Critical Views of Beowulf

Beowulf Critical views †¢One of the oldest and most important remains of the Anglo-Saxon literature is the epic poem of Beowulf. Its age is unknown; but it comes from somewhere between the 7th and the 10th centuries. It is like a piece of ancient armour; rusty and battered, and yet strong. The style of the epic poem is likewise simple- perhaps one should say, austere. Beowulf is indeed the most successful Old English poem because in it the elements, language, metre, theme, structure, are all most nearly in harmony.The author seems mainly bent upon telling us how his Sea-Goth slew Grendel and the Fire-drake. †¢The poem opens with an account of forefathers of Hrothgar the Scylding, king of Danes. He is the builder of Heorot, the hall where Beowulf contends with Grendel. The poem begins with the burial of Scyld, from whom the dynasty of Scyldings take its name. In ancient days, so ran the legend, scyld when he was child, was drifted in an open boat to the shores of Danes.When coming thus out of the secret of the Sea the bark touched the land, the folk found the naked child lying asleep in the midst of arms and gems and golden treasure, took him up and hailed him king. As he came alone and mysteriously out of the sea, so he passes away alone and mysteriously into the sea, and the introduction of the poem describes his burial. With as many treasures he brought, with so many they send him away when he died. And as the poem begins with this burial, so it ends with the burial of Beowulf.His burial is nothing mythic, nothing mystic surrounding it. Beowulf, dead after his fight with the dragon, and his gray hair lying around his hair, is borne to the top of the great cliff that overlooks the sea. The cliff has its own name, Whale’s Ness. †¢The epic is divided into three chief episodes. Yet these three episodes are well wrought and well diversified. They are not repetitions, exactly; there is a change of wrestling with Grendel in the night at Heorot and the descent underwater to encounter Grendel’s mother; while the sentiment of the Dragon is different again.But the great beauty, the real value, of Beowulf is in its dignity of style. †¢The word Grendel, as Lawrence points out, can be associated with the Old English grund, i. e. ground, bottom, or watery depths that we find the lurking-place of Grendel and his mother. †¢SIMILARITY WITH OTHER WORKS: Frederick Panzer in 1910 published the results of a careful study of over 200 folk-tales which have elements of resemblance to the Grendel story. These tales with all their variations of outline have enough in common. One of these is the tale of ‘The Bear’s Son’.From the varying versions of ‘The Bear’s Son, something like a central frame, or outline, can be reconstructed. An aged king builds a hall or house which is nightly haunted by a demon. The elder sons of the king are unable to overcome the invader, but the youngest son, formerly held in little esteem, wrestles with the monster and wounds him. The fight of the demon is marked by a trail of blood. An episode follows in which the hero fights in an underground lair of monsters often against a male and a female.His victory over them, sometimes by a use of a magic sword, frees captive maidens who return to the upper world. But the hero is abandoned by faithless companions, and must without aid contrive means of escape from the monster’s home. The tale often ends with the punishment of the traitors, and the marriage of the hero with one of the rescued maidens. Similarities in this outline to the Grendel episodes of the Beowulf are, of course, general rather than precise. But it seems clear that Panzer is correct in claiming that a relationship exists.

Lets Be Lefties For The Day Essay

Today I participated in an assignment designed to help the student to â€Å"accept that discrimination exists â€Å" (DeVry College, 2014, week one lecture, p.3). In our society the majority of people are right handed therefore everything is constructed to accommodate that, versus the small minority of people whom happen to be left-handed. Spending the day as a left-handed person was a challenge and lead to a lot of frustration and unaccomplished tasks. I was forced to think about different ways to do things, and also acknowledge how other people may perceive my capabilities and me. Loosing the use of my right hand was debilitating to me. I could not write down anything that was legible, my hand writing resembled that of a child. Trying to eat my lunch was interesting, it comes natural to cut your food with the knife in your right hand, but it’s quite awkward when you use your left hand. Just has an experiment, the whole experience been quite comical to watch myself struggle with the simplest of things. However I did reflect on how other people would see me and how it would affect my performance at work. How would my boss react if she saw me struggling with different tasks? How would she handle it? How would I want it handled? Would I be discriminated against because I was in a minority group? â€Å"Discrimination is the result of longstanding practices and/or behaviors that have a negative impact on members of subordinate groups† (DeVry College, 2014, week one lecture, p.2). We all know that people can adapt and learn different ways. it is crucial to be aware of diversity in a work place. Diversity is in every aspect of our life’s the workplace. America is made up of hundreds of different ethnicities and definitions of self. It is important that managers and professionals relate and understand the cultures, ethnic and gender differences. But Affirmative Action and the Department of Labor have made it more difficult for employers and companies to discriminate against a  person on the grounds of cultural, ethnic and gender differences. The American workplace has no choice but to adapt and embrace diversity. The U.S Department of the Interior mandates that all managers and supervisors have a minimum of 8 hours annually of equal employment opportunity and diversity training. Diversity is a non-stop processes, no two people are exactly the same and each person brings with them different experiences and new ideas (Kirkman &Shapito, 2001). By providing education and training to the managers it helps foster more cultural sensitivity and the avoidance of stereotypes. As a supervisor or manager it is important to encourage people to be themselves, because everyone works better when they feel appreciated and accepted. Productivity is important to every company and performance will improve if people feel supported in their workplace. (Kirkman & Shapito, 2001). References Chamberlain College of Nursing. (2014). SOCS350 Cultural diversity in the professions: Week 1 lecture. Online Publication.f Nursing (2014) Individual discrimination vs Institutional discrimination Lecture Week 1. http://www.eeoc.gov/policy/docs/national-origin.html Kirkman, B., & Shapiro, D. (n.d.). The Impact of Cultural Values on Job Satisfaction and Organizational Commitment in Self-Managing Work Teams: The Mediating Role of Employee Resistance. Academy of Managment Journal, 3(44), 557-569.

