What If The South Won The Civil War Essay Example For Students

What If The South Won The Civil War Essay If I were Abraham Lincoln during the US Civil War, there would few things if any that I would change. I would try to do anything to avoid a war between our own country. I would try to settle the territory disputes and the slavery disputes with an orderly fashion. But if none of that works and we tried our absolute best, then I would say go to war to end the conflicts. After the war the slavery issue of the Emancipation Proclamation did not work as well as they hoped. They had no place to go after they were free and no one wanted to help them or even live with them or near them. Since there was nothing that Abraham Lincoln could do to settle the disputes in an orderly conduct, the only this was to go to war. I am not for that at all because some of the people were fighting against their friends and even against their family. Especially at the battle of Gettysburg where 53,000 Americans were killing there own people. Many people think that the whole reason for the Civil War was because of slavery. But later on in the years, the people would rather have free soil than to keep the slaves working for them. What that means is that the people in the South were more concentrated on the amount of territory they could get, the North as well, then to then to give up slavery. The cotton manufacturing and the manufacturing of other goods was also a key aspect to the war. The South had all the cotton but that was the only manufacturing good. Meanwhile, the North was manufacturing many other goods and had miles and miles more railroad to transport the goods all across the country. We will write a custom essay on What If The South Won The Civil War specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now The way that Abraham Lincoln fought the war was good. He assembled a good and strong army to fight against the South. His army was almost two and one-half larger than the South. And almost half of the Souths army were blacks. Before this, in 1862 blacks desired to fight in the war but were not allowed. After, however, abolitionists succeeded for gaining the approval for the blacks to fight in the army, they were all black regiments with white commanding officers in charge. The Civil War ended up to be the deadliest war that the Americans had fought because they fought against themselves. After the North won the war under the command of Ulysses S. Grant Abraham Lincoln made the Emancipation Proclamation. This is what Lincoln made for all the slaves to be freed after the war. He really did not help them as much as he could have helped them. He only gave the about 1000 slaves forty acres and a mule. This was not enough at all. There were close to three and a half million slaves only about a thousand get land. The rest of these slaves had nowhere to turn to because after the war no one wanted them to live in the same town or village or even near any of them. Most of the freed slaves had nowhere to go so they still made the choice of working the fields in the South but get paid very little. The main reason the south didnt want the slaves to be free was because they thought the slaves would overtake the South. Most of the people, who lived in the Southern states like Mississippi, Alabama, Louisiana, etc, the population, were mostly all blacks. And they thought if they were free they would take over their economy and their society. .u0b8da9cf027c47c3bec8ed9ad5e0166e , .u0b8da9cf027c47c3bec8ed9ad5e0166e .postImageUrl , .u0b8da9cf027c47c3bec8ed9ad5e0166e .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .u0b8da9cf027c47c3bec8ed9ad5e0166e , .u0b8da9cf027c47c3bec8ed9ad5e0166e:hover , .u0b8da9cf027c47c3bec8ed9ad5e0166e:visited , .u0b8da9cf027c47c3bec8ed9ad5e0166e:active { border:0!important; } .u0b8da9cf027c47c3bec8ed9ad5e0166e .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .u0b8da9cf027c47c3bec8ed9ad5e0166e { 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; } .u0b8da9cf027c47c3bec8ed9ad5e0166e:active , .u0b8da9cf027c47c3bec8ed9ad5e0166e:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .u0b8da9cf027c47c3bec8ed9ad5e0166e .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .u0b8da9cf027c47c3bec8ed9ad5e0166e .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .u0b8da9cf027c47c3bec8ed9ad5e0166e .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .u0b8da9cf027c47c3bec8ed9ad5e0166e .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; } .u0b8da9cf027c47c3bec8ed9ad5e0166e:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .u0b8da9cf027c47c3bec8ed9ad5e0166e .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .u0b8da9cf027c47c3bec8ed9ad5e0166e .u0b8da9cf027c47c3bec8ed9ad5e0166e-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .u0b8da9cf027c47c3bec8ed9ad5e0166e:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: Catcher In The Rye EssayI would have done as much as I could to help the slaves out at the end of the war once they were free. I would have set up an education program and gave them lots of land to live in regardless of what the people thought of them. This education program would allow them to get a good start on to have any job that they desired even if there are racial differences between two people. Also I would tax the nation a little bit and instead of giving very few of the slaves land, I would try and give them extra money to start a new, free life.

Free Essays on Humanism as Existentialism

, there is no determinism, man is free, man is freedom. On the other hand, if God does not exist, we find no values or commands to turn to which legitimize our conduct. So, in the bright realm of values, we have no excuse behind us, nor justification before us. We are alone, with no excuses. That is the idea I shall try to convey when I say that man is condemned to be free.† With this quote taken from his essay ‘Humanism as Existentialism’, 20th century French philosopher Jean-Paul Sartre has been able to identify major ideas and concepts and reinforce those issues he has set forth to shape the school of philosophy broadly known as ‘existentialism’. The Webster’s New World Dictionary defines existentialism as â€Å"The doctrine that existence takes precedence over essence and holding that man is totally free and responsible for his acts. This responsibility is the source of dread and anguish that encompass mankind†. Sartre’s existentialism stems from this definition beginning with the basic principle that in man, and in man alone, existence precedes essence. In stating that existence precedes essence, Sartre’s is merely saying that a person is, therefore exists, before his human essence comes into being that will determine what he is. This theory is put forth under the belief that it preserves human freedom by removing the deterministic view of human beings, because if the what predetermines a human being, this same what would also restrict the human being to live as a free and self determined person. If essence does not precede existence then man is free, his life is not predetermined and he alone is then responsible for deciding what he is and must choose by compulsion ... Free Essays on Humanism as Existentialism Free Essays on Humanism as Existentialism Give a critical explanation of the following quotation from Sartre’s ‘Humanism as Existentialism’: â€Å"If existence really does precede essence, there is no explaining things away by reference to a fixed and given human nature. In other words, there is no determinism, man is free, man is freedom. On the other hand, if God does not exist, we find no values or commands to turn to which legitimize our conduct. So, in the bright realm of values, we have no excuse behind us, nor justification before us. We are alone, with no excuses. That is the idea I shall try to convey when I say that man is condemned to be free.† With this quote taken from his essay ‘Humanism as Existentialism’, 20th century French philosopher Jean-Paul Sartre has been able to identify major ideas and concepts and reinforce those issues he has set forth to shape the school of philosophy broadly known as ‘existentialism’. The Webster’s New World Dictionary defines existentialism as â€Å"The doctrine that existence takes precedence over essence and holding that man is totally free and responsible for his acts. This responsibility is the source of dread and anguish that encompass mankind†. Sartre’s existentialism stems from this definition beginning with the basic principle that in man, and in man alone, existence precedes essence. In stating that existence precedes essence, Sartre’s is merely saying that a person is, therefore exists, before his human essence comes into being that will determine what he is. This theory is put forth under the belief that it preserves human freedom by removing the deterministic view of human beings, because if the what predetermines a human being, this same what would also restrict the human being to live as a free and self determined person. If essence does not precede existence then man is free, his life is not predetermined and he alone is then responsible for deciding what he is and must choose by compulsion ...

