Saturday, August 31, 2019

Divine Command Theory Essay

There are millions of people who believe in God, but among these people the differences lie in to what extent each believes that God has control over what is right and wrong. Are people’s moral standards right because God commands them, or does God command them because they are right? The Divine Command Theory most simply states that God’s commands are what is morally right, and what God forbids is morally wrong. This means that loving one another is right because God commands humans to do so. Advocates of the Divine Command Theory believe this, and believe that morality is the same as that which God commands. Things are good because God created them and/or willed them. Divine Command Theorists believe that there are objective moral standard that are the same for everyone and are independent of individual beliefs. These moral standards are true for everyone regardless of whether or not they believe them or know of them. These ultimate moral standards exist in commands given by God. God commands only things that are good, and he would never command a person to act immorally. God is all-powerful, all knowing, and all loving. God commands these things in order to do what is good for us as humans, and his commands are automatically morally right. The opponents of the Divine Command Theory do not believe that God has that much control over the earth and what is morally just and unjust. They believe that morality is subjective, and that even if there is a God morality would still be subjective. What does it matter anyway what God commands or thinks since it is just another subjective opinion? One of the only reasons that people obey God’s commands is that they fear that they will be punished in someway if they do not. They fear that they will go to hell if they do not obey, or that something bad will happen to them. This would mean that their motives are merely self-interested. But, a Divine Command Theory advocate would argue that God created us, and it is our obligation as his creation to obey Him just as a child would obey its parents. Is it even possible though to compare one’s parents with the divine? Opponent’s say that it is not possible to compare the divine with a child’s parents. However, to continue with the comparison, if a child were to want  to do something and the parent told them â€Å"no, because I said so†, then, like God, the rationale for the action being wrong is simply because it is commanded. If the command were to change to ordering the child to kill, then the right thing to do would be changed to killing. Likewise, if God’s commands are automatically what is right, then if God were to command humans to kill, killing would be a morally just action. Supporters would argue that the situation with God is different. They would also argue that God would not command something that is immoral. But, why wouldn’t God command something immoral? The only answers would be because it is wrong or because God only commands that which is right. But saying this would therefore disprove the Divine Command Theory entirely. This states that what is right and wrong is independent of God, and that what God commands and condemns is subject to these independent standards of what is right and what is wrong. This also proves that a supporter could not say that God is good because â€Å"God† and â€Å"good† do not have the same definition. In order to state this, one must concede that in order for this to be true God must be independent of the standards of goodness that the definition of â€Å"good† entails. There are only two possibilities for the existence of God and moral standards: 1. God creates the moral standards, or 2. God is subject to the moral standards that are independent of him. If God is independent of what is right and wrong and commands what is right and wrong, then God becomes another rational being who decides from these standards of right and wrong what to command. The moral values are accepted by God and therefore commanded. If this is true, then in no way does God create the moral standards. The only way for a Divine Command Theorist to prove their beliefs is for them to prove that without God there would be no morality. If God commands things because they are good, then humans could live moral lives without God because God is also subject to the standards of morality. Humans could, as rational beings, understand the moral values that determine right and wrong and choose how they should live. Humans could decide what actions are moral or immoral without God. Divine Command Theory advocates may try to support their beliefs by saying  that there is nothing above God, good and bad is determined by God’s commands, and things are good and moral because God commands them. However, if there is nothing independent of God causing him to decide what to command, then there is nothing to prevent God from commanding evils such as murder. The only answers again are that God wouldn’t do that because God is good, or that God only commands that which is good. Both of which again disprove the Divine Command Theory. Divine Command Theorists feel that those are not the only answers. The main reason behind God not commanding evil is because God is a loving God, an all-loving God. Because he is such, He would not command evil, and evil would not be moral. God actually exists and loves his creations. He loves and cares for them, and commands in a way that is considerate of their well being and creates a unity/togetherness among them. Not to act according to his commands is to act contrary to a loving way, and to act in this manner is wrong. How does one know what God’s commands are? Are they sent directly from God into people’s brains or souls? Are they given to us via a messenger i.e. a priest? It would seem easy to say that rational human beings have an intuition that tells them what is right and wrong and that God is not the one telling them what is right and what is wrong. There is no need for a God to tell humans what is considered moral and immoral because humans have knowledge and a sense that is independent of God to tell them the right ways to live. God does not create the moral laws. The moral laws exist separately from God and can be understood by any rational being. All that humans need in order to live a moral life is an understanding of these moral laws and a conscience to guide them through their life. Advocates would argue, however, that this is not the case. The moral laws exist because God commands them, and his commands are found in the Bible’s teachings. God commands us through the teachings of the Bible to live a moral life. He teaches us that to love one another is a moral way of life, and evils result in an immoral life. This can be seen in the Ten Commandments and various other passages in the Bible. A person can  understand the way of life that God intended through what can be read in the Bible and inferred from it. This is where morality and God’s commands can be found. However, the Bible can be very contradictory and unclear. In many passages God directly commands murder, and in others commands that death is the correct punishment for actions such as homosexuality. Are things immoral with the exceptions of the instances when God deems them as the right thing to do? Can God say that murder is wrong but change it to right depending on the situation? Is a person supposed to read the Bible and make their own decisions about what the passages mean and what they are telling humans are the right and wrong ways of life? The Bible should not be the source of God’s commands. Suppose that a person reads a book that someone has told them contains the moral standards given to humans by God that all people are supposed to live by, and this book says that a person should kill people over the age of 50, would it be morally correct for this person to kill everyone over the age of 50? There are many religions that do not worship God based on the Bible. Are these religions wrong, and are they worshipping incorrectly? The Judeo-Christian God cannot be the absolute correct belief. If God created all human beings, then he wouldn’t only enlighten Christians of his existence and the correct moral laws. If God’s commands are found in the Bible, then does this mean that before the composition of the Bible there was no God or moral laws? The use of the Bible to explain the Divine Command Theory is a very unstable method. Clearly, the Divine Command Theory is a very sensitive subject to discuss. Despite the strength of each argument, there is no real proof on either side of the argument than can without a doubt prove that what God commands is right because he commands is or that God commands that which is right because it is right. Both can be considered valid arguments of the amount of control God has over the moral standards of the universe, but it is much easier to attempt to disprove something that has no concrete evidence. The question of whether moral standards exist because of God or if God is  subject to them remains a very good one.

Friday, August 30, 2019

Case Study †American Chemical Corp

The past performance of ACC as seen from the financial statements for the period 1974-79 is characterized by a high degree of variability. The overall situation has been very good with profit to net asset ratio (average 54. 3%) going as high as 84. 2% and 90% in 1977 and 1978, before dropping to 66. 4% in 1979. Barring the year 1975, the ratio has also shown a consistently increasing trend. In absolute terms the operating profit has shown substantial increases between the years 1976 and 1978.Except for 1976, when the company’s performance ahs dipped as a result of general market conditions, the company has shown reasonably good growth in sales, both in terms of quantity and amount. Costs have been under control and in some cases have declined over the years. Hence the past performance of ACC has been good but has shown a high degree of variability. This indicates that although the company has been performing well, the risk associated with it is also high. 2. Competitive enviro nment of ACC at the timeIn 1979, there were a dozen companies producing sodium chlorate. Apart from large, diversified chemical companies, these also included a few paper and pulp companies that had backward integrated into production of sodium chlorate. The total existing capacity was 455,000 tons, and another 75,000 tons were being added by way of new plants being put up. Over the years, sales of sodium chlorate had increased 220,000 tons in 1970 to 435,000 tons in 1979 (expected figure), representing an increase of 97. 7%.Durng the same period capacity grew from 270,000 tons to 455,000 tons, representing an increase of 68. 5%. This lag in the increase in capacity, compared to the increase in sales, has augured well for the companies manufacturing this chemical, and resulted in substantial price increases from $129 per ton in 1970 to $413 in 1979. Thus the market and competitive environment were quite favorable to the manufacturers at this time. Rising costs were a matter of conce rn with the cost of electricity, one of the major inputs, registering steady increases over the years.This placed companies such as American that were using older technologies and graphite electrodes at a disadvantage compared to newer plants that used metal electrodes. 3. Beta for Collinsville plant and ACC The equity beta for ACC and Collinsville plant was 1. 20. This is the levered beta. In 1978, debt was 39% of the total capitalization, while common and preferred stock accounted for 69%. The debt-equity ratio was 0. 565. Hence, the unlevered beta was 1. 2/1. 565 = 0. 77. 4. Cost of equity for evaluating cash flows of Collinsville plant projectThe Collinsville plant of American Chemical Corporation is into production of Sodium Chlorate. It might not be possible to locate companies that produce only sodium chlorate, as companies that produce sodium chlorate are either manufacturers of other chemicals or of paper. Comparing the cost of equity with other chemical manufacturers might not necessarily be representative. The best course would therefore be to compare the cost of equity of the Collinsville plant with other manufacturers of Sodium Chlorate.Since all these manufacturers produce other products along with Sodium Chlorate, the values may not be exact fits, but should be representative enough to provide a basis for evaluation. The beta values and debt and equity position of some of these companies are shown below. Organization Beta (Levered) (a) Debt/Equity (b) Unlevered Beta (a)/(1+(b)) Pennwalt 1. 33 39/69 = 0. 565 0. 85 Kerr-McGee 1. 06 17/83 = 0. 205 0. 88 International Minerals & Chemicals 0. 81 33/67 = 0. 493 0. 54 Georgia-Pacific 1. 50 29/71 = 0. 408 1. 07 Brunswick Chemical 1.10 15/85 = 0. 176 0. 94 Southern Chemicals 1. 20 21/79 = 0. 266 0. 95 . Average (unlevered) beta of selected firms = 0. 87. Debt-Equity ratio for American Chemical = 39/61 = 0. 639 Equity beta to be assumed for Collinsville plant = 1. 639 x 0. 87 = 1. 43 Interest on long-term treasury bonds = 9. 5% (Risk free return is taken as 9%) Market Risk Premium = 7%. Cost of equity = 9 + 1. 43 x 7 = 19% 5. Cost of debt and WACC The bond rating of American Chemical Corporation is BBB/A. The market rate for long-term A corporate bonds is 10. 75%.Hence the interest rate for American Chemical’s bond should be slightly higher than this. The actual rate being paid by Dixon is 11. 25%, which appears to be appropriate. The rest of the loan financing is also done at the rate of 11. 25%. Hence the actual cost of debt capital for Dixon for the Collinsville plant = 11. 25%. Although the purchase of the Collinsville plant is to done entirely with debt capital, it would not be appropriate to treat the cost of capital for the plant as the same as cost of debt capital, because the capital structure of the company as a whole needs to be considered.Debt-to–total capital ratio after acquisition of Collinsville plant = 47% Hence WACC for the Collinsville plant = 0. 47 x 11. 25 + 0. 53 x 19 = 15. 4%, which may be rounded off to 15%. 6. Incremental cash flows associated with the acquisition of Collinsville plant without laminate technology Using the same assumptions made in the preparation of the pro forma financial statements by Dixon for the years 1980-1984 as the basis, projections for a further period of five years were made to obtain expected incomes for a period of ten years, which is the estimated life of the plant.The cash flow has been arrived at by adding back depreciation, which is a non-cash charge, to the net incomes to arrive at the cash flow each year. The results are shown in Table 1. 7. Incremental cash flows and NPV associated with investment in laminate technology Dixon will get the laminate technology as part of the agreement for sale of the Collinsville plant, and hence no extra cash flow will be involved for the acquisition of the technology. However, Dixon will have to bear the cost of installation, which will amount to $2. 2 5 million. This will be depreciated over a period of ten years.There will be a one time cash outflow of $2. 25 million at the beginning of the installation. As against this, there will be recurring benefits in the form of savings in graphite and power consumption over the life of the project, which is ten years. The incremental cash flow that will accrue on an annual basis will involve no cash outflow, as the incremental cash flow is in the form of pure savings. The savings will consist of complete elimination of graphite costs and a saving of 15-20% in power. Taking a conservative view, 15% power savings are considered for the cash flow projections, which are shown in Table 2 below.

