Low-Cost Leadership Training Program Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Low-Cost Leadership Training Program - Essay Example Developing an efficient leadership development program is crucial to the performance of an organization. The paper will analyze the best approach to developing a leadership development program outlining the pros and cons associated with it. The development of a leadership training program should be based on three stages. The first stage is where the company plans for the development of a leadership development program (Fairley, 2015). The organization has to examine what it currently has in place so that they can gauge the efforts needed to train their employees. At this point, the organization needs to analyze the benefits of training their employees and the costs to be incurred. The organizational leadership training program should produce benefits that exceed the costs. The benefits should not be determined at the inception stage as the training achieves both short-term and long-term benefits. The next step in developing a low-cost leadership training program is the identification of employee characteristics. Since not all employees can make great leaders, the organization should provide the employees an opportunity to form teams and through these groups employees with the potential to become leaders get identified (Johnson, 2013). Once the groups are formed, the organization should provide them with adequate infrastructural support to ensure the objectives they seek get accomplished. The employee morale is increased through achieving goals and objectives, and leadership qualities improved (Johnson, 2013). Once the outline has been achieved, the next stage in developing a low-cost leadership training is practicing leadership development (Fairley, 2015). The training should include elements such as providing the leader with opportunities to achieve effective communication, conflict resolution, and time management (Fairley, 2015). Development of leadership abilities can be through

Comparison of How it happened and The Signalman Essay Example for Free

Comparison of How it happened and The Signalman Essay The atmosphere in How it happened is full of mystery and energy. The plot moves very quickly, imitating the speed of the automobile as in the story it is said the automobile has a horse power of thirty, Then I remember the big motor, with its glaring headlights and litter of polished brass, waiting for me outside. It was my thirty-horse-power Robur, which had only been delivered that day. It also emphasises the lack of control the driver has over it. Whereas the atmosphere in The Signalman creates both suspense and mystery. The appearances of the spirit help to create suspense as we anticipate them to lead us to the climax. However, we find out at the end of the story that the signalman was getting premonitions of his own death. The appearances are really red herrings as it is the signalman himself who dies. Whereas the biggest red herring in How it happened is how the narrator speaks from memory in the first person, fooling us into believing he must still be alive. This makes the twist at the end so much more powerful. The difference of experience between the first time reader, who is fooled into believing the narrator must still be alive and the 2nd time reader who is able to pick out things that are ironic, for example, I can live it again. The 2nd time reader knows hes dead when hes saying it. Dickens creates a strong atmosphere through the characterisation of his characters as well as his long complex sentences that can be difficult to understand. This is because of the 150 year cultural gap of reading the story. This makes differences with the way we read the story. For example, The monstrous thought came into my mind, as I perused the fixed eyes and the saturnine face, that this was a spirit, not a man. The word monstrous meant abnormal in 1866. This also shows Dickenss effort to create psychological state. He also describes things very ambiguously, for example, I resumed my downward way, and stepping out upon the level of the railroad, and drawing nearer to him, saw that he was a dark sallow man, with a dark beard and rather heavy eyebrows. His post was in as solitary and dismal a place as ever I saw. The words underlined make the signalman difficult to imagine because if everything is dark, you would not be able to make out his features. The title How it happened is deliberately allusive to draw the reader in. But, it does immediately introduce suspense as we wonder what it refers to. Whereas the title The Signalman conveys urgency. The characterisation created in How it happened is that the narrator characterises himself as a risk taker, admitting one often does foolish things to the reader. This adds to his sense of honesty but also makes us question his decision taking. Also, it provides tension between two ways of behaving which should interest us. Whereas the characterisation created in The Signalman is a bit different because both the characters remain shrouded in mystery and this adds to the sense of curiosity that surrounds the story. We dont know the protagonist intimately to picture him in our mind. The themes in The Signalman include death, the supernatural and reason. Dickens sometimes uses the convention of quotation marks and sometimes does not. This reflects the contrasts of rationality and supernatural goings on. The narrator tries to give reasons to the visions that the signalman has, yet the final image of the story is of the narrator seeing the image of the signalman and the ghost himself. Dickens cleverly manipulates tension to give the final image the haunting effect. Whereas in How it happened, Arthur Conan Doyle was an apparent rationalist and he believed that after your death, you could continue to live on as a spirit. It was also believed that these spirits could communicate with the living through people known as mediums. This belief is present in the story where the narrator has survived his death in order to tell us how it happened. This idea is given more credit when we know that the story originally started with the line, This story was told to me by a medium . The story How it happened was written in 1918 and involves a high-powered automobile. This suggests to us the story must have been written about the present at the time. It is also set in London. At that time, London was still the centre of an empire and this important as the story involves aspects of modernism. Whereas the setting of The Signalman is important as Dickens goes to a lot of effort to make the story seem ghostly and surreal. Dickens was writing this story involving trains because they were the biggest and finest machines at the time and by writing the story to do with railway system he is challenging it. Dickens was also in a famous train crash. The Signalmans job is a job of life and death. The one in the story has a reputation for being good at the job. The signalman works in a cutting and that the descent into this place is described as if one is descending to the underworld of Greek Mythology. The clammy stone and that fact that it becomes oozoer and wetter helps create this sense. They key aspect of the cutting is its remoteness. The tunnel as well is described as having wet stains, suggesting that this is a place you would not want to visit. This helps to make an eerie atmosphere and makes it easier for us to imagine spirits and other ghostly aspects. The story is an intensely human story about psychological differences between two people whereas How it happened is about dealing with the physical and spirit world. The narrative voice in How it happened is in the first person and we tend to trust its honesty about the first person. This is because the narrator admits to not remembering everything clearly. I can remember some things upon that evening most distinctly, and others are like some vague, broken dreams. This is what makes it so difficult to tell a connected story. This openness suggests we are going to hear the truth. He also blames neither the car nor Perkins for events but himself. I also remember asking Perkins, my chauffeur, how she had gone, and his saying that he thought she was excellent. The ways he says, Perkins, my chauffeur tell us social standing and class of narrator. The narrator gains a ghostly aspect at the end, when we find out he is dead, and this introduces the idea of Spiritualism that is key to the story. Whereas the narrative voice in The Signalman is also in the first person and we find that until the end of the story we are not sure if we can totally trust it. This is because of the ambiguities in the description of things as well as the lack of information about the narrator himself. But we can tell the visitor is a sceptic. He chooses not to believe that the bell was rung by a ghost without proof. I caught at that. Did it ring your bell yesterday evening when I was here, and you went to the door? As readers, we side with the sceptic. The skill of the story is that most people will not agree the bell rang without sound. There is also an additional piece of irony, the sceptic doesnt believe in the ghost but he says the same things the ghost said like Halloa! Although he does tell us that he is a man who had been shut up within narrow limits until at last set free. But it is difficult to understand this because we dont know if hes referring metaphorically to something else or talking as if he has spent a long time in prison.

