Monday, December 30, 2019

The Importance Of Stereotyping - 1759 Words

From the time of the caveman, to the time of the selfie stick, human beings have been victims of stereotyping and stereotypes. Whereas the instinct was once an element of the â€Å"fight or flight† response in which, in order to protect ourselves from possible harm, we would either confront the issue or flee. Whether or not we did one or the other depended strongly on the visual aspects of the threat and whether or not our pre-existing schema related to said traits encouraged â€Å"fight† or â€Å"flight†. While stereotyping has been an element of human survival in the past, the extent to which stereotyping is still necessary today is debatable. While stereotyping has been more modernly believed to mean â€Å"an often unfair and untrue belief that many†¦show more content†¦One could also think of dogs within the greater context of animals and other living things (i.e. they breathe, are mammals, need food, and reproduce). Depending on one’s person al experience, the knowledge of a dog may vary from an animal that elicits fear, or a loyal and domesticated friend. This directly influences one’s schema, making reflexes affiliated with dogs different to someone else’s. Each new experience incorporates more information into one’s schema. Yet, what happens when someone does not have any personal interactions to base their actions upon when in a new environment? We use stereotypes to compare what others commonly would do and how they would react in similar instances, to what one is doing in the moment and we consciously or unconsciously adhere to the â€Å"norm† behavior. Yet psychologists have found that one’s schema is not as reliable as one would hope. One study conducted by psychologists Brewer and Treyens in 1981 investigated the effects of schemas on visual memory. The procedure involved 30 participants, whom one at a time, were asked to wait in a room for 35 seconds. The room itself had been designed to look like a regular or average office setting. Within the room there were 61 different objects ranging from regular office supplies (such as a stapler or scotch tape dispenser) to more â€Å"out of place† objects (such as a skull, a brick and a pair of pliers). Once the 35 seconds spent in the roomShow MoreRelatedThe Importance Of Stereotyping777 Words   |  4 Pagesabout other people based on characteristics within a specific group of people. For example, the stereotype that girls are bad at math can lead to the suggestion that some innate difference between women and men leads to this discrepancy (Bolton). Stereotyping can be negative because it can affect the way people are treated based on race, social class, and gender. According to Claude Steele, The reason is that we have a lot of identities – our gender, our race, our age. And about each one of thoseRead MoreThe Importance Of Stereotyping1104 Words   |  5 Pagesthey keep doing it since it is seen normal. Some people care more about the race and go based off of stereotypes. Stereotyping is becoming worst over time even when it comes to genders as well because some White supremacies like to make any ethnicity less than them due to the fact that they feel greater. Over the years, terms like ‘white power’ and ‘minority model’ are used as stereotyping showing that they are higher than another group but these terms were dying off at some point and is starting reliveRead MoreStereotyping986 Words   |  4 Pagesï » ¿Stereotyping In My essay I will discuss stereotyping and different types of stereotyping. I will discuss how in todays society people are stereotyped in different many ways. In today’s society, there are stereotypes for almost any groups that individuals belong to. At some point in any person’s life, they would have experienced stereotyping. For instance, it is often said that all African Americans are good at basketball, males are more aggressive than females, Lawyers are deceitful, and the listRead MoreStereotyping And Friendship Appear To Be Completely Distinct1588 Words   |  7 PagesStereotyping and friendship appear to be completely distinct topics, however, they both tie in with the characters, and morals from â€Å"Cathedral† and ‘Everything That Rises Must Converge†. Stereotyping is highly seen in the short story â€Å"Everything That Rises Must Converge† by Flannery O’Connor. The characters in this story are very opinionated about their o pposite race as they all live in a time in which segregation is frequently seen. In â€Å"Cathedral† by Raymond Carver, stereotyping, is slightly shownRead MoreThe Development of the Science of ‘Race’ Essay1072 Words   |  5 Pages1990), Gouldburg (1990: 266) states ‘this transformed into a pseudo- biological property of communal life’, as race became linked with traits and reflections of identity (Miles, 1982; Gouldburg, 1990; Back and Solomos, 2009). This form of racial stereotyping still exists today, as institutions such as sport legitimate these ideas and reproduce an environment to which they are seen as rational explanatory notions (Carrington, 2010), for example the consistent over representation of ‘black’ men in theRead MoreCultural Awareness Project : Ethnocentrism1723 Words   |  7 Pagescultural awareness project I will be discussing ethnocentrism in the imaging department. My objectives for the presentation is to explain how you can avoid ethnocentrism in the imaging department and to also explain how ethnocentrism can lead to stereotyping and how this can further have a negative impact on the department. I want to begin by discussing some general definitions so that you have a better understand of the topics that I am going to discuss. I think it is important to begin by definingRead MoreEssay about Stereotyping in Today ´s Society987 Words   |  4 Pagesdifferent examples of stereotyping that are present in today’s society. Stereotyping, a predictable opinion or belief, can be connected to race, ethnicity, or religious affiliation. We make very different judgments about people we think to be terrorists, criminals, psychopaths, television stars, hitchhikers, and perverts. Stereotyping could be beneficial and highly accurate in some cases; however stereotyping most Muslims as terrorists can be misleading and unfair. Muslim stereotyping is misleadingRead MoreStereotypes Of Men And Women Should Act997 Words   |  4 PagesIntroduction In the Western Society, many individuals tend to believe certain characteristics based on people that are different from them: culturally, racially, or even religiously. This is known as stereotyping. Many individuals will generalize a certain characteristic of a person, stereotyping the individual. Whether it is a friend or a stranger, it comes naturally. For example, there are many stereotypes about how men and women should act. These stereotypes tend to generalize certain characteristicsRead MoreComparing Stereotyping And Ethnocentrism1557 Words   |  7 PagesStereotyping and ethnocentrism both have concepts that are intertwined in some type of way in society. Both concepts of stereotyping and ethnocentrism has been identified as being superior, dogmatic, bigotry, and can be harmful and hurtful to the human spirit. Although stereotyping and ethnocentrism attitudes are different in ways of harmfulness, but they are both problems in our society today, and that needs to be addresse d and brought to attention. In this essay, it targets to explain and makeRead MoreStereotyping And Ethnocentrism1565 Words   |  7 Pages Cultural Communication values and Communication Challenges in Muslims Stereotyping and ethnocentrism both have concepts that are intertwined in some type of way in society. Both concepts of stereotyping and ethnocentrism has been identified as being superior, dogmatic, bigotry, and can be harmful and hurtful to the human spirit. Although stereotyping and ethnocentrism attitudes are different in ways of harmfulness, but they are both problems in our society today, and that needs to be addressed and

Sunday, December 22, 2019

Project Management Strategy - 2211 Words

Introduction Project Management is all about managing your tasks and goals with the best use of available resources within a fixed frame of time. To achieve the fixed time, the project manager would need the proper coordination of all possible inputs required to carry out the task successfully. One of such inputs is the project management maturity model which allows for improvement of project management processes and systems (Crawford, 2006). Project management maturity is the progressive development of an enterprise-wide project management approach, methodology, strategy, and decision-making process. The appropriate level of maturity will vary for each organization based on specific goals, strategies, resource capabilities, scope, and†¦show more content†¦Such positioning is possible with strategic management because this process improves preparedness for unexpected internal or competitive demands. Therefore, an organizational strategy is an all-encompassing approach for f ormulating, implementing and evaluating managerial decisions in a way that permits the business to reach its objectives. For an organizational strategy to be successful, however, the organization should: †¢ Clearly see the need for change †¢ Be firmly committed to the idea of changing the business planning process †¢ Assure that the strategic management process has credibility with everyone involved †¢ Make sure that final plans are realistic and reflect actual resources and capabilities †¢ Train all participants in the procedures essential to the strategic management process †¢ Develop concise and well-organized plans One of such strategy is the implementation of Six Sigma methodology in the organization. Six Sigma is a methodology that combines the gradual and continuous improvement with radical redesign. The process of Six Sigma begins by measuring the statistical variability within a process. This means that the causes of error can only be determined if you understand the critical requirement of either the internal or external customer. Six Sigma processes are designed to reduce process variability. Six Sigma helps the organization to achieve improved process flows and betterShow MoreRelatedBusiness Strategy And Project Management1653 Words   |  7 Pages1. Srivannaboon.S, Milosevic.Z.D (2005). A two-way influence between business strategy and project management. According to the authors Srivannaboon.S, and Milosevic.Z.D (2005), the alignment of project management with the corporate strategy is critical to achieve the company’s short term and long term goals. The main objective of project management is to guide the company towards its goals within the set time frame and cost. In today’s globalization, business leaders are facing many challenges fromRead MoreCorporate Strategy and Project Management4535 Words   |  19 Pages------------------------------------------------- 41. Corporate Strategy and Project Management: the relationship between them and implications for the management of an international project. Introduction This paper draws attention to the detached relationship between the corporate strategy and project management. Solutions offered by various researchers to align both of them are discussed and examine how they could be proposed for the management of international project, in particularly for the construction industryRead MoreProject Management Challenges Strategies and Project Selections836 Words   |  4 PagesMBA/MIS Project Management Chapters 1 and 2 Project Management Challenges Strategies and Project Selections 1. Two new software projects are proposed to a young, start-up company. The Alpha project will cost $150,000 to develop and is expected to have annual net cash flow of $40,000. The Beta project will cost $200,000 to develop and is expected to have annual net cash flow of $50,000. The company is very concerned about their cash flow. Using the payback period, which project is betterRead MoreProject Management Strategies For Fice Manager1067 Words   |  5 Pagesbusiness management. Therefore, this business can be suitable for a minimal space, in which we can reduce the cost can by establishing a small work place. Also, this may include the expenses of employees to coming into workplace and utility cost of the said area. Second, I must minimize the human resource cost which includes redundancy, recruitment and training. So, I’d rather have a team of five, as a manager it is my task to apply strong ethical and decided project management strategies. In additionRead MoreAlignment Of Business Strategy And Project Management2718 Words   |  11 Pages Literature Review: Alignment of Business Strategy and Project Management [Name] [Course Title] [University] [Instructor Name] [Date] Literature Review: Alignment of Business Strategy and Project Management Introduction Projects are primary components of business organizations. Previous studies have indicated that majority of the projects fail because of time and budget constraints. Others fail because they are according to the needs and requirements of the customer. However, project’sRead MoreEssay on The Affect of Project Management on Strategy and Governance 3620 Words   |  15 PagesProjects are critical to the success of any organization as they involve the activities that result in new or changed products, services, environments, processes and organizations. Organizations have increasingly embraced project management as a key strategy for staying ahead in today’s highly competitive business environment. Successful implementation of project management creates an organization that can readily meet the demands of each project and yet adapt quickly to a constantly changing dynamicRead MoreWhy Project Managers Need to Understand Business Strategy and the Strategic Management Process?1708 Words   |  7 Pagesaligning Project Management with Business Strategy and Strategic Business Process. Fundamentally, all Project Managers must have full comprehension of the bigger picture of an organization Business Strategy and its functional level game plan. This would help them with project operational level decision making as well alignment of projects alignment with corporate mission. . The report will be giving general analysis of inter relevance ie:- top –bottom and bottom – top approaches of strategy pyramidsRead MoreNursing Leadership Critical Discussion of a Change Management Project Strategy4391 Words   |  18 Pagesï » ¿Nursing Leadership Critical Discussion of a Change Management Project Strategy: EHR and Patient Safety Issues Objective The objective of this study is to crucially discuss and reflect on a change management project of strategy that has been undertaken in a health-related organization and specifically the implementation of Electronic Health Records (EHR) and patient safety issues. I. Aim of the Change (In Relation to Organizational Mission and Strategic Goals/Objectives) The aims of the changeRead MoreProcurement Strategy For A Construction Project Essay1195 Words   |  5 Pagessuitable procurement strategy for a construction project, there are some issues which need to consider. From all of those issues, there are 3 big issues that mainly affect the selection decision which are time, cost and quality. There is several type of procurement strategy available in market that commonly used for construction project and each of the common method will be analyze and compare to find the most appropriate method for this project. The choice of procurement strategy is very importantRead MoreProject Portfolio Management : Project Management1432 Words   |  6 PagesProject Portfolio Management (PPM) is the centralized management of the processes, methods, and technologies used by project managers and project management offices (PMOs) to analyze and collectively manage current or proposed projects based on numerous key characteristics. The objectives of PPM are to determine the optimal resource mix for delivery and to schedule activities to best achieve an organization’s operational and financial goals ― while honoring constraints imposed by customers, strategic

