Ancient Greek Theatre Essay

In this essay I’m going to be writing about Ancient Greek Theatre the origins of it and how effects the modern world Theatre. The question I’m going to answer in this essay is how did Greek Theatre represent Greek culture? I’m going to use a variety of sources in this essay to provide historic information about Ancient Greek Theatre. I’m also going to look into the culture’s practices of citizenship, philosophies, gender, faiths, or origin myths. To begin with I’m going to start with the origins of how theatre started. Western Theatre was born in Ancient Greece in between 600 and 200 BC. Ancient Greek Theatre was a mixture of myths, philosophies, social commentary, dance, music and etc. But it begins as a religious ceremony. The Ancient Athenians created a theatre culture whose form, technique and terminology have lasted two millennia, and they created plays that are still considered among the greatest works of world drama. Athenians plays fo cused on the God Dionysus, which was a God of many things including fertility, agriculture, and sexuality. Athenians plays were legendary and were known to be the greatest works of world drama. The Athenians created the world of tragedy’s in plays which is a common concept in plays in the modern day world. Tragedy derived from the word tragos which meant goat and ode which means songs it was meant to teach religious lessons. Tragedies were viewed as ritual purifications. It dictated how people should behave and it also inquired free thought, in Athens it brought radical ideas of democracy, philosophy, mathematics and arts. It boasted philosophers like Plato, Socrates, Aristotle, Epicurus, and Democritus. The traditional tragedy in Aeschylus’ time (circa 475 BC) consisted of the following parts the prologue which described the situation and the set, and then there was parados an ode song that the chorus would sing when they made their entrance. Then there were the five dramatic scenes and lastly the exodus which is the climax and the conclusion. Around 484 BC there was a new playwright named Aeschylus which turned the dithyramb into drama. Aeschylus most prevalent work was The Oresteia. Aeschylus makes a point that has been used by Historians, Dramatists, Psychologists and Crime Writers; that the root of evil and suffering is usually human arrogance. In 468 BC Aeschylus was defeated and then there competition was Sophocles. Sophocles contributed the addition of a third actor and an emphasis on drama between humans rather than between humans and gods. Sophocles’ plays are about the folly of arrogance and the wisdom of accepting fate. Sophocles believed in the Greek gods, but his plays are covered with existential insights that have been pronounced many times since. Euripides was popularity surpassed Sophocles and Aeschylus. His plays were about real people he placed peasants alongside princes and gave their emotions equal weight. Tragedy’s wasn’t the only theatre in Athens there was also Comedy. Greek Comedy’s had two periods which was Old Comedy and New Comedy. In the comedies they used three actors a chorus who sang, danced and sometimes participated in the dialogue. The New Comedy was more aimed at the common people than the religious lessons. Menander was the creator of most of the popular comedy playwrights in that era. His characters wore classic models and the style he used created in emphasis on mistaken identity, romance and situational humor became the model for succeeding comedy, from the Romans to Shakespeare to Broadway. There were rules that they had to follow in theatre which was called the three unities. The three unities were time, place and action. The unity of time limits the duration of an action roughly, of a single day. The unit of place makes sure all actions were located in one place. The unit of subject represents every aspect of a play and how it relates to one topic. One must remember that Aristotle was providing these ground rules during the fourth century B.C.E. At the time, plays were performed outdoors and the use of multiple settings would be expensive and complicated to produce. The audience would likely get confused in the process of changing sets and props. Greek theatre had a major impact on the modern world because tragedies are used in most of the plays in the modern world. For example, The Death of a Salesman’s is a tragedy because the dad ends up dying at the end of the play. Tragedy’s gives modern day plays their edge; they are called dramas in the modern world. The definition of a Drama is A prose or verse composition, especially one telling a serious story, that is intended for representation by actors impersonating the characters and performing the dialogue and ac tion. This describes what the Greeks believed tragedy’s was. Then they helped the modern theatre world evolve into a greater aspect of life. The Greeks had men playing all the roles in the plays and had chorus was used to tell the stories and maintain a since of ceremony and ritual. It established the mood though rhythmic chanting and dancing. It connected the artist by making responses and asking questions. In modern theatre we used dancing and chanting and chorus for our musical plays and for the regular plays we use music to connect the audience with the mood of the play. Also instead of a chorus to narrate the play we just use a regular person to narrate the play. The answer to the question how did Greek Theatre represent Greek culture? Is Greek Theatre showed how the Athens was very religious and they used the tragedies of theatre to tell people how to ask and also give people a voice. Greek Theatre playwrights represented how the society behaved in that era. They used religious traditions as a main part of the plays which slowly disappeared later on the era and culture transformed into playwrights that dealt with common people instead of Gods and how you should worship them. Greek theatre was greatly influential in the modern world and the plays are still used today. Bibliography 1. Ceehorn, Ashley. What Are the Three Unities in Greek Theater? Read more: What Are the Three Unities in Greek Theater? | eHow.com http://www.ehow.com/info_8187974_three-unities-greek-theater.html#ixzz1bh3UB4gq. N.p.: eHow Contributor, 2011. 2. Http://anarchon.tripod.com/indexGREEKTH.html. 2004. 3. Girard, Phyllis M. Greek Theatre: A Reflection of Ancient Greek Society (A Program Alternative for High School Gifted Students). Programs for Gifted Students. N.p.: Guides – Classroom – Teacher, 1978. 4. Phillips, K. Ancient Greek Theatre. 2000.

Concentration of HCL affecting surface area to vol ratio Essay

The research question that this report is going to discuss is â€Å"What is the relationship between concentration of hydrochloric acid (HCl) and the rate of diffusion? † My hypothesis for this research question is that change in rate of diffusion will be observed when the agar blocks are placed in solutions of different concentrations of HCl. As the concentration of HCl increases, the rate of diffusion will also increase due to the steeper concentration gradient created. To investigate the change in rate of diffusion when different concentrations of HCl are used, I used agar blocks that are stained with universal indicator that would change from green to pink when exposed to HCl. To prepare the agar blocks, I used knife and ruler to acquire 5 agar blocks with equal dimensions of 3. 0cm by 1. 0cm by 0. 5cm. Then I prepared 5 different concentrations of HCl with equal volume of 5cm^3 in test tubes, which were 0. 0M. 0. 2M, 0. 4M, 0. 6M, 0. 8M and finally 1. 0M of HCl. Then, I placed the agar blocks into respective test tubes, measuring the time taken for the agar blocks to turn from green to completely pink. This was repeated 2 more times, having 3 set of readings in total. The results collected showed an increasing trend in the rate of diffusion as the concentration of HCl increased. This clearly supported the hypothesis I derived at. (227 words) ? Content Page Abstract2 Content Page3 Introduction4 Research question:4 Hypothesis:4 Introduction (2)5 Literature Review5 Methodology6 Results8 Results (2)9 Discussion10 Limitations11 Improvements11 Conclusion12 Bibliography13 ? Introduction Research question: How does change in concentration of hydrochloric acid (HCl) affect the rate of diffusion through the agar blocks which contain starch stained with universal indicator, while keeping surrounding temperature, the surface area to volume ratio of agar blocks used and the volume of solution to which the agar blocks were placed constant? Hypothesis: Change in rate of diffusion will be observed when agar blocks are placed in solutions of different concentrations of HCl. As the concentration of HCl increases, the rate of diffusion will also increase due to the steeper concentration gradient created ? Introduction (2) Literature Review Diffusion is known as the net movement of particles from a region of higher concentration to a region of lower concentration along the concentration gradient. There are few factors that affect the rate of diffusion, the time taken for both regions to have equal amount of particles. One of them is temperature. It is known that temperature has the greatest effect on diffusion rates and is the easiest of the factors to change. Increasing the temperature increases the diffusion rate by adding energy to each particle. This is because particles with more energy can move to the region of lower concentration with more speed and more easily. Similarly, lowering the temperature will lower the diffusion rate by lowering the energy of each particle. Another important factor that changes the rate of diffusion is the concentration gradient, which we will be exploring in this experiment. The rate of diffusion depends on the difference between concentrations across the region of lower concentration and higher concentration, with steeper concentration differences resulting in higher diffusion rates (Simon 2013). This can be explained by Fick’s Law, which can be summarised by this equation: Rate of diffusion is proportional to(surface area x difference in concentration )/(Length of diffusion path). From the equation derived from Fick’s Law, it is clearly seen that the difference in concentration (concentration gradient) will increase the rate of diffusion (Michael Kent 2000). This theory can be used to explain real life situations, like how human lungs take in oxygen and give out carbon dioxide in a split second. It is due to the great difference in concentrations of both gases (very steep concentration gradient) that allows relatively fast rate of diffusion. For instance, when breathing in, the concentration of oxygen in alveoli is very high compared to that in the blood vessels surrounding the alveoli. Thus, rate of diffusion is great, allowing oxygen to diffuse as fast as possible. (BBC 2013) Methodology Table 1.1-Table of variables and how it is controlled VariablesDetails of variablesHow it is controlled Independent VariableConcentration of HClConcentration of HCl is controlled by the amount of distilled water added to HCl. For example, in order to achieve a concentration of 0. 2 moldm^(-3), 1. 0 cm^3 of 1 mol of HCl is added, with 4 cm^3 of distilled water added. Dependent VariableRate of Diffusion The time is taken by a stopwatch until the agar blo ck turns pink in colour completely. Controlled VariableTemperature of the surrounding Surface area to volume ratio of the agar blocks Volume of solution to place the agar blocks into. Temperature is set at an air-conditioned room in a Biology lab The agar blocks are cut into same length, same breadth and same height (3. 0 cm by 1. 0 cm by 0. 5cm), thus having the same volume and surface area. This ensures the ratio is the same. The volume of solutions used is kept the same at 5. 0cm^3. Table 1. 2-Apparatus used in the experiment Apparatus QuantityUncertainty 2% Starch Agar (Universal Indicator stained)– 1. 0 M Hydrochloric Acid (aq)– Deionized Water– Stop Watch2 ±0. 01s This might be due to the inaccurate cutting of the dimension of the agar blocks. It could also be due to our inability to decide whether the agar blocks have turned completely green to pink in colour. Thus, the calculated rate of diffusion could have changed. Limitations Some of the results were not as accurate as it was difficult to see whether the agar blocks have turned entirely pink in colour. Some of the agar blocks still had strips of green in them when we removed it from the solution and cut it. This could have affected the time taken for the agar blocks to turn entirely pink and thus, affecting the rate of diffusion. The temperature of the solutions containing the agar blocks might not be constant throughout the whole experiment. This can be due to holding of test tubes with our hands and also putting it down again several times. The heat from the hand might get transferred and the temperature might be altered. This can affect the time taken for the agar blocks to turn completely pink, as higher temperature induce faster rate of diffusion. Some of the results are not very accurate as the surface area to volume ratio was not constant for all the agar blocks tested. One of the reasons is due to the limited amount of agar blocks that were allocated for each bench. Another reason is that it was difficult to use the knife provided to cut the agar blocks in a straight manner and as accurately. This limitation can affect the time taken for agar blocks to turn pink, followed by the rate of diffusion, as some blocks are bigger while some are smaller than the others. Improvements In order to make sure that the agar blocks have turned entirely pink, use a light and put it in a white background where the colour changed is more visible. Then, the calculated rate of diffusion will not be affected. Place the test tubes in a water bath where the temperature can be kept constant at the temperature of tap water. This way, the calculated rate of diffusion will not be affected. Lastly, use a stamp with all the desirable dimension of the agar blocks measured. This way, not only is it convenient, it also helps us acquire the accurate dimensions of the agar blocks, having the same surface area to volume ratio for all the agar blocks. Then, the calculated rate of diffusion will not be affected. Conclusion In conclusion, the readings and the derived results in the form of tables, and line graph support my hypothesis, which is: Change in rate of diffusion will be observed when agar blocks are placed in solutions of different concentrations of HCl. As the concentration of HCl increases, the rate of diffusion will also increase due to the steeper concentration gradient created. With the derived conclusion, it shows that in order for rate of diffusion to be greater, higher concentration of the solution must be used, so that the concentration gradient is steeper.

