The Masque of the Red Death for Edgar Allan Poe Essay

The Masque of the Red Death for Edgar Allan Poe - Essay Example Such people in a way tend to ignore the reality of death by engaging in favored diversions and cherished joys. On the other side there are people who respect the serious and ponderous aspects of life and do not hesitate to meditate on and think about death, which is the inevitable and unavoidable fate of everybody who is alive. However, the one single thing that is common to all the types and dispositions is that death does evoke the feelings of fear and intimidation, irrespective of one’s status or temperament. Edgar Allan Poe in his story The Masque of the Red Death delves on the frivolity of human understanding in the face of that which is all pervasive and universal. The plot, setting, characterization and atmosphere created by Poe in The Masque of the Red Death rely on the elements of terror, horror and grotesqueness, to exhibit the helplessness of the human existence before a fate that is essentially given to be mortal. The story starts with the news that â€Å"The â₠¬Å"Red Death† had long devastated the country† (Poe 3). By doing so the writer tends to play on the fear and all pervasiveness of death that always lurks at the back of human consciousness. In that context, the miniature world marked by gaiety and merriment, created by Edgar Allan Poe is a replica of the real world in which death pursues all and sundry, without exception and favors. The characters in the story, including the Prince Prospero and his assorted guests and the retinue of entertainers belong to the affluent strata of society. Now for the poor and deprived, it is much easier to admit one’s helplessness before death. The dilution of ego is more favorable to the understanding and acceptance of the essential aspects of life. However, it is not so with the denizens of the â€Å"castellated abbeys† (Poe 3). Unexceptionally all the characters in the story tend to be the cream of the society in a pecuniary and political context. Thus, as expected, they e nd up committing the same mistake, which is committed in varied measures by the mighty and powerful in all the ages and times. They believe that death and pestilence was to be the fate of the commoners in the kingdom and they are perfectly safe behind their â€Å"lofty wall† (Poe 3) and â€Å"gates of iron† (Poe 3). The â€Å"hale and light hearted friends† (Poe 3) of the Prince Prospero ironically intend to subdue their acceptance of death in a cloud of fun, enjoyment and luxury. However, this very intention and effort on their part, time and again reveals the moments of â€Å"brief disconcert of the whole gay company† (Poe 5). Their heartiest laughs are tinged with apprehensions and their gayest frolics are marked with intimidation. In that context, the plight of these guests is actually the plight of all men. Hence, the terror of the assorted guests in a subtle way percolates into and makes connection with the terror lurking in the minds of the readers , and the contrived obliviousness on their part makes the reader think about one’s personal attempts to evade thoughts of mortality, by engaging in diversion of one’s own. In a way, the reader simply forgets as to the moment and way one connects with and begins to identify with the arrogant ignorance of the guests in the story, flickering amidst death that has the potential to

Seaborne Energy Business 2030 Essay Example for Free

Seaborne Energy Business 2030 Essay BP (2012) stated that in 2011 global oil consumption has increased 0. 7 per cent to reach 88 million BOPD. Despite the fact that the consumption is not picturing a significant amount of growth, according to UNCTAD (2012), in the same period crude oil load capacity reached 1. 8 billion tons and has an account for approximately one third of the total world seaborne trade. Meanwhile, global consumption of coal has increased significantly in the same period. As BP (2012) mentioned in the BP Statistical Review of World Energy June 2012, coal has grew by 5. per cent, which is the only fossil fuel that increased above the average and the fastest growing energy outside renewable energy. Coal trade across countries are also illustrated remarkable growth. Between year 1999 and 2011 in tonne mile unit coal trade has risen 67 per cent to a number of 2196 tonne miles (UNCTAD, 2012). Furthermore, another energy source that has a very promising prospect to the world seaborne trade is LNG. LNG is the third sources of energy most consumed globally, after oil and coal. This type of nergy has shown a considerable escalation in the last 10 years. Since 2000, LNG consumption has grown by over 30 per cent (BP, 2012). Likewise, from 1999 to 2011, LNG seaborne trade has escalated way more significant, which reach the number of 258 per cent (UNCTAD, 2012). Lastly, the other prospectus energy that possibly able to provide sustainability to the world energy and could play a greater role in the future is non fossil fuel energy especially renewable energy. Currently, this type of energy has an account of 2. per cent of world energy consumption, which has risen from 0. 7 per cent in 2001 (BP, 2012). In present time, the contribution of this energy may not be very significant to world seaborne energy trade but with the steady growth and declining of oil reserves as the main sources of energy, renewable energy is reckoned to contribute more in the future and it might affected to the world seaborne energy trade. With all the facts aforementioned, it is important to generate a projection on how the energy consumption and production proportion is distributed in the future. Since seaborne transport business is a derives demand, it is essential to predict the development of the commodity, in this case is energy, in order to have a general picture of the energy seaborne transport business in the future. It is therefore, this essay will examine the development of this issue, which will focus on crude oil, coal, LNG, and renewable energy transport business especially in the year of 2030. 2. GLOBAL ENERGY DEMAND PROJECTION 2030 Demand of energy production that leads to energy transportation is mainly affected by the amount of its consumption. According to BP (2012) energy consumption driven by two main aspects that are population and income (GDP). In the year 2030, world population is projected to grow by 1. 4 billion, which is 0. 9 per cent per annum. Growth of GDP are also display a similar trends. Driven by low and medium income economies, the growth in the next 20 years is projected to accelerate reach the number of 3. 7 per cent, raising from 3. 2 per cent in the 1990-2010 period. However, increase in population and GDP growth is not necessarily surge the primary energy consumption. As expressed in BP Energy Outlook 2030 (BP, 2012), primary energy consumption growth from 2010 to 2030, which dominated by the supply of crude oil production, is decelerated to 1. 6 per cent compared to 2. 0 per cent between 1990 and 2010. The main factor to this is major decline of world crude oil reserves by that year. Another factor that has emerged this situation is global improvement of energy efficiency, especially for OECD countries that shifting the utilisation of oil to renewable for road transportation and change from coal to the same type energy in power generation. Despite the deceleration, primary energy still has a substantial account to the entire world energy consumption. The proportion of primary energy consumption and world primary energy shares between 2010 and 2030 show in the graph below. As presented in figure 1, the majority of total global energy consumption still contributed by the primary energy, which consist of crude oil, coal, and LNG. In 2030, these three main energy commodities are project to be consumed over 12billion TOE (tonne of oil equivalent) globally, which approximately 70 per cent of total energy consumed. Moreover, from the graph it can be seen the development of each form of energy illustrating a different tendency. Crude oil as the most consumable energy in the last 20 years is not display a significant development. Decline in its reserves cause the crude oil no longer provide sustainability to global consumer. However, the amount of oil consumed in 2030 is reasonably immense and still provide a great contribution to the global consumer with a little less than 30 per cent (figure 2). On the other hand, the development of the other two primary energies is considerably high. Gas particularly, is predicted to grow steadily in the next 20 years and become the fastest growing fuel fossils. As can be seen in the figure 2, gas supply share to the world’s energy consumption will reach over 20 per cent by 2030. The gas supply to the global energy consumer will be represented by grow fasting LNG supply, which reach the number of 4. 5 per cent per annum faster than total gas supply (2. 1 per cent). Meanwhile, growth of global coal consumption is displaying a steady trend up until 2030 (figure 1). The coal consumption projected to increase until around 2020 but start to decline afterwards with China as the main consumer of this energy end their rapid consumption. Nevertheless, by 2030 coal overtake oil on the world primary energy share (figure 2). Moreover, the consumption of non fossil fuel energy in 2030 is projected to grow massively (34 per cent) and will have a much larger proportion to the global energy consumption as can be seen in both figures. Non fossil fuel, renewable in particular will be very important by that year as immense needs of sustainable power for electricity and transport fuel will emerge the development of this type of energy. 3. CRUDE OIL SEABORNE TRADE Aforementioned, the growth of crude oil demand will not have a significant improvement, which reflected on the consumption growth that only 0. 6 per cent annually between 2010 and 2030 (BP, 2012). This situation gives a serious impact to the crude oil tanker business. Grossman et al (2006) expressed the perspective of crude oil tanker business in 2030 is shaded by the uncertainty. The high amount of oil price, declining reserves of crude oil and limitation in production capacity could affect the world crude oil trade. However, in spite of many uncertainties here and there, there are still some good trends concerning this business. One of the upsides is increase in transported distances, which will have several benefits especially for large size tanker vessel. As declining of mature oil field reserves that have relatively close distance to the major importing countries and geopolitical problems on pipeline developments, the dependence of the importers to major producers in Africa and Middle East is extremely high. Grossman et al (2006) added in Maritime Trade and Transport Logistic Strategy 2030, the crude oil exports share of Middle East countries will raise to over 60 per cent, which means the tanker trade from there to major exporters will have the same trends. Figure 3 below, present the crude oil trade flows in 2030 carry by tanker vessel. It can be seen that major importing countries especially in the Asia region have a massive dependence on crude oil trade from Middle East. China for instance, is projected to import the oil from Middle East for approximately 5. 9 million BPD (IEEJ, 2006), increase over 50 per cent from 2011 (EIA, 2012). The main factor of this is decline of China oil production to only 2 million BPD. Trends on decline in production capacity also occurred on other East Asia countries. Accumulatively, other East Asian countries outside China and Japan only produced oil slightly over 2 million BPD, which forced them to import more, especially from Middle East region that reach 10. 6 million BPD. Meanwhile, Japan and India that traditionally are net importers of oil is predicted to import oil from Middle East for 3. 6 and 6. 6 million BPD, respectively. In total, Asian region projected to import almost 30 million BPD from Middle East Region in 2030. One of the effects of this situation is increment of crude oil tanker traffic around Strait of Malacca and Singapore. As shown in the Figure 4, the number of VLCC passing this strait will increase up to 8646 almost doubled from 2010 and oil traded through this area reach 24. 7 million BPD, which on one hand is good for country’s income but on the other hand it will cause a reasonably intense congestion. Furthermore, US and Western Europe as the major market stakeholders for oil also depends on crude oil transportation. US particularly, despite they still produce considerably large amount of oil, they still have to import it from Middle East, Africa and Latin America because their production capacity is no longer fulfil the domestic market. Total oil trade from those three regions reach slightly over 10 million BPD, which is still below their domestic production rate. Whilst, for Western European market, the dependence on seaborne oil trade from other region is not as a high as both US or Asian countries since they still have pipeline distribution from Eastern Europe, Russia especially. Furthermore, in the long term scenario, as production capacity will reach the peak number in this period, increment of the production rate is no longer able to satisfy the demand. As a result, based on US Energy Information and National Resources Canada (2010) world crude oil price is predicted to climb up to average of $101 per barrel, which affected adversely to the existence of crude oil tanker market. Large size crude oil tanker especially, will suffered a greater impact than the small ones, since they purposely built in order to serve the large crude oil market. 4. WORLD COAL TRADE Coal is the commodity that plays a substantial role worldwide with the utilisation in almost every important sector of industry. World Coal Institute (2011) stated that in the present time steam coal utilised in power generation, which has the 39 per cent proportion of the world’s electricity utilisation, whilst coking coal are mainly utilised for iron and steel production. According to IEA (2011) prior to 2030 the coal consumption will increase as much as 53 per cent and the apportionment mostly about 85 per cent will be contributed from China and India. It is predicted that even before 2015, China’s import will outweigh their exports, whilst India is traditionally a net importer of Coal. Meanwhile in the producers point of view, Australia which represents 25 per cent of global trade will raise their production up to 30 per cent by 2030, which means if China and India will depends on seaborne transportations from producer like this country or other producers such as Indonesia, Colombia and South Africa. As a consequence of long distance of transportation and concerning the high cost of transport because of that, the coal trade worldwide is divided into two different regions of operation that are the Atlantic and the Pacific. The Atlantic route serving the European market such as UK, Germany and Spain, whilst the Pacific consists of countries like China and India. The 2030 complete coal trade route is presented in the figure 7 below. Increment of global coal consumption and wide range of coal trade transported by seaborne transportation affect the amount of cargo carried by ships to serve the market. DNV (2009) estimated that in that year the number of Capesize coal bulk carriers load would reach 7000 ships increase from 4700 shiploads in 2006. Additionally, significant increase in number of shipload consequently force the port authority to develop their infrastructure in order to for the ship to maintain the economy of scale of their operation. Therefore, the authority should invested large amount of money to develop their infrastructure. EXAMPLE. Even though it is important in raise the port capacity, not every country concern about this aspect. Australia, for instance, despite coal trade has an account of 23 per cent of total export and worth over A$ 52 billion a year, the government would not make an investment on that. They insisted the state government or the company should cover that responsibility. 5. DEVELOPMENT OF LNG TRADE According to Bull (2012) world LNG trade in the year 2030 is forecasted to reach a significant amount compared to the current condition with the demand over 880 bcm by the end of that year. The growth of this commodity influenced by huge development on the gas field globally that were forced by country’s economic growth, which requires to improve energy structure and sustainability (He, 2005). As BP explained in 2012 Statistical Review, natural gas has abundant reserves worldwide, therefore the utilisation of this type of energy specifically in the liquid form or LNG is expected to bring a better energy structure to the industry. Middle East still the major exporters supplemented by Asia Pacific countries lead by Indonesia and Australia (Bull, 2012). Qatar will expand their production through the years and is projected to be the LNG export hub in the region. In addition, Iran also has the potential to be the leading country of LNG exporter but the current sanction applied to the oil trade and high tension in the Strait of Hormuz will potentially lead to other seaborne trade sanction in that area and prohibit them to trade globally. Moreover, the development on new facilities in Indonesia and myriad in Australia could generate this region to be the world leading exporter with the capacity forecasted to reach 238 bcm. In the import perspective, European and East Asian countries such as Japan and Korea still a primary market. In Europe, countries like Spain, UK, and France still top producers, whilst Sweden, Poland, and the Netherland expected to join the market. Total demand forecast of this region is predicted to reach up to 300 bcm. Meanwhile, Eastern Asia has a total demand of 330 bcm by the end of this period with Japan and Korea will remain the largest LNG consumer. China is following them with the high growth rate of demand. Aforementioned, by the end of this period total LNG trade will reach the number of 880 bcm, which is a very large number compared with the 2011 condition that only 310 bcm. Export will mostly contributed from Qatar and Australia, whilst large-scale demand will be from Asian Countries and new developed LNG importer such as Sweden and Poland. The complete of LNG trade flows 2030 presented in figure 5 below. With high forecast of LNG trade in the future and according to DIW (2009) as they presented in the Figure 5, the trade is very likely involving countries from different regions with a long distance of trade, therefore the requirements for LNG fleet is inevitable. Emirates247 (2008) projected the number of LNG tanker fleet will reach 700 ships that year and Bull (2012) predict in more optimistic approach with the projection approximately 900 number of ships. This figure 6 below presented the development of LNG fleet from 2011 to 2030 according to Bull’s projection. With that high number and steady growth through the years, it is very unlikely to scrap this type of ship and it is very potential to make the investment on this ship regarding high demand of LNG in the future. 6. SEABORNE BIOFUEL BUSINESS PROSPECTS 7. SUMMARY AND CONCLUSION