Saturday, December 14, 2019

Workplace Violence Free Essays

Workplace violence is present in every nook and cranny of corporate America, affecting millions of Americans every year. Workplace violence is defined by the Occupational Safety Health Administration, OSHA, as any act or threat of physical violence, harassment, intimidation, or other threatening disruptive behavior that occurs at the work site. It ranges from threats and verbal abuse to physical assaults and even homicide. We will write a custom essay sample on Workplace Violence or any similar topic only for you Order Now In 2011, there were over 2 two million reports and claims of workplace violence, with 458 being homicides1. Workplace violence is at the forefront of everyone’s mind when a breaking news story is broadcast on the evening news, such as the recent shootings in Santa Cruz, California by a disgruntled ex-cop, and the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting in Newtown, Connecticut, but workplace violence can strike anywhere and at any time, and is a major concern for employers and employees across America. There are different types of workplace violence, which can be categorized as follows: (1)violence by outsiders or nonemployees, usually in the attempt of a crime, such as robbery or shoplifting, (2)violence by a customer or a client, such as a student or a patient, (3)violence by employees and former employees, and (4)violence by domestic partners, such as boyfriends/girlfriends and husbands/wives. Such categorization can help in coming up with ways to prevent workplace violence since each type of violence requires a different approach to prevention, and certain workplaces and environments may be at higher risk for certain types of violence. Although workplace violence can seem very random, there are certain industries and job categories that are more susceptible to violence than others. According to OSHA, certain factors can increase the risk of violence in the workplace, such as exchanging money with the public, working with unstable people, and working where alcohol is served1. People working in certain establishments, such as retail stores and bars, are at increased risk of violence. Professions in law enforcement, healthcare, public service workers and those who work alone or in small groups are at greatest risk of violence. Manager’s role in identifying and reporting workplace violence. Every employee of an organization is responsible for providing a safe and secure environment to work in, and thus should be knowledgeable about workplace violence and be ready to act in advance to reduce the threat of violent incidents. Managers especially have a big duty to make sure that the work environment of their employees has minimal stress triggers, and that the department culture is one that is friendly and open, ensuring that employee safety is valued. Managers should follow their progressive discipline policy when addressing concerns with employees to prevent violent reactions by employees who feel that they have been treated unfairly. Managers should also treat their employees with respect and decency, especially when disciplining or firing them, as depriving an employee of dignity in front of other employees can trigger violent behavior. Most importantly, managers need to be trained on what clues to look for, and how to handle certain situations when confronted with warning signs of workplace violence by employees. This will allow managers and subordinates to know the warning signs and report them to management accordingly. Sure there are people that suddenly ‘snap’ and go off the deep end, but in most instances of workplace violence, there are certain signs of trouble that are exhibited by the perpetrator. According to Dr. Lynne McClure, an expert in managing high-risk employee behaviors before they escalate to workplace violence, there are always warning signs involving workplace violence2. She puts these eight warning signs in the following categories: †¢Actor behaviors – employees act out their anger by yelling and shouting †¢Fragmentor behaviors – employees take no responsibility for their actions and blames others for their mistakes †¢Me-First behaviors – employees act selfishly without regard to fellow coworkers †¢Mixed-Messenger behaviors – employees talk positively but behave negatively †¢Wooden-Stick behaviors – employees are not receptive to change, and are inflexible and controlling †¢Escape-Artist behaviors – employees compulsively lie and rely on negative stress relievers such as drugs and gambling †¢Shocker behaviors – employees suddenly act in ways that are out of character †¢Stranger behaviors – employees are remote and have poor social skills, and become fixated on an idea and/or an individual. There is no standard ‘profile’ of a person who commits workplace violence, and by no means is someone a threat just because they display one of these traits. Employees that exhibit many of these traits, and with increasing intensity, may be a danger and may need some help. Being able to identify these signs and warning signals, and reporting it to management timely can help prevent a workplace violence incident. HR’s role in managing and preventing workplace violence. Every reasonable employer wants to keep employees safe from workplace violence, but according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, less than 30% of employers have a violence prevention policy in place3. Outlined below are some things that a human resource department can implement to mitigate workplace violence. †¢Violence Prevention Policy – First and foremost, every company should implement a zero-tolerance policy against workplace violence, which clearly defines what workplace violence is, and the company’s position on it. The policy must clearly outline which behaviors and actions are acceptable and which are unacceptable. The policy should state that violence of any kind is not tolerated and is grounds for immediate termination. †¢Training – Training for managers and employees to ensure that they know the warning signs for violence is critical. There are many signs that can point to indications of imminent violent, so training the employees to recognize the warning signs can help stop a violent act by identifying the individual and providing assistance before a violent act is committed. Each and every employee is responsible for creating a safe working environment, and it is HR’s job to help employees get the training necessary to manage a safe workplace. †¢Hiring, retaining and firing – HR plays a critical role in preventing violence in the workplace with its hiring, retention and firing practices. Usually, past behavior can predict future behavior, so it is important that the HR department screen potential new hires carefully. One way to avoid workplace violence is by not hiring people who exhibit violent behavior. Thus, the HR department must conduct thorough background checks on all potential new hires. Companies should make it a general policy to run background checks on all applicants before hiring them. HR departments must make a concerted effort to carefully screen all potential new hires by scrutinizing information on resumes and conducting reference checks. Also, HR can help prevent workplace violence by rooting out trouble-makers early. Retaining employees who have had behavioral issues in the past can expose a company to workplace violence and litigation. The HR department needs to be proactive with helping to identify employees that pose a potential danger thru through analysis of past work records. For example, if an employee has had issues with making threats or getting into confrontations with coworkers in the past, immediate ction may need to be taken before any major incident occurs. Finally, HR plays a big role in creating a peaceful environment when handling employee terminations. When an employee gets terminated, it is a very stressful event for the employee, and ca n push him/her over the edge. In order to ease the stress and alleviate some of the pressures on the employee being terminated, the HR department can help the situation by being compassionate and clearly explaining the reasons for the termination and allowing an opportunity to the employee to discuss any disagreement with the termination. Also, the HR department can provide placement or counseling services. Provide an employee assistance program (EAP) – there are many reasons that someone resorts to violence in the workplace, but some stem from issues outside of the workplace, such as relationship issues, financial troubles, or substance abuse problems. Employing an EAP can provide help to employees before a serious incident manifests itself in the workplace. Through the use of an EAP, employees can help manage their issues by coordinating with an objective, third party. All types of services should be offered, including counseling, anger management classes and rehabilitation services. Financial Impact of Workplace Violence – Calculating the Cost Workplace violence is real, and with it comes real costs. The actual cost of workplace violence is hard to calculate, but per the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, NIOSH, a division of the Center for Disease Control, it is estimated that workplace violence costs American businesses $121 billion a year4. This takes into account many factors, including costs due to lost productivity, loss of sales, increase in insurance premiums, litigation costs, lost time and absenteeism, workers’ compensation claims, medical claims, management distractions, negative PR, and organizational change initiatives. According to the Bureau of Justice Statistics5: †¢About 500,000 victims of violent crime in the workplace lose an estimated 1. 8 million workdays each year. This represents a $55 million impact as a result of loss of productivity and increased healthcare expenses †¢Domestic violence costs businesses approximately $6 billion annually in healthcare costs, lost productivity, and missed work time †¢The average out-of-court settlement for ‘negligence’ litigation is approximately $500,000 and the average jury award is around $3 million †¢For 6 to 18 weeks after an incident, there is a 50% decrease in productivity and a 20% to 40% turnover in employees The cost of recovery after a catastrophic, workplace violence incident is astronomical, so it is in every company’s best interest to put in place the necessary preventive measures to avoid such incidents from happening in the first place. Unfortunately, most companies are reactive instead of proactive, so the costs associated with workplace violence may be viewed as the cost of doing business, big business at that. Everyone plays a role in preventing workplace violence. Even with workplace violence receiving increased attention, there is much work that needs to be done to understand the causes and potential solutions. Management, front line employees and the HR department must work together collectively to prevent the next workplace violence incident. The best practices set forth must be implemented and adhered to with perfection. A company can’t guarantee that a violent act will never happen between their four walls, but there are preventive measures that can be taken to improve the chances of avoiding a workplace violence incident. How to cite Workplace Violence, Papers

Friday, December 6, 2019

Communication for ITS Professional-Free-Samples for Students

Questions: 1.Discuss about the Difference between Emergent Leadership, Shared Leadership and Assigned Leadership. 2.Discuss about the Use of technology as a communication tool in e-leadership versus F2F leadership. Answers: 1.Difference between Emergent Leadership, Shared Leadership and Assigned Leadership Emergent Leadership- An employee of a company is considered as emergent leadership when the person willingly takes tasks, encourages harmony among the other workers of the company and also helps other employees to complete their ongoing tasks in a better way and if there exists any problem in completing the tasks (Kayworth Leidner, 2017). Before getting the appellation of leadership, one has to prove that he/she is an emergent leader. This leadership gives a benefit to know the news of a promotion in advance and check that the person is capable of doing the job or not. An employee of a company wants more appreciation from the emergent leaders in comparison to assigned leaders. Assigned Leadership- The rule from their own position of the assigned leaders are derived in the hierarchy of the company. The assigned leaders presume respect from their employees and the title itself has strength in it (Snellman, 2014). Determining wisdom, skills to solve the problems and give motivation to the employees to retain their position are all skills of an assigned leadership. Shared Leadership- The authorities or duties that are shared among the members of a group is known as shared leadership. In a team, more than two members are nominated as leaders and they divide the work among them so that there does not exists any violation among the member of the group and the reach its goal successfully. All the leaders are answerable to each other as they are working to achieve a goal for a team and also maintain its direction. Leadership roles among the member of the group are given as per their experience. 2.Use of technology as a communication tool in e-leadership versus F2F leadership F2F leadership is a face to face leadership that is conducted between leaders and employees or two leaders in a face to face way. Whereas, e-leadership also known as virtual leadership uses instant messages, conferences over video calls, emails, Skpye or Google Hangouts for communicating. Experiencing a complete communication is appreciated among the employees or participants in an interaction that is conducted in face to face (Zander et al., 2012). The participants of the communication get a chance for responding the information they gets instantly, gives a feedback and also can reflects on the information that are delivered to them. F2F communication helps the participants to get information direct from the sender decreases the time, distance and culture between the sender and receiver. E-leaders communicate through Google Hangout, e-mail, messages or video conferences. The use of technology in e-leadership gives a lot of information in a less time interval and creates a broad array of venues for communication. As the interpersonal skills are disconnected in virtual skills, the leaders of virtual communication focuses on task more than the personal relationships. For a team to succeed on its goal, sympathy trust and attachment are also essential. The virtual interaction provides none of the interpersonal attachments. The conflicts of the interpersonal skills are difficult to find out for the e-leaders. 2.Examples of task-related behaviors that makes e-leadership effective The main focus of task-related leadership is that the leader mainly target to complete the project that they are working on. They set a clear path and focus a useful goal setting to achieve their goals. They schedule their deadlines and work accordingly. The structure, goals and the roles are divided among the members of the group accordingly. They mainly focus to present the results that are desired from them. Two examples are cited below that explains task oriented leadership. M. Pei, a famous American- Chinese architect in 20th century. He has designed John F. Kennedy Library and Louvre Pyramid (Hambley et al., 2007). He resigned his work in Harvard where he was working and joined NDRC (National Defense Research Committee). His great design and architecting made him famous as a task oriented leader. A noble engineer and a researcher, Gordon Moore created formula that is well known as Moores Law. He realized the components on a circuit that is integrated would be double each year, but later he improved the law and estimated every year to every two year and named it as Moores Law. Moore mainly focused on circuits that contain micro components and manage and organize people who are responsible for building them. This made him a famous task oriented leader.

