Case Study Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 41

Case Study - Essay Example The company’s four strategies – availability, affordability, acceptability, and activation – provide manufacturing flexibility that allows the broadening of the product portfolio while pursuing the most cost effective route to market for order taking and delivery to customers. Information technology is one of the key drivers to an efficient supply chain management. In 2005, the CCHBC invested heavily in technology applications by introducing a single largest and the most successful roll-out of SAP–based Advanced Planning Optimizer (APO). This has enabled CCHBC to optimize and coordinate operations within its whole network and across borders by consolidating the best practices on a single, standard enterprise platform. This platform facilitates alignment of supply chain and demand planning, which is effective for efficient sales and operation planning. Information technology has led to the creation of cost saving opportunities and leadership in the field of fast-selling goods. CCHBC can bring about integration in the supply chain by outsourcing some of its operations internally and externally. Internally, the company can outsource goods or services within its supply network. The company should be keen on the decision which goods or services it seeks to outsource for effective integration. In the process of business outsourcing, the company should seek to regulate the period of outsource because this can lead to the loss of in-house expertise. Externally, the company can seek to outsource globally. Most organizations seek this kind of business outsourcing because of the low costs and skills available internationally. Global outsourcing enables the purchasers to tap into technological expertise that may not be available in their native countries. It also creates a global process network amongst its suppliers, which, in turn, creates a pool of promising synergies to increase their

Study of emotion Essay Example for Free

Study of emotion Essay The results of primate studies have developed in the scientific community a common belief that the amygdala plays a central role in mediating emotions, the anxious temperament and fearful responses. From this generalization, it can be further inferred that a fully intact amygdala, with all others that constitute the brain anatomy in a normal condition, could effect a normal reaction in primates upon exposure to a stimulus (i. e. hostility: defensive stance; threat: fear). On the other hand, a lesioned amygdala can result in abnormal or even totally lack of reaction upon exposure to stimulus. In an article by Kalin, et. al. , (2001), the exposure of lesioned monkeys to unfamiliar threats such as snake and an unknown hostile male resulted to blunted fear responses. This confirms the hypothesis on the role of the amygdala in mediating emotional responses. In mediating fear, information first reaches the eye which will then travel to the thalamus and to the amygdala. The result is a quick registration of any perceived danger to effect a quick response. This is the direct subcortical pathway. In the cortical pathway, information passes to the visual cortex first before passing to the amygdala, allowing for conscious consideration of the danger involved after the initial rapid response. Rapid response is made possible by the innervation of the adrenal glands by the sympathetic axons to produce hormones such as adrenalin, noradrenalin or cortisol which hill hasten blood flow (Peacock, 2005). The registration of danger, and thus, fear is slowed or made impossible by the damage in the amygdala in lesioned monkeys. Still, another part of this article shows that lesioned and unlesioned monkeys showed no differences in emotional processing when exposed to a human intruder. This inconsistency poses a challenge on the notion about the role of the amygdala in mediating behaviors and emotional responses. One possible reason for this inconsistency is that the monkeys have been exposed to human since childhoold (Kalin, et. al. , 2001). In the expression of emotions and behaviors associated with retained memories, a functional amygdala is not necessary (McGaugh, et.al. , 1996) because while the amygdala is necessary in mediating fear, other structures have a more direct function in mediating long-term nonspecific anxiety responses (Davis, et. al. , 1997) These include the bed nucleus in the stria terminalis and the orbitofrontal cortex which may not have been damaged during the exposure. With the orbitorfrontal cortex mediating anxious temperaments based on appraised consequences, input from the amygdala becomes uncritical (Kalin, et. al. , 2001). The amygdala, after all, is involved only in the processing of new and ambigious threatening situations (Whalen, 1998) which may not characterize their exposure to the humans. Physiological psychology gives light to a perspective that is almost completely removed from explanations arising from social biases. The subjectivity of social sciences allows more leeway for as many numbers of interpretations as there are interpreters and gives rise to more confusion rather than understanding. A more objective approach allows an in-depth, more scientific, more uniform appreciation of emotion. That is, even without access to a person’s historical background or experiences, one can predict anyone’s actions by mere examination of one’s anatomy and physiology. Works Cited Davis M, Walker DL, Lee Y (1997) Amygdala and bed nucleus of the stria terminalis: differential roles in fear and anxiety measured with the acoustic startle reflex. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci . 352:1675-1687 Kalin NH, Shelton SE, et. al. (2001). The primate amygdala mediates acute fear but not the behavioral and physiological components of anxious temperament. J Neuroscience. 21(6):2067-2074 McGaugh JL, Cahill L, Roozendaal B (1996) Involvement of the amygdala in memory storage: interactions with other brain systems. Proc Natl Acad Sci . 93:13508-13514 Peacock, S. (2005). Behavior, Physiology and Fear. Mind. Retrieved 05 May 2008 from http://mind. in/node/195. Whalen PJ (1998) Fear, vigilance, and ambiguity: initial neuroimaging studies of the human amygdala. Curr Dir Psychol Sci 7:177-188.

World Trade Organisation and Legalization :: essays research papers fc

"The WTO is now a debating society with a Supreme Court". Has the legalization of the WTO weakened its diplomacy-based negotiating mechanism? With the creation of the World Trade Organization (WTO), dispute settlement has moved to the centre stage of the multilateral trading order. Hence, in this essay I will consider the effects of the new Dispute Settlement Mechanism (DSM) on trade relations. At first, I will illustrate how the DSM operates and how it is different from dispute settlement under the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT). Secondly, I will underline the relative success of the new DSM but also point to some emerging problems and weaknesses inherent in a highly legalized DSM. I will conclude that the DSM has weakened the WTO’s diplomacy-based negotiating mechanism as the emphasis of dispute settlement has markedly shifted from political bargaining to legal proceedings. Yet, I will contend that the description of the WTO as a â€Å"debating society† is inadequate since member states are explicitly creating and enforcing trade rules rather then just debating over them. Moreover, to portray the new DSM as a â€Å"Supreme Court† seems implausible since on the one hand, it represents an ad-hoc two-tier system and not a full time court; on the other, it still supports and favours out-of-court settlements at almost any stage of the legal process. The goal of establishing a more effective DSM during the Uruguay Round negotiations was to foster the creation of a â€Å"rule-oriented system† that gives guidance in the way of predictable and generally stable rules to all participants of the multilateral world trading system (Article 3.2 of the DSU ). Although international trade is understood in the WTO as the flow of goods and services between members, it is typically not conducted by states, but rather by private economic actors. These market participants need stability and predictability in the government laws, rules and regulations applying to their commercial activity, especially when they conduct trade on the basis of long-term transactions. Hence, the DSU aims to provide a fast, efficient, dependable and rule-oriented system to resolve disputes about the application of the provisions of the WTO agreement. An interesting facet of the cases brought so far to the DSM is the much higher amount of participation by develop ing countries. They have brought a number of the cases themselves, even against some of the big industrial trading entities (Thailand vs. US in December 2004 or Korea vs.

ANOREXIA :: essays research papers

Anorexia   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Have you ever seen people constantly playing with their food? One might think they have a stomach problem or are not interested in food. Actually, they might be hiding the symptoms of a disease which affects millions of Americans. The National Association of Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Disorders says that there is an estimated 7 million females and 1 million males who suffer with this disorder. This disease is known as anorexia. There are many factors that influence people to become anorexic. When they are diagnosed with anorexia they have to face many consequences.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Anorexia is the most common and well known eating disorder (Harris 2). It is a deliberate self starvation disorder. Even if you do eat anything, it will only be in tiny portions (Sandra Arbetter 8). They fear becoming fat (Goleman 11). This disease is mainly found in teens(Taibbi 29). There is not a single distinct reason why people become anorexic but doctors are aware of causes that influence them (duke edu. 1).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   A major cause of anorexia is having a weight disturbance also known as a distorted body image. Anorexics view their bodies differently than others. They never see themselves too thin, and feel fat and over estimate their weight (Arbetter 7,8). For most girls, the ideal body image is to be thinner and for boys to be built and muscular (Arbetter 11). Another cause of anorexia is a persons desire for entire control of their body, they want independence and expertise (NY at Buffalo 2). They feel a pressure from not meeting other peoples expectations which in turn leads them to become perfectionists. If they are less than perfect they feel like failures (NY at Buffalo 2, duke edu. 1). Their self esteem is low and they think only looks count. They believe that their body is trouble. Food becomes an instrument to show anger and rebellion against the family (Arbetter 8-10). A change in relationship, death, divorce or romantic breakup or a new job, home, and school can also cause anorexia. These situations cannot be controlled by them. Young people feel they can only control their bodies so they starve themselves (duke edu. 1). Preteens or teens may feel insecure wit h their new appearance as they develop physically and begin having feelings of sexuality. Being uncomfortable with their body, they feel that if they starve themselves they will revert back to their old body (NY at Buffalo 2 & Arbetter 8).

