Essay on Grendel - 1169 Words

In 1971, American author John Gardner wrote Grendel. With a mastermind of creativity, John Gardner successfully retells the classic epic poem, Beowulf. He captures the reader by giving an interesting view of order and chaos, good and evil, hero and monster, allowing the monsters point of view to be seen. On July 21, 1933 John Gardner was born in Batavia, New York. He was the son of a preacher and diary, and his mother taught English. They were very fond of Shakespeare and loved to recite literature. Gardner spent his early days attending school, playing French horn, and working on his dads farms. In April 1945, Gardners brother was killed in an accident with a cultipacker on their family farm. Gardner was driving the†¦show more content†¦(Howell 2).In addition to teaching and writing, he also edited scholarly books for the Southern Illinois University Press; he was a creative and talented teacher, author, and editor. Although the promotion of Gardners first novel The Resurrection (1966) wasnt a hit at all, and The Wreckage of Agathon (1970) apprehended a mixture of reviews. It was the appearance of Grendel in 1970, however, that brought him true fame and recognition. Richard Locke of the New York Times called Gardner a major contemporary writer and other viewers were just as enthusiastic (Howell 2). John Michael Howell comments that though Grendel may have been written in a short period of time, its natural resonance suggests that the monster-hero (Grendel) has been lurking in Gardners imagination for a great deal of time (Howell 61). Which in all reality not only makes the story successful but also intriguing. Beowulf is an epic poem that was originally told between the eighth and eleventh centuries. It is the first surviving epic to be written in the English language. The single existing copy dates from around the tenth century, but some scholars believe its dates from the early eleventh century. It was found in a large volume that contained stories about mythical creatures and people. It is said that two different scribes copied the poem, most likely using an existing copy (Heaney 6). During the period of 1066 and the reformation the volumeShow MoreRelatedGrendel1242 Words   |  5 PagesGrendel as a Ridiculous Character Probably one of the greatest questions of the 19th century comes directly from John Gardner’s novel Grendel. Given a world with no inherent meaning, how should one live his or her life? Grendel lives in a world that he is not supposed to be in, acting out on emotion. Grendel represents the animalistic traits of humans. His actions are primitive and based around society’s acceptance throughout the novel. Grendel portrays a ridiculous character that is convincedRead MoreGrendel And Beowulf1838 Words   |  8 Pageswill establish my stance on who I believe the real monsters are in Beowulf and reference the characters I wish to defend (Grendel, his mother and the dragon). GRENDEL – Paragraphs 1-3: This where I will contrast Grendel to Hrothgar and Beowulf. Though Grendel does do monstrous things, his streak of violence is mirrored in Hrothgar’s inaction and Beowulf’s action. By letting Grendel kill every night for 12 years, Hrothgar neglects his kingly duties. By hiring Beowulf as a contract killer, he simplyRead MoreGrendel and Obj1412 Words   |  6 Pagesanswers the question. Comprehension The questions below refer to the selections â€Å"from Beowulf, Part One,† â€Å"from Grendel,† â€Å"Life in 999: A Grim Struggle,† and â€Å"from Beowulf, Part Two.† ____ 1. Beowulf slays Grendel in order to  Ã¢â‚¬â€ |a. |save Hrothgar and the Danes from the monster | |b. |prevent Grendel from invading the land of the Geats | |c. |keepRead MoreGrendel : Evil Essay833 Words   |  4 PagesIn the novel, Grendel by John Gardener, Grendel is a human-like creature capable of rational thought as well as feeling emotions. Early on in the story Gardener depicts Grendel as being very observant, critical and somewhat spiteful of the world around him. He describes himself as a murderous monster who smells of death and crouches in the shadows. Grendel watches the humans from the shadows of the trees and at first it seems as though they are the real monsters, slaughtering and pillaging all forRead MoreThe Battle Between Grendel And Beowulf1133 Words   |  5 PagesIn Beowulf, the fight between Grendel and Beowulf was certainly a nail-biter. In this fight, however, Beowulf shows his courage by doing his absolute best at defending the kingdom by taking on this gruesome monster. Grendel was wreaking havoc on the kingdom to no end. He was killing many and terrorizing the citizens greatly. When Beowulf heard of this, as a courageous thane, he stepped in to try to stop this and protect the people. â€Å"Hygelac’s kinsman kept [Grendel] helplessly locked in a handgripRead MoreThe Between Grendel And Society1273 Words   |  6 Pagesâ€Å"The state is an organization of violence, a monopoly in what it is pleased to call legitimate violence (Gardner, 119). Grendel is monster that first appears in the epic poem Beowulf. Gardner later takes the character on for his own adaption. In Grendel the monster Grendel struggles with humans and his own inner demons throughout the whole book. Throughout history, people have been forced to use violence as a solution; But even in those instances, there was a negative force that required the useRead More Beowulf v. Grendel Essay1084 Words   |  5 Pages Janell Touchette Period D 3/6/05 Beowulf/Grendel Test 1.nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;An anti-hero is the opposite of a hero. It is the character that goes against all the traditional values of society. Grendel has strong traits of the average anti-hero. He lives in a cave with his mother in the middle of no where. Everybody in the land refuses to accept him, even as the lowest of their kind, and they are constantly trying to kill him. He is deprived the rules and consequences of society by notRead MoreGrendel vs. Beowulf Essay examples969 Words   |  4 PagesGrendel One of the most compelling and highly developed characters in the novel Grendel, written by John Gardner, and the poem Beowulf, written by an anonymous poet, is the monster, Grendel. Even though these pieces show two different sides to Grendel they are similar in many ways. Grendel evokes sympathy toward the hideous monster by making him seem like the victim, while Beowulf portrays him as being the most loathsome of enemies. The reasons behind Grendel#8217;s being, his killing,Read More Grendel Vs. Beowulf Essay928 Words   |  4 Pages Grendel nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;One of the most compelling and highly developed characters in the novel Grendel, written by John Gardner, and the poem Beowulf, written by an anonymous poet, is the monster, Grendel. Even though these pieces show two different sides to Grendel they are similar in many ways. Grendel evokes sympathy toward the hideous monster by making him seem like the victim, while Beowulf portrays him as being the most loathsome of enemies. The reasons behind Grendelamp;#8217;sRead MoreIs Grendel Truley Evil? Essay1135 Words   |  5 PagesIs Grendel Evil or Victim to Circumstance? : How humanity has a tendency to put labels on people they don’t really understand. In the epic of Beowulf, one of the warrior’s biggest adversaries is a creature from the swamp named Grendel. Although the character of Grendel is present for only a short portion in the story of Beowulf, Grendel signifies one of the important messages in the text about humanity. In Beowulf, Grendel is called a ‘monster’. However, if observed closely, analyzing the

Virtue in Oroonoko (The Royal Slave) by Aphra Behn Essay

The story, Oroonoko; or, The Royal Slave, written by Aphra Behn, depicts the main character, Oroonoko, as being an African prince that lives among his people, whom all abide by a code of virtue and fidelity. When Oroonoko is faced with a dilemma in his own country and living among a â€Å"civilized† white society, that are devout Christians, he is confronted with the burden to uphold his code of virtue and maintain a title of being a â€Å"Noble Savage† by means of loyalty, religious beliefs, and honor. Oroonoko is able to sustain his code of virtue and fidelity by showing an act of true loyalty that proves his devotion and love to his lover and wife, Imoinda. After the King, Oroonoko’s grandfather, vigorously takes Imoinda for himself, Oroonoko†¦show more content†¦(2333) Oroonoko responds to the captain’s promise, with his own promise: Let him know I swear by my honor; which to violate, would not only render me contemptible and despised by all brave and honest men, and so give myself perpetual pain, but it would eternally offending and diseasing all man kind....(2333) After these commitments are made, Oroonoko keeps his promise to the captain, but unfortunately the captains promise deems as nothing but empty words. Oroonoko proves that worshiping a God, or a mans religious faith, is not what holds a true code of virtue, but his true beliefs of honor and truthfulness. Lastly, Oroonoko is able to uphold the code of virtue by maintaining his honor and not give into the evils and broken promises of the deceitful civilized white man. Rather than be destined to a life of slavery for himself, his wife, and unborn child, Oroonoko displays an act of honor by killing his wife and unborn child and setting them free. Even through all his misery, Oroonoko is able to maintain his honor to his dying breath. This is apparent when Oroonoko is captured in the woods after he kills Imoinda and awaits his death with honor at the hands of the white slave owners. â€Å"A blessing on thee,† and assured them [white men] they need not tie him, for he would stand fixed like aShow MoreRelatedNovel and Black Africans1298 Words   |  6 PagesWrite a critical analysis of Aphra Behn novella Oroonoko, paying special attention to the representation of black Africans. What makes Oroonoko a positive character? Is he superior or inferior to the whites in the novella? Oroonoko a Royal slave or a monstrous Negro â€Å" I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their characterRead More Politics in Aphra Behns Oroonoko Essay2476 Words   |  10 PagesAphra Behn, an certainly woman, still attracts critical attention with her novella Oroonoko. The aim of this essay was to find out the political implications of Oroonoko. First, the significance of the main character, Oroonoko, and interpreting his possible symbolism. Second, how the political sympathies of the author, were expressed in the book through her presentation of characters and plot. And third, the treatment by the author of slavery and racial issues, as seen in the political context. Read MoreSlavery in Oroonoko1742 Words   |  7 Pages ENL 4230 Dr. Oliver Oroonoko- The Ultimate Slave Narrative: Women and Their Masters Aphra Behn presents us with an extensive parody in her novel Oroonoko: a complete slave narrative, depicting the enslavement of both man and woman. She uses historical fact as well as semi-anthropologically accurate setting to reveal the truth in her words. Historically speaking, women were slaves for centuries before the white man enslaved the black man. Women were bartered and sold into marriage, abusesRead MoreOroonko Novel1880 Words   |  8 PagesOroonoko, or the Royal Slave Published in 1688, Oroonoko is a short novel about a royal prince who was deluded into slavery. Oroonoko is said to be one of the earliest English slave trade novels written by author Aphra Behn. Behn, also the first female professional writer in England, uses her personal experiences to narrate a memoir of events leading up to Orooonko’s unexpected enslavement and thereafter. Throughout the novel, Behn often shifts narration from first-person to third-person omniscientRead MoreThe Life and Works of Dramatist Aphra Behn Essay2575 Words   |  11 PagesThe Life and Works of Dramatist Aphra Behn Aphra Behn left a legacy of being not only a complex and enigmatic woman, but a poet, a playwright, a writer, a novelist, and a spy. A commoner who blended with the royalty and revolted against the societal norms with her lewd yet cunning writings, she exhibited the influence of more than just a writer of her time period and left her mark in the canon of English literature by creating her own genre of amatory. She was a feminist, an adventurist, an abolitionistRead MoreEssay about Oroonoko, by Aphra Behn1336 Words   |  6 PagesAphra Behn’s novel, Oroonoko, gives a very different perspective on a slave narrative. Her characters embody various characteristics not usually given to those genders and races. Imoinda’s character represents both the modern feminist, as well as the subservient and mental characteristics of the typical eighteenth-century English woman. Oroonoko becomes an embodiment of what is normally a white man’s characteristic; he is the noble, pr incely, and sympathetic character that is not usually attributedRead MoreOroonoko’s Honorable Downfall1433 Words   |  6 Pagesthe title, Oroonoko or the Royal Slave. This is already problematic since royalty are highly privileged people who do not end up in dire straits—much less slavery. Aphra Behn presents many paradoxes in her text Oroonoko or the Royal Slave. One of the many paradoxes she utilizes is the one that applies to her hero, Oroonoko; he is an honorable hero, who is also a naà ¯ve fool. Oroonoko was born into royalty and led a career as a valiant and just warrior. Reared for this life, Oroonoko has a characterRead More Aphra Behn and the Changing Perspectives on Ian Watt’s The Rise of the Novel6049 Words   |  25 PagesAphra Behn and the Changing Perspectives on Ian Watt’s The Rise of the Novel Ian Watt’s The Rise of the Novel (1957) remains one of the most influential texts in the study of the English novel. However, an increasingly strong case for a revision of both the work itself and the discourse it personifies has been gradually building over the past twenty years. While the initial stages of, first, feminist and, later, post colonial perspectives may have sought only to insert marginalised texts intoRead MoreImoindas Modernity: Aphra Behns Enactment of Conjugal Marriage in Oroonoko, or the Royal Slave3146 Words   |  13 PagesIMOINDA’S MODERNITY: APHRA BEHN’S ENACTMENT OF CONJUGAL MARRIAGE IN OROONOKO, OR THE ROYAL SLAVE Aphra Behn depicts Imoinda, the object of the prince’s love in Oroonoko, Or The Royal Slave (1688), as exotic in her person, potent in her sexuality, but highly conventional in her domestic aspirations. While she has only limited ownership of her body, she operates within the limits of her status to secure the love of Prince Oroonoko, and then to defend their union, even at great risk to herself, and

