component in the development of international trade across the globe (Branch 2009, p.4). The International Chambers of Commerce (ICC) established these guidelines in the year 1936. However, they have greatly evolved since that time. The main aim of these international trade guidelines is to spell out the legal obligation of the two parties involved in the trade. Additionally, this minimizes misunderstandings and conflict between the two parties. International trade can prove difficult when the two parties face obstacles such as language barrier and other limitations. This makes the International Commercial Terms (Incoterm) a very important aspect of the trade. The International Commercial Terms (Incoterm) apply globally hence making them generally acce ptable by all countries. The contract of the sale of goods is the area of focus in the International Commercial Terms (Incoterm). Additionally, the International Commercial Terms (Incoterm) covers all the aspects of transportation of goods, obligation of both parties and other requirements such as insurance. The International Commercial Terms (Incoterm) entails eleven terms that are fundamental in international trade. Furthermore, these terms fall under four major divisions these include â€Å"C† terms â€Å"D† terms â€Å"E† terms and â€Å"F† terms. The seller or exporter has to follow the International Commercial Terms (Incoterm) in order to complete a successful business transaction. Additionally, the procedures under International Commercial Terms (Incoterm) follow each other sequentially and in order of the degree of responsibility. However, one can better understand the terms used in the International Commercial Terms (Incoterm) when using a typica l example of a business transaction between an importer and an exporter hence making the application of these terms relevant. An international business transaction has to involve two different countries and in order to use all the applicable procedures in the International Commercial Terms (Incoterm) it is important to use two different countries that are not on the same bloc due some waivers, trade agreements and other issues like memorandum of understanding Description of the business Transaction The main business transaction that is most appropriate and fits the criteria of the International Commercial Terms (Incoterm) is importation and exportation of Japanese cars. This has been a very successful trade between Japan and other countries of the world. Additionally, most of the cars manufactured in the world come form Japan hence making a study on how the business transactions take place very informative. However, one main reason as to why this particular trade meets the criteria is that very many legal formalities are involved in the importation and exportation of vehicles from one country to another. Additionally, this kind of trade deals with incredibly many different nationalities hence providing readily available information that is useful. However, several countries have different rules and regulations that govern the importation of cars. For instance, in other countries one cannot import a car that is more than eight years old or the vehicle must be in a certain condition. All these rules and regulations involved when importing or exporting a vehicle make the trade more sophisticated. Countries involved in the business transaction The two main countries that we are going to focus on are the United

Would you expect cancer to arise more often in types of cells that Essay

Would you expect cancer to arise more often in types of cells that divide frequently (such as skin cells) or in types of cells that divide rarely or not at all (such as nerve cells) Explain your reasoning - Essay Example Therefore, cancer is result of errors in reproduction or failure to separate genetic materials properly at the time of mitosis. Skin cancer is closely linked with cell mitosis because it is the process through which cells replicate, and without it, cancerous cells would not be able to form. Cancer begins with single regular cell shifting into a cancerous cell; this may be because of a transmutation within the cells genetic material that influences its development. Once a cell has altered in this manner, it is likely to reproduce at a much quicker pace than normal, â€Å"and the bad cancerous cells proliferate and pile up. They go through uncontrolled abnormal mitosis. These renegade cells escape the normal controls of mitotic cell division† (Picorino, 2012). Cancer cells as well have an abnormal form as well as behavior. This sort of cell is more likely to separate it from surrounding ones and shift to other parts of the

Providing Ethical Alternatives Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Providing Ethical Alternatives - Essay Example Natural products contain â€Å"no artificial color, flavor, chemicals, preservatives, saccharine, aspartame, irradiated food and meat produced without use of growth hormones or antibiotics† (Brewer, 2004). The market has two co-owners who are equal partners. The CEO is the eldest child who holds an MBA. All family members work in the market in one location or another, so this is definitely a family-run business, though the market employs organic chefs, business managers, and others who develop relationships with local farmers and growers. Products offered include natural or organic foods, supplements, health and beauty aids, meats, plants and seed. Both locations offer cooking classes for specific food categories on a rotating schedule. The company belongs to local, regional and national growers associations, with a co-owner holding offices in two of the organizations. In the company’s mission statement is a major goal of enhancing the local economy, which affects local residents, by buying from local growers as much as possible. The statement goes on to further explain that buying locally also eliminates much of the fuel consumption that occurs when products are shipped across the country. This helps Providing Ethical Alternatives 2 reduce the environmental impact of vehicle emissions. One of the co-owners has spoken at congressional hearings several times to promote labeling of all foods that are genetically modified (GMO).

