Bardens Bakery System Investigation Research Paper

Bardens Bakery System Investigation - Research Paper Example Question: Following on from any possible incorrect orders: If an order is received in the afternoon say, then the order would be raised manually, i.e. input by hand. Answer: There is a lot of paperwork associated with this process. Lots of problems with this current system, therefore there it is hoped that new information system can solve [there could be human errors in the 'manual order' process]. Question: How does the delivery process work Answer: Each delivery is dispatched the following day. Answer to Part 2 - SYNOPSIS AND EVALUATION Answer to section 1: The purpose of functional decomposition is to iteratively break down the description of the system into finer detail which creates a set of charts in which one process on a given chart is explained in greater detail on another chart. Each process may consist of several sub processes. Each sub processes may also be broken down into smaller units. Decomposition continues until you have reached the point where no sub process can logically be broken down any further. A good Functional Decomposition helps the analysis in several ways: The simplicity of the structure and representation aids in understanding the breakdown of functions and processes. Specifying the precise requirements and features for each function becomes easier because the functions and processes are broken down into smaller units. The partitioning and independence of the functions localizes errors and minimizes system faults. It allows the customer to view and discuss the organization in a form that can be dealt with, i.e., as a collection of functions, rather than as a continuous process. The process of decomposing the functional requirements is as follows: Decomposition Diagrams: A decomposition diagram or... Each process may consist of several sub processes. Each sub processes may also be broken down into smaller units. Decomposition continues until you have reached the point where no sub process can logically be broken down any further. A data flow diagram (DFD) of the scope of an organizational system that shows the system boundaries, external entities that interact with the system and the major information flows between the entities and the system The above process starts with the primary function of the company and breaks down to the services it provides and the granular level of decomposition is shown to give a picture of all the processes involved and sub processes that are carried on. The preparation for the interview demanded a lot of knowledge of the back ground of the company processes and it required a detailed study of the various processes which are carried on. The inflows, outflows and the various data structures, for example the databases involved. The overall conduct was good. Working within a team led to the identification of facts and better understanding the penetrations of the system and the decision as to how many data flows are involved.

Health & Social Care Essay Example for Free

Health Social Care Essay Ai Identify four key pieces of Legislation and Codes of Practice relating to handling information in social care setting. 1). Data Protection Act 1998 Gives rights to individuals in respect of personal data held about them. It also seeks to protect individuals with regard to the processing of personal data. 2). Freedom of Information Act 2000 The Freedom of Information Act gives you the right to ask any public sector organisation for all the recorded information they have on any subject. Anyone can make a request for information – there are no restrictions on your age, nationality or where you live. If you ask for information about yourself, then your request will be handled under the Data Protection Act. 3). Employees Policies Procedures To make sure that all records that are kept in the office are put away in a locked secure cabinet. And when you write out the daily report sheet in the Care Plan Book, make sure that the Care Plan Book is closed and not left open. 4). Health and Social Care Act 2008 requires us to publish a code that sets out the practice we will follow in obtaining, handling, using and disclosing confidential personal information. Aii Explain how legal requirements and codes of practice affect the day to day work of a social care worker in relation to handling information. It is important to follow the codes of practice in everything you do in your day to day work. For example, I personally had a situation a while ago where my regular service user was in hospital for a couple of months, and a friend of Mr Ts approached me and asked if I could give her the key safe code so she could go into to his property and clean round and get him some shopping. I told her that I could not give her Mr Ts key safe code as it is my duty of care not to give out any information that was entrusted to me. And if I gave it to her then I would be breaking the codes of practice and my employees policies and procedures.

Introduction To Slavery In America History Essay

Introduction To Slavery In America History Essay Slavery in America developed its roots way back to when American explorers discovered the new world. As a result, the whites started to use the African folks as workers in their plantations and homes as slaves. The African natives that were taken back to America as slaves were of various ages and sex. The women would work in the homes as cooks and cleaners while the men spent their days in the plantation tending to the crops. The young girls helped with minor house works and the boys were tasked with the duties of bailing the hay and loading goods and crops on wagons. During the civil war, most of the Black men were recruited into the army to aid in the fight. After the fight, the thirteenth amendment was enacted on December 18th 1865 under the proclamation of the then secretary of state. It aimed at abolishing slavery and involuntary servitude of the Blacks. It was the first of the reconstruction acts enacted post the civil war. This amendment was soon after improved by the 14th ame ndment which gave the African Americans citizenship but little constitution rights. This was abridged by the 15th amendment which gave the African American males right to vote in the general elections during the reconstruction era The term reconstruction era refers to the period between 1865 and 1877 after the great American civil war. It is the time in the US history whereby the governments of the various states put in motion efforts in a bid to solve the social, economic and political problems that came about due to the establishment of the 11 confederate states union that had disintegrated before or during the war. It was during this period that the Pres. Abraham Lincoln was assassinated (April 1865) due to his lenient policies and proposed passing of the 14th amendment (1866) which aimed at granting the black Americans full citizenship. This move was called for by the fact that there were newly established states that required governance and the in economic, social and political recovery aspects required that all people work together irrespective of their differences in a bid to achieve growth and development. However, these propositions were met with high disregards from the public; majority of whom belie ved that the blacks were meant to be slaves and had no rights. Consequently there developed riots and black codes which were meant to restrict blacks from their rights especially in the south. The 14th amendment was passed during the reign of President Andrew Johnson. However, the southern states established the Black Codes which refers to the laws passed by these governments in order to limit the rights given to the freed African Americans. The 14th amendment gave the slaves a right to citizenship but the Black Codes prohibited them from voting, jury duty, possessing weapons, testifying against the whites and even working in certain positions secured for the white folks  [1]  . As a result of this, the radical republicans supported the passing of the civil rights bill which was intended to protect the African Americans from these Black Codes. However in April 1866, Pres. Andrew Johnson banned this bill claiming that America was a land for the Whites and should be governed by the white folks. Additionally, he claimed that the whites are a superior race to the blacks in terms of abilities and intellect. These statements clearly showed the extent of racism and inequality that existed between the two races. The radical republicans were able to yet again pass the civil rights bill in 1867. This move led to the rise of organizations such as the Ku Klux Klan (KKK) whose main aim was to frighten and terrorize the African Americans from exercising their rights (voting). The civil right bill did not suffice in protecting the African Americans from the Black Codes and other forms of racial injustices and inequalities. In a bid to justify these racial tendencies, governments in the US enacted the Jim Crow laws between 1876 and 1965. These were state and local laws in the US that supported racial segregation in public places such as public schools, transportation, restaurants and entertainment venues as well as restrooms for Whites and Blacks  [2]  . These laws by default resulted in inferior treatment of the Blacks in terms of accommodations, resource allocation, quality of products and services and even prices. Consequently the Black community in the States experienced a number of economic and social disadvantages due to the enactment of these laws in comparison to the Whites. Despite all these hardships, the African Americans still increased in numbers and managed to survive under these conditions. To counter this, the segregation worsened to a p oint where the Blacks were not allowed in some premises owned by whites, localities (residential estates occupied by whites), or even churches. This means that the Blacks lived in different areas away from the White communities and had their own religious and economic systems different from that of the White folks. In addition to this, interracial relationships were prohibited and if realized; punishable by death (blacks). In 1896, the Supreme Court decided that the Louisiana law supporting racial segregation under the doctrine of separate but equal was constitutional. This ruling was brought about in the Plessy v. Ferguson case. According to the Jim Crow laws, transportation of the Blacks was also segregated and as such, they had their own railway cars different from the ones used by the whites. In this case, Plessy a 1/8th black American citizen, was arrested in 1892 for boarding a car designated for the whites. Under the Louisiana laws, he was considered as a black person and as such was arrested for civil disobedience. The case managed to get to the Supreme Court and after a while a vote of 7 to1 majority won the case. In 1879, Plessy pleaded guilty to the crime. This case sealed the foundation of the segregation laws and was used to further justify the segregation of color practiced thereafter  [3]  . In fact, it clarified the fact that segregation was legal as long as the facilities provided to both races were of the same quality. The southern States however did not provide the Blacks with quality facilities or even equal resources. This case actually justified the separation of race and inequalities in the States up to 1954 when it was overturned by the ruling made by the Supreme Court as pertaining to the Brown v. Board of Education case. In addition to this, the congress passed the freedman act post civil war in March 1865. This act was established in order to punish the confederates who refused to surrender 60 days after the civil war  [4]  . The act stipulated that the slaves of such people would be freed. The congress therefore established this bureau to help the refugees and slaves left destitute due to the civil war. The main aim of this bureau was to assist these people settle, acquire land and to protect them from their former masters. Additionally, this bureau helped in developing schools, hospitals and other social amenities for the slaves and the citizens who had participated in the war but were displaced or otherwise left penniless by the whole ordeal. However, the Jim Crow laws to a large extent prohibited the effectiveness of this act through the limitations pertaining to land ownership and segregations. These laws had adverse effects on the social lives of the blacks in the United States. They all seemed to fuel racism among the people. Collectively, these laws were designed to oppress the blacks and restrict their rights. As such, there were wide spread inequalities based on color (race). For example, the Jim Crow laws advocated for racial segregation under the cloak of separate but equal doctrine. However, there was no equality especially since the facilities offered to the whites were far more superior as compared to those afforded to the Blacks. Also the fact that the Blacks went to different schools, restaurants, restrooms and even used different transport systems clearly showed increased racism in the United States. In addition to this, they also facilitated the presence of second class status among the races. This situation was mostly brought about by the Black Codes. Despite the fact that the 14th amendment gave the Blacks freedom and a right to citizenship, the Black Codes restricted them to exercise certain rights awarded to citizens such as voting, working in some positions, carrying firearms or even testifying against the whites. Consequently, the Blacks were inferior to the whites and their opinions carried no weight towards the political and social development and growth of the US. The fact that the 14th and 15th amendments seemed to favor the Blacks and abolish slavery did not auger well with most states in the south. As a result, some faction groups and organizations were formed in order to terrorize and oppress the Blacks. One such group was the Ku Klux Klan which was established in 1866 in Tennessee with a set goal to ensure that the Blacks who had won the right to vote in the 1867 elections did not exercise this right. It was a racist group that claimed to undo what the civil war and the voting commissions had done to the US. In 1915, the organization diverted its wrath to the immigrants and Catholic Church who they claimed were anti US activists by supporting the Blacks. The rise of such factions brought about various human injustices like lynching of the Blacks, brutalities some leading to death and various forms of intimidation. For example, if a Black person went into the wrong restaurant owned by whites or was seen talking to a white person, this constituted to a thorough beating or even imprisonment. These acts of lawlessness were further fueled by the fact that even the law enforcement agencies were not fond of the Black communities. Many cases were reported where crosses were burnt in the Black communities by members of the KKK as an intimidation technique used to scare the Blacks from voting or interacting with the whites. In addition to this, the whites used signs and symbols to separate the places that these races were allowed to visit. Consequently, this led to regional segregation whereby markets and entertainment venues as well as residential areas for the blacks were isolated far from those of the whites. In some states, the use of sign s was supported by the laws to further dictate and enforce the segregation laws. After the civil war, most of the blacks demanded for repatriations for the slavery. However these pleas fell into deaf ears and as such, poverty loomed among the Black community. This situation was worsened by the establishment of the Black code laws which prohibited the Blacks from property ownership including land and housing  [5]  . In addition to this, Blacks under these laws were not allowed to work in certain positions and were left with very few options such as working in the white farms and other odd jobs which attracted very low salaries and wages. On the same note, their businesses could not thrive due to the fact that the whites could not buy from the blacks or even supply them with the products to sell. All these factors led to an increase in poverty amongst the Black community. In addition to this, the Jim Crow laws prohibited the blacks from owning land. As a result, they had no choice but to rent out pieces of land from the whites a fact that led to the rise of sharecropping. This system seemed to thrive since most white farmers had large chunks of land and little money to pay laborers especially after the war. Consequently, they struck a bargain with the black laborers entailing that they attend to the land for a small fee, shelter and basic provisions a factor that seemed to cater for the immediate needs of both races under the prevailing circumstances. To further ensure that the Blacks were occupied at all times, the governments and local states put in place vagrancy laws. These were among the black code laws and dictated that all unemployed or wandering Blacks be arrested. These laws were specifically designed to arrest the Blacks since the penalty fees were too high and most of them could not foot the bill. As a result, they could be sent to county labor or be hired as workers for private people. As such, the laws ensured that there was enough labor to go around for the white farmers. As mentioned earlier, these laws seemed to advocate for racism and segregation against the blacks. As a result, they affected the cultural bearing of the African Americans in all aspects. For example, the racism and segregation led to the establishment of black churches. Since the Blacks were not allowed to attend white churches, they had to establish their own religious foundations. These protestant churches focused on developing hope for the blacks who experienced hardships and oppression for the whites  [6]  . Eventually, as the churches grew larger, they offered education to their members in a bid to improve their status and chances of bettering their lives. The music developed by the Blacks during this era was mainly of blues and jazz nature. These were somber songs sang to provide hope to the Blacks through the hardships that they faced. In addition to this, the rhythms were thought to have originated from the African continent and were perfected in the states. The Blacks were known to sing as they worked in the fields. These songs were later modified and improved over the years to form the now known Blues and jazz. As per the sports, the African Americans were still segregated and discriminated upon. However, there were some exceptions such as Moses Fleetwood who was known as the first Black player to play the baseball major leagues with the whites despite his race, or other athletes who showed exceptional talent in the sporting arenas. In addition to this, the Blacks also developed their own Negro league which they used to facilitate communication and interactions amongst themselves since visiting each other was risky under the vagrancy laws. The food common to the African Americans was called soul food. The term originated from the fact that the term soul referred to the Black culture for example soul music or soul train. The origin of the food traces its roots back to the African continent and was introduced to America through the transatlantic slave trade in the late 1870s. The cuisine included meals made of sorghum, rice, cassavas and turnips. As such, these meals became the dietary staples common to the enslaved Africans. During the Jim Crow era, education to the African Americans was viewed as a source of inspiration to fight for change against the oppression that prevailed for a very long time. In as much as the Blacks faced various challenges in accessing educational facilities, the church played a pivotal role in providing access to such amenities. The Blacks were realized to be high academic achievers due to their motivation and persistence in a bid to get a better life and to fight for a better future for the generations to come. Due to the oppressive state that the blacks were experiencing in the states, most of them opted to find ways to migrate back to their mother land. The whites on the other hand oppressed and harassed the Black folks with an aim of pushing them back to Africa. As such, the Blacks believed that the whites were superior to them and figured that there would be more chances and opportunities for them back in Africa. Consequently, this led to an increase in migration of the Blacks to other countries such as Liberia where they felt less intimidated by the whites and at the same time got a feeling of belonging after the hard and struggle full life  [7]  . Conclusion Slavery and segregation tormented the lives of the Africans at the wake of the 19th century. In as much as the 14th and the 15th amendments made attempts to protect and reward the blacks for their efforts, many a white folks still felt superior to them. This led to the establishment of archaic laws and policies formulated to justify the racism and other forms of injustice targeting the Black folks. However, the African Americans surprised the whole world by persisting through it all until such a time that they would realize true freedom and equality among the various races.

