10 Definition Essay Topics on Muslim Culture

10 Definition Essay Topics on Muslim Culture If you need some solid info for your next definition essay on Muslim culture, consider the 10 facts below: A great deal of attention is drawn to the fact that many presume the veil prevents men from thinking impure thoughts about women, thereby associating women and their bodies with sexuality and sin. It was incorrectly assumed that â€Å"the veiling of women to protect mens virtue and hence also the Christian emphasis on sexual abstinence and renunciation† (Barlas, 2009, p. 3). This in turn leads to the notion that â€Å"in traditional Muslim discourses, then, the veil is meant to protect men by hiding the impure, but enticing female body from them. However, the very power of this body to arouse men also makes it vulnerable to their sexual depredations which is why it must be veiled† (Barlas, 2009, p. 3). Islam literally translates to submission to the will of God. The religion is the second-biggest in the world and with over 1 billion people following the faith and its cultural implications today. Islam as a religion was revealed in Arabia over 1400 years ago. Those who follow the tenants of Islam are referred to as Muslims. Followers of this faith today believe that there is a single God, who is called Allah. God sent his prophets to man in order to teach them how they should live and follow his law. Some of the prophets of God include Abraham, Jesus, and Moses. The final prophet was Mohamed. As a Muslim followers believe that Islam has always existed but that the religion actually dates to the migration of Mohammed for practical purposes. Our laws are based on the holy book known as the Quran and we believe that there are five basic pillars to Islam. The five basic pillars include declaring your faith, praying five times per day, giving money to charities, fasting, and completing a pilgrimage to Mecca at least once in your life. Among these tenants of faith there is no requirement to specifically share the message and convert those who are of a different face although many believers today do live by such a code. Today there are many religions in the world all of them believe in some form of deity which provides truths and codes by which they must live. But atheists do not subscribe to the idea of a god or gods and they live by the fact that creation is scientifically justifiable and supported and the creation. A God is not justified. But in any case it is imperative that believers of any face do not push their beliefs onto another group. The only way to truly understand the perspective, the rituals, and the belief system of another culture is to understand the history surrounding that culture, the current events surrounding that culture, and what the fulfillment of certain activities brings to those cultural beliefs. This is the foundation of cultural relativism and a better understanding and acceptance of all people. Homa Hoodfar is one author who has provided in-depth analysis of the history, purpose, and misunderstanding of the veil worn by Middle Eastern and African women. This author covers the influence of British Colonials on the Muslim culture and how their perception, although misconstrued, painted a picture of oppression for Muslim women. Hoodfar uses historical evidence to explain the social implication of the veil and its cultural heritage and to help the reader understand the political use of the veil by women. Although many mistakenly believe that the Quran orders the wearing of the veil (which means full body covering), the author provides insight into its misinterpretation by westerners and their subsequent assumptions that have created a defensive mindset for women who enjoy the comfort of the veiling and its role as a political tool for those who seek to bring change and improvements in their communities. There are many different types of religions in the world and they all believe in some form of deity from which they derive their truths and codes, however there is also one umbrella grouping, atheists, who don’t subscribe to the idea of god(s) but rather exists with the belief that creation by a god is not justified. The concept of atheism is that one does not believe in a God. This is the exact opposite a very devout religions around the world particularly the second most popular, Islam. Other religions are much more comfortable with the religious practices and customs of faiths from around the world in spite of differences they may have because all religions have some form of deity from which they derive their truths and their codes. And yet it can be a challenge for various people of faith to avoid imposing their ethnocentric beliefs upon atheist, and vice versa. Atheist do not subscribe to the idea of a God and they believe that the creation of a god is not justified and does not promote an excuse for action, in action, or beliefs and cultural practices that cause harm. It is the concert of cultural relativism that must be promoted in its fullness in order for members of devoutly religious groups to understand and accept practices of atheism, and for atheist to understand and accept the practices of devout religions. Supporting these beliefs and opinions is not necessary to be culturally aware but not imposing the beliefs of one system on another is. Cultural relativism is the concept that the beliefs of a particular culture and the practices of that culture need to be understood within the context of the cultures background, their history, and the current events which surround that culture. It is imperative that people do not ethnocentrically impose their beliefs and their opinions onto others because these beliefs and opinions are products of enculturation. Cultural relativism is not the same as moral relativism but it does require that people do not confuse their own feelings about a custom with a thorough understanding of a custom. People must investigate the meanings of customs for those practice them and the functions that each custom for fills with in a different society in order to truly understand them. Overlapping themes in many articles about Muslim culture include the veil as a symbol of oppression, used to evoke emotions of sympathy or contempt from the west. For some, the veil remains a symbol of oppression. â€Å"Muslim women are completely and utterly subjugated by men, and the veil is a symbol of that† (Bullock, 2002 p.13). We hope these will help with writing an essay, please also check our 20 topics and 1 sample essay on Muslim culture as well as a complete guide on writing a definition essay. References: Barlas, A. (2009). Islam and Body Politics: Inscribing (Im)morality. In Conference on Religion and Politics of the Body Nordic Society for Philosophy of Religion (pp. 1-12). Reykjavik: University of Iceland. Bullock, K. (2002). Rethinking Muslim women and the veil: challenging historical modern stereotypes. Herndon, VA: International Institute of Islamic Thought. Hoodfar, H. (n.d.). The veil in their minds and on our heads: Veiling practices and Muslim women. Retrieved from umass.edu/wost/syllabi/spring06/hoodfar.pd Kemper, Michael, Anke von Kügelgen, and Dmitriy Yermakov.  Muslim Culture In Russia And Central Asia From The 18Th To The Early 20Th Centuries. Berlin: Schwarz, 1996. Print. Ostle, Robin.  Sensibilities Of The Islamic Mediterranean. London: I.B. Tauris, 2008. Print. Reichmuth, Stefan, Jörn Rüsen, and Aladdin Sarhan.  Humanism And Muslim Culture. Göttingen: V R unipress, 2012. Print. Syrjänen, Seppo.  In Search Of Meaning And Identity. Helsinki: Finnish Society for Missiology and Ecumenics, 1984. Print.