Can The Genocide Be Explained Sociologically Criminology Essay

Can The Genocide Be Explained Sociologically Criminology Essay provide intellectually responsible explanations of these events, social scientists are therefore capable of producing explanations that can both interpret and create understanding. Their work allows further reflection on the problem of explanations in sociological work (Brown, 1963). This essay will focus on whether or not social scientists provide an explanation for genocide, in other words whether or not genocide can be explained sociologically. The beginning and emergence of genocide is unknown but it is assumed that the first genocide took place during the hunting and gathering period (Chalk and Jonassohn, 1990). After agriculture had been discovered there was a division within the world and it consisted of settlers and nomads. The settlers were good at gathering food and a conflict resulted between the two groups as the nomads would raid the settlers of their food, however they would not kill the settlers when doing so as they were still needed because the nomads planned to con tinue and raid the settlers in the coming years. The settlers could not defend themselves due to lack of resources (Chalk and Jonassohn, 1990). As time progressed the settler’s learnt how to improve their agriculture skills and their produce grew so well that they could support cities, rulers and armies. They became successful and wealthy and started to associate with trade and began to build empires and city states. As a result of this, conflict then grew over wealth, trade and trade routes. Wars were fought over this, and it was through these wars that people realised their victories were temporary. It became clear that the only way to have a guaranteed secure future was to eliminate those who were defeated completely. Thus the first reason for the first genocide appears to be elimination of any future threats (Chalk and Jonassohn, 1990). Genocide then grew and progressed from this. Genocide as defined by Lemkin (1944) who states that it is â€Å"the criminal intent to des troy or to cripple permanently a human group. The acts are directed against groups as such, and individuals are selected for distraction only because they belong to these groups† (Lemkin, 1944 p. 147). This is the definition that the UN (United Nations) Convention on the prevention and punishment of the crime of genocide relied upon (Andreopoulos, 1994). Following this, social scientists have redefined the term genocide to suite their theoretical perspectives. The definition of the UN convention however, remains the most popular and widely used. This is due to it being a legally accepted and a workable definition. Under the definition of the UN Convention, Genocide remains an international crime whether committed in peace or war this shows that genocide is a uniform phenomenon (Andreopoulos, 1994). Variations within genocide do exist, through its context and processes, for example, the distinction between domestic genocide and genocide done in international war. With domestic genocide, people have differences and conflicts within their own societies based on religious views, ethnicity and their race, while, with international war genocide, mass killings are committed due to conflict between two separate states (Andreopoulos, 1994). Through the UN Genocide Convention, genocide was deemed the most horrendous crime of all time and individuals would then use it as the defence to any form of discrimination, oppression and injustice (Martin, 2006). This resulted in disadvantaged groups trying to get sympathy by dramatizing their situations. For example, due to one of the articles of the convention, which claimed genocide included an intention to prevent any birth, led to claims that abortion clinics were a form of genocide. In more general terms if an individual’s rights were violated, this would also be taken as genocide. The concept was clearly being abused, and the UN became more and more resistant to charges of genocide. This may have contributed to the need of re-definition of genocide. It is therefore important to reach a generic definition of genocide which should be consistent with the everyday use of the word so that when people see a mass murder the only word available to them to describe such an event should be genocide (Chalk and Jonassohn, 1990).

MC DONALDS ADVENTURE IN THE HOTEL INDUSTRY Essay

MC DONALDS ADVENTURE IN THE HOTEL INDUSTRY - Essay Example anged but as the hotel was under the umbrella of McDonalds, therefore it is quite expected that the brand image will be the same as that of the McDonalds. It refers that the brand should be associated with cleanliness, hospitability and convenience but the fact was that the hotel management was unable to satisfy the expectations of the customers. Golden Arch should prepare different marketing missions and should promote those accordingly. Therefore, it can be concluded that Golden Arch did not have much success in the branding strategy. After deciding about the diversification of the business, McDonalds had entered into the markets of Switzerland with the hotel business. The pros and cons of this entry strategy can be analyzed as below. Pros: Switzerland is an attractive tourist destination and most targeted place for the hotel business. The country is economically sound and possesses a stable political background. The city that has been chosen for operating the hotel business is the political capital of Switzerland which comprises of 35 million populations. Also, 10 years ago there was not as much competition prevalent like today and therefore it was a good decision. Cons: McDonalds needed to have a market analysis before entering into the hotel industry in Switzerland. The related industries such as travel and construction should also be evaluated. Due to the booming construction industry, four and five star hotel can be built quickly. Another important aspect is the availability of the human resource. Switzerland ranks number two with respect to the productivity of the labor sources but there the availability of cooks and chefs are inadequate and that had definitely interrupted the flow of the work. From the above analysis it can be said that the entry strategy was not bad at that point of time but with the passage of time, scenario has changed as competition has increased and Golden Arch needs to strategize accordingly. Strategy was not the issue, rather

Human Nature Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 1

Human Nature - Essay Example Primarily, I believe one of the biggest problems in the determination of any other part of human nature do lie in the fact that we are all born from the influences coming out from the outside. All humans are part of human nature and can be changed as they learn and grow with the world around them. Humans do have ethics of caring, and if human capacity to caring is not practiced an individual loses his or her ability to care. However, I see a similar situation since human ability to caring is not inherent, but rather humans learn how to care. I also find another issue with several past and historic ideas concerning human nature lying within the context of human nature and how philosophers have approached it. While my beliefs may be stuck in God, I cannot support the use of the supernatural being as the main reason behind a universal human nature. This is because there exist several inconsistencies in the beliefs of humans. In conclusion, human nature will continue being a topic of debate for many years as humans try to label and prove using science the existence of human

Western Civilizations History Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Western Civilizations History - Research Paper Example Dictatorship is the opposite of the democracy, where the citizens are not allowed any freedoms. Hitler was a German leader who embraced the German People’s Party and later became an active member. When holding the party’s position of a spokesperson, he renamed the party the National Socialist German Workers’ party (NAZI). During this time, he was still employed by the army. Due to his excellent skills in speaking, he got the support of many people. Hitler was a great admirer of the Japanese leader Mussolini. When he rose to power in the early 1930s, both Hitler and Mussolini became allies. However, their friendship became a marriage of convenience and not that of sister states. Despite the earlier differences between the two countries, and those of the two leaders, they formed a formidable alliance. Germany under Hitler offered support to Rome during and after the Abyssinian crisis that the country was facing in the mid-1930s. The ambitions of Mussolini of building a new empire that would replicate the ancient Rome targeted Abyssinia. He invaded and occupied the state, and received a lot of criticism from the League of Nations. Hitler himself had pulled Germany out of the League of Nations in 21933. With the support of Hitler, he went ahead to carry out his plan. In 1936, Germany and Italy were involved in a civil with

Import-export seafood to Canada Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Import-export seafood to Canada - Essay Example This was however 4% lower than the total value attained in 2007. These statistics bring into perspective the nature and scope of the trade in seafood in Canada, a major product in both imports and exports in Canada. This paper delves into the aspects of importation of seafood into Canada. Particular emphasis is placed on the kind of seafood imported into Canada, the export policies of the countries from which the seafood is imported from, the duties involved, the trade licenses and documentation required, the current major importers of seafood into Canada, as well as the price range for the products imported. Keywords: Imports, Exports, Species, Seafood, Fisheries Introduction The global trade in seafood is a daunting and complex task. This is due to the fact that there are a myriad of species of seafood that are available for commercial benefits. In comparison to the approximately 15 species of birds and mammals that provide commercial benefits, there are over 800 species of aquatic organisms providing the same benefit (Anderson, 2003). Additionally, there are numerous product forms of seafood with various species being packaged as dried, frozen, salted, smoked, breaded portions, canned, fresh, and boneless, and individually quick frozen products such as clam juice and fish meals and oils. To add to this complexity, there are at least 190 countries that are involved in the trade of seafood worldwide (Anderson, 2003). International trade in seafood has been heightened by a variety of factors. Key among them is the advancement in technology applied in the processes of harvesting, shipping, and processing; reduction of international trade barriers in the trade of seafood; and innovations of fisheries management systems. The development of aquaculture and aquaculture systems has also promoted the global trade in seafood, making it more competitive and diverse (Anderson, 2003). Importation of Seafood in Canada In Canada, in the 1970s and 1980s, the value of imports and exports of seafood increased progressively. However, in the 1990s the major species of ground-fish in the North Atlantic collapsed, leading to a major decline in the surplus that Canada posted in the trade. For instance, the rate of harvest of Atlantic cod had dropped from a high of 482,800 metric tons in 1989, to a low of 23,900 metric tons in 1994 (Anderson, 2003). The surplus had dropped to $1 billion in 1997. This figure however increased by an estimated 400 million by the year 2000, resulting in an overall increase in the value of the surplus to $1.4 billion (Anderson, 2003). The primary imports comprise of shrimps, canned tuna, and prawns, while the primary exports comprise of lobsters, frozen crabs, and farmed Atlantic salmon (Anderson, 2003). OECD states that the total quantity and value of seafood and fish imported into Canada lessened from 2007 to 2009. The main contributors to this occurrence were the global economic crisis and the resulting decline in the demand for seafood products in the Canadian market. Consumption of seafood products and fish decreased within this period, as they are mostly considered to be luxury commodities (2012). According to Fisheries and Oceans Canada, the three major categories of fish imported into Canada are; ground-fish such as cod fish, halibut, and haddock among others; pelagic fish such as tuna, farmed and wild salmon, herring, sardines, and mackerel; and shellfish such as lobsters, prawns, shrimps,