National Reformation

The following paper will develop the theory that Dali and O’Keefe manipulated illusion of the real world in such a way to evoke visionary incoherence of the dream life.   Under this theory the paper will present several works by each artist and analyze these pieces to further illustrate surrealism and its use of expressing real events in a fantastical manner, as Janson states of surrealists, â€Å"They defined their aim as pure psychic automatism†¦intended to express†¦the true process of thought†¦free from the exercise of reason and from any aesthetic or moral purpose† (Janson â€Å"The History of Art† 807).Salvador Dali.In Dali’s oil on canvas The Persistence of Memory (1913) the theme of paranoia is persistent in this dreamscape.   The distortion of the piece exudes a frightening use of spatial mobility and form.   Surrealism is a way in which the expression of fantasy can be forthcoming in the world of Art.   Dali exemplifies this notion in his use of foreground and background shapes and the pure psychic automatism which is symbolized in the clocks.  Ã‚   Dali’s focus in this work is mainly about freedom;   although the context of this work is based on paranoia and the weightiness of time the work is also free from previous constraints of other artistic movements in that it is not a painting dedicated to reason or moral purpose.Dali’s painting is that of a dream and reason becomes a series of disjointed objects in space; there is no rhyme in his work unless it is free verse; that is to say that there is no structure as prior to surrealism the viewer is used to seeing structure.   Dali’s work often reflect what Virginia Woolf was so diligently experimenting with, which is unconscious writing or free narrative.   Dali painted as though the conscious mind was sleeping, and that is why his paintings are so often reminiscent of dreams as Janson states, â€Å"The notion that adream ca n be transposed by ‘automatiatic handwriting; directly from the unconscious mind to the canvas, bypassing the conscious awareness of the artist, did not work in practice.   Some degree of control was unavoidable.   Nevertheless, Surrealism stimulated several novel techniques for soliciting and exploiting chance effects† (Janson â€Å"The History of Art 807) .   Even the central figure in The Persistence of Memory is portrayed as though it were sleeping.The unfinished background is almost anachronistic with the foreground as it exhibits a cliff sliding off into a body of water.   It seems as though Dali made the background on purpose to confuse the viewer since dreams are intended to be symbolic of personal meaning.   The sky in the background also seems incomplete with no visible clouds but merely a color palette that drifts off into a sfumato haze.   The background however is not what Dali wanted the viewer to be stricken with as a first impression.The cent ral figure of the painting is unfinished as well.   Dali painted an eyeball, and a nose and made no more attention to the rest of the figure.   This feeling of incompleteness is unnerving and truly embodies the emotional state and perception of dreaming.   The painting is purely inspired by that part of Dali’s unconscious mind.   Although the painting exhibits that Dali used controlled in certain aspects of the work such as the use of diagonals, and linear shapes, but the overall impression of the painting lies within the angles, the objects and the general ambience of the piece.   The clocks themselves prove to be unnerving both their positions and their lack of solid form, as though they are oozing across the plane in the foreground and the limb near the horizon of the painting, as well as across the half finished face.Another artistic ploy that Dali uses in The Persistence of Memory is his use of shadow; not merely darkness but the chiaroscuro so prevalent in the piece.   This furthers the theory of this paper that Dali uses surrealism to tap into the unconscious and the dream world.   Dali does the opposite in this painting of previous artists; he places the darkness in the foreground of the painting and the brightness in the background.This is symbolic because Dali wants to evoke to the audience that in the dream world the objects that are in front of the dreamer’s face are not always tangible but looming and undefined.   In the background the objects are illuminated but this illumination does not add in defining the object because Dali here uses space to further illustrate his unconscious perspective; the objects in the background are too far away and cannot be seen.   Thus, each part of the painting is uncomfortably defined.   It is almost nonsensical; these objects of Dali’s in space without a coherent theme except for these persistence clocks.The clocks are the main meaning and focus of the painting and it is t hrough these objects that the theory of this paper rests.   The clocks present the theme of paranoia (as mentioned prior). Not only are they draped over the main objects in the foreground but their rendering is disconcerting.   Each clock offers a different time, and one clock is closed so that the viewer cannot decipher its time.It is interesting that Dali did not distort the closed clock; it signifies a secret and further exemplifies the state of the dream world present in this painting; that is, the one clock that could offer a valid time is closed and unable to be seen by the painter, or the audience.   The contention in the painting is that the central figure of the face is sleeping and is thus oblivious to the clocks, to time, to the unfinished landscape.   That is the quintessential meaning of a dream; the sleeping figure is unaware to symbolism, to action, to time, and that is how Dali exudes incoherence in the dream world.O’Keefe O’Keefe’s organ ic abstraction is what lends itself to the New Objectivity era of art as well as the thesis of this paper in the unconscious mind and dream images.   Her fantastical style was also tinted with expressionism and realism; which made her work that much more enticing.   This dichotomy of O’Keefe (realism and abstraction) ties in with the subconscious and dreamscape.   O’Keefe’s genius came with her incorporation of the abstract to the simpler approach of the object.   O’Keefe’s abstract works were very progressive, as Janson states, â€Å"†¦she practiced a form of organic abstraction indebted to Expressionism, but she also adopted the Precisionism of Charles Demuth, so that she is sometimes considered an abstract artist.   Her work often combined aspects of both approaches: as she assimilated a subject into her imagination, she would alter and simplify it to convey a personal meaning† (Janson â€Å"The History of Art† 817). Although her work exhibited quite a range of composition, and her objects were used in their real life definition their application in her paintings were representational of the dreamscape.   From objects such as rocks, flowers to skulls O’Keefe gave the art world a dichotomy of abstract and realism art.   Within the succinct contour of these objects O’Keefe embraced a range of colours; it is with these colors that the formation of the dreamscape begins to take shape.   In her Red Tree Yellow Sky piece the viewer is assailed by two brilliant and vibrant colours each in representation of the surrealist’s color palate.   The disharmony of colours is what transforms these otherwise banal portraits into the dreamscape and surrealist category.   The realism involved in these works is that the landscape in the southwest is directly correlated with O’Keefe’s representation of it but it is in her further emphasis of these colors, in their brillia ncy the viewer finds an unfamiliar painting that perhaps would best be defined in the nature of the unconscious.O’Keefe was very deliberate in her painting style; she seldom left her structure to chance (as Dali had and as Pollock had).   Although O’Keefe is famous for her renditions of flowers or vaginas it is her earlier charcoal drawings and especially her skulls that portray a slightly more lucid ambiance to her work.   Even in her plethora of flower portraits the grand scale of these blossoms leaves the imagination reeling.   Their color and their scale in dimension lead the viewer into a different interpretation of the natural world.   It is as though the viewer is given a chance to be Alice in Wonderland and to get a close up look at the intricate layers of a flower which does happen in real life (at least to the scale that O’Keefe represented).   In her presentation of the geometric form, her use of line, and her flat planes all lead to definin g O’Keefe as an abstract artist.As an abstract artist the use of the illusion of the real world (in O’Keefe’s case, her flower and skull pieces)   evokes in the audience a definite dreamscape.   This is proven by her presentation of proportion of an object.   Her Ram's Head, White Hollyhocks-Hills is a great example of this use of dimension.   The ram’s head is suspended in air with no body structure (real or skeletal) on which the skull could be supported; next to this picture is a hollyhock.   Although these two images when placed side by side as O’Keefe has done are not by any means disproportionate or grand in scale that fact that their surrounding environment is a background of a desert landscape suggests that these two objects are at once an integral part of this landscape but they are suspended beyond it’s realm as well.   This is how O’Keefe manages to portray the illusion of dream in her paintings.Another example of O’Keefe’s abstract art is Ranchos Church.   This painting is pure line, shading and geometric renditions.   There is no focus on a primary object (although the lines and shapes do appear to form a church) but instead the artist is working in the abstract form which is enhanced by the artist’s definition of shape.   O’Keefe does not reveal a definite structure in the painting and the only way to decipher what the painting is, is by reading the title.   This echoes what Dali was doing in his works; both artists give very vague definitions of their subjects and merely allow the viewer to surmise for themselves what the object is truly.The element that occurs continuously in O’Keefe’s work is that of the stark landscape.   Whenever O’Keefe renders the desert she paints a very stark portrait; albeit the desert is a very blanched atmospheric world, O’Keefe’s use of making it extremely stark is what further defines abstraction and the dream in her work.   These stark landscapes are devoid of life; the skulls, the sun baked clay and houses with no people are eerie in their rendering but this contrasted with the full and lush flowers is what marks dichotomy in Georgia O’Keefe.   Dreams are often times dichotomized, both in perspective and the realm between the unconscious and conscious mind.O’Keefe also represents the abstract dream world in her use of angles. Often times her subject matter is represented in full perspective, such as the skulls facing forward, the flowers are viewed in a direction that emphasizes their center and the landscape is typically level.   Each of these variables however lead to a false sense of reality since O’Keefe in typical New Objectivity style uses these angles to benefit her own sense of reality outside of the realm of linear thought, and time.   The skulls are blanched and suspended the flowers next to this picture of death are full of life (i.e. the   Ram's Head, White Hollyhocks-Hills).   It is within these several juxtapositions that O’Keefe embellishes in the dichotomy of life and death, dream and reality, color and the absence of color.ConclusionBoth of these artists work in the realm of the in between; their work is abstract in nature and each though representational of separate subject matter are linked in that their use of the illusion lends to the viewer a new perspective.   For both Dali and O’Keefe this illusion is necessary in the artwork because it enables the typical concepts of time and space to become secondary to symbolism.   The symbolism for Dali was in the clocks; how time makes a person paranoid but how this paranoia cannot be reflected as angst in an unconscious person.   O’Keefe gave her audience another perspective, a much grander in scale perspective of flowers.   These flowers viewed at this angle and up close allow the viewer to feel very close to the artwork and this personal feeling lends itself to the viewer in a voyeuristic fashion.   It is as though the viewer was invading the flower and this is what brings O’Keefe the quality of the abstract, of the illusion in dream.In the forms of every day objects in unfamiliar surroundings or placed in those surroundings in a less than familiar way (i.e. suspended) these artists give illusion in the real world and present this vision as a dream which is what I felt when I saw them.   The artworks become manipulated not only through the artists’ use of space by through the viewer’s interpretation of these objects and their strategic placement in the work which is the worth of the painting.   The reason they belong in a museum is because of their new inventions of perception:   for Dali the invention of dreamscape and the disintegration of it and for O’Keefe for her close up of nature.When asked if these art works influence Western Society the answer w ould be yes, in a Jungian way at least since both deal with the abstract or surreal elements of the psyche.   Since the pieces adhere to this element it is appropriate to say that their influence, although not a strong influence, has contributed to the progression of art in the Western world as is found with the avant-guarde work which is being created in modernity.When I asked another patron whether or not these works had influence on Western Society they answered no, because how could one painting so greatly influence an era of thought, and they doubted that new perception in art could create an entire new process of creation.   They did however believe the pieces should be in a museum because of the reputation of the artists but not necessarily for the artwork.   When I asked them how it made them feel they said they weren’t sure but perhaps they felt somewhat sad when they viewed the work because the colors and angles were so unfamiliar it was like being exposed too quickly to something too new and that left them out of touch with their base of knowledge which made them uncomfortable.Work CitedJanson, H.W. & Anthony F. Janson.   