Going After Cacciato

Waking up from the American Dream in Going after Cacciato (Tim O'Brien) What passing-bells for these who die as cattle? Only the monstrous anger of the guns. Only the stuttering rifles' rapid rattle Can patter out their hasty orisons. (from Anthem for Doomed Youth, Wilfred Owen) Sassoon's epitaph â€Å"All Soldiers are dreamers† at the beginning of the novel functions as a signpost signaling the shape the novel will take. It does not merely deal with brutal horror, it is imagination. Reality and dream, fact and imagination are interwoven.The choice of Siegfried Sassoon suggests the Great War, the English experience of war, which can be compared to the American Vietnam experience, for it had the same impact: total disorientation and national trauma because of lost values. This novel then deals, in story and structure, with the war experience, but also with the US society's influence on that war through the ordinary soldier. The common grunt raised the question how to act proper ly in this horrible situation, in which he even did not know whether his presence was morally justified or not.Yet he concluded that, although he knew this war was just as insane as any other war, he should not run away from his duty. He stayed in the war, because of his personal obligations to society. Not out of idealism, but merely because his people expected him to. In novels dealing with Vietnam we often see veterans coming back into the American society (like in Caputo's Indian Country), but here we are confronted with the country itself. The novel Going after Cacciato deals with the journey to Paris an American soldier fantasizes about.It is November 1968 and Spec. Four Paul Berlin is in his observation tower in Quang Ngai, Vietnam, by the South China Sea, performing his tour of duty, which lasts 365 days for the common grunt, the foot soldier he is. He feels he has come to Nam in another way than soldiers had gone to the Second World War and to Korea. His lieutenant, Lt Cors on had been in Korea, and he was looking back to it with nostalgia: â€Å"In Korea, by God, the people liked us. Know what I mean? They liked us. Respect, that's what it was. And it was a decent war (†¦ The trouble's this: Nobody likes nobody. (p. 134) New were the blindness of war, the inertia, drugs were taking over, the creation of the new word â€Å"fragging†, i. e. killing a superiour officer It all illustrated this war was supposed to be different from those wars in which Paul Berlin's ancestors had fought, with in their mind the American dream. However, Vietnam was not different at all. Soldiers who enthousiastically started their participation in Vietnam, were as quickly traumatized by the killings, as any other soldiers. A war like any other war.Stories that began and ended without transition. No developing drama or tension or direction. No order. (p. 255) When Paul realizes this, the main question for him is how to determine his own place in it. As he does not know an anwer, the possibility, or rather the necessity of dreaming something else in the face of horror, is brought to Vietnam. He starts to think about Cacciato. This bloke fishes in the world's Great Lake Country where everybody says there is no fish. He dutifully goes through all the motions and all of a sudden het gets out, and Paul is intrigued.Paul's squad is sent to go after Cacciato. They are following the unmarked character and find him more and more almost a holy character, less defined as they go along. Finding him a friendly leader almost, they follow him. From soldier among soldiers, he develops into a friendly symbolical figure pointing the way. The seductiveness of Cacciato leads them on. He sheds his war implements. He is that annoying, different, seperate chap who bounces the ball, who nobody can trace and think of, who does not really exist, he has not even got a first name!Cacciato, that just fulfills. Going after Cacciato means â€Å"going after a dream† , following that dream, but it can also mean â€Å"going after to actually get that dream†. Time and time again there is this ambiguity of going on the hunt after Cacciato, or following the Italian on desertion; there is the choice between reality and dream for Paul. Cacciato, who nobody has actually seen, has hit upon an idea which his indeterminance made possible, and it speaks to the imagination. Paul goes after him, catches him, thus completing his mission, but lets Cacciato escape.Cacciato then leads them through the beautiful high country, through orderly Mandalay, normal Delhi, to a beheading in gruesome Tehran, all the way via Athens to Paris; the change of scenery symbolizes the hope Paul first feels, gradually turning into despair and total confusion. His experiences on the way show Paul that he cannot actually leave the war behind. â€Å"Can't get away from it,† Doc mumbled. â€Å"You try, you run like hell, but you just can't get away. † â€Å"It's the truth. † (p. 178) Arrived in Paris and having hugged, outbursts of rain and thunder presage the forthcoming difficulties.Reality soon makes the squad go and hunt down Cacciato again. Oscar, the streetwise Detroit black, insists on the Real Politik of getting Cacciato to save their own skins from punishment for desertion. They have to arrest Cacciato and abandon their dream, because society expects them to do so. â€Å"Oscar's right,† Doc said, and sighed. â€Å"You can't get away with this shit. the realities always cath you. † â€Å"But maybe. † â€Å"No maybes. Reality doesn't work that way. † (p. 275) Paul Berlin is not ready yet to stop Cacciato and lets him escape again. Choosing reality and turning his back on the dream are, however, close at hand.In the promotion scene Paul remembered himself answering questions to a committee that scared the living daylights out of him. â€Å"Why do we fight the war? † they asked him, but at the s ame time the committee told him the answer: â€Å"to win†. Very afraid, he repeated this and got the job. Paul then realizes society urges him to do as he is told, and not to think for himself, as society will do that for him. He has to conform and shut up. He knows this cannot be right, but on the other hand his fantasized run for Paris would have been an equally unhappy experience to him in reality.For fantasy it had been all along. His dream of going after the freedom and peace Cacciato led him to, had all been a dream within a dream. The latter dream was dreamt in order to avoid having to solve the dilemma of staying in or running away from the war. He finally woke up from that dream, for now he had found the answer: he had to go through it; trying to escape and fleeing from social obligations was not according to his background, his personality and his beliefs. â€Å"I fear what might be thought of me by those I love. I fear the loss of their respect.I fear the loss of my own reputation. Reputation, as read in the eyes of my father and mother, the people in my hometown, my friends. I fear being an outcast. † (p. 286) The novel is structured round three elements that are in accordance with the three different activities of Paul Berlin's conscience: reflection, imagination and memories; he is wondering how people die in the war, he thinks about going to Paris and he stands on guard. The killings of war and their stories are told non-chronologically, as if they happen at this very moment.Paul Berlin tries to get things straight, tries to get a chronological list of the men killed. He needs order, wants to keep it straight, but he has problems with this. The structure of the novel reflects the structure of any war: it is confusing and without order, sometimes a mess and going in different directions. The hero solves this problem by making up a story himself. It is a story in the third person, told as a reality, told almost as observed by an omni scient observer, who has no involvement; but at the same time we know they are Paul Berlin's imaginations.All of a sudden this woman comes up in the he-country of Vietnam; only in imagination a beautiful girl is possible there. By the end of the novel the reader knows that the squad never went after Cacciato any further than the hill, and that Paris only denoted the illusion of seeking the Far West. In reality they had always been in the Far East. The unlimited possiblities of the Imagination, as that of the United States and its American Dream as well, fail in the reality of the Vietnam War.Berlin, whose name points to the American commitment to saveguard freedom (by setting up the airbridge to the city of Berlin under siege of the Soviets in 1948) finds himself in a situation in which the values, ideals and intentions of the United States no longer have the absolute meaning they seemed to have in previous wars. In Paris, the heart of Western civilization, Paul Berlin lacked the co urage to free himself, even in his dreams, and reality took over: No question, it was all crazy from the start. None of the roads led to Paris. p. 203) He has to accept that he and his comrades would be the very deserters, who would flee from the original idea of the American Dream, that told them that the only way if you really wanted to overcome all problems is to keep on trying. Only Cacciato, who with his childish simplicity and innocence, with his optimism and his individual power embodies the mythical American loner, he frees himself from the society that tells him what to do. He is, however, lost, together with these values, in the Vietnam War.The American Dream had led young Americans into a place where they had no right to go. They were supposed to fight and defeat the Viet Cong to serve the American nation, but in this war, just like in any other, confusion and death were the real victors; the war served no American purpose at all. The lesson Paul learned from the Vietnam War was far from significant: â€Å"Don' never get shot†. â€Å"There it is,† said Eddie Lazzutti. â€Å"Never. Don' never get shot. † (p. 254) He might have learned that back home in the US as well.So in Vietnam this trail West was a fake one. In Fort Dodge you could build good solid houses, in the wilds of Wisconsin you fraternized with your father who told you, back there, to look for positive things in the war. In Nam, however, there is only the squad, and all of a sudden this â€Å"boom†, like in Billy Boy Watkins' story, the case of the grunt dying of fright. It is the ultimate war story, the story of Vietnam. So Paul starts dreaming his own dream, he rejects the American dream. He nevertheless does not reject reality.Like Arthur Dimmesdale in The Scarlet Letter by Nathanial Hawthorne, he does not want to give in to the code of society, but does not want to be lured into the moral wilderness either. He wants to stay part of that society, although he knows its claims are based on air. â€Å"†¦ it is this social power, the threat of social consequences, that stops me from making a full and complete break. † (p. 286) However nasty the war may be, it is better to take part than to be isolated, so Paul Berlin ends his dream, in order to face reality. bibliography: Going after Cacciato (Tim O'Brien) Walking Point: American Narratives of Vietnam (Thomas Myers)

