Thursday, October 31, 2019

Management Innovation and new technology Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Management Innovation and new technology - Essay Example The concept of innovation is as old as the history of earth as men have always tried to improve things in their surroundings for the comfort and ease. However, from the history of world businesses, we can see that in the run towards an â€Å"innovated product† companies often lead towards customer frustration and dissatisfaction resulting in lower sales and loss of customer trust. There are various examples in the past where companies define the ultimate objective to launch an innovative product and did not give much thought to the process and need of it. This lack of understanding of product innovation becomes one of the major reasons of product sales downfall (Light Minds Ltd, 2005). Many economists believe that with the increasing business competition, managers and executives often overestimate the need of their consumers. A new and innovative product is often more complex to use and more expensive (Gottfredson & Aspinall, 2005). Advancement in a product line needs better m achineries and plentiful of company’s resources which eventually the consumer has to bear. Often the advancement made by companies is just to give the feeling of ‘new’ and is not as per the need of the customer (Rosenthal, 2099). The recent example of Facebook Timeline is relevant to highlight in this regard. It was introduced to give a new and fresh look to the users so to increase the time they spend on Facebook. Result shows that the objective was merely achieved as it increases the complexity of the product (Choney, 2011). Therefore, keeping the perspective of consumers is a key element in the success of product innovation process (Light Minds Ltd, 2005). Case Study of 3M The case of 3M’s Post-it Notes can be analyzed to justify that product innovation is not just a one-off event, but a complex organization process. The idea of adhesive notepad seemed great initially, but it turned out to be a below average invention, which the consumer kept daunting f or years. The notepad went through several stages of innovation; each time the company offering something new in the product but failing to generate a massive sale every time (Nayak & Ketteringha, 1994). The issue was not meeting with the customer’s need and innovating, what might be better but not the requirement. This explains the core concept behind product innovation. Another lacking in the product was in its limited usage. People did not feel the need of having an adhesive bulletin board rather than a simple board. This brought the executives of 3M to the conclusion that this product has no future in the market (Nayak & Ketteringha, 1994). It was at this crucial time that one of the executives of the company, Spencer Silver, thought that the sticky pad can be given another try to make it more viable for people’s use. As product innovation is a summed product of the facts of previous sales and consumers’ demand, he carried a decent research to find the ways to optimize the use of the adhesive notepad. He explored the marvelous concept that an innovation does not always need to be complicated; it can come through simple means too. He used the same ingredients that were used in the notepads, but with different proportions and combinations, out of which one gave a new result. The learned people around and scientists were all conservative with their approach. Their thinking phenomenon was restricted by their knowledge of chemical properties and reactions of ingredients. However,

Tuesday, October 29, 2019

Interspecific and Intraspecific Plant Competitions Lab Report

Interspecific and Intraspecific Plant Competitions - Lab Report Example In cases involving high levels of nutrient availability, the competition always shifts to scramble for light for photosynthesis. This is depicted in the nature in which radish and wheat responded to different conditions of light, nutrients and temperature. Light is always a unidirectional resource. The density of radish was higher than that of wheat under different conditions that they were subjected towards. This resulted from the influence of light and temperature in the growth rates of such plants relevant to the interspecific competition. The results show that radish is a better competitor compared to wheat. This is may also be manifested in other plant interactions. For instance, different habitats have different types of plants with different capabilities and rates of growth, reproduction and competition. Interspecific competition has a negative influence on the sizes of populations of the competitors. This is depicted in the results from the experiment above. The shoot mass in Radish had a higher rate of the growth compared to those of wheat. This means that radish is a better competitor compared to wheat. Therefore, in the long term period, the effects of the interspecific competition between radish and wheat may see wheat being eliminated by radish. When the competition is very severe, the population sizes of the competing species are considerably reduced. This is due to the impacts that the competition presents on the quantity of the resources fought for or against.