Friday, November 29, 2019

Managing Change for Competitive Success

This paper explores two concepts that have been studied in due course; personality and change. The paper begins by defining the concepts and then goes ahead to provide a summary of them. In addition, the paper will give data outlining a problem related to one of the concepts. Moreover, the paper will give a summary of findings and offer recommendations for change where applicable.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Managing Change for Competitive Success specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Personality Personality refers to consistent behavior patterns and intrapersonal processes originating within an individual† (Burger 2010, p. 4). Notice that there are two aspects to it. Part one is concerned with consistent patterns of behavior. These represent the individual differences. An important feature of personality is consistency. People can observe these consistent patterns of behavior across time and situations. The second part is concerned with the intrapersonal processes. In contrast to interpersonal processes, which take place between people, intrapersonal processes take place within individuals. They include emotional, motivational and cognitive processes, and they determine how people react or feel. The manner in which people use these processes and how they interact with individual differences determines the overall character of an individual. These consistent behavior patterns and intrapersonal processes originate within an individual. However, this does not mean that external factors do not affect an individual’s personality. According to Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) model, which rests on the personality theory of Carl Jung, personality assumes the following (Howard, P Howard, J 2002): Personality hangs on four dimensional framework; scores of each dimension fall along a binomial distribution and the judger dimension is a key determinant of a person’s preferences. On the other hand, the five factor model (FFM) or the big five model is based on experience and not theory. â€Å"FFM relies on the following: personality has five dimensions, scores of dimension fall along a normal distribution, personality is best described by individual traits rather than types, and the strength of the scores indicates preferences† (The Big Five 2012). FFM has been widely accepted in the academic and psychology communities. It has been employed in team building and employee selection. Job analysis, customer service, management and leadership development, coaching and counseling; career development, conflict management and training design have all benefitted from FFM. Pro FFM model experts identified five correlated groups of behaviors, each of which exists along a continuum.Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More They are negative emotionality, openness, agreeableness, conscientiousness and extraversion. Negative emotionality determines an individual’s capability to withstand stress. Those who have negative emotionality experience many negative emotions and report less satisfaction with life. They are reactive and lack resilience. Since they are susceptible to emotions and show discontent with life, individuals with negative emotionality end up as social scientists, academicians, or customer service professionals (Howard, P Howard, J 2002). On the other end, those individuals without low, negative emotionality tend to be resilient and experience life on a more rational level than others. In addition, responsive individuals fall in the middle range of negative emotionality continuum. Responsive individuals demonstrate a mix of resilient and reactive qualities. The extraversion factor describes one’s comfort level with relationships. Extraverts spend much of their time maintaining and enjoying many relationships. Extrav erts tend to lead, talk and exert themselves physically more often than other people. Such people are usually friendly and outgoing. However, introverts have few relationships and spend a little time with them. Most extroverts find themselves in arts, politics sales and social sciences. On the contrary, introverts take up managerial roles or end up as physical and natural scientists (Howard, P Howard, J 2002). Between the extremes are ambiverts who move comfortably between social and solitary situations. Openness addresses one’s range of interests. Extremely open people (explorers) are fascinated by novelty and innovation. Explorers describe themselves as more introspective and reflective than most people describe themselves. The individuals with explorer profile usually take roles in entrepreneurial, architectural, theoretical, physical and social fields (Howard, P Howard, J 2002). Those who are less open have narrower interests, appear more conventional, and find comfort in the familiar. Such individuals are seen to be conservative. They assume roles in management and applied science. Between explorers and preservers are moderators. Moderators find too much novelty tiresome and too much of the status quo boring. On the other hand, agreeableness refers to a persons’ propensity to differ with others. An adapter refers to a person who is easily agreeable. Individuals with adaptor profiles are usually found in professions like teaching, social work and psychology (Howard, P Howard, J 2002). At the extreme end, adaptors (tender minded) can become dependent personalities who lose their sense of self. Such people value harmony more than they prize having their say or their way.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Managing Change for Competitive Success specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Other hand, challengers focus more on their needs or norms and not on those of others. Challengers usually take roles in advertising and business management fields or the military (Howard, P Howard, J 2002). Challengers (tough minded) can become antisocial, authoritarian, narcissistic or paranoid personalities who have lost their sense of feeling for others. Moreover, conscientiousness refers to a number of goals that one focuses. A highly conscientiousness person is focused and purses fewer goals in a purposeful way. A highly focused person may end up being a workaholic. Such people serve as leaders and executives. A person with low conscientiousness pursues many goals in a spontaneous, scattered way. Flexibles tend to be less focused on goals and are more hedonistic. Such individuals lack control over their impulses. They do not necessarily work less than focused people, but they direct less of their work to specific goals (Howard, P Howard, J 2002).â€Å"The big five vocabulary enables people to communicate constructively about their personality differences† (Howard, P Howard, J 2002, p. 34). The model offers a comprehensive source metaphor that celebrates the fullness of human personality. Managers are expected to have a strong personality in order to cope up with work related stress and other responsibilities. The position of a manager in the present day comes with huge responsibilities and stress. Nowadays, managers are expected to produce results in spite of the challenges at hand. Managers are supposed to devise solutions to challenges that keep on arising at the place of work. Such challenges may include limited budget, reassignment of staff, reorganization of units, withdrawal of finance, government policies, employees’ demands and unavailability of resources. Change â€Å"Change management means to plan, to initiate, to realize to reflect and to stabilize fundamental and far reaching processes† (Recklies 2012, p.1). Change management aims at short term and long term basis of effective changes of behavior patterns and abil ities, in order to optimize processes and communication structures. Thus, an integrative approach to the reorganizations is necessary. Change management is the strategy of planned and systematic change, which is achieved by the influence of the organizational structure, corporate culture and individual behavior; and requires the participation of employees.Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More â€Å"In the broader sense, change management is a theoretical concept, which is given to the organization from the outside† (change management 2012, p. 1). Therefore, â€Å"the objectives of change are developed from external advisors (change agents) whereas; the employees are involved on a limited scale with decision making and the conversion of the concept† (change management 2012, p. 1). Balogun and Hailey (2002) argue that change is becoming a way of life for most organizations and managers. Studies done in 1980s, and 1990s indicate that many organizations have been undertaking many types of change including culture change, total quality management, business process re-engineering, and downsizing and delayering. However, many change initiates have not been effective, and organizations are in the process of developing managers who can manage change with a lot of ease (Charan 2006). Managers require context sensitivity (Balogun and Hailey). Contest sensitivity is th e ability to understand the context someone is working in and, it enables one to devise approaches to change that will be effective in that context. Thus, successful change requires a context sensitive approach (Balogun and Hailey 2002). They ague that change can be effected using a framework called change kaleidoscope. The tool enables managers to have a rigorous analysis of the context, a consideration of a range of implementation options, a valuation of one’s own preferences, and how this limits the options to be considered and development of change judgment. In order to design change plan, change implementers should use the organization’s context to guide the approach selected. Change kaleidoscope relies on the definition of contextual constraints and enablers. They are Time: the speed with which change is to be achieved. Scope: the extent of change required in terms of transformation and realignments, within the parts of the organization affected by the changes. P reservation: the extent to which it is necessary to maintain continuity in certain practice. Diversity: the degree of diversity in terms of values, norms and attitudes among the groups of staff affected by the change. Capability: level of competence for managing change. Capacity: the amount of money available to invest in the change, human resource availability and managerial time. Readiness for change: the extent to which employees understand the need for the anticipated change. Power: relies on the change initiator, implementer and other influential stakeholders. In addition, change kaleidoscope entails the definition of implementation options. This involves change type, change start point, change style, change target, change roles and change interventions. Balogun and Hailey (2002) encourage organizations seeking change to follow three steps. The organization should assess the contextual constraints and enablers, determine change parts and use contextual features to inform the ch oices to be taken. Charan (2006) argues that in order for large corporations to achieve major and permanent changes in business performance, they must create a sustainable change in culture. â€Å"Understanding the contextual constraints and enablers is key to understanding the type of change an organization is able to undertake as opposed to the type of change it needs to undertake† (Balogun Hailey 2002). According to Kneer (2009), the implementation of change management takes place in seven steps. The first step involves the creation of consciousness for an urgent need for change by conducting a deeper analysis. The market and the competitive position are examined followed by an evaluation of the possible chances or risks for the business (Beer Nohria 2000). The second step involves the development of visions, aims and strategy. A team that handles this step should be competent enough, and have sufficient conviction and power to design the change. The compiled visions and strategies are communicated in the company during the third step. The change agents need to be cautious of their responsibility, and they should exemplify things. They should state clearly what employees are supposed to do. The fourth step involves subdividing the project into smaller subprojects. If the subprojects are completed, employees will start to have a feeling of success. This positively supports the remaining processes. In the fifth step, it is important to align existing structures in the company to a modified business environment. It is advisable to allow employees to participate in the reorganization. The sixth and seventh steps involve the establishment of the change management. This is accomplished through structures, appropriate training, of the employees via the new projects which keeps the changes process alive. The last step also involves ingraining the new behavior in the social standards and values. In order to achieve optimal results, the change process should be goal oriented. The reasons as to why the organization is undergoing change should be clearly stated. The starting point should also be clearly defined. It should be specified how the success of the objectives is going to be measured qualitatively and quantitatively. Thus, proper measurement instruments should be put in place. The change process will succeed if it fully involves the employees. In fact, this will increase their motivation and enhance their identification with the company. To achieve this, they should be involved in the analysis stage so that they can understand the background. In addition, employees should be adequately trained so that they can master all assigned tasks technically. Appropriate training can be essential in adjusting existing deficits, minimize the fear of the employees concerning new tasks and enhance the willingness for the change. In order to realize the success of the change process, both the management style and the organization should change. Change processes present learning experiences and participants might be challenged, but not overstrained (Barger Kirby 1995). Sufficient time should be given to employees to process individual work procedures. The implementers of the change process should be ready to encounter resistance to change by some employees. However, this can be minimized by engaging them fully in the change process (Pettigrew Whipp 1991). Therefore, to understand problems related to these concepts, the paper focuses on a scenario in which a manager aged 35 years, faces change related challenges. The manager is heading a mining company of Asian origin that has 5000 employees globally and is worth $10 billion. The company is semi private because the biggest shareholder is the ministry of economics. The company faces a challenge regarding exploration activity. People within the company have differing options regarding the amount investment that should be allocated for exploration, development, production an d asset acquisition. Initial investments had failed to produce expected results. The existing proportion of investment allocation aims at allocating 30% to the exploration activities. Out of the 3O% one third goes to XYZ (home country)/domestic exploration, and the remaining is allocated to overseas exploration. 60% of the investment has been diverted to development activities and the remaining 10% finances production activities and asset acquisition. A summary of the Findings Action plan 1: to maintain exploration activities on the same level as allocated in the previous year which saves cash dividend to shareholders and stops concentrated investment in a single project. The contents: It is same as the proportion of existing investment allocation; however, it takes some reduction of the amount of cash dividend to shareholders when compared with last year’s performance-based profit sharing. The activity of shifting dividend from international exploration production companies to shareholders is relatively acceptable. This is because of high risk business and using the cash coming from reduced dividend for exploration activities. In addition, the company does not seek to take more than 25% interest of any exploration activities. Action plan 2: aims at shifting to domestic exploration activities and reducing international exploration activities while maintaining the same proportion of investment allocated in the previous year. It is the same proportion of existing investment allocation; however, the investment allocation at domestic and international exploration activity is different. Based on the historical success rate, the domestic exploration activities are higher than international’s. Although the exploration activity is a gamble regardless of its location, the degree of domestic gamble and overseas gamble is different from probability point of view. The company has a lot of domestic exploration experience. The company has a solid grasp of the geological data and geomorphologic features. Nonetheless, the scale of domestic oil and gas fields is smaller than the international’s scale because of geomorphologic features when compared with the Middle East and Oceania region. In view of the above circumstances, the degree of the basic risk of domestic and international exploration activity do not make much difference. Action plan 3: The summary is to reduce 10% of overall exploration activities and to raise the 10% finance to international oil gas assets acquisition. The proportion of investment allocation is composed of 20% for exploration activity, 60% for development activity and 20% for production activity and asset acquisition. Basically, exploration activity is a gamble. Reducing 10% of exploration activity makes sense in order to shift investment to much reliable oil gas asset acquisition. This also contributes to the improvement of the company’s cash flow, making profits and collecting invested cash ear ly for the next available investment in exploration activities. Recently, there have been a lot of asset acquisition opportunities mainly from companies in same industries, strategic business partners in different industries, XYZ government and investment banks. The price of the oil gas assets used in the production is used in calculating oil recoverable reserve, reserve-production ratio, and current market oil price. Usually, the profit coming directly from the acquired assets only is not big. However, there are synergetic effects through reducing operating costs, discounting insurance, procuring oil producing equipments and applying geological data efficiently to flush out more oil. Recommendations for change The organization should understand that in order to realize maximum benefits from the mining activities, there is a need for change. Therefore, to implement this change, the organization should follow the three steps postulated by Balogun and Hailey (2002). The organization should assess the contextual constraints and enablers, determine change parts and use contextual features to inform the choices to be taken. References Barger, J. Kirby, K. 1995, The Challenge of Change in Organizations, Davis Black, California. Beer, M. Nohria, N. 2000, ‘Cracking the Code of Change’, Harvard Business Review Journal, Vol. 1 no. 23 p. 133-145. Burger, J. 2010, Personality, Cengage Learning, Sydney. Change Management 2012. Web. Charan 2006, ‘Home Depot’s Blue Print for Culture Change’, Harvard Business Review Journal, Vol. 1 no. 14, p. 61-70. Balogun, J. and Hailey, V. 2002, ‘Devising Sensitive Approaches to Change: The Example of Glaxo Wellcome’, Long Range Planning Journal, Vol. 32, no. 24, p. 153-178. Howard, P. and Howard, J. 2002, Buddy, Can You Paradigm? EBSCO, Massachusetts. Kneer, C. 2009, Change Management: enhance the ability to survive. GRIN Verlag, Munich. Pettigrew, M. Whipp, R. 1991, Managing Change for Co mpetitive Success, Oxford Press, Oxford. Recklies, O. 2012, Managing Change: definition and phases in change processes. Web. The Big Five 2012. Web. This essay on Managing Change for Competitive Success was written and submitted by user Davian Reed to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

