Wednesday, December 25, 2019

Are Representations Of Islam Realistic - 1661 Words

Are representations of Islam realistic in the news? http://www.ukessays.com/essays/media/countless-stereotypes-and-negative-representations-media-essay.php http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/news/politics/6758207/1-in-5-British-Muslims-have-sympathy-for-jihadis-in-poll.html Countless stereotypes and negative representations exist about Islam by the Western media in specific the news. It is known that media is very powerful source that shapes people s minds and opinions. For some people, the news is the only source they acquire their information through, especially when it comes to other cultures and populations. The only representation in the media that the Islamic nation gets is that of war. Though most Islamic people are not†¦show more content†¦Patrick Bishop, the senior editor on Middle Eastern affairs, writes: Western leaders are becoming increasingly concerned by the threat to democracy posed by the growth of Islamic fundamentalist’s extremism. Other headlines from random British newspapers convey the same message: Italy on security alert after Islam terror warning; Clinton to lead summit against Islamic terror; France fears protracted Islam terror campaign; Islamic fanatic’s gun down Briton in terror campaign (Edward Mortimer). This is the message that the media is sending to all its readers and watchers about Islam. As we can see these quotes are from articles published which are predominantly bought by working class people. Having a majority of a working class audience this means that they won’t question what is being written as much in fact some may ta ke it as the complete truth which can have devastating effects on society. The reason it can be so devastating is that people who live in less multicultural areas of the country, who don’t mix with Muslims will not question what is being said as they don’t know any better. These newspaper articles have been going on for a while and have now given Islam this stereotype of being a religion which promotes shocking acts. A research paper aimed to analyse U.S. and international newspaper articles on Muslim women from 9/11/01 till 9/11/05, in order to

Monday, December 16, 2019

Slavery in Latin America - 1676 Words

#65279; Slavery in the Americas was quite diverse. Mining operations in the tropics experienced different needs and suffered different challenges than did plantations in more temperate areas of Norther Brazil or costal citys serving as ports for the exporting of commodities produced on the backs of the enslaved peoples from the African continent. This essay will look at these different situations and explore the factors that determined the treatment of slaves, the consequences of that treatment, and the conditions that lead to resistance by the slaves working in their various capacities. After the initial conquest of Mexico and South America it was time to develop the economy and export the resources that would benefit the monarchy†¦show more content†¦Thought they were able to have a social life as the whites really did not care what they did with their own time, they were the most likely to resist their conditions. This is done in a variety of ways which will be discussed later. There was a fairly healthy community life amongst plantation slaves. They spent time together, had cultural activities and because of the near equal ratio of men to women were able to ma rry and raise families. The slave population was fully 80-90% of the overall population in these regions as they did all the work and there were no towns in the area where whites and Indians went for jobs. Cities were a third environment that utilized slaves. These slaves, however, tended to be made from the Criollo group. An exception was the slaves taken right off the ships by white artisans who taught them to be smiths and coopers and the like. These trades were then passed down to the slave children and to their children after them. Europeans immigrated to Latin America in far fewer numbers than in the U.S. and as a result otherwise menial jobs held by white lower classes there were held by free blacks and slaves working toward manumission. Where you might find an Irish maid on the Main Line in Philadelphia, you would find a black, or mulatto in Latin America. This helped in keeping the racial prejudice at bay in Latin America as it served no purpose to create the perception that blacks were an inferior race. City slaves enjoyedShow MoreRelatedEssay on Slavery in Latin America4587 Words   |  19 Pages Slavery in Latin America Chile History Before the arrival of the Spanish in the 16th cent., the Araucanians had long been in control of the land in the southern part of the region; in the north, the inhabitants were ruled by the Inca empire. Diego de Almagro, who was sent by Francisco Pizarro from Peru to explore the southern region, led a party of men through the Andes into the central lowlands of Chile but was unsuccessful (1536) in establishing a foothold there. In 1540, PedroRead More Slavery In Latin America Essay example1641 Words   |  7 PagesSlavery In Latin America   Ã‚  Ã‚  Slavery in the Americas was quite diverse. Mining operations in the tropics experienced different needs and suffered different challenges than did plantations in more temperate areas of Norther Brazil or costal city’s serving as ports for the exporting of commodities produced on the backs of the enslaved peoples from the African continent. This essay will look at these different situations and explore the factors that determined the treatment of slaves, the consequencesRead MoreSlavery in Latin America vs Us3432 Words   |  14 PagesSlavery and its Impact in Latin America Vs the United States Slavery originally started in Latin America and the West Indies by the French, Spanish, and Portuguese after the conquest, to replace the depopulated labor of the Indigenous people. Shortly after, slavery became a profitable enterprise for the capitalistic driven United States. Some of the principal laws and systems of slavery were the same in both regions, but others were later changed. It brought about many changes, with respectRead MoreEssay on Latin America And Slavery1933 Words   |  8 Pages Prior to its independence Latin America had been controlled by external forces for hundreds of years. To be freed of control from these outside interests did not in any way guarantee Latin America a return to the status quo. In fact, the inhabitants of Latin America had done very well in assimilating their in house controllers. They adopted European language, religion, color, and just about everything else that the European culture had to offer them. Although they were free to do as they pleaseRead MoreEuropean Exploration And Conquest Of Latin America1277 Words   |  6 PagesBefore European exploration and conquest in Latin America the indigenous people lived off the land working mainly to support themselves. Despite having conflicts of their own, most Latin American tribes would coexist peacefully relative to what was to come. Some, more advanced civilizations, such as the Aztec, did have conditions somewhat similar to those that would soon spread to the rest of Latin America. Wh en European settlers started to take over the Americas, however, conditions got markedly worseRead MoreGeorge Reid Andrews Afro Latin America1584 Words   |  7 PagesGEORGE REID ANDREWS: AFRO-LATIN AMERICA In this paper, I would arguer that the history of USA is intertwined with the issue of Blacks – their enslavement and freedom but it has not as yet been focused that this subject has far greater impact in Central and Latin America, thus the greater impact of blacks in Central and Latin America would be the main theme or argument of this paper. This book, Afro-Latin America by George Reid, is the first attempt to focus on this side of the African DiasporaRead MoreGeorge Douglas And Abraham Lincoln903 Words   |  4 PagesIn Robert E. May’s, Slavery, Race, and Conquest in the Tropic, May tackles the notion of slavery in the tropics and how Douglas and Lincoln campaigned against slavery in the tropics . He first states the differences between Stephen Douglas and Abraham Lincoln’s positions concerning southward expansionism and how these two influential men arrived at and supported their stances. Robert May goes on to show potential U.S. expansion into Latin American and Caribbean territories led to the growing discontentRead MoreThe Haitian Revolu tion And Latin American History1278 Words   |  6 Pages The Haitian Revolution was one of the most important slave revolts in Latin American history. It started a succession of other revolutionary wars in Latin America and ended both colonialism and imperialism in the Americas. The Haitian Revolution affected people from all social castes in Haiti including the indigenous natives, mestizos, mulattos and the Afro-Latin. The idea of starting a rebellion against France began with the colony’s white elite class seeking a capitalist market. These elites inRead MoreLatin America Revolutions Essay775 Words   |  4 PagesVienna, revolts plagued many European countries as well as several areas in Latin America. France was driven from Haiti, Portugal lost control of Brazil, and Spain was forced to withdraw from all its American empire except for Cuba and Puerto Rico. Colonial government in South America came to an end. Three countries where revolts were successfully established we re Haiti, Venezuela, and Brazil. The countries in Latin America benefited from the revolts because they became free from colonial rule, butRead MoreEssay about European Imperialism896 Words   |  4 Pagesand Glory. The Europeans domination over Latin America, Africa and Asia were made out to be good for the native people of these lands. However, the Europeans were not there to help these geographic areas. They were there to spread their influence and gain riches for themselves and the European nations. The successes and failures of the Europeans and non Europeans would decide their relationship status for as long as they could co-exist. In Latin America, Cortes who was the conqueror of Mexico, and