History of Art.   Fifth Edition Revised.   PrenticeHall, Inc., and Harry Abrams, Inc., Publishers.   New York.   1997. National Reformation A popular theme among developing nations is the modernization of the economic, social, and political forums. Countries are now looking to democracy to put themselves in a competitive position in the world market. Central Asia, which consists of Kazakhstan, Kyrgystan, Tajikista, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan, is continuing to show their strength and growth as they strive to demonstrate their independence and self-reliability separate from Russia. Kazakhstan has adopted democracy and has demonstrated how it has been a symbolism for growth, competitiveness, and success.In the last decade, after the fall of the Soviet Union, Central Asian countries have established an active presence in the international economy. Kazakhstan has represented a leading figure in Central Asia through modernization, reform, and democracy. As the fight against terrorism, development of democratic nations, and economic stability continues to parallel success and prosperous nations, the United States wants to be an â€Å"engine for change† in Central Asia.Since Kazakhstan gained its independence from Russia in 1991, it has made significant progress to prove its national purpose as a leader and innovator for the Central Asian region. Although President Nursultan Nazarbayev of Kazakhstan is a former Soviet leader who inherited Kazakhstan, he has been successful leading the country by socially, economically, and politically reforming the country.   â€Å"Kazakhstan’s economy is continuing its robust expansion, over the past six years, the gross domestic product has shown growth of just fewer than 10 percent in the first half of 2006.†( Kazakh 2)   Kazakhstan attributes this growth to its energy and large oil sector, gas, and mineral services.The country has introduced new concepts that other countries are now adopting due to its proven success like privatization reforms in the banking and mortgage industries and education reforms. Kazakhstan has been able sustain itsel f as a growing nation but it still relies heavily on Russia’s pipeline network for exporting much of its oil and natural gas. If the country is able to produce 3 million barrels per day, Kazakhstan will put itself as one of the worlds top 10 oil producing nations in the world.Kazakhstan has outlined a strategy for long-term domestic political stability and consolidation of their society. One of the top goals, which is, â€Å"to guarantee developing our own uniform civic motivation based on equality of opportunities for all the citizens of our country,† represents Kazakhstan strong belief in change for their country.The United States has shown its support to Central Asia; to countries like Georgia and Kazakhstan’s in their mutual goals to transform the state into a democratic nation. This transformation will be beneficial to the United States because it will bridge the lines of communication, by allowing for greater flexibility in areas dealing with oil, gas, and energy.With the help from the United States, President Nazarbayev has shared a vision of expansion and opportunities that extend beyond the boarders of Kazakhstan. Central Asian countries share the same vision of stability, prosperity, and democratic reform. As the people realize the growth potential of their country it has been a relatively easy battle for the government to conform the people to change. The reforms of the pension program, expansion of educational opportunities, reforms in the banking industry, all of these changes have and will continuously improve the livelihood of the citizens of the country.In a joint statement by the United States and Kazakhstan, â€Å"We will expand our joint activities to ensure the development of energy resources, while supporting economic diversification and reform, market principles, and the development of small and medium size enterprises. We recognize that peaceful democratization invests citizens in the future of their nation. Develop ing democratic institutions is therefore the crucial condition of long-term stability.† (Joint 1).Nazarbayev, Kazakhstan’s President has performed exceedingly well as the leader by implementing social, political, and economic reforms. It is completely evident that his goal is to provide economic stability in his country while being an example for Russia and other neighboring countries. GDP has risen, poverty is down, privatization reforms, and democracy on the horizon. Kazakhstan has broaden its export of oil and energy potential to countries like China and the United States, â€Å"it also joined the U.S.-sponsored Bu-Tbilisi-Ceyhan (BTC) pipeline that breaks Russia’s long-standing monopoly on delivering Caspian Sea oil to world markets. (Hill 3) Money is power; Kazakhstan has put itself in a powerful financial position through its energy and oil sector. â€Å"The Growth Competitiveness Index Rankings report ranks Kazakhstan as the most competitive of the post- Soviet states.†The country’s oil wealth has sprung vast investment opportunities across Central Asia. With plans on becoming part of the group of 10 leading exporters within a decade, Kazakhstan will need to expand the development of the country’s energy infrastructure to meet growing oil shipments to world markets. Kazakhstan’s surging economy continues to maintain economic growth and stability. However, while oil continues to be the biggest economic engine for Kazakhstan as it exports 80% of its oil, any drop in oil production will pose the biggest threat to the Kazakhstan economy. Exports could represent slow demand for the international community when there is fluctuating prices, lack of investments, and disagreements among neighboring nations regarding regional affairs.Although Russia is no longer a leading nation in this region it still has a lot of influence on Kazakhstan due to the pipeline control.   Kazakhstan relies on Russia’s pipeline to export its oil. Kazakhstan has a substantial investment in Georgia in its oil and gas sector. Currently Georgia and Russia are experiencing confrontation due to the Russian military occupancy in Georgia, this is putting Kazakhstan in the middle.This confrontation could hurt Kazakhstan’s oil exports as well as its ties with Georgia and the United States. Kazakhstan’s accession to the Baku-Tbilis-Ceyhan pipline is a bilateral move away from a heavy reliance Russia’s pipeline.A Colored Revolution in Kazakhstan has been a concern that analyst have identified since its independence in 1991. Kazakhstan has a large Slavic Population in the northern and eastern steppe regions. The Slavic population wants to obtain dual citizenship with Russia and Kazakhstan, as well as an establishment of the Russian language as recognized second state language. It would be to the best interest of the Kazakhstan government to develop a cohesive national identity for both Russians an d Kazakh’s alike. Still Nazarbayev â€Å"designated Russian the language of inter-ethnic communication, and has ensured non-ethnic Kazakhs still occupy significant posts in the government.† (Hill 5) This is an important step for the country as it represents a social and cultural step toward democracy. â€Å"Every day public servants must have the awareness of the strategic goals and priorities, and settle them without wasting their time in meddling with minor, daily chores.† (Prosperity)Kazakhstan has implemented an excellent idea to improve the education and skill of its young people to secure strength and profitability in the future. They have adopted an education reform that will send the brightest and best students from all over the country to study abroad. The students are then brought back home and placed in the Kazakhstan government, thereby diversifying the production of ideas that will be able to combat world issues. â€Å"In addition, Kazakhstan under Nazarbayev has not just sent its young people to study abroad, but has also launched a global quest for ideas on reform and modernization, as well as trying to learn from its own past mistakes.† (Hill 4)As the relationship between the United States and Kazakhstan grows the ideas and progress that they produce together becomes an example for other Central Asian countries.Kazakhstan is an active player in the fight against international terrorism and the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction. It even â€Å"rid itself of the weapons in cooperation with the Unites States under the Nunn-Lugar program.† (Central 1). They’ve sealed nuclear testing tunnels, transported enriched uranium to the United States, and have become a proud member in the fight against terrorism. It has even vowed to help Afghanistan in its fight against terrorism and narcotics.The United States and Kazakhstan share a similar vision to an end to terrorism and corruption. The United States h as enumerated its desire to assist financially, and to cooperate in matters regarding enhancement of regional security and economic improvements. The United States and Kazakhstan together plan to strengthen their relationship into a partnership through educate one another concerning national, regional, worldwide matters.Kazakhstan has shown great interest in the matters evolving around Iraq and Afghanistan. They are committed and determined to partner with the United States in the strengthening these countries. Kazakhstan has already committed over 800 of its military personnel to the cause and is prepared to enter strategic relationships with Middle Eastern countries to obtain peace for the region.There are many challenges that Kazakhstan faces regarding national security ranging â€Å"from terrorism to a significant narcotics problem, which is always accompanied with a lot of criminal activity and other threats to security.†( Abizaid 1) For this reason, Kazakhstan is workin g extensively with the United States to strengthen is defense capabilities on the Caspian Sea. They have vowed to strengthen and broaden their military capabilities in the fight against terrorism, drug trafficking, illegal proliferation of weapons, etc. The United States defense officials have been speaking with Kazakhstan officials on ways to strengthen military ties between the U.S. and Kazakhstan. This is an important and strategic move for Kazakhstan leaders, they are a relatively new country and it is important to strengthen their defense capabilities to secure their future endeavors.They are placing security forces along the Caspian Sea Region as this region poses the biggest threat to the country. Their goal is to provide an organized, professional military force. Kazakhstan is also working very closely with the United States to expand their military presence in neighboring Afghanistan in an effort to strengthen its country.â€Å"That's why it is utterly indispensable to set up a system in which each and every ministry and department would organize its work in such a way that each day, month and year could bring us ever nearer to the objectives we've set.† (Prosperity). Kazakhstan has admitted that they could use advice and analyze the tendencies from other countries in their effort to rebuild and reform Kazakhstan.Kazakhstan has publicly made commitments to provide assistance to Afghanistan in their fight to counter narcotics. The Central Asian country has been building strong strategic relationships with its neighboring countries and other countries in the international community that share the same views. For example they have extended a promise to assist in the reconstruction of Afghanistan and Iraq.â€Å"We shall advance to strengthening of our relationships with Russia, China, Central Asian neighbors, Islamic states and Western countries.† (Prosperity) This relationship building efforts made by Kazakhstan represents their commitment to enhance regional security and economic integration by forming strategic partnerships within Central Asia. Kazakhstan has created strategic partnerships with countries like China, Kazakhstan understands that it is important to keep relations with these countries because they all still share common goals of sustainability, economic growth, and international terrorism.Kazakhstan has identified a system where strategic planning, strategic control, accountability and responsibility are its major objectives. Kazakhstan need for a government who views the world according to 21st century realities and who doesn’t apply 20th century problem-solving methods to 21st century problems will become evident as the country incorporates its long term goals. These goals of National Security, health, education, and welfare of it people, economic growth and political stability, and consolidation of society will all play an integral role Kazakhstan desire to maintain an image in the world as a regional power with economic stability. Kazakhstan has a bright future ahead, with all of the factors of production in place, and the right leadership and cooperation with the international community and particularly its regional neighbors, this country will be representative of a leader in the world economy.Works Citedâ€Å"Abizaid Visits Kazakhstan, Strengthens Military Ties.† Kazakhstan News Bulletin 4 August 2006.http://www.kazakhembus.com.htmlâ€Å"Central Asia Declares Itself a Nuclear Weapons Free Zone.† Kazakhstan News Bulletin11 September 2006.http://www.kazakhembus.com.htmlHill, Fiona. â€Å"Whither Kazakhstan?† The National Interest Jun. 2005http://www.ciaonet.org/olj/ni/ni_win0506/ni_win0506k.htmlâ€Å"Joint Statement Between the United States of America and the Republic of Kazakhstan.† Kazakhstan News Bulletin 29 September 2006.http://www.kazakhembus.com.htmlâ€Å"Kazakh Economy Shows No Slowdown, Grows 9.3 Percent.† Kazakhstan News Bu lletin 18 August 2006.http://www.kazakhembus.com.htmlâ€Å"Kazakhstan Support Russia-US Initiative Against Nuclear Terrorism.† Kazakhstan News Bulletin 17 July 2006http://www.kazakhembus.com.htmlâ€Å"Nazarbayev Sworn in as Kazakhstan’s President for New Term, Stresses Democracy, Growth and Security.† Kazakhstan News Bulletin 13 January 2006.http://www.kazakhembus.com.htmlâ€Å"Prosperity, Security and Ever Growing Welfare of all the Kazakhstanis.† Embassy of the Republic of Kazakhstan in Indiahttp://www.kazind.com/strategy2030.html