Thursday, August 29, 2019

Brandon Suing Essay

Brandon Suing Essay Reality T.VWhy do people watch Reality T.V.? What makes it reality? If it isreality, whycan we separate our lives from theirs? Reality shows arent really reality,they just depictsmall pieces of real life. Most people think of it as just an ordinaryshow. Others see it assomething that they can relate to everyday life. Given this; there aredisputes while livingtogether, arguments, and actual fistfights can break out when viewing thesetypes ofshows. Sounds like real life right?When you actually put time and thought into it before you watch it,(most peopledont analyze the tendencies of these shows) you begin to notice that adesignatednumber of people might act the same way in a different show, or may actthe same way,every time. These characters are developed as the show progresses, gainingspecific attitudes. The characters consist of the witty, shy, smart-assedloud mouth, anda relatively mellow character. All must have encompass some traits; if theydidnt, itwouldnt really appeal to the v iewers. You cant make money out ofsomething peopledont watch. The way society is designed, most people watch what is shoved intotheir faces,and watch what is given. To watch these shows, you need the I.Q. of 1. Whydoes theirreality differ so much from ours? Society also determines how the people inthe showsact during the course of it. For instance, if two people are beingevaluated, and they getbad reviews, the editors of the show clip out parts that are irrelevant,and they showparts of that person that would make them more appealing to the viewers. This isnt right,adjusting the way that a person is shown so that they be more appealing,with or withoutthe persons consent. This cant be real, Dramatizing people for the solepurpose ofentertainment. Racial issues are in this as well; most shows consist of a variety ofnationality. They try to have at least one of each of the ethnic groups. This way, theshow may drawattention from viewers from different races. From my personal view, thedirections ofthese shows are headed down a one-way street, theres hardly any characterdevelopment. Most of them center on just a few themes, including danger, dating andfamily feudsituations. This goes on and on from one show to the next. This isntsomething that wehave to struggle to understand. The shows require a little directing and alittle fewerscreen writing. They compete for prizes which vary (cars, to money, even ahusband / wife!). Then to add to the drama, they add a twist; a person hasto vote off theirfriends, or the one least liked, some are even voted off by the actualpeople who watchthe show. All in all, reality T.V. may be something that you and your friendsand family cansit back during the day to watch just to get a kick out of it. As for thereality part, youmay not find that much, if any at all. It may be the new thing in T.V., butits still got along way to go before it deserves the name Reality T.V..

Wednesday, August 28, 2019

How will China look to sustain economic growth in the future Essay

How will China look to sustain economic growth in the future - Essay Example (Hu and Khan, 1997: Harder, 2010, p.1) The nation has been able to sustain the growth inspite of minor fluctuations. The economy had been experiencing a 6 percent annual growth before it underwent an economic reform in 1978, which changed to 9 percent post reform. It witnessed a above 13 percent per capita growth in its peak years- a nearly quadrupled figure. The country experienced a growth in its capital accumulation in the form of ‘stocks of capital assets’ and the setting up of new factories, developing machinery, and logistics systems which was an important factor in the growth of the economy. The growth in the number of Chinese workers also resulted in a sharp and sustained increase in the productivity, which was also a major factor for the economic growth of the country. The key driving force of the growth has mainly been the unremitting expansion in the production of the economy, which accounted for more than 42 per cent during the period 1979-94. This also broke the traditional myth that an economy can only grow with the growth in its capital accumulation. ... It has been argued that productivity driven growth are more sustainable and the ‘market oriented reform’ taken up by the country had resulted in creating the ‘productivity boom’. The reform brought in the introduction of ‘profit incentives to rural collective enterprises, family farms, small private business and foreign investors and traders’, which stimulated the efficiency of the economy. Many enterprises were also exempted from the state authority intervention, which resulted in an increase in the share of the collective enterprises from 42 percent to 50 percent and the share of the private business and joint ventures from 2 percent to 10 percent, while the output of the state owned enterprises declined from 56 percent to 40 percent. The profit motive of the producers increased the investment in their business in order to improve its performance. Reforms in the economic policy had also extended property rights in the countryside as the rural people started of non-agricultural business. The post reform period was marked with more competent use of labor and more fruitful farms as a result of de-collectivization and high priced farming products. This resulted in fast growth of village enterprises driving many people into ‘higher value added manufacturing sector’ from the ‘traditional agricultural sector’. The reform granted the enterprise managers with greater freedom as they were free to place their own production goals, sell the products in the private market with competitive prices, and give bonus to the employee who works better and fire the one whose performance is not good. The reform also entitled them to retain some of the firm’s earnings for further

Tuesday, August 27, 2019

Fire Engineering Design Project Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Fire Engineering Design Project - Assignment Example The perspectives of a variety of experts in the field of fire engineering will be explored. Appendix One Fire engineering may be better classified as the implementation of engineering regulations, laws and professional assessments. These elements may be based upon a cognitive evaluation of human motivation and an empirical comprehension of fire related effects in order to: Preserve life property, environmental resources and national heritages. Assess the dangers and potentials of fire related incidents. Methodologically assess the maximum protective and preventative requisites which are necessary to minimize the results of fire events. The endeavor of fire engineering is to reduce the consequences of fire in the vicinity of adjoining edifices and structures. This is required by national codification and convention. During the past thirty years, edifice related legislation has deviated from complete prescriptive mandates to more flexible rules as demonstrated by research and developme nt in the field. Many experts agree that the presently accepted regulatory documents which are designated Approved Document B (ADB) are not adapted to large open and more intricately constructed structures. In addition, the Approved Document B is not adapted to rehabilitated structures. Many of the requisites recommended in Approved Document B are non existent in edifices which were constructed prior to its inception. An example of this would be a structure with one staircase and one conspicuous egress point (Cooke 2011). The evaluation of the methods of escape inside of a structure, notwithstanding new or rehabilitated structures is reliant upon the aspects of the structure. The perspective for such a structure would be different if the structure were an office, a shop or an institution of higher education. The accepted conventions require that the structure or edifice be erected in agreement with the design recommendations that are within the parameters of Approved Document B. In accordance with this perspective, a compliant solution is implemented. This compliant solution requires strict adherence the design criteria. These criteria are not restricted to the Building Regulations and Approved Document B. There are roughly 120 documents which are currently set as criteria which may be applied as a design matrix for fire engineering (Lawrence Webster Forrest 2012). As a point of reference, the designer must consider the number of occupants who will occupy a structure at a predetermined moment. Subsequently, as architects plan and implement the required endeavors in order to ascertain various requisites, the fire engineer endeavors to calculate the planning of a structure's means of egress. Approved Document B accepts two techniques which may be applied to fire engineering. The primary technique is founded upon linear area abstractions. These abstractions may apply a value of six square meters per person in the case of an office environment or seven meters per person in the situation of a library. The Approved Document B table may be applied in order to provide a comparative analysis with similar structures with parallel applications. The Approved Document B, Table 4 suggests the application of the following standards: Optimal Occupancy of Persons Minimum number of egresses 60 1 600 2 Greater than 600 3 The coordinates of egress routes and the final exit doors are required to be accessible and recognizable by all occupants. The number of egresses

Monday, August 26, 2019

Complexities of the U.S. Financial System Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Complexities of the U.S. Financial System - Essay Example One (1) Way the U.S. Financial Markets Impact Businesses. Financial markets provide funds for business units so that they can operate in a large scale. Funding needs are among the most significant for any business sufficed by the financial markets (Bhattacharya & Bonser-Neal, n.d.). Notably, business that intends to grow consistently seeks the assistance of the investors and the financial markets and acts as that potential investor in this context. Furthermore, the foreign companies that operate in the US market, also considers the financial markets, as one of the major source of funds (Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, n.d.). One (1) Way the U.S. Financial Markets Impact Individuals. Individuals also consider financial markets or financial institutions as a source of getting personal funds against particular interest rate. People rely heavily for their financial needs on the financial markets (Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, n.d.) Explain the Primary Role of the U.S. Federal Reserve and Their Effectiveness In Today’s Economic Environment. It has been comprehended that the US Federal Reserve is involved in conducting the activities relevant to the monetary policies of the country. It also works towards supervising as well as regulating the banks and financial institutions. Notably, the Federal Reserve also provides financial services directly to the US government. It is deemed to be quite effective in ensuring, the accomplishment of the financial goals of the nation (Federal Reserve, n.d.). Explain the Primary Role of the U.S. Federal Reserve Chairman and Their Effectiveness in Today’s Economic Environment. The chairman of the Federal Reserve, work towards supervising the regulatory bodies and the banking system of the FEDs. He/she also leads the open market committee of the FEDs within their respective department. The chairman