Sunday, December 8, 2019

Cartoon Physics Analysis Essay Example For Students

Cartoon Physics Analysis Essay Poem Analysis Cartoon Physics, Part 1 Nick Flynn centers Cartoon Physics, Part 1 around childhood innocence. He very strongly urges not only parents, but anyone around a young child to not force upon them knowledge they do not need to know. Flynn captures the simple kid mind and harsh reality with tone, imagery, figurative language, and even the form of the overall poem. There is a stark contrast between tones in the passage. In the first few lines the tone is cold; detached. The actual physics of the never-ending universe would overwhelm a child (2). They do not need to know that there are galaxies bigger than ours that are collapsing (5) at the very moment they eat their lunch. Facts of nature are grim and matches the emotion Flynn conveys. Not only is the diction itself create a tone, but the authors punctuation helps determine it. Lines 1-6 contains many commas that prolong the sentence making it seem more urgent. Flynn wants the point to get across that certain details are too grim for young children. In the next section, however, the tone changes when he talks about cartoons and the events they depict. Becomes more hopeful and light. Most kids believe there is a solution to everything; that theres always a hero (15). These two drastic changes represent the differences in a childs mind and imagination versus the reality adults have to face everyday. Imagery within the poem shows the inside of a childs imagination. A little girl is playing with her toy bus in a sandbox. She knows the exact spot it rides, who will swim and who will be pulled under (23). She controls the outcomes where there are no surprises. Her lack of enlightenment from the world protects her, as well s all other children, from tragedies that their simple minds cannot understand. The child is the hero if there is no one else to save the day, but if theyre equipped with the awareness that bad aftermath is possible then their entire outlook will change. It is practically visible: the little girl across a city of sand (21). Her imagination is big and adventurous. Who is to taint that with knowledge? It also says that she will learn a man wont suffer consequences until he realizes that there are consequences (27). A person cannot know theyre wrong if they do not know what wrong even is in the first place. Kids will someday be an adult and have to face adult problems. They will learn that there is good and bad, they will learn not everything is as simple as they used to think. Flynn uses a very unique writing technique known as free verse. There is no rhyme nor patterns within the work. Sentences collide with each other. Seemingly random spacing occurs all over the place. However, certain phrases appear to be placed separately for emphasis. Lines 6 and 7 is transitioning from the indifferent tone to a lighter one. It changes to cartoons which kids are comfortable with, rather than the vast information about the universe. The line Earthbound, tangible, disasters, arenas Has a sort of rhythm (14-16). Here it states that a youth can be a hero and brings the poem back into a hopeful inflection. This is the only part in the entire poem where there is rhythm. It highlights the idea that children can be the heroes. Lastly, line 27 is by itself. Since the phrase man doesnt notice his mistake until it is too late. This is the too-common arrogance an adult is equipped with once they have to acknowledge they were wrong. .udceb9b86734ef3a6353df72d03d09c3d , .udceb9b86734ef3a6353df72d03d09c3d .postImageUrl , .udceb9b86734ef3a6353df72d03d09c3d .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .udceb9b86734ef3a6353df72d03d09c3d , .udceb9b86734ef3a6353df72d03d09c3d:hover , .udceb9b86734ef3a6353df72d03d09c3d:visited , .udceb9b86734ef3a6353df72d03d09c3d:active { border:0!important; } .udceb9b86734ef3a6353df72d03d09c3d .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .udceb9b86734ef3a6353df72d03d09c3d { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .udceb9b86734ef3a6353df72d03d09c3d:active , .udceb9b86734ef3a6353df72d03d09c3d:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .udceb9b86734ef3a6353df72d03d09c3d .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .udceb9b86734ef3a6353df72d03d09c3d .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .udceb9b86734ef3a6353df72d03d09c3d .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .udceb9b86734ef3a6353df72d03d09c3d .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .udceb9b86734ef3a6353df72d03d09c3d:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .udceb9b86734ef3a6353df72d03d09c3d .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .udceb9b86734ef3a6353df72d03d09c3d .udceb9b86734ef3a6353df72d03d09c3d-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .udceb9b86734ef3a6353df72d03d09c3d:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: Alfred Stieglitz EssayThe form of the poem does it make it very different, but also calls attention upon it and the subject. It helps get the point across and emphasize what needs to be stated. Flynn manages to create a strong case as to why children should be protected against certain knowledge. They should not have their bubble popped with the truth that Santa is not real or its impossible to fly. Kids should be able to have their childhood as long as they can and this poem manages to depict that with contrasting tones, metaphorical images, and a free-flow form.

Sunday, December 1, 2019

Nicole Tate Essays - Nicaragua, Republics, , Term Papers

Nicole Tate 11-04-98 World History (H) Essay "To pull together is to avoid being pulled apart." This once famous quote being said by Bob Allisat proves that if countries aren't interdependent upon each other than we will no longer be able to help each other and will not reek the benefits of what other countries give each other. I have three area of analysis for why Nicaragua is interdependent, one, foreign aid from other countries, two, disaster relief help and three imports and exports. The following essay shall discuss how Nicaragua is interdependent. Onto my first area of analysis, Nicaragua is interdependent through foreign aid from other countries. For example, in the 1980's Nicaragua's debt problems increased and prices of oil began to rise as well as Nicaragua's situation was worsened by a huge conflict dealing with military weapons. By 1994, their debt has increased to 11.7 billion, at this point in time Nicaragua had the highest debt in the world. Nicaragua was able to pull through this crisis from foreign aid from Mexico, Russia. Venezuela, Honduras, El Salvador, Argentina, and the Czech Republic. Because of these countries helping Nicaragua it has been able to pull through to a better economic state. As we saw, Nicaragua was interdependent from receiving foreign aid from various countries. Secondly, Nicaragua is interdependent through disaster relief. At this point in time Nicaragua is not undergoing just one but two natural disasters, Hurricane Mitch and volcano Cerro Negro, which erupted on Tuesday and consisted of 2,000 dead. Nicaragua's other disaster is Hurricane Mitch. Hurricane Mitch was described by CNN as "400,000 people now seeking shelter after losing their homes, health officials are watching for further outbreaks of Cholera, following sporadic reports of the disease." As of right now 9,000 are dead and no actual death toll will be known because of the small villages that can't be gotten to. The way Nicaragua is interdependent in these situations is that they are relying on the United States, France, Italy as well as several others for humanitarian aid immediately. In this example we see again that Nicaragua is interdependent by receiving disaster relief. Finally Nicaragua is interdependent because of imports and exports. Nicaragua imports food, agricultural needs, and medicines for their people. Nicaragua exports gold, silver, copper, and several others. In this case Nicaragua is interdependent because it gives countries items they need and Nicaragua gets items in which they need. This system always reminds me of that old saying you scratch my back and I will scratch yours. In essence, Nicaragua is interdependent for the above areas of analysis, which were foreign aid from other countries, disaster relief, and last but not least imports and exports. Surely if every country remains interdependent then we, as the world, will never pull apart as Bill Altsat stated.

Tuesday, November 26, 2019

The Attempted Robbery Essays

The Attempted Robbery Essays The Attempted Robbery Essay The Attempted Robbery Essay It was past midnight. Suddenly there was a knock on the door. I quickly switched on the lights. My instincts told me something was wrong. My mind quickly flew to my parents, who are currently at Grandmas to settle some urgent family matters. Could something have happened to them? Is it the police who are knocking on my door? My palm quickly started to sweat with worry. My nose suddenly picked up a smell; it was an overpowering smell of beer. My heart thumped repeatedly like horse hooves on a dirt road, giving signals to my brain to not open the door. I knew then, it was a premonition of fear and danger. But my curiosity took over any sense that I ever had. True enough, my caution was justified, for when I opened the door, two tall brooding men about 6 feet high stood in front me. They looked too drunk to stay still, as if they were wearing some slippery boots. I couldnt make out their faces because it was too dark but I didnt need to see their faces to know that they were men I should not cross. I kindly asked them to leave, but they continue to be in their drunken stupor and ignored me. They slurred swearing words towards me and my patience quickly trickled to an end and my anger rising to its peak. I felt as if I was a volcano on the verge of eruption to pour out all the lava. I screamed to them quite rudely to leave, but I regretted at once the words that I had just then uttered. As if in reply to my rude screaming, the two men started to shout obscenities at me. Then all of a sudden, something sharp glistened in the dark coming from one of the mens hand. It was a knife. I gulped in fear and judging from his strong muscles, he was indeed very strong. My brain screamed in panic and little beads of sweat formed on my forehead. I went numb with thought, and stood frozen in front of the now two menacing men. The knife-man lunged and as quick as a bolt of lightning he had the point of his knife at my throat. I was wild with increasing fear and the feeling threatened to crush me down to a collapse. My face paled to ghastly whiteness and my heart pounded like the thrumming wings of a caged bird. I continue to stand there as if I was a monument frozen for eternity. I was stunned by all the suddenness of the events and before I knew it, I was held in a vice-like grip by the other man. My heartbeat continued to thrum crazily against my ribcage and I hawked, my throat dry with fear. Reluctantly, I lead them to the drawer where my mum keeps her jewellery. I dread to think of how my mum would react after she finds out all her missing valuables that amount to thousands of dollars. The knife-man leaned over and made a grab for the trinkets. The other man momentarily forgot about me and went aside to the knife-man to also greedily swoon over all the glittery bracelets and necklaces. With sudden courage, I lifted my right hand to come down hard over the back of the knife-man. The force of the blow succeeded in taking the man right down to hit the bedside table. There was a sickening thud as the head banged against the sturdy and hard surface of the table. He was severely injured with blood covering his face and lashes of cuts from the sharp point of the table. He was dropped unconscious. The other man screamed in rage and charged towards me and with quick swiftness I grabbed the perfume on the bedside table and sprayed it into his eyes. He shrieked in fury and agony and temporarily blind, started to sightlessly grab me. I again took upon the chance to seize the chair near the work table and broke it over the mans head. He fell down, statically still. He was dead. Twenty minutes flew by and the police were already herding the then unconscious (now conscious) man into the police car. My parents were back and were alerted with the frightening experience that I had just gone through. Though still shaken, I tried my best to give my statement to the police. My parents were dumbfounded when I told them in detail what had just happened, but when I finished, they smiled and expressed relief that I was not injured. All was well.