Perfect free essay sample

My palms are not sweating as I type this. Ive never lied to my parents and said I was doing my homework when I was instant messaging friends, and then flunked an English essay as a result. Ive never handed in work that was â€Å"just good enough† or disagreed with a teacher about a grade. Ive never studied my butt off for finals just so I would get a 3.0 upon transfer to a new school. Ive never cried at night because I was afraid I wasnt good enough. Ive never done any of these things, because Im perfect. I always smile politely at people who taunt me. I never blow off a friend because Im annoyed. I never, ever tell a lie. In spite of my ADD, I never fidget in class or fall asleep because my medication kept me up at night. We will write a custom essay sample on Perfect or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page I never make sarcastic comments in World Civilizations. I never have mood swings, and I never read science fiction during English, even when I hate the book weve been assigned. I never blow off church on Easter because Id rather eat chocolate and harbor doubts about Catholicism, even though attending mass would please my father. I never play â€Å"anywhere but here† when trying to find a seat in the cafeteria, or wish myself invisible during study hall. I never binge, even when depressed and angry with my mother. Speaking of mothers, I never fight with her either, even though were too alike to live together. Like I said, I have no flaws and Ive never felt fear. I am a heroine and I love school, and I never, ever tell a lie or mess up or feel depressed when I break out or my hairs the size and shape of a space shuttle. I know emotionally and intellectually that beauty is on the inside. You have just read a confession of my vices and shame and guilt. If youre still reading, you are probably the kind of person I want to learn from – patient, kind, and sick of reading sentimental essays about family tragedies. Im not perfect, and I wont pretend to be. I do want to be accepted by your school and make you see that I have good qualities. I want to be independent but also want help transitioning from school to life. I enjoy learning and debating. While Im not always the best student, I try. Im competitive and argumentative. I love warm weather but tolerate anything as long as the company is good. I have mood swings, but I will try to manage them. I will do my very best to succeed at your school, but Ill be honest about whether its a good fit. I love writing, even essays, and I have a weird sense of humor. I wrote the first draft of this essay long before it was due. Im never, and do not aspire to be, perfect.

Wachovia and Wells Fargo Merger Proposal Essay Example

Wachovia and Wells Fargo Merger Proposal Paper Negotiation Skills: Proposal My proposal is to analyze the dealings and negotiations between the merge of Wells Fargo Company and Wachovia Corporation. Wachovia Corporation had been in talks with Citigroup regarding the merging of the two companies around the end of September in 2008. By September 28, 2008, Wells Fargo had expressed an interest in obtaining the Wachovia Corporation and by October 3, 2008, announced that they were going to go through with the merge. Wells Fargo had expressed interest in buying Wachovia, but suddenly withdrew from negotiations to buy the company, citing concerns over some of the bank’s loan portfolio. † This was a concern that Wells Fargo Company needed to evaluate on all aspects. The loan portfolio for a bank is a huge part of what the bank has to offer and what they have done for themselves and evaluating the concerns is a very important thing to do. Had Wells Fargo Company walked in to this blindly, they could have ended up in the sa me situation that brought them to Wachovia Corporation in the first place. Mergers happen all the time, and the brunt of this is done through banking and lending companies. The biggest part of this negotiation was that it all happened so quickly. Whether it was a blessing in disguise for Wachovia Corporation to know that there were two large companies (Wells Fargo Company and Citigroup) that both had a large interest in purchasing their banking company. I would like to analyze the negotiations made by Wells Fargo Company and whether or not they made the correct move. Were they were able to accomplish what they wanted and needed to accomplish in this merge? We will write a custom essay sample on Wachovia and Wells Fargo Merger Proposal specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Wachovia and Wells Fargo Merger Proposal specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Wachovia and Wells Fargo Merger Proposal specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer

Theater and Improv Games for the Classroom and Beyond

Theater and Improv Games for the Classroom and Beyond Improv games are a great way to loosen up during drama practice or to break the ice at a party. Improvisational acting teaches you to think quickly and to read other people as you perform. Youll also sharpen your wit as you learn how to react to your audience. Best of all, you dont need any special props or equipment, just your imagination and the courage to step outside yourself.   Captains Coming Improv games like this one are terrific warmups that promote  teamwork and good humor. In this game, which is similar to Simon Says, one person plays the role of a ships captain. The rest of the group are sailors who must quickly follow the captains orders or be dismissed from the game. Orders can be simple or elaborate: Captains coming: Sailors line up in a row and salute the captain.Starboard: Everyone runs to the right side of the stage or room.Port:  Everyone runs to the left side of the stage or room.Man overboard: Sailors team up and pose as though theyre searching for the lost man.Mermaid: Stand on one foot, wave one hand, and say, Hi, sailor!Seasick: Run to port or starboard and pretend to be ill.  Swab the deck: Sailors pretend to mop and clean the floor.Walk the plank: Sailors stand single-file, their right arms extended and hands resting on the shoulder of the person in front. The great thing about Captains Coming is that theres no limit to the orders a captain can give. For added challenges, think of poses that require two or more people or divide the sailors into two groups and have them compete against one another. Yoo-hoo! Yoo-hoo! is another effective game for learning how to take cues and focus movement. It works best with groups that have room to move around. As with Captains Coming, this game requires a leader to call the cues and a group to follow whatever command the leader dreams up. As an added challenge, the group must repeat the action word six times in a whisper as they perform. After the sixth time, everyone calls out freeze! and holds still. Leader:  Yoo-hoo!  Group:  Yoo-hoo who?Leader:  You who  jump with ropes.Group:  Ropes, ropes, ropes, ropes, ropes, ropes, freeze! The leader then cues the next movement and the process repeats itself. If a person loses composure or breaks the freeze before the leader calls Yoo-Hoo again, that person is out. The last person remaining is the winner. Location, Location, Location The Location game can be done with as few or as many people as you like. Use it as a way to exercise your imagination as a solo performer and for learning how to act with others. Begin by having one or more actors develop a scene in a place that anyone can relate to, such as a bus stop, the mall, or Disneyland- without mentioning the name of the location. Have other players try to guess the place. Then move on to less familiar situations. Here are some to get you started: An atticA Ferris wheelA karaoke barAn orchestra pitUndergroundA high school yearbook clubA zeppelin The true challenge of this game is to think past clichà ©s and to avoid using language that gives away the action being performed. This improv exercise can also be played like charades, where teams must guess the activity. More Improv Games Once youve tried simple theater games, your troupe will be ready for more challenges. Here are a few more improv exercises: Tongue twisters:  It doesnt do students any good to be creatively warmed up if the audience has no idea what they are saying. Enunciation exercises  like tongue twisters provide a fun way to alleviate the dreaded mumbling, mush-mouth syndrome.Guess whos coming to dinner: This team exercise gives everyone a role to play. One person plays host, and the others are dinner guests. The only catch? The host doesnt know he or she is having company!The Harold: Developed  by theater director/teacher Del Close, this long-form improvisational activity allows more time to develop believable characters and organic storylines. Students riff off a suggested word, phrase, or idea through a mix of exercises. One improv piece can last from 10 to 45 minutes or more.Be an animal:  One of the best ways to develop out-of-the-box thinking is to have actors imagine themselves not just as other people but as an animal or even as an inanimate object. These drama activities offer proven ways to help participants get to know one another in a friendly, low-key fashion. They can also be used regularly as warm-ups  for your actors before you have them delve into more difficult improvisation exercises. Break a leg!

Dionysus Is the Greek God of Wine and Drunken Revelry

Dionysus Is the Greek God of Wine and Drunken Revelry Dionysus is the god of wine and drunken revelry in Greek mythology. He is a patron of the theater and an agricultural/fertility god. He was sometimes at the heart of frenzied madness that led to savage murder. Writers often contrast Dionysus with his half-brother Apollo. Where Apollo personifies the cerebral aspects of mankind, Dionysus represents the libido and gratification. Family of Origin Dionysus was the son of the king of the Greek gods, Zeus, and Semele, the mortal daughter of Cadmus and Harmonia of Thebes [see  map section Ed]. Dionysus is called twice-born because of the unusual manner in which he grew: not only in a womb  but also in a thigh. Dionysus the Twice-Born Hera, queen of the gods, jealous because her husband was playing around (again), took characteristic revenge: She punished the woman. In this case, Semele. Zeus had visited Semele in human form but claimed to be a god. Hera persuaded her that she needed more than his word that he was divine. Zeus knew the sight of him in all his splendor would prove fatal, but he had no choice, so he revealed himself. His lightning brightness killed Semele, but first, Zeus took the unborn from her womb and sewed it inside his thigh. There it gestated until it was time for the birth. Roman Equivalent The Romans often called Dionysus Bacchus or Liber. Attributes Usually, visual representations, like the vase shown, depict the god Dionysus sporting a beard. He is usually ivy-wreathed and wears a chiton and often an animal skin. Other attributes of Dionysus are thyrsus, wine, vines, ivy, panthers, leopards, and theater. Powers Ecstasy madness in his followers, illusion, sexuality, and drunkenness. Sometimes Dionysus is associated with Hades. Dionysus is called the Eater of Raw Flesh. Companions of Dionysus Dionysus is usually shown in the company of others who are enjoying the fruit of the vine. Silenus or multiple sileni and nymphs engaged in drinking, flute-playing, dancing, or amorous pursuits are the most common companions. Depictions of Dionysus may also include Maenads, the human women made mad by the wine god. Sometimes the part-animal companions of Dionysus are called satyrs, whether meaning the same thing as sileni or something else. Sources Ancient sources for Dionysus include Apollodorus, Diodorus Siculus, Euripides, Hesiod, Homer, Hyginus, Nonnius, Ovid, Pausanias, and Strabo. Greek Theater and Dionysus The development of Greek Theater came out of worship of Dionysus in Athens. The major festival at which the competitive tetralogies (three tragedies and a satyr play) were performed was the City Dionysia. This was an important annual event for the democracy. The theater of Dionysus was on the south slope of the Athenian Acropolis and held room for an audience of 17,000. There were also dramatic contests at the Rural Dionysia and the Lenaia festival, whose name is a synonym for maenad, Dionysus frenzied worshipers. Plays were also performed at the Anthesteria festival, which honored Dionysus as the god of wine.

