Thursday, October 31, 2019

Ethics and God Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Ethics and God - Essay Example The question here is, â€Å"Who decides the ethical standards for humans?† Certainly, the answer is God Almighty! There are various religions in this world, that differ in their intrinsic concepts, beliefs, trends, traditions, teachings, norms and values. However, almost all religions have one thing in common, what is good is appreciated by all religions and what is bad is condemned by all in general. Religion serves as the standard institution for the followers. The fundamental concept of a religion is that there is a God, or Gods (as some religions may emphasize), who has laid out certain standards for the followers. God clearly conveys through the religion what is good and what is bad. In addition to that, God has also inculcated a sense in humans so that they may differentiate between right and wrong. When people believe in God, they tend to respect ethics because they have fear of God. Thus, ethics cultivates in the society and becomes a standard for the people to abide b y. For example, murder is considered wrong â€Å"not just† because it is against humanity, â€Å"but also† because it is condemned by God, and God has inflicted punishment of burning in the hell for those who kill others (Baumgarth and Regan). If some people do not believe in God, they would still have a sense to distinguish between right and wrong.

Tuesday, October 29, 2019

Research Proposal (How effective is the use of fluoroscopy in the

(How effective is the use of fluoroscopy in the diagnosis of cancer in the upper (GIT) gastrointestinal tract in comparison to CT and MRI) - Research Proposal Example ntion of establishing the appropriateness of fluoroscopy in the diagnosis of different types of cancer, when compared to other applicable medical technologies. The major aim and objective of this research project is to establish the effectiveness of applying fluoroscopy in the diagnosis of cancer in the upper (GIT) gastrointestinal tract, when the effectiveness of the diagnosis technology is compared to CT and MRI. Fluoroscopy is a health technology whose application has enabled physicians to undertake the diagnosis of major health problems with greater ease. This is owing to the fact that this method enables the physicians to observe and assess the body’s inner system, when the body is actually functioning (Becker, 2010). Nevertheless, while this health technology is so crucial for the health fraternity, fluoroscopy is associated with the exposure of radiation ions to the patients, which may in turn cause negative health implications. On the other hand, CT and MRI are other health technologies that act as alternatives to fluoroscopy in the assessment of different forms of cancer inpatients. Therefore, this research project seeks to establish the most effective technology between fluoroscopy on the one hand, and CT and MRI on the other hand. Further, the effectiveness of the treatment of cancer rests in the ability of the cancer to be detected at a very early stage, so that the patients can be enrolled to a treatment program early enough before the cancerous cells spread to the rest of the body (Belafsky & Kuhn, 2014). Therefore, the proposed research project also seeks to evaluate how effective fluoroscopy is in detecting cancer at an early stage. The effectiveness of fluoroscopy will also be compared to the effectiveness of early detection for both CT and MRI. The research project will entail the assessment of records from different specialized cancer treatment hospitals, where patients undergo the diagnosis and treatment of cancer in the upper (GIT)

Sunday, October 27, 2019

Investigation into Human Resource Planning

Investigation into Human Resource Planning Human Resource Management Planning is not as easy as an organization might consider; it requires intensive work to come out with a programme that ease work. Commenting is complicated, but once a business start and finish it; such company have a smile because everything moves efficiently. Planning is the process that has to be launched from somewhere and completed for the purpose. It involves collecting data that would enable management to make effective decisions. Information obtained is used to make better decisions for achieving Phipps Enterprise objectives. There are many factors that Phipps Enterprise Travel Agency has to consider when choosing an HR Planning programme. HR Planning at Phipps Enterprise Travel Agency involves collecting of data, making objectives, and making effective decisions to enable Phipps’s to achieves its objectives. Unexpectedly, the HR is one of the most neglected fields. When HR Planning is applied correctly in the field, it will assist to address the following questions: How much staff does the organization have? How should the company best exploit the available resources? How can the business retain its staff? HR planning has made the organization move and succeeded in the 21st Century. Human Resources Managers at Phipps Enterprise prepare the HR Planning programme to assist the company to manage its employee strategically. The programme will helps to direct the movements of the HR department. The programme does not help the company only, but it will also facilitate career planning of the staff and assist them to achieve the objectives. This augment motivation and the business would become a safe place 4to work. Poor HR Planning and shortage of it in the company especially like Phipps Enterprise may result in enormous costs and financial losses. The augment costs and hampers effective work functioning because staffs is requested to work overtime and may not put in additional effort due to fatigue. If given additional work, it may stretch employee beyond their limit and may cause pointless disruptions to the organization production. The most important reason HR Planning is used at Phipps Enterprise is to manage and executed is the costs involved. Costs form a significant part of the Organizations budget; workforce planning enables Phipps’s to provide HR provision costs. When there is a staff shortage, the company appoints discriminately because of the costs suggestions of the other options, such as training of staff. Steps in HR Planning Action of Plan There are three essentials necessary for this step. Know where the company is heading. Acceptance and backing management for their plans. Knowledge of the all available resources. Once in action, the HR Plans become a business programs. Failure to achieve the HR Plans may be a serious constraint on the company long-range objectives. Below is an illustration of Phipps Enterprise Travel Agency HR Plan, which is linked to the corporate Plan. Forecasting HR Planning at Phipps Enterprise requires that data gathering on the organizational goals objectives. Employee should understand what the organization wants achieve and how it plans to. The need of the employees is to derive from the business objectives of the company. Inventory Once employees have an understanding of the human resources in the company, the next stage is to take stock of the present staff in the organization. The HR inventory should relate to not only data, ages, and locations, but also to analysis of individuals and skills. Audit Phipps Enterprise does not live in a Static World, and HR resources can transform dramatically. HR inventory collection of data includes HR audit, which requires systematic examination and analysis of such data. Audit looks at what has occurred in the past and present in terms of labor turnover, training costs and absence. Based on this evidence the HR manager can then predict HR in the future in the organization. HR Resource Plan Phipps Enterprise Travel Agency looks at career planning and HR plans. Employees are the greatest assets in any company. Phipps Enterprise is at liberty to develop its employees at full pace in an ideal manner to the individual capacities. The primary motive is that Phipps’s objectives should be aligned with the business strategy in order to give excellent scope for the developing potential of its staff. Therefore, career planning may be referred to as HR or succession planning. Questions that would concern Phipps Enterprise are: Is the company making use of the available talent in the business? Is Phipps Enterprise employees satisfied with the company care of their growth? Human resource planning is a method through which it anticipates future business. It also provides sufficient manpower required to perform all the business doings. HR planning is a continuous practice which starts with employee identifying HR plans, analyze manpower resources and ends with an appraisal for HR planning. The following are the steps involved in human resource planning at Phipps Enterprise Travel Agency: 1. Human Resources Assessing The valuation of HR begins with environmental analysis, both external (PEST) and internal (objectives and resources) is to analyze to the current available HR inventory. After analyzing the external and internal forces of the market, it would be easier for HR manager to discover the internal strengths and weakness of the business in one hand and the other opportunities and threats. It also includes taking inventory of the workers and skills at Phipps Enterprise Travel Agency and a comprehensive job analysis. 2. Demand Forecasting Forecasting of HR is the process of estimating the demand and supply of HR. Demand is the method of determining future needs for HR as o relates to the quantity and quality. Phipps Enterprise uses this method to meet the future requirements of the organization and in the process it achieves the company desired level of production. Future HR needs can be estimated with the assistant of the organizations current human resource and analysis of organizational plans procedures. It will be necessary to perform a yearly analysis for substantial level and type. 3. Supply Forecasting Supply is another side of HR assessment. It is concerned with the valuation of resource of manpower given the analysis of the current resource and availability of HR in the future. Supply forecast estimates the future sources of Phipps’s HR that are likely to be available. Internal source includes promotion and job development, whereas external source includes recruitment and selection. 4. Matching Demand and Supply Another step of HR planning is matching demand and supply, which is a concern with bringing the forecast of HR future demand and supply at Phipps’s. The process talks about demand and supply in a balanced position so that the organization does not have any shortage and overstaffing situation. In the case of shortages, Phipps’s has to hire a number of employees, while if the opposite, over staffing has to be use to reduce the level of current employment. Therefore, by using the matching process it will give the business information about requirements and sources of HR in the company. 5. Action Plan This step is the last phase of HR planning that is concerned with surplus and shortages of the company. Here, the HR program is implemented through the design of different HR events. The primary activity which is required to execute the HR program is a recruitment, selection, training and development, etc. Finally, the stages or steps are charged by control and evaluation of performance to evaluate the program matches the HR objectives and policies. A comparison of recruitment and selection process in two organizations will be done on McDonald’s (company A) and KFC (Company B). McDonald is one of the leading Fast food Chain in the World since 1998. The headquarter is located in Karachi and the regional head office in Lahore. The basic objective of HR Policies at the restaurant is to respect and recognition, values and leadership behaviour, learning, development and personal growth while KFC was establish in the early 1930s by kernel Senders and is a project of Mackenzie Restaurants International limited since 1997 in Pakistan. Over this organization currently employs 6000 people as at such government obtains over 10 million per month as direct taxes. The basic objective of HR Policies at the establishment is to provide coaching, leadership and operational support to employees and in the process providing an optimistic working environment. Illustrated below is a table showing the similarity in the recruitment and selection process at McDonald’s and KFC. Recruitment McDonald’s KFC Decentralized Hiring Batch Hiring Attracting qualified people for the job. Decentralized Process. Internal Based on Past Performance (Promoting from within) Jobs post www.mcdonalds2.rozee.pk Company evaluate current employee to see if they are fit for the opening position (Promoting from within) Job post at www.jobswithkfc.com External Via Internet Newspaper or Magazine ads College Recruiting Internship Contacts with universities Banners ads Newspaper Walk- In Resumes drop off Selection Initial screening McDonald’s Test Interview Background Investigation Final interview Initial screening KFC Tests Skills, behavioral and Physical Test After successfully completed examination, they then move on to the interview stage Training and Development Lectures On job training Crew leader development course Summer crash course Lectures On job training Language programs Regular Counseling and guiding Launching of development programs Recruitment and selection is a vital component in determine an organizations effectiveness and performance, when organization are able to obtain employees who already passes appropriate knowledge, skills and talents also be able to make correct guess about their future abilities. The requirement and selection of employees are fundamental to the performance of an organization. Inappropriate selection decisions decrease organizational effectiveness, cancels reward and develop strategies, are frequently unfair on the individual recruited and can be hard for the manager that has to deal with unfit employees. In order for Phipps’ to stay competitive, they need to have the best employee and them skills. McDonald’s and KFC recruitment process usually start when employee in the organization leaves and such position opens up an opportunity for another applicant to fill their position. One significant effectiveness of recruitment and selection for McDonald’s and KFC is that it help in the decision making of the high management to fill a gap; it help them to find the right candidate with the proper qualifications and skills to do the job not taking into through their race, age, gender or color. The recruitment and selection process is critical to both organizations even though the process can be expensive. It is time-consuming swell, and much thought will be needed by the manager in order to choose the right candidate. References 1. HR Policies KFC McDonalds by Ali Maan on Prezi. [ONLINE] Available at: http://prezi.com/clqamwplk7l6/hr-policies-kfc-mcdonalds/. [Accessed 13 October 2014]. 2. Human Resource Planning Process Or Steps Of HR Planning | Accounting-Management. [ONLINE] Available at:http://accountlearning.blogspot.com/2013/01/human-resource-planning-process-or.html. [Accessed 13 October 2014]. 3. Hr Planning Essay Sanka07. [ONLINE] Available at:http://www.studymode.com/essays/Hr-Planning-458782.html. [Accessed 13 October 2014].