The political and economic foreign policy developments of the United Essay

The political and economic foreign policy developments of the United States in the 19th century - Essay Example Domestically, the expansionist idea sought the annexation of land far beyond the US territory. This move was not only geared to acquire land for agricultural use, but also to exert political dominance. The lands acquired were given to yeoman farmers and slave plantation owners in order to further the agricultural sector. The manifest destiny was based on the notion that American settlers were destined to expand their territory over the continent; with proponents arguing that it was a divine call to expand from the sea to sea. Although there were no clearly defined principles to guide the idea, it received enormous support from the democrats who used it to justify various decisive actions. Through the notion of manifest destiny, the United States was driven by the temptation of world power and political supremacy, which sought to consolidate the position it held.3 As a result, territorial expansion into foreign areas was seen as moral obligation in an effort to spread American democra cy the world over. Initially, the quest for land collided with the Mexican authorities over Texas, California, and other western territories. As such, two wars were fought in the 19th century that were both in favour of land expansion and they include the Mexican war and the Spanish-American war. During the Mexican war, the US authorised several military operations to the test Mexican hold and control over these lands. The US prevailed in the war, which saw the annexation of Texas while California and New Mexico were ceded to the US territory.4 Historians have always regarded the conflict as the pure aggression by the United States. The Spanish-American war was viewed as the US intervention to secure Cuban independence...This paper is the best example of analysis of the real reasons behind sharp shift in political and economic foreign policy of the United States. In a bid to protect its interest, during the conflict between Britain and France, U.S. reviewed its isolationism policy t o adopt a more radical expansionist policy Domestically, the expansionist idea sought the annexation of land beyond the US territory. This move was geared to acquire land for agricultural use, and also to exert political dominance. Through the notion of manifest destiny, the U.S. was driven by the temptation of world power and political supremacy. Territorial expansion into foreign areas was seen as moral obligation in an effort to spread American democracy. Initially, the quest for land collided with the Mexico over Texas, California, and other western territories. As such, two wars were fought in the 19th century, both in favour of land expansion. The US authorised military operations to test Mexican hold over the lands. The US prevailed in the war, annexed Texas while California and New Mexico were ceded to the US territory. The Spanish-American war was viewed as the US intervention to secure Cuban independence from Spain, an example of the US actions to protect its economic interest, this follows losses incurred by shipping firms following conflict between the Spain and Cuban revolters. The US economic policy of industrial capitalism is illustrated to have well defined connections to its foreign affairs policies. This is demonstrated by US open door policy, which is based on belief that the US exports are vital to the growth of its economy. The origin of propaganda and its growing role in fueling war sentiments in Spanish-American conflict is under review.

International financil markts Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

International financil markts - Essay Example The financial manager plays on a global stage and must comprehend how global financial markets function and how to assess overseas investments (Brealey and Myers, 2003, p.10). This study will address the theoretical justification as well as practical application of portfolio theory and capital asset pricing model with respect to an investor or fund manager. In order to identify with risk-return trade-off, we view risks of the asset returns of individuals. Risks in individual asset returns have 2 parts - systematic risks and non-systematic risk. Systematic risks are non-diversifiable whereas the non-systematic risks are diversifiable. To eliminate the non-systematic risks, one can form portfolios. Instead of single individual assets, the investors opt for portfolio diversification. The investors’ main concern is about the systematic risks. The return on assets pays off for systematic risks (Jiang, 2003, p. 3). A little diversification can present a considerable lessening in variability. Suppose one computes and evaluates the standard deviations of arbitrarily selected one-stock or two-stock portfolios. A high percentage of the investments would be in the stocks of small corporations and separately very risky. However, diversification can slash the unpredictability of returns by about fifty percent. Diversification works since prices of various stocks do not move perfectly together (Brealey and Myers, 2003, p.166). The problem of the investor is to select a portfolio. Let the payoff of his portfolio be ˆX, so its price or value is . He will consume . Thus, his problem is: The initial wealth constraint is satisfied by the Lagrange multiplier, ÃŽ ». The investor will invest less in high priced stock and invest more in the low priced stock. Risk aversion, or curvature of the utility function,

Strategy and Planning Essay Essay Example for Free

Strategy and Planning Essay Essay The maximum exploitation of our resources is the key to advantage over the competitors. Marketing is one of the main areas in which a well versed strategic plan can make the organisation to attract customers here the way in which we describe the organizations motives, goals and the dedication to the customers reflect in our adverts. So, cleverly placing the right factors in the right place is a challenge in the strategic planning decision making. In this ever changing business environment the only way of survival of an organisation depends upon the decisions it makes. Thus strategic planning is the key factor to success. In this research we will briefly discuss about the tools of strategy and the outcomes of implementing these tools in an organisation. We will discuss about SWOT analysis, PESTEL analysis and Potters Five Force. 3 (b). SWOT Analysis SWOT analysis is one of the tools in strategic planning and decision making. This tool helps us to judge the organizations position in the business environment. SWOT stands for Strength, Weakness, Opportunities and Threats. Strength The organizations factors which are most influential with respect to customers, market share, and brand value and so on. The strength of an organisation maybe its good will, an excellent customer relationship management and many other sensitive factors which lies on the organizations side. Weakness The things which are an advantage of the competitor and a disadvantage to our organisation. The weakness factor may depend upon our organizations own business policies and or work ethics which binds us to a corner, the competitors takes advantage of this issue and exploit the opportunity but fine tuning our strategy and decision making will bring in a drastic change. Opportunities The chance in which all the things fall in line for our organisation to exploit and to make a profit of it is the definition for opportunities. Opportunities can occur due to a change in trend of customers, brand switching an so on. It is wise for an organisation to make use of such opportunities. Threats The main and most important factor is the threats from rivals and competitors. If an organisation fails to with stand the threats from the competitors then it will surely end up in bankruptcy, the competition may come up with innovative ways of marketing and attracting customers so it is our bounded duty to over come the competitors by creating innovative ways of marketing through strategic planning. Example for SWOT analysis Soft drink giant: Coca-Cola Strengths One of the most successful organisations of all time. The brand value of Coca-Cola is worth more than $68 million in 2009. the company manages its products over 200 countries with over 700 products which is a gigantic goal to achieve but maintaining it as the leader of its kind is still another battle. People tend to be faithful to the Coca-Cola brand because of its one main product the cola drink. So a wide variety of different products from the company with the same brand name tends to market the products for itself. (www. interbrand. com) Weaknesses The Coca-ColaCompany products are beverages so the main weakness for them is that they have this lobby of beverage segment and this is might be their weakness because in the long run they might hit the ground if any other company produces a better beverage. And nowadays people tend to make choices more often than in the past so it is a vulnerable area to be looked upon! Opportunities People are concerned about their health now more than ever so the introduction of Coke Zero a new product from the Coca-ColaCompany is catching up a considerable amount of market share because of its new distinct taste without added sugar in some countries but basically its a new drink with zero calories, the company claims!. The company is exploiting the current trend of health criteria. Threats The main competitor of Coca-ColaCompany is the PepsiCo Inc, the Pepsi Cola Company introduces new products in response to the Coca-ColaCompany. The Coca-ColaCompany is trying very hard to cope up with the situation. During 998 the PepsiCo Inc managed to out smart the company. So without the proper strategic planning PepsiCo will soon go beyond the Cokes victory 3(c). The PESTLE Analysis The most important tool of strategic planning is the PESTEL analysis. The PESTEL analysis is a tool which helps us to judge our position in the market with respect to the macro environment. PESTLE stands for P Political Forces, E Economical Forces, S -Social Forces, T -Technological Forces, L Legislative Forces and E Environmental Forces. These forces influence the overall performance, market value, finance and customer relationship of the company. We will briefly discuss about the PESTEL forces one by one by implementing into an organisation. Example : Integrated Electronics (INTEL) Semiconductors. The Intel Semiconductors are the producers of the famous Intel microchips which literally runs the computer industry but with some rivals such as AMD Inc (Advanced Micro devices). Here we will apply the PESTEL analysis to know the factors that are influencing the Intel semiconductors. Political : The implementation of new taxes and the internationalism of the products tends to make the company to adhere to strict rules in each country which the company is ventured on. So Intel is focusing upon its new products onto buyers and not on further research and development because of the political pressure around the organisation. Economic: The semiconductor industry is in rise. So, the financial status of the company is rising due to a smaller amount of competitors there is lower amount of threats so the economic factor of the company is in concrete position as of now. Social: The company is present in an ever changing dynamic business environment so it has to be sensitive to changes that occur in the environment and then adapt to the changes that takes place. Technological: The semiconductor industry is ever growing in rapidly increasing speed. So, the technological advancements of the industry must be up to date due to high growth ratio of processors which are used in computers across the globe. The research and development team comes up with new innovative ideas to integrate the previous processing unit into the new one with advanced technology so the computation power increases more than double the time the predecessor microchip used to compute. Legislative: The legal factors are important factors of the company because every country that the company venture into must strictly adhere to that particular countrys rules and regulations. Environment: Being a semiconductor company the company must look after environmental issues which affect the world so the semiconductor devices must be environmentally friendly and recycling of the devices plays a vital role in the environmental factor. The company has a good background of making environmentally friendly chips and recycling units so the environmental issue is under control. (http://ivythesis. typepad. com) 3(d). Porters Five Forces: The porters five forces is a business strategy tool which is used to analyse the position of a company and assessing its strength with respect to the competitors in this case new entrants and their impact in this ever changing environment. The porters five forces are: Existing rivalry among firms Threat of new entrants determinants of supplier power Determinants of buyer power Threat of substitute products Example: AIRBUS The porters five applied to the Airbus aviation company who have been the most influential carriers of all time apart from Boeing. These two major aircraft companies were literally in a fight for gaining the considerable mount of market share. Since the introduction of Airbus A380 the Boeing Company has lost lot of customers. The new entrant in our case the A380 is so much advanced than the legendary Boeing 747 which literally ruled the skies. The Boeing 747 was a fuel efficient and economically well versed passenger and good carrier aircraft but the major flaw in t he Boeing decision making is that it was not concentrating on the future of the aircraft but it produced a wide variant of Boeing 700 series but the cleverly devised strategic plan of Airbus was a nightmare to the Boeing corporation. The A380 has an excellent performance with regardless of its massive size the jumbo jet can people double the time the Boeing 747 used to carry. Since the aviation industry has only fewer concentrations of rivals the market share is huge compared to other industries. So with the new A380, Airbus has a considerable amount of stake in the airline industry. But Boeings answer to A380 is the new 787 dreamliner. Which is more fuel efficient but in the case of size the A380 outsmarts the Boeing. Importance of Change: The change management in an organisation is the most important factor which influences the future of an organisation. It describes an strategic approach in modifying or altering an organizations internal factors such as teams, individuals etc. there are different ways to achieve the change in an organisation by collaborative which is done by providing workshops and seminars explaining about the change to the people working in the organization. Consultative the people are informed about the change and the feedback of the change is taken into consideration. Directive the members of the staff are informed about the details of the change and the sensitivity of the change. Coercive the members are forced to follow the change. Example of Change: The acquisition of Iberia by British Airways The British Airways acquired the Iberia for $7 billion and it made the third largest airline in the world. The member of the staff was quickly adapted to the change in different management team. The Iberia staff members were given a change management session on order to cope up with the new acquisition. The acquisition made the stock holders value to increase and they were given a 55 percent of the new airlines share. 4. Conclusion: We have so far discussed about some of the Strategic planning tools and the ways in which they can be exploited. And in conclusion we can say that the way in which we approach the organisation with the necessary tools and strategic planning will make a gigantic impact on the organisation in the present and in the future. In this ever changing business environment the challenge for each organisation is to identify the needs of the customers and to create an appropriate strategic plan to approach the problem which will provide the optimum results which can benefit the customers as well as the organisation. . References SWOT Analysis, [online], Available http://www. marketingteacher. com/Lessons/lesson_swot. htm PESTLE Analysis, [online], Available http://rapidbi. com/pestle/Introduction-to-the-PESTLE-analysis-tool. html Coca-Cola Case Study, [Online], Available http://www. interbrand. com/best_global_brands. aspx http://finance. mapsofworld. com/brand/value/coca-cola. html Intel case S tudy, [Online], Available http://ivythesis. typepad. com/term_paper_topics/2009/09/intel-case-study. html Read more: http://www. americanessays. com/study-aids/free-essays/management/strategy-and-planning. php#ixzz2OPwRLxoO