Immediate environment Essay

The human condition presents us with unavoidable difficulties which, in turn, require us to make personal choices. The capacity to make a choice and its corresponding responsibilities render reflective thinking as constitutive of what it means to be a human being and what it means to be a Self. It is in this conscious activity of making a choice that the will makes itself manifest. In a sense, a choice is an expression of one’s will, of one’s subjectivity. For Kierkegaard (1999), this subjectivity constitutes the uniqueness of the individual’s existence. Kierkegaard provides us with an idea of how to approach the problem of existence, that is, by focusing our attention to the concrete individual who makes personal choices and acts out on these choices. He breaks away from the ancient Greeks’ extreme emphasis on rationality and objectivity and its general problems. This is evident in his critical appraisal of the Greek tragedy. He claims, â€Å"The reason is of course to be found in the fact that in the ancient world subjectivity was not fully conscious and reflective† (Kierkegaard, 1992, p. 142). He goes on to add, â€Å"Even though the individual moved freely, he still depended on substantial categories, on state, family, and destiny† (Kierkegaard, 1992, p. 142). This is another way of stating that even if the self can experience the state of freedom and in fact actualize this freedom by portraying its capacity to perform autonomous acts, the self continues to be affected by the factors in its immediate environment. Kierkegaard’s elaboration sheds light on the importance of authentic choice in terms of generating our conception of selfhood. In the case of the tragic hero, the fatalistic mindset of the ancient Greeks can bring serious doubts on the question regarding the authenticity of the tragic hero’s choices. Given that the individual cannot really divorce himself away from substantial categories, how can we establish that it is the individual who defines himself and not the other way around? Choice is an integral aspect of Kierkegaard’s gradual development of the Self. It is important to note that the development of the Self is gradual as it goes through certain stages where the quality of one’s existence is improved via an act of choice. This is to say that the individual and his conception of the Self ascend from one stage to another. Such ascension indicates that the individual is in the process of actualization. For Kierkegaard (1992), the aesthetic stage is a stage where one’s sense of the Self is governed by the sensual, impulses and emotions. This stage presents the individual with an illusion of freedom. In essence though, the aesthetic stage, although seemingly attractive, is in reality, destructive. He claims, â€Å"We said that every aesthetic life-view was despair; this was because it was built upon what may or may not be† (Kierkegaard, 1992, p. 525). These are the reasons as to why the aesthetic stage cannot lead to a progressive actualization of the individual. Apparently, it is also the attractiveness and the emptiness of the kind of life in the aesthetic stage which leads the individual to transcend sensual existence and ascend to the ethical stage. From reading Kierkegaard, it seems to me that the substantial differentiation between the aesthetic and the ethical person/stage rests on the is-ought distinction. Kierkegaard claims, â€Å"The aesthetic factor in a person is that by which he is immediately what he is; the ethical factor is that by which he becomes what he becomes† (1992, p. 492). The ethical person is, therefore, a person who subscribes to the demands of reason; and the ethical life is a life devoted to the pursuit of moral goodness. It is, however, important to note that Kierkegaard’s phrase â€Å"by which he becomes what he becomes† implies both commitment and choice on the part of the individual. The difference between Descartes and Kierkegaard is, at this point, very obvious. Descartes focuses on the grand problems of universal import, such as existence in its universal sense. Kierkegaard (1992), on the other hand, focuses on the concrete individual and his concrete existence. In the end, it can be said that the conception of the Self is a product of the concrete choices of the individual as they present themselves in the course of the individual’s existence. The actualization of one’s Self requires something more than choice, that is, action. Aside from action, something more is required, that is, committing oneself to the choice that he makes and his actions as a product of one’s rational deliberation. Reference Kierkegaard, S. (1992). Either/or: a fragment of life. London: Penguin.

buy custom What Makes Hills Like White Elephant a Fine Story essay

buy custom What Makes Hills Like White Elephant a Fine Story essay Hills Like White Elephants was first published in 1927 by Ernest Hemingway. The story is based on a young couple faced with drastic decisions in life. Although the story did not mention a word like abortion, Hemingway used his powerful literary knowledge and skills to drive the idea home. This paper will basically focus on analyzing what makes Hills Like White Elephants, by Ernest Hemingway a fine story. Even after such a long time since its publication many still considers the Hills Like White Elephants, by Ernest Hemingway a great story. His plain-style prose and iceberg principle makes the story more enjoyable to the reader. He only shares enough about the couple to keep the reader interested but omits some details deliberately in order to arouse the readers mind into critical thinking. He exercised authentic writing which helped him translate his emotional experiences into a story. Bearing in mind that the author wanted to put across a sensitive issue of abortion, screening of the words was very important. Hills like white elephants is a story involving a couple who argued on whether to undertake an abortion or not. And since at that time abortion was universally illegal and a taboo, the author used his artistic credibility to put his message across. Throughout the story, Hemingway delibeately withheld some key details like the physical descriptions of the couple and occupation of the male protagonist. The reader is therefore required to join up the disjointed conversation between the two in order to establish a flow. However, reading through the story help us to notice that the girl named Jig resisted her companions idea of abortion. This is seen when the girl started to pose some empty questions to the man. Hemingway (1) she asked, Thats all we do, isnt it-look at things and try new drinks? The girl was also able to realize that her lover did not share her vision of a happier future. She said, And we could have all thiswe could have everything and every day we make it more impossible (Hemingway 2). The story however leaves the reader wondering what really happened to the couple, whether Jig accepted the demands of her boyfriend and thus board the train to Madrid for the abortion, or whether she resisted the move and opted to be ar the child terms alone. The confusion arises when the girl finally seemed to agree with the man by saying, Theyre lovely hills.they dont really look like white elephants. I just meant the coloring of their skin through the trees (Hemingway 1). Hills Like White Elephants is connoted by symbolism throughout. Thiis is shown by Jigs symbolic freight of words like, They look like white elephants (Hemingway 1). In addition the author used poetic simile in order to bring out the contrast between the two. For instance, when Jig said, They look like white elephants, the American responded, Ive never seen one, then she said, No, you wouldnt have. But the man said, I might haveJust because you say I wouldnt have doesnt prove anything (Hemingway 1). The hills symbolized the girls fertility, while the white elephant symbolized her unborn baby. Hemingway also used his technical crafting to make the story more demanding to the reader. Sarcasm is used when the man tried to convince the girl to undertake the abortion procedure and she said, I will because I dont care about me (Hemingway 2). This is an expression that automatically shows her feelings towards the whole process. The author also used suspense skills to make the story more ambiguous, and this left the readers wondering of what transpired afterwards. Symbolisms, similes, sarcasm and deliberate omissions of details make the story more fascinating and enjoyable to read. The combination of all this makes Hills Like White Elephants a fine story too. Buy custom What Makes "Hills Like White Elephant" a Fine Story essay

Qué es TPS y beneficios migratorios a centroamericanos

Quà © es TPS y beneficios migratorios a centroamericanos El Estatus de Proteccià ³n Temporal, conocido como TPS por sus siglas en inglà ©s, es un beneficio que otorgan las autoridades de Estados Unidos a migrantes indocumentados de determinados paà ­ses en donde existe una situacià ³n grave de inestabilidad, como una guerra civil o un desastre natural. No todos los migrantes indocumentados procedentes de paà ­ses en conflicto pueden beneficiarse de un TPS. Las autoridades de Estados Unidos deben emitir una declaracià ³n formal extendiendo proteccià ³n TPS a los nacionales de un paà ­s en particular. Puntos Clave: TPS El TPS es una proteccià ³n temporal otorgada por el gobierno de los Estados Unidos a los migrantes de paà ­ses en situaciones de inestabilidad grave.Beneficios migratorios por TPS: los migrantes no pueden ser deportados, cuentan con permiso de trabajo y pueden solicitar permiso para viajar fuera de EE.UU. y regresar.Paà ­ses centroamericanos amparados bajo TPS: El Salvador, Nicaragua y Honduras.  ¿Quà © paà ­ses tienen TPS? En la actualidad, los ciudadanos de 10 paà ­ses pueden beneficiarse de un TPS, en tanto reà ºnan los requisitos establecidos en sus respectivas declaraciones de Estatus de Proteccià ³n Temporal: El Salvador, Haità ­, Honduras, Nepal, Nicaragua, Siria, Somalia, Sudn, Sudn del Sur y Yemen. En estos momentos, la situacià ³n del TPS para El Salvador, Nicaragua, Haità ­ y Sudn es voltil debido a que la administracià ³n del Presidente Donald Trump dictaminà ³ el fin del programa, pero la orden preliminar de una corte de distrito impide, por el momento, la ejecucià ³n de dicha decisià ³n.  ¿Cules son las protecciones migratorias para los migrantes con TPS? Las protecciones migratorias para los migrantes indocumentados con TPS aprobado o elegibles para TPS son las siguientes: No pueden ser deportados ni detenidos por razones migratorias.Tienen derecho a un permiso de trabajo conocido como EAD.Pueden obtener un permiso para viajar fuera de EE.UU. y regresar.Pueden solicitar un nà ºmero del Seguro Social y sacar la licencia de manejar. Sin embargo, un TPS no es un camino directo hacia la tarjeta de residencia permanente, conocida como green card. En otras palabras, un TPS no se convierte en una green card al cabo del paso del tiempo y de manera automtica. Tampoco es un camino hacia la ciudadanà ­a estadounidense. Cabe destacar que, como condicià ³n indispensable para obtener los beneficios del TPS, es obligatorio estar en Estados Unidos en el momento en que se produce la declaracià ³n de las autoridades estadounidenses otorgando TPS a un determinado paà ­s. En otras palabras, el TPS no beneficia a los migrantes que llegaron en fecha posterior a dicha declaracià ³n. Tambià ©n es imprescindible haber solicitado el TPS en los 18 meses siguientes al inicio del programa y haber solicitado la extensià ³n cada vez que se decretà ³ la misma. Situacià ³n de TPS para salvadoreà ±os El TPS para El Salvador se aprobà ³ en 2001 y desde entonces se extendià ³ en sucesivas ocasiones. En la actualidad, unos 200.000 salvadoreà ±os se benefician del mismo, aunque estn en riesgo de perderlo. En enero de 2018, el Departamento de Seguridad Interna (DSH, por sus siglas en inglà ©s) anuncià ³ que no iba a extender el TPS para El Salvador y que este caducarà ­a en septiembre de 2019. Sin embargo, segà ºn una orden preliminar en el caso Ramos et al v. Nielsen et al, el DHS no puede poner fin a la proteccià ³n de TPS. Mientras tanto, para los salvadoreà ±os que pidieron la à ºltima extensià ³n de su TPS, tienen que haber recibido la carta Notice of Continued Evidence of Work Authorization enviada por USCIS. Esta puede presentarse junto con el permiso de trabajo como prueba de que se est autorizado para trabajar en Estados Unidos. Las personas que no han recibido la carta y cumplen los requisitos (como haber solicitado la extensià ³n del TPS dentro de plazo a principios de 2018) pueden solicitarla marcando al 1-800-375-5283 o comunicndose con Emma, la asistente virtual de USCIS. TPS y beneficiarios nicaragà ¼enses La situacià ³n de los nicaragà ¼enses con TPS es similar a la de los salvadoreà ±os. El gobierno de EE.UU. anuncià ³ el fin de ese programa el 5 de julio de 2019, pero la orden preliminar de una corte de distrito del norte de California ha dejado, por el momento, vigente el programa, y se est a la espera de futuras decisiones judiciales. Mientras tanto, entre 2.500 y 5.000 nicaragà ¼enses siguen amparados por el TPS con permisos de trabajo con fecha de vencimiento de 2 de abril de 2019. El gobierno de Estados Unidos concedià ³ el TPS para Nicaragua en 1999, despuà ©s de que el huracn Mitch devastà ³ el paà ­s. Pudieron acogerse al programa los nicaragà ¼enses que demostraron haber ingresado a EE.UU. el 30 de diciembre de 1998 o antes y haber estado en el paà ­s de forma continua desde el 5 de enero de 1999. TPS para hondureà ±os A mediados de 2008, el gobierno de Trump extendià ³ el TPS para hondureà ±os hasta el 5 de enero de 2020. Aproximadamente unos 57.000 hondureà ±os tienen TPS, bajo la resolucià ³n que fue aprobada en 1998 tras los desastres provocados en su paà ­s por el paso del huracn Mitch.  ¿Quà © pueden hacer los migrantes con TPS para arreglar sus papeles? Teniendo en consideracià ³n que el TPS no se convierte nunca automticamente en una tarjeta de residencia permanente y que existe la amenaza real de que el TPS caduque, es conveniente explorar si existen posibilidades de quedarse en Estados Unidos legalmente. En primer lugar, es posible para algunos migrantes ajustar su estatus cuando hay una peticià ³n. Por ejemplo, una solicitud de papeles presentada por un ciudadano estadounidense para su cà ³nyuge o por un hijo nacido en EE.UU. mayor de 21 para su padre o su madre. En ambos casos, para que sea posible el ajuste de estatus es necesario que el migrante haya ingresado legalmente a EE.UU., aunque luego se hubiera convertido en indocumentado al no salir dentro del plazo autorizado. Cabe destacar que los migrantes que ingresaron a EE.UU. cruzando ilegalmente la frontera no pueden ajustar su estatus por peticià ³n de cà ³nyuge ciudadano ni de hijos ciudadanos. Estas peticiones deben finalizarse en una embajada o consulado de EE.UU. y esa salida del paà ­s lleva aparejada, en muchos casos, que se active el castigo de 3 a 10 aà ±os que impide regresar por ese tiempo. La à ºnica excepcià ³n son los migrantes que califiquen para obtener un perdà ³n provisional por dureza extrema antes de viajar fuera de EE.UU., ya que aunque tendrà ­a que salir del paà ­s para presentarse a la entrevista en un consulado podrà ­an regresar inmediatamente despuà ©s de la misma. En segundo lugar, serà ­a posible para algunos migrantes acogerse al asilo polà ­tico. Aunque en principio hay que solicitarlo en el plazo de un aà ±o desde que se ingresa a EE.UU., el TPS paraliza ese cà ³mputo, ya que es una circunstancia extraordinaria que, en el lenguaje legal del asilo, para el reloj. En tercer lugar, los migrantes que son familiares inmediatos de un ciudadano que sirve en el Ejà ©rcito de los Estados Unidos o es veterano o reservista podrà ­an regularizar su situacià ³n y sacar la green card por medio del programa conocido como Parole in Place. Finalmente, los migrantes và ­ctimas de ciertos crà ­menes podrà ­an obtener beneficios migratorios a travà ©s de la visa T para casos de trfico humano. Esta opcià ³n tambià ©n aplica para la visa U, para casos de personas que han colaborado en la resolucià ³n de ciertos crà ­menes o la condena de los victimarios, asà ­ como el programa VAWA para và ­ctimas de violencia domà ©stica para cà ³nyuges de ciudadanos o residentes permanentes legales. En algunos casos esta proteccià ³n tambià ©n se extiende a los padres e hijos de los mismos. Es importante evitar ser và ­ctima de fraude de asesores no calificados que juegan con la desesperacià ³n de los migrantes. Es recomendable consultar el caso de cada persona con un abogado calificado o un representante acreditado por el Departamento de Justicia. Este es un artà ­culo informativo. No es asesorà ­a legal.