Would you expect cancer to arise more often in types of cells that Essay

Would you expect cancer to arise more often in types of cells that divide frequently (such as skin cells) or in types of cells that divide rarely or not at all (such as nerve cells) Explain your reasoning - Essay Example Therefore, cancer is result of errors in reproduction or failure to separate genetic materials properly at the time of mitosis. Skin cancer is closely linked with cell mitosis because it is the process through which cells replicate, and without it, cancerous cells would not be able to form. Cancer begins with single regular cell shifting into a cancerous cell; this may be because of a transmutation within the cells genetic material that influences its development. Once a cell has altered in this manner, it is likely to reproduce at a much quicker pace than normal, â€Å"and the bad cancerous cells proliferate and pile up. They go through uncontrolled abnormal mitosis. These renegade cells escape the normal controls of mitotic cell division† (Picorino, 2012). Cancer cells as well have an abnormal form as well as behavior. This sort of cell is more likely to separate it from surrounding ones and shift to other parts of the

Ritalin Abuse Essay Example for Free

Ritalin Abuse Essay The pharmaceutical industry, working with the government and organized psychiatry, claim that such drugs as Ritalin, are a safe treatment for ADHD. School systems and courts have pressured and even forced parents to give stimulant drugs to their children. But hidden behind the well-oiled public relations machine is a potentially devastating reality. The problem with ADHD or ADD is already not whether or not ADHD is a subtype of ADD, but rather the problem is whether or not we should be medicating our children with drugs such as Ritalin. Questions like the following often arise when discussing the issue: Are the side effects worth getting our children under control? Are all the children who are on Ritalin on it for just cause or are the drugs being abused? What does the future hold for these children who are using Ritalin and other stimulants? All these questions leave parents wondering if they should put their young child on medications and what it will do to their future. Millions of children are prescribed the stimulant drugs such as Ritalin, Adderall, Concerta and Metadate for Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) in the hope of controlling behaviours described as hyperactivity, impulsivity and inattention. These medications decrease restlessness, improve attention span, increase the ability to focus, decrease aggressive outbursts and improve social interaction. They are thought to work by adjusting the brains chemical balance and reversing under-arousal, possibly by increasing the availability of certain neurotransmitters. About 75 % of children with ADHD respond well to stimulant medication with improved attention at school and increased academic productivity (Kidd, 2000). Ritalin, the most commonly prescribed stimulant for ADHD, peaks 1 to 2 hours after its taken and effects last about 4 hours. For maximum benefit its taken three times a day, seven days a week in order to sustain home as well as school interactions. (Some find that although the afternoon dose eases home relationships, it may exacerbate side effects such as poor appetite and insomnia. ) A slow-release form taken in the morning may last the day (at least 6 to 8 hours). A few develop drug tolerance and need increasing doses to suppress symptoms. (High amounts may have some growth-retarding effect, requring a drug change. ) Side effects of Ritalin can include headaches, insomnia, reduced appetite and weight loss, stomach aches, occasional tics (grimaces, nail biting), a zombie-like stare, obsessive over-focussing (becoming over-engrossed) and emotional constriction (for instance shown by drawings where everything is miniscule or shoved tightly into a corner). Omitting the 4 p. m. dose might overcome the sleep problems but at the cost of disrupting home and family life. Most side effects can be avoided by giving smaller doses. Some children object to the roller-coaster feeling while on the drug, and want to feel normal again, leading to a drop-off in drug-taking. Some hate the idea of having their behaviour controlled; and some parents oppose the idea of mind-altering drugs for their kids (Kidd, 2000, p. 20). In any case, there are always some ideals that do persuade parents into giving their children stimulants. The one of the appeals, and usually a selfish one, is that the drug gets their child under control. Parents who are fed up with their child and their behavior think that there is no other way of getting their child to behave and automatically look for a drug to get the situation changed sometimes when the child hasnt even been diagnosed with disorder yet. The appeal greatens when guilt settles in. Parents sometimes feel responsible for their childs outbreaks and by giving him or her a drug it makes the parents feel as if something chemically is wrong, and isnt because of the childs upbringing (Brink, 2004). Besides short-term benefits for Ritalin, some studies show that there are some long-term ones as well. In 1988 scientists found improvements in cognitive functions in reading performances. Though it wasnt positive, and is also very controversial if the drug itself was creating the improvement or if it was the drugs ability to reduce the disorders symptoms, which helps the child focus, but in the end, there still was an obvious increase in learning. Though frustration of child obedience, previously mention guilt, and hope for better grades often play a vital role in the decision of whether or not to put ones child on medication, there are some outstanding negatives that also make an impact on parents choices on the matter. One of the major problems with Ritalin is the side effects the medication causes its users. As mentioned before, these include