Becoming a teacher

Becoming a teacher Individual Essay Like most of my peers, I joined the teaching profession with some preconceived notions, to a certain extent based on observations of my teachers, both good and bad, and partly on my opinion of how things should be like in a perfect world. Personal Philosophy Every child having a sense of belonging As a child, I have good memories of my experience and education in primary school. I studies at an all-girls school where corporal punishment was still used to punish disobedient pupils. I remember that my language teacher who was also the discipline teacher was very strict, but I also remember that I respected her to a great deal and so do most of my peers. I felt that in a way this had formed my initial notion about teaching where teachers are respected and should maintain a level of control in the classroom. However, I am glad that we have progressed from corporal punishment as a way to maintain order in our classrooms. There are many other ways in which the teachers can gain their students’ respect and keep their classrooms orderly. I believe that it is important for me to show genuine care for my pupils through the way I teach and in the time I devote to my pupils. I believe this kind of caring nature is bound to positively affect the pupils. I believe it is also importan t for me to create a positive atmosphere where pupils are encouraged to discuss questions. Pupils should not be afraid of making mistakes as they are treated as opportunities to explore misconceptions and not reflection of their abilities. School being their second home, it is important that my classroom is a place where it is safe for them to make mistakes, a place where differences are tolerated and compromised on. Common sense and research tell us that students are more likely to cooperate with teachers whom they see as caring, trustworthy, and respectful (Weinstein, 2006 as cited in Weinstein, Romano, Mignano, 2011). It is important to develop a supportive and respectful relationship with pupils not only to gain cooperation but also for them to be seriously engaged in learning, to share their thoughts and feelings, to take risks and to develop a sense of social responsibility. Thus, I need organise my classroom in such a way that my pupils will feel safe and cared for emotionally, intellectually and physically. I remembered conducting the ‘Heart-to-heart’ session with my pupils during my contract teaching and I find this very useful in getting to know the pupils better. Also, pupils were tasked to write at least one journal entry every week on something special. These activities has helped me to know my pupils better and are a great stepping stone to improve the teacher-student relationship. Thus, I hope to continue to implement them in my class in the future. Focus on Students’ Strengths What really triggers me to join the teaching profession was the weekly tuition session I volunteered for during my university days and continued to this day. Working for a non-profit community organisation gave me the best experience in social interaction and interpersonal skills that I would have not learnt of. I hoped my experiences and encouragement would help them find a clearer path to their interests in life and work, but I found that I learned so much from them about bravery, tolerance and ambition to succeed. It is really heart-warming to know that the boys are grateful for the help and support of volunteers and love to engage in learning and games. This gave me a completely new view of life, communities and education. There’s no doubt that I found great satisfaction in sharing and encouraging the boys but I was surprised by how enlightening and fulfilling the whole experience was. Thus, I believe that it is important for me to develop their full potential by guiding t hem in their route of discovery. As children are our future, it is crucial for me to allow them to express their opinions and nurture their own ideas. These reasons confirmed my decision that teaching was what I want to do in life. At times, we need to tap into the life experiences of our pupils to discover what they can do beyond their academic achievements. As a teacher, I used to focus on what my pupils do not know or cannot do, and try to fix the problems. However, after going through the teaching experience and courses in NIE, I learned that responsible teaching also involves searching for strengths. This is important to develop the confidence and self-competency of my pupils (Lim, Thaver, Slee, 2008). I will need to create opportunities for pupils to succeed while challenging them. I was told that we need to scaffold for pupils to understand the concept better but little did I know that these small successes will also lead to increased pupils’ confidence. Engaged and Active Learning During my contract teaching stint, I learnt that each and every individual student in the class had a different background and there is a great diversity in there. Each student had their unique learning style and abilities. Their family backgrounds ranged from lower to the top tier of society. I learnt that different stakeholders, i.e. parents, school, child and teacher, all play a part in nurturing students. The socio-economic class of students affected their abilities and academic success, and different family structures gave different levels of support. All these differences made me understand that when conducting lessons, I cannot expect all students to have the same experiences. Learning is superficial unless the pupils are actively engaged. Therefore, I will need to use different teaching strategies in my class such as questioning, collaborative learning, hands-on activities and experiential learning events that will encourage active and constructive learning. However, conducting a class that actively engages the pupils require a lot of planning. Therefore, I need to ensure that I am well prepared by not only knowing the content knowledge but also the teaching objectives and strategies. The activities planned will also need to match the concepts, skills and goals of the lesson. When pupils are actively engaged, they focus on what is being taught and better process new information (Lorain, 2010). As pointed out by Tom Good and Jere Brophy (2008), when students must wait with nothing to do, there is a higher probability to result in undesirable behavior and a loss of valuable learning opportunities (Weinstein, Romano, Mignano, 2011). Through the various courses in NIE, I have learned how to better prepare myself for lesson and designing activities that are able to develop pupils’ relational understanding. This course also discusses various cooperative learning strategies such as think-pair-share, round table, and jigsaw which I could apply in my classroom to promote active learning. Also, to ensure that the group activities are carried out successfully, I need to ensure that there are certain classroom rules and routines to keep the classroom running smoothly. My Evolution as a Teacher-in-Training Establishing Productive Learning Environment One concept taught in this course that struck me most was the model for creating an inclusive learning environment which was adapted from Stice’s problem-solving model. This model helps me to understand and reaffirm some of the teaching practices which I have observed and learned during my teaching internship, relief teaching or contract teaching. The model aims to aid classroom learning environment that are not only academically inclusive but also socially. Creating a conducive physical environment can influence the way teachers and students feel, think and behave (Weinstein, Romano, Mignano, 2011).Thus, it is important for me to ensure that the physical furniture in my class are strategically arranged to suit the needs of the pupils. During my contract teaching, my teacher mentor created a reading corner at the back of her class with carpets and cushions for the pupils. I find this arrangement useful in managing the class. Once the pupils have completed the assigned work, they will proceed to the reading corner with a book and read silently. I felt that this has helped to inculcate in the pupils the love for reading. This also helps her manage the class and reduce unnecessary disruption when the pupils have completed their work. Occasionally on a rotationally basis, pupils are given 10 minutes break time where they are allowed to use the educational board games created. This encourages pupils’ self-directed learning as they exp lore different concepts in a fun and interactive manner. I have also learned that it is important to ensure that the notice boards are up-to-date with information and pupils work. Environment psychologists point out that the effects of the classroom environment can be both direct and indirect (Proshansky Wolfe, 1974 as cited in Weinstein, Romano, Mignano, 2011). For example, if pupils seated in straight rows are unable to carry on a class discussion because they can’t hear one another, the environment is directly hindering their participation. Students may also be affected indirectly if they infer from the seating arrangement that the teacher does not really want them to interact. Therefore, I need to be mindful on how my pupils are arranged in the class as it will send a message to them about how they are supposed to behave due to the link between classroom environment and student behaviour. Through this course, I also learned that it is important to create a sense of belonging for the pupils by providing them opportunities to make decision on how they want the classroom to be such as giving them the responsibility to decorate the class or as simple as putting up pupils work. Behaviour Management Another aspect which I find very useful is the various behavior management models which teachers could employ. I understand there is no one size fit all solution to various issues a teacher might face in school and each model has its own pros and cons. It is therefore up to the teachers’ discretion to choose the model that best suit their teaching style and the class profile. Personally, the concept of taking ownership under inner discipline resonates with me. I believe that it is important for students to accept ownership of their problem. Students need to learn that they are capable of taking ownership of their problems regardless of age. As teacher, I must trust that they also are capable of taking full responsibility for the problems their behaviours can create, not because of fear but because it is the right thing to do. Assertive Discipline is a direct and positive approach to make it possible for the teacher to teach and the students to learn. During my contract teaching, there were times when I felt I was unable to deliver the lesson properly due to poor class control and denied pupils the opportunity to learn. However, after seeking advice from the senior teachers, I made certain changes such as implementing the rewards and punishment system. As a result, I was able to deliver most of the lessons without much interruption. Students should be rewarded for good behaviour and punished fairly for bad behaviour. I think that having a short list of classroom rules posted in the class is beneficial. That way, from day one, they are aware of what is expected from them. However, it is necessary to exercise punishments with cautions to make sure students would not be more rebellious. I have also learned the various teaching style and I would prefer to adopt the democratic teaching style which the teacher p rovide firm guidance and leadership by establishing rules (Edwards, 2008). Pupils will then be taught how to establish an inner control that permits them to choose behavior compatible with their best interest. I realized that teaching was indeed a calling. One needed a passion to teach and to make a difference in peoples lives. One had to follow their heart and not their brain to appreciate the true difference made by being a teacher because being a teacher was hard work with many untold roles. One had to be unafraid to admit that mistakes have been committed and constantly reflect on lessons conducted so as to continually improve. Bibliography Edwards, C. (2008). Classroom discipline and management (5th ed.). Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley Sons. Lim, L., Thaver, T., Slee, R. (2008). Exploring Disability in Singapore. Singapore: McGraw-Hill Education (Asia). Lorain, P. (2010). Teaching That Emphasizes Active Engagement. Retrieved May 1, 2014, from National Education Association: http://www.nea.org/tools/16708.htm Weinstein, C. S., Romano, M. E., Mignano, J. A. (2011). Elementary Classroom Management Lessons from research and practice. New York: McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.

How do We Define a Citizen ? Essay -- Expository Definition Essays

Citizens Must Fulfill Obligations and Duties to the Community In our ever-changing world how do we define "a citizen?" Peter J. Gomes in his speech, "Civic Virtue and the Character of Followship" defines a citizen as "...one who belongs and one who has obligations" (206). He adds a citizen has "... the notion of belonging, having an identity of which one is proud and by which one is defined and having an obligation to share and serve in behalf of that greater good" (206). The Webster's New World Dictionary defines a citizen as "a member of a nation by birth or naturalization," but a citizen is more than that. A citizen not only has rights and privileges; he is a proud, contributing member of society. I define a citizen as one who understands and fulfils his obligations and duties to his community. Patriotism, love of country, is an ideal that every citizen should possess. I know that many disagree. They believe showing patriotism equals arrogance, conceit and sends a message that we are superior to everyone else. I disagree. After the attacks of September 11, our nation experienced a surge of patriotism. We were not merely individuals living among each other; we were Americans. We were proud to announce to the world that America is the greatest nation in the world. We were showing love and support for the ideas that America stands for: freedom, individual rights, and tolerance. Even when we are not in agreement with the policies of our government, we as citizens of the United States can be proud that in our country we have the right to openly disagree with those policies. To be deemed citizen requires more from us than just feeling pride for our nation; citizenship also carries with it duties and respo... ...out change will fall into place. John F. Kennedy said it best in his inaugural address: "Ask not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country." Works Cited Gomes. Peter. J. "Civic Virtue and the Character of Followship: A New Take on an Old Hope." The Presence of Others. Eds. Andrea A. Lunsford and John J. Ruszkiewicz. New York: Bedford/ St. Martin's, 2000. 205-212. Kennedy. John. F. "1965 Presidential Inaugural Address." Washington, D.C. 11 Jan.1965. InforTrack (Expanded Academic ASAP). Howard Community College Library, Columbia, MD. 22 Oct. 2002. <http://www.galegroup.com/>. Ushkow. Mike. "Turnout Ups, Downs." Campaigns & Elections. December/ January V22. (2002): 10. InfoTrack (Expanded Academic ASAP). Howard Community College Library, Columbia, MD. 18 Oct. 2002. <http://www.galegroup.com/>.