Government Subsidies to Correct Externalities Essay -- Alternative Ene

Government Subsidies to Correct Externalities The provision of energy is riddled with market failures. For instance, the U.S. maintains a military presence in the Middle East at least partly in order to secure energy supplies, but to what extent do U.S. consumers pay for that at the pump? Anecdotally, petrol costs about half in the States what it does in Europe. For another example, short haul flights are often cheaper than train tickets to the same destination, and yet, air travel is about ten times worse for the environment than is rail. Does the cost of either ticket account for this difference? Both the production and consumption of energy give rise to economic costs that are difficult to allocate. These externalities are a long-recognized economic problem. That is why we are in the midst of boom times for the alternative energy industry. For the most part, alternative means alternative to derivatives of crude oil, but it also seeks to substitute for coal and to a lesser extent nuclear energy. In many cases, demand for alternatives has exceeded supply. Similarly, demand for investments in new alternative energy technologies has exceeded the stock of available good ideas (Green Dreams, 2006). But has this driven up the price? Well, sort of. What has happened is governments around the world have stepped in to support alternative energy. According to The Economist magazine, 49 governments have made formal commitments. So while consumers by and large are still minimizing cost in the energy purchases, their elected governments have demanded dramatic changes in patterns of production (Investing in clean energy, 2006). There are broadly three reasons for consumer preference for alternative energy.... ... to assure that society gets the package of output that it desires. Works Cited The answer, my friend? ? Can the windy Great Plains be a new power source, or is that just bluster? (2006, October 26). The Economist. Green Dreams ? The flood of money into clean energy is better news for society than it is for investors. (2006, November 16). The Economist. Investing in clean energy ? Tilting at windmills. (2006, November 16). The Economist. Hammond, P., Gamble, B. (2006, February 16). Simmons Oil Monthly ? Solar Energy Overview. Retrieved 17 November 2006 from: http://www.simmonsco-intl.com Campbell, J. (2005, February 12). NOPA Biodiesel Speech. National Oilseed Processors Association 2005 Annual Meeting. Wind Power. Wikipedia. Retrieved 17 November 2006 from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wind_energy

How Do Maya Angelou and Grace Nichols Communicate What It Means to Be a Black Woman in Today’s Society Essay