Ceramic Definition and Chemistry

Ceramic Definition and Chemistry The word ceramic comes from the Greek word keramikos, which means of pottery. While the earliest ceramics were pottery, the term encompasses a large group of materials, including some pure elements. A ceramic is an inorganic, nonmetallic solid, generally based on an oxide, nitride, boride, or carbide, that is fired at a high temperature. Ceramics may be glazed prior to firing to produce a coating that reduces porosity and has a smooth, often colored surface. Many ceramics contain a mixture of ionic and covalent bonds between atoms. The resulting material may be crystalline, semi-crystalline, or vitreous. Amorphous materials with similar composition are generally termed glass. The four main types of ceramics are whitewares, structural ceramics, technical ceramics, and refractories. Whitewares include cookware, pottery, and wall tiles. Structural ceramics include bricks, pipes, roofing tiles, and floor tiles. Technical ceramics are also know as special, fine, advanced, or engineered ceramics. This class includes bearings, special tiles (e.g. spacecraft heat shielding), biomedical implants, ceramic brakes, nuclear fuels, ceramic engines,  and ceramic coatings. Refractories are ceramics used to make crucibles, line kilns, and radiate heat in gas fireplaces. How Ceramics Are Made Raw materials for ceramics include clay, kaolinate, aluminum oxide, silicon carbide, tungsten carbide, and certain pure elements. The raw materials are combined with water to form a mix that can be shaped or molded. Ceramics are difficult to work after they are made, so usually they are shaped into their final desired forms. The form is allowed to dry and is fired in an oven called a kiln. The firing process supplies the energy to form new chemical bonds in the material (vitrification) and sometimes new minerals (e.g., mullite forms from kaolin in the firing of porcelain). Waterproof, decorative, or functional glazes may be added prior to the first firing or may require a subsequent firing (more common). The first firing of a ceramic yields a product called the bisque. The first firing burns off organics and other volatile impurities. The second (or third) firing may be called glazing. Examples and Uses  of Ceramics Pottery, bricks, tiles, earthenware, china, and porcelain are common examples of ceramics. These materials are well-known for use in building, crafting, and art. There are many other ceramic materials: In the past, glass was considered a ceramic, because its an inorganic solid that is fired and treated much like a ceramic. However, because glass is an amorphous solid, glass is usually considered to be a separate material. The ordered internal structure of ceramics plays a large role in their properties.Solid pure silicon and carbon may be considered to be ceramics. In a strict sense, a diamond could be called a ceramic.Silicon carbide and tungsten carbide are technical ceramics that have high abrasion resistance, making them useful for body armor, wear plates for mining, and machine components.Uranium oxide (UO2 is a ceramic used as a nuclear reactor fuel.Zirconia (zirconium dioxide) is used to make ceramic knife blades, gems, fuel cells, and oxygen sensors.Zinc oxide (ZnO) is a semiconductor.Boron oxide is used to make body armor.Bismuth strontium copper oxide and magnesium diboride (MgB2) are superconductors.Steatite (magnesium silicate) is used as an electrical insulator.Barium titanate is used to make heating elements, capacitors, transducers, and data storage elements. Ceramic artifacts are useful in archaeology and paleontology because their chemical composition can be used to identify their origin. This includes not only the composition of clay, but also that of the temper the materials added during production and drying. Properties of Ceramics Ceramics include such a wide variety of materials that its difficult to generalize their characteristics. Most ceramics exhibit the following properties: High hardnessUsually brittle, with poor toughnessHigh melting pointChemical resistancePoor electrical and thermal conductivityLow ductilityHigh modulus of elasticityHigh compression strengthOptical transparency to a variety of wavelengths Exceptions include superconducting and piezoelectric ceramics. Related Terms The science of the preparation and characterization of ceramics is called ceramography. Composite materials are made up of more than one class of material, which may include ceramics. Examples of composites include carbon fiber and fiberglass. A cermet is a type of composite material containing ceramic and metal. A glasss of glass-ceramics include glass stove tops and the glass composite used to bind nuclear waste for disposal.

Primark Supplying Consumers With Ethically Sourced Garments Essay - 18

Primark Supplying Consumers With Ethically Sourced Garments - Essay Example The researcher states that Primark produces wide ranges of products comprising of various sub-brands such as Early days, Rebel, YD, Atmosphere, Ocean club, Love to lounge, OPIA, No secret, Denim Co., Cedar Wood State. Additionally, Primark also manufactures accessories, clothing’s, footwear and other essential consumer items with respect to the needs of men, women as well as children. Furthermore, Primark produces different varieties of home and beauty products as per the needs of customers. Primark thus operates as a branch of â€Å"Associated British Foods† that has enabled expansion of its business with respect to food items as well as the development of its retail group. The improvement in technology has increased the demand for products and that in turn has raised the importance of supplying ethically sourced garments. On the other hand, buying behavior of consumers tends to affect the growth as well as the profitability of supplying organizations in the long run. The organization claims to be ethical by producing low-cost products in underdeveloped countries with the aim of serving the low-income groups. Primark also bear responsibilities towards nature and natural resources existing within. The report’s objective is, therefore, to define Primark’s manufacturing process and reflect the way it can affect the underdeveloped countries while producing low-cost products. Business ethics can be defined as the core principals and rules as well as regulations required to be followed by businesses, considering the demands of consumers. In the ethical context, Primark has developed principals and rules that in turn has enhanced its social responsibility and has proven to be effective for its success in attaining the determined organizational goals.

Engaging Ethics in Architecture Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Engaging Ethics in Architecture - Assignment Example In addition to giving a snapshot of the various ethical concerns embedded in architecture, this report goes further to put into perspective how architects may incorporate ethics into their practice with different stakeholders. Architecture is one of those sensitive professional fields that pose serious negative impacts to the stakeholders involved whenever ethical standards are ignored. Essentially, architectural ethics define the moral responsibility to do the right thing or make the right and best decision on variety of situations as mentioned in the introduction. Architectural work involves the consideration of a rich blend of cultural diversities. This necessitates the need for anyone in this profession to think about the cultural perspectives that may come up at any time in the working environment. This is yet another pointer as to why ethics may be necessary for the architectural profession. Professional ethics will demand that individuals be able to deliver high standards of s ervice in their professional jurisdiction without compromise on grounds of cultural diversities. Architecture, in itself, has an ethical nature. As put clearly, it is one of the processes that are involved in the beautification of man’s natural habitat, to become a better place (Wasserman, Barry, Gregory, and Patrick 13). This provides an avenue for the man to find satisfaction, both in the spiritual and emotional context. As such, the architectural professionals are obliged to come to the realization that their profession is not just about following a set of instructions or doing things for the sake of it. Rather, they need to come to a conscious knowledge that they are actively involved in the process of bringing about fulfillment in human life. They are also a central part of the emotional and spiritual aspects that make life worth living. Ethics, being an integral part of the architectural profession, will, therefore, dictate all the decisions made by anyone in that field .  

