Against Method. Is the approach to science a valid form of inquiry Essay

Against Method. Is the approach to science a valid form of inquiry - Essay Example Paul Feyerabend’s Against Method challenges modern science in various aspects. He believes that contemporary science has been unchallenged for many years, and its methodologies and assumptions require to be reviewed.He asserts that people can comprehend scientific advances by focusing in historical contexts. He analyzes how the philosophy of science has constantly overstressed on practice over method, and believes the potentiality of anarchism replacing rationalism in the field theory of knowledge. Moreover, the American experience movie by Kinsey (2005) explores American sexuality in rather a sloppy and a bit unscientific manner. He tackles the issues of the ignorance of American undergraduate concerning sex in his documentary. Therefore, both Kinsey and Feyerabend are massive in going against the contemporary scientific methods, to highlight their topics and make their stance concerning the production of knowledge. Those refuting the arguments of Feyerabend claim that he opp ortunistically redefines science between process and institution for his own benefits. They claim that he constructs a straw man from the notions that science is based in creating facts as rather than on models. However, as someone who was captivated by the notion of rationality and its correlation to method, Feyerabend constructed a strong case against the belief that there was a correct technique, which people can trust in the production of scientific knowledge. Therefore, he strongly opposed methods in every form and promoted an anarchistic stance concerning the production of scientific knowledge (Brace, 1). ... He chief idea was that immediately after people form a definition of a method they should as well define the constitutes of the correct way of carrying out activities, which involves practicing limit of both what they can obtain and themselves. This is because a certain method, which has accompanying, measures of success, results to given consequences. According to Feyerabend, this means that the consequences of methods are both limiting and oppressive. Thus, when scholars or scientists are permitted to assess the world in an established manner, they reduce the potentiality of finding novel comprehensions and explanations, which might be more informative and richer (Brace, 1). Critics argue that Feyerabend does not tackle critical factors if his notions were to be taken seriously. They argue that he is famous because he ignores the question of what makes a scientific result better than other results because his argument only states that scientific results do not always result in bett er outcomes. However, Feyerabend argues that this aspect does not necessarily result to better results because sometimes people are dealing with a certain given aspect rather than a universal notion. The arguments of Feyerabend are apparent in the scientific documentary Kinsey whereby the role of science in inquiry and inquiry itself is explored. As aforementioned, it is argued that Feyerabend was against the application of methods in science. This was with the aim of avoiding scientific pretentions, which were observable in the scientific scenario. For instance, in the aforementioned film, it appears that the scientific study of Kinsley was motivated by his childhood experiences ( Goodman and Maggio). The struggles of the protagonist in the early stages of his

Stop Playing the Blame Game Essay Example for Free

Stop Playing the Blame Game Essay Growing up children love to eat at McDonalds, Burger King, or their local pizza place. The fast food industry offers prepackaged, unhealthy foods that are marketed through advertisements and media as a kid friendly quick breakfast, lunch or dinner. Many blame obesity in children and young adults in the easy access to fast food. Is it fair to suggest that the numerous fast food places that are available are the leading factor in the increase of obesity amongst children? There are other factors that should be considered such as parents, lack of exercise, numerous amounts of hours spent in front of the television. David Zinczenko’s article â€Å"Don’t Blame the Eater† supports the hypothesis that the increase in obesity is caused by the easy access, affordable, numerous fast food restaurants that are available. He argues the availability of healthier food options by writing, â€Å"drive down any thoroughfare in America, and I guarantee you’ll see one of our country’s more than 13,000 McDonald’s restaurants. Now, drive back up the block and try to find someplace to buy a grapefruit† (Zinczenko 392). He utilizes his own personal story being raised by a single mother who worked two jobs and did not have a large amount of income coming in. Zinczenko notes, â€Å"By age 15, I had packed 212 pounds of torpid teenage tallow on my once lanky 5-foot-10 frame† (Zinczenko 392). He listed choices such as, Taco Bell and McDonalds as his daily meal choices due to the lack of healthy choices and alternatives that aligned with his situation as a child. Is extra weight he gained as a child Taco Bell’s fault? To some, this claim could be seen as ridiculous and lacks personal responsibility. Helen Lee reports on a study she performed to argue the hypothesis that local food availability such as fast food, and convenience stores explain the obesity increase and risk among school aged children. Helen Lee performed a study on school aged in children in low income and high income households. Lee utilized different tools and resources to report on children’s BMI and how it changes over time. The study brought attention to some astonishing results. Contrary to Zinczenko’s claim that grocery stores and healthier food choices are limited, Lee’s study finds that, â€Å"poor and minority neighborhoods not only have greater access to fast-food restaurants and convenience stores; they also have access to large-scale grocery stores and full service restaurant’s† (Lee). She also confirms from her research study that, â€Å"food outlet exposure holds no independent relationship to child weight gain† (Lee). Obesity in Children cannot solely be blamed on fast food services. Parents play a leading role in what their children consume. Lee provides relevant factors explaining obesity risk among young children: â€Å"For example, poor self-reported parental health is significantly associated with higher risk of weight gain, suggesting a relationship between parental health and child health. Television viewing is a highly significant predictor of BMI gains over time. For every additional hour per day of television viewing, there is a predicted 1. 5 percentile gain in BMI ranking by the end of fifth grade. Physical activity level is also important: increases in the number of days per week the child engaged in exercise significantly reduced their BMI gains†. (Lee) With this information it is safe to conclude that it is time to stop playing the blame game with your children’s health as well as your own. Take responsibility of your actions and live responsibly so that you may teach others to do the same. Works Cited Lee, Helen. The Role of Local Food Availability in Explaining Obesity Risk Among Young School-Aged Children. Social Science Medicine 74. 8 (2012): 1193-1203. Social Sciences Full Text (H. W. Wilson). Web. 24 Feb. 2013. Zinczenko, David. Don’t Blame the Eater. They Say, I Say: The Moves That Matter in Academic Writing with Readings. Graff, Gerald. Cathy Birkenstein. Russel Durst. New York: Norton, 2012. 391-394. Print.

Summary of The First Day :: Battle of Shiloh War History Essays

Summary of The First Day With the loss of Forts Henry and Donelson in February, General Johnston withdrew his Confederate forces into west Tennessee, northern Mississippi and Alabama to reorganize. In early March, General Halleck responded by ordering General Grant to move his Union Army of West Tennessee on an invasion up the Tennessee River. Occupying Pittsburg Landing, Grant had no thought of a Confederate attack. Halleck's instructions were that following the arrival of General Buell's Army of the Ohio from Nashville, Grant would move south in a joint offensive to seize the Memphis & Charleston Railroad, the Confederacy's only east-west all weather supply route that linked the lower Mississippi Valley to cities on the Confederacy's east coast. Assisted by General Beauregard, Johnston shifted his forces and placed almost 55,000 men around Corinth. Strategically located where the Memphis & Charleston crossed the Mobile & Ohio Railroad, Corinth was the western Confederacy's most important rail junction. On April 3, realizing Buell would soon reinforce Grant, Johnston launched an offensive with his Army of the Mississippi. Moving upon Pittsburg Landing with 43,938 men, Johnston planned to surprise Grant, cut his army off from retreat to the Tennessee River, and drive the Federals west into the swamps of Owl Creek. In the light of dawn, April 6, a small Federal reconnaissance discovered Johnston's army deployed for battle astride the Corinth road, just a mile beyond the forward Federal camps. Storming forward, the Confederates found the Federal position unfortified. By mid-morning, the Confederates seemed within easy reach of victory, overrunning one frontline Union division and capturing its camp. However, stiff resistance on the Federal right entangled Johnston's brigades in a savage fight around Shiloh Church. Throughout the day, Johnston's army hammered the Federal right, which gave ground but did not break. Meanwhile, Johnston's attack stalled in front of Sarah Bell's peach orchard and the dense oak thicket labeled the "hornet's nest" by the Confederates. Grant's left flank withstood Confederate assaults for seven crucial hours before being forced to yield ground in the late afternoon. Despite inflicting heavy casualties and seizing ground, the Confederates only drove Grant towards the river, instead of away from it. The Federal survivors established a solid front before Pittsburg Landing and stopped the last Confederate charge as dusk ended the first day of fighting. The Second Day April 7, 1862 Shiloh's first day of slaughter also witnessed the death of the Confederate leader, General Johnston, who fell at mid-afternoon, struck down by a stray bulle.

