Monday, December 30, 2019

Summarise and Compare the Evidence for the Development of...

Part 1 Summarise and compare the evidence for the development of agriculture in South West Asia and North America. The two continents provide a very different insight into the development of agriculture. America with its slow alterations, for example the gathering that continued and the consistency of crops remaining in their natural habitat until much later for example the May grass. South West Asia reveals a different approach where although still gradual development the use of tools and grinders support the discovery of cultivation and domestication leading this continent towards villages and eventually civilizations with trade and travel as its force for change as early humans emulated and adapted. The southwest begins its†¦show more content†¦Asia’s steady but sure cultivation started a fast pace route to civilisation that of which the Americas did not. The Americas environment allowed for small agriculturists with irrigation sites such as at La capas dating 1250 BC. A slow development in contrast to Asia. However the burials at Eva do mirror the evidence found in burial si tes such as Ohalo 11: where burials have grave goods and signal some status. Hinting that cognitive development may have evolved just as Asia’s had but the need for agriculture was less intense therefore a later necessity for the north Americans. Bibleography The Human Past Chapter 6 Trevor Watkins, Chapter 9 David L. Browman, Gayle J. Fritz, Patty jo Watson. David j Meltzer 2005 2009 Thames and Hudson Limited .http://www.archaeology.org/9707/newsbriefs/squash.html http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neolithic_Revolution#Agriculture_in_the_Americas Part 2 Do you think changing climate was the key force accounting for the development of agriculture? The two continents America and Asia have a stark difference in the development of agriculture. Evidence of semi-sedentary living can be traced in Southwest Asia 20,000 years at Ohallo II. A ‘boom’ effect fallows the Younger Dryas , this climatic alteration coincides with villages such as Akrotiri . Great expansion also occurs in Israel and Jordan. Neve David is one example that existed in the heart of the Epipaleolithic and so must have beenShow MoreRelatedExploring Corporate Strategy - Case164366 Words   |  658 Pages– how can small players survive changing markets? Amazon (B) – latest developments in a successful dot.com. Formula One – developing the capabilities for competitive success in a hi-tech industry. Manchester United – clash of expectations in the football world. Salvation Army – strategic challenges for a global not-for-profit organisation with a mission. Bayer MS – corporate social responsibility in the internat ional development of a German company. Eurotunnel – clash of cultures threatens to derailRead MoreCase Study148348 Words   |  594 PagesEnvironment Strategic Capabilities Strategic Purpose Culture and Strategy Business Strategy Corporate Strategy and Diversification International Strategy Innovation and Entrepreneurship Mergers, Acquisitions and Alliances Evaluating Strategies Strategy Development Processes Organising for Success Leadership and Strategic Change The Practice of Strategy Pages 30 37 47 59 69 79 88 99 108 115 122 132 144 150 162 Case Teaching Notes The LEGO Group: Working with Strategy The Global Pharmaceutical Industry:Read MoreVirgin Blue Annual Report47891 Words   |  192 PagesDenpasar Solomon Islands Honiara Cook Islands Rarotonga Darwin Vanuatu Port Vila Cairns Nadi Fiji Samoa Apia Johannesburg Broome Port Hedland Karratha Newman Townsville Whitsunday Coast Hamilton Island Mackay South Africa Virgin Blue Partner Airlines Tonga Nuku alofa Fraser Coast/Hervey Bay Sunshine Coast/Maroochydore Australia Rockhampton Brisbane Gold Coast Ballina/Byron Bay Coffs Coast Port Macquarie Newcastle Perth Mildura AucklandRead MoreAnnual Report Fosters Beer64959 Words   |  260 Pagesexperience in the international drink sector – senior executive roles at diageo, including president, Asia pacific and managing director, Australasia and a member of the diageo group executive Committee. he has a strong finance and consumer products background as Finance director for diageo’s largest subsidiary company in the uk and held Sales and general management roles across the uk and Asia pacific. mr pollaers is director of the Australian National Breast Cancer Foundation and Chair of its FinanceRead MoreAnz Bank142091 Words   |  569 PagesREPORT 2014 ANZ IS EXECUTING A FOCUSED STRATEGY TO BUILD THE BEST CONNECTED, MOST RESPECTED BANK ACROSS THE ASIA PACIFIC REGION WHO WE ARE AND HOW WE OPERATE ANZ’s history of expansion and growth stretches over 175 years. We have a strong franchise in Retail, Commercial and Institutional banking in our home markets of Australia and New  Zealand and we have been operating in Asia Pacific for more than 30 years. Today, ANZ operates in 33 countries globally. We are the third largest bank in

Sunday, December 22, 2019

Who We are is Determined by the Intertwined Forces of...

Nature or Nurture Every human being is unique. Were we destined to be the way we are, or have we been made this way through our environment and experiences? Psychology has long been debating the issue of Nature versus Nurture. Characteristics such as hair and eye color are generally recognized to be controlled by genetics. Those on the Nature side (Nativists) claim that genetics control much more, including personality and character. Nurture backers (empiricists) will argue that a person’s environment and experiences determine those traits. So is it possible to prove which side is right? The latest findings suggest that the debate may not be that simple. In light of the new information, it is no longer an either one or the other debate.†¦show more content†¦The balance between genetic and environmental influence is not exactly the same for everyone. Jonathan D. Rockoff (2013) wrote in the New York Times, â€Å"They are finding that sensitivity to the environment resides in the biolo gy of the nervous system. And some people, because of their genetic makeup and life experiences, are more sensitive to outside influences than others.† People react differently to the same external stress. We have all witnessed varied responses to the inconvenience of being caught in a traffic jam, some people lay on the horn, others complain, and some just sit there bopping to the tune on the radio. If a child is riding in that car, will they display the same behavior as their parent, and if so is it because they learned it or were they passed a gene for that behavior? The answer, according to recent studies, is it depends. A study by Lee, Brooks-Gunn, McLanahan,Notterman, and Garfinkel (2013) examined the effects that the 2007-2009 recession had on the harshness of maternal parenting. They found that bad economic times had a stronger effect on harsh parenting than improved conditions. They also noted â€Å"mothers’ responses to adverse economic conditions were modera ted by theShow MoreRelatedPersonality And Theory Of Personality Essay2250 Words   |  9 Pagesidea of personality, we are going to examine the six different cornerstones of personality. They consist of Nature versus Nurture, The Unconscious, You of the Self, Development, Motivation and Maturation. In this, no one theory is more valid than the other, and no one research has more validity than the other. In this paper each cornerstone will be examined using scholarly research. Foundations of Personality Nature Versus Nurture Before the concept of nature versus nurture can be broken down andRead MoreThe Yunnan And Szechuan Province Of Southwest China1584 Words   |  7 Pagesmatriarchal societies today. â€Å"Given that Mosuo women make most of the major decisions, control the household finances, and pass on the family name to their children, many anthropologists classify the Mosuo culture as a matriarchal society. but those who have studied these ancient societies are often at odds as to what to label them. Many prefer to call societies, like the Mosuo, matrilineal societies. [Source: frontline pbs.org]. In a matriarchy, a female is head of the family or society. With aRead MoreHistorical And Literary Representations Of The Black Cat By Edgar Allan Poe2413 Words   |  10 PagesThus categorizing black Americans as inferiors to white Americans, and holding no power or authority in America at the time. 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The author gives examples of children who were adopted after infancy and children whom had to spend significant amounts of time away from their mothers during their infant yearsRead MoreEmployee Retention Analysis10575 Words   |  43 Pagesindustry The Indian Steel industry is almost 100 years old now. Till 1990, the Indian steel industry operated under a regulated environment with insulated markets and large-scale capacities reserved for the public sector. Production and prices were determined and regulated by the Government, while SAIL and Tata Steel were the main producers, the latter being the only private player. The industry took its first faltering steps in 1907 with the setup of the first integrated steel plant in Jamshedpur by