Weekly summary Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Weekly summary - Assignment Example Dysfunctional conflicts, however, inhibit performance as they suppress employees’ abilities. Therefore, organizations should change their view that conflict is always bad, and embrace functional conflicts that promote organizational performance. Given that most organizations operate through teams, many team dynamics arise as employees work together. This process brings many people together, who possess different views on similar issues. Consequently, conflicts dominate teams on a daily basis. However, the leadership of these teams contributes significantly to shaping the outcomes of the conflicts. The team that the U.S government hired, for example, displayed conflict. Some members shed light on the possibility of Osama not being in the target area, while others were optimistic that he could be found there. This conflict made the team to invent creative ways of dealing with the mission. They planned the operation in a manner that considered the two possibilities, leading to an effective venture (Robbins & Judge 2013). As a manager, this incidence provides me with invaluable insight. I appreciate the involvement of teams in solving organizational problems. I realize that many hands can be better than one, and taking into account the opinions of other employees’ yields great results. More to these, I believe that functional conflicts play a productive role in the work place as long as the leaders handle them

The Disciplinary Literacies Project Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

The Disciplinary Literacies Project - Essay Example For instance, within the wholesome body of being a doctor, some doctors choose and study to become dentists, surgeons, or simply perform regular operations, and many other branches. As such, the responsibilities of many doctors are beyond that of the patient (Viklund 96). This trade publication has sought to explore on the general study of doctorate professionalism. Being a doctor is often considered tremendous and tedious. However, many people have managed to devote part of their life and time to engage in studying to become doctors of varied categories in the world. As such, it is upon the nature and innate calling for one to engage in the tedious and time-consuming profession of being a doctor. This profession is mired by its professional ethos, something that has often made it to be a profession with credibility, ethos, legitimacy, and of high value in the human society. According to this publication, ethos form part of the doctorate profession. Training and intense preparation equip doctors with the right approaches and disciplines to be exemplified in the field. The article reiterates that there is need for all doctors to keep their focus on meeting the needs and requirements of the profession since this is one of the statements which rules among the doctorate ethics and cannons of behavior among professional doctors. Doctors are called upon to have good memory so that they can be swift in collecting information. Regularity of study is a necessary entity, which makes professional doctors. This is because research is an ongoing process, which elicits more methodologies and approaches to be used by doctors. Doctors are required to be of high understating power. Within the work of a doctor are measures and approaches, which should be made with little and swift thoughts. For instance, the trading article exemplifies that doctors in India are pressed upon to deliver even at situations with no utmost breakthroughs. Moreover, doctors earn their

The investigation into effectiveness of using social media to engage Literature review

The investigation into effectiveness of using social media to engage customers - Literature review Example Paine (2011) notes that the criteria used for describing customer engagement cannot be standardized. It is explained that customer engagement can be related to different aspects of customer behavior, as for example the provision by the customer of his e-mail address so that he is informed on the new products/ services of a particular firm. Evans (2010) states that consumer engagement is a complex concept. According to the above researcher, an entrepreneur can understand that his customers are engaged when they react as follows: ‘they collaborate with each other and share the results of those efforts with other participants’ (Evans 2010, p.212). In other words, consumer engagement is characterized by collaboration and information sharing. From a similar point of view, customer engagement has been characterized as a concept reflecting ‘the engagement of customers to a particular brand’ (Tuten 2008, p.26). It is noted that the engagement of customers to a brand can be derived by the loyalty of the customers to the specific brand. Based on the above view, marketers can effectively promote customer engagement if they employ ‘tactics that enable customers to interact with the brand’ (Tuten 2008, p.26). In any case, customer engagement can be defined differently in the context of each organization, according to the priorities set and the organizational goals. Under these terms, customer engagement can be used just to emphasize on the need for ‘showing care to the customer’ (Seruca et al. 2006, p.49). When a customer feels that he is cared of at the highest possible level, then he is expected to be engaged (Seruca et al. 2006, p.49). This means that in organizations that customers’ needs are not addressed, the level of customer engagement will be quite low. Graph 1- When a customer is engaged, findings of survey developed by the Economist Intelligence Unit between December 2006 and January 2007 (Source: Economi st Intelligence Unit, 2007, p.3) In a report published by the Economist Intelligence Unit customer engagement is described as ‘a way to create customer interaction and participation’ (The Economist Intelligence Unit 2007, p.2). The characteristics of customer engagement have been further explored through a survey developed between December 2006 and January 2007 (Economist Intelligence Unit 2007, p.2). In the particular survey, about 300 executives have been asked to state their view in regard to the criteria used for characterizing a customer as engaged. The graph 1 above shows the answers of the customer in regard to this issue. These answers reflect the potential elements of customer engagement as appearing in markets worldwide. In practice, the development of an accurate definition in regard to customer engagement can be a challenging initiative. For this reason, a series of theoretical frameworks have been introduced for helping marketers to identify the potential e ffects of customer engagement on their products/ services. Using these frameworks, customer engagement can be described by focusing on different criteria. For example, if using the brand equity theory, customer engagement can be described as a concept related to ‘brand awareness, loyalty, quality, associations and competitiveness’

Strategic Planning (Longitudinal Strategic Development Study) Coursework

Strategic Planning (Longitudinal Strategic Development Study) - Coursework Example . . . . . . . . 4 3.1 Development History . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5 3.2 Prior Investments and Disinvestments. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 3.3 Markets Served and Products Offered . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-7 3.4 Resources Gained and Capabilities Developed . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 3.5 Culture, Leadership and Management Style . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7-8 3.6 Strategies Pursued and Outcomes Achieved . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-9 4. Current Strategic Situation. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 4.1 Trends in the Macro Environment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-11 4.2 Changes in Industries and Markets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 4.3 Strateg ic Resources, Assets and Capabilities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 4.4 Financial Performance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 4.5 Industry Position . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 4.6 SWOT Analysis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 5. ... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14-15 5.3 Choices for Future Strategies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15-16 5.4 Evaluation of Available Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 5.5 Justifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17 5.6 Getting to the Future First . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17 6. Conclusion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17 7. Recommendation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17 ABSTRACT This paper covers the furniture industry with regards to the retailing industry. The industry is closely related to the home industry in the sense that people buy new furniture once they moved to a rental home or into a house they had recently bought. On this note, the furniture industry relies on new sales (when people buy entirely new furniture) to furnish a home or on replacement sales (when a furniture is worn due to use or is out of style). The paper discusses in broad terms the significant changes in the business environment such as new lifestyle patterns, threats such as the environmental movement and depletion of forests and the opportunities presented to pro-active industry players who can seize the opportunities to expand market shares and further revenue growth. The paper then focuses on the furniture group of IKEA which is from Sweden but is now present in some 40 countries and territories with about 316 stores (as of 2010, combined for franchised and company-owned

2 Abstracts + behavior modification project Assignment

2 Abstracts + behavior modification project - Assignment Example Logistic regression was used to analyze the data. According to the results of the study, the occurrence of COPD in the age-adjusted sample population was 5.4%. Almost half of the individuals with COPD indicated fair/poor health compared with 15% of individuals without the disease. Furthermore, the occurrence of ≠¥14 unhealthy days over the past one month and fair/poor health state was higher for individuals with the diseases in contrast to those individuals who did not have the disease, that is 45% and 17% respectively. Individuals with COPD accounted for double the amount of unhealthy 24-hours in contrast to those without the disease. Individuals with COPD were expected to have lower intensity of HRQOL for each of the four unhealthy day determinants in contrast to individuals who do not have COPD. The results of the study revealed that there was a negative relationship between HRQOL and COPD as higher levels of COPD resulted in lower intensity of HRQOL. The reason behind this w as that appropriate looking after of COPD necessitates individuals to make significant lifestyle adjustments. These alterations entail both physical and behavioral changes that might result in psychological dysfunction. Thus, the study offered guidance for individuals to manage their disease and a framework for future policy decision making regarding people having such diseases. Miotto, De Coppi, Fre zza, Petretto, Masala, Preti, (2003) investigated the association between the tendency to be aggressive and eating disorder among school-aged adolescents. The aim of study was to prove the hypothesis of a positive connection between eating disorders and aggressiveness. The sample consisted of 1000 adolescents with ages ranging from 15 to 19 years. The instruments used to measure eating disorders among adolescents were Bulimic Investigatory Test of Edinburgh (BITE), Eating Attitude Test (EAT) and the Body

How does Tolstoy use his characters to show how materialism and social Essay

How does Tolstoy use his characters to show how materialism and social climbing depict an artificial, materialistic life - Essay Example He was educated and had a comfortable status in society. A judge in the high court in St.Petersbug, with a wife and family, he lives an ordinary life. Through out his life he never cared to reflect on the meaning of life. The humdrum nature of his career was more or less determined by the mechanical compliance to external compulsions of the values of a defunct society. In the smug satisfaction of the motorized perfection of life there lay a terrible pitfall. As Tolstoy puts it, his life was "most terrible and most ordinary and therefore most terrible." Tolstoy shows the readiness of Illyich to succeed in life, by spontaneous compromises of all principles of life, as the hallmark of contemporary ethos. This makes his hero ludicrous. He had the semblance of the typical reserved nature of a judge but in actual practice was very flexible, if it will augment his career: " There were services rendered to his chief and even to wife of his chief". The feverish pursuit for advancement without principles is a disintegrating force and only a spiritual realization can provide meaning as we prepare for the inevitable exit from this life. The shock comes in the form of the diagnosis of terminal condition of cancer.