Sunday, October 27, 2019

Role of Technology in Travel Management

Role of Technology in Travel Management TRAVEL INDUSTRY CURRENT PRACTICES INTRODUCTION In this chapter I will take an overview of the travel industry in order to better understand the context about which I am writing. Consideration of the value of the business travel spend, the role of Travel Management Companies and the role of technology in its operation and future vision, are the relevant issues in this regard. An outline of the various managerial approaches used by private industry will help inform my analysis of travel management in the public sector and what lessons can be learnt. VALUE OF BUSINESS TRAVEL In 2013 Hermes Consultancy Management produced a white paper on ‘Corporate Travel Management in Western Europe: Opportunities and Challenges’. The research was commissioned by Amadeus (a Global Distribution Service provider) in order to better understand how organisations manage their travel activities and to identify saving opportunities for travel managers. The white paper calculated that in 2011, business travel in Western Europe amounted to almost â‚ ¬ 200 billion, concentrated in five countries: Germany, UK, France, Italy and Spain. Hermes (2013). Eleven corporations in the UK, France, Belgium, Ireland and the Netherlands took part in the research study and numerous travel mangers, executives and travellers from these companies were interviewed. The Central Statistics Office tells us that in 2011, the Irish business travel spend was â‚ ¬548 million on 698,000 business trips (CSO 2013) of that public sector travel under the Government air travel contract was : â‚ ¬5.9 million for 18,358 trips and in 2013 it increased to â‚ ¬6,972, 477 for 25,902 trips. The increase in volume can be attributed to Ireland Presidency of EU during 2013. Business travel is a substantial and growing sector with a significant travel spend. As globalisation continues apace, companies and governments will reach out to newer markets for their goods and services, at the same time as continuing to consolidate traditional markets in a challenging economic climate. Figures from the Global Business Travel Association (GBTA) indicate that spending on business travel within the UK, Germany, France, Italy and Spain is forecasted to climb by 6% next year, an increase which may be set to come about as a result of improvements to the global economy. Government travel is predicted to increase by 4.9% according to GBTA, who believe that the slightly lower percentage for government travel might be because governments have already successfully cut travel spend, while corporate business is enjoying an uptick as it starts and continues to hire new employees who travel. Government business in Europe accounts for 4.7% (â‚ ¬940 mil) of all business travel demand compared with 5% globally. The Director of Operations with GBTA McGavock believes that, that share is expected to increase for at least the short term. â€Å"While 2012 was a difficult year, by the end of 2013 we predict an upturn, and in 2014 we believe we will see extensive growth. The next five years should see a bounce back in business travel among all of Western Europe’s major markets.† The European Commission predicts that the 27 countries it represents will emerge from recession in the fourth quarter of 2013, with its overall economy growing by 1.4% in 2014, Eurostat (2012). Accompanying this growth will be an increasing requirement for corporate travel and this expansion will require robust and innovative management in order to control costs and spend. TRAVEL MANAGEMENT COMPANIES Travel Management Companies are the medium through which organisations use to implement and manage their business travel requirements. They should not be confused with the work of a traditional Travel Agency which provides travel to the leisure traveller on behalf of suppliers, airline, hotel, car hire companies. Most travel agencies have a separate department that deals with business travel, and some travel agencies specialise in commercial and business travel only. This department would trade as a travel management company and implement the organisations travel policy. They procure travel on behalf of the organisation according to its policy on the class of travel permitted to fly, negotiate corporate fares/rates with airlines and hotels as well allowing the organisation use its corporate credit card to procure flights online via their online booking tool. According to the Buying Business Travel magazine (2013) the top five (5) TMC’s operating in Europe based on their European spend are: CarlsonWagonlit Travel (CWT), ( £1,157m) HRG Travel, ( £1,000m) American Express, ( £958.1m) Capital Travel and Events ( £525m) BCD, ( £480m) FCM Travel Solutions ( £428) All of the above have a presence in Ireland through either partner agreements or wholly owned. The current provider for the Irish Government travel contract is CarlsonWagonlit Travel. The previous government providers were; HRG (Club Travel) and FCM Solutions. Due to the size of the Government spend approximately â‚ ¬6 to â‚ ¬9 mil annually it is not surprising that the top TMC’s have continually competed for the business. In addition as it is a centralised contract, a large sized company would be required to deal with the volume of transactions generated by Irish Government travel. Each of these companies use a global distribution system (GDS) which provides a network whereby TMC’s can access fares from the various airline reservations systems and facilitates online transactions. This in turn provides a portal for clients of TMC’s to procure their air travel through the use of online booking tools OBT). The most popular GDS providers are, Travelport, Galil eo, Sabre and Amadeus, public sector has had access to Travelport through KDS OBT licensed by CWT and Galileo OBT licensed by HRG. ECONOMIC CLIMATE The impact of the global economic downturn has resulted in an increased emphasis on generating savings, as companies strive to operate within an ever decreasing resource envelope. This is relevant to all organisations and Travel Management Companies in particular. Economic stringency has allowed travel managers to take a more prominent role within their companies, and has made travel management, as a profession, an important element of a company’s strategic planning. According to the Global Business Travel Association (2014), travel managers have been asked to lead company-wide efforts to reduce travel costs, track relevant savings, and report them back to senior management. The knock-on effect of this to TMC’s is increased competitiveness within the travel management sector. The natural ambition of business organisations is specifically the transformation of inputs (resources) into outputs (goods or services) (Worthington Britton, 2006: 4). In the context of a TMC, th e company employs the relevant staff to carry out specialised travel advisory duties, and provides the necessary booking systems to their staff in order to maximise their input to output ratio; in the current economic climate this is becoming more and more challenging. So the drive is on in every sector to achieve greater value for money. TECHNOLOGY In Chapter 2, I looked at technology in relation to the procurement of travel; here I will examine it as it impacts on the business environment, in which TMC’s operate. In terms of external environmental factors, Thomas Davenport (2013) indicated that technological change is one of the main issues currently impacting TMC’s, with the potential of completely transforming the way in which the companies operate. Davenport ( 2013) and a number of other authors including Fred Gebhard (2013), highlighted that the travel industry is at a ‘Big Data’ crossroads, and that complex, large volume and unstructured datasets are beginning to reshape and transform the industry. Additionally, Davenport suggested that big data will require the industry to address a number of challenges, in order to unlock its potential: technological complexity; data accuracy and rights of use; business and technological alignment. At the corporate buyer level gaining access to accurate travel reporting data is a major factor in the effective management of air travel and presents opportunity to identify where savings can be achieved. This is very important for both the buyer and supplier of air travel. It is interesting to note that technological developments pose both an opportunity; and a threat to TMC’s. The opportunities for the companies may involve ensuring the company is up to date with technological advancements within the industry in order to remain competitive. Conversely, if TMC’s are slow on the uptake of embracing and implementing new technology in their organisation, they may be at a disadvantage within the business travel market. Overall, the rapid advancements in technology alone present a significant challenge to the travel industry, specifically to TMC’s. Voice BASED AND MOBILE TECHNOLOGY A key writer on the travel industry, Scott Gillespie (2012) identified various technological changes which he emphasised are a ‘tipping point’ for the corporate travel industry. Some of those changes mentioned include the technological advancements of voice-based user interfaces from Apple, Google. Gillespie asserted that these new interfaces may be a threat to company policy compliance, due to the convenience of using such interfaces for travellers; which may in turn cause them to purchase travel outside of company policy direction. If the traveller does not book through the proper channels directed within company policy, there is no way for the TMC or corporation to track the traveller’s whereabouts or provide them with services in an emergency (West, 2013) In Chapter 2 we looked at ‘M’ technology and the growth of that market and its increasing importance in the procurement of air travel. CarlsonWagonlit Travel has invested in this area in its rece nt acquisition of Worldmate a leading mobile technology company. This will bear fruit in CWT’s mobile app ‘CWT TO GO’. Airlines are slowly moving towards mobile phone app technology which will replaces the requirement for printing of electronic tickets and boarding passes by using mobile phone QR code (barcode) technology to check in for flights. The ongoing evolution of technology emphasises the importance for TMC’s to keep up to date with it in the provision of procurement systems for clients which are not only economical, efficient and effective but contemporary and convenient to use. CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY (CSR) The concept that organisations should be held accountable for the effects of their actions on people, their communities and the environment is known as CSR. There are many aspects of CSR which impact on the travel industry and consequently their end users. There are increasing concerns for rising carbon emissions; this coupled with rising costs naturally leads organisations to seek alternatives to air travel. These alternatives include video conferencing and webinars, however, it has been emphasised that face-to-face meetings still remain an important aspect of business negotiations (Forbes, 2009). This affects the competitive environment of TMC’s, since a threat of a substitute method to conduct meetings is available. Travel Management companies need to maintain their relevance in a rapidly changing business environment. And Government travel needs to be particularly vigilant as penalties are imposed on increasing carbon emissions under the Kyoto Protocol. MODELS OF TRAVEL MANAGEMENT It is not feasible to produce a definitive list of air travel procurement models, but in general they fall under the following categories; INHOUSE CENTRALISED MODEL TMC; This model is one where all travel is procured from a centralised office within the company in association with a TMC, who provides online and offline bookings. This model allows greater control over travel policy and spends and is used by both private and public sector. Business travelers would feel this model is too restrictive and doesn’t allow flexibility but that is mute point when it comes to controlling spend. INHOUSE DECENTRALISED MODEL TMC This model is one where travel can be procured by the individual employee either directly with the TMC for offline booking or online through the corporate booking tool. This model allows greater control to the individual and is favored by high-tech or internet based companies, E.G. EBay, Google, independence over their booking. This model tends to be accompanied by an incentive programme, whereby travelers can gain perks by purchasing travel within company policy and in this way costs can be controlled. INHOUSE CENTRALISED AND DECENTRALISED TMC This model is a mixture of the two above and is a very inefficient model of travel procurement as it is very difficult to control travel expenditure and policy compliance. It is generally adopted by organisations where there is little senior management buy in to control the travel spend. INHOUSE TMC IMPLANT. This model allows a staff member of the TMC to reside within the organisation to procure all of the travel requirements of the organisation. This can be an expensive option unless travel policy is strictly enforced. INHOUSE GDS IMPLANT( verify with Volker in Amadeus/ Microsoft ) This model allows for the provision of a staff member of the GDS provider to be embedded within the organisation to assist the procurement of all travel requirements of the organisation. This can be a very efficient option as it eliminates the ‘middle man’ charges of the TMC in the procurement of air travel as it procures direct with the GDS provider. Some organisations who favour this method also have a TMC contract for the provision of VIP or specialised travel only. In the public sector in Ireland government travel is purchased through a centralised contract but managed and procured in many different ways by each of the Government Departments, bodies and agencies with varying usage of online and offline methods. Some use the contract to procure only air travel, others use it for air and hotel (Brussels hotels only as per the contract) and car hire. More and more private companies are using a travel expense management system (OBT) where all expenses related to travel; air, hotel, car, and subsistence/entertainment are captured on the same system, in this way making it more transparent and easier to control and analyse travel expenditure. SUMMARY The world of business travel is a valuable, innovative and technologically evolving industry. The opening up of new markets and the drive to expand business into new frontiers is a reality. Coupled with this is the requirement to develop new business relationships which must be nurtured though face to face meetings thus giving continued impetus to this sector. We have reviewed the role and function of TMC’s and technology in the travel industry and the future challenges they face. The various models of travel management gives us an insight into how the travel industry operates and provides a framework that can be compared against the research findings when examined in more detail and assist in establishing what can we learnt by both the private and public sector in the management of air travel

Friday, October 25, 2019

The Theme of Masks :: essays research papers

Have you ever worn a mask before? Maybe the mask wasn't a costume mask, but it was a mask to make you seem happy, or seem cool, or anything that made you feel like something than you are not normally. Chances are you have. Trying to fit in with the crowd, a mask is used to obtain the things we cannot reach on our own. Masks are especially common today because of the pressures to belong to the 'in'; group, or the pressures to succeed. Books, using masks, commonly show the many connotations of masks. They are used to find out what people are for real, on the inside of the mask. The imagery of masks is used throughout the book of Twelfth Night. Shakespeare uses the imagery of masks to reveal characters true emotions and to express the power of raw beauty. Shakespeare uses this imagery through all of his characters in the play, but especially the two characters of Viola and Feste. The perfect example of the use of the masking imagery can be seen through Feste. Acting as a wiseman and not the fool, Feste shows the development of masks. Feste tries to 'conceal [him] for what [he] is';(1.2) because he knows that if the people knew that he was a wiseman, than he would not be called upon to sing his songs, symbols of what is right. Also, the people would not come to him for the advice he gives them in his songs and speeches. This is a strong example of masking imagery because it shows of what the character might be like without his mask, and what he might be treated as if he wasn't the fool. In the play, full of masking imagery, Feste shows his many personalities. He shows the 'devil man';(4.2) in himself when talking to Malvolio. This is shown as a mask to the audience because it shows that not only is Feste a wiseman and a fool, but he is also a mean and tricky person. This shows that the masks of Feste are shown in many different cases, causing them to be very w ell developed. Feste's masks tend to show what everyone wants at that time. Feste acts as 'an ass';(5.1) for his friends. Pleasing the people, the masks show that Feste can be more liked and more used for all purposes. But the identity of Feste can always be revealed through eyes.

Thursday, October 24, 2019

Lupu Bridge

There are five phases in constructing the Lupu Bridge. First is the foundations. When we talk about foundation it is the lower part that carry all the loads of the structures.The condition of the ground on either side of the Huangpu River are not appropriate for the large thrusts made by an arch bridge. Even though its arch is tied, and the use of reducing the forces transferred to the foundations, its total vertical force is still too much. And also the result of the arch being tied is that the parts of the foundations should be able to remain strong against the force. Since Lupu is located in Shanghai, and the fact that it is located near a river, it has soft soil. Therefore the most suitable option is piled foundations for that reason. Its foundations is composed of 118, 900mm diameter steel tubes ,and each pile is about 65m in length.The larger surface area of the piles and long length mean that they could be friction rather than bearing piles. This is assuming that the soil consists of clay nearer the surface moving into stiffer clay then sand lower down. The pier cap of the main span foundation is 3.5m thick and the one that connect the caps at about 51m centres are the crossbeams.. This connection between the two pier caps will help to somewhat relieve the stresses in the soil in the horizontal direction and reduce the amount of deflection incurred. By the use of 700mm diameter soil-cement stirring piles, the strength of the foundation was strengthened to help resist the horizontal force and limit the displacement due to this force. Each of these stirring piles is connected to each other to improve the integrity of the system. During construction, the foundations have a large number and stirring piles addtion due to working loads of the bridge and also due to the loads imparted on the foundations. Above each abutment the large temporary tower was built during construction. Because of that there will probably be the largest vertical force they will feel and these will impart very large vertical forces into the foundations. With the use of horizontal force impart by the inclined arches, the abutment and foundations must be strengthened in the horizontal. At an inclination similar to arches the abutment would have a high level of prestress in the concrete section and there would also be a piles coming from the abutment.