Friday, November 22, 2019

What Exactly Is 10X Email With Garrett Moon - CoSchedule Blog

What Exactly Is 10X Email With Garrett Moon Blog How is your social media engagement? Are you getting enough shares, traffic, and leads to justify your social promotion strategy? Or, are you scratching your head, wondering how you’re going to win the uphill battle that is social media reach today? According to a recent study by BuzzSumo, Facebook reach alone has fallen 20% for brands in 2017. Note also, that this is even before Facebook’s recent News Feed overhaul. To me, rather than panicking about abysmal organic (and sometimes paid) social media performance, it’s time to invest even more in email. It’s time for 10x Email.    Im reading What Exactly Is 10X Email? by @garrett_moon via @Why Invest In Email Marketing? Have you heard the stats surrounding email ROI? Email is 40x more effective than social media  for customer acquisition. Email averages a 3800% return on investment. Email inboxes are home to 13 hours of employee’s  time per week. For , our email marketing program has been the biggest driver of marketing success, at an average 300% return. Our experience mirrors the numbers experienced by other companies. And if good data is truth, then it’s time every marketer embraces it as a mainstay of their efforts. So, how can you get the most from email marketing? How To 10x Your Email Marketing Results Email marketing is such an integral part of ’s marketing I devoted an entire chapter to doing it right in my book, 10x Marketing Formula. If you get a chance to pick up the book, awesome. But have no fear, I’ll give you an insider’s look at 10x Email Promotion by sharing an excerpt: To monetize an email list requires that you reverse engineer from paying customer to email subscriber. At , the leading indicator, and most important metric for our marketing team to track for success, is trial signups. We know our trial signups will convert to paid customers at a certain rate. We also know that the more email subscribers we get, the more trial signups we get. And because we meticulously measure all conversions  back to their source, we know exactly how many trial signups every email we send should generate. This is important because it’s debunked a marketing myth. Too many marketers are scared of their email lists. They don’t want to send too many emails for fear their audience will unsubscribe. They believe that audiences are fickle and get scared off easily. However, our experience shows that your audience will tolerate daily emails from you if they’re the right fit. And because you’re a 10x marketer creating competition-free content smack dab in the center of your content core, sending fewer emails is simply poor advice. Here’s how we’ve come to see it. To keep the math simple, let’s say we’ve discovered each email will generate ten trial signups so long as we don’t send more than one email per day. Because we’ve measured extensively, we also know that there’s no major uptick in per-email trial signups by sending fewer emails than one per day. So, for us to send any fewer emails would be a huge waste of this major asset. Now, the reason so many marketers are scared of sending too many emails is because they worry about their unsubscribe rates. But here’s a newsflash: unsubscribe rates don’t matter; revenue matters! Also, our data showed that the increase in unsubscribes due to a greater frequency of daily emails was virtually non-existent. Your email sending frequency should be directly linked to what generates the most revenue. So, when it comes to our email list, we’ve learned to value new subscribers above all else. The more new subscribers we have, the more new customers we have. We believe you’ll find this holds true for you, as well. The real trick is how to build an email list filled with the right audience. And that’s exactly what this stage in the 10x Marketing Formula  is all about. From 0 to 250,000 Subscribers In the past four years, we’ve worked hard to figure out what works and what doesn’t in email list building. Through copious testing, plenty of failure, and eventual hockey-stick growth, we’ve learned exactly what’s worked for us. The following strategies have helped us go from zero subscribers to more than 250,000 since our first blog post in March of 2013. Today, we routinely grow by 4,000-plus subscribers each week. We’ve generated these results because, one, every email is extremely relevant to the problems our audience is trying to solve. And two, each email is directly connected to the value itself provides. This means we can quickly grow a list filled with exactly the right people. It grows fast because the content is so damn good- and it’s monetizable because they’re content consumers who will actually turn into customers. It’s worked for the two reasons prior. And we’ve also found a few tactics that consistently amplify our results to the 10x level: Content upgrades  for every blog post Free tools to help solve major marketing problems that intersect with our product Competition-free content  people are desperate not to miss Now, let’s dig into how we use each tactic, what makes them work, and how you can use them in your marketing context. Content Upgrades A content upgrade is a companion resource to content like blog posts. Often, they are things like templates, calculators, worksheets, or any other document that helps your audience put what you’re teaching them into practice. To use them to build an email list, we gate them behind an email opt-in form. So, they get the resource by paying with an email address. This has become pretty standard practice in content marketing. However, at , we routinely craft such comprehensive content upgrades that we believe people would be willing to pay for them. For example, here’s an example of an eight-piece content upgrade bundle for a single blog post. It’s filled with PDFs, spreadsheet templates, and editable worksheets: [PDF] Email list building tips template to help beginners get started [PDF] Email list building guide to help you implement every tactic you learn throughout this blog post. [Worksheet] Email subject line guide to help you increase your open rates [PDF] 500 words to use in your blog titles (and therefore, your email subject lines) [Spreadsheet] Email subject line A/B test spreadsheet template to help you continually improve your subject lines [PDF] Best time to send email guide to help you reach most of your subscribers according to best practices [PDF] Best day to send email Google Analytics custom report to help you use your own data to know the days of the week when your audience opens your email [Custom Report] Best time to send email Google Analytics custom report to help you send emails at the absolute best times when your audience clicks through to read your content These included guides, spreadsheets, templates, and custom Google Analytics reports are dedicated to helping our readers do absolutely everything we’re about to teach them. A Content Upgrade Bundle As of writing this, we have more than 220 content upgrades available in our blog posts and our Marketing Resource Library. Our content upgrades are a core component of meeting our standard of performance of actionability. They’re always custom designed to contour the content we’re creating. And in total, our content upgrades are responsible for well over one hundred thousand email subscribers. The best part about killer content upgrades is that as long as you’re actually showing people how to solve real problems, the upgrades practically write themselves. All you need to do is format your how-to solutions in a spreadsheet, editable document, or even a printable PDF. If you’re providing actionable value, a content upgrade is a natural result. I know what youre thinking: â€Å"I barely have time to write a blog post, much less create a content upgrade.† But what if you just created one fewer post per week and used that time to create a content upgrade? That trade would be worth it, because your list will grow faster even though you’re publishing one less piece per week. That’s a pretty great deal. You could even follow Pat Flynn’s lead  and create one content upgrade per month that’s incorporated into every post. This is super efficient, super smart, and undeniably effective. The bottom line here is you should weigh content upgrades as heavily important in your content mix. They allow your value to travel farther, make your content more actionable, and help grow email lists. They’re well worth the investment, and too important to skip. Content upgrades are well worth the investment, and too important to skip. #10xEmailTools After content upgrades, our most effective list-building drivers have been free tools. Our top three tools for list building have been Headline Analyzer, Click-To-Tweet  WordPress Plugin, And the Social Message Optimizer. Here are the email subscribers each tool has produced. Headline Analyzer In just twenty-four months, the Headline Analyzer tool has contributed about 20 percent of our total list growth. Subscribers Generated:  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  55,040 Timeframe:  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  24 months WordPress Plugin In 2013, we built a social sharing plugin called â€Å"† for WordPress. It’s a smart little tool that allows anyone with a WordPress blog to craft readymade tweets for their readers to share with just a click or tap. We gave it away for free, and today, it’s used on over ten thousand websites. This has also helped build our email list, because when you give away stuff that’s this good, people want to know what else you have to offer. Subscribers Generated:  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  7,407 Timeframe:  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  4 months Social Message Optimizer Our Social Message Optimizer is a free tool that helps marketers write better messages that boost engagement, build trust, drive traffic, and spark conversions. It allows users to type in their message, select which social network it’s written for, and then let our sophisticated algorithm score it. It helps them capture more eyeballs with their messages, getting even more likes, comments, shares, and clicks. It does all this by optimizing according to proven best practices and real data from 6.9 million social media messages analyzed by our team. 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Thursday, November 21, 2019

Does the ever present popularity and cross over of 'ethnic crafts' and Essay

Does the ever present popularity and cross over of 'ethnic crafts' and products signify a new aesthetic interchange or simply another form of cultural appropria - Essay Example stance the African Period of Picasso (between 1907-1909) when he was heavily influenced by African Sculptures that was also engendered by an interest in the present interest in Africa (French colonial exposure of Africa brought forth â€Å"exotic† news of African animals, tribes, cannibalism and overall primitivism) gave his work a historical as well as commercial value. Hence, I shall explore why and how cultural appropriation (if at all we can call it that) is actually a philistine way of assuming that ethnic craft representation to a Western audience shall always be somewhat mysterious, unknown, open to manipulation by Western thoughts and practices and is also somewhat full of â€Å"untouched† variety. These assumptions are almost always taken into account when representing ethnic art and thus represent another idea of the â€Å"white man’s burden† still on the run and notions of â€Å"Orientalism† isn’t over as yet, even in the age of Gl obalization. It is not so much an aesthetic interchange as much a thirst for giving the art a new dimension unknown to most western eye. When the question of appropriation comes into the picture, the questions of artistic intentions too follow. With it comes the speculation of the vanguard of exchange – where and how it happens. Does it follow any trend or does it depend on a single artists quest for something beyond the discipline of Western Aesthetics? Or is it just another form of responding to current socio-historical or political trends? I guess it is all of the above and more! Let us explore why and how. Previously the influence in art forms at least before the beginning and formation of the Imperialistic Discourse, was somewhat beyond the scope of this â€Å"Self† and the â€Å"Other† demarcation. With new discovery during the Renaissance, the Islamic tin-glazed pottery and lusterware became the most dominant form of ceramics in Spain. It continued from a period of 13th Century till the very beginning of 16th century,