Rhetorical Essay: Shame is Worth a Try Essay

Dan M. Kahan’s â€Å"Shame is Worth a Try† was first published in the Boston Globe on August 5, 2001. In this essay, Kahan contends that the use of â€Å"shame† as a penalty of low level crimes is not only effective, but is an economical and humane alternative to imprisonment. It’s difficult to ascertain who Kahan’s intended audience is. However, because he uses examples of shame being used as an alternative sanction around the country; â€Å"Drive drunk in Florida or Texas, and you might be required to place a conspicuous â€Å"DUI† bumper sticker on your car† (Kahan 574) I would venture to say that the public at large is whom he is possibly targeting. This is further reinforced by the fact that the author chose to at least â€Å"initially† publish the article in the Boston Globe, a local Massachusetts newspaper. Kahan competently uses contrast and comparison throughout his essay to illuminate a subject that otherwise might be ignored. Nevertheless he ultimately falls short of being convincing, mainly, due to his lack of usage, of relevant facts and figures. Kahan opens his essay with the basic question â€Å"is shame an appropriate criminal punishment?† (574). He then explores examples of its use in various jurisdictions. â€Å"Refuse to make your child-support payments in Virginia, and you will find that your vehicle has been immobilized with an appropriate colored boot†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Kahan 575). Immediately after grabbing the readers attention with examples, Kahan presents a contrasting viewpoint. â€Å"Many experts, however, are skeptical of these new shaming punishments. Some question their effectiveness as a deterrent†¦Ã¢â‚¬ (Kahan 575). This further elicits the readers curiosity, bringing them to the heart of the issue. The author eloquently asks the question, â€Å"Who is right?† (575). He then goes on to use a logos style exploration, of both sides of the issue. Kahan’s main claim is that proponents don’t get that shame, can be as effective as prison, at a lower overall cost to society. Kahan further argues and finishes strongly with the statement that the overall question shouldn’t be â€Å"isà ¢â‚¬  shame a proper punishment, but how do we employ it’s use properly? The author does an admirable job of grabbing the readers attention right from the start by giving interesting, and relevant examples of how shame has been employed around the country. ie: DUI’s in Texas, child-support in Virginia. Moreover, his use of logos styled arguments throughout the article does an excellent job of articulating his viewpoint while keeping the reader engaged. Kahan gains the readers respect by presenting well reasoned and intelligent viewpoints in such a way that it’s actually hard to find any particular fault with his assertions. The authors choice to present an opposing view right from the start, although not as effective as it could have been, was an apropos way to strengthen his stance. In moving forward, Kahan counterbalances some opponents by making it perfectly clear that his stance for shame based penalties applies to minor infractions of the law only . â€Å"There’s obviously no alternative to imprisonment for murderers, rapists, and other violent criminals†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Kahan 575). By using examples of these shame based penalties from around the country, the author also makes it appear to the reader that he is knowledgeable in matters concerning our justice syste m. His strongest point though comes at the end of his article when he simply asks the question â€Å"Why not at least give it a try?† (Kahan 576). This seems to beg an additional question, since our current system is overloaded why not try a different approach? Kahans major downfall in this article is his insufficient use of relevant facts and figures. Although the author does reference one particular study by Harold Grasmick that shows â€Å"public disgrace exerts greater pressure to comply with the law than the threat of imprisonment and other formal punishments.† (Kahan 576). Overall it lacks the kind of â€Å"hard figures† it would take statistically to reinforce his claim. If the author had chosen to include some statistics on say, the effectiveness of alternative sanctions, or showed a cost analysis on prison sentences. He would have established a sense of trustworthiness with his reader. Unfortunately, due to the lack of those types of â€Å"hard figures† his essay lacks credibility. That lack of credibility, leaves the reader to wonder, just how knowledgeable is this author with this subject? If Kah an had just chosen to tell us a little about himself and his background, he could have very well hit a home run in the credibility department. He does after all have an exceptionally distinguished law career. Unfortunately, he fails to do so, thus leaving the reader with too many unanswered questions. The last major complaint of this essay is a complete lack of pathos style writing. Overcrowding, as well as, the shear number of offenders in our criminal justice system alone is staggering. This  hot button topic could have easily been used to stir up some emotion and passion in his argument. In this way, the author would have essentially legitimized his stance, as well as, inspired his readers to take action. For whatever reason though, the author chose to ignore this completely, and as such completely fails in winning over his audience. In the writing of this essay, Kahan addresses an important topic of our times. Our current criminal justice system is overloaded and wrought with problems, and addressing how to punish petty crimes is certainly relevant. Yet his article, despite illuminating this controversial and important subject, fails in delivering the facts needed to inspire any sort of change. Kahan does an admirable job of creating interest in a topic many might otherwise ignore. However, he ultimately falls flat in the execution and leaves the reader floundering, rather than informed. As a last note, Khans writing style might not always include the use of pathos. Unfortunately for him his lack of appeal to emotion in this particular essay will render it ultimately â€Å"forgettable†. Works Cited Kahan, Dan M. â€Å"Shame is Worth a Try† Models for Writers. Ed. Rosa Eschholz. Boston * New York: Bedford/St. Martin’s, January 2012. 574-578 Print

Defining Emotional Intelligence

Earliest roots can be traced to Darwin’s work on importance of emotional expression for survival and second adaptation. In 1900s, traditional definitions of intelligence emphasized cognitive aspects (IQ) and then later on begun to recognize the importance of non-cognitive aspects from which the term â€Å"social intelligence† was coined. Similarly it was in 1940 even David Wechsler joined in the bandwagon and argued that all emotional intelligence models will not be complete unless all the non-intellective factors could be defined. But it was in the 1970s and 80s that Emotional Intelligence as a theory was fully developed by the works and writings of Howard Gardner, Peter Salovey and Jack Mayer, however, it was the works of Daniel Goleman who published â€Å" Why It Can Matter More Than IQ† in 1995 that made the term widely popularized. Defining Emotional Intelligence The EQ concept argues that IQ, or conventional intelligence, is too narrow; that there are wider areas of Emotional Intelligence that dictate and enable how successful we are. Success requires more than IQ (Intelligence Quotient), which has tended to be the traditional measure of intelligence, ignoring essential behavioural and character elements. We've all met people who are academically brilliant and yet are socially and inter-personally inept. And we know that despite possessing a high IQ rating, success does not automatically follow. Goleman defined EQ as being a different way of being smart. It includes knowing your feelings, and using them to make good decisions, managing your feelings well, motivating yourself with zeal and persistence , maintaining hope in the face of frustration, exhibiting empathy and compassion, ability to interact smoothly at the same time managing relationships effectively. And all of these emotional skills matter immensely in marriage, families, in our careers for health and contentment. Different approaches and models have been developed to fully explain what EQ. Substantial disagreements exist in relation to both the terminologies at the same time its operationalizations. The definitions are so varied and researchers have been re-evaluating, re-defining it based on their own unique way of understanding it. So for now we would be defining it based on three main models : 1 . Ability EI Model, Mixed Model and Trait EI model, however we will be focusing our understanding to the model that made the term popular, which is the Mixed Model by Goleman. Ability EI Model Salovey and Mayer's conception of EI strives to define EI within the confines of the standard criteria for a new intelligence. Following their continuing research, their initial definition of EI was revised to â€Å"The ability to perceive emotion, integrate emotion to facilitate thought, understand emotions and to regulate emotions to promote personal growth.† The ability based model views emotions as useful sources of information that help one to make sense of and navigate the social environment.The model proposes that individuals vary in their ability to process information of an emotional nature and in their ability to relate emotional processing to a wider cognition. This ability is seen to manifest itself in certain adaptive behaviors. The model claims that EI includes four types of abilities: 1. Perceiving emotions – the ability to detect and decipher emotions in faces, pictures, voices, and cultural artifacts—including the ability to identify one's own emotions. Perceiving emotions represents a basic aspect of emotional intelligence, as it makes all other processing of emotional information possible. 2. Using emotions – the ability to harness emotions to facilitate various cognitive activities, such as thinking and problem solving. The emotionally intelligent person can capitalize fully upon his or her changing moods in order to best fit the task at hand. 3. Understanding emotions – the ability to comprehend emotion language and to appreciate complicated relationships among emotions. For example, understanding emotions encompasses the ability to be sensitive to slight variations between emotions, and the ability to recognize and describe how emotions evolve over time. 4. Managing emotions – the ability to regulate emotions in both ourse lves and in others. Therefore, the emotionally intelligent person can harness emotions, even negative ones, and manage them to achieve intended goals. The ability-based model has been criticized in the research for lacking face and predictive validity in the workplace. Trait EI Model Petrides and colleagues proposed a conceptual distinction between the ability based model and a trait based model of EI.Trait EI is â€Å"a constellation of emotional self-perceptions located at the lower levels of personality†. In lay terms, trait EI refers to an individual's self-perceptions of their emotional abilities. This definition of EI encompasses behavioral dispositions and self perceived abilities and is measured by self report, as opposed to the ability based model which refers to actual abilities, which have proven highly resistant to scientific measurement. Trait EI should be investigated within a personality framework. An alternative label for the same construct is trait emotional self-efficacy. The trait EI model is general and subsumes the Goleman and Bar-On models discussed above. The conceptualization of EI as a personality trait leads to a construct that lies outside the taxonomy of human cognitive ability. This is an important distinction in as much as it bears directly on the operationalization of the construct and the theories and hypotheses that are formulated about it. Mixed Models of EI This is the model that was introduced by Daniel Goleman and focuses on EI as a wide array of competencies and skills that drive leadership performance. Goleman outlines four domains of EI based on two types of competencies: Personal Competency and Social Competency. Personal Competency 1. Self Awareness- the ability to recognize and understand over one’s emotions as they occur 2. Self Management- One’s ability to manage internal state, impulses, and emotional reactions to situations and people Social Competency 1. Social Awareness – One’s ability to understand emotions in people, this means understanding what others are thinking and how they are feeling from one’s own 2. Relationship Management – One’s ability to arrange interaction with others effectively

Prometheus - Profile of the Greek Titan

Prometheus - Profile of the Greek Titan Prometheus DetailsPrometheus Profile Who Is Prometheus?: Prometheus is one of the Titans from Greek mythology. He helped create (and then befriend) mankind. He gave humans the gift of fire even though he knew Zeus would not approve. As a result of this gift, Prometheus was punished as only an immortal could be. Family of Origin: Iapetus the Titan was the father of Prometheus and Clymene the Oceanid was his mother. The Titans Roman Equivalent: Prometheus was also called Prometheus by the Romans. Attributes: Prometheus is often shown chained, with an eagle plucking out his liver or his heart. This was the punishment he suffered as a result of defying Zeus. Since Prometheus was immortal, his liver grew back every day, so the eagle could have feasted on it daily for eternity. Powers: Prometheus had the power of forethought. His brother, Epimetheus, had the gift of afterthought. Prometheus created man from water and earth. He stole skills and fire from the gods to give to man. Sources: Ancient sources for Prometheus include: Aeschylus, Apollodorus, Dionysius of Halicarnassus, Hesiod, Hyginus, Nonnius, Plato, and Strabo.