Disadvantages and advantages of the Internet

Modern technologies are confidently striding in their development and advancement into our life. Technology and civilization are obviously a subject of tremendous scope and one which might be treated in a hundred ways. Technological progress is closely related to a man who in many ways is dependent on technology – conceived as utilities, machines, techniques, and sources of power. It is largely through organizations that technology influences modern man and modifies his ways of working or thinking or living.However, the relation between technology and a man is also tangible on an individual level, and the best example for such technology’s intrusion into man’s life is the Internet. Nowadays the Internet has become a new and convenient way to communicate with friends or very often find new ones, today it is a widespread way to conduct business, search for information or even a way to shop. It is an often case when the Internet is considered solely as a source of e ntertainment or source of wasting time, though initially it commenced as a research tool.It is this academic aspect that is becoming increasingly popular among students today. The introduction of the Internet has both beneficial and detrimental effect on our life. Though almost infinite capabilities of the Internet are widely exploited, most often people tend to use it to get information. Thanks to the Web people are enabled to get an access to information that is often unavailable in print.Furthermore, use of the Internet is convenient way to retrieve necessary information in contrast to resources stored in a library, as far as the Internet is easy of access every day at any time. And last but not least, the Internet as a search tool is clearly an interactive medium; the search for information through the Internet is facilitated by interactivity of some sites what makes them especially advantageous as a resource. Another substantial benefit of the Internet is the unparalleled possi bility to communicate.The e-mail service became an essential communication means for business needs. It is also an excellent and fast way to keep in touch with friends no matter how far they can be at the moment. In comparison to other communication means like postal services, telephone or fax the advantages of e-mail are obvious not only in its fastness, but also in its cost efficiency and accessibility – e-mail service is usually free and available at all hours of the day and night. Despite its numerous advantages the Internet is not absolutely free of weak points.Thus, alongside with useful and beneficial information the Internet sources, providing with the information about how to build bombs, sites that make pornography available to children are ubiquitous in the Web. In addition, too often the ease with which the information can be retrieved is not directly proportional to its quality and reliability. Many Internet users indicate as a flagrant problem the potential abil ity of dangerous strange fellows to make contact with children.The Internet as a source of many useful services like online banking, hotel reservation, shopping, or managing business also poses certain danger to its user. The loss of privacy is a major problem with the Internet in this regard. There is an obvious threat to have an unauthorized person willing to gain access to your financial records or personal information over the Internet. However, public apprehension about potential danger on the Internet is not strong enough to deny the evidence of increasing number of people who go online.Reasoning from this fact the conclusion can be derived that the advantages of using the Internet overweight its disadvantages. It is only necessary to approach these benefits with critical thinking. It is important to distinguish propaganda and commercially driven information from that which is fairly informative and useful. Finally, some regulations have to be made with regard to specific cont ent considered as threatening. Thus, the Internet is of great value as a facility that makes people’s life easier though its application requires scrupulous approach.

Inequality & It’s Characteristics

The perspective I have chosen is the social-conflict theory. The social-conflict paradigm is a framework for building theory that envisions society as an arena of inequality generating conflict and social change. This type of analysis focuses on the inequalities within our society and the conflict that they cause between the advantaged and the disadvantaged. The first characteristic is inequality. This refers to the unequal distribution of money, gender, class, and age. People who embrace the social-conflict perspective believe that gender, race, and class should not lead to favored treatment. An example of this would be single mothers who are living below the poverty line. This group of people is likely to remain at least as large as it is now at the present time and/or become larger in the coming decade. Many of these women do not have marketable job skills and few means to attain them due to their lack of finances. The second characteristic is social class conflict. Social class is often defined as the amount of education, income, and status people have. As we know, attaining education is one of the most effective avenues for ensuring employment and an increase in income, which adds up to higher status or social class. Single mothers most often do not have the income in order to pursue higher education. This renders them the title or designation of being one of the lower class groups in our society. If this remains to be status quo, then there is little hope for these single mothers living below the poverty line. The third characteristic is social change. The inequalities and conflict of social class is leading towards a social change. The federal and provincial governments have implemented different types of financial assistance for single mothers living below the poverty line. The government has made it easier for these women to apply for student loans so that they may pursue higher education and job skills. As well, grants have been made available to assist with the financial burden. The government has provided tax relief for lower income families and subsidized day care. In response to the outcries of single mothers and other advocates, the federal government now has a Women's Equality Minister. Canada also has a group called the â€Å"Women's Economic Network† that helps and supports single mothers in getting out of poverty. Analyzing this issue with the social-conflict paradigm has helped myself in understanding that there are inequalities in all aspects of society. When some inequalities are exposed and absolved, there are other ones following close behind. As society evolves, more inequalities are found and dealt with. This type of analysis has also helped me to see that there are resolutions to this problem of poverty with single mothers. It is a grim reality in Canada, but analyzing it from the social-conflict perspective shows that there ways in which we can rectify the problems surrounding this issue.

Marketing Campaign for a Business Dissertation Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 5000 words

Marketing Campaign for a Business - Dissertation Example The company is also planning to form a strategy that is physical handing business card to the client which can offer several deals to the regular users of the cab service. Tools which the firm aims to use have been analyzed in terms of their effectiveness through research. After research of these techniques used, the report aims to analyze and identify the most efficient technique. This will then be compared to the strategy of the competitors. The competitors are in the business from a longer period so their marketing strategies are fiercer as compared to that of A2Z minicabs. The firm will have to form the strategies which can cover the marketing objectives of the firm. The offering which the firm gives to the drivers is unique. This increases the efficiency of the drivers. The company only takes 25% of the sales from the drivers for the rent. This benefits the drivers in the slow season and it benefits the company when the sales are high. This is why the firm wishes to increase the customer base of the company. Higher sales mean higher return and profitability for the company. The online tools which the firms will use for the marketing of the services are Google Ad Word, Google Ad Sense, Google Analytics and the Search Engine Optimizer (SEO). These tools will prove to be sufficient for the marketing practices online. These techniques will help in saving the cost and in generating business for the firm. The physical mode of marketing and offering of the business cards will also prove to be efficient. TABLE OF CONTENTS INTRODUCTION 5 Company Description 5 Scope 5 Objectives 6 ANALYSIS AND DESIGN- USER STORY 6 RESEARCH 7 TECHNICAL & NON TECHNICAL RESEARCH 8 Secondary Data 8 Advantages of Secondary Data Analysis 8 Disadvantages of Secondary Data Analysis 9 COMPARE AND CONTRAST SIMILAR WEBSITES/ CAMPAIGNS 9 SWOT ANALYSIS 10 Strengths 10 The strength of A2Z mini cab is the availability of the resources and an efficient management which is increasing the outcome of the company. The major strengths of the company are: 10 Weaknesses 11 Opportunities 12 Threats 12 BUILDING THE MARKETING CAMPAIGN 13 Establishing the goals and objective 14 The objective of the company must be interlinked 14 Target market of the business must be defined 14 Value proposition and its consistency 14 Proper promotional tools 15 Measurement of the cost incurred 15 Integrated marketing 15 Internet marketing 16 TESTING OF THE MARKETING ACTIVITIES 17 Testing methods 19 COSTING- SUMMARY AND EVALUATION 20 GANTT CHART 21 MARKETING 22 Statistics Related To Online Marketing 22 Online Mode of Marketing 22 Google Ad Words 23 Google Ad Sense 23 Search Engine Optimization (SEO) 23 Google Analytics 24 Physical Tools for Marketing 24 INTRODUCTION Company Description An A2Z Minicab is a small firm owned by Jason Devlin. It is located in Croydon which is situated in the South of London. The firm is facing fierce competition in the industry. This is a small scale business which only has 50 drivers. The business is steadily growing in terms of sales. The business is operating since the last three years. The firm plans to establish and grow by increasing the customer base. The workforce of the firm is smaller comparatively to other firms operating in the same business but the pay structure is unique. The cabs are offered to the drivers on the agreement of charging 25% of the daily sales. This relaxes the drivers because they only have to pay 25% of the sales to the employers. In the days when

Incentive of the employer and employee Research Paper

Incentive of the employer and employee - Research Paper Example Through incentives employees remain motivated to perform and it gives them the opportunity to get a little extra something other than their annual pay (Fisher, 26). Employer is a person or institution that hires workers or employees, whereas an employee is a person in service of an employer under contract of hire. The employer has the power to direct the employee in the manner the work has to be done (Fisher, 87). Employee incentive program has become a significant element in an HR toolbox. Employee performance has become a very important part for the success of the company due to the competitive pressure and increase in demands. To develop, launch and implement an effective employee incentive program it is important to identify the goal that leads the organization forward towards success. The incentive program should be such that it stimulates employees to achieve company goals. It should also have the potential to grow and increase the job satisfaction and employee morale. The program recompenses and emphasizes actions that have an encouraging influence on the company. Following are some key points to develop an effective employee incentive program (Rosenbloom, 357). Types of performance and behaviors that are to be encouraged need to be clear. Regular and ongoing reminders have to be provided in order to keep the enthusiasm high. The program should be continuously evaluated and modified so as to ensure that it continues to be effective (Rosenbloom, 398). First step is to create a brief survey and distribute to employees asking for incentive ideas. Evaluate the responses in terms of tangible or intangible rewards. The survey should ask questions about recognition and rewards without differentiating between monetary and non-monetary rewards. Employees are to be provided with clear choices in the survey in order to get clear answers. Questions should be asked to check the employee preference of a cash reward over a personalized inscription

Answer the questions in Bold Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 4

Answer the questions in Bold - Essay Example A single level of provider, or individual teams within a level, can provide assistance when others are unavailable or inappropriate. Responses appear to have improved since 2001 (Inglesby, 2011), but there are still concerns that need to be addressed. As the scale of a disaster increases, so does the involvement of multiple groups. The call for coordination begins at the instant that more than one team is attending to an emergency. Without properly integrating available services, there is little chance of providing the best possible assistance to those affected by the situation. Poorly strategized emergency services will cause overlaps and gaps in the allocation of personnel (Born et al., 2011). This deficiency would result in victims not receiving the appropriate help when it should otherwise be available (Geale, 2012). Poor skills management is also possible within a single unit, but is exponentially damaging as more teams become part of the system. Higher levels of emergency response will be activated as the situation increases in severity and, usually, in geographic impact. The damage caused by the faulty management of disaster assistance is severe when it occurs throughout high-level supervising authorities. The regular eval uation of these systems is a necessary step to ensure the minimization of losses due to emergency situations. The integration of emergency services at multiple levels is adequately but not perfectly supported by current United States policies. Local officials and organizations handle most emergencies, limiting the complexity of cooperative management and allowing for familiarity to develop between providers. When the state becomes involved it takes control of the operation while supporting and coordinating community efforts, which is appropriate given the duties and capabilities of state governments. Federal intervention is only