Tuesday, November 19, 2019

Perceived stress and coping mechanism of middle and high school Research Paper

Perceived stress and coping mechanism of middle and high school principals - Research Paper Example In addition to these long hours, there is a constantly increasing demand from administrative bodies that are placed upon school principals which causes even more exhaustion. This often results in declining physical and mental health (Brock & Grady, 2002). Principals are responsible for the well-being of hundreds of students, taking into consideration the special abilities and needs of some students. The role of the principal is not an easy task. They lead what amounts to small businesses or corporations that are rated based on their productivity, of in the case of educational institutions, test scores. Today, even more more mades are being added to this already lengthy list of expectations for principals. Add to that a mountain of paperwork and meetings, queries and complaints from parents, playground and lunchtime duties, and there is certainly the potential for for even more stress than one can handle. In a recent study conducted by Tomizan & Waldon (2004), it was discovered that m any school principals were so stressed by the pressure of their jobs that nearly half have work-related medical problems. This study revealed that eight out of ten principals experienced high levels of stress, with the ‘unnecessary paperwork’ and managerial nature of their job being the biggest concerns. The survey that was conducted found a conflict between the way principals see their role as educators and the reality of having to be a manager. They have to contend with high levels of internal conflict between what they consider to be their primary responsibility - creating a quality educational environment for students - and the demands placed on them by the department. The study also uncovered that nearly half the principals surveyed had a medical problem linked to work, with the most common being weight control, heart disorders and headaches. Most principals, however, tend to ignore their health problems and often returning to work without having fully recovered fr om various illnesses. Some said the job robbed them of time with their families, and some admitted they often found it difficult to maintain a fully satisfying relationship. This particular study also pointed out the reality that nearly half of all principals are some type of medication directly related to the stress of this career (Tomizan & Waldon, 2004). All of this information makes it plausible to assume that the stress levels endured by principals is at an all-time high and is only going to increase in the near term. Background Study Related to Stress Stress has become a part of the job description for most school principals. According to Selye (1974) who coined the term, stress is â€Å"the nonspecific response of the body to any demand placed upon it, whether it is caused by, or results in, pleasant or unpleasant conditions.† (p. 74). The theories present by Selye have garnered much discussion through the years. Some use the word stress to talk about heartache or loss , or some other less than desirable situation or task that they are forced to encounter. For others, stress is the physical reaction manifested in the form of heartburn, chest pain, or other types of palpitations. Still other consider stress to be what they perceive to be the end result to these physical problems, such as the occurrence of an ulcer or heart attack (Roesch, 1979). In the end, Selye created a new word to better describe

Sunday, November 17, 2019

The College Culture Essay Example for Free

The College Culture Essay One of my most distinct characteristics is that I am a Born Again Christian. Being a Christian is a way of life not just a set of practices. My religion defines who I am and dictates my actions. Being a Christian influences how I speak, what clothes I wear and what activities I engage in. Our church is an evangelistic church and so we’re encouraged to invite people to church activities. One goal of this study is to find out how an outsider receives these invitations. It will also be found out what factors determine the non-Christians’ response to such invitations. Being a Christian has changed how I act in situations and most people I know have adjusted to my principles. Some have also generalized my personal principles such that when they meet other Christians they assume the latter will act the same way as I do in a given situation. Thus another aim of this study is to see the effect that interactions with Christians has on the perception of Christians as a whole. In order to achieve these goals interviews will be undertaken: one with a person practicing a different religion and another with a person with no professed religion. The interview will start with a discussion of what, in the interviewee’s perspective, is a Christian. Questions pertaining to how Christians may be differentiated from non-Christians will also be asked. This will be followed by whether or not the interviewee has ever been invited to a Christian gathering before and how he or she responded to this invitation. Next, the interviewee will be asked to relate a memorable experience with a Christian. Finally, the interviewee will be asked to assess based on his interactions with Christians how he believes Christians perceive non-Christians of the same religious belief or non-belief as him. It must be borne in mind that the interview itself might be misconstrued as a means to invite the non-Christian to church. The interviewee of another religion may even become defensive and this would confound the answers given. Therefore, from the onset it should be made clear that the purpose of the interview is to improve Christians’ relations with non-Christians and to correct any Christian practices which promote negative impressions. As Patton stated in his work, an interviewer must be able to build trust at the onset of the interview and the purpose for the interview must be made clear to the interviewee (1987). The topic of religion isn’t so much a welcomed concept particularly because of the rivalry and conflicts that have arisen â€Å"for the sake of religion. † In order to prevent the interviews from being another venue for such arguments, a collaborative approach will be encouraged through the research. As it has been emphasized in other studies, research isn’t a means to exploit the â€Å"other† rather it is a means to reach a mutually beneficial conclusion regarding overlapping interactions of different cultures (Fitzgerald 2005; de Munk Korotayev 2000). Analysis of Interview Material Interviews were conducted with two non-Christians (see Appendix A and B). As was indicated to the respondents, this research has been conducted in order to improve interactions of Christians with non-Christians. As has been discussed by past researchers, a cross-cultural study should benefit not just the researcher but also the person studied (Gibbs 2001). The very essence of collaborative research is that all parties to the study are benefitted by the findings. Such a conclusion may be reached through the results of the present study. The responses of the respondents may be classified into several dimensions. The first is how past interactions with Christians have affected the respondents’ perception of Christians. One respondent showed that a positive experience with a workmate allowed him to see Christians in a better light. Despite having had many negative experiences with Christians, a positive personal experience with several Christians was able to lessen his negative impression of Christians in general. On the other hand, the other respondent whose personal experience with Christians was negative has now generalized the impression and applied it to all Christians. Therefore, the personal experience with Christians is more important in forming an impression of what a Christian is. However, for persons with deep-rooted biases against Christians due to external factors, such as intercultural conflict, the personal experience only tempers the bias but doesn’t altogether eliminate it. This is the case with the Moslem respondent interviewed. It must therefore be asked what qualifies as a positive experience. In the case of the Moslem respondent, the positive experience consisted of the Christian attempting to understand the former’s religion. It can be seen from the second appended interview that one of the reasons why a negative impression was held of Christians is because â€Å"I leave them alone to believe what they want. They could at least extend the same courtesy. † This shows that the respondent also hopes for some tolerance from the Christians she encounters. Furthermore, when asked how she felt regarding being invited to her mother’s Christian gatherings, the respondent showed that she felt irritated because she had already made it clear that she didn’t wish to go. From the above, it can be seen that a first step towards a positive impression is a manifestation of tolerance on the part of the Christian. This tolerance required in cross-cultural interactions of religions aids in the facilitation of interactions between their subcultures (de Munck Korotayev 2000). This is important particularly since the growing complexity of society ensures that the religious cultural units will interact in one regard or another. However, as evidenced by the Moslem respondent, this tolerance is not sufficient to overcome the in-bred conflicts that religious differences have fostered between cultural units. Therefore, a greater level of understanding between cultures is necessary in order to bridge the gap between religions. In order that this might be achieved the respondents reflect some insight. The agnostic respondent stated, â€Å"But the fact is that they can’t explain why they believe what they do. They can’t even explain half of what’s written down in the Bible. † The Moslem respondent on the other hand stated, â€Å"But there are those who seem to know about the love that their Jesus taught. I have no problem being friends with people like that. † The above statements show that Christians need to know about the foundation of their own faith in order to be able to preach it to others. A failure to understand their own religion comes across to non-Christians as insincerity. This insincerity renders the religion in itself doubtful. Non-Christians would thus be even more unwilling to learn about a religion which was understood and misapplied by its own followers. Finally, the interview shows that in order that Christians might become more effective in interacting with non-Christians they should be able to engage in a bottom-up process. What normally occurs when Christians invite other people is that they become imposing yet they don’t make the effort to understand the factors which the person being invited must consider before giving a response to the invitation. In order that they would be able to connect with the person being invited they must be able to understand how the other perceives them as Christians. The Moslem respondent stated, â€Å"I think they think the same we do about them. That we are wrong in our belief. I think that a lot of Americans are afraid of Moslems though. † This shows that he believes that Christians are as stubborn in their belief as he is. Therefore, an invitation from them would mean an attempt at conversion. Being a firm believer of Islam, he would of course say no as he would have no desire to be converted. Therefore, the Christian should be able to explain to the non-Christian the purpose of the invitation, particularly if it is for the reason simply of being able to get to know the other person better. In answer to the question of how she felt when being invited, the agnostic respondent was able to intone a similar response, â€Å"Annoyed. I mean, they just don’t seem to get a clue. If I wanted to go to church I’d do it without any prodding. † This shows that the method being employed by the Christian mother was no longer effective. In fact, it hadn’t been effective for a long time already. And yet, she didn’t change her approach or try to talk with her daughter in a more personal manner in order to understand the daughter’s aversion to religion. The respondents gave answers regarding how they defined what a Christian was. In both answers it is evident that they perceive Christianity as a set of practices and rituals. The essence of Christianity as a lifestyle and as a relational interaction was lost to them. Having learned about their experiences with Christians, it isn’t surprising that they feel this way. It’s clear therefore from this study that in order to improve cross-cultural interactions between Christians and non-Christians a more personal interaction should be encouraged. This interaction should be imbued with a sense of tolerance for the other and a desire to understand the situation and motives of such other. References De Munck, V. A. Korotayev (2000), â€Å"Cultural Units in Cross-Cultural Research,† Ethnology, 39(4), 335-448. Fitzgerald, T. (2005), â€Å"Cross-Cultural Research Principles Partnerships,† Management in Education, 19(1), 17-20. Gibbs, M. (2001), â€Å"Toward a Strategy for Undertaking Cross-Cultural Collaborative Research,† Society and Natural Resources, 14, 673-687. Patton, M. Q. (1987), â€Å"How to Use Qualitative Methods in Evaluation,† CA: Sage Publications. Appendix A: Interview with a non-Christian practicing a different religion Interviewer: Good afternoon. First, thank you for agreeing to meet me for this interview. Before we begin I just want to remind you that the purpose of this study is to better understand the interactions of Christians with members of other religions. Your answers will be used only for the purpose of this study and for no other purposes. Having said that, are you willing to participate in this study? Respondent: Yes. I: Thank you. First let’s start with some information about you. Is there a religion that you practice? R: I’m a Moslem. I: How long have you been a Moslem? R: Well, I was born into a Moslem family so I can say that I have been practicing my faith since I was born. I: In your perspective, how would you define a Christian? R: Well, Christians are people who believe that Jesus is God and not Allah. We Moslems also believe in Jesus but he is only a prophet and only Allah is God. I: Have you ever interacted with Christians? R: Of course. Most people here are Christians and so I have to deal and talk with them every day. I: Have you ever been invited to attend a Christian gathering? R: I work with some Christians who have once or twice asked me to go to an activity or concert. I: Did you go with them? R: No. It’s not allowed in Islam to acknowledge other gods. I don’t see the point of going anyway. It would be a lie for me to pretend to believe what they would say there. I: How did you feel when you were invited? R: It was a little awkward. I didn’t understand why they would want to. It’s not like I would go with them. But at least they don’t give me a hard time about being a Moslem. I: Are there Christians who do? R: Sure. It’s not new. There are really those types. I: That’s interesting because I also wanted to find out how you think Christians view Moslems. How do you think Christians view Moslems? R: I think they think the same we do about them. That we are wrong in our belief. I think that a lot of Americans are afraid of Moslems though. Everyone seems to be afraid we’ll turn into Osama Bin Laden or something. I: Thank you for sharing that. I’d like to ask you now about some personal experiences you’ve had with Christians. Is there any particular instance, good or bad, that you shared with a Christian that sticks out from your other interactions? R: I remember this one guy at work, the same guy who invited me to that concert at their church, he asked me once about Islam and he seemed genuinely interested. He tried finding similarities between Islam and Christianity. He was pretty nice. He just struck me as different from most Christians and I appreciated that he tried to understand my religion and didn’t just base his impression on what other people were saying. I: Alright, you’ve been very responsive so I have only one last question left. As a whole, how would you describe Christians? R: Well, most Christians don’t know their own religion. There are some who take it too far and they can be really condescending. But there are those who seem to know about the love that their Jesus taught. I have no problem being friends with people like that. I: [Respondent] that concludes our interview. Thank you very much for your time. Appendix B: Interview with a non-Christian without any professed religion Interviewer: Good morning. First, thank you for agreeing to meet me for this interview. Before we begin I just want to remind you that the purpose of this study is to better understand the interactions of Christians with members of other religions. Your answers will be used only for the purpose of this study and for no other purposes. Having said that, are you willing to participate in this study? Respondent: Sure. I: Thank you. Let’s start with some information about you. Is there any religion that you practice? R: I don’t exactly believe in organized religion. I: Was there any religion that you used to practice? R: Well, we used to say a prayer at the dinner table before dinner. But that was a long time ago. I just don’t see the need to anymore. I: Alright. Well, as I told you earlier, the focus of this interview is Christians and their interactions with others. So to start off, how would you define a Christian? R: Well, Christians are people who read the Bible, believe in God, pray, sing praise songs, all that. I: Have you ever been invited to a Christian gathering or activity? R: Sure. My mom used to make me go to church with her. She hasn’t stopped pestering me about it yet. I: Do you ever go? R: Not since I could say no without getting grounded. I: Why don’t you? R: Like I said, I don’t see the purpose. I mean look at my dad, he doesn’t go and he’s alright. If prayer is all there is to it then my mom is probably praying enough to save all of us. It just doesn’t seem important. I: How does it make you feel when you’re invited? R: Annoyed. I mean, they just don’t seem to get a clue. If I wanted to go to church I’d do it without any prodding. Besides, if God were real then they wouldn’t have to work so hard to make the rest of us believe in Him. It all just seems like a whole bunch of lip service. It gets tiring. I: It’s very helpful that you’re talking about your family and how they are active in practicing Christianity. But apart from your family have you had any other interactions with Christians? R: Sure. They’re all the same. Preachy. When you ask them about why they’re doing it though it all boils down to cop-out faith. Who can argue with that? I: Is there any particular experience you’ve had with a Christian that strikes out? R: I have this housemate who’s all about religion. She keeps leaving little cards with psalms on them in my things. I just find it a little irritating that she can’t just accept that I don’t do that kind of thing. I: The interview is going well so far so I only have one last question. How do you describe Christians in general? R: Well, Christians can be really devout about their faith and about having other people believe the same thing. But the fact is that they can’t explain why they believe what they do. They can’t even explain half of what’s written down in the Bible. Even worse, they can’t understand that other people just don’t want to believe the same things that they do. I mean, it’s not that I hate god. I just don’t believe he exists. And they act like that makes me the worst scum on earth. I leave them alone to believe what they want. They could at least extend the same courtesy. I: Thank you so much. Your responses have been really helpful. That concludes our interview.