More Than and Less Than in Spanish

More Than and Less Than in Spanish Spanish has two common ways of saying more than and two corresponding ways of saying less than - but they dont mean the same thing to a native Spanish speaker and arent interchangeable. Tip for Remembering the Rule on More Than and Less Than Both ms que and ms de are usually translated as more than, while menos que and menos de typically are translated as less than. Menos de is also frequently translated as fewer than. Fortunately, the basic rule for remembering which to use is simple: Ms de and menos de normally are used before numbers. (If you like mnemonic devices, think D for digit.) Ms que and menos que are used in making comparisons. (Think K for comparison.) Some examples of ms de and menos de: Pronto vamos a ver el aceite a ms de cinco euros por litro. (Soon were going to see oilat more than 5 euros per liter.)El estudio dice que las mujeres necesitan ms de un hombre para ser felices. (The study says women need more than one man in order to be happy.) ¿Es posible sentir amor por ms de una persona? (Is it possible to feel love toward more than one person? Note that while una can mean a, it also is the feminine form of the number one.)Las temperaturas mà ­nimas descendieron a menos de cero grados. (The low temperatures fell to less than zero degrees.)Hay muchos alimentos con menos de 100 calorà ­as. (There are many foods with fewer than 100 calories.)Adquirir una vivienda de menos de un millà ³n de pesos en la Ciudad de Mà ©xico es complicado, pero no imposible. (Purchasing a home for less on than a million pesos in Mexico City is complicated but not impossible.) Here are some examples of comparisons using que: Nadie te ama ms que yo. (Nobody loves you more than I do.)Eres mucho ms que tus sentimientos. (You are much more than your feelings.)Gano menos que ella. (I earn less than she does.)Yo estaba ms feliz que un nià ±o con juguete nuevo. (I was happier than a boy with a new toy.)Me duele ms que antes. (This hurts me more than before.)Soy blogger y sà ©Ã‚  mucho ms que si fuera polà ­tica. (Im a blogger and I know much more  than if I were a politician.)Se necesitan ms manos que trabajen y menos gente que critique. (Needed are more hands that work and fewer people who criticize.) Note that a comparison takes the following form: Subject verb more/less than subject verbSujeto verbo ms/menos que sujeto verbo More Examples of More Than and Less Than However, in both Spanish and English, the noun and/or verb in the second part of the sentence can be implied rather than stated explicitly. In the final sentences given, for example, both the noun and verb are omitted in the second half. This hurts me more than before (Me duele ms que antes) has the same meaning as This hurts me more than it hurt me before (Me duele ms que me dolà ­a antes). If you cant readily expand a sentence to such a form, then there is no comparison being made. Here are some more examples using ms de and menos de. Note how these sentences cant be restructured the same way a comparison can: La Wikipedia tiene ms de 100.000 artà ­culos. (The Wikipedia has more than 100,000 articles.)El estudiante promedio necesita ms de cuatro aà ±os para obtener su tà ­tulo. (The average student needs more than four years to earn his or her degree.)Son menos de las cinco de la tarde. (It is not yet 5 p.m.)Menos de uno de cada tres espaà ±oles con derecho a voto apoya el tratado. (Fewer than one out of three Spaniards with the right to vote support the treaty.) In those rare cases where ms de or menos de isnt followed by a number, de usually can be translated as of or about, never than. Le deseo muchos aà ±os ms de felicidad. (I wish you many more years of happiness.)Quiero saber ms de los dinosaurios. (I want to know more about dinosaurs.)Nike Air: un poco menos de dolor. (eslogan publicitario) (Nike Air: A little less hurt. (advertising slogan) An Exception to the Number Rule Where a comparison is being made, ms que can be followed by a number. Example: Tiene ms dinero que diez reyes, he has more money than 10 kings. To use de in the just-given example would be nonsensical (unless rey were a unit of money). There are a very few cases, however, where the distinction between ms de and ms que can eliminate an ambiguity thats present in the English more than. Take, for example, a sentence such as he can eat more than a horse. The sentence could be translated to Spanish in two ways, depending on what is meant in English: Puede comer ms que un caballo. (He can eat more than a horse can eat.)Puede comer ms de un caballo. (He can eat a greater amount of food than eating a horse.) The first example above is a comparison, while the second is not.

Unethical Business Research Practice Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Unethical Business Research Practice - Essay Example Unethical Business Research Practice The application of moral and ethical principles sin business is vital for organizational success. Background to the Trovan Case In 1996, Nigeria encountered an outbreak of Cerebral Spinal meningitis, the worst public health crisis that the country has ever faced (Edwards par 1). During the crisis, 1500 people succumbed to the disease. A number of non-governmental organizations including Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) reached out to the people in need faced (Gupta par 1). The organization treated well over 11500 infected individuals. A few weeks following the outbreak, Pfizer, the world’s largest pharmaceutical company, sent its employees to conduct clinical trials with its newly developed brand of antibiotics Trovafloxacin (Trovan ®). Pfizer’s intention seemingly was upright. It sought to provide Nigeria with a life saving, cheap, innovative and less painful antibiotic to counter the dreadful disease. The company stated that the medicine could effectively treat mening ococcal meningitis in adults and children. The company engaged a sample of the affected population in a study, featuring about 200 children (Gupta par 2). During the study 50% of the children sampled were treated with Trovafloxacin while the rest were treated with Ceftriaxon, the ‘best practice medication’. The study saw the death of 11 children, members of the study group. Several others suffered physical and mental disorders in the course of or after receiving treatment. What Unethical Research Behavior was involved? Pfizer in seeking to find a solution to the problem facing Nigeria, failed to observe crucial research requirements. For one, the organization did not pay attention to the issue of informed consent. The company involved a sample of children in the study without having their parents or guardians consent to their research activities. This for a fact goes against ethical standards when carrying out studies that involve children or people who are mentally ret arded. Who Were the Injured Parties? In the Trovan case, the injured persons were the children who were subjected to the clinical trials without parental (and guardian) consent. All the children who were included in the study, in this respect suffered injury although those who received the â€Å"best practice† medicine may not have suffered physically or mentally. Effects of the Unethical Behavior on the Organization, the Individual, and Society As previously noted, the Pfizer study resulted in the death of 11 children. Many other children suffered physical and mental disorders following the study. Parents and relatives to the children suffered great loss having lost their loved ones. Others possibly incurred more medical costs and suffered psychologically from the results of the study. Pfizer as a company on the other hand has suffered loss in respect of the litigation. The Nigerian government launched a suit against Pfizer claiming a total of seven billion US dollars (Edwar ds par 1). This amount is demanded in compensation for the victims and their relatives. The company is bound to lose a lot of cash after the case, pending in court to-date, is concluded. Yet again, the company’s reputation was negatively affected with many customers losing favour with the company. In fact, the drug has been banned in Europe and is restrictively used in North America. How Could the Unethical Behavior be Avoided or Resolved? The damage caused to the children and their relatives related mainly to lack of informed conse

Copyright and Intellectual Property in Architecture Term Paper

Copyright and Intellectual Property in Architecture - Term Paper Example The trial court used the three year statute of limitations to terminate the grievance on the grounds that the architect should have learnt the basis for its grievance and marched in to the courts much earlier than it had done. On petition, this ruling was overturned. The court established that there was no steadfast evidence hence convincing the trial judge to decide that the architect was on notification of the supposed copyright infringement preceding the passing of the legal period. Moreover , the court revised the AIA contract treaty and ruled that there were no grounds for establishing that the architect’s ideas were â€Å"work for hire† or that the development proprietor had any under contract founded copyright importance in the architect’s ideas. A closure agreement among the parties also considered the usage of the ideas and was a vital contemplation by the court. In Warren Freedenfeld Associates, Inc. v. McTigue et al., 531 F.3d 38 (1st Cir. 2008), a vet erinarian hired an architect to scheme the design of a veterinary hospital. The contractual agreement that was applied for this purpose was an AIA deed. Even though the court does not outline which specific AIA document was applied, it is probable that it was B 141 (1987) meanwhile the court refers to Article 6 as relating to tenure of documents. When it comes to architectural documents Copyright can be described as property that is founded on a person’s creative skill and labour. The copyright law was created to protect the original architect’s work from unauthorized use and to ensure the the originality of the creation is maintained at all times. Copyrights are physically intangible however they grant an unoriginal user the rights to copy or to publish the original work to facilitate communication to the public. Architectural copyrights are governed by certain Copyright acts. Architects who own Copyrights have exclusive economic rights that vary according to the diff erent types of works and other subject-matter protected by copyright. This differentiates the various forms of works which are normally protected by copyrights. For instance in the literary, dramatic or musical works category the rights granted to the creator may include the right to reproduce the work e.g. making recordings like films or albums. They might also be granted the right to publish their work and also the right to perform their work in public through concerts. In the case of artistic works the creator has the right to reproduce the work in material form or can communicate the work to the public via electronic forms. Besides the economic rights, there exists moral rights which apply to all works and are derived from the French droit moral which include the right to integrity of authorship, the right to attribution of authorship and the right against false attribution of authorship. Moral rights endure for the term of the copyright but it should be noted though, that an au thor's right of integrity of authorship in respect of a film is limited to the author's lifetime. Transmission of copyrights Copyright can be dealt with in the same way as other forms of personal property. It can be assigned, licensed, given away, sold, left by will, or passed on according to the laws relating to intestacy or bankruptcy. This does not apply to moral rights whic