New York Times Essay

The newspaper serves as the first draft of history and is the most important source of primary documents in which historians use in order to better gauge exactly what were the concerns and motivations of a specific age. In 1900, America was celebrating a new century although there was little to celebrate. The Boar War in South Africa was taking far too long and costing far too many money and lives in what was perceived to be an invincible British Empire. A massive explosion in West Virginia killed dozens of miners and in China, the Boxer Rebellion; a Chinese nationalistic movement in which all foreigners were sought after and either expelled from the country or killed, was causing international headaches for America and President McKinley. The December 24, 1900 issue of the New York Times, the most prestigious newspaper in the country, detailed many of the aforementioned events as well as the smaller stories which never did make the history books but were vitally important for those who were involved. As 1900 was coming to a close and moving into what would be the bloodiest century in human history, the readers of that day, saw a world with no shortage of pessimistic news and depressing facts about the state of their world. In the backdrop of the Christmas season, the concern of the people of New York, as detailed in this issue of the New York Times, were detailing the hatred and strife which much of the world, and especially New York City had, in the day before Christmas.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The most important international issue of this day was the Boar War.   America would remain neutral in this war but with British soldiers deep in the heart of South Africa and fighting a war, the details commanded a position on the front page. The headline in the top left corner of page 1, â€Å"Boars Take British town,† detailed the pursuits of the British army in relation to the Boar War, which was ending its second year with no sign of victory. The war would continue from 1899-1902 and cost more lives and money than would ever have been conceived and historians marked this as the beginning of the end of the British Empire.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   There were other important issues of the day. One issue which the people of New York were talking about that day was the firing of District Attorney Garnier by then governor Theodore Roosevelt. This story was seen on page 1 of the Times as well as a detailed editorial on page 6 of the paper. Theodore Roosevelt was seen as a free thinking Progressive Reformer who had no use for patronage, nor public opinion dictating his actions. He was one of the most unique Presidents this country ever had served in the White House. These aspects came through when Governor Roosevelt, under the idea that Garnier: â€Å"that he did not acknowledge the telegram of the governor directing attention to these officers†¦ and allowed his assets to interfere with the prompt trial of election cases.†[1] In other words, Garnier’s association with Tammany, the political force of the Democratic Party in which graft and patronage ran rampant, could not be separated from the demands of this office. In the election of 1900, it was asserted that Garnier had done little or nothing to stop the election tampering which the Republicans asserted had occurred. Governor Roosevelt believed this to be the case and promptly fired Garnier.   The New York Times, in their editorial, criticized this move, through the professed to be no friend of Garnier. â€Å"We think that the people’s rights and not Garnier’s are infringed by the action of Governor Roosevelt and are forced to condemn that action as a blunder in the nature of a crime.†[2] Tammany, since the days of Boss William Tweed, had been under a suspicion of grafting politicians and Roosevelt, always the reformer, sought to free New York City from the patronage which he felt was choking the lifeblood from the city. Tammany had been a source of patronage for decades and it sometimes served as the only source of employment for immigrants who were being ignored by the establishment. However, Tammany always ran under a cloud of suspicion for corruption and the reform candidates of that age, sought to starve Tammany of patronage. It is also interesting to note that since Governor Roosevelt was causing so much trouble, for both the Democrats as well as the Republicans, that he was placed on the Republican ticket as President McKinley’s Vice President in 1900 only a few months earlier as a way to silence him. Little did they know that the assassination of President McKinley in September 1901, propel Roosevelt onto the world political stage for the next 7  ½ years.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The newspaper also details the stories which never did make the history books. There are many one or two paragraph stories which served as life changing for those involved but which were quickly forgotten in a day or two by the rest of the public. One such story is of five year old Marie Horen who went into convulsions when she drank a bottle of whiskey as she copied what she had seen her father doing. She was rushed to the J. Hood Wright Hospital where her condition was deemed serious. Another story involves nine year old Nathan Roth who was shot in the head by one who the paper deemed crazy. He was shot in the head and the bullet exited the right eye of the boy. The boy was pronounced dead and the defendant, John Galletus, a father of three and one who had attempted to shoot others, was captured and sent away.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Another negative aspect of this day in New York History was the number of fires that were reported. There was listed, sixteen fires that had occurred. One of these fires ripped through a tenement in which it was reported that there presumed to be, a number of victims but as the records of those living in these tenements were sketchy at best, it seems as though the exact count will never be known. It has been suspected that a number of these fires, especially the ones in which barns were being set ablaze, was suspected of being done by a group of sixteen years from the many notorious gangs which New York City housed.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   It was also reported that Andrew Carnegie, the steel magnate, one who had originated from Scotland and had made his fortunes in steel, donated $20,000 for the assembly of a new library at the all black Tuskegee School in which Booker T. Washington founded and led. During these last years of his life, Carnegie sought o give away millions of dollars in the construction of libraries all across the country; from the large cities in America, to the small towns. He had earned his money through the ruthless exploitation of capitalism and now sought to right his wrongs and become a philanthropist and give money to support a new school at Tuskegee. This occurred at a time when only four years later, calls of treason arose from the South when President Roosevelt invited Booker T. Washington, a leader in the African American community to lunch in order to discuss the issues of the day concerning African Americans. It was reported that the entire building would be built from the hard work of the students themselves; a practice which had been adhered to when the school was first built. This speaks to the social culture of the day and is in contrast to the arrest of Ed. Johnson, a â€Å"dark† man who was suspected of kidnapping a woman. The story states, on page 1, that Mr. Johnson had been identified by a child witness as not having been the suspect but which did little to dissuade the authorities to immediately free Mr. Johnson.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Since this issue was dated Christmas Eve, there is also a religious aspect to this day as millions of Christians in the city were set to celebrate the birth of Jesus. This aspect of loving one’s neighbor which is seen more often around Christmas time than any other, was seen in a large advertisement which detailed the Salvation Army’s feeding of the poor as well as the performance of a passion play. These plays were designed to detail the last hours of Jesus before he was hung on the cross. These plays have served as a popular and touching aspect of the Christmas Season but which have become more popular during the Easter season. In this spirit of alms giving, the New York Protestant Episcopal Society was also feeding Christmas dinner to the poor. However, with New York City containing a large Jewish population, it was stated by the prominent rabbis of the city, that the Jewish people can enjoy this Christmas season, the joy and fulfillment which their fellow New Yorkers are experiencing this Christmas season but that Jews should be careful not to blend their appreciation for the enjoyment of others, with their own sense of faith, which it was stated, â€Å"has fundamental and final differences between Judaism and Christianity.†[3]   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   1900 was an important and event-packed year. Reading the newspapers, specifically the New York Times, serves as a reminder that ever day, there occurs events, large and small, important and socially irrelevant, that occur every day and which are important to the people it affects. In a city as large as New York City, there still occurs individual interest stories like the death of nine year old Nathan Roth or the case of five year old Maggie Enloin who went into convulsions after drinking a bottle of whiskey after seeing her father do the same. These stories occur every day, in every part of the country, as well as the world. Many times, they are not reported but in this day, December 24, 1900, the editors of The New York Times, felt that the tragic death of a nine year old to street violence, or the burnings of tenements on the Lower East Side, as well as the involvements of the Boxer Rebellion, the Boar War or the issues of patronage and corruption within the Tammany machine, all fell under the definition: â€Å"All the news that is fit to print.† This day in American History as well as New York History, saw a wide array of human interest stories, coupled with heavy issues and the larger questions of: â€Å"What role will political patronage serve in the city and how much damage can Governor Roosevelt make before he assumes the Vice Presidency? Are the problems of the tenements to only being reported or sill any actions are made to help the poor and to help them rise above their circumstance? Can the deaths of innocent children be reconciled in a city who believes that it is on the cutting edge of the country’s reforms? Also, to what degree, if any, will America get involved in the issues overseas such as the Boar War and the Boxer Rebellion and how their outcomes will affect America’s relations with these countries. The December 24, 1900 issue of the New York Times, had contained within its twelve pages, a wide array of stories from all walks of life and on all levels of importance. Many of the above mentioned people are to be remembered, when they are remembered at all, in the pages of the newspaper: the first draft of history. WORKS CITED The New York Times.   December 24, 1900 (Twelve Pages) [1] Governor Roosevelt’s Error The New York Times.   December 24, 1900 pg. 6 [2] Governor Roosevelt’s Error. The New York Times.   December 24, 1900 pg. 6 [3] The New York Times.   December 24, 1900

Incident Analysis and Development Plan Essay

In my previous assignments I have attempted to shed some light on the 3 capabilities which I have identified; which were namely the Leadership skills, Knowledge skills and the Interpersonal Management skills. Each of these 3 skills is crucial for a good manager and each holds its own significance in the building of a solid character. For the purpose of this research paper, I will be concentrating on the Leadership and Interpersonal Management skills upon which I have already talked about before. Harnessing these two characteristics would help growth on the individual level and gives an insight into a person’s overall character as viewed from some external source. Incident Analysis Leadership is a value arousing skill (Heifetz, 1994). Recalling any such moment where I have taken the mantle of leadership I would most definitely have to quote of my academic experiences. Groups and teams are a fact of life during one’s academic years and in said groups and teams there are often conflicts arising which without the presence of a team leader, lead to failed deadlines, substandard work quality and overall unpleasantness among team members (Maister, 2002). I can clearly recall the last time I was part of a group and it was in said group that I got a chance to play the role of the team leader. The decision of me being team leader arose due to my past experience in the topic and when the time came to choose the leader from amongst the team-mates I had the expertise in the subject. Even though I was not experienced much in any leadership position, I was able to do a sufficient job as the group leader and it made me appreciate the tough job that it is to lead people towards a single goal so as to make the achievement a shared vision (Purpose of Leadership, 1997). However, one thing I learned was that Leadership is never static as the role of a leader keeps changing in modern times and anybody who has a proficiency in some skill would take on the leader role when work related to his area of specialization arose. Without any leadership there would hardly be any sense of where the team was headed and it would be meaningless progressing further (Kelly, 2007). Interpersonal skills are also very important in recent times as people of every walk of life have to interact with others to get their jobs done. Previously it was the belief that some jobs required very little interaction with other individuals, such as finance related jobs and other desk jobs where the employees would have minimal socializing (Hayes, 2002). But now the field has changed with people interacting with others for the exchange of knowledge, and for socializing purposes. An incident regarding where I had to demonstrate my interpersonal skills arose when while arranging for a charity event for which friends needed help, I had to visit different markets and deal with numerous people over getting sponsors and getting arrangements done. Through the course of this excursion I had to interact with numerous people and demonstrate communication skills which involved interacting with people at all levels, such as common laborers and store owners. This feature of interacting with people at all levels is beneficial in the sense that it helps later to impress employers (Seneca, 2001). Through the course of interacting with people I was able to get some good contacts that would come in fruitful for future use while also overcoming my dread of speaking to strangers and becoming more comfortable talking to people (Hargie & Dickson, 2003). Self Assessment Measuring one’s leadership skills, one must first recognize the types of leaders that exist. There is some argument as to whether there are 6 types or 7 types of leaders but personally I prefer to side with the 7 types argument. Based on 5 criteria leaders are placed into the types of the transformational leader, the enforcer, the deal maker, the administrator, the visionary, the serial entrepreneur and the spin doctor (Taffinder). The five factors upon which leaders are determined are: impose context, have conviction, generate critical mass, challenge and change and they make and take risks. With respect to the definitions provided, I would rank myself as an Enforcer. This is due to the fact that I am risk averse when groups are concerned and tend to stick to tested and tried guidelines. I am highly confident when taking actions and try to motivate team members in a manner that they have the feeling to achieve something (Brill & Barth, 2008). Â  I avoid taking unnecessary risks since the responsibility of leading a team in my opinion does not permit one the opportunity to take risks. If the risk pays off that’s well and good, but if the risk does not, then the leader is responsible for the outcome of events. This responsibility I believe takes away the liberty that a leader should have and should make him more serious towards leading his followers to attaining the goal (Ball, 2003). Judging anyone’s interpersonal skills is not so easy as it involves feedback from external sources. When others tell one how well they are performing, then one can be any statement regarding the success or failure of it. I would say that I am sufficiently endowed with my interpersonal skills. I would come to the conclusion taking into account the success rate when dealing with others. I have often had to conduct affairs with other external groups and so far I would say that I have done a very good job in carrying out interpersonal dealings. Researchers suggested that self analyzing when related to interpersonal skills should be avoided by researchers since the judgement would always be biased and the answer would be uninfluenced in very rare case (Rubin, Palmgreen, Sypher, & Beatty, 2004). This goes back to the point mentioned that since people are unaware as to most of what they do, determining the efficiency of their success in Interpersonal Communication is very hard to do. A concept known as Self Monitoring usually leads to greater success in determining a person’s interpersonal skills. Self Monitoring is a trait exhibited by famous good public speakers, as they were very receptive of their audiences and could adapt their presentation as per the response from the audience. Many politicians such as Bill Clinton for example have been reported to have strong Self Monitoring skills. Viewing myself through outside eyes I have surmised that in the short time that I have become more pro active in interacting with others, I would say that I am quite successful in interacting with people and can easily carry forward a conversation and can entertain and communicate with others effortlessly (Corbin, Corbin, & Lindsey, 2007). Â  If compared to the extent required in the managerial world and professional world, I would have to say that the skills I possess are somewhere between acceptable and need slightly more improvement. Since leadership is a situational issue, with leadership sometimes being given and other times not, only time can tell how well one has performed. Some situations require more insight and expertise whereas others are relatively simple as all you have to do is inspire your team and it successfully finishes the task on its own (Drucker, 1995)I have usually encountered the former as I haven’t yet witnessed any intense leadership role where I’d have to make decisions which would lead to greater consequences. Interpersonal skills are essential for any business activity and comparing it to the market levels I would say that some improvement, or refinement, is needed. Even though I am not hopeless with my interpersonal skills, it is still a far away from being absolutely perfect. I believe I possess enough skills to at least get the basic jobs done. Development Plans To improve upon my interpersonal skills, I have decided to listen to the suggestions stated. Smiling more often when talking to others, being more appreciative of others comments, paying more attention to others, practicing active listening (applying stuff that I have learnt through listening to others), bringing people together, trying to resolve conflicts, communicating early, and in a humorous manner, trying to see other people’s perspectives and avoiding complaining are some measures that I plan to adopt in order to improve my interpersonal skills (All Business). Following these tips I plan to become more popular in crowds and become more receptive to others when interacting with them. These tips would help me in making a more favorable impression in front of others and become a popular and pleasurable person to talk to. And that in turn would make communicating with others more easier for me and more often. Currently what I’m lacking due to inexperience with interacting with others would be resolved if I strictly follow these mentioned tips. To develop my leadership style I must first note where I fall behind other successful leaders, and in this case, I have identified that I am highly risk averse and in return wind up hindering group from reaching its full potential. Taking more risks, but with the consent and full information being provided to the group so that they can give their feedback as well, I will try to move towards becoming a Transformational Leader who not only gets the job done, but inspires the followers to think of the goals as their goals as well and have a combined motivation towards the job as well. Conclusion Leadership and interpersonal skills are very important for today’s managers as it is the manager’s job to get the tasks done while keeping a strong healthy relationship between all levels of the employees (Koellner, 2002). Currently I am more than capable of handling the simple situations which may arise on a day to day basis, but to actually handle situations which may affect a larger scale, I need to work harder to build my skills so as to become a Transformational leader (Argyris, 1976), who is the best type of flexible leader, and to have good links which can only be forged if the interpersonal relations I have with others are good. Without strong interpersonal skills, no one can actually get the full whole hearted support from others. A person should seek external opinions to actually gauge where he is standing since these are inherent qualities and people are not qualified enough to correctly identify their skills. References All Business. (n.d.). Ten Ways to Improve Your Interpersonal Skills. Retrieved April 28, 2009, from All Business: http://www.allbusiness.com/human-resources/careers-career-development/11134-1.html Argyris, C. (1976). Increasing leadership effectiveness. R.E Krieger. Ball, J. (2003). Managing People. Retrieved April 28, 2009, from http://www.accountancy.com.pk/articles.asp?id=54 Brill, F. S., & Barth, R. (. (2008). Leading and Learning. Stenhouse Publishers. Corbin, C., Corbin, C. B., & Lindsey, R. (2007). Fitness for Life. Human Kinetics. Drucker, P. F. (1995). The Practice of Management. Harper Collins. Hargie, O., & Dickson, D. (2003). Skilled interpersonal communication. Routledge. Hayes, J. (2002). Interpersonal skills at work. Routledge.