Full Strategic Analysis Of Caribou Coffee Company Inc Marketing Essay

Full Strategic Analysis Of Caribou Coffee Company Inc Marketing Essay Caribou coffee Incl commonly known as CBOU.O is a company specializing in retail of teas, coffee bakery goods and other related products. Since it inception in 1992, the firm operates in various reportable divisions which include: commercial, retail and franchise businesses. Retail segment comprise of about 400 of the total coffee establishment and focuses on the local market. These key stores are based in Minnesota and over 20 other store in major states where CBOU.O operates. Commercial segment focuses on mass merchandisers while the franchise business which comprises of about 19% of the total coffee houses targets the international market. Caribou Incl operates in international and local markets as well with a bout 510 coffeehouses (Perry 2003, p. 46). Additionally, the firm supplies its products to diverse clientele groups such as grocery stores, hotels, airlines, mass merchandisers, entertainment venues, offices and colleges among other clients. Caribou management main goal is d irected towards providing high quality coffee blends and other related products to its clients. Key to their attractive strategy, CBOU.O has well designed outlets which resemble ski lodges and even Alaskan cabins, which offer the firms a range of coffee blends, or even specialty teas, coffee drinks and baked goods. In order to expand on its distribution chain CBOU.O sells both brewing supplies and whole bean coffee (Hall 2005, p. 76). In addition the firm has over 100 franchised outlets which are mostly founded in the greater Middle East part as well as South Korea. As per 2008 fiscal report, 60% of the Caribou Coffee firm is owned by Arcapita, a Bahrain-based investment faction. CBOU.O has recorded positive growth in history of gourmet coffee industry amid competition from Kraft Foods Inc., Starbucks Corporation, Proctor Gamble and Nestle Inc. 1.10 Company Analysis CBOU.O is not immune to industry macro as well as micro factors influencing business performance levels. The wider business environment has created both opportunity and challenges to CBOU.Os performance in coffee industry. The volume of coffeehouse chains has increased in the recent past with the new entrants in the renowned specialty product category. For instance, the external environment in the industry has been hit by high competition with greater impacts felt the period between fiscal 1998 and 2003 (Hoskisson Hitt 2008, p. 96). The industry has also presented a new wave of demographics shift where young adults easily indentify with coffee products. With greater cultural influence in the foreign markets, decaffeinated coffee has easily being marketed in defined global market niche. Similarly, in coffee industry market trends have also forced leading firms to leverage their brand names into various categories in an attempt to grow greater sales. 1.11 PESTEL Analysis Social factors Social trends has impacted CBOU.Os marketing, RD activities, rebranding procedure, market entry strategies, employees motivation and the firms business units performances. CBOU.O has been influenced by various factors including changing demographics, family changes, consumer expectations and various cultural changes (Perry 2003, p. 89). The firm has witnessed a shift in consumer habits in various markets where brand switching has been popularized by the existence of a variety of specialty products offered by similar players in the market. Due to the perceived change in consumer expectations CBOU.O has been constantly extending their product-line to include various coffee versions in the market. For instance, decaffeinated coffee has been an entrant in various market niches as a deliberate effort to avert brand switch to other alternative beverages. This has been mainly instigated by cultural preferences. Similarly, the changing demographics in both global as well as local market have influenced CBOU.O business activities. For example, between fiscal 2003 and 2006, adults aged between 18 and 24 who took coffee daily doubled in percentage and crossed over 30 % mark as per the NCAs (i.e. National Coffee Association) data (Perry 2003, p. 193). The young adult drinking behavior/habits has and will continue influencing Caribou Coffee consumption since this age bracket constitute the long-life coffee drinkers as they enter early adulthood. The youngsters demographics are vital to CBOU.O since they are likely to favor coffee to other familiar soft drinks in future. Political forces Government policy in terms of degree of economic intervention has greatly influenced CBOU.O in the greater Minnesota region. Various stakeholders such as regulators and politicians impacts any industry in terms of workforce safety issues, firms subsidies, quality infrastructure and business supports. For example, Caribou has been continually influenced by various policies linked to NCA. Like other firms, Caribou has enjoyed government intervention during various difficulty economic seasons as well as on labor issue intervention. Trade barriers, among other government policies has influenced entry procedures across the 20 states stores. For instance, favorable trade policies have assisted the firm to expand and perhaps source for quality coffee (Grant 2005, p. 94). Economic factors Inflation, economic growth issues, interest rates and taxation changes has affected Caribou Coffee Company in terms of product performance, business profitability, production costs and firms overheads. For instance, in fiscal 2007/2008 the firm reported increase in production costs brought about by increase in related costs such as higher wage demands due to economic difficulties experienced globally. More positive in the trend in economic growth witnessed in early 2000 that saw CBOU.O report increase in demand for various coffee products. In addition, in fiscal 2006 Lower interest made more viable for investors such as Arcapita to invest in about 60% CBOU.O since the costs associated with borrowing was too low. Finally, economic difficulties witnessed in late 2000 saw CBOU.O resulting into franchise arrangement for synergy reasons. Technological factors Technology has helped CBOU.O to remain ahead in business communication, production and innovation. For example, technology has boosted the firms move in online marketing and related business activities in CBOU.Os official website. Computer aided systems has assisted the firm in quality control and production regulations as a deliberate move in reducing related production costs. Online marketing as well as trading information supported by the firms website has put CBOU.O ahead of competition. Legal Forces CBOU.O has been influenced by the various consumer laws protecting clients against unfair pricing practices and any misleading beverage description. Under the Caribou management practices, employment laws have affected the business approach in areas such as redundancy, minimum wage, working hours and dismissal issues. Environmental factors Factors such as national weather and the perceived global climate change influence consumer patterns (Porter 1998, p.72). Changes in temperature, especially during winters increase the likelihood of coffee consumption and high profitability during this spell. CBOU.O has in the past recorded greater sales during winters than the case with summer performance. Currently, the global environmental issues as well as the growing desire on corporate responsibility on the nature have influenced business opportunities in the new markets. Such environmental trends have influenced Caribous demand patterns and the global opportunities (Perry 2003, p. 103). 1.12 Porters Five Forces Rivalry Rivalry intensity has been greatly increased by low switching costs where consumers can easily switch from particular specialty coffee product, thus making it hard to capture greater market proportion. The ever growing number of specialty coffee products has intensified rivalry. Recent development in terms of consumer habits in coffee industry has resulted into struggle for available market share. Similarly, industry shakeout influences rivalry witnessed in various industries (Porter 1998, p. 43). High level of products differentiation has resulted into greater rivalry forcing CBOU.O to extend its product-line. The firm currently offers whole bean coffee and specialty teas, as a differentiated approach in competing in the market. Threats of substitutes Coffee products offered by other players such as Proctor Gamble or even Starbucks Corporation at a competing price offer a threat to CBOU.O specialty coffee products, thus making it hard for the firm to raise prices for profitability reasons. Health concerns have influenced the consumption levels of specialty coffee as a substitute to other highly priced soft beverages. For example, Starbucks Power Frappuccino has been a big threat to Caribous due to its price espresso-based beverages. Buyer Power The firms buyers have contributed to the Caribous performance by determining the firms profitability levels. The buyers have the ability to influence the business performance by affecting the business ability in offering quality specialty coffee. Similarly, the buyers power has influenced Caribous business strategy where the management has been concentrating in offering all-time coffee products to the consumers in anticipation. Supplier power Coffee suppliers has been very influential on Caribous production ability where shortfall in coffee supplies to the coffeehouses is closely associated with declined ability of the firm to acquire the supplies as per the price offered. The suppliers are potentially able to exert influence on the firm since much of the raw materials as well as related supplies are sourced at a price which directly affects the resulting business profitability (Porter 1998, p. 116). Barriers to entry The possibility that the number of new entrants in the industry may increase poses a threat to Caribous competitiveness .Caribous has been constantly employing strategies such as franchise arrangement as a key measure to avert possible entry in the market. In possible situations Caribous has been employing entry-deterring pricing as a key strategy in preventing possible entrants in the industry. As a strategy to remain more competitive, Caribou enjoys the benefits associated with their production capacity (i.e. proprietary knowledge) in manufacture of various specialty coffee products (Daniel Lamb 2008, p. 125). Life Cycle Analysis (LCA) CBOU.O considers LCA in order to indentify areas area for vital improvements in environment, marketing as well as in support of how the coffeehouses products are environmental friendly. All coffee products have some noticeable impacts on our environmental and therefore CBOU.O uses LCA to manage issues such as pollution, in order to reduce environmental harm. In CBOU.O the LCA starts with raw material sourcing where quality coffee as the prime raw materials are bought from indentified suppliers. In the Manufacturing phase, CBOU.O ensures clear procedures are used in order to minimize unnecessary pollution from. The packaging phase in the LCA is highly considered in order to reflect the marketing philosophy of Caribou firm by including the business logo or even the company brand name. The firm marketing is extensively done and thus places Caribou ahead of other players in product communication in all the three business units. In the use, maintenance and reuse phase, Caribou considers c lear policies on Coffee mugs or related packaging are used in order to reduce unnecessary costs associated with environmental impacts. Finally, in the recycle phase, Caribou uses clear policies that ensure that various packages are reused for intended purposes (Grant 2005, p. 278). SWOT: Opportunities and Threats Some of the opportunities in the Caribou operations that give the firm segment a competitive advantage includes venture into international market and developing business arrangement such as franchise. The franchise arrangement has helped most Caribou to maintain a competitive edge despite the unfavorable market forces brought about by hard-economic environment (Grimm 2006, p 233). Developing of Decaffeinated coffee has been one of the strongest opportunities well utilized by CBOU.O in the recent past. Similarly, CBOU.O faces greater threat from stiff competition witnessed from major competitors. Similarly, upcoming considerations by governments to tax the coffee industry poses as a key threat for most firms. Phase II Generic strategies Caribou firm has developed various generic strategies in order counteract the analyzed Porters forces at business unit level, corporate level as well as functional level. For competitive advantage reasons, Caribou has indentified various products namely; focus, differentiated product and the cost leadership coffee products at business unit level. The firms business units which entails the retail chains, commercial segment and the franchise segment has placed products such as whole bean coffee and the specialty tea on the costs leadership level. Additionally, Caribou has been constantly included differentiated products such as espresso-based beverages in order to counteract the rivalry evidenced in early 2000s. Caribou has used the commercial segment as the sole focus in selling various products to hotels, entertainment venues, grocery stores, airlines or even to the offices in the major regional chains (Perry 2003, p. 136). Market segmentation Initially, adults were associated with Coffee drinking until the recent witnessed shifts in the consumer behaviors brought about by the Generation X and Y. The changes associated with this generations has forced to Caribou to redesign its product line in order to attract the growing number of young adults who have indicated interest in the firms coffee products. For example, Caribou resulted in single-serving system in mid 2000 in order to ensure that target consumer are able to access superior coffee at designated pods in hotels, entertainment venues or even in major stores in Minnesota (Perry 2003, p. 113). Baby boomers who normally switch to healthier coffee products forced Caribou to introduce decaffeinated coffee in the stores. This transition was enabled by the firms aided technological processes which usually improves decaffeinated coffee flavors to suit the various generations considerations. Core competencies and Generic Value Chain Core competencies help Caribou in retaining its competitive nature by ensuring that the bond between various units is strengthened thus offering coherent portfolio. Caribou core competency level is premised on the provision to access variety of product in either retail markets or even at franchise level (Hoskisson Hitt 2008, p. 97). Caribou has been using procedures as well as practices in manufacturing which are basically hard to imitate in production of products such as specialty teas or even other branded merchandise. The firm has also exhibited strong capacity in RD where deliberate efforts has been made in strengthening the firms ability to understand and cater for upping interest in Coffee industry markets. As a core competency strategy, CBOU.O has ensured shared costs in business units in order to remain ever profitable. For instance, the firm increases the franchised business units under shared costs between the retail stores and the commercial business segment. CBOU.O value chain entails inbound logistics, outbound logistics, operations, marketing and sales processes, and the operations activities. For example, CBOU.O ensures that inbound activities such as Coffee sourcing, warehousing and division logistics are clearly conducted. Caribou operation activities are normally aligned to the defined production formulas and processes during product preparation. The marketing and sales undertaking in the firm has been enhanced by greater innovations in meeting the ever changing demographic needs. Finally, the outbound activities has bee made possibly by the wider distribution scope done under retail stores, franchise segment or commercial units. Ansolffs Matrix and Porters Diamond Caribou market penetration procedures are used in securing market dominance, in restructuring markets, increase Coffee usage among consumers and in raising market share of core products in various chains. Caribou has enhanced its market development procedures by ensuring that the business able to effectively locate new geographical location for new stores, or new distribution channels or pricing strategies in order to enhance market growth on products such as baked goods. Product diversification has been used to modify various branded merchandise offered by the firm (Grant 2005, p. 423). Caribou has been diversifying its products in various segments by use of rebranding procedures. Porters diamond model has been employed by CBUO.O to enhance competitiveness by strengthening firms strategy, structure and effectively handling rivalry issues. The firms culture, lean structure and operation motivation boosts the firms competitive advantage. When handling demand conditions, Caribous RD ensures that local demand needs/capacity is satisfied by quality specialty coffee products prior to meeting other states demand. This gives local stores competitive advantage. Caribou create its factor conditions by having skilled workforce and improved technology in order to remain competitive. Similarly, factor combination during manufacturing has boosted Caribous performance as well. Under supporting and related industry considerations, Caribou operates in global chains under commercial and retail stores in order to support the franchise unit. Caribou uses the business units to organize and supplement innovation in the structure value. Financial Analysis Current ratio for CBOU.O eagle Incl is noted to be decreasing from a figure of 0.88in fiscal 2007 to lows of 0.72in 2008.This trend is alarming as it indicates decrease in ability of CBOU.O to cover its short-term debts using the available current assets. Gross-profit is increasing from lows of 47.0% in 2007 to 51.36 in 2008. The trend is positive as it indicates CBUO.O move in earnings increase. Return-on-assets ratio shows Caribous earnings in relation to all the economic resources owned by the company (Peterson Fabozzi, p. 146). Return-on equity is decreasing from fiscal 2007 ratio calculations. The trend is negative. The trend on Return-on-equity portrayed from 2007 to fiscal 2008 is negative indicating a decrease in returns for the ordinary and /or common stock-holders. Phase III: Recommendations CBOU.O should consider seeking global opportunities in order to counteract stiff competition and perhaps increase in profitability. In situations where Franchise fails in foreign market, CBOU.O should result into Mergers or acquisitions in order to enjoy currency benefits associated with global market thus averting economic effects on performance. To avert rivalry, CBOU.O ought to continuously improve on existing product chains and enhance brand extension procedures. CBOU.O ought to increase their investment in current assets to boost the companys financial position. A company should cover its short-term obligations at least twice from their investment in current assets. CBOU.O should increase the efficiency in the use of economic resources at their disposal to enhance the firm long-term profitability. Similarly, CBOU.O should also increase efficiency in the use of assets. Finally, more investment should be carried out in total assets to effectively cover the firms debts. Appendices A: Caribou Coffee Company Important Trend Analysis Ratios Ratio type 2008 2007 Current Ratio=(Current assets/current liabilities 28,450,000/32,260,000 = 0.88 26,620,000/36,820,000= 0.72 Gross-profit ratio=(Gross -profit/sale)*100 (119,460,000/253,900,000)* 100= 47.0% (131,910,000/256,830,000)* 100=51.36% Return-on- assets=(net-profit before interest/total assets)*100 (15,460,000/89,570,000)* 100= (17.26)% (30,400,000/111,840,000)*100= (27.18)% Return-on-equity=(Net income/equity)*100 (16,280,000/43,940,000)= (37.0)% (30,500,00/59,290,000)* 100=(51.44)%