Monday, November 25, 2019

Free Essays on Robert Burns

There are two reasons that Robert Burns is the national poet of Scotland. The first is his â€Å"rags to riches† success story, and the second is â€Å"the way in which Burns in his songs identified himself with the Scottish folk tradition† (Scott-Kilvert 310). The poems of Robert Burns contain many appealing elements, such as colorful, vivid imagery and specific diction, allowing Burns to convey exactly what he is picturing while writing them. These characteristics, influenced by his Scottish background, are easily identified in his classic poem To A Mouse. Burns was born and raised in Alloway, Ayrshire. During his upbringing, Burns’ father, continually prone to bad luck, suffered sickness and a series of bankruptcies until he finally passed away in 1784 (Scott-Kilvert 313). From this stemmed Burns’ matchless satire of the social structure of his day and hardened his heart against â€Å"all forms of religious and political thought that condoned or perpetuated inhumanity† (Scott-Kilvert 313). Burns’ schooling involved everything from French to a minute amount of Latin. Heavily imposed on him during his education were the works of such literary greats as William Shakespeare and John Dryden, orienting most of his formal education toward English culture (Scott-Kilvert 313). During the middle years of his life, Burns was known to those close to him as simply â€Å"an occasional poet† that only wrote verse to express his love and emotions for others. It wasn’t until 1786 that, dissatisfied and disgusted with his monetary problems, Burns published a collection of his poems, planning to take the proceeds and immigrate to Jamaica. The collection, entitled Poems Chiefly in the Scottish Dialect was a huge success, and Burns soaked in the fame. It proved, however, to be short lived, as he wrote little poetry for publication after the publication of his book (Scott-Kilvert 315). The imagery used by Burns is so detailed and vibra... Free Essays on Robert Burns Free Essays on Robert Burns There are two reasons that Robert Burns is the national poet of Scotland. The first is his â€Å"rags to riches† success story, and the second is â€Å"the way in which Burns in his songs identified himself with the Scottish folk tradition† (Scott-Kilvert 310). The poems of Robert Burns contain many appealing elements, such as colorful, vivid imagery and specific diction, allowing Burns to convey exactly what he is picturing while writing them. These characteristics, influenced by his Scottish background, are easily identified in his classic poem To A Mouse. Burns was born and raised in Alloway, Ayrshire. During his upbringing, Burns’ father, continually prone to bad luck, suffered sickness and a series of bankruptcies until he finally passed away in 1784 (Scott-Kilvert 313). From this stemmed Burns’ matchless satire of the social structure of his day and hardened his heart against â€Å"all forms of religious and political thought that condoned or perpetuated inhumanity† (Scott-Kilvert 313). Burns’ schooling involved everything from French to a minute amount of Latin. Heavily imposed on him during his education were the works of such literary greats as William Shakespeare and John Dryden, orienting most of his formal education toward English culture (Scott-Kilvert 313). During the middle years of his life, Burns was known to those close to him as simply â€Å"an occasional poet† that only wrote verse to express his love and emotions for others. It wasn’t until 1786 that, dissatisfied and disgusted with his monetary problems, Burns published a collection of his poems, planning to take the proceeds and immigrate to Jamaica. The collection, entitled Poems Chiefly in the Scottish Dialect was a huge success, and Burns soaked in the fame. It proved, however, to be short lived, as he wrote little poetry for publication after the publication of his book (Scott-Kilvert 315). The imagery used by Burns is so detailed and vibra...

Thursday, November 21, 2019

Relativism and Objectivism as Two Different Moral Principles Theory Essay

Relativism and Objectivism as Two Different Moral Principles Theory - Essay Example The main purpose of the research is to present that both Relativism and Objectivism have a different perspective on the principles of morality. In essence, relativism is pretty tolerant of other ideologies because it insists that different individuals hold different views. The present research has identified that what one defines as absurd might be viewed differently by another individual. There are no true boundaries of ethics in relativism since people come from vat backgrounds. Consequently, objectivism holds a different approach to these issues. Objectivism philosophy is a methodology that propagates reason and egoism. It is derived from the philosophy of Ayn Rand. The author has rightly presented that objectivism is unique in its way that it’s the antidote to the society we live in. In essence, existence and one’s self-consciousness become the vital points that influence our perception. Without existence and consciousness, no foundation of knowledge can be built. A ccording to the research findings, objectivism bases judgment on the notion of education rather than celebrating on the issue of diversity. Without knowledge, one is not able to truly identify themselves. Thus, it is safe to say existence and every action is executed should be based on knowledge. Hence, it is clear that relativism acknowledges that what seems to be real and what seems to be true will differ from culture to culture.

Wednesday, November 20, 2019

Total Monetary Sales Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Total Monetary Sales - Essay Example However, the higher prices have resulted in sales decline in terms of volume; therefore, the real sales have decreased as an outcome. In other words, the company is losing its market share. Using given information, it should be highlighted that the product line has relatively inelastic demand; therefore, the increase in prices leads to less than proportional decrease in demand. Also, it should be argued that the net marketing contribution is stable because price hikes also raise company’s profit margin, which then enable the firm to assimilate losses from decrease in sales volume. Nevertheless, the firm has increased product’s market price due to surge in costs of doing business and subsequently the inflation. However, the cost structure and pricing strategy should be brought in-line because there is reasonable room to reduce market prices. For instance, it would be better to use competitive pricing strategy, after analyzing prices of substitute products, to tempt maxim um customers towards company’s market offerings. In this way, the rationalization of market prices will help enhancing sales volume and consequently the market share. This may probably lead to increase in marketing contribution if demand increases by more than proportional decrease in prices.

Monday, November 18, 2019

Case Study - HR Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

- HR - Case Study Example This project report would deal with a UK based growing company, Vitamond which manufacturers a range of non alcoholic drinks which has positioned as a healthy life style. The company has decided to set up a manufacturing plant in France. Therefore the report would deal with the HR practises and policies of France as compared to UK. The HRM practises usually vary to a great extend between different nationality and it was mainly due to the changing practise of HR policies and practises due to acquisition or expansion. To a great extent, HRM penetration reflects the complex interaction between the difference in between the culture and globalization (Price, 2007, p.593). There exists a huge difference between the human resource practise in UK and that of France. The regulatory factors in UK and France differ in number on aspects. France ranks high in terms of employment protection legislation among the OECD countries. UK employers tend to face minimum legal restriction on firing of an employee and hiring of an employee. A high rate of difference exists between the two countries is in the area of employee representation and performance pay (See Appendix A). It can be seen that performance pay is 19.9% in UK whereas in France it is 72.6% (Lorenz, et.al, n.d, p.5). In UK, additional incentives from the standard pay scales are paid to the employees based on the performance of the individual, but however gender gaps still prevails in UK. However in case of France, the French are the champions for individualisations of compensation which might turn equity into key issues. France has the willingness to increase its compensation flexibility taking into consideration the important and necessary benefits. Therefore the HR professionals experience difficulty in linking the design and implementing its compensation with the structure of the organisation (ÄÅ'esynienÄâ€", 2008,