Back in the Playground Blues Essay Example

Back in the Playground Blues Essay Example Back in the Playground Blues Paper Back in the Playground Blues Paper Essay Topic: poem The poem Back in the Playground Blues written by Adrian Mitchell is about a boy remembering about the time that he was at the playground. The poem is written in first person, and the I of the poem is completely scared of the playground. He remembered the time which he was there and of how much he suffered. He felt as if he was trapped in the big playground compared to his size, left unprotected by their parents from the rulers of the Killing ground, and hoping that he wouldnt be the one chosen by them to make fun of. The I also criticizes that the rulers of the Killing ground always found a reason to pick on someone, be it because of physical appearance, religion or beliefs. He also mentions that someone from the playground, probably the principal says It prepares them for Life, and that in his opinion this had already been the worst place in his life. I imagine that the incident takes place in a poor community, because the children do not look as if they were mimed and a rich parent probably wouldnt trust the principal when she said that it prepares them for life. He also comments on the walls of the playground and says that it was broken and dusty, as if no one was taking care of the playground. The fact that he gives the impression that all the kids hated the Killing Ground also suggests that it takes place on a poor community because if it was on a rich one the kids would probably complain to their parents and their parents would get in contact with the principal or staff responsible. Language and structure add a great deal to the understanding of the poem. On the first section he repeats the first two lines, probably to call the readers attention to it. He also soon after saying how small the boy was says how large and wide the playground was, maybe suggesting that the boy felt impotent regarding the enormous playground around him. On the second section the poet also repeats the first two lines, also to emphasize it but maybe also to show a sense of how these facts were appearing back in the boys mind and as if he was thinking about it at the moment. He also wrote the name give by the children to the playground with capital letters The Killing Ground, to emphasize in the word Killing, to show how much the children were scared and hated the playground. This name is very ironical because Killing is the opposite of Play, and that the kids were having a horrible time whilst their parents thought that they were playing and having fun. On the third section he writes got a mother and a father, theyre one thousand years away, meaning that the kids can only ask for help for their parents, but they are far away from them and there is no way of reaching them. He then writes the rulers on The Killing Ground are coming out to play, to give the impression of how these rulers, probably older or stronger kids, were feared by the other kids, and that when they appeared they hoped they would pick someone else to play with. It is interesting the irony in the word play used in the sense of bullying, as if the rulers were using the younger kids as a doll or another object and doing whatever they wanted with it. The fourth section is my favorite part of the poem, due to its extreme irony. The boy is saying that the rulers chose anyone to pick on, and that they do it for any reason at all, and the way the poet writes this it looks as a nursery rhyme, which usually are of happy and fun things, which isnt this case. On the fifth section the poet is showing the cruelty of the rulers, by saying that they sometimes get a beetle and torture them, by tearing off all its legs one by one, leaving the beetle with its back on the floor, but a beetle cant beg for mercy as the other kids, so it isnt half as fun. This is making a comparison of how the kids went through the same situation as the beetle, and that this was more fun for the rulers, because unlike beetles, children can beg for mercy. On the last section the poet describes the sound of the principal or teacher of the playground as having and iceberg sound, meaning that the person was very cold and didnt have any feelings towards the kids which were being bullied. He ends the poem by saying that the principal says that the playground prepares them for live, whilst the boy thinks that this preparation has been the worst thing of his life. The poet shows how a child views a playground, and how scared they were of the older kids. This is a very typical example, and happens in most playgrounds and kindergartens around the world. Maybe not as cruel as the poets example, but quite bad. It also shows how the childs mind is taken over by their imagination and fear. It is also a critic to how the system of playgrounds work, and of how the parents send them there thinking that they are playing and having a good time whilst what is happening is exactly the opposite.

EPUB vs mobi Which eBook Format Should You Use

EPUB vs mobi Which eBook Format Should You Use EPUB vs mobi: Which eBook Format Should You Use? EPUBs and mobi  files are the most common ebook formats in the world. If you're a self-publishing author looking to distribute your title in ebook stores (which you should: some of the most voracious readers own e-readers) you will need to know a little about these two file types. In this post, you will learn everything you need to know about the Clash of the Titans that is epub vs mobi. Finally! EPUB vs mobi! What's the difference? #selfpub #kdp What is an EPUB?An EPUB file is the most widely-accepted ebook format on the market. It’s the industry standard, used by Apple, Kobo, Barnes Noble, Sony and Google e-readers.A free and open standard based on HTML (much like the files your web browser would read), EPUB is a remarkably flexible format that supports a wealth of features. It can optimize a book’s text to fit your device, embed images, and allow for bookmarking, highlighting and text-to-speak. The latest version, EPUB 3, will even permit you to add multimedia content like video and audio clips.All around, it’s pretty great - which is why the publishing industry has rallied around it as its ebook format of choice. If you want to upload your book directly to almost any ebook retail platform – through Kobo Writing Life or Nook Press, for example – or use an ‘aggregator’ like Smashwords or Draft2Digital, you will need to have an EPUB file.So what’s stopping EPUB from be ing the single digital book format?What is a mobi file? Does Moby prefer mobis to EPUBs? One can only assume.Mobi files are the ebook files used exclusively by Amazon’s Kindle Store. Or, if we're staying up-to-date, the actual proprietary standard is now called AZW. The major difference between mobi files and EPUBs is that the Amazon format is protected by  Digital Rights Management (DRM) which ‘locks’ the book so it can only be read on devices associated with your account. Amazon is the largest ebook retailer in the world by quite a long way: in 2015 they were responsible for over 70% of ebooks sold in the US. This massive market share is part of the reason why they can insist on using their own format.To summarize: the Kindle store uses mobi files, and every other major ebook uses EPUBs. But, if you're an author looking to export an ebook file that's compatible everywhere, what can you do? Well, the short answer is that you should export an EPUB, for reasons we'll look at right now. If you have an EPUB that you want to convert to mobi  right now,  you can simply put it through our  EPUB to mobi converter! You'll get a beautiful new mobi file in your email inbox within minutes.Amazon's Kindle Direct Publishing platform also has an integrated tool which will convert EPUBs into mobi files. The Reedsy team ran countless tests and found the conversion to be pretty seamless.Finally, if you export an ebook using the Reedsy Book Editor, you will have the option to choose your ebook retailers. If you select 'Amazon' as an option, you will download your book in mobi format.When should you use PDF files?The PDF, which has remained one of the most popular document formats since its debut in 2001, is still widely used in publishing for two purposes. Print on DemandPerhaps the most cost-effective way of selling physical copies on a small scale, self-publishing authors commonly use what’s called a print-on-demand (POD) service. Instead of ordering a print run and filling a warehouse with paperbacks, copies will only be printed as and when they’ve been purchased either by individual buyers  or a bookstore.The two most popular POD services are IngramSpark and KDP Print  (formerly CreateSpace), the latter of which is - would you believe it? - an Amazon company. A print-on-demand book, sourced from a PDF file.For this, you will need a file that contains strict definitions of your book’s layout and content – which is why we use PDF files. There are countless different types of PDF out there but for our purposes, the format will need to a ‘print-ready PDF’ to make it compatible with printers.   Any hyperlinks will be removed and your image colors will be expressed in CMYK, and not using the RGB color model.Graphically Intensive eBooksBoth EPUBs and mobis are great at handling text-intensive books like novels, memoirs and some non-fiction books. They are, however, less awesome at dealing with books that have a lot of images, graphs and photos - art books and travel guides, for example. If you need your ebook to look exactly the same as the print version, you may wish to sell it as a PDF, which will ensure fidelity across all devices.The downside is that basic black-and-white Kindles (and e-readers like it) will str uggle to display them well - as these PDF books will tend to be fixed-width. Unlike an EPUB file, where the text is "reflowable" and will adapt to the shape and size of your device, reading a small-print PDF book on a Kindle Paperwhite is nothing short of a chore.Creating EPUBs and print-ready PDFsReedsy offers a free online book editing tool that lets you professionally format a book with no training required. Once you’re happy with how it looks, you can export your book for free as both EPUB and print-ready PDF files! To find out more about how the Reedsy Book Editor can help you publish your own book, click here.To learn more about how to set up your ebook on the different retailers, read our master guide on ebook publishing platforms.If you have any thoughts or questions on choosing a file format, drop us a message in the box below.

How to Style Compounds After the Noun

How to Style Compounds After the Noun How to Style Compounds After the Noun How to Style Compounds After the Noun By Mark Nichol Most but not all phrasal adjectives (two words that combine to modify a noun hence the alternate name, compound modifiers) are hyphenated, which is confusing enough though easily resolved: If a permanent compound is listed in the dictionary as open, no hyphen is necessary; otherwise, hyphenate. But that applies only before the noun. What happens after the noun is a whole other matter: Usually, phrasal adjectives and similar (or similar-looking) constructions are left open in that position. Here’s a rundown on hyphenation rules for various types of compounds: Categories Age compound: â€Å"The eighteen-year-old (boy),† but â€Å"He is eighteen years old.† Color compound: â€Å"The sky-blue paint,† but â€Å"The paint is sky blue.† Fraction compound: â€Å"A half-mile walk,† but â€Å"a walk of a half mile.† Number, spelled out: â€Å"Fifty-one,† â€Å"five hundred,† five hundred one,† â€Å"two thousand twenty-two.† (Hyphenate tens-ones figures in isolation and in larger figures, but leave open all other combinations of places.) Number plus noun: â€Å"A five-year plan,† but a plan that will take five years†; â€Å"a four-and-a-half-inch gap,† but â€Å"a gap of four and a half inches†; â€Å"the fourth-floor office,† but â€Å"an office on the fourth floor.† Number plus superlative: â€Å"The third-tallest player,† but â€Å"a player who is third tallest.† Time: â€Å"They’re going to the eight o’clock screening† and â€Å"The meeting starts at six (o’clock)†; â€Å"I have a five-thirty plane to catch,† but â€Å"I’ll meet you at five thirty† (always open when time is on the hour, and hyphenated before the noun but open after when time is between hours). Parts of Speech Adjectival phrase: â€Å"His matter-of-fact manner,† but â€Å"His manner was matter of fact.† Adjective plus noun: â€Å"A low-class joint,† but â€Å"The joint is low class.† Adjective identifying origin or location plus noun: â€Å"An Indo-European language† and â€Å"the French-Spanish border,† but â€Å"She is a Japanese American† and â€Å"the latest Middle East crisis† (open unless the first term is a prefix or there is a sense of a distinction between the elements). Adjective plus participle or adjective: â€Å"His long-suffering wife,† but â€Å"his wife is long suffering.† Adverb ending in -ly plus participle or adjective: â€Å"Her rapidly beating heart† (always open). Adverb not ending in -ly plus participle: â€Å"The little-read novel,† but â€Å"The novel is little read.† (See â€Å"More About Adverbs,† below.) Noun phrase: â€Å"A feather in your cap,† but â€Å"He’s a jack-of-all-trades† (open unless hyphenated in the dictionary). Noun plus adjective: â€Å"The family-friendly restaurant,† but â€Å"The restaurant is family friendly.† Noun plus gerund: â€Å"A note-taking lesson,† but â€Å"a lesson in note taking.† (But beware of closed noun-plus-gerund compounds like matchmaking.) Noun plus noun, the first one modifying the second: â€Å"A tenure-track position,† but â€Å"She’s on the tenure track.† (But leave permanent compounds like â€Å"income tax† open even before a noun, and check for closed noun-plus-noun compounds like bartender.) Noun plus noun, equivalent: City-state, nurse-practitioner (always hyphenated). Noun plus letter or number: â€Å"A size 34 waist,† â€Å"the type A personality† (never hyphenated). Noun plus participle: â€Å"A problem-solving exercise,† but â€Å"time for some problem solving.† Participle plus noun: â€Å"Working-class families,† but â€Å"members of the working class.† Participle plus prepositional adverb plus noun: â€Å"Turned-up nose,† but â€Å"Her nose was turned up.† More About Adverbs When less or more modifies an adjective, such as in â€Å"a less frequent occurrence†/â€Å"an occurrence that is less frequent† or â€Å"a more qualified candidate†/â€Å"a candidate who is more qualified,† the phrase is not hyphenated either before or after a noun. The same is true of least and most unless ambiguity is possible. For example, â€Å"a lesser-known rival† is a rival who is not as well known, but â€Å"a lesser known rival,† by contrast, might be a known rival of lesser consequence. Likewise, â€Å"the most-quoted orators† and â€Å"the most quoted orators† refer, respectively, to orators most frequently quoted and a majority of quoted orators. Again, however, the hyphenated version would be left open when it follows a noun, and would likely be worded differently than its counterpart that is not hyphenated before the noun, either. Also, when an adverb that is part of a modifying phrase is modified by another adverb, as in â€Å"a very much praised debut,† the phrase is not hyphenated at all, even though a hyphen would appear in â€Å"a much-praised debut.† Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Style category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:Useful Stock Phrases for Your Business EmailsAwoken or Awakened?Particular vs. Specific