Why Is Teen Pregnancy So High Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Why Is Teen Pregnancy So High - Essay Example Many young girls grow up unaware of the dangers that may await them in the outside world. In order to be fully prepared for what may come in their teenage years, young girls need to be taught the dangers and consequences of teenage pregnancy. If this knowledge is obtained before an opportunity arises, then there is less of a chance of pregnancy occurring. Some people would say that talking about subjects such as sex only increases its frequency, yet most international studies show that teen pregnancy rates decrease in conjunction with proper teaching. Even if a girl is unable to avoid a situation, she may be able to make herself safer due to her knowledge about the issue. Another reason why teenage pregnancy rates can be so high is because of poor parenting. Education starts in the home, and as such, parents should take responsibility for their kids. Many children live in single-parent homes, which can be tough, yet there is no excuse for not properly forewarning someone of the effects of teenage pregnancy. As parents are the closest people to a young child, they are more likely to be listening to because of the influence they hold over their children. A parent who is a good role model will affect the way their kids think over certain issues, one of which is teenage pregnancy. Finally, perhaps the most significant cause of teenage pregnancy is peer pressure. Young people are always so concerned with what their friends or peers are saying about them. This is a stage in someone’s life where parents do not have the same hold over them. Friends influence the decisions and feelings of most teenagers because no one wants to look out of place. Even if someone’s peers are not encouraging someone to make a bad choice, it may be that the person feels like their friends do.

Alcohol Effect on the Human Liver Research Paper

Alcohol Effect on the Human Liver - Research Paper Example The liver has often proven to possess the capability of regenerating itself, but the effects of alcohol eventually overpower and wear it down, resulting in Damages are difficult to reverse. The alcohol consumption has several immediate and some durable effects. Although it is true that moderate drinking is beneficial to an individual’s health, such as reduce the risk of heart problems, too much consumption of alcohol can be detrimental to an individual’s health. Alcoholism is probably the most prevalent drug abuse in the US currently. In 1995, research by the American Bureau of statistics exhibited that 67% of all population over the age of 12 admitted having drunk beers within the previous year. Surprisingly almost fifty percent of them admitted to having drunk alcohol beverages within the past month. It has been implied that the reason for the rise of alcohol users, is that the beverage is pleasant, relaxing and is regarded as a social beverage by many. Consuming of a lcohol beverages occasionally may not have serious damage, however, drinking alcohol in excess can seriously destroy a person’s liver, resulting to conditions that are dangerous and potentially fatal. When an individual takes alcohol, the person feels euphoric in that the individual experiences a rush in the body that causes them to be happy (Black, 2010). This effect of alcohol on the human body makes alcohol a popular drink among individuals in the society. The use of alcohol has long-term effects on a person’s health and one of the most affected organs in the body is the liver. The liver has a critical function in the body’s metabolism in that it processes the food that we take in the digestive system.

Finance Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Finance - Essay Example standard deviation. GARCH model is used in mathematical finance for evaluating derivative securities. GARCH model works on the assumption that underlying volatility is consistent throughout the life of the derivative and do not respond in the changes of its price (Chance & Brooks, 2009. Ans-1) Six Series Co integrate In order to complete the same, we have to recognize and consider below mentioned table and graph, Â   Oil Gasoil JK Naph LSFO HSFO Mean 41.93075824 49.91961538 51.13502198 41.9046 34.92238 31.07245 Ans-2) Sign of Contagion From the analysis, it is clear that the mean price of JK is the highest as compared to other pricing of oil. The mean price of the crude oil was 41.93, which is comparatively lower than that of other line of services, but it deems extremely beneficial for the company as a whole (Chance & Brooks, 2009. Contingent test has found that the price of JK would remain the same for a long span of time, merely due to low fluctuation in the market. The highest f luctuation among the prices has been found among the prices of oil and Gasoil. By considering the same, it is also analyzed that HSFO has the lowest price provision (average) as compared to other sections. ... Financial markets are those places where organizations and individuals can trade commodities, securities in bulk. Financial markets have both specialized and general markets. In specialized market a single commodity is dealt where as general market trade different commodities (Chance & Brooks, 2009. A number of studies have been conducted over the relationship between crude oil and its impact on financial market in different regions and economies. These economies include both oil dominant and non oil dominant countries. As a result different interpretations were given by various researchers of their analysis conducted (Chance & Brooks, 2009. (Park, 2007) analyzed the impact of oil supply and demand gap and its impact on the real price of crude oil in stock market of U.S. The total impact of oil demand and supply is only on the one fifth of the stock market of U.S. It was found that the crude oil fluctuation in the international market has a greater impact on U.S. stock market (Chance & Brooks, 2009. Istemi Berk & Berna Aydogan investigated the impact made on Turkish stock market returns by the variations created in crude oil price. Vector autoregression model was applied on the secondary data of crude oil prices and National Stock Exchange of Istanbul Index (ISE-100) over 21 years of data between 1990 to 2011. The study also looks into the association between stock market returns and oil prices under global liquidity conditions (Chance & Brooks, 2009. The Turkish stock market was slightly influenced by the local prices and was greatly dependent on the global liquidity conditions (Crude Oil Price Shocks and Stock Returns: Evidence from Turkish Stock Market under Global Liquidity Conditions, 2012). Maghyereh & Al-Kandari

Manager Roles Essay Example for Free

Manager Roles Essay 1. â€Å"A Manager’s role is dynamic and complex.† Discuss this statement, supporting your answer with reference to appropriate theory and practice. Manager’s role is to allocate resources and directs the operations, by making the best use of human and financial and material resources to the organization. Managers are required to do planning, organizing, commanding, coordinating and controlling. Fayol’s theory of a management function which is the POCCC allows the organization to have more effective and efficient in goods and services than other competitors. The dynamic and complex work of a manager is based on interpersonal, informational and decisional roles. Given the above roles according to Henry Mintzberg, the managers are placed in different areas to perform individual task or multiple tasks. Interpersonal roles require a manager to deal outside business like as figurehead who represent as a representative of the company to attend outside meetings and gathering. Commanding is required in manager to direct the department to meet its requirement and coordinating the events to ensure the process of the movement. A good manager spends more time outside his office than in his office, allowing himself to liaise to outside and deemed helpful to the organization. A manager monitors his/her own department by understanding the people involving him/herself to the conversation and receiving the information. Being a the head person, allow the first-hand news or information to receive and screen, hence given the choice of disseminating down to the people in the organization. A good manager will decide whether is appropriate to share and distribute information which is useful to others. Company spokesperson can be a manager to relate official company information to inside and outside of the organization like publicity and benefits of the company. Mainly managers are in this role which is the decisional role; allow him/her decision to plan the changes in th e good and services. Restructuring of the entrepreneurial maybe heavily depends on the managers which refer to the top management. Managers must have the power to control the internal factor like strikes, which company cannot afford stoppage of work. Important factor of dealing customer is required to ensure satisfaction of the customers. Manager must be reasonable to determine the pricing of their products sold to the customers and negotiating with them in a professional way. A good manager take cares of their people by allocating sufficient time and personnel in the organization. Pay has to be determined accordingly to individual’s work and ensuring the fairness among the fellow workers.

