Are Children Harmed by Divorce Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Are Children Harmed by Divorce - Research Paper Example Religious, moral, and legal concerns are only some issues highly linked to divorce. The divorce rate statistics in the United States have fallen in the recent years, but they are still considerably high, taking into consideration figures from other countries. In 2007, divorce rate was at 3.6 per 1,000 people, 3.5 in 2009, and 3.4 in 2009 (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention [CDC]). The drop in these rates is attributed to several factors, including the increasing incidences of cohabitation versus marriage. However, the emphasis of this paper dwells on the negative effects of parental divorce to children. Certainly, the causal relationship of parental divorce to harm on children is widely known, but some of these disadvantages are specified, as supported by previous researches. Reasons for divorce Couples do not just choose to divorce for one reason. Many factors are taken into consideration before the decision is finally made. As society has changed how it perceives marriage a nd the family, the purpose of staying together has also been modified, abolishing strict conformity to traditional roles and concepts. Common reasons for divorce are communication problems, financial difficulties, change in priorities, lack of commitment to the marriage, and infidelity. Such decision may also be influenced by physical, emotional, or sexual abuse by one partner to the other, failed expectations, inability to resolve conflicts together, child rearing issues, or addictions and substance abuse. Most of the time, reasons for divorce have intertwined or piled up causes where one or both partners eventually give up trying to fix their marriage and run to divorce as the â€Å"best† solution to their problems. Effects on children Divorce may offer advantages to adults, like pursuing a new career or a new partner, but children â€Å"see no benefit in divorce† (Clarke-Stewart and Brentano 106). Reactions of children towards their parents’ separation may va ry, but it could utterly affect them. Although more recent literatures contend that there are cases where children of divorce handle and survive this crisis after an ample amount of time, more often the negative effects occur rather than the positive reaction. Offsprings of divorce encounter more stresses that children in intact families do not have to experience. These stressors may affect children in various ways and in several aspects. According to age group Clarke-Stewart and Brentano (2006) present the effects of divorce to children according to age group. It does not necessarily mean, however, that these children are not able to function well in the presence of these emotions and experiences. It merely expresses that various ages react to the news of divorce differently. A. Infants and pre-schoolers Because infants are not yet fully emotionally attached to the parent they will be â€Å"losing† it is assumed that there will be no strong effects (109). The absence of the father will not create huge changes in the infant’s routine as long as the mother continues to nurture the baby well. However, in cases where the mother is stressed and tremendously affected with the crisis, the infant is vulnerable and prone to have insecure and disorganized maternal attachment if they have regular overnight visits from their fathers. Children of this age group who are victims of parental divorce are also seen to be less positive, affectionate, and engaged when playing with their mothers as compared to those who belong in married families, implying that divorce affects emotional relationship with the mother in infants and toddlers (109). Preschoolers tend to be more affected, confused of what is going on in the household and sometimes seeing themselves at fault for

From the Madding Crowd Essay Example for Free

From the Madding Crowd Essay However, when he first met Bathsheba he called her names like lady and miss. The way that Troy treats Fanny after his relationship with Bathsheba shows that in retrospect, Troy did in some ways love Fanny. Ironically, we see this the most after Fannys death when Troy gets a tombstone for Fanny and plants flowers on her grave, but the fact that the water from the gargoyle could wash away the flowers so easily, could signify how fickle Troy is and how easily his affections for Fanny were also washed away. Earlier on in the novel when Fanny comes to see Troy at the barracks, Troy does not realise that it is Fanny, his fianci standing outside his window: 5What girl are you? , He 6doesnt quite recollect that he promised Fanny they would marry, even though he said lots of times that he would marry her. This shows how he doesnt think of the penalty of his words. Fannys terrible relationship with Troy could have been used to predict the consequences of his relationship with Bathsheba. Similarly, the fact that in the few times that Fanny appears in the novel, she is in a gloomy and dreary atmosphere which was dooming her to death with descriptions like 7A heavy unbroken crust of cloud stretched across the sky, shutting out every speck of heaven;. Her appearance in these depressing environments was a prediction to her passing away. Secondly, she is used to show the true nature of Troys character, and highlight this as he is in a relationship with Bathsheba until Bathsheba herself realizes Troys true nature in finding Fanny. Once her role has been fulfilled for Hardy, he kills her off because she has reached the characters limitation and isnt needed in the story any more. This same meeting also exposes Troys cowardice and shallowness, and is a turning point in the novel, as if he had at this point admitted to Bathsheba his connection with Fanny or even that this woman was Fanny Robin, Bathshebas missing servant, then Fannys death and the following events could have been avoided. Thirdly, Fanny is also involved with the character of Gabriel Oak and brought his character out in the way Fanny borrows money of him and Gabriel gives it to her, she brings out generosity in him and that he is caring. Hardy then shows Gabriel to be kind from the heart to the character Fanny and others when he rubs off and child off the coffin lid, this is so we can see that Gabriel cares about Bathsheba being happy with Troy and tries to protect her from the truth. Her life is controlled by fate and chance and this shows how her function for Hardy extends beyond the plot and the development of other characters. Fate plays a big part and is a key part of the storyline in the role of Far From the Madding Crowd. The first time she is included as a fate icon is when Boldwood reads Fannys letter but it was intended for Gabriel this fate causes a description of Troy and the bringing together of the two rivals over Bathsheba, who are Gabriel and Boldwood but dont realize they are both in love with the same person. It is also fate that Fanny confuses the two churches so Troy doesnt marry her and it is by chance that she meets him outside the church and he replys to her plead to forgive her with You fool, for so fooling me! But say no more. But if he really loved her he would forgive her. Once again there is more fate involved with the character Fanny Robin where Troy has been looking for Fanny but re-encounters her when its too late and Troy has married Bathsheba. The chance has been enrolled in Fannys role, this is when Troy keeps a lock of Fannys hair and Bathsheba finds it by chance and she gets jealous, this causes extreme arguments between Bathsheba and Troy and gives Bathsheba a clue to Fannys identity. Hardy seems to evoke pity when he describes Fannys last journey (her death from child birth) with a description of a hostile background and a dog that is helping her, this is her only friend but even that gets stoned off and adds more pity to fannys case. Her death is also to go with the contrast of a melodramatic death of troy. The irony to her death is that she has more effect on the characters than when she was alive. Fanny Robin has a minor role in the novel Far From the Madding Crowd however the sense cannot be said about the significance of the character Fanny Robin. The reason for why Hardy introduced this character is to have impact on various main characters. She is a pivot in the novel and she causes the main key storyline changes. Yet she has a deeper role in the novel as a symbol for Hardys statement about the 19th century men and how they treated the working class girls. It is only when the question What is the significance of the character, Fanny Robin in the novel Far From the Madding Crowd? is viewed from a variety of angles that there is a true answer presented. If Fanny were not in the novel, it would be more difficult for Hardy to emphasise the discrimination against women at the time, as well as creating tension and suspense in the plot and highlighting the true nature of other characters, especially Troy. Therefore, a reader would not be as aware of the irony surrounding her role and so would not realise how her presence in the novel helped Hardy to show all these parts. 1 Thomas Hardy, Far from the Madding Crowd Penguin Publications, 1985, (Page 135) 2 Ibid, (Page 54 55) 3 Ibid, (Page 336) 4 Thomas Hardy, Far from the Madding Crowd Penguin Publications, 1985, (Page 366) 5 Ibid, (Page 137) 6 Ibid, (Page 137) 7 Ibid, (Page 322 ) 1 Jordan Daniels 11. 5 Matthew Moss high School.

The Cuckoos Egg: Cliffs Persistence Essays -- essays research papers

The Cuckoo's Egg: Cliff's Persistence By Clifford Stoll "The Cuckoo's Egg" is a story of persistence, love for one's work and is just plain funny! The story starts out with Clifford Stoll being "recycled" to a computer analyst/webmaster. Cliff, as he is affectionately called, is a long-haired ex-hippie that works at Lawrence Berkeley Lab. He originally was an astronomer, but since his grant wore out, he became a mainframe master. He was glad that instead of throwing him out into the unemployment office, the Lab recycled their people and downstairs he went, to the computer lab. A few days after he becomes the master of the mainframe, his colleague, Wayne Graves, asks him to figure out a 75cent glitch that is in the accounting system. It turns out that a computer guru, "Seventek" seems to be in town. None of his closest friends know that. The Lab becomes suspicious that it might be a hacker. To fill you in who Seventek is, he is a computer guru that created a number of programs for the Berkeley UNIX system. At the time, he was in England far from computers and civilization. The crew does not what to believe that it would be Seventek, so they start to look what the impostor is doing. Cliff hooks up a few computers to the line that comes from the Tymnet. Tymnet is a series of fiber-optic cables that run from a major city to another major city. So if you were in LA and wanted to hook up to a computer in the Big Apple you could call long distance, have a lot of interference from other callers and have a slow connection, or you could sign-up to Tymnet and dial locally, hop onthe optic cable and cruise at a T-3 line. The lab had only five Tymnet lines so Cliff could easily monitor every one with five computers, teletypes, and five printers. That was the difficult part, where to get all that equipment. At graduate school they taught Cliff to improvise. It was a Friday, and not many people come to work on Saturday. Since it was easier to make up an excuse than to beg for anything, he "borrowed" everything he needed. Then programmed his computer to beep twice when someone logged on from the Tymnet lines. The thing is, since he was sleeping under his desk, he would gouge his head on the desk drawer. Also, many people like to check their E-mail very late at night, so not to get interference. Because of that his terminal bee... ...the FBI knew the number, they wouldn't tell him who the predator was. For the next few days, Clifford expected to get a call from the Germans saying, "You can close up your system, we have him at the police station now." That didn't happen. He got word, though, that there was a search of his home, and they recovered printouts, computer back-up tapes, and disks, and diskettes. That was enough evidence to lock him up for a few years. Then one day, they caught him in the act. That was enough, he was in the slammer awaiting trail. Clifford's adventure was over, he caught his hacker, and was engaged to Martha. They decided to get married after all. He returned to being an astronomer, and not a computer wizard. Though many people though of him as a wizard, he himself though that what he did was a discovery that he stumbled on. From a 75cent accounting mishap to Tymnet to Virginia, to Germany. What a trace! At the end of the story, poor Cliff was sobbing because he grew up!! L To him that was a disaster, but the wedding coming up, and his life officially beginning, he forgot it soon. Now he lives in Cambridge with his wife, Martha, and three cats that he pretends to dislike.