Saturday, November 16, 2019

Relationship between Translation and Culture

Relationship between Translation and Culture Vocabulary is the most active part of language. It can directly reflect the social changes and cultural developments. In a sense, vocabulary is the mirror of the society and culture, so is the color terms. The understanding and feelings to color terms of Chinese and English People are much alike, which underlies the possibility in cross-cultural communication as well as translatability. When both denotative and connotative meanings of color terms will not lead to misreading, the method of literal translation is a good choice. The merits of this method lie in its fidelity to the original meaning and flavor of color terms (Deng, 2001). It can introduce the TL readers the vivid expression in SL so as to let them gain more knowledge about the unique culture in SL country. For example, red light district à §Ã‚ Ã‚ ¯Ãƒ ¥Ã…’ º. Red light district is a part in a city where many houses of prostitution are located. This expression did not exist in China at first. By literal translation, this expression with its cultural connotation has successfully made its way into Chinese (Wu, 2009). Likewise, some Chinese expressions can also be literally translated into English. For example, green increasing and red decreasing. It is well known to us that is a famous phrase in a Chinese poem > written by Li Qingzhao. It refers to the leaves and flowers seen by the author after she got drunk. It must have been totally strange to English receptors in the past. Due to cultural exchange, the phrase green increasing and red decreasing is becoming more and more familiar to them, and it has been endowed with the same cultural connotation in English as has in Chinese. Zero Translation Transliteration The concept of zero translation is introduced by Professor Qiu Maoru both as a translating strategy for overcoming the unbridgeable distinctions between languages, and as a means of safeguarding the general validity of translatability as the theoretical cornerstone of translation (Wu, 2003). Zero translation means that the TL words or phrases are not employed to translate the SL words or phrases. According to Professor Qiu, ellipsis, transliteration and transference all belong to zero translation (Qiu Maoru, 2001). Transliteration is the way in which, instead of rendering the meaning, only the pronunciation is transferred from SL to TL. As the most fundamental method, this technique is most often used in translating words with absence of designative meanings in TL such as proper nouns, especially names of person, place or geographical features, brand names and corporation names; or some objects, things, terminologies and phenomena peculiar to the source language culture, for instance: à ¥Ã‚ °Ã‚ (persons name) Xiao Hong à ¥Ã‚ ¥Ã‚ ³Ãƒ ¥Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚ ¿(name of wine) Nv er Hong Although through transliteration, the cultural flavor can be retained and the rendering is concise and easy to remember, such a method may sometimes bring obstacles or barriers to the target readers (Wu, 2009). In such cases, transliteration is utilized and often combined with other compensation methods such as extra-textual gloss and contextual amplification, which is to be discussed in the following section (Wu, 2003). Free Translation Though it is preferable to retain in the TL texts as much original cultural sense as possible, in practice, the method of free translation of original cultural-specific factors is not rare. What is free translation? It may be defined as a supplement which means to reproduce the matter without the manner or the content without the form of the original (Newmark, 1988). And it is widely used in cases when literal translation is awkward enough to impair proper understanding and no alternatives in TL can be found for replacement (Newmark, 2001). For example, in Chinese does not mean a person who is red in skin color. à ¥Ã‚ ¨Ã‹Å" is a quite common expression to Chinese people, however, for English people, it does not arouse any associative meaning if it is literally translated into red mother. Then the method of free translation is suggested. Translating it into matchmaker so as that TL reader can understand what is said in the context. More examples are served as follows: à ©Ã‚ ¢Ã…“ the bloom of youth Red-neck à ¤Ã‚ ¹Ã‚ ¡Ãƒ ¥Ã‚ ·Ã‚ ´Ãƒ ¤Ã‚ ½Ã‚ ¬Ãƒ ¯Ã‚ ¼Ã…’à §Ã‚ ¾Ã… ½Ãƒ ¥Ã¢â‚¬ ºÃ‚ ½Ãƒ ¥Ã‚ -à ©Ã†â€™Ã‚ ¨Ãƒ ¥Ã¢â‚¬  Ã…“à ¦Ã‚ °Ã¢â‚¬Ëœ From the perspective of cultural translation, the awareness of culture is of great importance for a translator to obtain an ideal rendering in translating practice. A good or ideal translation should accord with the demand and tendency of a particular time and should be understandable and acceptable so that it can enlighten readers to recognize foreign cultural elements. Because of lack of communication, in the past domestication (e.g. Free translation, substitution) was preferred and most of those renderings that employed foreignizing methods (e.g. Literal translation, transliteration) couldnt widely spread. However, because of tendency of cultural integration, foreignizing methods can serve better for the purpose of cultural translation (Guan, 2010). Substitution is an important part of free translation. It refers to a strategy for dealing with objects or events whose usages of color terms are different from those in the target culture. It is the use of one color from the target culture for another from the source culture, both of the colors having the same function (Liu, 2003) There are kinds of situations that need to employ substitution: 1) People often associate certain qualities with certain colors. These qualities often arouse certain reactions or emotions, which are not always the same with different people and the differences fall into two categories: a) Colors having certain associated characteristics in one culture, but not in the other; b) Colors with certain associated qualities in both cultures, but with different qualities. As for the first category, paraphrase will be employed, while as far as the second category is concerned, the technique of substitution is suitable, for example green-eyed à §Ã…“ ¼ (Qiu Maoru, 2001). In Chinese, can be used to express the psychological state of envy or jealousy. In this case, it is improper to translate into red. In English green is often associated with jealousy and envy. Green with envy, green-eyed monsters, and green-eyed all mean being jealous, envious. In English, red eye is a phrase meaning cheap and strong whisky as eyes turn red after drinking such liquor (Gao, 2006). 2) In terms of those with concrete colors, Chinese and English often use different color terms, e.g black tea à ¨Ã…’ ¶; pink eyes à §Ã…“ ¼Ãƒ §-†¦ This is because Chinese and English People tend to adopt different angles of view in observing things and phenomena, and grasping the characteristics of things. In this situation, substitution is apparently an appropriate translating strategy. Conclusion In conclusion, word meaning is different in accordance with various cultural backgrounds. Due to mans social and cultural experiences, same expression may lead to different understandings. Word corresponds in conceptual meaning, connotative meaning, and emotional meaning. The understanding and interpretation of such culture-loaded words must go along with the understanding of the culture involved. Previously, this dissertation analyzes the reasons for similarities and differences of the term RED and illustrates in accordance with perception, natural and social background, and religion. Every cultural phenomenon originates from a certain cultural foundation. Similarities are caused by similar perception and custom. On the other hand, differences are naturally more apparent. Language is involved with the differences of national culture. Therefore, differences between two cultures should be critically considered when translating. And the, this dissertation gives three cultural translation strategies. Firstly, literal translation is considered as the first step. It takes word-for-word translation as its starting point. Literal translation aims at preserving the most possible cultural information of the meaning without changing the linguistic forms of the source text. Secondly, zero translation can be used for overcoming the unbridgeable distinctions between languages. It means that means that TL words or phrases are not conducted to translate SL words or phrases. Thirdly, free translation is an effective way to deal with cultural sense. It is widely used when literal translation is awkward enough to impair proper understanding. In this situation, no TL alternatives can be found for replacement. However, there are some limitations in this paper. Firstly, the colors in the world limitless and there are also many color terms that are used to symbolize them, but cannot compare all of them. The comparison in this paper only focuses on the basic color term RED. Secondly, there are so many expressions with color terms in both Chinese and English that the author cannot write them all, but the examples given in this paper are enough because the purpose of this paper is not only to find out the similarities and differences, the more important point is to understand the similarities and differences between cultures, thus finding out a more appropriate method of rendering the color words.

Wednesday, November 13, 2019

Concession in Amy Tans Joy Luck Club Essay -- Joy Luck Club Essays

Concession in Amy Tan's Joy Luck Club "Sometimes you have to lose pieces to get ahead," explains the narrator of "The Rules of the Game," a lost piece from Amy Tan's novel The Joy Luck Club that has arguably achieved greater readership through its appearance in numerous anthologies (505). "The Rules of the Game" pivots around the concept that one may triumph in a win-lose situation through a concession. Narrator Waverly Jong recounts applications of this idea as she grows into adolescence in her Chinese-American community. From her adventures in the local marketplace to her romps on the chess battlefield, Waverly's prizes while asserting her concede-to-win strategy include physical objects and abstractions, the intangibility of the latter implying that one's examination of this story must consider terms like conflict, win, and loss in the broadest sense possible. With this in mind, Tan's "The Rules of the Game" explores the determinants behind wins and losses, ultimately suggesting that the most effective way to achieve victory is through an act of concession. Tan introduces this idea as a vague proverb rattled by Waverly's mother that Waverly bevels into sharp clarity by her involvement in situations of conflict that eventually demonstrate the veracity of her mother's words. The first conflict of "The Rules of the Game" materializes when Waverly accompanies her mother to the marketplace as a young child and experiences a loss. "Bite back your tongue," scolded my mother when I cried loudly, yanking her hand toward the store that... ... in the struggle to win. In short, Tan presents several conflicts that investigate the factors in win-lose situations, each conflict reiterating the notion that one must forego a triviality to outmaneuver his opponent to victory. This abstraction appears immediately in the story in an abstruse manner but is eventually clarified by evaluating the consistencies of the sundry conflicts. The repetition of these conflicts with similar outcomes involving (or not involving) concessions elucidates the idea that an act of concession is assuredly the most foolproof approach to triumph in a struggle. Work Cited Tan, Amy. "The Rules of the Game." The Vintage Book of Contemporary American Short Stories. Ed. Tobias Wolff. New York: Random House, Inc., 1994. 497-508.

Monday, November 11, 2019

Impact Of Climate Change And Greenhouse Gases Environmental Sciences Essay

Our clime is quickly altering all around us. Ice is runing, workss are deceasing, animate beings are in danger, and home grounds are being destroyed. The Arctic is greatly affected. The ice is runing and doing H2O degrees to lift, and animate beings are deceasing because of loss of home ground. Over the past one hundred old ages, the mean surface temperature has risen a little over 1 degree Fahrenheit. ( Baker, 4 ) Climate alteration happens because of worlds and natural grounds. Worlds are non being careful and are non utilizing their resources sagely. Worlds are non looking at other options to assist salvage the environment, and are merely utilizing what is easiest and what we are used to. Climate alteration is a serious job that affects worlds, and animate beings, and if non stopped will do important desolation. Climate alteration is the addition of the temperature of our planet. ( Morris, 4 ) Climate alteration is more than merely a alteration in the conditions ; it is a alteration over a long period of clip. ( â€Å" What is Climate Change? † ) . Climate alteration happens of course but besides because of worlds. During the summer our planet is closer to the Sun and becomes heater. In the winter things get cooler because we are turned off from the Sun. But the ice that we have lost or has melted rebuilds in the winter. This is because of freeze and snowfall ( â€Å" Causes of Climate Change † ) Natural temperatures have risen 1.08 grades Fahrenheit over the past 100 old ages. ( Baker, 4 ) Our environment is besides altering because of human activity and the nursery consequence. The nursery consequence is when nursery gases are trapped in our ambiance. ( Henson, 20 ) Greenhouse gases trap the heat from the Sun in the Earth ‘s ambiance. This heat leads to an addition in the Earth ‘s surface temperature. ( Henson, 21 ) There is this bed in the ambiance that traps heat to maintain our planet warm. When worlds release nursery gases, they get trapped by this bed and the surface temperature rises. There are three chief gases that are considered nursery gases. These gases are C dioxide, methane, and azotic oxide ( Baker, 6 ) . Carbon dioxide is produced when fossil fuels such as coal and oil are burned. Animals such as cattles and sheep release gas as portion of their digestive system and through manure. This produces methane. Then there is azotic oxide. Azotic oxide is produced when fertilisers are used for paces and harvests. ( Walker, David, 112 ) Every clip you drive to the shop, watch Television, travel on the computing machine, drive a auto, and turn on the visible radiations fossil fuels are burned. They are burned to bring forth the energy to power things. When fossil fuels are burned, C dioxide is released into the air. Because there are so many people and so many people actively let go ofing C dioxide, it finally adds up and the temperature rises. ( Henson, 24 ) These gas sums are increasing because the human population is increasing. Climate alteration affects the environment and worlds. The clime alterations with a little temperature alteration. Over the past 25 old ages, the Arctic sea ice country has decreased by about five per centum and summer sea ice country has decreased by 15 per centum. ( â€Å" Melting Ice Caps † ) The thaw of ice greatly affects the nutrient concatenation. The nutrient concatenation is an agreement of the being of an ecological community harmonizing to the order of predation in which each uses the following normally lower member as a nutrient beginning. ( Webster Dictionary ) In the north-polar the animate beings and workss greatly depend on each other. The nutrient concatenation starts with the ice. Ice has algae on it which the krill eat. If the ice thaws, the krill will decease out. ( Baker, 11 ) Fish eat krill, and if the krill sum decreases so will the fish sum. Whales, walruses, seals, and polar bears, will besides be affected. These animate beings will hold less nutrient available because they eat the fish. Even the smallest alteration in temperature can run the ice and do the whole nutrient concatenation to be thrown off. ( Baker, 11 ) The heating of our planet can besides impact the animate being ‘s version. The animate beings in the north-polar have adapted to cold temperatures, few hours of sunshine, short turning seasons, flora and growing periods, and have grown thick coats. Animals in the Arctic have adapted to the conditions so the temperature changes greatly affect them. ( Baker, 11 ) There are three ecosystems in the Arctic. These three ecosystems are the Arctic Ocean, Ice Sheets, and the Tundra. The Arctic Ocean supports fish life. The Ice Sheets provide shelter and land to run for seals, seahorses, polar bears and many more. The Tundra supports life for mosses, lichen, and provides nutrient for musk Oklahoma, hares, and many reindeer. And in the summer birds migrate here. ( Baker, 10 ) The Arctic Ocean is greatly affected by clime alteration. Temperatures are lifting the fastest here. The Arctic Ocean is the smallest ocean and parts are for good frozen. It includes the sea and set down North of the Arctic Circle, the North Pole, and some parts of other states. ( â€Å" Arctic Ocean † ) The rise in temperature is doing the ice to run. Ice and snow reflect the Sun beam and heat, and H2O and land do non. Because of the ice thaw, there is non every bit much snow and ice. The H2O and land are absorbing the heat and Sun beams doing temperatures to lift even more. ( Baker, 8 ) The lifting temperatures are impacting animate beings excessively. Animals are greatly affected by the clime alteration. Their place is here in the Arctic and they depend on the ice for shelter and runing infinite. The Arctic has many polar bears. Polar bears are endangered because of the thaw ice. In the summer the Arctic Ice sheet thaws. But because of clime alteration, the ice sheet is runing three hebdomads earlier so it did in the 1970 ‘s. ( Baker, 13 ) When the ice sheet moves north the home ground of the polar bear psychiatrists. This forces the bears to swim long distances to happen nutrient for their households. Most bears are good swimmers but some become tired, doing them to decease. ( Olson, 11 ) Another ground polar bears are endangered is because they are non happening the nutrient they need in the H2O, so they wonder towards towns for nutrient. Polar bears ca n't happen the nutrient with the sum of fat they need to last the winter. The bears become slender and ca n't last doing decease. ( Olson, 20 ) Another animate being that is in danger is the Caribou. In 1989 there were 187,000 Caribous and in 2007 there were 120,000. ( Baker, 14 ) Caribou Numberss are diminishing for many grounds. Caribou eat lichen and moss found in the Tundra. Snow sums are increasing which makes it difficult for the Caribou to happen the nutrient with the right sum of fat it needs. If the Caribou does non hold plenty fat to do it through the winter, it will decease. In the summer the moss and lichen become green earlier so normal. This helps the Caribou but so these workss will decease out before. If they do non acquire plenty of the moss and lichen and do non hold adequate fat stored, they will finally decease. ( Baker, 15 ) Climate alteration besides affects people. There are 28 communities in the north-polar mainland and islands. ( â€Å" Canada ‘s Northern Communities † ) This is their place and clime alteration has made it difficult for them to run and angle. There cultural behaviours are forced to alter. Because of the thaw ice sea degrees are raising doing houses to be damaged. Climate alteration could hold a immense impact on our planet in the hereafter. With the ice runing the manner it is, sea degrees could lift doing implosion therapy, and land could be destroyed. Animals are threatened because their nutrient and shelter beginnings are shriveling. Some of these animate beings are endangered now and could go nonextant. Climate alteration could besides be good. The ice that is in the manner could run opening ways for boats to acquire through. ( Baker, 25 ) This could assist concerns take shorter paths to acquire where they need to travel. One chief thing that climate alteration will impact is touristry. Tonss of people would love to see these animate beings and topographic points. More people will come to these topographic points because they may be warmer, or easier to acquire to. Each twelvemonth the mean American adds more than 40,000 lbs of C dioxide to the air. ( Earth In The Hot Seat, 53 ) Go play football or association football. Go take a walk outside, or wing a kite alternatively of sitting inside on the computing machine. When you spend the bulk of your clip outside you do non let go of C dioxide. Reducing the sum of energy you use is the easiest manner to cut down your C dioxide sum right off. ( Earth In The Hot Seat, 54 ) If everyone is cautious to what they do, how much electricity they use, or how long the stay indoors, our C dioxide sum will shrivel. In the terminal this will all add up and the temperature alterations will be smaller. Climate alteration is a job that affects worlds, and animate beings, and is doing alterations to our environment. Over the past one hundred old ages, the mean surface temperature has risen a little over 1 degree Fahrenheit. ( Baker, 4 ) There are many organisations assisting with clime alteration. The Sierra Club is assisting to do clean energy solutions, green transit, bound nursery gases, and utilize resources beyond coal. They are besides informing people about clime alteration so they will make their portion. Climate Change is â€Å" Care for God ‘s Creations. † ( Seven Key Themes of Catholic Social Teachings ) We need to demo attention for the Earth because it is portion of our religion. â€Å" We are called to protect people and the planet, populating our religion in relationship with all of God ‘s creative activities. † ( Seven Key Themes of Catholic Social Teachings ) Finding alternate beginnings of energy is a great manner to assist protect, and sal vage what we have of our planet.