effects as minor as stomach pains, sleep loss, loss or appetite and irritability. But side effects can be as serious as facial tics, anxiety, insomnia, and depression. (Hancock and Wingert, 1996) Other sever symptoms include increase in blood pressure, nausea, hypersensitivity, and temporary decrease in bone growth (White and Rouge, 2003). In February of 1996, the Food and Drug Administration released a study done on mice that showed that Ritalin might even have the ability to cause a liver cancer (Hancock and Wingert, 1996). It is being feared by many physicians that Ritalin is being overly prescribed to children. Some doctors are seeing patients that have been told to have ADHD, but in reality have other problems such as learning difficulties or depression. Parents often even ask doctors for Ritalin, even when their child does not have a need for it, but the childs parents want to see his or her grades rise. Some doctors even admit to giving children the drug without doing much background checking of the child or any psychological tests that may prove the child has other problems. (Hancock and Wingert, 1996). ADHD is diagnosed without much hoop jumping. There are sixteen different symptoms that ADHD is connected with, and if the child has eight of them then all too often he or she is automatically considered to have ADHD; often without taking any other disorders or problems into consideration such as anxiety or depression (Donnelly, 1998). It seems as though parents are able to get their children the drug almost at demand. If they feel their child is in need of the stimulant, there is little stopping them from receiving it. Skepticism of ADHD and stimulants continue getting more serious when taking in some of the statistics. One fact that may change someones thoughts on the disorder is that 8 in 10 children with ADHD are boys (Donnelly, 1998) But does anyone put into consideration that girls develop and become mature faster than boys? Or is it being forgotten that kids are just kids and are not always going to act as teachers and parents desire? Another issue relating to Ritalin is the possibilities of unknown long-term effects that have not yet been discovered. There have not been any long-term studies done on children who have taken Ritalin. Since ADHD cannot be tested by blood tests or any other kind of testing, there is always the chance that children are being misdiagnosed and receiving stimulants for a disorder that they do not have (Hancock and Wingert, 1996). Children sometimes have symptoms that seem like ADHD but arent at all. The child can have problems such as chronic fear, mild seizures or even chronic ear infections, all of which may make adults assume the child has the disorder, but in reality has something completely different. Often problems at home make children act up as well. There maybe an abusive parent at home that makes a child be difficult in the classroom. In cases like these the child is not in need of drugs, but needs counseling (White and Rouge, 2003). The concept of ADHD and its medications are really hard to justify. There are some very valid reasons for putting children on the drug, especially helping them pay attention in school and having the same opportunity as the rest of the children in their classes. But the side effects are just mind boggling. I think even the slightest chance of some of these side effects mentioned would want parents to search for alternatives for their children and keep them away from the drug. Another problem about ADHD is the fact that doctors cannot find anything psychically different from the children diagnosed with the disease from those that are normal. Dr. Thomas Millar, a retired Vancouver child psychiatrist, goes as far as to say that ADHD is a mythical disorder(Donnelly, 1998, p. 2). He also says that the problem is not hyper children, but rather its poor parenting. Children that act as children do- easily excited, short attention spans, and hyper (all symptoms of ADHD)- are not considered to be acting as normal children, but rather as children with a disorder . I think Dr. Millar put it best when he said, If Tom Sawyer was around today, hed be Ritalin, as would any other normal boy in literature. Today, parents dont have any idea of what child behavior ought to be. Parents who start giving their children this drug at ages as earlier as two, I think, are looking for quick fix and are being lazy. How can parent decide that a two year old is being hyperactive (White and Rouge, 2003)? Most two year olds are active and have little to no attention spans. I think this only teaches children that drugs are the answer to all our problems. By putting a child on a mind altering drug at such a young age, when he or she has not even started school yet, it leaves a parent with very little evidence or reason for their action. The child does not have schoolwork yet, and has little need for paying attention for long periods of time, so what does this child need the drug for? Because the child is difficult and more active than a parent wishes? It almost seems as if parents want to change their childs personality and make their childhood less interesting. I think its very important that parents do not view Ritalin as the first and only way of calming their child down. All in all, Ritalin is a very controversial drug in our country because of its side effects and the insecurities of diagnosing ADHD. The drug carries very important help for children who are struggling to pay attention and without a doubt do have a disorder. But the number of children who are on the drug for the wrong reason is a scary thought. Are we become so impatient with our children that we do not want to take the time to discipline or help them through their problems? Have our children become so bad that we are willing to risk their health so they calm down and do not embarrass us? Our society needs to learn more about this drug that too many of us are so quickly giving to our children.