Equal But Different Essay -- essays research papers

For centuries blacks have suffered discrimination from the white society. They were thought to be uncivilized because of their dark skin color. Today, discrimination against skin color no longer exists legally in the United States. Public schools and workplaces are mixed with a variety colors and races from different countries. Though, it may seem that skin color doesn’t matter in society, the majority of society only make close friends or marry someone from their own race. Most of these feelings towards another of a different skin color are deeply rooted in our minds from previous generations. Their mentality prevents them from behaving the same. Difference in behavior from a multicolored society is evident in schools, in society, and in television. Most teenagers only hang around people from their own race. There is evidence of this in the school cafeteria. The cafeteria is split up in two parts. On one side, black teenagers eat with their same-colored friends. On the other side, whites and latinos sit separately in their own tables. Someone might say, â€Å"Well, that group sits apart from the other because they don’t speak the same language as the other group†. You mean to tell me that no black or latino can speak English. If skin color doesn’t matter then why doesn’t everyone sit together at lunch? When everyone is growing up they imagine themselves getting married to someone perfect with their skin-color. With a few exceptions, the majority of the population marries someo...

Battle Of The Sexes In Shakespeare’s “Much Ado About Nothing”

It is fascinating that a dramatic narrative can create such a strong representation of a person through words alone, determining their social class, their gender, their relationships and even their intelligence. â€Å"â€Å"Much Ado About Nothing†Ã¢â‚¬  by the respected dramatist William Shakespeare explores the shallowness, the naivety and the innocence of human beings through the characters of Hero and Claudio, the two protagonists who dominate our generation today. However through the seemingly minor characters of Don John and Don Pedro, a contrasting analysis may be made of how someone’s actions can affect others and through comparing the relationship of Claudio and Hero with that of Beatrice and Benedick we understand how differences in experience, maturity and conformity can seriously affect a relationship. Count Claudio, the leading male in â€Å"â€Å"Much Ado About Nothing†Ã¢â‚¬  is an impulsive, handsome, young man, who initially gives us the impression that he will make the ideal husband. However we soon learn that in that traditional, militaristic ideology of feudal aristocracy, male comradeship is much more important than really loving a female. Claudio is insecure and wanting as a lover, forcing us to question whether underneath his flawless brilliance there really is the heroic soldier that we hear about in the opening scene. Leonato describes him as an honourable soldier: â€Å"I find here that Don Pedro hath bestowed much honour on a young Florentine called Claudio† and we understand that this boy is some sort of patriotic symbol to the Messinian community, but we as an audience never see him fight or even show the bravery for which he is renown and for this reason we are compelled to believe that he really is just another naive adolescent in love with an idealistic idea of militarism. Shakespeare deliberately emphasises Claudio’s badge of youth, particularly when his brotherhood are brought to tears by Claudio fighting the war â€Å"in the figure of the lamb, the feats of a lion† and he is referred to as a â€Å"boy† six times and as â€Å"young† on four occasions by his seniors. However despite his youth, Claudio succeeds on Messinian terms and thus secures for himself glorification based on reports of his bravery and heroism. So it is no surprise that included in Claudio’s noble vision for himself is a trophy wife worthy enough to enhance his image and it is through this vision that we are introduced to the beautiful and romantic Hero who suits all of Claudio’s love ideals. In the first scene Claudio admits that â€Å"she is the sweetest lady that e’er I looked on†, which immediately makes us question whether his love is merely based upon an adolescent idea of attraction, as this young man has spotted a woman of beauty and suddenly is announcing his deep love for her and his willingness to cement this ‘love’ in marriage. Elizabethan audiences would see nothing strange in his enquiring after Hero’s inheritance before he takes the blushing Hero’s hand in marriage, but from a modern perspective we find this gauche, although comparison with the high profile relationships of celebrities today who profit economically from advantageous marriages are proof that money based relationships still very much drive notions of love. Claudio is the typical Elizabethan romantic, beguiled into notions of chivalry by society’s stereotypical view of males as creatures honourable and confident and easily enticed into romantic love through the perceived honour of being loved by a beautiful woman, so we can conclude that it is nothing less than the converse of courtly idealisation which characterises Claudio’s attachment to Hero. However it is not just notions of courtly honour which undermine this relationship. Our precious Claudio also fails because his personality is underpinned by a shyness which ultimately leaves him unable to express his feelings, clearly evident when Don John slyly dupes Claudio into believing that Don Pedro is in love with Hero and the reticent Claudio says nothing but chooses to suffer in silence. This shyness makes him appear to be an innocent, sweet lover but the truth is very different. When we witness Claudio’s mistrust after he has believed the rumour spread by Don John, â€Å"I come hither to tell you, as circumstances shortened, the lady is disloyal†, we see Claudio as the inadequate, adolescent he really is. His mistrust in the faithfulness of Hero and his behaviour the following day when he embarrassingly and cruelly rejects her in front of the entire community on their wedding day, because he thinks she is not pure and has betrayed him, in turn degrades his perfect social image making him callous and shallow. It is completely unacceptable for Claudio to humiliate Hero in this way and if Claudio had sincerely loved her he would have at least spoken to her privately or treated her in a more respectful manner which again highlights the flaws in this relationship built as it is upon youthful innocence rather than intellect and conversation. Although in the early 1600’s the idea of being â€Å"pure† was interpreted as having your virginity until your wedding night and an unchaste bride was considered a worthless thing, it was still far more natural for the aristocratic warrior to defend his own honour than to invest any real trust and commitment into the keeping of a woman’s. Interestingly, when Claudio finds out Hero is supposedly ‘dead’ from false accusations, he desires her even more and quickly accepts marriage with her ‘cousin. Claudio’s willingness to acquiesce to Leonato’s demand to marry this cousin seems crass and shallow and negates the undying love he once stated he had for Hero. When Claudio discovers that Hero is not actually â€Å"dead† they reunite and Hero herself certainly seems to have no compunction in reuniting herself with the man who publicly humiliated and abandoned her on the basis of malicious gossip and a contrived conception, which fo rces us to examine her motives. So who is Hero, this woman who has so completely captivated Claudio? Hero is the daughter of Leonato, the Governor of Messina and his push for her marriage to Claudio is a calculated attempt to improve his social profile. Hero is a woman who barely speaks in public but amongst her female company she displays a keen and flexible wit. When faced with men her reserved and restrained nature signifies both her innocence and the superior market value she holds. Her youth, her wealth and her social position all contribute to her aloofness. In typical Elizabethan society women were marginalised and tightly circumscribed into the categories of wife and breeder (to be protected) or the whore (to be discarded). Initially Hero seems to possess the qualities required for the successful advancement of a soldier’s career, being self possessed and silent. However as with Claudio, Hero’s youth and innocence is her downfall. She is shy, differential and rendered totally defenceless against Claudio’s public humiliation and false accusations of her fidelity at the altar on her wedding day and it is here that we see Hero’s shyness as a real weakness, as she stands there speechless, unable and unwilling to prove her innocence and we feel frustration at her passivity and wish she had more of the spunky Beatrice’s poise and confidence. Claudio’s accusation of disloyalty is made more heartfelt because of Hero’s prior prophetic comments on love â€Å"some Cupid kills with arrows, others with traps. † We know how important chastity is to Hero when on the night before her wedding she confesses to Margaret â€Å"my heart is exceedingly heavy† as the prospect of losing her virginity confronts her. The idea of impurity