Examining the Effectiveness of Bicameralism Essay

Examining the Effectiveness of Bicameralism - Essay Example Bicameralism entails a legislature that is characterized by the division of legislators into two assemblies. This approach tends to have an influence on presidential and parliamentary systems. The presidential system would have the legislators elected directly by the separate chambers. A parliamentary system assumes a different approach as it is characterized by the presence of a lower and an upper chamber. The first chamber has the legislators elected directly while those in the second chamber can be elected directly or indirectly. The effectiveness of a bicameral system has been contended as some see it as a virtue of any constitutional design as another term it as a suggestion of weakness in any legislative system. Citing related literature, we can establish that bicameralism has a unique history and was established with an aim of balancing the needs of the majority and the minority, but the division can make deliberation of legislature slow and laborious. Bicameralism finds its roots in Europe where the likes of Aristotle suggested the need for a multi-chambered legislature. The logic behind Bicameralism was the fact that the society always has people on both extreme ends. The groups have unique features that are distinctively defined such that they should be represented separately. This notion became popular in medieval Europe, and many European countries were inspired to assume this direction (Tsebelis & Money, 2009).

Sunday, August 25, 2019

The Roots of Anglican and Protestant Reformations Essay

The Roots of Anglican and Protestant Reformations - Essay Example The introduction of many printing presses made it possible for the quick spread of Renaissance ideas to a large audience in a more reliable manner. This promoted the rapid transmissions of the works of Martin Luther and was made possible by the university where Luther was working at the time. On the social front, the increasing loss of popularity of Rome in Germany and other parts of the world due to the heavy taxation of the people in order to facilitate the construction of the St. Peters square in Rome, made many people rethink their religious stand.  Many countries began to stress on their nationalism thus lowering their devotion to Rome and the nation of Italy. Some countries such as Germany and Poland began to openly express their dissatisfaction with Rome.   The long-term economic hardships that were witnessed in Europe caused the rise in the calls for reformation by the Protestants. The increasing greed of the top leaders of the Catholic Church led to the depression of the peasants in various parts of Europe. The prices of basic commodities began to increase as the inflation rate rose to make the standards of living to decrease. This was argued on the basis that the church took most of the resources and the people were left with very little to support their livelihoods.On the political front, it was argued that there was lack of strong and centralized institutions as which was evident by poor management of the taxation system, lack of an imperial army and lack of effective machinery to conduct the duties of the government. Martin Luther had received a lot of support and protection from Elector Frederick the Wise.   The personal doubts that Martin Luther had on the direction that the church had taken, contributed to the religious course for the reformation. A number of blames were directed on the papacy which was viewed to have taken different dimensions and had deviated from the religious goal. The popes who existed in the renaissance period failed to set a good example for their followers all over the world.

Saturday, August 24, 2019

People Tree Marketing Communication Plan Dissertation

People Tree Marketing Communication Plan - Dissertation Example They are quick fashions and they go with the trends in the markets. High amount of wastes are a major problem faced by fast fashion industries (Hines and Bruce, 2006). Slow fashion are those sectors which are organized in such a way so as to provide environmental, economic and social benefits to all stakeholders involved in the supply chain. These are the companies who are in this industry for many years and have evolved from a profit-making culture to an environment friendly and sustainable organizational goal. Looking at the change in the communication and perception of the overall industry trends, People Tree now wish to broaden their appeal and become a mainstream provider of fashion. The organization is concerned with its current brand equity and brand image and expects to communicate its brand on a more sustainable and environmental friendly platform. With the change of image and activities supporting a sustainable environment, the organization aims to gain sustainable certific ates. According to industry trends, these are certified of sustainability and image makeover will be the communication platform between the industry and consumers. 2.0 Brand Communications Objective 2.1 External and Internal Situational Analysis 2.1.1 External Analysis – Macro Environment The fashion market in United Kingdom is a leading industry. The market is filled with a large number of fashion brands ranging from luxury brands to local street wears. According to fashion United, the total expenditure of UK Consumption on footwear and clothing alone is more than 60 billion. The fashion and textile sector of United Kingdom employs more than 6000 workers. During the global economic downturn, the average household consumption of textile reduced... People tree is a fair trade certified organization, according to which, sustainable and ethical fashion market is the top priority. The organization aims to transform ethical fashion into a glamorous and desirable market. The brand is positioned as a high involvement category involving much of attraction from the consumers. The brand is placed in the mass category of apparel products for men and women. These include casuals, formals and ethnic wear. These products are medium to high prices and places with the positioning of value for money and affordable pricing. This category of apparel has the largest base of consumers and thus competition is high. Most of the other companies produce similar clothing range. The major differentiation comes from pricing and superior quality. The segmentation of customers will largely depend on the values provided by the brand as well as the psychology of the consumers with respect to the attributed provided by the brand. It is very important to segme nt the customers on the basis of their interests, activities and behaviour towards the organization. This is very crucial because it will help is preparing appropriate strategies and marketing programs targeting the right consumers mix. The products of People Tree are generally purchased by consumers of higher social class, since it is majorly ethical and high end fashion apparel; the people purchasing these products are more quality conscious rather than price conscious.(Pettigrew, Whittington and Thomas, 2006).

Friday, August 23, 2019

Apple's Strategy for its products Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Apple's Strategy for its products - Assignment Example All of these are a result of conscious effort by Apple’s managers, designers and team of engineers to strive for better product for its consumers. As a result, Apple has become the world’s most liquid organization despite having a niche target market which is miniscule as compared to Microsoft. (Kotler and Keller, 2005) One of the fundamental parts of Apple’s innovation strategy is its premium pricing. Apple has never competed on price unlike other companies. Steve Jobs once said that other brands are making money because of Wal-Mart (they are cheap!), but Apple is in such a good condition because of their innovation strategy. This shows us that the prime emphasis of Apple is on innovation and costing and pricing is not as dear to them as it is to other company. As a result, it is rear that people can find substitutes for Apple’s product. (Martins, 2011) Hence, we can safely conclude that Apple is a company that is leveraged thanks to its great innovation policies. This tells us that any organization can do well in the market by positioning their products on some differentiating factor rather than

Thursday, August 22, 2019

Crooks isolation in Of Mice and Men Essay Example for Free

Crooks isolation in Of Mice and Men Essay 1. The person who influenced Crooks to be isolated is his dad. When Crooks was a kid, he did play with some white kids. However, although those white kids were pretty nice, Crooks dad didnt allow him to do, as Crooks said, My ol man didnt like that. Thus, when Crooks was growing up, he was increasingly aware of that there exist a boundary between black people and white people that is hard to go across. As he found that there wasnt another colored family for miles around and now there aint a colored man on this ranch, Crooks felt himself isolated because there were no black people whom he could communicate with, as he stated in the story, If I say something, why its just a nigger sayin it. Furthermore, the white workers on the ranch also played a major role of influencing Crooks to be isolated. They discriminated him, thought Crooks stink and didnt allow Crooks to play cards together with them. This would enhance Crooks feeling of isolation. Therefore, both of Crooks dad and the white people on the ranch influenced Crooks to feel isolated and lived alone in a shed. 2. If I were Crooks, I would feel the same way as Crooks did: lonely, frustrated and helpless, just like a single man walking on the boundless desert. Whenever I am unhappy or sad, nobody talks to me and give me comforts. Crooks said, A guy needs somebody-to be near him A guy goes nuts if he aint got nobody. Thats true. This unhealthy mental state will make me feel more and more miserable; and also think that life is hopeless. Thats true. If human beings avoid communications with each other, then the life becomes boring and meaningless. Being lonely or isolated is not the nature of a person. Why does George feel bad after killing Lennie? Thats because George lost a friend whom he was used to for a long time and a sudden feeling of lonely came to his heart. So, being lonely and isolated will affect not only my emotions but also my life in a negative way. 3. When I was in elementary school, there was one student in our class who lost three fingers in a car accident at six. However, such an unlucky boy didnt get any support from us. Instead, nobody wanted to do homework with him because he couldnt write words quickly; nobody liked to play sports with him because he couldnt even hold a ball in his hands; nobody would like to make friends with him because they felt embarrassed of staying with a handicapped person. Even one day he fell onto the group, nobody came to give him a hand. He never told us his name. I could notice that he felt isolated and rejected from the entire class. He usually just sat silently at one corner of the classroom in the back. After one year, he quit school and no one cared about that. While reading this chapter, Crooks life on the ranch reminds me of the real-life situation happened on that boy who felt lonely and isolated.