Intelligence Used for Academic Success :: essays research papers

Is it possible for students to be successful without being aware of their strengths and weaknesses? Do students know how important is to recognize their own abilities? Do they know how to use their intelligences in order to improve understanding of a material that they have to study? Achieving academic goals is impossible without recognizing those strengths. As for me, the three strongest abilities that I possess are spatial, interpersonal and linguistic intelligence, and using them helps me to survive in academic jungle. Spatial is one of the intelligences that help me be a better learner. Since I’ m a visual type, it is helpful for me to drew pictures in order to visualize the material that I’ m reading about. Also, while I study, I like to highlight important sentences. When I try to recall the lesson that I read, I know exactly where positions of those highlighted sentences in the book are. Next, spatial intelligence helps me to be successful in arranging my papers and books. Without having that ability my folders would easily turn into a big mess. To illustrate, one of my classmates called me yesterday, asking me for information about some topic that we discussed last semester. At that moment, I knew exactly in which folder I have that information. Another intelligence that I possess is interpersonal, which is very important in relations with others, especially during school time. As for me, it’s easy to make new friendships, and get in touch with people. I have changed a lot of schools so far, and if I hadn’t been able to adapt, I would have given up. When I’ m in the classroom, surrounded with people that I don’t know well, I’ m always ready to participate in discussion. Besides, I have a lot of friends. Since I’ m a good listener, they always come to me with their personal problems. For instance, once when my friend was put on probation for financial aid because she didn’t have good grades, she called me and asked for a help. Even though I couldn’t help her materially, she said that just talking to me made her feel better. Afterward, I convinced her to call her parents and explain them her situation. Finally, linguistic intelligence is my strongest. This intelligence is very important for students who live and study in foreign countries. My ability to communicate through languages makes my college life easier, and helps me be a better student.