before marriage was inconceivable for any respectable woman in the Elizabethan era and Hero’s innocence is poignantly captured as we see her view her wedding night with both fear and trepidation. Hero embodies the enormous pressure placed on the women of Messina to conform to the male ideal. In Elizabethan times, a woman like Hero submitted herself to her man and rarely retained a voice for herself, but Hero’s willingness to marry Claudio after he has disgraced her is problematic. Her fidelity to an unworthy man who vindicates himself in terms of the male code of honour is disappointing as she condemns herself to a life shared with an untrusting lover. She herself says â€Å"And as surely as I live, I am a maid,† and true to her role as a conventional, romantic heroine, she is exemplary in her patience and forgiveness. The relationship that Hero has with Claudio is your typical ‘Twilight’ romance and markedly different to the one Beatrice shares with Benedick and it is through comparing these two young couples that we gain a deeper understanding of the battle that individuals have within the bounds of society to be themselves. Claudio and Hero’s relationship provides the spine of the play and presents the ideal of beauty, love, reconciliation and sexual attraction prevalent during Elizabethan times, a relationship that is no different to the typical high school relationships of today. Hero and Claudio seem to be at ease with indirect ways of communicating through their friends, just as today’s relationships communicate through means of cyberspace. Facebook, email and text messaging are all chosen over face to face confrontation. However Beatrice and Benedick’s relationship is founded on very different terms. From their first appearance the audience is aware of an excess of feeling between these two that testifies to anything but indifference. These lovers, who have previously fallen out of love, are now determined to confront each other at every possible opportunity as they publicly deny their love for one another and we realise that the distrust that defaces this relationship must somehow be cancelled out if they are to ever accept their love for one another. Both vow they will never marry, but once deceived into admitting the truth about their love for each other, they quickly come together in a truce, determined to love each other for who they are, as individuals, proving that if the magnetic fields of attraction and repulsion are somehow reversed love will surely be the eventual result. A popular misconception about language is the idea that words have innate qualities, but when Beatrice and Benedick eventually declare their love for one another they find themselves stumbling round to find the right words, whilst their words came trippingly when they were hurling insults back and forth between each other as a way of covering up their true feelings of affection. The merry war which exists between Beatrice and Benedick is a rivalry which is not exactly hostile because it is filled with wit and romance. In contrast with the ‘bashful sincerity and comely love† which exists between Claudio and Hero, based on first impressions, wealth and ignorance, Beatrice and Benedick’s love is affectionate and colourful, yet difficult to interpret amongst their playful poetry, covered as it is with a seemingly strong distaste for each other. However when their commitment towards each other is tested through Beatrice’s two seemingly simple words, ‘Kill Claudio’, we see Benedick reluctantly agree to throw away his antagonistic values of war and male camaraderie for love and chivalric respect for a female. By comparison, Hero and Claudio’s love is distant and removed and although playful lacks the humour and suspense that Beatrice and Benedick share. However as Beatrice and Benedick discover, no relationship can be defined through words, suggesting that true love has its own uniqueness in the context of lovers. Shakespeare shows us through these contrasting relationships that ‘love’ can be expressed in many differing ways and that the consequences of love can even mean death. Furthermore, the relationship between Beatrice and Benedick is contrasted with Claudio and Hero’s to illustrate the themes of deception versus reality. Beatrice and Benedick claim that they have no feelings for one another whatsoever, while Hero and Claudio blatantly declare their love for one another without exchanging a single word. Benedick makes the claim that he â€Å"is loves of all ladies.. ut truly [he] loves none,† whereas Beatrice claims that she would rather â€Å"hear a dog bark at a crow than hear a man swear he loves her. † Although Benedick purports to be uninterested in the opposite sex, through Don Pedro’s clever plan of deception, careful conversations are cleverly staged so that Benedick hears Don Pedro and Claudio talking about the â€Å"undying love† that Beatrice has for him. Similarly, when Beatrice overhears her kinswomen reading a sonnet which Benedick has written for her, she too quickly acquiesces. This gossip, fictitious as it is, is helpful in solving the tension their friends have sensed exists between them and when both Benedick and Beatrice hear these fabricated â€Å"facts† that â€Å"t’were true†, their bottled up affection for each other is unleashed, and by the end of the play they are committed to the idea of marriage. Beatrice and Benedick are unconventional for their time. Beatrice is overpowering and slightly masculine in her ways, an unusual trait at a time when women were meant to be passive and submit to their husband’s will. However the asexual Beatrice’s seemingly unfavourable social position gives her a freedom the other characters cannot enjoy. Likewise, Benedick, too, is free to shed his suit of honour in order to fulfil his preposterous mission to prove his love and it is precisely because Benedick is unconcerned about dismantling his social standing that he is free to love unconditionally. But what is the relevance of the brothers and how do they affect both the relationships of Beatrice and Benedick and Claudio and Hero. These brothers, Don John and Don Pedro, are pivotal to the climax of the play where we witness Hero’s humiliation and rejection. Don John and Don Pedro’s relationship is based on jealousy and shows us the depths that rejection can lead us into and how the actions of one person, can significantly change the outcome of a relationship, particularly when that relationship is based on superficial qualities. Don Pedro is the most elusive and seemingly noble character in the social hierarchy of the play and his friends, Claudio in particular, must defer to him as their positions depend on his favour. Don Pedro has power, an attribute he is well aware of and whether or not he abuses this power is a matter of opinion. For instance, he insists on wooing Hero for Claudio, while masked, rather than allowing Claudio to profess his love to Hero himself, and although everything turns out for the best, Don Pedro’s motives are purely in the interest of his friend, we are left wondering why Don Pedro feels the need for such an elaborate way of informing Hero of Claudio’s romantic interest. Although it is Don Pedro’s royal prerogative to do exactly as he wishes and no one can question him, despite his cloudy motives he does work to bring about happiness for everyone and it is his idea to convince Beatrice and Benedick to admit their love for each other. It is Don Pedro who brings the two competitors together as he orchestrates the deception and plays the role of director in this comedy of wit and manners. Contrastingly, his brother, the bastard villain Don John, also orchestrates a deception, Hero’s denunciation, but here he is using power for nefarious purposes. Through the concept of static villainy, Don John is conveniently portrayed as the ‘author of all’ and thus becomes the scapegoat for a society looking to free themselves of the guilt and drama that â€Å"â€Å"Much Ado About Nothing†Ã¢â‚¬  personifies. By only blaming Don John, Claudio, the Prince, and Don Pedro are exonerated and Hero’s humiliation, which destroyed her reputation without hard proof of her infidelity, is blamed on Don John’s villainous deception. So in reality the whole purpose of Don John’s character is to have somebody to blame for everyone else’s mistakes, because nearly all the characters in â€Å"â€Å"Much Ado About Nothing†Ã¢â‚¬  play some role in the climatic rejection of Hero at the altar. In â€Å"â€Å"Much Ado About Nothing†Ã¢â‚¬ , whether it be Claudio the misunderstood returned war romantic, Hero the innocent and wrongly accused wife-to-be, Beatrice and Benedick, the witty yet confused couple or Don Pedro and Don John, the conflicting brothers, Shakespeare has cleverly crafted these characters in such a way that we can relate them to our own lives and it is our identifying with these characters that allows us to fully understand their motives and reasoning. When this play is analysed it is obvious that in â€Å"â€Å"Much Ado About Nothing†Ã¢â‚¬ , it is difficult to think beyond the aristocratic code of honour, complicated as it is by conflicting ideas of love and that if the battle between the sexes is ever to be resolved the key lies within each of us if only we are brave enough to love as individuals.