Shawshank Redemption Essay Example for Free

Shawshank Redemption Essay Analysis of The Shawshank Redemption While there often appears to be just a story line in a movie, many different techniques are used to give a deeper meaning to the scenario. This is evident in the movie, The Shawshank Redemption. The story begins when Andy Dufresne, a young vice president of a prestigious Portland, Maine bank, is wrongfully convicted of killing his wife and her lover. He is then sent to jail where he learns lessons about life through his friends and becomes part of a corrupt scheme to launder money. After nineteen years Andy tunnels out of the prison into freedom. While it appears simple on the surface, through the use of many techniques such as title, colors, symmetry, names, numbers, symbols, irony, bible references, and others, The Shawshank Redemption gains a deeper meaning. The title, The Shawshank Redemption, initially has a saving appeal to it. Websters Dictionary defines redeem as †¦to free from what distresses or harm (Webster 968). There is the initial sense of salvation for whatever Shawshank might be. However, this sense changes when it is discovered that Shawshank is a state prison in Maine. With this knowledge the title is an oxymoron. How is it that a prison can provide redemption? The title gains its full meaning at the end of the movie. Andy Dufresne is redeemed through his experience at the prison. He learns about life there, while teaching others. He is redeemed through his second chance at life after his escape from the prison. In this sense he takes the Websters meaning of redeem, to extricate from or help to overcome something detrimental (Webster 968). A movie is controlled by ideas and techniques that are engulfed in almost every aspect of the film. In The Shawshank Redemption, there are three main ideas and techniques that carry the film, being walls, lighting, and water. Both literal and figurative walls trap Andy. In the beginning, he is trapped by the figurative wall of losing his cheating wife. When he goes to prison, the prison walls trap him. Within Andys cell, the names of the previous inmates are carved into the walls. This acts as a reminder to Andy of his incarceration. It also gives him the idea of tunneling out, when he tries to carve his own name into the wall. The walls of the old library are cracked and worn. This is similar to the mental state of many of the prisoners, especially Brooks. Originally the prisoners hate the walls. Then they get used to them. Eventually they come to depend on the walls. Their lives in the prison become cracked and worn. At times these walls do provide strength. For example, Andy leans against the wall as he is talking about his dreams for Mexico. These walls give him the strength to go through with his plan to escape. Lighting plays an integral part to the deeper meaning of the movie by setting the atmosphere. There is extensive use of shadows, fadeouts, and partial sunlight to represent the cloudy mental and moral state of many of the characters. Shadows cover the majority of characters throughout the film. This is created by the fact that when the sun shines, it does so only on one side of a character, usually their back. This alludes to the thought that these people have the truth about them, yet are unable to truly see it. A good portion of the movie occurs in the dark. Lights out at the prison is an extremely dark time when the characters are left with only their own thoughts. The nighttime death of Tommy Williams alludes to the desire to stay away from the truth. Hadley walks into the light after he commits the murder to show that he partially realizes the wrongdoing he has just committed. However, at the end of the movie there are no shadows. As Red walks along the beach to Andy everything is seen as it really is. This is so figuratively and literally. Water provides the sense of purification. Andy escapes from Shawshank by crawling through a 500-yard sewage pipe. At the end of the pipe he falls into a river that is overflowing with the rain. The river and rain act as purification not only physically, but mentally and spiritually. Andy is now truly free. Andy Dufresne, who crawled through a river of **** and came out clean on the other side (Glotzer). This act of water has redeemed him. The ocean at the end of the movie also acts as a purification symbol. Andys life by the ocean redeems him for the wrongdoings that he is forced to endure. When all three of these ideas are put together, they create a connected current throughout the movie that shows the deeper meaning in its full light. Although things may seem to happen at random, such as the choice of a name or the o ccurrence of a similar situation, these things have deeper meaning behind them. Names of characters and places can reveal things about them that nothing else can. For example the name Tommy Williams appears to be just a common, wholesome name. Yet, when you look at the individual meaning of each name it comes to mean a protector that is trying to struggle between good and evil. This meaning is an accurate description of Tommys character. Symmetry plays an important role in the deeper meaning of a story. Similar things happen throughout the story that when seen upon completion shows a contrast. An example of this from the movie is freedom. In the beginning and in the end Andy is free. However, his states of freedom are very different. In the beginning Andy is involved in an unfaithful marriage. This imprisons him. Yet, at the end, Andy is completely free and capable of fulfilling his dreams. All of these seemingly minor things, when put together, aide the creation of the deeper meaning of the movie. The use of particular colours within a scene, give that scene a deeper meaning. This technique is used throughout The Shawshank Redemption. The colour red plays an integral part to the movie. In the beginning scene, as the story of Andys trial is being told, Andys wife is seen in a red dress while embraced by her lover. The red dress symbolizes the vitality of her life and the passion of her sins. The first real sense of bright color within the prison occurs when the prisoners do labour outside of the prison. They wear pants that are blue with a red stripe running down the leg. This shows the conflict between gluttonous desire for freedom and the reality that their lives are confined to behind the prison walls. The cigarette package that the Warden has before Tommys death is red and white. The red and the white together represent Tommys desire to tell the truth and the anger of Norton for trying to hide it. Warden Norton is wearing a red tie when he kills himself. This time the colour red signifies Nortons pride. He refuses to allow anyone else to control his fate. The stamp that approves Reds parole is used with red ink. The red reinforces the idea of Reds new lease on life. Red hitches a ride to Buxton in an old red pickup truck. The truck brings him one step closer to fulfilling Andys dream of a new life for him and Red. The Trailways bus that Red takes to Texas has red detail on the side. This reinforces the trucks meaning. Andys boat is red and blue. This symbolizes the pride that Andy has for taking fate into his own hands and being redeemed for his false punishment. The rest of the movie consists of darker, blander colors. While in the prison mostly everything is gray or a dark shade of blue, from the uniforms to the building itself. This creates a dark atmosphere and a sense of hopelessness. It also attempts to take away from the individuality of the characters by molding them into a uniform group. However, when blue appears in the ocean at the end of the movie, it is bright and vibrant. For this circumstance, blue means a fresh start at life. During all three of Reds parole hearings, the five members are white. On one hand, this shows the injustice that Red is put through. On the other hand, the white can symbolize goodness, and the moral correctness that the parole board is supposed to represent and judge. White also appears in the end of the movie as Red walks across the white sand. In this situation it means justice, as in the justice that is served to Andy. There is green moss on the prison walls. This symbolizes Andys envy towards those who are free. After Red is released from prison, he works at the Foodway, where he wears a green smock. He is envious of the fact that although he is no longer in prison, he is still not completely free. Red also buys a compass with green directional letters to help him find the correct field. This shows that although he is going in the right direction to freedom, he is not quite there. Andy hides the tin box under a black volcanic rock. The black rock, like Andy to the other prisoners, is out of place in its bland surroundings. While black typically represents evil, this black represents the goodness of Andy. In the first scenes of Andy at Shawshank prison, Warden Norton informs the new prisoners of his rules. The first rule that he states is, no blasphemy (Glotzer). This proves to be ironic as Norton himself blasphemies everything he comes into contact with. He uses his position of power to corrupt the prison system in order to benefit himself. Norton uses Andy to launder money that has been earned though shady deals. Norton is responsible for the deaths or the cover-ups of several of his inmates, such as Tommy Williams and Bogs Diamond. In the first meeting between the warden and the new prisoners, Norton also adds his dedication to discipline and the bible. He believes in ruling with a hard hand. The guards are allowed to beat the prisoners if they feel that it is necessary. Norton is also for the use of solitary confinement to punish his prisoners. He places Andy in the hole for two months after Andy calls him obtuse (Glotzer) for not helping Andy fight for a retrial, and then mentioning the laundering business. Norton proclaims that he believes in the bible yet he does not live by its ways. He gives each inmate their own bible in hopes that they too will be able to allow God to lead their way. There are several bible references made throughout the movie. The Warden quotes Mark 13:35, Watch, therefore; you do not know when the lord of the house is coming (Glotzer), to Andy during the cell toss-up. Using this quote allows Norton to appear powerful in his position as warden, yet also let Andy know that the purpose is to size Andy up. Andy retaliates back with John 8:12, Jesus spoke to them again, saying, I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life (Glotzer). Andy realizes that Norton is corrupt. He is challenging the warden by saying that the step to a moral life would be not following Norton. Norton ends this meeting by saying Salvation lies within (Glotzer). This is true for Andy. It is his inner strength and desire, to right the injustice that has occurred to him, that allows him to escape from Shawshank and get his life back. There is a cross-stitch, made by his wife, of the phrase, His judgment cometh and that Right Soon†¦(Glotzer) covering the safe on the wall of Warden Nortons office. This is ironic due to the fact that the wrongdoings that are hid in that safe come out to punish Norton when Andy escapes. Norton is the one who receives punishment for the crimes he commits. This fact is only reinforced when Norton discovers Andys bible in the safe. On the inside of the cover Andy writes, Dear Warden, you were right. Salvation lay within. Andy Dufresne (Glotzer). As Norton opens the bible to the book of Exodus it is revealed that the bible had held Andys rock hammer. The book of Exodus lends itself to Andys own freeing of himself and the truth as Moses freed himself and the slaves. Minor items within a movie can have extra symbolic meanings. For example chess and rocks serve as a symbol of Andys meticulous and refined nature. This meaning is evident in the quote from Red, Old Andy loved geology. I imagine it appealed to his meticulous nature (Glotzer). Chess and his rock collecting gave Andy a sense of how his life used to be. This also happened through music. This chance at freedom is the reason Andy decided to play Mozarts Duettino: SullAria over the loudspeakers. It was as if a beautiful bird flapped into our drab little cage and made those walls dissolve away, and for the briefest moments everyman at Shawshank felt free (Glotzer). Music symbolizes freedom and hope for Andy. He gives a harmonica to Red as a parole rejection present to show that Red needs to keep the hope alive, and music can do that. Andys posters symbolize the hiding of the truth. On the surface the posters appear to be just pretty girls that no one would question. However, they cover a tunnel that Andy digs that allows him to escape. Another symbol that could go by easily unnoticed is the picture of the R. M. S. Queen Mary on the lid of the tin box. The RMS Queen Mary was launched on September 26, 1934 to symbolize the end of the worldwide depression. The ship has lasted through a world war and set the standard for liners. This ship in many ways is like Andy. His escape from Shawshank symbolizes the end to the long and unjust battle that he was forced to fight. He is also the beacon that Red looks to for an example of how to truly live. Another important symbol to the movie is the Mexican town of Zihautenejo. Zihautenejo is an old fisherman town on the coast of the Pacific Ocean. It is known for its beautiful beaches and peace (Zihautenejo 1). The town symbolizes the life that Andy not only dreams of having but deserves. There he will be able to live a quiet life full of simple pleasures that were kept from him. There he can be completely free. The movie The Shawshank Redemption uses many different techniques to convey a deeper meaning than the surface story. Upon closer analysis the viewer can see that tiny items such as colors, names, symbols, references, and others, can greatly contribute to full effect of the story. Through these techniques, the viewer is able to see the true character of Andy Dufresne and the entire situation that he goes through. Form this the viewer receives a greater appreciation for the hardship that occurs throughout the movie. A deeper meaning is understood and therefore more can be taken from it.