An Update About Deforestation in Canada

An Update About Deforestation in Canada Deforestation, or the loss of forests, is progressing at a fast pace worldwide. This issue gets much attention in tropical regions where rainforests are converted to agriculture, but large swaths of boreal forests are cut each year in colder climates. Canada has long enjoyed an excellent standing in terms of environmental stewardship. That reputation is being seriously challenged as the federal government is promoting aggressive policies on fossil fuel exploitation, dropping climate change commitments, and muzzling federal scientists. What does Canada’s recent record on deforestation look like? An Important Player in the Global Forest Picture Canada’s use of its forest is significant because of the global importance of its wooded lands – 10% of the world’s forests are located there. Most of it is boreal forest, defined by stands of coniferous trees in subarctic regions. A lot of the boreal forest is far from roads and this isolation makes Canada the steward of much of the remaining primary or â€Å"pristine forests† not fragmented by human activity. These wilderness areas play important roles as wildlife habitat and as climate regulators. They produce large amounts of oxygen and store carbon, thus reducing atmospheric carbon dioxide, which is a key greenhouse gas. Net Losses Since 1975, about 3.3 million hectares (or 8.15 million acres) of Canadian forest were converted to non-forest uses, representing about 1% of the total forested areas. These new uses are primarily agriculture, oil/gas/mining, but also urban development. Such changes in land use can truly be considered deforestation, as they result in permanent or at least very long-lasting loss of forest cover. Cut Forests Does Not Necessarily Mean Lost Forest Now, a much greater amount of forest is cut each year as part of the forest products industry. These forest cuts amount to around a half million hectares a year. The main products issued from Canada’s boreal forest are softwood lumber (typically used in construction), paper, and plywood. The forest products sector’s contribution to the country’s GDP is now only slightly more than 1%. Canada’s forestry activities do not convert forests into pastures like in the Amazon Basin, or into palm oil plantations as in Indonesia. Instead, forestry activities are done as part of management plans prescribing practices to encourage natural regeneration or the direct replanting of new seedling trees. Either way, the cutover areas will return to forest cover, with only a temporary loss of habitat or carbon-storing capabilities. Around 40% of Canada’s forests are enrolled in one of the three leading forest certification programs, which require sustainable management practices. A Major Concern, Primary Forests The knowledge that most forests cut in Canada are managed to grow back doesn’t detract from the fact that primary forest continued to be cut at an alarming rate. Between 2000 and 2014, Canada is responsible for the greatest total loss, acreage-wise, of primary forest in the world. This loss is due to the continued spread of road networks, logging, and mining activities. Over 20% of the world’s total loss of primary forests occurred in Canada. These forests will grow back to, but not as secondary forests. Wildlife necessitating large amounts of land (for example, woodland caribou and wolverines) will not come back, invasive species will follow the road networks, as will hunters, mining prospectors, and second-home developers. Perhaps less tangibly, but just as importantly, the unique character of the vast and wild boreal forest will be diminished. Sources: ESRI. 2011. Canadian Deforestation Mapping and Carbon Accounting for Kyoto Agreement.Global Forest Watch. 2014. World Lost 8 Percent of its Remaining Pristine Forests Since 2000.Natural Resources Canada. 2013. The State of Canada’s Forests. Annual Report.

Politics short answers Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Politics short answers - Essay Example The Afghan government sought to reassert its position. The second level is similar to the first since it states the parties involved. The parties involved were the Taliban and the American forces. The Taliban is an Islamic extremist outfit that perpetuated terror. The American forces were the forces to crush the extremist outfit. The third level is the system. There are two systems in this conflict. The first system is the Taliban system. This is an extremist system that operates based on religious values. The extremist believe that their attacks are sacred hence; they are not bound by moral values. The American forces seem as agents of democracy. They are out to deliver Afghanistan from the bondage of a terrorist outfit. An ethnic group is a community that have the same religion, language or culture while a nation is a large community that contain people of diverse racial background, language and culture. Nations are recognized internationally while ethnic groups are constituents of nations. The diverse people integrate to form a state, although the cultural and ethnic differences may affect a country significantly. A security dilemma is a situation where a nation is reluctant to undertake certain action since they are cautious of the consequences. This result in a period of indecision in which the possible outcomes are evaluated