How does Frayn present ideas about growing up in Spies? Essay

In the novel Spies, the motifs of personal growth, growing up and childhood are all integral to the plotline. It could be said that besides the theme of memory, growing up is the most crucial theme of the novel. As a genre, Spies fits clearly into bildungsroman style, showing the importance of Stephen’s personal development with relation to the storyline. Throughout Spies, Stephen shows a great deal of personal growth as a character, from his outlook on life, to the ways he interacts with other characters. Frayn expresses this through a variety of literary techniques. Spies’ narrative style is set from two perspectives. Firstly, a reflective third person narrative from Stefan’s perspective as an elderly man that is recalling childhood memories. Secondly, a more direct first person narrative which seems to be more the perspective of Stephen as a young child. The contrast in narrative allows for greater flexibility in showing the contrast between the more mature man, and his younger counterpart. In chapter 9 when Mrs Hayward appeals to Stephen for his help, the perspective switches in the middle of the chapter, which is also indicative of the thought process of the character at that point. By the use of third person narrative to begin the chapter, Frayn gives Stephen’s mind a sense of distance and separation from the event, emphasising the surreal situation of an adult woman ‘driven to humble herself’ by asking a child for help, and Stephen’s inability to cope with the confusion that brings. It shows how at that point, despite his growing maturity, Stephen had not fully matured enough to fully comprehend what Mrs Hayward was asking of him. By dealing with this from a reflective aspect, allows for the elder Stefan to fill in some of the gaps in younger Stephen’s knowledge and understanding of the situation. When the perspective switches to the first person, it gives a greater sense of involvement of Stephen in the scene, and thus adopts language that is more childlike, and a younger inner voice. This again emphasises the difference between the thoughts of younger, and elder Stephen, and provides contrast between child and adulthood. Whereas younger Stephen’s sentences are much shorter and abrupt such as ‘Silence again. I sneak another look’, older Stefan’s language is more complex and extensive, as in examples like ‘he’d begun as her antagonist, now he was to become her accomplice’, showing that Stefan’s ability to express himself has yet to fully develop. These contrasting perspectives also allow to clearly show when the younger Stephen matures or achieves clarity on some thought, as in chapter eight. In this chapter, he claims ‘I see all kinds of things I never saw before’. Another example is when he begins to realise after Barbara’s interpretation that perhaps his and Keith’s ideas that Mrs Hayward is a German spy are perhaps false, or misunderstood. They also create many of the humorous points of the novel, by identifying childish misconceptions of life, and expressing them in a frank manner, as they would have been thought by the children. Characters such as Barbara Berrill and the Hardiment children provide aspects of comedy as to how they perceive the world, and how they are perceived by Stephen and the other children of the close. Barbara, being slightly older than Stephen, appears to have a more mature view on the world, yet it is shown how it is not necessarily correct, as when she claims ‘lots of ladies have boyfriends while everyone’s Daddies are away’. This shows a more romantic outlook on the world, biased by girls’ magazines and entertainment predominately focused more towards love, relationships, and families, rather than war and machismo. Other instances include credence being given to Elizabeth Hardiment due to the fact that she wears glasses; with no other basis for the claim that she is more knowledgeable or intelligent than any of the other children. Frayn also makes frequent use of symbolism to imply aspects of personal growth or sexual awakening. On a large scale, the tunnel that both Mrs Hayward and Stephen pass through to get to the barns can be said to represent a grander theme of Stephen’s transition from safety of childhood, to the more troubling nature of adulthood that Mrs Hayward frequents often. The fact that in order to make that transition Stephen is forced to confront guilt and self doubt shows his maturity as an individual, despite his motives for visiting the barns. Originally, this investigation is done with Keith, in order to discover Mrs Hayward’s secrets, but later again on his own Stephen shows a greater level of development, braving to face the barns on his own for reasons less self-motivated than before. Other smaller symbols used to represent growth include cigarettes and ‘x’ marks. Both of these symbols hold sexual connotations for Stephen, showing another aspect of how he matures throughout the novel. Cigarettes are a motif used throughout the novel to suggest intimacy and sexual relationships, as Deidre Berrill and Stephen’s brother Geoff are known to smoke together. This is explained to Stephen by Barbara in chapter 9 when she tells him ‘they smoke cigarettes and then they kiss each other’, thus implying there is a natural link and progression from one to the other. Mrs Hayward is also discovered to be leaving cigarettes for Uncle Peter in the barns, with the implication that they also smoke them together – another sign of intimacy. Finally also, Stephen and Barbara share cigarettes, this being indicative of their blooming relationship and Stephen’s increasing feelings towards her. As at the beginning of the novel, Stephen would not lower himself enough socially to talk to Barbara, the fact that he shares cigarettes with her further on shows how he has matured sexually, but also socially enough that he no longer feels that all girls are not worth talking to. The ‘x’ marks also represent sexual aspects of life to Stephen, being associated with kisses, femininity, equations, and things that he does not fully understand. As he begins to understand the meanings of the ‘x’ marks, he also begins to realise the childish nature of what he originally believed Mrs Hayward’s secrets were about. By maturing enough to grasp the more romantic nature of ‘x’ marks, rather than the sinister, allows him to accept more the idea that Mrs Hayward’s secret is of a more feminine and sexual nature than her being a German spy. Therefore, the ideas Frayn presents on the concept of growing up in Spies are largely in the use of symbolism and perspective switch, creating the varying levels of understanding for younger Stephen, and allowing the reader to understand the contrast between the thoughts and perspective of the younger character, versus the more elderly character reflecting. This also reinforces the overall theme of memory in the novel, as to have only one perspective throughout Spies would deny the reader to a whole level of the character’s emotions, either the more analytical emotions expressed in reflective speech, or the more abrupt and immediate emotions of the character as he is dealing with the situations he is facing. It is the combination of the two that creates the level of effectiveness that Spies has as a novel.

“A Flowering of faith: Christianity and Buddhism” Essay

There are many similarities in the teachings of Jesus and Buddha. Most are discussed specifically in their sermons. With Christianity the sermon was called â€Å"Sermon on the Mount†. Jesus went up a mountainside and spoke to his disciples and the crowds of people. It stated the right ways for us to approach God and to deal with other people. This was a collection of sayings, the Gospel of Matthew, stated by Jesus himself. This sermon, which is located in the New Testament, is the longest teaching from Jesus. With Buddhism, Gautama Buddha was known as their spiritual leader. He was said to have â€Å"attained Nirvana† or to have achieved a state where suffering is eliminated through the abandonment of desires. When stated the term, desires, meaning the cause of suffering. There were many ways to differentiate the two sermons, but their similarities were much more. When dealing with the religions, both had separate commandments to abide by. Buddha’s, â€Å"The Noble Eightfold Path†, gave the religion eight rights to remember. Two of the rights in example were â€Å"Right Speech, avoidance of untruth, slander and swearing†, and â€Å"Right Contemplation, of the truth†. In Christianity, â€Å"The Ten Commandments†, was a list of the different rights to acknowledge. In example â€Å"Thou shalt have no other gods before me† and â€Å"Thou shalt not steal†. In the Sermon of the mount, Jesus also stated what he considered the perfect prayer this was called â€Å"The Lord’s Prayer†. This was simply what you should quote if ever you prayed. In the Sermon at Benares, Buddha listed what was called â€Å"The Four Noble Truths†. These were known as the important principles in Buddhism. The four truths are best understood, not as beliefs, but as categories of experience. They more so discussed what we call cause and effect, i.e. the truth about stress is suffering. When dealing with their similarities the main thing they had in common was the enormous faith in them through their disciples. In conclusion, like Jesus, The Buddha set out to teach nothing but good to his people. They both spoke about helping the sick, wisdom, and faith. Their disciples acknowledged them for guidance in life. Although they were two completely different religions, as said before their similarities remained close.

Organisational Behaviour essays

Organisational Behaviour essays Organisational behaviour is the study of individuals or employees within an organisational environment, aimed at providing the ability to understand subordinate behaviour. A firm understanding of employee behaviour and the factors and attributes that influence this behaviour will enable managers to identify what measures will encourage high performance and satisfy employees. There are many measures and techniques available to encourage optimal performance and ensure job satisfaction. We shall examine motivation and empowerment approaches managers should use to create a satisfying working environment characterised by high performing employees. The Macquarie Concise Dictionary defines motivation as 1. A motivating; providing of a motive; 2. giving purpose There has been many theories established over time that assist managers to understand how motivation works, and what employees value in order to understand what measures can be used to motivate them, below is an explanation on a handful of these theories. Maslows Hierarchy of Needs presents the concept that individuals have varying and different needs and puts these needs in order of importance. Maslows formulation suggests that some needs have higher priority than others and therefore must be satisfied before the other needs may serve as motivators. (Wood, J.M., Wallace, J.P. and Zeffane, R. 2001 ). As shown in the diagram following, Maslow argues that the most pressing need has to be satisfied before another, higher in the hierarchy becomes active. At the most basic level, people have physiological needs - needs stem...

klha essays

klha essays Software Giant to Outline Case for Consumer The European Commission has recently sued Microsoft for a number of so called anti-trust violations. Microsoft has now delivered an argument against the accusations explaining and defending their actions, as well as sighting their problems with the fact that the Commission seems to be making law simply to restrict Microsofts privileges. Microsoft argues that these accusations and proposed restrictions are more to help rival companies than to restrain its assumed monopoly. One major argument is that Microsoft ties in its Media Player to the typical Windows operating system. The Commission contends that Microsoft is preventing consumers from choosing their own media player. Microsoft explains that people do not want Windows without the Windows Media Player and that there is no evidence that alleged tie has restricted consumer choice. Yet, the Commission maintains that if the Media Player becomes dominant, any company that intends to sell content in audio or video form will have to ma ke sure it is in WMP format. Microsoft will essentially be able to charge a toll for each transaction. The trial, which will take place in European Courts, could take anywhere from a few months to five or six years. Microsoft Corporation may not officially be a pure monopoly, but it certainly has many of the characteristics. For one, the Windows operating system has become a standardized product, preventing any competition from entering the market. Factors such as this one in a market are known as barriers to entry and are a clear sign of a monopoly. Also, Microsoft is a price maker, which means that they can somewhat control the price of a specific product, in this case an operating system (Windows, etc), by changing its market supply. Essentially the only way for Microsoft to increase their sales of Windows OS is to lower the price. This shows that marginal revenue ...