MNCs in China: Recruitment and Selection Practices

MNCs in China: Recruitment and Selection Practices Research Proposal: The Study of Recruitment and Selection Practices of MNCs in China As an increasing number of organizations enter the global business arena, the number and extent of business representatives crossing international borders has surged dramatically (Graf, 2004). It is, thus, imperative for multinational corporations (MNCs) to attract, select, develop and retain employees who can live and work effectively outside of their own national borders (Caligiuri, 2000). Simultaneously, accompanied by the increase of local employees, these MNCs have begun to recruit qualified members from local labour market in their host-countries. In China, owing to these MNCs competitive salary and good work condition, the recruitment often attracts many peoples attention. However, Chinas historical development, political structure and culture, international relations influence its economy and foreign trade. Also, Chinas special infrastructure and energy structure, legal framework pose a challenge to business. Therefore, some standardized recruitment and selection methods dev eloped in home country have to be modified according to Chinese situation. In that case, the study of recruitment and selection practices of MNCs in China, actually, illustrates how to develop IHRM practices under conditions of high cultural and institutional distance between partners. LITERATURE REVIEW Nowadays, a number of studies have examined the degree to which subsidiary HRM practices resemble those of host country organizations, an indication of transfer of practices from the MNC parent company to overseas units (e.g. Lu Bjorkman, 1997; Wang, 2002; Dana, 2005). These body researches have identified a range of host country, MNC home country, MNC, and subsidiary factors associated with the pattern of HRM in overseas units. However, these literatures speak more to describe the continuity and change between home- host-country in strategic level and analyze the different patterns of HRM in foreign subsidiaries than to concentrate on one area of HRM practices in a specific and systematic way and the means of transfer. Additionally, the limited empirical work that has been carried out on the processes of HRM transfer has typically adopted an MNC control and coordination perspective to describe and explain how HRM is diffused across borders, often revealing the use of multiple mech anisms both direct and unobtrusive in nature (Myloni Mirza, 2004). In depth case studies, on the other hand, have typically focused on a broader range of mechanisms or HRM practices, but have typically concentrated only on cultural or power relations explanations behind their usage (e.g. Martin and Beaumont, 1999; Ferner et al, 2005). In light of the above discussion, my study will focus on recruitment and selection practices of MNCs in China through which detailed practices are transferred to foreign subsidiaries. The goals of this research are 1) to describe these recruitment and selection practices how to manipulate in their Chinas subsidiaries in a specific and systematic way, especially concentrate on their recruitment and selection methods in practical, 2), to analyze the means and influences of transfer these recruitment and selection practices to Chinas HRM and 3) to find out why there are systematic differences found in the use of integration mechanisms for different recruitment selection practices. As Gary (2006) said that there was basically no enterprise-level human resource management in China between 1949 and the 1990s. Until now, in terms of selection and recruitment process, Chinese enterprises do not have systematic policies as complicated as those of MNCs. When MNCs import the selection and recruitment process from their parent company, actually, they also introduce the advanced selection and recruitment concept to China. However, they have to pursue recruitment rules in line with the local legislations. Therefore, studies on the manipulation and transfer of recruitment and selection practices in MNCs will come to further recognise the pertinence of the individual HRM practices and the HR function. Furthermore, it is significant and practical to study the MNCs recruitment methods in China, which can help us to have a further understanding to the IHRM and the development of the HRM in China. This study seeks to fill the gap by evaluating the MNCs recruitment and selectio n practices in China and provide a new perspective to Chinese local enterprises in how to introduce these practices and manipulate them. From it we can know in what aspects the MNCs recruitment and selection practices are more rational and scientific than Chinese local enterprises. RESEARCH QUESTIONS The purpose of the paper is to determine and empirically examine the multinational corporations how to manipulate recruitment and selection practices in China. For the purpose of this paper I present followed questions in order to exhibit a panorama of MNCs recruitment and selection status quo in China. The first question is Who do they want? Large multinational corporations, along with domestic Chinese companies, are finding that acquiring talented employees is more than ever, one of their greatest challenges in China. Strangely, China has long been known as a largest source of labor. Why these MNCs still feel the shortage of employees? What kind of people do these MNCs want? Do they have some common characteristics? Do they have some different requests when they recruit people in China and from their parent country? Therefore, the first step is to define the job and the person firstly, namely, how to determine a job vacancy in these MNCs? How many steps to determine it? All of these relevant questions will be addressed in this part. It will portray an explicit scene to readers about the preliminary phase demand of MNCs recruitment in China. The second question is How do they attract the people they want? As Iles and Salaman (1995) said, the actual channels or vehicles used to attract candidatesseem to influence whether the right kind of applicants are encouraged to apply, and to persist in their application. Organisaitons can choose from a wide variety of methods, including the use of informal personal contacts, formal personal contacts, notice boards, advertising, and external assistance. Which methods are the most popular and useful? How to choose the methods? Is it relevant to the level of the vacancy and its importance within the organization? The third question is How do they identify them? The stages described above constitute recruitment, and are primarily concerned with generating a sufficient pool of applicants. The focus now shifts to selection, and the net stages concentrate on assessing the suitability of candidates. There is no denying saying that various selection techniques are available, and a selection procedure will frequently involve the use of more than one. The most popular techniques will be outlined in my paper, and their validity, effectiveness and cost also will be discussed in Chinas context. Are they still useful? Are they need to be modified when introduce them to China? The last question is How do they know they have got it right? The final stage of the recruitment and selection process concerns measurement of its success, both qualitatively and quantitatively. ACAS guidelines suggest that any recruitment and selection system should be based on three fundamental principles: effectiveness, efficiency and fairness (ACAS, 1983). Furthermore, we should not forget that ethical issues arise concerning the treatment of people during recruitment and selection which always make the recruitment and selection be more complexity. Therefore, what methods could have been used to monitor the effectiveness of the recruitment campaign? And what could be done to integrate national and regional recruitment? RESEARCH DESIGN Research Approach To avoid analysis paralysis, it is important that the business analyst not delve into too much detail too early in a project. It is more important to understand the forest than worrying about each and every tree. Of key importance is not to fall into the black hole of technical detail and exception (Yin, 2003). Yet, as discussed by Whetten (1989), two different approaches may be taken, or combined. In the first, the researcher works within an explicit theoretical framework. Therefore, a theoretical framework becomes a researchers first cut at making some explicit theoretical statements (Miles Huberman, 1994). This approach is known as deduction. In the second, the researcher tries not to be constrained by prior theory and instead sees the development of relevant theory, propositions, and concepts as a purpose of the project. This approach is generally known as induction. However, it is often the case that much research starts with testing a given theory or literature bust also seeks to generate new insights into these topics possibly by investigating this in different contexts and therefore, this research is iterative in its approach to theory. It adopts a flexible approach by seeking to use the literature but extend this to different research settings to generate new insights in order to modify, adapt or qualify the existing theory on the field of study. In that case, in this research both approaches will be combined since the main intent is to study a relatively un-researched topic -from the practical manipulating perspective to study the MNCs recruitment and selection practices in the background of China, within the bounds of an already well-established research program (theory of recruitment and selection practices in MNC). Hence, I choose not to ignore previous work in the field. I intend to develop a conceptual model built on over ten years of research that is a conceptual advance on the literature. The model of the participation context within which MNCs in China operated is comprised of at least four sets of issues. These issues will be then used to develop the initial coding scheme for the qualitative analysis of data. However, given that this study is aimed at theory building, not theory testing, the theoretical framework and conceptual model will be used solely as a guide. It help make sense of what occurred in the field, e nsured that important issues will not be overlooked, provided a set of provisional constructs to be investigated, and guided my interpretation and focus. Subsequent analysis iterations can then delve into the exception situations and details. This use of the theory accords with Klein Myers (2001) recommendation that the empirical research needs to be guided by (or at least informed by) one or more social theories. Research Inquiry After this initial review of the research questions and research approach, the research inquiry most appropriate to the problem would be descriptive and exploratory. Descriptive research, also known as statistical research, describes data and characteristics about the population or phenomenon being studied. Descriptive research answers the questions who, what, where, when and how (Kotler et al., 2006). The object of descriptive research is to portray an accurate profile of persons, events and situations. Exactly, the first step of my research is to establish an explicit profile of these MNCs how to manipulate the recruitment and selection practices in China. Exploratory research, which also will be used in my dissertation is a type of research conducted because a problem has not been clearly defined (Kerlinger, 1986). Exploratory research helps determine the best research design, data collection method and selection of subjects. Given its fundamental nature, exploratory research ofte n concludes that a perceived problem does not actually exist. The results of exploratory research are not usually useful for decision-making by themselves, but they can provide significant insight into a given situation (Kotler et al., 2006). In my dissertation, I will focus on through clearing about the MNCs manipulation practices on recruitment and selection in China exploring new insight to this topic. When framing descriptive questions in research we must clarify our unit of analysis. It is the major entity that is being analyzed in the study. It is the what or whom that is being studied (Earl, 2005). The unit of analysis in my dissertation is group, the MNCs subsidiaries in China. Research Design Exploratory research often relies on secondary research such as reviewing available literature and/or data, or qualitative approaches such as informal discussions with consumers, employees, management or competitors, and more formal approaches through in-depth interviews, focus groups, projective methods, case studies or pilot studies (Kotler et al., 2006). And the descriptive research describes characteristics of a population on phenomenon and tries to understand the nature of the problem. Therefore, the secondary research and survey are the main research design. Secondary data, which is historical data mainly include previously collected, census of population and literature survey. And the survey design is most frequently associated