Saturday, December 14, 2019

Standard Costing, Operational Performance Measures Free Essays

CHAPTER 10 STANDARD COSTING, OPERATIONAL PERFORMANCE MEASURES 1. MANAGING COSTS 1. Standard-cost systems are used to help managers control the cost of operations. We will write a custom essay sample on Standard Costing, Operational Performance Measures or any similar topic only for you Order Now The system has three components: standard costs (i. e. , predetermined costs), actual costs, and the difference between the two figures (termed a variance). 2. A standard cost for each product cost category (materials, labor, and overhead) is calculated on a per-unit basis. ? This calculation considers the planned quantity of each input factor allowed (pounds, hours, etc. and the planned price for each input factor (price per pound, rate per hour, etc. ). The total planned cost is a mini, per-unit budgeted amount. †¢ After the actual costs are known, a report is generated that shows actual costs, planned costs, and related variances. A manager can examine the variance column quickly to ascertain which exceptions require attention. ? Following up on significant variances is called management by exception. Managers focus their efforts where they are most needed in the limited time available. 2. SETTING STANDARDS . Managers set standards by analyzing historical data. However, past data must be adjusted for expected changes in technology, the production process, inflation, and other similar factors. ? Managers also use task analysis to focus on how much a product should cost. †¢ Knowledgeable people such as engineers, purchasing agents, production supervisors, and accountants should be brought into the standard-setting process. Cross-functional teams are very useful here. 4. Two types of standards may be used: perfection standards and practical standards. Perfection (ideal) standards assume that production takes place in the ideal world: employees always work at peak performance, materials are never defective, and machines never break down. ? Although some managers feel that ideal standards give employees a goal to shoot for, many behavioral scientists believe that setting unattainable goals has a demotivating effect, as employees simply give up trying to reach the standard. ? Practical (attainable) standards are set high enough to encourage efficient an d effective operations but not so high as to seem impossible. Behavioral scientists feel that practical standards have a more positive effect on the productivity of employees. ? Unlike variances computed with perfection standards, variances calculated when practical standards are employed tend to be more meaningful as they represent deviations from a realistic goal. †¢ Service firms also use standards. For example, McDonald’s restaurants are noted for using standards, not only for quantities of material (amount of beef per burger) but also for the time allowed to serve customers at the drive-in window or counter. . VARIANCE ANALYSIS 5. Variance analysis involves calculating the actual amount of input used and comparing it to the budgeted amount of input that should have been used (i. e. , the standard cost allowed for actual output). The variance is then analyzed into its component parts. 6. Standards are established for: ? The amount of material required to produce a fi nished product (the standard material quantity). ? The anticipated delivered cost of materials (the standard material price). The number of hours normally needed to manufacture one unit of product (the standard direct-labor quantity). ? The estimated hourly cost of compensation (the standard labor rate). †¢ The following model can be used to calculate variances for direct materials (DM) and direct labor (DL): DM Price = (AQ Purchased x AP) – (AQ Purchased x SP) DM Quantity = (AQ Used x SP) – (SQ Used* x SP) DL Rate = (AQ x AP) – (AQ x SP) DL Efficiency = (AQ x SP) – (SQ* x SP) * Standard quantity for the actual production level Notice that the price and rate variances use a similar approach, and the quantity and efficiency variances use a similar approach, with efficiency being another way to say â€Å"quantity of hours† allowed. †¢ Unfavorable variances arise when the actual cost per unit of input (e. g. , gallons, hours, etc. ) exceeds standard cost and when actual quantities used (e. g. , gallons, hours, etc. ) exceed standard quantities. The opposite situation gives rise to favorable variances. 4. VARIANCE INVESTIGATION 1. A manager does not have time to examine each variance; therefore, he or she must consider selected factors in deciding when an investigation should take place. The factors include one or more of the following: ? Size of the variance (in absolute and/or relative terms, such as $5,000 or 10% of standard cost) ? Frequency of occurrence ? An otherwise small variance may require investigation if it consistently occurs, as it may indicate an ongoing problem or an outdated standard. ? Trends ? Controllability (there is little point to investigate items over which managers have no control). Favorable variances ? A manager should investigate both favorable and unfavorable variances. A favorable variance with advertising expense, for instance, could lead to the conclusion that an insufficient amount is being spent on promotion, which could lead to a loss of customers. ? Costs and benefits (the decision to investigate involves a cost-benefit analysis, as a number of investigative costs are incu rred). Some companies use a statistical approach to variance investigation by preparing a statistical control chart. These charts help to pinpoint random and nonrandom variances, with a statistically determined critical value being compared to a variance to determine whether an investigation is warranted. 5. BEHAVIORAL IMPACT OF STANDARD COSTING 1. Variances may be used to evaluate personnel, often with regard to salary increases, bonuses, and promotions. ? Such incentives can have positive and negative effects, as a bonus plan may prompt a manager to pursue actions that are not in the best interests of the organization. ? An example of detrimental behavior: A purchasing manager may purchase cheap material to create a favorable price variance. That material could be of poor quality, which might result in excess usage and problems with the finished product. 6. CONTROLLABILITY OF VARIANCES 2. It is rare that one person controls any event; however, it is often possible to identify the manager who is most able to influence a particular variance. These managers are often the following: ? Direct-material price variance—Purchasing manager ? Direct-material quantity variance—Production supervisor and/or production engineers ? Direct-labor rate variance—Production supervisor ? Direct-labor efficiency variance—Production supervisor . Variances often interact, making investigation and controllability difficult. For example, a labor efficiency variance may be caused by problems not only with labor but by problems with machinery and/or material. ? Managers sometimes trade-off variances, purposely incurring an unfavorable variance that is more than offset by favorable variances. 7. STANDARD COSTS AND PRODUCT COSTING 4. In a standard-cost system, costs flow through the same accounts in the general ledger as shown earlier in the text; however, they flow through at standard cost. In other words, Work-in-Process Inventory, Finished-Goods Inventory, and Cost of Goods Sold are carried at standard cost. 8. ADVANTAGES OF STANDARD COSTS 2. A standard-cost system has several advantages, as follows: ? Managers have a sensible comparison method at their disposal, one that looks at budgeted costs vs. actual costs at the actual level of output. ? Managers can practice management by exception. ? Variances provide a benchmark for performance evaluation and employee rewards. ? Standard costs provide a stable product cost. Actual costs may fluctuate erratically, whereas standard costs are changed only periodically. 9. CRITICISMS OF STANDARD COSTING IN TODAY’S MANUFACTURING ENVIRONMENT 3. Criticisms of standard costing in advanced manufacturing settings include: ? Variances are too aggregated and arrive too late to be useful. Variances should focus on activities, specific product lines, or production batches. ? Variances focus too much on the cost and efficiency of labor, which is becoming a relatively unimportant factor of production. Standard costs rely on a stable production environment, and flexible manufacturing systems have reduced this stability, with frequent switching among a variety of products on the same manufacturing line. ? Standards focus too much on cost minimization and not enough on product quality, customer service, and other contemporary issues. 10. OPERATIONAL CONTROL MEASURES 5. Many companies now focus on an increased number of performance measures, many of which are nonfin ancial in nature. Examples often include: ? Customer-acceptance measures such as customer complaints, warranty claims, and product returns. Delivery cycle time, or the average time between the receipt of a customer order and the delivery of goods. ? Manufacturing cycle time, or the total production time per unit. ? Manufacturing cycle efficiency, or processing time divided by the sum of processing time, inspection time, waiting time, and move time. †¢ To judge how well or poorly a company is performing, many firms use benchmarking, which involves comparing existing performance levels against those of either other organizations or other units within the same organization. †¢ How to cite Standard Costing, Operational Performance Measures, Essay examples