Liberal Arts Studies Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 1

Liberal Arts Studies - Essay Example It is reasonable to see corporations and communities as benefiting from the struggle and competition that Darwin saw in the animal world and applied to humans as well. With a new job opening, for example, candidates will be determined as qualified or unqualified. The qualified applicants will get the interview for the chance to prove that they are up to the task and capable of doing what is required. Ideally, the best (or strongest) candidate based on the job description will be hired for the job. However, in the business world this is not always the case. Often the person hiring for the job will hire someone based on their personality or if they know them personally. So the most qualified or strongest applicant often does not get the job. However, ideally, a smart business person would hire the strongest and best qualified candidate. In modern society, certain jobs have been reduced or even eliminated. With the growth of technology, many professions were reduced in number while new professions were created. There are numerous examples of people who are professionals making a lot of money who are laid off and find themselves out of work and unable to get another job.

Panera Bread Company Essay Example for Free

Panera Bread Company Essay Panera Bread Company is regarded as one of the largest company in the United States that has specialized in the production of breakfast and lunch food for its consumers. Panera Bread Company which was in the years back been referred to as An Bon Pain is reported to be producing products such as baked foods, sandwiches, soups among other food products and beverages. The company is reported to have been founded in the year 1987 by Ken Rosenthan with its headquarters situated in Richmond Missouri in the USA. The company operates in divisions namely; franchise segments; who are licensed to carry out business transactions in the name of the company and retailing operations; which covers over five hundred bakery cafes that are reported to be company owned and over six hundred cafes which are franchised operated in more than thirty five states. In the year 1999 it was expanded into a national restaurant. Panera Bread Company has struggled to survive the growing competition and to effectively utilize its opportunities by utilizing the concept of company analysis which is very critical in modern business world. The aim of Panera Bread Company has always been to become a market leader in production of foods and beverages globally by diversifying and reaching to many new markets. In the year 2005, the company was ranked top forty by the Business Week in the annual list of hot growth companies. By that year its earnings was projected at $ 38 Million with an increase of over 40% in profit. In the year 2007, Zagat rated the company to top the list of Overall Food Facilities and Popularity rankings. Panera Bread Company is further recognized for its involvement in community events such as silent auctions, runs and walks by making donations. SWOT Analysis Modern businesses are faced with changing business environments and Panera Bread Company is not exceptional from facing such changes within their business context. By carrying out SWOT analysis, environment analysis is very decisive to Panera Bread Company and it is usually analyzed in two extents; the external environment and internal environment examination within the business perspective. Research reveals that the analysis of external environment illustrates opportunities and threats that exist in the market for a firm that may be either present or impending. On the other hand, internal environment examination depicts the strengths and weaknesses that the business may face in the market place (Anthony, 1998). Strengths Strength in this context can be identified as that distinctive ability posed by a firm and if the company utilizes such an opportunity it can succeed and can gain competitive advantage, over its rivals in the industry. The most common strength associated with Panera Bread Company is that of being a market leader in the food industry and particularly marketing of bread. Research indicates that Panera Bread Company is better placed than its main rivals in the market in that it has significantly acquired larger market share which is attributed to its diversification to various countries in the world, for example it has opened many subsidiaries in Toronto, Canada. It is also reported that the company has a strong brand name of its products which have significantly aided the company in terms of achieving a larger market share. The other strength that the company has is that of the best marketing channels that have aided marketing of packaging solutions products to a wider range of customers (Kotler, 1996). Weakness Weakness in this context can be referred to as any dimension of a firm that possibly will deter the accomplishment of set objectives by the firm and usually considered to comprise the company’s resources, capabilities and assets that are not fully utilized. From the company’s profile it can be noted that Panera Bread Company has weak policies, procedures and regulations that may deter the attainment of target performance of the company in some target markets. It is also reported that recently, the employees are not motivated to work and there has been complains regarding low pay and poor working conditions among others although such reports have not been proved. The management of the company should therefore look for ways in solving such problems that may affect adversely the performance of the employees and thus the overall performance of the company. Also the culture of Panera Bread Company has been under scrutiny and there has been allegation that the company is producing loaves of bread which are of poor quality, an issue that the management should look at it seriously (Anthony, 1998). Opportunities For companies to achieve the set objectives, they have to identify and devise events or features in the business external environment that will give them an added advantage or chance of performing better than their competitors. Such an event or feature can be referred to as an opportunity because it will create more chances to the company by increasing the current proceeds through acquiring a significant market share. Panera Bread Company has opportunities that if utilized will be of great benefit to the firm because it will lead to exploring and reaching to more new markets. Research indicates that there is greater demand for bread products in Africa and the management of Panera Bread Company should open subsidiaries in some of those countries after carefully analyzing the situational analysis in those potential markets. Since Panera Bread Company is among the