Specific fatty acids and disease Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Specific fatty acids and disease - Assignment Example However, n-3 fatty acids have antithrombin, antiinflammatory, hypolipidemic and vasodilatory properties (Higdon 34). Benefits of n-3 fatty acids are known for the preventive measures of coronary heart diseases. Studies have shown that during chronic fish oil feeding, concentrations of postprandial triacylglycerol decreases and this causes an increase in plasma cholesterol concentration hence a low rate of coronary artery diseases found in fish eating population. New research findings show Leukotrienes are thought to play an important role in pathology of asthma. Increasing n-3 fatty acids intake decreases the formation of AA-derived leukotrienes (Reisman 6). A number of clinical trials have been used to examine the effects of a long-chained n-3 fatty acid supplementation on asthma. Although there is evidence that n-3 supplementation decreases the inflammatory mediators production of in asthmatic patients meaning the clinical trials have been having inconsistent results. Random control trials of the long-chain n-3 fatty acids supplements in asthmatic children and adults found no consistent effects on clinical measures including asthmatic symptoms, pulmonary function tests or bronchial hyper

Everything is Illuminated, The Mission, and Little Buddah Movie Review

Everything is Illuminated, The Mission, and Little Buddah - Movie Review Example Jonathon makes the journey to Ukraine to try and find the mystery woman who helped his grandfather during his time of need. Another meaning from the statement that Jonathon gives is that he wants to discover his own background. Something that Jonathon maybe think is about is the fact that he would not exist without this woman helping his grandfather. If there is a chance that she is still alive, then Jonathon wants to meet her and possibly thank her. Jews by nature are very religious people who have had a long and turbulent history. It is this history that helps them to keep going. Modern day Jews wants the story of the Holocaust to be taught because they do not want the wrongs of the past to be repeated in the future. Jonathon feels like his history is an important part of who he is today, so he should do everything possible to learn from his ancestors. While Jonathon may not be finding information key to the Jewish religion, he appreciates the fact that he is Jewish and wants to le arn more about his history. 2. Alex’s grandfather initially had a negative attitude towards Jews; he keeps referring to Jonathon as â€Å"Yid,† which can sometimes be used as a derogatory term for Jewish people. There are some Jews who call themselves this term, so there is still some debate as to whether Yid puts down Jews or not. Alex’s grandfather’s attitude towards Jews does change over the course of the film, but this is largely due to the journey that everyone takes. This change is unusual in a way because Alex’s grandfather has always had a negative view of Jews, probably because of the area of Ukraine that he was brought up in. Another reason could be that he has dealt with so many Jews looking to travel to Ukraine that he has grown accustomed to Jews as customers rather than friends. Also, the fact that he is an old man makes it all the more unlikely that he changed his view of Jews after traveling with one through the Ukrainian countrysid e. But, after seeing Jonathon make a journey to pursue some of his history, and the fact that everyone got along well, Alex’s grandfather begins to understand that his previous view of Jews was in fact wrong. 3. The Christian religion is shown in a both a positive and negative light, depending on the characters involved. The positive representation of Christianity is shown when the Jesuits go into the forest and help the native people by teaching them to read, building schools and churches, and offering them a way out of their primitive state. Along the way, the Jesuits even manage to convince a mercenary, Mendoza, to join them. They had no reason to do this except to pick someone up at their lowest point. The negative representation of Christianity is shown by the Jesuit Order in Europe and the Catholic Church, which pursue an aggressive strategy of eliminating the new converts from their land simply due to border and land disputes. The scenes showing church leaders in Europ e give the impression that the Christian church wants to conquer the world with no respect for the native people they come across. The message given about Christianity is a balanced one; missionaries such as Father Gabriel choose not to fight because it goes against what he believes while Mendoza believes that Christians should have the right to protect themselves. The film does not offer an opinion on which belief is the greater one; it only presents a situation that

Future Trends of AviaitionEarospace Education Essay

Future Trends of AviaitionEarospace Education - Essay Example Now, however, there are factors that mitigate against this once-abundant pool of available talent, creating a need for more trained pilots to take to the skies. First, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), the federal governing body for all commercial air flight, has a strict retirement rule. All pilots must leave the cockpit at the age of 60. While this has not yet created any dramatic shortages, writer Denver Beaulieu-Hains (2000) said that situation will change very soon. "Over the next 10 years, [the retirement] requirement may put a crunch on airline work forces, as baby boomers reach their golden years. And, with military cutbacks resulting in fewer trained pilots, the strain is hitting the industry from both ends of the runway." Beaulieu-Hains (2000) further stated that the baby-boomer pilots now approaching the retirement age represent fully one-third of the commercial aviation industry's pilot and mechanic work force. When they are forced to retire, the growing shortage will exacerbate considerably. To no one's surprise, the Professional Pilots Federation is trying to get the 60-and-out rule overturned. In April 2000, it petitioned the FAA for exemptions for 69 members of its organization, at the same time requesting strenuous testing - both physical and neuropsychological - to see if older pilots are indeed more likely to suffer from incapacitation than younger pilots (Beaulieu-Hains, 2000). (The age 60 retirement rule was set by the FAA in the 1950s, based on the belief that the ability to process and act on information slows as one gets older.) Stringent Qualifications Required Becoming a commercial pilot is not easy, even for someone who is fit physically and emotionally. All candidates for any cockpit flight position must meet strict FAA medical requirements and receive what the governing body calls an FAA Class 1 Medical Certificate. This assures the prospective employer that the person applying for a pilot's job is free from any physical or emotional conditions or disorders that would prevent him or her from performing the complex duties required of today's modern aircraft (Faa.org, 2001). And, the airlines themselves are no less strict. Anyone involved in an aircraft's flight, of course, has the lives of as many as 300 people in his or her hands. Particularly at the major airlines, standards not only meet FAA requirements, but usually exceed them. Southwest Airlines is a case in point. Before a candidate is even interviewed for a flight position, the airline requires the following: Resume, Airman Certificate (required by the FAA, as well), U.S. Type Rating on a B-737, the First Class Medical Certificate, ad at least three letters of recommendation. Those letters cannot be simply from friends or relatives; they must be from individuals who can attest to the pilot's flying skills, and who have observed them in flight over a sustained period of time (Southwest, 2000). As for flight experience, Southwest requires 2,500 total hours for jet aircraft or 1,500 hours for turbine aircraft. Beyond that, the airline also requires 1,000 hours as "pilot in command" on a turbine plane. The airline specifically excludes simulator, helicopter, and other non-turbine or jet aircraft and prefers candidates who have a four-year college degree (Southwest, 2000). Other airlines are not so stringent, especially smaller one,

Peter's farmer shop Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Peter's farmer shop - Essay Example Geography The location of the business is at Yorkshire, West Yorkshire, to be exact. He wants to exploit local culture and appropriate tourist base (Bangs, 2002, 102). Marketing Mix Product Peter at first wants to sell vegetables boxes to his potential customers then he has planned to develop new products that he can use to penetrate farmers markets and especially food festivals where the level of sales might have an incline. These products might be in form of food and drinks. Pricing Having the low price is unprofitable since the client does not care about pricing as a businessman thinks; therefore Peter should have average prices and compete on quality products and services for example transportation services e.t.c. He also should be able to prepare credit policies for potential customers. Promotion The question that Peter is going to ask is how will the word get out to the customers? Peter can use two types of promotion which are personal selling and advertising. Advertising in th e sense that when he takes his products to the farmers market he can put up a stand and use banners to describe and differentiate the types of products he is offering. For example if he is selling fruits and vegetables, he might have pictorial messages that display these goods so that even customers are far from his stand, they can be able to tell the kinds of products that are sold by him. Personal selling comes in handy when customers want to know how these products can be used apart from the mere fact of edibility. He may also use other forms of promotion for example; ‘trade concert’, ‘catalogues’, ‘seller incentives’, ‘advertisement’, ‘network of professionals or friends’ depending on his promotional budget. Place: We know that Peter wants a location that is local to him which is within West Yorkshire. So before he chooses a location for his business he needs to think about what he wants and needs in a location and its effect on clients. He should ask himself the following questions prior to the previous statement. -Is his location important to his customers? If yes, why? Peter should choose a convenient location in terms of distance to the place of business; therefore he should research on what the customers’ needs and wants are, compare it to his business product wise and choose the best location. Ease of accessibility to consumers. -Is it consistent with his image? Image is everything. It distinguishes one business from another. Peter should choose a location that portrays his image and the image of his soon to be business. If the image and the purpose of the business are different, Peter might end up losing important consumers. -Where is the competition located? Near or distant? The best location of competitors for him should be distant. This is to curb poaching of consumers by the competition which is River ford organic farm. The idea here is to retain customers as well as getting new ones. Market Place Customers Peter should be able to identify his target customers, their needs and wants and their geographical locations. He must analyze the end consumer so as to be able to formulate different customer groups which will guide him when he is constructing a demographic profile of them which includes the following:- Age Peter should identify different age groups and what kind of products they prefer. Gender Each gender prefers specific products. It is the work of

Financial Accounting Theory Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Financial Accounting Theory - Essay Example The accounting frameworks are there for wide use of the financial statements of a company. A common framework of accounting would certainly be useful for the stakeholders of the company. But the criticism of the conceptual framework arises as these are not found so useful. The arguments are that the frameworks are not useful as there is lacking of practical evidences. The paper is an attempt to analyze that the conceptual frameworks of financial accounting are really useful or it is just a time wasting activity. Conceptual framework A conceptual framework is made for explaining the factors of the subject and thereby prepares a guideline for making a project. It is a kind of roadmap. The conceptual framework is a set of assumptions about the topic, the concepts, beliefs and theories about the topic. It is guidance to the persons who are associated with certain projects and also it is the guide to the users who are the other stakeholders of the project (Islamic Financial Institutions, n.d., p.1). For developing a conceptual framework experiential knowledge is most necessary to which doesn’t get needed attraction from the researchers. Because of this the conceptual frameworks are not so applicable in the practical field. ... Financial Accounting The existence of accounting theory is because it explains the existing practices and predicts the unobserved practices. The accounting theories also explains that why the firms follow some specific standards and should enable the users to forecast the attributes that may be followed by the firm (Schroeder, Clark & Cathey, 2010, p.1). The accounting theories are basically of two types Normative and positive. The normative theories of accounting are basically subjective and the positive accounting theories are mainly practical and verified enough (Kornai, 2008, p.124-125). The normative theories evolved over time and it shows that how the things should be and positive theories of accounting is more practical as it explain the cause of the event along with the definition of the things. For communicating with relevant information these accounting theories are needed by the accounting professionals and the base of the accounting theories are the conceptual frameworks (Nobes, 1997, p.4). W. A. Paton was the first one to make an accounting theory where he has expressed his views on the valuations of assets and liabilities and distribution of income and entity concepts. Since then the accountants understand the need of a generally accepted principle that will be followed by wide number of companies and their stakeholders. As a result of the great depression in the year 1929 the Generally Accepted Accounting Principle was emerged which was a set of accounting practices (Schroeder, Clark & Cathey, 2010, p.17). The next accounting theories were made by the researchers understanding the deficiencies of the existing framework. Since then some major accounting theories developed by the researchers like