Issues and Controversies Journalists Face

Issues and Controversies Journalists Face Theres never been a more tumultuous time in the news business. Newspapers are drastically downsizing and facing bankruptcy or the prospect of going out of business entirely. Web journalism is on the rise and taking many forms, but there are real questions about whether it can really replace newspapers. Press freedom, meanwhile, continues to be nonexistent or under threat in many countries around the world. There are also ongoing controversies about issues such as journalistic objectivity and fairness. It seems like a tangled mess at times, but there are many factors involved that well examine in detail. Print Journalism in Peril Newspapers are in trouble. Circulation is dropping, ad revenue is shrinking, and the industry has experienced an unprecedented wave of layoffs and cutbacks. So what does the future hold? While some people will argue that newspapers are dead or dying, many traditional outlets are indeed adapting to the new digital world. Most offer all of their content online, either via paid subscriptions or for free. This is also true for TV and radio media outlets. Though it seemed at first as if modern technology would win out over tradition, the tide seems to be finding a balance. For example, local papers are discovering new ways to localize a story to attract readers interested in a smaller piece of the bigger picture. The Rise of Web Journalism With the decline of newspapers, web journalism seems to be the future of the news business. But what exactly do we mean by web journalism? And can it really replace newspapers? In general terms, web journalism includes bloggers, citizen journalists, hyper-local news sites, and even websites for print papers. The internet certainly opened up the world for more people to write whatever they want, but that doesnt mean all of these sources have the same credibility. Bloggers, for instance, tend to focus on a niche topic, as do citizen journalists. Because some of these writers do not have training in or necessarily care about the ethics of journalism, their personal bias can come across in what they write. This is not what we consider journalism per se. Journalists are concerned with the facts,  getting to the heart of the story, and have their own on-the-job lingo. Digging for answers and telling them in objective ways has long been a goal of professional reporters. Indeed, many of these professionals have found an outlet in the online world, which makes it tricky for news consumers. Some bloggers and citizen journalists are unbiased and produce great news reports. Likewise, some professional journalists are not objective and lean one way or another on political and social issues. This burgeoning online outlet has created all types on either side. This is the larger dilemma because it is now up to readers to decide what is credible and what is not. Press Freedoms and Reporters Rights In the United States, the press enjoys a great deal of freedom to report critically and objectively on the important issues of the day. This freedom of the press is granted by the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. In much of the world, press freedom is either limited or virtually nonexistent. Reporters are often thrown in jail, beaten, or even killed just for doing their jobs. Even in the U.S. and other free-press countries, journalists face ethical dilemmas about confidential sources, disclosing information, and cooperating with law enforcement. All of these things are of great concern and debate to professional journalism. However, it  is unlikely to be anything that resolves itself in the near future. Bias, Balance, and an Objective Press Is the press objective? Which news outlet is really fair and balanced, and what does that actually mean? How can reporters set aside their biases and really report the truth? These are some of the biggest questions of modern journalism. Newspapers, cable television news, and radio broadcasts have all come under fire for reporting stories with a bias. This is especially true in political reporting, but even some stories that should not be politicized fall victim to it. A perfect example can be found on cable news. You can watch the same story on two networks and get two completely different perspectives. The political divide has indeed swept into journalism - in print, on air, and online. Thankfully, a number of reporters and outlets have kept their bias in check and continue to tell the story in a fair and balanced manner.

Building Sustainable Organizations Analysis

The report discusses the HRM practices in an organization through the case study of a   hospital which is located in Australia with around 400 staff members. The hospital has its unit across the Australia. The case study discusses ineffective HR practices operating in the hospital administration which have contributed to high attrition, grievances, absenteeism and shortage of staff in the organization. The hospital has been reported to have some serious accidents involving patients and staff members. The case then discussed a contrasting view of another hospital that is effectively implementing HRM practices in its administration through employee engagement activities, HR policies, job analysis and recruitment and selection. The hospital has been reported to have great patient services because of its sustainable management practices and policies. The first hospital discussed in the case reflects ineffective HRM practices which have degraded the quality of patient services and have even led to some serious patient accidents. The hospital only has one payroll department which takes care of the salary of the employees and one HR consultant who conducts weekly visits to the hospital. All the responsibilities of an HR manager have been laid down on the middle managers which has overburdened them. The CEO of the hospital has been overlooking the consequences of this activity of overburdening middle managers. This has resulted in work conflicts, staff turnover and absenteeism. The overall quality of the services of the hospital has also degraded. The hospital lacks an effective munication model, which is taken care by an HR manager. Effective munication is required for assigning roles and responsibilities, boosting employee confidence and evaluating performance of the employee. An effective munication holds an organization together through effective policies, employee handbook, meetings and conferences, performance evaluation, employee engagement etc. munication helps to transfer the information from one department to other and thus maintains the flow of information through mails, telephones, meetings, documents, employee record etc (Fielding, 2006). It is the role of an HR to maintain an effective munication in an organization which is not present in the hospital. Employment r elations are also not being properly managed ineffective HR policies. Employment relations are required to hold the employees and have good staff retention in the hospital through developing relation between employee and the hospital through benefits and pensation, appraisal system etc (Gardner & Palmer, 1997). The employee gets frustrated and demotivated due to work conflicts and situation based problems. They need to be motivated by an HR manager through meetings and other activities. The managers are not even aware that these assigned responsibilities are not even part of their job and get frustrated sometimes which creates absenteeism and staff turnover. This overall impacts employee petence through work conflicts and absenteeism which indirectly affects the quality of the services of hospital and leads to disappoint patient. This spoils the image of the hospital and affects the long terms goals and objectives of the organization. A sustainable HRM model is required to improve the quality of the services of the hospital (Wolper, 2004). The CEO of the hospital needs to review the performance of the hospital in order to build a sustainable business model. He needs to understand that an HR consultant is not enough while considering the long term goals and objectives of the organization. The patient care and safety are one of the essential ponents for a successful running hospital which are not as per the norms of a hospital. The severe accidents may increase in the future and may have disastrous consequences on the operational system of hospital. The CEO needs to develop a sustainable HRM model in order to achieve the long term goals and objectives of the hospital (Wolper, 2004). CEO would have to create an effective HR department and ensure proper implementation of the HR policies and practices. He could have a look at the HRM model of other successfully running hospital as mentioned in the case study. The hospital has a proper HR department which has led to quality services to the hospital through its staff retention and employee engagement. Thus, CEO should plan to develop an HRM model in the hospital by considering the following roles and responsibilities of an HR department and should hire an HR manager who could assist him in other recruits for the department. The HR manager is responsible for hiring the suitable employees as per the needs and requirement of the job profile in the organization. Employees are recruited through different channels such as newspaper ads, online ads, networking, telephone etc. It is the responsibility of an HR to use the right channel for selection (Brinkerhoff & Goldsmith, 1992). When a new employee gets hired and joins the organization, he needs to be well versed about the organization and his duties and job role. The HR manager guides and instructs the employee through an induction and training program regarding what he would be expected to do through employee handbook, job description, pany policy manual and training and mentoring. He also checks all the required documents of the employee such as id proof, degrees etc (Brinkerhoff & Goldsmith, 1992). It is the duty of an HR manager to ensure that hospital plies with the rules and regulations of the government through his legal research expertise on hospital. The hospital must abide by the laws as prescribed by the government which may include recruitment contracts with the medical practitioners. Then there are employee contracts which should be very well documented (Brinkerhoff & Goldsmith, 1992). It is the duty of an HR to control and monitor the performance of an employee through employee engagement, resolving work conflict, handling grievances, appraisal system etc. The employee performance is responsible for quality of the services of a hospital. An HR boosts the confidence of employees through different activities and ensures smooth operational activities in an organization (Wolper, 2004). An HR manager is also involved in core team of a hospital and helps in building strategies in alignment with the goals and objectives of the organization. An HR manager acts as an intermediate between the employees and the hospital and thus, helps to resolve employee issues and concerns through proper planning and devising solution (Evans, 1990). Training and development is a very crucial element to develop a sustainable business model in hospital industry. It ensures quality services and equipping the staff with latest technology and practices in the market. It is the duty of an HR to conduct regular training in the hospital such as handling patient effectively, being polite to the patient etc. Thus way training improves the quality standard of a hospital (Savage, Fottler & Khatri, 2010). HR is responsible for running operations of a hospital smoothly and effective administration is the core element of HRM in hospital. The responsibilities may vary from hospital to hospital (Fried, Fottler & Johnson, 2005). Studying the above roles and responsibilities, it can be evaluated that an HR plays a very important role in effective delivery of services and ensuring quality patient care. Further, the report would discuss the ways to develop a sustainable HRM model in a hospital and its consequences. A sustainable HRM model consists of six elements which would be discussed one by one below: HR Management Systems: It ensures that the operational activities are being maintained in an organization through integration of data, staffing and placement and employee support system. The data is helpful is evaluating the performance of the employees and provides employee feedback and coaching and mentoring to the employees if required. This would improve overall work productivity of the hospital through an effective appraisal system and policies and measures (Evans, 1990). Leadership: Employees look for continuous guidance and instructions from their superiors to make sure that their work is in alignment with the goals and objectives of the hospital. HR manager would make sure that the employees are fully aware of their job profile and expected results through intensive planning and organizing. Their involvement in the decision making process ensures that the hospital’s planning, budgeting and organizing considers the issues and concerns raised by the employees. Thus, an HR ensures that there is continuous involvement of stakeholders in the decision making process (Evans, 1990). Partnership: A hospital must ensure that there is proper planning, organizing and optimum utilization of the resources. Partnership is a way to hold the stakeholders and direct them towards a mon goal and objective of the organization (Evans, 1990). Finance: Employees need motivation in order to increase their work productivity which can be ensured through timely incentives and a properly defined salary structure for an employee. The salary package of an employee must be defined in advance so that he is aware about his benefits which may include education, medical, allowances etc (Evans, 1990). Education: Employees look for their career advancement and growth in an organization. Education would motivate them and would also help to increase the work productivity of a hospital (Evans, 1990). Policy: An organization must have effective policies to ensure discipline in the system. An employee must abide by the rules and regulations of an organization so as to align with the goals and objectives of the hospital (Evans, 1990). Thus, a sustainable framework can be ensured through following approaches: A sustainable HRM model would involve four steps which are as follows: Purpose: The purpose is analyse the current situation which can be done through various methods such as taking feedback from the stakeholders, reviewing the records and documents etc. In the case study, CEO must identify the key stakeholders first and then analyse the plete situation through the inputs received from the stakeholders (Savage, Fottler & Khatri, 2010). The process can be carried out through a meeting with the key stakeholders, reviewing the existing HR documents which can be collected from HR consultant and payroll manager. This would help in identifying the root cause of the problem (Savage, Fottler & Khatri, 2010). Purpose: Once the inputs have been received from the previous step, this step would define the actions required to be taken. This would be carried out through prioritizing the actions which are necessary in the current scenario. The planning would involve cost calculation for the implementation of those actions and the consequences the actions would have on the hospital (Savage, Fottler & Khatri, 2010). Purpose: The most critical part of building HRM model is the execution of the planned layout and most of the organizations fail at the execution level. Thus, a leader must ensure that the roles and responsibilities are properly allocated to the respective departments and employees so as to ensure that an effective implementation is being carried out (Savage, Fottler & Khatri, 2010). Thus, the phase would involve planning the execution though funding, allocating the responsibilities and budget planning for the action plan. Purpose: It is very important to measure the success of plan that has been executed and evaluate the process of implementation. Monitoring and controlling helps to determine the milestone achieved and helps in future planning (Savage, Fottler & Khatri, 2010). The process involves analyzing the key stakeholders who would decide the factors for monitoring and evaluating the execution. The roles and responsibilities of the employees must be clearly defined (Savage, Fottler & Khatri, 2010). Developing a sustainable business model for any organization is a challenging task and requires the contribution of all the stakeholders of an organization. But, once the framework is being developed, it would have great results in terms of employee mitment and improve the service quality of the hospital. Effective munication: munication helps in constant flow of information in an organization. An effective munication is required in an organization to keep the employees updated regarding their roles and responsibilities. The HR manager would ensure an effective munication in the organization (Zelles, 2012). Performance Management: Performance management must be evaluated on a regular basis in an organization. Effective HR policies would help to evaluate the performance of an employee (Niles, 2012). Employment Relations: An organization must ensure that the employees are satisfied with their job role to maintain employment relations. An HR manager acts as an intermediate between the organization and the employee to build trust and loyalty among the employees which helps to increase the work productivity (Zelles, 2012). Thus, a sustainable HRM Model is crucial for an organization to ensure employee mitment and quality services. The r mendations for the CEO of the hospital are as follows: The report has analyzed the case study and the measures required to be taken in order to devise a solution for the same. The discussion has involved the steps that CEO needs to consider to build a sustainable HRM Model for his hospital to improve the quality of the services. Most importantly, a sustainable model requires a great leader, HR management systems, effective HR policies and involvement of key stakeholders in the decision making process. Gardner, M & Palmer, G. (1997). Employment Relations:  Industrial Relations and Human Resource Management in Australia. Melbourne: Macmillan Education AU. Dressler, S. (2004). Strategy, Organization and Performance Management:  From Basics to Best Practices. Sydney: Universal-Publishers. Colbert, B.A. &Kurucz E.C. (2007).Three Conceptions of Triple Bottom Line Business Sustainability and the Role for HRM.Pro-Quest, 30(1), 21-29. Brinkerhoff, D.W. & Goldsmith, A.A. (March 1992). Promoting the sustainability of development institutions: A framework for strategy.World Development, 20(3), 369-383. Hahn, T., Pinkse, J., Preuss, L. (March 2015). Tensions in Corporate Sustainability: Towards an Integrative Framework. Journal of Business Ethics. 127(2), 297-316. Savage, G.T., Fottler, M.D. and Khatri, N. (27 July 2010). Strategic Human Resource Management in Health Care. UK: Emerald Group Publishing. Fried, B., Fottler, M.D. and Johnson, J.A. (2005).Human Resources in Healthcare:  Managing for Success. US: Health Administration Press. Evans, D.W. (1990). People, munication and Organisations. London: Pitman. Anthony, R.J. (2009). Organizations, People & Effective munication:  Most Good and Bad Consequences e Down to People and munication. US: UNIV READERS Holbeche, L & Matthews, G. (2012). Engaged:  Unleashing Your Organization's Potential Through Employee Engagement. US: Wiley. Zelles, R. (2012). Methodologies to measure and define Employee Engagement. Germany: GRIN Verlag. Bridger, E. (2014). Employee Engagement. London: Kogan Page Publishers. Macev, W.H., Schneider, B., Barbera, K.M., & Young, S.A. (2011). Employee Engagement:  Tools for Analysis, Practice, and petitive Advantage. London: John Wiley & Sons. Flynn, W.J., Mathis, R.L., Jackson, J.H., & Valentine,S.R. (2015). Healthcare Human Resource Management. US: Cengage Learning. Wolper, L.F. (2004). Health Care Administration:  Planning, Implementing, and Managing Organized Delivery Systems. Burlington: Jones & Bartlett Learning. Nick, G., Reinhold, G., & Valerie, I. (2005). Managing Health Services. UK: McGraw-Hill Education. Niles, N.J. (2012). Basic Concepts of Health Care Human Resource Management. Burlington: Jones & Bartlett Publishers.