Wednesday, August 21, 2019

Professional Development Plan Essay Example for Free

Professional Development Plan Essay In order to develop a plan that will address the characteristics of my group and me as a leader; a thorough review of the completed DISC assessments much be completed on an individual basis and an overall plan can be derived thereafter. The individual analyses are as follows: Individual Assessments Jeremy Conner, Jessica Mills, and Brian Tuck are all predominately categorized as cautious in style. Their tendencies include: being tense with themselves and others when under pressure, having a natural curiosity about people, being concerned about what people think, feel, and expect, having strong attachments to their personal interests, underestimating the time required to complete tasks, being intuitive and observant about situations and people, associating their self-worth with their work, and being intrigued by concepts, ideas and processes. They are known as the assessors and tend to have strong opinions about people and groups with whom you do not identify or agree. Robert Mills was predominately categorized as interactive in style. This style’s strengths include: enthusiasm, charm, persuasiveness, and warmth. The cautious style is gifted in people skills and communication skills with individuals as well as groups. They are great influencer’s. They are idea-people and dreamers who excel at getting others excited about their vision. They are optimist with an abundance of charisma. All of these qualities help them influence people and build alliances to accomplish their goals. I was predominately categorized as a dominance style. My primary motivation is accomplishing bigger and better goals according to an internal timetable. I prefer to be involved in my chosen activities from start to finish, and I  resist people who are obstacles to my achievements. My tendencies include: disliking being told what to do, or when and how to do something, being reluctant to change what I think or how I feel, delegating tasks only if absolutely necessary, acting competitively, especially when pushing myself to new levels or in new directions, making sure that production is completed on schedule, depending on plans for action and follow-up routines, and becoming tenacious and focused when under pressure. Team Development Plan Based on the analysis of the DISC assessments, I would put myself in a leadership role on the team with Robert as my supervisor, and Jeremy, Jessica, and Brian as subordinates. My style is more fit to a leadership role due to my desire to accomplish bigger and better goals. This desire allows me to look bigger picture which must be done from an upper management perspective in order to keep the company ahead of the curve in all aspects of business to avoid pitfalls. Robert’s natural charisma and persuasiveness would make him great at motivating the rest of the team. This does not mean that Jeremy, Jessica, and Bryan aren’t just as important to the team success. All workers from top to bottom are needed for a business to be successful. I strongly believe in the phrase â€Å"you are only as good as your weakest member†. For this reason, I would make sure that they were given a chance to air their grievances and make suggestions on changes that should be made. I must make sure to allow every team member to have a say in the business processes because this is a weak point of my particular style. Flexibility on my part must be a focal point to ensure that all team members feel heard and feel like they hold value in the company. Conclusion All of the information in the above plan will be closely monitored and periodic meetings will take place to allow time for all employees to voice their grievances or concerns to ensure that full compliance is being achieved. It is very important that regular monitoring is performed to ensure that the company stays on track and will help ensure the long-term success of the company. Realizing each individual’s style as well as their strengths and weaknesses will allow a more personal and individualized  approach to be taken in regards to team dynamics and goal attainment. References University of Phoenix. (2014). DISC Assessments [Multimedia]. Retrieved from University of Phoenix, LDR531 website. DISC Test and DISC Assessment: Explained. (2013). Retrieved from https://www.discinsights.com/whatisdisc#.VBMXGGOEzSg