Wednesday, October 23, 2019

Gymnastics

Wilson? If you are afraid of failure, you don't deserve success. (Nastia Liukin) ? To Become a CHAMPION: Take your worst event and make it your best†¦ AND THEN, take your worst event and make it your best†¦ AND THEN, take your worst event and make it your best†¦ (Gerald S. George, Ph. D. ) ? When you walk in the gym you leave everything behind. Its like a total diferent world, its your second family. We gymnast spend more time in the gym than with our parents. We do gymnastics not to please our family but to please ourselfs. (Angelina Soto – 12 years old gymnast) ?Hope is to wish you could do something. Faith is to believe you can do something. Courage is to get up there and do it because you know you can, you have no doubt about it. (Angelina Soto – 12 years old gymnast) ? I don't think anything is unrealistic if you believe you can do it. I think if you are determined enough and willing to pay the price, you can get it done. (Mike Ditka) ? The important thing in the Olympic Games is not winning but taking part. The essential thing in life is not conquering but fighting well. (Baron de Coubertin, The Olympic Creed) ?A life without purpose is a languid, drifting thing; Every day we ought to review our purpose, saying to ourselves: This day let me make a sound beginning, for what we have hitherto done is naught! (Thomas A. Kempis) ? You gain strength, courage, and confidence by every experience in which you really stop to look fear in the face. (Eleanor Roosevelt) ? Enjoyment is not a goal, it is a feeling that accompanies important ongoing activity. (Paul Goodman) ? Great works are performed not by strength but by perseverance. (Samuel Johnson) ? Hard work and togetherness. They go hand in hand.You need the hard work because it's such a tough atmosphere†¦ to win week in and week out. You need togetherness because you don't always win, and you gotta hang though together. (Tony Dungy) ? â€Å"I can't do it† never yet accom plished anything: â€Å"I will try† has accomplished wonders. (George P. Burnham) ? Success doesn't â€Å"happen. † It is organized, preempted, captured, by consecrated common sense. (F. E. Willard) ? We can often do more for other men by trying to correct our own faults than by trying to correct theirs. (Francois Fenelon) ? A person is only as big as the dream they dare to live. Unknown) ? The sign of intelligent people is their ability to control emotions by the application of reason. (Marya Mannes) ? There are no shortcuts to any place worth going. (Beverly Sills) ? A professional is someone who can do his best work when he doesn't feel like it. (Alistair Cooke) ? Success doesn't come to you†¦ you go to it. (Marva Collins) ? Genius is one per cent inspiration, ninety-nine per cent perspiration. (Thomas A. Edison (1847 – 1931), Harper's Monthly, 1932) ? It's not the hours you put in your work that counts, it's the work you put in the hours. Sam Ewing) ? P eople forget how fast you did a job – but they remember how well you did it. (Howard Newton) ? The golden opportunity you are seeking is in yourself. It is not in your environment; it is not in luck or chance, or the help of other; it is in yourself alone. (Orison Swett Marden) ? I do not think there is any other quality so essential to success of any kind as the quality of perseverance. It overcomes almost everything, even nature. (John D. Rockefeller) ? Hard things are put in our way, not to stop us, but to call out our courage and strength. (Anonymous) ?I wasn't too good at vaulting, and I didn't have running speed and jumping power. (Mitsuo Tsukahara, JPN, Intl. Gymnast 11/82) ? The mind is perhaps one of the greatest factors in gymnastics; if one can't control his mind, he can't control his body. (William Meade, USA) ? A great pleasure in life is doing what people say you cannot do. (Walter Bagehot) ? Every single element, even the most hair-raising, can be improved. (Dm itry Bilozerchev, URS, World Gymnastics 1983/4) ? Forget past mistakes. Forget failures. Forget everything except what you're going to do now and do it. William Durant, founder of General Motors) ? Most successful men have not achieved their distinction by having some new talent or opportunity presented to them. They have developed the opportunity that was at hand. (Bruce Barton) ? After a while, if you work on a certain move consistently then it doesn't seem so risky. The idea is that the move stays dangerous and it looks dangerous to my opponents – but it isn't to me. That is my secret. (Nadia Comaneci, ROM, The Illustrated History of Gymnastics) ? Destiny is not a matter of chance; it is a matter of choice.It is not something to be waited for; but, rather something to be achieved. (William Jennings Bryan) ? If you do the best you can, you will find, nine times out of ten, that you have done as well as or better than anyone else. (William Feather) ? Talent alone is not enou gh. I believe that a really good gymnast is 10% inspiration and 90% perspiration. (Vladislav Rastorotsky, URS) ? In the middle of difficulty lies opportunity. (Albert Einstein) ? Never mind what others do; do better than yourself, beat your own record from day to day, and you are a success. (William J.H. Boetcker) ? One time a French reporter asked me how I could do a cross so easily. I said, ‘You just lower your body down until your arms are straight out to the sides, then you stop. ‘ (Albert Azarian, URS, Intl. Gymnast, 05/94) ? The way to develop self-confidence is to do the thing you fear. (William Jennings Bryan) ? The price of success is perseverance. The price of failure comes cheaper. (Anonymous) ? We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give. (Norman MacFinan) ? I know how to smile, I know how to laugh, I know how to play.But I know how to do these things only after I have fulfilled my mission. (Nadia Comaneci, ROM, Time Magazine 1976) ? F ailure is only postponed success as long as courage â€Å"coaches† ambition. The habit of persistence is the habit of victory. (Herbert Kaufman) ? Victory is sweetest when you've known defeat. (Malcolm Forbes) ? A smooth sea never made a skilled mariner. (English proverb) ? The way to develop self-confidence is to do the thing you fear. (William Jennings Bryan) ? Never mind what others do; do better than yourself, beat your own record from day to day, and you are a success. (William J.H. Boetcker) ? If you do the best you can, you will find, nine times out of ten, that you have done as well as or better than anyone else. (William Feather) ? Forget past mistakes. Forget failures. Forget everything except what you're going to do now and do it. (William Durant, founder of General Motors) ? Nothing will ever be attempted, if all possible objections must first be overcome. (Samuel Johnson) ? Face your deficiencies and acknowledge them; but do not let them master you. Let them teac h you patience, sweetness, insight. (Helen Keller) ? What you can do, or think you can, begin it. Johann Wolfgang von Goethe) ? The aim of an argument or discussion should not be victory, but progress. (Joseph Joubert) ? Excellence is an art won by training and habituation. We do not act rightly because we have virtue or excellence, but rather we have those because we have acted rightly. We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act but a habit. (Aristotle) ? Individual glory is insignificant when compared to victory achieved as a team. (Watertown – Mayer Gymnastics Team) ? What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us. (William Morrow) ?Aspire, break bounds. Endeavor to be good, and better still, best. (Robert Browning) ? Aim at the sun and you may not reach it; but your arrow will fly far higher than if you had aimed at an object on a level with yourself. (F. Hawes) ? One man practicing sportsmanship is far bett er than 50 preaching it. (Knute Rockne) ? The important thing is this: to be able at any moment to sacrifice what we are for what we could become. (Charles Du Bos) ? One must have the adventurous daring to accept oneself as a bundle of possibilities and undertake the most interesting game in the world – making the most of one's best. Harry Emerson Fosdick) ? Judgment comes from experience, and great judgment comes from bad experience. (Robert Packwood) ? Live your life each day as you would climb a mountain. An occasional glance towards the summit keeps the goal in mind, but many beautiful scenes are to be observed from each new vantage point. (Harold B. Melchart) ? Hold yourself responsible for a higher standard than anybody else expects of you. Never excuse yourself. Never pity yourself. Be a hard master to yourself – and be lenient to everybody else. (Henry Ward Beecher) ?No matter who says what, you should accept it with a smile and do your own work. (Mother Teresa ) ? Happiness lies in the joy of achievement and the thrill of creative effort. (Franklin D. Roosevelt) ? When someone does something good, applaud! You will make two people happy. (Samuel Goldwyn) ? There are no secrets to success. It is the result of preparation, hard work, learning from failure. (Colin Powell) ? The great thing and the hard thing is to stick to things when you have outlived the first interest, and not yet got the second, which comes with a sort of mastery. Janet Erskine Stuart) ? The height of your accomplishments will equal the depth of your convictions. (William F. Scolavino) ? Genius is eternal patience. (Michelangelo) ? The gem cannot be polished without friction, nor man perfected without trials. (Chinese proverb) ? Human nature is not a machine to be built after a model, and set to do exactly the work prescribed for it, but a tree, which requires to grow and develop itself on all sides, according to the tendency of the inward forces which make it a living t hing. John Stuart Mill) ? The greatest glory is not in never failing, but in rising up every time we fall. (Confucius) ? The way to get things done is not to mind who gets the credit for doing them. (Benjamin Jowett) ? Tough times never last. Tough people do. (Robert Schuller) ? There are many ways to measure success; not the least of which is the way your child describes you when talking to a friend. (Unknown) ? Life is an opportunity, benefit from it. Life is a beauty, admire it. Life is a dream, realize it. Life is a challenge, meet it.Life is a duty, complete it. Life is a game, play it. Life is a promise, fulfill it. Life is sorrow, overcome it. Life is a song, sing it. Life is a struggle, accept it. Life is a tragedy, confront it. Life is an adventure, dare it. Life is luck, make it. Life is life, fight for it! (Mother Teresa) ? Hope sees the invisible, feels the intangible, and achieves the impossible. (Anonymous) ? Life is short †¦ live it. Love is rare †¦ grab it. Anger is bad †¦ dump it. Fear is awful †¦ face it. Memories are sweet †¦ cherish it!