market leaders in bakery industry; it is perceived to be having a well developed financial foundation and thus does not face any liquidity or cash flow problems. It is for this reason that the company should explore new markets and can compete across the entire market without fearing that its competitors can outdo them financially. However, before competing Panera Bread Company should carry out cost benefit analysis in order to avoid unnecessary expenditure (Brandenburger and Nalebuff, 1995). Threat In business context, a threat is regarded as an event which if not taken care of it may possibly deter the accomplishment of company’s goals e. g. customers declining income and competition among other events deemed to causing danger to the operations of the business. Panera Bread Company is basically faced with intense rivalry in bread and beverages products since many firms have opted to join the market because it is considered profitable. In fact, in some market segments particularly in Canada there has been a significant drop in terms of the company’s market share because new firms has entered the industry. Globalization concept has brought about new inventions and Panera Bread Company is faced with the task of coping with such innovations, for example the task of training and development programs to educate the employees on new technologies might be costly and difficult to acquire; such as the use of on-line marketing techniques and networking facilities (Anthony, 1998). Competitive Strategy According to research, Panera Bread Company has embarked on identification of markets that bread products and beverages can do best and it is through this that the company has sold a lot in the target areas. This strategy is normally referred to as segmentation; where the company has avoided competing entirely across the entire food industry but instead targeting certain markets i. e. bread and some beverages markets. Market segmentation will be an ideal situation for Panera Bread Company since competing across the entire market is expensive and considered to entail a lot of risks that the firm cannot sustain for example unfair competition by its rivals in the market (Bagley and Savage, 2006). This will involve Panera Bread Company marketing staff subdividing the existing market into different subsets of clientele where each division may be chosen as an intended market to be explored with a different marketing mix strategy. In essence, target marketing strategy will involve market segmentation which Panera Bread Company will have to find it on the acknowledgment that any segment comprises of potential buyers of bread products and beverages with diverse needs and dissimilar buying behavior. After carefully developing and subdividing the entire market to segments or the target markets, Panera Bread Company should then position itself on how to carry out the marketing activities in order to meet the overall objective of the corporation. Under this; positioning will imply to the formation of limits for bread products and beverages in the minds of the intended market in relation to the rivalry faced. Positioning of any firm including Panera Bread Company is very essential since it forms the foundation of all the communication of the company that comprise the following; branding, publicity, advertising and packaging among other strategies. Therefore it will be prudent for Panera Bread Company to create a single unique position which will operate as a guide for marketing communications involved thus will aid in transmission of steady image (Cullen and Parboteeah, 2005). HR and its Importance Since the mission statement of Panera Bread Company is clear, that it aims at being the market leader of producing bread products and some beverages not only locally but globally it should implement its marketing strategies particularly in the identified target markets. Implementation is putting in to action whatever plan or strategy that the management had formulated and therefore human resource is the most crucial asset in this stage. Research indicates that any company must motivate and provide clear direction to its human resource in order to attain its objectives. Therefore, Panera Bread Company should clearly identify the needs of its employees and try to meet them in order to give them an ample opportunity to serve diligently and be dedicated to the company. By offering a competitive package and offering performance contracts to the employees; ensures that they perform to the fullest because they will be highly motivated to work. Good leadership and management skills will be essential to Panera Bread Company’s management staff in order to command respect from the employees (Hilltop and Sparrow, 1994). Recommendations Panera Bread Company should note that nowadays, it is possible to use e-business through the internet for distribution purposes especially when dealing with international businesses. Digital innovations coupled with rapid growth in new technologies are changing the way distribution channels for companies and Panera Bread Company is able to use such hi-tech communication channels to monitor progresses in the market places not only in USA but globally. The company should further utilize modern entry market modes which such as Foreign direct Investments and licensing in order to build long-term markets in its target markets. It will be possible to also adopt joint ventures which will make possible for Panera Bread Company to gather enough market information quickly and familiarize itself with the laws, regulations and needs of the customers in the target market (Grant, 2005). Conclusion Panera Bread Company is among the current market leaders in the food industry and therefore stands a better chance of attaining a significant market share as a result of the brand name of its bread products and beverages that are regarded to be of high quality. Every business including Panera Bread Company is faced with challenges and it has to fully adhere to market regulations in order to avoid unfair competition. The concept of globalization cannot be written off either since many firms including Panera Bread Company has diversified to various markets and there are threats and opportunities associated with such globalization. Therefore the company should formulate strategies that are considered global in nature in order to meet the current expectations of the customers in the target customers. Such strategies like build, harvest or divest should be considered by the Panera Bread Company when assessing the performance of its products in its target markets. Management functions of planning, directing, leading and controlling should be adhered to by the management of Panera Bread Company in order to significantly improve the operations of the company by achieving the required targets (Kotler, 1996)