The Gunpowder Plot Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

The Gunpowder Plot - Essay Example The failed plot to assassinate James I and the ruling Protestant elite tainted English Catholics with claims of treason for centuries thereafter. In this paper I describe the infamous Gunpowder plot before discussing its resolution and the implications for English Catholics before their emancipation. The year 1603 marked the end of an era where Catholics were in a transitional phase between rulers and had the opportunity to fundamentally alter their subjugate role within society. After nearly 45 long years as Queen of England, Elizabeth I was nearing death. It was assumed that her successor would be James VI of Scotland. Had this have been the scenario, Catholics would have been able to celebrate increased freedom as James VI was more lenient towards catholicism (Smith 1998). This was pleasing to the English Catholics as this could have marked an end to their suffering. They had suffered severe persecution since 1570, when the Pope had excommunicated Elizabeth, releasing her subjects from their allegiance to her. Additionally, The Spanish Armada of 1588 continued to make matters worse. To the Tudor State, it was held that each and every follower of Catholicism were potential traitors (Adams, 2005). They were forbidden to hear Mass, forced instead to attend Anglican services, with steep fines for those recusants who persistently refused (Smith 1998). Since James was more warmly disposed to Catholicism than the dying Queen Elizabeth. His wife, Queen Anne of Denmark, was a Catholic, and James himself was making vocal about his empathy with the plight of the Catholics. Moreover, historians contend that the early signs were encouraging to catholics as he ended their political dissatisfaction. In fact, he immediately ended recusancy fines and awarded important posts to the Earl of Northumberland and Henry Howard, another Catholic sympathizer (Questier, 2006). Catholics began to openly practice their beliefs as they became increasingly optimistic about their future in England (Smith 1998). While some individuals indicate that Catholics should have never felt any sense of security, others indicate that the Catholics were well on their way to emancipation. In his attempts to accommodate different religious demands, James was dissatisfied at their growing allegiance. This is because of his religious devotion to his own beliefs. Moreover, the uncovering of the 2 plots in 1603 created obstacles to James’ capacity to further empathize with the Catholic followers. The situation deteriorated further at the Hampton Court Conference of January 1604 where James I was explicit in his show of hostility against the Catholics in order to satisfy the Puritans, whose demands he could not wholly satisfy. Furthermore, in the following month he publicly denounced Catholicism. This was followed by every priests and Jesuits had being expelled as well as the resurgence of recusancy fines. The taste of freedom coupled with the abrupt 180 created an aura of despe ration that hit home with some of the most devout followers. Specifically, Robert Catesby was a devout Catholic whose father had been imprisoned for harboring a priest. Moreover, he had had to leave university without a degree, to avoid taking the Protestant Oath of Supremacy. Yet he possessed immense personal magnetism, crucial in recruiting and leading his small band of conspirators. James’ discontent is arguably because of the fact that the Catholic followers were so devout to the pope. He assumably didn’t want to have his constituents loyal to another leader. This perhaps caused him to be more cruel to the followers. Moreover, many sources indicate that there were fears of the pope attempting to take over. This is why kings did not want to allow this religion to proliferate within their borders. As kings

Essay I 3610 Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

I 3610 - Essay Example As much as they are not physically with us, their memories are still fresh in our minds. This can be traced back in the sixteenth century. The oral story telling had main objectives of connecting to the roots of our ancestors and has moral teachings. Gradually the evolution of having stories and poetry work edited for future use came into place. The secret behind story telling was to pass this wisdom from one generation to another. The story telling also revolved the core business of the society that include skills like leather works, blacksmith and the farming activities just to mention a few, (Faroqhi, p 204). Many of the stories that were passed to the next generation had a common pattern of religion, empires and their migration history and having been confined by geographical zones. The death of the rich travelers that resisted the rule of the Ottoman was told to emphasize on loyalty of the Turks, stressing the importance of loyal citizenship. The worrier’s at that time can be compared with the current army of today and their key roles to defend the boundaries against the enemy, (Faroqhi, p 206). The many gifts and rewards that the worriers got when they returned back from war. In today’s world they are rewarded in terms of monetary value. At the Ottoman era, the story telling was done also on occasions that had great value at that particular time. Another great moment was the breaking news of the birth of a new prince within the empire, circumcision season, the court marriages and not forgetting the ascension day of the new ruler. This was the high time the story teller would portray skills on words chanted. The entertainment was highly valued and the deliberate effort to preserve that culture is evident on our valued historical museums, (Faroqhi, p 220). This paper acknowledges the great efforts that our great grandfathers did during their time. The great teachings from our history and this help us refresh our roots. Governments and other stake

APA Style Format Essay Example for Free

APA Style Format Essay Summary: APA (American Psychological Association) is most commonly used to cite sources within the social sciences. This resource, revised according to the 6th edition, second printing of the APA manual, offers examples for the general format of APA research papers, in-text citations, endnotes/footnotes, and the reference page. For more information, please consult the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association, 6th edition, second printing. Contributors:Joshua M. Paiz, Elizabeth Angeli, Jodi Wagner, Elena Lawrick, Kristen Moore, Michael Anderson, Lars Soderlund, Allen Brizee, Russell Keck Last Edited: 2012-05-30 12:19:58 Please use the example at the bottom of this page to cite the Purdue OWL in APA. To see a side-by-side comparison of the three most widely used citation styles, including a chart of all APA citation guidelines, see the Citation Style Chart. You can also watch our APA vidcast series on the Purdue OWL YouTube Channel. General APA Guidelines Your essay should be typed, double-spaced on standard-sized paper (8.5 x 11) with 1 margins on all sides. You should use a clear font that is highly readable. APA recommends using 12 pt. Times New Roman font. Include a page header (also known as the running head) at the top of every page. To create a page header/running head, insert page numbers flush right. Then type TITLE OF YOUR PAPER in the header flush left using all capital letters. The running head is a shortened version of your papers title and cannot exceed 50 characters including spacing and punctuation. Major Paper Sections Your essay should include four major sections: the Title Page, Abstract, Main Body, andReferences. Title Page The title page should contain the title of the paper, the authors name, and theinstitutional affiliation. Include the page header (described above) flush left with the page number flush right at the top of the page. Please note that on the title page, your page header/running head should look like this: Running head: TITLE OF YOUR PAPER Pages after the title page should have a running head that looks like this: TITLE OF YOUR PAPER After consulting with publication specialists at the APA, OWL staff learned that the APA 6th edition, first printing sample papers have incorrect examples of Running heads on pages after the title page. This link will take you to the APA site where you can find a complete list of all the errors in the APAs 6th edition style guide. Type your title in upper and lowercase letters centered in the upper half of the page. APA recommends that your title be no more than 12 words in length and that it should not contain abbreviations or words that serve no purpose. Your title may take up one or two lines. All text on the title page, and throughout your paper, should be double-spaced. Beneath the title, type the authors name: first name, middle initial(s), and last name. Do not use titles (Dr.) or degrees (Ph.D.). Beneath the authors name, type the institutional affiliation, which should indicate the location where the author(s) conducted the research. APA Title Page Abstract Begin a new page. Your abstract page should already include the page header (described above). On the first line of the abstract page, center the word â€Å"Abstract† (no bold, formatting, italics, underlining, or quotation marks). Beginning with the next line, write a concise summary of the key points of your research. (Do not indent.) Your abstract should contain at least your research topic, research questions, participants, methods, results, data analysis, and conclusions. You may also include possible implications of your research and future work you see connected with your findings. Your abstract should be a single paragraph double-spaced. Your abstract should be between 150 and 250 words. You may also want to list keywords from your paper in your abstract. To do this, indent as you would if you were starting a new paragraph, type Keywords: (italicized), and then list your keywords. Listing your keywords will help researchers find your work in databases. APA Abstract Page Please see our Sample APA Paper resource to see an example of an APA paper. You may also visit our Additional Resources page for more examples of APA papers. How to Cite the Purdue OWL in APA Individual Resources Contributors names and the last edited date can be found in the orange boxes at the top of every page on the OWL. Contributors names (Last edited date). Title of resource. Retrieved from http://Web address for OWL resource Angeli, E., Wagner, J., Lawrick, E., Moore, K., Anderson, M., Soderlund, L., Brizee, A. (2010, May 5). General format. Retrieved from http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/560/01/ n-Text Citations: The Basics Summary: APA (American Psychological Association) is most commonly used to cite sources within the social sciences. This resource, revised according to the 6th edition, second printing of the APA manual, offers examples for the general format of APA research papers, in-text citations, endnotes/footnotes, and the reference page. For more information, please consult the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association, 6th edition, second printing. Contributors:Joshua M. Paiz, Elizabeth Angeli, Jodi Wagner, Elena Lawrick, Kristen Moore, Michael Anderson, Lars Soderlund, Allen Brizee, Russell Keck Last Edited: 2012-09-14 09:39:55 Reference citations in text are covered on pages 169-179 of the Publication Manual. What follows are some general guidelines for referring to the works of others in your essay. Note: APA style requires authors to use the past tense or present perfect tense when using signal phrases to describe earlier research, for example, Jones (1998) found or Jones (1998) has found APA Citation Basics When using APA format, follow the author-date method of in-text citation. This means that the authors last name and the year of publication for the source should appear in the text, for example, (Jones, 1998), and a complete reference should appear in the reference list at the end of the paper. If you are referring to an idea from another work but NOT directly quoting the material, or making reference to an entire book, article or other work, you only have to make reference to the author and year of publication and not the page number in your in-text reference. All sources that are cited in the text must appear in the reference list at the end of the paper. In-Text Citation Capitalization, Quotes, and Italics/Underlining Always capitalize proper nouns, including author names and initials: D. Jones. If you refer to the title of a source within your paper, capitalize all words that are four letters long or greater within the title of a source: Permanence and Change. Exceptions apply to short words that are verbs, nouns, pronouns, adjectives, and adverbs: Writing New Media, There Is Nothing Left to Lose. (Note: in your References list, only the first word of a title will be capitalized: Writing new media.) When capitalizing titles, capitalize both words in a hyphenated compound word:Natural-Born Cyborgs. Capitalize the first word after a dash or colon: Defining Film Rhetoric: The Case of Hitchcocks Vertigo. Italicize or underline the titles of longer works such as books, edited collections, movies, television series, documentaries, or albums: The Closing of the American Mind; The Wizard of Oz; Friends. Put quotation marks around the titles of shorter works such as journal articles, articles from edited collections, television series episodes, and song titles: Multimedia Narration: Constructing Possible Worlds; The One Where Chandler Cant Cry. Short Quotations If you are directly quoting from a work, you will need to include the author, year of publication, and the page number for the reference (preceded by p.). Introduce the quotation with a signal phrase that includes the authors last name followed by the date of publication in parentheses. According to Jones (1998), Students often had difficulty using APA style, especially when it was their first time (p. 199). Jones (1998) found students often had difficulty using APA style (p. 199); what implications does this have for teachers? If the author is not named in a signal phrase, place the authors last name, the year of publication, and the page number in parentheses after the quotation. She stated, Students often had difficulty using APA style (Jones, 1998, p. 199), but she did not offer an explanation as to why. Long Quotations Place direct quotations that are 40 words, or longer, in a free-standing block of typewritten lines, and omit quotation marks. Start the quotation on a new line, indented 1/2 inch from the left margin, i.e., in the same place you would begin a new paragraph. Type the entire quotation on the new margin, and indent the first line of any subsequent paragraph within the quotation 1/2 inch from the new margin. Maintain double-spacing throughout. The parenthetical citation should come after the closing punctuation mark. Joness (1998) study found the following: Students often had difficulty using APA style, especially when it was their first time citing sources. This difficulty could be attributed to the fact that many students failed to purchase a style manual or to ask their teacher for help. (p. 199) Summary or Paraphrase If you are paraphrasing an idea from another work, you only have to make reference to the author and year of publication in your in-text reference, but APA guidelines encourage you to also provide the page number (although it is not required.) According to Jones (1998), APA style is a difficult citation format for first-time learners. APA style is a difficult citation format for first-time learners (Jones, 1998, p. 199). In-Text Citations: Author/Authors Summary: APA (American Psychological Association) is most commonly used to cite sources within the social sciences. This resource, revised according to the 6th edition, second printing of the APA manual, offers examples for the general format of APA research papers, in-text citations, endnotes/footnotes, and the reference page. For more information, please consult the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association, 6th edition, second printing. Contributors:Joshua M. Paiz, Elizabeth Angeli, Jodi Wagner, Elena Lawrick, Kristen Moore, Michael Anderson, Lars Soderlund, Allen Brizee, Russell Keck Last Edited: 2011-10-28 07:37:33 APA style has a series of important rules on using author names as part of the author-date system. There are additional rules for citing indirect sources, electronic sources, and sources without page numbers. Citing an Author or Authors A Work by Two Authors: Name both authors in the signal phrase or in the parentheses each time you cite the work. Use the word and between the authors names within the text and use the ampersand in the parentheses. Research by Wegener and Petty (1994) supports (Wegener Petty, 1994) A Work by Three to Five Authors: List all the authors in the signal phrase or in parentheses the first time you cite the source. (Kernis, Cornell, Sun, Berry, Harlow, 1993) In subsequent citations, only use the first authors last name followed by et al. in the signal phrase or in parentheses. (Kernis et al., 1993) In et al., et should not be followed by a period. Six or More Authors: Use the first authors name followed by et al. in the signal phrase or in parentheses. Harris et al. (2001) argued (Harris et al., 2001) Unknown Author: If the work does not have an author, cite the source by its title in the signal phrase or use the first word or two in the parentheses. Titles of books and reports are italicized or underlined; titles of articles, chapters, and web pages are in quotation marks. A similar study was done of students learning to format research papers (Using APA, 2001). Note: In the rare case the Anonymous is used for the author, treat it as the authors name (Anonymous, 2001). In the reference list, use the name Anonymous as the author. Organization as an Author: If the author is an organization or a government agency, mention the organization in the signal phrase or in the parenthetical citation the first time you cite the source. According to the American Psychological Association (2000), If the organization has a well-known abbreviation, include the abbreviation in brackets the first time the source is cited and then use only the abbreviation in later citations. First citation: (Mothers Against Drunk Driving [MADD], 2000) Second citation: (MADD, 2000) Two or More Works in the Same Parentheses: When your parenthetical citation includes two or more works, order them the same way they appear in the reference list, separated by a semi-colon. (Berndt, 2002; Harlow, 1983) Authors With the Same Last Name: To prevent confusion, use first initials with the last names. (E. Johnson, 2001; L. Johnson, 1998) Two or More Works by the Same Author in the Same Year: If you have two sources by the same author in the same year, use lower-case letters (a, b, c) with the year to order the entries in the reference list. Use the lower-case letters with the year in the in-text citation. Research by Berndt (1981a) illustrated that Introductions, Prefaces, Forewords, and Afterwords: When citing an Introduction, Preface, Foreword, or Afterwords in-text, cite the appropriate author and year as usual. (Funk Kolln, 1992) Personal Communication: For interviews, letters, e-mails, and other person-to-person communication, cite the communicators name, the fact that it was personal communication, and the date of the communication. Do not include personal communication in the reference list. (E. Robbins, personal communication, January 4, 2001). A. P. Smith also claimed that many of her students had difficulties with APA style (personal communication, November 3, 2002). Citing Indirect Sources If you use a source that was cited in another source, name the original source in your signal phrase. List the secondary source in your reference list and include the secondary source in the parentheses. Johnson argued that(as cited in Smith, 2003, p. 102). Note: When citing material in parentheses, set off the citation with a comma, as above. Also, try to locate the original material and cite the original source. Electronic Sources If possible, cite an electronic document the same as any other document by using the author-date style. Kenneth (2000) explained Unknown Author and Unknown Date: If no author or date is given, use the title in your signal phrase or the first word or two of the title in the parentheses and use the abbreviation n.d. (for no date). Another study of students and research decisions discovered that students succeeded with tutoring (Tutoring and APA, n.d.). Sources Without Page Numbers When an electronic source lacks page numbers, you should try to include information that will help readers find the passage being cited. When an electronic document has numbered paragraphs, use the abbreviation para. followed by the paragraph number (Hall, 2001, para. 5). If the paragraphs are not numbered and the document includes headings, provide the appropriate heading and specify the paragraph under that heading. Note that in some electronic sources, like Web pages, people can use the Find function in their browser to locate any passages you cite. According to Smith (1997), (Mind over Matter section, para. 6). Note: Never use the page numbers of Web pages you print out; different computers print Web pages with different pagination.