Tuesday, October 22, 2019

Learn to Conjugate the French Verb Tuer (to Kill)

Learn to Conjugate the French Verb Tuer (to Kill) When you want to say killing or killed in French, youll use the verb  tuer. To get it into the present or past tense, however, you will also need to know its conjugations. A quick lesson will introduce you to the essential forms of  tuer  that youll need. The Basic Conjugations of  Tuer As with all French verb conjugations, you will have quite a few words to memorize for tuer. It is a regular -er verb, though, so if youve studied similar words, you can apply the same endings here. The key to any conjugation is to begin with the verb stem (or radical). For  tuer, this is  tu-. From there, simply match the subject pronoun with the tense thats appropriate for your sentence. As an example,  je tue  means I am killing and  nous tuerons  means we will kill. Present Future Imperfect je tue tuerai tuais tu tues tueras tuais il tue tuera tuait nous tuons tuerons tuions vous tuez tuerez tuiez ils tuent tueront tuaient The Present Participle of  Tuer When you add -ant  to the stem of  tuer, the  present participle  is formed. The result is  tuant, which can be an adjective or noun as well as a verb. Tuer  in the Compound Past Tense Another simple conjugation and alternative to the imperfect is the  passà © composà ©. This is a compound past tense, but its relatively easy to construct once you know the rules. To begin,  conjugate the auxiliary verb avoir  to the subjects present tense. Then attach the  past participle  tuà ©, which indicates that something has already been killed. The result is, for example,  jai tuà ©Ã‚  for I killed and  nous avons tuà ©Ã‚  for we killed. More Simple Conjugations of  Tuer When youre unsure if any killing has happened, you can use  the subjunctive  of  tuer. Yet, if the killing is dependent on certain conditions, youll use  the conditional. The passà © simple  and  the imperfect subjunctive  are both literary tenses and youll find them in formal French writing. Subjunctive Conditional Pass Simple Imperfect Subjunctive je tue tuerais tuai tuasse tu tues tuerais tuas tuasses il tue tuerait tua tut nous tuions tuerions tumes tuassions vous tuiez tueriez tutes tuassiez ils tuent tueraient turent tuassent To use  tuer  in short, direct commands or requests,  the French imperative  is used. In this case, the subject pronoun is dropped so  tu tue  becomes  tue. Imperative (tu) tue (nous) tuons (vous) tuez

Monday, October 21, 2019

The Sin Of Nadab & Abihu Essays - Book Of Leviticus, Kohanim

The Sin Of Nadab & Abihu Essays - Book Of Leviticus, Kohanim The Sin of Nadab & Abihu Verse: (Lev. 10:1) And Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron took either of them his censer, and put fire therin, and put incense thereon, and offered strange fire before the Lord, which he commanded them not. (King James) The Sin of Nadab & Abihu: An Exegesis There is no clear consensus as to what sin Nadab and Abihu committed as detailed in verse 10:1 of the book Leviticus, in the Hebrew bible. Some commentators like to take into consideration material previously mentioned, some like the literal view of the story, others try to narrow the possibilities to come to a conclusion, while still more understand it all as simply a figurative tale. But in truth, few if any of the explanations this exegesist looked through seemed satisfactory, but blended together, and analyzed individually, they did form a far more satisfactory intrepretation of my own. The story is that Aaron, the newly consecrated Israelite High Priest had two sons, Nadab and Abihu, who were consumed by God for offering 'strange fire' before him. This occruance took place during the Octave-day celebrations which were taking place for the opening of the just completed Tent Of Meeting, or Tabernacle. Sacrifices, and prayers were to take place each day with special ritualistic rules in the preparation and performance of each. The priests were chiefly responsible for the running of events, and as most scholars agree Nadab and Abihu at the time of their death were priests, and so were presumably performing their priestly duties. Where the break in agreement occurs is with the question that naturally arises: What did Nadab and Abihu do wrong? The answer to this question lies in the context of the verse, the bigger picture involved. This does not, however, mean that it is clear enough so one can realize it with a read through or two. To best comprehend the situation, an understanding of the verse must be realized. The realization in this case is best accompolished through a translation of the verse from the original Hebrew that can put a clear picture of the happenings taking place. Unfortunately such a translation is not available. The King James is to poetic to be vivid, and the RSV changes the true meanings of words too much to be respected. Similar arguments could be put for the other translations out there. Faced with such a dillema, one must undertake the translating upon himself: "Then took Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, each his censer and placed in them fiery coals, and put on them incense and sacrificed before the Lord with strange fire, which he had not commanded them." With this translation it is clear that the action is taking place with a specific sequence, in an event that has to be taken into consideration. Furthermore, it clarifies the problem with the 'strange fire' to explain that the fire was strange because it wasn't what God had commanded to be done. It is admitted, however, that this translation does not answer any questions beyond what any sentence can at any time answer. It is just a tale of events, and as any sentence studied individually would be, is a bit obscure. The whole picture must be taken into consideration. As for some explanation of the terms used: A censer is a pan used to carry coals. It has practical used even today in the middle east. The incense was a mixture of sweet herbs and spices as prescribed in Exodus 30:34. The one phrase that needs to be further developed is the hebrew 'esh zara' or 'strange fire'. The word esh as used here refers to fiery coals, but it has nevertheless compelled many scholars try to interpret it, mostly to fit their own theoretical views. In its present form esh zara, simply means a fire taken from an unauthorized source. This is what had made it strange and unholy for use in the Tent of Meeting. The use of the word zara which means strange, is a bit puzzling. Only a handful of times has the this form of strange been used in the Torah. Three other places other than Lev. 10:1 it's been used to

Sunday, October 20, 2019

The Word is Careless

The Word is Careless The Word is Careless The Word is Careless By Maeve Maddox This comment on a site offering tips to writers brought me to a stop: Does your writing suffer from waaaay too many em-dashes? Incareful authors often use them in place of a comma†¦ The standard negative form of careful is careless: full of care, and without care. If a writer had a reason to form the negative with a prefix, the one to use with careful would be un, not in. With a few exceptions, the negative prefix -in is used with words of Latin origin. The word care is from Old Engish carian, cearian be anxious, grieve; to feel concern or interest. But, theres no need to bother with uncareful because we already have the word careless. Here are some examples of the form incareful infesting the web: But often enough, incareful work causes hazards. The configuration scheme is infinitely flexible, and apparently has enough sharp edges for the incareful geek to hurt himself upon. However, incareful reading can lead the impression that there are inconsistencies, There is little or no opportunity to save what might be a good and even ground-breaking proposal sunk by the inexperience or incareful reviewing of one person. †¦people who were incareful enough to get caught doing what a lot of men do every day†. Most of the time a man will feel incareful if he is being unwanted in any way. (This writer may have been reaching for uncared for.) I suspect that the popularity of the nonword incareful may have something to do with an unconscious feeling that it sounds less judgmental than careless. Some synonyms for careless: absent-minded cavalier foolhardy heedless impetuous inattentive incautious irresponsible negligent reckless remiss 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:Farther vs. FurtherPeace of Mind and A Piece of One's MindOne Scissor?

Saturday, October 19, 2019

This paper presents the case study analysis of Charles Schwab Analysis Assignment - 1

Analysis of Charles Schwab and Zara - Assignment Example The first solution involved potentially granting customers complete access to the organization’s services, while at the same time offering a 20% discount on trades. The second solution involved granting customers an even greater discount on trades, but at the same time curtailing the services provided. The major dilemma was whether it was worth sacrificing service for price discounts. Another prominent consideration was challenged from outside organizations. A lot of discount brokerages emerged that challenged Schwab’s position as one of the preeminent stock traders. In response to these challenges, the organization was to work towards differentiating itself through innovative product design and services. The main backbone of this innovation was rooted in technology that, â€Å"to both generate productivity improvements and to develop superior customer service† (‘Charles Schwab Corporation.’ 2001, p. 3). As such, a multi-channel strategy was implemen ted. Still, the organization was faced with further questions of whether to expand deeper into Internet trading. While organizations such as E*Trade had been coming on strong, Schwab recognized that they retained significant portions of the market. These considerations factored into whether the organization should assume a lower pricing strategy per trade or if they should continue with the traditional model of business based heavily on attention to service. In the second case analysis, the company under consideration is Zara. There are a number of key issues facing this organization. Zara is recognized as the chain of stores of the main organization Inditex. One of the main issues facing Zara specifically is whether the point-of-sale (POS) terminals should be upgraded. One of the negative aspects of the current point-of-sale (POS) terminals is that they run on DOS.

