Group Analysis Report

Introduction Changes normally disrupt the normal work process of an organization. Such changes are likely to remain permanent. Changes result from both internal and external factors, which relate with an organization. Therefore, organizations must find ways of adapting to such changes.Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on Group Analysis Report specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More In most cases, we experience conflicts because of changes that occur from both internal and outside the organization. As a result, organizations must adjust their management and communication strategies in order to cope with changes. Conflicts and their challenges have become major sources of concerns in many organizations. Conflicts are responsible for massive wastage of resources within organizations. In most cases, people only focus on negative impacts of conflicts. However, we can rely on conflicts to achieve good results. Feedback f rom conflicts can be sources of opportunities to improve communication and relationships within the work team. Conflicts provide opportunities for organizations to formulate effective means of communications, address challenges within the group, and change workplace strategies. Specific conceptual frameworks and theoretical models can address conflicts with an organization. In this case, the organization must understand the concept of workplace dynamics. As a result, an organization can continue to work in an optimal manner and achieve best results. The purpose of this report is to address the issue of work team problems, perform group diagnostics, and analyze results relative to the ideal of conflict management and workplace dynamics.Advertising Looking for research paper on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Overview of the workplace group (committee): Rup Landscape Company Rup Landscape Company has served its clients and gained national recognition based on the quality of its landscape and management services it provided in the United Arab Emirates. The company has over 30 years in landscape management. The management has transformed the company and created a complete commercial landscape company with both construction and management services. The drives for this reentry were to enhance the growth of the company and provide customers with complete range of landscape services and management. Throughout the history of the company, Rup has provided services with cutting-edge practices and has attracted contracts from various prestigious organizations like the government agencies, Dubai Police, City Center, Dragon Mart, Union properties, GEMS, and Rotana among others. Most members of the management team have served the company for more than 20 years. They have continued to ensure that Rup remains the industry leader in the UAE landscape industry. The company has dedicated itself to excel lent services. It also offers opportunities to excel and grow their careers. The company has unique work values, culture, and practices. The company has various committees with various duties. The organizational committee on focus deals with project development processes. The roles of the committee include: Providing information to the company on maintenance and repair needs Reporting landscaping needs in the area Making recommendations to the management for seasonal improvements Recommending and deciding on the company to award contracts Approving projects for action Conflict Resolution In all organizations, there are conflicts. Hence, we have to accept conflict as a part of group dynamics within the organization. Elements of conflicts reflect such ideas of antagonism and undesirability within the committee. However, we have to notes that not all forms conflicts are dysfunctional.Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on Group Analysis Report specifically f or you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Depending on how a firm handles its conflict, there are productive aspects of conflict that can bring in new solutions to a situation, clarify roles and power relationships within committee members, bring irrational aspects of conflicts into the open, and provide a way of solving conflicts. If a group engages in destructive conflict, then the outcomes can result in loss of the main objectives in the quest for sub-group interests, encourage the committee members to be defensive, and may results in a collapse of the committee. According to Condliffe, â€Å"conflict has three vital components, which include interests, emotions, and values. Conflict processes go through stages of perception, realization, avoidance, flashpoint, intervention, strategy, and evaluation† (Condliffe, 2002). Conflict models allow people to understand what conflicts are, their root causes and avoidance strategies. However, such models ca nnot provide all the solutions to conflicts. Rather, they provide us with better ways of understanding conflicts and resolution methods. We shall use the Thomas-Kilmann Conflict Model (Swinton, 2006) in an attempt to understand the conflict within the committee of Rup Landscape Company. The committee has been involved in conflict on several occasions. In few cases, the results have been unsatisfactory and cause disharmony, fallout, and distractions from the core duties of the committee. In addition, the organization also experiences losses attributed to productivity (Tillett and French, 2006). Advertising Looking for research paper on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Figure 1: The Thomas-Kilmann Conflict Mode Instrument Conceptual frameworks and group diagnostics Rup is a formal organization that promotes landscape services and management in Dubai. The committee shares common goals and values. Consequently, Rup has beliefs, values, and norms for its group members. Such values, norms, and beliefs rest on the ideology of developing and promoting success of the organization and career growth of members. Therefore, collaboration within the committee is paramount. The belief system consists of a strong belief in the development and use of best practices within the organization. The organization instills the value of collaboration and community of practice (Hislop, 2005). It has formal work systems, which members interact through open communication systems. Conflicts usually occur due to differences in decision-making on awarding contracts and allocating scarce resources to projects, values, and goals. Such conflicts have repercussions for the organiz ation. The organization has used opportunities from conflict resolutions to build a strong community, reinforce its beliefs, values, and norms. In addition, it has strengthened teamwork within the committee. Fig 1: Conceptual Framework for Rup Belief in best practices, values, norms, and goals Rup believes in promoting best practices, values, norms, and goals in the landscape industry. The committee members believe in using Rup’s goal and practices for guidance. Therefore, members can collect, organize, recommend, and award tenders to other stakeholders. The organization aims to promote develop such values, practices, and achieve its goals through its committee. However, the belief in using, developing, and promoting the use of formal practices varies among members. There are members with strong beliefs in developing and promoting best practices while other have moderate view about formal practices of the organization. This was according to some of the responses from members of the committee (see appendix). Members who had a strong belief in promoting best practices, values, and norms in order to achieve organizational goals did not express conflicts. On the other hand, members who had moderate views about formal practices in the committee had conflict with other members of the committee. These divergent views led to conflicts among members. Achieving goals The committee members worked together in order to achieve the organizational strategic goals. Goals had two aims, which were to promote the growth of the company and its employees. Such goals enhanced formal approaches to tasks. However, roles and desire to achieve goals differ based on what different members prefer. The organization had fix deadlines and assigned projects to its members. At the same time, members had the freedom to select the best formal practices of accomplishing tasks. Most members believed that the committee had to use both formal and informal practices when allocating resources , awarding tenders, and reporting on the progress of various tasks while other members insisted on the use of formal practices in order to enhance the image of the organization. Collaboration among members In most cases, the committee had to collaborate in most projects. This was the only formal way to grow the organization and achieve both personal and organizational goals. Therefore, the committee had to develop a strong sense of collaboration because of its belief in best practices within the industry. Conflicts arise when other members of the committee preferred informal aspects of managing certain roles of the committee. Ultimately, the committee worked as a team in order to resolve conflicts in belief systems and strengthen its membership. Collaboration creates value for the committee The committee collaborates in order to provide best services to clients and ensure the growth of the organization. Committee aims to create a strong community because of its collaborative approac h to issues. Members can make their contributions and expect positive criticism on the best methods to adopt towards a given projects. The committee hopes that collaborative approach will allow all members to contribute and enhance teamwork. This is a way of reducing cases of conflicts within the committee. The committee leadership promotes collaborative approach towards issues. Open systems The committee encourages open systems in communications among members. Committee members have the freedom to express their opinions about some decisions about projects. The committee keeps records of important decisions that members make about tasks. This enables members to track their decisions and improve on areas with faults. The committee encourages its members to refer and report any failures in the decision-making processes that can lead to failure in a project. It encourages open criticism in project management. Some members believe that the organization can use both formal and informal a pproaches when making decisions in order to facilitate processes and eliminate bureaucratic tendencies, which cause delay in project completion. On the other hand, some members promote formal approach for accountability of processes in decision-making. Formal management system The leadership of the committee relies on formal management systems. The committee has developed from a community of practice because of organizational shared goals. There are no formal contracts within the organization. The committee aims to create formal systems in the company. The committee can only realize this goal through collaboration among members with divergent views. Thus, it can integrate different ideas in order to strengthen formal processes within the organization. Formal processes aim to instill accountability within the organization. Thus, committee members can feel that they have personal responsibility for organizational goals. Group Diagnostic Developing the committee Hislop (2005) notes how a community of practice evolves among members, and such shared interests can create a strong committee. Members usually share common goals, values, and similar outcomes. In such communities, members should resolve their differences without any external interference. The committee has been able to solve its disputes as they arise, and members can trace resolutions in the communication log and archive. The committee may have constant conflicts, but its leadership must resolve such conflicts in collaborative ways in order to strengthen the committee. Conflict Resolution The committee uses a collaborative approach to solve all conflicts it experiences. Conflicts emanate from different views on decision-making processes. Collaboration allows members to adopt moderate views in projects for a win-win situation for the organization and its clients. In the end, the committee aims to achieve formal processes in decision-making. Conflicts occur because the committee considers formal processes as bureaucratic and time-consuming. Therefore, some members prefer informal processes of decision-making. The resulting conflicts take a great amount of time to solve because the process must account for views all members of the committee. It is important to note that solutions usually result in a strong committee with a reinforced belief in organizational values and goals. The committee also displays elements of group dynamics just like in any other group. Committee members have diverse behaviors and attitudes. Concepts of group dynamics relate to both formal and informal organizations (Luthans, 2005). The group dynamics enable us to understand how the committee co-ordinates its structures, functions, process, and conflict resolution mechanism. The committee works together with the aim of achieving a common goal of developing and promoting the best practices. However, informal processes interfere with the progress achieved and affect choices of projects and periods of completion. The formal nature of the process requires members to have specific duties based on their expertise and competence. Some members do not observe formal organizational practices in decision-making and distribution of resources, which result in conflicts within the committee. However, the committee resolves such conflicts through a collaborative process in which all committee members express their views. The aim of conflict resolution is to strengthen teamwork and belief in organizational best practices and formal approach to processes. Developing teamwork Effective conflict resolution within the committee encourages teamwork. Members look for various solutions to their problems by expressing their ideas in an open system. Opinions on whether the committee should still depend on its old informal practices or implement changes that focus on formal processes differ. Collaboration has formed the basis of resolving such conflicts within the organization. The committee promotes teamwork by i nviting contributions from all members in problem solving. Changes for improvement Landscape services and management industry has become competitive in UAE. Many companies have emerged to compete for the same clients. Therefore, only organizations with best practices shall succeed. This is the aim of Rup. A collaborative approach in conflict resolution has created a strong team that aims to promote best practices within the organization. In addition, it has reinforced the belief in organizational values and goals. Conflicts will emerge as Rup finds the best ways of providing services through effective decision-making processes. However, some conflicts take a lot of time to resolve. Therefore, the committee should improve on time management when resolving conflicts. It should adopt gradual change processes to ensure that members adopt formal practices within the organization. Members’ satisfaction varies based on the adoption of formal practices within the committee. Some memb ers promote the use of both formal and informal processes in decision-making, reporting, and awarding tenders. On the other hand, some members advocate for formal processes. However, the committee aims to solve such problems by adopting a collaborative model. This has ensured that the committee considers contributions from all members and makes decisions on the best interests of all stakeholders. The committee must understand its own weaknesses in order to improve on adopting changes and decision-making process. The committee leadership should rely on scenario-based models in order to choose appropriate conflict resolution model that can serve the organization under time pressure. The committee should not overuse the collaborative model to the extent that leads to compromise of goals, values, and long-term goals of Rup. Conclusion Changes in the modern industries are responsible for many conflicts. Therefore, conflicts are inevitable in such organizations. Rup shows that conflict ca n be favorable for creating effective outcomes, teamwork, and a strong community. The organization has been able to achieve such results because of a collaborative approach to conflict resolution. However, the committee must improve on change and time management because members are reluctant to adopt best practices and values. As a result, conflict resolution is time-consuming processes that delay other projects. Appendix Contributors Beliefs Satisfaction Leadership Conflict Resolution 9 Members believe in community of practice (COP) Achieve best practices, values, and goals Some members have strong formal processes only Others adopt moderate view on the use of formal and informal processes in decision-making Most members are satisfied conflict resolution outcomes Formal approach because of the aim of the organization to instill best practices within the company Enables great collaboration among members Encourages an open system of communication Encourage the development of a c ommunity of contributors Reinforces belief, teamwork, and great collaboration Members are satisfied with the conflict resolution mechanism References Condliffe, P. (2002). Conflict management: a practical guide. Sydney: Nexis Butterworths. Hislop, D. (2005). knowledge management in organizations: A critical introduction. Oxford: Oxford University Press Inc. Luthans, F. (2005). Organizational Behavior (10th ed.). Boston: McGraw-Hill. Swinton, L. (2006). Workplace Conflict Management: Strategy for Successful Resolution. Web. Tillett, G., and French, B. (2006). Resolving conflict: a practical approach, 3rd edition. Melbourne: Oxford University Press. This research paper on Group Analysis Report was written and submitted by user Rey D. to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