The Oppression of Colonized India Illustrated in Arundhati Roy’s Novel

The post colonial experience has made the goal of harmonious family relationships that much more difficult, due to the families fragmenting throughout the old country and immigration to the land of the colonizer. Children and adult children alike lose perspective on their homeland and the struggles within their homeland. They become awe-struck by the development of the colonizers land, and as a result become confused with where their loyalties should lie. In Arundhati Roy’s novel â€Å"The God of Small Things†, the Kochamma family is a family of tragic situations and tragic people. Not all of their problems stem from colonization; in fact it is their own cultural traditions that lead to much of the tragedy; however it can be argued that the underlying theme within the novel is one of a people oppressed by the colonization of India by England, and how a society already consumed with prejudices based on class (or caste, as the Indian would refer to it) and colour begins t o turn on itself, and devalues its own people, culture and heritage. The Kochamma family lives, works and plays together. They do not however communicate with each other, nor do they comfort each other or attempt to understand one another. This is the greatest downfall of the family. Colonization plays a role in how some members begin to perceive each other and India as a whole; as well it lays the foundation for the sense of worthlessness each member of the family feels at different times. Although the English have left India when this story takes place, their presence can still be felt. â€Å"Englishness† and whiteness is held in high regard, and is something to emulate and work towards. The Indians, who had always had a class system and a disregard for darker skin,... ...n all of these stories, the children look to their families to help them form their identity and find their place in the world; and in most cases are disappointed with the lack of unity and dis-functionality they encounter. This relationship is much like India has with itself and England. Rather than thinking independently and trying to move away from British culture and being a people oppressed by colonization, the Indian people become a victim once again insomuch that they continue to think like the colonized even after they have won independence. The fragmentation of families in the post-colonial experience will only cease when the fragmentation of their country and culture has been ratified, and the shameful mindset of the colonized victim is shed from their minds and they are able to find respect and the future in their own customs, culture and people.

African American and Latina Women and the Criminal Justice System :: essays research papers

African American and Latina Women and the Criminal Justice System Sentencing disparities are an equally inequitable derivative of mandatory sentencing which requires increased sentences for crack cocaine violations, while offering flexible alternatives in cases arising from powder cocaine arrests. Powder cocaine is used by predominantly white middle-class or suburban defendants. More than 71 percent of women in federal prison and 35 percent of female state inmates have been convicted of drug offenses, usually involving crack cocaine, which carries mandatory sentences as long as 25 years for first time offenders. Moreover, large numbers of women of color convicted of crack offenses have been charged because of relationships with boyfriends, husbands or other significant males who themselves are statistically more vulnerable to police apprehension and racial profiling. Two cases exemplify the numerous other instances of young African American women doing hard time for minor drug involvement. Kimba Smith, a first time offender in Virginia, was unable to bargain with prosecutors because she could offer no information about the drug dealer with whom she was romantically involved. She was sentenced to federal prison for 24 years without possibility of parole--one year for each of her 24 years of age. Dorothy Gaines, a mother of two minor children and guardian of two grandchildren, is serving a 19-year, seven-month federal sentence without possibility of parole. Many believe she was convicted not because of the scant evidence but because she had no information to offer against her live-in male companion. The Prison Industrial Complex, driven by the momentum of privatized prison construction as an effective rural economic development tool, has become a self-fulfilling prophecy. It encourages more convictions, larger prison populations and longer prison sentences, even though these prisons increasingly have become warehouses for the mothers of black and brown children. In 1995, over $5.1 billion was allocated for new prison construction by federal and state governments, at an average cost of $58,000 for a medium security cell.