Embryology and foetal development Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Embryology and foetal development - Essay Example It only takes 12 to 24 hours for the egg to live after which shedding of the unfertilized egg occurs (menstruation), compared to the sperms that can last up to 48 hours depending on individuals (Hatasaka, n.d.). Unlike one egg that is released in each ovulation, there are many sperms released during the sexual intercourse. The sperms ascend into the ampulla section of the fallopian tube to the matured egg. The egg is covered by protective layer called zona pellucid, mainly composed of glycoproteins, which the sperm that comes into encounter with the ovum penetrates through biochemical events. It entails the release of a digestive enzyme onto the layer that the sperm plasma membrane penetrates to fuse with that of the egg, causing the sperm nucleus to move into the ovum. When the nuclear membrane of the sperm and egg fuse, their nuclear genomes combine together to form a zygote. The zygote is a diploid cell and has to undergo differentiation as the development of the embryo occurs. The zygote is moved down to the uterus for implantation and within few days, the zygote undergoes cell division to form a group of cells called blastula, whose cavity is filled with blastocoel fluid. It is termed the morula stage and comprises of first cell differentiation where the inner cells of the blastula separate to form the embroblast and outer the trophoblast, which develop into the embryo and placenta respectively (Embryology.ch, n.d). More hundreds of cells are cleaved from the blastula, some of which contain maternal chemicals, while others do not. The presence of chemicals influences the gene expression of each cell in the embryo’s development. Certain genes in the cells are turned on while others off, and depending on the location of the cell during the early embryo development, the type of the cell is determined. As the patterns of gene expressions are altere d, the cells are differentiated into brain, blood, bone and

Anthropology Reading Analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Anthropology Reading Analysis - Essay Example In Anne Fausot-Sterling's article, â€Å"The Five Sexes: Why Male and Female are not Enough,† Ann summarizes her opinions why the two dominant gender identities, which are socially, and medically accepted are not adequate in classifying every gender. Most modern societies accept the two obvious sexes: male, identified by having testicles and a penis and a Y-chromosome, and female, identified as having a clitoris and vagina, developed breasts, and deficient a Y-chromosome. Although the two genders mentioned above are undoubtedly the dominant sex groups, Fausto-Sterling maintains that there are many more intersexual existing in societies worldwide for them to be assumed as being abnormal incidences of nature. In a bid to reinforce her claim, Ann alludes to Johns Hopkins University psychologist John Money, who suggested the possibility that intersexual may constitute as much as 4 percent of the total births. Arguing from a world’s point of view, taking the world's total po pulation to be 7 billion, this would imply that there may be as many as 280 million intersexual on the planet. The author also defined the considerations of her five-sex classification system. We first have the well-known male and female, and then we have three other lesser-known groups. These include, but not limited to hermaphrodites, having one testis and also one ovary, male pseudo hermaphrodites, having certain features of the female genitalia and testes, but no ovaries, and female pseudo hermaphrodites, having some features of male genitalia and ovaries, but without testes. Today’s Society continues to be male controlled. In addition, scientific terms reflect a macho society. In her article, â€Å"The Egg and the Sperm: How Science has Constructed a Romance Based on Stereotypical Male-Female Roles,† Martin maintains that Scientific writing has attempted to present the egg and the sperm with feminine and masculine characteristics respectively. This shows the sperm as the authoritative aggressor while the egg assumes a weak position. This perspective according to Martin is influenced by cultural stereotypes. Recently, the researchers Johns Hopkins University concluded that the sperm and egg attract together because of adhesive molecules on each surface. The egg traps the sperm and continues to wiggle ineffectively. However, this new account of the role of the sperm and the egg did little to help change the stereotype saga. Researchers most of whom made the discoveries continued to err in their time worn metaphor of the sperm being the active member which penetrates the egg. In conclusion, Martin compels us to correct one’s thinking about the science of one’s reproduction. Being conscious not to project stereotyped cultural imagery into studies will help improve one’s capability in understanding nature and avoid harm caused by gender bias in society. M. Miedzien’s intention of writing this article, â€Å"Real men, wimps, and one’s national security was to address the pending issue that failure to equip boys with masculine values will result in raising harmless male who will do anything to avoid violence and war. According to some, this may promote national disaster since other nations train their men ready to fight at the slightest provocation. The realists will say one’s national security is at stake.† He wanted to put this objection to rest, but his intention changed when he initiated his

Black Test Car by Masumura Yasuzo Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Black Test Car by Masumura Yasuzo - Essay Example Such screenshot occurs to justify its effect in the view of the audience from whom to expect mixed sentiments of tension, suspense, and desperation at the sight of a principal character whose constant presence seems to evolve in shadows or in a state of thick gloom while the other part of the atmosphere receives a faint amount of light to indicate how transitions take place. Masumura Yasuzo evidently knew which perspective suits the scene that must evoke an image of stealth and treachery via a choice of lighting where the dark side makes a sharp contrast with the bright side. At an angle where the back of the man in focus forms the black before the others that make the white counterpart with their faces revealed, it feels that somewhere, something is bound to establish and sustain the conflict. Equivalently, the musical score in this portion of the story suggests undertones of pressure because of the human nature or instincts being portrayed by the conferring characters in a spot hidden from public notice. One necessarily observes herein that the manner in which dialogues blend with instrumentation rather sounds like there would be a consequence of opportunity or of mystery based on how words and music flow together to communicate the complex thoughts and sensitive gestures that could either make or break a plan in the end. Moreover, all the men in this thematic image generally project an appearance void of pleasant expressions which I think further contributes to the heavy and serious air of encounter between them.

Anthropology Reading Analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Anthropology Reading Analysis - Essay Example In Anne Fausot-Sterling's article, â€Å"The Five Sexes: Why Male and Female are not Enough,† Ann summarizes her opinions why the two dominant gender identities, which are socially, and medically accepted are not adequate in classifying every gender. Most modern societies accept the two obvious sexes: male, identified by having testicles and a penis and a Y-chromosome, and female, identified as having a clitoris and vagina, developed breasts, and deficient a Y-chromosome. Although the two genders mentioned above are undoubtedly the dominant sex groups, Fausto-Sterling maintains that there are many more intersexual existing in societies worldwide for them to be assumed as being abnormal incidences of nature. In a bid to reinforce her claim, Ann alludes to Johns Hopkins University psychologist John Money, who suggested the possibility that intersexual may constitute as much as 4 percent of the total births. Arguing from a world’s point of view, taking the world's total po pulation to be 7 billion, this would imply that there may be as many as 280 million intersexual on the planet. The author also defined the considerations of her five-sex classification system. We first have the well-known male and female, and then we have three other lesser-known groups. These include, but not limited to hermaphrodites, having one testis and also one ovary, male pseudo hermaphrodites, having certain features of the female genitalia and testes, but no ovaries, and female pseudo hermaphrodites, having some features of male genitalia and ovaries, but without testes. Today’s Society continues to be male controlled. In addition, scientific terms reflect a macho society. In her article, â€Å"The Egg and the Sperm: How Science has Constructed a Romance Based on Stereotypical Male-Female Roles,† Martin maintains that Scientific writing has attempted to present the egg and the sperm with feminine and masculine characteristics respectively. This shows the sperm as the authoritative aggressor while the egg assumes a weak position. This perspective according to Martin is influenced by cultural stereotypes. Recently, the researchers Johns Hopkins University concluded that the sperm and egg attract together because of adhesive molecules on each surface. The egg traps the sperm and continues to wiggle ineffectively. However, this new account of the role of the sperm and the egg did little to help change the stereotype saga. Researchers most of whom made the discoveries continued to err in their time worn metaphor of the sperm being the active member which penetrates the egg. In conclusion, Martin compels us to correct one’s thinking about the science of one’s reproduction. Being conscious not to project stereotyped cultural imagery into studies will help improve one’s capability in understanding nature and avoid harm caused by gender bias in society. M. Miedzien’s intention of writing this article, â€Å"Real men, wimps, and one’s national security was to address the pending issue that failure to equip boys with masculine values will result in raising harmless male who will do anything to avoid violence and war. According to some, this may promote national disaster since other nations train their men ready to fight at the slightest provocation. The realists will say one’s national security is at stake.† He wanted to put this objection to rest, but his intention changed when he initiated his

Is online education a valuable innovation that improves opportunities Essay

Is online education a valuable innovation that improves opportunities for student or is it a poor subsititude for traditional, - Essay Example Technology is here to stay and everyone in an industrialized society needs to learn how to make the best use of it. This paper argues that online classes have numerous advantages over traditional classroom learning such as the following: the internet offers faster feedback, flexibility, and the opportunity to learn at one’s own pase. The case for online learning Online learning can be defined as â€Å"a form of distributive learning enabled by the Internet.† (Volery and Lord: 2000, p. 217). The term distributive learning in turn implies two essential ingredients: â€Å"first, a heavy reliance on technology, and second, self-learning.† (Volery and Lord: 2000, p. 217). It is important to remember that both sides of this equation are equally important: the technology must be there, and able to provide the learning opportunities, and the student must also be actively engaged and able to adopt a high level of self-management and motivation in order to engage in self-l earning. A very strong advantage of the internet over other delivery messages is that it is extremely fast. A student can access almost limitless amounts of information through a few clicks of the mouse or taps on the keyboard. Questions can be entered, and responses appear instantly. There is even the potential to access quizzes and tests, complete them, and submit them for analysis. Feedback, often with grading and tips for improvement is built in and can be received also in an extremely fast turnaround. Human teachers just simply cannot deliver this high speed response because they have to deal with every student’s work consequentially and they are subject to the limitations of needing to eat, sleep and have a private life as well as being professional teachers. The internet is always available, and except in rare cases of technical failure, always reliably fast in its response. From a teacher perspective, online learning also provides economies of time usage. Instead of d elivering information every year to each new cohort of students, the teacher supervising online learning only has to provide the main material once. Thereafter the job of the teacher is to keep the material up to date, and to monitor and support students as they learn. This is a far more effective use of time, and allows the teacher to achieve a much greater effectiveness with less repetition of tasks. Student participation and performance can be logged by the computer system, and this also removes the need for time-consuming administration. Teaching in a classroom usually operates to a defined curriculum with fixed content and clear goals. Online learning does this too, if it is well designed and focused on clear educational goals, but it offers so much more in addition to this core curriculum. The potential for hyperlinks to a vast global library of resources provides extension possibilities at every turn. A student who is not a native speaker of English, for example, can access d ictionary and grammar support alongside the learning materials if required. A a student who struggles with mathematical or statistical concepts can immediately find advice on how to approach these matters. A student who is brighter than average, or one who has a special interest in particular points can undertake further research by using search engines like â€Å"Google† or encyclopedia and reference sites. There is even potential for students to contact other internet