Rectification circuit for a dc power supply

Rectification circuit for a dc power supply 1. Introduction Most of the electronic devices do not power on AC basis, and if so it will conduct a lot of power and will be damaged the first moment it operates. Thus a device that reduces the voltage and correspondingly smoothes the output voltage to become much more stable and reliable to use than the AC which is the DC is needed. A question may arise that asks why do not use batteries to supply a DC voltage. Well, it is a good it a good question, but batteries are expensive and does not handle large electronic devices. Imagine having a desktop on batteries and having to change its battery every half an hour or so, it is a nightmare. As a result, in this case, a linier DC power supply that operates from fixed (ex: at home) AC voltage is needed. A rectification circuit do all that automatically. It smoothes and filters the current and make it a better than a battery DC source. The report paper will focus primarily on the technical aspects of the Rectification circuit used in the linear DC power supply. Other aspects than mentioned will not be included. 2. Discussion 2.1. Linear power supply AnACpowered linear power supply usually uses atransformerto convert the voltage from the wall outlet (mains) to a different, usually a lower voltage. If it is used to produceDC, arectifieris used. A capacitoris used to smooth the pulsating current from the rectifier. Some small periodic deviations from smooth direct current will remain, which is known asripple (Wiki, 2009). The voltage produced by an unregulated power supply will vary depending on the load and on variations in the AC supply voltage. For critical electronics applications alinear regulatorwill be used to stabilize and adjust the voltage. This regulator will also greatly reduce the ripple and noise in the output direct current. Linear regulators often provide current limiting, protecting the power supply and attached circuit from over current (Wiki, 2009). Figure 1 illustrates two common linear power supply circuits in current use. Both circuits employ full-wave rectification to reduce ripple voltage to capacitor C1. The bridge rectifier circuit has a simple transformer but current must flow through two diodes. The centre-tapped configuration is preferred for low output voltages since there is just on diode voltage drop. For 5V and 12V outputs, Schottky barrier diodes are commonly used since they have lower voltage drops than equivalently rated ultra-fast types, which further increase power conversion efficiency. However, each diode must withstand twice the reverse voltage that a diode sees in a full-wave bridge for the same input voltage. The linear voltage regulator behaves as a variable resistance between the input and the output as it provides the precise output voltage. One of the limitations to the efficiency of this circuit is due to the fact that the linear device must drop the difference in voltage between the input and output. Consequently the power dissipated by the linear device isVi-VoÃÆ'- Io. While these supplies have many desirable characteristics, such as simplicity, low output ripple, excellent line and load regulation, fast response time to load or line changes and low EMI, they suffer from low efficiency and occupy large volumes. Switching power supplies are becoming popular because they offer better solutions to these problems (National, 2002). 2.2. Transformer Atransformeris a device, figure 2, that transferselectrical energyfrom onecircuitto another throughinductively coupledconductorsà ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬the transformers coils. A varyingcurrentin the first orprimarywinding creates a varyingmagnetic fluxin the transformers core, and thus a varyingmagnetic fieldthrough the secondarywinding. This varying magnetic fieldinducesa varyingelectromotive force (EMF)or voltage in the secondary winding. This effect is called mutual induction. If aloadis connected to the secondary, an electric current will flow in the secondary winding and electrical energy will be transferred from the primary circuit through the transformer to the load. In an ideal transformer, the induced voltage in the secondary winding (VS) is in proportion to the primary voltage (VP), and is given by the ratio of the number of turns in the secondary (NS) to the number of turns in the primary (NP) as follows: Step down transformers convert electrical voltage from one level or phase configuration usually down to a lower level. They can include features for electrical isolation, power distribution, and control and instrumentation applications. Step down transformers typically rely on the principle of magnetic induction between coils to convert voltage and/or current levels. Step down transformers are made from two or more coils of insulated wire wound around a core made of iron. When voltage is applied to one coil (frequently called the primary or input) it magnetizes the iron core, which induces a voltage in the other coil, (frequently called the secondary or output). The turns ratio of the two sets of windings determines the amount of voltage transformation. An example of this would be: 100 turns on the primary and 50 turns on the secondary, a ratio of 2 to 1. Step down transformers can be considered nothing more than a voltage ratio device. With step down transformers the voltage ratio between primary and secondary will mirror the turns ratio (except for single phase smaller than 1 KVA which have compensated secondarys). A practical application of this 2 to 1 turns ratio would be a 480 to 240 voltage step down. Note that if the input were 440 volts then the output would be 220 volts. The ratio between input and output voltage will stay constant. Transformers should not be operated at voltages higher than the nameplate rating, but may be operated at lower voltages than rated. Because of this it is possible to do some non-standard applications using standard transformers. Single phase step down transformers 1 kva and larger may also be reverse connected to step-down or step-up voltages. (Note: single phase step up or step down transformers sized less than 1 KVA should not be reverse connected because the secondary windings have additional turns to overcome a voltage drop when the load is applied. If reverse connected, the output voltage will be less than desired). 