How do Maya Angelou and Grace Nichols communicate what it means to be a black woman in today’s society? In this essay I will compare two poems. The two poems I will compare is Maya Angelou’s ‘Still I rise’ to Grace Nichols’ ‘Of course when they ask for poems about the ‘realities’ of Black women’. I think Maya Angelou’s ‘Still in rise’ has a rather different message to Grace Nichols’ poem. I think they are interesting to compare because Maya Angelo is lively and spirited about writing a poem about how strong black women are and how it is to be a black woman in today’s society. Whereas, Grace Nichols is more disgruntled and irritated about writing her poem. The first poem I will scrutinize is Maya Angelo’s ‘Still I rise’. The title ‘Still I rise’ shows strength and optimism as it is a short but strong meaning title. It means that Maya Angelou will always defend herself. It makes you feel no matter what you do to Maya Angelou she will just get back up again. This makes you believe that Maya Angelou is a strong person. In the first verse, Maya Angelou starts off using an accusatory tone when she says ‘you may write me down in history with you bitter, twisted lies’. This gives the impression that she is talking to white people when she says this. I think this means she doesn’t like what white people have wrote in their history books about black people’s past as it is over exaggerated and a lot of lies. Near the end of the first verse, she uses the simile ‘but still like dust, I’ll rise’. This is once again reinforcing the idea that she is a strong black woman. By using this simile she is also comparing herself and her race to dust and this suggests that you can’t get rid of black people and that they are everywhere you go, as dust is hard to get rid of and it is everywhere as you can’t control or capture it. In the second verse, Maya Angelou is more lively and spirited when she says ‘Does my sassiness upset you? ’ This suggests that she is getting more confident as she progresses through the poem. She also uses two rhetorical questions to grip the reader’s attention ‘why are you beset with gloom? Also, in the second verse she shows more confidence when she uses the phrase ‘‘cause I walk like I’ve got oil wells pumping in my living room. ’ The use of informal language ‘cause’ shows this. This phrase also makes me think that she feels powerful, rich and important. In the third stanza, she uses a lot of similes such as ‘Just like moons and like suns’ I think she has put this simile in because it is natural imagery and she wants black people to be described as this because it is not only a part of nature but the sun and moon are beautiful; vital to the world. In the next line she continues with the natural imagery by saying ‘With certainty of tides’. This is also natural imagery as she is comparing the black race with tides. I think she chose to use the natural imagery of tides here because not only is it once again vital to the world but it also creates a sense of power as tides and waves are incontrollable, powerful and constant and waves always come back so I think maybe she was also trying to reinforce the idea that she and her race are strong. However in the fourth verse, she stops using natural imagery and changes into an interrogative mode when she says ‘did you want to see me broken? Bowed head and lowered eyes? ’ Here she uses negative lexis such as ‘broken’ to create an image of a typical slave to the reader. I think she does this here as she wants to show people that herself and her race are not slaves and that you should not dwell on their past and think of them as slaves. In the fifth stanza, it’s more about her culture when she uses the simile ‘cause I laugh like I’ve got gold mines’ I think she is implying here that she is not rich in wealth but she is rich in culture and in spirit. I think this changes the atmosphere to a more relaxed mood as she is embracing her culture. Also, when she says ‘diggin in my own back yard’ it gives you a sense of black soulful language and reinforces the fact that she embraces her culture and language. However, in stanza six, it is a more harsh verse as she uses an accusatory tone once again. She creates an atmosphere of fury and annoyance by using onomatopoeia and harsh sounds such as ‘cut’ and ‘kill’. I think this was put in so people would remember the way white people treated slaves and how violent they were towards them. I think she is trying to give an insight of how it must have felt to be a slave and make people feel guilty for treating them so unfairly. At the end of this verse, she repeats herself ‘But still, like air, I’ll rise’. I think she does this to not only make people believe she is a strong, black woman, but to also make the poem memorable for the reader and make it stand out. Also, when she uses the simile ‘like air’ it makes you think that you can’t hurt her because she is ‘like air’ and you can’t cut or hurt air. I think air was a good simile to use here because air rises and I think Angelou was implying that she will rise above all expectations people have for her, black women and black men. Also, by using the word air Maya Angelou is trying to indicate that herself and the black race are now free as black people are now free from slavery. In the seventh stanza, the atmosphere changes and you can see Angelou’s pride in her culture and race. I think Maya Angelou is trying to create a different image for black women as she says ‘does my sexiness up set you? . This suggests that she is trying to make a new image for black women that is sexy and more elegant because before they were seen as only slaves. In the third and fourth line of this verse, she says ‘that I dance like I’ve got diamonds, at the meeting of my thighs’. By using the word diamond she is implying that black women are rare, precious and tough as those are the main characteristics of a diamond. I t hink she is suggesting black women should be treasured and kept safe as they are too precious to lose. In the last stanza, Angelou breaks free from the previous set structure of the quatrains and it’s a more symbolic structure; it does not have a pattern to it. I think this is because it is supposed to imitate the slaves breaking free. Also, it has a random lay out and I think this is reinforcing the idea that you can’t capture black people like slaves anymore and that black people shouldn’t be treated unfairly anymore. The last verse also has more energy to it as it speeds up more. I think this is because when black people broke free from slavery they were lively and more spirited and had more pride in their culture and race. Also, in the last verse, Angelou uses metaphors instead of similes now such as ‘I’m a black ocean, leaping and wide’. I think she changes from similes to metaphors in this verse because she has gained more confidence and pride. It has also become a more happier, lively verse again as she uses more positive lexis such as ‘daybreak’ and ‘wondrously clear’. This is because she is happy and proud of being black and wants black women and men to be perceived as happy and lively. She has not only broken free from the quatrains in this last verse, but she has also broken free from the AB rhyming sentences and is now using rhyming couplets as well as repetition of the words ‘I rise, I rise, I rise’ to show confidence, power and pride of what it means to be a black woman. Overall, throughout the whole of the poem, I believe that Maya Angelou was trying to change the perception of black women and make black women feel as confident and as proud as Angelou does of being black. Throughout the poem Angelou’s tone differs. As in the beginning, although she started with an accusatory tone, she went on and used positive lexis such as ‘hopes springing high’ this then changed from a interrogative mood to a more lively and spirited atmosphere. However, as the poem continues she starts to use negative lexis again and the interrogative mode re-appears making the poem seem more harsh to the reader, although, when you read on the poem ends in a more lively and happier tone as she uses more absolute phrases and starts to use metaphors rather than similes now; ‘I’m a black ocean, leaping and wide’. Angelou’s use of sound imagery is interesting as she makes the reader imagine not only pretty, natural images, but harsh, cruel images as well. For instance, ‘Just like moons and like suns’ and ‘Shoulders falling down like teardrops’. I think she does this so we all can see what she wants black people to be perceived as and also what black people used to be perceived as. Overall, I think Maya Angelou wrote this poem to change the perception of black women in today’s society. The second poem I will analyse is Grace Nichols ‘Of course when they ask for poems about the ‘realities’ of black women’. This is a poem with a slightly different message. Whereas, Maya Angelou’s poem was overall lively and spirited, Grace Nichols poem takes on a more sarcastic side of what it’s like to be a black woman, compared to a white woman, in today’s society and how she feels about being asked to write a poem on what it’s like to be a black woman. The heading of Grace Nichols poem’ Of course when they ask for poems about the ‘realities’ of black women’ shows a sarcastic side as she has put realities in inverted commas. This gives you the impression that she doesn’t want to write this poem as black women are no different from white women or any other race. The first verse of the poem starts with ‘what they really want at times is a specimen whose heart is in the dust’. When she uses the word they in the beginning I think she is talking about white people, racists and those that misunderstand her race. Also, when she says the word specimen it makes you think of a different species; something that needs to be studied. I think this is what she feels racists think of the black race. When she refers to ‘whose heart is in the dust’ this makes the reader believe she thinks people pity her race. When she says ‘a mother-of-sufferer’ she is referring to ancestors of slaves and this then links to ‘trampled/oppressed’ which is the typical slave image. She’s is saying here that ‘they’, meaning white people or people that misunderstand her race, want a slave to write a poem about how it is to be a black person living in today’s society. Grace Nichols then moves on and says ‘they want a little black blood undressed and validation for the abused stereotype already in their heads’. This means that racists want a black, vulnerable person to be proof for the typical slave image, that’s a black stereotype, in their minds. When she says ‘black blood’ she is implying that black people are completely different to any other race and even have different blood, even though black people are no different from white people. She is also implying, when she says ‘For the abused stereotype already in their head’, that the stereotype has been put into people’s heads by white, biased history books. When she says, in the next verse, ‘a perfect song’ she is referring to someone that is proud of their race and would like to write a poem about being black, for example Maya Angelou. Within the next few lines, Grace Nichols talks more about how not all black women are the same and how they can’t be categorised. When she says’ I say I can write no poem big enough to hold the essence’. This means she can’t write one poem for black people or any other race as there are too many personalities and individuals to put them all into one category. When she says ‘of a black woman or a white woman or a green woman’ she is then showing her sarcasm again when she says ‘green woman’ as you can’t have green women and what she is trying to say is that we are all equal . ‘And there are Black women and Black women’ this is once again reinforcing the idea that there is not just ‘the’ black woman. There are different types of black women and they are not all the same and are individuals. In the next line she uses a very good simile when she says ‘like a contrasting sky of rainbow spectrum’. I love this simile as she is saying that there isn’t only one colour black and that when you put all the different colours together it makes something beautiful, such as a rainbow. She is also using natural imagery here and it makes you think of how special black people are to this world. As you go on in the poem, she uses the well known phrase ‘don’t judge a book by its cover’ very well as she says ‘touch a black woman you mistake for a rock and feel her melting down to fudge’. I think this is implying the phrase ‘don’t judge a book by its cover’ as it is saying if you insult a black woman when you think she has ‘thick skin’ she could really be vulnerable inside. In her poem, she does not only talk about different types of people and race, but she also introduces the fact of the different types of language. ‘If need be we’ll trade a piece-a-pussy’. Here she uses her own language of Creole and mixes Caribbean English with English to create a sense of her own Caribbean culture and how proud she is to be black and have her own, unique culture. Also, during her poem, Grace Nichols refers to some famous black women as she says ‘and there are black women so dangerous in South Africa they prison them away’. Here she is talking about Winnie Mandela, Nelson Mandela’s wife. She also refers to Maya Angelou throughout her poem as she says’ and there are black women strong and eloquent and focused’. Here she talks about Maya Angelou and how proud she is of her race. However, at the end of the poem, she ends on a positive note as she says’ the twisted self-negating history we’ve inherited’. I think this means even though they see their history as twisted and cruel, she wants black people to focus on the present and make their history better than that of the ancestors that were slaves. She also says ‘crushing out with each dancing step’. This shows me that she wants to crush out their past history and therefore ends on a positive note. Overall, throughout the poem, I think Grace Nichols was trying to make black women proud of their culture and race and that they are no more different than white people or any other race. I think Grace Nichols didn’t have a set structure for the poem as it is sporadic and a random layout. I think she did this because there is not a set pattern for black women and that the layout represents this. Also, the layout is random and unique and that’s what she wants black women to be perceived as instead as being in a set pattern and categorised. Grace Nichols repeats several thing throughout her poem. ‘of a black woman or a white woman or a green woman’ is repeated a lot to emphasize the point that all races are equal and it doesn’t depend on colour for how we are treated. She also repeats the phrase ‘crushing out with each dancing step’ to make her point that you shouldn’t judge people by their past and that you should forget about you and your ancestors history and create new history. I think Grace Nichols used Creole to emphasize how she is proud of her culture and that black women should be proud as well and celebrate their own culture. I think these poems differ in messages and tones as Maya Angelou’s poem ‘still I rise’ her message is that black women should be proud about their culture and to be black and that Maya Angelou wants to change the perception of black women so that it is not the typical lave image but it is more sexy and elegant. Also, I think Maya Angelou was lively and spirited throughout most of her poem, although she had some accusatory tone and interrogative mode. However, Grace Nichols’s message was different from Maya Angelou’s as Grace Nichols wanted black women to be treated fairly and equally as any other race are and that she doesn’t think its right to define black women all in one category. Also, she didn’t think it was right to be asked to write a poem about how black women feel living in today’s society as it is no different from any other race woman. Grace Nichols’s tone throughout was mainly accusatory and angry. In some ways the two poems are similar as they both feel that their race should not be treated as slave just because some of their ancestors were in captivity as slaves in past history. Also, they both feel that their race should now think about the present and not focus on the past and believe you should forget about slavery and the past. They both also want black people to celebrate their culture. I think Grace Nichols’s poem portrays the black race better as Maya Angelou categorises the black race even though they are all individuals and can’t be put into just one category. Whereas, Grace Nichols says all the way through her poem that black people are individuals and all unique and you can’t categorise them. Also, I think Grace Nichols write not just about the good things about being a black woman, but she also write about the bad things, whereas, Maya Angelou doesn’t.