put me in coach :: essays research papers

With the increasingly frantic, crass commercial push for premature seasonal spending, the holidays seem to commence earlier and earlier every year. Walk into any mall on Nov. 1 and you'll find holly-adorned halls already decked. The first Christmas catalogs come so early, you can swat mosquitoes with them. The broad definition of the holidays as a "season of giving" is a sentiment whereby spiritual, secular, and commercial interests collide: To give, you've got to spend. This year, though, just about every American--whether he or she celebrates Christmas, Kwanzaa, Hanukkah, or Ramadan--can probably pinpoint how early the urge to give set in. For many, the most immediate response to Sept. 11 was to give: time, blood, cash, comfort to their fellow Americans. The spirit of unity and generosity that's prevailed in the wake of the attack on our country dovetails nicely with the ideals of the holiday season, although that "peace on earth" thing seems pretty much shot to hell. At any rate, this year holiday shopping and tourism aren't just an indulgence, they're a patriotic duty. President Bush and New York Mayor Rudolph Giuliani have urged us to keep recession at bay by spending like mad and following through with any travel plans we may have, and why not? When else are you going to have a built-in excuse for both compulsive shopping and touring? Besides, as far as demonstrating patriotism goes, both sure beat enlisting. Travel and tourism businesses especially have been feeling the pain of the post-Sept. 11 pinch, and they could probably use a boost. Which is why, on a balmy November morning, I'm boarding a charter bus for a day trip to New York. I've convinced a few game colleagues to join me, figuring we can help give an ailing local business a shot in the arm, furnish a beleaguered metropolis with some tourist bucks, and get some Christmas shopping done to boot. Pikesville-based Superior Tours--whose Manhattan-bound bus is a fave among my friends for its quirky perks as much as for its reasonable cost ($40 round-trip)--haD reportedly been having trouble filling it's once-popular New York runs. put me in coach :: essays research papers With the increasingly frantic, crass commercial push for premature seasonal spending, the holidays seem to commence earlier and earlier every year. Walk into any mall on Nov. 1 and you'll find holly-adorned halls already decked. The first Christmas catalogs come so early, you can swat mosquitoes with them. The broad definition of the holidays as a "season of giving" is a sentiment whereby spiritual, secular, and commercial interests collide: To give, you've got to spend. This year, though, just about every American--whether he or she celebrates Christmas, Kwanzaa, Hanukkah, or Ramadan--can probably pinpoint how early the urge to give set in. For many, the most immediate response to Sept. 11 was to give: time, blood, cash, comfort to their fellow Americans. The spirit of unity and generosity that's prevailed in the wake of the attack on our country dovetails nicely with the ideals of the holiday season, although that "peace on earth" thing seems pretty much shot to hell. At any rate, this year holiday shopping and tourism aren't just an indulgence, they're a patriotic duty. President Bush and New York Mayor Rudolph Giuliani have urged us to keep recession at bay by spending like mad and following through with any travel plans we may have, and why not? When else are you going to have a built-in excuse for both compulsive shopping and touring? Besides, as far as demonstrating patriotism goes, both sure beat enlisting. Travel and tourism businesses especially have been feeling the pain of the post-Sept. 11 pinch, and they could probably use a boost. Which is why, on a balmy November morning, I'm boarding a charter bus for a day trip to New York. I've convinced a few game colleagues to join me, figuring we can help give an ailing local business a shot in the arm, furnish a beleaguered metropolis with some tourist bucks, and get some Christmas shopping done to boot. Pikesville-based Superior Tours--whose Manhattan-bound bus is a fave among my friends for its quirky perks as much as for its reasonable cost ($40 round-trip)--haD reportedly been having trouble filling it's once-popular New York runs.

DVD player Essay

Keyboard The keyboard is usually a long rectangle shaped piece of plastic with rows keys. The keyboard is used to type letters and numbers into a word processor. They are also used for gaming; some keyboards have with special gaming features. A keyboard used to be used to give commands to operate the computer before there the invention of mice. A keyboard can be connected to the computer by USB port or wirelessly. Some keyboards are designed for use by people who are visually impaired. The Waterside library has a keyboard on every computer; there are two types of keyboard in the library, the average sized plain coloured keyboards (above left) used mostly people without eyesight problems and then the larger sized keyboards (above right) for visually impaired members with a contrasting coloured keyboard. The contrasting coloured keyboard makes it easier for the visually impaired to identify buttons on the keyboard. The good thing about the larger sized keyboard is that the keys help the user to recognise when they have been pressed with a nice distinct click. The libraries facilities are available to the whole community including the visually impaired. It would be unfair for visually impaired people if they were not able to use the same facilities just because the equipment didn’t suit their needs. The Library has made a big effort to make sure all sections of the community are able to use the facilities available without feeling excluded and discriminated against. If the library didn’t have this specialised equipment the visually impaired members would find that they make lots of mistakes when typing and this would put them off using the library again. Mouse There are two types of mouse, they are optical or roller ball. Mice can be wired or wireless. A mouse is an object that the user holds under one of the user’s hands. Most mice have two buttons the left and the right. Sometimes the mouse may have a wheel between the left and right buttons. The wheel is used to scroll up and down. The mouse is used to control the motion of the cursor, which is displayed on the monitor. It can be used to open and close windows by clicking on icons and carry out tasks such as printing. All computers in the library have a normal mouse connected to them however there are two mice connected to the computers with a large keyboard, the special mouse (above right) and the Dell wired mouse (above left). The library uses wired mice because wireless mice are easily stolen as they are not attached to the computer, people can not move a wired mouse away from the computer it is wired to. The special mouse is used by people who find it difficult to use a normal mouse, for example a person who had his fingers taken off in an accident and only had a palm left would not be able to hold a mouse or click, however they would be able to use the other mouse as they could their palm to roll the ball around and press the buttons. This equipment can also be used by people with learning difficulties, poor visibility and limited hand movement. All these types of people could not have used a computer independently without assistance from members of staff, by having this special mouse means members of staff spend less time assisting one library members and are more able to help other people and organise stock. This arrangement ensures that people with disabilities are not discriminated against and are made to feel welcome in the library. Barcode scanner A barcode scanner is a laser light that scans barcodes. They save time and money. A barcode scanner can be connected to the computer through USB. They are used in shops to scan items that are purchased, issued or returned. In the library staff use a barcode scanner located at the issue desk to in libraries to scan the barcodes on stock and members cards. Before libraries used barcode scanners had to type the code in by keyboard, this took time and often mistakes were made when typing in codes, resulting in members and stock details being inaccurate. The library needs its information to be accurate as people don’t want to find that stock have had taken out under there member number by mistake and that they have to pay for it because it wasn’t returned. A barcode scanner is quicker and more accurate then entering in codes by a keyboard. This means that the staff can give their members a good quality service which will encourage them to use the library. Flatbed scanner A scanner scans and converts documents in to a digital image. That can be stored on the computer. It can be use by members of the library and staff. The advantage is that users can scan images/documents so as they can be sent by email or inserted in to documents. The flat bed scanners are available to staff and members in the library. They are not used very often. This is because digital cameras and phone cameras are very common and people can easily get pictures into digital format. However they are available if anyone wants to scan an A4 document. They are free of charge to use but their use is supervised by a member of the library staff. Storage devices Hard drive A hard drive is a storage device that records data. There are two types of hard drives External Hard Drives and Internal Hard Drives. The external hard disk drive is similar to internal hard disk drives; they include a normal hard disk drive which is mounted in a disk enclosure. Key benefits to using external disk drives are adding additional storage space or adding an easily removable backup source. It could also be useful for preventing the heat from the drive increasing the heat inside a computer case. The internal hard disk gives computers the ability to remember things when the power goes out. Key benefits to using internal disk drives are that it stores and retrieves data much faster than a floppy disk and CD-ROM and has a large storage capacity. It does not need connected every time the user needs to use it. In the library members are not allowed to save on to the hard drive, this is because members could be saving viruses on to the computers or filling the computers hard drive up unnecessarily. If members were allowed to save on to the hard drive all the files saved on that computer station would be available to opened, read, viewed and edit the file unless it has been saved as a password protected file. This means that any user could look at another users documents, so long as they are saved on the hard drive of the computer and there is no password. Floppy disk A floppy disk is a data storage device. Floppy disk is a plastic square shaped object with a disk of thin magnetic storage inside it. Floppy disks are read and written by a floppy disk drive. The library computers no longer have floppy disk drives on their computer. This means that members can not use floppy disks on the computers in the library. If the library computers did have a floppy disk drive and people could use floppy disks most people would still prefer to use other storage devices as they are more robust and hold a lot more data. Optical disk There are three types of optical disk they are DVD, CD and blu ray. DVDs are of the same as CDs, but they store more than six times as much data. CDs are used to store music these can be played in CD or DVD player. You can’t play blu ray DVD on a normal DVD player but you can play DVDs on a Blue-ray player. Blu ray players are backward compatible; this means that blu ray player can also play normal DVDs. In the library members can not use optical drives because they are blocked instead they must use an external optical drive. The library has two external optical drives these can be borrowed from the issue desk. Members plug them in to the USB port and can then use them to open files saved on a compact disk or save on to a disk, listen to CDs and play DVDs. If a member needed to save his or her work but did not have another compatible storage device like a memory pen or have forgotten to bring it with them they can borrow the external optical drive and buy a compact disk from the issue desk and save on to that. This means that members are still able to save there documents even if they don’t own another storage device or haven’t brought it with them. Members can request the external optical drive and use it to play music, CD’s or DVD’s. Memory pens Flash memory data storage device are also known Flash Drives, Memory Sticks, Pen Drives, and Memory Pens. Memory pens are more effective at transferring data than floppy disks or burning CD’s. Storage capacities can range. The USB is usually protected by a removable cap. There is no external power required. Memory pens easily taken to any library and plugged in to the USB port, the documents can be opened at any computer they are plugged on to. Members of the library can use memory pens to save data on as they are unable to save on to the libraries computers hard drives. The library computers have two USB ports at the front of the computers to make it easy for the members to connect their memory pens. Random access memory RAM is the most common computer memory, it is used by programs to perform tasks while the computer is on. The data which is in the RAM will be lost when the computer power is switched off so it is important to save before switching off. Random access memory can improve performance, the more RAM in a computer the faster it will perform. There are several different types of RAM available for computers; these vary in cost and speed. The amount of RAM on the computers in the library is 512Mbyte memory . The library didn’t need to buy extra RAM for their computers as the amount all ready on them was sufficient for general use and more than adequate for use in libraries where people use the computers for basic tasks such as word processing, surfing the internet and checking emails. The memory size is also adequate for the staff to run galaxy and any other software they need. By taking the standard memory the library were able to save some money which they were able to use in other areas. Magnetic tape data storage Magnetic tape is most commonly packaged in cartridges and cassettes. The device that performs actual writing or reading of data is a tape drive. When storing large amounts of data, tape can is less expensive than other data storage. Tape storage is used with large computer systems, mainly for backups and archives. However magnetic tape is much more likely to get damaged. In the library every evening when the library is closed a member of staff will put a back up tape in to the server. Staff will back up the server while the library is closed at night.