Peter's farmer shop Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Peter's farmer shop - Essay Example Geography The location of the business is at Yorkshire, West Yorkshire, to be exact. He wants to exploit local culture and appropriate tourist base (Bangs, 2002, 102). Marketing Mix Product Peter at first wants to sell vegetables boxes to his potential customers then he has planned to develop new products that he can use to penetrate farmers markets and especially food festivals where the level of sales might have an incline. These products might be in form of food and drinks. Pricing Having the low price is unprofitable since the client does not care about pricing as a businessman thinks; therefore Peter should have average prices and compete on quality products and services for example transportation services e.t.c. He also should be able to prepare credit policies for potential customers. Promotion The question that Peter is going to ask is how will the word get out to the customers? Peter can use two types of promotion which are personal selling and advertising. Advertising in th e sense that when he takes his products to the farmers market he can put up a stand and use banners to describe and differentiate the types of products he is offering. For example if he is selling fruits and vegetables, he might have pictorial messages that display these goods so that even customers are far from his stand, they can be able to tell the kinds of products that are sold by him. Personal selling comes in handy when customers want to know how these products can be used apart from the mere fact of edibility. He may also use other forms of promotion for example; ‘trade concert’, ‘catalogues’, ‘seller incentives’, ‘advertisement’, ‘network of professionals or friends’ depending on his promotional budget. Place: We know that Peter wants a location that is local to him which is within West Yorkshire. So before he chooses a location for his business he needs to think about what he wants and needs in a location and its effect on clients. He should ask himself the following questions prior to the previous statement. -Is his location important to his customers? If yes, why? Peter should choose a convenient location in terms of distance to the place of business; therefore he should research on what the customers’ needs and wants are, compare it to his business product wise and choose the best location. Ease of accessibility to consumers. -Is it consistent with his image? Image is everything. It distinguishes one business from another. Peter should choose a location that portrays his image and the image of his soon to be business. If the image and the purpose of the business are different, Peter might end up losing important consumers. -Where is the competition located? Near or distant? The best location of competitors for him should be distant. This is to curb poaching of consumers by the competition which is River ford organic farm. The idea here is to retain customers as well as getting new ones. Market Place Customers Peter should be able to identify his target customers, their needs and wants and their geographical locations. He must analyze the end consumer so as to be able to formulate different customer groups which will guide him when he is constructing a demographic profile of them which includes the following:- Age Peter should identify different age groups and what kind of products they prefer. Gender Each gender prefers specific products. It is the work of

Marketing (as a marketer) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Marketing (as a marketer) - Essay Example In the recessive environment, while pricing has remained the dominant problem, the firms are increasingly facing competition from other macro-environmental factors. The after sales service has become critical to retain customers. An effective distribution and delivery system that focuses on time and place has also become vital part of market strategy (ibid). The fast changing preferences of the customers, technology, environment and ethical considerations have become vital elements that impact organization’s performance outcome. The consumer psychology plays strong role in the development of new products. The market strategy therefore needs to emphasize on brand creation and advertising to suit the segmented market. Wal-Mart’s strategy to introduce private label products should not impact the pricing dynamics of firms like Aveda, Kellogg and Starbucks etc. These firms have already created a niche market for their products and their brand strategy is targeted towards the market segment that strongly believes in the credibility of brands. The perceived value of the products of these companies meets the consumption value and therefore considerably satisfies the target consumer. In the age of advancing technology and globalization, the businesses have become highly competitive. Consumers have become the mainstay of the businesses that has necessitated the need for dynamic market strategies. Indeed, understanding the consumer psychology has become intrinsic part of business decision making. The identification and analysis of consumer behavior at different level of interaction helps the companies to evolve strategies for gaining market position. Thus, product development and market strategy are primarily defined by major segmenting variables like age, gender, income etc. These help provide the firms to develop effective market plans so as to influence the buying decisions of the target market. When

European Year of Education through Sport 2004 Essay Example for Free

European Year of Education through Sport 2004 Essay Research, analyse and critically examine the (European Unions) European Year of Education through Sport 2004, illustrating your answer with examples from European countries. Sport has been a major arena for the display of popular European values ever since the very first recorded Ancient Olympics were held at Olympia in 776 B.C. The Olympics of Ancient Greece and subsequently the modern Olympics gave rise to the ideology of Olympism, a way of life that embodies through sport these qualities and values. In the years that have passed, the changing face of sport has modelled and re-modelled itself in line with contemporary trends and technological advancements, but the core beliefs have remained the same. Whilst even then in its infancy, sport had to deal with bribery and corruption, with politics and commercialism; the same evils that have plagued the sporting world at the highest level ever since; sport has survived, and the ethos of sport and Olympism continue to be heralded as the archetype of health, vitality and virtue. In September 2003 a Eurobarometer survey was carried out, in order to establish the general public feelings towards education through sport. The results it returned were unswerving in their support. Almost two-thirds of the survey sample cited team spirit as the most important sporting value, whilst 70% were in favour of a harder crackdown on doping in sport. Amongst other revelations of a similar trend it is notable that the 2 highest responses when asked if the EU should do more to promote education through sport were those of Greece (90% said yes) and Portugal (85%). These of course will be the 2 main focal points for sporting excellence in 2004; hosting the Olympic Games and the European Football Championships respectively. It is clear that the officials of the European Union share the belief that the prominent values and health benefits that can be garnered from education through sport are desirable. Following the conclusion of the Eurobarometer survey and further research, a budget totalling à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½11.5 million was made available specifically for the initiative they dubbed The European Year of Education through Sport (EYES). The allocation of the budget is divided, in simple terms, as described on the InfoBase Europe website, (www.ibeurope.com): A budget of à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½11.5 million will be available to support meetings, campaigns and events designed to further the aims of the Year throughout the European Union. Whilst à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½11.5 million may appear at first glance to be a substantial amount, further examination reveals otherwise. To be simplistic in analysis, let us say that the funds were equally divided amongst the European Unions 15 member states; this would leave à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½766,667 (or à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½522,575 [source: www.xe.com]) per nation to distribute internally to cover the entire year. This would work out at around à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½14,744 or à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½10,050 per week for the whole country, far less than the wage of some professional athletes. The UK branch of EYES has 3 key objectives: 1. Promote EYES in the UK and on a pan-European basis. 2. Give as many people as possible access to the work being undertaken during the EYES 2004 programme. 3. Engage more young people in physical activity and sport, enhancing other developments in the field in the UK. These objectives run parallel with those of the EU as a whole (see annexe 1). In terms of promotion, the initiative is being spearheaded by an All-Star team of popular former and current stars of European sport; the most familiar of these perhaps being Jurgen Klinsmann, Clarence Seedorf, Amelie Mauresmo and Sir Steven Redgrave. Alongside these 5 are another 37 individuals (as well as the Latvian National Football Team), ranging from internationally famed to somewhat obscure, all of whom are committed to actively supporting the campaign. (http://www.eyes-2004.info/254.0.html) There seems to be a solid base from which to build a real Europe-wide success. In addition to the All-Star Team, EYES can boast partners from all over Europe, from a variety of different sports as well as many Governmental ministries and Educational Associations, 4 TV Channels and, perhaps most significantly, Sponsorship from VISA and the German travel company Vietentours. There will certainly be a significant amount of publicity surrounding EYES as the year goes on. The logo, accompanied by its slogan (move your body, stretch your mind) will be on display at nearly 200 events during 2004, including the Olympic Games, the Paralympic Games and Euro 2004. It appears that from a promotional point of view, as well as the infrastructure, the EU has got it right. There will be plenty of opportunities for people to find out about and participate in EYES. But then what? Even if we were to blanket the entire continent with an awareness of EYES; even if every school in every nation participated; what next? 2005 will not be the European Year of Education through Sport, II. Surely the priority must be to lay down the foundations for future and continuing education through sport throughout the continent? Any continuing legacy or suchlike goes unmentioned in the aims and objectives sections of EYES on both the official website and InfoBase. The focus seems to be on getting as many people interested in sport as possible, then assuming their enthusiasm will remain at a constant level without further promotion. It implies a level of naivety in terms of the EUs awareness of the seemingly obvious expendable novelty value that can be associated with most short-term governmental and pan-European events of this ilk. There is no function in place to prevent the project from slipping into history without having made any real long-term difference to the education of the public through continuing participation in sport. The official UK website (www.eyes2004.org) contains information for schools on how to get involved, news updates on EYES projects and media releases, and online challenges for schools to take part in by inputting results from different activities into a database to create live, on-line competition between schools (http://www.eyes2004challenges.org/splash.htm) This attempts to address the access aim of the website; whether or not it does this remains to be seen. In my personal experience, the efforts of the British arm of the project so far appear to have been poor, especially on the promotional side. Public awareness seems to be non-existent; I have mentioned EYES to many people, young and old, at every level of the education system; from my neighbours primary school children to my 16 year old brother, to my Mother, (a project manager at the local 6th form college). Neither any of them, nor any of the others I spoke to were previously aware of the EYES. Whilst I am aware that this casual sampling cannot be considered in any way to be indicative of the entire British population, they dont exactly imply a resounding success of the project in my local area. However, it is important to note that in this, as in all cases, only 4 months of the year have passed and there is still time for awareness to be created. There are 5 projects currently running here in the UK: The use of sport and education for the social inclusion of asylum seekers and refugees. (Loughborough University) Basic Skills and Education through Sport (Hull City Council) Clean Start programme (UK Sport) Learning Through Football: Euro 2004 (Football Association) Leeds Education Activity Partnership (Leeds City Council) http://www.eyes2004.org/projectnews.htm The first project on the list highlights the poor promotional aspect perfectly. Whilst it is being run here at Loughborough University; the level of awareness of the project itself and of EYES as a whole has been minimal. Continental Europe, however, may prove to be a different story. Whilst the British Physical Education system is comparatively relaxed in its decentralisation, possibly leading to the aforementioned ineffectiveness in the dissemination of the EYES message, the French political infrastructure, for example, may prove a far more effective and efficient vehicle for the promotion of EYES due to its highly centralised nature. Another aspect is to promote the value of voluntary work for the young and the benefits it can provide for informal education. An example of this is in Portugal where by The Portuguese Youth Institute supported by the European Voluntary Service are giving children under the age of 16 the opportunity to help out in European Football Championships 2004 as ball boys and holding flags and banners before games. The aim of the scheme is to bring young people from different communities and racial backgrounds together through voluntary participation in sport. It may also be argued that, whilst 2004 may have initially appeared to be the ideal year for EYES, with 2 internationally prestigious sporting events being hosted in Europe; the reality may be somewhat different in that EYES could well be overshadowed to the point of insignificance by both Euro 2004 and the Athens Olympics. To make a conclusive statement about the success of EYES at this early stage in the year would I feel be somewhat naà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ve. It can be said however, that the right building blocks have been put into place in order to make it a success. The infrastructure and the organisational aspect is far-reaching enough to be of use to the whole continent; whilst remaining centralised enough in key areas to focus on the same goals. The promotional side is again set up right, with representatives from many sports and many countries being involved from the high-profile to the less glamorous. Whilst the signs of implementation of EYES in schools are encouraging; LEAPS (Learning and education through activity and participation in sports) in Dublin; Basic skills and Education through Sport (Hull); Together in Sport for growing up (Italy); the true results of EYES success in schools may take some time due to the enormous amount of feedback required to get a realistic overview of all events and projects. The apparent lack of continuation in terms of the aims and objectives of the initiative can be put down to one of two things. One is that the EU are banking on the continuing success of a one-off push into sport, ignoring the possibility of a speedy return to the low participation rates of recent years. The more likely explanation is that, whilst the EU realise that the effects of EYES may wear off as the future years go by, it will be more effective, given the comparatively small budget available, to concentrate on getting the message out there to as many people as possible this year than to try to implement long-running programmes with less public awareness. Ultimately the deciding factor on the success or failure of EYES, as with most things, will be the budget. Even if, as suggested, the money is directed in the correct manner with minimal amounts of wastage, it is still a relatively insignificant sum on an international scale. I would predict that for there to be any lasting impression left by EYES on the future education through sport in this continent, the amount of funding behind the initiative would have to be substantially larger. Bibliography http://www.museum.upenn.edu/new/Olympics/olympicorigins.shtml (Accessed 15/03/04) http://www.ecdel.org.au/whatsnew/2003/sports.htm (Accessed 15/03/04) http://www.ibeurope.com/Database/Factsheets/F050eyes.htm (Accessed 15/03/04) http://www.europa.eu.int/comm/sport/key_files/annee_eur/a_2004_en.html (Accessed 15/03/04) http://www.xe.com/ucc/ (Accessed 15/03/04) http://www.eyes2004.org/splash.htm (Accessed 17/03/04) http://www.eyes2004.org/projectnews.htm (Accessed 18/03/04) http://www.eyes-2004.info/254.0.html (Accessed 18/03/04) http://www.eyes-2004.info/4138.0.html (Accessed 18/03/04) Annexe 1 The Aims of EYES (http://www.ibeurope.com/Database/Factsheets/F050eyes.htm) The aims of the European Year are: (a) to make educational institutions and sports organisations aware of the need for cooperation in order to develop education through sport and its European dimension, given the very great interest that young people take in all kinds of sport; (b) to take advantage of the values conveyed through sport to develop knowledge and skills whereby young people in particular can develop their physical prowess and readiness for personal effort and also social abilities such as teamwork, solidarity, tolerance and fair play in a multicultural framework; (c) to promote awareness of the positive contribution that voluntary activities make to non-formal education, especially of young people; (d) to promote the educational value of pupil mobility and exchanges particularly in a multicultural environment through the organisation of sporting and cultural contacts as part of school activity; (e) to encourage the exchange of good practice concerning the role sport can play in education systems to promote the social inclusion of disadvantaged groups; (f) to create a better balance between intellectual and physical activity in school life by encouraging sport in school activities; (g) to consider the problems relating to the education of young sportsmen and sportswomen taking part in competitive sports.