Tuesday, August 20, 2019

Personal And Professional Development

Personal And Professional Development For this essay I have audited my leadership skills using theoretical models and referred to specific situations and experiences. This encompasses personal, academic and professional reflections and explores opportunities for my career paths and personal development with an Action Plan for the future. This has required critical evaluation of my own development needs in light of my own aspirations, establishing an understanding of my transferrable skills and how these can be enhanced. For this I have considered situations in which my leadership traits, styles and skills have been utilised to help create successful outcomes. Background My career path has involved working closely with and taking an interest in people, both clients and colleagues alike. In developing my management skills, I am continually pursuing further ways of improving the effectiveness of these interactions which is immensely rewarding for me. On leaving school, my first employment was within the travel industry. From the outset, I sought to improve skills and enjoyed the challenge of meeting the needs of customers, budgetary targets, training of staff, problem solving, through to the opening and management of a travel agency branch several years later. Apart from the GCSE qualifications gained at school, any further academic or professional learning has been gained whilst in employment. The skills and achievements in my personal life are equally transferrable to my work life. For example, as Chairman of a genealogical society for several years and public speaking engagements both serve as reminders that I have organisational, research and presentation abilities which I can and should be utilising and developing along my career path. I am a prison officer and, three years ago, I learnt that my establishment was funding a Foundation Degree in Offender Management. My initial reaction was one of excitement as I had, for several years, considered some form of Higher Education by way of personal and professional development, but had never explored the options. It was a source of immense satisfaction to pass the course and achieve Distinction grade. My learning journey, experiences and personal developments, undertaken in the last three years, would take more than the word count of this essay allows, yet there are key points to reflect on in order to analyse my own leadership skills and continue their development. Theoretical Models and Personal Experience of Reflection in my Professional Development: From my earliest days in retail employment, then Care Work and on to prison officer, I have been fascinated by people and behaviour. Working alongside others, as well as empowering and training gives me great personal and professional satisfaction. Using reflective models such as Gibbs (1998), shown in Appendix III, I came to realise that how I interpret situations influences my interactions with others. As I will illustrate, this relates directly to my personality style and how I manage people and situations. Linked to this is the importance I place on how I am viewed by others and naturally seek collaborative and open relationships. Many of these values are found in Carnegie (1938), listed in Appendix I. The Study Skills Self-Assessment which I completed on 23 October 2007 (Appendix II) highlighted three main employability skills I need to develop as: Improving own learning and performance Application of number (data collection and interpretation) Information and technology proficiency Alongside these, to develop, are my personal attributes of Self confidence Flexibility and adaptability Judgement In this assessment I also reflected on my own specific weaknesses which include being too self-critical and not praising my own achievements enough which can affect my ability to be objective about my performance. I have a strong underpinning need to defend others and leap to their rescue which I have come to see as a hindrance to my own development and of those I seek to help. This is a particularly important area for me to address as future management roles will require me to allow others to take their own personal responsibility and only offer guidance as appropriate. This rescuer style is schema-related and I have considered schema theory and how this applies to me. Beck, (1967:233), described a schema as ..a cognitive structure for screening, coding, and evaluating the stimuli that impinge on the organism. In short, schemas are the filters or core beliefs we have about ourselves or the world around us which influence how we interpret different situations in our lives. The nature of the work I do in offender rehabilitation requires me to undertake regular de-briefing, supervision, yearly health reviews and bi-monthly counselling. This, together with schema theory and other therapy models I use with prisoners, which I have also applied to myself, means I spend a lot of time being introspective and sharing reflections with colleagues. This helps define practical steps for a successful future but also enables me to gain wider perspectives in understanding, leading and managing others with a range of resources and situational analysis capabilities. Whereas, in the past and even recently, I have questioned the decision making processes of management, this has reshaped into a desire to gain a holistic overview of the work environment. Understanding the way we think and manage ourselves and others has been an important facet of my learning over the last three years. Straker (2008) who expands on the work of Gardner (2006) was helpful in appreciating that how we interact with people, at all levels, and is crucial for self development. Overcoming objections to understanding others, for fear that this might disprove our own theories about ourselves and the world are key hurdles of which I must continually be mindful. Negative experiences in this have resulted in an unhealthy view of the workplace but, as I said earlier, the benefits of a more engaging view have proved beneficial in my work and personal well being. As well as using Gibbs Reflective Cycle (1998), Kolb (1984) also helped me to evaluate experiences and test hypotheses but I did not find it took me to the point of action whereas Gibbs sets out the plan for ongoing development which is crucial for me so as not to remain procrastinating. Moon (2004) has been a useful resource on reflective practice, reminding me that reflection is not just important in itself, but must also lead to positive change, In observing what gets in the way, rather than being stuck in analysis, to move beyond and set goals for positive development has been essential learning for me and has been a surprising benefit which I had not expected several years ago. Leadership Employability Skills I recently completed an Employability Skills self assessment exercise which we first undertook in the first semester of the Foundation Degree. On doing this, I compared the results from the two. It was encouraging that one of my main developments appears to have been in problem solving and I consider my Higher Education studies over the last three years as contributing to my deeper analysing abilities. In light of earlier descriptions of my learning journey and reflective logs, it is gratifying to see that I have come a long way in, not only overcoming my own obstacles to learning, but making measured and significant achievement which then enables me to guide others in their roles. Among the key learning experiences for me, alongside the above, are a recognition of the roles of others, networking and effective communication. My career path has involved working closely with and taking an interest in people, both clients and colleagues alike. This was particularly apparent when I recently updated my Curriculum Vitae (Appendix IV), which was last compiled almost fifteen years ago. In developing my management skills throughout my degree studies, I have discovered further ways of improving the effectiveness of these interactions which is immensely rewarding for me. Through networking with management and departments for resources on researching prison policy, security and management skills, I am now feeling positive and motivated to succeed in career development. Not only is this important from a practical, self-development perspective, but also the fulfilling sense of achievement this will bring. Until recently, I was Supervisor of the Core Sex Offender Treatment Programme which was an important role in developing my leadership skills, promoting staff well-being as well as guiding staffs professional development. Another important aspect of this was to remain flexible yet consistent in balancing these needs whilst focussing on the goals of the establishment Business Plan and Key Performance Target (KPT) priorities. This mirrors Handy (1987) who argues for such flexibility in his Trust Control Theory. I find myself taking the opportunity to develop the skills of others very seriously and is personally rewarding and empowering. The values I attribute to this mirror those of Kandola and Fullerton (1994) in their Mosaic Vision which I have included in Appendix V. In Transactional Analysis Theory (Bern, 1961), every individuals personality is made up of three parts Parent, Adult and Child. An assessment of my own revealed a predominantly Nurturing Parent relationship style which is immensely rewarding personally, but can prove emotionally draining and is not without its practical problems. However, developing assertiveness skills in establishing my own identity and skills base has the benefit of overcoming any negative rumination and keeps lines of communication open. An example of achieving this was in challenging my line manager over my yearly performance review where I was rated Achieved and not Exceeded which I felt was deserved. I could have overlooked this and ruminated unhelpfully, believing him to be responsible for not recognising my achievements, but chose instead to manage my manager and argued my case. I found the www.h2training.com website interesting which had useful strategies for reminding me how to maintain my own degree of self-determination. Quoting from this site: Its unreasonable to expect your manager to be entirely responsible for accelerating your career: ultimately, its your own responsibility. Remember that an expectation is also resentment waiting to happen, and it is very difficult to hide resentment. http://h2training.com/managing_manager_tips.html [accessed November 2010] Suffice to say, my performance record was amended accordingly. I recently had to step down from Sex Offender Treatment work which I found difficult to accept. I, therefore, reappraised my personal development and used reflective skills (Kolb, 1984 and Beck 1967) to help evaluate the experiences and to understand how I was interpreting them. By doing this, I was able to negotiate a role within the drugs support team after originally being offered an office based assessment position which I would have found unfulfilling. Indeed, on reflection, assertiveness and negotiation are two core management attributes which are now part of my skills set. Drawing together the range of experience and interests I have enjoyed over successive years keeps me, first and foremost, actively engaged in working for and alongside others. My role as a drugs support worker requires the key skills I possess with the realisation and expectation that they can be further developed with a particular emphasis on evaluating the management requirements of this work. This is encouraging and, in this period of change, I have come to realise the importance of job satisfaction as a key motivator for me. An important element of my professional life is to uphold personal and corporate values of decency and ethical practice including cultural diversity. I was pleased to be able to highlight these values in my Diversity Foundation Degree project from January 2009 where I made recommendations for valuing the diversity of staff and prisoners and improving ethical practice in Programmes Awareness training at Full Sutton. This was well received by the treatment management team resulting in the training being strengthened in this area. On sharing the findings of my Transactional Analysis with a work colleague, my nurturing parent style was acknowledged and confirmed through my perceived empathic nature. In looking at my management style, it is important that I maintain a balance between this and being careful not to go into White Knight schema-driven mode, where I need to defend others at all costs. Developing a style which cares for others yet enables them to function on their own merits allows me to function better as a genuinely caring person in my work and as a leader. Maslows Hierarchy of Needs theory (1943), reminds me that my own needs count as well as those of other people. In other words, putting other people first all the time is detrimental to my own well-being and valuing myself is, in itself, a key assertiveness skill. I continually remind myself of the announcements on aircraft during safety briefings where, in the event of oxygen masks being deployed, you are instructed to put your own on first before aiding anyone else. If you dont, you might pass out beforehand and then no one is saved. Critically evaluating My Leadership and Management Style Some years ago, a colleague of mine who has since retired, told me his thoughts on a particular Senior Manager. He used a phrase which, though meant in a derogatory sense, I have never forgotten. He said ..as a leader of men, I would only follow him out of curiosity. This colleague had spent many distinguished years in the Armed Services as a Regimental Sergeant Major and had been in the Prison Service for around 15 years. He had, therefore, some considerable experience of different management and leadership styles. Using established theory I continually analyse my own strengths and weaknesses in areas of leadership and management. Fayol (1916) highlighted five commons elements of management which are essential to the role. These include the ability to look to the future, to be organised and co-ordinate the organisational objectives, leading (though he defined it as commanding which is unhelpfully autocratic) and, finally, to control the above elements using all means at his or her disposal. Whilst this was written at the beginning of the last century, the basic tenets of management Fayol lists are still valid though ones own personality also engenders an effective workforce which can achieve results. The latter is personally important as I seek to have followers rather than delegates and makes me, as a manager, more of a leader. I recently completed the Myers Briggs Personality Type Questionnaire. Having done this a couple of years ago, I decided to redo this using an internet-based assessment resource (www.teamtechnology.co.uk) [accessed 15 September 2010], which produced a comprehensive 200 page report. Summary in Appendix VI The results proved very interesting and formed a cohesive assessment which affirmed the beliefs about my personality and leadership attributes gained over the last few years. This was confirmed through the initial questionnaire together with a separate subtest which had similar outcomes and, interestingly, the results were very similar to my previous assessment two years previously. Essentially, I have a strong focus on values, feelings, compassion and important beliefs where current experiences hold great learning importance. Team values are high and my role in ensuring the well-being of those with whom I work is important to me. There are, however, elements of this personality type which I am aware can be problematic if not managed appropriately. I do have a tendency to avoid conflict yet can be stubborn where my own values come into conflict with corporate ideals in which I run the risk of failing in objectivity. These are negative traits which I have been consciously working on over the last few years and serve to remind me that, whilst having a default style, this does not preclude effective working on these to the benefit of all concerned. Interestingly, the top two best matches of jobs for me based on enjoyment are actor and musician; for match came out as counsellor and customer care and a combination of match and enjoyment came out as counsellor and actor. All of these I have both experience and interest in and the traits from these have indeed shaped my leadership style. The Humanist approach described by McGregor (1964) looked at how individual attitudes can affect behaviour. He purported that there are 2 types of leader (using an X and Y continuum ranging from a negative to positive view of subordinates respectively). The latter, he showed, have a greater chance of effective performance from the workforce through a nurturing approach which I can identify with. A reflective log from December 2009 is included in Appendix VII. Again, as with most models, there is a typical style for each individual manager but even the most open and supportive one can revert on occasions to X-typical strategies and responses. This can be somewhat confusing and lacking in continuity for the workforce and, potentially unsettling as I will illustrate later in this essay. The model is similar to Tannenbaum and Schmidt (1958) who use the continuum from Authoritarian Task Orientation to Democratic Relationship Orientation where I operate towards the latter and Goleman (2000) on which I identify with the Affiliative (people come first) stage. Operational leaders, as covered by Maxwell (2002) have great value to an organisation in providing stability, devising systems and solving problems with positive engagement. However, because of their focus on detail they can overlook the bigger picture, sometimes lack motivation and are not effective in dealing with conflict. Very often, paraphrasing Maxwell here, operational leaders are not very good at getting their hands dirty but readily raise the flag at the moment of achievement. Thankfully, whilst viewing myself as an operational leader, I do like to share in tasks as well as delegate. John Adair (2002) in his range of leadership treatises, (which, incidently, build on the previous models of Maslow (1943), Herzberg (1964) and Fayol (1916) highlights three key management responsibilities under his banner of Action Centred leadership. Achieving the task Managing the team or group Managing individuals Whilst advocating a shared responsibility between the individual and external factors, it does not, however, take stock of the individual in the leadership role which I view as crucial. A similar but more complex model I have become interested in, is known as Crew Resource Management (CRM) which was originally devised by NASA to explore the human factors in civil aviation accidents in the 1970s. Several industries have adopted and adapted their own models accordingly and my interest will culminate in a dissertation for my Degree on the benefits of adopting a CRM approach to Prison Service critical incidents. Tasks or people? Workforce or Team ? It is clear that leadership is different to management though a good leader will have good management skills. In considering whether I impose myself as leader to focus on task or allow the team to flourish utilising their own skills, I completed the T-P leadership questionnaire (Appendix VIII). This scored exactly midway between the two, highlighting my awareness and flexibility to respond to both important aspects. How we respond to a leader gives some indication of our own skills and that of the one in the supervisory role. As one who aims to lead by inspiration, I am more inclined to follow Kolbs (1984) model of learning and encourage people to adapt concrete way of doing things to update their skills base and find more effective ways of working (feeling, watching, thinking, doing). An autocratic leader would be less inclined to allow such flexibility and attempt to ensure compliance from those who might be more inclined to kick and scream in and against the process. An effective leader should also take individual learning styles into account as no one method fits all. Honey and Mumfords Learning Style Inventory (1982), highlights the differences that exist, as I have found even within small teams, yet we all work together and effectively, notwithstanding that everyones experience of being under the same leadership will be different. One of the most important sources of reflection in considering my own style of leadership, plus a reinforcement of my own beliefs and values, is represented in the Style Theory of Leadership developed by Blake and Mouton (1964). This, essentially, follows on from McGregors X-Y theory and is more relevant to those predominantly on the Y axis and where a level of trust in management structure exists in the workplace. However, Blake and Mouton explored the benefits of those that put tasks before people and vice versa. Ultimately they considered whether concern for people or concern for production was more important for leaders. As with other models, the day to day style of individuals in leadership roles can vary but everyone has their own default mode. Where productivity appears more important than the maintenance and well-being of the staff, I can find myself at odds with the management and perceived ethos of the establishment at which I work. With the Blake Mouton model, I was relieved to have my default leadership style confirmed as Team Leader. This is indicative of high concern for both people and production where emphasis is placed on a spirit of teamwork and mutual co-operation. This also engenders a safe environment in which commitment from all sides is more readily forthcoming. However, in completing a recent practical assessment for a promotion board I failed to attain the required grade. I knew this as soon as the assessment was over, though I had to wait two months for the official result. In fact, I knew during the assessment, I was reacting totally contrary to my normal sense of priorities when faced with a constant stream of problems to solve. I found myself focussing primarily on the tasks and not enough on the personnel. For example, when faced with a member of staff who was emotionally upset at a domestic issue, I asked if he was okay to continue to get his landing unlocked and would look to help him with his problem later. Afterwards I learnt that the assessors were looking for Utopian responses in all scenarios assuming all needs could be immediately provided so I could have put staff welfare first, getting his role covered immediately so he could then get home to sort his issues. However, I reverted to my current work role where the pressure to meet deadlines sometimes overrides well-being. As this was completely at odds with how I believed I would normally have reacted, I was left feeling ill at ease and questioned why I persisted in this way when I am naturally Y (using McGregors model, 1960) and more team focused than task orientated (Blake Mouton, 1964). Whilst I may not fully understand why, at least it is a recognised trait à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦..theory X managers (or indeed theory Y managers displaying theory X are primarily results oriented Internet source http://www.businessballs.com/mcgregor.htm [October 2010] On reflection, I am convinced that the culture and environment of the higher management structure (which demands and focuses on results and targets) filters down and, no matter how much one tries to resist or even kick against it, it permeates ones own work practice after a while. The climate in which I work consistently places emphasis on the meeting of Key Performance Targets (KPTs) and now, the Service Level Agreement (SLA). In meeting these as well as ever increasing budgetary constraints, every facet of work culture is placed under the microscope and, wherever possible, cut, yet the targets must be met regardless. However, no matter the circumstances in which we find ourselves or expectations laid at our office door, it is how we respond that is important and the acceptance of our personal responsibility to be channelled into effective working. An important element of relationships, at all levels including personal and business, is trust. Where one perceives this to be eroded or not present due to conflict in aims or values, it can have a destructive affect on effective co-working. As can be seen above, this is something I am struggling with in the corporate ethos where I am constantly second-guessing the motives behind management decision-making. However, to be an effective manager, I am mindful of maintaining a healthy approach to embracing the mission of the workplace even though I may not fully understand or have access to the full rationale behind the decision making processes from Higher Management. As a leader, I have to convey to those I wish to work effectively under me, that this mission is achievable and in the common interest despite my own such uncertainties. Maintaining personal integrity and establishing trust are essential in my personal, professional and leadership identity. Straker (2008:208) talks of transaction cost and trust boundaries. Essentially he argues that trust, if allowed to erode or not fostered within an organisation can impact on delivery and there has to be a cost on both sides to re-establish this. As he says .. the overall cost can be minimised with up-front investment in, and subsequent maintenance of, trust. If one does not have that sense of belonging within the trust group then there is something wrong with the work relationship and part of effective management and leadership performance is to be pro-active in fostering trust and encouraging people to enter the trust boundary. It begs the question, therefore, who and under what conditions will we follow? Should we be expected to lead and expect blind faith? What criteria and principles should be presented in order for others to set out on the journey with us ? Handy (1987) suggests that in order for an outcome to remain constant, the Trust-Control balance might need to shift between leader and subordinates and I can see merits in this as relationships, as well as work pressures, are fluid in nature. There are three established styles of leadership: autocratic, paternalistic and democratic. History records successful leaders who have exhibited all of the above. Each style can work and produce results but demands a flexibility on the part of the workforce to fit in with the style and it is that response which can be acknowledged and worked with or not as the case may be, As for my own style, confirmed as a nurturing parental approach, this has immense benefits for myself and for those who work under me as they feel supported and, more importantly in my opinion, affirmed in their roles with their own skills base recognised and developed. As with any style there are costs and, as I am finding, where my own sense of values conflicts with the demands laid upon me, this can have a detrimental effect to my own sense of purpose within the organisation. It is important, therefore, that structures and lines of communication are open which allow for that expression of view. However, this, in itself, is not without the potential cost. As I found when raising my head above the parapet on several occasions, to express concern and personal frustration with the direction expected by senior managers, it can blot ones copybook. Again, it is important for me to consider how much of this is down to my own personal perception and how able I am to see my subordinates perspective and, crucially, the aims and focus of the establishment delivery objectives. Conclusion In terms of future roles, I am best placed to consider managerial positions. The Foundation Degree and BA(Hons) are regarded as valuable qualifications both for their content relevant to the Criminal Justice System and Leadership and Management but also symbolising the desire and commitment I have and have shown for continued self development (Appendix IX). In the final analysis, the human dynamic is the most beneficial resource in the workplace but it is also the most fickle and, at times, fragile. To lead is a privilege and to follow is an opportunity. I can only strive to make myself worthy of the trust placed in me to, not only get the job done, but to enable others to be the very best they can be and, in the process, ensure I am followed out of respect and not coercion or, indeed, curiosity. Appendices: I. Excerpt from Carnegie (1938) II. Study Skills Self Assessment III. Gibbs (1998) Reflective Cycle IV. Curriculum Vitae V. Kandola and Fullerton (1994) Mosaic Vision VI. Myers Briggs Personality Type Questionnaire VII. Reflective Log on McGregor X,Y Theory VIII. T-P Leadership Questionnaire IX. Professional Development Plan Appendix I Excerpts from How To Win Friends and Influence People Carnegie (1938) Fundamental Techniques in Handling People Dont criticize, condemn, or complain. Give honest and sincere appreciation. Arouse in the other person an eager want. Six Ways to Make People Like You Become genuinely interested in other people. Smile. Remember that a mans Name is to him the sweetest and most important sound in any language. Be a good listener. Encourage others to talk about themselves. Talk in the terms of the other mans interest. Make the other person feel important and do it sincerely Twelve Ways to Win People to Your Way of Thinking Avoid arguments. Show respect for the other persons opinions. Never tell someone they are wrong. If youre wrong, admit it quickly and emphatically. Begin in a friendly way. Start with questions the other person will answer yes to. Let the other person do the talking. Let the other person feel the idea is his/hers. Try honestly to see things from the other persons point of view. Sympathize with the other person. Appeal to noble motives. Dramatize your ideas. Throw down a challenge. Be a Leader: How to Change People Without Giving Offense or Arousing Resentment Begin with praise and honest appreciation. Call attention to other peoples mistakes indirectly. Talk about your own mistakes first. Ask questions instead of directly giving orders. Let the other person save face. Praise every improvement. Give them a fine reputation to live up to. Encourage them by making their faults seem easy to correct. Make the other person happy about doing what you suggest. Appendix II. Study Skills Self Assessment Appendix III. Gibbs (1998) Reflective Cycle Appendix IV. Curriculum Vitae Appendix V My Personal and Pr