Organizational Conflicts and Building Coalitions

Conflict within the organization is an every day reality as no one individual will have the same opinion or style. The differences found amongst people in the workplace has required perceptions to change when it comes to leading a team and implementing strategy. One's attitude must be flexible and tolerant of change and conflict. Conflict must be an accepted factor or otherwise the organization will not survive. In many ways, leaders and management look at conflict as a positive. Because conflict taking time and effort to resolve, it also allows for critical thinking and opening the path for new ideas and solutions. This works to the company's advantage over the long run as it continues to think outside the box or get do away with the box entirely. This leads to innovation. The attitude toward knowledge has evolved because more than one type is needed in order to implement a new idea. This changes the needs of workers and organizations as diffusion of innovation takes place as many different points of view are considered. While the idea that conflict can be a positive, leaders must also keep in mind the other side of the spectrum or the negative. While conflict can lead to innovation, it can also open up the employee to too many opportunities, which can influence their creativity and productivity. It produces a whole new reality that employees may not be prepared to handle. Product diversification could mean failure. Technology, while it is wondrous and makes jobs easier, can also be dangerous. With telecommunications, a new breed of crime has been created with identity theft and corporate brand protection becoming important. Technology can be disastrous if put in the wrong hands. With innovations come new inventions that make our lives easier but also have a higher risk when used. This is the nature of the realm of possibility. This can backfire as it can also destroy and impose new rules of conduct upon communities. As much as many like the idea of innovation, for those scared of change, it is difficult to embrace fully. This leads to further conflict or counter movements to conserve what is left because the longer a conflict goes unresolved, the harder it is fix. This like a lack of communication can lead to a break in the cycle for the organization. Still organizational conflict and change is about the future. However, as more products and services are produced and distributed throughout the world, debate continues regarding leaders' obligation to take on more social responsibility. To change the way business is conducted, we may need to establish new operational styles that set new expectations for both today's work force and corporate accountability. Looking at a corporation like Johnson and Johnson, one realizes within a team everyone has a function to meet production quotas and the harmony produced translates into efficiency. Total Quality Management (TQM) is still evident as companies push to analyze productivity as it reflects success, profit, as the numbers still remain the bottom line. Change means introducing new players to the reality, which one takes the risk, could lead to further conflict or creation. This means the possibility of interacting with outsiders or traveling in other countries for opportunities. One such situation can arise when an American company sets up shop in England. How will the locals react to such international involvement and on what levels will this be tolerated? How much will gained by so much change or resulting conflict? It is the ability to accept the new reality of today's workplace that makes an organization competitive. A company like Johnson and Johnson faces many challenges in the future due to this new reality.

Sex and the city. Media Analysis

Sex and the city. Media Analysis Sex and the city is one of the most popular cable television and film series in America. The main characters in the show are four independent women on a self exploration mission. Three of these women are in their thirties and one in her mid- forties. These four White American women are the main focus of the show.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Sex and the city. Media Analysis specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The series has multiple story lines running concurrently and it tackles socially relevant themes like feminism, promiscuity, divorce and sexually transmitted infections (Sohn 32). The show highlights how the lives of professional city women are affected by the increasingly changing society. All the episodes in the show are narrated by Sarah Jessica Parker. Sarah is a stylish party girl popularly known for having a unique sense of fashion and is referred to as Carrie Bradshaw in the show. She is an outgoing girl who likes having fun and anticipating love in the process. Carrie is an independent woman in her mid-thirties and sees marriage as an obstacle to her self exploration mission (Sohn 15). The other character is Kim Cantrall starring as Samantha Jones. She is the oldest among the four and is portrayed as the most confident about her sexual life. She is very loyal to her friends and seems strong and outspoken. Kristin Davis starring as Charlotte Yorke is the most optimistic member of the group who advocates for emotional love rather than lust (Jermyn 48). She is an extremely successful woman despite her traditional outlook which at times surprises her friends. She represents the traditional attitude about relationships and love. Despite having a series of relationship, her actions are somehow controlled compared to the other three. The fourth character is Cynthia Nixon starring as Miranda Hobbes. She is a professional attorney who is always negative about love and relationships. There a re quite a number of family –based themes highlighted in the sex and the city show. The theme of sexual immorality commonly referred to as promiscuity is prevalent in the show. This is mostly revealed through Samantha. She has numerous sexual flings in the show. She has an open sexual lifestyle to an extent where she doesn’t mind having sexual relationship with younger men (Jermyn 28). Carrie has a string of boyfriends and she is also unable to settle in any marriage. The show depicts the theme of feminism where the four women represent a modern independent woman who is not ready to be enslaved by any man.Advertising Looking for essay on social sciences? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Infidelity is the order of the day in the show. Having multiple sexual partners is portrayed as normal and fun by these four women. This is exactly the picture in modern relationships. The four women portray marriage as a failed affair except Charlotte who believes that a marriage can actually work. Miranda divorces her husband Steve after he admits having cheated on her (Jermyn 87). The chances of divorce are also high in the other marriages and the main cause being infidelity. Economic empowerment on the side of women is highly emphasized in this show. All the four women are professionals who are economically empowered and do not rely on men to support them. Carrie is an established writer and columnist, Samantha a successful business woman, Charlotte a history and finance graduate and finally Miranda who is a professional lawyer. They actually represent a modern day woman on the first driving lane to success (Sohn 13). Apart from being popular, the show has also faced its fare share of criticism. The characters in the show use the tag of feminism to push for their immoral interests. The show promotes sexual immorality in the way sex is advertised by the characters. The show portrays marriage as a failed thing with divorce being depicted as the only way to end marital problems and strain (Jermyn 92). The show glamorizes sex and does not put into consideration its negative effects like unplanned pregnancies and sexually transmitted infections. The show portrays infidelity as a normal and fun thing which is not acceptable in the society. The mode of dressing of these characters is questionable with characters like Carrie going to the extreme end. Their mode of dressing portrays women as potential sex objects for men. In conclusion, sex and the city has continued to have a negative influence to the society and increased viewership of the show will continue to erode our good societal morals. The show has influenced teenagers in a very negative way. A recent survey revealed how the show has encouraged sex amongst teenagers leading to early and unplanned pregnancies for girls who watch the show. On the other side, their male counterparts are more likely to engage in teenage sex th an those who are not viewers of the show (Sohn 88). It is believed that some scenes in the show make the viewers to be sexually charged by arousing their sexual emotions (Jermyn 109).Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Sex and the city. Media Analysis specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Jermyn, Deborah. Sex and the City. New York: Wayne State University Press, 2009. Print. Sohn, Amy et al. Sex and the City. New York: HarperCollins, 2008. Print.