Drugs and Music Revolution of 1960s Essays

Drugs and Music Revolution of 1960s Essays Drugs and Music Revolution of 1960s Paper Drugs and Music Revolution of 1960s Paper Essay on The 1960s Music and Drug Revolution The decade of the 1960s is most likely talked about because of the Vietnam War, but most over look what was going on in America. Back in the states the faces of angry anti- war activists were on every major street corner you looked, they protested for peace and to get their brothers out of the Jungles where the vicious war took place. The sixties were also the forefront of the Civil Rights Movement for Black Americans to receive racial dignity, economic and political self-sufficiency: with voting rights, and also freedom from white Americans. Lastly the four major political ssassinations of John F Kennedy, Malcolm X, Martin Luther King Jr. , and Robert F. Kennedy all took place one after another in this decade leaving the Americans in heartbreak and turmoil. Politically leaving the United States at a standpoint on what the hell is there to do next. To get away from the mess, the most effective escape of the time was the music. It changed the depressing feeling to help make the people somewhat forget what harsh realities are happening around them and give them hope. With the music so empowering to some this brought to us what we now know as the Hippie Movement. (Yapp). Most were fed up with the United States leading to thousands of carefree people to hard drugs and rock and roll. During the hard ships in the sixties people used music to find the glass half full instead of half empty. All of the events of the sixties had an effect on the way the people dressed then and still to this day. Self-expression of the 1960s led men and women to grow their hair long and dress freely in bright colors and daring prints that were outrageous and had never been seen before. Events: The 1960s started out on a good foot with John F Kennedy, as President America as happy with the way politics were being handled. He was the second youngest president to ever be in office. John was elected in 1961 and was putting a pretty big hand print on the Americans with big events such as the Bay of Pigs Invasion, the Cuban Missile Crisis, the building of the Berlin Wall, the Space Race, the African- American Civil Rights Movement, and early stages of the Vietnam War. Until 1963 Lee Harvey Oswald assassinated him with a shot to the upper back and a final shot to the head. Pronouncing him dead 30 minutes alter. To this day Kennedy continues to rank ighly in public opinion ratings of U. S. presidents. Following Kennedys assassination were the deaths of civil rights leaders Malcolm X, Martin Luther King Jr. , and JFKs brother Robert F. Kennedy. All four of these deaths happening in such a short amount of time left Americans with really no guidance on what to do next and what was going to happen to them. Socially the United States was tired of being let down and many decided to go about their own ways of carefree living. Many were also in poverty so looking for a brighter side to life. The outcome of looking for a better life was to be a hippie. The ubculture started out with the youth and quickly rose and spread across country and even into some other countries. Hippies created their own communities, listened to psychedelic rock, embraced the sexual revolution and many used drugs such as Marijuana, LSD and mushrooms to explore an altered state ot consciousness. Something that cannot be ignored was the Vietnam War that mainly took place in the 1960s. The war had an estimated 47, 355 American casualties, with men and women losing lives left and right many were in a deep depression. The war went on from 1955 to 1975 with the United States getting highly involved in the 60s. The US got involved to help prevent communism in South Vietnam for containment; with overwhelming firepower, air support, airstrikes, search and destroy operations, and lots of heavy artillery. Although the war did not end until the 70s, the capture of Saigon by the Vietnam Peoples Army in 1975 marked the end of the war, and North and South Vietnam were reunified the following year. Descriptive: The different styles and trends of the sixties are extremely different with all the different social groups. Starting off with the early times of the sixties when John F. Kennedy was still the president and first lady Jacqueline Kennedy (Illustration 1) was the icon of elegance and poise. Her style consisted of pillbox hats, suits in pastel colors with big buttons and short Jackets. A casual day consisted of capris and versatile layers in bright colors these styles were increasingly popular. The sixties were also a time of the British Invasion in America. The ever so popular bad The Beatles had arrived in America at this time with their hit songs still listened to until this day. This sparked a style of what we call Mod. Mod short for Modernists; consisting of women copying mens style with fitted Levis Jeans and sneakers. Also wearing mens shirts, tailors suits, mini skirts, A-line skirts, and trousers. The Mod style icon was Twiggy (Illustration 2), a popular British model who broke the rules for women style and taking them out of the conservative long dress and long skirt confines of the previous 1950s. Finding your personal style and dressing how you felt was the biggest trend of all. The best known and most significant of all was the Hippie style catalyst. Giving the people of the sixties ultimate comfort and self-expression. This style consisted of oose- fitting clothes; most often tie dyed pieces and adding the perfect accent to top off an outfit with a flower. Flowers showing a sign for peace during the rough times of war going on back in Vietnam. Hip-hugger bell-bottom Jeans were incredibly popular for both men and women and following these Jeans were peasant shirts, skirts and halter-tops (Illustration 3). Another trend was women sewing patches of different cloth on to their clothes to either cover holes or simply for decoration. Lastly in the late sixties the anything goes look was the outcome after all the not so everlasting trends in the previous years. Of course more new trends did thrive such as closer to the body clothing with firmly belted waistlines on dresses, suits and blouses showing off the hips. The film, Bonnie and Clyde gave the inspiration for jumper dresses and suits. The film also gave off wide leg pants giving a more professional look; that carried on into the 1970s, compared to the very messy hippie look. The hippie look was actually inspired and really made in toa mess by the music of the 1960s. Music was being influenced by so many new trends that had never happened before, the new ways of politics, economics and carefree lifestyle.. Drugs elped ease the pain and became the most influential variables in the music of the s es The rock and roll and pop music all started out small and underground until it became mainstream. Soon to be known as the psychedelic era, this era introduced drugs to be an important aspect of music and a part of the typical day of a rock star. The listeners of the music also used drugs like acid and marijuana to enhance the overall experience of the sounds, movements and brightness of lights during the shows and music festivals. Bands such as The Byrds and The Grateful Dead used drugs like LSD, marijuana, and heroin (Illustration 4). They believed using drugs would make a difference of the previous music in the 1950s, and were very successful with blowing the 50s music away. The effect that the drugs had on the band was turning them into real musicians, ones that could capture the audiences attention in just a couple of strums ofa guitar. This new music started around the San Francisco area and spread across the nation. Young people greeted the new genre of music with open arms and drugs helped change the way to enjoy the new wave of music. It also became apparent that the British group The Beatles started to use LSD when ecording in the studio. The song Tomorrow Never Knows was a product of the famous group high on an acid trip. Toward the end of the sixties the iconic music festival called The Peace and Music Festival of Woodstock. The three-day festival was hugely successful and the first ever of its kind to occur (Illustration 5). More than two million people tried to get in, with borders and state lines closed due to the amount of people. The festival headlined different bands from across the world and was a place to demonstrate peace. Even though during most of the three-day event it oured rain it did not stop anyone from putting a damper on the mood. Putting a close to the sixties a few years later was the end of the Vietnam War however the end of war did not put an end to drug use. Many people had lost their lives in the psychedelic era either from a gunshot in the Far East of a prick of a heroin laced needle in the United States. These tragedies were captured in the music of the sixties and is remembered and reminded to the generations to come. Compare and Contrast: From the radical 1960s to the present time now there are so many things have changed and so many things have also stayed the same. Starting with the fashion of the 60s consisting of women wearing mens wear clothing as a huge trend that went on throughout the time and is still to this day. There is also the mid 60s, which was when the hippie look was widely popular, and the baggy look with long shirts and pajama looking pants with low hemlines. Today everything is a high hemline and form-fitting clothes from tight denim Jeans to crop top shirts for girls. Although the 60s did go through a phase of tight bell bottom pants made of polyester. Thankfully, those are not seen any more in present time. Another comparison is the Civil Rights Movement that happened in the sixties. Black Americans wanted the legal freedom from whites, voting rights, as well as inside schools, and over all racial dignity. Ever since this Conclusion: The 1960s was no doubt a revelation that changed America forever. With so many monumental experiences that will most likely never happen again. Fashion is of course torever changing but more so in the 1 Starting early on witn clean cut pastel suits to the late sixties tie dye shirts; skintight bell-bottom Jeans and long hair were the trend. All of the tragedies in the sixties it had a huge impact on music and hat the American people felt, what they were feeling was the way they dressed and showed self-expression through their clothes. Music was a huge part of peoples lives back then, that was the only thing that young adults had to look forward to and music is even more relatable today. Music speaks to people in ways that no one can describe, almost life changing to some. The artists and bands of the 60s talked about what was going on around them inside their song lyrics. Making it easily relatable to their fans and to the American people to make it seem like they were all in the mess together and never by themselves.

The Death of Emperor Montezuma

The Death of Emperor Montezuma In November of 1519, Spanish invaders led by Hernan Cortes arrived in Tenochtitlan, the capital city of the Mexica (Aztecs). They were welcomed by Montezuma, the mighty Tlatoani (emperor) of his people. Seven months later, Montezuma was dead, possibly at the hands of his own people. What happened to the Emperor of the Aztecs? Montezuma II Xocoyotzà ­n, Emperor of the Aztecs Montezuma had been selected to be Tlatoani (the word means speaker) in 1502, the maximum leader of his people: his grandfather, father and two uncles had also been tlatoque (plural of tlatoani). From 1502 to 1519, Montezuma had proven himself to be an able leader in war, politics, religion, and diplomacy. He had maintained and expanded the empire and was lord of lands stretching from the Atlantic to the Pacific. Hundreds of conquered vassal tribes sent the Aztecs goods, food, weapons, and even slaves and captured warriors for sacrifice. Cortes and the Invasion of Mexico In 1519, Hernan Cortes and 600 Spanish conquistadors landed on Mexicos Gulf coast, establishing a base near the present-day city of Veracruz. They began slowly making their way inland, collecting intelligence through Cortes interpreter/mistress Doà ±a Marina (Malinche). They befriended disgruntled vassals of the Mexica and made an important alliance with the Tlaxcalans, bitter enemies of the Aztecs. They arrived in Tenochtitlan in November and were initially welcomed by Montezuma and his top officials. Capture of Montezuma The wealth of Tenochtitlan was astounding, and Cortes and his lieutenants began plotting how to take the city. Most of their plans involved capturing Montezuma and holding him until more reinforcements could arrive to secure the city. On November 14, 1519, they got the excuse they needed. A Spanish garrison left on the coast had been attacked by some representatives of the Mexica and several of them were killed. Cortes arranged a meeting with Montezuma, accused him of planning the attack, and took him into custody. Amazingly, Montezuma agreed, provided he be able to tell the story that he had voluntarily accompanied the Spanish back to the palace where they were lodged. Montezuma Captive Montezuma was still allowed to see his advisors and participate in his religious duties, but only with Cortes permission. He taught Cortes and his lieutenants to play traditional Mexica games and even took them hunting outside of the city. Montezuma seemed to develop a sort of Stockholm Syndrome, in which he befriended and sympathized with his captor, Cortes: when his nephew Cacama, lord of Texcoco, plotted against the Spanish, Montezuma heard of it and informed Cortes, who took Cacama prisoner. Meanwhile, the Spanish continually badgered Montezuma for more and more gold. The Mexica generally valued brilliant feathers more than gold, so much of the gold in the city was handed over to the Spanish. Montezuma even ordered the vassal states of the Mexica to send gold, and the Spaniards amassed an unheard-of fortune: it is estimated that by May they had collected eight tons of gold and silver. Massacre of Toxcatl and Return of Cortes In May of 1520, Cortes had to go to the coast with as many soldiers as he could spare to deal with an army led by Panfilo de Narvaez. Unbeknownst to Cortes, Montezuma had entered into a secret correspondence with Narvez and had ordered his coastal vassals to support him. When Cortes found out, he was furious, greatly straining his relationship with Montezuma. Cortes left his lieutenant Pedro de Alvarado in charge of Montezuma, other royal captives and the city of Tenochtitlan. Once Cortes was gone, the people of Tenochtitlan became restless, and Alvarado heard of a plot to murder the Spanish. He ordered his men to attack during the festival of Toxcatl on May 20, 1520. Thousands of unarmed Mexica, most of the members of the nobility, were slaughtered. Alvarado also ordered the murder of several important lords held in captivity, including Cacama. The people of Tenochtitlan were furious and attacked the Spaniards, forcing them to barricade themselves inside the Palace of Axaycatl. Cortes defeated Narvaez in battle and added his men to his own. On June 24, this larger army returned to Tenochtitlan and was able to reinforce Alvarado and his embattled men. Death of Montezuma Cortes returned to a palace under siege. Cortes could not restore order, and the Spanish were starving, as the market had closed. Cortes ordered Montezuma to reopen the market, but the emperor said that he could not because he was a captive and no one listened to his orders anymore. He suggested that if Cortes freed his brother Cuitlahuac, also held prisoner, he might be able to get the markets to reopen. Cortes let Cuitlahuac go, but instead of reopening the market, the warlike prince organized an even fiercer attack on the barricaded Spaniards.   Unable to restore order, Cortes had a reluctant Montezuma hauled to the roof of the palace, where he pleaded with his people to stop attacking the Spanish. Enraged, the people of Tenochtitlan threw stones and spears at Montezuma, who was badly wounded before the Spanish were able to bring him back inside the palace. According to Spanish accounts, two or three days later, on June 29, Montezuma died of his wounds. He spoke to Cortes before dying and asked him to take care of his surviving children. According to native accounts, Montezuma survived his wounds but was murdered by the Spanish when it became clear that he was of no further use to them. It is impossible to determine today exactly how Montezuma died. Aftermath of Montezuma's Death With Montezuma dead, Cortes realized that there was no way he could hold the city. On June 30, 1520, Cortes and his men tried to sneak out of Tenochtitlan under cover of darkness. They were spotted, however, and wave after wave of fierce Mexica warriors attacked the Spaniards fleeing over the Tacuba causeway. About six hundred Spaniards (roughly half of Cortes army) were killed, along with most of his horses. Two of Montezumas children - which Cortes had just promised to protect - were slain alongside the Spaniards.  Some Spaniards were captured alive and sacrificed to the Aztec gods. Nearly all of the treasure was gone as well. The Spanish referred to this disastrous retreat as the Night of Sorrows. A few months later, reinforced by more conquistadors and Tlaxcalans, the Spanish would re-take the city, this time for good. Five centuries after his death, many modern Mexicans still blame Montezuma for poor leadership which led to the fall of the Aztec Empire. The circumstances of his captivity and death have much to do with this. Had Montezuma refused to allow himself to be taken captive, history would most likely have been very different. Most modern Mexicans have little respect for Montezuma, preferring the two leaders who came after him, Cuitlahuac and Cuauhtà ©moc, both of whom fought the Spanish fiercely. Sources Diaz del Castillo, Bernal. . Trans., ed. J.M. Cohen. 1576. London, Penguin Books, 1963. Hassig, Ross. Aztec Warfare: Imperial Expansion and Political Control. Norman and London: University of Oklahoma Press, 1988. Levy, Buddy. New York: Bantam, 2008. Thomas, Hugh . New York: Touchstone, 1993.