Friday, October 18, 2019

Differing perceptions of new venture failure Essay

Differing perceptions of new venture failure - Essay Example note that the introduction of the venture capitalist brings in new dimensions in the survival of new ventures since within the first 7 years of establishment; only 18 percent of the new ventures fail as compared to 75 percent of non VC funded new ventures. The authors note that research on the factors that cause failures of new ventures is limited due to factors such as difficulty in conducting financial analysis on failed ventures and the reluctance of entrepreneurs to discuss their venture failures. The authors also discuss the factors leading to new venture failures in the perspective of the venture capitalists and the entrepreneurs. Venture capitalists cite factors such as poor management and unfavourable market conditions while the entrepreneurs cite factors such as product factors, financial limitations and managerial problems. All these are discussed in relation to the attribution theory. The argument that the ventures examined represented all the new ventures and that the factors leading to failure as ranked in order of importance by the authors is misleading due to the fact that new ventures and entrepreneurs from other locations may be faced with other factors of failure. It is therefore important to note that applying the results of the study should be done with that fact in mind. The factors may depend on the location and may also be time determined as well as depend on the individual characteristics. An alternative conclusion could therefore be that the success of the new venture will depend on the internal characteristics of the venture. Zacharkis, Andrew Meyer, Dale G. and DeCastro, J. â€Å"Differing perceptions of new venture failure: A matched exploratory study of venture capitalists and entrepreneurs.† Journal of Small Business Management 7.1 (1999):

Gametogenesis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Gametogenesis - Essay Example In the early stage of embryonic development, groups of cells become committed to differentiate into various cell types such as liver cells, nerve cells and muscle cells. One group of cells becomes committed to form the germ cell line, cells that eventually develop into eggs if the embryo is female or sperm if the embryo is male. These are the only cells that undergo meiosis. These committed cells, primordial germ cells increase in number through mitotic cell division. Later, they divide meiotically to produce mature sperm or eggs. The process of forming mature eggs is called oogenesis (Aberts et al, 2002; Snustad and Simmons, 2002). The primordial germ cells that migrate to the developing ovary during early embryogenesis become oogonia. They multiply rapidly, undergoing several rounds of mitotic cell division and eventually differentiate into primary oocytes. The primary oocytes begin meiotic cell division and complete the diplotene stage of prophase I and then division stops. They remain in this suspended prophase. During this period, the oocyte undergoes many changes that prepare it for the completion of meiosis and for fertilization. It acquires a special coat that protects the developing egg from mechanical damage and in many cases acts as a barrier to sperm from other species. Just beneath the membrane cortical granules develop that alter the egg coat so that only a single sperm fertilizes an egg. In addition, the primary oocyte accumulates large quantities of nutrients and other molecules that nourish the early embryo and coordinate as well as direct its early development. With the attainment of sexual mat urity, the next stage of oocyte development occurs, triggered by hormones. The oocyte completes meiosis I and two haploid nuclei are formed, each containing one member of each chromosome pair in a replicated state. But cytokines are very asymmetrical. One cell, called secondary oocyte gets virtually all the cytoplasm and is ancestral to the mature egg. The other cell, called a polar body, gets very little cytoplasm. Both of these cells , the secondary oocyte and the polar body undergo meiosis II to produce four haploid nuclei. Again cytokinesis is asymmetrical: Meiosis II in the secondary oocyte produces one large cell, the ovum, or egg, which has virtually all the cytoplasm and a small polar body with very little cytoplasm. Thus, of the four meiotic products, only one forms the mature egg. the polar bodies, which are small with little cytoplasm to support their metabolism, eventually degenerate (Aberts et al, 2002; Snustad and Simmons, 2002). Oogenesis occur in the ovaries of the f emale. Each primary oocyte is surrounded by a spherical cluster of cells in a cavity or sac called the primary or Graafian follicle. In response to hormone signals, the primary oocyte completes meiosis I to become a secondary oocyte. the follicle then ruptures, releasing the secondary oocyte into the oviduct, where it begin the second meiotic division. in humans, the oviduct is called the Fallopian tube. the release of the secondary oocyte from the Graafian follicle is called ovulation (Aberts et al, 2002; Snustad and Simmons, 2002). As the secondary ooc

Thursday, October 17, 2019

Summary of Recent Research 7 Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Summary of Recent Research 7 - Assignment Example The data available for the study consisted of the clone types, and the different months during which the measurements were taken. The signed rank test was settled for since the distribution of the data sets could not be established using the normal parametric tests. The researchers avoided making assumptions on the data since they could not establish its distribution. The difference in metal (aluminum) content in the wood was found to be significantly different from zero. The median change from August to November (3.1 micrograms Al/g wood) is significantly different from zero (W=16, P=0.040) (McDonald 2009). By the difference in content being significant, it implies that there was significant variation in concentration between the times of the year when the two measurements were taken. Han, X. et al. (2011). Metabolomics in Early Alzheimer’s Disease: Identification of Altered Plasma Sphingolipidome Using Shotgun Lipidomics. Lipidomics in Alzheimer’s Disease. Vol 6. Issue 7. p. 7. Nishiumi, S. et al. (2012). A Novel Serum Metabolomics-Based Diagnostic Approach for Colorectal Cancer. Metabolomics for Colorectal Cancer. Vol. 7, issue 7. p. 4. Plichta, S. B., Kelvin, E. Munros Statistical Methods for Health Care Research. Statistical Methods for Health Care Research. (6th edition). (2012). Smith, G. L. et al. (2012). Association Between Treatment With Brachytherapy vs Whole-Breast Irradiation and Subsequent Mastectomy, Complications, and Survival Among Older Women With Invasive Breast Cancer. The Journal of the American Medical Association. par 17.

Human computer interaction Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Human computer interaction - Assignment Example This made me to access outdated and irrelevant source of ideas that lowered my knowledge and competence levels. Equally, there were cases in which hackers and introduction of malware made accessing the sites impossible hence completely blocking my access to the sites. The major contributing factors to the problems were unprofessional management of the sites plus poor site designs. The site hosts assumed that the sites operated perfectly despite the poor maintenance approaches provided. Progress is achievable through improved maintenance and constant updating of the sites ensuring stable site access throughout the year. Future designs of these sites need to factor in issues of proper site maintenance with regular upgrades to avoid inconvenience to all the users. Question 2 HCL is supposed to offer quick solutions in an effective and comprehensive way without compromising the quality of products and services in question. The use of mobile technology to get solutions for common problems is one of the great samples. Many present day scanners use heuristic signatures for virus and malware detection in an efficient and faster means. This is sustainable model for handling the problems with a properly designed tool and framework without compromising of the status of data under threat. ... Therefore, it offers a sustainable and manageable solution to lives and property. The essence of Berkun apply to HCL since the algorithms in HCL are quite compressive and user friendly that they are able to offer solutions to most common problems in technology use and academic endeavours of people presently. In gaming and social media application of this technology has enriched and fastened the use of this services.HCL applies the search of task through search trees accomplishing it effectively .The amount of information and games in the internet is quite high therefore it offers efficiency due to its selectiveness and specialization. Instead of giving all the possible solution branches, it provides the branch most likely possible to the necessary outcomes in relation to other branches and options. From experiences in using this technology its specific in selection of information and materials at the points of need. Question 3 Connection with technology challenges the status quo thro ugh offering various opportunities and possibilities to human connection rather than the physical communication. The examples and real applications presented by Sherry Turckle represent an illustration of what is going on in the world of technology today. The society expects much from technology in relation to what we receive and expect from humans. It has provided an opportunity and illusion of companionship without friendship hence no cost and incurred within the companionship model provided by technology. Parents and the children fail to provide one another with companionship and attention as witnessed in cases where parents get busy with emailing and texting to colleagues during meals instead of

Wednesday, October 16, 2019

Israeli and Palestinian Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Israeli and Palestinian - Term Paper Example The government of Israel has become so strict about the publication of news regarding this conflict because it is spelt out in the constitution. In fact, according to the Israeli government, journalists are free to handle any topic rather than those that touch on national security and can be able to compromise it by insisting the people and promoting violence. On the other hand, the media freedom in Palestine is better than that in Israel. The Palestinians are free to cover much information about this conflict and avail to their audience. Although it is a matter of national interest, the government has appreciated that there is a craving demand for news about this war (Vipond, 2000). Hence, unlike in Israel, the Palestinian journalists are not put under strict censorship and restrictions (Jonathon & Karolides, 2009). Thus, they can adequately inform the people about the war without many restrictions. Mass media involve many different media technologies that reach large audience through mass communication. The media technology where communication is effected varies; broadcast media transmit information electronically and they include television, recorded music, film and radio. Print media employs the use of materials to distribute information, and includes books, magazines, newspapers, pamphlets and comics. Outdoor media transmits information through signs, placards and billboards (Lorimer & Patty, 2004). The digital media entails mass mobile and internet communication. Internet media has many services; for example websites, social networks, internet television and radio. Companies that control these media technologies are also referred to as mass media; for example publishing houses, television stations, social networks and radio stations. Glocalization involves adaptation of a given service or product uniquely to a given culture,

Human computer interaction Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Human computer interaction - Assignment Example This made me to access outdated and irrelevant source of ideas that lowered my knowledge and competence levels. Equally, there were cases in which hackers and introduction of malware made accessing the sites impossible hence completely blocking my access to the sites. The major contributing factors to the problems were unprofessional management of the sites plus poor site designs. The site hosts assumed that the sites operated perfectly despite the poor maintenance approaches provided. Progress is achievable through improved maintenance and constant updating of the sites ensuring stable site access throughout the year. Future designs of these sites need to factor in issues of proper site maintenance with regular upgrades to avoid inconvenience to all the users. Question 2 HCL is supposed to offer quick solutions in an effective and comprehensive way without compromising the quality of products and services in question. The use of mobile technology to get solutions for common problems is one of the great samples. Many present day scanners use heuristic signatures for virus and malware detection in an efficient and faster means. This is sustainable model for handling the problems with a properly designed tool and framework without compromising of the status of data under threat. ... Therefore, it offers a sustainable and manageable solution to lives and property. The essence of Berkun apply to HCL since the algorithms in HCL are quite compressive and user friendly that they are able to offer solutions to most common problems in technology use and academic endeavours of people presently. In gaming and social media application of this technology has enriched and fastened the use of this services.HCL applies the search of task through search trees accomplishing it effectively .The amount of information and games in the internet is quite high therefore it offers efficiency due to its selectiveness and specialization. Instead of giving all the possible solution branches, it provides the branch most likely possible to the necessary outcomes in relation to other branches and options. From experiences in using this technology its specific in selection of information and materials at the points of need. Question 3 Connection with technology challenges the status quo thro ugh offering various opportunities and possibilities to human connection rather than the physical communication. The examples and real applications presented by Sherry Turckle represent an illustration of what is going on in the world of technology today. The society expects much from technology in relation to what we receive and expect from humans. It has provided an opportunity and illusion of companionship without friendship hence no cost and incurred within the companionship model provided by technology. Parents and the children fail to provide one another with companionship and attention as witnessed in cases where parents get busy with emailing and texting to colleagues during meals instead of