Older Woman Essay -- essays research papers

Older Women - Hidden Sexual Abuse Victims Although other forms of violence within the family have received increasing attention from professionals and the media over recent years, including the physical abuse and neglect of children, child sexual abuse, and domestic violence, elder abuse remains relatively hidden. This is especially true of sexual abuse of older persons. While there are some references to stranger rapes of older women, the topic of elder sexual abuse within the family is rarely addressed in the professional literature, and seldom confronted by social workers, medical personnel or advocates. This is partly true because sexuality is usually associated with younger people. Yet, if sexual abuse is a function of power and control, frail older persons, who often have little power and may be dependent on others for care, can be extremely vulnerable to sexual mistreatment. Elder sexual abuse is defined as coercing an older person, through force, trickery, threats, or other means, into sexual contact against her or his will. It often begins with covert activities such as inappropriate remarks and threats, and escalates to more severe types of mistreatment, including: the offender forcing the victim to view pornography or to listen to explicit sexual accounts; sexualized kissing and fondling; oral-genital contact; digital penetration; vaginal rape; anal rape; rape by objects; exploitation (e.g., prostituting or swapping the victim); sadistic acts, and ritualistic abuse.1 The prevalence of elder sexual abuse is not known because no systemic study has been done to determine how widespread the problem is. Where it is uncovered, it is usually by adult protective services workers who are called to intervene in other types of mistreatment of older persons, such as physical abuse, neglect or financial exploitation. In the first study of its kind, Holly Ramsey-Klawsnik, Ph.D. in 1991 examined twenty-eight (28) Massachusetts cases in which sexual abuse was identified by elder abuse case workers. All the victims resided in the community (not in nursing homes or other institutional facilities). All were female, ranging in age from 65 to 101, while all but one of the offenders was male. Four out of five of the offenders were care givers to the victims, the vast majority of whom had significant impairments which made them totally dependent on others for dai... ...e services will reduce the victim's dependence on the abuser and will also reduce her isolation, both of which contribute significantly to vulnerability to abuse. The rape crisis center and local adult protective services programs should cooperate on other interventions such as legal remedies in order to avoid duplication of effort and to reduce the confusion to the client. Vulnerable older persons need and deserve the skilled attention of all those with whom they come into contact in order to reduce their vulnerability to sexual abuse. Work Cited 1 Ramsey-Klawsnik, Holly, Ph.D. "Elder Sexual Abuse: Preliminary Findings." Journal of Elder Abuse and Neglect. Vol. 3(3), 1991. 2 Ibid. 3 Holt, Malcolm G., CSS "Elder Sexual Abuse in Britain: Preliminary Findings." Journal of Elder Abuse and Neglect. Vol.5(2), 1993. 4 Russell, Diane E. Rape in Marriage. Indianapolis: Indiana University Press, 1990. 5 Ramsey-Klawsnik. 6 Illinois Department on Aging, Elder Abuse and Neglect Program: FY 1995 Annual Report. Springfield, Illinois, 1996. 7 Groth, A.N., "The Older Rape Victim and Her Assailant." Geriatric Psychiatry, 203-215, 1978, as cited in Ramsey-Klawsnik. 8 Ramsey-Klawsnik