Friday, November 8, 2019

Cinderella Didnt Wear Cotton to the Ball

Cinderella Didnt Wear Cotton to the Ball Cinderella Didnt Wear Cotton to the Ball Cinderella Didnt Wear Cotton to the Ball By Maeve Maddox Next time you dress your heroine for a ball, you may want to describe her gown in terms of its lightness and delicacy. Here are some nouns and adjectives for the job. chiffon n. a diaphanous plain-woven fabric of fine hard-twisted yarn diaphanous adj. permitting the free passage of light and vision; perfectly transparent; pellucid. filmy adj. resembling a film, of extremely delicate texture, gauze-like; consisting of slender filaments, as of gossamer. gauzy adj. of the nature of, or resembling, gauze. gauze n. a very thin, transparent fabric of silk, linen, or cotton. gossamer n. a fine filmy substance, consisting of cobwebs, spun by small spiders, which is seen floating in the air in calm weather, esp. in autumn, or spread over a grassy surface; gossamer adj. light and flimsy as gossamer. insubstantial not existing in substance or reality; not real; imaginary, illusive; non-substantial. lace    a slender open-work fabric of linen, cotton, silk, woollen, or metal threads, usually ornamented with inwrought or applied patterns. organdy a fine but stiff, translucent kind of muslin. NOTE: organdy is a see-through fabric, but not something to dress your heroine if you like her. It is really scratchy. sheer adj. thin, fine, diaphanous. silky adj. having the delicate softness of silk. translucent through which light passes wispy      consisting of or resembling a wisp or wisps. wisp a handful, bunch, or small bundle (of hay, straw, grass, etc.). Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Vocabulary category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:When to use "on" and when to use "in"15 Types of Documents"To Tide You Over"

Wednesday, November 6, 2019

Ernest Hemingway essays

Ernest Hemingway essays Ernest Hemingway is considered to be one of the greatest American writers. He is writer who in his works reveals much about himself, because incidents and many scenes from his own life are reproduced in his novels, and actually leading characters have much in common with their creator. To my mind that makes his novels, stories more attractive, more interesting and exciting. That involves also some element of realism in his works. E. Hemingways works are so popular also because of the fact that the author has a consistent view of life and man. Earnshow characterizes the essence of this view in his book Modern Writers: His principal characters are tough men whose appetite for danger leads them into situations where injury, wounds and death are almost inevitable. They are also sentimental men who form strong attachments to women or children and these attachments make them equally vulnerable to emotional wounds. They pitch themselves into struggles that they cannot hope to win, but they show that although a man must lose, he can lose with dignity and honor. ...Hemingway had a strict moral code. The code is worked out emotionally, not intellectually; if what the hero does feel right to him, then it is right, even though it is opposed to the moral standards accepted in society. [Earnshow Modern Writers, London, 1968, p. 193] Indeed Hemingways characters follow this code, code of their own also in the novel the Sun Also Rises. This is the novel of the group of people who make trip to Pamplona for the bullfights. This group of people includes Jake Barnes, Bill Gorton, Lady Brett Ashley, Mike Campbell and Robert Cohn. Although there is one more character, which plays important role but does not belong to that group Pedro Romero. Why he does not belong to this group? The answer is that he does not belong to so called lost generation, because the other characters ...

Monday, November 4, 2019

Analysis of film Clear and Present Danger in relation to the 1980-90's Essay

Analysis of film Clear and Present Danger in relation to the 1980-90's War on Drugs era and Colombian instability - Essay Example The film starred Harrison Ford, Willem Defoe, Anne Archer, Joachim de Almeida, and Henry Czerny, with important appearances by James Earl Jones and Donald Moffat. Hope Lange and Dean Jones, stars from another era, both made appearances as officials in the government. The film was directed by Philip Noyce with the adaptation written by Donald Stewart .1 The film revolves around the temporary appointment of Ryan as Deputy Director of Intelligence for the CIA when Admiral James Greer becomes ill with cancer. Quickly the action ratchets up as one of the President’s friends is murdered along with the friend’s family. As Ryan is called in to investigate he is embroiled in an intrigue of subterfuge and secrecy. He is used to present false facts to Congress in order to cover up an operation that is considered unethical. An action against the men who were involved in the murder ends badly, leaving the covert troups hanging in the wind and Ryan furious for the inappropriate and i llegal action for which he has now been set up to take responsibility. In the end, Jack Ryan steps up and goes in after the troops with the agent who believed that Ryan was responsible for the cut-off in communications, rescuing the troops and making a political statement about the nature of right and wrong. The film is reflective of many of the unclear and shadowed legacies of the events of President Ronald Reagan’s term in office. In one scene, Robert Ritter and Jack Ryan have a showdown about the events that Ritter approved but burdened Ryan with the responsibility. Ritter repeats twice that Ryan will have to say â€Å"I have no recollection† when he will supposedly have to face congress about the illegal events.2 At the end of the scene, Ritter shouts after Jack â€Å"The world is grey, Jack†, a theme of the time period when drugs were part of the foreign relations events.3 During the administration of President Ronald Reagan, the Iran-Contra affair was rife with declarations of a lack of memory or knowledge of the events by the President and others presumed involved. Former Lieutenant Colonel Oliver North might be a real life figure who is represented by Jack Ryan. Regardless of knowledge of the events, he was the central figure indicted on charges from the fall-out of the exposure of the Iran-Contra deal, but was able to portray for the cameras a patriot with a wholesome appearance.4 While this comparison to North is not strictly representative of the truth of North’s involvement (a truth that may never be fully revealed to history), the potential threat against Ryan through Ritter parallels the feeling of the event. The period of President Reagan’s term and the events of covert and illegal deals is the universe and period of time in which the film takes place. The events of the film are a parallel to the concept of backroom deals and covert operations of a nefarious and illegal nature that were the topic of literary an d film plots of the 1980s and 1990s. The legacy of the Vietnam War, as President Nixon’s administration covertly moved troops into Cambodia is reflected through the illegal movement of troops within the film.5 The intrigue and conspirator themes about a government that cannot be trusted is the underlying context on which the story of the film is constructed. The specific theme of the film is built upon the relationship that the United States had with Columbia and the Columbia drug cartels. The unfortunate state of affairs in Columbia was based upon a system that supported the sale of drugs into the United States. Columbia had shifted its economy from one based on tobacco and coffee to

Saturday, November 2, 2019

Reflection and Evaluation of three Technologies Essay

Reflection and Evaluation of three Technologies - Essay Example Additionally, retrieval of content from the internet relies on flash player programs such as adobe. The technology was initially applicable through Smart sketch application because the designers focused on addressing the needs of varied platforms. The flash content files were stored in shock wave format. This allowed the programmers to use Action script language in encoding the graphics in different formats. Additionally, the programmers use flash editor to enrich web content when designing the application. The content can be encoded using java script format, and the extension .swf is used in storage format. Short wave extension makes images appear smaller in the flash player. The format increases flash images capacity to store huge volumes of data (Enticknap, 2005, p.1). The storage codes allow flash images to support different applications making it the preferred technology when disseminating and storing website contents. Evaluation The use of flash technology has led to advances i n computer graphics. It has enabled website developers to design interactive websites that stream data at faster speed. The component manipulates graphics and presents them in different version. The use of XML file is dominant in image edition. According to Enticknap (2005, p.34), the template stores the contents of the website before the transformation of the image. The technology manipulates the contents when designing images that are user friendly to the audience. Flash is a suitable technology that can access images online. Software developers use the technology when designing slideshows that enhance interactions with clients online. Computer programmers use flash image technology to encode information in auto script version. This saves storage capacity and time taken to retrieve flash images. Additionally, the technology uses small bandwidth when streaming information. This makes it compatible with various technological components such as Macromedia Flash MX that carries this a pplication. The compatibility of flash image technology allows web views to obtain information from different places. However, it is necessary to obtain a plug in feature when planning to view the web contents. Flash images application demand less from the users in terms of operational skills. Moreover, the applications are affordable and exude high performances. This has lead to the preference of technology in computer applications. Flash images are instrumental when enriching internet application. The technology enhances interactivity by combining graphics technology when coming up with interactive computer programs. Lastly, the feature supports multidirectional display of website content. HTML5 Technology Overview HTML5 is an assortment of web-based applications that are still evolving. The concept of HTML5 began after developers noticed various deficiencies in HTML4 and associated XHTML. These deficiencies ranged from minor syntactic incoherence to insufficient support of media presentations (Meyer, 2010, p.83). Consequently, recent developments within the HTML5 technology have targeted such defects to develop quickest advances that would improve the performance of internet technology. Developers are standardizing the HTML5 technology into simpler and less controversial pieces. The HTML5 is a technology that organizes and presents information of the World Wide Web.