Digital Manipulation | The Ethics Of Photography

Digital Manipulation | The Ethics Of Photography Photography is a form of visual communication (LESTER, Paul, 2006). Photographs are used for a range of purposes including documenting personal events such as birthdays, weddings or christenings, for advertising products or services, for decorating the home, and for appointing authority and authenticity to news stories. Passports and other official forms of identification use photographs as a way to identify people. Current culture is image driven and we are exposed to imagery every waking hour of our lives through forms of visual media on the Internet, television, newspapers, magazines, mobiles phones and now tablets. In using photography to identify an individuals identity or to document the occurrence of an event, a great amount of trust must be invested in the medium of the photograph. Photographs are used in courtrooms as evidence, an occurrence that evidences the trust invested in photographs. By using photographs as evidence it is important to question if the medium of the photograph is an accurate recording of reality. In 2012 an Iranian news agency published an apparent newly developed military drone manufactured by Iran, see Figure 1. The published image was soon discovered to be an already published image of a drone developed by a Japanese University which had been modified to give the impression it was a new and authentic image of a new machine considered desirable by a government. This example evidences the developing ambiguous and potentially dishonest role of digital manipulation within photography. Image manipulation such as this encourages those who read these images and similar im ages to consider whether images have been manipulated and if so, to what extent and for what motivation. The readers of images must question the media that they read and question the veracity of the images whilst not awarding great doubts in the media in general or jumping to the conclusion that every image read has been manipulated. This dissertation will consider more fully inspect the manipulation of imagery, whilst particularly the development of digital photography and will evaluate how this process has affected media credibility. Iran successfully tests Koker-1 VTOL drone (PHOTO) Figure Manipulated image used by Iranian Government to try substantiate deveoplemt of military drone. Journalism in our society often requires the combination of visual and written information to both reach and inform a mass target audience. There is a difference between the photograph and the written representation which is that the camera is able to capture reality (NERI, GRAZIA, 2003). Early photographic technology required a subject to be still in order for it to be recorded whereas modern technology allows for a photograph to be made in less than a second. This significant development in technology means that subjects and material capable of being photographed have become far more extensive than in the early years of photography where limitations were imposed by both camera size and slowness of film. There is also a fundamental difference between photography and the written word in documenting situations. The written word allows an author to mediate reality, choosing what aspects of a subject to detail and describe, governed often by personality and knowledge of a subject. A pho tograph however, may be taken in a situation in which time is limited which in turn forces the photographer to record a subject with little conscious consideration to other objects within the image. Additionally, because the camera is seen as a mechanical device it is not considered to mediate reality like a written account. The camera instead is seen as a device that records truth and cannot be used subjectively (BAUDELAIRE, CHARLES, 1855). If a photograph is considered to have been be manipulated, for example through the use of exposure to give a different reading of the photographs meaning then this could be regarded as providing a less than this could be regarded as a subjective representation. Whereas in regard to the written word mediation is much less alarming due to our familiarity with literature as a subjective representation of reality. It is understood that words are made up of symbols and signs that express the subject they characterise. The word cup does not innately i nform the reader it means the object cup but rather the meaning of the word cup is understood by reading the letters of the word. Yet a photograph is able to demonstrate the appearance of the object it represents and it is able to make this representation with little interpretation required. An Inherent Realism Unlike painting or writing, a photograph can record a specific moment in time. A painting can be of a place that has never existed and literature may describe any place whether real or not. However the example of the Iranian military drone demonstrates that photography shares the same ability as painting and writing in that it can be subjective. Although, painting may be able to demonstrate the emotion of a subject, it is assumed that photography is unable to. In fact, photography has a stronger relationship with specificity as opposed to generality found in painting and writing (MITCHELL, WILLIAM J, 1992). Photographys ability to accurately document is recognised by governments who use photographs for identification purposes in official documents such as passports and driving licenses. Because photography is used for such official purposes, the relationship it holds with specificity is strengthened. However, the Iranian military drone example contests that a photograph may not alway s show the reality of the situation. Photography is powerful because it carries the authority of looking like reality. When looking through a clear glass window it is easy to forget that you are looking through a glass window at reality. Because photographs look so much like reality, it is easy to disregard the complex mechanical and scientific processes which combine to create the photograph. This mechanical and scientific process is not as simple as the window analoguey and will be further reconciled or distorted by considering the technology employed. It is this increasing reliance on science, where there is even no longer a latent image as with analogue processes by which the photograph is made which prompts legitimate and valid questioning of a photographs legitimacy. Barbara Savedoff (1997) uses the analoguey of a hallucination to describe the relationship a photograph has with reality. Savedoff argues that we know photographs are not real and that we know hallucinations are not real. However, photographs seem so real that it is difficult to determine the difference between representation of reality in the photograph and the fact that the photograph is only a representation to begin with. Furthermore, Savedoff points out that photographs do not just record a scene, they also capture a segment of the moment they represent. The idea that photographs contain light from the subject they recorded was considered greatly by early photographers and theorists. In analogue photography, light bounces off the subject and enters the lens and makes contact with the film starting a chemical reaction which produces an image on the surface of the film, creating an exposed negative. This light used to expose the negative has a specific relationship with the subject, the negative and later the printed photograph. Susan Sontag (On Photography, 1977) argues that this process is called the trace and refers to it as something directly stencilled off the real. John Berger (Uses of Photography, 1980) also maintains that the value of the photograph is found within its relationship with the subject. This raises the question when a photograph is manipulation what effect does it have on this relationship between light, subject and recording medium? It is important to note that before a photograph is manipulated the photograph may not already be an objective observation of a subject (HUEPPAUFF, BERND, 1977). It is the photographers decision from where and in what manner a subject or scene should be recorded. Other decisions include what to keep inside of the frame. Once the composition of the photograph is made, there are still variables controlled by the photographer that can ultimately change the way in which the photograph is read. The exposure of the photograph is another consideration, along with the edit performed by the person who has comissioned the photographer to make these photographs. In a news environment, an editor may choose the photographs he thinks best fit the objective of the agency regardless of whether or not that is an entirely accurate representation of the events that took place. These decisions can weaken the objectivity of the photographs made. When photographs are evaluated, one consideration is aesthetic quality (BARRETT, TERRY, 1985). Photographs made for journalism are seldom truly documentary (BARRETT, TERRY, 1985). Increasing the aesthetic value of documentary photographs is not new. During the Spanish Civil War, Robert Capa made a photograph of a militant being shot. It later turned out to be staged to create a more compelling photograph. The perspective of those who produce and broadcast photographs can also affect the way in which a photograph is understood (HUEPPAUFF, BERND, 1977). For example, if a photographer is photographing a public demonstration and they feel positively toward the demonstration, it is probable that they will make photographs that show the demonstration in a positive light. However, if the photographer was opposed to the demonstration then they are likely to record anti-social behaviour of members of those involved. This example shows how the photographer can manipulate the photograph and the reality it presents (BARRETT, TERRY, 1985). In summary, the photographs objectivity which is already questionable due to the way in which the photographer makes a photograph is further questioned as it may have been manipulated by those commissioning the photographer through the process of selection, ultimately undermining the objectivity of the photographer and photograph. Adnan Hajj photographed Beirut after an Israeli bombing. Hajj edited the photograph and added more smoke to make a more compelling photograph. Hajj used the clone tool within Adobe Photoshop to clone and copy smoke to additional areas of the photograph, see Figure 2. After initially publishing the photograph, Reuters withdrew it once members of the public claimed it had been manipulated. To anyone who asked to use Hajjs photograph, Reuters stated that the work was no longer available and stated that Hajj no longer works for Reuters (DAY, JULIA, 2006). The photograph was picked up by a blog, which recognised the fake because the same piece of smoke occurred in multiple places (DAY, JULIA, 2006). Manipulated images are normally harder to identify, especially with more advanced software and more experienced digital editors. This case evidences the desire for Hajj to make a more compelling photograph for his clients by manipulating the aesthetic qualities of his photograph. https://sites.google.com/site/tsoldrin/leb-phony.jpg Figure Adnan Hajjs manipulated representation of Beiruit Bombings in 2006 Nonetheless, Hajjs photograph was created subjectively but it is important to note that even photographs that are objective can be interpreted in different ways. For instance a photograph may be used in court to prove that an event has happened. During a trial the two opposing sides may read photographic evidence of the same subject in different ways, even from the perspective of the photographer who took the photograph. (HUEPPAUFF, BERND, 1977). It is apparent that photographs have never been entirely objective now or in years past. Additionally, it is apparent that they record the views of an individual as presented as if they were actuality. While with digital photography it may be easier to manipulate photographs due to the availability of digital cameras and imaging software over darkroom equipment, the truth is that photography has a historic relationship synonymous with manipulation. Derek Bouse (2002) reasons that people generally believe that the age of a photograph relates directly to its accuracy, and that the older a photograph is the more likely it has not been manipulated. However, still numerous instances of analogue photographs exist. For instance, a photographer employed by Mathew Brady during the American Civil War named Alexander Gardner rearranged a dead person on the battlefield to make a more compelling photograph, see Figure 3 (LESTER, MARTIN, 1991). It is important to recognise that this manipulation took place before the photograph was made. The practice of digital photography is still vulnerable to manipulation before the photograph is made however manipulation is usually carried out after the phot ograph is made. http://www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/USAPgardner.jpg Figure Alexander Gardner rearranges the position of a corpse and gun to increase the drama of photograph Another photographer known for manipulating a photograph prior to making one is Edward Curtis. Curtis paid Native Indians to dress in exotic clothing and photographed them to make a more compelling photograph and to turn them into a spectacle for the public to view them (MICHAELIS, PAMELA, 2008). However, by dressing these subjects the worth of the photograph as document is reduced, see Figure 4. Although analogue technology was the latest available technology, it was still used to manipulate photographs, even after being made. For instance, in family portrait photographs it was common for members of the family to be cut and pasted into a photograph (Lodriguss, 2008). People would sometimes appear to be disproportionate to others in the pictures due to the position of the subject in the original photograph. In some photographs people are also seen floating. http://blog.lib.umn.edu/melan002/melandblog/Piegan-Lodge,%20clock.jpg Figure Edward Curtis changes the traditional dress of subjects and removes clock from the photograph An example of someone who used many negatives to form one photograph print is Oscar Rejlander. In the 1860s, for some pieces of work he used in excess of 30 negatives to create his well-known The Two Ways of Life which demonstrates a philosopher between a life of virtue and vice, see Figure 5. These composite prints were made by cutting together numerous negatives and using them to create a photographic print. In order for the final photographic print to be consistent from left to right, it was vital that sizing and contrast be the same to prevent people from hovering above the ground. Rejlander, before using multiple exposures and cutting negatives in photography was a painter. These examples show that even before digital imaging technologies existed there was extensive manipulation of photographs through analogue techniques. http://twcdc.com/andycox/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/Oscar-gustave-rejlander_two_ways_of_life.jpg Figure Oscar Rejlander uses up to 30 composite negatives to create one photograph Using double exposures was also very common and was used often by photographers namely Eadweard Muybridge who photographed landscapes. The photographic materials of the 1850s were not very sensitive to green but were however very sensitive to blue. Therefore, landscape photographs were often improperly exposed. The correct exposure of the blue sky would render the foreground underexposed, or if the foreground would be exposed for the blue sky would be white with no detail. In order to solve this problem Muybridge and a handful of other photographers at the time would create negatives of desirable skies with differing cloud and all exposed properly. He would then use these negatives to add well exposed