Art Assignment: Iconoclasm Essay

Research for religious art destroyed during conflict. Cite the website. What was the item, and when, where, why, and how was it destroyed? Was the site rebuilt? Who destroyed it? Discuss in length considering the following: What was the original significance? How did the culture go about remembering, or honoring that site after the destruction ? Have you ever had any significant item of spiritual relevance destroyed, and how did you handle it? Cite.. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iconoclasm â€Å" Iconoclasm[1] is the deliberate destruction within a culture of the culture’s own religious icons and other symbols or monuments, usually for religious or political motives. It is a frequent component of major political or religious changes. The term does not generally encompass the specific destruction of images of a ruler after his death or overthrow (damnatio memoriae), for example Akhenaten in Ancient Egypt.People who engage in or support iconoclasm are called â€Å"iconoclasts†, a term that has come to be applied figuratively to any individual who challenges established dogma or conventions. Conversely, people who revere or venerate religious images are (by iconoclasts) called â€Å"iconolaters†. In a Byzantine context, they are known as â€Å"iconodules†, or â€Å"iconophiles†.Iconoclasm may be carried out by people of a different religion, but is often the result of sectarian disputes between factions of the same religion. In Christia nity, iconoclasm has generally been motivated by people who adopt a literal interpretation of the Ten Commandments, which forbid the making and worshipping of â€Å"graven images or any likeness of anything†.[2] The degree of iconoclasm among Christian sects greatly varies. Example of iconoclasm in the 16th century during the Reformation. Relief statues in St. Stevenskerk in Nijmegen, the Netherlands, were attacked and defaced in the Beeldenstorm. in Europe in the 16th century. During these spates of iconoclasm, Catholic art and many forms of church fittings and decoration were destroyed in unofficial or mob actions by nominally Calvinist Protestant crowds as part of the Protestant Reformation. Most of the destruction was of art in churches and public places. The Dutch term specifically refers to the wave of disorderly attacks in the summer of 1566 that spread rapidly through the Low Countries from south to north, but similar outbreaks of iconoclasm took place in other parts of Europe, especially in Switzerland and the Holy Roman Empire in the period between 1522 and 1566, notably Zà ¼rich (in 1523), Copenhagen (1530), Mà ¼nster (1534), Geneva (1535), and Augsburg (1537). In England there was both government-sponsored removal of images and also spontaneous attacks from 1535 onwards, and in Scotland from 1559.[2] In France there were several outbreaks as part of the French Wars of Religion from 1560 onwards. â€Å" I’ve never had anything of such significance been broken of mine.

Homer Simpson and Contemporary American Values of Fatherhood Essay

The Simpsons is one of the many television shows in the United States of America which features a full length cartoon narrating the everyday lives of a family. The show makes us confront the absurdities of how some Americans live through the jovial portrayals and behaviors of the characters in the animated show. While each of the members of the Simpson’s family represent a several prevalent attitudes of Americans—some bordering on the obscene and some bordering on the good—the viewer’s perceptions not only about the American society in which he or she lives in but also about his or her self is challenged. The show seems to attempt to push its viewers to reexamine their lives, reflecting on each character in the Simpson’s family and the rest of the characters in the show. In general, the Simpson household is a dysfunctional family, never aging through the course of the show in years and often ends the show portraying the family members still loving one another despite the odds. For the most part, the Simpson’s family both reinforce and subvert contemporary American values in a number of ways. Each episode highlights the struggles of the family members of the Simpson household and the neighborhood, sometimes reaffirming several social stereotypes and sometimes challenging our comfort zones and our accepted beliefs. In any case, it is important to note that even the seemingly absurd gestures and encounters of every character in the animated show point to contemporary American values that may be either subverted or reinforced, depending on the interpretation of the viewer in most cases. Homer Simpson, the father of the household, embodies the typical American dad. He is a father who enjoys drinking his beer—specifically called â€Å"Duff†Ã¢â‚¬â€who is physically overweight and who is protective of his family. He works at the Springfield Nuclear Power Plant despite his careless characteristic, thereby suggesting that he has this potential to bring chaos to the rest of the community with his slightest mistakes while at work. Apparently, Homer’s characteristics reflect the typical American father who has the responsibility to raise his kids and secure the welfare of his family. His character subverts the contemporary American perception that divorce oftentimes results from a family that is dysfunctional. Despite his failures to provide for several needs of the Simpson household, he has never resorted to divorcing his wife, Marge. At the end of the day, Homer finds himself at home together with his wife in bed looking forward to the coming day ahead. Moreover, Homer has been shown to have a strong regard for the welfare of his family in difficult times, such as in â€Å"Lisa the Beauty Queen† (1992) where he sold his prized car in order to enter her daughter, Lisa, into a beauty pageant to make her feel better and in â€Å"A Millhouse Divided† (1996) where he arranged for a second wedding for his wife, Marge, to compensate for their unsatisfactory first wedding ceremony. On the other hand, some of Homer’s characteristics also reinforce some contemporary American values. One of these values is the thinking that typical American fathers spend their time drinking beer and submitting themselves to their weaknesses quite easily. Some of Homer’s weaknesses are his strong craving for doughnuts, his aggressive behavior in difficult times or in times when he is not able to complete his tasks and his low intelligence. In general, these things reinforce the stereotype of the American dad, reflecting the cultural struggle of the American father in the American landscape, losing his intellectual edge along the way. Looking at the ways in which Homer Simpson handles himself before his family, it can be said that his character implies the binary opposition between depth and superficial, centering and dispersal, and distance and participation. For one, the character portrayal of Homer suggests the depth of his personality, one that can be easily interpreted as the typical American father at first glance but one that can also be interpreted as an unusual American dad on closer inspection. Despite raising a dysfunctional family on a daily basis, Homer has not given up on his task as a father although there are times when he seems to be on the verge on giving up on things. While he is considered to be a borderline alcoholic, he does not end up entirely succumbing to his habit. On the contrary, he is able to maintain his fatherly figure and image and goes on to raise his family even when it meant attending to several jobs on many occasions. There is both the depth and the superficial qualities in Homer Simpson that represent American fathers in contemporary society. While at that, Homer’s character is also able to create distance and participation among the viewers. It is not surprising at all if the viewers of the show are able to relate to the experiences of the Simpson household because the experiences of Homer’s family might just as well be the same daily experiences that other households experience. By focusing on the typical experiences of American families, the animated show is able to draw the attention of the viewing public and, in a way, to allow them to â€Å"participate† in the show at least in terms of being able to relate to and find a part of themselves in the show. However, the animated show is also able to distance the viewer from the characters. In the sense that the nature of the show—meaning, its â€Å"animated† structure—makes the characters open to seemingly absurd situations, it is not always the case that the viewers are able to expect an exact representation of their daily experiences. That is, the cartoon characters can perform unrealistic behaviors that the real-life viewers can hardly imitate. The binary opposition between distance and participation in the show is also reflected in terms of how the show portrays the stereotypes prevalent in American society and, in the process, causes its viewers to identify themselves first with the show’s characters and eventually causing them to redefine themselves. The fact that The Simpsons explores the negative stereotypes in contemporary American society suggests that its viewers may or may not be able to fully relate to these stereotypes. Those who are able to relate to these stereotypes are more or less likely expected to distance themselves from these stereotypes or, more specifically, from Elizabeth Traube calls as â€Å"the fictional self that it (stereotype) constructs† (Traube, p. 129). Chandra Mukerji and Michael Schudson further suggest that popular culture has not only been the offspring of society’s â€Å"beliefs, practices and objects generated from political and commercial centers† but has also become â€Å"an entity on its own† (Mukerji and Schudson, p. 53). Thus, it is not surprising to say that there will be so-called â€Å"popular culture† so long as there are conduits for expressing the generally observed patterns of behavior among people. The Simpsons is just one of the many social elements that showcase such patterns. The assumption here is that some television shows such The Simpsons do not only serve the purpose of highlighting parts of the generally observed behaviors of people—behaviors that are parts of stereotypes—but also reinforce and subvert such observations at the same time. The very presence of these kinds of television shows help people realize what they have become. They aid the human civilization to notice the things that have become so familiar they no longer strike the vein of our senses and sensibilities. In â€Å"The Visible Evidence of Cultural Producers†, Maureen Mahon suggests that forms of popular culture serve as â€Å"arenas in which social actors struggle over social meanings and as visible evidence of social processes and social relations† (Mahon, p. 467). Apparently, Homer Simpson’s character in the animated series struggles over social meanings within the context of the show. The context of the show, however, is anchored on the realities happening in the society. That, in turn, suggests that, indeed, the character of Homer is a visible evidence of several social processes and social relations in real life, from his struggles to raise his family and his role as a father. Jerry Herron also suggests that Homer Simpson is not only a â€Å"reminder† of how much of contemporary America has declined but is also a symbol for challenging our attitude towards the social stereotypes. In particular, Homer Simpson is â€Å"an appeal to the sensibility of the public towards popular culture to redefine themselves from the negative to the positive† (Herron, p. 12). But what exactly are these positive and negative aspects and how are we able to identify them without confusing one over the other? The answers do not seem to be as clear and as simple as they seem. Based on Jerry Herron’s article â€Å"Homer Simpson’s Eyes and the Culture of Late Nostalgia†, it appears that Homer Simpson is both a criticism to society’s stereotypes and, at the same time, as an embodiment of those stereotypes. Homer plays the role of an intellectually challenged but loving father. He takes the role of the typical American dad who loves to drink his favorite beer and yet his is a character that challenges the contemporary attitude towards dysfunctional marriages and families. He directs the viewer’s attention to his character while making them reflect on their own lives and society at the same time. He shows some of life’s worse obscenities and yet allows the viewers to realize the stark contrasts between a life worth living and a life that is worthless. In essence, Homer Simpson subverts and reinforces contemporary American values. In â€Å"Stereotypes and Registers of Honorific Language†, Asif Agha argues that stereotypes â€Å"are consciously grasped† and are, hence, â€Å"reportable, discussable, open to dispute† and that â€Å"they serve as models for some individuals and counter-models for others† (Agha, p. 152). Following Agha’s interpretation of stereotypes, the social perception towards the stereotype American father is still open to dispute and can in turn serve as the â€Å"counter-model† for what the American should be. Using Homer Simpson as an example, our notion of the â€Å"right† American dad can be derived from some of the qualities of Homer Simpson. The conscious exposure of the viewing public towards The Simpsons can be an eye-opener for reassessing our standing perception of the stereotype American father. While the image portrayed by Homer is â€Å"an entity on its own†, it is nevertheless still created from the social realities that persist in contemporary America. It is only through a radical change in the contemporary American value system can the American society be lifted from its status quo. But that is not to say that the task of removing the binary opposition between depth and superficial, centering and dispersal and distance and participation begins at the stage where the American public is able to realize the stereotypes and recognize the â€Å"counter-models†. Rather, it begins right at the criticism of such stereotypes prevalent in popular culture. The creation of the character of Homer Simpson is perhaps the first stage in bringing the things that â€Å"dumb down† America into the public awareness. Of course, it is not enough to have shows such as The Simpsons, among others, to emphasize the cultural problems of America and to compel people to address these problems. However, it is only necessary to first bring elements of popular culture into the surface, elements that both reinforce and subvert contemporary American values in order to proceed with the tasks of criticizing what has become of this nation and its people and of resolving what needs to be resolved.