Smooth operations - Emphasis

Smooth operations Smooth operations There is a corner of Emphasis Towers dedicated solely to the behind-the-scenes team known as Operations. We are the stage-hands to the trainers thespians; the gaffers to Client Relations stage directors. And while we may be hidden away like Quasimodo in his bell tower, we do have the pleasure of knowing it would be hard to pull off the show without us. It is, of course, Client Relations who will venture out to meet you, get to know you and your business, and discover just how Emphasis can help to make your documents shine; our course developers who design a programme to move and motivate you to be the best business writer possible; and our trainers who will analyse your work and deliver the goods on the day. Were squirreled away in the midst of all this, gathering up the vital pieces of information like so many acorns for winter. And we like to follow our own companys advice in Operations Corner: Well put the reader first by presenting you with only what you need to know to get everyone to where they need to be. We have the whys and hows, so well just ask for your whos, wheres and whens. We helpfully punctuate this with requests that guide you through: well elicit writing samples; extract dates, timings, attendee and venue information and you wont feel a thing. Well build a logical structure from one end of the process to the other to the delegate list we add samples, to the samples we add graphs; well print and bind the manuals, copy and file worksheets; well send the trainer to you with everything they need to address all your business-writing needs. On the day of your course, by the first chorus of: So thats how to use an apostrophe! we may not even be a speck in your memory. But then a good operations team is like good writing: efficient, effective, invisible.