Proposal for Changing Themes Paper Essay Example for Free

Proposal for Changing Themes Paper Essay Questions General General Questions Prepare a 350- to 700-word proposal for the Changing Themes Paper and Presentation that includes your selected theme, possible eras, authors, and an annotated bibliography with a minimum of six outside sources. Submit your Proposal for Changing Themes Paper and Annotated Bibliography Make a commitment to your education. If you go into school thinking of it like a big party, then thats exactly what youll get out of it. And you more than likely wont last the four years. A lot of money is being spent on your education, so you need to commit yourself to your success. This file contains ENG 302 Week 3 Learning Team Assignment: Proposal for Changing Themes Paper and Annotated Bibliography General Questions General General Questions Prepare a 350- to 700-word proposal for the Changing Themes Paper and Presentation that includes your selected theme, possible eras, authors, and an annotated bibliography with a minimum of six outside sources. Submit your Proposal for Changing Themes Paper and Annotated Bibliography Make a commitment to your education. If you go into school thinking of it like a big party, then thats exactly what youll get out of it. And you more than likely wont last the four years. A lot of money is being spent on your education, so you need to commit yourself to your success. This file contains ENG 302 Week 3 Learning Team Assignment: Proposal for Changing Themes Paper and Annotated Bibliography General Questions General General Questions Prepare a 350- to 700-word proposal for the Changing Themes Paper and Presentation that includes your selected theme, possible eras, authors, and an annotated bibliography with a minimum of six outside For downloading more tutorials visit https://bitly.com/1rubnus Make a commitment to your education. If you go into school thinking of it like a big party, then thats exactly what youll get out of it. And you more than likely wont last the four years. A lot of money is being spent on your education, so you need to commit yourself to your success. General Questions General General Questions Prepare a 350- to 700-word proposal for the Changing Themes Paper and Presentation that includes your selected theme, possible eras, authors, and an annotated bibliography with a minimum of six outside sources. Submit your Proposal for Changing Themes Paper and Annotated Bibliography

Leadership Organisational Performance And Emotional Intelligence Management Essay