Friday, October 25, 2019

Improving Leadership Skills Essay -- Organizational Development, Team

Analytical Paper When seeking to improve leadership skills it is important to become immersed in concepts that foster an environment conducive to high performance teams. Two of these concepts have been discussed in length: Conflict Resolution and Team Building. This essay will discuss the importance of these ideas as they relate to leadership and what aspiring leaders can learn. Second, which of the topic readings create the â€Å"best† model for effective leadership within an organization? Lastly, what impact can be expected on the organization if these ideas are not implemented? All of these are relevant questions that those who aspire to be great leaders must answer. There a several areas of concern when discussing the traits of leadership. One of these areas relates directly to conflict. Every organization will experience conflict. It is up to leaders to resolve conflict that may affect organizations negatively. In doing so there are several approaches to consider in order to insure practical resolution; accommodation, avoidance collaboration, competition, and compromise. Of these options collaboration is cited as having the most benefit to the organization. A leader pursuing resolution through collaboration displays traits that can be identified as qualities associated with effective leadership per the BarOn Emotional Quotient Inventory (BarOn EQ~i), confronting problem employees and building and mending relationships (Wilcox & Rush, 2004, p. 8). Obviously problem employees can create conflict as seen in Dealing with Conflict by Masters and Albright. Dealing with this problem in a collaborative manner communicates the importance of the relatio nship between leadership and the individual with whom the conflict arose. In addition... ...ve to good organizational citizenship (Bolino & Turnley, August 2003, p. 4) Teams who fear conflict will waste time posturing for individual self interest and create greater conflict through â€Å"back-channel† attacks and politics (Lencioni, p. 615). In conclusion, aspiring leaders will find that conflict resolution and effective team building are important factors in building a successful organization. There are important lessons to be learned in the readings Dealing with Conflict and The Five Dysfunctions of a Team. The best model for organizational leadership would have to go to the later by default for lack of a clear outline in the former, but that does not take away from its importance. If any lesson is to be learned it is that very relevant questions can be answered from these examples and to ignore them would be detrimental to an organization and its leader.

Thursday, October 24, 2019

The Importance of Work in Society

In order to maintain structure within society there are many intuitions that employed to achieve this goal. Work is an example of responsibly, discipline, and cultural awareness, qualities you will need for your future work life. First, how working teaches you responsibility, while working you have a set schedule that you have to maintain in order to be paid, so missing work means you have a lower paycheck and young teenagers love money and don’t want to miss any paychecks. You are in charge of making all customers leave satisfied with a smile, if you don’t make that happen the company can have bad reviews, which can cause you to be fired. The more you the work the more you will have. Working also teaches you how to value things you have. The reason for this is that you work for the things you have saying you’re not going to work for something and let it go to waste or throw it away. Employers instruct their workers how to respect all costumers and how consumers are the reason, they are in business today, so tasks done to costumer’s satisfaction, with that being said employers drill into your head how to treat other people and how to run a successful business and that with hard work anything is possible. When you first but something with your own money you care about what, and how your money is being spent, also trains you that if what you’re is not of something of value than you really don’t need to have it. We as a community needs to teach our younger children the value of responsibility and discipline which is qualities that you need to have in your everyday life. Schools are biased on teaching you what they want you to know and not what you feel about it. So do not be ignorant to what the schools edify about values of life, learn it own your own.

Wednesday, October 23, 2019

Intercultural Experience Essay

The Philippines consists of 7,107 islands. I will go into the interesting culture of the Philippines. As well as share some interesting facts. 1.Attention Getter- Back in 1934, the world’s largest pearl was found under the Palawan Sea in the Philippines. The Pilipino flag is the only flag that is flown upside down during a time of war. 2.Bonding- The Philippines is by far the Tuna Capital of the world. Tuna is a major good for the Philippines and is the lifeline so to speak. Tuna is a multimillion dollar industry for the country, a lot of citizen’s fish daily. 3.Preview Three Main Points- The Philippines are also home to 200 volcanos. Twenty-two of which are active. In the Philippine culture lips are not just for kissing, but also pointing. Philippine’s think very highly of Balut, which are under developed duck eggs. They consider them a delicacy. 4.Transition- The Philippine culture is very different from American Culture. From their beliefs, to relationship styles, to their way of life in general. The Philippines have not had snowfall in a very long time. Being close to the equator, it’s consid ered tropical. With only two seasons Sunny and Rainy. Body: 1.Point One- There is over 20 active volcanos in the Philippines. 2.Point Two- The fishing industries in the Philippine are a very important source of income for the Country. The islands are considered the Tuna Capital of the world. 3.Point Three- During war, the Philippine are the only country that will fly their flag upside down. Revolution people power of 1986. Conclusion: 1.Transition- The country has come a long way since it was founded. Rich religious culture. 2.Review Three Main Points- Volcanos that are active, People Power Revolution 1986, and Tuna Capital fishing strategies.

Tuesday, October 22, 2019

Two-Factor Authentication Essay Essays

Two-Factor Authentication Essay Essays Two-Factor Authentication Essay Essay Two-Factor Authentication Essay Essay Harmonizing to the Federal Financial Institutions Examination Council. verifying someone’s individuality online involves at least one of a few factors. These factors are the undermentioned: Information the PersonKnows This could be a username and password combination. societal security figure. a PIN they chose. or something else that the individual could cognize but others wouldn’t. Something the individual is able to PhysicallyPosses A good of this is the person’s ATM card. A more unafraid physical factor could be a usage brassy device with a key on it. The concluding factor that can be used is something alone to that individual merely. aBiometric Fingerprints and Rental Scans are illustrations of this. The difference between individual and multi-factor hallmark is that individual factor would merely utilize one of these. like a username/password combination. which could be easy stolen through a assortment of methods both local and remote to that person’s physical location ( keygrabbers. web whiffing. Trojans. observation. beastly force onslaughts. or merely loose lips ) . Multi-factor hallmark requires at least one other input. Therefore an illustration of two-factor hallmark would be holding to come in your username and a watchwordand besidesyour ATM card figure and security codification from the dorsum. or a fingerprint scanandcome ining your ATM card figure. or even all three for three factor hallmark. The FDIC feels that fiscal establishments should be utilizing two-factor hallmark. There have been a figure of recommendations made to the fiscal establishment industry. and most big Bankss and investing houses are now utilizing two-factor. The bank should decidedly be utilizing multi-factor hallmark. Two-factor hallmark will non merely protect their clients. but it will assist protect them against liability in the event that one of their clients does hold their individuality stolen. Since they are a little bank. budget will be a serious consideration when doing the switch to two-factor hallmark. A method that has been used in the authorities and military. and that is now easy accessible is the usage of a hardware consecutive figure generator. This involves the usage of a little ( cigarette lighter sized ) device that generates a new alone figure every few proceedingss. It is based off of a algorithm the bank computing machine knows and each individual has their ain alone seed figure. so each person’s Numberss are alone to them. When they log in. they are asked for a username/password combination and the figure off their hardware key. Harmonizing to the FDIC this is now one of the most normally used engineerings used by online banking services. Sing that the bank is little. the above suggestion of a hardware key that generates erstwhile watchwords is truly the best option. However. USB fingerprint readers are non excessively expensive now. and utilizing biometries like this could be an option particularly for concern clients. The top of the hardware key is that you can convey it with you wherever you go. but that brings up the downside that it can be stolen. Your fingerprints can non be stolen so easy. Either manner. two-factor hallmark should be implemented every bit shortly as possible to protect the bank and their clients.