Challenges in Managing Service Quality within the Knowledge

Challenges in Managing Service Quality within the Knowledge Abstract Numerous opportunities and challenges exist for service organizations and their customers concerning knowledge-based economy along the effects of information technologies. Knowledge-based economy can impact on management of quality services in the companies.Advertising We will write a custom report sample on Challenges in Managing Service Quality within the Knowledge-Based Economy specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The purpose of the current report is to look at some of these influences. The study aspires to elicit the enormous prospects obtained by players in the service sector, especially in areas of value, co-creation and communication. At the same time, the report reveals various problems that face managers as a result of the poor quality provided by services providers. The value of this report consists of revealing the logical links between transformations in the society, changes in the service sector, and improvements in the management of quality service. The report will highlight the increasing importance of service quality management within the knowledge-based economy in the comparison to the industrial economy. Net-working and collaboration, constant development, and value co-creation are factors that determine realization of sustainable competitive advantage through service quality management. A desktop review literature is the basis of this report. The effort dedicated to the improvement of management of service quality and the value of managers in service quality management within service organizations is analyzed in the conclusion of the report.Advertising Looking for report on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Introduction Knowledge-based economies are witnessing tremendous changes in management of service quality as a result of information technology and Internet, having arrived into the market. When servi ce organizations communicate directly to customers, networks that are crucial to dissemination of new types of services are created. The purpose of this report is to reveal the impact of knowledge-based economy on management of service quality within organizations as well as the major tests and chances faced by providers in quality service management. The function of developing service quality which is attributed to the management to develop service management process within the confines of knowledge-based economy has constantly generated a lot of debate. The report brings out the influence of the knowledge-based economy on the service quality management through recognizing logical links between transformations in the society, service, and service quality management. Numerous opportunities and challenges exist for service organizations and their customers because of a combination of knowledge-based economy and influence of information Communication and value co-creation offer positi ve prospects to come while serious problems are posed by the need for managers to provide quality services. There has been a change in business operations as a result of fast growth in the use of information and communication technology within society. Information technology is made up of various components including computers, hardware, software, telecommunications, and the ensuing technologies. This technology can be measured through the stock of applications that organizations have (Ruiz-Mercader et al. 2006). Information and communication technology includes the use of computers, networks, and other equipments and software that process and transmit data (Plumb Zamfir, 2009).Advertising We will write a custom report sample on Challenges in Managing Service Quality within the Knowledge-Based Economy specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Exploitation of information and communication technologies requires skills and competence. Growth of the knowledge society has amplified demand for competences (Plumb Zamfir, 2009). Societies have witnessed a significant change in structure and in ways of accessing information (Plumb Zamfir, 2009). Consequently, the service sector has witnessed new challenges as methods of doing business change. Increased service-value networks within high value areas have resulted in surfacing of high-tech services (Qiu 2008). High-tech services include information outsourcing, online sharing of information and knowledge, and demand for innovations consulting like automated business. Electronic services are excellent types of service for the knowledge-based society and economy, contributing heavily to general productivity and development. Conventional service providers, such as travel agencies, have established service-value networks intended at achieving competitive advantage (Qiu 2008). This need has stemmed from their dependence on extremely extensive public information infrastructures and c omplex services systems meant to gratifying their international customers needs. Delivery of knowledge-based services is reacting to explicit customer demands through extremely educated and informed workers. This is achieved through offering and delivering customized value-added answers and relations (Dubosson Fragniere 2008). Changes in Conceptions on Service Quality Management The determinant factor in ways changes in the way service organizations are managed is the knowledge-based economy. Service quality is a basic problem for service organization managers. In the knowledge-based economy, there is an increase in Service quality management.Advertising Looking for report on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More According to Yoon and Ekinci (2003), provision of quality services is among the most difficult lasting strategies for business set up. According to Paton and McLaughlin (2008), large organizations sell or procure services on an international scale order since they have established corporation with numerous stakeholders globally. When there is integration of customer knowledge into the operation of the organization, it is possible to understand the needs of the customer fully. This helps the incorporation of the link and contribution of capital as well as boosting satisfaction of the customer. Consequently, service quality management may be a major factor for the triumph of service organizations. Service-dominant logic is the basis of service quality management transformations of within the knowledge-based society. Service-dominant logic portrays service as a process while services were portrayed as units of output in the goods-dominant logic (Vargo Lusch, 2004; Vargo Lusch, 2008). According to Lusch et al. (2006), this new approach is responsive and centered on customer needs. This approach has different effects on the management of services. It envisages ultimate co-creation of value due to connections between the service organization and prospective customers, and joint business between them and other associates (Lusch et al. 2006). According to Vargo et al. (2008: 148), it is imperative to acquire Knowledge and skills if one is to gain competitive advantage in service-dominant logic. The process of value co-creation involves every member (Lusch et al. 2006). The assessment of value-in-use helps the customer to co-creates and determine value of service offered (Plumb Zamfir, 2009). Lusch et al. (2006), asserts that a firm can only acceptable value proposition if the customer is involved in the value co-creation. Vargo and Lusch (2008) argue that alterations of philosophies on value creation have consequence on service organizations and their clients. Figu re 1 Value co-creation in service-dominant logic Source: Vargo and Lusch (2008:257) Within the knowledge-based economy, these changes about service, value creation and services management seem to control actions in the service quality management. The growth and rising acceptance of information and communication technology has caused changes to business processes. A case in point is the formation of e-business due to the application of information and communication in business processes (Plumb Zamfir, 2009). Competency in rapport determines the feat of the inter-organizational coalitions and their capability to associate and to create value. Networks within service organizations could be strengthened through better knowledge. This could end up impacting on the outcome of such connections (Eikebrokk Olsen 2007). Fuentelsaz et al. (2002: 303), argues that fundamental endeavors must be prepared in the route of learning those activities that are creators of value. Support should be sou ght with the purpose of seeking to support and promote them so as to sustainably create value. According to Fuentelsaz et al. (2002), knowledge-based economy is endowed with unique features that make it possible electronically create value and in so doing offers different ways of doing business compared to conventional methods. However varied the types of services provision are, open networks link people. Management this fact has to be taken into account. Service quality management in both theory and practice is of great significance within knowledge-based economy. Lovelock (1991), suggests that a rise in competition encourages consequential competitive differentiation in the service sector. This differentiation is based on the quality of services to customers. Global financial crisis have created powerful adjustments to management service quality. Because of erosion of purchasing power, customers are more selective when choosing services. They settle for services that would give th em value for money in terms of quality and price. Current economic crisis resulted in reduced demand for services, especially non-vital services like restaurants and theatres. For the reason mentioned above, service quality has long stopped being a market differentiation but rather an essential survival component for the service providers. Perceived value satisfaction, trust, and loyalty are usually linked to quality of service. To illustration, Cronin and Taylor (1992) undertook a study in which they concluded that perceived service quality improved levels of satisfaction. They also discovered that increased levels of perceived satisfaction increased the desire to purchase. According to Bei and Shang (2006), a service organization has put forward comparatively better perceived qualities and mainly those important to customers to do better than its competitors and thus gain competitive advantages. According to Hrtel et al. (2008: 24), customer satisfaction is linked to affective rea ctions generated when one come across a service. A customer’s perception of the success of the result is also related to satisfaction. According to Hsu (2008), the connection between customer loyalty and perceived quality is acquiescent to customer satisfaction. Customer dissatisfaction is as a result of customers not meeting their expectations. This is as opposed to good experiences that result in customer satisfaction Kim et al. (2008). Managers can adopt a higher standard of service quality than the customers’ deserved expectations so as to avoid customer dissatisfaction (Yoon and Ekinci, 2003). Managers should aim at improving service quality and customer satisfaction as well as perceived customer value. Customer satisfaction may dwindle as a result of ignoring customer value. Repeat business may also reduce due to the same reason. Kim et al. (2008) proposes a holistic technique that incorporate enhancement of service value enhancement if an organization is serious about improving service quality and customer satisfaction Customer satisfaction is even more vital regarding electronic services since networks