Thursday, October 31, 2019

Digital Business Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Digital Business Management - Essay Example To achieve this, the paper has selected www.origin.com as the site for analysis. An analysis of the website is conducted with a focus on how it is implementing digital information systems. The paper then reviews the business model of the website showing its online value proposition. The paper then goes ahead to identify the target audience of the website and how the website is trying to access them. Lastly, the paper evaluates the customer relationship management strategy employed and makes recommendations based on what has been observed. Origin.com is Origin’s official website. Origin provides free gaming services and a platform for games shopping that allows user to shop, access and play varied video games. Origin also acts as a social networking platform which enables users to connect, network and invite one another to play games across different platforms (Origin.com, 2014). The site is also connected to a cloud service that enables a user to save a game and resume from where it was stopped. It, therefore, allows for exchange of information and feedback, hence, creating a fully functional digital information system (Gitman and McDaniel, 2006). A digital information system is defined as arrangement of hardware, software, liveware and information resources that enables inputting of data, processing, outputting and storage of information often for a definite purpose (Kathy, Zhwei and Agrusa, 2004). There are many types of information systems; the transaction processing system, management information system, decision support system and executive support system (El-Sawy and Pereira, 2012). This websites acts as a decision support system since it provides information that is then used by a customer to make decisions based on information provided (Preece, 2001). The same information can be used by the Origin management team to note and analyse problems and come up with sustainable solutions for the same. The website implements digital information systems in