Bronze and the Shang Dynasty :: Chinese China History

Bronze and the Shang Dynasty A societies use of the materials surrounding them is imperative to their success as a prominent civilization. The reign of the Shang dynasty roughly began around c1600- c1050bc, during this time the middle class artisans devoted much of their time to perfecting bronze work for ritualistic purposes as well as military basis; while the Shang kings and nobles held positions of high power and prestige over the common day labourer. The kings were thought as having a special connection with the ancestors of the past and were highly respected. The common Shang dynasty labourer lived a very hard and tedious life, like the common Egyptian, everything was done to please the king. Unfortunately, the Shang kings were very harsh on the people and some even referred to the Shang dynasty as 'the Slave dynasty' because the nobility had so much control over the common day workers, they had no shame in sacrificing other humans for ritualistic practices. As well, the Shang people were also occupied wit h every day tasks such as hunting for food and an early form of farming. Evidence of the Shang peoples everyday life were found at An yang, the Shang capital city, inscribed oracle bones presented a picture of constant bickering with other groups around and even war. Modern day archaeologists have come to the conclusion that the bronze work of the Shang was very well crafted and elite at its time, thousands of Shang bronzes survives today. The influence of bronze on the Shang people's everyday life, weaponry and art established a reputation of leadership among this group of people. The Shang people's everyday life was very religious and trying. The rulers had a great amount of power over the people and controlled much of what they did in their day-to-day chores. The Shang elites and artisans devoted much of their time to perfecting bronze work. The elites "organization was apparent because Shang rulers had to mobilize men and material to mine, transport, and refine the ores, to manufacture and tool the clay models, cores and moulds used in the casting process and to run the foundries." (Buckley 129) The mining of ore used to make bronze was done by the poorer classes and looked after by the noble class. The Shang people were able to organize themselves and get to the resources that they needed. Through study, it is evident that the lower class of the Shang people worked very hard "mining required labourers on hands and knees to drag their heavy ore sleds out through cramped and unventilated tunnels.

Philips and Matsushita Essay

1. Which factors account for differences in strategies and structures of Philips and Matsushita? What are their distinctive competencies and incompetencies? 2. What are the key organizational challenges that each company is facing at the end of the case? What recommendations would you give to the respective CEOs? 1.The two companies, each from different regions of the world, have an extensive history that have caused for different cultures, strategies and structures to be implemented (Bartlett & Beamish, 2010: 301). Philips, as an European company with the â€Å"old boys network† originally had a structure that Bartlett and Beamish (2010) classify as the Decentralized Federation. It was a structure that was based on internal relationships. The National Organizations (NO) that were in place had informal power over their product divisions. However this structure led to great distance between the corporate management and its subsidiaries with information and knowledge not spreading fluently from one NO to the next. This fragmentation, which Bartlett and Beamish (2010) state as a limitation of this form of structure, increased costs and promotes inefficiency. The learning capacity of the organization was harmed. Philips therefore tried to stay afloat by making drastic cuts, reorganizing an d implementing a Matrix structure, a popular phenomenon is the 1980s (Bartlett & Beamish, 2010: 300). However this lead to adjustment only in structure and not in culture, making it fail. When this was realized the company began to alter its structure again towards a Transnational Structure (Bartlett & Beamish, 2010) with a more integrated structure and where a vision that appeared to be lost was clearly reinforced, communicated and lived throughout the organization. Matsushita had a different heritage which lead them â€Å"to adopt very different strategic and organizational models.†(Bartlett & Beamish, 2010: 301) This Japanese company was set up with a non-typically Japanese divisional structure which would comply more to Bartlett and Beamish’s (2010) Coordinated Federation structure. It had an international mindset to achieve worldwide presence whether this was in the form of own image or by producing products for competitors and did this by providing divisions with development, production and marketing abilities whilst providing centralized parent technology all thr oughout the organization. In the 1960s the company was pushed abroad by pressure imposed on them by increasing manufacturing costs and national governments. The expansion led for the company to localize more intensely and aimed to move towards a more decentralized structure with less dependency on the center. When the domestic market collapsed end 1980s the company began to focus more on R&D as they lacked behind in technology advances. This was a result of the inability for knowledge to spread and the inefficiency of the development not being centralized. The company tried to move away from the imitator image they carried and aimed to do this by removing internal competition that was stimulated by the divisional structure and promoting a customer based innovative culture. Because of their different structures and strategies the companies both experience different (in)competencies. Competencies exist when resources are put to good use so that they create a competitive advantage for the business opposed to its competitors (Volberda et al., 2011). Both competencies and incompetencies are portrayed in the table below. From looking at this table one can see that some competencies of one company is the incompetency of the other as a result of the different implemented strategies. Where Philips, that is more centralized, is innovative, Matsushita lacks innovation. However, Matsushita experiences a rich company culture with a clear vision which is exactly what Philips lacks. | Philips| Matsushita| Competencies| * Innovative, strong R&D department * Can respond to local differences due to set up of NOs * The delegation of responsibility causes for strategic freedom| * Cheap production as a result of economies of scale. * Fast response to market * Rich culture and clear vision integrated throughout company by the implementation of Seven Spirits| Incompetencies| * Inefficiency in global aspect * Unclear responsibilities due to decentralization * Too much informal power granted to NOs * Fragmentation and restructuring leads to unclear vision and values throughout the company| * Lack of innovation at the level of the subsidiaries * Too much reliance of the subsidiaries on the domestic country * Centralized parent company lacks understanding and knowledge of market needs and production realities| 2. Because of their different strategies and competencies, both companies face different challenges. However, both face a phase of restructuring. Philips is currently going towards a Transnational organization where their approach of marketing is changing, being different in each country, and where they aim to outsource more. Also, they try to communicate a shared vision. According to Bartlett & Beamish (2010) they should focus on communicating a clear (simple, relevant, and reinforced) continuous and consistent vision. This will allow for; managers to look further than their scope of responsibilities and for the company to work more functionally as a whole. Matsushita is experiencing a recent restructuring in which they decentralize further, communicate a new culture of innovation and R&D and try to remove internal competition. Matsushita should be aware of the threat of strategic isolation, where each subsidiary is too focused on their own operations and it is therefore advisory for Matsushita to refocus their executive attention to get the most out of their subsidiary components. Bartlett & Beamish (2010) give various ways to do this; by â€Å"creat[ing] channels for attention, seek[ing] out the hidden gems and give them a platform, measure[ing] returns on executive attention and giv[ing] subsidiaries a chance to contribute.† An advice to both companies is to properly manage the process of change by following â€Å"the emerging change process† starting at changing individual attitudes and mentalities and then the interpersonal relationships and processes before changing the formal structure. Philip’s experience proves that doing this in reverse order won’t work, only this way can the organizational psychology be adapted. References: Bartlett, C. A., & Beamish, P. W. (2010). Transnational management. New York: McGraw-Hill. (Bartlett & Beamish, 2010). Volberda, H. W., Morgan, R.E., Reinmoeller, P., Hitt, M.A., Ireland, R.D., & Hoskisson, R.E. (2011). Strategic Management. Hampshire: Cengage Learning EMEA.