Monday, October 21, 2019

Personnel Management vs Strategic Hrm Essays

Personnel Management vs Strategic Hrm Essays Personnel Management vs Strategic Hrm Paper Personnel Management vs Strategic Hrm Paper â€Å"Over the past decade a shift has occurred away from ideas of ‘personnel management’ towards HRM and concepts of people management† (Pass, S. Hyde, P. , 2005) This shift has been essential, as with the globalization of the market and more competitors, firms have found it more and more difficult to gain competitive advantage. In order to adapt to this changing environment, the firm’s traditional management system evolved to a more strategic approach towards human resource management. â€Å"Strategy is about building sustainable competitive advantage that in turns creates above average financial performance†. Becker, B Huselid, M. , 2006) (Wielemaker, M. et al, 2005) states that before the shift, firms were seeking competitive advantage from outside, such as in costs of goods and trade prices. But a new belief argues that the principal source of competitive advantage actually lies within the firm itself. It is now thought that the main sources of competitive advantage are dependent on people. This new ideology has caused the role of human resources from being supportive, to being strategic. As (Wielemaker, M. t al, 2005) stated the role of traditional personnel management was mainly supportive and repetitive. Tasks such as training, recruiting and compensation were the usual roles of the human resources department. (Pass, S. Hyde, P. , 2005), argues that now, with strategic human resources management, the role of the human resources department has become more one of to ensure strategic integration, long term planning and a transfer from human resources responsibility to line management. From this, it can be concluded that strategic human resource management now focuses more on its internal people. It can also be argued that it is now regarded as a significantly more important role than previous, where the role of personnel management was seen as an option, it is now seen as a crucial part of a firm’s success. The purpose of this essay is to critically evaluate the initial, traditional style of personnel management to the more recent, strategic approach to human resource management. In order to achieve this, each approach will be closely analysed. First, the history and attributes of traditional personnel management will be overviewed. To help understand why there was a need for a shift’ towards strategic human resource management, the weaknesses of the traditional personnel management will also need to be investigated. Finally, the factors that make the strategic personnel management a more successful way of obtaining competitive advantage will be analysed, along with any problems the new system may have. From these findings, it will be possible to conclude how much of an advantage the internal employees really are to their firms, and what difference strategic human resource management has made to today’s market. Initially, personnel issues were handled by the accounting department of a firm. (Van Marrewijk, M. Timmers, J. , 2003) states that when the issues of recruitment, terms of employment and industrial relations became too time consuming, a new separate department that dealt with employees was created. This was the start of personnel management. The first academic resource that acknowledged this change was written in 1920 by Orday Tead and Henry Metcalf. (Kaufman, B. , 1999), states that these authors deserve to be credited as co founders of the field. (Kaufman, B. , 1999) believes tha t the creation of a new personnel management department was also due to the perception that it would be a ‘solution’ to the labour problems at the time. The attributes of having a separate department for personnel management signified that the accounting department would have had more time to concentrate on making profits. Also having a separate department would have meant that the employees working in the new personnel management department would have been better qualified to undertake such tasks as recruiting and training. The accounting department would have had very limited knowledge and skills regarding these tasks, and therefore it can be argued that it is likely that the new department hired and maintained better quality staff. However, as a whole new department was created, this would have produced a need to acquire more employees, which would have caused a significant increase in the company’s expenses. Also, as the idea of having a separate department was recent, apart from recruiting, training staff, negotiating and compensating, the department did not do much else. Traditional personnel management did not recognise that individual employees had different needs, and did not consider them as an asset, but merely as a tool to complete various tasks. Traditional personnel management also did not adapt to new changes, or to the increased diversity in the workforce. The way the personnel were managed was based on the way it had always been done. (Kanter, E. , 1983) illustrates the old mindset to human resources: â€Å"Many companies have the tendency to do just that: rather than consider the underlying goals or principles, which are often very simple, they prefer to repeat an elaborate system that somebody else used†. This proved to be an issue, as (Kim, P. , 1999) states ‘the cause of yesterday’s success may be the cause of tomorrow’s failure’. For example, a recruitment technique that was proved to be successful in the past, may not achieve the same results in today’s environment. This could be due to other firms gaining competitive advantage through the creation of a more efficient technique, or also to the new workforce diversity being unable to adapt to the past technique. As (Lengnick-Hall, C. Lengnick-Hall, M. , 1988) also noted â€Å"traditional models focus on matching people to strategy, but not on matching strategy to people. † This was the main issue with traditional personnel management. Bechet, T. , 2000) Summarises clearly why there was a need for change: the organisations that used the traditional approaches of personnel management found that they were ineffective, and that the potential of a firm was not fully reached by using those. (Kim, P. , 1999) states that the causes to this are the changes in the modern global economy, which highlighted the numerous challenges facing human resources. Th e industry became more and more competitive with the new firms entering the market and it therefore became harder to be successful. Cook, D. Ferris, G, 1986) highlights that traditional management had so far neglected to view the personnel management department as a strategic asset, as equally important as financial and technological assets. Due to that finding, as (Nkomo, S. , 1988) noted, a significant amount of attention had now been taken to the strategic aspect of human resources, as it has been regarded as a way to link organisational goals and strategies to the human resource objectives and programmes. (Lengnick-Hall, C. Lengnick-Hall, M. 1988) confirms this by stating ‘achieving competitive advantage through human resources requires that these activities be managed from a strategic perspective. ’ It can be concluded that it was at that time that firms began to realise that people were a firm’s most important asset and best source of competitive advantag e. Especially in an ever changing environment. It is important to note, as (Kanter, E. , 1983) explains, that strategy involves more than developing strategies for the whole organisation to use as part of a business plan. The strategic human resource function also concentrates on the internal department planning, and aims to always improve the human resources management side and adapting it to the current issues. Strategic human resource management therefore also focuses on how it should be readjusted to adapt, who else should be involved and what the issues are. From the shift of personnel management to strategic human resource management, it can be argued that many improvements within firms occurred. First, as recruiting and training approaches were modified to fit each new situation, the firms became significantly better at adapting to the constantly evolving environment, and to the workplace diversity. (Kim, P. , 1999) stresses that adapting to the workplace diversity is crucial to gaining competitive advantage, as â€Å"globalisation implies that accepting that cultural diversity in management composition and management style contributes to the competitive advantage of the global agency†. By adapting to the workplace’s need, employees felt that they were more valued and this would have led to a higher job satisfaction. The importance of this, as (Van Marrewijk, M. Timmers, J. , 2003) confirms, is that ‘Financial success is strongly correlated with employee fulfilment. ’ Another result of employees feeling more valued in a firm would increase their motivation to work efficiently. As (Van Marrewijk, M. Timmers, J. , 2003) also states that ‘motivated personnel has a phenomenally higher productivity than employees who have mental dismissal’. So employee satisfaction and job motivation are two internal sources of competitive advantage. A good example of how people can be the biggest source of competitive advantage is highlighted by (Lengnick-Hall, C. Lengnick-Hall, M. , 1988). The authors cite the example of the computer industry. The authors elaborate that this industry is very competitive due to the low switching costs between manufacturers. Firms had found it difficult to retain client due to the low switching costs, meaning that they could change company very easily. In o rder to overcome this, IBM used its employees as a source of competitive advantage. The firm had taught programming skills to the customer’s employees, which created value to IBM as customers felt they were better cared for by IBM. This resulted in customers gaining a stronger tie with IBM. However there are issues with strategic human resource planning. In this instance, as the customer has a stronger tie with IBM, this would cause the customer to be more demanding and expect very good service. Over time, this may be too costly for the company to provide and therefore would not be an efficient source of competitive advantage. Another weakness of strategic human resource management is, as explained by (Van Marrewijk, M. Timmers, J. , 2003) the splits attitude. Strategic human resource management sometimes has to work against the interest of employees. An example cited by the authors is when the firm’s profit drops. For the best interest of its shareholders, the company will have to lay off staff. This would not be positively accepted by the employees. However, if the company did not lay off staff, the company would be in financial trouble and the shareholders would not be pleased. And unfortunately, as (Perez, D. , 2001) states, downsizing has become a way of life and a necessity to remain competitive in today’s market. When comparing traditional personnel management to strategic human resource management, Hoque and Noon, as noted by (Pass, S. Hyde, P. , 2005), argued that there are four differences between personnel management and human resource management. The authors have found that firms which have a human resources department have more qualified specialists, are more involved in strategic planning, are willing to delegate tasks to supervisors and therefore these firms are more likely to perform better. As (Cook, D. Ferris, G. , 1986) also adds, there is proof that the highest performing firms all employed a strategic orientation. By strategic orientation, it is implied that they had longer term goals, consistent with the organisation’s strategy and more ‘horizontal integration among the different activities within the human resource function. ’ In summary, it can be concluded that both methods of management contain strengths and weaknesses, and therefore neither is perfect. However, by evaluating each option, strategic human resource management has proven to be the best way to gain competitive advantage by using a company’s argued most important resource: its people. As (Ropo, A. , 1993) confirms that â€Å"The internal dynamism of the HR function serves as the most critical mechanism to keep the integration process going after it has been started under favourable organisational and strategic circumstances. † Another advantage of strategic human resource management over personnel management is its ability to adapt to new situations. Rather than using the same method for an issue, strategic human resource management analyses the situation, and creates a whole new custom made strategy which will fit that particular issue. This strategy has proven to be essential in today’s changing environment, especially with globalisation significantly increasing the diversity in the workplace. The best advantage for firms that only use the traditional methods of personnel management instead of strategic human resource management is the cost saving. Instead on spending a lot of time analysing each situation and trying to satisfy each employee’s needs, it uses a model that was proven to already work for a previous situation. Also it can be argued that it is ‘safer’ than strategic human resource management. If a situation arises, instead of trying to find a strategy that ‘could’ work, they use a previous technique which has worked in the past. This means that from the past success of that technique there would be less risk of it failing. Something that can be noted about both approaches to management is that, as stated by (Van Marrewijk, M. Timmers, J. , 2003) both start from the belief that individual employees can be controlled. Both techniques imply that they can be controlled by means of authority, agreement or temptation. As previously stated, both approaches see employees as resources and not as people. An improvement could be to perhaps enhance better communication between the employer and employee, and also to encourage more equality. This would make the employees feel more valued and, as they would communicate more, strategic problem solving would be improved. Employers would understand issues within the firm better, which would make the organisation more effective overall. Reference List Bechet, T. (2000), ‘Developing Staffing Strategies That Work: Implementing Pragmatic, Nontraditional Approaches’, Public Personnel Management, Vol. 29, No. 4, Pp. 465-477. Becker, B Huselid, M. (2006), ‘Strategic Human Resource Management: Where Do We Go From Here? ’, Journal of Management, Vol. 32, No. 6, Pp. 898-925. Cook, D. Ferris, G. (1986), ‘Strategic Human Resource Management and Firm Effectiveness in Industries Experiencing Decline’, Human Resource Management, Vol. 25, No. 3, Pp. 441-458. Kanter, E. 1983), ‘Frontiers for Strategic Human Resource Planning and Management’, Human Resource Management, Vol. 22, No. 1 2, Pp. 9-21. Kaufman, B. (1999), ‘Evolution and Current Status of University HR Programs’, Human Resource Management, Vol. 38, No. 2, Pp. 103-110. Kim, P. (1999), ‘Globalisation of Human Resource Management: A Cross-Cultural Perspective for the Public Sector’, Public Person nel Management, Vol. 28, No. 2, Pp. 227-243. Lengnick-Hall, C. Lengnick-Hall, M. (1988), ‘Strategic Human Resource Management: A review of the literature and a proposed typology’, The Academy of Management Review, Vol. 3, No. 3, Pp. 454-470. Liou, D. Lin, C. (2008), ‘Human Resources Planning on terrorism and crises in the Asia Pacific region: Cross-National challenge, reconsideration, and proposition from Western experiences’, Human Resource Management, Vol. 47, No. 1, Pp. 49-72. Nkomo, S. (1988), ‘Strategic Planning for Human Resources- Let’s Get Started’, Long Range Planning, Vol. 21, No. 1, Pp. 66-72. Pass, S. Hyde, P. (2005), ‘HRM or People Management: What Does it Say on the Tin? ’, Management Research News, Vol. 28, No. 9, Pp. 16-18. Perez, D. 2001), ‘Public Personnel Management in the Caribbean: A Comparative Analysis of Trends in the Dominican Republic, Cuba, Puerto Rico, Jamaica, and St Vincent and Grenadaà ¢â‚¬â„¢, Public Personnel Management, Vol. 30, No. 1, Pp. 27-35. Ropo, A. (1993), ‘Towards Strategic Human Resource Management: A Pilot Study in a Finnish Power Industry Company’, Personnel Review, Vol. 22, No. 4, Pp. 35-53. Singh, M. Vohra, N. (2005), ‘Strategic Human Resource Management in Small Enterprises’, The Journal of Entrepreneurship, Vol. 14, No. 1, Pp. 57-70. Smith, J et al, (1992), ‘Human Resource Planning’, Human Resource Management, Vol. 1, No. 12, Pp. 81-93. Tornow, W. De Meuse, K. (1994), ‘New Paradigm Approaches in Strategic Human Resource Management’, Group Organization Management, Vol. 19, No. 2, Pp. 165-170. Van Marrewijk, M. Timmers, J. (2003), ‘Human Capital Management: New Possibilities in People Management’, Journal of Business Ethics, Vol. 44, No. 2/3, Pp. 171-184 Wielemaker, M. et al, (2005), ‘Why Does HRM Need to Be Strategic? A Consideration of Attempts to Link Human Resources Str ategy’, The Business Review, Cambridge, Vol. 3, No. 2, Pp. 259-264.