permit knowledge sharing between customers. In the case of service providers, a dissatisfied customer may spread negative publicity to probable customers when he is exposed to low level of service quality than he or she expected. This contrary to conventional settings where this danger is minimal (Hsu 2008).Therefore, online service providers must ensure that they have a full understanding of factors that influence online customer satisfaction (Plumb Zamfir, 2009). Customer satisfaction, loyalty, and perceived value are boosted by trust. Customers who are not in a position to physically inspect the quality of a service they want normally have high level of doubt as regarding the outcome of the purchase. They do not trust that they will get the equivalent of their expectations. According to Hsu (2008), levels of perceived risk reduce with i ncreasing levels of trust. The production, exchange and analysis of information is made possible through enabling providers and clients to scrutinize, assess, and negotiate the conditions of their relationship (Plumb Zamfir, 2009). Therefore, it is imperative to maintain good information channels so as to enable sustainable interaction and networking of people and technology (Blomberg 2008: 213). A full understanding of a customers’ perception and evaluation of the service quality of an online service provider is crucial for the successful implementation of superior service quality. Hsu (2008) suggests several areas that when improved may have significant impact within an online service organization. The exact areas include; improved customer service, accurate order fulfillment, increased Web site attractiveness, and on-time delivery. Value co-creation is established on the principle of capability to acquire knowledge about other members in the service system. According to B lomberg (2008: 221), the capacity to offer extremely proficient and useful service is improved through gathering information on partners operations, providers, and customers. Where this is the case, service quality should be approximately equal to or higher than the desired expectation to improve perceived quality or customer satisfaction (Yoon Ekinci 2003: 20). A superior way of assessing service quality and customer satisfaction is by use of an expectation scale together with general satisfaction and service quality. This would offer more legitimate information and advance a managers’ decision making (Yoon Ekinci 2003). Practical Implications It is hard to make constructive generalizations regarding the quality management of service organizations because of multiplicity of service. New business surroundings have recently embraced sophisticated information and communication technologies, increased globalization of trade, increased automation, and rapid technological innova tions (Plumb Zamfir, 2009). According to Qiu (2008), service sector has progressed from traditional labour intensive industry to sources of innovation, partnership, and value co-creation. These factors are crucial for managing service. Knowledge is the fundamental of competitive advantage within the knowledge based economy. It is also the heart of innovations in service organizations and originates from making sense of data and transformation of information. Consequently, it is crucial for clients and managers of service organizations to have information as it allows them to make proper, rational, and quick decisions. A rational decision-making process is shaped by the pace of information exchange, the ease of access to information, and the potential to look for and store of information. Large quantities of information may not necessarily translate into a smooth decision-making process because the bulk of information may be irrelevant. Therefore, effective management of information is vital to ensure that the value of information is taken into account (Dubosson Fragniere 2008). When people perceive information as being valuable, their response is immediate. The immediate response causes an increase in the ability to innovate, adaptability, and flexibility to market dynamics. Information and communication technologies advancement has resulted in improved inter-organizational cooperation and communication as well as cooperation and communication between organizations and their customers. This has eased global services delivery and thus facilitates globalization of services and opening up of international markets. The result is increased profits for service organizations that are now able to compete with top-notch opponents (Cunningham et al. 2004: 421). According to Anderson et al. (2008), information may be an important tool for managers. Managers may appeal to particular clients or even enact diverse co-production processes through redesigning the concept of service organizations. The service revolution is different from the industrial revolution as it encourages value as opposed to material. This is a manifestation of sustainable underpinning for the knowledge-based economy (Chan Hsu 2009). Service-dominant logic is founded on variation of the prototype of value delivery to value propositions and of value-added to value co-creation (Vargo Lusch, 2004; Vargo Lusch, 2008). According to Chan and Hsu (2009), increase of internet-based economic activities result in novel value propositions and value co-creation. These originate from three main sources: increase of digital relations between organizations and clients, the accumulation of fresh digital relations, and the interrelation of layers of digital relations across and along a person’s and an organization’s life cycle tasks. Thus, because networks combine clients and value-oriented organizations, their application allows service organizations to provide quality service s since (Plumb Zamfir, 2009). Customer needs may be customized to be in tune with flexibility and adaptability of services by employing information and communication technologies. Competitive services may be fostered through effective integration of new technologies in the service process. This may occur as a result of active support of growth tachniques related to innovation, partnership, and value co-creation. Given that perception of service quality by customers is mostly dependent on the relations between the service provider and the customer, knowledge sharing through networks could improve these relations and thus increase customer satisfaction and loyalty. Conclusions Service quality management is greatly undergoing change as a result of Knowledge-based economy. This economy is not only knowledge-driven, but relies on constant development of people and also entails deep network collaboration. The economy also involves value co-creation geared towards achievement of sustainab le competitive advantage. Despite the many opportunities enjoyed by service organizations and their customers within the knowledge-based economy, there are challenges posed by stringent requirements regarding the quality of provided. The main opportunities related to solutions delivery include: communication, intense network cooperation, value co-creation, and customized value-added services (Plumb Zamfir, 2009). There are various challenges in the service organizations such as changes in client demand for service quality, competences necessary for proper exploitation of information and communication technologies, and the requirement for acquisition of skill and development. Another challenge is the need to transform traditional service organizations into contemporary service organizations. Recent financial crisis has shrunk opportunities and amplified problems in the service organizations. Investments for innovation my help in resolving the challenges brought by financial crisis. Within the service sector, innovations may positively influence service quality and customer satisfaction. The conclusion defends the devotion of effort aimed at raising the service quality management standards. The conclusion is important to service organization managers who are working in highly sensitive area similar to the service quality management. There is need to conduct extensive studies in the area of service quality management so as to recognize and assess definite facets of managing service quality for diverse circumstance of service organizations and for diverse categories of services provided within the knowledge-based economy. Studies in this field could also test the conclusions laid down in this report. This may possibly be achieved by questioning service organization managers and then contrasting the information gathered to the conclusions made in the current report. References Anderson, S, Pearo, LK Widener, SK 2008, ‘Drivers of Service Satisfaction: Linkin g Customer Satisfaction to the Service Concept and Customer Characteristics’, Journal of Service Research, vol.10 no.4, pp. 365-381. 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Dubosson, M, Fragniere, E 2008, ‘The Consequences of Information Overload in  Knowledge Based Service Economies: An Empirical Research Conducted in Geneva, Service Science’. Web. Eikebrokk, TR, Olsen, DH 2007, ‘An Empirical Investigation of Competency Factors Affecting E-Business Success in European SMEs’, Information Management, vol.44 no.4, pp.364-383. Fuentelsaz, L, Maicas-Là ³pez, JP, Polo, Y 2002, ‘Assessments of the â€Å"New Economy† Scenario’, Qualitative Market Research: An International Journal, vol.5 no.4, pp. 301-310. Harris, LC, Goode, MMH 2004, ‘The Four Levels of Loyalty and the Pivotal Role of Trust: A Study of Online Service Dynamics’, Journal of Retailing, vol.80, pp.139-158. Hrtel, CEJ, Gough, H Hrtel, GF 2008, ‘Work-group Emotional Climate, Emotion Management Skills, and Service Attitudes and Performance’, As ia Pacific Journal of Human Resources, vol.46 no.1, pp. 21-37. Hsu, SH 2008, ‘Developing an Index for Online Customer Satisfaction: Adaptation of American Customer Satisfaction Index’, Expert Systems with Applications, vol.34, pp. 3033–3042. Kim, KH, Kim, KS, Kim, DY, Kim, JH Kang, SH 2008, ‘Brand Equity in Hospital Marketing’, Journal of Business Research, vol.61, pp.75–82. Lin, WB 2007, ‘The Exploration of Customer Satisfaction Model from a Comprehensive Perspective’, Expert Systems with Applications, vol.33, pp.110-121. Lovelock, C 1991, Services marketing, 2nd ed., Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall. Lusch, RF, Vargo, SL Malter, AJ 2006, ‘Marketing as Service-Exchange: Taking a Leadership Role in Global Marketing Management’, Organizational Dynamics, vol.35 no.3, pp. 264–278. Lusch, RF, Vargo, SL O’Brien, M 2007, ‘Competing through Service: Insights from Service-Dominant Logic, Journal of Retailing’, vol.83 no.1, pp. 5-18. Paton, RA, McLaughlin, S 2008, ‘Services Innovation: Knowledge Transfer and the Supply Chain’, European Management Journal, vol. 26, pp. 77-83. Plumb, I Zamfir, A 2009, Managing service quality within the knowledge-based economy: opportunities and challenges, Quality Management in Services, vol. 11, no. 26, pp. 373-382. Qiu, R. G 2008, Service Science: Scientific Study of Service Systems. Web. Ruiz-Mercader, J, Merono-Cerdan, AL, Sabater-Sanchez, R 2006, ‘Information Technology and Learning: Their Relationship and Impact on Organisational Performance in Small Businesses’, International Journal of Information Management,  Vol.26 no.1, pp. 16-29. Vargo, S. L., Lusch, RF, From Goods to Service(s): Divergences and Convergences of Logics, Industrial Marketing Management, 37: 254-259, 2008. Vargo, SL Lusch, RF 2004, ‘The Four Service Marketing Myths: Remnants of a Goods-Based, Manufacturing Model’, Journ al of Service Research, vol.6 no.4, pp. 324-335. 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Alumni Tracking System Essay Example for Free (#2)