Aristotle as a Critic Essay

Aristotle (384-322 B. C. E. ), the son of a physician, was the student of Plato from approximately 367 B. C. until his mentor’s death in 348/347. After carrying on philosophical and scientific investigations elsewhere in the Greek world and serving as the tutor to Alexander the Great, he returned to Athens in 335 B. C. E. to found the Lyceum, a major philosophical center, which he used as his base for prolific investigations into many areas of philosophy. Aristotle is a towering figure in ancient Greek philosophy, making contributions to logic, metaphysics, mathematics, physics, biology, botany, ethics, politics, agriculture, medicine, dance and theatre. As a prolific writer and polymath, Aristotle radically transformed most, if not all, areas of knowledge he touched. It is no wonder that Aquinas referred to him simply as â€Å"The Philosopher. † In his lifetime, Aristotle wrote as many as 200 treatises, of which only 31 survive. Unfortunately for us, these works are in the form of lecture notes and draft manuscripts never intended for general readership, so they do not demonstrate his reputed polished prose style which attracted many great followers, including the Roman Cicero. Aristotle was the first to classify areas of human knowledge into distinct disciplines such as mathematics, biology, and ethics. Some of these classifications are still used today. [There has been long speculation that the original Poetics comprised two books, our extant Poetics and a lost second book that supposedly dealt with comedy and catharsis. No firm evidence for the existence of this second book has been adduced. Our (knowledge of the text of the Poetics depends principally on a manuscript of the tenth or eleventh century and a second manuscript dating from the fourteenth century. ] (not to write in notes)*. Aristotle could be considered the first popular literary critic. Unlike Plato, who all but condemned written verse, Aristotle breaks it down and analyses it so as to separate the good from the bad. On a number of subjects Aristotle developed positions that significantly differed from those of his teacher. We very clearly note this profound difference of opinion with Plato and, indeed, observe the overt correction of his erstwhile master in Aristotle’s literary and aesthetic theories. Aristotelian aesthetics directly contradicts Plato’s negative view of art by establishing a potent intellectual role. The principal source of our knowledge of Aristotle’s aesthetic and literary theory is the Poetics, but important supplementary information is found in other treatises, chiefly the Rhetoric, the Politics, and the Nicomachean Ethics. Aristotle’s main contribution to criticism may well be the idea that poetry is after all an art with an object of its own, that it can be rationally understood and reduced to an intelligible set of rules (that is, it is an â€Å"art,† according to the definition in the Ethics). The main concern of the rules of the Poetics, however, is not with the composition of literary works; it is rather with their critical evaluation. Consequently, criticism can be a science, and not a mass of random principles and intuitions. Aristotle speaks of the educative value of visual, musical and verbal arts. Both the Rhetoric and the Poetics can be considered –to be expansions of this view. We might say that Aristotle sets literature free from Plato’s radical moralism and didacticism, while he still expects it to be conformable to a moral understanding of the world. For him, literature is a rational and beneficial activity, and not an irrational and dangerous one, as it was for Plato. Aristotle? s approach to literature is mainly philosophical: he is more concerned with the nature and the structure of poetry than with its origin. The origins of poetry had been grounded on the instinct of imitation which is natural to man. The first poetical works were spontaneous improvisations. The origins of the different genres is justified by Aristotle thus: â€Å"Poetry soon branched into two channels, according to the temperaments of individual poets. The more serious-minded among them represented noble actions and the doings of noble persons, while the more trivial wrote about the meaner sort of people; thus, while the one type wrote hymns and panegyrics, these others began by writing invectives. (Poetics II). † The development goes through serious or comic epic poems such as those written by Homer to comedy and tragedy; â€Å"these new forms were both grander and more highly regarded than the earlier† (Poetics II). Aristotle does not, however, decide on whether tragedy (and by implication, literature) has already developed as far as it can; but he does assert that it has come to a standstill. Aristotle makes a brief outline of the history of tragedy: â€Å"At first the poets had used the tetrameter because they were writing satyr-poetry, which was more closely related to the dance; but once dialogue had been introduced, by its very nature it hit upon the right measure, for the iambic is of all measures the one best suited to speech . . . . Another change was the increased number of episodes, or acts. (Poetics II). † Aristotle also deals briefly with the rise of comedy: â€Å"the early history of comedy. . . is obscure, because it was not taken seriously. Comedy had already acquired certain clear-cut forms before there is any mention of those who are named as its poets. Nor is it known who introduced masks, or prologues, or a plurality of actors, and other things of that kind. Of Athenian poets Crates was the first to discard the lampoon pattern and to adopt stories and plots of a more general nature. (Poetics II). † The work of Aristotle as a whole may be considered to be an attempt to develop a structural and metalinguistic approach to literature. Although it preserves a concern with valuation, its main thrust is towards the definition of theoretical possibilities and general laws. Some critics have spoken of Aristotle’s sin of omission in relationship with lyric poetry and the inspirational element in literature. This is a fact. But it does not seem so important when we look at what Aristotle does say and the principles he establishes. We can barely recognize the aspect of criticism after Aristotle’s work, if we compare it to its previous state. His is the most important single contribution to criticism in the whole history of the discipline.