Managing entrepreneurially Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Managing entrepreneurially - Essay Example In the use of entrepreneurship skills in management, maximization on the available resources is usually the highest priority to increase the level of output in a firm, without incurring additional costs both financially and through labor. As per the definition of entrepreneurial management, an entrepreneur is a good manager who assumes all the risks of a business by taking control of the company, as well as its goals and direction. The entrepreneurship model of management is made up of six different styles that are generated from a combination of one or more styles, but all aim at the earlier mentioned goals of effectiveness and independence. The first style is the classic and is more of a traditional entrepreneurial management style based on monitoring and supervision (Roslan et al 91). With this in mind, all hired personnel are monitored and supervised on a personal level, where personal refers to the manager taking the role of supervisor. This style also focuses on lack of delegat ion of responsibilities in the firm all thanks to the personal nature or attachment of the manager to the firm in taking the lead to oversee everything personally. The down side to this style lies in the failure to delegate duties and responsibilities due to the neurotic urge to do everything by oneself, which is more of a negative way to run a firm. The style is reformed by defining that which can be delegated and that which cannot, in order to create a convention on that which is right and wrong in running of the firm in relation to effectiveness. However, due to the common belief that this style uses team management, businesses often become too complicated to be run by the entrepreneur using this style; thus the inclusion of managers from outside to run the business. Still, due to the lack of trust in the delegation of responsibilities to subordinates and other members of staff, there is usually conflict in the running of the firm, as the leader needs to be in control. This is co ncerning running and supervising everything personally, which leads to over regulation what the managers are supposed t do for the development of the firm. As a result, it disillusions the subordinates and the firm is left without members of staff since they cannot handle the occurrence of such events on a regular basis as it appears disrespectful to the members of staff by subjecting them to some of the responsibilities that one cannot handle on his or her own. To correct the situation of the classic style of leadership with its down sides, to is crucial to identify the role of one’s leadership in relation to one’s ability to delegate. Therefore, when one cannot delegate effectively, it is crucial to keep the complexity of the business to a minimum in order to eliminate the need for managers and disillusionment of subordinates. The second style is the coordinator, which is an alternative to the classic method in that it takes the recommendations of reforming the class ic to mind. A firm can be easily run with a very limited number of employees together with the leader, where the role of the leader revolves around organization. In this case, entrepreneurial management involves the leader verifying that everything is done in the form and that the firm is

Research Design and Methods Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Research Design and Methods - Coursework Example Research according to Jupp (2006) entails exploration, analysis, interpretation and the creation of understanding of varied phenomena which are educational in nature, and pertains a formalized and gradual occurrence of social, cultural and psychological processes. This implies that it deals with educational concerns in which there are possibilities of carrying out satisfactory investigation. Similarly, â€Å"†¦the methods which enable such satisfactory investigations and the utility of the results emanating from the investigation are important.† (Dash 1993). The theoretical questions in education result from varied concepts and social understandings of the same. For this reasons, a number of varied paradigms have been brought forward to explain the criteria depending on the methodology selected and the definitions of the concerns for the inquiry. A paradigm, according to Kuhn (1962) â€Å"†¦an integrated cluster of substantive, concepts, variables and problems attached with corresponding methodological approach and tools† (p.52). Positivism paradigm- The paradigm explores social reality and is anchored on ideas of August Conte, a French philosopher. Conte postulates that the two key aspects of observation and reason inform the understanding of human behavior. He underscores the knowledge is based on sensual experience which is obtained through experimentation and observation. His scientific method is, therefore, used by positivistic thinkers to generate knowledge. There are a number of assumptions under the positivism, which are vital in helping to understand the paradigm. However, these assumptions at some point have been considered as separate paradigms of their own. They include; the assumption of ‘Parsimony’, the assumption of ‘Empiricism’ the assumption of ‘Generality’ and the assumption of ‘Determinism’ which form the framework within which the paradigm is

Michael Bronner Profile as an Entrepreneur Essay

Michael Bronner Profile as an Entrepreneur - Essay Example Among the renowned entrepreneurs is Michael Bronner who made a fortune, as the founder of a marketing company and his venture into business is admirable. Although a college dropout, he founded a digital advertising firm in 1980 known as Bronner Slosberg Humphrey incorporation, whose enormous success saw it rise to be one of the leading traditional advertising companies in America with a subsidiary company formed. Furthermore, the two companies were later merged to form Digitas incorporation in a bid to enhance productivity and the company was sold twenty years later for more than one billion dollars (Needleman). Furthermore, using the proceeds, Bronner founded Upromise incorporation, a company that prides itself in contributing funds towards college education of its clients. Hence, the company aims at generating a means of saving funds to be used for college fees by enrolled clients, where participating companies contribute a fraction of their sales towards the project. In addition, he serves as a member of various boards across different industries, which has seen him enhance his management skills as well as career. Among his accomplishments, Bronner is a recipient of the Anti-defamation League’s Torch of Liberty award (Bloomberg). Recently, Michael Bronner’s 15-year-old son developed an idea to rid a flooded market of junk food through Unreal Brand's incorporation. Regardless of the iconic brands in the market; Nicky Bronner has embarked on a mission, to recreate the traditional junk foods with the same taste but with healthier ingredients (Alspach). This is aimed at eliminating health complications resulting associated with junk foods such as obesity, heart disease, and diabetes.