2.3. Rectifier Arectifieris an electrical device that convertsalternating current(AC) todirect current(DC), a process known asrectification. Rectifiers have many uses including as components of power suppliesand asdetectorsofradiosignals. Rectifiers may be made ofsolid statediodes,vacuum tubediodes,mercury arc valves, and other components (Wiki, Rectifier, 2009). While half-wave and full-wave rectification suffice to deliver a form of DC output, neither produces constant-voltage DC. In order to produce steady DC from a rectified AC supply, a smoothing circuit orfilter,is required. In its simplest form this can be just areservoir capacitoror smoothing capacitor, placed at the DC output of the rectifier. There will still remain an amount of ACripplevoltage where the voltage is not completely smoothed. Sizing of the capacitor represents a trade-off. For a given load, a larger capacitor will reduce ripple but will cost more and will create higher peak currents in the transformer secondary and in the supply feeding it. In extreme cases where many rectifiers are loaded onto a power distribution circuit, it may prove difficult for the power distribution authority to maintain a correctly shaped sinusoidal voltage curve (Wiki, Rectifier, 2009). For a given tolerable ripple the required capacitor size is proportional to the load current and inversely proportional to the supply frequency and the number of output peaks of the rectifier per input cycle (National, 2002). The load current and the supply frequency are generally outside the control of the designer of the rectifier system but the number of peaks per input cycle can be affected by the choice of rectifier design. A half-wave rectifier will only give one peak per cycle and for this and other reasons is only used in very small power supplies. A full wave rectifier achieves two peaks per cycle and this is the best that can be done with single-phase input. For three-phase inputs a three-phase bridge will give six peaks per cycle and even higher numbers of peaks can be achieved by using transformer networks placed before the rectifier to convert to a higher phase order (Wiki, Rectifier, 2009). To further reduce this ripple, acapacitor-input filtercan be used. This complements the reservoir capacitor withinductor and a secondfilter capacitor, so that a steadier DC output can be obtained across the terminals of the filter capacitor. A more usual alternative to a filter, and essential if the DC load is very demanding of a smooth supply voltage, is to follow the reservoir capacitor with avoltage regulator. The reservoir capacitor needs to be large enough to prevent the troughs of the ripple getting below the voltage the DC is being regulated to. The regulator serves both to remove the last of the ripple and to deal with variations in supply and load characteristics. It would be possible to use a smaller reservoir capacitor (these can be large on high-current power supplies) and then apply some filtering as well as the regulator, but this is not a common strategy. The extreme of this approach is to dispense with the reservoir capacitor altogether and put the rectified waveform straight into a choke-input filter. The advantage of this circuit is that the current waveform is smoother and consequently the rectifier no longer has to deal with the current as a large current pulse, but instead the current delivery is spr ead over the entire cycle. The downside is that the voltage output is much lower approximately the average of an AC half-cycle rather than the peak. 2.4. Regulator The regulator is an electrical regulator designed to automatically maintain 3. The Proposed Circuit * The proposed circuit shall have an input voltage equals to 220v. * A centre-tapped step down transformer with 220v output and 12v output. * 2 diodes (1N4001) working independently (note: duel regulated) as half-wave rectifiers. * 2 capacitors (1000u) to smooth the signal. * 2 voltage regulators (LM7815C) to regulate the coming voltages from the capacitors. * 2 small values capacitor (10u) for final smoothing for the output voltage. * The output voltage of 0-5v. 4. Conclusion One of the best ways to output an efficient and reliable DC power supply is to use linear power supply, which uses a step-down transformer, a rectification circuit, a regulator and a filter. The step-down transformer takes the voltage down from 220v to 12v, then the rectification circuit smoothes and filters it using capacitors and diodes, as a result, the output DC voltage would be 0-5v with a minimal ripple factor using the proposed circuit as mentioned. Works Cited National, S. C. (2002, September 1). Introduction to Power Supplies. Santa Clara, California, USA. Wiki. (2009, December 10). Power supply. Retrieved December 14, 2009, from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Power_supply Wiki. (2009, December 9). Rectifier. Retrieved December 16, 2009, from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rectifier Power supply. Retrieved December 15, 2009, from: http://www.kpsec.freeuk.com/powersup.htm http://www.allaboutcircuits.com/vol_3/chpt_3/4.html Wiki. (2009, December 12). Rectifier. Retrieved December 15, 2009, from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Voltage_regulator AC to DC Cuircts. Retrieved December 16, 2009, from: http://www.discovercircuits.com/DJ-Circuits/acdc1.htm Power supply. Retrieved December 15, 2009, from: http://www.trcelectronics.com/power-supply.shtml Step-down transformers. Retrieved December 14, 2009, from: http://www.powertransformer.us/stepdowntransformers.htm Step Down Transformers. Retrieved December 15, 2009, from: http://www.electricityforum.com/electrical-transformers/step-down-transformers.html