Friday, December 6, 2019

Participative Intervention Improve Employee â€Myassignmenthelp.Com

Question: Discuss About The Participative Intervention Improve Employee? Answer: Introduction Organization behavior is the process of analyzing the ways staffs relate to one another and their social system in the organization and how they undertake their duties (Lima Canbarro 2015, p.16). The main aim of organizational behavior is to create a cordial relationship through achieving the personal objectives, social vision and the goals of the organization. The process of learning the organization behaviors requires an in-depth understanding of individual actions and skills and then as a group at large to come up with the best working team. The continuous growth of demand for the personal care products has intensified the rate of increase of the industries such as Kimberly Clark Corporation. Therefore, this article looks at the importance of selecting the right employee, job design, redesign and improvement of the redesigned job about Kimberly Clark Corporation. Importance of Selection Right Employee Employee selection a vital process in every organization entails the stages of recruiting and hiring staffs by the laid down qualifications for a specified job in that organization (Fabel Pascalau 2013). Each employee has different background and a skill making the task of bringing them together to work as a team is of high importance. The success of an organization, therefore, depends on the capability of the employees to work as a team with minimum or no supervision. The staff selections are controlled by the availability of the qualified applicants, the geographical location of the company, for example, is it located in town or remote areas. Companys Background Kimberly Clark Corporation is American multinational funded in Neenah in the year 1872 by three people namely; John A Kimberly, Havilah Babcock, Charles B. Clark and Franklyn C. Shattuck with a capital of $42000 (Shaik et al 2011, p.456). Initially, Kimberly Clark mainly produced paper mills products and continually expanded in its products by opening its branches in almost 35 countries such as Mexico, West Germany and the United Kingdom with its products currently sold in more than 175 countries . The Kimberly Clark now focuses on the production of personal care products such as Huggies that are disposable infants diapers, Cottonelle a bath product, Kleenex a facial tissue, Kotex a feminine hygiene product, Little Swimmers a disposable swim diaper, Scotts a paper napkin, towel and wipes . These products occupied a large share of global market increasing the sales from $ 519m in 2005 to more than $1bn in 2008 while operating income soared from $63m in 2005 to $200m in 2008 Employment Market Conditions The total population of the United States that are aged 16 and above is 243 million; with 156 million Americans in the labor force in June 2013 therefore 90 million are unemployed (Byun et al 2015, p.32). Kimberly Clark is a world leading corporation that has a total of 43 000 employees in different categories such as the administrative service communication, finance, and accounting, health services, human resource (Caliendo 2015, p.1025). Among the 43000, Kimberly employees, 34000 are Americans while 9,000 are from other countries. Job design, also known as task design is the fundamental function of human resource management in every organization. It entails specification of contents, methods and relationship in the workplace to satisfy all technological, social personal and organizational requirements (Daniel et al 2013,p. 211). Job design mainly integrates the task responsibilities and certain qualifications by outlining the activities that are supposed to be done. Job design has the following aspects, the work organization that involves the teaming up and division of labor. Job structuring that includes the assigning of the responsibilities and location that includes the creation of a timetable for specific activities and responsibilities. The job design helps in improving job satisfaction, enhance the quality of products and services and reducing employee problems such as grievances. For successful job design, the following logical steps should be followed. The first step of the job design process involves the specification of the principles that every management should consider (Daniel et at 2013, p.216). The principles entail the skills, abilities, needs, and motivation of job incumbent. The Kimberly Clark Corporation has employed the skilled employees from the management to the casual that can perform their duties well as specified. The Kimberly Clark has applied various components in recruiting staffs, for example women in rural areas that are less populated through partnering with the ladies associations in the United States to gain the gender-based policy and also Kimberly Clark asked the saleswomen to join the recruiting team to offer speech to the universities students hence they end up getting the correct employees. The second stage is the process of completing the questionnaire Ideal Job Characteristics of the Specified Staff. The feedback collected should conform to the agreed principles that are applied in the specified positions in the organization. The Kimberly Clark has achieved this by making a sound management structure that has changed wherever there is a need for restructuring (Daniel et al 2013, p.2017). The management applies what is known as the horizontal coordination of the departments that enables the cordial coordination of the activities of all the departments such as the research, the marketing, and the production department. The research personnel provide information to the marketing team of the new technical developments of the consumer products so as they can learn whether the new developments apply to customers. The marketing and sales department later provides customers feedback on any product in the market to the production team for appropriate action. The horizontal coo rdination through the cross-functional teams has increased quantity, quality, and varieties of new products produced by all the departments to participate in every decision mainly when launching a new product. The final step comprises the comparison of the alternative job and the work organization design which includes the following; work organization, working conditions, social conditions and the career opportunities. Job redesign is the process of restructuring all the elements of duty, task, and responsibilities of a specified job to make it more motivating to the employees and economical to the production (Eklund Erlandsson 2013). Job redesigning involves revising, analyzing, altering, reforming and reshuffling the entire job-related content and dimensions so as to place the right person in the right job and get the maximum output. Revising the job content includes the recollecting and revising all the information related to that specified position to determine whether the staff is consistent with the job. Analyzing the information related to job involves the determination of all the obstacles to the job performance, for example, investigating why a particular staff is unable to deliver the expected output through the use of the information collected. Altering is the process of amending the job elements by doing away with the obstacles that affected the production delivery, for example, the ma nager may decide to cut back the responsibilities of that particular staff to motivate the team to work harder and perform better hence increasing the productivity. The reformation stage involves the communication of the new tasks and responsibilities to be done after the alteration. The main aim of reform is to make sure that the staff assigned to a particular task can deliver the expected output. The final stage of job redesign is the reshuffling of the work and duties to employees through rotating, enriching, enlarging and engineering the job to motivate the employees adequately. The manager can achieve job redesign through the following ways; job enrichment, job enlargement, and job rotation (Holman Axtell 2016, p.286). Job enrichment enables an employee to acquire more duties to perform, more responsibility and more authority that are required to complete the provided job. The additional tasks must always match with the skills, knowledge, and abilities of that particular staff so as to facilitate an increase in motivation. For example, Jane a receptionist in Kimberly Clark, whose duties are receiving the customers calls, welcoming of guests and setting up appointments with the manager, may at times feel bored when there are no guests or might be bored. The receptionist might consider an option of looking for another job that might offer her challenges; therefore, the manager should motivate the receptionist not to quit by enriching her job with more tasks like coming up with an organization promotional campaign that will oversee the sales of the company. T hrough the job enrichment, the receptionist will not get bored due to the increased responsibility. Job enlargement is the task redesign strategy that aims at increasing only functions of a particular job and is limited since it does not provide additional responsibilities like job enrichment. It is a process that allows every staff to determine their limits to give quality output while addressing the mistakes ( Holman Axtell 2016,p.288). Job enlargement is very useful in the reduction of monotony that associates with doing a particular duty every day, thereby motivates the employee more. For example, John marketing and sales personnel in Kimberly Clark who is assigned a particular region to promote the company products may get used to the customers, and the activities that happen in that region hence gets bored. The manager, therefore, may add an extra region to John to cover up hence removing the everyday routine of following one route. Through, this John is capable of facing different challenges from customers thereby increasing the urge to do the job. Job rotation is the final stage of job redesign process that aims at assigning workers to an alternative position on a temporary basis. Job rotation is useful in some ways (Holman Axtell 