Monday, August 19, 2019

Essay --

Pengenalan Di Malaysia, perkara 3(1) Perlembagaan Persekutuan memperuntukkan bahawa Islam adalah Agama Persekutuan akan tetapi lain-lain agama boleh diamalkan dengan aman dan damai di mana-mana bahagian Persekutuan. Sebelum kedatangan Inggeris undang-undang yang dikuti di negeri-negeri Melayu ialah undang-undang Islam dan adat Melayu yang sesuai. Mahkamah dalam kes Ramah lawan Laton telah memutuskan bahawa undang-undang Islam adalah undang-undang tempatan dan undang-undang negeri. Akan tetapi pengaruh undang-undang Inggeris telah dimasukkan melalui perundangan dan keputusan hakim. Supaya undang-undang Islam dikembalikan sebagai undang-undang asas dan utama bagi orang-orang Islam di Malaysia, hendaklah dinaikkan taraf dan kedudukan Mahkamah Syariah dan membebaskan dari gangguan dan campur tangan Mahkamah Sivil. Pindaan kepada Perkara 121 Perlembagaan Persekutuan yang dibuat pada tahun 1998 adalah merupakan langkah permulaan kearah tersebut. Banyak lagi yang harus dilakukan untuk meninggikan Pentadbiran Undang-undang Islam di Malaysia dan untuk membolehkan Mahkamah Syariah menjalankan tugasnya dengan baik. Di negara kita, Malaysia, Undang-undang Syariah ditadbirkan di Mahkamah Syariah dan Common Law ditadbirkan di Mahkamah Sivil. Melalui perundangan, undang-undang berasaskan Inggeris telah diterima seperti Kanun Keseksaan, Akta Keterangan, Akta Kontrak, Kanun Jenayah, Kanun Acara Sivil dan Undang-undang Tanah. Kuasa mengenai perundangan Hukum Syarak ada di peruntukkan dalam Jadual ke 9, Senarai 2 – Senarai Negeri Perlembagaan Persekutuan. Dalam pada itu, telah terdapat perkara dimana Mahkamah Sivil boleh menjalankan bidangkuasanya sungguhpun perkara itu mengenai undang-undang diri dan keluarga orang-orang Islam. Umpamanya dalam ... ... merangka dokumen undang-undang, atau memberi bantuan guaman. Sejarah Perundangan Islam. Sebelum masuknya pengaruh kerajaan British di negeri-negeri Melayu, undang-undang Islam dan Adat Melayu ialah undang-undang asas atau undang-undang negeri. Undang-undang Islam yang diikuti itu meliputi semua bidang termasuklah Undang-undang Keluarga, Undang-undang Jenayah, Undang-undang Tanah, Undang-undang Mal, dan Undang-undang Acara dan Keterangan. Kumpulan undang-undang Melayu lama seperti Undang-undang Melaka atau undang-undang yang dikumpulkan untuk Sultan Pahang mempunyai peruntukan bagi Undang-undang Mal, Undang-undang Keterangan dan Undang-undang Acara. Di Turki, Majallat-al-ahkam adalah suatu kumpulan undang-undang Mal Islam, telah diterjemahkan ke Bahasa Melayu dan diiktiraf sebagai undang-undang yang harus diikuti di mahkamah-mahkamah di Johor pada tahun 1914.