Career Planning for Homeschoolers

Career Planning for Homeschoolers When you’re homeschooling a high school student, it helps to realize that one of the many roles you’ll need to fill is that of guidance counselor. A guidance counselor helps students make the best choices to be as successful as possible in their academic and post-graduation choices. One of the areas in which you’ll need to guide your student is in his or her potential career options. You’ll want to help him explore his interests, uncover his aptitudes, and decide what post-graduation choices will help him achieve his goals. Your teen may go directly into college or the workforce, or he may decide that a gap year will be beneficial. It is wise to encourage your high school students to explore as many of their interests as your familys schedule and finances allow. This exploration can provide valuable insight when it’s time to consider their vocational options after graduation. Most people find their most satisfying careers when their interests, talents, and aptitude can be directed toward their life’s work. How do you help your student decide on the career path he’ll follow after high school? How to Help Your Homeschooled Teen Choose a Career Path Look for Apprenticeship Opporunities Apprenticeship opportunities aren’t widely available, but they do still exist. You can often find such opportunities with people who are self-employed. Year ago, my husband worked as an apprentice for an appliance repairman. He ultimately decided on a different career path, but the skills he learned have proved invaluable for our family. He has saved us countless dollars in repair fees since he is able to do most of those repairs himself. A few years ago, a self-employed homeschool dad was seeking a homeschooled teen to act as his apprentice. He advertised in our local homeschool group’s newsletter, so that’s a good place to check. Look for people seeking an apprentice or advertise your student’s willingness for such a position. I graduated with a girl who apprenticed with a farrier. A friend’s son apprenticed with a piano tuner. If your student is interested in a particular field, ask friends and family if they know someone who does that type of work. Volunteer Help your student look for volunteer opportunities that align with her interests. Does she think she’d like to be a marine biologist? Consider volunteering at an aquarium or marine rehabilitation facility. If you live near the coast, check out opportunities to volunteer as a sea turtle nest parent. If your student loves animals, consider zoos, veterinarian offices, animal shelters, or rescue organizations. If she’s considering healthcare, try hospitals, nursing homes, or doctor’s offices. Would-be journalists might try a newspaper office of television studio. Secure an Internship Talented, hardworking students may be able to land intern jobs. An internship is an opportunity that employers offer for students to get experience in a field that interests them. It’s a great way for students to see if the career field is something they would truly enjoy pursing. Some internships are paid while others are not. There are full- and part-time internships. Both are usually for a set time, such as a summer intern position, a semester, or a few months. We have a homeschooled friend who is a dual-enrolled high school senior working a full-time internship with an engineering firm. It’s been a fantastic opportunity to learn more about her desired field while also getting a taste of full-time employment. There are online resources for finding an internship. You can also check with colleges or companies for whom your student would like to work.  Networking among friends and family can also be helpful in discovering potential opportunities.   Take Career Assessments Your student may be unsure what career path interests him. In this case, an aptitude test can be helpful in investigating possible choices based on your students interests, talents, and personality. There are a variety of free aptitude tests and career assessments available  online. Even if the tests don’t reveal a career path that interests your teen, it may help to spark the brainstorming process. It can also reveal talents and traits he hadn’t considered when thinking of possible vocational options. Consider Hobbies Help your student to objectively assess her hobbies and recreational interests to see if there is a career opportunity there. Your amateur photographer may want to consider a career as a professional. Your musician may want to teach her talents to others. One of our friends, a homeschool graduate, was  heavily involved in community theater  as a student. After taking a local acting course, he  is now following his dreams to become a professional actor. Another local graduate is a  gifted sculptor who has traveled abroad studying and creating. She  has won several awards  and been commissioned by  wealthy clients to create artwork. Even if your student’s passions remain simply lifelong hobbies, they’re worth investing in and pursuing. Because of the flexibility that homeschooling offers, homeschooled teens have a unique opportunity to fully explore potential vocations. They can also customize their high school courses to prepare for future employment.

Adolescents are not in turmoil,not deeply disturbed and not resistant Research Proposal

Adolescents are not in turmoil,not deeply disturbed and not resistant to parental values - Research Proposal Example Adolescence is commonly perceived as that stage of physiological, mental, and emotional development between childhood and adulthood. Generally taken as the â€Å"pre-teen† to â€Å"teen† ages, usually at the onset of puberty until about 18 or 19, the period of adolescent development pertains to a rather diverse range of determinant influences including social, environmental, religious, even cultural factors for the concept to be framed in more definitive terms. In this paper, the context adopted by the American Psychological Association (A.P.A.) in its scientific publication titled â€Å"Developing Adolescents: A reference for Professionals† shall be, likewise, adopted: â€Å"There is no standard age range for defining adolescence. Individuals can begin adolescence earlier than age 10, just as some aspects of adolescent development often continue past the age of 18. Although the upper age boundary is sometimes defined as older than 18 (e.g., age 21 or 25), there is widespread agreement that those in the age range of 10 to 18 should be considered adolescents.† (p. 2) The stage of adolescence is definitely the most exciting period of most everyone’s life. The period of discoveries and learning on your own, the time of exciting encounters and relationships, of heightened interests in new and more exciting things than dolls and matchboxes, it is that time in our lives that almost every adult, if not every adult, would look back to with fondness and great relish. It is the period of our lives when we looked at everything in the world with more intense interest and passion. Child psychologist Gregory Ramey at Dayton Children’s in his Dayton Daily News article titled Adolescent Turmoil writes, â€Å"Teens feel the world so passionately. They live life differently from the rest of us. They experience intense sadness at things that appear trivial and escalate to extreme excitement at seemingly insignificant eventsâ€Å". He continues further, â€Å"They enjoy

Nigerian Agip Oil Company Dissertation Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 9250 words

Nigerian Agip Oil Company - Dissertation Example From this study it is clear that the oil and gas industry is one of the most important sectors of the Nigerian economy. Thus there is a considerable amount of literature providing information on this specific industry. These have also offered an insight into the operations of the major oil producing companies present in Nigeria. Some of the literary works have also enumerated the success of these international companies and have tried to determine the reasons behind their high performance.This study declares that  similar to Mariby’s report, author Frynas has examined the conflict between the foreign oil companies and local village communities in Nigeria. The book begins by tracing the origins and evolution of Nigeria’s oil industry. He has provided an account of the overall consequences of the operations of the oil companies on the population residing in the villages. The book has specifically concentrated on the social and environmental effects of the firms’ activities on the native inhabitants of the country. This has always served as a complicated subject of research and also given rise to several viewpoints on the issue. The author has further considered the historical aspect of the issue and describes the past incidents of clashes between the two parties. He also enumerates the Nigerian government’s laws in this context and tries to analyze the social, economic and legislative hindrances which the oil companies were likely to encounter.

Improving analyse based on feedback for marketing Essay

Improving analyse based on feedback for marketing - Essay Example The company selected for this study is the Cullin Innovation Pvt Ltd which is a successful company engaged in the manufacture of mineral water. The company is based in Queensland, Australia. â€Å"Cullin Innovation Pty Ltd was formed to create, develop and commercialise new and innovative products that will enhance the potential for an ecologically sustainable future. Cullin Innovation Pty Ltd is driven by a strong environmental and social ethic.† (Company profile, 2009, para.2). Involvement, partnership and deliberate alliances are main factors that support Cullin Innovation’s research and advancement and manufacturing plan capability. This construction facilitates a huge group of possessions and knowledge to be readily available across an extensive array of disciplines. This has helped create elasticity, reduce overheads and decreasing the response time to get together with the dynamic markets. The development and prospects that Cullin Innovation Pty Ltd enjoys is a proven guarantee by the Managing Director Peter Cullin’s confidence and the insights for the development of the product and to make the business a success. Marketing is a commercial activity that recognizes needs of the customer and requirements of the business. Thus, it needs to decide on the kind of target markets which are likely to serve the company’s avenue for selling its products. Advertising is the core of marketing and its purpose is to primarily introduce a product in the market and secondarily to create affinity about the product in the minds of the customers. Marketing is a significant activity in the organization and the management conducts an analysis on various trends that prevail within the sector. Marketing of the product identifies the mission of the company and how the statement is formulated and how it can contribute for the success of the product. Marketing strategies also envisage future prospects of the company. The Marketing activities support the mission,

Wrong news Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Wrong news - Essay Example t are delivered the people’s doorsteps every day; others become familiar, trustworthy faces that are broadcast on television for millions of viewers. By creating information, however, journalists of all types can actually become a source of false news. Those who write newspaper articles are often subject to strict deadlines, and sometimes they may feel unable to gather all of the correct information on time, so they fill in some of the small details on their own. Their boss may also expect them to write about something that will grab the attention of many readers, and this sort of news it not always easy to come by – so they decide a little white lie won’t hurt anyone. They may be journalists, but they are still human; and like you and me, they care about keeping their jobs. Those who write news scripts for the television, on the other hand, face a different kind of pressure. In order to keep ratings up, they must present news that people will want to watch. And if it’s going to help the show’s popularity, why not add their own clever twist to the story? It might only be a small percent of journalists who would actually make fake news at the expense of the public, but there are other ways the news can be inaccurate. While certainly not all journalists are as untrustworthy as those in the aforementioned scenario, it should be pointed out that sometimes the sources they gather their information from are wrong. Many journalists and reporters rely on the information that is shared with them by ordinary, average people. Some of these average people may skew the story to protect themselves of someone they know. Or some of these people may add their own opinions to the story, thus altering the story that the journalist interprets and relays to everyone else. Then again, there may even be some people who just like create problems for other people, so they just lied to the journalist for the sake of lying. Whatever the case is, it is important to

Supply Network Strategy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Supply Network Strategy - Essay Example It also improves the relationship of each link in the chain and improves the benefits of all partners in the supply chain. Finally, a three dimensional network model of a supply chain can better show that dynamic nature of the behaviors and way of information, services, and materials. A network view guides those who are responsible for strategy design, implementation, and execution to see the difficult relationships of a typical supply chain into the future. This also helps in field of "economies of scope" between the business enterprises. According to above, Supply chain management is represented as a dynamic not as static. This view of Supply chain management has its crucial point on the logical and global attitude of business and its relationships. Information technologies are the facilitators. In which there is not least absence of performance. The theory of supply chain management has commands over the products or services that are beneficial for the company. It is also involved the procedure that is faster then the cost. The term management in Supply chain management has a conservative view of its managerial dimensions, these dimensions can be planning, organizing or controlling the over all activities but there is a very little knowledge about the management of service supply.