buy custom Negative Business essay

buy custom Negative Business essay Introduction The American airlines came into operation from a group of small independent firms which were dealing with mails. In 1933 the airline ordered its fist Curtis condors and on by June the year 1936 it flew the worlds first commercial DC-3 trip which started from Chicago and ended in New York. In the year 1941 the airline stated to offer his services in Mexico. In 1981 the airline stopped 707 series fleet and introduced the AA Advantage program, Americans frequent flyer project. From the year 1981 till the year 2011 the airline has developed very much. For instance, currently the airline has fleet size of 622 (+104 orders) and more than 260 destinations. Although American airline is the worlds third-largest airline in passenger miles transport, operating revenues and passenger fleet size its last profitable year was 2007(Kakuk A, Theriault B Bourgoin J). Negative financial deals for American airline for the recent three years For the last three years starting from the year 2008 to 2010 the American airline has never made any profit. For instance, over those years the airlines performance and financial timelines was as follows; the company made a net loss of $2.1 billion in the year 2008.These results was due to increase in fuel prices from an average of $2.13 per gallo in 2007 to an average of $3.03 per gallon in 2008.Even though the fuel prices have increased constantly from the record prices recorded in the year 2008, fuel prices always remains volatile. Due the fuel price volatility, the prices of fuel is keeping on increasing every time and this has highly affected the Companys financial conditions and its performance in general (AMR CORPORATION ANNUAL REPORT, 2008). In 2009 the Company recorded a net loss of $ 1.5 billion. This was due to a significant decrease in passenger revenue because of lower traffic and passenger yield. Mainline passenger revenue reduced by $3.2 billion to $15.0 billion in the year 2009. Mainline passenger unit revenue reduced by 11.1% in 2009 due to an 11.2% reduction in passenger yield. Besides, in 2009 the Companys performance results were negatively impacted by a net of $107 million in special items, non-cash tax item and restructuring charges (AMR CORPORATION ANNUAL REPORT, 2009). In 2010 the Company recorded a net loss of $471 million. The smaller loss in 2010 was due to an improvement in the weak global economy. The mainline passenger revenue was raised by $1.7 billion to 16.8 billion in 2010. Mainline passenger unit revenues increased by 10.4% in 2010 because of 8.7% increase in passenger yield. Fuel prices increased by $847 million to $6.4 billion for the year ended December 31, 2010 compared to 2009. Hedging effects costs the company $142 million of the overall increase in fuel cost (AMR CORPORATION ANNUAL REPORT, 2010). Relevant Costs plus Risk and Return are the two financial concepts which the Company has employed leading to his downfalls. In Relevant Costs the Company made business decisions in the 2008 that its McDonnell Douglas MD-80 and Embraer RJ-3-135 aircraft fleets were no longer required. In addition with these capacity reductions, the company realized $71 million in expense for employee costs and $33 million expense concerning the grounding of leased Airbus A300 aircraft before the lease expiration. In the case of Risk and Return the company is negotiating with aircraft makers like Boeing Company to replace all its fleet by buying more than 250 planes in a deal worth 15 billion while it has never made any profit(GRAZIANO, C, 2009). Yes, I strongly believe that the Company will recover very soon. This is because; its net loss was narrowed to $436 million this year, from $505 million of last year. In addition, the airline is planning to own two more Boeing 777-300ER aircraft to be delivered in 2012and 2013.Hence, raising itsb performance in order to recover soon (Schlangenstein, M, 2011). The main two key ways the Company should employ to become financially strong again involves, it should invest heavily in aircrafts which consumes less fuel and creates good customer relationship in order to gain many customers as possible. Buy custom Negative Business essay

Anti-americanism in The Quiet American Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Anti-americanism in The Quiet American - Essay Example In the meanwhile, they talk on the topics like French colonialism, communism, sex, social life, etc. But both these men get involved with Phuong, a local girl. Fowler is about 50 years old, while Phuong is in her twenties. Hence, there are complications in their relationships. Fowler has professional problems too, and he is reluctant of his married life. However, toward the end of the novel, Fowler discovers Pyle’s involvement in bombing of civilians. Moreover, Fowler himself gets involved in a plot to kill Pyle. At the end of the novel, Pyle dies while Fowler remains entangled over his affair with Phuong. The plot of the novel is not essentially political or oriented to military sciences and diplomacy. Rather, the two main characters of the novel get involved in a number of diverse events and objective studies from their most general viewpoints and often there are differences of opinion between them. As the novel starts, there are exciting descriptions of war, along with the visualization and vivid treatment of â€Å"the old Saigon story of the distinguished visitor who had lost his trousers fighting his way back to the safety of the police post. There was no protection here for the civilian.† (Greene, 41) Contextually, the two main characters, Fowler and Pyle, are sometimes debating on theology, religion, sex, romance, etc. Fowler’s views and comments reflect contemporary British social values, often independent from both the US and mainland European attitudes. On the other hand, Pyle appears to be an idealist, not only being relatively young and enterprising, but also willing to see something different from both capitalism and communism to come up in East Asia. The idealistic bend of his mind is somewhat criticized as Fowler remarks, â€Å"But Pyle, you can’t trust men like Thà © (one pro-American South Vietnamese). They aren’t going to save the East from communism. We know their

1.Currency derivatives can be classified into instruments with Essay

1.Currency derivatives can be classified into instruments with symmetrical(fixed)and asymmetrical(open) outcomes.Define their respective characteristics, and use examples to illustrate your answer - Essay Example futures are symmetrical: if one can enter into a forward at a particular price, the price might either go up or come down, and so, one can make either profit or a loss. Forwards are quite common in commodities, and can be used either for speculation or for hedging. Eg: If a person has an order to ship 10000 tons of steel for a period of 6 months at a prefixed price of $1000 per ton. And the person is expecting the price of steel to increase. So, to hedge against the price risk, the person enters into a forward purchase agreement, for 10000 tons 6 months hence. The person position is now fully hedged: if the price of steel increases as expected, person will either claim a delivery from the forward seller, or a net settlement. If the price comes down, person will be obliged to settle by making a payment for the price difference to the forward seller, but will be fully compensated by the pre-fixed price it gets from its own forward sale contract. 2. Options have an asymmetric return profile: an option is an option with one party. The option will be exercised only when the purchaser of the option is in-the-money. Therefore, the only loss in an option is the cost of writing and carrying the option. Hence, options have an asymmetric return profile. On the other hand, the option-seller only makes returns by way of fees or premium for selling the option, against which the person takes the risk of being out-of-money. If the option is not exercised, person makes fees, but if the option is exercised, considerably, the person may lose. For example, if one person is holding a security of $1000 buys an option to put the security at its current price with some other person. Now if the price of the security goes down to $900. The person may exercise to sell the option of the security to some other person at the agreed price of $1000 to protect against the loss of account of turn down in the market value. If, on the other hand, the price of the security is increased to $1100,

Reaction paper 3 Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Reaction paper 3 - Assignment Example Thus, showing how Lardo acquires new meaning as a result of the campaign as an exotic consumption item for the local and middle-class consumers (Alison 455). Therefore, the article explains the meaning of the movement in different areas. The entire article emphasizes on the impacts of the Slow Food Movement. In Italy, the movement succeeded in developing cultural space for a new consumer politics kind of performance. The article explains further that the Slow Food resists the easy categorization in any familiar political narratives terms. Though, it is evident that the promotion has penetrated to the politics process heart in societies of liberal democracy. Hence, the article explains the theory behind the food politics. Alison shows how the movement of Slow Food manifestos encourages the cultural diversity idea. The article explains that the movement urges consumers to purchase niche-marketed foods. Though, with the kind of promotional politics, there can be no guarantees of ideological outcomes. It is evident in the article that, the cultural marketing authenticity politics may have been unexpected results for the direct producers. The entire article explains the formation and impact of the European Union. The article explains the contribution of the union and community in making the world a better place in terms of economic fields, peacekeeping and climate changes. Thus, the main objective of the article is to define the European Union and determine its impact on the European nations in terms of development in economy. The article points out some of the factors that promoted economic development by the new community or union. It emphasizes that the political and economic unification of the involved nations paved way for the integrated economy. In addition the common market concept got extended in the mutual trade of the union; thus promoting the economic

Urban School District--Baltimore City Schools in MD Essay

Urban School District--Baltimore City Schools in MD - Essay Example This is because it encourages teachers to take control of their professional careers and improve their effectiveness. This effectiveness is enabled since teachers can now determine the pace at which they earn. Apart from school based programs, the other main attraction to both the teachers and the students towards Baltimore City School is its location. Being located in an urban area within the city of Baltimore; a city with beautiful attractions nice people and culture, makes it so affordable and interesting thus desirable for individuals to live in. Challenges that might be expected in Baltimore City Public School Considering the fact that Baltimore City Public School is an urban school, poses a great threat towards the school. This is because there are so many challenges associated with urban district schools. Some of these challenges include; Shortage of teachers, government oversight, politicized school boards, School staff accountability among others, funding for infrastructure. Some of the consequences that might result to affect the urban schools negatively when these problems are not solved in time include the following: Poor learning infrastructure such as classrooms might expose the student to harsh environmental conditions thus affecting their health, performance of the students might also deteriorate as a result of fewer teachers. This will be possible because the teachers might not be able to effectively manage a huge number of students. Teachers are also subjected to low earnings whenever students perform poorly thus reducing their morale when handling large classes of students (Richards & Farrell 78). How to address the challenges associated with the extreme urban district Some individuals have argued that treatment is better than cure. As in this case many will tend to agree with them. This is because the result of these challenges can be anticipated thus need for better preparation on how to handle them. For these measures to be handled speedily and without favor, it will require full involvement of every party which is at risk of being affected by these challenges. This is important not only because it will facilitate the speed of the work, but also because it will ensure that every individual is self motivated in order to achieve these goals. As for this case, one might involve both the teachers, students, parents and even government officials since all these people might be affected either directly or indirectly. For instance, the issue of teacher shortage can be addressed by requesting unattached teachers from the surrounding community to volunteer. On the other hand able parents can also be requested to finance these volunteering teachers. The pay cut on teachers’ salaries on account of poor performance by students can be handled by, calling on the government to look at it in perspective of teacher student ratio. It can also be handled by encouraging group discussion among students thus enhancing learning among students; this method can ease the teachers’ job since it will be easier to handle the groups compared to students. In order to solve any problem concerning schools, the school boards are always the key factors in their respective schools. As for the case of Baltimore City Public school, all the stakeholders are then expected to elect transparent

Crime Seriousness and Prior Criminal Record Dissertation

Crime Seriousness and Prior Criminal Record - Dissertation Example As the discussion declares there is a positive correlation between a person’s prior criminal record and the chances that firstly, such a person is more likely to commit an offence in the future, and secondly, that there is a greater probability of such offences resulting in imprisonment. Moreover, as a result of mandatory sentencing policies, repeat offenders are now far more likely to face imprisonment. A prior record sets into motion totally different responses amongst law enforces, with the suspect considered ‘guilty until proved innocent’, rather than the other way around which is the basis of modern jurisprudence. However, this ground reality has resulted in two developments that go contrary to conventional logic. This paper stresses that though crime rates have declined, prison populations have actually increased, which questions the very basic premise that the threat of getting caught and imprisoned actually deters crime. In fact, the prison population is likely to grow in coming years. A study by the Bureau of Justice Statistics revealed that the 1994 prison population would rise by 51% by the year 2000. This is a direct result of taking into account a person’s prior criminal record, however minor and irrespective of the relevance of previous offences to the new charge. The other aspect is the increasing numbers of African Americans in particular that constitute the prison population. This is in spite of the fact that several positive changes in society such as the civil rights movement and enhanced educational and employment opportunities.