Ethics for End of Life Care Essay -- Ethics, Arguments, History

In the article Ethics for End of Life Care, Jos V.M Welie introduces the case of Terri Schiavo. Schiavo has a medical condition called PVS or â€Å"persistent vegetative state.† The main question imposed is whether or not treatment for her should be continued with a bleak chance of recovery. This directly leads into the next issue of the role that medical treatment and technology have in the final days of life. How do we decide what treatments should be used for which patients? Today, the majority of physicians agree that treatment must be â€Å"medically indicated† before it is commenced or continued. A majority of us would be skeptical of a treatment that is experimental and potentially dangerous. The second key point the article makes involves the Catholic medical ethics known as â€Å"ordinary vs. extraordinary.† Ordinary and extraordinary treatment must always be based on the patient’s current situation. Before the treatment is initiated, there must be scientific evidence that the treatment will benefit the patient. The treatment should be discontinued if it does not improve the patient’s health. Only the patient is allowed to make the decision. If they are not competent enough too, a legally authorized person is required to decide. If there is no hope left for the patient, letting go is a better alternative than euthanasia. Euthanasia conflicts with God’s view of the human body. Gula explains in his work Reason Informed by Faith, that there has been a significant renewal in Roman Catholic moral theology. There has been a shift from the idea of human nature to that of the human person. The human body is seen as an image of God and therefore, is considered sacred. The human body must abide by the laws of the material world around it. Be... ...s. Although it was questionable if he was able to even make a decision, he was rarely, if at all approached by the doctor about it. Death is inevitable from a Christian perspective, but it is not the end. People struggle with death I believe because they are afraid of the unknown. What comes after death? Is there really an afterlife? Will I be rewarded or punished for my time on Earth? I consider that the best way to die is to be surrounded and comforted by my family and friends. The idea of a planned death just seems so unnatural. That is why I believe that euthanasia should not be legal. The hospital should perform the treatments that will actually help the patients recover. If no treatment is appropriate enough, the physician should not have to resort to assisting the patient in death. God intended death to be a natural cause, and it should remain that way.