Leadership Organisational Performance And Emotional Intelligence Management Essay Introduction to the Problem The difficulty in studying concepts such as leadership, organisational performance, emotional intelligence and the interrelations between the three constructs, is that these terms are hard to define, describe, and to measure systematically. The disagreement among theorists concerning the definitions of these variables has led to further controversy about research design and instrumentation and to exacerbate this situation, there appears to be few gains being made to improve our understanding of these important concepts. Leadership is a difficult concept to fully appreciate and understand. Burns (1978) comments that Leadership is one of the most observed and least understood phenomena on earth (p. 19). This statement appears to be just as true and accurate today as it was when Burns made it. Since Burns made this powerful statement, the interest in understanding leadership and its consequences has intensified. While the term leadership has existed for centuries and has been most commo nly associated with the military, the emergence of manager, as a leader, is a relatively new phenomenon. Because of the perceived and actual influence of managers and their importance to globalisation, prosperity, and economic growth, interest in this new leader has been and continues to be intense. There are hundreds of studies that tend to popularise and evaluate managers to a level that seems unattainable by most. Yet for all of the books, articles, and studies available on leadership and the managers, who lead, there is very little known about the attitudes, behaviours and characteristics that engender effective manager performance. Even sparser is the information that tries to tie the leadership style of the managers with their emotional intelligence on the performance of the organisation. When the substantial body of leadership literature is reviewed there appears to be two clear distinctions made by the scholars. One body of work focuses on the internal dispositions or characteristics of the leaders while the second is concerned with the behaviours and activities of the same leaders. However, the connection between these two distinct views is not always clear or easy to understand. The current study was undertaken in an effort to address some of the gaps in empirical research and to apply the results of transformational leadership in one of public listed automotive manufacturing companies, EPMB in Malaysia where there is a dearth of such information available for manufacturing industry. The purpose of this study was threefold: (1) to examine the relationship between a managers score on transformational leadership with the performance of the organisation; (2) to explore the relationship between the constructs of transformational leadership and emotional intelligence; and (3) to find out if there is any positive relationship exists between organisational performance and transformational leadership with emotional intelligence presence. The current investigation extends prior empirical work in at least three ways. First, the study integrates trait and behavioural approaches to leadership effectiveness in a field that is relatively new one for the study of transformational leadership. Second, the total population consisted of practicing managers. Presently, there are very few empirical studies that examine the relationship among managers, transformational leadership behaviours, their emotional intelligence capabilities and organisational performance. Third, both objective (financial performance measures) and subjective evaluations (direct report responses) of leader effectiveness and emotional intelligence capabilities were utilised. This study adds value to the current leadership literature and plays a small role in bringing an old idea into the le adership light in Malaysia manufacturing industry. One frequently discussed theory is that of transformational leadership, first introduced by Burns in 1978. Transformational leaders change their organisations culture by inspiring a sense of mission and purpose about the importance of the groups work and stimulating new ways of thinking and problem solving (Bass Avolio, 1993). Transformational leaders inspire individuals within an organisation to work harder and to strive for the highest levels of performance (Bass, 1985). While Bass, Burns and Avolio support the applicability of transformational leadership to all forms of organisation, which includes the largest public companies, other investigators find transformational leadership is not universally applicable to organisations (Inkson, Kerr and Moss, 1993). To exacerbate the situation, there is no evidence to say emotional intelligence is the moderating factor to transformational leadership towards improving organisational performance. Background of the Study An understanding of the interplay between transformational leadership and organisational performance is an important factor for developing effective organisations. Finding ways to optimise the performance of people and hence, the organisation has been, and continues to be, a major concern for organisational leaders. Thus exploration on emotional intelligence capabilities of leaders is essential too. In todays service-based, knowledge economy, many companies are beginning to shift away from traditional models of management, originally developed for production oriented firms, and now require a broader range of leadership skills and styles that are adaptive to diversity and to dramatic, often discontinuous changes in the work environment. As globalisation becomes more pronounced especially in automotive industry, the changes may become even more dramatic as firms struggle to meet competition that only a few decades ago did not even exist. Some of the promising paradigms of leadership are including people in them and tend to describe people, which include managers, as the organisations most important assets. A summary of some of these is as follows: concern for people (Blake Mouton, 1964), the value of people (Sashkin, 1984), human concern (Kilman Saxton, 1991), individualized consideration (Bass, 1985), and people orientation (Cooke Lafferty, 1994). The importance of motivating people to complete tasks at a high level so that the organisation performs well is a key role of manager especially in Malaysia manufacturing industry and was one of the main reasons for this study. Transformational leaders motivate followers both to work for transcendental goals and to increase commitment and in doing so, perform beyond the expectations those followers have for themselves. Statement of the Problem The problem in this study was to determine the degree of relationship that exists between transformational leadership, emotional intelligence and organisational performance as measured by return of capital employed (ROCE) in one of local public listed automotive manufacturing company in Malaysia. The lack of current knowledge on this subject and between these variables hinders our ability to place a value on transformational leadership and emotional intelligence capabilities and their importance in organisational performance. By knowing such knowledge, it would help EPMB managers to employ effective transformational leadership effectively in the organisation, rather than transactional leadership which is primarily task-focused. Research indicated that transactional leadership was limited in terms of effectiveness (Vishalli Kumar, 2004). Purpose of the Study The purpose of this quantitative descriptive correlational study was to determine the relationship of transformational leadership to organisational performance in one of the local public listed automotive manufacturing companies in Malaysia, EPMB. The study utilised the Multi-factor Leadership Questionnaire developed by Bass and Avolio in 1995 (MLQ-5X) and Emotional Competence Inventory (ECI) widely used by Boyatzis et al., 1999 in emotional intelligence research, to measure the level of transformational leadership and emotional intelligence capabilities respectively in each subsidiary companies of EPMB, i.e. PEPS-JV, EPP, FUNDWIN and EPMD. The overall strategy was to quantify the level of transformational leadership and emotional intelligence capabilities using scores on the MLQ and ECI respectively, and then correlate these with the organisations performance measured objectively by the organisations ROCE during the same period under these leaders. The focus of correlational research is to describe the relationships among variables rather than determine a cause-and-effect relationship. Correlational studies are useful to describe how one observable fact is related to another in situations where there is no control over some of the research variables (Lappe, 2000). In the current study, the variables of emotional intelligence and transformational leadership were believed to influence the organisational performance. Research Questions The following research questions were addressed in this study for EPMB company. Q1: Is there a significant relationship between transformational leadership and organisational performance? Q2: Is there a significant relationship between transformational leadership and emotional intelligence? Q3: Is there a significant relationship between transformational leadership with emotional intelligence and organisational performance? This study answered these questions through the analysis of data gathered utilising the MLQ-5X (Bass Avolio, 1995) and ECI (Boyatzis et al., 1999; Wolff, 2006). These questions were converted to hypotheses as below since this was a quantitative study and it is advisable that quantitative studies have either research questions or hypotheses, but not both (Creswell, 2003). The following are statements of null and alternative hypotheses that correspond to the research questions: H10: There is no statistically significant relationship between transformational leadership and organisational performance. H1A: There is a statistically significant, positive relationship between transformational leadership and emotional intelligence H20: There is no statistically relationship between transformational leadership and emotional intelligence. H2A: There is a statistically significant, positive relationship between transformational leadership and emotional intelligence. H30: There is no statistically significant relationship between transformational leadership with emotional intelligence and organisational performance. H3A: There is a statistically significant, positive relationship between transformational leadership with emotional intelligence and organisational performance. Significance of the Study This research project yielded new information regarding the importance of transformational leadership style to the automotive manufacturing companies in Malaysia. For the organisations performing well, this information presented the opportunity to understand the importance of leader and follower development to continue performing well, and for those not performing to a similar level, the data is cause for reflection and an opportunity for improving development policies or changing leadership styles. Since the data gathered in this study does indicate a significant relationship between transformational leadership style and the performance of the organisation with and without emotional intelligence presence, further research should be undertaken to build on this finding and hopefully to improve on the understanding and meaning of the relationships. Of equally important significance due to the dearth of information available on the relationships between the three constructs in Malaysia, the results of this study will be made available to all companies that participated. This study is a small start in the right direction for companies that need leaders to continue to attract the right people for sustainable performance. Bass and Avolio (1992) have concluded that transformational leadership is important and that leadership training of managers at all levels should become an integral component of organisational education. A final component of this study is its potential impact on the selection and hiring of managers. Managers typically have an enormous impact on their organisations, constituents, and communities. Therefore, the compounded costs of making a mistake in the selection, hiring, or promotion of managers can be financially and operationally staggering. If transformational leadership is the correct and upcoming style for a utomotive manufacturing companies in Malaysia, then the selection teams could begin to narrow the focus and save time, money, and maybe companies by selecting the most effective leaders to lead their companies. In addition, since there are relationships between the variables, additional predictors of manager success can now be developed and shared with other organisations in Malaysia, thereby aiding in industry development and expansion and possibly enhancing Malaysias competitive position. Definition and Terms For the purposes of this research study, there are several terms that are necessary to address and they are as follows. Correlation. A correlation exists when the measurements of one variable either increases or decreases as the other variable increases or decreases (Leedy Ormrod, 2005). Correlational study. Correlational research study designs involve either the identification of characteristics in an observed phenomenon or exploring possible correlations regarding two or more variables (Leedy Ormrod, 2005). Descriptive research design. A means for providing a systemic manner by which facts and/or characteristics of an existing occurrence, or occurrences, are described (Leedy Ormrod, 2005). Emotional intelligence. The ability to recognise ones own feelings and the feelings of others for the purpose of motivating ourselves and for effectively managing the emotions in ourselves and in others (Wolff, 2006). Organisational performance. In this study, it was defined as return on capital employed (ROCE) over 2005-2009. Quantitative research approach. A method by which researchers use post positivist acclamations in creating facts and predetermined inquiries such as experiments, surveys, and data collection tools to measure statistical data (Creswell, 2003). Transformational leadership. This is the basis for the study and the researchers primary interest. It could mean different things to different readers unless properly defined. For Bass and Avolio (1993), transformational leadership contains the interrelated components of charisma or idealised influence (attributed or behavioural), inspirational motivation, intellectual stimulation, and individualised consideration. Transformational leadership behaviours are influential in motivating follower change and transforming followers to be more aware of task outcomes, activating their highest order needs, and extending beyond their own self-interest for the benefit of the organisation. Assumptions The first assumption in this study was that transformational leadership is an effective leadership style based on previous studies even though none have been related to the automotive manufacturing companies in Malaysia. Most previous studies were related to the military, non-profits institutions, or educational institutions. A second assumption was that there are similarities between the subsidiary companies of EPMB being researched even though they operate in different ways due to their products, customers and locations. It is possible that organisational performance is impacted by business climate to a similar degree as that by transformational leadership. A third and final assumption was that the managers/leaders (self reports) more truthfully answer the MLQ-5X and ECI even though this may not be the case in all completed surveys. This has been reported in other studies regarding leadership and emotional intelligence, and may have affected data and perceived relationships between the variables studied. The researcher was cognizant of these findings and tried to ensure that steps were taken to minimize such influences. Limitations Bias within a study can be minimized by not exposing the purpose or desired outcome to participants. The population for the current study was limited to 20 managers within EPMB who participated by taking the MLQ-5X (Bass Avolio, 1995) and ECI (Boyatzis et al., 1999; Wolff, 2006). Although the participants were informed of the study, no specifics were given as to the purpose or desired outcome. The population for the current study was limited because of availability, EPMB permission, and the amount of time available to conduct the study. The study was limited to managers who identify themselves as having worked a company in one of the subsidiary companies during the fiscal year of 2005. The population studied was quantitatively small, but it was an accurate representation of all managerial skill levels. This was because the sample population accounted 42.6% of all managers in EPMB. In addition, the sample group exemplified the various mix and types of operations throughout the organisation. The validity of the study was limited to the reliability of the structured testing instrument along with the participants perception of their leadership behaviours. A relatively new, self-reporting instrument (see Appendix A) was used to measure the levels of transformational leadership and emotional intelligence within managers using MLQ-5X and ECI respectively. The instrument for the current research study was considered cross-sectional since data were collected during one particular timeframe and not over a period of years (Creswell, 2003; Leedy Ormrod, 2005). Cross-sectional and self-reporting instruments are necessary for the assessment of self and others, but they have limitations. Nevertheless, Emmerling and Goleman (2003) stated that the limitations of such tests produced an insignificant amount of discrepancy. Most of the self-reporting instruments are primarily concerned with the connection between detailed behaviors and explicit personas. Self-reporting instruments are better indicators of organisational performance than self-assessment tools (Emmerling Goleman, 2003). Detailed Dissertation Framework and Study Variables Figure 1.1 is a more detailed representation of the relationship between transformational leadership (TL) and emotional intelligence and their impact can have on the performance of the organisation as a whole. The underlying premise is that transformational leadership does influence individuals who in turn impact the organisation with emotional intelligence as a moderating factor. The question that this study tried to answer was: What are the relationships and how do the relationships impact ROCE in the organisation over time? The elements in Figure 1.1 marked with the asterisks are those that were identified in the literature as being the most prevalent especially in studies that cited the work of Bass (1985), and Bass and Avolio (1990, 1995). The overall flow of the diagram suggests that the leader impacts the follower, and as the leaders behaviors impact more and more followers and as the range of impact increases, the organisations performance is improved. As the organisation imp roves with respect to many of the measures highlighted in Figure 1.1, it affects the ROCE of the firm and that is what this study tried to determine. Transformational Leadership Employee Effects/ Behaviours Organisational Effects/ Contributing Factors Attributed charisma Idealised influence Inspirational motivation Individualised consideration Managing change Increased productivity Achieving goals Coordinating teamwork Job satisfaction Increased self-confidence Increased performance (at all levels)*** Increased follower motivation*** Willingness to put forth extra effort*** Increased optimism Increase in learning activities Increase in innovative thinking Performance of ROCE Lower overall costs Increased sales Proactive change management Better communication Higher corporate goals Better quality products Increased customer service Increased educational opportunities More RD activities Emotional Intelligence Organisational Performance (measured by ROCE) Self-awareness Self-management Self-awareness Social awareness Social skills Figure 1.1: Detailed framework with study variables and contributing factors Table 1.1 identifies the major research questions in the study that were translated into hypotheses since the study is a quantitative one. It identifies the independent and dependent variables, as well as the statistical tests chosen to appropriately analyse the potential relationship between the dependent, independent and moderating variables. As outlined below, there were three research questions that were translated into three hypotheses (Hypothesis 1, Hypothesis 2 and Hypothesis 3), the independent variable (transformational leadership score), the dependent variable (ROCE), the moderating variable (level of emotional intelligence) and the applicable statistical tests. Figure 1.1: Research Questions, Hypotheses, Variables, and Statistical Tests Question Hypotheses Independent /Moderator Variable Independent/ Dependent Variable Statistical Test What is the relationship between TL and ROCE performance? H1: There is no statistically significant relationship between transformational leadership and organisational performance TL score on MLQ measured by questionnaires (Independent variable) ROCE performance (Dependent variable) Homogeneity of Variance test, ANOVA analysis, Pearsons correlation coefficient, What is the relationship between TL and EI? H2: There is no statistically relationship between transformational leadership and emotional intelligence EI score on ECI measured by questionnaires (Section B) (Moderator variable) TL score on MLQ-5X measured by questionnaires (Section A) (Independent variable) Homogeneity of Variance test, ANOVA analysis, Pearsons correlation coefficient Figure 1.1: (Continued) Question Hypotheses Independent /Moderator Variable Independent/ Dependent Variable Statistical Test What is the relationship between TL, EI and ROCE performance? H3: There is no statistically significant relationship between transformational leadership with emotional intelligence and organisational performance TL score on MLQ-5X measured by questionnaires (Section A) (Independent variable) EI score on ECI measured by questionnaires (Section B) (Moderator variable) ROCE performance (Dependent variable) Partial correlation, Pearson correlation coefficient, and multiple regression analysis Organisation of the Remainder of the Study The remainder of the study is devoted to the discussion of transformational leadership and emotional intelligence and their relationships to organisational performance based on several earlier studies. Chapter 2 is the literature review for the key variable in the study. Chapter 3 describes the methodology for the research study. Chapter 4 discusses the results of the questionnaire survey (MLQ-5X and ECI) in addition to the objective performance measure (ROCE) of the companies based on press releases, annual reports, and analysts reports. Chapter 5 is a discussion of the results including: limitations of the measures and procedures, conclusions, and implications for future research.