Facts About Saskatchewan, the Land of Living Skies

Facts About Saskatchewan, the Land of Living Skies The prairie province of Saskatchewan produces more than half of the wheat grown in Canada. Saskatchewan is the birthplace of Canadian medicare and home of the RCMP training academy. Location of Saskatchewan Saskatchewan extends from the U.S. border along the 49th parallel to the Northwest Territories border along the 60th parallel. The province lies between Alberta on the west and Manitoba to the east, and between the Northwest Territories on the north and the states of Montana and North Dakota on the south See map of Saskatchewan Area of Saskatchewan 588,239.21 sq. km (227,120.43 sq. miles) (Statistics Canada, 2011 Census) Population of Saskatchewan 1,033,381 (Statistics Canada, 2011 Census) Capital of Saskatchewan Regina, Saskatchewan Date Saskatchewan Entered Confederation September 1, 1905 Government of Saskatchewan Saskatchewan Party Last Saskatchewan Provincial Election November 7, 2011 Premier of Saskatchewan Saskatchewan Premier Brad Wall Main Saskatchewan Industries Agriculture, services, mining

5 Building Blocks of Your Characters Personality

5 Building Blocks of Your Characters Personality 5 Building Blocks of Your Character’s Personality 5 Building Blocks of Your Character’s Personality By Mark Nichol Now that you’ve decided what your character’s motivation is, it’s time to actually construct the vessel in which this purpose will reside. Just how do you build a person? By creating a life where none existed. Start at the base, and work your way up: 1. Childhood How was the character’s early life? What was the person’s family like? It doesn’t take much effort to stray too far into pop psychology, but household composition and environment have a significant bearing on personality. So does one’s experiences in school and in social settings as a child and an adolescent. Is domestic trauma in the character’s past? Social stigma at school? An unusual amount of teenage angst? Were they abused, neglected, spoiled, enriched? Were they denied a childhood, or unable to outgrow it? You don’t need to write your character’s biography, but you should know the outline. 2. Relationships Is the character a loner, or a social butterfly? What type of family and friends does the character have? How do they interact with acquaintances and strangers? Do they have a romantic relationship or casual sexual partners? If they’re gay, are they out, or closeted? Are they extremely close to a few friends, or do they have a wide but shallow social circle? 3. Livelihood What does the character do for a living? That may be integral to the story, or it may be incidental. Readers deserve to know, though. But don’t lock in a stereotype. It’s easy to associate personality traits with certain professions or pastimes. What’s not so easy but is oh, so satisfying is to cast against type: How about a happy-go-lucky private eye? A softhearted crook? A wizard who can’t spell straight? Do they like their job? Are they fulfilled, or frustrated? Good at what they do, or inept? How do they relate to those above and below them in the workplace hierarchy? Do they lie, cheat, or steal, or are they a paragon of productivity? Either way, are they rewarded, or punished, or ignored? 4. Pastimes What does your character do after work, on weekends? Where do they vacation? What are their hobbies, interests, passions? Do they have an eccentric or unexpected avocation? Do they have a remarkable skill or talent no one knows about? Are they philanthropic or charitable, or is all their spare time given to family and friends, or are they devoted only to themselves? 5. Outlook Is the sun always shining, or does a perpetual rain cloud perch just over the character’s shoulder? Are they blithe, cheerful, confident? Suspicious, resentful, fearful? Whether your character’s glass is half full or half empty will determine the story’s tone, so check the person’s beverage before you put fingers to keyboard or pen to paper. What are your character’s political views and social opinions? Are they religious? Skeptical? Atheistic? Scientifically minded, or superstitious? Are they charismatic, or a wallflower? So many questions! But so many answers must be provided and many more must be discovered on the journey that is the act of writing. (And some answers may change.) This character design is essential to your success not just for your main character but also, to varying degrees, for major and minor supporting players and for walk-ons. Whether you’re aiming for high literature or genre fiction, the extent to which you care about your characters and their personalities will in large part determine how readers respond to them. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Fiction Writing category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:100 Words for Facial Expressions50 Diminutive Suffixes (and a Cute Little Prefix)Preposition Mistakes #3: Two Idioms

Just Make it Legal essays

Just Make it Legal essays Hey man, lets go smoke a blunt. We are just too cool. Those words come out of so many teenage mouths. Marijuana also known as weed, Mary Jane, pot, hash, chronic, cannabis etc. is a common drug used among teens. Ever since marijuana was prohibited in the United States, use of the drug has skyrocketed. Not to mention that drug-related crime rates have also escalated. More often than not, marijuana is being used by kids who assume that its cool to be bad. So if we were to legalize pot, wouldnt that lead to a lower usage rate and lower crime rates? "Because drugs are so surrounded by taboos, they invite rebellious behavior. Written in 1993 by the best-selling natural health author Andrew Weil, M.D., this quote is so sad yet true. Being deviant to societys norms is considered to be cool or respectable among young kids and teens. Unfortunately, our society's attempt to control drug-taking by making some substances illegal plays into the hands of rebellious children. When prohibition of marijuana was introduced there was a common assumption that the laws discourage marijuana use. But there is evidence that marijuana prohibition does not deter use, as very few people who do not use marijuana base their decision on a fear of being caught. Studies show that the percentage of those born between 1919 and 1929 that reports having tried marijuana before age 21 was only 0.4%. This number has unfortunately been increasing throughout the century: The rate for those born between 1966 and 1970 was 51.4%. (www.mpp.org). In a 1996 Washington Post article, "Marijuana Users' Air of Defiance," quoted several local students' opinions that marijuana is "cool" and that pot smokers get "respect." A National Council on Crime and Delinquency publication notes that children "are sometimes attracted to drugs because they are illegal." ( www.mpp.org). ...

Why do some protest groups use violence in the context of collective Essay

Why do some protest groups use violence in the context of collective action - Essay Example These forms may range from individual actions to groups actions or even roadside group demonstrations (Dalton 2003, p.53). Furthermore, they can advance into use of physical demos or demonstrations by use of technology such as social media. Protests are normally undertaken to promote particular courses and depending on whether protestors or protest groups face some forms of obstacles or not, protests may be violent or non-violent in nature (Gilcher-Holtey 2008, p.5). Therefore, protests groups can be pronounced any form of group in the society that takes any grounds to publicly demonstrate protests or cause civil disobedience. Such acts are normally intended to take the peaceful and non-violent paths and are normally aimed at acting against any form of official repression (Gilcher-Holtey 2008, p.8). The restrictions that such protests groups may face prompting violence entail restricted government policy, the state of the economy, religious barriers, bureaucratic social structures or even the monopoly that exists in the media. The laws of most of the countries in the world are today aligned in a way that allows for an assembly by groups to express the societal interests (Turner 1981, p.12). In the process of expressing pubic concerns, protests by the protests groups should not at any cost be violent; however, as has been stated in the previous paragraph among the stated reasons, protest groups may at times follow violent means to express their message (Dalton 2003, p.67). The society is normally in a position of handling issues up to some defined limits, therefore, the reasons why violence erupts can be summarized as political and socioeconomic in nature (Turner 1981, p.18). These may be in the form of unequal treatment and total disregard of such groups, this arises in the sense that the groups are voiceless and no relevant body wants to lend them an ear. The nature of poverty in which most people live in the society can cause an eruption into violent protest. Greed as depicted on resources as well as the environmental factors is another cause. Insecurity and scarcity of the group demands coupled with the urgency of such demands (Weldon 2011p.23). Political and institutional factors have a range of inbuilt causes of violent eruptions and these ranges from the weaknesses expressed by the state to a breakdown in social contracts and corruption. Such weaknesses provide grounds upon which such bodies find it difficult to manage the internal and external protests of groups (Weldon 2011, p.44). The institutions as a result are not in any position to peaceful management of group conflicts, provide strong protection measures for the different groups in the society or to the worse, unable to provide for the demand for the groups to participate on fair political platform and express themselves. Forms of political ideologies and ways of handling violence in case they occur can result into violent group protests or not. In mature democracies, manage their protesting groups peacefully through democratic inclusion as opposed to autocratic governments who apply force (Gilcher-Holtey 2008, p.4). Violent protests in a given society like in UK could be fuelled by the aforementioned factor. This is so because of the strength possessed by propagators of violence and their ability to retaliate. Violent protests in this platform results mainly from the group fears for the future, the weaknesses of the state and repress violence creating responses by the marginalized groups among other stakeholders (Zamorano 1999,p.234). It is evident that most of the protests that have become violent in Europe have been because of power struggles and exclusion.

Managerial accounting Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 1

Managerial accounting - Essay Example This concept states that stock is valued at lower of NRV or cost. Since NRV is not given in this case, we will include the purchase price or the cost of stock which is 750 in this case. The cost of skilled employees: The cost of skilled employees is the direct cost of the order. As a result, there wages can easily be allocated to this order because we know that they have worked on this particular order during the week we can easily apportion this to the order and since it is the job of accountants to allocate all the recognizable costs to the appropriate cost centers, this order is the cost center and the cost activity of the workers is rightly apportioned to this order. The extra cash lost: Accountants are only concerned with the explicit costs and they are least concerned with the implicit cost. Implicit costs are the opportunity cost like this one. These are not the real costs but are based on economic assumption of the next best alternative. Similarly, since these costs are based on assumptions, we cannot tell the accurate amount of these costs. However, economists do use these costs when calculating normal profit of a project or of an item. But, since cost statement is done by accountants and not the economists, we will ignore these costs in the job order cost statement. We are only going to include those costs that have factual evidence as the concept of "materiality" states. As a result, when preparing the job order cost statement, I have not included the implicit amount as it is of little value to the accountants. Machinery depreciation: Machinery depreciation is a fixed cost. It means that irrespective of the operations performed by the machinery, a depreciation charge will be levied. Such costs do not vary with the output or the operations performed and hence we call them the fixed costs. In this case, since we have made a separate adjustment of the fixed overheads, it will lead to double addition if we add this cost separately. In other words, the depreciation charge is already included in the fixed overheads and it will lead to distortion of the cost statement if we include a separate head for machinery depreciation. In more professional terms, these will windows dress the financial statement and hence will give a different picture to the cost statement than it is in reality. For the reasons given above, I have excluded the amount for machinery depreciation from the cost statement. Electricity: The statement in the question tells us whether the order is received or not, the machinery will be in continuous use. Since all machinery is run on electricity, we can assume that the charge of electricity is also fixed. The entire costs related to machine are fixed as it is indifferent to the order and hence these costs will also be included in the fixed overheads. Hence by adding them separately, we will again be making a mistake of double debiting our cost statement. This again will distort the cost of the order in reality and will make us assume that we are incurring more costs than we really are. This is called as window dressing and should be avoided from both the ethical and legal point of view. Hence, this amount is excluded from the job order cost statement. Fixed overheads: Certain indirect costs are incurred when a company is working on a

Topic relating to Thanatology Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Topic relating to Thanatology - Essay Example Thanatology is derived from the Greek word â€Å"Thanatos† which literally means death. It is the scientific study of death and all other events that are associated with it. This study is interdisciplinary in nature and encompasses the events that precede the death of an individual and those that happen after death. It also takes a keen look at the society’s reaction to death and other rituals that happen during this sad period. The grief that hits the family members, close friends and colleagues is also captured in this study. Florence and Austin (2003) are of the view that death was previously ignored by philosophers due to the preoccupation with more logical aspects of life most of which bring pleasure and keep pain away. They argue that man is naturally tempted to talk about things that bring pleasure and avoid those that bring pain. The two also point out that individuals (especially in Africa) avoid the subject of death because they believe that the mere mention of the name attracts misfortune. However with time, people begun to appreciate the inevitable and hence the study of thanatology was accepted in the modern society. Today it is a core subject in the medical profession. It is studied by nurses, psychologists as well as psychiatrists with the sole aim of helping individuals handle death and its ripple effects. Asked how they wished to die in a random radio interview, people gave various responses. Some said that they would wish to die in their sleep while others said that they would rather say goodbye to this world courtesy of an airplane accident. Others pointed out that they would wish that Jesus comes back and gave them their judgment while still alive. Quite a number said that they would rather not discuss the subject. As evident in the radio interview, the issue of death draws mixed reactions and emotions among different people. Philosophers argue that the manner in which one dies determines the emotion