Wrong news Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Wrong news - Essay Example t are delivered the people’s doorsteps every day; others become familiar, trustworthy faces that are broadcast on television for millions of viewers. By creating information, however, journalists of all types can actually become a source of false news. Those who write newspaper articles are often subject to strict deadlines, and sometimes they may feel unable to gather all of the correct information on time, so they fill in some of the small details on their own. Their boss may also expect them to write about something that will grab the attention of many readers, and this sort of news it not always easy to come by – so they decide a little white lie won’t hurt anyone. They may be journalists, but they are still human; and like you and me, they care about keeping their jobs. Those who write news scripts for the television, on the other hand, face a different kind of pressure. In order to keep ratings up, they must present news that people will want to watch. And if it’s going to help the show’s popularity, why not add their own clever twist to the story? It might only be a small percent of journalists who would actually make fake news at the expense of the public, but there are other ways the news can be inaccurate. While certainly not all journalists are as untrustworthy as those in the aforementioned scenario, it should be pointed out that sometimes the sources they gather their information from are wrong. Many journalists and reporters rely on the information that is shared with them by ordinary, average people. Some of these average people may skew the story to protect themselves of someone they know. Or some of these people may add their own opinions to the story, thus altering the story that the journalist interprets and relays to everyone else. Then again, there may even be some people who just like create problems for other people, so they just lied to the journalist for the sake of lying. Whatever the case is, it is important to

New Scientific Discovery Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

New Scientific Discovery - Article Example The ultimate goal of 4G technology is to increase wireless, long range and high speed signal transmission (Berndt, 2008). I am going to focus on the 4G technology. 4G Technology 4G which is a short form of Fourth (4th) Generation Technology, this is basically the extension of 3G technology but with more bandwidth and services offers in the 3G mobile. It is a successor to the 2G and 3G technologies. Basically, 4G technologies produce a high quality audio and video data streaming through Internet Protocol (IP). It provides broadband connection so that voice calls, media streaming and internet access will be constantly available to the user (Berndt, 2008). Different Technologies appear in many different forms but they are all moving in a similar track. 4G technology has different categories. These includes: UMTS, SDR, MIMO, OFDM, TD-SCDMA and WiMAX (802.16) or mobile structural design. The problem with the current cellular network is that they do not have the available bandwidth necessa ry to handle data services well because they were not original well designed for data; they are improvements on a protocol that was originally designed for voice. Thus, they do not use of the available spectrum bandwidth efficiently. Therefore there is a need for data centered protocol technology. 4G Technology provides a solution to these problems. It is used in the mobile phones with in-built higher resolution digital cameras to facilitate video blogs in the mobile industry (Berndt, 2008).. It offers high data rates with broadband. This will generate new trends in the business industry as it becomes business prospects and market opportunities for the established as well as for new telecommunication firms (Berndt, 2008). The upgrades of technology are incremental, and don’t require a complete reworking of the system. They are fairly cheap because the equipment required is already developed and in mass production in many places in the world. Types of multiplexing in 3G †¢FDMA -Each phone call is allocated one frequency for the entire duration of the call. †¢TDMA -Each phone call is allocated a spot in the frequency for a small amount of time, and "takes turns" being transmitted. †¢CDMA -Each phone call is uniquely encoded and transmitted across the entire spectrum, in a manner known as spread spectrum transmission Cellular Provider System Upgrades 4G technology has got numerous advantages. It is faster and more reliable than the previous technology. For example lower cost, Multi-standard wireless system, higher speed of 100 Mb/s (802.11g wireless = 54Mb/s, 3G = 2Mb/s) and Bluetooth, Wired, Wireless (802.11x). Other features include: Ad Hoc Networking, IPv6 Core. OFDM used instead of CDMA and Potentially IEEE standard 802.11n 4G mobile will be widely used both in internet access service on personal computers and in cell phone communications. It will enable the access and use of broadband connection in homes or in other areas accessible to the network. It is not therefore surprising that the companies trying 4G mobile communication to expand there coverage. Companies use 100 Mbps for mobile users and up to 1 Gbps over fixed stations Wimax Technology    WiMAX stands for Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access. It is one of the telecommunications technologies that offer wireless data transmission through a different form of transmission. It has got approximate speed of 72 M/s through wireless access. It is based on IEEE standard of 802.16, it usually also called as Broadband Wireless Access (Steinbock, 2005).         Wimax (802.16) is the next stage to a broadband as well as a wireless world, extending broadband wireless access to new locations and over longer distances. Wimax

Gender roles in language acquisition Essay Example for Free

Gender roles in language acquisition Essay We reprimand our daughters for being bossy and praise our sons for showing such assertiveness. These were the sentiments expressed during Sheryl Sandburg book promotion tour in early 2013. Mrs Sandberg is largely accepted as one of the most successful female businessperson in modern society. During her many lectures and academic interviews she essentially cited her success as the result of going against the gender norm for women. Although specifically referring to the business world, does Sheryl have a point? Are we reinforcing gender roles in the words we promote and discourage our children to use? It is largely accepted across both linguistic and psychology fields that girls develop their language skill in: understands, quantity, quality and range of vocabulary acquired at an earlier age and faster rate than their male counterparts. A very recent study by Rikard Bauman in 2010 (Stockholm University Press) explored vocabulary growth and language production in pre-school children. It is suggested that at 22 months girls have a more extensive vocabulary than boys due to capacity differences; however, at 34 months such a pattern cannot be found. Furthermore it is suggested that gender affects language production in the sense that male and female speakers will prefer to produce words that are associated with their culture’s definition of masculinity and femininity. The study on vocabulary growth is based on the assumption that TTR (type/token ratio) reflects vocabulary size and it proves that, at 22 months, girls have a more extensive vocabulary than boys; however, at 34 months such a pattern is less obvious, if any conclusion can be drawn it is that boys have a slightly larger vocabulary than girls. The study on language production is focused on verb production and it shows that boys and girls prefer verbs that are associated with common stereotypes of masculinity and femininity. It seems that these gender distinctions are not unique to the English language or the Western world as Found when examining the Japanese language. according to Eleanor Harz Jorden, when learning language in Japan children learn that there are some words and some grammatical constructions that are associated explicitly with men or boys, while others are associated with women or girls. Such differences are sometimes called gendered language. In Japanese, speech patterns associated with women are referred to as onna kotoba (womens words) or joseigo , womens language). In general, the words and speech patterns associated with men are seen as rough, vulgar, or abrupt, while those associated with women are considered more polite, more deferential, or softer. Some linguists consider the rough/soft continuum more accurate than the male/female continuum. For example, Eleanor Harz Jorden in Japanese: The Spoken Language refers to the styles as blunt/gentle, rather than male/female. There are no gender differences in written Japanese (except in quoted speech), and almost no differences in polite speech (teineigo), since males take on softer speech, except for the fact that women may be more likely to use polite speech in the first place. The word onnarashii , which is usually translated as ladylike or feminine, refers to the behaviour expected of a typical Japanese woman. As well as behaving in particular ways, being onnarashii means conforming to particular styles of speech. Some of the features of women’s speech include speaking in a higher register, using more polite forms and using polite speech or honorifics in more situations, and referring to themselves and those they address more formally. Some linguistic features commonly associated with women include omission of the copula da, the use of personal pronouns such as watashi or atashi among others, use of feminine sentence-final particles such as wa, na no, kashira, and mashoo, and the more frequent use of the honorific prefixes o and go. According to Katsue Akiba Reynolds, ladylike speech is instrumental in keeping Japanese women in traditional roles and reflects Japanese society’s concept of the difference between women and men.[4] For example, there is the potential for conflict for women in the workplace in that, to be onnarashii, a woman must speak politely, submissively and humbly, yet to command respect as a superior, she must be assertive, self-assured, and direct, even when dealing with male subordinates. Actual language used by Japanese-speaking women differs from these ideals. Such onnarashii speech is a norm that institutions such as education and media encourage women to adopt. Similarly, these forms may be prescribed for women learners by Japanese textbooks and other materials. There are, however various deviations from these norms in conversation. Although Japanese women may not follow the gender norm in speech, some linguistic studies indicate that Japanese women tend to use more honorific language than men do, which reinforces the idea of onnarashii and traditional gender roles.[5] Traditional characteristics of Japanese mens speech [edit] Just as there are modes of speaking and behaviour that are considered intrinsically feminine, there are also those that are considered intrinsically masculine. In speech, being otokorashii (manly or masculine) means speaking in a lower register, using fewer polite forms and using them in fewer situations, and using intrinsically masculine words. Research on Japanese mens speech shows greater use of neutral forms, forms not strongly associated with masculine or feminine speech, than is seen in Japanese womens speech. Scholars argue that men use typically masculine forms to assert their own authority and knowledge of themselves. Some studies of conversation between Japanese men and women show neither gender taking a more dominant position in interaction. Men, however, tend to show a self-oriented conversation style, telling stories and expressing their expertise on topics being discussed, than is typical of women in these studies. Gender differences in modern society :- As women gain an increasing leadership role in Japanese society, notions of onnarashisa and otokorashisa, that is, what is deemed appropriate behaviour for men and women, have evolved over time. Although comparatively more extreme movements call for the elimination of gender differences in the Japanese language (gender-neutral language), convergence in usage is considered unlikely and may not even be desirable. Instead, trends in actual usage indicate that women are feeling more comfortable using traditional characteristics of female speech (such as wa) while still maintaining an assertive attitude on par with men. In other words, there is a gradual decoupling of language forms and traditional cultural expectations. Although the characteristics of Japanese male speech have been largely unaffected, there has been an increasing sensitivity regarding certain usages (such as changing the terms used to refer to mature women -chan) that may be considered offensive. Regional dialect may often play a role in the expression and perception masculinity or femininity of speech in Japanese. Another recent phenomenon influencing established femininity in speech is the popularity of Okama, very feminine men as popular Geinoujin (television personalities). While homosexuality and transgenderism is still a fairly taboo subject in Japan, lesbians with male traits, or cross-dressers, are referred to as onabe or tachi. Problems for Japanese learners [edit] Without the proper instruction by fluent Japanese speakers and/or teachers, non-native persons risk learning and expressing themselves inappropriately to native Japanese. Compounding the difficulty of language acquisition, formal instruction may emphasise learning the polite forms of expression (that favour female students) while glossing over informal expression (that favour male students) and honorifics (distinguishes natives from foreigners). It is important for non-natives to be instructed by members of the same sex or be aware that mere mimicry may not have the expected results. In addition to the use of pronouns to refer to oneself and others, the use of titles also is strongly influenced by gender-based overtones and is another source of potential problems for the non-native speaker. The situation is further complicated by regional variation. For example, in many regions of Japan it is common for older men to refer to themselves as boku or older women to refer to themselves as ore. How does this relate to language spoken in the Western world? Opinion is, as is often the case, divided. AGAINST 1) other major influences Mahsa Saligheh Revisiting Age and GenderInfluence in Second Language Acquisition 2012 states, There is no doubt that language acquisition process is a complex process which involves several factors, and that this process is highly influenced due to plasticity of the brain. Furthermore, the types of memory systems involved in females and males are also have a pivotal role that makes the genders distinct. The researchers claim, age and gender, are among the factors that run in parallel with other factors that deeply influence language acquisition process such as motivation, personality, styles, strategies, gender and age. The present study attempts to investigate the last two factors: age and gender. Given the importance placed on the role on age and gender, the researchers hold they are not the necessary conditions for second language acquisition. However, the writers claim that genetically there are some benefits that can be reaped for those who begin L2 acquisition early. Furthermore, both males and females are equipped with some predetermined tendencies that would be helpful for them to acquire some aspects of language much faster and easier. 2) biological basis Mar. 5, 2008 — Although researchers have long agreed that girls have superior language abilities than boys, until now no one has clearly provided a biological basis that may account for their differences. For the first time and in unambiguous findings researchers from Northwestern University and the University of Haifa show both that, areas of the brain associated with language work harder in girls than in boys during language tasks, and that boys and girls rely on different parts of the brain when performing these tasks. Our findings which suggest that language processing is more sensory in boys and more abstract in girls could have major implications for teaching children and even provide support for advocates of single sex classrooms, said Douglas D. Burman, research associate in Northwesterns Roxelyn and Richard Pepper Department of Communication Sciences The researchers measured brain activity (using functional magnetic resonance imaging) in 31 boys and in 31 girls aged 9 to 15 as they performed spelling and writing language tasks. The tasks were delivered in two sensory modalities visual and auditory. When visually presented, the children read certain words without hearing them. Presented in an auditory mode, they heard words aloud but did not see them. Using a complex statistical model, Burman and Pepper accounted for differences associated with age, gender, type of linguistic judgment, performance accuracy and the method (written or spoken) in which words were presented. The researchers found that girls still showed significantly greater activation in language areas of the brain than boys. The information in the tasks got through to girls language areas of the brain (areas associated with abstract thinking through language). And their performance accuracy correlated with the degree of activation in some of these language areas. To their astonishment, however, this was not the case for boys. Boys accurate performance when reading words depended on how hard visual areas of the brain worked. In hearing words, boys performance depended on how hard auditory areas of the brain worked. If that pattern extends to language processing that occurs in the classroom, it could inform teaching and testing methods. Given boys sensory approach, boys might be more effectively evaluated on knowledge gained from lectures via oral tests and on knowledge gained by reading via written tests. For girls, whose language processing appears more abstract in approach, these different testing methods would appear unnecessary. One possibility is that boys have some kind of bottleneck in their sensory processes that can hold up visual or auditory information and keep it from being fed into the language areas of the brain, Burman said. This could result simply from girls developing faster than boys, in which case the differences between the sexes might disappear by adulthood. Or, an alternative explanation is that boys create visual and auditory associations such that meanings associated with a word are brought to mind simply from seeing or hearing the word. While the second explanation puts males at a disadvantage in more abstract language function, those kinds of sensory associations may have provided an evolutionary advantage for primitive men whose survival required them to quickly recognise danger-associated sights and sounds. If the pattern of females relying on an abstract language network and of males relying on sensory areas of the brain extends into adulthood (a still unresolved question) it could explain why women often provide more context and abstract representation than men. Ask a woman for directions and you may hear something like: Turn left on Main Street, go one block past the drug store, and then turn right, where theres a flower shop on one corner and a cafe across the street. Such information-laden directions may be helpful for women because all information is relevant to the abstract concept of where to turn; however, men may require only one cue and be distracted by additional information. Conclusion Alongside most if not all empirical and theoretical evidence involving human beings it is impossible to make concrete and definite conclusions. Having extrapolated the information the most obvious conclusion can only deduce Is this only evident in childhood, does the distinction disappear by adulthood or was Sandberg right in stating that the division in language between the sexes continues through life. References Burman is primary author of Sex Differences in Neural Processing of Language Among Children. Co-authored by James R. Booth (Northwestern University) and Tali Bitan (University of Haifa). Jorden, Eleanor Harz; Noda, Mari (1987). Japanese: The Spoken Language. New Haven: Yale University Press. ISBN 978-0-300-03834-7. Siegal, Meryl; Okamoto, Shigeko (2003). Toward reconceptualizing the teaching and learning of gendered speech styles in Japanese as a Foreign Language. Japanese Language and Literature 37 (1): 49–66. Retrieved 2013-4-26. Kazuko, Ashizawa (1998). Mangajins Basic Japanese Through Comics. Weatherhill. ISBN 0-8348-0452-2. Reynolds, Katsue Akiba (1990). Female Speakers of Japanese in Transition. Aspects of Japanese Womens Language (Tokyo: Kurosio). Tanaka, Lidia (2004). Gender, Language and Culture: A Study of Japanese Television Interview Discourse. John Benjamins Publishing. ISBN 978-90-272-3079-9. Sreetharan, Cindi Sturtz (2004). Students, sarariiman (pl.), and seniors: Japanese mens use of †²manly†² speech register. Language in Society 33 (01). doi:10.1017/S0047404504031045. ISSN 0047-4045. ^ Itakura, Hiroko; Tsui, Amy B. M. (2004). Gender and conversational dominance in Japanese conversation. Language in Society 33 (02). doi:10.1017/S0047404504332033. ISSN 0047-4045.