with deductive strategy because it is often based on testing a theory. As Saunders et al (2007) note that surveys allow for the collection of a large amount of data from a sizable population. The survey data also allows a lot of control over the data an d makes generalizations by using sampling procedures rather than surveying the entire population. The type of survey is cross-sectional studies (also known as cross-sectional analysis), which form a class of research methods that involve observation of some subset of a population of items all at the same time, in which, groups can be compared at different sections with respect of independent variables (William, 2006). Research Site The type of organization that I would study is the subsidiary of MNC in China, especially the top 500 companies. Compared to other companies, these top 500 companies always have a good reputation at their mature, systematic and advanced management techniques. These companies almost spread all over the economic sector in China and produce important influences to Chinese economy and society. Furthermore, owing to these top 500 MNCs more competitive salary and good work condition, their recruitment often attracts many peoples attention. Most of these companies are concentrated on Chinese big cities, such as Shanghai and Beijing. The theoretical sampling is the sampling way I will choose. The goal of theoretical sampling is not the same as with the probabilistic sampling; the researchers goal is not the representative capture of all possible variations, but to gain a deeper understanding of analysed cases and facilitate the development of analytic frame  and concepts  used in their r esearch (Charles, 1994). RESEARCH METHODS There are mainly two research methods would be used in my dissertation. The first is the review of current relevant articles focusing on recruitment and selection practices in MNCs. It will help me to build the main theory framework of the dissertation. This method is often the most feasible one, particularly for students or others with restricted time and resources, and can legitimately be used provided its limitations are clearly understood and stated. Furthermore, it also has the bigger and more representative sample in related field. I will screen papers by recruitment and selection and by numerous variants of keywords, focusing specifically on China, MNC, assessment center, and work sampling etc.. Source papers will be chose just from refereed research studies, surveys and empirical reports conducted by companies official website, local offices of international HR consulting firms, and articles from professional journals and news sources. The second research method is the survey, which is the most important source of supplementary material to the dissertation. That is, based on the theory framework, the results of survey can be a supplement to these theories and provide practices examples to them. These surveys covered five areas, including the recruitment and selection process, the recruitment methods, the selection methods, the recruitment and selection principles, and other archival documents will also be collected. Furthermore, it also can provide some new insight to the dissertation through the open-ended interviews. Here, personal interviews, telephone surveys, mail surveys, and computer direct interviews will be conducted. In-depth survey, based on semi-structured questionnaires and open-ended interviews with general managers, HR directors, and employees in HR Department will be carried out over a period of two months. Now, there are a lot of chat groups on the internet through QQ (the most popular chat softwar e in China) and MSN. Once you join these HR professional chat groups, you can know hundreds of people who are engaged in the work related HR and get the contact way of them, most of time is email address. Through these chat groups I have known a lot of people who are working in different subsidiaries of MNCs in China. Some of them are employee in HR department, but some of them even are the HR directors in these company. Furthermore, some of my pre-classmates and friends are working in MNCs, they also can help me to finish the surveys. Therefore, I intend to distribute approx 400 questionnaires through email and at least 20 interviews through face-to-face, computer, or telephone to achieveà ¯Ã‚ ¼Ã…’ from June through August of 2008 in Beijing and Shanghai. Compared to the telephone interview, face-to-face interview, and computer direct interview, email surveys are both very economical and very fast. It allows the respondent to answer at their leisure, rather than at the often inconvenient moment they are contacted for a phone or personal interview. For this reason, they are not considered as intrusive as other kinds of interviews. However, many people dislike unsolicited email even more than unsolicited regular mail. (Selwyn and Robson,1998). Furthermore, in order to get more detail data, face-to-face interview is necessary. Longer interviews are sometimes tolerated. Particularly with in-home interviews that have been arranged in advance. People may be willing to talk longer face-to-face than to someone on the phone. Considered some inconvenient factors, telephone interview and computer direct interview also can be a supplementary method. METHODOLOGICAL CONSIDERTATIONS The empirical paradigm holds assumptions based on the supposition that an external world of objects exist, that the assumptions can be measured independently of one another, that these objects are lawfully interrelated, and that the relationships are mediated by a real force in objects that is called causation (Cook, 1983). In order to determine causal relationships in a test environment, generalizability is of utmost importance (Runkel and McGrath, 1972). Yet if I wish to generalize my findings, scope and variance must be emphasized generalizability. One solution to this problem is to perform a greater number of observations, which has a dual effect: first, it increases the sample population, which heightens generalizability; second, precision can be reasonably maintained because the random errors between observations will average out. However, no matter how carefully these three forms of generalizability are applied, there is no absolute guarantee that the results obtained in a stu dy will occur in every situation outside the study (Firestone, 1993). Reliability refers to the degree of consistency with which instances are assigned to the same category by different observers or by the same observer on different occasions. As mentioned in above, through studying MNCs recruitment and selection practices in China, I hope it could be a good reference to Chinese local enterprise when they introduce and use these recruitment and selection methods. Therefore, I should consider more related environmental and social factors in a big background. Furthermore, in order to enhance the reliability of study, all of the respondents I will choose are those who are working in subsidiaries of MNCs in China. Generally, in qualitative research measurement validity is considered to be high because the researcher is close to the research setting and is responsible for data collection. Therefore, in qualitative research validity always relates to whether there is a good match between researchers observations and the theoretical ideas they develop (Bryman, 2001) On the one hand, I choose to use the literature review to build the basic framework of the dissertation, which can make sure I can get the most reliable, extensive and completed data. On the other hand, questionnaires and interviews can help me to get new insight and practical examples to this topic. Furthermore, there are a lot of conventional approaches to enhance the validity of qualitative data. Generally, theoretical sampling which I intend to use in this dissertation can be viewed as a technique of data triangulation: using independent pieces of information to get a better fix on something that is only partially known or underst ood (Charles, 1994). Also, the Refutability Principle which I will obey stresses that we must avoid the temptation to jump easily into conclusions just because there is some evidence that seems to lead in an interesting direction. Instead, we must subject the evidence to every possible test. Compared to other practices, recruitment and selection are always assumed to have high compatibility between countries because they are characterized by the technical ingredients attached to various positions (cf. Anderson, 1992; Watson, 1994). However, owing to directly utilizing some commonly-applied western theoretical frameworks and instruments, findings may not fully detect the cultural nuances in the Chinese employees; the narrowly geographically-concentrated sampling and access may prevent generalization of findings to the broad Chinese context. Obviously, with the limitation of the data, additional research is needed to develop the topic further, which until now has been largely black-boxed. References Anderson, G. (1992) Selection. In Towers, B. (ed.) Handbook of Human Resource Management. Oxford: Blackwell, pp. 167-85. Bryman, A. (2001), Social Research Methods, Oxford: Oxford University Press, pp. 271. Caligiuri, P. M., (2000), Selecting Expatriates for personality Characteristics: A Moderating Effect of Personality on the Relationship Between Host National Contact and Cross-Cultural Adjustment, Management International Review, Vol. 40, No. 1, pp. 61-80. Charles C. Ragin (1994), Constructing Social Research: The Unity and Diversity of Method, Pine Forge Press. Cook, T.(1983). Quasi-experimentation: Its ontology, epistemology, and methodology. In G. Morgan (Eds.), Beyond method: strategies for social research , Beverly Hills, CA: Sage, pp.78. Dana B. Minbaeva (2005), HRM practices and MNC knowledge transfer, Department of International Economics and Management, Copenhagen Business School, Copenhagen, Denmark, Emerald Group Publishing Limited, Vol. 34 No. 1, pp. 125-144. URL: www.emeraldinsight.com/0048-3486.htm. Earl Babbie (2005), The Practice of Social Research, 10th edition, Wadsworth, Thomson Learning Inc., Ferner, A., Almond, P., Colling, T. (2005), Institutional theory and the cross-national transfer of employment policy: the case of workforce diversity in US multinationals, Journal of International Business Studies, Vol. 36 No.3, pp.304-21. Firestone WA. (1993) Alternative arguments for generalizing from data as applied to qualitative research. Educational Researcher 22:pp.16-23. Gary Dessler (2006), Expanding into China? What Foreign Employers should know About Human Resource Management in China Today? Graf, A., (2004), Screening and training inter-cultural competencies: evaluating the impact of national culture on inter-cultural competencies, International Journal of Human Resource Management, Vol. 41, No. 1, pp. 31-44. Iles, P., Salaman, G. (1995), Recruitment selection and assessment, in Storey, J. (Eds), Human Resource Management: A Critical Text, Routledge, London.,. Kerlinger, F.N., (1986), Foundations of behavioral research, Holt, Rinehart Winston, New York. Klein, H., Myers, M., (2001), A Classification Scheme for Interpretive Research in Information Systems, chapter 9 from Trauth (2001), 218-239. Kotler, P, Adam, S, Brown, L Armstrong, G (2006), Principles of Marketing , 3rd edn, Prentice Hall, Frenchs Forest, NSW Russell K. Schutt, Investigating the Social World, 5th ed, Pine Forge Press Lu, Yuan and Bjorkman, Ingmar (1997) HRM practices in China-Western joint ventures: MNC standardization versus localization, The International Journal of Human Resource Management, 8: pp. 614 628. Martin, G. and Beaumont, P. (1999) Co-ordination and Control of Human Resource Management in Multinational Firms: the Case of CASHCO, International Journal of Human Resource Management, 10, 1: 21-42. Miles, M., Huberman, A., (1994), Qualitative Data Analysis: An Expanded Sourcebook, Sage, Thousand Oaks.. Myloni, B Mirza H.R. (2004), Host country specific factors and the transfer of Human Resource Management practices in Multinational Companies, International Journal of Manpower, vol. 25 (6), pp. 518-534. Runkel. P and McGrath.J, Research on human behavior: A systematic guide to method, Holt, Rinehart Winston, New York (1972). Saunders, M, Thornhill. A, Lewis. P (2007) Research Methods for Business Students (Fourth Edition), Prentice Hall, pp. 138. Selwyn, N. and Robson, K. (1998) Using E-Mail As A Research Tool, Social Research Update, issue 21. Wang, Cindy (2002), Human Resource Management in Transition: A study of MNEs in China, Manchester Metropolitan University Business School Working Paper Series, October. Watson, T. (1994) Recruitment and Selection. In Sisson, K. (ed.) Personnel Management. Oxford: Blackwell, pp. 185-252. Whetten, D., (1989), What Contributes a Theoretical Contribution?, Academy of Management Review, Vol 14, No 4, pp 490-495. William M. K. Trochim (2006), Research Methods Knowledge Base, Web Center for Social Research Methods. URL: http://www.socialresearchmethods.net/kb/timedim.php Yin, R., (2003) Case Study Research: Design and Methods, 3rd Ed, Sage, Beverly Hills, California