Perfectionists Read This! There is No Getting It Right!

Perfectionists Read This! There is No Getting It Right! You can please some of the people some of the time. A few months ago, I received a call from a potential client who told me he had almost decided not to call me because he did not like my website. My immediate response, as a lifelong perfectionist, was to think, â€Å"I need to fix this!† I asked him to tell me more about what he didn’t like. I looked at some other web sites he said he did like. I even spoke to my web designers about what it would take to redesign my site to be more Web 2.0. Then I took a step back. This was one person. One potential client. I have no way of knowing exactly how many other people are not calling, which is what scared me and made me think I should make changes. But other people were calling me and telling me they chose my company over many others on the web because they were so impressed with my web site! Some of them even purchased my highest-value packages. Given these realities, my business coaches suggested that redesigning my site was not the best choice of investments right now. With the benefit of wisdom and reason, I decided to wait before making any major changes and to make some minor tweaks to my existing site instead. My site is performing just fine, imperfect though it is. If you are a job seeker, take this story to heart. On a conference call this month entitled â€Å"Debunking Resume Myths,† one of the participants, a resume writer, shared an enlightening story about one of her clients (I’ll call him Jim). Resume in hand, Jim began applying for positions locally. One company, which was not well-regarded in the area, criticized the resume for being too polished. Jim was undeterred and kept applying for positions using his spiffed up resume. Not long after the first company’s criticism, another company, with a reputation as an excellent place to work, complimented Jim on his decision to invest in a professionally-written resume. This company ultimately hired him, and he remains in his new position today. If Jim had spent his time trying to get it right, changing his resume every time anyone did not like it, he might have missed out on applying for a job he wanted. We have a winner! These stories prove that no matter what decisions you make with your resume, personal statements or written documents of any kind, some people will like the finished product and some will not. The best advice I can give is to create a document that you feel best represents who you are; the right company, school or client will appreciate the way you present yourself and act on their opinion! Sometimes sticking to your gunsand not striving for impossible perfectiontakes courage and patience. Sometimes you might discover after a period of time that you truly have missed the mark and need to do something differently. But if you give your best shot a chance to reap rewards, you have an excellent chance of coming out a winner. Do you have a story of a time when one person criticized your document or presentation and another person (besides your mom) loved it? Please share below.