Reducing rape in India

Reducing rape in India In December 2012, a 23-year-old medical student who studied at the University of Delhi, after the movie she went home with her boyfriend. Unfortunately, seven men hit her boyfriend and even worse they gang-raped her on the bus. At last, the student died in Singapores Mount Elizabeth Hospital. This is such bad news. Nowadays, it is a civilized society. However, rape always occurs in the world. For instance, with more than twenty-four thousand reported rape cases in India in 2011, rape registered a 9.2 percent rise over 2010. People have been hurt because of rape. From this likeness, the aim of the research is a wake up call to tell people of the rising trend of rape. In my opinion, rape is a crime that harms others. We should resolutely resist the occurrence of such acts of rape. My research is divided into three sections. First of all, I will define rape. Rape in its simplest form (and the meaning, most people can understand it), is when a man forces a woman to have sex with him. Often this has been done by using either threat or violence. When the victim is mentally incapacitated or impaired, physically impaired, asleep or unconscious. Next, I will compare the laws, womens social status and the government system between India and Singapore. I choose two countries because India often has rape cases and Singapore seldom. Last but not least, I will give some advice through the three aspects of the laws, social status as well as self-protection on how to reduce rape. 2. Data of Rape in India The Wall Street Journal (http://blogs.wsj.com/indiarealtime/2013/01/08/map-rape-rate-across-india/) The Indian edition of WSJ has come up with this map which shows the rape rate across different states of India.It shows the central region of rape rate up to 8.2 reported cases per 100,000 women. But the north-eastern states as having highest rape rate. The rape rate up to 10.1 reported case per 100,000 women. The notorious Indian capital of Delhis rape rate was 7.4 reported cases per 100,000 women, but it was not the highest. The northern city of Mizoram the rape rate is 14.3 reported cases per 100,000 women which was the highest. According to the survey, with more than 24,000 reported cases in India in 2011, rape registered a 9.2 percent rise over the previous year. In recent years, frightening data from New Delhi has earned the title of rape capital of India. 3. Causes of rape A: Reason for more rapes in India 3.1 Legal loophole According to the survey, rape criminal law sentences people to more than seven years in India and even the death penalty. But Indian law also provides that the offender may be released on bail or pay a fine. Because of this, a lot of the rapists have not been punished. Laws should provide fast track courts to deal with such cases, says Girija Vyas, Chairperson, and National Commission for Women (NCW). According to the survey, the results encourage more people to crime which just a dismal 27 percent of the rape conviction rate in 2006-2007. 3.2 Low status of women in India Women were considered inferior to men in social life. On the one hand, a large part of Indian women are illiterate because their family did not send the girl to school for education. As for women, the literacy rate stands at just 54.16 percent. On the other hand, women were prohibited to take part in domestic as well as in external matters. Indian womens working rate is very low. But the population of working women has risen to 13 percent in 1987. Still, the population of working women just has 25 percent in 2011. Women who smoke, drink, go to bars is considered unethical behavior in India. Acceptance of domestic violence. India is the worlds most serious country for domestic violence. Some women believe that domestic violence is often seen as deserved. The Indian women property cannot be independent rather dependent on men. Level of Indias last name. The vast majority of female government officials come from high-grade surnames. High-grade surname female government officials will no t fight for the right to civilian women. 3.3 The government system India has a sluggish court system which the inefficiency of the court dealing with the case for only 15 judges. It is so surprised that Delhi high court judge deals with the backlog of cases need 466 years. There are not enough police to protect ordinary citizens in India. Leading to difficulties to obtain evidence and spend a lot of time. Even worse, there is a part of the police have been involved in rape. Encouraging rape victims to compromise. For example, a 17-year-old rape victim under the police pressure she got married with the attackers. The reason for this compromise is for keeping the peace between the families or ethnicities. India also lacks public safety. Less than a lot of street lighting in India and lack of public toilets. These are factors that induce rape. B: Reason Less Rape in Singapore 3.1 Strict laws Anyone who commits rape should be punished with imprisonment for a term which may extend to 20 years, and needs to be liable to fine or to cane. The assist will be subjected to the punishment of 8 years and caning with at least 12 strokes. Singapore has improved the police system and the court system to rapid processing of cases. So that people will not dare to violate the law. 3.2 National equality and equality between men and women As Singapore is a multi-ethnic country, equality is the theme of Singapore. Singapore has a special legal protection to equality between men and women. Legal protection of the equal status of women in public places and even in the home. In 2011, for the Gender Inequality Index Singapore received a score of 0.086, placing the country at 8 out of 146 countries with data. 3.3 Geylang-legal prostitution Geylang is Singapores famous Red Light District for legal prostitution. A lot of prostitution through prostitutes who were from Thailand, Malaysia, China for men over there every day. Sex is a basic human so need that a legal red light district providing some basic sexual gratification for men can exist. Being lack of sex, a man has proper ways to solve the problem. They do not need to rape others. Effects of rape Rape is a crime, most of the victims have a greater psychological trauma. But the victims often lack peoples concern and respect. Even victims will be rejected and disgusted. This will cause the victims experience a second victimization. This is a mournful fact. The rape also leads to the AIDS epidemic. Some of the victims of rape and pregnancy. If women use the contraceptive drugs it will reduce the pregnancy rates. If the baby was born, it will add to the victims burden of life and affect the life of the victim. If the city often has rape, it will reduce the peoples sense of security and occurrence of other types of cases. For example: Murder. Solution Revisit the definition of rape and pay attention to the development of accurate laws. Severe punishment to a person who is convicted for rape. Improve the judicial system to reduce procedural delays. Increase legal aid to help the victims. Improve the legal status and rights and interests of women. Women should receive equal education. Women should know how to use the law to protect them. The promotion of womens self-defense skills. The creation of self-defense courses at school. Males have a physical strength advantage over females, but women can use techniques to narrow the gap with men. Both rape victims and rapists are likely to be drunk. Women who are drunk should avoid walking alone at the bar. The 1997 NCVS reports that 35.8 percent of rape victims believe their rapists were under the influence of alcohol. Looking for some drinks alternative to alcoholism help to reduce rape. Conclusion The study focuses on how to reduce rape. In the course of this analysis, I finish by comparing between India and Singapore law, the social status and self-protection of women to get a correct understanding. And trying to find some solutions to reduce rape. Rape is a heinous act which hurts a lot of people. Especially, in some developed countries, rape would be more serious. Therefore, doing research to reduce rape is necessary. The study concludes that the need is improvement of law, improve the status of women in society, to learn self-defense skills and reduce the abusing of alcohol that is an efficient way to solve rape. In my opinion, a safe social environment can be conducive to the development of society. Rape is an important factor affecting social security. If we want a wonderful, safe living environment, we should contribute to reduce rape.