Money reward is superior to any other motivational incentives Assignment

Money reward is superior to any other motivational incentives - Assignment Example However, Thomas (2000) explains that without good working conditions, it is impossible for high salaries to be a good motivator to the employees of an organization. Thomas (2000) therefore explains that, the link between compensation, performance and motivation is very complex, and difficult to understand. Research indicates that if people were left to decide on how much money they should earn, then chances are high that they would not get satisfaction in their jobs. Human resource experts, who advocate for money as a motivator, also accept the notion that money alone cannot act as an effective motivator. Other factors such as a good working environment, cooperation between employees and the management, ability for growth are other motivational factors that are effective in increasing the morale of workers. The basic question to ask in this debate is on whether money plays a role in making our jobs enjoyable or not. Furthermore, the question to ask is whether high salaries play a role in motivating or de-motivating the employees of an organization. Whiteley (2002) explains that in as much as money is not the major motivator, in an organization, lack of good salaries can become a de-motivator. We are living in a capitalistic world, where everything we do, is monetized. It is very difficult to survive without making good money, or earning a good salary. The social status of an individual is also motivated, based on the kind or amount of money that he or she earns. It is based on these factors that employees of a business organization normally want to be paid high salaries, or a decent income for their services to an organization. Whiteley (2002) explains that a good theoretical framework that explains the importance of money is the Hierarchy of Needs theory, formulated by Abraham Maslow. The second level of these needs is security. Maslow explains that employees of an organization always have a

Urban School District--Baltimore City Schools in MD Essay

Urban School District--Baltimore City Schools in MD - Essay Example This is because it encourages teachers to take control of their professional careers and improve their effectiveness. This effectiveness is enabled since teachers can now determine the pace at which they earn. Apart from school based programs, the other main attraction to both the teachers and the students towards Baltimore City School is its location. Being located in an urban area within the city of Baltimore; a city with beautiful attractions nice people and culture, makes it so affordable and interesting thus desirable for individuals to live in. Challenges that might be expected in Baltimore City Public School Considering the fact that Baltimore City Public School is an urban school, poses a great threat towards the school. This is because there are so many challenges associated with urban district schools. Some of these challenges include; Shortage of teachers, government oversight, politicized school boards, School staff accountability among others, funding for infrastructure. Some of the consequences that might result to affect the urban schools negatively when these problems are not solved in time include the following: Poor learning infrastructure such as classrooms might expose the student to harsh environmental conditions thus affecting their health, performance of the students might also deteriorate as a result of fewer teachers. This will be possible because the teachers might not be able to effectively manage a huge number of students. Teachers are also subjected to low earnings whenever students perform poorly thus reducing their morale when handling large classes of students (Richards & Farrell 78). How to address the challenges associated with the extreme urban district Some individuals have argued that treatment is better than cure. As in this case many will tend to agree with them. This is because the result of these challenges can be anticipated thus need for better preparation on how to handle them. For these measures to be handled speedily and without favor, it will require full involvement of every party which is at risk of being affected by these challenges. This is important not only because it will facilitate the speed of the work, but also because it will ensure that every individual is self motivated in order to achieve these goals. As for this case, one might involve both the teachers, students, parents and even government officials since all these people might be affected either directly or indirectly. For instance, the issue of teacher shortage can be addressed by requesting unattached teachers from the surrounding community to volunteer. On the other hand able parents can also be requested to finance these volunteering teachers. The pay cut on teachers’ salaries on account of poor performance by students can be handled by, calling on the government to look at it in perspective of teacher student ratio. It can also be handled by encouraging group discussion among students thus enhancing learning among students; this method can ease the teachers’ job since it will be easier to handle the groups compared to students. In order to solve any problem concerning schools, the school boards are always the key factors in their respective schools. As for the case of Baltimore City Public school, all the stakeholders are then expected to elect transparent

Money reward is superior to any other motivational incentives Assignment

Money reward is superior to any other motivational incentives - Assignment Example However, Thomas (2000) explains that without good working conditions, it is impossible for high salaries to be a good motivator to the employees of an organization. Thomas (2000) therefore explains that, the link between compensation, performance and motivation is very complex, and difficult to understand. Research indicates that if people were left to decide on how much money they should earn, then chances are high that they would not get satisfaction in their jobs. Human resource experts, who advocate for money as a motivator, also accept the notion that money alone cannot act as an effective motivator. Other factors such as a good working environment, cooperation between employees and the management, ability for growth are other motivational factors that are effective in increasing the morale of workers. The basic question to ask in this debate is on whether money plays a role in making our jobs enjoyable or not. Furthermore, the question to ask is whether high salaries play a role in motivating or de-motivating the employees of an organization. Whiteley (2002) explains that in as much as money is not the major motivator, in an organization, lack of good salaries can become a de-motivator. We are living in a capitalistic world, where everything we do, is monetized. It is very difficult to survive without making good money, or earning a good salary. The social status of an individual is also motivated, based on the kind or amount of money that he or she earns. It is based on these factors that employees of a business organization normally want to be paid high salaries, or a decent income for their services to an organization. Whiteley (2002) explains that a good theoretical framework that explains the importance of money is the Hierarchy of Needs theory, formulated by Abraham Maslow. The second level of these needs is security. Maslow explains that employees of an organization always have a

Organizational culture Essay Example for Free

Organizational culture Essay 1. Discuss several areas in which HR can affect organizational culture positively or negatively. A human resources department plays a significant role in determining the culture of an organization. Human resources cultivate and execute policies and procedures in key areas such as hiring practices, compensation, management relations and employee conduct and behavior. The decisions made by the human resources department can have significant positive and negative implications for the overall cultural quality of the organization. Some of the affected areas include creating awareness, compensation plans, hiring practices and behavior. Company executives may not always have a true understanding of their corporate culture, as they are often far removed from the front lines of the operation. Human resources personnel can provide the benefit of instructing top management as to what the culture is really like. This may lead to positive changes in the corporate culture, it could also lead to changes that meet with resistance from employees, such as when management decides it needs to change or eliminate popular employee programs that it deems wasteful or unproductive. When it comes to compensation, the human resources department typically accepts the responsibility of designing compensation programs for the organization. Depending on how they achieve this, it could have a positive as well as negative impact on organizational culture. For example, an incentive program for salespeople may provide the opportunity for these employees to increase their compensation through greater productivity. Nevertheless, it could also cr eate an environment where the salespeople are competing against each other, leading to the deterioration of teamwork and morale. Human resources also determine the hiring and recruiting practices used by the organization, which has a great impact on the organizational culture. A strong attention to characteristics of job candidates such as education and experience can certify that the company hires employees who are capable of performing the job. In contrast, if there is a lack of focus on characteristics like personality and people skills, the company may end up hiring candidates who will have difficulty being a sole member of the corporate culture. Another key area subsiding under human resources is the conduct of the organizations members. In many organizations, particular larger ones, this involves the development of a code of conduct or ethics that specifics how employees should treat each other and conduct their daily activities. An operative code of conduct that denotes the core values of the organization and is strictly enforced can promote a culture characterized by high levels of ethical behavior. On another note, a weak code or one that is only given lip service by human resources could lead to a culture of dishonesty and distrust. 2. For many individuals, the nature of work and jobs is changing. Describe these changes, some reasons for them, and how they are affecting both HR management and individuals. In reference to our textbook, our world is ever changing when it comes to the workplace. Some of the issues that affect the organization include technology, changing demographics, education and cultural issues. According to the article, â€Å"The Changing Nature of Organizations, Work and Workplace,† In todays world, the structure, content, and process of work have changed. Work is now: * more cognitively complex * more team-based and collaborative * more dependent on social skills * more dependent on technological competence * more time pressured * more mobile and less dependent on geography. In todays world, you will also be working for an organization that is likely to be very different due to competitive pressures and technological breakthroughs. Organizations today are: * leaner and more agile * more focused on identifying value from the customer perspective * more tuned to dynamic competitive requirements and strategy * less hierarchical in structure and decision authority * less likely to provide lifelong careers and job security * continually reorganizing to maintain or gain competitive advantage. 3. Why is it important for HR management to transform from being primarily administrative and operational to becoming a more strategic contributor? According to the PowerPoint, â€Å"Changing Nature of Human Resource Management,† Dr. Zaw states that the typical roles are still apart of human resources managers job descriptions, but the magnitude and percentage of each within the job description has altered. Human resources roles typically include; * Processing and recording keeping * Operational and employee advocate role Human resources strategic roles typically include: * â€Å"having a seat at the table† by contributing to organization results and success * Human resources becomes a strategic partner * When it focuses on creating program that will enrich the organization performance * Engage human resources in strategic planning at the onset * Contribute in the decision making in reference to mergers acquisitions and downsizing * Recreating of organizations and work processes * Accounting and documentation the financial means of human resource activities He then explains the nature of strategic Human Resource Management. 1. The relationship of the organizational and HR strategic strategies a. Cost Leadership includes i. Competition on the basis of low price and high quality of product or service ii. Relies on building employees fit specialized needs iii. Requires a longer human resources planning horizon approach b. Differentiation iv. Competition on the basis of either offering distinctively different products or services v. Relies on hiring needed skills vi. Needs a shorter planning time frame in order to be responsive to dynamic environments 2. Organizational Productivity and Efforts c. Human Resources Productivity vii. Unit labor costs computed by dividing the average cost of workers by their levels of output viii. Low unit labor costs can be a basis for strategy focusing on human resources ix. Productivity and unit labor cost can be determined at the global, country, organizational or individual level. d. Organizational Effectiveness and Financial Contributions of Human Resource x. Linking with financial executive to certify human resources financial contribution to organization’s performance e. Customer Service and Quality Products Linked to Human Resources Strategies xi. High quality productions and services are the outcome of human resources enrichment to the organizational performance f. Organizational Culture and Organizational Effectiveness xii. Organization culture is the values and beliefs shared amongst the organization. 4. What steps can HR professionals take to ensure that mergers and acquisitions are successful? How can HR help during the integration process? In reference to the article, â€Å"What is the Role of Human Resource During a Merger?† , Diane Chinn covers five distinct areas that human resources must focus on during a merger which includes executive coaching, employee communication, culture integration, employee retention and human resources integration. Executive Coaching: Even though human resources have been considered a major staff function, it is shifting more to an essential strategy function. In the process of a merger, human resources should function as executive coaches assisting leaders in understanding the relationship with effective human resources management and merger success. It also gives management insight to the different assumption of issues that may hinder the merger and find different solution for dealing with the issues. Employee Communication: There should be ongoing communication with the employees in reference to the success of the merger. Even though employees do not understand the reason for the merger, they may presume to be against the decision without effective communication. It’s the responsibility of the human resources department to create a communication strategy in reference to each step of the merger process. Cultural Integration: It is the responsibility of human resources to examine and compare the cultures of the two organizations and develop and execute a plan to address cultural issues that could affect the merger such as shared or conflicting values, beliefs and assumptions. Employee Retention: Human resources must ensure that employees have the necessary skills and knowledge needed for the organization remain a part of the merged organization. Human Resources Integration: When the companies merge, there are duplicate systems that must be consolidated or merged. This is especially true in HR where employee management, compensation and benefits, employee training, development and HR information systems must continue to function throughout the merger process. 5. Many companies in the United States have recently put an end to the practice of giving an annual employee Christmas party due to complaints by employees with non-Christian religious backgrounds or spiritual values who claimed the Christmas party was discriminatory employment practice. These dissident employees argued that the employer who celebrated by paying for an employee Christmas party favored Christianity over other religions and belief systems. Do you think non-Christian employees are treated illegally or unethically when the employer decides to give a Christmas party for all the employees? What is the basis of your decision? What would be a reasonable accommodation that an employer could make to satisfy both the Christian and non-Christian employees? Yes, I do feel that non- Christian employees are treated unfairly because employers should be delicate to the religious beliefs of their employees. Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 prohibits discrimination in employment on the basis of race, color, religion, sex or national origin. I feel that no one should be forcing to do something that’s not a part of their beliefs or character. My recommendation would be to have an end of the year celebration where all are able to attend and possible share their cultural experience with everyone through foods, decorations and performances.