Critique of Kohlberg’s Claim of Cultural Moral Universality Essay

Critique of Kohlberg’s Claim of Cultural Moral Universality    Introduction As the American Heritage Dictionary plainly states, morality is "a system of ideas of right and wrong conduct" (American Heritage Dictionary 2000). People have been researching the development of this sense of morality for centuries. There is great debate over how a person’s morality is formed and then how to categorize one person’s level of morality compared to others. Most researchers believe that people reach different stages of morality within their lifetimes. The tougher issue is determining what comprises the various stages of morality, which is dependent on what a person’s ideas of right or wrong are to begin with. Therefore in order to establish a set of moral stages, one must clarify what exactly is thought of as right or wrong to a group of people. It has been stated that a person’s sense of morality deals with how he should act as a person, as opposed to acting on the basis of his race, ethnicity or religion. This statement therefore implies that all people should have the same set of morals. People should be concerned with how they should act as people in general and not let other aspects of who they are influence their sense of morality. But in the end this belief has been proven to be false. Different people across the world have contrasting moral reactions, natural responses and thoughts to moral dilemmas. (Fleischacker, 1994, p.8) All people worldwide go through the process of moral reasoning, which has been defined as "a cognitive process by which individuals make decisions about moral issues and justify these decisions, regardless of the context of the issue" (Gardiner, 1998, p.176). But not all of these people come to the s... ...d Corinne Kosmitzki. Lives Across Cultures: Cross-Cultural Human Development. Boston: Allyn and Bacon, 1998. Kagan, Jerome. The Emergence of Morality in Young Children. Chicago: The University of Chicago Press, 1987. Kohlberg, Lawrence. "Moral Stages and Moralization: The Cognitive-Developmental Approach." Moral Development and Behavior. New York: Holt, Rinehart, and Winston, 1976. Kohlberg, Lawrence. The Philosophy of Moral Development. New York: Harper and Row Publishers, 1981. Kohlberg, Lawrence. The Psychology of Moral Development. New York: Harper and Row Publishers, 1984. Lei, Ting. "Being and Becoming Moral in a Chinese Culture: Unique or Universal?" Cross-Cultural Research, Feb94, Vol. 28 Issue 1, p58. Roopnarine, Jaipaul L. and D. Bruce Carter. Parent-Child Socialization in Diverse Cultures. Norwood, NJ: Ablex Publishing Corporation, 1992.

The Development of Management Information Systems :: Business Management Studies

The Development of Management Information Systems The role of business information systems has changed and expanded over the last four decades. In the incipient decade (1950s and '60s), â€Å"electronic data processing systems† could be afforded by only the largest organizations. They were used to record and store bookkeeping data such as journal entries, specialized journals, and ledger accounts. This was strictly an operations support role. By the 1960s â€Å"management information systems† were used to generate a limited range of predefined reports, including income statements (they were called P & L’s back then), balance sheets and sales reports. They were trying to perform a decision making support role, but they were not up to the task. By the 1970s â€Å"decision support systems† were introduced. They were interactive in the sense that they allowed the user to choose between numerous options and configurations. Not only was the user allowed customizing outputs, they also could configure the programs to their specific needs. There was a cost though. As part of your mainframe leasing agreement, you typically had to pay to have an IBM system developer permanently on site. The main development in the 1980s was the introduction of decentralized computing. Instead of having one large mainframe computer for the entire enterprise, numerous PC’s were spread around the organization. This meant that instead of submitting a job to the computer department for batch processing and waiting for the experts to perform the procedure, each user had their own computer that they could customize for their own purposes. Many poor souls fought with the vagaries of DOS protocols, BIOS functions, and DOS batch programming. As people became comfortable with their new skills, they discovered all the things their system was capable of. Computers, instead of creating a paperless society, as was expected, produced mountains of paper, most of it valueless. Mounds of reports were generated just because it was possible to do so. This information overload was mitigated somewhat in the 1980s with the introduction of â€Å"executive information systems†. They streamlined the process, giving the executive exactly what they wanted, and only what they wanted. The 1980s also saw the first commercial application of artificial intelligence techniques in the form of â€Å"expert systems†. These programs could give advice within a very limited subject area. The promise of decision making support, first attempted in management information systems back in the 1960s, had step-by-step, come to