2016, p.290). First, it enables employees to have a chance to learn new things and perform new tasks beyond their regular jobs. Secondly, it allows the employees to have a broader perspective on the operation of the organization. Thirdly, it improves the employees understanding of the responsibilities assigned to the core workers that eventually leads to higher respect to one another within the organization and finally, it offers an opportunity to an employee to gain additional skills that increase their value to the organization. For example, James, research personnel in Kimberly Clark Corporation may be assigned to undertake the marketing and sales position for a specified period. During that time, James is capable of facing all the challenges that a John always experiences, can learn the customer s needs and specifications. All the informations gained by James will assist him in undertaking the research work of the products to come up with the best new product. Alternative Work Arrangements Alternative work arrangements refer to the variations from the standard work schedule, and they include job sharing, flextime, and telecommuting (Sweet et al 2014, p. 120). Flextime refers to the fluctuating and ending times during the workday or workweek. It allows the adjustment of the arrival and departure time for the staff subject to the approval by the management; for example, the workers may opt to commence their work at 7.00 a.m or 8.00a.m and choose to leave at 4.00 a.m or 5.00 a.m but in approval of the management. The staff will, therefore, be required to avail themselves at work during the scheduled hours and must work for a standard of seven and a half hours a day. This arrangement offers the employees with freedom and ample time to perform their duties such as attending to family issues reducing the stress and work-life conflict hence increase the employee satisfaction. Job sharing is a situation whereby two or more qualified persons fill an approved specified full-time position and share equally the responsibilities of the job in different work schedule to a total of hours that does not exceed 40 hours a week (Freeman Coll 2009, p.65). The arrangement allows the organization to retain valuable staffs that have other personal responsibilities that hinder them from working full-time thereby allowing them to work during specified times known as shifts. Job sharing requires proper cooperation and coordination to ensure the smooth running of the organization's activities as stipulated. Proper communication is always critical between the two employees and the management. Therefore, the following guidelines should always be taken into account when administering job sharing ;Both employees to have the same job title, to be classified as part-time staff, to be eligible for the benefits that are available to part-time staff, to combine their effort to finis h the workload assigned, both employees together with manager should coordinate a pre-scheduled time off and cover up for each when need arises and the manager must ensure that the expense of the job shared does not exceed the payroll expense for the full-time Telecommuting or telework refers to an arrangement that allows employees to perform the assigned duties from their home or a location of interest rather than the designated place of work (Freeman Coll 2009, p.67). The telework offers the employees with an opportunity to cultivate the rewarding career and a relationship that is professional by balancing work-related stresses and family activities. The arrangements are advantageous to many employees such as the disabled, those that require particular need or the lactating mothers. Kimberly Clark offers the method to the saleswomen who are undergoing specified problems to enable them to work comfortably. Telecommuting decreases the overhead costs such as office expenses, boost employee's productivity and efficiency as a result of reduced wastage time. However, the arrangement makes it difficult to monitor how the employee performs the assigned duty thus may compromise the quality of the output. Therefore, the manager should always anal yze any telecommuting request in accordance with the following guidelines; the manager should satisfy that the employee position does not require face-face communication with the customer, the tasks can be efficiently undertaken in a different location, the employee knowledgeable of the task and can perform the duty under minimal supervision, the employee must meet the deadline specified and the worker agrees to attend all the pre-scheduled work meetings. Job redesign has the following advantages; it enhances the quality of the work-life of employees since it aims at motivating them thereby the organization acquires improved performance (Freeman Coll 2009, p.68). Job redesign brings the sense of belongingness to the employees since it allows employees to do what they are best at and feel satisfied. The strategy is always the best way to keep employees away from being taken away with the rival company. The job redesigning increases the organization and staffs performance since the altered positions place the employees at the particular places that they are best at and feel comfortable hence they perform their tasks with satisfaction. The job redesign also creates right person-job fit to harness the full potential of each of them. Improvements in Designing the Jobs Kimberly Clark applies a one-day promotion known as expert acceleration sessions that brings together the hand-picked outside thought leaders face to face with business teams to challenge their thinking and create game-changing strategies ( Sweet et al 2014 ,p.120). Through this, the management gets an opportunity to learn the new lifestyle of the consumers hence offering them a challenge on how to address the issues with their products. Conclusion Organizational behavior involves studying, analyzing on how employees act and perform their duties in organizations. Therefore, for the success of an organization, the management should understand the behavior of the entire employees and offer the best methods through the job design, redesign, rotation, and flextime that will provide a harmonious working place. The employees will then strive to work hard and better that will see to the fulfillment of the objectives in a good working conditio. List of References Byun, K, Henderson, R, Toossi, M 2015, 'Evaluation of BLS employment, labor force and macroeconomic projections to 2006, 2008, and 2010', Monthly Labor Review, pp. 1-47. Caliendo, M, Knn, S 2015, 'Getting back into the labor market: the effects of start-up subsidies for unemployed females', Journal Of Population Economics, 28, 4, pp. 1005-1043 . Cappelli, P, Keller, J 2013, 'Classifying Work In The New Economy', Academy Of Management Review, 38, 4, pp. 575-596. Carson II, LC 2013, 'Employment Opportunities and Conditions for the African-American Legal Professoriate: Perspectives from the Inside', Texas Journal On Civil Liberties Civil Rights, 19, 1, pp. 1-108. Daniels, K, Glover, J, Beesley, N, Wimalasiri, V, Cohen, L, Cheyne, A, Hislop, D 2013, 'Utilizing job resources: Qualitative evidence of the roles of job control and social support in problem solving', Work Stress, 27, 2, pp. 200-221. Eklund, M, Erlandsson, L 2013, 'Quality of life and client satisfaction as outcomes of the Redesigning Daily Occupations (ReDO) programme for women with stress-related disorders: A comparative study', Work, 46, 1, pp. 51-58. Fabel, O, Pascalau, R 2013, 'Recruitment of Seemingly Overeducated Personnel: InsiderOutsider Effects on Fair Employee Selection Practices', International Journal Of The Economics Of Business, 20, 1, pp. 57-82. Freeman, B, Coll, K 2009, 'Solutions to Faculty Work Overload: A Study of Job Sharing', Career Development Quarterly, 58, 1, pp. 65-70. HEESE, J, KRISHNAN, R, MOERS, F 2016, 'Selective Regulator Decoupling And Organizations' Strategic Responses ', Academy Of Management Journal, 59, 6, pp. 2178-2204. Holman, D, Axtell, C 2016, 'Can job redesign interventions influence a broad range of employee outcomes by changing multiple job characteristics? A quasi-experimental study', Journal Of Occupational Health Psychology, 21, 3, pp. 284-295. Janevic, M, Stoll, S, Wilkin, M, Song, P, Baptist, A, Lara, M, Ramos-Valencia, G, Bryant-Stephens, T, Persky, V, Uyeda, K, Lesch, J, Wen, W, Malveaux, F 2016, 'Pediatric Asthma Care Coordination in Underserved Communities: A Quasiexperimental Study', American Journal Of Public Health, 106, 11, pp. 2012-2018. JooBong, S, Chaiwoo, L, WonJung, L, Sangwoo, B, ChanJu, J, Myung Hwan, Y 2016, 'Development of a job rotation scheduling algorithm for minimizing accumulated work load per body parts', Work, vol. 53, no. 3, pp. 511-521. JooBong, S, Chaiwoo, L, WonJung, L, Sangwoo, B, ChanJu, J, Myung Hwan, Y 2016, 'Development of a job rotation scheduling algorithm for minimizing accumulated work load per body parts', Work, 53, 3, pp. 511-521. Lima, C, Canbarro, D 2015, 'Role Perception In The Organizational Behavior For The Organizational Innovation Accord ', Scholedge International Journal Of Management Development, 2, 3, pp. 14-18. Noonan, M, Glass, J 2012, 'The hard truth about telecommuting', Monthly Labor Review, 135, 6, pp. 38-45. Richmond, R, Morrison, K, Pilikyan, N 2017, 'Hiring Lateral Employees? Consider How to Minimize the Risk of Trade Secret Litigation', Employee Relations Law Journal, 43, 2, pp. 45-49. Shaikh, N, Prabhu, V, Abril, D, Snchez, D, Arias, J, Rodrguez, E, Riao, G 2011, 'Kimberly-Clark Latin America Builds an Optimization-Based System for Machine Scheduling', Interfaces, 41, 5, pp. 455-465. Srensen, O, Holman, D 2014, 'A participative intervention to improve employee well-being in knowledge work jobs: A mixed-methods evaluation study', Work Stress, 28, 1, pp. 67-86. Sweet, S, Pitt-Catsouphes, M, Besen, E, Golden, L 2014, 'Explaining organizational variation in flexible work arrangements: why the pattern and scale of availability matter', Community, Work Family, 17, 2, pp. 115-141. YINBIN, L, HONGDAN, Z, SHEARD, G 2017, 'ORGANIZATIONAL CITIZENSHIP PRESSURE, COMPULSORY CITIZENSHIP BEHAVIOR, AND WORK-FAMILY CONFLICT', Social Behavior Personality: An International Journal, 45, 4, pp. 695-704.