Sunday, October 20, 2019

Writer’s Block 13 Hacks to Overcome Writers Block For Good [QUIZ]

Writer’s Block 13 Hacks to Overcome Writers Block For Good [QUIZ] Writer’s Block: 13 Hacks to Overcome Writers Block For Good [QUIZ] Writers block can stump even the best authors in the world. Finding a solution isnt nearly as difficult as they make it out to be.But first, let’s uncover what it really is and how writer’s block can affect you.Writing is hard enough on its own without writer’s block crawling into your brain and snatching up the words you really need to get that chapter done.But the thing is, we’ve all been there before.Every writer has experienced the struggle of forcing words onto a document one by one, dragging them kicking and screaming from the corners of your mind only to be left with a single sentenceone hour later.And you don’t even really like that sentence.This is how to overcome writers block:Outline your book to beat writers blockResearch before you writeWrite more often to get over writers blockWrite despite writers blockRead oftenGet movingTake a walk to get over writers blockTalk about your writers blockGain inspiration elsewherePut your phone away!Re read your writingStop comparing your writingThink big picture to get over writers blockNOTE: We cover everything in this blog post and much more about the writing, marketing, and publishing process in our VIP Self-Publishing Program. Learn more about it hereBeing Informed is the Key to Beating Writer’s BlockIf you want to cut right to the chase and save some time we can sum up what writer’s block is all about: not being prepared.The more you know and understand about the publishing process, the less you’ll become blocked because you’ll have clear direction one of the biggest reasons writer’s block encompasses your mind.And to do that, we put together the free training you need. What is Writer’s Block?Writers block is what happens when writers and authors cant think of what to write next and their minds are blocked from creating anything new or what they see as good.Its a nasty hindrance where you just can’t think of what to write n o matter how hard you try and how much you challenge your mind and a blank document quickly becomes your worst enemy. Even the best authors out there still deal with this from time to time.It can slow down your progress and end up taking much longer for you to write your book.And with so many reasons for writer’s block to take hold like insecurity, a lack of direction, or maybe even just a bad writing day it can put you down and complicate the whole writing process.Getting rid of it is not only the best thing for your book’s progress, but for writing faster and with more quality overall.If you, much like the rest of us, have ever dealt with writer’s block, here’s how you can sever its annoying restraints for good!What causes writer’s block?Underlyingissues like insecurity, a lack of direction with your plot, or even too many potential options for your book can cause writer’s block along with your creative â€Å"tank† being empty.Wh ile this might sound bad, the best part about all of these is this: they’re preventable.Take this quiz to find out WHY you have writers block!Take the Quiz NowHow to Overcome Writer’s Block by PreventionWhy do we wash our hands frequently during flu season?That’s right. To prevent succumbing to debilitating illnesses.And why do we get our oil changed regularly even when our vehicles are (seemingly) running well?Right again! To prevent breaking down on the interstate and destroying our vehicles from the inside out.That’s exactly why writer’s block is best beat by preventing the darn thing in the first place!But how do you do that? It’s not like you can wash your brain or change its oil.Well, not in a literal sense, you can’t. But you can try a few of these methods to keep your creative juices flowing like Niagara Falls in the springtime.#1 Outline Your BookIf there’s one technique that’ll prevent writer’s block th e best, it’s having an outline.These handy tools you didn’t pay attention to creating in school are essentially roadmaps for your book. They cover what happens next and what specific information you need to include.There are a number of ways you can create your outline; using sticky notes, writing it in bullet points, or even using one thats attached to a writing software.How can you not know what to write next if you already have an outline telling you exactly that?Many of us are stuck and blocked simply because we’re not sure what we should be writing next. Your imagination is at a standstill. You may just be divided between which path your book could potentially take.Creating a thorough outline squashes those issues so you can write fluidly, quickly, and with quality.When you’re not focused on what to write next, you can turn your attention to the quality of your writing while pumping out those words much faster, rendering writer’s block inactiv e.Use a simple method like the one this student of ours used:The post-it note wall is one of our favorite methods of outlining here at Self-Publishing School.It allows you to consistently have eyes on whats happening next when your writing which can prevent writers block.#2 Research BeforehandThere’s nothing worse than getting into your writing groove only to freeze because you’re not 100% certain of the facts you’re putting down. Your mind goes blank and the words stop coming.But since you’ve outlined your book, you know what you’re going to write before you even type that first word. Which means you know the research you need to do beforehand.Having all the facts makes writing a breeze, and it can also kick-start some fresh ideas and a more imaginative way of thinking.Here are some of our tips for researching to get rid of writers block:Compile a list of what you dont knowHighlight or make note of the most important partsJot down why its causin g you to have writers blockMake a separate document for what you findStart researching by using .edu or .gov website (if your topics call for it)Write down everything you needed to knowLook it over one last time to determine that its all you needed to researchStart writing again to beat writers block!Knowing more about a subject enables you to better explain it and writer’s block will run screaming for the hills. #3 Form a Writing Habit to Beat Writers BlockHow often do you write right now? One day a week? A few days a week?The more you write, the more effortless writing becomes. It’s like running, or exercising in general- the more often you do it, the easier it gets.Not creating a writing routine those creative muscles. It makes it harder to think in an innovative way, and so you spend hours on a single page simply trying to find a better way to phrase something that’s not even critical to your story.Keep those writer muscles strong by writing as often as you can every day, even! If you’ve got the time to flex your creativity, do it.Using a tracking sheet like the one above is a great way to schedule out your goals and then execute in a way that makes you WANT to write every day.You can also schedule your writing time into your calendar to get alerts and notifications for you to stop and write. This also ensure people dont schedule meetings with you during this time- so theres no excused to get writers block in this case!This particular sheet is from a NaNoWriMo blog post, but it serves as a writers block cure as well.How do you get over writer’s block?So you didn’t survive the preventative measures. That’s okay! We’ve all been there at one time or another and thankfully, we also managed to get through it.Writer’s block may be fickle and frustrating, but it’s not without weaknesses.All you have to do is find a way to break through to your true creativity and these are some of the best wa ys to destroy writer’s block and find the words again.#1 Write Anyway to Get Over Writers BlockI know what you’re thinking:â€Å"But I can’t! I’m blocked!†Most of the time, you may just be out of practice and need to find your rhythm again. Even if you’re struggling to get the words out, write them down anyway.You may not like it and you may go back to change what you wrote later, but it’s the single best way to force writer’s block into submission.It can’t win if you still write despite its grip on you.So get those words down and after a little while, writer’s block will scurry back into the darkest corner of your mind and stay there. Finding your flow is sometimes all you really need.Writer’s Block Action Step: If you’re feeling blocked with your current story, perform a writing exercise where you just describe your day in prose like you would writing. Make yourself the main character and craft y our day like you would a story in order to gain that momentum again.#2 ReadNothing can get your mind in a creative state more than reading. Picking up a book any kind of book and spending 30 minutes reading can spark your imagination and light a fire under you to get back to writing.It’ll also motivate and inspire you to work harder to reach your goal of publishing a book.When you’re holding someone else’s hard work in your hands, it’s proof your dream can come true. It’s justifying everything you’ve worked so hard for.You can also research books about writing in order to learn more about the craft. This can often help with insecurity so you feel ready to write again.Here are our top recommendations for book about writing to beat writers block:On Writing by Stephen KingThe Elements of Style by William StrunkOn Writing Well by William ZinsserWrite and Grow Rich by a collection of authorsZen in the Art of Writing by Ray BradburyThat may jus t be the push you need to shove writer’s block from your mind and get back to your work.Never underestimate the power of a good book.Writer’s Block Action Step:Grab your favorite book and spend 30 minutes reading it or until you feel inspired and ready to write again. Trust us, it works!