The Vampire Diaries: The Fury Chapter Twelve

Stefan looked at Elena, snow crystals dusting his dark hair. â€Å"What about Matt?† â€Å"I remember-something. It's not clear. But that first night, when I wasn't myself -did I see Matt then? Did I-?† Fear and a sick sense of dismay swelled her throat and cut her words off. But she didn't need to finish, and Stefan didn't need to answer. She saw it in his eyes. â€Å"It was the only way, Elena,† he said then. â€Å"You would have died without human blood. Would you rather have attacked somebody unwilling, hurt them, maybe killed them? The need can drive you to that. Is that what you would have wanted?† â€Å"No,† Elena said violently. â€Å"But did it have to be Matt? Oh, don't answer that; I can't think of anybody else, either.† She took a shaky breath. â€Å"But now I'm worried about him, Stefan. I haven't seen him since that night. Is he okay? What has he said to you?† â€Å"Not much,† said Stefan, looking away. † ‘Leave me alone' was about the gist of it. He also denied that anything happened that night, and said that you were dead.† â€Å"Sounds like one of those individuals who can't cope,† Damon commented. â€Å"Oh, shut up!† said Elena. â€Å"You keep out of this, and while you're at it, you might think about poor Vickie Bennett. How d'you think she's coping these days?† â€Å"It might help if I knew who this Vickie Bennett is. You keep talking about her, but I've never met the girl.† â€Å"Yes, you have. Don't play games with me, Damon-the cemetery, remember? The ruined church? The girl you left wandering around there in her slip?† â€Å"Sorry, no. And I usually do remember girls I leave wandering in their slips.† â€Å"I suppose Stefan did it, then,† Elena said sarcastically. Anger flashed to the surface of Damon's eyes, covered quickly with a disturbing smile. â€Å"Maybe he did. Maybe you did. It's all the same to me, except that I'm getting a little tired of accusations. And now-â€Å" â€Å"Wait,† said Stefan, with surprising mildness. â€Å"Don't go yet. We should talk-† â€Å"I'm afraid I have a previous engagement.† There was a flurry of wings, and Stefan and Elena were alone. Elena put a knuckle to her lips. â€Å"Damn. I didn't mean to make him angry. After he was really almost civilized all evening.† â€Å"Never mind,† said Stefan. â€Å"He likes to be angry. What were you saying about Matt?† Elena saw the weariness in Stefan's face and put an arm around him. â€Å"We won't talk about it now, but I think tomorrow maybe we should go see him. To tell him†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Elena lifted her other hand helplessly. She didn't know what she wanted to tell Matt; she only knew that she needed to do something. talk about it now, but I think tomorrow maybe we should go see him. To tell him†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Elena lifted her other hand helplessly. She didn't know what she wanted to tell Matt; she only knew that she needed to do something. Elena looked at him hard. â€Å"Are you sure?† â€Å"Yes.† â€Å"But-will you be all right? I should stay with you-â€Å" â€Å"I'll be fine, Elena,† Stefan said gently, â€Å"Go on.† Elena hesitated, then nodded. â€Å"I won't be long,† she promised him. Unseen, Elena slipped around the side of the frame house with the peeling paint and the crooked mailbox labeled Honeycutt. Matt's window was unlocked. Careless boy, she thought reprovingly. Don't you know some-thing might come creeping in? She eased it open, but of course that was as far as she could go. An invisible barrier that felt like a soft wall of thickened air blocked her way. â€Å"Matt,† she whispered. The room was dark, but she could see a vague shape on the bed. A digital clock with pale green numbers showed that it was 12:15. â€Å"Matt,† she whispered again. The figure stirred. â€Å"Uh?† â€Å"Matt, I don't want to frighten you.† She made her voice soothing, trying to wake him gently rather than startle him out of his wits. â€Å"But it's me, Elena, and I wanted to talk. Only you've got to ask me in first. Can you ask me in?† â€Å"Uh. C'mon in.† Elena was amazed at the lack of surprise in his voice. It was only after she'd gotten over the sill that she realized he was still asleep. â€Å"Matt. Matt,† she whispered, afraid to go too close. The room was stifling and overheated, the radiator going full blast. She could see a bare foot sticking out of the mound of blankets on the bed and blond hair at the top. â€Å"Matt?† Tentatively, she leaned over and touched him. That got a response. With an explosive grunt, Matt sat bolt upright, whipping around. When his eyes met hers, they were wide and staring. Elena found herself trying to look small and harmless, nonthreatening. She backed away against the wall. â€Å"I didn't mean to frighten you. I know it's a shock. But will you talk to me?† He simply went on staring at her. His yellow hair was sweaty and ruffled up like wet chicken feathers. She could see his pulse pounding in his bare neck. She was afraid he was going to get up and dash out of the room. Then his shoulders relaxed, slumping, and he slowly shut his eyes. He was afraid he was going to get up and dash out of the room. â€Å"Yes,† she whispered. â€Å"You're dead.† â€Å"No. I'm here.† â€Å"Dead people don't come back. My dad didn't come back.† â€Å"I didn't really die. I just changed.† Matt's eyes were still shut in repudiation, and Elena felt a cold wave of hopelessness wash over her. â€Å"But you wish I had died, don't you? I'll leave now,† she whispered. Matt's face cracked and he started to cry. â€Å"No. Oh, no. Oh, don't, Matt, please.† She found herself cradling him, fighting not to cry herself. â€Å"Matt, I'm sorry; I shouldn't even have come here.† â€Å"Don't leave,† he sobbed. â€Å"Don't go away.† â€Å"I won't.† Elena lost the fight, and tears fell onto Matt's damp hair. â€Å"I didn't mean to hurt you, ever,† she said. â€Å"Not ever, Matt. All those times, all those things I did- I never wanted to hurt you. Truly†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Then she stopped talking and just held him. After a while his breathing quieted and he sat back, swiping his face with a fistful of sheet. His eyes avoided hers. There was a look on his face, not just of embarrassment, but of distrust, as if he were bracing himself for something he dreaded. â€Å"Okay, so you're here. You're alive,† he said roughly. â€Å"So what do you want?† Elena was dumbfounded. â€Å"Come on, there must be something. What is it?† New tears welled up, but Elena gulped them back. â€Å"I guess I deserve that. I know I do. But for once, Matt, I want absolutely nothing. I came to apologize, to say that I'm sorry for using you-not just that one night, but always. I care about you, and I care if you hurt. I thought maybe I could make things better.† After a heavy silence, she added, â€Å"I guess I will leave now.† â€Å"No, wait. Wait a second.† Matt scrubbed at his face with the sheet again. â€Å"Listen. That was stupid, and I'm a jerk-â€Å" â€Å"That was the truth and you're a gentleman. Or you'd've told me to go take a hike a long time ago.† â€Å"No, I'm a stupid jerk. I should be banging my head against the wall with joy because you're not dead. I will in a minute. Listen.† He grabbed her wrist and Elena looked at it in mild surprise. â€Å"I don't care if you're the Creature from the Black Lagoon, It, Godzilla and Frankenstein all rolled up into one. I just-â€Å" â€Å"Matt.† Panicked, Elena put her free hand over his mouth. â€Å"I know. You're engaged to the guy in the black cape. Don't worry; I remember him. I even like him, though God knows why.† Matt took a breath and seemed to calm down. â€Å"Look, I don't know if Stefan told you. He said a bunch of stuff to me -about being evil, about not being sorry for what he did to Tyler. You know what I'm talking about?† â€Å"I know. You're engaged to the guy in the black cape. Don't worry; I remember him. I even like him, though God knows why.† Matt took a breath and seemed to calm down. â€Å"Look, I don't know if Stefan told you. He said a bunch of stuff to me -about being evil, about not being sorry for what he did to Tyler. You know what I'm talking about?† Matt nodded. â€Å"So it was your basic crap. I should have known.† â€Å"Well, it is and it isn't. The need is strong, stronger than you can imagine.† It was dawning on Elena that she hadn't fed today and that she'd been hungry before they'd set out for Alaric's. â€Å"In fact-Matt, I'd better go. Just one thing-if there's a dance tomorrow night, don't go. Something's going to happen then, something bad. We're going to try to guard it, but I don't know what we can do.† â€Å"Who's ‘we'?† Matt said sharply. â€Å"Stefan and Damon-I think Damon-and me. And Meredith and Bonnie†¦ and Alaric Saltzman. Don't ask about Alaric. It's a long story.† â€Å"But what are you guarding against!† â€Å"I forgot; you don't know. That's a long story, too, but†¦ well, the short answer is, whatever killed me. Whatever made those dogs attack people at my memorial service. It's something bad, Matt, that's been around Fell's Church for a while now. And we're going to try to stop it from doing anything tomorrow night.† She tried not to squirm. â€Å"Look, I'm sorry, but I really should leave.† Her eyes drifted, despite herself, to the broad blue vein in his neck. When she managed to tear her gaze away and look at his face, she saw shock giving way to sudden understanding. Then to something incredible: acceptance. â€Å"It's okay,† Matt said. She wasn't sure she'd heard correctly. â€Å"Matt?† â€Å"I said, it's okay. It didn't hurt me before.† â€Å"No. No, Matt, really. I didn't come here for that-â€Å" â€Å"I know. That's why I want to. I want to give you something you didn't ask for.† After a moment he said, â€Å"For old friends' sake.† Stefan, Elena was thinking. But Stefan had told her to come, and come alone. Stefan had known, she realized. And it was all right. It was his gift to Matt-and to her. But I'm coming back to you, Stefan, she thought. As she leaned toward him, Matt said, â€Å"I'm going to come and help you tomorrow, you know. Even if I'm not invited.† Then her lips touched his throat. December 13, Friday Dear Diary, I know I've written that before, or thought it at least. But tonight is the night, the big one, when everything is going to happen. This is it. Stefan feels it, too. He came back from school today to tell me that the dance is still on-Mr. Newcastle didn't want to cause a panic by canceling it or something. What they're going to do is have â€Å"security† outside, which means the police, I guess. And maybe Mr. Smallwood and some of his friends with rifles. Whatever's going to happen, I don't think they can stop it. I don't know if we can, either. It's been snowing all day. The pass is blocked, which means nothing gets in or out of town on wheels. Until the snowplow gets up there, which won't be until morning, which will be too late. And the air has a funny feeling to it. Not just snow. It's as if something even colder than that is waiting. It's pulled back the way the ocean pulls back before a tidal wave. When it lets go†¦ I thought about my other diary today, the one under the floorboards of my bedroom closet. If I own anything anymore, I own that diary. I thought about getting it out, but I don't want to go home again. I don't think I could cope, and I know Aunt Judith couldn't if she saw me. I'm surprised anybody's been able to cope. Meredith, Bonnie-especially Bonnie. Well, Meredith, too, considering what her family has been through. Matt. They're good and loyal friends. It's funny, I used to think that without a whole galaxy of friends and admirers I wouldn't survive. Now I'm perfectly happy with three, thank you. Because they're real friends. I didn't know how much I cared about them before. Or about Margaret, or Aunt Judith even. And everybody at school†¦ I know a few weeks ago I was saying that I didn't care if the entire population of Robert E. Lee dropped dead, but that isn't true. Tonight I'm going to do my best to protect them. I know I'm jumping from subject to subject, but I'm just talking about things that are important to me. Kind of gathering them together in my mind. Just in case. Well, it's time. Stefan is waiting. I'm going to finish this last line and then go. I think we're going to win. I hope so. We're going to try. The history room was warm and brightly lit. On the other side of the school building, the cafeteria was even brighter, shining with Christmas lights and decorations. Upon arriving, Elena had scrutinized it from a cautious distance, watching the couples arrive for the dance and pass by the sheriff's officers at the door. Feeling Damon's silent presence behind her, she had pointed out a girl with long, light brown hair. â€Å"I'll take your word for it,† he replied. Now, she looked around their makeshift headquarters for the night. Alaric's desk had been cleared, and he was bent over a rough map of the school. Meredith leaned in beside him, her dark hair sweeping his sleeve. Matt and Bonnie were out mingling with the dancegoers in the parking lot, and Stefan and Damon were prowling the perimeter of the school grounds. They were going to take turns. â€Å"You'd better stay inside,† Alaric had told Elena. â€Å"All we need is for somebody to see you and start chasing you with a stake.† â€Å"I've been walking around town all week,† Elena said, amused. â€Å"If I don't want to be seen, you don't see me.† But she agreed to stay in the history room and coordinate. It's like a castle, she thought as she watched Alaric plot out the positions of sheriff's officers and other men on the map. And we're defending it. Me and my loyal knights. The round, flat-faced clock on the wall ticked the minutes by. Elena watched it as she let people in the door and let them out again. She poured hot coffee out of a Thermos for those who wanted it. She listened to the reports come in. â€Å"Everything's quiet on the north side of the school.† â€Å"Caroline just got crowned snow queen. Big surprise.† â€Å"Some rowdy kids in the parking lot-the sheriff just rounded them up†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Midnight came and went. â€Å"Maybe we were wrong,† Stefan said an hour or so later. It was the first time they'd all been inside together since the beginning of the evening. â€Å"Maybe it's happening somewhere else,† said Bonnie, emptying out a boot and peering into it. â€Å"There's no way to know where it's going to happen,† Elena said firmly. â€Å"But we weren't wrong about it happening.† â€Å"Maybe,† said Alaric thoughtfully, â€Å"there is a way. To find out where it's going to happen, I mean.† As heads raised questioningly, he said, â€Å"We need a precognition.† All eyes turned to Bonnie. â€Å"Oh, no,† Bonnie said. â€Å"I'm through with all that. I hate it.† â€Å"It's a great gift-† began Alaric. â€Å"It's a great big pain. Look, you don't understand. The ordinary predictions are bad enough. It seems like most of the time I'm finding out things I don't want to know. But getting taken over-that's awful. And afterward I don't even remember what I've said. It's horrible.† know. But getting taken over-that's awful. And afterward I don't even remember what I've said. It's horrible.† Bonnie sighed. â€Å"It's what happened to me in the church,† she said patiently. â€Å"I can do other kinds of predictions, like divining with water or reading palms†-she glanced at Elena, and then away-â€Å"and stuff like that. But then there are times when -someone-takes me over and just uses me to talk for them. It's like having somebody else in my body.† â€Å"Like in the graveyard, when you said there was something there waiting for me,† said Elena. â€Å"Or when you warned me not to go near the bridge. Or when you came to dinner and said that Death, my death, was in the house.† She looked automatically around at Damon, who returned her gaze impassively. Still, that had been wrong, she thought. Damon hadn't been her death. So what had the prophecy meant? For just an instant something glimmered in her mind, but before she could get a grasp on it, Meredith interrupted. â€Å"It's like another voice that speaks through Bonnie,† Meredith explained to Alaric. â€Å"She even looks different. Maybe you weren't close enough in the church to see.† â€Å"But why didn't you tell me about this?† Alaric was excited. â€Å"This could be important. This-entity-whatever it is-could give us vital information. It could clear up the mystery of the Other Power, or at least give us a clue how to fight it.† Bonnie was shaking her head. â€Å"No. It isn't something I can just whistle up, and it doesn't answer questions. It just happens to me. And I hate it.† â€Å"You mean you can't think of anything that tends to set it off? Anything that's led to it happening before?† Elena and Meredith, who knew very well what could set it off, looked at each other. Elena bit the inside of her cheek. It was Bonnie's choice. It had to be Bonnie's choice. Bonnie, who was holding her head in her hands, shot a sideways glance through red curls at Elena. Then she shut her eyes and moaned. â€Å"Candles,† she said. â€Å"What?† â€Å"Candles. A candle flame might do it. I can't be sure, you understand; I'm not promising anything-â€Å" â€Å"Somebody go ransack the science lab,† said Alaric. It was a scene reminiscent of the day Alaric had come to school, when he'd asked them all to put their chairs in a circle. Elena looked at the circle of faces lit eerily from below by the candle's flame. There was Matt, with his jaw set. Beside him, Meredith, her dark lashes throwing shadows upward. And Alaric, leaning forward in his eagerness. Then Damon, light and shadow dancing over the planes of his face. And Stefan, high cheekbones looking too sharply defined to Elena's eyes. And finally, Bonnie, looking fragile and pale even in the golden light of the candle. â€Å"I'm just going to look into the candle,† Bonnie said, her voice quivering slightly. â€Å"And not think of anything. I'm going to try to-leave myself open to it.† She began to breathe deeply, gazing into the candle flame. And then it happened, just as it had before. Bonnie's face smoothed out, all expression draining away. Her eyes went blank as the stone cherub's in the graveyard. She didn't say a word. That was when Elena realized they hadn't agreed on what to ask. She groped through her mind to find a question before Bonnie lost contact. â€Å"Where can we find the Other Power?† she said, just as Alaric blurted out, â€Å"Who are you?† Their voices mingled, their questions intertwining. Bonnie's blank face turned, sweeping the circle with sightless eyes. Then the voice that wasn't Bonnie's voice said, â€Å"Come and see.† â€Å"Wait a minute,† Matt said, as Bonnie stood up, still entranced, and made for the door. â€Å"Where's she going?† Meredith grabbed for her coat. â€Å"Are we going with her?† â€Å"Don't touch her!† said Alaric, jumping up as Bonnie went out the door. Elena looked at Stefan, and then at Damon. With one accord, they followed, trailing Bonnie down the empty, echoing hall. â€Å"Where are we going? Which question is she answering?† Matt demanded. Elena could only shake her head. Alaric was jogging to keep up with Bonnie's gliding pace. She slowed down as they emerged into the snow, and to Elena's surprise, walked up to Alaric's car in the staff parking lot and stood beside it. â€Å"We can't all fit; I'll follow with Matt,† Meredith said swiftly. Elena, her skin chilled with apprehension as well as cold air, got in the back of Alaric's car when he opened it for her, with Damon and Stefan on either side. Bonnie sat up front. She was looking straight ahead, and she didn't speak. But as Alaric pulled out of the parking lot, she lifted one white hand and pointed. Right on Lee Street and then left on Arbor Green. Straight out toward Elena's house and then right on Thunderbird. Heading toward Old Creek Road. It was then that Elena realized where they were going. They took the other bridge to the cemetery, the one everyone always called â€Å"the new bridge† to distinguish it from Wickery Bridge, which was now gone. They were approaching from the gate side, the side Tyler had driven up when he took Elena to the ruined church. Alaric's car stopped just where Tyler's had stopped. Meredith pulled up behind them. â€Å"Where are you taking us?† she said. â€Å"Listen to me. Will you just tell us which question you're answering?† â€Å"Come and see.† Helplessly, Elena looked at the others. Then she stepped over the threshold. Bonnie walked slowly to the white marble tomb, and stopped. Elena looked at it, and then at Bonnie's ghostly face. Every hair on her arms and the back of her neck was standing up. â€Å"Oh, no†¦Ã¢â‚¬  she whispered. â€Å"Not that.† â€Å"Elena, what are you talking about?† Meredith said. Dizzy, Elena looked down at the marble countenances of Thomas and Honoria Fell, lying on the stone lid of their tomb. â€Å"This thing opens,† she whispered.