Thursday, November 14, 2019

Post Colonial Interpretations of Shakespeare’s The Tempest Essay exampl

Post Colonial Interpretations of Shakespeare’s The Tempest â€Å"†¦do we really expect, amidst this ruin and undoing of our life, that any is yet left a free and uncorrupted judge of great things and things which reads to eternity; and that we are not downright bribed by our desire to better ourselves?† – Longinus Since the seventeenth century many interpretations and criticisms of William Shakespeare’s The Tempest have been recorded. Yet, since the play is widely symbolical and allegorical Shakespeare’s actual intentions behind the creation of the play can never be revealed. But it is precisely this ambiguity in intention that allows for so many literary theorists, historians, and novelists to offer their insight into the structure and meaning of the play. For many years much of the critical treatment of the play has come from an educated European heritage, like the play itself. However, beginning in the nineteenth century with the re-emergence of the original text of the play and a growing global awareness in Caribbean and African nations, many attitudes were arising about the apparent cultural associations of the play’s characters and the largely heretofore unchallenged European views that had dominated popular ideology. What was once superficially taken as a play about the expansion of European culture into the Americas, was now being explored for its commentary about the inherent dominance and oppression of the natives of the Barbadian islands (the geographical setting of the play), and further as a commentary on slavery and oppression as a whole. The plays main characters, Prospero and Caliban, have come to personify the thrust of the oppressors vs. oppressed debate. In the introduction to Critical Essays on Shakesp... ...d Alden T. Vaughan. New York: G.K. Hall & Co, 1998. 247-266. [1] Accounts of the Caribbean islands from the misdirected crew of the Sea Venture – a colonial ship – who in a 1609 storm landed off the Bermudas and took shelter there for the winter. [2] See p. 8 of Jonathan Goldberg’s essay, The Generation of Caliban. [3] See p. 15 of Jonathan Goldberg’s essay, The Generation of Caliban. [4] See El Triunfo de Caliban, 1898. [5] See Ariel, 1900 [6] Alden T. Vaughan’s essay on Caliban in the â€Å"Third World†: Shakespeare’s Savage as Sociopolitical Symbol cites Rodo and Dario’s European-American association with Caliban as Monstrous (249) [7] This perspective references the Longinus quotation at the head of this essay, suggesting that perhaps critics have alterior motives for their theories rather than simply what they outwardly offer as their rationale.