Short Paper 1 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Short Paper 1 - Essay Example At most, what was achieved was a failed attempt to establish morality and anarchaic is the order of the day. One may dispute this by raising the argument that nations are forming groups and alliances with the objective of making this world better by fostering peace, economic prosperity, harmony and cooperation. Nobody can dispute that. It can even be added that there is the UN with its councils and courts, the WTO, the G7, NATO, ASEAN or what have you. But the question is, were they ever successful in their objectives. The glaring truth is No and morality will only be considered when it serves a certain purpose but in reality, it really has no place as nations asserts with their selfish interest. Can you blame them? No. We cannot blame because nations has to advance the interest, welfare and security of its own people and country even if it means transgressing other countries. What is moral is becomes relative and immorality can be twisted to something moral to justify an interest. Y ou just cannot be nice in international arena otherwise you will be eaten alive. One may protest that this is a very harsh description of international arena but harsh as it is, it is true. We can cite many recent examples and we do not have to go far. In the United States, the anarchaic war of terror is plaguing us and the way it is waged on us is devoid of morals. Imagine killing innocent civilians just to destroy our way of life. And the way we respond cannot be categorized as moral no matter how we justify it that we are the good guys. We kill, we bomb, we torture people, we connive and manipulate other governments just to achieve our end. Is that orderly as contrary to anarchy or moral as we would like it to be? The answer is a glaring no. What made the situation worst is that we and everyone else never learned the lesson of history and experience. We all know that war is a lose-lose situation where its destructive force knows no one. But look around, the international arena is anarchaic war of all as if we never knew the concept of morality. Syria is now undergoing a brutal civil war. In Libya, we help them oust their former dictator Gaddafi thinking that they will be grateful to us. Instead, they attacked our embassy and killed our personnel. Now, you may ask where is order and morals there? Isn’t that a classic examply of anarcy where all is against all because you are not sure who your allies are? Perhaps one is inclined to wonder why we are so predisposed to war and anarchy? The answer is obvious. For as long as there is conflict of interst, there will always be anarchy and our sense of morals will always be set aside in pursuit of our interest. Dostoyoevsky already anticipated this as he wrote a sketchy outline in his short essay The Dream of a Ridiculous Man that anarchy without morals is about to happen as we esteemed governments advancing our interests as people. Why not esteem them? They get elected and it is morally upright for governmen t to assert the aspiration of the people they represent. The problem is, this interests could also be in conflict with other countries who also have the same mandate to assert the interest of their people. So what happens next? Conflict ensued and anarchy became the order of the day despite of the efforts to establish order and morals only exist in words to justifiy a nation’s interest. The clear example is the conflict going on in Sabah. The Sultan of Jolo had been the traditional ruler of Sabah and they had the island

Write about ( father divine ) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Write about ( father divine ) - Essay Example William Randolph Hearst criticized the movement as being a cult. Hearst criticized it for making its followers end their relationships with their relatives, sexual misconduct attributed to the movement and for the kidnappings associated with the church. In 1942, Divine was charged for allegations of illegal acquisition of property that had been entrusted to him. Divine is an iconic figure however for his work in fighting racism. He frequently collided with the authorities for his push for the black empowerment. He influenced his church into political action and supported the Communist. He fought for the end of racial segregation when segregation was at its peak. He faced several charges for his fight against racism. Divine faced charges in 1914 of insanity and was sentenced for one year for being a public nuisance in Sayville. All the accounts were because of his fight against racism. Before his death, Divine wrote to Lyndon Johnson appreciating him for supporting the Civil Rights Act of 1965. Boccella, Kathy. At Gladwyne Mansion, Memories Of Father Divine Live On. The Inquirer. April 17, 2011. Web. December 8, 2014. Accessed from, http://articles.philly.com/2011-04-17/news/29427924_1_father-divine-divine-tracy-hotel-mother-divine Father Divine. Dates From 1876 Pertaining To the Work and Mission of Father Divine. Father Divine’s International Peace Mission Movement. 2014. Web. December 8, 2014. Accessed from:

The Coffee Crisis Essay Example for Free

The Coffee Crisis Essay Introduction In 2011, Diego Comin, Associate Professor of Business Administration at Harvard Business School, revised his 2009 case study on the Great Moderation (reproduced by permission for Capella University, 2011). The case explores whether or not the Great Moderation, defined by investopedia. com as â€Å"the period of decreased macroeconomic volatility experienced in the United States since the 1980’s [during which] the standard deviation of quarterly real GDP declined by half, and the standard deviation of inflation declined by two-thirds (para.1)† is still in effect. This paper will use evidence from research in a draft by Pancrazi and Vukotic (2011) that proposes â€Å"macroeconomic variables in the last thirty years have not only experienced a reduction in their overall volatility, but also an increase in their persistence (p. 2). † The 2011 research paper also purports that â€Å"by using a New-Keynesian macroeconomic model the responsiveness of output variance to changes in the monetary policy decreases with an increase in the persistence of technology (p. 2). † The result, according to Pancrazi and Vukotic, is an â€Å"overestimate† of the monetary influence and authority to â€Å"smooth out the real economic dynamics (p. 2). † The Great Moderation and the The Great Recession. Comin, in â€Å"The Great Moderation, Dead or Alive? † (Capella, 2011), quotes Ben Bernanke, Chairman of the Federal Reserve: reduced macroeconomic volatility has numerous benefits. Lower volatility of inflation improves market functioning, makes economic planning easier, and reduces the resources devoted to hedging inflation risks. Lower volatility of output tends to imply more stable employment and a reduction in the extent of economic uncertainty confronting households and firms. The reduction in the volatility of output is also closely associated with the fact that recessions have become less frequent and less severe (p. 17). † Comin points out that these conditions existed until the Great Recession of 2007 when the U. S. and other countries experienced the longest period of recession and â€Å" the largest GDP contraction in the U. S. since the Great Depression (p. 17). In â€Å"Overlooking the Great Moderation, Consequences for the Monetary Policy† (2011), the researchers hypothesize that the â€Å"Great Moderation might have been fertile ground for the recent recession (p. 3), in that technology caused an â€Å"increased persistence in the macroeconomic variables (p. 4). † Macroeconomic Observations. To summarize Comin’s (2011) account of macroeconomic activity in the U. S between 1930 and 2010, when observing the GDP during this period, he says, â€Å"it is clear that since around 1984 it has been harder to observe large deviations from the average growth rate (p.17). † When examining other macroeconomic variables, Comin says that hours worked, consumption, investment, labor productivity, and total factor productivity (TFP), have, for the most part, â€Å"experienced stabilization by roughly the same magnitude, [where] the stock market has not stabilized significantly. If anything, it has become more volatile over the last few decades (p. 18). † Pancrazi and Vukotic focus their research on â€Å"studying the behavior of the total factor productivity (TFP) before and after the Great Moderation (p.4)†¦[by] using a basic New-Keynesian model featuring imperfect completion and price stickiness, [to ascertain] whether a change in the persistence of TFP affects the responsiveness of the real variables to the monetary policy (p. 6). † Their observations include an examination of the stability of TFP and an assessment that â€Å"a higher Microeconomic impact of the coffee crisis. The case study conveys that â€Å"coffee was the main source of income for roughly 25 million farmers, mostly small land holders, in Latin America, Africa, and Asia (p.1). † The coffee crisis created immense hardship for these small producers; â€Å"in some countries, farmers had been forced to take their children out of school and put them to work (p. 1). † One of the consequences of the coffee crisis that was less publicized was how larger farms and their workers were devastated. Large farms generally do not use non-cash family workers, like many of the smaller farmers do; as a result of the crisis, many workers were laid off, subsequently putting larger farms completely out of business. (Price, 2003) Where some producers chose to get out of the coffee business and venture into unknown territory with a new crop, others either attempted to break into the coffee â€Å"niche† market or decrease their outputs. (Line Tickell, 2003) In the ICO report on the impact the coffee crisis has had on poverty, the socio-economic impact reported by the respondent countries is filled with narratives that describe families and farmers who worked in the coffee industry unable to pay for medicine, food, and other essentials. Families are also reported to have migrated to cities, where there is typically no work for skilled farmers; some countries report that workers have migrated leaving their families behind. (Osorio, 2003) Solutions for long term sustainability. The case study presents an outline of solutions recommended by the ICO, Technoserve (as reported to the Inter-American Development Bank) and Oxfam. â€Å"The Coffee Crisis† states that, according to Oxfam, â€Å"the long run solution†¦was a commitment to ‘fair trade’†¦ a system in which a buyer in the first world agrees to pay third-world producers enough to support a decent living (p.5). † Oxfam says that â€Å"the fair trade movement was designed to provide an assured income and other benefits to the farmers associated with it (Line Tickell, 2003, p. 8). † Technoserve believes the following â€Å"three areas offer the highest potential for sustainable impact: 1. Increasing coffee consumption in producer countries and emerging market countries; 2. Assisting unprofitable producers of high-quality Arabica to move into higher-priced specialty coffees; and 3. Helping regions with a high concentration of marginal coffee producers who cannot differentiate their product or compete on price to diversify into other products and industries (para. 15 16). † In June, 2004, Nestor Osorio of the ICO presented to the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) a report titled: â€Å"Lessons Learned from the Coffee Crisis: A Serious Problem for Sustainable Development. † In it he outlines the economic strategies he believed would prevent a future crisis and assist coffee producer toward long-term sustainability. Two proposed policies address the supply-demand problem: 1. To use the experience of the coffee crisis to create awareness – best achieved through the ICO – in national and international bodies of the danger of embarking on any projects or programmes (sic) which will further increase supply; and 2. Working to increase the benefits accruing from value-added products rather than traditional bulk commodity exports. Osorio recognizes the importance of â€Å"the need for market development to increase demand (p. 5)† also. He says that projects intended to benefit the supply chain should include actions from farmer to consumer, as well as farmer to exporter. These include: 1. â€Å"Support for the ICO’s Quality-Improvement Programme as a means of improving consumer appreciation and consumption of coffee; 2. Action to increase consumption in coffee-producing countries themselves, which should have a number of positive effects such as providing an alternative market outlet, increasing producer awareness of consumer preferences, stimulation of small and medium enterprises, etc. as well as acting to increase demand; 3. Action to enhance knowledge and appreciation of coffee in large emerging markets such as Russia and China, following the successful ICO campaigns in the 1990s; and 4. Protecting consumption levels in traditional markets through quality maintenance, development of niche markets and dissemination of positive information on the health benefits of coffee consumption. (p. 5-6). † Conclusion The coffee market has been described as an â€Å"imperfect market; a market that in recent years has failed – both in human and economic terms (Lines Tickell, 2003, p. 8). † The coffee crisis illuminated the impact the market had on international trade, national economies, businesses and families many in underdeveloped, low income countries. Because the regions where coffee can be grown are also many times third-world or repressed countries, coffee production is considered a humanitarian concern as well as an economic issue. Where an organization like Technoserve may lean toward business partnership solutions for the coffee industry, and Oxfam may concentrate on the humanitarian perspective, the International Coffee Organization appears to have taken a balanced approach in presenting the plight of coffee producers from both altruistic and economic perspectives. Where it is understood that many depressed areas and nations depend on coffee crops for sustenance, the ICO has taken a stand that the lessons learned from the coffee crisis must be solved with the tenets of economics, coupled with social responsibility, if families, farms, businesses and coffee-producing nations are going to achieve long-term sustainability. References Capella University. (Eds. ). (2011). MBA6008: Global Economic Environment. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill. Lines, T. , Tickell, S. (2003, May 1). Walk the Talk, Oxfam International Briefing Paper, May, 2003. Oxfam International | Working together to find lasting solutions to poverty and injustice. Retrieved May 5, 2012, from www. oxfam. org/sites/www. oxfam. org/files/walk. pdf Osorio, N. (2002). ICO. org Documents/Global Crisis. International Coffee Organization. Retrieved May 4, 2012, from dev. ico. org/documents/globalcrisise. pdf Osorio, N. (2003). ICO. org Documents/G-8. International Coffee Organization. Retrieved May 4, 2012, from dev. ico. org/documents/g8e. pdf Osorio, N. (2004). ICO. org Documents/UNCTAD. International Coffee Organization. Retrieved May 4, 2012, from dev. ico. org/documents/UNCTAD. pdf Prince, M. (2003, December 3). CoffeeGeek Coffee Crisis:TechnoServe Releases Fact-Based Industry Analysis. CoffeeGeek News, Reviews, Opinion and Community for Coffee and Espresso. Retrieved May 5, 2012, from http://coffeegeek. com/resources/pressreleases/technoservedec42003.