The Arab Spring Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

The Arab Spring - Essay Example Political Islamism is shaping the face of Arab spring in that countries such as Tunisia which held their elections, the moderate Islamist party emerged victorious while Morocco on the other hand chose its first Islamist prime minister. Political Islam is influenced the uprising in the Middle East it involved more liberal use or application of Islamic teachings and traditions to inspire the people and thus champion for change. In addition, the policies of the Arab spring has big role to play in the regions present transformation. For instance, in Tunisia, people were more open minded guided with liberal attitude towards secular politics, while in Egypt, there is the Muslim brotherhood learning more towards the centre. Further, the uprising has been motivated by practical approach that attempts to move away from conflicting with the military while striving to raise both the economy and living standards. Muslim brotherhood has insisted that women should be given chance to participate in politics while they advocate for a civil state headed by either clerics or military. Political Islamism aimed to bring genuine democracy to the people (Warren, 2012). For the first time in Arab history, the feeling of belonging to one’s own country has grown largely in that masses inspired by their unique cultural resurgence that incorporates dancing on the street and changing old folk songs into revolutionary anthems is common everywhere. Through their culture such as street dancing, people fill the streets asking for freedom. Additionally, the quest for freedom is also manifested in poetry. Initially, women have been barred from publicly expressing themselves but now they are doing without fear that was poised by their strict cultural demands. Religion influenced the Arab spring in that the suicide committed by Bouazizi and a series of copycats immolations ignited the revolution. In

The Benefits of Using The Robotics System In Industrial Area Research Paper

The Benefits of Using The Robotics System In Industrial Area - Research Paper Example This is because findings have shown that robotics is capable of reducing the cost of production, improve production efficiency, product quality, and reduce accidents and injuries in manufacturing industries. This paper will discuss the benefits of using robotics in the industrial area. The history of robotics dates back to 1954 when George Charles Devol invented the first industrial robot called the Unimate. This was later followed by the formation of the first robot company called the Unimate by Devol, and Joseph F. Engelberger. General Motors is the first automobile company to install the Unimate robot for dying casting, spot welding and handling in 1956. Since then, many manufacturing companies have implemented robots to replace human labour. International Federation of Robotics reveals that many companies today are increasingly adopting robotics in their workforce (42). This has particularly been witnessed in industrial and manufacturing spheres in different countries of the enti re world. However, findings show that only developed countries in the world have embraced the use of robotics to do various tasks in industrial such as machine operations and welding among others. For instance, the European Robotics Technology Platform (EUROP) reported that about 6.5 million robots were already in use, in different companies and institutions all over the world by 2007 (2). The same report also estimated that the number could rise to about 18 million by the year 2011. Japan is currently the leading country in terms of robotic adoption. International Federation of Robotics indicated that more than half of the world’s robots are made and used in Japan (46). However, several other European countries are also increasingly adopting the technology. A study has shown that the technology is increasingly adopted by countries that have an aging population such as Japan and Germany. For instance, a study conducted by Mckinsey in Germany predicted that Germany could face a shortage of about six million skilled laborious in the next seven years (Jeschke, Liu, and Schilberg 85). The same applies to Japan whose population is aging very first, according to Europ (5). However, the common denominator for the adoption of robotics in industries is based on the benefits that the technology offers the industries where they are installed for doing work. As earlier stated, robotics have been found to be beneficial in industries mainly because its installation helps in reducing costs in a company. This is seen from the factor that robots do not require to be paid hourly rates, as is the case with workers (Jeschke, Liu, and Schilberg 86). This implies that the salary that could have otherwise been used to pay workers will be used for other purposes such as maintain ace (International Federation of Robotics 51). It is reported that, apart from the maintenance cost, a robotic manufacturing is only paid for once, which is very cheap compared to having to employee a worker who will be demanding salaries each and every month. Furthermore, unlike workers, robots do not demand salary increments that might increase the manufacturing cost. It is also a matter of fact that the initial cost of installing a robot in an industry may be daunting. However, its return on investment can be realized very fast once it has been implemented. Research indicates that a robot has the capacity to generate a return on investm

Burngreave messenger Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Burngreave messenger - Essay Example This can basically be realised through a number of social media platforms which are popular with many people. The print version of the Burngreave Messenger essentially serves a limited geographical area. However, through the use of the social media, this can greatly be increased through the following ways. Twitter Headlines Feeds The newspaper should create a headline handle for its brand in this popular social platform just like other popular dailies such as The Sun and Telegraph have done. It is imperative to realise that some of the most successful world dailies have a huge following in the social media and such a presence largely accounts for their success. The newspaper can then establish various sections like Arts, Entertainment and Books on their Twitter handle. These sub-channels are normally very popular with the public and will therefore provide proper interaction with the advertisers. In the same way, the Burngreave Messenger can seek to create a series of online events in order to increase its readership online. This can greatly be enhanced if the events are carefully selected from those popular with the public. ... of the contents should be conducted on the big social networks which allow the contents to be easily discovered by millions of people across the world. One important aspect in social media journalism is the need to greatly engage the users by giving commentary and reacting to the comments of the users effectively. It helps to keep the online community much engaged and hence successful to the newspaper. In the same way, it is important for the homepage to easily indicate the link to the social media so that it becomes easy to find. Each page in the newspaper’s website should have the link to the social media sites so that it becomes easy for the people to follow. Many successful world dailies have integrated social media reading capabilities in their websites. For instance, the Washington Post is one such newspaper that a Social Reader which presently has over a million users. Considering that most newspapers are presently resorting to the use of social media, the survival of t he traditional newspapers does not only depend on their participation in this community. On the other hand, smaller community papers such as the Shrewsbury Chronicle are also venturing into the social media as a ways of boosting their performance. Rather, it is about the strategies that are put into place in ensuring that the social media works to the benefit of the newspaper. In this regard, Burngreave Messenger can utilise the best strategies in the social media to ensure its growth. Considering the great amount of real-time news reporting that takes place on Facebook and Twitter, there is much opportunity for Burngreave Messenger to utilise the content usually created in relation to this. This would make the content of the newspapers feel more real-time in addition to providing many