Principales of Economics Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Principales of Economics - Research Paper Example On the contrary, microeconomic deals with economics concepts such as the way supply and demand relate in particular markets for goods and services. Essentially, the article clearly shows that macroeconomics focuses on matters that impact the economy as a whole (Romer, 2011). Microeconomics focuses on matters that have a direct bearing on companies and persons. Macroeconomics concepts concerns about how all the markets act together to produce the large phenomenon that is referred in economics as aggregate variables. The concept of microeconomics analyses a single market, for instance, the changes in prices of particular commodities or whether they are driven by the changes in demand and supply. In macroeconomics, the focal item of analysis is the government, in which the function it plays in contributing to the overall growth of the economic or in combating inflation. The articles points out that the macroeconomics also deals with international sphere due to the interlink between dome stic markets and foreign markets through avenues like trade, investments and flow of capital. Nevertheless, the microeconomic also incorporates some global components. It is concerned with transnational components because a single market is not confined to a specific nation. The economic concepts are outstandingly related and the two study issues that often overlap considerably (Baumol & Blinder, 2011). The areas in which the two have a common focus are inflation and the cost of living for a particular economy. Inflation is instigated by a number of factors that range from low rates of interest to expanding the supply of money. Whereas inflation looks like a solely macroeconomic field of study, it is the one crucial issue in microeconomics. Inflation leads to skyrocketing prices of services and goods and consequently causing a sedate impact for businesses and individuals. The effects of inflation have myriad impacts

Discussion Topic Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 5

Discussion Topic - Essay Example Two common genes that undergo mutation to result in achromatopsia are CNGB3 and CNGA3. Four chromosomes might have changes responsible for achromatopsia. These chromosomes are chromosome 14, chromosome 8q21-q22, chromosome 2q11, and chromosome 10q24. A mutation that causes this disorder was discovered through a comparative positional cloning approach. The locus of the disorder is in a region of chromosome CFA29. The homologous region on the human genome has the gene for cyclic nucleotide-gated channel beta subunit. Mutation causes same disorders in human beings. The mode of inheritance for this disorder is autosomal recessive. Some chromosomal information is lost or deleted through the process of converting DNA to amino acids (Parker, 2004). A scientist known as Punnet in 1993 discovered the trait for blue egg. This trait was mapped on chromosome GGA1 to a region from 67.3-69.1. Dongxiang chicken breed was used to discover this trait. Using analysis of linkage on the candidate region on information from 146 F2 hens that originate from cross breeding between homozygous blue and homozygous non-blue birds of the Dongxiang breed, scientists refined the location to 120 kb region from 67296991 bp to 67416784 bp located on chromosome 1along the chicken genome. The location that was refined by scientists is made up of four positional candidate genes. Just a single gene out of the four genes is responsible for blue shell trait. This gene is SLCO1B3. It is expressed in the shell glands in the uterus of chicken with a blue shell trait but it is not expressed in shell glands within the uterus of non blue-shelled hens. Through the process of converting DNA to proteins, a gene responsible for this trait was inserted within the amino acid sequence in the protein structure. Process of sequencing uncovered causal mutation to be a~4.2, (that is a retroviral), EAV-HP in the fifth flanking region of SLCO1B3. A survey for genotyping

Principales of Economics Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Principales of Economics - Research Paper Example On the contrary, microeconomic deals with economics concepts such as the way supply and demand relate in particular markets for goods and services. Essentially, the article clearly shows that macroeconomics focuses on matters that impact the economy as a whole (Romer, 2011). Microeconomics focuses on matters that have a direct bearing on companies and persons. Macroeconomics concepts concerns about how all the markets act together to produce the large phenomenon that is referred in economics as aggregate variables. The concept of microeconomics analyses a single market, for instance, the changes in prices of particular commodities or whether they are driven by the changes in demand and supply. In macroeconomics, the focal item of analysis is the government, in which the function it plays in contributing to the overall growth of the economic or in combating inflation. The articles points out that the macroeconomics also deals with international sphere due to the interlink between dome stic markets and foreign markets through avenues like trade, investments and flow of capital. Nevertheless, the microeconomic also incorporates some global components. It is concerned with transnational components because a single market is not confined to a specific nation. The economic concepts are outstandingly related and the two study issues that often overlap considerably (Baumol & Blinder, 2011). The areas in which the two have a common focus are inflation and the cost of living for a particular economy. Inflation is instigated by a number of factors that range from low rates of interest to expanding the supply of money. Whereas inflation looks like a solely macroeconomic field of study, it is the one crucial issue in microeconomics. Inflation leads to skyrocketing prices of services and goods and consequently causing a sedate impact for businesses and individuals. The effects of inflation have myriad impacts

English2 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

English2 - Essay Example Monitoring of rest periods and performance of dynamic and isometric exercises is also important as rest restores energy reserves and exercises prevent plateauing of fitness. In addition, listening to music and adjusting the order of compound exercises is important as it kick starts stalled progress and shifts around fatigue, while music helps in focusing. The article talks about renewing progress towards fitness and means through which stalling can be prevented. The article talks of the different causes of plateauing in fitness and achievement of exercise goals such as a fixed routine and rigidity in following only one routine in cardio. As a result, the article aims at resuming the achievement of physical goals in fitness by offering advice and new ways through which one can improve his or her work out and squeeze more from them. It also aims at having individuals follow improved means of working out for improved results in fitness by offering information in the benefits of certain suggested changes. The appeal of the author is quite convincing, especially with the information that is presented throughout the article with a sense of authority. This can be seen especially in the application and monitoring of rest periods, where the author advises the persons working out to follow certain principles. As a result, the principles show a strong sense of comprehension in the issue of working and all that affects it in terms of rebuilding energy and fat loss. The appeal to the audience shows honesty following the presence of vested interests in the wellbeing of the audience y mentioning the audience on a first person basis. The use of loos shows how knowledgeable the author is in the topic as the article features plenty of informative cues that aim at bettering the form and work out of any interested being reading the article. The target audience in this article is all persons that work out, in general, and for the details, it focuses on anyone preventing a