Effects Of Rising Fuel Prices Economics Essay

Effects Of Rising Fuel Prices Economics Essay This research project is being written because currently the UK is experiencing a recession, which has escalated the price of fuel and is affecting the supermarkets. The research will examine the impact of fuel prices on different supermarkets and their approaches taken to boost sales and improve competitiveness. The intended reason for presenting this research project is to show how supermarkets can become more efficient and supportive. In order to answer the research question the following criteria will be addressed: Formulate a research specification Implement the research project within agreed procedures and to specification Evaluation of research outcomes Present the research outcomes The fuel prices will be compared and contrasted for the supermarkets during the past 5 years between 2008 2012. It will then make recommendations based on the findings of the research and analysis. This report is to be completed by 22nd April 2013. Methodology This research which is being provided has made use of different resources; lecture notes, textbooks, newspapers, discussions with family members and internet websites for the different organisations mentioned e.g. Asda, Morrisons, Sainsburys and Tesco In order to complement the secondary data derived from research studies and published material, telephone interviews with several supermarkets will be conducted. The interview will include questions for the supermarkets both, as a consumer and a supplier of fuel directly to its customers. The research objectives looking to be achieved by the end of this report are Using available secondary data, to establish the pattern and trends of the impact of fuel prices on supermarkets in the last 5 years Collecting primary data to obtain first-hand account from company personnel, about their decisions and adopted strategies to manage the impact of rising prices, both as a consumer and supplier of fuel To make a set of recommendations on fuel incentive programme based on core product offerings This study was conducted as part of a HND in Business unit which involves conducting research and then presenting this in the form of a research project which takes into account all the research gathered. The main purpose of this unit is to conduct research on a topic or any current issues. It was decided to conduct my research based around How the increase in the cost of fuel is affecting supermarkets in 2008 compared to 2012. In order to help obtain individual and business views on how the price increase is affecting them, this will involve the gathering of information from 1:1 telephone calls and face-to-face interviews with supermarkets. The completed questionnaires will help make an overall analysis of the data at the end, in order to produce an evaluative report based on the findings. With the research provided, this helped me look at gaining more insight into how different supermarkets are operating in the current recession and what changes would be made in order to cope with the increase in fuel prices. Therefore this led to the setting of the aim, about exploring further into how supermarkets are operating by the fuel price increase in terms of distribution and sales. With the production of this research project, the supermarkets will benefit the most alongside the oil companies and consumers. However, the petrol stations will also need information in order to succeed. The need for the report is to highlight the price variations and how supermarkets adapt to change. Methodology Chapter Currently the global economy is experiencing a recession. As a result of this, the economy and individuals are facing problems like a rise in unemployment levels which means it is becoming harder to get a job, fuel prices increasing and a decline in the overall market level. In conclusion the recession means that the business sector is hit the largest alongside consumers. When doing the project there will be various steps involved. Firstly this will establish the goal of the overall chosen research topic How the increase in the cost of fuel is affecting supermarkets, and then determine my sample in regards to views on how and why the fuel prices are affecting the supermarkets. The next step would be the creation of the questionnaire which is to be distributed amongst businesses and those being interviewed. The research collected from the questionnaire will focus on prices paid for fuel. The interviews would be conducted and then data collated. Whilst carrying out my research into the topic about the fuel price increase the question which came to mind was Does the fuel price increase, as a result of the recession, affect supermarkets on a day-to-day operation? In regards to this researched question, this has led to me thinking about the level of impact in which fuel prices is having on different supermarkets. Therefore this helped me choose this as my research topic fuel price increase. In terms of the research question, my research objective which is being looked to be achieved is To identify the ways in which businesses operate in terms of distribution and delivery and how this contributes to success or failure. Research into the topic of fuel prices was chosen as it is a continual business issue, relates to the economy and was an interesting topic to gain more insight into. The other research idea Should healthy eating be promoted within schools? was discarded as it does not link into business, but brings in more persuasive ideas regarding healthy eating. The research objective was to identify the ways in which healthy eating can be encouraged. This type of issue is a continuing debate and has been discussed by the government and the NHS, leading to a variety of initiatives e.g. 5 a day. Should Microsoft technology be improved for businesses? was the other research topic but was then eliminated as it already improves regularly and helps them become more up-to-date. The objective of this research idea was To investigate into the type of features preferred by businesses and any improvements they would recommend. This project takes an Inductive approach, supported by secondary data gained from published reports and scholarly work. Also, primary data was obtained through a series of telephone interviews using semi-structured questionnaires. Implementing the inductive research approach was successful for this research project as the research question acquired various perspectives. Therefore, the overall conclusion could not be drawn until the research had been analysed. One benefit of using the inductive approach was that the main categories emerge as data is collected and analysed (BPP p234-235). However there were different limitations like it being time consuming and an intensive research method which required high levels of resources to help compare different views. Having collected all the information it would therefore not reveal any results at the end based on the analysis. This type of approach involves Qualitative data as the results were not number based and was targeted at a smaller population which consisted of supermarket transport managers who would have vast knowledge of fuel prices. This therefore helps ensure my results are valid, reliable and objective. The limitation experienced was that the reliability of the data was purely dependent upon my organisational skills and analytical knowledge. As the questionnaire was my collection method alongside interviews, this meant that it helped me check the reliability of the gathered data and explore ideas deeper through the interviews. For this research topic, the survey method will be implemented and will involve preparation of a questionnaire which will be answered by the various supermarkets. Using the survey method will help obtain information which can be analysed and patterns extracted and comparisons made (Bell, 1999). Non-Probability Sampling is a sampling method which is conducted and relies on the judgement of the researcher/s in terms of selecting their respondents. The sample size for the research used is smaller and this meant it could be targeted at specific respondents. The type of sampling method carried out for the research provided was Convenience Sampling because it allowed communication to specific people within the company. This method does not require or use any sample design. This sampling method was chosen over others e.g Random, Systematic or Quota sampling method due to the reason that it helped provide useful information, as the sample was kept representative according to the organisations being investigated into. Besides this type of sampling, Convenience sampling was more relevant to my research compared to Random Sampling, which would have involved the selection of the population randomly. It was decided as the 2nd type of sampling due to the fact that it works well with small groups. The questionnaire will provide information from the perspective of supermarkets, being both consumers and suppliers. Supermarkets consume fuel as part of their distribution costs and supply fuel to customers at their petrol stations. A questionnaire was created in order to help acquire very specific information from the interviewees. Research was conducted first hand because there was no research team available. Asking specific questions will help provide precise data which can be compared and analysed in the report. However, questionnaire responses may be misunderstood and have an adverse impact on overall comparisons. Information obtained relates to the current situation and was gathered within a short span of time, resulting in brief answers. The responses from the questionnaire will be put into a bar chart to show the comparisons of how the supermarkets are operating in terms of the fuel price increase. By putting the data in the form of a bar chart, it would help summarise the large set of data easily and can be understood. However there were other methods e.g. pie charts and histograms, which were discarded as the bar charts would represent the data more easily and at the end was able to make straightforward overall comparisons. Table 1 Research Action Plan Task 17/05/12- 24/05/12 25/05/12- 31/05/12 17/09/12- 21/09/12 22/09/12- 28/09/12 01/10/12-09/10/12 08/11/12 15/11/12 16/11/12 22/11/12 Topic Selection Complete Action Plan Complete Code of Ethics Complete Data Collection Complete Questionnaire Complete Research Obj Complete Sampling method Complete Proposal completion Complete Throughout this project the milestone progress reviews took place: When the research topic was decided upon 31st May 2012 On finalisation and gathering of literature sources mentioned in the literature review When the research project proposal had been done 22nd November 2012 On completion of main report critique Code of Ethics To ensure, within this project, the content included is based on my findings To monitor and record progress on the action plan progress table Completion of the research project within the specified time limit Questionnaire responses kept confidentially and not distributed amongst other interviewees Only to use qualitative data once approved by interviewee Interviewees receive copies of the final report Advantages of surveys Disadvantages of surveys Focus on data in comparison to theory Data implication can be ignored Caters for small-scale qualitative research Questionnaires and sampling could lead to lack in depth and detail Allows use of tools like questionnaire and telephone 1:1 interviews Inaccurate or not honest responses Results obtained fairly quick Time consuming in terms of accuracy and honesty If survey structure well organised then this means the analysis is made easier Surveys provide a range Sources of data and methods of data collation It was decided that there were advantages to collecting and using further existing secondary data, such as time and cost saving. However, since the data has been acquired by someone else, it could be out of date or unreliable. Because of this, it is imperative that the research is checked to ensure it is accurate and reliable to use for the research question. The research into surveys, deduced that Denscombe (1998) had proposed pros and cons as follows: Supermarkets will have cartels Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) who will sell fuel to wholesalers e.g. Shell and then sell it to Tesco. This will mean that Tesco will be dependent upon OPEC when getting