The Paris Peace Conferences Justified History Essay

The Paris Peace Conferences Justified History Essay The relations between France and Germany up to the 21st century have never been outstanding. Ever since Napoleons domination of Germany, and Germanys later victories in their domination of France, the two countries have always been rivals with one another, to the point where they hated one another. In the decade prior to World War I, Germany had a massive buildup of military strength. When World War I began however, Germany seemed to be stuck up against all of Europe. Their defeat in the war spurred the creation of the Treaty of Versailles, a treaty directed at the losers of the war, that was greatly influenced by their enemy, France. Frances aims during the discussion of the treaty during the post war peace conferences were evidently the intent of crippling Germany until they would never be able to rise up as a threatening power in Europe. This statement seems one sided at first, but through further analysis, I found Frances thoughts and situation at the time to be justifiable to so me extent, and that their cruelty towards Germany understandable. I have therefore decided to investigate just how much of Frances aims towards Germany can be justified by their fear of Germany invasion, and a sense of national security. This paper will analyze acts of aggression between France and Germany prior to the peace conferences after the war, and uncover the extent of the hate between the two countries. Because the peace conferences consisted of multiple European personalities, including Woodrow Wilson of the United States of America, a number of their mindsets at the time will be analyzed. This analysis will allow for a further look into Germanys mental position in the minds of European leaders at the time. The specific points of the treaty will also be assessed in whether or not they follow through with Frances situation at the time, and their necessities. Through all of this analysis, it was found that Frances aims towards Germany were justifiable, in that Frances proximity of German territory evoked fear and a want for heightened security against Germany. Germany had invaded France many times, and each time had been complete domination, so their fear of German strength was understandable at the time. However, at the same time, there were some French aims that seemed to be abuses of their power over Germany after World War I, such as their confiscation of many natural resources including the German Saar Mines, and the massive reparations Germany was forced to pay. Introduction It was evident, ever since the Franco-Prussian War of 1870-71, that France and Germany had tensions that had the potential to catalyze a future war between not only them, but the entire world. The initial rule of Napoleon ruined future relations with Germany, with his conquest of all of the German states into his French Empire, and the forceful conversion of the German states into those of France. Along with the Franco-Prussian War, and the German annexation of Frances Alsace-Lorraine, a French state that consisted of all French peoples  [1]  , the hate that France had for Germany was unimaginable, and the brutal war debt that Germany forced France to pay certainly didnt mitigate the tensions. Prior to World War I, Germany was undoubtedly the only country that had military strength rivalling that of Great Britains, and this gave reason for the French to fear German invasion, because they did not stand a chance against the overwhelming military strength of Germany. World War I how ever, was a turning point in the balance of powers in Europe, and as a result of Germanys defeat to the Allied countries of France, Britain, and Russia  [2]  , Germany was ultimately placed into Frances position pre-World War I. It was during this time that France felt a sense of control and power over Germany, and it seemed that they wished to utilize this newfound power to implement the long awaited revenge they had for Germany since the 1800s, to be done during the post-World War I peace conferences, and namely the Treaty of Versailles. The conference for the discussion of this treaty was organized by Woodrow Wilson, the democratic President of the United States, who hoped that the shape of Germany and the successor states in central and eastern Europe would be clearer, to ensure a sustainable peace in Europe.  [3]  The members of the Allied winners  [4]  , feeling more antagonistic, felt that Germanys terms of defeat, fate of its colonies, indemnities, military limit s, and reparations, should be implemented upon them without actual conference nor discussion with Germany themselves, because they were clearly the loser of the war.  [5]  This aim was most apparent in Clemenceau, the Prime minister of France at the time, who saw Germany as a permanent enemy, and knew that France was not the lone victor of the war  [6]  . He, along with all of France, had experienced multiple German invasions and feared that Germany could start another war, and France would be its first target, due to the proximity of both countries. These fears were spread to its allies, and as a result, Germany had restricted military numbers in soldiers and vehicles, large amounts of land confiscated, and unlimited reparations  [7]  to pay. Germany was crippled to the point where not only could they not start another war, but also being on the verge of collapse. It is arguable that France was justified in their aims of the treaty for their own and national security, b ut was this massive amount of restrictions just an abuse of power for revenge? This paper will argue that Frances aims were bent on revenge for Germanys superiority in Europe prior to World War I, but will also give a discussion for other factors such as national security, and a fear for Germany, that may have influenced their offensive position towards Germany during the post-World War I peace conferences. Franco-German Relations Pre-World War I Even when Germany didnt formally exist, but existed as the country of Prussia, France never had good relations with the Germans, which is especially evident during the rule of Napoleon during the 19th century. During this time, he invaded Germany multiple times, and after the Battle of Jena-Auerstedt in October 14, 1806  [8]  , Napoleon converted the divided thirty-nine German-speaking states into his Confederation of the Rhine, and destroyed the former Holy Roman Empire that ruled over Germany. A treaty that Napoleon implemented onto Prussia as a result of their victory in this battle was the treaties of Tilsit  [9]  , which resulted in large reparations owed to France by Prussia, and stripped them of almost half of their owned territory. Anger in the German states because of this defeat evoked German nationalism in later generations in these states, views in opposition of France domination, and Napoleons rule  [10]  . During this time, one of the most hated views of Fra nce was that under Napoleons rule, the monarchs of the German states were referred to as his vassals, and all the German states were just part of the French empire  [11]  . Being conquered by France, Germanys initial view on France was a hostile one, and posed a rocky road for future relations between the two countries. At this point, France had been the dominant power in Europe, towering over all of the European countries, especially Germany. The control that France had during this time may have angered the envious Germany, giving them a mind set on reorganizing the balance of power in Europe, with France at the bottom. However, with Napoleons unstoppable empire at Frances borders, the Germans would seek their revenge later after Napoleons fall of power, in the Franco-Prussian War. The Franco-Prussian war in the 1870s between France, ruled by Napoleon the 3rd (Napoleons son), and the Kingdom of Prussia, ruled by Otto von Bismarck, ended in the defeat of Frances second empire, and a laid foundation for Germany as a significant power in Europe. This meant more than a great victory over France for Prussia, but also the unification of its states with itself being the capital, into one unified Germany in 1871  [12]  . Frances defeat in this war also meant the German annexation of Alsace-Lorraine, a French city that was purely Francophone, but forcibly taken under German control. The German annexation of this particular state was guaranteed to make France a permanent enemy, and at the time even Bismarck knew this and opposed the annexation, but was overruled by his general (General Moltke) insisting it was necessary as a defensive barrier.  [13]  The indemnity that was imposed on France after this war, was identical to the amount that Napoleon charged on Prus sia during his rule, which portrays the mindset of revenge that Germany had for France, because they wanted France to experience the same suffering that was imposed on them by France. With their faltered relations leading up to World War 1, it seemed as though the anger towards the other country would not end here, as there were acts of blatant aggression from Germany towards France that later became the actual beginnings of the war. For instance, the Schlieffen Plan of the early 20th century must be addressed, a historical event that was the catalyst for the First World War. This plan called for German troops to invade France through the neutral country of Belgium, and assume domination of French troops, then immediately turn around and defeat Russian troops on their East side, in order to consecutively engage troops from two countries  [14]  . The organization and follow through of this plan portrays the overzealousness of Germany, and their overestimation of their control over Europe, possibly because of their domination by Napoleons enormous army back in the 1800s. Even though the entire plan was flawed, due to the need for the German army to fight two con secutive battles against two different countries with no rest, there was one particular flaw that questions the thoughts Germany had at the time. The plan was originally created by Count Alfred von Schlieffen, and modified by General Molkte, as mentioned previously. The flaw was that in order to cross over to France undetected, the German army was required to march through the neutral country of Belgium, whom was in an alliance (London Treaty of 1839) with Great Britain at the time. Their invasion of Belgium caused Britain to immediately declare war on Germany, which was the start of the war. According to German records, Germany was completely aware of this alliance, but didnt believe Britain would honor their treaty with Belgium and retaliate, a major mistake on their part  [15]  . They were surprised to hear that, The Britons will go to war for a mere scrap of paper.  [16]  Although this particular flaw in German logic can be blamed on ignorance, this ignorance was arguabl y as a result of their desire to invade France, without any setbacks, which furthers the view of German-Franco hatred prior to the War. Aggression between France and Germany during World War 1 The anger towards one another between Germany and France was one of the main contributors to the war, but these feelings didnt end with the declaration of war in Europe. Throughout the course of the World War (1914-1918), it was evident through the acts of aggression from both countries, that Germany and Frances hate for one another was everlasting. One of the first major battles of World War I, on the Western Front, was the Battle of Verdun in 1916, where Germany forced France into a battle of attrition on a French city called Verdun  [17]  . A German general by the name of General Falkenhayn, saw this ancient stronghold as a vulnerable target. His strategy was to continually bombard Verdun with heavy artillery shells, and this would divert Frances attention here, thus drawing them away from the Western Front, to Verdun. This plan, he believed, would bleed France dry of troops, and win the war  [18]  . The outcome was as he had planned, with French soldiers forming a defensive position, but unaware that they were vulnerable to German attacks from all sides simultaneously. The two sides were composed of two million German attackers against two hundred thousand French defenders, however France kept sending in reinforcements, which just ended in more casualties on the French side. France suffered considerably more casualti es and deaths than Germany did.  [19]  Although this strategy of attacking Verdun and forcing a battle of attrition was a cruel act, it is arguable that because the alliances of the war were favored towards France anyways (Triple Entente), Germany had no other choice but to use such tactics to gain an edge over the war. Another arguable point revolves around the already evident German relations with France. This particular act could very possibly be another unveiling of Germanys overwhelming power onto France, and by angering France by attacking one of their most precious ancient strongholds, Germany gave France a reason to be more grim and merciless in future encounters, namely the peace conferences when the war ends, and defeat was handed to Germany by the Triple Entente Alliance. Prelude to the Treaty of Versailles When World War 1 was over, and Germany was declared the loser, and the Allies the victors, preparations were set to create a sustainable peace in Europe, and to make sure a war of the same magnitude was prevented at all costs. This fight for peace was led by Woodrow Wilson, the democratic president of the United States since 1912  [20]  . Along with him, there were several other European leaders who joined the Paris Peace Conference in 1919. These personalities were Lloyd George of Britain, Clemenceau of France, Orlando of Italy, and of Wilson himself. Each leader had a separate view of how the peace treaty should have proceeded, and the kind of peace they wanted. Woodrow Wilson Wilsons perspective on European peace was expressed through his famous Fourteen Points. His points specifically demanded the end of all secret treaties (to prevent incidents like the Schlieffen Plan), freedom of the seas, removal of barriers and discrepancies in international trade, the reduction of weapons by all powers, even land distribution, evacuation of occupied territory, a redrawing of European boundaries along borders, and an international organization with a task of solely preventing war (To be called the League of Nations)  [21]  . In Wilsons point of view, he wanted to create a new type of treaty, because he believed that it was the old treaties that focused on policies of power, secret deals that excluded mention to the victimized countries, and the creation of secret alliances made between countries  [22]  . These were significant factors that led to the first world war, and Wilson wished to reform these kinds of treaties to avoid another war. However, Wilsons F ourteen Points had much difficulty in being accepted by the Allies, because each country had a different idea of peace, and how it was to be attained. Specifically, each of the Allies had a grudge for Germany, either because of its military presence during the war, or from past relations. At the end of the war, Germany accepted an armistice in preparation for upcoming peace treaties because their initial belief was that the Treaty of Versailles was to be created on the basis of Wilsons proposed Fourteen Points, with only minor modifications  [23]  . As well, because Germany was coming under a new rule of socialistic and democratic perspectives after having overthrown their current Kaiser, they had a belief that this new democratic Germany would be treated considerably by the victorious Allies, because they would re-emerge into Europe as a new Germany  [24]  . The Allies had a considerably different perspective towards Germany, after its previous accomplishments and increase in power, and being unaware, Germany accepted the Armistice of 11 November 1918  [25]  . Demands of the Allies with the Treaty of Versailles Lloyd George of Britain Germany was arguably the most hated country during World War I, because it was the enemy of the Triple Entente, but primarily because of its enormous increasing military powers. Germanys naval power was imminent when it became Great Britains top rival in the National Arms Race  [26]  , where countries raced to construct a greater amount of weapons to show military superiority. Britain was originally the richest country with a veto over naval warfare, with all countries not daring to fight with Britain in sea battles. However, with Germanys dramatic increase in power prior to World War 1, Britain lost their control over the seas, because although the numbers of ships they had were greater, Germanys naval power was great enough to rival that of Britains  [27]  . After the war, to consolidate their power over the seas once more, Britain wished to remove Germany from naval warfare, and the treaties they had control over gave them the authority to do so. Observing the demands Geor ge had against Germany and the reasons for their weak relations, seems only because Britain was envious of increasing German strength, and wanted to uphold their previous title of the most feared naval force in Europe. Georges Clemenceau of France France had placed Germany on the top of their list of hated and feared countries, with reasons as mentioned earlier, such as the earlier German annexation of Alsace-Lorraine, which they demanded be returned at the Paris Peace Conference, and the complete domination of France by Germany during the Franco-Prussian war  [28]  . But the most evident reason was their argument that most of the war had been fought on their soil, and they demanded that Germany pay for all the damages done. At the time, there was no numerical total, but it was certain that the amount in damages that Germany had to pay was well over nine trillion francs, a sum that even Clemenceau himself said, would lead to nothing practical,  [29]  meaning that this sum of money France was demanding wasnt solely because of the damages, but with a motive to cripple Germanys economy as well. Clemenceau also insisted on their demand for security against Germany, claiming that if Germany retained ownership of their lands , enough support could start another war. However, his paranoia for security from Germany has evidence, because having seen two German invasions of France during his rule, and being dominated in both of these, Clemenceau knew full well that France was not the lone victor of the war, but rather the Allies as a whole. Because Germany almost directly borders France, it seemed understandable that Clemenceau would be so desperate for a greater sense of security from Germany. France proposed to cut down Germany to almost French size, that the west parts of the Rhine be set up as independent states under the Allies control. (The land that was taken away from Germany can be found in the appendix). If not for the rejection of the request by Wilson and Lloyd George, this confiscation of land would have been approved. Clemenceau battled the rejection, but failed and agreed to put down his request on the condition that Britain and the USA would immediately come to their aid if Germany were to l aunch an attack on France. As well, instead of the control of the Rhineland, Clemenceau proposed the demilitarization of it instead. This alternate suggestion seems justifiable, in that France craved national security, because the Rhineland was indeed a direct border between France and Germany, and if Germany stationed troops in this area, France could be in danger of an attack. However, Frances demand for the confiscation of Germanys Saar coal-mines seems to be a far stretch from security. A large portion of Germanys income came from the export of coal from these mines, and without them, the amount of reparations France set on Germany would be almost unattainable, along with the economic setbacks on Germany as a result of restrictions on its economy in the treaty. These mines, along with the return of Alsace-Lorraine to France, a small strip of Schleswig to neutral Denmark, and two tiny districts Eupen and Malmedy, to Belgium were the only territorial losses that Germany suffered f rom their loss of the war, which is relatively small and modest, considering the magnitude of their loss. Clemenceaus desire to maximize the amount of power to be taken away from Germany, even if not all of their proposals were accepted by the Allies, seemed to be solely to fulfill a sense of security from a country that was directly bordering the Rhineland and had the likelihood of invading France at any time if the opportunity was available. End Result of the Treaty of Versailles The demands in reparations that the Allies placed on Germany were massive, and as mentioned, was well over any kind of sum Germany could afford to pay. The only possible way for Germany to come up with such a sum would be from export profits. This course of action would however, compete and interfere with the Big Fours economies. This economic reasoning was ignored by the Allies, because of their mind being set on repaying their enormous debts to the USA at the time. They regarded the debt they forced onto Germany as simply another means of righting their wrongs and of putting off the danger of a German revival.  [30]  When the Treaty of Versailles was completed in May 1919 and ready to sign, the Germans initially refused, due to obvious reasons of unjust conditions. The Allies threatened Germany with hostile action in response to their refusal, and this threat caused chaos in Berlin due to conflicting perspectives. The Germans knew that there was no possible way to retaliate aga inst the victors of the war, with their damaged and insufficient army, but every German citizen (and the Allies) knew that the conditions were completely absurd and meant to collapse Germany into a state where it was impossible to revive itself, rather than simply the pursuit of peace, as initially proposed by Wilson in his Fourteen Points but later rejected by the sheer influential power of the maddened Allies. Wilson was willing to abdicate to the demands of the Allies, in return for the acceptance of his proposal of a League of Nations (Germany was excluded however). The League of Nations was formed at Geneva during the Paris Peace Conference, but the United States didnt join ironically even though Wilson suggested it, nor did Germany until 1926, or Russia until 1934. The Official Treaty of Versailles was completed in three months. During its process, the Germans did not have the right to make or suggest decisions, and the Russians were not present during the making of the treaty . According to Wilson, the formation of the League of Nations was supposedly made to adjudicate international relations and be a means to solve problems between international powers. It is arguable that the systems only purpose seemed to be for maintaining the status quo in powers, in favor of France and Britain, and the exclusion and isolation of Germany, which was completely contrary to Wilsons initial proposal. Conclusion: Germany, prior to World War I, was one of the most feared and hated powers by France along with its Allied countries. During the era of Napoleons rule of Germany in the 19th century, Germany had been near the bottom in the balance of powers in Europe. With Napoleons domination of Europe at the time, Germany was inevitably one of the targets for his invasions to conquer all of Europe. Under his rule, Germany felt like a useless French state, and vowed to seek revenge on France. When Napoleon was defeated, Germany took this fantastic news as a turning point in their position of power, by dramatically increasing their military strength to the point where they rivaled Britain in the Arms Race. Germany put their newly built army on display during the Franco-Prussian War of 1870, ensuring the defeat of France, and the result of their victory was the annexation of the French state of Alsace-Lorraine, a large factor of Frances hate for Germany in their later encounters. However at the same t ime, Germanys presentation of their massive buildup of military strength evoked fear in France at the same time, because an invasion from Germany could happen at any time, considering the proximity between the two countries. The defeat of Germany by the Triple Entente Alliance in World War I, gave France a chance to revert their fear of Germany, because with their influential power in the Paris Peace Conference of 1919 and the creation of the Treaty of Versailles, France being one of the victors, could impose almost any amount of reparations and restrictions on Germany as they felt necessary. Clemenceaus fear of Germany was still evident during this time, because he wished to cripple Germany to the point of no revival. Frances hate for Germany, as well as their fear of them, were significant factors to Frances aims for crippling Germany in the Treaty of Versailles. The question is which one was the main contributor? With further research, it is possible to find the answer to this question. With the current evidence, it seems reasonable that France had the same mindset as Germany had after their buildup of power. Because France suddenly had so much power over Germany, after being Germanys underdog prior to World War I, revenge could have been a very influential factor that fueled their desire to crush Germany under the Treaty of Versailles and ensure that their opportunity for a return to power would never arrive. Bibiography Marks, Sally.  The Illusion of Peace: International Relations in Europe 1918-1933. First Ed. London: The Macmillan Pres LTD, 1976. Print. Sharp, Alan. The Versailles Settlement: Peacemaking After The First World War. Second Ed. New York: Palgrave MacMillan, 2008. Print. Keylor, William R. The Legacy of The Great War. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company, 1998. Print. Roselle, Daniel, and Annie P. Young. Our Western Heritage: A Cultural-Analytic History of Europe since 1500. Lexington, Massachusetts: Ginn and Company, 1981. Print. Fischer, Conan, and Alan Sharp. After The Versailles Treaty: Enforcement, Compliance, Contested Identities. Abingdon, Oxon: Routledge, 2008. Print. Palmer, R.R, and Joel Colton. A History of the Modern World. 8th Ed. New York: McGraw-Hill, Inc., 1992. Print. Hacken, Richard, and Jane Plotke. Review of the Schlieffen Plan. World War I: The Schlieffen Plan. N.p., 10 1996. Web. 21 Dec 2012. . Macmillian, Magaret, and Richard Holbrooke. Paris 1919: Six Months that Changed the World. New York: Random House Trade Paperbacks, 2003. Print. Schulze, Hagen, and Deborah Lucas Schneider. Germany, A New History. London: Harvard Univ Pr, 1998. 356. Print. Napoleon and the Revolutionary Crusade (1795-1815). . University of Nevada, L.A, n.d. Web. 5 Apr 2012. . Duffy, Michael. Battles:The Battle of Verdun 1916. Battles:The Battle of Verdun 1916. Safesurf, 04 2003. Web. 21 Oct 2012. .