To discuss, research and develop an argument which talks about the The Essay

To discuss, research and develop an argument which talks about the The American Dream - Essay Example On the other hand, King’s version of the American dream entailed freedom and equality between African Americans and whites. The following essay attempts to determine what it means moving to the United States today in an effort to achieve the American dream, as well as the myth surrounding its true benefits (Smith 71). The American dream is not an illusion but a reality that is subject to different interpretations because of influence from the government, the media, and academia. Recent academic literature touches on the American Dream (Smith 44). Nearly all Americans are familiar with the concept by the time they finish high school. At the same time, familiarity with the concept does not help determine if the American Dream is achievable or an individual’s misplaced idea of reality. What schools do not teach is that working hard to achieve the American Dream is the only way to overcome success barriers. Some literary works show how barriers can stop one’s progress. Other literary works show that accomplishing anything is possible through persistent desire and ambition. As a result, one only sees barriers for accomplishing the America Dream as an expected reality if one chooses influence from positive or negative literary works. Every generation has seen a multitude of immigrants in the United States full of hopes of achieving the American Dream (Smith 71). Many immigrants desire jobs with suitable incomes and benefits that can lead to a successful life. A successful life can then see their families properly fed, roofed, and educated. Other immigrants seek to set up businesses in the United States, which they hope will grow to a multimillion-dollar empire and live amongst the white elite of America. These are two of the most common perceptions of the American Dream shared amongst immigrants. Stories of a handful of immigrants who came to the United States nearly decades ago with the same vision and

Law for Business Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Law for Business - Essay Example Since the two directors constitute the majority, their decision prevails. In the general meeting, the vote in favour of the motion must at least be 75% for the motion to pass, since this is the required majority to pass a special resolution. Another way of passing a special resolution is to directly circulate the motion in writing without calling for a meeting and have the same percentage of voting rights approve the proposal. The objective of this report is to outline a legitimate procedure, on behalf of Francesca, that will allow a change in the company name of Toys4U Ltd despite the objection of one of the three directors to the proposal. According to the Companies Act 2006, a company may change its name in compliance to an extraneous mandate such as one coming from the Secretary of State, an adjudicator upholding a protest on the company name’s use, the court or as a result of company name restoration. The company can also effect a change of its name upon its own initiative (Â § (1) & (2), s 78, Companies Act 2006). It is the latter that is the concern of this report since it is the directors who are interested in pursuing a company name change. According to the relevant provision of law, a change of company name effected by the company’s own initiative can be made either through a special resolution or through any other means prescribe by the company’s Articles of Incorporation (Â § (1)(a) & (b), Companies Act 2006). Under the British company law, there are two ways by which a company decides: an ordinary resolution, or; an extraordinary or special resolution. The two types of resolutions are distinguished from each other by the number of votes required to pass them. Whilst an ordinary resolution requires only a majority vote to be passed, an extraordinary or special resolution needs at least 75% of the votes cast by members (van Gerven & Storm 2006 468). Since the law mandated a special resolution to effect a change of a

Michael Bronner Profile as an Entrepreneur Essay

Michael Bronner Profile as an Entrepreneur - Essay Example Among the renowned entrepreneurs is Michael Bronner who made a fortune, as the founder of a marketing company and his venture into business is admirable. Although a college dropout, he founded a digital advertising firm in 1980 known as Bronner Slosberg Humphrey incorporation, whose enormous success saw it rise to be one of the leading traditional advertising companies in America with a subsidiary company formed. Furthermore, the two companies were later merged to form Digitas incorporation in a bid to enhance productivity and the company was sold twenty years later for more than one billion dollars (Needleman). Furthermore, using the proceeds, Bronner founded Upromise incorporation, a company that prides itself in contributing funds towards college education of its clients. Hence, the company aims at generating a means of saving funds to be used for college fees by enrolled clients, where participating companies contribute a fraction of their sales towards the project. In addition, he serves as a member of various boards across different industries, which has seen him enhance his management skills as well as career. Among his accomplishments, Bronner is a recipient of the Anti-defamation League’s Torch of Liberty award (Bloomberg). Recently, Michael Bronner’s 15-year-old son developed an idea to rid a flooded market of junk food through Unreal Brand's incorporation. Regardless of the iconic brands in the market; Nicky Bronner has embarked on a mission, to recreate the traditional junk foods with the same taste but with healthier ingredients (Alspach). This is aimed at eliminating health complications resulting associated with junk foods such as obesity, heart disease, and diabetes.

Law for Business Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Law for Business - Essay Example Since the two directors constitute the majority, their decision prevails. In the general meeting, the vote in favour of the motion must at least be 75% for the motion to pass, since this is the required majority to pass a special resolution. Another way of passing a special resolution is to directly circulate the motion in writing without calling for a meeting and have the same percentage of voting rights approve the proposal. The objective of this report is to outline a legitimate procedure, on behalf of Francesca, that will allow a change in the company name of Toys4U Ltd despite the objection of one of the three directors to the proposal. According to the Companies Act 2006, a company may change its name in compliance to an extraneous mandate such as one coming from the Secretary of State, an adjudicator upholding a protest on the company name’s use, the court or as a result of company name restoration. The company can also effect a change of its name upon its own initiative (Â § (1) & (2), s 78, Companies Act 2006). It is the latter that is the concern of this report since it is the directors who are interested in pursuing a company name change. According to the relevant provision of law, a change of company name effected by the company’s own initiative can be made either through a special resolution or through any other means prescribe by the company’s Articles of Incorporation (Â § (1)(a) & (b), Companies Act 2006). Under the British company law, there are two ways by which a company decides: an ordinary resolution, or; an extraordinary or special resolution. The two types of resolutions are distinguished from each other by the number of votes required to pass them. Whilst an ordinary resolution requires only a majority vote to be passed, an extraordinary or special resolution needs at least 75% of the votes cast by members (van Gerven & Storm 2006 468). Since the law mandated a special resolution to effect a change of a