their fuel. Whilst OPEC is a cartel, this means they would be known to dominate the market and want to get suitable prices. If Tesco were to make agreements with OPEC, they would find it hard because OPEC will not receive any benefits. Overall this issue would have a big significance on Tesco because they dont have any control with aspects such as how much petrol OPEC will supply to them as well as the prices charged. Justify the chosen methodology Morrisons Faculty team was involved in the collection of the primary data. They answered the questions accurately and the information provided, led to a better understanding about their operations. This helped to obtain the correct data, which provided other essential data based around current and future actions. There are minimal academic literature based around the topic of fuel prices which can be studied in order to help draw up an overall judgement based on the findings. This is a systematic topic and has been discussed by various experts in this field. Since secondary data collation involved collecting information from that which someone else had collected, the information was reviewed before including it in this research project. It was necessary to compare the different sources of secondary information and to include it after review. http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2012/03/16/article-0-12327C8B000005DC-223_468x343.jpghttp://www.gscape.com/images/econ/charts/WeeklyFuelPrices130212.gif UK Fuel Prices for Monday 17th September 2012 Avg Min Max Unleaded 140.05p 133.9p 152.9p Diesel 144.39p 138.9p 156.9p Super Unleaded 147.72p 139.9p 159.9p Premium Diesel 153.02p 146.9p 161.9p LPG 74.94p 67.7p 83.9p According to http://www.theupcoming.co.uk/2012/03/20/inflation-continues-fall-despite-the-rise-in-petrol-prices/ The Consumer Price (CPI) Index rate of inflation had fallen from 3.6% in January to 3.4% the following month during February. David Kern, the Chief Economist at the British Chambers of Commerce said, The marked increases in world oil and food prices since the beginning of the year are worrying and support our view that further declines in domestic inflation, both this year and next, will not be as sharp as the Banks Monetary Policy Committee. Conferring to the Daily Express on Tuesday 15th May 2012, Morrisons announced they were going to reduce their petrol prices by 2p a litre. This action being taken would lead to price wars occurring between both supermarkets and petrol stations e.g. BP, Esso and Texaco. As a result of Morrisons decreasing their fuel prices, this has led to other retailers looking to consider doing this. The main reason why Morrisons has chosen this is because it will help them stay more competitive especially in the current UK recession. With retailers like Tesco, they were considering 2p cut in prices as well as their 5p off vouchers on top. In accordance to the Telegraph published online, it mentions that The cost of oil has jumped 30pc over the last four months, raising fears that the recent easing in inflation would be temporary. Petrol prices rose 3.5p per litre during last month to  £1.35 while diesel increased 3.3p to  £1.40. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/economics/9549808/UK-inflation-eases-in-August-despite-rising-fuel-costs.html It is known that having high fuel prices will mean that various industries e.g. Primary Sector, Secondary Sector, Tertiary Sector and the commercial industry who rely on any form of transportation will find themselves having to increase their prices in order to maintain their profits and be cost effective. According to the Daily Express as of Thursday 6th September 2012, it mentions about The Office of Fair trading (OFT) looking further into the fuel price increase and their inquiry will address competition issues and concerns over price co-ordination. From customers views they reckon that when the price of crude oil decreases, this is not being reflected at the pump as quick as they would like. The Daily telegraph published 21st March 2012, talks about due to both fuel prices and food, this is therefore leading to higher living costs. There have been experts who warn that the situation is unlikely to improve in the short-term. Experts have warned that drivers may either change their job or quit as a result of an increase in fuel duty. It has been proven that A hike in fuel costs at the start of the holiday season will backfire as many people are already cutting back. Jayne Atherton mentions in the Metro newspaper on Wednesday 21st March 2012 that most manufacturers are likely to raise prices because of the spiralling cost of oil. Its believed that any added rises in the cost of oil will be a significant concern. Its mentioned within the Metro newspaper dated 25th September 2012 about 2 supermarkets starting a fuel price war; Asda and Morrisons. In terms of this price war, Asda say they will cut their prices on both unleaded and diesel by 3p to 135.7p and 139.7p. Conversely Morrisons also took the same action by reducing their prices 3p. This price war will therefore lead to other supermarkets e.g. Tesco, Sainsburys, Esso, Texaco and BP, wanting to follow the same procedure. Asda had an income tracker report done in 2008 which showed the huge impact high fuel prices have on the average familys monthly budget. During August it was reported that apart from fuel prices staying low last year, the costs at the pumps had rose. Within the Daily Mail on Saturday 22nd September 2012, it says that as oil has been rising slowly over months from $100 a barrel to $115 a barrel, this has pushed petrol prices and energy bills up for different UK households. Oil prices have however fallen dramatically within previous days with fears about the slowdown in the global economy hitting demand. The metro newspaper on 10th October mentions that as cost of fuel continues to rise, this is urging motorists to stay off the roads. As motorists vanish, most are staying off the roads to help save money and also reduce their unnecessary trips. The only constant they see is the fact wages arent increasing in line with inflation but there are other costs particularly petrol and diesel that are going up. Ross McGuiness makes a decision about them having no option but to cut back and some people have cut out their cars. His study into the fuel price increase leads to the debate about how prices are increased and passed on. As argued by Brian Madderson, he mentions that when purchasing fuel which costs  £50,000, 60% of the cost is made of fuel duty and VAT. This cost is paid by small retailers to the government through the supplier before the tax is collected from the customers. This led to him believing that is absurd. Furthermore Chris Hunt, General Director at UK Petroleum Industry Association, stated that rising fuel costs are down to emerging car sales markets within China and India. Chris Hunt also argues that increasing fuel prices will decrease number of sales, but will on the other hand lead to oil suppliers across UK, not profiteering. With the 3p increase in fuel duty, it was believed that benefits would arise such as creating of over 70,000 jobs and boost economy growth by 0.2%. Sky news also states that We appreciate the Governments aspiration to reduce the deficit but know that hiking fuel duty up by 3p in January will only make things much worse. This therefore shows that the change would make the deficit greater and not help the economy become more stable. FairFuel UKs national spokesman Quentin Willson said: We have always argued that fuel duty shouldnt be the Treasurys sacred cash cow it should be used as a lever for growth. George Osborne mentioned that the current fuel price increase which was set for January is to be scrapped. This was demolished with the aim to help the pressure put on workers and families who are currently in need. This increase was also considered carefully as it would coincide with the rail fares increasing and changes to child benefits. Going ahead with the 3p rise, doesnt make sense for economic recovery and deficit reduction. Lee Boyce argues that with the petrol price decrease, it is still making consumers pay more at the pumps. The AA, goes along with Lee Boyces idea concerning the prices not dropping enough. In relation to the prices paid by customers, it was found by AA that drivers were also once again suffering from a price postcode lottery where motorists in one area were charged as much as 5p a litre more than drivers a few miles away. Before 2002, the real price of fuel had been dropping, which led to a decrease in the numbers of fuel-poor households. The real price increases since 2003, resulted in a doubling of the fuel poor from 1.2 million households in England in 2003 to 2.4 million in 2006. In the White Paper, the government predicted some possible future fuel price scenarios and their likely effect on fuel poverty numbers. The graph below illustrates this: Figure : England Households in fuel poverty Graph 1: England households in fuel poverty One of the best insights into why the UK is failing on fuel poverty comes from a statement in 1976 by an early campaigner, Marigold Johnson, when commenting on the rise in fuel prices after the first oil crisis in 1973. It was believed it was Societys failure to plan for an age of high-cost fuels. Subsequently, fuel prices have risen and at faster rate than the RPI (Retail Price Index), during every year since 2003. Increase size in 2005, 2006, 2008 has been severe. With an increase of 105% in residential fuel prices since 2000, this sets against a RPI increase of 26%, which represents a real fuel price increase of 62%. Residential fuel prices within the UK, have effectively increased by 84% between 2000 and Fe February 2009 for the average household. When the cause of a fuel price rise is international energy costs, then the problem, is, to an extent, out of the governments control. Government and OFGEM (Office of the gas and electricity markets) are trying to ensure that price increases which are passed onto the customers are justified. Governments own coffers are receiving more money from the VAT levied at 5% on rising fuel prices. It would be expected that there is recognition regarding fuel poverty policy consisting of disastrous effects in which rapid fuel prices can have on the fuel poor, particularly since 2003. The potential impact of these price increases on progress towards meeting the targets set out in The UK Fuel Poverty strategy means efforts will need to focus on finding most sustainable way of tackling fuel poverty. During 2008, world oil prices were US $145 and during 2009 went down to $39, leading to predictions about fuel price levels and fuel poverty extent being difficult. Current Fuel prices Average Minimum Maximum Unleaded 138.6p 132.9p 151.9p Diesel 143.3p 137.9p 156.9p 22.2 Domestic freight transport: by mode Great Britain percentage 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 5,6 2005 7 2006 2007 8 2008 9 2009 10 Goods moved (billion tonnes kilometres) Petroleum products Road1 ZBZP 5.0 6.4 5.8 5.2 5.5 5.7 5.5 5.6 5.1 6.5 4.8 Rail2 ZBZQ 1.5 1.4 1.2 1.2 1.2 1.2 1.2 1.5 1.6 1.5 1.4 Water3 ZBZR 48.6 52.7 43.5 51.7 46.9 46.9 47.2 37.8 36.4 36.4 36.4 of which: coastwise ZBZS 33.3 26.0 23.1 24.2 23.3 26.6 30.3 22.7 25.0 26.5 27.1 Pipeline9 ZBZT 11.6 11.4 11.5 10.9 10.5 10.7 10.8 10.8 10.2 10.2 10.2 All modes ZBZU 66.7 71.9 62.0 69.0 64.1 64.5 64.7 55.8 53.3 54.6 52.8 Coal and coke Road1 ZBZV 2.2 1.5 2.1 1.5 1.5 1.2 1.5 1.3 1.6 1.0 1.0 Rail2 ZBZW 4.8 4.8 6.2 5.7 5.8 6.7 8.3 8.8 7.7 7.9 6.2 Water3 ZBZX 0.5 0.2 0.5 0.3 0.5 0.3 0.4 0.5 0.5 0.5 0.3 All modes ZBZY 7.5 6.5 8.8 7.5 7.9 8.5 10.2 10.4 9.8 9.5 7.5 Other traffic Road1 ZBZZ 150.5 151.5 150.6 152.7 154.7 155.6 156.4 159.7 166.4 156.0 137.6 Rail2 ZCAA 11.9 11.9 12.0 11.7 11.9 12.5 12.2 11.8 11.9 11.2 11.4 Water3 ZCAB 9.6 14.6 14.8 15.2 13.5 12.3 13.3 13.5 13.9 12.7 11.9 All modes ZCAC 172.0 178.0 177.4 179.6 180.0 180.4 181.9 185.0 192.2 179.9 161.0 All traffic Road1 KCTA 157.7 159.4 158.5 159.4 161.7 162.5 163.4 166.7 173.1 163.5 143.5 Rail2 KCTB 18.2 18.1 19.4 18.5 18.9 20.4 21.7 21.9 21.2 20.6 19.1 Water3 ZCAD 58.7 67.4 58.8 67.2 60.9 59.5 60.9 51.9 50.8 49.7 48.6 Pipeline KCTE 11.6 11.4 11.5 10.9 10.5 10.7 10.8 10.8 10.2 10.2 10.2 All modes KCTF 246.2 256.3 248.2 256.0 252.0 253.0 256.8 251.3 255.3 244.0 221.3 Percentage of all traffic Road1 ZCAE 64.0 62.0 64.0 62.0 64.0 64.0 64.0 66.0 68.0 67.0 65.0 Rail2 ZCAF 7.0 7.0 8.0 7.0 7.0