Tuesday, November 12, 2019

Culture Assessment Essay

A widely accepted definition of organizational culture is it is the shared meanings, artifacts, values, beliefs, norms, and assumptions that dictate how an organization works and its existence (Cameron & Quinn, 2006). Organization culture is shaped by more than one element; say individuals’ life experiences, background, education levels and so fourth. Undoubtedly, leadership also plays a critical role in defining what culture prevails in the organization and their actions have a major influence on how the rest of the organization follows suit. (Robbins et al, 2000) Additionally organization culture defines the strategies that a firm uses in handling things like competition, growth, resource management and the like. (Goffee & Jones, 1996) A good assessment of the cultural orientation of a firm makes it likelier to promote interorganisational network and also implement changes that encourage member participation and productivity. The key indicators of organizational culture include organization structure, power and managerial styles, ways in which members of the organization interact and do their jobs among others. This paper takes a look at FedEx Corporation and gives a summary of the type of organization culture at FedEx, its benefits, hindrances as well as the recommendations of the company. Company overview FedEx Corporation is a large company headquartered in the US that deals in printing, courier services and logistics as well as cargo airline services. This company has been named one of the top 10 most admirable companies by Fortune magazine two years in a row. Since its founding in 1971 it has grown from humble beginnings a leader in air courier industry. Its brands include the FedEx home delivery, FedEx smart post and FedEx freight east and west, FedEx services among others. Its chief competitors are DHL, TNT, UPS, BAX Global and USPS. The company employs over 250,000 workers and has a net income of approximately 1. 8 billion dollars in 2006. Culture assessment The organization culture at FedEx blends various kinds of organization culture but perhaps the most predominant culture is flexibility discretion and dynamism. This has been its major strategy of staying ahead. To support this, FedEx takes pride in their ability to adapt to change so as to enhance effectiveness and competitiveness. (Cameron & Quinn, 2006, p. 34) This it achieves by combining innovation, knowledge sharing, high experience and team work in its key strategies to attaining competitive advantage. A good illustration of FedEx external focus is evident in the numerous deliveries of relief supplies that FedEx made to hurricane Katrina victims for free in 2005, earning it more customers and goodwill. Adhocracy orientation at FedEx is fostered at top level management down to the junior staff. The CEO of FedEx encourages employees to be trend setters and nonconformist and dare to take calculated risk. The management encourages employees to be all ears on current events and look for opportunities. The guiding philosophy is that an innovation failed is better than a thousand years lost in risk averse dealings. Innovation at FedEx is held with high regard and employees are rewarded handsomely for developing fresh ideas. The management supports viable projects from employees financially or otherwise. This is one reason why FedEx distinguishes itself as an evergreen company in the air courier industry. This culture is underscored when creative attempts that fail are rewarded as well as the successful innovations. The familiar slogan ‘absolutely, positively gets it there overnight’ is made real by the culture ingrained in the employees towards importance of customer service, efficiency at work, speed and accurate scheduling. This culture leverages FedEx for competitive advantage. Basically, the FedEx corporate culture emphasizes urgency, speed and teamwork, exceeding customers’ expectations, initiative, flexibility and active listening (O’Reilly, Tushman & Michael, 1997) Aside from the flexible nature at FedEx, it also adopts an outwardly and sensitive approach to the environment that it operates. Competitiveness fosters the company to always look for opportunities to expand and grow. While the opposite of this culture is to foster integration and unity within the organization as well as knowledge some elements of this culture are also present at FedEx. This is because FedEx emphasizes high skills among employees. Employees at FedEx are highly learned individuals as the company only picks the best of the best. Working ones way up the corporate ladder requires that ones knowledge base also increases. In addition, the internal focus of FedEx organizational culture provides an appropriate environment that enables employees to grow and exercise their skills as seen in the various training and task assignments delegated to employees. In order for knowledge sharing to be maximized then division of labor, job enrichment, team building and so forth have to be conducted regularly (Murray, Poole & Jones, 2005) some aspects of these are present at FedEx. FedEx corporate culture values hard work and rewards such appropriately. It also disregards discriminations and fosters equal opportunities for its employees in areas of promotion, transfer and recruitment. The hands off team oriented management style promote progressive and diversified work culture. Communication is a key strength for FedEx organization culture and regular surveys on employees’ views on the job are taken to monitor and modify areas of universal discontent. Notably, the employees at FedEx are highly experienced and skilled individuals. The culture therefore is based on letting employees be free agents who direct their jobs in their own direction. The management ensures that employees are proactive and take initiative to learn from mistakes of others. The employees are not reprimanded or penalized for slip-ups rather management takes the blunder as an opportunity to teach the rest. Most of the tasks done at FedEx are assigned to teams which are given sufficient power and authority to fulfill their responsibilities and be accountable for the results. Seemingly this is the reason behind the great success of FedEx. The benefit of the cultures present at FedEx is that the company is maintains its competitiveness amid intense competition from the competitors. Additionally, it deals with fewer conflicts, fewer staff turnover and enjoys increase in employees’ job satisfaction, higher performance less resistance to change, higher productivity and better customer service and so forth. The hindrances of this kind of organization culture are that it requires major investment in time and money. The management needs to be patient with employee mistakes which are most times costly. Additionally it is difficult to monitor this practice in the FedEx Company because of the large workforce and the busy schedules that the employees have. Conclusion The organizational culture at FedEx has both benefits and detrimental aspects although many are the benefits. In the competitive faced paced industry that FedEx operates their culture seem most fitting. Perhaps the only thing that I would improve is the hierarchal structure and the communication channels for free flow of information and faster decision making throughout the organization.

Saturday, November 9, 2019

Research in Motion Limited Essay

In early 2002, Chris Wornald, as the director of strategic alliances for RIM, believed the tremendous synergy value offered from the acquisition of Slangsoft and its importance for RIM’s future Asian market. However, after his successful presentation on the deal to senior executives, one piece of archived news on Jerusalem Post got the attention from RIM’s director of legal affairs. The widespread panic and paranoia among Slangsoft employees, unrealized revenue from HP and multiple registrations became a great concern. Thus, Chris Wornald had to accurately measure the benefits RIM would gain from Slangsoft and the risks associated with its operation and corporate culture. Moreover, it is significant to draft a detailed action plan to help RIM capture all the synergy if deal is set. In this case, four categories are detailed analyzed; RIM itself, Slangsoft itself, three alternatives and the detailed plan of action. Research in Motion Limited (RIM) Firm and its products: Research in Motion Limited (RIM), trading as BlackBerry, was â€Å"a leading designer, manufacturer and marketer of innovative wireless solutions for the worldwide mobile communications market. Immediacy, security and ease-of-use were its pillar of competitive strategies. In early 2002, RIM and Hong Kong-based Hutchison Whampoa announced the commercial launch of BlackBerry operating in Hong Kong. To date, RIM’s development tendency focused on expanding the global reach of the BlackBerry solution, especially into the rapidly growing Asian markets where no such solution yet existed. In term of its products (exhibit 1), the best-known and most profitable product was its Blackberry wireless solution, and another 45% of its revenue mix came from RIM wireless handhelds, software development tools and embedded wireless technologies. To date, RIM’s target customer had been focused on enterprises, not individuals. As the pioneer in the filed of wireless data communication, RIM’s products have the great features of â€Å"small size, long battery life, easy-to-use, reasonable pricing, flexible architecture and a data security plan† In order to maintain its leadership, RIM focused on the innovation of two-way wireless technologies and applications, adoption of its platform by wireless network service providers globally, and protect its intellectual property. Throughout the operation, RIM remained responsive to end-user needs and continue to develop and market leading edge hardware and applications. Moreover, in order to extend and develop its capacities, RIM had broadened the strategic alliances and relationship in order to enhance its competitive position. But, to date, the most emergent wireless capacity it needed was support of localized Chinese input and display. Finance From 2000 to 2001 (exhibit 2), RIM’s revenue grew 160% from $85 million to $221 million. RIM has an extremely strong balance sheet after completing a follow-on equity offering in November 2000 that raised $ 590 million. Therefore, RIM has very strong financial assets for financing their growing opportunities. In term of one single item on balance sheet, RIM has $50.8 million liquid asset to finance any small valued opportunities, and the sales of new equity indicates the investors’ confidence towards RIM. People and Culture Mike Lazaridis, RIM’s CO-Chief Executive Officer, was a passionate advocate for the power of basis science to improve and transform the world. With his engineering degree, Lazaridis is responsible for product strategy, research and development, product development and manufacturing. Jim Balsillie with more charismatic and outgoing personality brought his wealth of business knowledge to RIM. With such strong leading executive team, RIM had achieved a great employee growth by department from Fiscal 1999 to 2001. (exhibit 3) Moreover, RIM has a well-developed corporate culture that celebrates achievement, creativity, and risk taking. Employees at RIM were well compensated and motivated by various benefits, at the meanwhile, RIM is also famous for its corporate giving to the communities. Slangsoft Inc. (Slangsoft) Slangsoft, headquartered in Boston, was a small Israel-based company with majority of employees in Jerusalem. It had three main products: a core keyboard mapping engine, 52 language scalable vector fonts and a predictive input engine. Its well-developed Intelligent Text Input and Display (iTID) technology was essential for RIM’s entry into Asian market. Many RIM competitors also desired this technology. Slangsoft has signed licensing deals with nine companies and was in the stage of negotiation with one cellphone company. Arie Mazur, CEO and president of Slangsoft, showed his welcome towards building a closer relationship with RIM. However, former Slangsoft employees had or were considering sue the company for unpaid salaries, and alleged physical and personal abuse. Creditors also claimed their trouble collecting receivables. It also has problem in term of transferred intellectual property and deal issues with HP (one of RIM’s competitors) Three Alternatives There are three main alternatives for RIM at current: acquisition of Slangsoft, acquisition of Slangsoft’s competitors and outsourcing or developing own input and font display technology. Before analyzing the advantages and drawbacks of those three alternatives, we needed to firstly assess RIM’s current performance and the moving direction this year, in three years and ten years, then visualize the business strategy in terms of goals, product market focus, value proposition and core activities, and lastly apply strategic models to position RIM’s needs from the deal. Assessment We used the performance matrix (exhibit 5) to classify RIM’s current position of the business and the direction it targeted towards. In the current market, RIM had very good organizational health and operating performance. Therefore, RIM was in quadrant 1 and the strategy review will be a question of fine-tuning and taking a farther than usual look into the future. This specific direction demonstrated the importance of RIM’s sustainable future operational plan, both in short term and long term. Thus, RIM not only had to enhance its operation in order to maintain its position within a year, but also needed to develop non-existing market in this rapid-paced industry in a short term (3 years) and capture the future market share with developed technology in a long term (10 years) Goals Besides the operational direction goals, RIM had its specific business goals. In terms of hard goals, RIM still wanted to enhance their competitiveness as the leader in the market, at the same time of developing wealth for stakeholders. In terms of soft goals, RIM was willing to create opportunities for employee to advance while benefit society through innovation. Product market focus In this case, RIM’s board of directors had agreed to penetrate the new Asian market with its BlackBerry solution, which contains the new technology of input and font displays. Therefore, firm chose to have a diversification market focus on both product and market. Value proposition In order to gain the most market share in Asia and win against other competitors that are interested at the growing Asia market, RIM presented its value proposition in term of execution such as availability and intensity. To be specific, RIM had to find the way to get the font and display technology as soon as possible. With sales hustle and rapid timing, RIM could gain the leadership position in Asian market and capture most of the growing markets to become sustainable. Core activities RIM’s determination of its core activities was a critical aspect of its strategy since these choices would have a fundamental impact on its market and operations control, cost structure, capacities and flexibility. As demonstrated in this case, RIM was reaching out for a vertical integration in order to maintain the control of font and input technology, while limited its competitors’ abilities of expanding their market share in Asian market. Moreover, there are eight specific tasks RIM set for fiscal 2012. The ones we need to focus on in this specific case are to continue to substantially increase BlackBerry user base, launch new market and maintain the culture. Since the main strategy RIM utilized was strategic alliance (exhibit 4), it became more obvious that RIM would continue its acquisition on small technologies. Acquiring Slangsoft or its competitors or outsourcing/developing own? After assessing RIM’s performance and position, it was defined that RIM took great consideration on maintaining its leading position and kept innovating and gaining new market shares. Specifically, by looking carefully at the business strategy components, it was even clearer that RIM is unable to wait for Slangsoft’s competitors (Zi and Tegic) to get rid of the lawsuits. Also Slangsoft’s iTID platform had better functionality, performance and architecture compared to all four of competitors. Therefore, Chris’s decision on quickly moving on to due diligence and negotiate an acceptable offers is a wise for RIM in the short term. After gaining the market share in the large Asian market, developing own text input and font technology might be an optimal solution, but it is not short-term solution. Therefore, in order to win Asian market place with a possible past pace and save time for other sustainability plans, RIM should acquire Slangsoft as soon as possible. However, the specific requests and changes can be made through due diligence, as indicated in the plan of action.