Analysis of Human Resources at Solar Plant

Analysis of Human Resources at Solar Plant Introduction: The detailed analysis of training and development and talent management process is providing through human resources management in solar industries. According to this report is based on case study of solar industries at talent management. Planning and development should be proper implemented in the solar industries. The report includes how the training and development and talent management to be implement. However research found that to continuing competitive advantage people are the only real source. Prahalad and Hamel (1990) HRM is considered a logical approach to the management of an organisations most valued assets. (Armstrong 2007). The term personnel management has been replaced by human resource management and human resources. Armstrong, Michael (2006). The managers of an activity state their goals with HRMs techniques, the work force implicit and carry out the activity with its techniques which requires resources to accomplish their coursework successfully. The objective of HRM is to help an organisation, maintaining employees to congregate strategic goals and also to manage them effectively. The personnel administrators constant complaint is that they lack status. This proves their inability to make contribution and to make impact on their management associates. Their continuous worry is their inability to prove that they can make impact on their management associates. Drucker (1954) Thus, solar industry is getting more and more important day by day especially Solar Energy. And this is why solar industry developing rapidly in every part of world. So the Human Resource also becomes an important part to manage man-power, technology, research and development etc. Human Resource Management Theory: The objective of HRM is to help an organization, maintaining employees to congregate strategic goals. The key word here perhaps is fit that is to make sure that there is healthy relationship between the management of employees and on the whole strategic direction of the company. (Miller, 1989). However, there are many HR functions which are struggling these days to get the task of management and member of staff and they are unconsidered rather than intentionally practical partners for the top management. Further, in the solar industries HR have difficulty in proving that their activities and processes are accumulating value to the company. In modern times, HR scholars and professionals decided to develop models that can measure the value. HR. Smit, Martin E.J.H. (2006). Human Resource Strategy: The strategy of HRM is to implement the specific functions of HRM. Planning, organizing, training and development is the main function of the human resources. In order to correspond with the whole business strategy HRM needs to correlate various areas of HR. This strategy of HR is to be implement in the solar industries. HRM Activities in Solar Industry The three key HRM activities in solar industries are Recruitment of the best employees Development of Leadership Development of Management The main objective of Solar Industries is to identify and describe the broad range of policies, technical, financial, regulatory, and other market related factors that affect of renewable energy technologies. Firstly, recruiting the right employees with the right competencies at the right time had to fit in the solar industries as there is skills shortage at all levels in the organization. Secondly, HR manager has to develop a leadership training plan to manage their leadership skills to get experienced people in the industry. Finally, management development activity is to be fit in the solar industries to manage organization. Planning, organizing, leading and coordinating resources are the activities included in management. Thus, for the above reason recruiting the best employees, leadership development and management development are the three key activities that should be fit into overall corporate objective of the company. HRM Model in solar industries: 1) The Harvard Model The Harvard model of HRM had to deploy in the solar industries. To guide all managers in relations with employees soft version of HRM has to concentrates on the Harvard model. (Beer, Spector, Lawrence, Quin Mills and Walton, 1984). It focuses on employee commitment that is not control. (Wood, 1995) The model is useful to know the agreement, capability and effectiveness of cost for employees in the organization. Work system Employee influence Human resources flow Rewards For recruitment, and selection process human resource flows are used in the organization. They are used in the organization through placement, promotion, out of the organization as termination pay. To attract and to keep employees motivate the reward system is organized. Thus, employee influence is used to put controlled on authority and decision making. The jobs are defined and not based on particular tasks like classical approaches. The employee having high commitment led to better job performance is the advantage of this model. (Beardwell, Holden and Claydon, 2004). The selection policies were based on competence and it includes the element of suitability and flexibility. Thus, the right employees fit for the right jobs led to effectiveness. The main aim of reward system is to attract and motivate held performance appraisal but it is not a tool for evaluation. The Harvard model is praise in analytic aspect as an advantage by Pettigrew and Hendry (1990). However, on basis of resource this system is bad form labor point of view. There is an argument that soft aspect of HRM has conflict in the Harvard model regarding business focus of the organization and it changes the cost minimization and profit maximization. (Armstrong 1987, Legge, 1995) 2) The Michigan model The solar industries can also deploy the Michigan model because it includes hard version of HRM. (Fombrun, Tichy and Devanna, 1984) To managed employees like resources they use resources inexpensive and carefully to developed and exploited fully. The model includes HRM activities as follows. Selection Appraisal Rewards Development To obtain organizational performance this model includes selection, appraisal, development and rewards policies. The surrounding idea was ignored for its situational factors, stakeholder interests and the concept of strategic choice. (Cusworth and Franks, 1993) The model shows the internal and external factors in the policies of HR along with strategy of business. The market performance and organisational growth is an advantage of this model. It is useful in cost minimisation for employees which is inexpensive. However, market failures are the disadvantage of this model. It is due to ignorance of environments. Moreover, HRM planning certifies the future requirements of the organization that are minimal. Further, this model fails in range of group and internal conflict. (Chuang et al, 2004) Thus, it led to organizational performance failure. (Bagshaw,2004) According to this two model of HRM solar industries deploys because in the case study performance of the solar industries are not going well, work system, rewards and development growth, appraisal for example like shortage of skills(learning skill, training development skill etc) sort of experience and labour turn over levels are high. So according to this above two model of HRM are bring in action in the solar industries. Training and development: Training refers to efforts that help enhance employee skills for carrying out the present job. To do particular job the training is an act of increasing knowledge and skills Edwin B Flippo. Development is a permanent change in knowledge, skills, attitudes or behaviour that comes through experience. Training is must for every individual when he enters into the organization. Even though the candidate has experience he also should get training. Why because the organization culture, values and beliefs are different from one organization to other. Thats why the training program plays a key role in every organization. Training program followed by solar industries is formal assessment tools for recruiting, structured induction training. Solar industries have not developed an effective induction programmed. New employees employed at solar industry get off to a bad start and they do not understand the organization itself or their role in it. Hence, this has lead to employment turnover which is high-18% for managers, 17% for engineers, 20% for sales and marketing and 15% elsewhere. As a result, it is increasingly difficult to find good replacements, and also lowering of morale for the remaining staff. In solar industries HR planning and development methods are high involvement practices, integrated HR practices and reward approach but in spite of all this, things are clearly not going too well, so for this they need to view plans as adaptable. A solar industry requires more attention to planning. It is both possible and desirable to plan for uncertainty. The emphasis in HR planning will be on maximum future flexibility. The objectives of HRP play a useful role in the management of organization: recruitment, training and development, staff costing, redundancy, collective bargaining and accommodation. Recommendations: Firstly, I recommend that board of directors of solar industries could improve its strategy towards training and development of its management staff by using formal induction course. It will save inductors and managers time by dealing with a group than dealing with individuals. It ensures that all new recruits are given a positive message and consistent information. It can employ a range of communication techniques including: group discussion and projects, presentation, visits and guided tours, off-site training sessions, involvement with suppliers, customers and contractors. It enables new recruits to socialize with each other and build cross-functional relationships. This process of training and development is easy to arrange. Secondly, try to avoid by providing too much and too soon to the inductee. This will make the procedure simple and relevant. It will be suitable for everyone in the industry and for their roles within the organization. By this way the process should be shared. Moreover, induction programmed will generate unreasonable expectations. Finally, I recommend that according to effective induction training and development programme and proper HR planning solar industries improved its strategy towards training and development of its management staff. According to effective induction training and development is done by formal and informal course. Thus, industry needed proper learning skill, training plan and developing strategy in the industries management staff in corporate world. Talent Management: Talent management is a position of employees with business priorities to deliver greater performance and results. As agencies strive to meet strategic goals, they must ensure that they have a continuous process for recruiting, training, managing, supporting, and compensating their employees. Emerging technologies are changing the employee competencies needed in organization. There is need of improvement in solar industries in areas of planning, growth and development, management skill by talent management system. The specialized products of the solar industries are electronics. Talent management provides solution to provide better services to organisations like solar industries. The solar industries should make strategy of talent management that give advice to various areas of industries. The process of talent management helps solar industries to recruit, deploy, develop and retained employees in the organization. Solar industries should focus not only on recruiting and retaining talent, but also focus on talent savvy organization support their employees on issues they care about most. Industry has to focus on strategic recruitment in the organization because there are shortage of skill employees at all the levels. They have to deploy about matching the correct employee to a critical job or project. The organization must focus on their critical talent to achieve strategic objective by ensuring their skills, interest, and capabilities. It creates successful work force in the industry to develop a public reputation for being a great place for work, which fosters loyalty among current employees. The employees will be more interested in working for a company that gives importance to its employees and give them opportunities for continued success. Talent management is necessary in the solar industries to retain employees, new skilled workers to be recruited. The war for talent is the process of attracting and retaining employees between firms. (Article in 1998 David Wilkins of soft scope) In solar industries it is necessary to implement talent management system to work into the business strategy. The company has to implement talent employees in the solar industries. It should be implemented at all the levels of the organization in the industries to attract and retain employees. The talent management is not same in different organisation. From talent management stand point, employee evaluations has fear of two major of measurement performance and potential. The talent management is necessary to be practiced in the solar industries and must practiced consistently; Performance management Leadership development, Work force planning (identifying talent gaps), Recruiting. The employees in the solar industries should be talented and talent market should be implemented. It is useful for industries and the most productive employee can select the projects and assignments that are most perfect for particular employee. Talent management is kind of human capital management based on human resources management field that make work easy in the organization where the situation is critical. To manage employee talent in the industries they have to develop effective plans and to implement it in the company. Their responsibility is to develop skills in all the areas of management for this they have to develop new business strategy. Recommendations: To improve the organizational performance of the solar industries, I recommend that they should allocate talent management in their industries. Firstly, solar industry needs workforce diagnostic capabilities that enable more effective strategic decision making across all components of workforce planning. For example solar industry has high percentage of employees labour turnover at all levels would be an indicator that requires attention of senior management. Secondly, a solar industry has experienced expansive growth from around the globe location play an increasingly important role. The ability to find individuals with particular knowledge and bring them together in a virtual environment can make it easier for employees to share good practices. Thirdly, industries have to develop proper recruiting and development activities to get the right employee in right job with right skill. Finally, industry has to develop a talent marketplace by a standard classification of employee roles, skills and competencies and potential managers can identify individuals with relevant skills and capabilities. Conclusion: Finally, I think that training helps people to learn different things in a different ways. Training and development helps in the organisation to develop there information, methods in a systematic way to perform all the activity in the solar industries. Talent management is method of aid in the organisation. It helps talented employees to develop their skills and knowledge. And also develop their effective plan to manage talented employees in the industries. However, talent management and training is the key role of human resources management in the solar industries.