#3 Get MovingExercise isn’t just great for your body, it’s also powerful for your mind.Scientifically speaking, exercising more not only increases your mood, but your creativity gets a boost as well!It’s not always easy to coerce yourself into going for a run or even doing a few sit-ups at home when you just settled into your comfy couch to write, but if writer’s block is preventing you from actually getting any productive wordsmithing done, it could make a huge difference.You can simply do some jumping jacks or take a quick walk around the block. Stimulating your creativity physically might just beat writer’s block for you!Writer’s Block Acti on Step:Get off your butt and do a few jumping jacks! Spend at least 3 minutes doing some sort of exercise, or even go for a full 30-60 minute workout before coming back to writing.#4 Take a Walk or a DriveMindless tasks help your brain get out of a funk because it frees it from focusing on your daily tasks, the insecurity you may feel about writer’s block, and even the pressure of finishing your book.The more you can let your mind go, the more creative it becomes. Plus, a change of scenery never hurts the creative process.Always looking at the same place or even sitting in the same spot to write can be an issue. It’s hard to come up with new ideas and think creatively when you never have anything new fueling your imagination.Taking a walk or going for a short drive can help you recharge so you can kick that writer’s block to the curb and get back to writing again.Writer’s Block Action Step:Put on those shoes and hit the pavement. Take 10 minutes and obs erve your surroundings. Pick one thing you see outside and throughout the duration of your walk, craft a story in your mind focusing on that object.#5 Talk it OutAre you struggling with something specific? Sometimes the confines of your own mind isn’t the best place to work through your writer’s block.You may be the type of person who needs to verbalize your concerns in order to work through them. And that means you need to get up and actually speak to someone (or even yourself!) about what you’re struggling with.Writer’s block feeds on uncertainty. The more you question what you’re doing, the worse it’ll get.By talking through it out loud, you’ll have a new perspective. This will often offer fresh solutions that’ll make you eager to get back to that keyboard.Writer’s Block Action Step: Try to get your critique partner on the phone or active via messenger. Tell them what’s going on and even ask if they want to ta ke a look at where you left off to bounce ideas off each other.#6 Find InspirationThere are a lot of ways you can go about getting inspired again. While inspiration isn’t necessarily required to write, it certainly helps your drive and imagination.These are a few ways to get rid of writers block if you feel lost:Research related images on PinterestRead through your outlineRead a related bookCreate a vision board for your bookCreate a list of goals for after your book is completeListen to an influential PodcastWatch or read successful author interviewsInspiration is specific to each person. Meaning, it may take a few attempts before finding the method that works best for you.As an example, whenever I feel stuck or blocked when writing, I open my Pinterest board dedicated to my book and often find this helps.Heres an example of what a board for your book may look like in order for you to beat writers block.A Pinterest board like this really just serves to bring your book to re ality. When you see what it could look like in the minds of others, it helps you get back on the writing train.Anything that rouses your excitement to write again tramples that pesky writer’s block.Writer’s Block Action Step:Get on Pinterest or just Google and look up images that are reminiscent of your book, theme, or story. Compile a folder or board of these and notice the details that make them related to your book.#7 Put Your Phone Away!Are you really experiencing writer’s block or is that â€Å"block† in the shape of your phone?A lot of us love to use the excuse of â€Å"writer’s block† in order to justify spending far too much time perusing our social feeds.While there’s nothing wrong with wanting to catch up with friends and stay in the know, sometimes it can drag you away from achieving the goal of writing your book.What you need may not be a cure for writer’s block at all, but something completely different: self-cont rol.There are even apps for this now! Going to your phone every now and then can be a bad habit, but apps like Freedom help you stay on track.Freedom works by blocking your ability to access different websites or apps on your phone. This is what it looks like when you attempt to go online or open an app that you have disabled through Freedom:If you struggle to focus on the task of writing and you somehow always find your phone open to a mind-sucking app, it’s a good idea to switch your phone to silent and shove it aside for the remainder of your writing time.This alone might be enough to get rid of what’s really blocking your stream of words.Writer’s Block Action Step: Put your phone in a completely different room and on silent. This will stop you from opening your phone just to scroll and will block any other messages from distracting you until you’re done writing.#8 Reread Your WritingAs mentioned above, getting into a rhythm is essential for keeping w riter’s block at bay. When you suddenly can’t come up with the right words to describe what’s going on in your mind, it could be because you’ve lost momentum.Taking some time to reread your previous writing can help by putting you in the same frame of mind you were in the last time you had to stop writing.This will catapult your brain back into the right place so you can make progress and write easily again.Writer’s Block Action Step:Head back to the beginning of your current chapter (or the beginning of the previous one if you’re just starting a new one) and just read. Allow your mind to get lost in your own words. You can go further back to read if needed.#9 Stop Comparing Your Writingâ€Å"Comparison is the thief of joy.†Theodore Roosevelt knew as much and we’d wager to bet it also steals any progress you could be making. The more you worry about how your writing compares to someone else’s (who usually has much more experience than you), the harder it will be to write anything.That’s where writer’s block comes from in this instance.You’ll find fault with every word and every sentence even though your work is fantastic the way it is.Remember that nobody can write the story you are. Your voice and perspective are what makes your book unique in the first place. Changing this will only pull you further away from your identity as a writer.And most importantly, comparing your writing to someone else’s isn’t productive or helpful for anyone.Writer’s Block Action Step:Write down 10 things you love about your writing. Get specific and mention why you love your dialogue or why your theme is so unique and special. Recognize your own strengths and then say them out loud to yourself.#10 Think of the Big PictureWriting and publishing a book can be a long, hard process. Sure, the first week is exciting and you want to write all the words but that motivation probably won’t last through the entire process because it is work, after all.You’ll have rough days including moments when writer’s block takes hold. What’ll get you through them the easiest is taking a step back and thinking about the big picture.Ask yourself some of these questions to get rid of writers block:Why did you want to write this story?How will it benefit you?How will it benefit others?What message do you hope others receive?What value does this hold in your life?Pushing yourself to view your writing in terms of the end goal will not only motivate you to get started and put some words down, but it’ll also help remind you of your true purpose for telling this story.Writer’s Block Action Step:Write down the answers to the questions above in detail. Then read them out loud to yourself, really hear your own purpose for this book and that can often unclog your writer brain.How Long Does Writer’s Block Last?Writer’s block lasts a s long as you allow it to, which can often be days or even weeks if you don’t act on it and try these preventative and curing methods.Ultimately, the longer you put off dealing with the underlying causes of writer’s block, the longer it will last.Face your writer’s block head-on in order to get rid of it for good and get back to creating something that will resonate with people from all over.Overcome Writer’s Block by Staying InformedThe more you know, the less you have to worry about and since that is such a major cause of writer’s block, we’re offering you this FREE training where Chandler Bolt walks you through exactly what you need to know to write, market, and self-publish your book within 90 days!