Friday, November 29, 2019

7 Research-Based Learning Tricks for Lefties

7 Research-Based Learning Tricks for Lefties As a left-handed person, you’ve probably got used to the many annoyances that living in a right-handed world has created for you. You are used to bumping elbows at dinner, smudging your writing, and awkwardly using scissors that don’t quite work. But, did you know that your unique brain also means that you learn in a different way? In fact, there are several tricks that you can learn now that will give you an advantage in your college setting. Focus on Location In a 2010 study in Pediatrics, researchers found that those with mixed-handedness or left-handedness are more likely to suffer from ADHD or dyslexia. And, even if you are not diagnosed with either of these, your brains ability to quickly shift from brain hemisphere allows for attention gaps that could make it harder to focus. Be proactive by choosing seats at the front of the class where you’re less likely to be distracted by other students. Also, you can choose a study area that is free from additional distractors like music, or side conversations. Manage Your Fear The research by Queen Margaret’s University described in an article by Jennifer Hong showed left-handed individuals are more mentally compromised by fearful or highly stressful situations. Participants were asked to watch a terrifying video and recall their experience. Left-handed participants misremembered details twice as often as their right-handed counterparts. What that means for you is that being afraid of your first days at college might make it much more difficult for you to keep up with your new classes. In order to mitigate your fear, take a few minutes at the beginning of each day (especially before big tests) to do some relaxation exercises. You’ll feel better and have a better chance of remembering important information. Use Your Creativity In a study by the Georgetown University Medical Center, left-handed learners were shown to be able to hear and understand rapid speech more distinctly than right-handers. Because of this ability, sitting in lecture halls with a slow-talking professor might make you bored and tuned out. Instead of randomly doodling during your classes, take this time to creatively organize new information. You might write a song about what your teacher shares in class, making sure to highlight the most important points. Or, take notes graphically, drawing pictures of the concepts, ideas, and vocabulary you will need to know later. This keeps you engaged in class and uses your natural left-handed inclination towards creativity. Grab Memories In a left-handed person’s brain, the right side of the brain encodes new memories, while the left side of the brain reactivates those memories. In the article for TIME Maia Szalavitz mentions the interesting research study by Montclair State University, which proves that clenching your fist while learning a new fact allows you to better â€Å"grab† the information. Then, clenching your right fist activates your left brain, making it easier to recall the information you previously â€Å"grabbed.† Make Connections One thing that lefties are incredibly good at is making unique connections. Studies from the University of Michigan show that, while right-handed students’ brains are more likely to specialize or compartmentalize information, left-handed students’ brains easily shift from logical to creative. This means that when you’re learning new information, your brain is much more likely to make random connections that might help you to learn and remember. In order to maximize this natural gift, don’t just write down the notes from your classes, write down the unique connections that your brain makes with that new information. You’ll be much more likely to remember how the information impacted you, which makes it easier to recall for a test. Get Enough Sleep Although you may not know it, you need more rest than a right-handed person. As published in Chronobiol, a study was conducted that showed left-handed people slept an average of 30 minutes longer than right-handers. What this means for you is that rest is a vital part of your brain makeup. In order to do the best on your exams, you need to wake refreshed and with your brain in good working order. Plan on getting a good eight hours of sleep in order to be at your mental peak. Color Coding Scientists from the University of Abertay found that lefties are less likely to engage in risky behavior. Although this was a broad finding, lead researcher Lynn Wright also found several study techniques that helped these individuals make good choices. She said, â€Å"They [left-handers] like to color-code things, they like to write lists. It’s almost a way to alleviate their stress.† So, if you’re feeling stressed out about a particular class or study topic, create a color-coding system to help you organize your material. Or, write a list of the things you need to know that you can easily check off as you study. You’ll feel more in control and be more focused on success.

Monday, November 25, 2019

Farewell to the king essays

Farewell to the king essays When I first watched Farewell to the King, I simply thought that it was just the story of how an American GI, through a series of unusual circumstances, became the king of Borneo and then was forced to lead his tribe into a war that he no longer wanted any part of. Upon further analysis, it became evident that this was really the story of Nigel Fairborn who comes into the story with a strong sense of British superiority, loyalty to the King of England and the desire to be a successful military leader. As the story unfolds, Nigel becomes less aware of his superiority, is torn between his loyalty to England and his new found loyalty to King Learoyd, and the reality that he is no longer able to lead. It is evident that Nigels character represents an attitude of British superiority. It is not by accident that the only soldier that accompanies him to Borneo is his radio operator named Tinker, a black man from Africa. In two scenes the viewers attention is directed to the racial difference. The first time is when the two of them are brought before King Learoyd. When Nigel discovers that the tribes king is white, he makes the comment that he is as white as we are. As he says it, he turns to Tinker. Tinkers face displays an expression as if to say, what do you mean by that? Nigels expression changes from that of amazement to that which says, well you know what I mean. This shows that when Nigel made the comment, Tinker was not part of we as he perceived it. Or more specifically, Tinker was something less because he was not white. Next is a scene where Nigel and Tinker are standing in the river rinsing their clothes. They are discussing the situation and Nigel tells tinker that he should not let the seemingly utopian life lure him in, Nigel says, remember you are British. Tinker responds by saying that he is not British, but African. Finally there is one more scene that fo...