Role of total quality management IT BPO industry

Role of total quality management IT BPO industry About Services and Quality: Services lie at the hub of economic activity. They touch the lives of each individual in this world. Today firms differentiate themselves in the market place by offering their customers a service guarantee. Every organisation has their operations and they would involve in outsourcing the business function operations to a third party service provider. In turn every organisation would have a business process outsourcing unit. In this competitive world, service providers are having different strategies to sustain in marketplace. Every organisation would appeal to their customers to distinguish themselves from their competitors maintaining the important characteristics called as Quality. It must be the key goal in the operations functions as well as all other parts of the company. Quality is vital in determining the economic success of companies (Curkovic et al., 2000; Garvin, 1988) every world-class company gains competitive edge and has greater market share through extraordinary levels of performance by providing quality services with competitive prices as required by demanding customers. However according to Sila (2003) the definition of quality have been debated for many years by quality management researchers and a number of definitions have emerged. However, there is still no universal agreement on these definitions. As far as the definitions of quality are concerned, some of the quality pioneers coined the following terms: Feigenbaum (1951) and Abbott (1955) defined quality as value, Levitt (1972) as conformance to specifications, Juran et al. (1974) as fitness for use, Crosby (1979) as conformance to requirements, Taguchi (1981) as the losses a product imparts to the society from the time the product is shipped, and Gronroos (1983) and Parasuraman ct al. (1985) as meeting and/or exceeding customers expectations. Today, the most widespread definition of quality is the extent to which a product or service meets and/or exceeds a customers expectations (Reeves and Bednar 1994), which rellects a shift in focus to customer satisfaction. Companies implement various management, controlling as well as planning tools and management insists that these would have a greater effect on the company performance (Tanninen, 2010). It is very essential for any industry to sustain their competitive advantage. To achieve this, companies have to maintain their quality in service delivery. There exists some quality tools used by various organisation are ISO 9001, TQM, Sig sigma, CMMI. Global firms are exploiting the nation specific returns with the help of sourcing the important services from various different vendors across the globe that are capable of delivering good quality or cost advantage over the local domestic suppliers (Friedman 2005). Most of the basic outsourcing services would be listed in the experience services or goods (Nelson, 1974). In case of services or goods the judgement on the quality can be made only once it is consumed or purchased. However the companies would face a challenge in setting target in case of quality and productivity and particularly in case of vendor selection, manager faces information asymmetry problem. Quality is considered as everybodys responsibility and prerogative whether it is a service line of the staff function in any organisation. Various authors have defined quality in different ways. The highest priority is given to the product quality that satisfy customer. The customer would have the win-to-win situation and has value for money. Customer satisfaction is considered as the main objective along with maximum profitability to an organization and including the service and everything in an organization that contributes to making a service requires quality (GROVERY et al., 2006). Total Quality Management (TQM) Total Quality Management(TQM) means achieving quality in terms of all functions of the enterprise. This includes interaction between all the components of the organisation as well as the components themselves. TQM aims to achieve an overall effectiveness higher than the individual outputs from the sub-systems, such as design, planning, production, distribution, customer focus strategy, quality tools and employee involvement (HAFEEZ,2009).The introduction of total quality management (TQM) has played an important role in development of contemporary management. Quality, considered a key strategic factor in achieving business success, is more than ever required for competing successfully in todays global market place (Dean Evans, 1994), and it has become the key slogan as organisations strive for a competitive advantage in markets characterised by liberalisation, globalisation and knowledgeable customers . aims and Objectives The aim of this research is to focus on the implementation and challenges of Total Quality Management (TQM) in IT Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) industry and also recommends how to improve the TQM process. To explain about why the organizations implement and do not implement TQM as their quality improvement tool. To understand how TQM can be implemented in an organisation To identify what are the different gaps/barriers in the implementation process of TQM and would provide the possible solutions to overcome the gaps. Outline of the Research The research is on implementation of TQM in a BPO service industry and the methods how it can be carried out in a service life cycle is discussed. The research is carried out in several chapters. The initial first chapter gives insight about the TQM basic concepts and its various functionalities that are currently followed by the industry. In addition to that it also discusses about the key aims and objectives that are initially proposed based on the questions that are meant for the research in the literature. Next chapter, literature review discusses about views and arguments of various authors form different academic articles and books. It is focused on the implementation of TQM in the service industry and particularly in case of life cycle of projects in BPO industry. In addition to that it talks about the changes the company would get in case of implementation and the methods for prioritizing the projects. It also discusses about the advantages of the implememntation of TQM and t he challenges faced by the management during implementation. Finally it concludes with the ways to overcome with the challenges. The chapter three of the research highlights about the research questions and the method of research carried out to conduct the research and also the structure of the research.It also introduces the study of methods that needs to be followed will be identified namely questionnaires for emails or interviews are sorted. Later, based on the initial findings of my personal observation has identified to use the qualitative research methodology in this chapter. Then it also talks about the data collection from primary means from respondents and validating the literature review to support or contradict based on the findings of the data analysis chapter. The later chapter would finalize the research with the help of valid arguments resulting from analysis and literature review with would rise to further recommendations in the same industry and also different indus tries as well. It also discusses about the further research that can be carried out from this research. The research finally gives the limitations of the study and research with valid references at the end of the research and supportive documents in the appendix which covers the questionnaire that is designed targeting the real time experts actively working on TQM projects and also includes the responses that were sent in the email. Research questions Why and how should organisations implement TQM? What are the factors for successful implementation of TQM in organisations? What are the challenges or barriers occur during implementation of TQM? How can the challenges be resolved and what are the alternatives for TQM that are being used in various organisations? LITERATURE REVIEW introduction This chapter discusses about the research questions that were outlined in the introduction to fulfil the aim and objectives of the research. Initially the first section in this chapter discusses about the origin of TQM and the different ways that TQM had provided to various problems using the traditional quality management. The next section focuses on the evolution of TQM and how TQM has changed the world. Later section deals with the reasons for companies implement TQM over other alternative quality management tools. The next section deals with the TQM methodologies and introduces various models followed by the service industry and also using this models how can the companies improve their quality standards. Then the success factors, benefits and challenges faced during the implementation of TQM are discussed. Origin of TQM The TQM started in 1920s which focused on statistical process control(SPC) (Juran,1997; Godfrey,1986). It is based on the philosophical, statistical and scientific foundation where it makes use of the knowledge to continuously improve the variations in the systems and later became major elements(SHAMS-UR RAHMAN). Process control charts was developed by Shewart to develop different strategies for continuous improvement and to understand the variation (Shewhart,1931; Juran,1997). This chart later called as Shewhart/Deming/ PDCA cycle (Deming, 1951). Shewhart had identified and succinctly defined a central quality management problem,f ormulated a mathematical model for it,and created a tool for its Solution (Kolesar, 1993:320). Later in 1950s SPC methods, behavioural concepts and also various technical methods were together termed as TQM. TQM is an approach to management that has evolved from a narrow focus on statistical process control (SPC) to encompass a variety of technical and beh avioural methods for improving organisational performance. (Dean Bowen, 1994:396). Evolution of TQM Changing from detection to prevention required not only the use of a set of quality management tools and techniques, but also the development of a new operating philosophy that required a change in the way companies were managed ( HAFEEZ et al., 2006).TQM is achieving the quality in every department and functions of an organisation, which includes the communication and interaction between all the departments and components of an organisation and also the interaction between components themselves. The overall effectiveness is more profitable and effective than the individual outputs from the sub departments or systems, which includes design, planning, production distribution employee involvement, focus strategy and finally quality tools. (ibid). TQM aims to achieve the overall effectiveness. Customer satisfaction and continuous improvement are the key essential beliefs of the TQM philosophy as mentioned in the figure 1. Initially the inspection-based system focused on sorting the proc ess and then would take corrective action in case of error. Then it moved to quality control where the processing of performance data with full time inspection is carried out. Later moved to Quality assurance where the design of system audits and also quality planning is carried out with the process control as a target. Finally it reached TQM where involves human values and shared vision and culture. This uses a system approach to solve problems with renewed focus on the internal and external customer and also generates employee involvement. The main aim of TQM is continuous improvement of tangible work process. Figure1: Evolution of TQM Source: (HAFEEZ et al., 2006) Oakland (1989) defined TQM as an approach for improving the competitiveness effectiveness, and flexibility of an organisation. Essentially it is a way of planning organising and understanding activities and individuals at each level. However it is argued, quality management is characterised by the strategic goals that are focussed towards customers preferences, likes, tastes, and applications. Ishikawa is known for developing various statistical tools for quality problem solving and he emphasised the idea of the internal customer, the next person in the process (Ishikawa, 1990:50). According to author the basic idea of quality circles that is a small group of employees who deal with quality problems. In addition to this the companies has to focus on the quality standards on the service design stage where this happens before development stage and the changes would be easier and cost effective compared to development stage (Taguchi, 1999). The service companies have to focus on the qua lity at the earlier stages to reduce cost. Changes at the later stages would result in huge cost. To achieve this, a benchmarking tool for quality is used by the top managers to build a quality culture with in an organisation involving all the employees with an active leadership role (Kanji,1997).Zairi (1998) provided a comprehensive tool for organisations to undergo a two-stage external and internal benchmarking exercise, and stressed the role of leadership for implementing continuous improvement. Importance of TQM It has been observed that the importance of quality has been drastically increased over past two decades. Organizations are considering measures in terms of improving the quality standards across the organization and the industry that would result in increase in business and hence profits (RAHMAN, 2004). Among the quality tools TQM has growing interest over the period and also it the effective strategy for most of the companies that would result in competitive advantage (MartÄ ±Ã‚ ´nez-Lorente et al., 1998). TQM is considered as the management approach for continuous improving organizational performance that consists of both technical and behavioral aspects (RAHMAN, 2004). Moreover this is also mentioned that fact that the only quality initiatives are not possible to increase market share and profitability however, it is argued that the TQM programs lead to improved financial performance but fails to recognize other elements (Kannan et al., 1999). It is also argued that there i s no assurance that TQM would yield profits to business since it is dependent on various other factors (Montes et al., 2003). However, it is evident that the TQM has various beneficial effects on organizational performance (Terziovski et al., 1999). TQM is flexible to implement hence every organization considers TQM in different way. Firms top management has the full authority in implementing the TQM. It totally depends on the top management to implement based on their expertise and knowledge that has an effect on organizational performance and haence increase in the business. However as per Brah et al., (2002) the benefits like cost effective, increase in productivity and impact on profitability would increase the firms competitive advantage. In addition to that it is also mentioned that there exists a positive relationship between TQM and the financial performance (Handfield et al., 1998). Two processes carry this out: firstly, effective improved internal performance by the employees in the organisation would lead to reduction in waste, increase in efficiency and productivity and increase in return on assets. Secondly, increasing in customer satisfaction would result in the increase in word of mouth, loyalty and brand value. These are most effective marketing techniques and would result in increase in market share and yields high profits (ibid). Lakhal et al. (2006) reveals that there is a positive relationship between quality management practices and organisational performance.In case of human resource management along with TQM it is found that the quality performance gets affected particularly regarding the customer and employee satisfaction(Yang, 2006). To avoid