Thursday, November 7, 2019

Behavioral Perspective essays

Behavioral Perspective essays The Behavioral Perspective is the view of the psychological aspect of Behavior. This perspective points out the study of measurable, observable behavior and the way in which the environment determines behavior. Included in this perspective is the nature of man, determinism, and the possibility of change. Behaviorists believe that the nature of man is neither good nor evil. Behaviorists believe in the theory of Tabula Rasa, or the blank slate theory. In this theory a baby is born with no knowledge and their knowledge draws from their environment and experience. Here, Behaviorist B.F. Skinner reiterates his believe in this concept by saying: So far as I know, my behavior at any given moment has been nothing more than the product of my genetic endowment, my personal history, and the current setting. As Skinner puts it, this theory of Tabula Rasa is the belief that people are a product of their environments. This concept also brought forth the famous quote about conditioning from John Watson who said Give me a dozen healthy infants, well-formed, and my own specified world to bring them up in, and Ill guarantee to take anyone at random and train him [her] to become any type of specialist I might selectdoctor, lawyer, artist, merchant, chief, and yes, even beggerman and thief, regardle ss of his [her] talents, penchants, tendencies, abilities, vocations, and the race of his [her] ancestors. The idea that we have no free-will (Skinner) is called Determinism. In addition to the Tabula Rasa theory another aspect of Determinism is Conditioning. Conditioning is the most basic form of learning. In Conditioning a behavior is learned by a person and or animal. This learning is a result of reinforcement or the association of an unconditioned (not learned) stimulus with a conditioned (learned) stimulus. The first of the two types of Conditioning is Classical C...

Tuesday, November 5, 2019

ACT English Questions, Reporting Categories, and Content

ACT English Questions, Reporting Categories, and Content ACT English Intro Shakespeare, you’re not (even if you do look good in those Elizabethan tights). That does not mean you can’t score well on the ACT English test. Trust me on this. Most of what you will encounter on the ACT English section of the exam is stuff you have done a million times in school. Sure, the format is different - you can get really tripped up on the paragraph spacing if you are not careful - but the content should be fairly easy for those of you who didnt fail out of all of your English and Language Arts classes. Read below for all of the ACT English Basics. And when you’re done getting the lay of the land, read through the ACT English strategies to help yourself before you test! ACT English Basics If you’ve read ACT 101, you know the following goodies about the ACT English section: 5 passages of text75 multiple-choice questions (fifteen per passage)45 minutesApproximately 30 seconds per question ACT English Scoring Just like the other multiple choice  sections, the ACT English section can earn you between 1 and 36 points. This score will be averaged with the scores from the other multiple-choice sections (Math, Science Reasoning and Reading) to get you your Composite ACT score. Youll also get your raw scores based on reporting categories that were introduced in 2016. Here, youll see how many questions you answered correctly in the  Production of Writing,  Knowledge of Language, and  Conventions of Standard English. They do not in any way affect your section or composite ACT score. Rather, they give you an indication of where you can improve if you should take the again. The English score is also tabulated with the Reading and Writing section scores to give you an ELA (English Language Arts) score. Like the   The average ACT English score is about a 21, but you’ll have to do much better than that if you’d like to hit up a top university for admissions acceptance – more like between a 30 and 34. ACT English Test Content As I stated previously, youll have three reporting categories scattered throughout the ACT exam. You will not see Production of Writing, Knowledge of Language, or Conventions of Standard English sections - that would be too easy! Rather, youll encounter these types of questions as you work through all five passages. Production of Writing (approximately 22 - 24 questions) Topic Development:  Identify the authors purpose Identify whether a portion of text has met its goalEvaluate materials relevance in terms of the texts focusOrganization, Unity and Cohesion:Use strategies to create logical organizationUse strategies to ensure a smooth flowEnsure effective introductions and conclusions Knowledge of Language (approximately 10 - 14 questions) Ensuring concision and precision in word choiceMaintain consistent styleMaintain consistent tone Conventions of Standard English (approximately 38 - 42 questions) Sentence Structure and Formation:  Ã‚  Identify misplaced modifiers (adjectives, adverbs, etc.) Fix run-ons, fragments and comma splice sentencesResolve problems with improper clause usage Correct  parallel structure.  Punctuation Resolve improper usage of  commas, apostrophes, colons, semicolons,  quotation marks, etc.Improve the text with various punctuationUsageRecognize common problems with standard English usage.Revise common problems to improve the writing.      ACT English Test Practice There it is – the ACT English section in brief. Think you can pass this bad boy? If not, then you have some major preparation in front of you. The English section is not easy by any stretch. Sure, its stuff youve learned in high school, but it is also incredibly challenging if you havent really had very much grammar or punctuation practice in a while. If you want to get ready, try starting with the best ways to study for the ACT. Then, move on to the ACT English practice questions. Once youve mastered that, you can read  through these ACT English Strategies so you are doubly prepared!

Sunday, November 3, 2019

MACROECONOMICS AND THE TABLET PC INDUSTRY Research Paper

MACROECONOMICS AND THE TABLET PC INDUSTRY - Research Paper Example Therefore, this essay aims at providing complete insight into the United States tablet PC market by explaining the current factors that are affecting the growth of the tablet PC industries (Langdana, 2009). Additionally, the study will exploit factors that are driving this market growth and the underlying growth strategies that they need to implemented to be at per with the current completion. There has been immense competition among the world’s major table manufacturers especially after the launch of iPad from the Apple. Approximately five month after the launch of iPad, Samsung launched the Samsung galaxy tablet (Alvarez, 2007). This created an overwhelming competition with Apple and since this time, the tablet PC manufacturing industries have produced or released several players (Langdana, 2009). For instance, after the release and launch of iPad PC tablet, numerous tablet manufacturing industries including Asus, Lenovo, and HP among others released numerous tablet PC model s into the market; thus, it may be noted that the major product and marketing decision in these industries are influenced mainly be the stiff competition within the industry (Dhir, 2004). Notably, it seems that the current market of these tablet PC manufacturing industries is pegged mainly on the tablet manufacturing. Therefore, the future of these industries may be governed largely usage around these tablets. In other words, if there will be shift in the usage of these tablets to another device, then it implies that these industries will collapse (Taylor and National Bureau of Economic Research, 1984). The market domain of tablet PCs is governed intended usages of these tablets PC. Some of the usage are governed by screen size, distribution channels, and operating platform used. Analysis of these factors are vital in the understanding the market domain of tablet PCs within the United States market. Some market research revealed that tablet PCs are designed mainly for personal usage within the United States market. Nonetheless, with time, these tablet PCs are expected to be adopted or designed for commercial usage. In essence, if they are used adopted the corporate environment they are expected to reduce additional costs usually incurred on top of laptops and desktop computers. The Apple’s iOS operating systems holds the largest U.S. tablet PC market shares. The Apple has achieved this through its first mover advantage (Silvia, 2011). The Google’s Android operating system comes second while others including Samsung, HP, Motorola, Lenovo, and HP among other manufacturers take other ranks within the stock market. The tablet PC Market The market trend of the tablet PCs can analyzed according to the three macroeconomic variables including price indices, rate of unemployment, and exchange rate. These three elements usually affect the market trend in large extent in that high price indices usually affect how consumers buy the intended products. The tab lets PCs are new technologies in the market and their advent and manufacture have been expensive; thus, leading to high prices of these tablets. On the other hand, high rate of unemployment usually affects the off farm income especially of the farm operator families (Matsumura and Moreira, 2005). Additionally, the unemployment rates usually affect t

Thursday, October 31, 2019

Trends in team building activities Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Trends in team building activities - Coursework Example In her article, team building is the way to go for any business. For any manager to be considered successful in their leadership roles; they must ensure they have sound, active and well-balanced teams working harmoniously towards achieving the organization’s long-term goals. Look at all successful business institutions, you will discover that the reason behind their fortunes is the composition of thelabor force that is relating well, with each other. Nothing positive can be achieved unless there is a good collaboration among people employed in an organization. She further says that, before any management directs its efforts towards moving the organization to the next level of success, it should ensure it makes team building its first priority. The author either gives examples of the classic Hawthorne Studies of between 1927 1nd 1932, where it was discovered that a group’s results are better compared to the totals of individuals working independently or in 1993, Elton Ma yo seconded this when he found out that a group was essential because of three unique characteristics it owned. They include a feeling of social support, a sense of group identity and cohesion. These characteristics are a strong motivation towards a group or team achieving its goals. The author goes ahead to support her findings of the importance by comparing two generations. That of 1960s that gave little attention to teamwork since most reward systemswasbased on individual performances and that of 1980s, which advocated for teamwork.