Tuesday, October 15, 2019

Theme of indolence explored in ode on indolence Essay Example for Free

Theme of indolence explored in ode on indolence Essay Ode on indolence is the praise of indolence/sluggishness; it makes the claim of the attractions of lethargy being more alluring than the attractions of the more active emotions of love, ambition and poetry. It is the admiration of the state of non-doing and non-feeling. The ode is a simple, straight forward story of a man who spends a lazy summer day in a state of numbness and does not want his visions of love, ambition and poesy to disrupt his indolence. These three figures are strikingly contrasted to the condition of indolence. The poetic persona could be Keats himself. The ode begins with the poetic persona seeing three figures one summer morning passing him by in a dream/vision, as if on a marble urn they returned with each turn of the vase. Their description resembles that of pilgrims with bowed necks, and joined hands wearing placid sandals and white robes, they were seen in profile. The figures are called shades and strange, the narrator is confused and cannot identify them. The narrators confusion is shown in the next stanza with the repetition of the questions regarding the identity and the nature of the figures. The word ripe is used to describe his time of idleness; this has positive innuendo and gives the impression of richness. The figures were robbing him of his summer-indolence, they are described as constructing a deep-disguised plot and are said to steal. These terms are negative and show these figures to be menacing or malevolent at least to a slight degree. In contrast indolence is compared to a blissful cloud that favourably makes pain numb and takes its sting away [metaphor], however it also takes the joy away from pleasure or pleasures wreath no flower [metaphor]. The narrator begs the shadows to leave him to his much longed-for nothingness. The term used- shadows insinuates the visions are dark and ominous. The third verse is commenced with yet another question addressing the reason for the figures appearance. His confusion is echoed in the word baffled. His soul is compared to a beautiful lawn strewn with flowers, stirring shades and baffled beams; the sky was clouded but there was no rain, only dew drops called the sweet tears of May. This pristine image of the narrators soul is brought on by the state of inactivity, thus we are made to believe that this state of being is desirable or covetable. He wants to bid farewell to the three shadows. The fourth verse shows the third turn of the urn and brings forth the realisation of the there figures- the fair maid love, ambition pale of cheek with fatigued eye and the maiden most unmeek poesy. Their description has negative connotations; only love is shown in a slightly positive light. In this verse the narrator feels intense urge to follow the three and longed for wings to fly in pursuit of them. Poesy is said to be the most appealing of the three and is called a demon; this could be justified by saying that it is because the narrator finds poesy most difficult to resist and it holds an almost enchantment like hold on him. Keats has expressed his wish to fly on the wings of poesy before in another poem. In the fifth stanza a question is posed to love to establish its elusive nature. Love is also criticised as being fleeting and short-lived and not to mention folly. Ambition on the other hand is condemned as being a mortal emotion that springs from the human heart. From other poems- ode to a nightingale or ode on a Grecian urn- we know that Keats has trouble with mortality and impermanence. And as for poesy, it has not a joy compared to honied indolence- the narrator would rather be devoid of common-sense and spend his drowsy noons numb and listless completely ignorant to the world around him [I may never know how change the moons]. The concluding stanza says adieu to the three and marks their defeat in rousing the narrator from his laziness. He commands the phantoms to vanish and never more return. He banishes them back to the dreamy urn and reduces them to faint visions. But taking into account that the state of indolence as compared to the three visions is hardly mentioned, it is not very convincing that the poetic persona prefers indolence over his other temptations [especially after reading some of his other poems]. It does however come across that he is trying to deny his passions even to himself.