Normative ethics Essay Example for Free

Normative ethics Essay Ethics, also known as moral philosophy, is a branch of philosophy that involves systematizing, defending, and recommending concepts of right and wrong conduct. [1] The term comes from the Greek word ethos, which means character. Ethics is a complement to Aesthetics in the philosophy field of Axiology. In philosophy, ethics studies the moral behavior in humans, and how one should act. Ethics may be divided into four major areas of study:[1] Meta-ethics, about the theoretical meaning and reference of moral propositions and how their truth values (if any) may be determined; Normative ethics, about the practical means of determining a moral course of action; Applied ethics, about how moral outcomes can be achieved in specific situations; Descriptive ethics, also known as comparative ethics, is the study of peoples beliefs about morality; According to Tomas Paul and Linda Elder of the Foundation for Critical Thinking, most people confuse ethics with behaving in accordance with social conventions, religious beliefs, and the law, and dont treat ethics as a stand-alone concept. [2] Paul and Elder define ethics as a set of concepts and principles that guide us in determining what behavior helps or harms sentient creatures. [2] The Cambridge Dictionary of Philosophy states that the word ethics is commonly used interchangeably with morality and sometimes it is used more narrowly to mean the moral principles of a particular tradition, group, or individual. [3] Meta-ethics is a field within ethics that seeks to understand the nature of normative ethics. The focus of meta-ethics is on how we understand, know about, and what we mean when we talk about what is right and what is wrong. Meta-ethics came to the fore with G. E. Moores Principia Ethica from 1903. In it he first wrote about what he called the naturalistic fallacy. Moore was seen to reject naturalism in ethics, in his Open Question Argument. This made thinkers look again at second order questions about ethics. Earlier, the Scottish philosopher David Hume had put forward a similar view on the difference between facts and values. Studies of how we know in ethics divide into cognitivism and non-cognitivism; this is similar to the contrast between descriptivists and non-descriptivists. Non-cognitivism is the claim that when we judge something as right or wrong, this is neither true nor false. We may for example be only expressing our emotional feelings about these things. [4] Cognitivism can then be seen as the claim that when we talk about right and wrong, we are talking about matters of fact. The ontology of ethics is about value-bearing things or properties, i. e. the kind of things or stuff referred to by ethical propositions. Non-descriptivists and non-cognitivists believe that ethics does not need a specific ontology, since ethical propositions do not refer. This is known as an anti-realist position. Realists on the other hand must explain what kind of entities, properties or states are relevant for ethics, how they have value, and why they guide and motivate our actions. [5] Virtue ethics describes the character of a moral agent as a driving force for ethical behavior, and is used to describe the ethics of Socrates, Aristotle, and other early Greek philosophers. Socrates (469 BC – 399 BC) was one of the first Greek philosophers to encourage both scholars and the common citizen to turn their attention from the outside world to the condition of humankind. In this view, knowledge having a bearing on human life was placed highest, all other knowledge being secondary. Self-knowledge was considered necessary for success and inherently an essential good. A self-aware person will act completely within his capabilities to his pinnacle, while an ignorant person will flounder and encounter difficulty. To Socrates, a person must become aware of every fact (and its context) relevant to his existence, if he wishes to attain self-knowledge. He posited that people will naturally do what is good, if they know what is right. Evil or bad actions are the result of ignorance. If a criminal was truly aware of the mental and spiritual consequences of his actions, he would neither commit nor even consider committing those actions. Any person who knows what is truly right will automatically do it, according to Socrates. While he correlated knowledge with virtue, he similarly equated virtue with happiness. The truly wise man will know what is right, do what is good, and therefore be happy. [6] Aristotle (384 BC – 322 BC) posited an ethical system that may be termed self-realizationism. In Aristotles view, when a person acts in accordance with his nature and realizes his full potential, he will do good and be content. At birth, a baby is not a person, but a potential person. To become a real person, the childs inherent potential must be realized. Unhappiness and frustration are caused by the unrealized potential of a person, leading to failed goals and a poor life. Aristotle said, Nature does nothing in vain. Therefore, it is imperative for persons to act in accordance with their nature and develop their latent talents in order to be content and complete. Happiness was held to be the ultimate goal. All other things, such as civic life or wealth, are merely means to the end. Self-realization, the awareness of ones nature and the development of ones talents, is the surest path to happiness. [7] Aristotle asserted that man had three natures: vegetable (physical/metabolism), animal (emotional/appetite) and rational (mental/conceptual). Physical nature can be assuaged through exercise and care, emotional nature through indulgence of instinct and urges, and mental through human reason and developed potential. Rational development was considered the most important, as essential to philosophical self-awareness and as uniquely human. Moderation was encouraged, with the extremes seen as degraded and immoral. For example, courage is the moderate virtue between the extremes of cowardice and recklessness. Man should not simply live, but live well with conduct governed by moderate virtue. This is regarded as difficult, as virtue denotes doing the right thing, to the right person, at the right time, to the proper extent, in the correct fashion, for the right reason. [8] [edit] StoicismThe Stoic philosopher Epictetus posited that the greatest good was contentment and serenity. Peace of mind, or Apatheia, was of the highest value; self-mastery over ones desires and emotions leads to spiritual peace. The unconquerable will is central to this philosophy. The individuals will should be independent and inviolate. Allowing a person to disturb the mental equilibrium is in essence offering yourself in slavery. If a person is free to anger you at will, you have no control over your internal world, and therefore no freedom. Freedom from material attachments is also necessary. If a thing breaks, the person should not be upset, but realize it was a thing that could break. Similarly, if someone should die, those close to them should hold to their serenity because the loved one was made of flesh and blood destined to death. Stoic philosophy says to accept things that cannot be changed, resigning oneself to existence and enduring in a rational fashion. Death is not feared. People do not lose their life, but instead return, for they are returning to God (who initially gave what the person is as a person). Epictetus said difficult problems in life should not be avoided, but rather embraced. They are spiritual exercises needed for the health of the spirit, just as physical exercise is required for the health of the body. He also stated that sex and sexual desire are to be avoided as the greatest threat to the integrity and equilibrium of a mans mind. Abstinence is highly desirable. Epictetus said remaining abstinent in the face of temptation was a victory for which a man could be proud. [9] [edit] HedonismMain article: Hedonism Hedonism posits that the principal ethic is maximizing pleasure and minimizing pain. There are several schools of Hedonist thought ranging from those advocating the indulgence of even momentary desires to those teaching a pursuit of spiritual bliss. In their consideration of consequences, they range from those advocating self-gratification regardless of the pain and expense to others, to those stating that the most ethical pursuit maximizes pleasure and happiness for the most people. [10] [edit] Cyrenaic hedonismFounded by Aristippus of Cyrene, Cyrenaics supported immediate gratification or pleasure. Eat, drink and be merry, for tomorrow we die. Even fleeting desires should be indulged, for fear the opportunity should be forever lost. There was little to no concern with the future, the present dominating in the pursuit for immediate pleasure. Cyrenaic hedonism encouraged the pursuit of enjoyment and indulgence without hesitation, believing pleasure to be the only good. [10] [edit] EpicureanismMain article: Epicureanism Epicurean ethics is a hedonist form of virtue ethics. Epicurus presented a sustained argument that pleasure, correctly understood, will coincide with virtue. [11] He rejected the extremism of the Cyrenaics, believing some pleasures and indulgences to be detrimental to human beings. Epicureans observed that indiscriminate indulgence sometimes resulted in negative consequences. Some experiences were therefore rejected out of hand, and some unpleasant experiences endured in the present to ensure a better life in the future. To Epicurus the summum bonum, or greatest good, was prudence, exercised through moderation and caution. Excessive indulgence can be destructive to pleasure and can even lead to pain. For example, eating one food too often will cause a person to lose taste for it. Eating too much food at once will lead to discomfort and ill-health. Pain and fear were to be avoided. Living was essentially good, barring pain and illness. Death was not to be feared. Fear was considered the source of most unhappiness. Conquering the fear of death would naturally lead to a happier life. Epicurus reasoned if there was an afterlife and immortality, the fear of death was irrational. If there was no life after death, then the person would not be alive to suffer, fear or worry; he would be non-existent in death. It is irrational to fret over circumstances that do not exist, such as ones state in death in the absence of an afterlife. [12]

Impact of the Third Way Police on the UK Economy

Impact of the Third Way Police on the UK Economy What Tony Blair left behind, after ten years in Downing Street Nr.10 When Tony Blair resigned as Prime Minister, after ten years in government, the term of his so called †Third Way Policy† was already out of common mind. But his successor, the former Chancellor of Exchequer Gordon Brown still has to deal with its consequences, which became obvious during the current financial crisis. In my essay I want to refer to the question; how Tony Blairs Third Way Policy has had an impact on Britains economy and why it can be seen as one of the major causes for the credit crunch in Great Britain. First, the modernization of the Labour Party to New Labour brought some advantages. Tony Blair distanced the Party from its traditional socialist ideas to a more liberal, economical orientated policy. Achievements of Blairs government were for instance the social charter of the European Union or the introduction of a minimum-wage law. Secondly, London became the world financial centre during Blairs time at Downing Street Nr. 10. This can be seen as one success, since he supported the idea of globalization and liberalized the economy and the constitutional reforms led to self-government for London. At this point one should also mention, the Bank of England got total independency from the government in 1997, which made London to one of the most attractive market places in the world. Offering good conditions to third sector businesses, the City of London brought Britain impressive years of an economic boom. Actually, London became more attractive for investors as New York, since the New Labour government removed all state regulations from the financial sector. In contrast, Britains Third Way Policy in the mid 1990s led to some major fails. To gain peoples trust Prime Minister Tony Blair and his Chancellor Gordon Brown promised to save money even stricter than the Conservative Party did before, but finally the New Labour government dropped Britain in incredibly high debts. The Third Way Policy was mainly about welfare reforms, like introducing a basic pension or child benefit. This seems to be rather good at the first view, but the welfare spending increased highly and the Blair administration had not real concept of how to finance it. For instance the reform for the National Health Service cost Britain a lot, but did not improve the NHS. Peter Carter, the general secretary of the Royal College of Nursing said: â€Å"I have never seen so much money come into the NHS. But in many areas I have never seen so much money wasted. It is a tragedy for the public, for the NHS, and for this government.†(â€Å"Blair: the NHS ‘is much better now (2007, 1 May), London Evening Standard. Retrieved November 19, 2009 from http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/news/article-23394523-blair-the-nhs-is-much-better-now.do) So, obviously concentrated the government too much on the wealth of the public sector during the economic boom years and forgot to improve the economys efficiency, to gain a higher state income. The probably biggest mistake of the Third Way Policy was the liberalization of the financial market. The independency of the Bank of England was on one hand an important step to join the Euro, but the referendum for the Euro took never place, because Tony Blair feared to lose it. So one could say the independency of the Bank was part of an unfinished reform. The liberalization of the financial market is also one reason for Britains current trouble in the financial crisis, since in the last ten years the financial market got so confused for both, the banks and the government. This means, with removing the state regulations from the Bank of England the government was not able to step in the banks business anymore. Britains current high debts are a result of New Labours policy in the first decade of twenty first century, because Banks were able to give loans to almost everyone. The government had no attitude to private borrowings, quite the contrary the government allowed Banks to borrow money even to people with low income, since borrowers spent their money, which brought a well running economy. This policy caused a raise in private mortgages debts by almost 100 per cent in a rather short period of just six years, from 2000 to the end of 2005. But when house prices increased to unrealistic high prices, people stopped spending money on products and the economic growth stagnated, further the unemployment rate increased and credit users could not pay back their credits. However, the Blair government self did not act better, because the whole Third Way Policy was based on debts, as the state could not finance its reforms through tax incomes. Moreover, the finance policy of Chancellor Brown became hardly comprehensible and understandable, because he changed the economic cycle several times. To borrow more money he enlarged the economic cycle, so it was not obvious how huge the amount of Britains debts actually were. In 2008 the foreign debts of Great Britain reached 400 per cent of Britains GDP. Finally, Great Britain came into the financial crisis, shortly after Tony Blair resigned in 2007. Now the new Prime Minister Gordon Brown has to deal with the consequences of New Labours Third Way Policy, but as he was the Chancellor before, he is one of the main responsible for the British financial market policy, which led to the credit crunch. Currently, New Labours actions to come out of the crisis seem to be doubtful, in particular the bailout package, which was financed by new printed money. But, the government is also planning to put new regulations on the sub-prime sector to protect families in trouble from unfair charges and repossessions. Whether this regulation will be realised and by whom it will be realised is yet an open question. Fact is; to come out of the crisis and to avoid another one it is necessary to introduce new regulations in the financial market through the government. But in spite of it all, Britain will need many years to come out of its debts and the process wont be easy, because if the government increases taxes businesses will probably drive out of the country and economic growth decreases. As other European countries, lately, announced already an economic growth for the next year, it seems as if Britain is going to be â€Å"Europes sick man† for the next years. Sources: BLC-Y1- British American Studies Compendium Contemporary Britain 2nd Edition. John McCormick; Palgrave, 2007 OSullivan, John. Blairs Way. National Review 50, no. 13 (July 20, 1998): p.25-27. Academic Search Elite, EBSCOhost (accessed November 12, 2009). The true extent of Britains debt (2008, 10 December); The Spectator. Retrieved November 12, 2009, from www.spectator.co.uk/coffeehouse/3078296/the-true-extent-of-britains-debt.thtml Bid to stop home loan sharks, by Kirsty Buchanan; Daily Express Weekend, November 15, 2009, p. 4 Labours  £115m boost for hard-up homebuyers ends up helping precisely no one; by Becky Barrow Business Correspondent; Daily Mail, November 17, 2009, p.12 Darling criticizes bank owners; Wall Street Journal Europe, November 13, 2009, p.1 Blair: the NHS ‘is much better now (2007, 1 May), London Evening Standard. Retrieved November 19, 2009 from http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/news/article-23394523-blair-the-nhs-is-much-better-now.do