The Irony of Abortion :: Argumentative Persuasive Topics

The Irony of Abortion It is ironic that, in a nation that defines individual rights as supremely sacred, the most basic right to life is being systematically denied 1,500,000 persons each year. This is not done in the name of God but in the name of choice, pro-choice to be exact. Admittedly, too many young mothers find themselves in unwanted situations which carry with them very difficult and painful decisions. This we cannot overlook. They deserve our mercy, compassion, and love rather than harsh words and uncharitable judgment. Nonetheless, their difficult plight can never warrant an unwarranted solution; the extermination of their defenseless baby. Eliminating the problem resolves nothing, but instead often triggers a long path of guilt and depression. In a haste to solve the problem, we ignore the long term consequences for both mother and child. Both will inevitably suffer. Ours has become a culture of death for the child..and the mother. One dies physically, the other begins dying spiritually and emotionally. Thus under the banner of freedom we enslave souls. In a thirst for "rights" we respect no one's rights. And in a frenzy to respect a woman's choice, we impede her from making a choice according to the truth which would free her from a false sense o f liberty, from the lies of propaganda, convenience, and our me first generation. Most especially, however, the rights of the Creator are snubbed. The child who exists in the womb - as well as the parents of the child - were created by God in a pure act of love. He responded in love to the union of a couple by giving them the gift of an infant. You see, it takes three to have a baby; the mother, the father, and Almighty God. They give the material element, while He gives the spiritual. They co-create with Him. He unites a soul to the matter which they have given. So when parents decide to abort their newly conceived child, it is a horrible infringement on the rights of God. He alone is Master of life and death, not we. We have no inalienable right to choose when someone will come into existence (we can do all in our power to bring about a child, but if our Lord does not respond, then nothing happens.) Nor do we have the right to decide when someone will cease to exist on this world.

Practical Demonkeeping Chapter 33-34

33 RIVERA During the drive to Pine Cove, Rivera was nagged by the idea that he had forgotten something. It wasn't that he hadn't reported where he was going; he had planned that. Until he had physical evidence that there was a serial killer in the area, he wasn't saying a word. But when he knocked on the Elliotts' front door and it swung open, he suddenly remembered that his bullet-proof vest was hanging in his locker back at the station. He called into the house and waited for an answer. None came. Only cops and vampires have to have an invitation to enter, he thought. But there is probable cause. The part of his mind that functioned like a district attorney kicked in. â€Å"So, Sergeant Rivera,† the lawyer said, â€Å"you entered a private residence based on a computer data base that could have been no more than a mailing list?† â€Å"I believed that Effrom Elliott's name on the list represented a clear and present danger to a private citizen, so I entered the residence.† Rivera drew his revolver and held it in his right hand while he held his badge out in his left. â€Å"Mr. and Mrs. Elliott, this is Sergeant Rivera from the Sheriff's Department. I'm coming in the house.† He moved from room to room announcing his presence before he entered. The bedroom door was closed. He saw the splintered bullet hole in the door and felt his adrenaline surge. Should he call for backup? The D.A. said: â€Å"And so you entered the house on what basis?† Rivera came through the door low and rolled. He lay for a moment on the floor of the empty room, feeling stupid. What now? He couldn't call in and report a bullet hole in a residence that he had probably entered illegally, especially when he hadn't reported that he was in Pine Cove in the first place. One step at a time, he told himself. Rivera returned to his unmarked car and reported that he was in Pine Cove. â€Å"Sergeant Rivera,† the dispatcher said, â€Å"there is a message for you from Technical Sergeant Nailsworth. He said to tell you that Robert Masterson is married to the granddaughter of Effrom Elliott. He said he doesn't know what it means, but he thought you should know.† It meant that he had to find Robert Masterson. He acknowledged the message and signed off. Fifteen minutes later he was at The Breeze's trailer. The old pickup was gone and no one answered the door. He radioed the station and requested a direct patch to the Spider. â€Å"Nailgun, can you get me Masterson's wife's home address? He gave the trailer as residence when we brought him in. And give me the place where she works.† â€Å"Hold on, it'll be just a second for her address.† Rivera lit a cigarette while he waited. Before he took the second drag, Nailsworth came back with the address and the shortest route from Rivera's location. â€Å"It will take a little longer for the employer. I have to access the Social Security files.† â€Å"How long?† â€Å"Five, maybe ten minutes.† â€Å"I'm on my way to the house. Maybe I won't need it.† â€Å"Rivera, there was a fire call at that address this morning. That mean anything to you?† â€Å"Nothing means anything to me anymore, Nailsworth.† Five minutes later Rivera pulled up in front of Jenny's house. Everything was covered with a gummy gray goo, a mix of ashes, flour, and water from the fire hoses. As Rivera climbed out of the car, Nailsworth called back. â€Å"Jennifer Masterson is currently employed at H.P.'s Cafe, off Cypress in Pine Cove. You want the phone number?† â€Å"No,† Rivera said. â€Å"If she's not here, I'll go over there. It's just a few doors down from my next stop.† â€Å"You need anything else?† Nailsworth sounded as if he was holding something back. â€Å"No,† Rivera said. â€Å"I'll call if I do.† â€Å"Rivera, don't forget about that other matter.† â€Å"What matter?† â€Å"Roxanne. Check on her for me.† â€Å"As soon as I can, Nailsworth.† Rivera threw the radio mike onto the passenger seat. As he walked up to the house, he heard someone come on the radio singing a chorus to the song â€Å"Roxanne† in a horrible falsetto. Nailsworth had shown his weakness over an open frequency, and now, Rivera knew, the whole department would ride the fat man's humiliation into the ground. When this was over, Rivera promised himself, he would concoct a story to vindicate the Spider's pride. He owed him that. Of course, that depended on Rivera vindicating himself. The walk to the door covered his shoes with gray goo. He waited for an answer and returned to the car, cursing in Spanish, his shoes converted to dough balls. He didn't get out of the car at H.P.'s Cafe. It was obvious from the darkened windows that no one was inside. His last chance was the Head of the Slug Saloon. If Masterson wasn't there, he was out of leads, and he would have to report what he knew, or, what was more embarrassing, what he didn't know, to the captain. Rivera found a parking place in front of the Slug behind Robert's truck, and after taking a few minutes to get his right shoe unstuck from the gas pedal, he went in. 34 U-PICK-EM The Pagan Vegetarians for Peace called them the Sacred Caves because they believed that the caves had once been used by Ohlone Indians for religious ceremonies. This, in fact, was not true, for the Ohlone had avoided the caves as much as possible due to the huge population of bats that lived there, bats that were inextricably locked into the destiny of the caves. The first human occupation of the caves came in the 1960s, when a down-and-out farmer named Homer Styles decided to use the damp interior of the caves to cultivate mushrooms. Homer started his business with five hundred wooden crates of the sort used for carting soda bottles, and a half-gallon carton of mail-order mushroom spores; total investment: sixteen dollars. Homer had stolen the crates from behind the Thrifty-Mart, a few at a time, over the period of weeks that it took him to read the pamphlet Fungus for Fun and Profit, put out by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. After filling the crates with moist peat and laying them out on the cave floor, Homer spread his spores and waited for the money to roll in. What Homer didn't figure on was the rapid growth rate of the mushrooms (he'd skipped that part of the pamphlet), and within days he found himself sitting in a cave full of mushrooms with no market and no money to pay for help in harvesting. The solution to Homer's problem came from another government pamphlet entitled The Consumer-Harvested Farm, which had come, by mistake, in the same envelope with Fungus for Fun. Homer took his last ten dollars and placed an ad in the local paper: Mushrooms, $.50 lb. U-PICK-EM, your container. Old Creek Road. 9?C5 daily. Mushroom-hungry Pine Covers came in droves. As fast as the mushrooms were harvested, they grew back, and the money rolled in. Homer spent his first profits on a generator and a string of lights for the caves, figuring that by extending his business hours into the evening, his profits would grow in proportion. It would have been a sound business move had the bats not decided to rear their furry heads in protest. During the day the bats had been content to hang out on the roof of the cave while Homer ran his business below. But on the first night of Homer's extended hours when the bats woke to find their home invaded by harshly lit mushroom pickers, their tolerance ended. There were twenty customers in the caves when the lights went on. In an instant the air above them was a maelstrom of screeching, furry, flying rodents. In the rush to exit, one woman fell and broke a hip and another was bitten on the hand while extracting a bat from her hair. The cloud of bats soon disappeared into the night, only to be replaced the next day by an equally dense cloud of landbound vermin: personal-injury lawyers. The varmints prevailed in court. Homer's business was destroyed, and once again the bats slept in peace. A depressed Homer Styles went on a binge in the Head of the Slug. He spent four days in an Irish whiskey haze before his money ran out and Mavis Sand sent him to an Alcoholics Anonymous meeting. (Mavis could tell when a man had hit bottom, and she felt no need to pump a dry well.) Homer found himself in the meeting room of the First National Bank, telling his story. It happened that at that same meeting a young surfer who called himself The Breeze was working off a court-ordered sentence he had earned by drunkenly crashing a '62 Volkswagen into a police cruiser and promptly puking on the arresting officer's shoes. The farmer's story touched off an entrepreneurial spark in the surfer, and after the meeting The Breeze cornered Homer with a proposition. â€Å"Homer, how would you like to make some heavy bread growing magic mushrooms?† The next day the farmer and the surfer were hauling bags of manure into the caves, spreading it over the peat, and scattering a completely different type of spore. According to The Breeze their crop would sell for ten to twenty dollars an ounce instead of the fifty cents a pound that Homer received for his last crop. Homer was enraptured with the possibility of becoming rich. And he would have, if not for the bats. As the day of their first harvest neared, The Breeze had to take his leave of their plantation to serve the weekend in the county jail (the first of fifty – the judge had not been amused at having barf-covered police shoes presented as evidence in his courtroom). Before he left, The Breeze assured Homer that he would return Monday to help with the drying and marketing of the mushrooms. In the meantime, the woman who had been bitten during the debacle of the bats, came down with rabies. County animal-control agents were ordered to the caves to destroy the bat colony. When the agents arrived, they found Homer Styles crouched over a tray of psychedelic mushrooms. The agents offered Homer the option of walking away and leaving the mushrooms, but Homer refused, so they radioed the sheriff. Homer was led away in handcuffs, the animal-control agents left with their pockets filled with mushrooms, and the bats were left alone. When The Breeze was released on Monday, he found himself in search of a new scam. A few months later, while incarcerated at the state prison in Lompoc, Homer Styles received a letter from The Breeze. The letter was covered with a fine yellow powder and read: â€Å"Sorry about your bust. Hope we can bury the hatchet.† Homer buried the letter in a shoe box he kept under his bunk and spent the next ten years living in relative luxury on the profits he made from selling psychedelic mushrooms to the other inmates. Homer sampled his crop only once, then swore off mushrooms for life when he hallucinated that he was drowning in a sea of bats.