Franz Kafkas The Metamorphosis :: Metamorphosis essays

The Metamorphosis The Metamorphosis is the story of a commercial traveler, Gregor Samsa, that one morning awoke turned into a gigantic insect. It is no dream but, simply and plainly, a real metamorphosis with no rhetoric in between. Facing this incredible fact, Kafka does not do any realistic concessions and keeps the new condition of the character to the end. That makes of The metamorphosis a hard work of fiction, in the way of Odyssey (with which, besides, it is closely related) or in the way of the Medieval fairy tales, specially those in which the wicked witch turns The Prince Charming into a hideous animal. >From the other side, the work, that belongs to a trilogy about marriage in relation to the individual, the family and the so-ciety written by Kafka, has a highly autobiographical contain. In The Judgment the subject is the engagement assumed as a treason to the literary calling; in The metamorphosis there is a view of marriage and family relations from a masochistic and incestuous perspective; in The Trial, it is the settlement of accounts, related with the incapacity of accomplishing the acquired compro-mises, according to an unwritten law, he must pay. In the three cases, the story ends with the protagonist's death. The Metamorphosis is built on a fiction level with two faces, Crime and Punishment by Dostoevsky and Venus in Furs by Leopold von Sacher-Masoch, superposed in a way they get in contact with a real level with two faces too, the family relations and his dreams of Felice. By the merging of theses two levels, Kafka gets a fantastic reality which allows him to express his deepest dreams and desires in relation with marriage and sex in a poetic language that turns The Metamorphosis into a classic of erotism, aspect not considered until now. (Such a pleiad, Kafka, Sacher- Masoch and Dostoesky, met in The Metamorphosis turns into a height of masochism this work). PART ONE The Metamorphosis has three parts: the first one describes both the transformation of Gregory and his family's reaction to this respect; the second part shows the new cotidianity of the fami-liar group whose fragile estability crush with Gregory and sis-ter's bringing face to face; and the last part, where we attend Gregory's frustrated attemp of reconquering his sister, ends with his death. The foreground onto which Kafka builds his work is Dostoevsky's novel. This one brings to him a textual base that he lightly, mainly through substitutions, varies for adapting it to the intentions of his own story. For the first part of The Meta-morphosis, Kafka takes three

Outsourcing and Offshoring of IT to India :: Workforce Work Jobs Globalization

Outsourcing and Offshoring of IT to India Introduction One of the hottest trends today for big corporations is outsourcing and offshoring. Outsourcing simply means a company based in one nation will hire from other nations in order to more efficient accomplish its goals. It makes sense on the part of the corporation, why pay a programmer in the US $80,000 a year when they can pay a programmer in India less than 1/10th of that salary, and make him a very happy man. This because even when he is earning 1/10th of the US salary, he is still earning more money than he ever hoped to get in that industry in India. It seems like a win-win situation1, but there is still a loser: The growing unemployed population of the US. As more jobs go overseas, more US citizens are finding themselves becoming obsolete. Recent History of IT in the US Between 1987 and 1997 imports used in US manufacturing rose from 10.5% to 16.2%2 and in High Technology rose from 26% to 38%. The US has a long history of outsourcing blue-collar jobs, including those that are intermediate steps within business processes in many industrial sectors. Manufacturing’s outsourcing success can be attributed to the lower cost structures found in many East Asian countries such as China, Taiwan, South Korea, and Malaysia and others2. These countries not only provide a lower cost structure, but also have a highly educated work force and business friendly environment. Outsourcing of blue-collar jobs has increased the demand of white-collar jobs in the US. The focus on white-collar jobs by US firms has pushed US profitability upwards. The outsourcing trend continues to eat up the value chain from blue-collar jobs to white collar jobs3. The software industry is experiencing an outsourcing trend to countries such as China and most significantly to India. The proliferation of the Internet has opened easier access to information and collaborative environments. Previously communication costs and access to mind power was limited. The Internet made communication costs virtually free and collaboration with groups around the makes software engineering and collaboration tasks easier. In additional, liberalization of free markets across international lines has made it easier for companies to set up and outsource engineering tasks throughout the world. Business-process and software outsourcing rely on cheaper cost structure as found in East Asia with manufacturing4.

Patroklos is not very important to the Iliada Essay

Patroklos is introduced as the companion of Achilleus – the great warrior – which automatically makes him significant to the poem as a whole. His relationship with Achilleus is first shown in book 9 where Patroklos obeys everything Achilleus asks him to do and is names as ‘his companion Patroklos’. This shows they have a good relationship which is important as it shows the audience another side of Achilleus, one where he is loving and caring and human enough to crave the company of a close friend. However the menial tasks Patroklos is first asked to perform could have been undertaken by any common slave and therefore in this scene he does not come across as particularly important to the poem. This close relationship is emphasized a number of times throughout the poem, in particular when Achilleus ‘gave a silent signal to Patroklos with his eyebrows’ which would indicate that their relationship is such that Patroklos understands what Achilleus wants him to do through facial expression alone. Moreover, in book 11, Patroklos is referred to as the ‘pleasure of my heart’ by Achilleus, suggesting that their relationship is deeper than just friends. Patroklos’s role in Achilleus’s life is explained in part by Nestor who speaks of the advice given to Patroklos by his father ‘by birth Achilleus is superior to you, but you are the older. He is far stronger than you, but your proper task is to give him words of wisdom and advise him and guide him – and he will listen to you for the best. ’ This indicates that Patroklos has throughout his life influenced Achilleus and continues to do so, meaning he is crucial in understanding Achilleus’s character. Nearing the end of book 11, Patroklos cuts an arrow from Eurypylos thigh and stops the bleeding which shows he is compassionate and endears him to the audience which may be a device employed by Homer to emphasize the sadness of Patroklos’s death later in the poem. This scene is also used to show the brutal effects of war due to its gory nature. After book 16 Patroklos comes to the forefront of the poem. Achilleus instructs him to don his armour and push the battle from their ships. Achilleus once again shows his feelings for Patroklos as he prays to Zeus that he will come back safely. Zeus does not grant this, foretelling Patroklos’s death. During this book, Patroklos has his aristeia which adds excitement and impact to the poem. Patroklos’s fighting lasts for many pages and is a significant part of the poem, showing his importance overall. Patroklos’s fight with Sarpedon is important as Zeus becomes upset over the death of his son and although he allows the Achaians to take his armour, he ensures the body is well looked after – showing a loving side of Zeus that is not often seen during the poem. Without Patroklos this scene would not have been able to take place. Patroklos’s death is told over many lines and begins with Euphorbus stabbing him in the back as he is too scared to face him in battle. This shows once again how brave and important Patroklos is. The passage describing Hektor killing Patroklos is very descriptive and includes mockery from Hektor and Patroklos’s final speech. This once more makes the audience feel for Patroklos as he is cruelly mocked in the last moments of his life. The next book is entirely dedicated to the fight over Patroklos’s body which indicates that he was important and a large part of the poem. There are also many men willing to defend Patroklos which shows he was well loved ‘I would gladly stand by Patroklos and defend him, since his death has touched right to my heart’. At the beginning of book 18 Achilleus learns of the death of Patroklos ‘and the black cloud of sorrow enveloped Achilleus†¦he lay there with his whole body sprawling in the dust, huge and hugely fallen, tearing at his hair and defiling it with his own hands’, this passage shows how much Achilleus cared for his friend, he is so overwhelmed with sorrow that he is unable to speak. Even the serving women ‘shrieked loud in their hearts’ grief’, enabling the audience to understand that he was loved by all, emphasizing the pain of his death. Furthermore, Patroklos’s death makes Achilleus feel guilty ‘let me die directly, since I was not able to help my friend at his killing’ and spurs him to fight once more. The sensitive side of Achilleus is bought out again during this ‘his warm tears falling when he saw his trusted friend lying there’. Patroklos’s death is the catalyst needed to make Achilleus rekindle his fighting spirit ‘but now Patroklos†¦I shall not give you burial until I have bought here†¦the head of Hektor. ’ Which shows that without Patroklos Achilleus would not have fought again, meaning he is catalytic in this part of the Iliad. Finally it is made clear that Patroklos was instrumental in Achilleus’s attachment to Briseis. ‘You were always gentle. ’ Briseis explains that Patroklos was the one who arranged for her to marry Achilleus, and since this all began because Briseis was taken away this shows that without Patroklos’s intervention Achilleus would not have been so angry in the first place and would not have refused to fight, making the Iliad into a very different story. Therefore, Patroklos was key in shaping the poem into the story it became.

Paritcipation in Team Sports Essay

PARTICIPATION IN TEAM SPORTS FOSTERS THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE INDIVIDUAL The participation in team sports fosters the development of the individual. Not only giving a person an excuse to exercise, team sports have a few other benefits as well for example social, emotional and physical ones. The participation in team sports is important to the development of the individual. It helps your physical and emotional growth and builds valuable social skills. It also helps to build ones character, develops your people skills, teaches perseverance and develops your integrity, giving you moral fibre. Being part of a team you will have to sacrifice and it asks for a great deal of commitment and perseverance. Giving up on spending time in front of the television and spending it at practise is vital for any team’s success. The fact that you have your teammates around you makes the difficult task of sacrifice and attending every practise very easier as you are there to motivate each other. â€Å"I am a member of a team, and I rely on the team, I defer to it and sacrifice for it, because the team, not the individual, is the ultimate champion†- Anonymous Team sports provide an opportunity to learn discipline, confidence and leadership. It teaches principles such as tolerance, co-operation and respect. Above all it teaches the value of effort and how to manage victory as well as defeat. It will help the individual to also be happy for other player’s successes because they see how it benefits the greater team. The individual will appreciate fair play in their team sport. Playing team sport is the easiest way to stay fit and healthy and still enjoy doing this. Team sport fosters the development of a healthy lifestyle. It is possible to stay fit and healthy playing any sport, but once again having that friend next to you, motivating you through the last twenty metres can definitely not be replaced by any accomplishment in an individual sport. Being part of a team, especially across different cultural barriers can develop and build your character. A team sport can instill core values in an individual, such as, co-operation, sharing and respect. It helps a person connect with others and accept each other for who they are, despite the fact of being different and making mistakes on the field. To be an individual on the sports field can never beat the sensation of belonging to a team. That is why I know that the development of an individual can only increase in a team sport. As we have all heard so many times: There is no â€Å"I† in team. Working together is fun. So, join the team and develop every aspect of your life, while having fun and not being lonely and all by yourself.