Catholic belief

The story is about the journey of a little boy, Antonio Marez, to manhood as he tries building his person while trying to make sense of the world that he lives in and the people around him. While he was growing up, Antonio, as well as his family, has been learning a lot of life lessons from Ultima. Ultima was known for her supernatural healing powers, magic and wisdom. She has been staying with the Marez family since Antonio was still a little boy. Throughout the story, Ultima has tried to inculcate the lesson of self-sufficiency and independence with regards choices in what to beliefs and morals.Growing up, for Antonio, with his mother and father had been difficult in terms of making decisions and foretelling what the future offers for him. Torn between the choice of being a cowboy or a priest, Antonio often wondered what was in store for him in the future. Antonio’s mother, Maria, who was a devout catholic, wanted Antonio to become a priest. While his father, Gabriel, wanted him to be a cowboy who wanders through the desserts, just as he was when he was still younger. This often led him to wonder what he would grow up to become.As Antonio was growing up, his thoughts were bombarded with several questions about morality, wickedness, and sins that trouble the world. He had several experiences regarding the Catholic ways, his friend’s debunking of the Catholic belief, and the supernatural as he saw in Ultima’s healing powers and other events as such. At one point, Antonio spoke, â€Å"God! Why did Lupito die? Why do you allow the evil of the Trementinas? Why did you allow Narciso to be murdered when he was doing good? . . . A thousand questions pushed through my mind, but the Voice within me did not answer.† These questions he asked during his first communion, and these were the same questions that have been bothering him all along. Through all these confusion, Ultima could only teach him one lesson, and that is his control over his d estiny. Regardless of culture, beliefs and morals of the family, religion, etc. who he is, should be what he wants to become. Ultima shows Antonio and his family that there are no limits or boundaries to a person. What’s more important is how good a person one becomes despite all conflicting encounters or experiences.Ultima always told him to take everything that he has learned, whether it be from the Virgin Mary, the Golden Carp, or the magic of supernatural healing, and make a new and better person out of it. He thought, ‘Take the llano and the river valley, the moon and the sea, God and the golden carp-and make something new,' I said to myself† (Anaya, 247) Antonio has really learned his lesson, as he said, â€Å"I had been afraid of the awful presence of the river, which was the soul of the river, but through her I learned that my spirit shared in the spirit of all things† (Anaya, 15)Antonio remembers everything that Ultima has said to him, and eventual ly these things have shaped him into a morally independent person, capable of making decisions and believing in things on his own. He remembers what Ultima has said to him, â€Å"There are so many dreams to be fulfilled, but Ultima says a man's destiny must unfold itself like a flower, with only the sun and the earth and water making it blossom, and no one else meddling in it-† (Anaya, 223)