Science vs Aging Essay -- Research Papers Essays

Science vs Aging Thesis Statement: Health care and science resources should be conservatively allocated to our aging population, focusing on providing quality to the aging years without draining assets in a reckless attempt to extend life. Introduction: The demographic projections in the United Sates are significant. Between 1982 and 2030 the median age will move from 30.6 to 40.8 years and the proportion of the population over 65 will go from 11.6 to 21.1 percent (Committee on the Aging Society, 1985). Persons over 85 are the fastest growing age group, 21 times more numerous than in 1900 (Callahan, 1995). This is also an international issue; by 2040 most developed countries will have 30 percent of their population over 60 (Hanson, 1994). These figures demand our attention on issues of aging. Most elderly need economic assistance and are significantly dependent on lower age groups. In the 1930's most of the elderly lived below the poverty line. Social Security helped reduce this figure to 15.7 percent by 1980. 80 year-olds receive 50% percent of their yearly income from social security (Committee on the Aging Society, 1985). The rest of their income often comes from pension plans or family funds. Elderly populations consume significantly more medical resources than other age groups. In 1984 elderly were 12% of our population, but consumed 31% of medical resources; by 2040 they are expected to consume 45 %. The Federal Government currently spends approximately $200 billion on health care for the elderly, which still only covers 67% of the expenditures. The remaining 33%, or $100 billion, must be covered by elderly and their families (Callahan, 1995). These economic expenditures have social conseq... ...the Aging Society. (1985). Aging America: Health in a Older Society. Washington DC: National Academic Press. 7. Finch, C. E. (1978). The Brain and Aging. In The Biology of Aging (pp.301-309). New York: Plenum Press. 8. Fries, James F. (1986). The Compression of Morbidity. Milbank Memorial Fund Quarterly, 61: 3, 347-355. 9. Hanson, Mark J. (1994). How we Treat the Elderly. Hastings Center Report, 24:5, 4-8. PMID: 8002311 10. Harley, Calvin B. (1996). Telomeres. In Encyclopedia of Gerontology (Vol. 2, pp. 539-543). Washington DC: Academic Press. 11. Kirkwood, T. B. (1977). Evolution of Aging. Nature, 270:2, 301-304. 12. May, William F. (1996). Testing the Medical Covenant. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans Publishing. 13. Moody, Henry H. (1994). Four Scenarios for an Aging Population. Hastings Center Report, 24:5, 32-34. PMID: 8002308

Constant, Changeless Change (An Argumentative Text About Yeats’s Repres

William Butler Yeats was a poet during the transition from the nineteenth to the twentieth century. He was a brilliant poet. He had a way of making complex images, representing his philosophies regarding change and changeless, with words. He had a lot of unique ideas on philosophical topics such as these. â€Å"Yeats developed a philosophy that united his interest in history, art, personality, and society.† (1144). In the five poems written by Yeats, and compiled in our textbook, the opposition between radical change and changeless is illustrated very clearly. In the poem, When You are Old, Yeats tells the intended reader, a woman, that his love for her won’t change, but hopefully, her feelings for him will change when she reads the poem. This poem is a love poem. It is slightly bitter, but a love poem, nonetheless. Yeats says that he loves the ambition and the thirst for adventure in her. â€Å"But one man loved the pilgrim soul in you.† (7). On this, I couldn’t agree more with Yeats. Yeats says that he loves her, but she doesn’t love him yet. He hopes that when something chang...

Discuss The Dramatic Presentation of Justice and Morality Essay

The crucible written by Arthur Miller, in 1953 is set in the heart of puritan 16th century America. The main plot is about the witch hunts during that period and the lives that were affected by it. Although the play is about the witch hunts in Salem in the 16th century, the sub plot is really referring to the injustice that Miller himself was experiencing when he wrote it. In the play, it was not only acceptable practice in Salem to accuse people of witchery (usually women) but it was also acceptable to render them completely unable to defend themselves from such accusations. The society’s Puritanism, hysteria and conflicting views on morality and all that is just accounted for the horrendous tragedies to follow. Justice and morality are the main themes introduced throughout the play – justice, meaning the administration of law according to prescribed and accepted principles and morality, meaning the degree to which something is morally acceptable. Many issues associated with justice and morality such as the difficulties and dangers of conforming to strict principles including the consequences of the misuse of justice are also highlighted in the play. This essay will discuss those themes and how the audience is presented with them dramatically. ‘The Crucible’ meaning something in which substances are melted at high temperatures could be referring to a cauldron used by witches or an explosive situation. ‘The Crucible’ also means a severe test or trial which could be referring to the difficult decisions the characters had to make. The ambiguity of the title makes it difficult for the audience to fully understand and predict the nature and mood of the play outrightly. Throughout the play the audience is subtly presented with particular emotive issues. Miller used the literary device of an allegory to be able to depict them to maximum effect. He used lighting to convey emotions and tones, the same way he would a character. For example the footnotes of act one mention a candle in the room and sunrays beaming through the window giving the room â€Å"an air of clean spareness†. This could be interpreted as reflecting the way in which the puritans perceived themselves, free from corruption or impurities. Throughout the play, light was used to symbolize scenes depicting kindness, softer, more sincere emotions or highlight good characters in the play. But as the plot thickens, Miller uses less light which draws the audience towards the climax of the play. Dark lighting generally denotes bad atmosphere, for example the courtroom in Act Three is described as a â€Å"solemn, forbidding place† even though light shone through the back window. Again, at the very end of Act Four, when John Proctor is finally led away, Reverend Hale begins to pray and a light shines on his face. Again light is used to show raw emotions, and to portray both Proctor and Hale as good pious people. The language used throughout the play is archaic and biblical. Miller used biblical references throughout the play to help further illustrate and highlight the extent of Puritanism in Salem and how religion was the focal point of life in Salem. For example when Procter is pleading with Reverend Hale, he refers to him as ‘Pontious Pilate’ a roman official who found Jesus neither innocent nor guilty and washed his hands of the affair. However, it is more likely that Procter’s reference to the Bible was a subtle way of proving himself and his wife to be practicing Christians. Arthur Miller’s development of Abigail William’s character in ‘The Crucible’ greatly affects the plot of the play. Her snobbishness and perceived superiority made many people believe in her lies. Her superiority complex stems from the fact that she was an unmarried orphan, this placed her at the bottom of the social hierarchy in Salem. Her resentment of those that betrayed her influenced many of her decisions. From the very beginning of the play, it is clear to all that Abigail was a person who craved control, albeit subtly at times. Miller used the literary device of juxtaposition to show this to the audience. Juxtaposition is when two or more things are placed next to each other in order to create contrast and allow further analysis. In Act One, scene one where Reverend Parris is praying over Betty, Abigail appears to be an innocent, concerned niece â€Å"I will never hurt Betty, i love her dearly†. But as we see in the next scene, she threatens her own friends into silence. â€Å"Let either of you breathe a word, or the edge of a word about the other things, and i will come to you in the black of some terrible night and i will bring some pointy reckoning that will shudder you. And you know i can do it. † The â€Å"evil† that made her capable of drinking chicken’s blood made the girls fear her, so much so that when Procter asked Mary (his house helper) to tell the courts about Abigail she replied â€Å"she’ll kill me for saying that†. Juxtaposition was also used to show the different levels of morality between the characters. Throughout all the chaos of trying to find who is moral and who isn’t, the audience is fully aware that Abigail was behind it all and she is the person lacking in morals. This made it possible for the audience to make the contrast between her and the other members of the community. Again Abigail’s acted superiority complex revealed itself when Reverend Parris asked her why no-one in the village had rehired her, she replied by saying how they wanted to enslave her and how she would not â€Å"blacken her face for any of them†. This further illustrates her feelings towards the black slaves in the community. It was almost as if she was saying she would rather be without a job than lower herself to their level. It was this reasoning that made it so easy for her to use Tituba (Parris’ slave) as a scapegoat to take all the blame for the witchery. It was also easy for the rest of the villagers to believe Abigail’s accusations because they too thought themselves better than Tituba. An example of this is in Act One where Tituba takes a step backwards before attempting to talk to the reverend but he scrambles to his feet and quickly dismisses her.