Monday, October 14, 2019

Critical Analysis of Organisational Change Development and Management

Critical Analysis of Organisational Change Development and Management INTRODUCTION Sometime in the 5th century BC, Heraclitus of Ephesus philosophised the only constant is change. (http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Heraclitus). All organisations go through change as they develop and evolve, whether to success or to failure. This essay will look at two companies as they go they go through change, planned and unplanned, their approach and the extent to which they succeeded and applying organisation development and change theory to these two case studies. Organisational change is a recurring theme in the study of organisational development there are several factors, internally and externally, that will influence the development of the organisation, initiating a change which may, or may not, lead to success and sustainability. How the change is implemented is essential to its success as it often impacts one, if not all, areas of the organisation. Early change management theorists include: Kurt Lewin (1951). Doug Stace and Dexter Dunphy (2001) identify organisations which they describe as prudent mechanistics, which retain traditional structures, avoid the organisational fashion show, and perform well. (Buchanen, p566). Harold Leavitt (2003) argues that, while rigid beaurocratic structures encourage authoritarianism, distrust, dishonest, territoriality, toadying, and fear, they also provide ways of handling complexity, give us structure and predictability, and offer psychological rewards by fulfilling needs for order and security. It is argued that the study of change is paradoxical (Buchanan, 565) as the reasons for organisational change are many and complex and because change is a process not a static moment in time, hence can be only understood in relation to continuity. Not all change needs to be deep change it can be a fine tuning to an appropriate response. Transformational change of the Australian Defence Force. The companies were chosen because other their organisational similarities. Company A Company B Similarities Large > 20,000 Reactive International Public Sector Strong corporate culture Founded 1921 Large >20,000 Reactive International Public Sector Strong corporate culture Founded 1922 Differences Australia 90s Organisational structure Approach to change England 00s Organisational structure Approach to change Scope: PESTEL Organisational behaviour terrain. Study this at the organisational level. This essay is not going to examine the group or individual level. Australia has maintained military forces since federation as a nation in January 1901. Upon Federation, the Australian Government established the  Australian Army  and Commonwealth Naval Force. In 1909, the Government established the  Royal Australian Navy, which absorbed the Commonwealth Naval Force. The Army established the Australian Flying Corps in 1912 although this separated to form the  Royal Australian Air Force  in 1921. The services were not linked by a single chain of command, as they each reported to their own separate Minister and had separate administrative arrangements. The three services saw action around the world during  World War I  and  World War II. The importance of  joint warfare  was made clear to the Australian Military during World War II when Australian naval, ground and air units frequently served as part of single commands. Following the war, several senior officers lobbied for the appointment of a  commander in chief  of the three services. The government rejected this proposal and the three services remained fully independent.[13]  The absence of a central authority resulted in poor coordination between the services with each service organising and operating on the basis of a different  military doctrine.[14] The need for an integrated command structured received more emphasis during  the Australian militarys experiences in the Vietnam War.[14]  In 1973, the Secretary of the  Department of Defence,  Arthur Tange, submitted a report to the  Government  that recommended the unification of the separate departments supporting each service into a single Department of Defence and the creation of the post of Chief of the Defence Force Staff. The government accepted these recommendations and the Australian Defence Force was established on 9 February 1976.[15] The  British Broadcasting Corporation  (BBC) is the principal  public service broadcaster  in the United Kingdom. It is the largest broadcaster in the world with about 23,000 staff.[1][2][3]  Its global headquarters are located in London, and its main responsibility is to provide  public service broadcasting in the United Kingdom,  Channel Islands  and  Isle of Man. The BBC is an autonomous public service broadcaster[3]  that operates under a  Royal Charter.[4]  Within the United Kingdom its work is funded principally by an annual  television licence fee,[5]  which is charged to all United Kingdom households, companies and organisations using any type of equipment to record and/or receive live television broadcasts;[6]  the level of the fee is set annually by the  British Government  and agreed by  Parliament.[7] he BBC was the worlds first national broadcasting organisation[8]  and was founded on 18 October 1922 as the  British Broadcasting Co mpany Ltd. The original company was founded in 1922[9]  by a group of six telecommunications companies-Marconi, Radio Communication Company,  Metropolitan-Vickers,  General Electric,  Western Electric, and  British Thomson-Houston[10]-to broadcast experimental radio services. The first transmission was on 14 November of that year, from station  2LO, located at Marconi House, London.[11] Outside the UK, the  BBC World Service  has provided services by direct broadcasting and re-transmission contracts by sound radio since the inauguration of the BBC Empire Service in December 1932, and more recently by television and online. Though sharing some of the facilities of the domestic services, particularly for news and current affairs output, the World Service has a separate Managing Director, and its operating costs are funded mainly by direct grants from the UK government. These grants are determined independently of the domestic licence fee. How do organisations change why do they change. How change is implemented, their impact and their success factors? Two organisations will be compared and contrasted against the various theories, their similarities being that they are both large and complex organisations whose purpose is to serve the public. Initition What are the triggers for change? Why did the organisation have to change. Organisational life cycle (Greiner L) Mintzberg types of change possible step change (company 1) Elements of change : Whipp, Rosenfeld and Pellige The Change Kaleidescope Bolgrum, Barly Whitepaper 1986 Organisational behaviour terrain. Types of change planned and unplanned Strategy Safari Punctuated equilibrium Organisational structure Cultural Era Implementation Strategic Elements of change (Whipp) Levels of change Change Kaleidescope Factors faciliting change Levels of change Wilson, D Forces for change, Lewin K (disagree in co1 cas but potentially for co 2) Total quality management nstep process : c1 y c2 elements of Resistance to change bellelan co1 n long terms, c2 yes short-term bursts Managing resistance : Kotter Co1 yes, co2 no The coping cycle Kublar-Rosser co2 yes ; n/a to company 1 Factors facilitating change Yes co1 2 but co2 fainlied in mid-implementation Unless structure follows strategy, inefficiency results. (Chandler 1962: 314) Impact Contingency approaches Dunphy and Stacy : Yes can be applied to both Effectiveness of change strategy The change kaleidoscope (culture leadership) Time Preservation Capability Scope diversity Organisational structure- tie into first part (initiation) Organisational culture- tie into first part (initiation) Efficiency Resistance 5 types of organisational structure : Mintzberg Divisional Form, mechanistic 1982 : Peters and Waterman in search of excellence Mckinney 7 steps Elements of change context : Economic Political ? Organisational effiveness/ development maturity? Transformational Political and economic forces Restructure of organisation Culture Organisational design IT communciation Conclusion: Bluprint for change One must consider the culture re: effectiveness and how deep it is to go Contigiency Approach Lawrence and lorsh structure depends on factors from the environment. Contingencey Theories : imprecise specification of factors such as environment Ashridge leadership and management BPR radical decentralisation BBC petal. The management of innovation burns stalk mechanistic Æ’Â   organic The Australian Defence Organisation (ADO) has an enduring strategic priority is to keep Australia and the Australian people safe from attack or the threat of attack, and from economic or political coercion. To meet this requirement, the Defence Department employs a full time workforce of over 92,000 personnel consisting of both uniformed Australian Defence Force (ADF) members and civilian Australian Public Service (APS) personnel. The Defence Environmental Scan 2025, identified that the Defence Organisations workforce consists of an ADF with 50,600 full time members and 20,600 Defence Public Servants. In addition, the ADF has 21,000 Active Reserve members.2 2. As a whole, the Defence workforce is responsible for delivering the range of defence outcomes required by Government. While the military and civilian components of the Defence Organisation are required to contribute collectively to the achievement of these Government objectives, the management of the Defence workforce is currently stovepiped along ADF and APS lines, with limited consideration of the workforce as a total resource. Scope. This essay will examine the theories current Defence workforce structure across the ADF and APS. It will consider the potential disadvantages of the current stovepiped separation of ADF and APS personnel management, and examine the merits of moving towards an integrated and total Defence workforce. It will explore the potential benefits of increasing the number of contested positions available to ADF and APS members, particularly in middle and senior management. ONE DEPARTMENT TWO WORKFORCE COMPONENTS Experience and Opportunity 7. The Department of Defence is consistently praised for its success in the planning and conduct of military operations, while also being criticised for failings in its corporate and strategic management. This somewhat paradoxical situation is in part a result of the Defence Departments personnel management processes, where on one hand significant effort and resources are applied to ensure that ADF personnel are adequately educated, trained and prepared for roles they are likely to undertake within the Defence Organisation, while within the APS, individuals are expected to undertake any task without subject matter expertise or professional qualification.6 8. The structured and formalised ADF approach underpins a culture where the importance of experience and professional development are valued and built into career pathways. The APS personnel management approach is not supported by the appropriate personnel structures or management mechanisms required to enable this development. While ADF senior commanders understand and expect ADF personnel to be released from mainstream responsibilities at certain times during their career to meet professional development milestones, the APS management framework does not offer senior managers this flexibility. The APS workforce structure provides limited ability to backfill APS staff undertaking formalised professional development and as such, it is very difficult for senior APS managers to release personnel for extended periods professional development and education. 9. The lack of opportunities for professional development in the APS is compounded by the relative inexperience of the APS workforce when compared to their ADF counterparts. This inexperience has been exacerbated by the accelerated promotion of individuals in recent years as a byà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ product of the rapid growth in civilian numbers.7 A comparison of the relative experience levels of senior and middle management in the Defence Organisation shows that 27 %of all APS Senior Executive Service (SES) staff are under the age of 45 and 26 %of Executive Level 2 (EL 2) staff are below the age of 40.8 For ADF members, the minimum period of commissioned service for promotion to one star rank is approximately 23 years, with a minimum of 20 years service required before being eligible for promotion to colonel equivalent rank. The accelerated progression to middle and senior management in the APS limits the time and opportunity for staff to pursue professional development and education for civilian personnel is very much an exception rather than a rule. A TOTAL AND INTEGRATED WORKFORCE Workforce Integration 11. The Chief of the Defence Force and Secretary are currently focussed on moving the Defence Departments people management in a more strategic direction so we [Defence] can better recruit and retain the talent we need to meet the security challenges of the future.11 To meet these challenges, the Defence Department will require a people management framework that draws together the capabilities of the current personnel resources available to the Department more effectively. Key to this approach is breaking down the culture of stovepiped management of ADF and APS personnel. A move to a more integrated workforce management framework, that selects the most experienced and qualified candidate from across the Defence Organisation for particular appointments, would provide significant benefits to the Department. 12. While acknowledging that certain areas of the Defence business requires a degree of specialisation, particularly in the ADF for the planning and conduct of operations and the APS in the delivery of specialist services, there is a great deal of scope for a more integrated approach to personnel management across large sectors of the Department. This is particularly the case across middle and senior management within the Department at the EL 1à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ lieutenant colonel (05) equivalent level and above, where the requirement for specialisation is often not as important as a sound knowledge of the broader functioning of Defence. 14. In relation to the ADF, an integrated workforce would significantly improve the capacity of the Defence Organisation to better leverage the experience and skills of ADF members. ADF members detailed knowledge and skills gained through experience in a variety of operational and nonà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ operational appointments, and structured professional development, can be applied in a range of areas within Defence. For ADF members, an integrated approach would provide increased career opportunities for the large majority of ADF officers who currently find themselves with limited options midà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ career. Achieving Improved Effectiveness and Efficiency 15. An integrated personnel management framework and the corresponding improvement in experience and professional development across middle management within the Department would provide considerable scope and opportunity for senior management to consider delegating additional responsibility to a more capable middle management group. This would assist in focussing the decision space of senior management on the strategic direction of the Defence Organisation as opposed to the more routine issues currently consuming their limited time. The empowerment of middle management would also provide increased job satisfaction, leading to improved productivity and retention. This is a significant benefit in an environment where the Defence Organisation is aggressively competing to recruit and retain the best. 16. The introduction of an integrated workforce will require cultural change within both the ADF and APS. There will need to be an acceptance that the lines of accountability for personnel issues to the Secretary for APS members and CDF for ADF personnel will become less clear. The personnel management framework will need to move away from a differing model for the APS and ADF to a more integrated management system, particularly in the area of middle and senior management. The recent appointment of a human resource management professional into the role of Deputy Secretary People Strategies and Policy, provides a real opportunity to realign personnel management across Defence. 17. To assist in this process, a review of all middle and senior management positions from EL 1à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ 05 equivalent and above is required. The review should focus on identifying which positions are suitable to be classified as contestable between APS and ADF members. With an understanding of the nature and scale of these contestable positions, an overarching management structure that incorporates both APS and ADF senior and middle managers can be developed. This overarching approach requires Defence senior and middle management personnel to be centrally managed to best meet Defenceà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ wide requirements. For this approach to be successful, the Departments personnel numbers would need to be managed in a more flexible manner, with a move away from separate ADF and APS caps, towards an overarching cap on total Defence employees. 18. There are many examples within industry and other Government agencies where personnel with diverse skills and backgrounds are managed as a total resource. Studies of these approaches would be of benefit when developing a revised framework for the Defence Organisation. The Australian Federal Police (AFP) has addressed these issues very effectively and achieved a wellà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ integrated workforce incorporating both sworn and unsworn officers. Defence should consider using the AFP experience as a case study on how to integrate differing elements into a total workforce. CONCLUSION (Substantial conclusions are drawn about the implications of the analysis for theory and practice) 19. The Defence Department can no longer afford a stovepiped approach to workforce management and must move towards greater integration between the ADF and APS components where the total personnel resources of the Department can be applied to achieve best affect. A move to a more integrated workforce, particularly in the areas of middle and senior management would have significant benefits for the individual APS and ADF members and the Department as a whole. It would provide opportunities to build mechanisms and flexibility into APS personnel management to enable increased professional development and enhanced experience levels. This will improve the job satisfaction and overall employability of APS members both within the Defence Department and the wider APS. For ADF members, greater workforce integration will provide improved career opportunities for the majority of experienced and qualified personnel who, under the current construct have limited career options once they reach the mid career point. This will have significant benefit for ADF retention. 20. A more integrated workforce would provide a framework that ensures the most qualified and experienced personnel from across the entire Department are identified for appointments at the middle and senior management level. Increased integrated can only improve overall workforce effectiveness and efficiency as the Defence Organisation confronts the complex security challenges of the future. RECOMMENDATIONS (Detailed, relevant and considered recommendations for practice are offered).In developing a total and integrated Defence workforce the following is recommended: TQM-What Is It?   If you are reading this book, it is likely that you already know what we mean when we use the term Total Quality Management. Still, its a good idea to define the term, and provide a brief overview.   Certainly TQM can be defined in a number of ways, and the details of different approaches can vary somewhat. However, a good starting definition, drawn from Capezio Morehouse is:   Total Quality management refers to a management process and set of disciplines that are coordinated to ensure that the organization consistently meets and exceeds customer requirements. TQM engages all divisions, departments and levels of the organization. Top management organizes all of its strategy and operations around customer needs and develops a culture with high employee participation. TQM companies are focused on the systematic management of data of all processes and practices to eliminate waste and pursue continuous improvement.    Perhaps a better way of understanding TQM is to compare a TQM organization with what we might call a traditional organizations. tets look at a number of differences.   1. Customer-Driven vs. Company-Driven   Traditional organizations tend to make their decisions based on what is most convenient for them, rather than what is wanted and expected by their customers. Being customer-based means gatf7ering information from customers/clients and modifying services and processes to meet those needs as well as possible. In government, this is not always easy, due to the conflicting responsibilities of a department, and the multiple customers/stakeholders involved in government situations. However, in many cases moving to a customer-driven organization can yield many positive results for government departments.   2. Long-Term vs. Short-Term Orientation   Traditional organizations tend to think and plan with respect to short term outcomes, white TQM organizations tend to think in much larger time spans. A typical example might be that a TQM organization would look at downsizing as having effects over a decade or two, while a traditional organization would look only at the immediate budgetary issues, letting future chips fall where they may.   Also, successful TQM organizations make a long term commitment to the principles of TQM, rather than looking at TQM as a program; something with a beginning and end. This means patience.     3. Data-Driven vs. Opinion-Driven   Traditional organizations tend to be managed by gut feel, or by opinion. They guess at what their customers want, and guess at the costs of waste, etc. TQM organizations base their decisions on data they collect; on customer needs, on waste, on costs, and on the sources of problems. While judgment is always involved in any decision, TQM organizations begin with the data, not with the solution.   4. Elimination of Waste vs. Tolerance of Waste   Most organizations operate with a high degree of waste and inefficiency. Traditional organizations consider waste, whether it be in time, materials, etc, as a normal part of their operation. TQM organizations are very active in identifying wasteful activities, and eliminating them.   5. Continuous Improvement vs, Fire Fighting   Traditional organizations tend to address problems with the way they do things only when there is a major problem or crisis. The watchword in traditional organizations is: if it aint broke, dont fix it, except that often it IS broke, but nobody is paying any attention .   TQM organizations are always looking for improvement, and are constantly engaged in problem-solving to make things better.   6. Prevention vs, Inspection   Traditional organizations tend to fix problems after the fact. Rather than trying to prevent problems, they catch them after the fact, which is very costly. TQM organizations work to prevent problems and errors, rather than simply fixing them.   7. Cross-Function Teams vs. Fortressed Departments   Traditional organizations tend to have sub-units that work autonomously and with little communication or involvement with other units. For example, personnel may have only limited interaction with other departments. Or, on a local level, administrative staff may have little communication with other staff in a government branch, and have a different reporting structure.   In TQM organizations, there is more use of cross-functional teams; teams convened for a particular purpose or purposes, with representation from a number of units or levels in the organization. The use of cross-functional teams means that input is gained from parts of the organization that need to be involved.   8. High Employee Participation vs. Top-Down Hierarchy   Traditional organizations tend to have very restricted communication and decision- making patterns. Employees are told what to do, rather than being inctuded in figuring out what to do. Information tends to flow from top to bottom.   In TQM organizations, employees are much more actively involved in both the decision-making and communication processes. Information flows both top to bottom and bottom to top. For that matter, information also flows sideways.   9. Problem-Solving vs, Blame   Traditional organizations tend to look to affix blame for things that go wrong. TQM organizations attack the problems in their organizations rather than the people. They fix things.   10. Systems Thinking Vs. Isolation   Traditiona~ organizations tend to see the parts and processes of their organization as single things, unretated to other part of the organization. TQM organizations tend to recognize that most often, probtems arise as a result of multiple causes, and that sub- units are interdependent. TQM organizations tend to see problems as a result of the entire system.   11. Leadership vs. Management   Traditional organizations tend to see people as objects to be managed; told what to do, disciplined, tracked, etc. TQM organizations exhibit more confidence in staff and more trust, and expect MORE from them, not less.   Thats a good starting point. There are probably a number of other comparisons to be made, but that gives us some common ground for discussion.   The Three Quality Gurus   While TQM may seem to be a new development to many, it has been around since the 1940s. One of the reasons why TQM seems to be the newest fad was that it was not embraced by North Americans, but it did find a home in post-WWII Japan.   The most well-known advocate of TQM was W. Edwards Deming, a statistician who, while largely ignored in North America, was actively involved in the 40 in the rebuilding of Japan. Deming passed away recently, and was in his 90s.   Two other gurus are Philip Crosby and Joseph Juran. Both are a bit younger than Deming, but have been influential in the field. It is worthy of note that the three gurus do not always agree, probably due to differences in terms of what each thinks is important, rather than in basic principles.   For those interested in learning more about TQM, it might be a good idea to read material from each of these experts.   TQM As Organizational Change Overview Moving to TQM is like any other organizational change. It must be managed effectively, and leaders of the change must take into account aspects of the organizations current culture. In fact, although TQM brings a number of benefits to those in the organization, you can expect some people to be cynical and resistant to change. Lets face it. Everyone in government has seen management fads come and go. Thankfully, a well managed TQM organizational change is likely to bring most if not all people on side over time. Organizational Change Principles 1) Time Any change (and its attached benefits) will take longer to realize than you expect. Typically, it may take as long as two or three years to have TQM working at its peak. 2 Resistance Regardless of the objective nature of the change, some (even many) people will resist it because it is unfamiliar. TQM must be introduced so that it maximizes peoples enthusiasm and minimizes resistance. 3. Leadership Any change will succeed or fail based on the ability of the change leaders to lead. People will take their cues about TQM from the management. If management show that they are committed, employees will become so. If management waffles, hedges, and backs off, then employees will see this as just more rhetoric of little importance. 4. Persistence Nobody is telling you that this process is easy. The worst thing a manager can do is start the process, and when it gets difficult, stop it. That breeds contempt for both the process and the manager. Managers need to commit over the long haul and realize they must be persistent while the rest of the organizations works at getting it. 5. Consistency The primary mistake managers make is that they become inconsistent. Perhaps most of the time, their thinking and actions reflect the principles of TQM. However, not all the time. This tells employees that the manager is not serious. As soon as a manager suggests that a poor product or service be delivered, the game is up. Instant lack of credibility. Consistency also means including employees in the planning of TQM activities, treating employees as the managers customers, and a number of other things. 6.Incentive People will embrace changes that they see are in their own self-interest. When presenting or deal ing with TQM changes it is important that managers highlight and focus on the benefits to the other people in tt7e organization. 7. Communication Change will be accepted or rejected based on the effectiveness of the communication about it. Communication must be frequent, of a two-way nature, and balanced (both positives and negatives). It must begin as early as possible in the process. http://work911.com/articles/tqm2.htm accessed 23102010 Impact Culture does not change because we desire to change it. Culture changes when the organization is transformed; the culture reflects the realities of people working together every day. Frances Hesselbein The Key to Cultural Transformation, Leader to Leader (Spring 1999) Implementation Ten years ago, Peter Senge introduced the idea of the learning organization Now he says that for big companies to change, we need to stop thinking like mechanics and to start acting like gardeners. Alan M. Webber, Learning for a Change Vision without action is merely a dream Action without vision just passes the time Vision with action can change the world Joel A. Barker The Power of Vision In times of rapid change, experience could be your worst enemy. J. Paul Getty Only the wisest and stupidest of men never change. Confucius