sky to his landscape photographs (SCOTT, AMY, 2006). The photograph produced would look natural to a viewer but is obviously a form of manipulation, a process often practised today by digital photographers. Muybridge photographed Yosemite and not only added a false sky but removed trees that prevented his view over the landscape, see Figure 6 (SCOTT, AMY, 2006). http://www.imaging-resource.com/ee_uploads/news/1284/muybridge-2.jpg Figure Edward Muybridge, used his collection of cloud negatives to combat technical limitations of early photography The so far discussed photographers have used manipulation to enhance the aesthetics of the photograph; however photography has also a large history with propaganda and political influences. Vladimir Lenin manipulated photographs as a form of propaganda to make historical events support his regime for the Soviet Union. Individuals who were seen as enemies of the state were often ordered to be killed by Stalin. If these individuals were to be within a photograph next to Lenin they would often be removed. Leon Trotsky is a prime example of this. Once Lenin had determined that Trotsky was an enemy of the state he was methodically removed from all traces of him from state photographs. Nikolai Yezov also suffered a similar fate once he fell out of favour with Stalin. This process of manipulation existing photographs carried on to the late 1900s. From looking at Muybridge, we can see that there are numerous stages in the manipulation and some of which are not clear that they have been altered. Edward Steichen states: A manipulated print may not be a photograph. The personal intervention between the action of the light and the print itself may be a blemish on the purity of photography. But, whether this intervention consists merely of marking, shading and tinting in a direct print, or of stippling, painting and scratching on the negative, or of using glycerine, brush and mop on a print, faking has set in, and the results must always depend on the photographer, upon his personality, his technical ability and his feeling (STEICHEN, EDWARD, 1903, p.48). Here Steichen is arguing that every decision the photograph carries out whether that be painting or scratching on the negative is a form of manipulation or as he calls it of faking. Steichen also refers to the personality, technical ability and his feeling which refers to the photographer and their intentions or motives which will manipulate or cause the process of faking. In the period of digital imaging some of these manipulations are seen as ethically acceptable and are not disputed. Media agency guidelines for manipulation, which we will talk about in greater depth soon, maintain that manipulations that were possible during analogue printing technique times are still genuine. These assertions are that if the chemicals used in the darkroom manipulated a photograph in a certain way then this would be a part of the photographic method and could not be criticised. Steichen obviously would not agree with this as he knows the extent to which analogue photographs can be manipulated. Digital Technology and Manipulation The first device invented that could digitise or make analogue photographs available in a digital format was a scanner made by Russell Kirsh in 1957 (TERRAS, MELLIA M, 2008). The scanner functioned by looking at the variations in tone within photographs and assigning a digital value to represent a tone band. Instead of creating a new photograph this scanner copied an existing photograph and recorded it digitally. Because photographs can be scanned to a digital format, the initial analogue negative can now be manipulated digitally and the truth value held by analogue photographs can now be challenged. Birth of Digital Imaging During the 1960s digital imaging technologies was still only used by large institutions such as NASA and the American government. It was not until the 1980s that the media began to use digital imaging technologies. Digital technology could be employed to enhance the clearness of television broadcasts and speed up the time in which photojournalists were able to send pictures to the media. In 1982, National Geographic published a photograph of the pyramids at Giza on the front cover of the magazine, see Figure 7. The photograph has been manipulated to fit a horizontal photograph of the pyramids onto the portrait cover of the magazine to make the front cover more captivating (TERRAS, MELLIA M, 2008). It is important to note that this instance of manipulation was one of the first by a recognised organisation. National Geographics editor, Fred Ritchen who decided to compress the pyramids felt he had achieved a new point of view by the retroactive repositioning of the photographer a few feet to one side (WRIGHT, TERRENCE, 1999, p.110). Ritchens defence to accusations of manipulating the photograph was that if the photographer had moved and taken the photograph at a different time of the day then the photograph would be the same (WRIGHT, TERRENCE, 1999). However the fact remains that this photograph was not the one that was made. The fact that the photograph was manipulated was not broadcast. It was admitted to have been manipulated when other journalists questioned the photograph. Howard Chapnick (LESTER, MARTIN, 1991, p.96) argued that the words Credibility and Responsibility allow photographers to call photography a profession due to ethical considerations rather than a business. Chapnick goes on to argue that not maintaining these ethics will damage journalistic impact and photography as a language. Lastly, he maintains the threat to credibility is permanent if people begin to disbelieve the news photograph. http://www.lagunabeachbikini.com/wordpress/wp-content/images/newspictures/national-geographic-feb82.jpg Figure National Geographic Magazine Cover 1981 In 1985 digital cameras became widely used by professional photographers. Companies also marketed digital imaging camera to the public for domestic use. During this time the processing capabilities of computers was also advancing and provided a way for individuals to load image manipulation software and manipulate photographs. In 1991 the American government and the media used digital photography as a technology for the first time in a war environment. Not only was digital photography used to photograph the war but was used in weapon systems by America (FLORIDI, LUCIANO, 1999). A much more current use of digital imaging technology is live electronic manipulation. Manipulating a live feed allows the editing of satellite image feeds. On the fly image editing may be used in sports programming to show lines on pitches or by governments to hide classified buildings from satellite imagery that is available to the public such as Google Maps. News television channels can also employ technology to sow text feeds beneath news anchors. Delta Tre supply FIFA with sports data services and on screen graphics (BEVIR, GEORGE, 2012). In 2012, the union of European Football Associations placed recorded footage of a fan crying at the opening of the game and played it after one of the teams had won the game to make for more compelling television. Ivan Amato (Lying with Pixels, 2000) argues that as this technology becomes more widespread and available the credibility of video media will be damaged permanently. In some ways this is similar to National Geographics manipulated Pyr amid in that both representations existed but were manipulated to give heightened sensation. The abilities that digital imaging technology have provided have been used by Walt Disney Imagineering Studio to take existing photographs and film of aged or dead celebrities made in the past to be used in new programmes or films (AMATO, IVAN, 2000). This use of technology to manipulate media, demonstrates how analogue photographs and films are susceptible to these processes and also questions the fundamental nature of the final product? Is it simply a manipulated piece of video footage or a new creation entirely? Mitchell (The Reconfigured Eye: Truth in the Post-Photographic Era, 1992) argues that it is a new creation entirely. Mitchell also argues that photography in recent times has entered a phase which he terms pseudophotography meaning that digital photography is not photography. Though the two methods are comparable, they possess different manipulation potentials which are examined in the next section. Manipulation Since Digital photography Savedoff (1997, p.19) argues that technologies alter rather than simply add to the resources of art. This suggests that photography as an art form has been altered by added manipulation potential. This new digital imaging practice should pose a whole range of ethical considerations relating to the manipulation of photographs. However, this has largely failed to have happened due principally to differentiating between the printed or published digital or analogue photograph creating difficulty in identifying and developing a set of different standards for each method. Photographys relationship with reality as previously outlined is apparent in digital photography, however the relationship created by the subjects personal relationship with light as evinced by Sontag and others will be absent in a digital photograph. There is no latent image. In an analogue photograph created through a chemical process there is room for argument that the relationship with light remains intact. Although t his trace looks to be evident in a photograph created by digital means, the trace is not a chemical reaction but a digital representation of reality and therefore not an embedded feature of the relationship between the subject and the photographic process as with analogue. Additionally, the very nature of digital photography means that the process is limitless in the number of alterations or manipulations that can be applied. These manipulations leave little or no evidence of themselves. Modern digital cameras allow the photographer to instantly review the image made and thus allows them amend the and other factors of image capture until the photographer is satisfied with the final result. Images are manipulated by using computers and image editing software such as Adobe Photoshop, along with scanners to digitise analogue images. Therefore, photographs made before digital photography are susceptible to manipulation just like the case of Disney outlined earlier (BOUSE, DEREK, 2002). The development of digital imaging technology has changed photography and its relative relationship with veracity permanently. This lends evidence to Bouses argument that old photographs may be more widely trusted and that digital photography makes readers of images aware not only of current manipulations but of those in the past also. The reader of an analogue photograph, although aware that the photograph was made before the invention of digital technologies is aware that the photograph might have been manipulated and nonetheless changes the way the reader interprets all photographs, manipulated or not (SAVEDOFF, BARBARA E, 1997). This suggests that digital technology has decrease the impression that photographs are mostly objective and truth-relating and that there is a greater tendency for viewers of images to question the veracity of all photographs. A key factor in this significant reduction of trust is the difficulty for the average reader to easily and readily distinguish between manipulated and non-manipulated photographs. Conversely Michelle Henning (2007) argues that digital imaging technologies have enabled limited new ways of manipulating a photograph. Henning continues that digital technologies have only made the manipulation of photographs more available. Henning also argues that the public was previously unaware of image manipulation techniques before the invention of digital imaging technology. Digital manipulation has made the public more aware of photo manipulation and paradoxically served to increase the frequency with which images are manipulated. Evolution of a Medium Photography has been constantly developing since its birth in the 1800s and many of the changes have been driven by evolving technology but were always based on chemical reactions to light. In the 1820s Joseph Niepce found a method to permanently fix a photograph using lavender oil and bitumen. Niepce swiftly developed this method further into heliographs made by using silver nitrate. Eduard Daguerre was also looking for a way to photographically record subjects and contacted Niepce to work with each other. After Niepce died, Daguerre found that mercury could fix images much more permanently and created the Daguerreotype which Daguerre believed at the time serves to draw nature and gives nature the power to reproduce herself (MARIEN, MARY WARNER, 2002, p.23). Since photographys invention the idea of a device that could create unmediated representations of reality was widely believed yet now we begin to see photography may not deserve the verisimilitude it has been ascribed. At the sa me time Henry Fox Talbot worked on a photographic method using paper print. Like the creation of photography and the creation of digital photography these changes and advances were driven simultaneously by several individuals at once. The daguerreotype became the most popular and was widely used to make very simple portraits. Later though, interest was given to the Calotype created by Talbot. The Calotype was less reliable but allowed for prints to be reproduced much more easily and allowed greater detail with the print at least initially. During the mid-1800s negatives were made from glass and coated with albumen paper. These proved much more reproducible and gave more detailed and sharper results than earlier methods. With regard to contemporary digital methods, has digital photography made reproducing images easier due to the fact that digital images when stored on a computer can be duplicated instantly, require no specialist education, now contain little or no cost and can be tr ansmitted and viewed globally without a physical print ever being produced? Being able to reproduce a photograph has always been desirable and this is shown by the demand for the Calotype. Bearing in mind that digital imaging technology has helped progress the ease, convenience and technical, it has done this in a way that has divided the two forms of photography causing great debates among both practitioners and observers of both. Mark Amerika, digital artist and writer, in an interview draws attention to and discusses the differences between digital and analogue photography. Amerika claims that images and how they are read is influenced by the way they are captured, suggesting that as technology changes so does our interpretation of photographs (JACUPS, Karen, 2006). Because photography is much more easily manipulated with digital photography it can be argued that the objectivity of the photograph is lost and it is futile to pursue objectivity (JACUPS, Karen, 2006). It would seem true that manipulation is more common since the advent of digital photography, which could argue that the making of an image is only a small portion of the final product like in the aforementioned case of Rejalnder. Both Mitchell and Savedoff claim that digital photography and the manipulation of it cannot be compared to analogue photography because it is a new medium (MITCHELL, WILLIAM J, 1992) (SAVEDOFF, BARBARA E, 1997). Both continue to argue that because with digital photographs the image is created with a digital sensor digital capture is a separate process to analogue capture. Digital photographs receive their authority because they are almost identical to analogue photographs and this authority is passed to the digital photograph. However, if this authority is diminished, digital photography may be criticised for its lack of authority. News reporting currently accomplished by digital photography may Siemans: Micro Environment and BCG Analysis Siemans: Micro Environment and BCG Analysis SIEMENS COMPANY REVIEW BACK GROUND TO THE STRATEGIC DECISION Siemens is a worldwide leading organization in electronics and electrical engineering industry which is operating in the sector of energy, communication and healthcare sector. There are few industries working in the global market of small and large business which have maintained their successful history of quality products and customer satisfaction. Siemens is also one of those well known and established organizations, having proud to be the leading business. Siemens was founded by Werner Von Siemens and Johann Georg Halske in 1847. The Production Electrical Telegraphs are the remarkable source of Siemens for the past many decades to achieve the large amount of its overall sales. For more than one and a half century, Siemens is still popular in competitive industries for its innovative achievements, technical supports, quality, reliability, and globalization. Being the environmental friendly is one of many other positive aspects of Siemens to feel proud of. Almost one third of their revenue is generated by environmental friendly green products and solutions. â€Å"In fiscal 2009, ended on September 30, 2009, Siemens had revenue of â‚ ¬76.7 billion and net income of â‚ ¬2.5 billion. At the end of September 2009, the company had around 405,000 employees worldwide.