Outline and Analyze the Challenges Facing Mellon Investor Services Essay

Assignment Task Outline and analyze the challenges facing Mellon Investor Services in their organizational redesign and assess how well the company have dealt with those challenges in how they are approaching and managing the change. Delong, T. and Vijayaraghavan, V. (2002) Mellon Investor Services (ECCH case reference 9-402-036, Harvard Business School) Introduction Mellon Investor Services (â€Å"MIS†) is an investment management and investment services company, focused to help clients manage and move their financial assets and succeed in the rapidly changing global marketplace. Between 2000 and 2001 MIS underwent a substantial organizational redesign, which will be critically considered in this essay. Wittington and Mayer (2002) suggest that organizational performance is driven by the company’s ability to redesign structures frequently, however the change requires participation of people leading the change i.e. agents, organizational structure that welcomes the change and appropriate managements styles. The Chief Financial Officer of MIS, Jim Aramanda led the company for few very successful years, during which MIS was providing new offerings for transfer agent services including issue services, employee plans and direct services, broker / dealer services. The company had five years of successful growth and MIS was meeting and exceeding its financial goals. In Autumn of 2002 Aramanda’s became concerned for the successful future of the company and he recognised few areas that required closer attention: †¢different business units were not consolidating their offerings and taking advantage of various products, which resulted in two Requests For Proposal coming from one client whereby both RFPs were replied to separately, as opposed to a combined and unified response, †¢current successful offering of core products did not guarantee that MIS would grow in future, †¢MIS staff were not building long-term relationship with the clients therefore business opportunities may not be spotted in good time, †¢requirement for new measures of performance and progress, †¢lack of focus on hiring and rewarding talented people, †¢lack of focus on product development, which was manifested in product being offered by the sales department without confirmation that the product may actually be delivered to the clients, †¢Some of the groups, such as technology, were too achievement oriented without being focused. In order to address the above concerns and mould the company to his new vision, Aramanda hired a number of experienced consultants to support his structural redesign of MIS. Aramanda realised that the change would also involve a dramatic shift of vision and attitudes to introduce new systems and subsystems, with the likely result of clash of wills. Buchanan & Badham (2008) argue that such a change can be successful if it involves one person influencing the organization according to their values, and Aramanda had the clear vision and skills to gather a team of knowledgeable people to fundamentally amend and adjust MIS future capabilities. The change that MIS underwent could be classified as ‘strategic’ or ‘transformational’ (Buchanan and Huczynski, 2010) and it aimed to redefine the boundaries, methods of problem-solving and doing business in the company. Aramanda acted on his vision in a very organized manner, as he instantly hired experienced, independent and talented consultants, Mary Davis and Jeanne DiFrancesco, and empowered them to accurately assess how the change should be conducted whilst keeping disruption of the day-to-day business activities to the minimum, design a four-phase project that was consistent with Aramanda’s aggressive deadlines, and work alongside all business units to manage the organizational change smoothly and efficiently. Although the organizational change instigated by Aramanda and facilitated by the consultants proved a great success, there were certain areas that should have been dealt with differently. The main challenges I have chosen as a topic of this assignment included overall communication, dealing with resistance to change and managing relationships. 1. Communication Buchanan and Huczynski (2010) note that many managers do not pay attention to communication when implementing change, which may increase employee absenteeism, turnover and low productivity. Furthermore, some of the reasons for employees’ increased expectation during the change process are availability of information through the internet as well as employees’ anticipation to contribute ideas and be kept informed. If these expectations are met, employees feel valued and therefore are more likely to be committed to the company and perform better at their work. Aramanda wanted to be supportive of a certain degree of open communication culture, which was manifested by a requirement for the employees to nominate their colleagues for newly created job posts. This approach was also constructed to represent Aramanda’s interests and to manipulate employee attitudes and behaviours. The nomination process aimed to take advantage of knowledge in the network or informal skills that perhaps could have been difficult to be evaluated by an outsider. The outcome however proved to be different than anticipated, as it created a negative feeling amongst the employees. Furthermore, one of the reasons for hiring consultants in the first place was to take advantage of their impartiality and independence from office politics. Insufficient communication was also evident in Phase One of the organizational change, during which key services, products and activities of the business were analysed. The result was anxiousness amongst the employees, who being afraid of job cuts, would feel that they were disregarded and forgotten, which in return lowered their productivity until the process was complete. As outlined by Buchanan and Huczynski (2010), many companies operate within a range of open and closed communication climate. Open and honest communication leads to employees having realistic expectations, and closed and defensive communication creates an atmosphere of distrust and secrecy. Although Aramanda’s relationship with his superiors was commendable, as he had a very open working relationship with the consultants and his direct reports, the communication with his employees was not as successful. One of the reasons for this situation was a lack of Head of Corporate Communications, whose post was vacant until June 2001, therefore all information during the process of a change was not communicated to the staff. Kotter and Schlesinger (1979) confirm that communication of ideas assists employees see the logic and need for change. The implication for MIS was that employees did not understand what was happening, therefore they were more unlikely to follow management decisions. Issues of communication also affected existing relationships with clients. One of the objectives of the organizational change was to evaluate every job function and employee in line with the new business strategy. This resulted in creation of new key groups, including new ‘business development’ team focused on growth and return on investment in new clients and ‘client management’ team whose assignment was growth and return on investment in existing clients. The new groups comprised of employees that had to move away from the relationships they took time and effort to establish with their clients. Before the change these relationships lead to more sales and generated more business through word of mouth. Furthermore, strong relationships improved the internal organization, morale, increased engagement and lead to greater satisfaction at work. By creation of new groups the above relationships were damaged or broken, which could have lead to a possible revenue loss caused by the impact that the organizational change had on the client satisfaction. 