Sunday, October 13, 2019

Genghis Khan and the making of the Modern World Essays -- Civilization

When the word â€Å"Mongol† is said I automatically think negative thoughts about uncultured, barbaric people who are horribly cruel and violent. That is only because I have only heard the word used to describe such a person. I have never really registered any initial information I have been taught about the subject pass the point of needing and having to know it. I felt quite incompetent on the subject and once I was given an assignment on the book, Genghis Khan and the Making of the Modern Age, I was very perplexed for two reasons. One I have to read an outside book for a class that already requires a substantial amount of time reading the text, and secondly I have to write a research paper in History. I got over it and read the book, which surprisingly enough interested me a great deal and allow me to see the Moguls for more than just a barbaric group of Neanderthals, but rather a group of purpose driven warriors with a common goal of unity and progression. Jack Weatherford ’s work has given me insight on and swayed my opinion of the Mongols. Jack Weatherford showed great enthusiasm and passion while depicting Genghis Khan as a great leader, who was responsible for the unity of people and various other accomplishments. He had a very positive attitude toward the subject, although he didn’t set out to write a book about him, but rather on about the history of world commerce. In the process of researching the Silk Road he traveled to Mongolia and gain vital first hand information into the vast accomplishments of Genghis Khan and the Mongols (xxx). He seems upset about previous ideas that many may have believed that highlight his beloved Mongols in anything but a positive and respectful light. He also expresses feelings about later Mon... ...ed Chinese culture then and still does now. The Mongol Global Awakening caused new technological advancement, such as carpenters using general adze less and adapted more specialized tools. There were new crops developed as well (235). The Mongol preeminence was destroyed as a result of the Black Plague. The Mongols have influenced many of the concept and idea that we still see utilized today in politics and international relations. Jack Weatherford tremendously changed my insight into the true Mongol and not the barbaric, savage I once thought of just by hearing the word. I resent this research paper a great deal, and I know that I may not get the grade I want, but at least I did learn something new and destroyed the previous thought I had about these people just by completing it so I feel it served its purpose and that’s the only reason my mind was changed.