Fun French Number Practice for the Classroom

Fun French Number Practice for the Classroom Do you find teaching numbers boring, figuring that once youve taught your students to count in French, theres not much else you can do? If so, I have good news for you (and your students). Here are some great ideas for practicing numbers, including several games. Simple French Number Practice Ideas Use flash cards with the digit written on one side and the French spelling of the number on the other. Ask students to count by twos, fives, tens, etc.Count different objects in the classroom: number of desks, chairs, windows, doors, students, etc.Practice numbers with math operations: adding, subtracting, etc.Print out some paper money or use pennies and practice numbers by counting money.Talk about the time and date.Depending on the age of your students and your concerns about privacy, you could ask students about various personal details in French: birthdayagenumber and ages of brothers, sisters, cousin(e)sphone numberaddress You or your students can bring in pictures of food, clothing, dishes, office supplies, etc. and then discuss how much each item might cost - Ça coà »te 152,25 euros, for example. Good for combining number practice with other vocabulary words.One teacher found that students forgot to use the word ans when describing someones age, so now at the beginning of class, she writes the names of one or two celebrities or notable French people on the chalkboard and students guess his/her age. You can find birthdays in Today in Francophone history. Fun French Numbers Practice, Games and Activities British Bulldog / Dog and Bone A game for outdoors or a gymnasium: Divide the class in half, and have each side stand in a long line facing the other half, with a large gap for running between the two teams. Give each member a number: each team should have the same set of numbers but in a different order so that the students with the same number are not facing each other. An article, such as a scarf, skittle, or baton, is placed in the space between the two teams. Then the teacher calls a number and the student from each team with that number races to retrieve the article. Whoever gets it earns a point for his/her team. Number Toss Have the students stand in a circle and throw a nerf ball to another student (not adjacent). Upon catching the ball the student must say the next number. If s/he doesnt know what number youre on, says the wrong number, or pronounces it incorrectly, s/he is out of the game. Phone Numbers Have students write their actual phone numbers on a small piece of paper with no names. You can play too, by writing a phone number that you know well (such as the schools if you dont want to use your own). Collect the slips of paper and pass them back out randomly, making sure that no one has his/her own number. Everyone stands up. Start the game by reading the number on the paper you have. The person whose number it is sits down and reads the number s/he has, and so on until everyone is seated. Works well for listening, but they have to be able to say the numbers accurately enough for their classmates to understand them. I do this once theyve learned 0 to 9. Le Prix est Juste / The Price Is Right Teacher thinks of a number and gives students a range to guess from. Students respond and if incorrect, the teacher responds with plus or moins. When a student finally guesses the correct answer, s/he can be rewarded with a sticker, piece of candy, or a point for the team. Then the teacher thinks of a new number and gives a range and students begin guessing again. TPR with Numbers Write numbers on large cards, then call out instructions to the students: Mettez trente sur la table, Mettez sept sous la chaise (if they know prepositions and classroom vocabulary for example). You can mix it up with other vocabulary to catch them off guard and keep their attention: Donnez vingt Paul, Mettez la prof sur huit, Tournez vingt, Marchez vite avec onze. Or you can put the cards on the chalk tray and practice with avant, aprà ¨s, and cà ´tà © de: Mettez trente avant seize, Mettez zà ©ro aprà ¨s dix, etc. You might want to start with just five or so numbers at first; when they get good at those, add a couple more and so on. Zut Go around the room and count. Each time there is a 7 - a number with 7 in it (like 17, 27) or a multiple of 7 (14, 21) - the student must say zut instead of the number. They are knocked out of the game if they mispronounce the number, say the wrong number, or say the number when they should say zut. So the game should sound like this: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, zut, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, zut, 15, 16, zut, 18, 19, 20.... You can change the zut number periodically to keep them on their toes.

Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 41

Assignment Example The correct sentence is: â€Å"Are Dan’s children’s teachers’ using this book to its full potential?† 12. Page 431 of our handbook says that pronouns referring to indefinite pronouns should be accurate in number. In the sentence, everyone and no one are singular indefinite pronouns, so the pronouns referring to them should be singular. The correct sentence is: â€Å"Everyone should leave his or her books on my desk, but no one should leave his or her pencils on my desk.† 13. Page 475 of our handbook says that commas are before coordinating conjunctions. The commas are not used correctly in the sentence, and the correct sentence is, â€Å"We went to the game and had a good time, but my brother, a student at MSU, fell out of the stands.† 16. Page 481 of our handbook says that semi-colons are used to separate items in a series that might be confusing if commas alone were used. The correct sentence is, â€Å"I plan to visit Detroit, Michigan; Chicago, Illinois; Toledo, Ohio and Springfield, Missouri. 17. Page 511 of our handbook says that appropriate common abbreviations should be used, but some terms should be spelled out. The correct sentence is, â€Å"Mr. Smith is from Michigan. He lives on Maple Boulevard. He is not in his office any Tuesday in

Character analysis of the book Crooked letter, crooked letter by Tom Essay

Character analysis of the book Crooked letter, crooked letter by Tom Franklin - Essay Example The novel, â€Å"Crooked Letter, Crooked Letter† can be considered as a literary piece catering the themes of a thriller. However, at the same plane, the novel is undoubtedly one of the powerful redemptive studies of characters which make it a psychological tale as well. This essay intends to explore the subtle intricacies of human character presented in the novel, â€Å"Crooked Letter, Crooked Letter† and therefore forms one of the best suitable and apt formative studies for the character analysis. At the outset of the novel, the readers are introduced to a masked man mysterious in nature committing various crimes. However, browsing through the pages of this crime thriller, any sensible mind would be easily able to judge the novel from a different realm as well. An undefined story of friendship lies at the centre of the novel which generates a different flavor for the novel. At this paradigm, the readers are introduced to two characters quite opposite to each other. The characters are Silas Jones, who was called â€Å"32† a name he got from his jersey in high school athlete team and the lonely, Larry Ott. He also receives a nickname but quite opposite to Jones. He receives the name of â€Å"Scary Larry† after the lineage of the boy with the disappearance of a girl whom she takes for a drive and a date. However, with the development of the novel, the characters conceived by Franklin appear to be quite credible characters with much impression from the real life and flawed by the pragmatic traits of mundane human nature. Larry Ott is a white from a lower-middle-class family and Silas Jones was a black boy who used to stay in a cabin at rent within the premises of the property owned by Larry’s father. Silas was a poor boy from a sole black mother. Their childhood was therefore marked by a total difference of socio-economic parameters and they used to hardly interact with