High Performance Working Systems Essay

High Performance Working Systems (HPWS) are defined as those in which management adopts a coherent set of practices that provide employees with; a) The opportunity to influence operational decisions. b) The skills and abilities to effectively participate in these decisions and c) The incentives to motivate discretionary effort. (Applebaum et al. , 1998) Smarter working- or high performance working is a distinctive approach to managing people at work that raises productivity and at the same time improves the well being of employees. Achieving high performance poses a major challenge for private and public sector organisations as they face ever increasing competition and more demanding performance targets. Its main rationale is that the way in which the people in the organisation are managed offers perhaps the best route to gaining performance improvement and competitive advantage. High performance working conventionally contains three core components that address the opportunity to contribute, competence and motivation of the work force. High performance working requires a workforce that possesses the appropriate level of knowledge and skills. If resources such as technology are to be considered, then it is likely that workers will need high level knowledge and skills. They must be able to work with new technologies, make complex deals or offer sophisticated services. Secondly, any competitive environment is evolving the capacity to innovate requires a workforce that not only possesses the requisite knowledge and skills but is also willing and able to continue to acquire new knowledge and skills. One of the key distinctive features of high performance working is that it should be viewed as a system. In other words, it is not enough to consider competence or motivation in isolation. Logically, there is no advantage in having highly competent workers who are demotivated or under utilised. Equally there are dangers in highly motivated but incompetent workers or high commitment in workers who are neither competent nor motivated. The challenge is to manage all four elements at once. No one has consistently defined, or even uniformly named High Performance Work Systems (HPWS). They have been called â€Å"high performance work practices†, â€Å"alternative work practices and â€Å"flexible work practices†. Despite the variances, many of these programs share common elements including selection procedures, vigorous recruitment and incentives based upon performance and extensive training programs focused on the needs of the business. Essentially High Performance Working Systems, require heavy investment in human capital. This is intended to enhance employee knowledge, skill, flexibility and motivation, with the expectation that the employer is providing employees the ability and the opportunity to provide input into workplace decisions. (Val Buren & Werner, 1996). Companies expect this empowerment to enable employees to adapt readily and quickly to rapidly changing product and labour market conditions, and to improve operational efficiency and firm performance. Although high performance work systems have often been seen as being good for both employers and employees, these practices require significant investments in human capital through training, coordination of initiatives, and time for managerial and employee input. Because of the large investment in human capital the value of these practices may be lost if the investment does not result in increased efficiency and effectiveness. High Performance Working Systems are usually associated with increased productivity. However, examining only productivity effects businesses ignores the cost side of the equation. Despite this caution, numerous studies also find a strong relationship between HPWS and firm performance. These studies consider both costs and the benefits of HPWS. (Huselid, 1995, Baker 1999). Performance of business can be measured on four dimensions: marketing, market share, profitability and sales growth. It is often argued that human resources have an important role to play in facilitating innovation. HPWS are focused upon such objectives as enabling people to think for themselves and to manage their work. High Performance Working Systems can increase innovation by: encouraging team practices that allow learning to go through increased multidisciplinary knowledge, decentralising management in order to allow employees to discover and use knowledge; encouraging team practices that allow learning to go through increased multi-disciplinary knowledge; and putting that knowledge to good use. (Laursen, 2002). High Performance Working Systems systematically try to create organic organisations by moving decision-making downward. If for instance the organisational objective is efficiency, more effective Human Resource Management (HRM) systems are likely to increase firm performance because HPWS effectiveness focuses on better production or service delivery system. In contrast when a firm pursue innovative activities they are more likely to benefit from HPWS since they move the level of decision making downward, making the organisation better able to respond to environmental changes. (Capelli and Neumark 1999) More extensive use of HPWS is positively associated with increased organisational innovation since they are done in a holistic, meaningful and effective manner. It matters how a firm employs its organisational capabilities and its ability to manage human resources because resources or practices do not produce on their own. (Russo and Fouts, 1997). Traditional Human Resource Management systems concentrate on an efficiency objective, offer stable procedures and protocols with set processes for dealing with routing employment problems such as discipline, absenteeism and discharge. These systems also establish procedures, and rules that promote consistency and fairness throughout the organisation. Thus an effective HRM system should enhance the firm’s ability to attract and retain qualified employees and promote efficiency. However, effective Human Resource Management practices most likely lack flexibility of High Performance Working Systems. If a firm is pursuing an innovation objective then effective HRM practices may interfere with this goal by focusing on routines and rules that do not provide an environment conducive for stimulating innovation. Furthermore, organisations that are structured to deal with stable routing tasks are less able to adapt to uncertain, dynamic environments. Many organisations today face complex environments. Firms’ management strategies must adjust and conform to the existing business environment. The present business environment demands that firms respond to change and, at the same time, promote efficiency. Thus firms that can combine effectiveness and flexibility objectives may be put in the optimal strategic position whether they are pursuing objectives of innovation or market performance. More extensive use of High Performance work systems with HRM effectiveness is positively associated with organisational innovation. The banking industry for example has become a highly competitive environment because of banking industry deregulation. The regulatory changes coincide with such technological advances as telephone banking, ATMS, pc-based banking and information system advances. The industry responded to the changes by a significant wave of consolidation that has reduced the number of banks. Regulations essentially prevented firms from implementing the full range of strategic choices. Deregulation frees financial institutions to exercise strategic choice. Since deregulation, many banks have introduced new products and services that do not fit the traditional margin-maximing scheme where margin is the difference between the loan rate and the deposit rate. Instead fee income such as origination fees from corporate cash management accounts, home mortgages and letter of credit have become an increasing important source of bank revenues. Hence, the proportion of total income generated by these alternative fee based products and services represents an important measure of banking innovation. (Pfeffer, 1994). HPWS universally benefit all employers. High investments in training and employees pay off in terms of employee commitment and work effort. However, these HPWS do not come cheaply, firms either need to offset these expenses with productivity increases or operate in an innovate environment that can absorb these costs. This makes HPWS less compatible with firms pursuing efficiency objectives and more compatible with firms whose success is more dependent on innovation as opposed to efficiency. A major benefit of High Performance Working Systems is to move the level of decision making downward to reduce the need for formal supervision so that employees are to think for themselves. These objectives may be of great importance for employers seeking to innovate or provide a responsive service but may be problematic for employers pursuing efficiency objectives. Employers who have highly developed hierarchical and formal structures that follow an evolved model of scientific management may not benefit from HPWS. These employers have designed formal roles and procedures specifically to avoid employees thinking for themselves. Thus it can be argued that employers with innovation objectives would benefit more from HPWS than would employer seeking a marketing efficiency objective (Capelli & Neumark 1999). There are three main set of potential benefits of high performance working system; organisational performance, the worker well being and labour turn over and retention. The major reviews that have been conducted in North America, Europe and elsewhere consistently show a clear association between application of high performance working and organisational performance. These reviews are cross sectional and therefore cannot establish clear cause and effect. It is therefore possible that the more successful organisations have the capacity to introduce high performance working. The ability to retain staff is an important feature of a high performance work system and is a key reason why commitment to the organisation can be considered as a core dimension. The presence of High Performance Working Systems is likely to encourage more people to stay with the organisation. This will help to justify the investment in higher performance working and will also feed into other performance outcomes in the sense that experienced staff who understand the business and its products can contribute to higher productivity and to a higher quality of goods and services. For some managers a concern for worker well-being may appear to be an outcome of marginal interest. Well being is usually defined as a combination of job satisfaction, mental and physical health and broader life satisfaction. Work related well being can be narrowed down to the first two but should extend to include work-life balance. There is evidence that workers who experience high performance work practices report higher job satisfaction. They are also more likely to participate in a range of extra activities and to report both better general health and better mental health reflected in less anxiety and depression. The only downside is some suggestion that under high performance working staff may experience greater work-related stress. This could be through highly committed workers tending to choose to work longer hours and to accept more responsibility. High performance working systems have received the endorsement of many governments and organisations. These include Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD), Chartered Management Institute and Lisbon European Council for more and better jobs. HPWS face challenges and barriers. The skills for Business Employer Survey published in August 2006 shows some recent progress has been made in raising the uptake of individual high performance practices. However, one of the most reliable sources of evidence, the workplace Employment Relations surveys, show that in 1998, there was at best only modest application of these practices in workplaces across the UK and the 2004 survey shows that there has been very little if any further progress with implementation since then. There is evidence that levels of autonomy in jobs have actually been declining suggesting that managers are tending to assert greater control rather than trust in the competence and commitment of staff. Three factors prevent a stronger adoption of High Performance Working Systems. These can be summarised as ignorance, inability and doubts about the case. Some people especially managers have doubts about the benefits of high performance working. These doubts operate at a number of levels. First there is scepticism about the claim that people- or at least the current work force is the key basis for competitive advantage, allied to belief that priorities for performance ought to be directed elsewhere. Secondly managers are unwilling to take the risk of giving workers greater autonomy and control. There is evidence about a trend to reduce worker autonomy and reveals a generally low trust dynamic. Thirdly, there is doubt about the specific pay-offs and more particularly, whether they would generalise to their own work setting. Given these constrains, should we give up and leave High Performance working Systems to those few organisations that have managed to adopt it successfully and are reaping benefits? If relatively few firms are adopting HPWS working and it does bring benefits, then there is a strong case for gaining a lead on competitors. At the individual level, there is good evidence that workers benefit from being part of an organisation that engages in high performance working systems. Furthermore, job design aimed at enhancing levels of autonomy and control is likely to be associated with higher levels of well being. It will be associated with greater commitment and less likelihood of wanting to move on.