Creative Story: Positraction :: essays research papers

Creative Story: Positraction It was a cold night and Roger Katmandoo ( a 89 year old man) sat on his front porch. His rocking chair squeeked as he rocked back and forth. Right then a pair of hedlights came on and were shining right in Mr. Katmandoo's eyes. The headlights came closer towards Roger as the car's engine screamed. The car was right at the curb, and it keep going right up into Roger's yard. " Shit" he yelled as the red 67' Courger drove through his well kept lawn. "Jesus Palamesus" He hollared "U gonna die U sack of shit" Then the car stoped and flashed A gun out the winder as Roger pulled up a loose board in the floor of the porch and grabbed his machine gun. " Youin's best be gett'n out a here" he bluffed "or I will have to kick your little punk asses" Then th ecar speed off leav'n positraction tire marks all in Mr. Katmandoo's yard. Then when the car was half in the street and half in Roger's yard they all yelled "Hey Fuck-o" and speed off. "You little bastards callin me a buck-o" Roger yelled as his hudge buck teeth bit his bottom lip " I'll kick your ass". Then Roger jumped In his shit brown FORD truck and started the engine (well I mean tried to start the engine because he had to pull start it). Then he speed out of his driveway and took off with smoke coming from the tires (and from under the hood). He caught up with the Cougar and started hanging out the window trying to hit the car but he couldn't hold the steering wheel and do bash the car at the same time. So he got THE CLUB out from underneath his seat and put it on the steering wheel. So he got the Baseball bat and started hanging out the window hitting the car. The guy in the Cougar started swirved and Roger fell out of his car and flew underneath the wheel of the Cougar while he was yelling "I'll kick your ass" and crunched Roger leaving blood and guts all over the freeway. But Roger's skull stuck into the Cougar's hub cap. The cougar spun out of controll and flipped then hit the gaurd rail and went fling accross the freeway into oncoming traffic. And uuhh oh here comes the undertaker's truck full of dead bodies. Creative Story: Positraction :: essays research papers Creative Story: Positraction It was a cold night and Roger Katmandoo ( a 89 year old man) sat on his front porch. His rocking chair squeeked as he rocked back and forth. Right then a pair of hedlights came on and were shining right in Mr. Katmandoo's eyes. The headlights came closer towards Roger as the car's engine screamed. The car was right at the curb, and it keep going right up into Roger's yard. " Shit" he yelled as the red 67' Courger drove through his well kept lawn. "Jesus Palamesus" He hollared "U gonna die U sack of shit" Then the car stoped and flashed A gun out the winder as Roger pulled up a loose board in the floor of the porch and grabbed his machine gun. " Youin's best be gett'n out a here" he bluffed "or I will have to kick your little punk asses" Then th ecar speed off leav'n positraction tire marks all in Mr. Katmandoo's yard. Then when the car was half in the street and half in Roger's yard they all yelled "Hey Fuck-o" and speed off. "You little bastards callin me a buck-o" Roger yelled as his hudge buck teeth bit his bottom lip " I'll kick your ass". Then Roger jumped In his shit brown FORD truck and started the engine (well I mean tried to start the engine because he had to pull start it). Then he speed out of his driveway and took off with smoke coming from the tires (and from under the hood). He caught up with the Cougar and started hanging out the window trying to hit the car but he couldn't hold the steering wheel and do bash the car at the same time. So he got THE CLUB out from underneath his seat and put it on the steering wheel. So he got the Baseball bat and started hanging out the window hitting the car. The guy in the Cougar started swirved and Roger fell out of his car and flew underneath the wheel of the Cougar while he was yelling "I'll kick your ass" and crunched Roger leaving blood and guts all over the freeway. But Roger's skull stuck into the Cougar's hub cap. The cougar spun out of controll and flipped then hit the gaurd rail and went fling accross the freeway into oncoming traffic. And uuhh oh here comes the undertaker's truck full of dead bodies.

Hypotheses Of The Effects Of Wolf Predation :: essays research papers

Hypotheses of the Effects of Wolf Predation Abstract: This paper discusses four hypotheses to explain the effects of wolf predation on prey populations of large ungulates. The four proposed hypotheses examined are the predation limiting hypothesis, the predation regulating hypothesis, the predator pit hypothesis, and the stable limit cycle hypothesis. There is much research literature that discusses how these hypotheses can be used to interpret various data sets obtained from field studies. It was concluded that the predation limiting hypothesis fit most study cases, but that more research is necessary to account for multiple predator - multiple prey relationships. The effects of predation can have an enormous impact on the ecological organization and structure of communities. The processes of predation affect virtually every species to some degree or another. Predation can be defined as when members of one species eat (and/or kill) those of another species. The specific type of predation between wolves and large ungulates involves carnivores preying on herbivores. Predation can have many possible effects on the interrelations of populations. To draw any correlations between the effects of these predator-prey interactions requires studies of a long duration, and statistical analysis of large data sets representative of the populations as a whole. Predation could limit the prey distribution and decrease abundance. Such limitation may be desirable in the case of pest species, or undesirable to some individuals as with game animals or endangered species. Predation may also act as a major selective force. The effects of predator prey coevolution can explain many evolutionary adaptations in both predator and prey species. The effects of wolf predation on species of large ungulates have proven to be controversial and elusive. There have been many different models proposed to describe the processes operating on populations influenced by wolf predation. Some of the proposed mechanisms include the predation limiting hypothesis, the predation regulating hypothesis, the predator pit hypothesis, and the stable limit cycle hypothesis (Boutin 1992). The purpose of this paper is to assess the empirical data on population dynamics and attempt to determine if one of the four hypotheses is a better model of the effects of wolf predation on ungulate population densities. The predation limiting hypothesis proposes that predation is the primary factor that limits prey density. In this non- equilibrium model recurrent fluctuations occur in the prey population. This implies that the prey population does not return to some particular equilibrium after deviation. The predation limiting hypothesis involves a density independent mechanism. The mechanism might apply to one prey - one predator systems (Boutin 1992). This hypothesis predicts that losses of prey due to predation will be large enough to halt prey population

Battle of Algiers

History plays an important role in the lives of individuals, especially in understanding the present and planning for the future. The different events that happened and the various personalities that have essential contribution in the past is given importance because they substantially help for the people to make sense of their present life and eventually know their direction in the future. The pivotal contribution of history is clearly exemplified in movies or films that used historical events as its main theme or storyline.In relation to this, the movie The Battle of Algiers narrates the Algerian War, specifically the battle that the movie was name of in order for its viewers to understand the origin and end of the war. The Battle of Algiers also known as La battaglia di Algen in Italian, is a movie directed by Gillo Pontecorvo in 1966. The aforementioned movie is regarded as a war film that is based on the Algerian War that took place during the years 1954 to 1962. The battle of A lgiers was a revolution against the French colonial rule in North Africa. The director patterned the movie to the reported actual events of the Battle of Algiers.The reconstruction of the events happened in the capital city of French Algeria between the period of November 1954 and December 1960 wherein the Algerian War of Independence was already in the process. The narration started in Casbah with the organization of revolutionary cells. The stakeholders of the civil war were the native Algerians and the European settlers also known as pied-noirs, wherein great animosity and violence were exchanged between the two parties. As a result, the French army paratroopers were ordered to annihilate the National Liberation Front (FLN).The French army paratroopers were described in the film as the winners of the battle because they were able to hunt down the FLN leadership by means of assassinating or capturing them. Nevertheless, the motion picture ends with a coda-like demonstrations and r iots of native Algerians, who are fighting for independence. Moreover, the end of the movie also sends the message that the French victory at the Battle of Algiers cost them to lose the Algerian War (Musu et al. , 1966). The Battle of Algiers was a guerilla warfare campaign that is pursued by the National Liberation Front (FLN) against the rule of France in 1957.The conflict started through the continuous hit-and-run attacks by the FLN against the French Police that were placed in Algiers. The conflict escalated because of the decision of the government of France to send French army in Algiers in order to suppress the revolutionary efforts of the FLN. In March 1955, the leader of the FLN in Algiers, Rabah Bitat was arrested by the French. Nevertheless, the French was not able to weaken the FLN because Abane Ramdane, who was just release from prison, was able to properly direct the political objective of FLN.As a result, Ramdane was able to bring FLN in Algiers to its usual power (Ho rner, 2006). The conflict further escalated on 20 August 1955, when violence became observable around Philippeville. The situation became even worse when Ramdane and Larbi Ben M’Hidi decided to focus the operations of the FLN in the capital. The decision of Ramdane and M’Hidi came about during the Summam Congress, a little time after the debate of the United Nations regarding the â€Å"Algerian question† (Alleg & Calder, 2006). In the summer of 1956, secret negotiations took place between the Algerian separatists and the French in Belgrade and Rome.The French hard-liners started to manage themselves in a paramilitary group under the leadership of Andre Achiary. Andre Achiary is a previous officer of the Service de Documentation Exterieure et de Contre-Espionnage (SDECE) and he also experience being led by the prefect of Constantinois during the time of the Setif massacre. During the night of 10 August 1956, Achiary with the help of the followers of the Robert Ma rtel’s Union francaise nord-africaine planted a bomb at Thebes road in the Casbah. The explosion was recognized as terrorist attack that killed 73 lives and had also marked the turn of events in the conflict.Prior to the Thebes road massacre, the FLN only launch attacks in Algiers due to the numerous arrests and executions of their members. However, the Casbah inhabitant are enraged and are determined to avenged the dead of their loves ones, which is why they went to the European town in order to launch their attack. In line with this, members of the FLN made a promise to the Casbah inhabitants that they will avenge them (Horner, 2006). The Peace talks did not succeed and the government of Guy Mollet’s ended the policy of negotiations. As a result, Larbi Ben M’Hidi decided to further expand the terrorist action to the European city.However, FLN members were executed through guillotine, which caused Larbi Ben M’Hidi to order the killings of any European fr om 18 to 54, excluding women, children, and elderly. On 30 September 1956, three female FLN militants planted a bomb on civilian locations such as: milk bar, cafeteria, and travel agency, which marked the official start of the Battle of Algiers (Horner, 2006). The absence of a peaceful resolution to the conflict was brought about by the failure of the peace talks and also by the decision of the Mollet’s government to end policy negotiations.As such, a possibility for a peaceful ending to the conflict no longer exists, which is further worsen by the decision to further heighten the terrorist action. Moreover, Mollet and Massu decided to start a military intervention which caused for an all out war, which substantially hinder establishing another peace talks (Alleg & Calder, 2006). References Alleg, H. , & Calder, J. (2006). The Question. Nebraska: University of Nebraska Press. Horne, A. (2006). A Savage War of Peace: Algeria, 1954-1962. New York: New York Review Books. Musu, A . , Yacef, S. , & Pontecorvo, G. (1966). The Battle of Algiers. Italy: Rizzoli. Battle of Algiers The 1996 Gillo Pontecorvo-directed Battle of Algiers movie depicts the struggle between Algerians and French colonialists by recreating occurrences that happened in Algeria’s capital city between 1954 and 1962. Ali La Pointe, a politically-radicalized former prisoner, narrates the film’s story. After serving his prison term, Pointe was engaged by the National Liberation Front (FLN) via El-hadi Jafar – a military commander.Due to increased violence, French army paratroopers are introduced to pursue FLN elements. The paratroop leader – Colonel Mathieu, is the movie’s major French character.Petit Omar, Larbi Ben M’hidi, Hassiba, Djamila, and Zohra are other French characters. The FLN-commanded Casbah executes local Algerian offenders plus other traitors and applies violence to trouble civilian French citizens. In turn, the French take up public lynching and arbitrary, racist aggression against local Algerians. Through the movie, Pontecorvo demon strates that war really disadvantages civilians based on the strategies the two contending sides employ to subdue each other. For example, both the French and the FNL direct their war-oriented frustrations at the hapless locals.On its part, the FLN use the Casbah militant organization to summarily execute alleged traitors, Algerian offenders and to torment French civilians. In return, the French mete out violence on native Algerians by indiscriminately murdering, torturing, and intimidating locals (Chansel 199). Through such events, Pontecorvo shows that war is a very costly phenomenon that harms both non-combatants and combatants. In addition, the Battle of Algiers critiques the domineering stance that western developed countries usually adopt when dealing with their undeveloped counterparts.French paratroopers come in when locals express hostility towards the European settlers. France’s decision to send in paratroopers to help quell the anti-European sentiments in Algeria d emonstrates this western self-ascribed supremacy. Other than seek dialogue, the French seek to exterminate the Algerian citizens in their own land. This situation demonstrates utter contempt by the Whites towards the locals (Chansel 199). Works Cited Chansel, Dominique. Europe On-screen: Cinema and the Teaching of History, Volume 2. Strasbourg, France: Council of Europe, 2001.