Monday, October 28, 2019

The Internet brand MusicWorld.com. Essay Example for Free

The Internet brand MusicWorld.com. Essay The paper presents e-commerce business idea that could be realized at the Internet brand MusicWorld.com. Mission Statement of MusicWorld.com It is MusicWorld.com’s goal to enhance the development of electronic music by being the premier, comprehensive resource on the Internet for electronic music aficionados and producers of MusicWorld.com will democratize music, creation, distribution and consumption by: assisting artists in the production of their music by providing samples and sound fonts at no cost giving talented artists with few connections or resources the chance to distribute their music giving small record labels the chance to distribute their music online, increasing their viability allowing a fan of the music anywhere in the world instant access to a huge selection of releases from across the globe at very reasonable prices. Executive Summary A formidable opportunity has arisen from the combination of the advent of the Internet as a medium for music distribution, and the rise in popularity of a genre of music that is entirely composed with computer software electronic music. This genre has been largely ignored by most mainstream retailers and labels because of its non-traditional song formats that make it non-conducive for radio play. It is MusicWorld.com’s plan to market the electronic genre of music via a web site whereby consumers will download the music to their PCs. As a convenience, MusicWorld.com will write the purchased songs to CD and ship them directly to consumers who are not yet equipped to download music. The web site is designed for maximum user-friendliness, unlike any other music site today. MusicWorld.com’s unique web design allows users to browse the selection effortlessly, while being able to automatically hear excerpts from each virtual CD. The electronic genre of music is ideal for online distribution for the following reasons: There is a proliferation of artists worldwide within this genre because of the low price and accessibility of the necessary equipment and software The music is created on PC; artists simply send MusicWorld.com music files via the Internet from anywhere in the world Even very popular artists within this genre are accessible to negotiate contracts with since they tend to be self-distributed, or own small record labels Because of the genres rapid evolution and its individualistic nature, aficionados constantly demand new material MusicWorld.com is distinguished from its competitors in that: The site uses flash software, the latest generation in web site technology that allows users to view complex graphics and animations, and hear high-quality audio It uses a push marketing approach in that there is no need to download individual music files It combines the advantages of CD-quality, piracy-protected downloadable music, custom-mixed shipped CDs, an electronic focus, event information, and musician resources The market The market for electronic music is largely composed of University students. According to Jupiter Communications: College students, typically have free broadband access that makes digital distribution much more feasible, not to mention the highest penetration rate of any online demographic. This audience is the first that will be compelled to purchase writable drive peripherals specifically for the digital delivery of commercial music. (3) Aficionados of electronic music are raised in the age of the World Wide Web, making Internet distribution in tune with their lifestyle. Offer and Use of Proceeds The estimated net proceeds to be received by MusicWorld.com from the sale of common shares, is GBP 166,666 (including GBP 16,666 of expected expenses associated with the offering). MusicWorld.com intends to allocate GBP 27,777 of the net proceeds towards the purchase its web site design, and the balance, in the amount of GBP 138,888, towards funding salaries and working capital. The investor will receive 10% of the common shares in exchange. Capitalization The following table sets forth the capitalization of MusicWorld.com as at the dates indicated, before and after giving effect to the issue of common shares contemplated hereby. Shareholders equity Pro forma as at April 30, 20## Pro forma as at April 30, 20## after giving effects to the Common shares No. of common shares (without par value) 1,650,000 1,833,333 Book value of equity (in GBP) GBP 165 GBP 183,498 Summary Financial Information 1,833,333 outstanding shores 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 Revenue GBP 405,752 GBP 1,622,987 GBP 4,900,662 GBP 12,964,445 GBP 30,145,945 Net Income (GBP 56,483) GBP 232,377 GBP 1,051,891 GBP 3,275,671 GBP 8,034,936 Net Book Value GBP 39,468 GBP 271,846 GBP 1,323,738 GBP 4,599,409 GBP 12,634,346 Return on Ave. Equity GBP 103,743 GBP 156,368 GBP 812,923 GBP 2,982,460 GBP 8,790,386 Gross Margins 30% 30% 30% 30% 30% Earnings per share (GBP 0.28) (GBP 0.016) GBP 0.07 GBP 0.31 GBP 2.43 The Opportunity The music industry is experiencing two major changes: Music has been traditionally sold in a physical format that required manufacturing, including the record, the eight-track tape, the cassette, and the CD. Recently, with the advent of the Internet and increasing bandwidth, music has been reduced to a digital entity as witnessed by the proliferation of MP3. This is the biggest change the recording industry has possibly ever seen. As we look ahead, we anticipate that the convenience of digital delivery of phonorecords may soon make digital transmission services the music distribution method of choice for many consumers.(4) Music used to be classified into a narrow range of genres. These included classical, pop/rock, country, and jazz. Tastes have fragmented over the last decade, such that there are many more genres of music today most likely due to the proliferation of low-cost technology that allows artists to self-publish. This phenomenon was virtually unheard of in the past due to the enormous costs involved. Once upon a time, people bought pop music. Then they bought rock music. Now, they buy grunge, ambient, illbient, acid house, acid jazz, drum n bass, Eurodance, hip-hop, trip-hop, lounge, techno, glam, industrial metal, lo-fi, dream pop, psyche rock or riot grill. Digital technology encourages this fragmentation by giving each new splinter genre easier access to the means of producing and distributing its wares.(5) Despite its growing popularity, electronic music has been practically ignored by mainstream record labels and radio stations, which are just beginning to catch on. Internet radio stations are discovering that the genre can be lucrative however. One of these is amino Radio: AminoRadio is a 24-hour station devoted completely to music including techno, drum n bass, house, turntablism, and other forms of electronic music. AminoRadio is The Eclectic Radio Companys answer to the huge demand for techno electronic music that is not being provided by any other form of broadcast media. (6) Launched in August 1998, amino Radio now has over 15,500 listening sessions per month, and is growing at a rate of 300% each quarter. The lack of electronic musics traditional radio play is possibly due to the unusual format of the songs, which have erratic lengths. Some tracks are ten seconds long, while the majority are at least seven minutes long. This does not fit well with the traditional radio format of three and four minute songs. With virtually no radio play, record labels do not want to risk the investment of producing electronic artists music. The result? An invisible community of electronic music lovers who hear the music through Internet radio, at dance clubs, and buy it from specialized record stores at a premium. The record stores are supplied by small record labels, which have grown out of the success of certain artists. MusicWorld.com plans to take advantage of the resulting opportunity by positioning itself as the premier online source for electronic music and culture. The Music History Whether we are prepared to admit it or not, technology has always defined popular music. From the development of the microphone that allowed Bing Crosby and Frank Sinatra to croon softly on top of a big band to Keith Richards discovery of the pleasures of an overdriven guitar amplifier, the excitement generated by pop music is often the thrill of exploration and the sense of possibility provided by the use and misuse of new technology. Electronic music is about the era of the proliferation of digital technology; an age in which the boundaries between human and machine are becoming increasingly blurred. (7) Possibly the most significant difference between electronica and other musical genres is the importance of the DJ in reinterpreting and re-mixing what artists produce. Indeed, there is a significant shift in recognition from the musicians themselves to the DJs who perform it live, and who also record their work. This began in Chicago with the advent of House music, which was pioneered at a local venue called the Warehouse. The tradition continued later in Detroit, the birthplace of techno. The importance of the DJ can be attributed to the fact that the music is disseminated by being played live, and by the fact that only a professional working full-time could possibly afford the time and cost involved to gather such rare music from various countries. In Germany, where electronica occupies a significant portion of the Top 40, it is bona fide pop music. (8) Music production process The following explains how electronic music is created using current technology: The minimum equipment needed is a computer with at least a 150MHz processor, 32 Megs of RAM, a MIDI-compatible sound card (e.g. Soundblaster), 1 gig of hard disk space, and music composition software (MIDI), e.g. Cubase already affordable. The sound card is capable of generating sounds which fall into 2 categories: synthesized, and sampled Synthesized sounds are generated from simple tones, whereas sampled sounds are recorded from various sources, often using a microphone Using MIDI software, the musician creates a score which plays these sounds, which effectively act as instruments (think of the MIDI score as sheet music, the sound card as the instruments, and the computer as the musicians) The result of the MIDI file playing these sounds is a WAV file. This file can then be uploaded to MusicWorld.com. The Products and Services A comprehensive electronic music web site has been designed for maximum user-friendliness, unlike any other music site today. The unique design allows users to browse MusicWorld.com’s musical repertoire effortlessly, while being able to automatically hear excerpts from each virtual CD. The site uses Flash technology, the new generation in web site design that allows users to view complex graphics and animations, and hear high-quality audio by streaming the content to them as they browse the site. Music fans can: Listen to various tracks/clips of their favorite artists and/or DJs Download a complete CD in 10 minutes through use of a high bandwidth connection for GBP 4.00 (this includes downloading the cover art as well). They then have the choice of burning the file to a CD, or playing it through their computer. Have a custom CD burned by MusicWorld.com’s staff, and have it shipped for an additional fee (GBP 3.00) Find out about electronic music events in their area, or elsewhere Read/listen to interviews with their favorite artists/DJs Electronic artists can: enter into a distribution agreement with the site whereby their music is available for purchase download (and post) musical samples which are used to create their music at no charge agree to be interviewed to increase awareness of their work DJs can: sample songs/clips of various artists before buying have access to the latest tracks from even the most obscure artist from anywhere in the world virtually instantaneously enter into a distribution agreement with the site whereby their music is available for purchase agree to be interviewed to increase their recognition post tour information Labels can: use MusicWorld.com as an additional distribution vehicle for their talent, at no marginal cost use MusicWorld.com to run promotions for new releases (e.g. sneak previews, etc.) By making sure the site offers not only music to consumers, MusicWorld.com is ensuring authenticity. Web sites that only aspire to be stores, forget why people surf the Internet in the first place: for information. MusicWorld.com intends to provide high-quality information on the topics that interest the target market to ensure frequent visits to the site, and a positive brand image. The intent is to be the premiere resource for electronic music and related information on the Internet. A site of this caliber does not presently exist. Operations Technology   Site Operations Standard operations for MusicWorld.com consist of three major facets: updating the site with new information, adding musical content to MusicWorld.com’s repertoire of products, and distributing such content to online customers. The addition of musical content to the MusicWorld.com site consists of: Artists submitting their music (and cover art, created on their home PCs) to MusicWorld.com’s submissions department as a digital audio file, or on a conventional CD MusicWorld.com screening musical content for quality and appropriateness (a qualified Artistic Director, see the Employees section on page 25) Artists signing a digital distribution contract, whereby they earn 50% of the sales price (before shipping) of each full album or individual track Converting content into a format (Liquid Tracks) that can be played by customers Liquid Music Player or Real Player using the Liquifier Pro music publisher Uploading it to our server The second facet involves distributing content to customers: Hosting the site through a dedicated server Providing samples of music, which are streamed with the Liquid Music Server software. Providing this music for purchase via a secured credit card transaction. This is provided by a third party that specializes in this service, iBill see www.ibill.com) Delivering the selected content from MusicWorld.com’s server (managed with the Liquid Music Server software) MusicWorld.com will be paying a one-time licensing fee (GBP 16,666) for the use of Liquid Audios Liquid Music System, a commercial hosting package that includes the Liquifier Pro (copy-protected music publisher), Liquid Music Server (music delivery management software), and the Liquid Music Player (digital audio listening software). The Liquid Music System not only meets our requirements for efficient, trouble-free software to manage and publish musical data, but also equally offers superior performance and flexibility. The Liquifier Pro is the first professional software that allows MusicWorld.com to prepare and publish CD-quality, copy-protected music for purchase and delivery via the Internet to PCs and Macs everywhere. It transcends audio features by providing the capability to include lyrics, credits and artwork all contained within one file, the Liquid Track. Furthermore, Liquid Audio uses Dolby Digital encoding, resulting in the highest quality audio for streaming and downloading of CD-quality music on the Internet. To ensure audio quality, regardless of different connection speeds, the Liquifier also provides a unique preview capability before publishing to the Liquid Music Server. Target Markets MusicWorld.com target market is very specific, as it comprises those people who already listen to electronic music. MusicWorld.com conducted a survey of 100 respondents, mostly in the UK area, with approximately 10% of respondents were from abroad, (surveyed via the Internet). As this market research revealed, the target market is young (average age 25), well educated (average 1-3 years University), and predominantly male (65%). They have computers at home (81%), Internet access (97%), and spend more time on the Internet than most people (9 hrs/wk). They also are more likely to have access to a high bandwidth connection (31%) than average Internet users, and are also more likely to possess a CD burner (29%). They also buy more CDs than the average consumer. A high proportion (12%) of electronic music fans actually compose their own music, which supports the fact that a high proportion of them (75%) would like to support a retailer, which rewards artists at a higher level than the industry average. This is part of MusicWorld.com’s marketing strategy. Possibly the most important characteristic of electronic music listeners is that they are dispersed all over the globe. For the purposes of marketing communications, however, MusicWorld.com’s main target markets are in the U.S., Germany and the UK. This is because the consumers in these countries are either English speaking or highly fluent in English, have the highest sales of CDs per capita, and the highest concentration of electronic music fans for historical reasons. Since MusicWorld.com’s main distribution channel is via the Internet, an English speaking person anywhere in the world with Internet access can be attracted to our site and make a purchase. Product MusicWorld.com conducts an electronic commerce that aims to fulfill all the needs of electronic music fans and artists. The site will have an image that fits with that segments lifestyle and tastes. This will come naturally, given that MusicWorld.com’s founders are part of the target market. Thus, in the very short term, MusicWorld.com’s goal is to become the most complete online resource for electronic music lovers, regardless of whether the people frequenting the site actually purchase anything. The idea is to get consumers used to using the site for information such that when they are in the market for a new CD, they use MusicWorld.com’s site as opposed to another that has not served their needs so well. After this initial period, the site must continue to innovate and respond to the consumers needs. Even beyond this, it must anticipate what customers want before they want it. This way, it will be hard to take away the first-mover advantage that the site will have in this niche market. MusicWorld.com will rely on some independent, unsigned artists for the sites content, however, MusicWorld.com will also target certain small electronica-focused record labels in order to add their roster of artists to MusicWorld.com’s repertoire. These small labels have much to gain from partnering with MusicWorld.com. Partnership offers a way of earning 40% of sale price while incurring no marginal cost whatsoever. In fact, MusicWorld.com’s site can be seen as a way of popularizing the labels roster of artists. MusicWorld.com will find unsigned talent through posting on Internet Newsgroups, which is free of charge. In fact, MusicWorld.com already has found numerous artists through market research who are enthusiastic about the possibility of the online distribution of their music; f(y)u, for example, whose CD is included at the back of this document. MusicWorld.com will have a qualified artistic director screen submissions, and only make the highest quality music available in order to preserve   brand image. Distribution In terms of the delivery of music, MusicWorld.com’s primary market research showed that our potential customers are mainly concerned with the following: Security of transactions (5.72 on a scale of 1 to 7) Speed of download (5.48 on a scale of 1 to 7) Technical problems (5.17 on a scale of 1 to 7) The site will provide secured credit card transactions as well as alternative modes of payments to satisfy all customers. In the first three months these aspects are taken care of by Liquid Audio, by being a part of the Liquid Music Network. Download times will be reduced as high bandwidth connections become the norm. MusicWorld.com will ensure that the customers who so choose will be able to download their CD without running into any of the above-mentioned problems through the use of proven, easy-to-use software from Liquid Audio. As the customer profile suggests, the target segment is very narrow and would be difficult to reach with traditional distribution methods. The spread of customers has so far made this market very small and unattractive. However, the Internet overcomes the obstacles of geography in the sense that almost everybody can be reached from a web site. Pricing MusicWorld.com’s primary market research showed that its customer have a large amount of disposable income (average income of GBP CAD 15,000, yet many are students), spends money on technology (81% have computers and 92% have Internet access) and is not particularly price sensitive (average importance of price on a scale of 1-7 was 4.8). The average downloadable CD price suggested by respondents was GBP 5,50 CAD. At the time of the survey (Feb. 1999), there were no sites offering whole CDs available for download. Sites were offering individual tracks for GBP 0.55, however. Now, Good Noise Inc. is offering full albums for GBP 4.99, although they do not have any electronic (genre) music, which tends to be more expensive because of the high import rate. The selected price-point for MusicWorld.com’s album downloads will be GBP 4 /unit, as compared to the price of actual CDs (physical copies) sold in retail outlets for GBP 6-8/unit domestic, or GBP 9-16 for imports. This GBP 4 price is composed of GBP 2.48 profit margin (56%), GBP 1.70 in artist/label royalties, and GBP 0.18 credit card processing fees. Such a cost structure is made possible by the online nature of MusicWorld.com’s distribution, which bypasses many levels in the distribution channel, and thus many overhead costs normally incurred by wholesalers/retailers. MusicWorld.com is selecting the GBP 4 price point for several reasons: To encourage first time purchases To discourage new entrants from entering the niche A very competitive introductory price will encourage loyalty. This cost structure allows not only offering a better price to consumers (with a faster speed to market), but also better royalties to artists. Under the traditional record label contracts, artists can expect to earn 10% of sales at the most. With MusicWorld.com’s method, unknown artists gain worldwide distribution overnight, and royalties of GBP 1.70 per album sold. This offers significant incentives to artists who either arent known enough to sign major record deals, or dont have an interest in dealing with major labels. There is also a significant opportunity for labels to be able to distribute their artists work worldwide risk-free, with no marginal costs, no marketing costs, and no administrative hassle. Promotion MusicWorld.com will use public relations, advertising, personal selling and an Associates Program to meet sales goals. Public relations Post MusicWorld.com to all Internet search engines (e.g. Excite, Altavista, etc.,) (free) with the help of analytical software, Webposition Gold, which optimizes meta tags for each search engine, as they all have different preferences Post links to MusicWorld.com on smaller related sites, such as hyperreal.org and Technoindex.com (free) Post newsgroup messages in the appropriate newsgroups, e.g. alt.emusic, alt.music.techno, alt.music.house, alt.music.jungle (free) Send press releases to all relevant media, including electronic music print and Internet magazines, campus radio stations, and alternative newspapers in urban areas Sponsor electronic music events, by posting signage, passing out flyers, and video Advertising MusicWorld.com will advertise in several print publications, which cover the UK and Germany, the U.S., and Canada. Respectively, they are: Mixmag, XLR8R and Tribe. MusicWorld.com will also advertise on the Internet, primarily on Technoindex, an index site which lists all relevant electronica sites, and on aminoRadios Internet radio site (exclusively electronica) Positioning Electronic music fans should view MusicWorld.com as the comprehensive one stop shop for all of their electronic music related needs. This means their actual musical needs, their need for information on artists, DJs, upcoming events, films, etc., and their need to contact other fans of the music. Composers of electronic music should view MusicWorld.com as a source of samples and sound fonts to create their music with, and as a fairly remunerated means of distributing their music and gaining recognition. DJs should view MusicWorld.com as a source of the latest in cutting edge material for their repertoires, and as a means of gaining exposure via actually distributing their music or by consenting to be interviewed, and/or posting tour information. An important note to make is that it is essential that MusicWorld.com reaches all three of its positioning goals, as it is the combination of the three that will lead to success. By having the site supported by leading DJs and talented artists, it gains credibility as an authentic place to purchase music. This puts it way ahead of a simple retailer who is merely selling music. In contrast, MusicWorld.com should become a part of the consumers lifestyle. Competitors and Substituting Products Online Players Downloadable Music CD Quality Piracy protected Custom CD shipped Event Info GBP 11 or less Push marketing Electronic focus Musician resources MusicWorld.com x x x x x x x x x CDuctive x n/a x x raveworld.net x x thewomb.org x x MP3.com x x x CDnow n/a Amazon.com n/a hyperreal.org x x x technogenesis x x x a little x X-radio.com x Astralwerks x GoodNoise x x   To compete with these firms, MusicWorld.com must successfully bundle these three characteristics greater source of information, greater variety of innovative electronica, and downloadable content and build brand equity to be recognized as THE electronica site. MusicWorld.com will continue to offer online order processing for regular shipping to accommodate electronica fans that have not yet acquired the latest technology. MusicWorld.com’s greatest competitors generally offer real-time streaming audio of sample tracks (to listen to directly with RealAudio), or downloads of single tracks, mostly using MP3, and online ordering of conventional CDs. Most are small, independent outfits, formed over the last three years, and appear to be privately owned. Competitors generally price conventional CDs at GBP 5.55-8.88, and downloadable tracks at GBP 0.55 each, plus a base price of GBP 2.772 GBP 3.3285 for a custom CD. The market for online music is already consolidating, as big players merge to create bigger entities with wider revenue bases (e.g. CDNow and N2K), in hopes of protecting themselves from new entrants. Investors belief in the explosive potential for online (downloadable) content distribution is reflected in market capitalization of these companies shares. This threat of new entrants is very real, as witnessed by the extension of Amazon.coms retail mix into CDs for home delivery, and the recent creation of online mega-distributors such as Spree.com and Buycomp.com. The next logical step for such distributors is to offer online downloads. Meanwhile, a variety of small, independent sites are also appearing with alarming frequency. Major record labels such as Warner and Sony Records have recognized the digital threat and are moving to develop competitive alternatives. Some have even begun to recognize the potential of the electronica market, and are signing contracts with major artists (e.g. Fatboy Slim and Virgin Records). Some are even developing separate labels to cover electronica Virgin Records Astralwerks is now a significant player in terms of variety offered. They have not given any indication that they plan to offer downloadable music. The speed with which this industry is moving can cause MusicWorld.com’s window of opportunity to close rapidly. Any investment initiative that is to be undertaken in this venture will have to be taken now. References: Jupiter Communications, Music Industry and the Internet, p.5 Techno Tackles the Net, Niall McKay and Christopher Jones, http://www.wired.com/news/print version/culture/story/16764.html?wnpg=all Jupiter Communications, Music Industry and the Internet, September 1998, p.9 National Music Publishers Association, http://www.nmpa.or2/nmpa.html The Music Industry. A Note of Fear, The Economist, Oct. 31, 1998. AminoRadio press kit. http://www. Aminoradio.com Modulations treatment (Caipirinha productions), Peter Shapiro, available at: http://www.modulations.com/ Quantum Fireball as quoted on www.egghead.com on April 20, 1999. http://www.gvu.gatech.edu/user surveys/survey-1997-04/graphs/purchase/OnIine Seeking And Purchasing.html Calculated from lFPl and Statistics sources. Prices obtained from www.CDuctive.com on April 20,1999. Prices obtained from www.technogenesis.com on April 20, 1999.