Alumni Tracking System Essay An issue tracking system (also ITS, trouble ticket system, support ticket or incident ticket system) is a computer software package that manages and maintains lists of issues, as needed by an organization. Issue tracking systems are commonly used in an organization’s customer support call center to create, update, and resolve reported customer issues, or even issues reported by that organization’s other employees. An issue tracking system often also contains a knowledge base containing information on each customer, resolutions to common problems, and other such data. An issue tracking system is similar to a â€Å"bugtracker†, and often, a software company will sell both, and some bugtrackers are capable of being used as an issue tracking system, and vice versa. Consistent use of an issue or bug tracking system is considered one of the â€Å"hallmarks of a good software team†.[1] A ticket is an element contained within an issue tracking system which contains information about support interventions made by technical support staff or third parties on behalf of an end-user who has reported an incident that is preventing them from working with their computer as they would expect to be able to. Tickets are commonly created in a help desk or call center environment. Typically the ticket will have a unique reference number, also known as a case, issue or call log number which is used to allow the user or support staff to quickly locate, add to or communicate the status of the user’s issue or request. These tickets are so called because of their origin as small cards within a typical wall mounted work planning system when this kind of support started. Operators or staff receiving a call or query from a user would fill out a small card with the user’s details and a brief summary of the request and place it into a position (usually the last) in a column of pending slots for an appropriate engineer, so determining the staff member who would deal with the query and the priority of the request. Alumni Tracking System. (2016, Dec 09).

Demonstrate an understanding of financial statement analysis Essay

Demonstrate an understanding of financial statement analysis - Essay Example For instance, if a financial statement analysis is conducted and the results indicate profitability of the company then the shareholders are assured of a company’s prospective growth hence safety of investments. In the contrary, they may decide to sell their shares where financial statement analyses indicate a downfall in profitability. This group’s interest concerns the company’s wealth situation. Their major interest is security of the money they invested in the company and the ability of the company to refund both the accrued interest as well as principle amount within the designated repayment time. The creditors are interested in financial statement analysis for purposes of establishing the short-term liquidity status of a firm. Their main interest is to ascertain a firm’s capability to repay the amount they owe on time. â€Å"They do financial statement analysis from which they are informed on whether there is need to extend the lends and ask for advanced interest charges† (Sinha & Sinha, 2009). It is for this purpose that the information gathered from the financial statements is important. The management is charged with the responsibility of ensuring a smooth running of an organisation. They are responsible in formulation of future policies and plans as well as undertaking immediate decisions. It is for this reason that they should analyse financial statements in order to measure the effectiveness of the policies and the decisions they make in the day-to-day running of a firm. â€Å"In addition, the management’s interest is to ascertain both the short-term and long-tern creditworthiness of the company, productivity, liquidity and return on investment status of the business† (Shim, & Siegel, 2007). It is the duty of every government to ensure that firms conform to tax regulations. Therefore, the government examines financial statements with an aim of determining tax submission. In addition, the government