Biography of King Abdullah, Ruler of Saudi Arabia

Biography of King Abdullah, Ruler of Saudi Arabia Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al Saud (August 1, 1924–January 23, 2015) was the king of Saudia Arabia from 2005 to 2015. During his reign, tensions increased between conservative Salafi (Wahhabi) forces and liberal reformers. While the king positioned himself as a relative moderate, he did not promote many substantive reforms; in fact, during Abdullahs tenure, Sauda Arabia was accused of numerous human rights violations. Fast Facts: King Abdullah Known For: King Abdullah was the king of Saudi Arabia from 2005 to 2015.Also Known As: Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al SaudBorn: August 1, 1924 in Riyadh, Saudi ArabiaParents: King Abdulaziz and  Fahda bint Asi Al ShuraimDied: January 23, 2015 in Riyadh, Saudi ArabiaSpouse(s): 30Children: 35 Early Life Little is known about King Abdullahs childhood. He was born in Riyadh on August 1, 1924, the fifth son of Saudi Arabias founding king, Abdulaziz bin Abdulrahman Al Saud (also known as Ibn Saud). Abdullahs mother, Fahda bint Asi Al Shuraim, was Ibn Sauds eighth wife of 12. Abdullah had between 50 and 60 siblings. At the time of Abdullahs birth, his father Amir Abdulazizs realm included only the northern and eastern sections of Arabia. The Amir defeated Sharif Hussein of Mecca in 1928 and declared himself king. The royal family was quite poor until about 1940,  at which point Saudi oil revenues began to increase. Education Details of Abdullahs education are sparse, but the official Saudi Information Directory states that he had a formal religious education. According to the Directory, Abdullah supplemented his formal schooling with extensive reading. He also spent a long stint living with the desert Bedouin people in order to learn traditional Arab values. Career In August 1962, Prince Abdullah was appointed to lead the Saudi Arabian National Guard. The National Guards duties include providing security for the royal family, preventing coups, and guarding the Muslim Holy Cities of Mecca and Medina. The force includes a standing army of 125,000 men, plus a tribal militia of 25,000. In March 1975, Abdullahs half-brother Khalid succeeded to the throne upon the assassination of another half-brother, King Faisal. King Khalid appointed Prince Abdullah second deputy prime minister. In 1982, the throne passed to King Fahd after Khalids death and Prince Abdullah was promoted once more, this time to deputy prime minister. In this role, he presided over meetings of the kings cabinet. King Fahd also officially named Abdullah the Crown Prince, meaning he was next in line for the throne. Regent In December 1995, King Fahd had a series of strokes that left him more or less incapacitated and unable to fulfill his political duties. For the next nine years, Crown Prince Abdullah acted as regent for his brother, although Fahd and his cronies still wielded considerable influence over public policy. King of Saudi Arabia King Fahd died on August 1, 2005, and Crown Prince Abdullah became king, taking power in name as well as in practice. He inherited a nation torn between fundamentalist Islamists and modernizing reformers. The fundamentalists sometimes used terrorist acts (such as bombing and kidnapping) to express their anger over issues like the stationing of American troops on Saudi soil. The modernizers increasingly used blogs and pressure from international groups to call for increased womens rights, reform of Sharia-based laws, and greater press and religious freedoms. King Abdullah cracked down on the Islamists  but didnt make the significant reforms for which many observers both inside and outside of Saudi Arabia had hoped. Foreign Policy King Abdullah  was known throughout his career as a staunch Arab nationalist, yet he reached out to other countries as well. In 2002, for example, the king put forth a Middle East Peace Plan. It received renewed attention in 2005, but has languished since then and has yet to be implemented. The plan calls for a return to the pre-1967 borders and a right of return for Palestinian refugees. In return, Israel would control the Western Wall and some of the West Bank, and receive recognition from Arab states. To placate Saudi Islamists, the king disallowed U.S. Iraq War forces to use bases in Saudi Arabia. Personal Life King Abdullah had more than 30 wives  and fathered at least 35 children. According to the Saudi Embassys Official Biography of the King, he bred Arabian horses  and founded the Riyadh Equestrian Club. He also loved to read, and established libraries in Riyadh and Casablanca, Morocco. American ham radio operators also enjoyed chatting on the air with the Saudi king. At the time of his death, the king had a personal fortune estimated at $18 billion, making him among the top five richest royals in the world. Death King Abdullah became ill and was taken to the hospital at the beginning of 2015. He died on January 23 at the age of 90. Legacy After King Abdullahs death, his half-brother Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud became the king of Saudi Arabia. Abdullahs legacy is a controversial one. In 2012, the United Nations awarded him a UNESCO Gold Medal for his efforts to promote dialogue and peace in the Middle East. Other groups- including Human Rights Watch- criticized the king for his alleged human rights violations, including the mistreatment of prisoners. Abdullah was also criticized for his policies on religious freedom. In 2012, for example, the Saudi poet Hamza Kashgari was arrested for making several Twitter posts that allegedly denigrated the Islamic prophet Muhammed; he was imprisoned for nearly two years. Humans rights groups such as Amnesty International were highly critical of Saudi Arabias handling of the case. Sources Keyes, David. â€Å"Saudi Writer Hamza Kashgari Faces Charge of Blasphemy after Tweets about Muhammad.† The Washington Post, WP Company, 9 Feb. 2012.Knickmeyer, Ellen, and Ahmed Al Omran. â€Å"Saudi Arabias King Abdullah Dies.† The Wall Street Journal, Dow Jones Company, 23 Jan. 2015.Rasheed, Madawi al-. Salmans Legacy: the Dilemmas of a New Era in Saudi Arabia. Hurst Company, 2018.

English Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

English - Essay Example This paper is a critical evaluation of food insecurity in Nigeria, detailing the causes, effects as well as responses being made to solve the dilemma. Food Insecurity in Nigeria Nigeria is a West African country, where food insecurity has continued to compromise the health and lives of citizens especially children, who are most vulnerable. Statistics indicate that more than 40% of children in the country are suffering from chronic malnutrition, which is a major threat to the future of this generation (Omotor 2009). This is due to the fact that malnutrition is a common recipe for poor growth and development in children, which may lead to poor academic performance and intellectual development. It is sad to note that the government of Nigeria is doing little to rescue these children. One way of doing this would be to introduce a free feeding system in government schools, whereby these children would be provided at least with a single meal containing all the basic requirements of a balan ced diet. In this context, the government should observe what countries such as Ghana are dealing with malnutrition in school going children. Apparently, Ghana has already put the system to work, with the government allocating $347.4 million to the program, which will be running for 5 years (Alderman 2009). It is said that the government of Nigeria had plans to execute a similar program but it has been observed that such a plan was never implemented hence the high rate of malnutrition in children. It may be important to note that approximately 60% of Nigeria’s population is malnourished (Omotor 2009). Rural urban migration in Nigeria is also a problem, which has contributed significantly to food insecurity in the country. This is due to the fact that it encourages the movement of young and able bodied citizens from the rural areas, leaving the weak and the vulnerable people to engage in food production. It is important to note that, in order to realize viable food production, a farmer requires putting a lot of efforts in caring for the crops thus the need for manpower to perform activities such as weeding, spraying pesticides, harvesting among others. In this context, Nigerian farmers in the rural areas are faced with scarcity of human resources, which has resulted to an increase in wages demanded by manual laborers, who take advantage of the high demand for their services. Consequently, this has made it difficult for farmers to afford the costs, especially due to the poverty factor, such that they have developed a habit of skipping these important activities (Olayemi 2003). The government has played a major role in facilitating this problem due to the fact that it has neglected the rural areas by failing to improve social amenities and infrastructure, which has continued to discourage people, especially young school leavers, from settling in these areas. Lack of decentralization of resources and Corruption in the government have been identified as majo r contributing factors, which have slowed down development such that majority of roads especially in the rural areas are in total disrepair or absent all together. With impassable roads, it becomes difficult and expensive to transport farm products form producing areas to the markets, which combined with high fuel prices results to increased food

Network Societies and the Implications for their Privacies Essay

Network Societies and the Implications for their Privacies - Essay Example The popularity of the SNSs is quite evident when we find in a 2009 report, which stated that globally almost 38% internet users are a member of one or many of the SNSs, and maintain regular profiles in the social networking sites (Wray, Social Networking Booming with Doubling of Online Profiles, 2009). Facebook, at present is the most popular SNS, with a rise of nearly 86.1% in user percentage (ibid). One major characteristic of these SNSs is that the users can upload their personal data on these sites on a daily basis. As per the recent study made by OfCom in 2010, â€Å"Social networking accounts for nearly a quarter of all time spent on the internet (23 per cent compared to 9 per cent in 2007).   This has been driven by the rapid growth of Facebook, which grew by 31 per cent. The average Facebook user spent 6 and 30 minutes on the site during May 2010,† (OfCom, Consumers spend almost half of their waking hours using media and communications, 2010. The 2008 OfCom report no ted that an adult user, on an average, maintained his/her profile on around 1.6 SNSs, while enter their profiles at least once, every two days (OfCom, Social networking: a quantitative and qualitative research report into attitudes, behaviours & use, 2008). This expeditious rise in the usage of social networking sites in the past decade, has created new problems, where there are increased instances of user personal data being misused through identity theft and cyber stalking, for various commercial activities related to unauthorised searching for employees, or fishing for prospective clients (Brown, Edwards, and Marsden, Staking 2.0: privacy protection in a leading social networking site, nd). The internet and SNSs being open to all, the uploaded user information (even personal information) becomes accessible to a much wider user spectrum, besides the intended user group. Often user inexperience and a general unawareness coupled with inappropriate SNS website designing, unintentiona lly help in the misuse of private information by various commercial organisations. These misuses and the future potentiality of fraudulent activities using the obtained personal information have raised questions and concerns over the issue of creating a stronger security system that would assure SNS user privacy, and the inaccessibility of the uploaded information outside the targeted viewer group. As for example, a member of the medical SNS PatientsLikeMe, may opt to discuss his/her condition only with a specific group of people (like those sharing similar medical problems), thus making it imperative that the site gives the user his/her right to privacy. In this context, we will discuss network societies and the implications for their privacies, focussing on Facebook, as it is the leading SNS now. Discussion What is a SNS? Boyd and Ellison, defined SNSs as services provided that are internet-based and allow its users to: Create user profiles which can be kept partially public or co mpletely public, within the provide domain of the site; Create a ‘friends’ list and a group where they can upload and share private information; Have an access to the friends’ profiles, and to these friends’ ‘friend list,’ where the user can view all the connections made by their friends and often by ‘other users’ (who are not direct friends, but may have common friends or common interests) within the domain of the same SNS (Boyd, and Ellison, 2007, 210-211). The ‘

Assessing Foreign Markets Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Assessing Foreign Markets - Term Paper Example However, entry into a new market requires comprehensive study and exploration of different factors in order to make more informed decision before entering the market. As such the development of a framework for entering into new foreign market can provide critical insight to a firm to make better decision to enter the market. A comprehensive framework therefore may include the exploration of factors such as decision of identifying foreign market, overall timing of entry into that market, deciding on the scale and commitment and entry mode are some of the factors which should be covered to make a better decision. This paper will develop and construct a comprehensive framework for making entry in the Mobile Phones Market in India. Based on the different factors identified in the framework, paper will than present an analysis of these factors in order to make more informed decision to enter into this market Strategic Reasons As a prelude to the use of any strategic framework to enter int o a market, it is always important for the global firms to identify the strategic reasons for which entry into a foreign market is made. Firms adapting a transnational strategy often remain in search for simultaneously achieving low cost advantage through the location and experience economies while at the same time enjoying economies of scale and taking advantage of learning curve. Firms adapting such strategy therefore often enter into different geographical markets in order to take advantage of cost reduction and achieve diversification. (Hill) India being one of the growing economies of the world therefore can provide firm some clearly identified competitive advantage. Considering the transnational strategy of the firm, entering into India market will not only allow to achieve economies of scale but also enjoy the benefit of location and experience economies. Since developed markets are leading towards maturity stage in mobile phone industry therefore it is critical for global fi rms to continue to look for growing markets such as India in order to take advantage of the economic growth made by such countries. It is also significant to note that firms working at the global level could only compete if they enjoy low cost manufacturing or services set up. Consistent focus on reducing the costs could only allow the firm to remain profitable in global market therefore markets like India can offer this opportunity. This is based upon the fact that India has well established technological base as well as qualified human resource. These resources therefore can encourage any international firm to look for entering the market and enjoy low cost operations while at the same time penetrate into a new and growing market with potential to earn higher returns. Comprehensive Framework Following elements will be included in the comprehensive framework in order to analyze the decision of making an entry into Mobile Phones market in India: Identification of foreign market This parameter will be used

What Is Talent Management?