Imagination and Realism in Hamlet :: GCSE English Literature Coursework

Imagination and Realism in Hamlet      Ã‚  Ã‚   Shakespeare’s tragic drama Hamlet is a composite of poetic and realistic elements. Which predominates? This paper analyzes the presence of both realism and imagination.    Richard A. Lanham in â€Å"Superposed Plays† discusses the poetic or imaginative side of Hamlet:    The real doubt comes when we ask, â€Å"What poetic do we bring to the Hamlet play?† As several of its students have pointed out, it is a wordy play. Eloquence haunts it. Horatio starts the wordiness by supplying a footnote from ancient Rome in the first scene, by improving the occasion with informative reflections. Everybody laughs at Polonius for his moralizing glosses but Hamlet is just as bad. Worse. Gertrude asks him, in the second scene, why he grieves to excess and he gives us a disquisition on seeming and reality in grief. The King follows with h is bravura piece on grief. Everybody moralizes the pageant. The Hamlet play abounds with triggers for straight revenge-tragedy response. The whole â€Å"mystery† of Hamlet’s hesitant revenge boils down to wondering why he doesn’t go ahead and play his traditional part, complete with the elegant rants we know he can deliver. (89)    The real battle in the play between imagination and realism is forcefully presented by another literary critic. Harold Goddard’s essay, â€Å"Hamlet: His Own Falstaff,† highlights this battle in the play:    Hamlet, the conclusion is, is a failure because the materials Shakespeare inherited were too tough and intractable. Too tough and intractable for what? That they were too tough and intractable for a credible historical picture may be readily granted. But what of it? And since when was poetry supposed to defer to history? Two world wars in three decades ought to have taught us that our history has not gone deep enough. But poetry has. The greatest poetry has always depicted the world as a little citadel of nobility threatened by an immense barbarism, a flickering candle surrounded by infinite night. The â€Å"historical† impossibility of Hamlet is its poetical truth, and the paradox of its central figure is the universal psychology of man. (14)    The play opens on the ramparts of Elsinore castle – a very realistic setting. But very soon the imaginative element of a ghost, the likeness of dead King Hamlet, makes its appearance before Barnardo, Marcellus and Horatio. Mysteriously, it says nothing, prompting Horatio and Marcellus to leave in search of Hamlet, the prince and their friend, who might be able to interpret this spectral figure. Imagination and Realism in Hamlet :: GCSE English Literature Coursework Imagination and Realism in Hamlet      Ã‚  Ã‚   Shakespeare’s tragic drama Hamlet is a composite of poetic and realistic elements. Which predominates? This paper analyzes the presence of both realism and imagination.    Richard A. Lanham in â€Å"Superposed Plays† discusses the poetic or imaginative side of Hamlet:    The real doubt comes when we ask, â€Å"What poetic do we bring to the Hamlet play?† As several of its students have pointed out, it is a wordy play. Eloquence haunts it. Horatio starts the wordiness by supplying a footnote from ancient Rome in the first scene, by improving the occasion with informative reflections. Everybody laughs at Polonius for his moralizing glosses but Hamlet is just as bad. Worse. Gertrude asks him, in the second scene, why he grieves to excess and he gives us a disquisition on seeming and reality in grief. The King follows with h is bravura piece on grief. Everybody moralizes the pageant. The Hamlet play abounds with triggers for straight revenge-tragedy response. The whole â€Å"mystery† of Hamlet’s hesitant revenge boils down to wondering why he doesn’t go ahead and play his traditional part, complete with the elegant rants we know he can deliver. (89)    The real battle in the play between imagination and realism is forcefully presented by another literary critic. Harold Goddard’s essay, â€Å"Hamlet: His Own Falstaff,† highlights this battle in the play:    Hamlet, the conclusion is, is a failure because the materials Shakespeare inherited were too tough and intractable. Too tough and intractable for what? That they were too tough and intractable for a credible historical picture may be readily granted. But what of it? And since when was poetry supposed to defer to history? Two world wars in three decades ought to have taught us that our history has not gone deep enough. But poetry has. The greatest poetry has always depicted the world as a little citadel of nobility threatened by an immense barbarism, a flickering candle surrounded by infinite night. The â€Å"historical† impossibility of Hamlet is its poetical truth, and the paradox of its central figure is the universal psychology of man. (14)    The play opens on the ramparts of Elsinore castle – a very realistic setting. But very soon the imaginative element of a ghost, the likeness of dead King Hamlet, makes its appearance before Barnardo, Marcellus and Horatio. Mysteriously, it says nothing, prompting Horatio and Marcellus to leave in search of Hamlet, the prince and their friend, who might be able to interpret this spectral figure.

Sunday, August 18, 2019

British-Chinese Relations in the Nineteenth Century and Alicia Bewicke

British-Chinese Relations in the Nineteenth Century and Alicia Bewicke Little's Novel, A Marriage in China The year was 1842, and Britain had just finished a successful military campaign in China, a campaign that also signified a rather humiliating defeat for the Chinese army. The first Opium War reestablished Britain's profitable opium trade routes from India to China, and also established a new mode of British-Chinese relations, one that resulted in British control of the new colony of Hong Kong and semicolonial control over various treaty ports. The progressive optimism that this combined political and economic control seemed to herald for the British Empire was reflected in a piece in the newly established Illustrated London News: A large family of the human race, which for centuries has been isolated from the rest, is now about to enter with them into mutual intercourse. Vast hordes of populations, breaking through the ignorance and superstition which has for ages enveloped them, will now come out into the open day, and enjoy the freedom of a more expanded civilization, and enter upon prospects immeasurably grander. (Illustrated London News, qtd. in Thurin 1) Voiced at mid-century, this statement paradoxically depicts the Chinese as both "enveloped" by backwardness, yet capable of reform and progress; as ignorant, superstitious, and characterized as pest-like "vast hordes of populations," yet also seen as equal partners with the British in a "mutual intercourse." This varied and contradictory opinion could just have easily been voiced at the end of the nineteenth century. In a way, this statement can be seen as representative of the history or, more accurately, the story of the relationship between ... ...sm. Thus even areas of resistance are encoded within the text of compliance (Rule Britannia: Women, Empire, and Victorian Writing, Ithaca: Cornell UP, 1995). Works Cited British Library Public Catalogue. 12 Oct 1999 . Campbell, Mrs. J. Weston. (Signed C. de Thierry.) "The Sons of Han [Chinese Emigration]." Macmillan's Magazine. 80 (May 1899): 58-66. Croll, Elisabeth J. Wise Daughters from Foreign Lands: European Women Writers in China. London: Pandora, 1989. Little, Alicia Bewicke. A Marriage in China. London: F. V. White & Co., 1896. Round about My Peking Garden. London: T. Fisher Unwin, 1905. "Mrs. A. Little." Obituary. The London Times. 6 Aug. 1926: 17e. Research Library Group (RLG) Union Catalog (RLIN). 12 Oct 1999 . Thurin, Susan Schoenbauer. Victorian Travelers and the Opening of China, 1842-1907. Athens, OH: Ohio UP, 1999.

Saturday, August 17, 2019

Resource Allocation Essay

Project management is the discipline of defining and achieving targets while optimizing the use of resources: time, money, people, materials, energy, space, etc. , over the course of a project. The most important resources that project managers have to plan and manage on day-to-day basis are people, materials, equipment and working capital. Obviously, if these resources are available in abundance then the project could be accelerated to achieve shorter project duration. On the other hand, [Avoid using colloquial language, slang or jargon in formal writing (14)] if these resources are severely limited, then the result more than likely will be a delay in the project completion time. Depending on the type of resources, the costs of providing an abundance of such resources to accelerate project completion time can be very high. However, if resources are readily available and excess premiums are not incurred to use them on the project, then project cost should be low, as some project costs are resource related while others are likely to be time dependent. In seeking professional services for the design and construction of our garage with living quarters, the management team has been confronted with a broad variety of choices. The services solicited are based on past history and excellent referrals. The Ransom family has selected the following individuals for the organizational structure of the garage project, all team member functions, responsibilities, qualifications, and capabilities are defined, as well as where each member fits into this structure. [Comma splice and/or run-on sentence. Rewrite as two sentences, or separate with a semicolon. (32)] The Ransom’s are confident that this group of individuals will form a cohesive team to complete the project within scope, budget and time. Ransom Family James Sampson is a low-level manager who will function as project manager. As PM he has been given the authority by the board of directors to resolve any resource allocation issues that may arise. James reports directly to the board of directors. His qualifications are over 20 years of experience in the areas of industrial engineering, materials and operations management. His academic credentials include a bachelor’s degree in industrial engineering and an MBA specializing in quantitative business analysis and business statistics. James will serve as liaison for the city planning commission. James has the following skills and abilities: principles and practices of contemporary project management, strategic, conceptual and analytical thinking, adaptability and flexibility including ability to manage pressure, ambiguity and change, team leadership, interpersonal, communication, and project management skills. Jody Bryant is a functional manager in charge of Contract Administration and Documentation. She reports to James Sampson. Jody’s qualifications are 18 years experience in the area contract administration and associated policies, and procedures. Her academic credentials include a bachelor’s degree in business administration and an MBA specializing in technology. She maintains contract administration systems that ensure that contractors perform in accordance with the terms, conditions, and specifications of their contracts and/or purchase orders. Her responsibilities include: documentation and record keeping, receiving, evaluating and acting on engineering and other change proposals, negotiating cost and schedule impact relating to change orders and other contract modifications. She also ensures timely submission of required reports. Rose Matos is functional manager in charge of structure and on-site management. She reports to James Sampson and Jody Bryant. Rose has 15 years experience designing beams, columns, walls, floors, roofs, and foundations of various structures. She will be responsible for overseeing Big Time Builders, Keep-em Happy Architectural, Martin Grading, and other of contractors such as electrical, plumbing, mechanical, and industrial engineers. James Vann Haigler is functional manager over quality assurance. Vann, as he prefers to be called, has an extensive background in quality assurance management, which includes a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration, specializing in Computer Science. He has over 13 years of experience in QA, 3D graphics applications. Vann reports to James Sampson, and is responsible for the overall management of activities related to the sampling, and release of raw materials and components. This includes, but is not limited to, writing of specifications and SOPs, control of artwork, shop floor testing, resolution of Sub-standard Material Reports, and maintenance of vendor files. He guarantees a level of quality for the end client, and is focused on creating a quality deliverable. Task and Responsibility Matrix After the project is organized, there is a need to define what roles and responsibilities for each member of Team B. Within the project the labor will not be specificity be accomplished by the team members but from sub-contractors, however each task must be carried out in order to complete the project. [This sentence is confusing. Reword for clarity] In order to insure that all tasks are carried out in the necessary order described within the Statement of Work the overseeing of the tasks are divided and assigned to various team members according to the members role which is defined by; responsibility, approval and support. With this in mind, the team has developed a task/responsibility matrix to keep track of these steps.

Friday, August 16, 2019

Cot Essay Silk Road

Between the years of 200 BCE and 1450 CE, the Silk Road went through a number of changes. With the rise and success of the ancient empires the trade route thrived and was the main trade route connecting the Mediterranean to China. As the empires collapsed so did the use of the Silk Road as it became unprotected and unsafe for use. With the Mongol empire in 1200 CE the Silk Road had a temporary revival, but when the Mongolian Empire collapsed the use of Silk Road did as a permanent switch to the Indian Ocean Network was made.Around 200 BCE the Roman, Han and Gupta empires were established and expanded. The Silk Road began in the East in Changan, went through Mongolia and Turkestan, then through the Takalamakan Desert. It then expanded southeast to India or central Asia and then Eastern through the Roman Empire. Trade routes were traveled in stages from city to city through the empires. The invention of the camel saddle made it easier for merchants to transport their goods with efficie ncy. Heavy use of the Silk Road began in 300 BCE as goods were traded and ideas were spread.Silk, cotton, spices, pearls, ivory and coral were traded east to west along the Silk Road. Glassware, bronze, linen, and olive oil were traded East to West. Ideas such as Buddhism moved along this route as well as the spread of disease such as smallpox and the plague. Diseases were one of the many reasons of the fall of the ancient empires. At the collapse of these empires around 600 CE the Silk Road was left unprotected and many merchants ventured from the Silk Road.With the invention of new navigational technology such as fore-and-aft rigging, the dhow and the junk many merchants went to the Indian Ocean Network. Around 1200 CE the Mongolian Empire came to power. Through conquest they came to control most of Asia and their armies protected the overland trade routes. This led to a temporary revival of the Silk Road. When the Mongolian empire collapsed around 1400 the Silk Road was left unpr otected once again. With the invention of the astrolabe, compass and improved cartography a permanent switch was made to the Indian Ocean Route.Between the years of 200 BCE and 1450 CE, the Silk Road went through a number of changes. With the rise and success of the ancient empires the trade route thrived and was the main trade route connecting the Mediterranean to China. As the empires collapsed so did the use of the Silk Road as it became unprotected and unsafe for use. With the Mongol empire in 1200 CE the Silk Road had a temporary revival, but when the Mongolian Empire collapsed the use of Silk Road did as a permanent switch to the Indian Ocean Network was made.