“God Sees the Truth, but Waits” by Leo Tolstoy Essay

Biography: Leo Tolstoy was born in Tula Province, Russia, on September 9, 1828. His mother died when he was only two years old. After Tolstoy’s father died in1837, he was cared by his relatives. He attended Kazan University for three years but he never could complete it because of joining to Russian army on active duty. However, being a soldier could not stop his desire to write literary plays and during his duty he published his first work childhood. After writing childhood, he continued on writing autobiographic plays and his life on the army; the works included boyhood, Sevastopol Tales book, youth and an uncompleted work entitled The Cossacks. In 1859, Tolstoy returned to Yasnaya Polyana and devoted himself to be management and study educational practices. In 1862, He married Sophia Andreevna Behrs who was 16 years younger than him. They had thirteen children which five of them died at early age. His wife helped him as a secretary to complete is works, especially on writing his first great novel, War and Peace. Their early life was full of happiness and they had no problem. However, their relationship became progressively worse as he was being radical to the extent of disowning his inherited and earned wealth. He was known for his complicated and paradoxical personality. In 1972, he wrote the short story of God Sees the Truth, But Waits which was about a merchant who was jailed innocently. In his life, he has written a lot of short stories which the well-known ones are The Candle, How Much Land Does a Man Need?, Little Girls Wiser than Men and The Coffee House of Surat. In 1973, he wrote the novel of Anna Karenina which was the best known one in his writings. Other most famous works were The Living Corpse and The Death of Ivan Ilyich. In his life, furthermore, he wrote various pieces on social, political, and economic topics ranging from vegetarianism to capital punishment but could not be published because of government. Tolstoy died on November 20, 1910 in Astapovo, Russia. Tittle: Throughout the tittle, Tolstoy wants to tell the readers the fact that reality can be hidden but one day it comes out. The tittle has a lot of interpretations considering real life and the events of the story. God  always sees the truth in whatever people do, but the meaning of â€Å"waits† is debatable and purposeful. First of all, in the tittle, the notion of the truth is isolated and not became known for some reasons. Sometimes, God examines those people who have good personality and looks gentle among people so that they prove their faith. On the other words, He takes them to a bad situation to purify their sins and reward them for their patient. And no one knows what is happening in the future; people may see something wrong, but in reality it will be good, and vice versa. So, if people commit illegal works and sins, they always do secretly and keep them silent. At this time, just God knows the truth and waits to see whether the man is going to regret or not, and do the right thing or not. Regarding the short story, there are two opposite characters, Aksionov and Makar; innocent and guilty. At the beginning of the story, readers know that Aksionov is not the doer of the murdering but he is sentenced to be in jail for 26 years. A part of the truth, God knows about everything but waits. For Aksionov, there are two truths which the first one is his meek personality. But the second one is the reality of his personality in every conditions. God does not make something to declare his innocence till He examines him by punishing and away from his beloved family, and to see what Aksionov will do, seek to revenge or forgive. By this bad condition, the true reality of Aksionov will be obvious to all, because if he revenges himself upon Marker and ruins his life as him, he has no difference with Makar. Plot: Once upon time, in the land of Vladimir, a young merchant named Ivan Dmitri Aksionov lived with his family. He was in his young life and very happy by experiencing luxurious things that was offered by the world. One day of summer, when he was about to go to Nizhny fair as he planned, his wife warned him not to go. She told him that she had a bad dream, she said â€Å"I dreamt you returned from the town with hair of grey.† Ivan laughed and showed himself as if he didn’t care and continued on going to the fair. In the half way of his traveling he met a merchant. He drunk tea with him at the night and shared a room in the inn. Aksionov did not use to sleep for long hours, so he decided to wake up and continued his journey. While he was in the way of his journey, he was stopped by two soldiers in a troika to  begin asking questions. Their questions were about the merchant that he met on the travel and spent time with him for he was found dead. As all evidences of the crim e were pointing guiltiness of Aksionov, he was imprisoned. When his wife heard this bad news, she remembered her dream. She was very worried to her husband and thought that her husband was guilty. Aksionov felt sadder when he realized this thought. 26 years in prison made Aksionov a well-grounded and God-fearing man. In spite the fact that his family has completely forgotten him, he still serves as a â€Å"Grandpa† to the other prisoners. Then came a new prisoner named Makar Semyonich. After a while, they knew each other, Aksionov discovered that Makar was killed the merchant. Although he realized everything but he uttered nothing about it. One night, while the prisoners were sleeping, Aksionov saw that Makar dug the earth. Makar told him not to tell anyone about what he has seen or else he would kill him. One day, a soldier noticed that a prisoner took some earth off his boots, when the soldier immediately started for searching any escaping plans and found the tunnel. At that time, they asked the prisoners who knew about the plan, but no one replied. Since Marker warned them if they declared anything, they would be killed. Finally, the governor asked Ivan for he was the most generous man there. But Ivan said it is not my job and I don’t care. At night, when Aksionov was on his bed and about to sleep, Makar went to him to thank him. He felt very sorry for he made Aksionov suffer for all this years. He did not want forgive till he sobbed to Aksionov, then said the Lord will forgive you. Makar said that he will confess to the governor so that Ivan would be free. In fact, since Aksionov had no family neither home, he did not want to go out of prison. Rather, he waited for his last hour to come. In spite of what they’ve talked about, Makar Semyonich confessed his guilt. But when the order for Ivan Dmitri Aksenov’s release came, he was already dead. Conflict: Sadness comes to Aksionov when he found out that the man he stayed with last night has been killed. The soldiers searched his bag and found a knife with blood. In fact, Aksionov is not the murder, but at the end of the story he sees Makar in the same jail that he has been prisoned who is the killer. In the short story, there are some conflicts: 1. Man vs Man : Aksionov with himself and Makar 2. Man vs Nature: Aksionov with his black fate 3. Man vs society: Aksionov (as an innocent man) with court decision. Characters: Protagonist: Aksionov: he was a young merchant lived in the town of Vladimir. He had two shops and a house of his own. Aksionov was a handsome, fair-haired, curly headed fellow, full of fun, and very fond of singing. In one of his journey, he accused by murdering a merchant and was sentenced to be jailed for 26 years. Although he was innocent, but he couldn’t anything with his fate. Finally he found the murder and forgave him for sake of God. Antagonist: Makar: He was a bad person who appeared at the end of the story. He was the real murder who killed the merchant and wanted to kill Aksionov but he couldn’t. He felt shame for what he did for Aksionov and begged him for forgiveness. Finally, Aksionov forgave him and Makar confess the secret to the governor. Themes: The short story takes place in Russia, Vladimir (Aksionov’s home and inn) and in Siberia where Aksionov was arrested. And the story was narrated in omniscient style that the narrator seems know all of the things that happen there. 1. Forgiveness vs Revenge and Bitterness Leo Tolstoy, the writer, wants to show the readers what is the real forgiveness and what wise people do when they face difficult situations. In the short story, Aksionov has to accept his fate which becoming a murder while even he did not kill the merchant. After 26 years the governor found out that he was not the murderer when Makar, who was the real murderer, came to the jail and confessed his fault and asked for forgiveness. Aksionov forgave him without having desire to revenge. This shows the fact that Aksionov was different from normal people; people often revenge upon their enemies whenever they can. Furthermore, he also did not announce the truth  as he promised to Makar. 2. Truth vs †Justice† Aksionov did not get justice that earned by himself. He was a good and innocent man, but court judged him as a murderer. In our daily life, we can see a lot of the same examples that people get something that they don’t deserve. Court and also people judge the event as they see their appearance not reality. It declares the fact that every judgments are true. 3. Injustice vs Forgiveness It is belonged to the religious idea that people should be kind in every situation. Aksionov was areligious man which followed that idea and finally forgave Makar. Aksionov may represent Tolstoy’s characteristic because Tolstoy was a religious man. 4. Innocence vs injustice The evident faults in the injustice system. The idea that God does what he does, such as withholding the truth, to allow us the opportunity to learn something vastly more important, such as the power of forgiveness the power of circumstance and persuasion over logical thoughts and deductions. Tone of the Short Story: The tone of the story is human’s depression and sorrow which is very tragic, and sympathetic. We can see the sympathetic depression of Aksionov When Makar asking Aksionov for forgiveness, he replied: â€Å"It is easy for you to talk,† said Aksionov, â€Å"but I have suffered for you these twenty-six years. Where could I go to now?†¦ My wife is dead, and my children have forgotten me. I have nowhere to go†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Personal value: The purpose of Tolstoy in giving Aksionov’s suffering is to show us a good example of real generous man. He wants to tell us that God knows everything but does not appear the reality purposefully. It does not mean that He hates His people, but examines them so that they realize their real personality. Look at Aksionov, after suffering for 26 years, he felt inner peace when he forgave his enemy. The short story tells the readers must to be faithful in Go, in every moments of life, because He will bring justice to every  situation. By reading the whole story, the readers learn the power of forgiveness and its impact on offering inner peace. Moreover, they will learnt to be freed from being angry and indignant with the world and having achieved ‘inner peace’. Tolstoy used a nice style in writing the story that interact the reader to read the whole story. The title is ambiguous that makes the reader to read the story so as to find the ambiguity. Throughout the short story, he pointed on some perspectives such as religion, society and politician. Through the characteristics of Aksionov, he viewed that people must believe in God and his power. And he pointed out that religious people should be gentle and calm in difficult situations. Furthermore, he showed us that some time you cannot use what you have in society. Aksionov was rich, he had two shops and a house, but at the end he couldn’t use them and even lived with his family. In addition, although he was innocent, but he and his wife couldn’t win the court because they did not have witness. Finally, the writer tells the reader that when people let someone down God will pick him up.