What Is Talent Management? Chapter 1 Introduction Background of the study There has been a paradigm shift in the business environment across the world which has led to a growing demand of more efficient and phenomenal results from the scheduled operations and routine activities. This applies primarily to the field of human resource management which stands accountable for the acquisition, development, utilization and retention of the human capital. The present, as is evident, is immensely competitive, be it in terms of sourcing activities, investor relations, technological advancement or simply the workforce. The human resource managers are now faced with the double-edged sword of identifying, selecting and nurturing potential talent and also to formulate and implement pertinent strategies that can effectively contribute towards the achievement of organizational objectives. Hence, the biggest challenge that comes across the human resource panels is to get a hold of limited and thinning pool of skilled accessible candidates to replace important employees whe n they leave, hugely emphasizing the difficulty to attract, develop, motivate and retain the best employees in an organization. Authors, academicians and business experts alike maintain different views and opinions regarding the meaning of â€Å"talent†. Talent can be anything that predisposes an individual to success in a position or organization (Jason Lauritsen, 2010). The author further supports this view by stressing that talent is situational. A person can be advantageous because of his natural ability in one scenario but not necessarily in others. This means that in order to be successful that person has to be placed in a right role within an organization so that his abilities and capacities can manifest as talent to drive the success of the business. Another view maintains that talent can allegedly be a potential trait, a symptom of inherent ability, a foreshadowing of future greatness, or a way of describing an individuals early achievements or performance merits (Downey Greg, 2009). Whilst at the same time paradoxically, talent can be understood as the reason why some experts are more capable than others; unlike a concept like jeito, (a Brazilian term for knack), talent is more often than not generally very much task specific or specialized, even while a talented person is believed to be often quite versatile. Talent is specifically opposed to hard work or determination, implying that skill is primarily a mix of natural talent and hard work, in various proportions and quantum. Likely, talent is very much an idea or a skill that some people learn faster, more effortlessly, and with greater effect. In certain ways, talent can be thought of as a multiplier, enabling a person to achieve more out of formative experiences and activit ies. Keeping such ideas in mind, in the business purview, â€Å"talent management† is the process of matching capabilities with commitments (Donald H Taylor, 2007). This describes the aim of the entire talent management process. It underscores that talent management rather than being aimed at an individual focuses on the entire organization so as to ensure that the firm is able to achieve its set targets for both, the present and the future. The encompassed assumption here is that capability is based on an organizations sole source of value and competitive advantage in a developed economy: its human capital. â€Å"Talent management† comprises identifying a persons innate skills, traits, individuality and fitting him into the right work profile; every individual possesses unique talent that matches an exacting job profile and any other position will lead to discomfort (Salma Aliakabar, 2004). It therefore falls under the Management, specifically the HR Division, to situate candidates with discretion and prudence simply because a wrong fit can result in additional hiring, re-training and all such wasteful activities. â€Å"Talent management† is a complex assortment of associated HR processes that delivers an easy elementary benefit for any business (SHRM, 2009). Talent Management can be easily considered to be advantageous and important to both the organization and the workforce. The organization gains from: improved productivity and potential; an enhanced association between a persons efforts and business goals; commitment of esteemed workforce; reduced employee turnover rate; Better bench strength and an improved fit between individuals work and skills. Employees gain from: Enhanced motivation and dedication; career growth; increased awareness about and involvement in companys goals; Continued inspiration and job satisfaction. Analyst research has established that companies employing talent management strategies and solutions display superior performance than their direct competitors and the market in broad (SHRM Survey, 2009). About 83% of the large enterprises view integrated talent management as mission critical and upto 73% of HR professionals believe that talent management impacts the financial performance positively (Softscape Global HR Survey, 2009). As per the Talent Pulse Survey, (2005) about 1,400 HR professionals worldwide believed the attraction and retention of high-caliber employees as the most critical issue. These issues were further underscored by the fact that 54% of the respondents agree that talent issues have an influence on overall productivity and that there is a clear linkage between talent management and industry performance. HRVote, Human Resources magazines online voting forum reported that 44% of the respondents implied talent management and succession planning was a considerabl e challenge. According to an IDC study U.S. HR BPO 2005 Vendor Analysis: The Evolving Landscape, 37% of U.S. HR outsourcing expenses in 2004 was on HR and talent management services. Several taxing workforce problems confront HR, counting: Increased competition for skilled personnel. Imminent retirement of the â€Å"baby boomer† generation workers. Reduced levels of employee commitment. Realization of the high cost of the employee turnover. Onerous demands of managing global human capital. Necessity of succession planning. Outsourcing and off shoring practices. This necessitates novel thinking and a new charge to achieve success in an industry. These elements, coupled with the requirement to align workers directly with business goals, compel HR to progress from policy formation, cost diminution, process competence and risk management to lashing a fresh talent frame of mind in the organization. Therefore, talent management is an ongoing process that provides the optimal personnel for a particular business. Under this role, HR performs as the strategic enabler and a catalyst of talent management processes that empower the managers and workforce whilst developing business value. Taleos graphical representation stresses upon the mandate of talent management to be responsive to the organizational goals and accordingly be the driving force behind the business performance. Herein, talent management is denoted as a circular and not a linear, module of activities. In the present scenario, workforce expenditure is the prevalent category of pay out for most organizations. Automation and analysis of the recruitment and hiring processes of a firm delivers the abrupt labor force visibility and insights that are needed to notably perk up the bottom line. Performance management contributes towards the ongoing processes and activities to sustain a vast workforce. The future prospect of talent management is encompassed in the solutions planned from the scratch to provide for the business-centric operations on an integrated talent management platform. Decisions about talent management figure the competencies that companies have and their eventual achievement and from the perception of people, such decisions establish the path and pace of careers. In India currently, it may be difficult to visualize the crisis of possessing too much talent, but the first slump in the financial system, or even in a fragment of the economy will make things stand apart. Such mismatches are most definitely included in the primary problems that organizations and many large employers face. Over the precedent generation, companies specifically, seem to have jumped from surpluses of talent to shortfalls to surpluses and back to such a cycle. The challenge evident in front of the employers is to follow much more strongly the requirements for talent to evade both the shortfalls and oversupplies. Talent management is not an end in itself. It is not about fostering the growth of employees or charting succession plans. Neither is it about gaining definite benchmarks like a four percent employee turnover rate, having the most qualified and skilled personnel, or any such strategic outcome. The objective of talent management is the quite more general but valuable task of serving the business achieve its general objectives. And in the business world, that objective is to be profitable; be it in the short run or the long. What we need to attend to going onward is to ensure how to craft investments in growth affordable and fraction of that challenge embodies employee retention, making it probable to at least retain workers long enough to recover the training investments made in them. Problem Statement â€Å"Intense competition in the emerging Indian IT market has made talent retention and its management a challenge and therefore, questions the role of strategic talent management in being able to address such issues and being effective in an organizations overall effectiveness.† Talent Management has gained its fair share of fame in being effective in attracting, retaining and managing talented individuals. The Indian IT industry is marked with the following: The increased globalization has fuelled the growth as well as competition of the IT industry in India which is characterized by issues of talent retention. In spite of rising demand for talent, talent management has not yet completely arrived in India, making it all the more crucial in the current chaotic times and its effectiveness in the Indian scenario. Development of talent pools remains to be a sore issue with the HR professionals employed in the Indian IT sector. To summarize the above headings, the issue is the talent retention of skilled individuals in the Indian IT industry that leads to increased costs to an organization. The HR professionals have to engage in brainstorming activities in order to unearth ways to attract, retain and manage talents which are considered to be the biggest asset of a company today. Also, the talent management practices and their implementation in the Indian IT industry context have been far from satisfactory and add to the woes of a highly competitive market. Moreover, maintenance of talent pools so as to support succession planning and measures to integrate talent retention, employee commitment and employee involvement all stress the need to address the issue of talent management with a strategic bend. Aims and Objectives of the Study The aim of the study is to understand the importance of talent management in the current corporate scenario by collecting relevant information and enabling a better understanding of the strategic HR processes that a company can employ in order to manage and retain its key people. Aim â€Å"To understand the impaxt of a good talent management program on an organizations overall effectiveness, particularly in the case of Indian IT industry, in order to enable it to manage and retain its key resources; and gaining an understanding of the talent retention and employee involvement functions.† Objectives The objectives of the study are: To gain an understanding about talent management and its relevance to the current corporate scenario To explore the importance of talent management in the organizations overall success To study the role of strategic planning, employee retention and employee commitment in talent management To understand and evaluate the challenges faced in managing talent in the organizations today To study the role of talent management in prolonged employee satisfaction To explore the importance of talent management in the Indian IT industry and the significance of maintaining a talent pipeline for companies in the Indian IT sector To study the key drivers that lead to employee commitment crucial for a talent management system to be effective Significance of the study (to be edited upon the completion of the study) The implications of this research aim at exploring the relevance of talent management programs to the Indian IT indutry. It will assist the corporate in understanding the effectivess of framing such programs so as to be able to effeciently manage and retain its key players. Through implementation of talent management practices, the organizations efficiency is likely to increase, developing a proficient pool of skilled and talented employees which can be leveraged as a competitive strategy; making the corporate more competent to challenges in the industry. The research tests an employee commitment level to his/her organization and also aims at identifying the key drivers/attributes that propel employee commitement level in an Indian IT setting. The significance of the results mark that talent management programs are not only crucial and effective, but also cost-efficient, by maintaining a consistent pool of skilled employees tehreby reducing on the hiring, training and firing costs. In the present financial crisis effective workforce is the only difference that can make an organization carry its operations smoothly. Successful implementation of such talent management programs is of remarkable significance for the business. The research solution furthers the adoption of healthy talent management processes and its various functions to create significance for the business in achieving its ultimate goal of operational efficiency, cost control and profitability. Limitations of the study The study is subject to several limitations, some of which are highlighted as under: The study is confined to the specific organizations of the India IT sector. The finding of the study, therefore, cannot be generalized for the entire Indian scenario as a whole. Sample size, being small, is not completely representative of all the employees, employers and the HR people engaged in the Indian IT sector. All this might have affected the reliability of the results to some extent. Time as well as financial constraints are also one of the limitations of the study. Organization of the paper Chapter 2 Review of Literature 2.1 Meaning and Definition of Talent Management According to several authors, an all-encompassing definition of talent management is difficult to pin down. Lewis and Heckman (2006) pointed out that identifying an exact meaning of talent management is complicated owing to both the confusion regarding the definition of terms used and the various deviations in assumptions made by the writers who consider the issue. Lewis and Heckman further support their view by noting that the terms succession management, talent strategy and human resource planning are more often than not used interchangeably, all of which form an integral part of talent management functions. They believe that there is no clear view existing on talent management and none at all that can be considered as sufficiently strategic. As is evident, there are several approaches to talent management. One such approach identifies talent management with the traditional HR practices for instance recruitment, selection, training and performance management, among various other things (Cheese et al., 2008). This approach cannot be considered new as the traditional HR practices are becoming more decisive to a business success and hence, it is gradually getting imperative to associate such practices with the talents needed by the firms. Another varying approach towards talent management is firmly linked with the notion of HR planning, succession planning and strategic HR management (Rothwell Kazanas, 2004). These authors underscore and emphasize the strategic significance of talent management, whereas others stress upon the talent pools required for the succession planning. But this literature fall short in advancing the theory or practice of HR (Lewis Heckman, 2006). A third approach towards talent management caps on a rather general view by identifying talent management with concerns like leadership (Barner, 2006), talent pools (Michaels et al., 2001), an individuals potential (Smilansky, 2006), the development of talent (Fulmer Bleak, 2008) and the attraction and retention of personnel (Rueff Stringer, 2006). Understandably, none of the above-mentioned approaches to talent management is able to clearly define the concept of talent management or to highlight the ways of managing talent through comprehensive understanding of HR planning and practices. The third approach fails in being persuasive owing to its lack of focus and the plethora of topics covered under one head. Moreover, all these approaches overlook the strategic significance of talent management and hence, fall short of linking it with the overall business strategy thereby limiting the potential and scope of talent management and perceiving it as another HR domain. Another view deals with the task of talent management, â€Å"Talent Management is the recruitment, development and retention of individuals who consistently deliver superior performance.† (Tony Davis, 2007). The author further defines a talent management strategy as â€Å"a structured and corporate approach to the recruitment, retention and development of talented individuals within the organization.† The intent of a talent management strategy remains to ensure the employment of such personnel that will consistently deliver superior performance. The writer maintains that a talent management strategy is not an overtly intellectual concept as it is evident that highly skilled employees are expected to disproportionately contribute to an organizations successful achievement of goals and hence, become an invaluable asset in the process. The author inevitably agrees that it is a challenge to manage and retain a talented workforce and hence, terms it as a strategic issue whic h involves its own fair share of planning and execution. As per AndrÃÆ' ©s Hatum (2010), â€Å"Talent Management is a strategic activity aligned with the firms business strategy that aims to attract, develop and retain talented employees at each level of the organization.