Teams In Organizations Essay Example for Free

Teams In Organizations Essay Teams are groups of people who share a common purpose, who depend on each other to accomplish their purpose, develop relationships with each other and outsiders and eventually develop roles in the team. These teams can be intact work groups working for the same person, or can be from different functions or organizations. In these times of constant change, it is essential for teams and team members to understand their strengths and weaknesses. Effective teamwork can help a company deal with this ongoing change and can create an environment to find better ways to solve problems, resolve conflicts, and set goals, whether they be to provide the best possible service, to be the top sales district, or to plan exciting company events. Teams have an important place in our professional and personal lives. Working in teams is an inevitable life experience, even for people who prefer to work alone. Working on teams can normally prove very challenging with all of the variations in personalities, strengths, and weaknesses. An effective teamwork does not happen overnight; it takes a cooperative group of individuals and a talented leader. To avoid a stiff structure in an organization, management must learn to let people do their creative best and optimize their talent. An ideal organization consists of a team-oriented environment where people are being asked to work beyond their disciplines. Departments learn to work together, helping one another, as well as themselves, instead of behaving like rivals, only out for their personal advancement. Generally, there are three main characteristics for a team to be successful; they must share a common goal, each member must play their own particular role, and each member must be willing to make a few sacrifices (Hambrick, 1994). The most important aspect must be the common goal of the group. Even though the members of the team have different views, even though they come from different backgrounds, even if they have different ambitions, this common goal is what will unite and bind the group together. But this common goal is not enough; something more is needed: the role of the individual  team players. If the team is to truly be a success, each member will have to play his or her role properly. Conflict may arise due to specific individuals wanting more credit, power, or glory; however, that is when the importance of sacrifice becomes apparent. Each individual member has to be ready to give up something for the good of the whole team, because for a team to flourish and triumph, t he goal is greater than the individual (Hambrick, 1994). When a team works together with these three attributes, there is practically no limit to what they can accomplish. There are normally four stages that a group will have to go through before they become fully developed. They are: mutual acceptance, communication and decision-making, motivation and productivity, and control and organization (Moorehead Griffin, 285.) Each stage has its own unique features, but it is difficult to determine where one begins and one ends. There are no clear lines because one stage seems to blend into the next step. Mutual acceptance is the first step where each group member will share certain information about his or herself, in an effort to get to know the other team members. This information has almost nothing to do with the team goals; it is the members opportunity to learn something about one another. Once members begin to feel a little more comfortable together, they may attempt to discuss an overview of what they expect to accomplish within their group. They will begin to discover each others differences and similarities, their individual viewpoints on numerous concerns on relevant subject matters become apparent, and conversation about team goals and business become more prevalent. When the conversation starts to take on a more serious tone, the second stage of communication and decision-making has begun, possibly the most important stage in the process. Communication is an essential part in the development of a group culture. The types of communication structure determine leadership, roles and status within the group, group morale and cohesiveness, and it limits or enhances productivity (Hare, 1992). Different types of communication are needed for different tasks. If a groups goal is relatively simple, a centralized communication network in which interaction between members is limited tends to increase effectiveness. In a more complex environment, with a focus on  problem solving, a decentralized communication network would be more appropriate (Shaw, 1981). The choice of a communication network might be more effective if decision-making strategies are outlined in advance and if the urge to stabilize the structure too early is resisted, as there is considerable resistance to change once these structures are established. Awareness of these issues is usually low and it is one of the tasks of the group leader or facilitator to bring them to the attention of the group. Communication standards, as well as performance, are raised if the group has clear performance-oriented goals, an appropriate task strategy to accomplish those goals, and a clear set of established rules in order to tolerate inter-member conflicts and to promote feedback to ensure that information is properly interpreted and understood. When it becomes apparent that the group is united upon its goals and tasks, the third stage of motivation and productivity can begin. Motivation and productivity focus on the overall performance within the group. All groups, however, do not reach this stage. If it has been attained, their capacity, range, and depth of relations expand to true interdependence. Group members can work independently, in sub-groups, or as a total unit, while their roles and authorities dynamically adjust to the changing needs of both the group and the individual. Individual members have become self-assuring and the need for group approval has past; they are both highly task-oriented and highly people-motivated. The group has reached a level of unity, group identity is complete, morale is high, and loyalty is intense. There is a strong focus on both team cooperation and creativity. This stage places a high emphasis on problem solving and productively working towards the most optimal solutions to these problems. If a group is able to accomplish these tasks, they will move on to the final stage of control and organization (Moorehead Griff in, 287). The final stage of control and organization in group development involves the termination of task behaviors and the disengagement from group relationships. The group will work towards fully accomplishing all of their goals and tasks to the point of completion. A planned conclusion usually includes recognition for participation and achievements and an opportunity  for members to say their personal goodbyes. It may also create some apprehension from group members due to the relinquishing of control and giving up inclusion in the group. The most effective interventions throughout this stage are those that facilitate task termination and the process of disengaging oneself from the group. Members must prove to be flexible and able to adapt to whatever the next step is for the group, whether it be to transform into a mature group, or to disband altogether (Moorehead Griffin, 288). Work groups function to perform a particular task. In a work group, the task dimension is emphasized and group members pool their expertise to accomplish the task. Organizations may not realize that different groups will require different kinds of facilitation, meaning its roles, relationships, goals, functions, and capabilities. There are two main types of teams in the workplace: work unit teams and self managed teams (Parks Sanna, 1999). Work unit teams are where supervisors are retained with drastically altered roles, and employees are given much expanded responsibilities for day-to-day operations, while self managed teams are where managers and supervisors are largely eliminated and employees truly take charge. Work-unit teams and self-managed teams both shift traditional managerial and supervisory responsibilities for controlling performance and solving performance problems to employees. All employees are required to attend team meetings, work on performance improvement projects and participate in other team activities by virtue of their employment. Where these two types of teams differ is in respect to the effect of the teams on organizational structure and the role, or even existence, of managers and supervisors (Parks Sanna, 1999). The organizational chart with work-unit teams looks very much like that of a traditional organization, with perhaps some flattening of the traditional pyramid into fewer levels. Additionally, there may be no radical restructuring of the work process flow, at least initially. There is a much sharper definition of the units responsibilities and objectives, however. Work-unit team members develop a few key performance measures for the team that are linked back to company objectives and they help establish targets  for performance on these measures. Also, team members meet on a regular basis with their manager or supervisor to review performance on these measures, identify performance problems or areas needing improvement, and develop action plans or projects to solve performance problems they identify. Under work-unit teams, managers and supervisors may be reduced in number, but that position is not eliminated. They continue to perform traditional functions such as planning, budgeting, hiring, disciplining, and firing, although they may be required to seek greater employee input into these decisions. The team itself is responsible for the work groups performance. The manager or supervisors role is to provide the team with information and resources, facilitate team meetings, and coach employees in problem-solving efforts (Parks Sanna, 1999). Self-managed teams operate in a similar fashion to work-unit teams, but with employees assuming greatly expanded responsibilities. Additionally, the traditional organizational structure is drastically altered because divisions, departments, and sections drawn along functional lines may cease to exist; in its place are teams of five to fifteen employees. Each team has the responsibility, equipment, and other resources necessary to produce an entire product, deliver a service, or produce or deliver a major part of a product or service. Self-managed teams are structured to operate almost as small, independent business units. Where the work-unit team has a clearly defined set of performance objectives, the self-managed team has a mission to serve a customer or group of customers either internally or externally. Perhaps the most striking difference between self-managed teams and work-unit teams is the absence of managers and supervisors in the self-managed unit. Instead, employees in self-managed teams elect a team leader who facilitates team meetings and performs administrative functions for the team. Frequently, team leadership responsibilities rotate among team members so that eventually most, if not all, team members serve a term as team leader. Team members assume responsibility for monitoring performance and solving performance problems, planning, scheduling, budgeting, and hiring and discipline of team members. The few remaining formal managers in an organization composed of self-managed teams coordinate activities of the various teams, ensure that teams have the resources they require, advise the  teams on technical, operational, and human resource issues, and help resolve disputes that might occur within or between teams (Parks Sanna, 1999). The transition to a team-based high-performance organization is established on a basic set of six guiding principles. The first principle is to develop the support of top managers. Top managers need to learn as much as they can about the structure and management operating system of a high performance design and operating system before deciding whether or not they can support implementing a model. Without the understanding of top management and their support for a change to a team-based organization, high-performance is not possible (Wheelan, 1994). The second thing that needs to be done is to determine how a team-based organization can address company improvement needs. Organizations must identify the opportunities for improvement where teams can help with the performance in the organization. Without a defined need, there will be little or no serious motivation to establish the resources and changes required to install a high performance model (Wheelan, 1994). The third principle is to involve everyone within the organization so that they will feel a part of the surrounding changes. Since team-based high performance requires revising the organizations structure and operating system, everyone has a role to play in the transition. When senior management makes a commitment to convert to the new system, department managers, section heads, and employees all need to be involved, no one can afford to be left out. Employment groups who are not informed and involved in the process of change are likely to resist the tough changes that are needed. Calming everyones fears about change is a very important factor in making a successful transition (Wheelan, 1994). The fourth principle is to invest in establishing a learning organization. With technology and information driving change at an unprecedented pace, organizations need employees at all levels who are continually learning. Education and training must be seen as a top priority in high-performance workplaces, with a payoff in improved leadership, worker flexibility,  effectiveness, and improved product and service quality (Wheelan, 1994). The fifth principle is to measure and keep track of how the changes are taking place and the affects of the changes. Measurement is a core element of high-performance management. A measurement system must be developed and maintained to evaluate the team and company performance, and there must be a way to monitor employee feedback, as well. The improvement measures should be incorporated into team performance evaluations, promotions, and compensation plans, so as to emphasize the extreme importance of this step (Wheelan, 1994). The sixth and final principle is to get the necessary help to install a high-performance design. Teams and team-based organizations with self-managed teams are not new. Adequate information is documented and available to show that team-based operating systems consistently outperform traditional systems. The hiring of an experienced consulting and training firm to provide model design guidance, consultation, and training will reduce trial and error costs and help ensure a smooth transition and the achievement of the desired outcomes (Wheelan, 1994). Team-based high-performance involves management providing teams with the following five thing: identifying defined areas of responsibility where teams can be delegated some degree of management control, granting the authority to teams to make decisions about their groups work, providing teams with the resources and tools to continually improve their work, providing the training needed to install and maintain the new system, and providing the resources and education needed to enable employees to continually improve their job skills (Wheelan, 1994). While this sounds easy enough in practice, it is not. Most companies operate in certain well-established, traditional ways. Team-based high performance requires changes in virtually every arena of corporate life. Top management may not want to commit resources to prepare everyone for their new responsibilities. Managers, and sometimes workers, are reluctant to have decision-making authority shared between management  and employees. However, there is a new frontier available for executives interested in capturing the spirit and intellect of the total workforce for dramatic improvements in operating effectiveness. The experience of companies that are making the change to a high-performance workplace, and seeing an extraordinary return on their investment, provides compelling motivation to take the plunge. References Hambrick, D.C. (1994). Top Management Groups: A Conceptual Integration and Reconsideration of the Team Label. Research in Organizational Behaviour. Hare, A.P. (1992). Group, Teams and Social Interaction. Theories and Applications. New York: Praeger. Moorehead, Gregory, Griffin, Ricky W. (2001). Organizational Behavior: Managing People And Organizations. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company. Parks, C.D. Sanna, L.J. (1999). Group Performance and Interaction. Boulder, Oxford: Westview Press. Shaw, M.E. (1981). Group Dynamics: The Psychology of Small Group Behaviour. New York: McGraw-Hill. Wheelan, S.A. (1994). Group Processes. A Developmental Perspective. Boston, MA: Allyn and Bacon.