Thursday, November 21, 2019

September 11, 2001 Attacks Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

September 11, 2001 Attacks - Research Paper Example Only after the towers collapsed and news of a similar attack on the Pentagon and an attempt on the White House did the magnitude of the events of September 11, 2001 begin to come into focus. A survey of the damages that would follow would inform of the severity of the September 11 2001 attacks. Those damages would reach beyond the immediate vicinity of the attacks and change our lives in many ways. This research studies analyzes the actual and general damages and consequences of the September 11, 2001 attacks. Actual Damages Al Qaeda’s terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center on September 2001 claimed the lives of almost 3000 persons and caused the area’s economy up to US$83 billion directly and indirectly in losses (Okuyama & Chang, 2011). The damages to New York City were particularly far-reaching since New York City represents the financial center of the US. In addition to property destruction, South Manhattan, is home to New York City’s government and inte rnational commerce. As a result of the attacks, the government and commercial activities were at a complete halt for weeks to come. Office buildings nearby were empty and New York’s subway system came to a complete halt. Thousands of New York residents living beyond Canal Street could not return home. New York’s schools and bridges were closed down (Tucker, 2004). For the entire country and for most of the world, the airline industry suffered the greatest losses. Airports were shut down on September 11 with passengers stranded near and far, putting airlines to the expense of housing passengers. Formal claims by the loved-ones of victims who died in the three crashes resulted in unprecedented insurance and litigation expenses for the airline industry. Airport security also cost the airline industry millions in implementation and administration expenses (Tucker, 2004). With buildings destroyed, transportation interruption and business closures, New York City â€Å"exper ienced massive job losses† (Tucker, 2004, p. 401). The damages to the Pentagon were less extensive but shocking all the same because the attack on the Pentagon symbolized an attack on the US as a whole. On the morning of September 11, 2001, a commercial airline deliberately crashed into the ground floor of the Pentagon claiming the lives of 65 passengers and 125 Pentagon occupants (Bangash, 2006). The ensuing fire caused serious but reparable damages to the building. Engineers have claimed that the strong reinforced columns of the Pentagon mitigated the actual damages (Bangash, 2006). The direct costs of searching for Osama bin Laden and infiltrating terror cells are immeasurable and are costs that will burden the US for years to come (Tucker, 2004). Thus the economic damages directly and indirectly resulting from the September 11, 2001 attacks are difficult to quantify. Thus one of the long lasting consequences of the September 11, 2001 attacks is the realization that economi c loss resulting from traumatic events are not only difficult to quantify but difficult to minimize (Jonkman et al, 2003). General Damages For the purpose of this research study, general damages refer to damages that are not specific and generally not quantifiable in terms of dollars and cents. These kinds of damages are better understood as collateral or consequential damages. It has been established that many persons who survived the attacks and witnessed the

Wednesday, November 20, 2019

Other topic Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

Other topic - Essay Example Since earlier films were often limited by finances, actions and time, their production sometimes do not show the whole story. For instance, Stephen King’s â€Å"Christine† has several differences in the novel and the film. Changes in the story may either make it better or worse and in the case of King’s novel, perhaps due to time constraints, some omissions weakened the story. In the following paragraphs, changes in the movie such as the setting, Arnie’s physical description, the omissions of the characters of Sandy Galton, Buddy Repperton’s friend and Jimmy Sykes, Darnell’s character and the fight between a man and Arnie based from the novel will be discussed in relation to how they affected or not the story’s effectiveness. In the novel, the story is set in Pennsylvania while in the movie, it is in California. The difference in the setting does not make a strong effect on the story because the scenes were set in order to resemble at most the ones described in the story. Moreover, there are perhaps not many cultural or scenic differences between the two places that would have altered the story. In addition, King tells in his novel that Arnie is wears glasses and has pimples. As his friend Dennis describes him, â€Å"Arnie was pimple city† (3). In the movie, although the aforementioned character wears glasses, his face is pimple-free. However, the difference does not make any Arnie a better-looking character in the movie. He is, as depicted in the novel, still a teenager who is the picture of an easy target of the

Monday, November 18, 2019

Disaster Recovery Information Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Disaster Recovery Information - Case Study Example As long as the management’s input is required, their perceptions and expectations must be elicited and their commitment to the process of CSRIT must be acquired to sustain and prolong the operations of CSRIT. Resolve the CSRIT progress strategic plan: The project management and administrative issues such as specific timeframes, project group and presentation of the project group stakeholders, and communication to the management and project team should be addressed when giving thought on how to manage the progress of the CSRIT. Acquire relevant information: The necessary information required to carry out such task can be sought from the stakeholders or business manager and representatives from IT, human resource, public relations, legal department, risk management specialists and security. The information can also be obtained from conferences which offer CSRIT education. Modify the CSRIT vision: This entails clearly defining the goals, expectations, funding, organizational model, mission, objectives and constituency. The visions might also be the bargaining power when acquiring the management’s support and buy-in. After the modification of the vision of the CSRIT, the communication of the same should follow. CSRIT vision should be communicated to the constituency, management, and other person who understands the CSRIT operations after which adjustment deemed necessary are made. Implement the CSRIT: Implementation is done once the constituency and management have agreed to buy in depending on the vision. This entails recruiting and training CSRIT staff, buying equipment and building the essential network system, developing the procedures and policies to guide the CSRIT services, building incident tracking systems, and making the guidelines for reporting incidents.