The Benefits of an Aging Population Outweigh the Disadvantages

Ageing population is one of the most discussed matters. It is because fertility rate is steadily decreasing and life expectancy is increasing. Some believe that it is a huge problem whereas others stand on opposite view. In this writing I will explain why there are more benefits than cautions of the elder generation to the society. As human beings age, they become more dependent on the care of others. Traditionally, this care was provided by the family, but nowadays, the need for care presents a burden which many families cannot cope with.Moreover, elderly people need medical care, day centres, transport and leisure. All these points cause many economic consequences. The major problem is funding welfare systems, such as pensions and healthcare. That means that governments need to spend more. Consequently that could raise income taxes. Of course, elder citizens do need more heath care, but many others are fit, competent and self-sustaining. For instance, across Europe, typically only one retired person in 20 lives in a care home.In the UK, of 10m over 65s, just 3 percent live in care homes. In addition for that, those who survived drugs binges, fast cars, or bad marriages, are older, they are still rocking and making more use of condoms that their younger generation. For example, Mick Jagger and Tina Turner. Even they are in their 70s nobody has idea of a dependant. Furthermore, non-celebrities also remain active, assertive and independent.They fill library and seminar halls once crammed with callow youths. They run picket lines or marathons. Millions of the middle-class retired continue working and they are often more valuable than young workers. Some worry that older workforce will be less innovative and adaptable, but there is evidence that companies with a decent proportion of older workers are more productive than those addicted to youth. Finally, elder generation less hooked on the latest ‘gizmos’.They may even reduce pressure on the worldâ₠¬â„¢s recourses by consuming less, and by conserving environment. In conclusion, it is true that as getting older, mankind need more care and attention, both from the family and the government. However in the modern life, as medicine and technology developed, they are healthier and independent. From my prospective, in future old people will be expected to stay in the formal economy longer.

Robin Hood Essays

Robin Hood Essays Robin Hood Essay Robin Hood Essay Showing the change Robin Hood has made since he was a little boy easily allows the reader to better understand how great he really is, and how he Is helping not only himself, but all of the poorer community-Robin Hood was faced with Issues from very early on In his life. HIS mothers death was very difficult for him, but living with his fathers love for another women, after his mother ad died, was just too much for him and he threatened his father that staying with that women would cost him his only sons love. Robin then left for many years, only to come back and discover that his father had been murdered and that the new leader of Nottingham was the Sheriff. Not only was this a great shock to Robin, but all the people of the land were suffering greatly from the Sheriffs corrupt rule. He was very money hungry and greedy, and the lower class community suffered greatly from his readiness. Robin Hood had many different traits that are quite obvious in the story and the movie. For one he is very set on taking from the wealth of Nottingham and giving back to the poorer community so they can live well. His main idea here is to get as much taken from the Sheriff of Nottingham and his sympathizers so they can easily attack and take the kingdom back. In the end his plan works and Robin kills the Sheriff and the Kingdom Is once again his, as well as Maid Maroon. HIS goals are Robin clearly has an expansion Issue tit his men and he needs to start thinking about moving from an Immediate local cause to either a regional or national one. The resources have begun to dry-up locally and his original tactical band of Mermen has turned Into more of a dysfunctional group of followers. If Robin could break his current large group of Mermen Into divisions and branch out to other territories or markets so that he doesnt saturate one particular area too much then he would be able to Increase his Income. Pursuing other rich merchants In new markets would not only keep to Robins Initial cause, but also expand his network of farmers and townspeople to provide for. His constrained resources In the Sherwood Forest would once again flourish with the considerable mass now gone and utilizing other resources In their perspective territories. With the division of the Mermen from one army into smaller Squadrons Robin would be charged with appointing leadership among the new subgroups. The original hierarchy could remain intact with each of the original Lieutenants continuing tenet specials tasks Ana can squadron navels an populate deader who would report directly to their General (Robin). The division of power would allow discipline to be maintained while not overburdening each lieutenant with more responsibility. With increasing territory covered throughout the kingdom, the Sheriff would once again feel pressure from Robin and his new strategic squadrons of Mermen as they turn their local cause into a regional one. There are several metrics that can be used to define the success of the new structure developed within the Mermen. The first and easiest calculation would be the increase/decrease in finances. The abundance of game available for the men would be a metric of provision accessibility. Approval ratings from the townspeople and Mermen can act as a contentment gauge of the people for, and of, the cause. The number of engagements between the Sheriff and the Mermen can disclose the efficiency of the new squadron hierarchy. Each metric would determine the success of the new strategy that was put in place to combat against the original underlying issues of expansion, disorientation, constraining resources, and the Sheriffs offensive effort.