Information Security Threats And Countermeasures Information Technology Essay

Information Security Threats And Countermeasures Information Technology Essay A common body of knowledge for information security is formed when information from around the globe is grouped together for the purpose of being used as a guideline on how to secure information. There are, however no universally accepted common body of knowledge for information security, though ongoing efforts are made to establish one limitation that occurs in current developments of such a body of knowledge, is that it frequently focuses primarily on professionals in industry and leaves no room or opportunity for low-level users (such as end users) who require a scaled-down version of this knowledge. The aim of the common body of knowledge that is developed as part of the basis for the Information Security Retrieval and Awareness model proposed in this paper is twofold: to focus specifically on users with little or no formal background on how to properly secure information they work with, yet also not to exclude professionals. Computer systems are vulnerable to many threats that can inflict various types of damage resulting in significant losses. This damage can range from errors harming database integrity to fires destroying entire computer centers. Losses can stem, for example, from the actions of supposedly trusted employees defrauding a system, from outside hackers, or from careless data entry clerks. Precision in estimating computer security-related losses is not possible because many losses are never discovered, and others are swept under the carpet to avoid unfavorable publicity. The effects of various threats varies considerably: some affect the confidentiality or integrity of data while others affect the availability of a system. According to threats are categorized according to the type of information system asset that is affected, the categories are: Software, hardware, data, personnel, administration, network, physical. There are roughly 15 leading information system threats, among those threats are: data processing errors, network breakdowns, software breakdowns, and viruses. Viruses are one of the most popular threats to computer systems. One can define a computer virus as a total recursive function which applies to every program and obtains its infected form such that can infect other programs Among whole lot of viruses that exist there are a number of viruses: Malicious Codes/programs and backdoors. Malicious codes and programs refer to virus (that reproduces by attaching to another program), worm (an independent program that reproduces by copying itself from one system to another, usually over a network) and trojan programs (an independent program that appears to perform a useful function but that hides another unauthorized program inside it). Infected on a machine and permits an attacker to control the compromised machines network. Malicious code can cause significant security breaches such as jeopardize the availability of information once it infects programs/files and corrupts them thus making them inaccessible. A trojan program installed successfully in your PC, can permit an intruder to access or modify any information available in the PC and worst still the software configuration of a computer can be changed to permit subsequent intrusions. Hard disk boot sector The virus infects the DOS boot sector of the hard drive. Extending The virus extends the size of the infected program file Boot sector The virus infects the partition table of the hard disk or even the floppy disk boot sector. Disk corruption The virus corrupts all of part of the disk. File linkage Directly or indirectly corrupts the file linkage. Resident The virus installs itself in memory. Runtime slow down The virus affects system run-time operations. Types of countermeasures IS security threats have increased significantly in recent years. We identified the gaps between manager perceptions of IS security threats and the security countermeasures adopted by firms by collecting empirical data from 109 Taiwanese enterprises. Industry type and organizational use of IT were seen as the two factors that affected the motivation of firms to adopt security countermeasures, but their implementation did not necessarily affect the threat perceptions of the managers. Analyses of responses suggested that the scope of the countermeasures adopted were not commensurate with the severity of the perceived threats. Among the threats, networks were rated as contributing the most severe threat and yet had the lowest level of protection; this was followed by threats due to personnel and administrative issues. We therefore addressed threat mitigation strategies, specifically in terms of the differences between industries There are a number of countermeasures that can be done to prevent threats from interfering with the functionality of information systems. Software User entrance logs, system recovery, multi-user system, automatic debug and test, access control to program source, verification of system modified, convert channels and Trojan code. Hardware Remote mirroring, surveillance system use, entrance limitation, Uninterruptable power supplies and periodical disk checking. Data Information backup, data access controls, user access rights, enforced path, event logging, information handling procedures, management of removal media, and disposal of media. Network Antivirus software, encryption, user authentication, instruction detection systems, firewalls, alternative circuits, digital signatures, limitation of connection time. Unsecured Windows file sharings. Anyone with File and Print sharing enabled and using share level access are exposed to this threat, a common source of security problem under Windows operating systems. The flaw in an unsecured windows shares can be exploited by intruders in an automated way to place tools on large numbers of Windows based computers attached to the Internet. An unsecured windows shares together with DOS tools can become a great opportunity for intruders to launch DOS attacks. It was discovered recently that there is a flaw in the way that Windows handles the passwords for file sharing. An attacker still can access a password protected shared driving without knowing the full password just the first character of it. A special program can be easily written to exploit the problem and in fact are already circulating around the Net, to be abused by intruders everywhere. Conclusion The emerging trends in network security threats are leading more and more towards the need for pro-active Intrusion Prevention Systems, and further away from the traditional Intrusion Detection Systems with alert only capabilities. The goal of a security program is to choose and implement cost effective countermeasures that mitigate the vulnerabilities that will most likely lead to loss.