Western Humanities

It is no exaggeration to say that the Romans have made profound impact on almost all civilized nations of the world and their culture is the cradle of many cultures of today (Rao, 113). The manner in which the Romans pick their girls has a whole lot to do with the laws governing marriage at that time. Before a marriage could be considered legal, both couples must be matured; for the girl twelve years and for the boy fourteen, the parents of the couple have to be fully aware; that is it has to be with the consent of both families of the bride and groom. During the Augustan age, families were forbidden any refusal of marriage without given any valid reason as to why they refused a marriage. Marriage between a close relation likewise ascendant and descendant marriage were also unlawful. There were two social classes during the early Roman period; the patricians who were the citizens and the plebeians who were the free non-citizens. During that time, the patricians only marry the patricians and the plebeians only the plebeians respectively as there was no inter-marital relationship between these two social classes. Marriage by the Patricians was considered a sacred institution which cannot be done just by merely saying it. Some manners of consideration have to be taken before a marriage could actually take place. With the direct consent of the gods, the patrician takes his bride from her father’s house to his own residence in the company of a representative of his clan. In this form of marriage, the bride is put under the authority of her husband and her husband in a way becomes her master. The plebeian marriage however consist essentially the cohabitation of a man and woman as husband and wife. Plebeian marriages were not recognized by the patricians as they were not considered citizens and even when the plebeians became citizens and their marriage were legalized, inter-marriage between the plebeians and the patricians were still not allowed because of the religious differences between them. But as years past, their laws were amended and the marriage between the social classes now became possible. The early Romans married at a relatively early age as a girl was considered ready for marriage between the ages of fourteen and seventeen. Her father would choose a husband and perform the required arrangements. Though young Roman children were not forced into marriage, very few children were able to refuse an arranged marriage (Mellor). Betrothal before marriage was considered a good form although it had no legal obligation attached to it. Betrothal involves a girl been promised solemnly by her family to the man or his family. This process in most case is represented by the man giving the prospective wife a ring. The ring is worn on the third finger of the left hand which the Romans believed had a direct link with the heart, as they believed that the finger had a connection with the heart by a nerve. It was customary point of pride with the Romans for the bride to bring her groom a dowry which was provided by her family if she is still dependent on them or by herself. The bride is dressed by her mother on the morning of her wedding day; one of the most significant parts of the dressing was the â€Å"knot of Hercules† who was considered the guardian of wedded life (Rome exposed – Roman Children). The groom is the only one permitted to loose the knot once it is tied and this is done after the wife has been accompanied to her new home. After the marriage ceremony, there is usually a dinner (reception) in the house of the bride after which she is then accompanied to her husband’s house by her family members. On entering into her new home, the bride is carried into the house so as to prevent any bad omen that may result if she stumbles upon her first entrance into the house. Until the first child is born, marriage itself is not regarded as having been consummated. This is because the Romans believe that children are of paramount importance in order for a marriage to be considered blissful. However husbands and wives could tend to love each other as time goes on. The Roman women enjoy social freedom as they could attend both public and private banquets in the society. After marriage, the social status of a Roman woman increases as she is raised to the rank of her husband and is considered equal with him sharing the same religious and civil status with him. Her responsibility however is to govern the home and being the mistress of the house, she oversees the education of her children as well as the slaves. During the Augustan age women had more encouragement to bear more children because of the privilege associated with it. The moment a woman has three children, she would be released form all supervision and was free to conduct business by herself (Bierkan, Sherman & Stocquart, 303-327). One could safely say that the Roman woman was vast and sophisticated when compared to her counterparts like the Greeks and this was due to the privileges given to her by the society.

HR Contributes at SYSCO

Many people in the United States are not familiar with SYSCO, but they see its results because SYSCO is the largest food services and distribution company with almost $24 billion in annual sales. SYSCO supplies food products to customers in restaurants, hotels, supermarkets, hospitals, and other companies. In a firm the size of SYSCO with more than 40,000 employees, HR management is making significant contributions to organizational success. As an indication of this success, SYSCO received the Optimas award for general HR Excellence from Workforce Magazine. Beginning several years ago, the need to revitalize HR activities was recognized by both executives and senior HR staff members. At the time, the SYSCO operating regions had administered many of their own HR practices. To bring change to HR corporate-wide, while preserving the entrepreneurial independence of the regions, a â€Å"market-driven† HR approach was developed. In this approach, corporate HR identified ways it could assist regional operations, and then developed programs and services that met regional needs. However, unlike in many other corporations where corporate HR programs would be â€Å"mandated† to operating units, SYSCO took a different approach. Key to market-driven HR is that managers in the regional operations must be convinced to â€Å"buy† the corporate HR services. For example, if a supervisory training program is developed by corporate HR, regional managers decide if they want to use the program for supervisory training in their regions. Another part of creating HR as market driven was the establishment by corporate HR of a Virtual Resource Center (VRC) to provide services to managers and employees. A key aspect of the VRC is use of HR technology to gather extensive data on HR activities and provide that data to operating managers. One source of data is workplace climate surveys of employees. Using the survey data, HR developed initiatives to increase safety, which reduced workers’ compensation claims by 30%, resulting in savings of $10 million per year. Another problem that SYSCO had was high turnover rates of night shift warehouse workers. Recruiting these workers has been a constant challenge for SYSCO and other distribution firms. By implementing a variety of programs and services, based on employee and managerial input from surveys, the retention rate for these warehouse employees has been increased by 20%, resulting in savings of $15 million per year. These savings are due to reduced time and money spent recruiting, selecting, and training new employees. Also, employees with more experience are more productive and more knowledgeable about SYSCO operations and products. Another area where HR has contributed is with truck and delivery drivers. Data gathered through the VRC has been used to revise base pay and incentive programs, increase driver retention rates, and improve driver safety records. Additionally, customer satisfaction rates increased and delivery expenses declined. All of these changes illustrate that HR efforts at SYSCO have been paying off for the company, managers, and employees. But as the value of HR efforts is recognized by more managers, HR’s role at SYSCO is likely to continue growing and changing.