Death of a Salesman by Arthur Miller Sample

Death of a Salesman by Arthur Miller Sample â€Å"Death of a Salesman† by Arthur Miller â€Å"Death of a Salesman† by Arthur Miller As it happens in many cases the literature does not simply tell fiction stories, but illustrates some ideas connected with a modern for the author society. Among such examples one can find the tragical drama â€Å"Death of a Salesman†, a play written by the outstanding American dramatist Arthur Asher Miller in 1949, is a work of art, revealing the tragedy of American Dream conception through the sorrowful history of unfortunate salesman. In this play Miller does not only depict an average American family, but draws a parallel between the family microcosm and the society, in which the dream of wealth and prosperity appears to be the most significant for the main hero of the story. According to Meyer â€Å"Miller placed his characters in a social context so that their behavior within the family suggests larger implications: the death of this salesman raises issues concerning the significance and value of the American dream of success (Meyer, 1401). American Tragedy Several examples from the play can prove this idea. Miller emphasizes the family dynamic as the father wants to take care of his sons and help them to become successful businessmen, but his sons, especially Biff, have got different ideas about what is important in life. These disagreements about life values foster the central conflict of the drama. All the family members Willy, Linda, Biff, and Happy represent the father, mother, and two sons of the average working class American family, where the father is the old-fashioned man, who believes that hard work, and regular income is the greatest value, the mother is always supporting her husband, and the sons are the representatives of a younger generation, whose more modern views hinder their father to fulfill his dream about success. Linda, who loves her husband above all, supports Willy and tries to help him in persuading their sons about finding job as she knows that Willy is addicted to the dream of success and money, but, conseque ntly, the attitude to work leads to problematic relationship between the family members. Finally, neglecting the human qualities in the family appears to be the crucial reason for Willy Lonman’s failure. Therefore, Miller tries to show his readers the impact of the society values on people. Having grown in the American society with its value of the American dream of success becomes destructive to the individuals. Along with artistic prerequisites, the author provides us with the analysis of social ills that the society has not only in the United States of America, but also throughout the whole materialistically oriented world. He does this by virtue of reflecting of separate individuals lives and the destiny of their relatives. Based on the American Dream worldview, the author displays the nayward of the wealth-oriented perspective. Moreover, he touches upon such issues as ethics distortion, relations between genders and relatives, and commercialism. The critique of the Death of a Salesman, written by Robert A. Martin, artfully describes the topic and gives a basis for being able to reason on the issues that the author provided and, simultaneously, to dispute on several Martin’s assertions. What is oblivion? What is delusion? All this refers to the state of mind, which confines one’s conscience within the frame of defined condition, and makes it harder to interpret reality in the way that makes it possible to accept it, despite all the obstacles. The person who is able to get rid of all of the illusions is a happy one. It is not the case with Willy Loman. He has a wife and two sons, and a great desire to become a successful merchandiser, trying to make the same of his older son, Biff. However, he fails: own success runs away, as well as his son, who does not wish to devote his life to the father’s profession. It is the reality, which is invisible for Willy, since he lives in a mirage. His life is ruined despite he does not observe it. And who is liable for that? In this play, Miller makes it possible for a reader to understand that the blame is both upon Willy Loman and the society he lives in. Wealth, career and reputation – these are the commandments that should be observed in order to have a happy life. That is what Willy Loman believes in. He is able to sacrifice everything in order to carry out these rules: morality, dignity and the happiness of his relatives. These rules exist in any place where one believes that the fortune issue depends on the external, material, or social circumstances. It is remarkable that Willy, as the main character of Death of a Salesman, is displayed by Miller as a religious fanatic. And his religion is American Dream itself. Such social illness promotes the means of psychological and moral breakdown of the personality, who is not able to fulfill the due self-imposed obligations. Thus, one can see that it constitutes both in mental and moral illness of Willy. He is living simultaneously in the past, present and future time and, therefore, occasionally, he cannot distinguish them. On the other hand, the moral illness represents itself i n double standards that Willy has forced to propagate. As it was mentioned earlier, the altar that was used by Willy in order to be able to sacrifice the victim of happiness stands in the temple of Success. And the society has built that. The principal issue here is that there is a blinding impact of the former on its members that cruelly draws a line beneath everyone, who has incredibly various personal features and subconscious strivings. And Willy is one of them. In this play, Miller artfully and furiously discloses such influence of the society that imposes values, which are not suitable for the majority of people. The author gives an excellent example of the aforementioned by virtue of endowing of Willy with love to plant growing and with adoration to nature in general. He notices the morning sun in the window when he just wakes up. He notices it even despite the fact that the sun radiates its rays through the stonewall massifs of the Brooklyn structures. He desperately tries to plant some seeds about his house after returning home from the restaurant, in which his own children abandoned him. The inability of Willy to get to know himself, along with the incorrect social impact put him in a quite sorrowful condition. Miller expresses the representation of such impact via Willy’s brother image. Ben is a very successful man, who â€Å"walked into jungle and comes out, the age twenty-one, and he’s rich!† (Miller 28). At the same time, means that are used by him are quite strange, which is indicated by Ben’s advice to Biff: â€Å"Never fight fair with the stranger, boy. You’ll never get out of the jungle that way† (Miller 34). Thus, Willy’s brother personifies the image, which is the motive power that forces people to devote themselves to the things they are not fond of. The question is whether Willy Loman is right when he sacrifices his life for extra 20,000, and if he is a hero or a victim. The question is quite disputable. One side of the coin indicates the greatness and unselfishness of such an act, while another side is the fact that his deed is just a desperate and needless jerk. Robert A. Martin is absolutely right asserting â€Å"Willy is more than a victim of his society – he is a tragic victim in that he believes it is necessary to sacrifice his life in order to provide for his son† (103). And it is true. There is no need in such a deed. The situation is not critical. On the contrary, it is almost resolved. Thus, Robert A. Martin is right by saying that unknowingly Willy is striving to â€Å"retreat from the competitive business world to an agrarian, manual labor-oriented way of life† (105). That was his real dream, the dream of his soul. That is the tragedy that Miller revealed in order to indicate the inconsistence of success-oriented worldview. The tragedy that blinded the due world and true desires perception of Willy, as a member of the cruel society. The society forces him to give up his life for the purposes he actually does not believe in. To conclude, it is necessary to point out that in his play Death of a Salesman, Arthur Miller truly depicts the one of the most considerable issues that the American society and the entire humanity shall pay attention to. Partially, the American Dream concept, or in general the blind willingness to succeed materially, creates incentives in minds of the people that are potentially able to make their lives and those of their relatives agonizing and unhappy. That is what one can see in this play. Willy’s fanatic striving to fulfill all the three commandments of success results in the deprivation of the things that are more valuable than wealth, reputation and career. These are family, morality and internal strivings. Both Willy and the society he lives in are liable for the things that happened. Thus, Miller artfully describes the wide range of ills of society through the life of separate individuals, and makes it clear that sunshine and fresh air sometimes are more valuable than all material strivings.

Outline the strategies adopted by the Apple Corporation in the last Essay

Outline the strategies adopted by the Apple Corporation in the last few years which has led to a transformation of the company's fortunes - Essay Example Apple faced several years of stagnation until Jobs was called back as interim CEO in 1997. Before Jobs returned Apple had lost its focus or core competency, offering 15 different products, none of which were in high demand on the computer market. He immediately put together a group of seven board members, including former CEOs from Oracle, Intuit and IBM. Apple implemented several changes under Jobs’ new leadership. Among them were cost control measures, streamlining and reformulating the product line and introduction of new products such as the iPod. After the introduction of the iPod, revenues increased from â€Å"below $10 million to $40 in 2005† (International Center for Market Research 2006). Apple’s diversification into electronics and media, with its online i-tunes store, created renewed interest in the company. Revenues from Mac computers has increased since 2005 as well. The challenge for Apple, Inc. currently is determining what types of products and se rvices will generate greater revenues. Consumers’ electronics and technology needs change over time, as new products appear on the market. Different segments require different product types, based on lifestyle and occupation. For those in creative occupations such as web design, graphics and advertising, Apple’s Macintosh computers with desktop publishing and graphics software are desirable products. For music lovers iPods are more desirable. This is a much larger segment, including several decades of consumers, though the largest portion is likely between the ages of 14 and 21.

Cognitive social psychology Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Cognitive social psychology - Essay Example These conflicts have academically necessitated the study of social psychology to the study of conflict by highlighting the inter-group activities like undercurrents in the society. Along with the societal change, social psychological research too changes and it is important to find the variables in the altering framework that might lead to conflict, prejudice, hatred, fellow-feeling, their increase or sometimes their reduction etc., because social psychology invariably reflects the inherent cultural and political processes that shape the collective relations. Study of the prejudiced personality comes from the deep-seated inflexibility of thought and attitude, rigidity in thinking terms of white and black and inability to see the colors in between the two. Authoritarian Personality theory and Dogmatic Personality theory account for this. In recent years, such deep-rooted theories of segregating people according to race, color, ethnicity and generalizing their psychology have been successfully challenged and the modern psychological concepts and methods of intergroup relations and individualized psychological approaches have become more and more pronounced. "Because they are fundamental to our cognitive architecture, cognitive social theorists argue that categories and stereotypes are difficult to alter and may sometimes be applied in an automatic and unreflexive manner. Research on so-called implicit prejudice has been described as one of the most important recent developments in the social psychology of intergroup processes" (book 1). Conventionally prejudice was measured by explicit and implicit expressions of bias and prejudice, although this perspective is not admired any more for the simple reason that prejudice need not be expressed all the time; but still could be part of a person's mental makeup. Also showing random photos or flashing images of people belonging to other races and cultures need not bring out the deep-seated anger or despise and according to aversive racism theory 'aversive racists consciously sympathizes with the victims of historical injustice and support racial equality'. The group-based approaches of Sherif and Tajfel are more connected with the mob mentality like that of Northern Ireland, where during a funeral procession two British soldiers were killed by the mourning mob and the event got telecasted showing the psychology behind the gory incident as graphic proof of mob's brutality as a result of compulsion to retaliate and friction between ingroup and outgroup members of the mob, braying for violence without any particular pattern while going through a very strong sense of group identity bordering to momentarily dominating social identity that might not linger for a long time in the same group, because in social psychology, stereotypes do not last for long. It is really important here to know the friction between individual psychology and collective psychology that might give way to organized struggles and not just mob fury. "Thus, one cannot begin to understand the emergence of political conflict in places such as Northern Ireland, Palestine and apartheid South Africa without also understanding how struggles to redefine identity have been nurtured by a growing sense of the illegitimacy and vulnerability of the social hierarchy" (book one).