this, the customer and employee satisfaction and streaml ined process would produce effecive and positive operational and financial results that would lead to improvements in business and yield profits( Vora, 2002). In addition to that the TQM is also concerned with productivity, timeliness and flexibility as well as profitability along with quality (Pegels, 1994). It is observed that adopting the TQM philosophy and practices would result in positive growth in any organization or industry (Hides et al., 2000). However according to Ford Evans (2006), there exist many conflicting results and also opinions on the effects of TQM. Additionally the random effect Meta analysis is used to study effects of TQM (Shenawy et al., 2007). He also suggested a model for TQM that has five components: top managemnt commitment and leadership, teamwork, organization and work culture, training and education and finally the process. Each of these components would result firms in competitive advantage (ibid). In the present competitive world the where customers have various choice of services and hence they become automatic focus for success in business. The potential of just in time or total quality control in developing nations laid the foundation for future quality and productivity (Ebrahimpour and Schonberger, 1984). TQM is viewed as an organization-wide philosophy requiring all employees at every level of an organization to focus his or her efforts to help improve each business activity of the organization (Mehra et al. 2001). The aim and objective of TQM is customer satisfaction and achieves incremental improvements and that involves full participation of all the stakeholders and employees in the organization (Tigineh 1997).In addition to that Saad and Siha (2000) have viewed TQM as a revolutionary concept in different phases of quality evolution from inspection to quality control to quality assurance to TQM. Every author has their own definition for TQM, over many years the TQM is redefined as Managing the attributes that affect the subsystems quality in any organization that helps in achieving planned and desired goals and fulfilling the challenges in terms of time and cost. The desired benefits of TQM are unarguable. Organizations adopt TQM not only for the stated reasons but also for the offshoots of the benefits, which are referred to here as implied reasons. However, preparation for realizing the fruits of TQM is challenging. Referring again to the proposed definition of TQM, to achieve the above goals, quality in each subsystem of an organization is required. TQM methodologies in Service Industry: According to Zairi et al. (1994), TQM is only a license to practice. According to Hoogervorst et al. (2005), successful implementation of TQM and the benefits obtained by using the approach and would depend upon various factors such as organization structure as well as culture and also management practices particularly involving human resources. This approach should align with the corporate strategy (Fuentes et al., 2006). One of the most important dimensions of TQM and a critical success factor of TQM implementation is a proper performance measurement system (Bititci et al., 1997; Brah et al., 2002; Mehra et al., 2001; Neely et al., 1995). It is mentioned that the existing traditional performance measurement systems that are developed from accounting and costing systems and these are not considered in TQM environment and are not suited (McAdam Bannister, 2001). Any organisation could be placed on a continuum of sustainability as implied by the sustainability model shown in Figure 2, which links the goals, drives, and strategies and performance of TQM initiatives. Figure 2: Model of sustainable TQM and performance Soure: (Zairi, 2006) The model is based on the following assumptions: TQM is an integrative and holistic approach for analysing the current status of continuous improvement within an organisation. TQM is not a quick fix, and thus has to be approached from a long-term perspective. Prajogo and Sohal (2003a) investigated the relationship between TQM and organizational performance by exploring six TQM practices proposed by Samson and Terziovski (1999). These practices are divided into two groups: mechanistic elements and organic elements. Mechanistic elements include customer focus, process management, strategic and planning, information and analysis, while the organic elements are leadership and people management. This categorisation was based on Krugers (1998, 2001) proposition that TQM should include a combination of both people (soft element) and technical systems (hard element). The mechanistic elements (customer focus, process management, and so forth) could be considered the hard aspect and the organic elements (that is, leadership and people management) represent the soft aspect. Kruger (1998) emphasised the human aspect of TQM, because only the humanistic orientation of TQM towards organizational analysis will allow successful TQM in actual practice. Acc ording to Prajogo and Sohal (2003a), justification for using Samson and Terziovskis model (1999) is that this model constitutes the criteria of the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award (MBNQA) that has been accepted to represent TQM strategy by several scholars such as Evans and Lindsay (1993), Juran (1995) and Ahire, Landeros, and Golhar (1995). The relationship between TQM and organisational characteristics in Service Industry The relation between TQM and organizational characteristics is considered to be important. Many previous studies have been publishes that directly examined the relationship. The organizational characteristics would include the organization size, ownership, industry type and TQM practices that result in innovation of new ideas. It has been identified by many studies that the organizational characteristics are considered as variables that moderate the relationship between TQM practices and organization performance (Choong, 2004). 2.6.1 Organization size and TQM The organizational size is considered as the important factor for TQM. According to Terziovski and Samson (1999) the significant differences between TQM and the performance of the organization, considering the company size in case of a new service delivered. The larger organization is benefitted more compared to the smaller organizations in terms of TQM. It is also considered that there are no operational differences in terms of organizational size in the process of TQM implementation and is applicable and also firms delivering high quality services either large or small companies implement TQM equally (Ahire and Golhar 2001 cited in Hoang, 2010). However according to Haar and Spell (2008) the importance of organizational size in identifying the TQM adoption rates and to predict this rates there exists some factors such as workplace autonomy, performance standards, usage of the work teams and collective problem solving and in all these factors company size is considered as a moderati ng variable. The authors also mentioned the factors are applicable to larger companies than smaller companies. Moreover it is also demonstrated that the smaller firms have challenges such as limited access to market and have low market share, and inadequate resources and lock of expertise in management. However they have advantages as well such as flexibility due to les constraints and would have full freedom for generating innovative ideas that lead to successful implementation of TQM as effectively compared to larger organizations. 2.6.2 TQM and ownership In an organization, the successful factor responsible for growth is culture. The relation between employees and the nature of work and the working environment are considered as crucial. The organization culture is influenced by the nature of corporate ownership (Yavas Rezayat, 2003; Hui, Au, Fock, 2004). In this case the management should have the thorough understanding of implementation of TQM strategy. This would result in implementing effectively. The cultural differences have to be balanced by he management. Implementation of TQM varies as per the culture in many countries. There exist many cultural differences between countries. The organizations having global footprint formulates a TQM strategy where it is common to all the countries. All the teams follow it across the globe in those firms. This would result in successful implementation of TQM. For instance, it is found no evidence that involvement of employees influences culture in Chinese based firms and considered to be th e TQM practice (Pun, 2001 cited in Hoang, 2010). IT is also found that the values in Chinese firms are abasement, addictiveness and harmony with people and with universe, interdependence and respect for authority are the main factors that influence the dimensions for TQM (Noronha, 2002).Regarding the culture , the experience of firms in Australia and Singapore is compared with respect to the TQM multidimensionality and the relationship of TQM with the quality performance and innovation (Feng et.al., 2006). It is very important to link cultural values that are influenced by the ownership to TQM practices and also business results. This would result in successfully implementation of TQM. 2.6.3 TQM and Industry type TQM is started with the manufacturing industry and was applied to many firms. The successful implementation of TQM in manufacturing resulted the practitioners in exploring the possibilities of applying the TQM to the service industry (Hoang et.al., 2010). Even though the industries are different and the development of TQM is different in service literature compared to manufacturing the core TQM concepts or principles are related or relavent to the service sector (Silvestro, 1998). In addition to that the there are the principles of TQM are also called as soft side. The investigation of soft side of TQM resulted in nine principles namely Total Employee Involvement, Continuous Improvement, Continuous Training, Teamwork, Empowerment, Top-management Commitment and Support, Democratic Management Style, Customer/Citizen Satisfaction, Culture Change ( Psychogios, 2007). Additionally, it is also stated that the service sectors that are also called as mass service has a similar process to man ufacturing industry that is applicable for TQM practices (Woon, 2000). The author also found that there was no significant difference between manufacturing and service companies in the implementation of soft TQM elements. Prajogo (2005) suggested that, with the exception of people management, there is no significant difference between manufacturing and service firms in terms of TQM practices and quality performance. He even identified the service sector has having higher scores in people management than the manufacturing sector. According to (ibid), the plausible reason is that manufacturing firms essentially rely on advanced manufacturing technology to achieve high level of quality (precision) and other operational performance aspects. In service organisations, human resources play a critical role in determining the product/service quality, specifically on non-physical dimensions such as customer responsiveness, courtesy, and empathy. In addition, beyond tools and techniques, TQM now has developed into a management philosophy that comprises a set of generic core principles applied in different industries (Dean Bowen, 1994; Grant, Shani Krishnan, 1994, Sitkin, Sutcliffe, Schroeder, 1994). This argument shows a fundamental base to support the applicability of TQM in service firms that can benefit from implementing this management philosophy (Prajogo, 2005). However, it has been noted differences between manufacturing and service organisations that could limit applying TQM in services (Silvestro, 1998; Sureshchandar et al., 2001; Prajogo, 2005). Firstly, compared to the measurable, standardised characteristics of manufacturing products, the intangibility and heterogeneity of the service output makes a remarkable di fference. Secondly, the concept of service quality is dominated by non-physical components (courtesy, responsiveness, and accessibility) (Zeithaml, Parasuraman, Berry, 1990) that are more difficult to define and, therefore, more difficult to measure. Thirdly, the consumption and delivery processes in the service organisations usually take place at the same time, making it difficult to control the quality of services provided. Compared to manufacturing firms, service organisations generally use fewer quality tools and show a lower level of TQM implementation, particularly in hard TQM elements such as statistical process control, information analysis, process management (Badri, Davis, Davis, 1995; Beaumont, Sohal, Terziovski, 1997; Woon, 2000). 2.6.4 TQM and degree of innovation Innovation is the key part in any success. The organization generating innovative ideas would grow faster. In terms of TQM innovation plays a major role. Considering the relation between TQM and innovation there exists two basic concepts. Firstly, TQM supports innovation i.e., that organisations that implement TQM will be successful in innovation. Secondly, It is argued that TQM impedes innovation. The main debatable issue is whether or not the nature of TQM practices fosters innovation. The supporting perspective is based on the argument that the TQM practices, in both its human and technology dimensions, help to create an environment and culture that support innovation. One of the core components of TQM is customer satisfaction. Companies that implement TQM have to explore and find ways to serve customer needs and expectations at the best. This creates the impetus for companies to be innovative in developing and launching new products or services to match the customers needs. Several studies also identified a positive relationship between TQM and innovation in terms of the speed to market (Flynn et al., 1994), and the level of innovation in organisations (Baldwin Johnson, 1996). Terziovski and Samson (2000) tested the strength of the relationship between TQM practices (independent variables) and organisational performance (dependent variables) in a large random sample of man ufacturing companies in Australia and New Zealand. They considered innovation as a dependent variable that represents organisational performance measured by the number of new products produced, but could not confirm a significantly positive effect on innovation across the whole sample. However, when co-varied for industry type, the strength of the relationship between TQM and innovation changed from insignificantly positive to significantly positive, suggesting that the relationship between TQM and innovation is strengthened when investigated for a specific industry type. Specifically, potential clients need information on a vendors ability to deliver quality services, and vendors need to provide potential clients with some indication of their capabilities. Success Factors of TQM in Service industry: TQM is mainly related to customer satisfaction and company profitability. It also includes the intellectual property rights, services and overall quality of the product. To improve these elements, planning, structuring and following or controlling the application tools, techniques, human factors agents that are influencing and support system with ideas are some factors responsible in the improvement of TQM (Grover et al., 2004). The positive impact on customer satisfaction in case of implementation of TQM is observed in many industries. It is also mentioned that positive effect of the TQM on fast food, gaming, investment banking industries (Yasin et al., 2004). TQM is not considered as a static activity since it is flexible and adaptable according to the dynamic management activities. These activities can uide the companies to gain huge market share and become more competitive and fast growth successfully facing all the challenges and opportunities provided b