Tuesday, October 29, 2019

Todays Marriages and Families Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 210

Todays Marriages and Families - Assignment Example The magazine photo that I selected has a young girl roughly four years old reaching her arms out to her father while the mother is seated next to her. I deemed this as a structure-functional perception. It appears like the family brought up their child responsibly, provided emotional security and support. Nevertheless, it also might be the attachment theory since the child appears to develop more attachment to her father rather than her mother (Bruhn, 2005). Â  I am always interested in how the number family members in my house are from my mother’s side, which is my grandmother. The only data collection techniques, which can be used, are interviews and questionnaires (Lamanna & Riedmann, 2011). I asked my mother, my mother’s brothers and my mother’s sisters. I discovered that my grandmother has 15 children. I did not discern that I had so many uncles and aunts. Â  The age group, which is rising as a proportion of the U.S. populace, is the elderly, 65-plus years (Bruhn, 2005). For the following two decades, million Boomers will stop working. There will be roughly 10,000 new retirees included in the Medicare and Social Security rolls every day. Individuals are living longer due to U.S.’s advance health care system and clean food (Schwartz & Scott, 2012).

Sunday, October 27, 2019

Accountability Mechanisms in Volkswagen and Nike

Accountability Mechanisms in Volkswagen and Nike An ever evolving set of responsibilities (and accountabilities) for the functioning and welfare of individuals, society and the environment is entrusted to public sector organisations and private business enterprises. Using both positive and negative examples discuss the above statement. Accountability is defined as the fact or condition of being accountable; responsibility (Oxford Dictionary, 2016). It is an essential part of all businesses both large and small. The power that one party has which enables them to demand accounts from another party is through various accountability mechanisms. This essay will examine how a small selection of said accountability mechanisms succeeded or failed in the cases of two large corporations Volkswagen and Nike. The environment is entrusted into the hands of businesses. A prime example of when this trust was broken is the Volkswagen (VW) emissions scandal. In this case, the legal accountability mechanism failed miserably. Legal accountability is the obligation that companies have to the law. These accountabilities unlike some others e.g. market accountability are compulsory. The VW emissions scandal erupted on the 18th of September 2015 (Kollewe, 2015). The company was ordered to recall 482,000 cars in the US after the scandal was unveiled. Due to the deliberate illegal installation of a defeat device, VW could cheat emissions testing on several models and was cleared to sell them (Hotten, 2015). The defeat device caused cars affected to excel under normal emissions testing conditions. Its purpose was to recognise test conditions e.g. a locked steering wheel and a stationary test rig and put the vehicles into a safety mode which resulted in the cars emitting a significantly lower level o f air pollutants than they would under normal driving conditions. The rigging of tests allowed VW to manufacture and sell thousands of cars that were advertised as being revolutionary due their low emissions. The stark reality was that when tested out-with normal test conditions, the engines emitted nitrogen oxide pollutants up to 40 times above what is allowed in the US (Hotten, 2015). When the scandal broke, it was unveiled that 11 million cars worldwide could possibly be fitted with the device (Kollewe, 2015). What is questionable, is the fact that the company only suggested that 11m cars could possibly be fitted with the device. One would think that they would know how many times they broke the law considering all the profits that they raked in. This resulted in the emitted pollution totalling almost 1 million tonnes per year (Lee and Vachon, 2016). Roughly the same as the UKs combined emissions for all power stations, vehicles, industry and agriculture (Mathiesen and Nelsen, 20 16). VW did not take care of the environment here because although their deceit caused them to rake in profits, their carelessness and lack of consideration has resulted in a negative impact on the environment and society at large. In the case of this scandal, the legal accountability mechanism failed because although the law stated that cars could not emit more pollution than a set amount, VW used deceitful ways cunning practices to bypass the law. Since the truth has been unveiled, VW has paid and will continue to pay dearly for their wrongdoings with lawsuits and continued legal action being taken against them. Furthermore, legal accountability is not the only accountability mechanism that failed in relation to the VW scandal. Another one was market accountability, accountability to the output market in particular. The output market is where goods are sold and services are provided. This market is especially important as consumers in such markets can take their custom elsewhere in the event of a companys wrongdoing. As such a large company, VW was trusted by millions of users all around the world. They bought their products because of their brand loyalty and belief. They were drawn in by the advertisements promoting clean diesel and gave up their hard-earned money in order to receive a product that unbeknownst to them was contributing astonishing amounts of pollution into the atmosphere (Jopson, McGee and Campbell, 2016). A study found that US [VW] vehicles would have spewed between 10,392 and 41,571 tonnes of toxic gas into the air each yearà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦. If they had complied with EPA st andards, they would have emitted just 1,039 tonnesà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦each year in total (Mathiesen and Nelsen, 2016). The failure of market accountability is equally even more astonishing due to the astounding volumes of pollution that was emitted due to these defeat devices. Not only did VW show a lack of regard for the environment, but they also did not act responsibly with the trust bestowed onto them by the output market society. The market penalized VW for its unsustainable behaviour with many customers taking their custom elsewhere. Volkswagen faces a consumer backlash against its brand (Lee and Vachon, 2016) and deservedly so. The VW scandal is a perfect example of the impact that both legal and market accountabilities can have on a company when they are ignored. On the contrary, public reputational and market accountability succeeded in the case of Nike. The company began their Reuse-a-shoe initiative in 1990 and since then have recycled more than 28 million pairs of shoes and 36,000 tons of scrap material into Nike Grind for use in more than 450,000 locations around the world (Ekstrà ¶m, 2014). The material Nike Grind- is created using the slice-and-grind method. This meant that the shoes were sliced into three separate parts: rubber outsole, foam midsole and fibre upper. The three separate parts would then be ground and refined for use (Nike, 2016). The three different types of Nike Grind can then be used for different purposes, all for benefitting communities and society in general. What is remarkable is the fact that Nike saw an opportunity to make use of all the old trainers that were being incorrectly disposed of. By beginning this initiative, it is easy to see that Nike could build a strong brand loyalty. Consumers are always eager to support an initiative that will better the planet in any way, shape or form and Nike realised this and have succeeded.   Nikes Grind website states: Nikes vision is that our products will be closed loop-that is, they will use the fewest possible materials and be assembled in ways that allow them to be readily recycled into new products. Our long term vision is to create a continuous loop without waste. (Nike, 2016) Nike has been very successful with this initiative and it shows that they care for the environments and the well-being of society as a whole. This point is derived from the fact that all the old trainers were being disposed of incorrectly and this led to an increase in landfill. Also, the burning of the rubber led to increased toxic gases being released into the atmosphere. Nikes decision to begin the Reuse-a-shoe initiative was a great one because it improved the regard with which the company was seen. In addition, their pledge to use sustainable, long-lasting materials designed for professional level performance has only further increased its popularity with millions of consumers around the world (Nike, 2016). Nikes swift action to try and reduce the impact that their old products had on the environment worked in their favour as Nike Grind is now well established and continues to boost the Nike brand image. In conclusion, yes, it is true that society and the environment is entrusted into the hands of public sector organisations and private business enterprises. These are regulated using accountability mechanisms. All companies are accountable in many ways. However, where VW failed in their legal, market and public reputational accountabilities due to their deceitful actions, Nike succeeded in their market and public reputational accountabilities by identifying and devising a way to fulfil its objectives whilst making a positive impact in many communities and society. While, VW fitted the defeat device to cheat emissions testing and eventually make more profit, Nikes outward thinking resulted in even more brand loyalty than they started out with. It simply demonstrates that accountability is an essential part of every organisation and when the accountability mechanisms fail, there are serious consequences. Bibliography Ekstrà ¶m, K.M. (2014) Waste management and sustainable consumption: Reflections on consumer waste. Pg 169-171. Available at: https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=GXLfBQAAQBAJpg=PA170dq=nike+reuse+a+shoehl=ensa=Xredir_esc=y#v=onepageq=nike%20reuse%20a%20shoef=false (Accessed: 16 November 2016). Hotten, R. (2015) Volkswagen: The scandal explained. Available at: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-34324772 (Accessed: 16 November 2016). Jopson, B., McGee, P. and Campbell, P. (2016) Volkswagen faces $15bn hit over US green ad campaign. Available at: https://www.ft.com/content/1234f9be-f5bf-11e5-9afe-dd2472ea263d (Accessed: 16 November 2016). Kollewe, J. (2015) Volkswagen emissions scandal timeline. Available at: https://www.theguardian.com/business/2015/dec/10/volkswagen-emissions-scandal-timeline-events (Accessed: 16 November 2016). Lee, K.-H. and Vachon, S. (2016) Business value and sustainability: An integrated supply network perspective. Pg 101-104. Available at: https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=ZPzcDAAAQBAJpg=PA102dq=vw+scandalhl=ensa=Xredir_esc=y#v=onepageq=vw%20scandalf=false (Accessed: 16 November 2016). Mathiesen, K. and Neslen, A. (2016) VW scandal caused nearly 1m tonnes of extra pollution, analysis shows. Available at: https://www.theguardian.com/business/2015/sep/22/vw-scandal-caused-nearly-1m-tonnes-of-extra-pollution-analysis-shows (Accessed: 13 November 2016). Nike (2016) How its made. Available at: http://www.nikegrind.com/how-its-made (Accessed: 16 November 2016). Oxford Dictionary (2016) Available at: https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/accountability (Accessed: 16 November 2016). Siedel, G. (2016) The Three pillar model for business decisions: Strategy, law and ethics. Pg 16-19. Available at: https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=SYXNCwAAQBAJpg=PA18dq=vw+scandalhl=ensa=Xredir_esc=y#v=onepageq=vw%20scandalf=false (Accessed: 16 November 2016).