Saturday, November 16, 2019

Methods to Discover Archaeological Sites

Methods to Discover Archaeological Sites What are the main methods used to discover archaeological sites in the landscape? Critically assess the pros and cons of the methods you identify using relevant examples. The archaeologist uses a range of techniques to actively discover and locate archaeological sites within the landscape; these methods are non-invasive and non-destructive and fall into four broad categories: Desk Top Surveys †¢ Surface Surveys Geophysical and Geochemical surveys †¢ Aerial Surveys (Grant et al, 2002. p5). In addition to these, some sites may be discovered by chance, for example when quarrying, dredging and peat cutting or simply out in walking in the landscape. These broad categories all complement each other and the most relevant methods in each case will depend on the terrain of the area being investigated and the resources and time available for investigation. Also, the questions being asked and the degree of accuracy required will have an effect on how these techniques are used (Greene. 1991. p54). Desk Top Surveys: The desk top survey is office based and uses existing documents such as maps, historical documents, previous archaeological records, pictures and literature, all of which can all provide hints and references to archaeological sites. Maps can be used to locate sites, and are among the most basic resources available to the archaeologist. Early 16th century maps are not always to scale but can be very useful, Ordnance Survey started publishing maps in the early 19th century and, by analysing a succession of maps of an area, much can be learnt from the changes in use of the land and buildings. (Grant et al, 2002. p8). Old tithe maps and terriers, usually found amongst the deeds and papers relating to the ownership and management of estates and properties, may offer insight about forgotten sites (Barker, 1993). Although the majority of early records have not survived, there is still a wide range of available which the archaeologist may find of value. Legal records, including wills and cou rt records, can provide boundaries of ownership and clues to the functions of buildings. The Domesday Book and other tax records and tithe awards can identify the economic use and boundaries of land, Pictorial records such photographs paintings, and engravings, and descriptive accounts written in books, diaries and travelogues can all be of value. Of particular interest is the work of William Stukeley (1687 1785), an accurate and observant recorder who travelled extensively throughout Britain, and William Camden (1551 1623),whose thorough and detailed descriptions were published in the first general guide to the antiquities in Britain, ‘Britannia in 1585 (Greene pp24 27). These records can be freely found in museums, libraries and private collections and may offer a rare record of an archaeological feature. Details of any previous archaeological excavations, finds and previous survey results are all held in local SMR and national NMR offices and can offer insight into possible sites for exploration. There is often much truth hidden in the legends and stories of antiquity and a study of these may provide a clue to a forgotten or place. Most traditions and myths are founded on real people and places which, over time, can become exaggerated and unbelievable. (Grant et al. 2002. p8). By sifting the embellishment from these legends the archaeologist is often left with a helpful factual narrative. This is a cheap and effective way of gleaning information, but it can be time consuming. During interviews with local residents in Kythera, Greece a vast amount of anecdotal information was generated on the use of the landscape of the island, its abandonment and reuse, and the connections between people, villages and churches which all helped to place archaeological work into context (Johnson Wilson. 2003). The desk top survey is of particular value where investigations are part of the planning process to ascertain whether there are likely to be archaeological remains which could be lost or threatened as a part of the building and development of the land. (Grant et al 2002. p6). Many historical records are free to access and can be found in libraries, museums, County Records and Archives Offices, on the internet, at Local and National Sites and Monuments Records offices and in private collections. Surface Surveys These are visual surveys which seek to find traces of possible sites and are carried out, most usually, on foot. A surface survey can be systematic or unsystematic, although the most commonly used, is a systematic approach (Renfrew Bahn. 2008. p78). The purpose is to make a survey of archaeological finds within an area to determine if they might point to past human activity (Lynch. 2006). A grid is normally laid out on the ground to aid mapping and a team of walkers go over each area on the grid, recording sites and finds. The overall record of the types and scatter of the artefacts found can give a good idea of the age of a site and its possible previous uses (Adkins et al 2008). Fieldwalking is an effective and relatively cheap way of surveying land and has a vital place in the discovery of archaeological sites. Once the finds are identified and analysed, the data can also help to provide information about the date of a site and its possible functions. Results are generally more reliable where the region is walked repeatedly as a long term project (Renfrew Bahn. 2008. p 79). It does have some limitations in that different fieldwalkers may have differential types of collection across the same sight. Fieldwalking works best on arable land, but needs to be carried out at times in the arable cycle when vegetation is low. (Grant 2002). Tesserae found during field walking at Rowler Manor in Croughton, Northamptonshire led to the discovery in 1991 of a Roman Villa along with a mosaic pavement (Dawson, 2008) Geochemical and Geophysical Surveys The activity of humans significantly alters the geochemical composition of soil, and the archaeologist can use chemical testing to determine areas of alteration to the soil by human activity. The most common geophysical test is phosphate analysis. This chemical is present in most living things and the presence of domesticated animals, people and plants in a landscape will increase the concentration of phosphates in that landscape. Areas of high saturation of phosphates can then be explored further to ascertain the significance of the activity (Renfrew Bahn. 2008. p105). At Plas Gogerddan, Ceredigion in Wales, geochemical analysis was used to determine that burials on this Early Christian Burial site could be identified using phosphate analysis and possible grave sites of further burials were recorded (Murphy 1992). Geophysical surveying has developed considerably over the last few years and is used with great success in archaeological site prospection. There are two main methods of geophysical surveying, these are electrical resistively and magnetometery (Bowden 1999. p 120). Resistivity surveying involves passing an electrical current through probes set into the ground, and is based on the ability of sub-surface materials to conduct that current, Generally, higher resistance features such as buried walls have a limited moisture content and infilled ditches and pits which retain moisture will give lower readings. (Reference) The technique is especially suited to the discovery of stone structures. Its success is affected by local geology and also the weather conditions. Very dry or very wet conditions, as well as variations in the temperature can affect the quality of the results as they affect rate of flow of the electric current. The resistivity equipment is heavy to use and the survey can take some time to complete, but this is a cost effective method of survey. Magnetised iron oxides are present in the soil and past human activity alters and redistributes these, creating stronger and weaker responses which can be detected as magnetic anomalies. It is very portable and good for rapid surveying of land. The results produced can be very detailed and they are very useful for identifying buried ditches, pits, kilns and hearths. (Reference) The subsoil of the land can influence the results; the most responsive soils being are chalks and limestone. Igneous subsoils are the most difficult to investigate with this technique and the results on clay soils can be erratic. Resistivity and magnetometry techniques were used in karstic terrains in County Cork, Ireland, which identified the position of a previously unknown cave (Gibson et al, 2004). A number of newer techniques including Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) and Geographic Information Systems (GIS) are also available and becoming popular tools for the archaeologist. GPR was developed for use in defence and engineering. It is an expensive process and is of greatest value where buried deposits are close to the surface of the soil. It has the benefit that it can take readings through tarmac surfaces, and therefore is useful in urban environments (Grant et al. 2002). GIS is a powerful computerised mapping system with the ability to analyse quantitative data, which is useful for plotting scatters of finds and test hypothesis. GIS was effectively used at Tel Shiqmona, Israel, to conduct coastal and marine surveys and to evaluate the potential of Maritime trading with the Phoenicians (Breman. 2003) Aerial Surveys The use of aerial photography was pioneered by O G S Crawford, an Archaeologist and Observer in the Royal Flying Corps during Word War 1. Crop marks, soil marks and shadow marks all cause patterns which can be observed from the air. Most aerial photographs for archaeology use are taken at an oblique angle which give better views of a site, although they do distort the perspective. It is important to include a landmark in the photographs in order to provide a fixed point for mapping a site (Riley 1982). Aerial Photograph of Crook Laithe Settlement, Linton, Yorkshire This technique is most effective on arable land and upland areas, least effective on heavily ploughed land and ineffective on heavily built up areas and land with plastic covering over crops. Aerial photography is valuable to the archaeologist and an immense number of archaeological discoveries have been made using this method (Riley, 1982). In a survey in Augacatel, Mexico, where heavy jungle prohibited the economical use of ground surveys, 25 photographs were taken revealing up to 63 possible man made structures (Matheny, 1962) The weather conditions are important and photographs are best taken when the sun is low in the sky (early morning or evening) on a clear day, as the shadow marks will show up best under these conditions (Adkins 2002). The costs of flying are expensive, but since the equipment and film are comparatively cheap and large distances may be covered in one flight, this is an effective and crucial technique to employ in archaeological prospection. In addition to these techniques, some sites are discovered quite by chance. In 1985, a farmer found a number of bones and a small round lead object on a sandbank in Orkney. After showing his finds to an archaeologist, this lead to the discovery of a Viking boat burial (Towrie 2010). Whilst digging a well, some peasants unearthed fragments of terracotta, which lead to the discovery of arguably, one of the most spectacular discoveries of the 20th century, The Terracotta Army of Qin Shi Huang in China (Tianchou 1996). The high cost of archaeological excavations mean that it is important for the archaeologist to know where to dig in order to avoid expensive mistakes. The techniques outlined above all assist the archaeologist in the discovery of sites in the landscape, so that future excavations can be carried out in the most cost and time effective manner. ‘It is remarkable how much can be revealed about a site without excavation (Greene 1991. p 42). References Adkins, R L and Leitch, V. 2008. The Handbook of British Archaeology (revised edition). London. Constable Robinson Ltd. Barker, Philip. 1993. Techniques of Archaeological Excavation. 3rd Edition. London. B.T. Batsford Ltd. Bowden, Mark (Ed.). 1999. Unravelling the Landscape. An Inquisitive Approach to Archaeology. Stroud. Tempus Publishing Ltd. Breman, J. Journal of GIS in Archaeology. Volume I. APRIL, 2003. Marine Archaeology goes Underwater with GIS. Dawson, M. 2008. Northamptonshire Archaeology. Vol 35 2008. Excavation of the Roman Villa and Mosaic at Rowler Manor, Croughton, Northamptonshire p 45 93 Gibson, P.J. Lyle P., George D.M. Aug 2004 Journal of Cave and Karst Studies, v. 66, no. 2, p. 35-38. Application of resistivity and magnetometry geophysical techniques for near-surface investigations in karstic terrains in Ireland. Grant, J. Gorin, S. Fleming, N. 2002 The Archaeology Coursebook. London, Routledge Greene, Kevin, 1991. Archaeology. An Introduction (Revised Edition). London, B T Batsford Ltd. Johnson, I Wilson, A. Journal of GIS in Archaeology. Volume I. APRIL, 2003. Making the Most of Maps: Field Survey on the Island of Kythera Lynch, Tim. Nov 2006, British Heritage; Vol. 27 Issue 5, p52-54, 3p Matheny, R.T. American Antiquity, Vol. 28, No. 2 (Oct., 1962), pp. 226-230. Value of Aerial Photography in Surveying Archaeological Sites in Coastal Jungle Regions Published by: Society for American Archaeology Murphy, K. (1992) Archaeological Journal, Vol 149, pp. 1-38. Renfrew, C Bahn, P. 2008. Archaeology: Theories, Methods and Practice. (5th Edition). London, Thames and Hudson Ltd. Riley, D.N. 1982. Aerial Archaeology in Britain. Aylesbury, Shire Publications Limited. Tianchou, Fu (ed.) 1996. The Underground Army of Emperor Qin Shi Huang. Beijung. New World Press Towrie, Sigurd: 2010. The Orkney Jar. http://www.orkneyjar.com/history/scarboat/index.html [accessed 8th March2010]