The Thomas Cook France Strategy On French Market Marketing Essay

The Thomas Cook France Strategy On French Market Marketing Essay In 2009, the international tourism industry generated more than 611 Billion Euros but it goes through a transformation cause to some externals factors. Firstly, the development of internet has particularly modified the context, permitting a disintermediation between the tours operators suppliers and the finals customers. On the other hand, Internet has also allowed the development of Pure players specialized in discount prices on the tourism industry. Because of this situation, the major tour operators groups and travel agents are developing new strategies. Their mains purposes are to satisfy the customers demand and to respond to the emergence of electronic markets system. Most of tours operators offer a wide range of holidays packages in a highly competitive market constantly in evolution. The Package Holidays (or all inclusive travels) is defined as a single package including at least travel and accommodation and sometimes other services. In France, its very popular because the customers like the value it provides, the security offered and the large choices of destination. Numerous group as TUI, Expedia, Go Travel, Club Medà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ are present in the French market but Thomas Cook is a very good model in term of strategy, positioning and growth Indeed, with 3 million annual customers in 2009 and a market share of 13%, Thomas cook France is a second major tour operator in France offering a large range of tourism and services through all over the world for all the budgets. Thanks to the acquisition of Jets tours and results in net progression, the group is now able to develop a strategy based on the innovation and on it network growth. In 2012, Thomas Cook wants to reach 20% of market share on the tour operating market and is interesting to explore the strategic position of the groups to achieve its objectives. Throughout this report, we are going to analyze the macro-environment of the group thanks to the Pestle Analysis and the five forces framework, as well as it strategic capability in order to understand it strategic fit and direction with Environment. 2 Task A The Macro- Environment To maintain profitability, the tours operators have to analyze their business environment to achieve high sales volume and to reduce the costs of the packages by allowing to the customers a great valuable experience. Nowadays, tourism is a dynamic industry, really vital for the international economy. Nevertheless, this industry is very dependent of the macro-environment mutations. Indeed, some elements can influence the stability of the market as the geopolitics conflicts, effects of terrorism and environmental issues for example. All this can have impacts on the tours operators performance as well as in their strategic direction. Its necessary for the managers to use the Pestle Analysis for understanding their industry situation. Thanks to this useful tool the tours operators will be able to consider its external environment before to make wrong choices and to put in place their strategies. 2.1 PESTLE Analysis Figure 1 Pestel Factor on the tourism industry 2.1.1 Political The political influence is certain. Since the 11 September attacks the global political situation has changed. These facts have had bad impacts on the tourism industry and on its different actors (travel agent, airline companies and tour operators). The precautions related to security, the struggle against the terrorism and the management of the crisis became majors factors which resulted to modifications and reorganization in the touristic activities. The procedures to enter on the territories are harder, controls in the airports have been reinforced and all this affect tourist perceptions. Cause to the deficit public, the French government will establish in 2012 a new Taxation policy on the internet subscription (source le Figaro). This decision can impact the purchasing power of the French people and influence their holidays destinations. Nevertheless, some events promoted the activities touristic like the Schengen area expansion or the enlargement of the European Union (Cyprus in 2004 which is a great destination for the French people, Turkey in a near future). 2.1.2 Economic All stakeholders are strongly influenced by the economic situation. Tourism is one of the most resilient industries in the world. The international tourists arrivals are estimated to have declined worldwide by 4% in 2009 to 880 millions. In the same year, international tourism generated 611 à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬ billion in export earnings according to the world tourism organization. Cause to the global economic crisis and the problem of the H1N1 Flue, the short distance travel have been privileged face up to the purchasing power diminution. Indeed, in France, only 20% of the population traveled in a foreign country and 46% didnt go on holidays cause to the diminution of their budget. The decreasing of the Euro and the unemployment augmentation can represent also a threat for the French customers. Moreover, the pressure on the fuel prices by the speculation, the conflicts or by the OPEP countries can cause majors impacts in the Tour operators strategies because the oil prices is also an important factor in the package holidays industry. 2.1.3 Social Nowadays, we can see a rise in tourism by elderly and by the student. News customers expectations emerge and influence the tour operators offers. With the development of cheapest holidays (particularly in Mediterranean countries), the travel abroad became banal and now, lot of people are looking for a consumption more responsible. The attitudes concerning safety and environment play from now on an important role in the customers decisions Moreover, brand consciousness has a good impact on the people. 2.1.4 Technological With the internet development, lot of actors offer competitive price and also at the last minute. This entire permit for the customers to choose and to compare The impacts are considerable because the online reservation and sales permits to eliminate staff, intermediaries and in this way tour operators have to adopt their strategies in order to dont lose their customers. Nevertheless, Internet is also a low barrier for potential entrants. Internet has also permitted the emergence of platform like Trip Advisor. Just in few seconds the customers have the power to destroy the reputation of a company. 2.1.5 Environment The sustainable tourism represents a good opportunity in the Tourism industry. We can see consumption more responsible and the augmentation of ethical packages holidays. For example, KUONI group realized a partnership with some organizations or associations to promote tourism more responsible. However, Tourism can contribute to the degradation of the environment (CO2 emission cause to the aviation contribution, green house effects, pressure on the local resources and water for some countries). Natural disasters like the tsunami, Caribbean hurricane, Iceland disruptive volcano have major negatives effects. At long term, these events can cause many problems on destinations. 2.1.6 Legal In France, the employment law concerning the working time (35 hour per week, 5 weeks of holidays) has permitted to the French people to travel more but on shorts distances which favored the development of short stays(Marrakech, Romaà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦). 2.2 Porters 5 Forces 2.2.1 Threat of new entrants is low High barriers to entry due to a high concentration Global players and strategic alliances: Merger and acquisition reinforce the positioning of big groups and let little chance to new distributors (maybe niche marketà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦). They propose competitive prices and lot of destinations thanks to economies of scales and integration strategies. Brand recognition: play an important role as barrier to new entrants. In the French market, more than 35% of market share is controlled by Thomas Cook and TUI. 2.2.2 Threat of substitutes is high Emergence of the information and communication technologies Internet product development  [1]  : Has permitted the online agency emergence which necessitate less investments so a repercussion on the final price The role of the tours operating is questioned. Now its possible to plan his trips without going through the traditional network. 2.2.3 The power of buyers High due to large choices of substitutes The buyer power is high: Easier access to substitutes / Customers can compare the offers and impose their conditions to have a better value for money Customer reactions: Have the possibility to give her opinion on the company performances and services after their trips = Necessity for the tours operators to managing the customer relation and to attract and keep it. 2.2.4 The power of suppliers High due to a disintermediation phenomenon E-Commerce development  [2]  : Suppliers (airline companies, hostelsà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦) can sale directly to the final customer in order to absorb  [3]  the intermediarys margin Difficulties for companies having a low market share to have power on supplies 2.2.5 Competitive Rivalry- High due to pressure on the margins and differentiation opportunities The French market of tour operating is fragmented and enough saturated. High fixed cost largely favors the top leaders and permits to realize concentration and integration strategies in order to pressure on the margins The big group came from internet are stronger and reinforce their position with acquisition and merger to propose competitive prices However, there are still opportunities for companies because: Low differentiation between the tours operators: Excepted Club Med, Voyageurs du Monde or Marmara for example, the tours operators compete on a same segment(midrange and up market) without a really distinct identity Even if, Thomas Cook and TUI have an important financial capabilities, the financial performances of the sector are average 2.3 Critical success factor Now, we can identify the critical success factors to conclude the macro-environment analysis. This latter are important key points to consider in order gaining a competitive advantage: The price is highly important even for the up market segment because the tourism industry know a strong pressure on the margins Offer a service of quality to the customer in order to be differentiate of the competition and to attract and keep the customer Control the costs in order to be competitive on the market Consider the ICT (information and communications technologies) to extend the customer base and to face up at the evolution of the market Partnerships and network 2.4 Opportunities and Threats OPPORTUNITIES THREATS Sales augmentation thanks to internet Online Agencies growth and development Employment law favorable for travels Disintermediation between the tours operators suppliers and the finals customers Opportunities in niche and up market segment Air traffic controls cause to terrorism Ecotourism development Easier access to substitutes Brand consciousness Increase of the oil barrel price Customers are looking for a service personalized based on the quality Purchasing power diminution / Global recession Low differentiation between the tours operators Natural disasters, green house effects Table 1: Opportunities and Threats 3 Task B The external factors play a major role on the tourism industry and its actors. Now that the macro-environment analysis has been realized, the second parts will deal with the strategic capabilities of Thomas Cook France. 3.1 Thomas Cook France Since 2000 the group is present on the French market and possesses a valuable brand image thanks to its first distribution network in France (660 agencies), a strong brand portfolio (Jet Tours, Club Jumboà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦) and values which place customers at the center of its preoccupations. In this second part of the assignment, competitive advantage, resources and competencies will be analyze in order to understand how the group can surmount the threats and exploit the opportunities of the market. 