Thursday, August 15, 2019

English Department Essay

From various literatures, there is no clear definition about what postmodernism is. Dr. Mary Klages (2003), Associate Professor in the English Department at University of Colorado, says that postmodernism cannot be defined in a single term. Instead, postmodernism can be considered as a complex term since it appears as a concept that exists in variety of study including art, science, sociology, and technology. Postmodernism present as the sign of new times, an outcome of changing trends in all areas of human life, the irruption of new social, political, cultural, and economic values which are maddening great human behavioural changes in organizations. In addition, the postmodernism is considered as a new expression of philosophic, ontological, methodological, scientific, artistic, political, social, economic, etc. trends, and therefore a new outlook which set limits and deficiencies on modern expressions. Moreover, postmodernism is a new paradigm approach to knowledge, and it is also a new paradigm of aesthetic. Concerning the discussion of postmodernism, information science and technology, this paper will take into account the discussion about knowledge management in organizations. The reason to include the discussion of postmodernism in organizations is because it represents the use of information science, sociology, and knowledge. I. 2 Characteristics of Postmodernism Organizations Any structure can be called as an organization because it is designed to carry out a given purpose. Organizations are living systems, oriented in the direction of a trend of self-organized patterns, structures and processes which respond to demands of a complex and confused, changing environment through constant and permanent learning. Historically, organization theory originated from academic institutions within the context of socially legitimized public institutions. Under such circumstances, learning capacity of organizations becomes key determinant in their survival to face various business challenges. Some characteristics of postmodernism organizations which influence on organizational analysis are as following: 1. Identification With â€Å"might being† 2. Emphasis Effectiveness 3. Structure In function of market needs 4. Focus of power Centralized in knowledge and experience 5. Orientation Toward Market (Boje, M & Dennehy 2000) In organization practices, it is found that postmodernism tends to force the organizations to avoid human beings from bureaucratic structures. This is because postmodernism has the philosophy to provide simplicity instead of complexity (Boje, M & Dennehy 2000). Links between modernity and postmodernism Modernity is often characterized by comparing modern societies to pre-modern or post-modern ones, and the understanding of those non-modern social statuses is far from an issue. To an extent, it is reasonable to doubt the very possibility of a descriptive concept that can adequately capture diverse realities of societies of various historical contexts. In term of social structure, many of the defining events and characteristics listed above stem from a transition from relatively isolated local communities to a more integrated large-scale society. There is a shift from the model of the modernist, factory-bureaucracy: a rigid structure, with everything in place to do its particular function to the place where it has a connected with different types changing formation in response to the conditions. II. Postmodernism, Social Science and technology In sociology point of view, there is a notion that postmodernism is considered as the results of the changes in economy, culture, and demography. In addition, postmodernism is also considered as the factors that contribute to the rise of service economy and the increasing interdependence of world economy. Concerning the relation of postmodernism in technology, there is a notion that technological utopianism is a common trait in Western history and it is true in postmodernism era with some changes in the manifestation. In postmodernism era, the expression of technology comes in the form of the sudden increase in analog mass broadcasting of television. In this situation, people see the mass broadcasting of television as a liberating force to human affairs since television has capability to provide various understandable symbols. This situation drives Newton N Minow to consider television as â€Å"a vast wasteland. † Another expression of technology in postmodernism era is the development of digital networking. In this view, digital communications are believed to provide modern society with positive feature since people are now enabling to experiences in art, culture, and community that they think as being correct.

Wednesday, August 14, 2019

Applied Linguistics: Critical Review of Journal Essay

Introduction Everybody can not be a translator although she or he knows a foreign language. Because of just having a good knowledge of foreign languages does not give any 100% assurance that a translation will be rendered reasonably well. A translator must be aware of the essence of the subject besides having a fine awareness of the language, including language rules, and spelling rules. This journal talking about research of Mohammad Reza Hojat Shamami’s study of the main issue at the core of theorizing translation practice and the feature of a good translator or how to be a good translator and of course what are the skills to become a Freelance Translator with its translation process. This knowledge which is generally written in the English language needs to be transmitted in various languages so that people who do not know how to speak and write the original language can get the knowledge necessary for industrial development and technological innovation to keep up with the rest of the world. To transmit this knowledge effectively, there is a need for competent translators in various languages. Summary In practice, there is always considerable variation in the types of translations produced by various translators of a particular text. This is because translation is essentially an Art and not Science. So many factors including proficiency in language, cultural background, writing flair, etc. Translation turns a communication in one language into a correct and understandable version of that communication in another language. Sometimes a translator has to take certain liberties with the original text in order to re-create the mood and style of the original. A translator does need certain tools to help him out in moments of difficulty. These tools can be in the form of good monolingual and bilingual dictionaries, encyclopedias, e-dictionaries, glossaries of technical and standard works, etc. pertaining to the SL text. He must have patience and should not be in a hurry to rush through while translating any text. To translate from one language into another has never been an easy endeavor . It is an exercise both painstaking and cumbersome and only those who have engaged themselves with translation work can realize the complex character of this Art. For the statement of the problem focusing on this fact, (Chomsky, 1965) how can someone turn into a good translator? And for the objective and the purpose of this research, it is important that translators are familiar with the product they are translating and also with the tools they are using. The translation process is not the replacement of one word with another, but the formation of concepts in another language. Knowledge of the product being translated provides more understandable products to the end user. Time and resources for educating translators should be planned well in advance. The methodologies of this research provide the translators with tools that increase productivity and that prevent translation of non-textual application data. When purchasing or developing a translation tool, the following features should be included. The literature review of this research, The Asian languages, particularly Persia, Japanese, Chinese, Korean, and Vietnamese, represent a significant part of the translation industry in the United States, especially on the West Coast (Antal, 1963). Some agencies specialize in only Asian languages or even just one or two of them. Still others make the brunt of their money from these languages. For the result, we should know that it takes much more to be a good and skilled translator. For every talented text (Benjamin, 1992) converter, switching simultaneously between two universes is one of the most demanding tasks lot of training, learning, and experiences are needed to turn someone into a good translator. When engaging translators for your work, be sure to give them a detailed briefing on the work to be done (Brower, 1956). As professional translators we are supposed to improve our quality all the time. The first noteworthy conclusion we can draw from this paper is that translation is teachable because, on the one hand, it is a craft and consequently teachable as are other crafts; on the other hand, it is closely related to teaching language itself, although it is vital to make a distinction between the two. Another important point is that those engaged in teaching translation to students who are learning the target language along with translation should be aware that they are teaching two different things at the same time and that they should use a congruent eclectic method applicable to both. Critique The strength of this research includes its bravery by using the main issues at the core of theorizing translation practice and the feature of a good translator or how to be a good translator and of course what are the skills to become a Freelance Translator and Translation process which determining new standards to be good translators, comprehensive set of research method and qualitative and quantitative approaches used, and its results particularly in the broad area of the study of language and communication or linguistics especially translations field. On the contrary, the weaknesses of this research is mainly associated on the relevant issues that affect the used method and many quotations which are unnecessarily repeated just because it brings out similar messages. The use of references that were being published way back in the 1950’s (1953) while the research conducted in 2012 is also considered as the weakness because the applicability of the findings of these earlier re search studies could be questionable and irrelevant during those years. The concept is considered brave since it is implicitly attempted to redefining standards for being good translator. It has been a trend in language and communication studies that communication vehicles are subject of empirical and theoretical activities including science and technology and translation field becomes the bridge to connect two separated worlds and deliver messages from the result of the advance development in those fields. Furthermore, the comprehensive set of research method and qualitative and quantitative approaches used all throughout the research process can be considered as general solution to the drawbacks of each method or approach used in research. The wide-ranging and multiple tools used in quantitative approach of analysis addresses the issue of validity and reliability while the qualitative approach of analysis supported the limited ability of numbers to provide a complete description in response to a research question or problem. Lastly, the conclusion drawn from the research activity contributes in bridging the identified gaps in the existing body of translations field between real translators and the people who just translate languages. It is also assumed that this research article is another research in translation fields which is more like opinions and expose the important of translations that provides deep understanding in the related field. However, it must be considered that the findings found in this research article should be supported by other factors that are not included in its totality yet believed to have some degree of importance or effect (e.g. political and social or societal beliefs of the participants). Conclusion From this research of Mohammad Reza Hojat Shamami, we can find out the way of being a competent and good translator which is not only based on the knowledge of any foreign language, but it also requires some skills and rules. Chomsky’s 7 explicit criteria have represented what tools (skills) we need, like to sharpen our translation skills by reading different translation of different types of texts; to be more aware of different styles of writing and editing; to understand various expressions, idioms, and specific vocabulary; have the act of translating like to accept the significance of the source text within the framework of the source-language discourse; to improve the quality of our translations by being well-aware of styles of speaking, social stratification related to the foreign language; have to become ourselves attentive of different knowledge-providing sources like bilingual dictionaries, encyclopedias to know the meaning of words in specific situation; and the last is to know the sentence structure of indirect speech and different figures of speech in like hyperbole, irony. But however this research also has weaknesses besides its strength which already gives us sort of advice and translation knowledge, however the weakness can be questionable, from the reference which was taken from long time ago until the absence of supporting related issues in other fields like politics, societal beliefs that are actually worth to know as evidence.