2. Resistance to change Buchanan and Huczynski (2010) confirm that change implies a positive experiment and creation of something new as well as a negative confrontation with the unknown through the deconstruction of familiar arrangements. Some of the MIS employees demonstrated unwillingness to accept the proposed changes, as they perceived them as threatening to the individual. The main causes of resistance to change were as follows: †¢Lack of facilitation and support Kotter and Schlesinger (1979) outline facilitation and support as most helpful, where fear and anxiety lie at the heart of resistance. At MIS some of the managers were not supporting their employees in new roles, as people were expected to continue to take care of their old responsibilities, therefore the new responsibilities had to take second priority. They employees were not given sufficient time to adjust to new jobs or recover after demanding period. †¢Low tolerance for change Buchanan and Huczynski (2010) stress that that people differ in their ability to cope with change and uncertainty, which may lead them to oppose even potentially beneficial changes. Kotter and Schlesinger (1979) agree that if the change is significant and the employee’s tolerance for change is low, he might begin to actively oppose the change for reasons he does not consciously understand. †¢Misunderstanding and lack of trust Buchanan and Huczynski (2010) argue that employees are more likely to resist the change if they don’t understand the reasons behind it. As outlined in the section above regarding lack of communication, it becomes transparent that MIS employees were not told what are the positive implications of change, therefore they believed the change might cost them much more than they would gain. This could be characterised by having a low level of trust between employees and managers and result in misunderstandings and increased perception of threat when change was introduced. 3. Networks and relationships Another challenge facing the organizational change of MIS was managing existing relationships and creating new networks. One of aims for the reorganization once MIS services and products and market needs were analysed, was to break down capabilities into building blocks and then to recompose the blocks to fit within the new strategy. In practice this meant changing the divisional structure of the organization from service-based to customer-based. The change from ‘squares’ to ‘squares and triangles’ caused a large power shift and a felling of unrest and injustice to many employees. In the new organization chart the ‘triangles’ comprised of market-facing professionals and were perceived as the ‘winners’. The triangles included new business development, client management, product management & development and business management & analytics units. A triangle holds its place as a symbol in the mathematics of ideal proportions and in the MIS reorganizational design employees chosen to become a part of new teams were deemed as ‘drivers’ having a superior status. This formal status was closely related to the leadership, generally accepted by the others with a power to influence and control other groups. On the other hand, the ‘squares’ represented all other employees in the company and were perceived as the ‘losers’ and ‘followers’ and deemed to have an inferior status. Buchanan and Huczynski (2010) note that lower status groups have less power and tend to be less influential, therefore employees actively seeking status in order to fulfil their self-esteem may experience personal dissatisfaction. Buchanan and Huczynski (2010) note that this method of implementing organizational change can cause confusion and increase employees’ level of stress. The MIS consultants hoped that by dismantling of social networks, new networks would grow very quickly. The presumption was made that the existing social networks used to compensate for the inefficiencies in the old system, so now they should accelerate the efficiencies of the new system. Some employees viewed this as a positive move, as it allowed transitioning some people to other teams to build communication and continuity based on their prior experiences in other business areas. This however had a more political aspect as many managers when switching roles from ‘triangles’ to ‘squares’ in their self-interest wanted to take the good people with them. In practice, whereby poor communication was also a contributing factor, the new social networks were not created as rapidly as anticipated and had a negative influence on employee engagement and work performance. Another reason for changing the divisional structure of the organization was MIS’ lack of integration. Child (2004) stresses that integration is a vital product of good organization, whereby different activities collectively create value. One of identified reasons for change at MIS was to consolidate their product offering to create more value for the customers. Although it is relatively easy to state the requirement for integration, it is not so straightforward to achieve it. The problem of integration presents itself most noticeably in the relations between functions that are responsible for producing services according to predetermined parameters established within the company, and functions that have to continuously adapt to the external environment. The organization cannot remained viable without this integration. Teams are one of the most commonly used means for achieving integration, however during the implementation of change at MIS these were taken apart under conditions of uncertainty and pressure. One of the signs that the integration needs were not sufficiently met by the new teams was conflict between departments, mainly between ‘triangles’ and ‘squares’. This situation would require ongoing monitoring to ensure that the conflict does not become persistent and threat overall teams’ performance. Summary As outlined above, the main challenges of the organizational change instigated by Aramanda included overall communication, dealing with resistance to change and managing relationships. The organizational change was possible due to a great contribution from the consultants, who appreciated that an organizational change is a complex process to dramatically adjust organization vision, structure and culture in a continuous effort to improve the performance. Reference list 1.Buchanan D., Badham R. (2008) ‘Power, politics and organizational change: Winning the turf game’, p. 9. 2.Buchanan D., Huczynski A.A. (2010) ‘Organizational behaviour’, pp. 329-330, 562-564, 570-573. 3.Child J. (2004) ‘Organization: Contemporary Principles and Practice; Chaper 4: Achieving Integration’, p. 81-82. 4.Kotter J. P., Schlesinger L.A. (1979) ‘Choosing strategies for change’ Harvard Business Review, March – April pp. 108-109. 5.http://www.bnymellon.com/about/index.html, accessed on 18 June 2012.