3.2 Value Chain 3.2.1 Primary activities The main activities generating added values for Thomas Cook is firstly the supply of packages followed by the composition of the offer and its arrangements according to their customers and orientation. Then, come an important key concerning the service based on sales experience and the manner to advice. To conclude, the after sales service in order to insure the customer satisfaction and his fidelization. 3.2.2 Support Activities Support activities provide support and added value to the primary functions improving the effectiveness and efficiency of the latter. If tour operator want be competitive in the market, he has to acquire informatics systems and infrastructure. Moreover, as Thomas Cook is an intermediary between suppliers and the customer, the management of the human resources is highly important to insure a support in the primary activities. In this context, the network and partnerships are essentials in order to offer competitive touristic products and services and Thomas cook is well positioned on this point with more than 150 partnerships (Club Med, Traveltainmentà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦) This value chain provides an overview of the functioning of a tour operator like Thomas Cook and will help the managers to understand which activities provide more value to be competitive. Infrastructure and informatics systems Human resources: formation, experience, destination Knowledge Development of partnerships and networks contacts SUPPLIES COMPOSITION OF THE PACKAGES HOLIDAYS MARKETING AND SALES SERVICE Figure 3 Thomas Cook France Value Chain 3.3 Resources and competences 3.3.1 Physical resources and capabilities Even if Thomas Cook is a service provider, the tangibles goods that it possesses take on a strategic importance. The most important factor for the group is the utilization of its most important physical resource: its 660 agencies on all the French territory. These agencies permit to develop a good quality in term of sales and advices but also permit to identify in live the demand evolution. Thomas Cook is the first tour operator which covers all the territory thanks to its distribution network. TUI Travel, the leader on the French market arrive in second position with almost 400 agencies. (à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦..). The most important factor for tour operator capabilities is the utilization of the distribution framework. More than 60 % of the sales are carried out by the agencies network. Moreover, Thomas cook possess a quite sophisticated IT infrastructure thanks to its partnership with TravelTainment. Thanks to a performing tool concerning the online reservation, the group proposes a high technological solution and became the first group in France to put in place such a partnership. 3.3.2 Human Resources and competencies Thanks to 1700 employees at the attention of the customers, Thomas Cook France attach an importance to human resources management The human resources policy of the group, emphases training and adaptation of teams to increase the professionalization and promote an operational decentralization. All the employees are positively aware of all the destinations. Nevertheless, the low level of wage can be a threat for the group in term of competitiveness. Indeed, in 2010, 40% of the employees have participated at a strike to demand augmentation face to positive results. One indicator for the human resources competency of Thomas Cook can be the Chairman knowledge,  skills, experience  and  behavior  used to improve performance of the group. Since 2006, the chairman of Thomas Cook, Denis Wathier, expert in E-commerce fulfils totally the group expectations in accordance with the market opportunities and threats (E-commerce evolutionà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦). He has refocused the strategy, developed the franchise network and internet sales and has permitted to recover profitability. He has a great valuable experience in tourism industry (see Table 3) and the frequency of chairman substitutions have been stop (source). Since 2006 THOMAS COOK CHAIRMAN 2004 2006 MAEVA Group strategy Director 2000 -2004 VOYAGES-SNCF.COM General Director 1996 -2000 PIERRE VACANCES TOURISME Marketing and Communication  Director 1995 -1996 CLUB MÉDITERRANÉE Marketing Director France   1990 -1995 UCPA Marketing and sales Manager Figure 4 Denis Waltier Experience, Thomas Cook France Chairman 3.4 Financial resources and competencies Since 2007, Thomas Cook have positive results (Table4) because in 2006 the net income was 6  300 000 à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬. Denis Waltier hopes for 2010 an operational profitability of 5 %. This profitability will be the result of a hard work concerning the staff control cost and package holidays costs. THOMAS COOK France 2008 2007 Evolution Net income 71  900 000 4.400.000 + 1534,09 % Gross operating profit -900.000 -1.700.000 + 47,06 % Table 2 Financial results Ratio THOMAS COOK France 2008 2007 Evolution Cash flow Staff costs 1.900.000 400  000 4.200.000 1.300.000 -54,76 % -69,23% Table 3 Financial Ratio Staff cost is a key performance in term of cost management. The difference is significant for 2007-2008. This entire permit to be more competitive on the market because there is a huge pressure on the margins. 3.5 Intangible resources and capabilities The intangible resource of Thomas Cook is its brand recognition and experience. The group has a huge brand image in France but also all around the world. In 2001, after only one year of experience in the French Market, Thomas Cook has had 31% of notoriety and overtook competitors based on the market since more than 10 years. In this segment, the group has a significant potential in term of competitive advantage. Moreover, the leadership position of Thomas Cook on the French market is explained by the values which animate its business: the quality of services and the customer satisfaction. 3.6 Overview about Threshold vs. Unique resources /Competencies RESOURCES COMPETENCIES Threshold competencies Financial Human Financial Human Physical Intangible Capabilities for competitive Advantage Intangible Physical Figure 4 Threshold vs. Unique Resources / Competencies The principal competitive advantage of Thomas Cook France is its reputation and brand name which are two elements which permit them to be the second leadership on the French market. With more than 150 partnerships, 4 billions of customers and a strong presence in the international market, the brand Thomas Cook has a good reputation and notoriety. 3.7. Evaluation of a sustainable competitive advantage The sustainable competitive advantage of Thomas Cook is its distribution network. With a multi-canal distribution strategy, the group is in advance on its competitors. Indeed, it has the best distribution capabilities in term of agencies and covers all the French territory. All this permit to gain market share and to have a great positioning in term of distribution. The group hopes to overtake TUI Travel in 2 years thanks to this advantage. 3.8 Summary of Strengths and weaknesses STRENGHTS WEAKNESSES Excelent brand image and notoriety Human resources: Decrease of the wages Competitive distribution network : 660 agencies High Chairman substitutions (4 in five years) Human competencies Financial resources: Negative gross operating profit Positioned on all the segments Low cost with Club Jumbo Mid-range with Up market with Jet Tours The group is late on the internet distribution network Intangible resources: Lack of identification on other Thomas Cook brands Strong partnership and relation with suppliers Net Income growth Table 4 Strengths and weaknesses 4. Task C 4.1 Strategic Direction Thomas Cook France follows a strategy based on its growth network and on innovation. The principal objective for Thomas Cook France is to control the costs in order to be competitive. Thomas Cook is conscious of the threats and opportunities on the market. Nowadays, the group wants to strengthen its positioning on the French market and developed new segments like its niche concept voyage trà ¨s privà ©e and Au coeur du monde. Thanks to the Ansoff matrix, we can analyse the strategic direction : Two main options Market penetration: Thomas cook has to gain market share if the group wants to achieve its objectives for 2012: 20% of market share in 2012. The group proposes competitive products and services. It has a strong power vis-à  -vis suppliers and thanks to its strong distribution network, he has in advance on these competitors. Now, the group has to increase their economies of scale It has to have a clear positioning on the market Horizontal integration: 4.2. Strategic Fit Opportunity /Threats SUITABLE Strategy  ? Comments Eco tourism product development X For the moment Thomas Cook doesnt take account of this opportunity in its strategy. It has strong partnership with non gouvernemental organizations like planà ¨te urgence but doesnt propose ethical packages holidays. Brand consciousness Æ’Â ¼ Thomas Cook France have a strong brand image and its communication strategy is based on its knowledge and experience Service personalized for the customers Æ’Â ¼ The customer is in the center of its preoccupations. Their only objective is to give at the customer an unforgettable experience. For example Thomas Cook France is the only company who propose an assistance in French in their village holidays Purchasing power diminution Æ’Â ¼ Thanks to its new low-cost product Le Club Jumbo, the group can face up to the global recession and propose substitution product and services to maintain their sales volume Internet development X The group is late on this segment. The sales represent only 11% of the sales. The Chairman has decided to invest in this network and wait for the next years Low differentiation between the tours operators X Even if the group is positioned on all the range, it has a lack of differentiation due to the numbers of its offers and its positioning strategy is not enough clear Online Agencies growth and development Æ’Â ¼ Appropriate strategy thanks to the development of an online platform Vacances trà ¨s privà ©es.com Green house effects/ Global Warming Æ’Â ¼ The sustainable development is a priority in the Thomas Cook strategy. Since 2007, the group put in place a strategy to reinforce their image : 1 package holiday bought = 1 tree planted in Indonesia Opportunities in niche market Æ’Â ¼ The group propose a new offer positioned on a niche segment: luxury package holidays at decreasing price scale Table 5 Strategic Fit of Thomas Cook Critical succes factors Match? Comments The price Æ’Â ¼ -Thomas Cook propose competitive prices thanks to its network and partnerships -Strong relations with the suppliers which permit economies of scale and to be competitive -Pricing policy Servive of quality Æ’Â ¼ Quality of the service is at the center of the preoccupations Before the travel: Assistance 24/24 and 7/7 by phone or internet During the travel : special assistance services After the travel: Customer satisfaction study Consider the ICT Æ’Â ¼ Partnerships Æ’Â ¼ 150 partnerships Control of the costs . Table 6 Thomas Cook France match with critical success factors References List Books Gerry Johnson, Kevan Scholes and Richard Whittington, 8th edition, Exploring Corporate Strategy, Text and cases, 2010 Gilian Dale, BTEC National, Travel and tourism, 2007 John Beech, Simon Chadwick, The business of tourism management, 2006 A.K Bahtia, The business of tourism: Concept and strategies, 2007 Viviane Tauran-Jamelin, Marketing du tourisme  : 1à ¨re et 2à ¨me annà ©e, 2002, France Internet Journal du net, 2006, Qui sont les championsà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦du voyage  ? 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