† (www.siemens.com) To acquire the long run and effective advantages, generally most of the organizations utilize Strategic decisions. Strategic Decisions help the businesses maintain their quality on the long term directions. Strategic decisions are comprised by considering the organizations activities and analysis to decide the working areas of any organizations. Siemens strategic decisions are quiet clear so far. Siemens basic strategy is to focus particularly on innovation and technology driven growth markets and until the substantive time they have been quiet successful in setting up the trend of new technology and capturing leading positions maintaining their strength of local existence and creating local values on the global level. Siemens believed in diversification and innovation since the establishment which make outstanding business sector. They started identifying market particulars upcoming trends and drawing the strategic results early on. Some years past, Siemens improved their portfolio to four megatrends including demographic change, urbanization, climate change and globalization which are already influencing our daily life today, and the impact of these trends is increasing substantially in the decades. The activities into the sectors of Industry, Energy and healthcare have been the main points of consideration for business. They also set the stage to achieve leading positions and customer satisfaction in attractive continuous growth markets. MICRO ENVIRONMENT ANALYSIS Organizations have adopted the internal analysis as a key feature with the frequently changed environment nowadays. To face the environmental change in the ongoing time it has been more useful for the businesses developing strategies utilizing their own resources and capabilities. Siemens has already made it the prior concern for its organization believing their internal resources and strategies as the main strength to achieve their goals. Financial Resources: The group recorded revenues of E77,327 million (approximately $116,294.4 million) during the financial year ended September 2008 (FY2008), an increase of 6.7% over the financial year ended September 2007 (FY2007). The operating profit of the group was E2,492 million (approximately$3,747.8 million) during FY2008, a decrease of 50.2% compared with FY2007. The net profit was E5,725 million (approximately $8,610 million) in FY2008, an increase of 50.4% over FY2007.(Data Monitor Siemens AG). Physical Resources: Siemens are very diversified in geographical presence. They operate in 190 countries spread over the Americas, Europe, CIS, Africa, Asia, Australia, and Middle East. During FY2008, the group generated 26.1% of its revenue from Americas, 52.7% from Europe, CIS, Africa, and 21.2% from Asia, Australian, and Middle East. (Data Monitor Siemens AG) Human Resources: It is in the concern of Siemens that outstanding, competitive and innovative employees are their strength and valuable assets. All of their employees are highly trained, focused and innovative. This belief in their staff plays an important role for Siemens to sustain in the world market. Reputational Resources: Siemens is operating in over 190 countries and for over 160 years. It had created a good and remarkable reputation around the world. They have made them very diversified and manufactured their own brands. Their brands include generators, electrical products, healthcare equipments and many others are some of the outstanding and famous worldwide. MACRO ENVIRONMENT ANALYSIS There are some factors that keep changing time to time. These factors are called External factors. No organization can depend on it because of their constant change. Organizations are facing many economic and global problems to sustain. Due to the present dynamic environment; internal strength has been the key part for organizations rely on in order to face any of these challenges. As far as Siemens is concerned, they have been well prepared and have completed their homework keeping these challenges in front. They introduced remarkable measures that will not only help them surviving these crisis without being highly affected but also they will emerge much stronger with the passage of time. Because they began research, identified market specific and started to draw the strategic consequences quite early on to prevent their strength getting weak. Their integrated homework made them able to precisely consider the upcoming opportunities and threats. This homework helped them identify the nature of advantages, opportunities and threats before the time which are: Opportunities: Siemens had bought quite a few businesses in recent years because they think that these businesses have potential to drive its business growth. â€Å"In January 2007, the group acquired US based UGS, one of the leading providers of product lifecycle management (PLM) software and services for manufacturers. In the same month, Siemens Water Technologies strengthened its service and product business in the US with acquisitions of four companies: Envirotrol, CEC, Pure Water Solutions, and Sunlight Systems. In November 2007, the group acquired Dade Behring Holdings, a manufacturer and distributor of diagnostic products and services to clinical laboratories.† (Some information is taken from www.siemens.com) Threats: Siemens had done all their homework but still threats lie in front of them. Siemens faces intense competition across its market segments. As Siemens is a huge industry with different sectors their competition is much higher than other industries. Their main competitors in the industry sectors are ABB, Alstom, Bombardier, Emerson Electric, General Electric Company, Honeywell International, Johnson Control, Philips, Schneider Electric, and Tyco International. (Information is gathered from www.datamonitor.com). Likewise in energy sector as well its main competitors are General Electric, Alstom Powers, Mitsuibishi, Abbott and lots more. As it is quite clear that, such competition could adversely affect the revenues and profit margins of the group. DIRECTIONS FOR GROWTH It very important for organizations to be vigilant when choosing the strategic direction, it is a useful method for organizations to launch their products in the market and in order to gain competitive and desired advantages. As it is pointed out by Johnson, Scholes and Whittington that: organizations should be aware of 3 types of motives or pressures that may shape their choice which are: Environment Based Motives: As Siemens is concerned they already had pointed out the growth of economies in the different continents. â€Å"The group operates in about 190 countries Spread over the Americas, Europe, CIS, Africa, Asia, Australia, and Middle East. During FY2008, the group generated 26.1% of its revenue from Americas, 52.7% from Europe, CIS, Africa, and 21.2% from Asia, Australian, and Middle East†. (www.datamonitor.com) Resource Based Motives: As being one of the most diversified groups Siemens have very strong resource capabilities. Due to their high revenues Siemens can afford to spend lucrative amount on their RD. In 2008 Siemens increased its research and development investment to (approximately $5,690.9 million). Igor Ansoff has developed a well known matrix system to analyze the directions of strategies and mix between the products which a company sells and the market is to be sold. Siemens has set the task for capturing leading positions in attractive growth markets. In order to maintain their position Siemens targeted their business activities to some sectors including Industry, Energy and Healthcare. Siemens direction of its strategy lies in all 4 stages of Ansoff matrix. Market Penetration: With the help of its targeted business activities in leading growth market Siemens is constantly penetrating the market. They also have a much diversified customer based group. This group has industrial, infrastructural and diversified customers. The group can be classified in markets like as transport and logistics (such as transport authorities), construction, communication, real estate, metals and mining, machinery, utilities, automotive and many others. Market Development: Siemens is operating in over 190 countries and for over 160 years and generating high revenues which is increasing with the passage of time. Its because they had identified their opportunities and threats. Their prior homework of seeking new markets made them able to achieve the targeted financial market. Product Development: Product development is a very effective and attractive way to counteract a new entrant in market. Product development is to introduce new product to the market or the same product with enhanced and added new services. Siemens has been successful maintaining their vast market, product quality and customer satisfaction around the globe. The basic sectors Health, Industry and Energy are the ones providing them a remarkable deal of opportunities to develop their products. Some of the products and services in energy sector spectrum such as LED energy saving lighting and building control system are up-gradation to their products for their present markets. Diversification: Diversification is one of the key parts for organizations to gain competitive advantage over their competitors. On the other side it includes a great deal of risk for organizations because a huge amount money is required to invest lucrative amount in RD. As The Siemens is a market business leader in the growing sectors, so it deals with the risk to diversify with upper hand. Siemens had always believed in innovation and the technology as said by the founder of the Siemens Werner Von Siemens â€Å"If you are not moving forward you are moving backwards.† Siemens diversify its business by two different ways. Related Diversification: Siemens operates in various sectors of the business market. It provides so many opportunities to diversify beyond the substantive product market within the broad confines of the ongoing industry. Siemens always tried the best in their value chain to gain new products market and customer satisfaction. In industry sector Siemens offers different products such as services like building, communication, lighting, mobile solutions and in energy sector they are providing distribution of power, conversion, extraction and lot more. Unrelated Diversification: Siemens has also diversified its business sector activities beyond its current scope or industry sector. Because of dealing with three business sector activities, Siemens always believed in technology and innovation in their products and services. It requires a great deal of investment in RD. Siemens has a very powerful RD. Recently Siemens had increased their research and development investment to E 3,784 million. Siemens invested with Fujitsu in laptops, which is a very good example of unrelated diversification. PORTFOLIO ANALYSIS The strategy of Siemens portfolio is quite clear for the past many years which set the target to capture and maintain the Number 1 or Number 2 in the future profitable and competitive markets. By doing that Siemens believe they can survive and get through in the difficult constantly changed environment. Siemens is concentrating deeply on renewable energy and organic growth of various products and services. In the past five years they had invested 20 billion Euros in the acquisition of growth business. Siemens has established its leading position in the attractive growth market working out with its three business sectors Healthcare, energy, and industry. As a part of DESERTEC a Solar Thermal Power in Sahara and Wind Farm in Europe are being constructed. They have also being producing Smart Grid Solutions based Technologies such as Electric Cars and lot more. The best and precise portfolio Analysis of Siemens is comprised by Boston matrix. BCG Matrix Siemens AG METHOD OF DEVELOPMENT Siemens have varieties of methods and strategies to develop their SBUs (Strategic Business Unit). It is because they had a diversified business culture worldwide and they operate in 3 major sectors Healthcare, Energy and Industry. Siemens is constantly operating with their strong partners and developing their services to beat their competitors, therefore they are gearing the value chain to efficiency. They believe that for outperforming their competitors they have to consistently work out and improve their services better than they are. Following the belief of always being better than they are, Siemens is successfully developing their services to sustain in the market and improve customer satisfaction. As a diversified business Siemens believe in utilizing different methods of development. Strong RD department is one of their strenghts. They are able to afford the Organic development. They also intend to continue the assurance of strict resource allocation in the future; they are ver y keen on the Organic growth. In the past five years Siemens have invested Twenty billion Euros in the organic development. There was a significant increase in RD budget and it got its RD location in more than 30 countries worldwide. Siemens is also keen to acquire growing businesses. They had recently invested more than 20 billion Euros in order to acquire businesses. Siemens is constantly optimizing its portfolio of Products. Every year numerous acquisitions and divestitures are completed by Siemens. â€Å"In 2005 alone, Siemens invested around EUR 2.5 billion in new businesses and the 2006 figure will be substantially higher. On the divestment side, the carve-outs of BenQ, Product Related Services and Logistics Assembly have caused a stir. Regarding recent prominent acquisitions, such as Flender AG (Germany), CTI (USA), Bonus (Denmark), US Filter (USA) or VA Tech (Austria), Siemens Management Consulting were primarily involved in the pre- and post-merger integration (PMI) work†. (Information is gathered from www.smc.siemens.de) It is Siemens belief that acquisitions helped them come closer to achieve their goal of growing a fast global market. Siemens is also running many joint ventures with one of their SBUs for obtaining growth. Such as Siemens and Nokia have announced their intention to merge the network business of Nokia and the carrier related operations of Siemens into a new company which they will call Nokia Siemens networks. Its a 50-50 joint venture. In which both parties will invest half and half share. Both parties are looking forward to stand as a Global Leader with strong position in current important growth segments of fixed and mobile network infrastructure and services.