Saturday, October 19, 2019

Pricing Strategies and Sales Analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Pricing Strategies and Sales Analysis - Essay Example The village flower company employs many pricing strategies in order to achieve desirable revenue, which is an essential variable in the expansion of the company. The strategies used by this company to boost sales include comprehensive marketing and online-selling of its flowers. This aspect enables the company to access many customers from diverse backgrounds of culture, race, and beliefs. Consequently, the company’s flowers get an international recognition and much revenue. For instance, the access to big data has enabled the company to gather crucial information with regard to pricing trends in the two flower companies. Reich asserts that new methods of flower differentiation and diversification have been learned after the acquisition of bid sets of data from a global platform. Moreover, the management in The Chicago Company has learned new management strategies through the recent access to large volumes of data. The big information has culminated in the restructuring of org anizational structure for efficiency and effectiveness in The Chicago Company operations. According to Reich, the big data has led to the realization of new ways of achieving global customer satisfaction, continuous improvement and total quality management within the company. These principles are essential in the thriving of The Chicago Company. In the case of transportation of the flowers, there is the use of sensors on trucks in order to streamline the delivery of flowers through shipping. This contains the problem of stock-out cost.

Friday, October 18, 2019

Evaluating Research Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Evaluating Research - Essay Example Yes, since the research problem concerns with the influence of stimulating tasks on motivation and reading comprehension, then the findings of the study must therefore be quantified using a quantitative approach. Yes, in fact, the author stipulated the following line at the end of the study: â€Å"finally, researchers should continue to explore reading comprehension and reading interest to identify their reciprocal relationships† (Guthrie et al., 2006, p 244). Yes, the research study definitely employed the APA Referencing Style in their in-text citations and references’ page. In fact, here is an example of the entry in their reference page that typified the use of APA: Yes, the authors stated the purpose of their study, which is to give light to one particular research inquiry that receives little attention, that is, the use of stimulating tasks to arouse reading interest (Guthrie et al., 2006, p. 233). Yes, the assumptions and hypotheses were both expressed in the study. The assumptions regarding the stimulating tasks were written prior to the statement of hypotheses. Moreover, the hypotheses of the study are as follows: (a) Students who were given a high number of stimulating tasks related to reading would have higher reading comprehension scores than would students given a low number of stimulating tasks related to reading, controlling for prior comprehension and quality of task performance; (b) Students who were given a high number of stimulating tasks related to reading would have higher reading motivation scores than would students who were given a lower number of stimulating tasks; and Yes, the authors were able to identify and provide an explanation prior to presenting their hypotheses. In this regard, the phrase ‘stimulating task’ was employed to embody their theoretical framework, which was proposed by Nolen and Nichols (1994) that refers to classroom activity that elicits

Cardinal Health Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Cardinal Health - Case Study Example The company also has markets outside the U.S such as in China. The latest analysis of the company reveal that the company has over 30,000 employees, a sales revenue of just over $91 billion, a market value of $ 29 billion and income assets totaling 26, 033. Additionally, the sales growth is recorded at – 9.9 % while the employees growth rate is 1.2%. These figures have led to the analysis that the firm has a medium credit rating. In its last fiscal year, in June 2014, the company was ranked number 22 in the list of FORTUNE 500 companies, number 22 in the FORTUNE 1000 and number 465 in the FT Global 5000 category. Therefore, the company is a trend setter in the healthcare sector and is the world’s top most provider of cost effective medical services to ambulatory service providers, hospitals and pharmaceuticals. For the last two fiscal years, the company has recorded constant growth in earnings per share and dividends given to the shareholders. For example, in 2013, the EPS was 0.97 while in 2014, it was 3.38. For dividends paid, the amount per share rose from $1.09 in 2013 to $1.25 in 2014. However, there was a marked overall decline in the total revenue from around $ 101 billion in 2013, to approximately $91 billion in 2014. This suggests that the shareholders’ wealth has improved in the past two years even though they have recorded significantly lower revenue levels. Therefore, a hold recommendation is appropriate as the shares might yield more value in the following financial quarters. This position is backed further by the latest stock price value of the company. The share moved by 0.6 points and is currently selling at $ 89.03 which is a 0.68% increase. The company’s operating margin percentage has risen from 0.99 in 2013 to 2.27 in 2014, an indication that the NOWC has increased. This signals to the company’s improved working capital. At 2.27, the company is not at risk of

Models of Decision Making Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Models of Decision Making - Essay Example This will also lead you to take action on refined management interaction course. Communication and the way you handle it and its deliverance is very important in all forms of entities be it actual or online for the retention of customers. An employee of the bank, the teller, complained directly to the representative of the client that their interbranch deposits and their deposits at the branch itself shall be made under one deposit slip and not in several deposit slips. Client's representative explains that it is made according to the location /outlets depositing. Their policy is one deposit slip per outlet. Since there are lots of outlets near the bank then there are lots of deposit slips that was made and their cut off for making deposit slips is twice a day. Therefore we can expect two deposit slips made for each outlet. It has been happening for a week and the teller was really annoyed that the client did not follow his suggestion. What he did is to confront the representative every time deposits were made, grumble and let the customer wait for long intentionally. Feedback was given to the depositor who called the Branch Head.

Thursday, October 17, 2019

Analyze a Religious Song Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Analyze a Religious Song - Essay Example Rogers was right when he observed that the song contained so much of the personal experiences of the composer himself; for him, John Newton himself was â€Å"the self-proclaimed wretch who once was lost but then was found, saved by amazing grace† (Rogers). Many who love the song do so for its melodious tone even though the origin of the melody is unknown. However, it is commonly agreed that the song resembles ancient American folk melodies sung by the slaves. ‘Amazing Grace’ can be regarded as one of the finest hymns of the time. Hymns are religious songs that praise, adore and offer prayers to any deity or deities. As such, one can notice that the whole song is a Hymn praying God to shower His grace and blessings on the blind humans and to lead man safely. The song can be best understood as an invocation by a devotee who confesses his sins and believes in God’s unending mercy. It was God’s grace that led the devotee through â€Å"many dangers, toil s and snares† and it is the same grace of God that offers him hope now. Similarly, he believes that God’s grace can relieve him from all sorts of fears and he trusts in God’s promise. ... The song is usually sung in chorus with instrumental accompaniment and the melody of the song touches the heart of the listener. In fact, the song can be categorized as a Canata. The Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines Canata as â€Å"a composition for one or more voices usually comprising solos, duets, recitatives, and choruses and sung to an instrumental accompaniment† (Cantata-Definition and More from the Free Merriam-Webster Dictionary). ‘Amazing Grace’ also is sung in different voices and in various parts of the world the song is rendered with solos and choruses and as recitatives. Similarly, the rhyming words (end rhymes) such as me-see, sound-found, fear-appear, relieved-believed etc add to the beauty of the song and makes it heartfelt to the hearer as well as the singer. Similarly, a close analysis of the song convinces one that it has strophic song form. A strophic song is conceived as â€Å"a type of song that has the same melody (tune) but different lyr ics (words) for each stanza (strophe)† (Estrella). One can very well see that each of the stanzas in the poem maintain the same tone even though the lyrics vary from one strophe to another. Certain strophic songs do have a refrain that is repeated at the end of each verse. Similarly, there are many today who use the first strophe of the song after each of the other stanzas. Very often, strophic forms are widely being employed for carols, hymns and folk songs and the ‘Amazing Grace’ has the qualities of all the three. These strophic characteristics of ‘Amazing Grace’ have also led to the popular appeal for the song. It is also worthwhile to compare ‘Amazing Grace’ with other similar religious songs. There have been a number of popular religious songs such as â€Å"From First Mass for

Wednesday, October 16, 2019

International marketing entry strategy for Cow & Gate in China Essay

International marketing entry strategy for Cow & Gate in China - Essay Example Recognizing that China has huge potential for baby food, C&G aims to enter and market its products in China. An evaluation of the business environment and market potential would help decide international marketing for China. 2.0 PEST Analysis of China 2.1 Political China’s political and social landscape is stable because of decades or opening up of the economy and the reforms that have been brought about. The Communist Party of China (CPC) has improved governance according to the needs of the people. Political stability has been achieved as people were invited to participate in politics (China Daily, 2011). The voices of people have been heard and their interests safeguarded. The Chinese people seek stability, improvement in the standards of living and enhancement of national strength. There are apprehensions whether under new leadership of Xi Jinping decentralization and liberalization would continue unchanged (Huang, 2013). Protests have become the natural form of expression due to lack of direct elections and a string civil society. As such, the provincial leaders take steps they consider appropriate to promote growth and maintain political stability. However, discretionary action is required as force can lead to violence and leniency can encourage protestors to extract even more from the system. The top authorities however, work in the interest of the people. Nevertheless, the nation lacks accountability at the bottom level and this, needs to be changed. 2.2 Economic Economic reforms in the country have been in place since the 1970s when the economy started moving from a centrally planned one to a more market-oriented one. It has opened up the economy to the world and its accession to World Trade Organization further accelerated the process of integration into the world economy. As a result China became the world’s largest exporter in 2010. State-owned enterprises that are considered important to ‘economic security’ are given supp ort. The restructuring of the economy has led to ten-fold increase in GDP which currently stands at $8.26 trillion (CIA, 2013). China was the second largest economy in the world in 2012 but still per capital income is below the world average. In 2005 China revalued its currency and moved to an exchange rate system that references several currencies. Unemployment rate in China is 6.1 percent and inflation rate is 3.2 percent (Sharma, 2012). China has a labour force of 815.3 million as of 2010, of which 43 percent are in the service sector. China’s economy has experienced a strong annual GDP growth rate of ten percent in the past five years (Bharat Book Bureau, 2012). The drivers of growth of the Chinese economy include high rate of savings, abundance of skilled labour, and urban growth. Inward FDI has been a strong driver of economic growth in China. Leading MNCs in every sector have been making inroads in China which has positively impacted the local manufacturers. It encoura ged innovation and consequently led to low-cost production. Economic reforms and simplification of tax laws and FDI procedures have made China a very attractive destination for investment and growth. 2.3 Social China has a population of over 1.3 billion of 16.6 percent are in the age group of 0-14 years. The literacy rate is 92.8 percent and the main religion followed is