† Therefore, the talent management process is linked to an organizations business and strategic-planning processes. This approach emphasizes upon the most important aspect of talent management: the employees. The author further aligns talent management with the resource-based theory of the business which maintains that sustainable competitive advantage is in possession of the companies that nurtures resources that are valuable, rare and difficult to imitate. Talent Management is but a tool to generate and maintain such resources through its human capital. With such a view, the author has conveniently delineated the focus of talent management on the talent at the organizational level and not at the individual employee level. This definition therefore clearly defines how talent management can be used to develop an organizations talent structure by attracting, developing and training people. Such a talent structure can most definitely be the source of a sustainable competitive advantage in the current scenario. Talent Management is â€Å"a holistic approach to optimizing human capital, which enables an organization to drive short- and long-term results by building culture, engagement, capability, and capacity through integrated talent acquisition, development, and deployment processes that are aligned to business goals.†, (ASTD Research, 2009). The view focuses upon the consequences of employing talent management practices in the immediate as well as the distant future. Also, it supports talent management as being able to result in building and organizational culture that encompasses the essence of the work environment of a company. The definition also stresses upon the ability of employing talent management to enhance both the capacity and capability of individuals by appropriately matching them with the right job profile suiting their personalities. Furthermore, all such modules pertaining to talent management are to be designed keeping in view the ultimate goals of an organization thereby aligning it with the entire business strategy. Derek Stockley, (2011) defines talent management as, â€Å"A conscious, deliberate approach undertaken to attract, develop and retain people with the aptitude and abilities to meet current and future organizational needs.† He further states that â€Å"Talent management involves individual and organizational development in response to a changing and complex operating environment. It includes the creation and maintenance of a supportive, people oriented organization culture.† Derek aptly emphasizes upon the dynamic role of talent management in an ever-changing business atmosphere. The view aims at the function of talent management that leads to the development of healthy organizational culture within a business that considers the involvement of employees at a more active level. This view besides being consistent with others also, adds a new dimension to the scope of talent management thereby widening the applicability and functionality of the same. Another view maintains that â€Å"Talent Management is an oxymoron† (Davies Kourdi, 2010). The authors hold that linking talent to ‘management, a term that best describes planning, organizing, leading, directing, facilitating, and controlling a business; is absurd as talent is believed its own special ability and personal capacity for achievement. According to the writers, talent management was used first in early 1990s by an IT software firm that wanted to market a new employee database, hence, the view that talent management can be best believed to work with data and not with human capital and their potential. There are clearly several opinionated ideas of different authors on talent management. Whilst some associate it with the routine HR activity and processes and consider it as an extension to the faculty of human resource planning, others define such role as meager to the scope of talent management. They believe that limiting talent management to a specific domain is very much being unassuming and therefore, a proper sense is manifested in the term only when it is viewed as being appreciably strategically skewed. Under this dimension, the role of talent management can be considered as being fruitful in the present and the immediate future and both in the short-run and the long-run as well. 2.2 Importance of Talent Management in organizational success â€Å"Talent Management has become the lifeblood of organizations. It is often seen as a primary reason for organizational success and failure and the key source of competitive advantage.† (Silzer Dowell, 2010). The authors mutually agree that the business environment since the 1990s has been witness to several groundbreaking changes such as falling trade barriers and globalization of businesses worldwide. Such an expansion has led to increased demand for global talent which is needed to support these initiatives (Sloan, Hazucha Van Katwyk, 2003). This has further resulted in immense competition for the talent on a global scale (Michaels et al., 2001). Therefore, the ever-increasing demand for talent globally along with the widening scarcity of exceptional talent has made the organization realize both the importance and benefit of talent management practices. According to Ringo et al., (2008) as companies seek to overcome challenges coupled with globalization, changing workforce demographics and the emergence of new business models, they are looking forward to their employees as the critical source of differentiation in the market. The authors firmly believe in talent management practices and consent that investment in the same leads to an organization outperforming its peers. They also found through their research that high performing firms are more likely to invest in the talent management processes. They maintain that all organizations put into practice some form of talent management, without it they would be not capable to function. But at the same time, those that invest in an integrated set of talent management capabilities closely associated with their business strategy have a leg up against the competition. â€Å"No organization in todays economic climate can afford to invest in talent management practices without a demonstrable and significant return on investment† (Ringo et al., (2008). Organizations that are able outpace their competitors in attraction; development and retention of the best talent have a several distinct advantages: considerably lower costs, invariably higher productivity, consistently better quality, more satisfied and loyal customers, and increased financial performance (Schiemann, 2011). All such merits determine the critical path to on organizations success thereby chalking down talent management as the key driver in the entire phenomenon. Talent management, beyond any confusion, is crucial to organizational success. It can be easily considered equally important for innovation, customer satisfaction, profitability and new product development of the company (Management Study Guide, 2011). Talent and leadership continue to be inadequate. Fewer qualified personnel and leaders intend to join the workforce to replace aging workers who are on the verge of retirement. Moreover, talent management practices of the 20th century need to be relooked and worked upon to keep pace with the actuality of a rapidly varying 21st century business environment (ADP, 2010). Silzer Dowell (2010) further maintain that there are several other such factors that have contributed invariably to the growing importance of talent management in an organization: There is a widely increasing demand for talented leaders and individuals with growth of the emerging markets in the developing countries. There is an acute realization of shrinking pool of skilled, talented and experienced workforce, especially in USA, Europe and Japan. Besides, increasing complexity of global business and the emerging requirement for talented individuals that can effectively adapt to the changing business atmosphere further advocates the role of talent management in organization success. The growing need that specific organizational capabilities are needed for developing a sustainable competitive advantage in a highly competitive market and a rising call for recruitment and retention of highly skilled workers with specialized competence to build upon the future capabilities. And most importantly, the increased difficulty in retention of crucial talent as a result of a shift to a self-managed professional careers where skilled personnel aggressively pursue their careers and advancement by switching over different companies and geographic boundaries. Also, talent management has led to containment of internal costs of hiring, training and firing by focusing upon centralized shared services, outsourced functions and continual investment in the state-of-art HR practices of talent management that seeks internal hiring and retention. Talent management adds up to a number of significant human resources and management inventiveness (Derek Stockley, 2011). Organizations that properly make a decision to manage their talent (i.e. human capital) embark on a strategic analysis of their contemporary HR processes. This is to make certain that a synchronized, performance oriented approach is implemented. According to Derek Stockley (2011), most often than not, organizations adopting a talent management approach should focus on co-coordinating and incorporating, in order for it to be beneficial: Recruitment Under this the organization has to ensure that the right people are attracted to the right jobs matching their attitude and personality which will lead to â€Å"best job fit†. Retention Under which the focus lays on the development and implementation of such practices that reward and support employees. Employee development It is concerned with ensuring that incessant informal and formal learning and development continues within a firm. Leadership and high potential employee development This involves particular development programs for fostering the growth of existing and future leaders. Performance management This module primarily deals with specific processes that cultivate and sustain performance, including feedback and measurement mechanisms. Workforce planning The organization here undergoes planning for business and general variations, including the older workforce and current or future skills shortages. Culture This particularly deals with the development of a positive, progressive and high performance way of operating the processes and activities. A vital step is to recognize the personnel or workers, the people and positions that are significant to the business. It is not necessary that they need be senior personnel. Many companies lost a substantial amount of organizational knowledge in the downsizing exercises during recession a couple of years ago. The impact of the loss was not realized immediately. However, with time it became apparent to many firms their mistake, when the organizations were at a loss of people with the knowledge and skills to either anticipate or solve problems that arose. Therefore, talent management processes ensure the avoidance of such blunders by recognizing and assorting talented individuals in such a format that their real potential is unleashed and the organizations stand to gain from this. Derek further maintains that the current deliberations about skill shortages and the ageing population are also hugely forcing the organizations to focus on the talent management issue. At most of the times it becomes improbable to recruit and develop new individuals to look after the operational needs. Therefore, as a solution most of the leading firms often decide to develop and foster their own personnel, instead of making an attempt to hire highly skilled individuals. The author believes that every organization should implement talent management principles and approaches. The varied views on the importance of talent management in the organizational success all converge on a single theme that it is critical for the successful achievement of business goal and more so, in the competitive times such as these. They clearly throw light on the advantages and benefits that a firm can accrue from the efficient implementation of talent management processes and can bolster the business as well as its corporate culture. 2.3 Role of strategic planning, employee retention and employee commitment in talent management Strategic Planning The talent management approach should be strategically driven in order to be successful and effective (Silzer, Israel, Dowell, 2009). It then becomes the focus of achieving the business and talent strategy. The planning of talent management has to be done strategically in Discourse Community Analysis Draft: Die-Hard Sports Fans Discourse Community Analysis Draft: Die-Hard Sports Fans In one way or another, we have all been members of a discourse community at some point in our life. So, what is a discourse community? A discourse community is defined as a group of people involved in and communicating about a particular topic, issue, or in a particular field (Mohrenne). They share the same common goals and aspirations. It can be anything from the organizations you participate in at school, to the choir you sing with at school or church, and/or the groups or organizations you engage in at work or at home on a daily basis. According to Robert Mohrenne, John Swales suggests that a discourse community can be characterized by six distinguishing characteristics 1) a broadly agreed upon set of common public goals, 2) mechanisms of intercommunication among its members, 3) participatory mechanisms primarily to provide information and feedback, 4) one or more genres in the communicative furtherance of its aims, 5) some specific lexis, and 6) a threshold level of members with a suitable degree of relevant content and discoursal expertise (Mohrenne). A good example of a discourse community are die-hard sports fans. Die-hard sports fans fit the description of being a discourse community because they all have the common goals of wanting to see their team dominate other teams and displaying their loyalty for their team year after year. They faithfully follow their team throughout the entire year by supporting them through the good and bad times. Die-hard fans also watch every game, know specific stats about every player on the team, and know the language and signs players and referees use on every play. Die-hard fans do not care for fans who only ride the wave of the team when they are on a winning streak. They typically call these kind of fans bandwagoners because they are not passionate or committed to the overall goals of the community. In actuality, it is somewhat hard to call yourself a die-hard fan around true die-hard fans because they tend to question the loyalty of new comers especially if they know that the person supported other teams in the past. According to my dad, Mark Jefferson, a die-hard Pittsburg Steelers fan, a die-hard fan has a ride-or-die type of attitude for their team even if theyre having an 0 -14 season. He stated that he would never jump on another teams side regardless of how bad his team is doing because he knows their potential as a team and the skills of their players. In other words, die-hard fans can clearly distinguish bandwagoners from true die-hard fans based on interest level and knowledge of the team. Die-hard sports fans also use their own language to communicate with each other during games. For example, when die-hard sports fans are preparing for and/or watching their team play, they use social media and other forms of communication to communicate their respect and admiration for their team. They might text, call, tweet, post images on Instagram, or send messages on Facebook to express their thoughts and feelings about plays, calls that referees make, or their dislike for the opposing team. They also use these methods of communication to stay in touch with each other throughout the game they are watching and throughout the season. When a die-hard fan communicates with another die-hard fan, he or she will use the language of their community. They are typically loud, uses a lot of profanity, and are very aggressive. The language die-hard sports fans use to communicate is powerful because they have the ability to bring out the best in their team and other fans and in some instance s their language can upset fans from other teams. Along with using their own language within this discourse community, die-hard fans also have a specific lexis they use to show their undying loyalty and devotion to their team. For example, they wear team jerseys and other team paraphernalia to show their support all year long. Regardless if theyre sitting at a stadium in 20-degree weather, in the comforts of their home screaming at the television, or just going to pick up items from the grocery store, die-hard fans make sure others know that they are passionate about their team. Furthermore, this public display of loyalty also gives them the opportunity to dialog and form bonds with other die-hard fans regardless if they know the person or not. In conclusion, I think die-hard sports fans is a great example of a discourse community. Its members are commonly interested in their team defeating other teams. The members have an unexplainable passion for the team (s) and/or sport (s) they support season-after-season despite their wins or losses. This type of passion for sports is what distinguishes a new fan from a fan who has supported their team for years. They have a way of communicating with one another that is unlike any other form of communication when watching sports. As a member of a family of sports fanatics (especially football), I have seen and heard the enthusiasm on the faces and in the voices of several members from this discourse community. With that being said, I understand why being a die-hard sports fan can be considered a discourse community. Works Cited Jefferson, Mark. Personal interview. 8 March 2017. Mohrenne, Robert. English 1102-Composition II. University of Central Florida, Aug. 2013, https://webcourses.ucf.edu/courses/984277/pages/what-is-a-discourse-community. Accessed 10 March 2017.