Is Marcus Brutus An Honorable Man? :: Julius Caesar Essays

In deciding whether or not a person is good, all of their characteristics must be looked at. That person might look good on the outside, but if their heart is exposed they may not look as perfect as thought. In Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar, Brutus is a perfect example of this idea. He is sympathetic, kind, and generous, but when his motives are questioned, he does not look so sensitive. Brutus is not an honorable man.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Brutus was a very selfish and self-centered person. He continually ignored Cassius’ and the conspirators’ ideas. He was the leader and everyone was supposed to go along with them. Not to mention that all of his decisions went against Cassius and they were all the wrong moves. Brutus refused to admit that he was wrong or listen to other people. He had a big ego and was obviously used to being in charge. When Cassius thought it was a bad idea to leave Sardis and go to Phillipi to fight Antony, Brutus did exactly the opposite. His idea of friendship should be questioned because he constantly disagreed with Cassius, his best friend, and that is not what friendship is all about.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Brutus did not value the people around him. Along with ignoring his friends, he killed his closest friend of all time. For most normal people, killing their best friend would not even be an issue, no matter what they thought was best for their country. If they thought something bad could be happening, they would talk to that friend and tell them what they think and how it should be resolved. No real friend would jump to conclusions and make such a drastic decision as killing that person. Brutus also did not value his wife, Portia. He was never home for her and, eventually, part of her suicide was linked to this. To drive her to suicide was a very selfish act on Brutus’ part. He should have been there for his wife.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Brutus did not think about his actions before they were done. He didn’t think about what would happen to the Roman empire if Caesar were killed. By assinating Caesar he started a civil war. He ruined an entire empire by his quick and stupid descions. Many, many people died that did not need to. How can a person be considered honorable when they were responsible for so many lost lives and the loss of an empire? Brutus was not a very good military leader. His action when his army first arrived in

Aristotle On Tragedy :: essays research papers

The Nature of Tragedy:In the century after Sophocles, the philosopher Aristotle analyzed tragedy. His definition: Tragedy then, is an imitation of an action that is serious, complete, and of a certain magnitude; in language embellished with each kind of artistic ornament, the several kinds being found in separate parts of the play; in the form of action, not of narrative; through pity and fear effecting the proper purgation of these emotions.Aristotle identified six basic elements: (1) plot; (2) character; (3) diction (the choice of style, imagery, etc.); (4) thought (the character's thoughts and the author's meaning); (5) spectacle (all the visual effects; Aristotle considered this to be the least important element); (6) song.According to Aristotle, the central character of a tragedy must not be so virtuous that instead of feeling pity or fear at his or her downfall, we are simply outraged. Also the character cannot be so evil that for the sake of justice we desire his or her misfo rtune. Instead, best is someone"who is neither outstanding in virtue and righteousness; nor is it through badness or villainy of his own that he falls into misfortune, but rather through some flaw [hamartia]". The character should be famous or prosperous, like Oedipus or Medea. What Aristotle meant by hamartia cannot be established. In each play we read you should particularly consider the following possibilities. (1) A hamartia may be simply an intellectual mistake or an error in judgement. For example when a character has the facts wrong or doesn't know when to stop trying to get dangerous information. (2) Hamartia may be a moral weakness, especially hubris, as when a character is moral in every way except for being prideful enough to insult a god. (Of course you are free to decide that the tragic hero of any play, ancient or modern, does not have a hamartia at all). The terms hamartia and hubris should become basic tools of your critical apparatus.The Concept of Tragedy:The word tragedy can be applied to a genre of literature. It can mean 'any serious and dignified drama that describes a conflict between the hero (protagonist) and a superior force (destiny, chance, society, god) and reaches a sorrowful conclusion that arouses pity or fear in the audience.' From this genre comes the concept of tragedy, a concept which is based on the possibility that a person may be destroyed precisely because of attempting to be good and is much better than most people, but not perfect.

Pros & Cons Essay

Most wireline phone companies charge more than what you’d pay for most alternatives, and some are taxed more as well. There are some locations where getting new wired phone service is prohibitively expensive or even impossible. Long Distance and extra features like Call Waiting are normally included with alternative phones. More Features: Cellular and broadband phones normally include Long Distance, Voice Mail, Caller ID, Call Forwarding and more, usually at no additional charge. They also have Text Messaging and various forms of data service which are unavailable with a landline. Portability: If you move your home more than average (or if it’s on wheels), your phone and your number can stay with you. There are no â€Å"installation† charges. Temporary Usage: You can have phone service for the season in a vacation home or cabin, or on an extended stay at a hotel or home of a friend or relative without installing a separate line. Unlimited Plans: Most alternatives offer a plan that includes Unlimited talk minutes and Long Distance, including cellular. Most cellular carriers have eliminated Unlimited Data plans, although there are some that include Data with some other restrictions. Anonymity: You can easily set up an account (especially prepaid cellular) with either no name or an alternative identity. Fewer Telemarketers: Nuisance calls are reduced because telemarketers want to target customers in certain geographic areas. They won’t know where you are. Most telcos provide your landline number to telemarketers. With cellular it’s illegal†¦ for now. With broadband, it depends on the carrier who sets up your number. Internet Access: Your wireless phone can also be your connection to the Internet, either with an internal browser or tethered to your computer, and available wherever there is cellular coverage. Wireless broadband is also available separate from your cellular account. Wi-Fi for Multiple Devices: You can get a cellular modem that provides a wi-fi signal that can connect to up to 5 separate wi-fi devices. It’s Green: Replace your fax with an Internet-based fax service like eFax or MyFax. com and stop wasting paper and ink. (Give your old fax to charity) Attitude: Some wired phone companies just treat their customers badly. Sometimes it feels better to leave†¦ at any price. Take your broadband wherever you go – A mobile broadband connection is exactly that, which means that you can access your emails, check the sports results or watch YouTube videos no matter where you are, provided you have 3G reception. Stop paying for line rental – Millions of people continue to pay for line rental on a home phone landline that they rarely use, just so that they can get broadband at home. With mobile broadband, there’s no need to pay line rental – potentially saving you over ? 100 a year. Plug and play technology – All the software you need to connect to the internet is automatically installed when you first plug your USB modem into your laptop – no need to set it up or call a technical support helpline. Flexible options available – Mobile broadband customers can take advantage of some really great pay as you go tariffs from as little as ? 2 a day, or rolling one-month packages, meaning they only ever pay for what they actually need. Con’s: Safety: If you need to call 911, public safety authorities won’t automatically know where you are, you’ll have to tell them. Also, calls with alternative phones will not necessarily be routed to the closest agency. Also, you won’t receive â€Å"Reverse 911† calls alerting you to a public emergency in your neighborhood unless your local emergency center allows you to sign up your number and associate it with a local address. Security: Some businesses will not allow you to use their services without a traceable land line. This includes credit card companies, pizza shops and a few others, although this rule is slowly being relaxed. Satellite TV services want a landline-like plug for their equipment to call them each night. It does work with some broadband phone systems. Your satellite service can still work without it, but you will most likely pay an extra charge. Reliability: Wired telephone services have come as close to 100% reliable as is practical. Their network has substantial power backup, redundant circuits and years to get it right. Alternatives are improving but their networks can vary significantly. Cell sites and other communications nodes have a limited amount of backup power. In an extended power outage, such as after a hurricane or snowstorm, the service may not work, leaving you with no service. Corded phones work in power failures. Cable phones also have a lower level of reliability. Sound Quality: Some alternative phones don’t sound the same or as good as a landline. While your alternative phone may sound fine to you, it may be difficult for others. Also, some broadband phone services just dump their audio into the Internet resulting in widely varying data travel times giving you significant sound delays. Lack of Service: You may be in a location where there are no wireless broadband alternatives or may have poor cellular coverage. This might be rectified by adding a ‘cell site’ to your home. Broadband Speeds: While there are some fairly fast wireless broadband connections, it may be some time before they will compare to wired or cable connections. Malfunctions: Cell sites can stop working for various reasons. Repairs often need to be made on site and may take time. Broadband services require one or more pieces of equipment at your house which you will need to fix if it fails. Wireline equipment can normally be repaired at the central office. Murphy’s Law says breakdowns will happen at the worst possible time. You Have No Backup: Unless you have an extra cellular phone, if something happens to your main phone or its associated equipment, or your account, you can’t just plug another phone into the wall. Inconvenience: Some alternative services only offer a single jack for one phone. If you want service throughout the house you either must go wi-fi or cellular. Otherwise, plan on using the phone near your computer or router. With a cell phone you need to keep it close to you if your home is large or on multiple floors. It Might be Difficult to Get a Job: Some employers require a â€Å"Local† number to consider you for a position. While you can change your out-of-town portable number to something local, there goes your â€Å"Number For Life. † Surprise Costs. Since you normally pay for cellular by the minute, you might talk a lot more than you think. Savings may be less than you expected when calculated long term. Broadband carriers are not regulated like wireline services and could make changes that you don’t expect. You Won’t Be Listed in the Phone Book. Some directories let you to pay for a personal listing, but others use that as a way to keep you as a landline customer. Alarm systems. Most existing dial-up alarm systems don’t work with broadband phone connections. There are other alarm alternatives, including wireless. You May Not Be Able to Send or Receive Faxes. In some cases, faxing is not an issue. In others, you can’t just plug in your fax machine. A better choice is to to use a paperless, web-based service like eFax or MyFax. com. Low download limits – Even the most generous of mobile broadband tariffs only offer a download allowance of 15GB per month, and that could set you back ? A  month on a two-year contract, while typical value packages offer less than 5GB a month. High costs for exceeding your limit – Most mobile broadband providers charge a fee when you exceed your download limit. This is normally several pence per MB and costs can very quickly add up if you’re not careful. Always keep an eye on your usage. Slower connections – Although suppliers might advertise speeds of up to 10 or 12Mb, mobile broadband speeds rarely exceed the average of around 1Mb. This, combined with the tight usage limits, makes mobile broadband unsuitable for large downloads. Coverage – Most of the UK is covered by the 3G mobile network, but coverage can be patchy in some rural areas, with speeds significantly slower in some parts of the country, so you should always check coverage in your area before signing up. PROS OF FIXED LINE NETWORK Reliability Land line/fix line phones can be more reliable than their cellular counterparts. Disconnected cables can disable land lines, but these problems are easily remedied. On the other hand, cellular phones are plagued by several different issues because they rely on a network of radio waves, cellular towers and satellites. In some areas, cellular service is plagued by dropped calls and fuzzy reception. Emergencies The reliability of land line phones makes them advantageous when it comes to emergencies. For example, if someone is hurt and needs immediate medical care, you do not have to worry about contending with poor reception. Land lines also provide a fixed location that emergency responders can rush to. On a cell phone, you must state your address or describe your location, which wastes precious time during a crisis. Sponsored Links