Analyze a Religious Song Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Analyze a Religious Song - Essay Example Rogers was right when he observed that the song contained so much of the personal experiences of the composer himself; for him, John Newton himself was â€Å"the self-proclaimed wretch who once was lost but then was found, saved by amazing grace† (Rogers). Many who love the song do so for its melodious tone even though the origin of the melody is unknown. However, it is commonly agreed that the song resembles ancient American folk melodies sung by the slaves. ‘Amazing Grace’ can be regarded as one of the finest hymns of the time. Hymns are religious songs that praise, adore and offer prayers to any deity or deities. As such, one can notice that the whole song is a Hymn praying God to shower His grace and blessings on the blind humans and to lead man safely. The song can be best understood as an invocation by a devotee who confesses his sins and believes in God’s unending mercy. It was God’s grace that led the devotee through â€Å"many dangers, toil s and snares† and it is the same grace of God that offers him hope now. Similarly, he believes that God’s grace can relieve him from all sorts of fears and he trusts in God’s promise. ... The song is usually sung in chorus with instrumental accompaniment and the melody of the song touches the heart of the listener. In fact, the song can be categorized as a Canata. The Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines Canata as â€Å"a composition for one or more voices usually comprising solos, duets, recitatives, and choruses and sung to an instrumental accompaniment† (Cantata-Definition and More from the Free Merriam-Webster Dictionary). ‘Amazing Grace’ also is sung in different voices and in various parts of the world the song is rendered with solos and choruses and as recitatives. Similarly, the rhyming words (end rhymes) such as me-see, sound-found, fear-appear, relieved-believed etc add to the beauty of the song and makes it heartfelt to the hearer as well as the singer. Similarly, a close analysis of the song convinces one that it has strophic song form. A strophic song is conceived as â€Å"a type of song that has the same melody (tune) but different lyr ics (words) for each stanza (strophe)† (Estrella). One can very well see that each of the stanzas in the poem maintain the same tone even though the lyrics vary from one strophe to another. Certain strophic songs do have a refrain that is repeated at the end of each verse. Similarly, there are many today who use the first strophe of the song after each of the other stanzas. Very often, strophic forms are widely being employed for carols, hymns and folk songs and the ‘Amazing Grace’ has the qualities of all the three. These strophic characteristics of ‘Amazing Grace’ have also led to the popular appeal for the song. It is also worthwhile to compare ‘Amazing Grace’ with other similar religious songs. There have been a number of popular religious songs such as â€Å"From First Mass for

Tuesday, October 15, 2019

What Highschool Is Essay Example for Free

What Highschool Is Essay Theodore R. Sizer in his essay What High School Is begins with an illustration, a detailed account of the opening of the day at a high school, following one student named Mark, sixteen years of age, as he arrives at school, greets his friends, and goes to class. This section is a rather dry recitation of his schedule on this particular day, with some vivid descriptions of the classes, the other students, and the different elements of the school day. This entire section runs four and a half pages and serves as the introduction to the entire essay. This is a daring and not entirely satisfactory approach. There is nothing ahead of this description to assure the reader that the entire essay will not consist of this detailing of one students day, though in fact the essay has something else in mind if it can hold the attention of the reader until the author gets to it. He might have offered some more traditional introductory remarks to indicate that he has a purpose in telling this lengthy story, which would gain him mileage with many, but instead he just launched into it and continues through to the end of the day. After this, of course, comes what might be considered a more The reading What High School Is by Theodore R. Sizer accurately depicts an average day for a high school student, but fails to show some of the most critical things about what high school is. A large portion of the reading tells about the average day of a student named Mark. This portion of the story is the focus of my response. Although the description of his day is pretty accurate, it fails to show the emotion and feelings of that day. The story only describes what he does in his classes and not what he thinks about those classes. The story over simplifies what high school is to each individual student. Although most students probably follow about the same schedule, the way that student reacts towards his classes, teachers, students, and administrators varies greatly. While one student might enjoy his or her schedule and teachers, another student with the same classes might hate school because of it. Another very significant part of high school that Sizer fails to mention is the so cial aspect. One of the MOST important skills learned in high school is social interaction. Sizer barely mentions that the part of the day that most students learn the most, and look forward to the most, is their lunch and passing periods. Most students opinions on high school and whether or not it was a good experience for them greatly depends upon how well they can socialize during these times of the day. If a person was to ask an outcast what they thought of their high school they would most likely relate the experience as a negative one. However, if a person was to ask someone who even had some social interactions that person would most likely have had a positive high school experience. Overall, Sizer does a good job of showing the class experiences of a student but fails to even mention one of the most important factors in that students high school career, their social interactions.i completely agree with you on the part about high school experience, and that is something that always differs from all of us. now going back to what schools are doing it can clearly be seen that depending on the location of the school, it is how the kids would learn to be socially aware citizens and critical thinkers. unfortunately not many of the schools are doing this.. but why? should we let our kids fail on their own so that they become responsible? I think its fine that the author didn’t include Marks feelings or how high school social life is very important. Thats not the focus of his essay. He is pointing out that the public education system is failing to provide true scholastic and humanistic substance for students. Schools say they want to teach moral and ethical values and self-realization to students, but do very little in those stated goals. Yes, a lot of us have had wholesome high school experiences but thats because weve made great friends and been around great people. What about great teachers or administators? What are they doing to give students a valuable education experience?

Monday, October 14, 2019

Models of Social Work Assessment

Models of Social Work Assessment Assessment is a vital function of social work acting as the starting point of the process and if not carried correctly can impact on the social workers relationship with the service user. There are no universal definitions for assessment however Whittington (2007) suggests the process is a meeting between a social worker and someone seeking help or services, which maybe held with an individual, family or a group of people. Sutton sees assessment as an ongoing cycle and describes it using the acronym ASPIRE, Assessment, Planning, Intervention, Review and Evaluate. Models for assessment include ecological, strength based, person centred which are often used when assessing a child. The Ecological model focusses on the service user’s environment including close family circle and their wider community, placing the service user firmly in the centre. Bronfenbrenner (1979) states there are 4 layer of environment which effects a service user, microsystem which considers immediate famil y, the mesosystem looks at relationships with extended family, neighbours, friends, work and school, the exosystem includes both the micro and mesosystem but also contains social infrastructure of the labour market, education systems, health and Social services, the final layer macrosystem includes systems including government policy, legislation and culture. Ecogram’s are illustrations often used to demonstrate these layers which can benefit to everyone involved to enable them to see everyone who is involve in his life. Parker and Bradley state the strength based model focusses on the positives in a service user’s life, focussing on increasing motivation, capacity and potential for making real and informed life choices. This model also requires an extensive knowledge of the service users’ environment, living system and wider system to be able to work with them using their strengths. Within this model the power imbalance between the social worker and service user is reduced as the service users is seen as the person with the knowledge of the issues. The person centred model has a similar function as the Ecological and strength based model which places the service user at the centre of any assessment and decisions made during this process. As well as assessment models the social workers also use a variety of approaches including questioning, procedural and exchange. The Questioning approach uses a set of questions to obtain information, the social worker can have preconceived ideas about the service user which could lead the questioning in a direction which may not identify the issues which the service user may see as their main concern, this approach can be seen as a power imbalance in favour of the social worker. The Procedural approach is a systematic process set out by an organisation or framework, with set criteria which identifies eligibility, follows the rules and policies which dictates what the service user is entitled to, this approach also leaves a power imbalance as the social worker dictates what services the service user is entitled to. The Exchange process ensures partnership working where the service users is seen as the expert with an understanding of any issues, information gathered within this proces s is used to enable the service user to see their potential and resources available to meet this potential. There are specific pieces of legislation and policies which have an impact on the child assessment process, The Children Act 1989 states the welfare of the child is paramount, with an overarching system for safeguarding children, it indicates roles different agencies play and introduced the concept of parental responsibility rather than parental rights. A key principle is that Local Authorities have a duty to provide services for children and their families and all children should have access to the same range of services. The Children Act 2004 updates not supersede Children Act 1989. The aim is to encourage integrated planning, commissioning and delivery of services as well as improve multi-disciplinary working, remove duplication, increase accountability and improve the coordination of individual and joint inspections in local authorities. The Children’s act does not specifically state children referred automatically have an assessment, however if a child is deemed in need t hen the child must have an assessment, a decision which must be made within 24 hrs., once this decision has been made an assessment needs to take place within 7 days. The decision is based on Children’s act 1989 (section 17 subsection 10) outlines the criteria for a child in need, which states: (10) a child shall be taken to be in need if— (a) He is unlikely to achieve or maintain, or to have the opportunity of achieving or maintaining, a reasonable standard of health or development without the provision for him of services by a local authority under this Part; (b) His health or development is likely to be significantly impaired, or further impaired, without the provision for him of such services; Stefan can be seen as a child in need due to his current behavioural issues at school and the ongoing issues with in his family home, both could have an impact on his health and development. If Stefan is displaying behaviours within school this is having a significant effect on his education and therefore development. The social worker will carry out an assessment based on the Framework for the Assessment and Children in Need and their Families 2001 which is based on three areas, often viewed as a triangle, Child developmental needs including education, Emotional Behavioural Development, Family Social Relationships, Stefan is displaying behaviours while at school which is having an impact on his ability to learn. There have also been domestic violence situations within the home, it is not documented if he witnessed this, however the UN convention of the child states that hearing a domestic violence attack is just as detrimental to the child as witnessing the act and therefore has the same affects, this may be a factor for Stefan. Stefan and his mother are receiving support from her sister, but Stefan may have a role in the care for his mother or younger sister. Parenting capacity including Ensuring Safety, it has been highlighted Rhian, Stefan’s mother has physical and mental health issue s which resulted in Stefan and his sister being left in a local park questioning Stefan’s safety. Family and Environmental Factors including Resources, Income, Employment, Housing, Wider Family Functioning. Stefan’s mother is unable to work due to her physical and mental health which may have financial implications on the family. As well as the children’s act 1989 and 2004 and the Framework for the Assessment and Children in Need and their Families 2001, wales has a Children’s families measure 2010 which was published to tackle child poverty. Section 67 of the measure looks at children’s needs arising from community care needs of their parents and applies to any child whose parents may be in receipt of care from the local authority or arranged by the local authority, or they may be in need of such services the authority must decide what services they can provide to the child and / or their family. Section 68 of the measure addresses the child’s need arising from the health conditions, including mental health, of their parents and applies when health services are provided to or funded by the NHS, the NHS must consider the effects of the medical condition on the child and if the child requires support from the local authority. Both sections relate to Stefan’s current situatio n, Stefan’s mother has physical and mental health issues which also may have impacted on the family. The Human right convention of the child (1989) also has an impact on the assessment process, the convention was agree by international governments and stated all children had rights as individual’s not just objects which are cared for. The convention is made up of a 45 articles which outline the rights of a child, Stefan’s rights include a child must not be separated from their parents unless it is in their best interest, every child is able to have a say about what affects them and they must be taken seriously, each child has the right to live somewhere which is able to meet their physical, social and mental needs. If they do not then the government must support families who cannot afford to provide this, Governments must do all they can to ensure that children are protected from all forms of violence, abuse, neglect and mistreatment by their parents or anyone else who looks after them. Another pieces of legislation which needs to be complied with is the Welsh language act, Stefan currently attends a welsh school and his mother is a welsh speaker, Stefan may feel more comfortable if the assessment was carried out in welsh which Stefan is entitled to under the act. When working with a child the social worker needs to use a variety of skills, adapt their approaches and values which include ensuring the process is child centred, at the child’s level of understanding and abilities, advocate on behalf of the child, use observational skills to observe interactions with any significate people. Parker and Bradley state research shows children prefer to be listen to, professionals to be available and accessible, non-judgemental and non-directive, have a sense of humour, straight talking, to be able to trust and, where appropriate, to have confidentiality respected. The social worker must also ensure the process is collaborative working with people involved in the service user’s life including professionals. By using these skills the social worker also complies with the Care council of wales Code of practice which states the social worker must promote the independence of Service Users while protecting them as far as possible from danger or harm. By using the fore mentioned skills the social worker using anti-oppressive practise to ensure the service user is empowered in their continued support. Before and during the assessment process the social worker needs to ensure the issues are not pre-judged, Stefan’s behavioural issues may not be due to the issues at home he may have a learning disability, being bullied at school or finding the work hard which is causing him difficulties, Stefan may be a carer for his mother or sibling which is the issue, often what is perceived as the main issues are not necessarily the same for the person being assessed, if any of the above issues have been highlighted then appropriate assessment would be requested. Other issues which need to be considered would be where to hold the assessment, Stefan may feel unable to speak openly if carried out in front of his parents or within the family home, by carrying out any assessment meetings within his school environment either setting could make him more vulnerable, careful thought needs to be given to where assessment is carried out. While working with a child there are many ethical issues which can arise, when there is evidence a child is being neglected and their safety at risk the social worker has a decision to make, Stefan has been left in a local park due to his mother forgetting him the ethical dilemma may be if Stefan is providing a caring role for his mother and sister removing him from the situation may cause his sister to become more vulnerable and take away a support system from his mother. Another ethical issue could be within the current economic climate carrying out an assessment but being unable to offer the services required by the child and their family, when dealing with a child such as Stefan the social worker needs to gain as much information as possible however the more people who know about the situation could cause Stefan to be more vulnerable, Stefan is also entitled to privacy and the more people who know about the situation could make Stefan vulnerable amongst his peers. The final issue could be Stefan’s parents are currently refusing support, the rights of the parents to refuse services verses the right of the child to have adequate service provision.

Sunday, October 13, 2019

Analysis of Audens The Age of Anxiety :: Auden The Age of Anxiety Essays

Analysis of Auden's The Age of Anxiety    In Auden's lengthy poem, "The Age of Anxiety", he follows the actions and thoughts of four characters who happen to meet in a bar during a war.   Their interactions with one another lead them on an imaginary quest in their minds in which they attempt, without success, to discover themselves.   The themes and ideas that Auden's "The Age of Anxiety" conveys reflect his belief that man's quest for self-actualization is in vain.      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   W. H. Auden was born in York, England, in 1907, the third and youngest son of Constance and George Auden (Magill 72).   His poetry in the 1930's reflected the world of his era, a world of depression, Fascism, and war.   His works adopt a prose of a "clinical diagrostician [sic] anatomizing society" and interpret social and spiritual acts as failures of communication (Magill 74).   They also put forth a diagnosis of the industrial English society among economic and moral decay in the 1930's (Magill 72).   Conflicts common in his works are those between war and peace, corruption of modern society, and the "dichotomy between the rich and the poor" (Barrows 317).      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   "The Age of Anxiety" is, in general, a quest poem.   Unlike the ideal quest, however, this quest accomplishes nothing.   The characters search for the meaning of self and, in essence, the meaning of life, but because their search is triggered by intoxication due to alchohol, the quest is doomed from the start.   Throughout the quest, the characters believe themselves to be in a form of Purgatory when they are allegorically in Hell.   They fail to realize this due to "the modern human condition which denies possibility but refuses to call it impossible" (Nelson 117).      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In "The Age of Anxiety", there are four characters of significance. Quant, the first to be introduced, addresses himself in a mirror, an action typical to a drunken man.   He is an aging homosexual widower who finds refuge in the mirror because it offers him the easiest way of facing himself (Nelson 117-118).      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Malin, the most dominant character overall, is a medical intelligence officer on leave from the Canadian Air Force.   His background labels him as the "would-be doctor and leader" in the world of "The Age of Anxiety".   His name is reminiscent, in relation to the war, of a malingerer, and the composition of his personality hints at the evil within him (Nelson 118).      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Rosetta, the most human of the characters, is a department store buyer, and comes closer to self-actualization than any of the other characters in the poem.   Emble is a young sailor and would-be prince whose

Saturday, October 12, 2019

Analysis of Joyce Carol Oates Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been? :: Joyce Carol Diabolical Symbols Essays

Analysis of Joyce Carol Oates' Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been? In Joyce Carol Oates' â€Å"Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?† critics argue whether the character of Arnold Friend, clearly the story's antagonist, represents Satan in the story. Indeed, Arnold Friend is an allegorical devil figure for the main reason that he tempts Connie, the protagonist, into riding off with him in his car. Oates characterizes Arnold Friend at first glance as â€Å"a boy with shaggy, black hair, in a convertible jalopy painted gold†(581). She lets the reader know that Arnold is not a teenager when Connie begins to notice the features such as the painted eyelashes, his shaggy hair which looked like a wig, and his stuffed boots; these features led her to believe he was not a teenager, but in fact, much older. Oates does make Arnold out to be a psychopathic stalker, but never objectively states the diabolical nature to his character. In â€Å"Connie's Tambourine Man†, a critical essay on the story, the authors write about Arnold Friend: â€Å"There are indeed diabolical shades to Arnold just as Blake and Shelley could see Milton's Satan a positive, attractive symbol of the poet, the religious embodiment of creative energy, so we should also be sensitive to Arnold's multifaceted and creative nature†(Tierce and Crafton 608). Mike Tierce and John Michael Crafton suggest that Arnold Friend is not a diabolical figure, but instead a religious and cultural savior. On a more realistic note, Joyce M. Wegs argues the symbolism of Arnold Friend as a Satan figure when she writes: â€Å"Arnold is far more a grotesque portrait of a psychopathic killer masquerading as a teenager; he also has all the traditional, sinister traits of that arch deceiver and source of grotesque terror, the devil†(616). She also writes about how the author sets up the idea of a religious, diabolical figure when she links popular music and its values as Connie's perverted version of a religion. Another hint is Arnold's almost supernatural, mysterious knowledge about Connie, her family and her friends(Wegs 617). The main reason why the reader would extract this diabolical symbol from reading the story is that Arnold's character bears striking resemblance to Satan's. At the drive-in, Arnold is warning Connie of his coming when he wags his finger at her and says â€Å"Gonna get you, baby†(Oates 581). The majority of the story is Arnold tempting Connie to leave the safe haven that is her home and