Wednesday, November 13, 2019

Death Of The Superstars :: essays research papers

Death of the Superstars Have you ever wondered what it would be like to listen to some of the greatest music stars of our time. I'm talking about the stars that never made it to full prominence. The list of players is alarmingly high and sad. The potential of these performers never met. It would be something to see what the music of today would be like. I was reading a book awhile back. Don't laugh, I read sometimes. It was a book from I'm sorry to say, Stephen King. All right I'm not sorry. I like him! Anyway, it was called something like, "They Have a Great Band There!" It was a story of two young adults driving along a country road, the young man driving was obviously lost but wouldn't admit it. I'm told guys do that often. As the road continued to narrow and the brush continued to close in on them. They suddenly found a sign that had the name of a town that neither one of them heard of. They decided to go down and see if someone could give them directions. They soon were out of they're car and looking for someone to help them. They both noticed at the same time that the man behind the counter of the local pub that they were in looked a lot like John Lennon. They also noted the young lady singing in the corner looked and sounded incredibly like Janice Joplin. The book or should I say short story continued on as only King could, people dying , strange conversations and just weirdness in general. Now, I told that little story because I wanted to give you a little background on why I chose this subject. What would have happened if Jimi Hendrix had lived? His music lives on even today. When he was alive he only release 3 studio albums and if you go into the stores you probably will find no less than 10 different albums from him. Today's kids and people supposedly in the know, like to put music into different categories. Rap, Alternative, Rock, Jazz, Classical. Hendrix crossed all those. I not being black wouldn't know for sure but, would his living have spawned more black rock musicians. Say that happened. Would it be possible that in today's music. There might be more black people listening to rock music and less whites. I say this cause if he did live on and became a role model for young black musicians. There might be more interest in rock than there is currently.

Monday, November 11, 2019

Air France Internet Marketing

Air France‘s Case You have just been hired by Rob Griffin to help him better understand the effectiveness of Air France’s online sponsored search efforts. He has requested answers to the following questions: 1. Please calculate the effectiveness of each of Air France’s marketing campaigns across the 7 different publishers categories (3 points). Publishers| Avg. Cost per clicks| Tot. Clicks| Media Costs| Tot. Bookings| Tot. Revenue| Net Revenue| Net Rev per Cost | Avg. of Sales per Click %| Avg. of Trans. Conv. %| Yahoo-US| 2| 45,598 | $46,198| 662 | $882,289| $836,091| 18| 1. 5%| 183%| MSN-Global| 2. 15| 11,217 | $12,160| 129 | $145,524| $133,364| 11| 1. 15%| 113%| MSN-US| 2. 87| 10,808 | $16,098| 140 | $181,550| $165,451| 10| 1. 30%| 73%| Google-Global| 2. 22| 72,895 | $120,947| 797 | $929,550| $808,603| 7| 1. 09%| 43%| Google-US| 2. 38| 192,109 | $353,641| 1,550 | $1,745,482| $1,391,841| 4| 0. 81%| 41%|Overture-Global| 0. 8| 60,899 | $64,296| 372 | $430,085| $36 5,789| 6| 0. 61%| 24%| Overture-US| 0. 76| 119,323 | $141,976| 289 | $347,433| $205,457| 1| 0. 24%| 9%| Grand Total| 1. 9| 512,849 | $755,316| 3,939 | $4,661,913| $3,906,597| 5| 0. 77%| 57%| Based on the data above, we can see that: a. Yahoo-US leads for the most effective marketing campaign among 7 publishers based on the total net revenue per cost, Yahoo-US got the biggest value, 18, it means that every $1 that Air France spent they will receive $18 from their investment. The average of transaction conversion and average of sales per click of Yahoo-US also leads amongst the other publishers. b. Google-US got the biggest of total net revenue from the marketing campaign, almost US$1. million, and also had the biggest total booking number.But our opinion is, Google US did not do the marketing very effective, the money for the media costs that they spent are the biggest amongst the other publishers, and the total net revenue per cost ratio is only 4. c. Overture-US is the most ineffec tive in doing Air France marketing campaign, even though the average costs per click of Overture-US is the lowest, but the total clicks is the highest, it ranked the second highest amongst the other publishers, so it makes media cost of Overture-US igh and the total booking from the clicks is not in a good value, so we think that Overture-US have to improve their its campaign of Air France. 2. Should Media Contacts recommend the same exact strategy for Air France across all search engine publishers? Or would it be more effective to tailor each publisher strategy to maximize ROI (Please provide support for your answer) (3 points) . From our analysis with the data provided by DoubleClick. Inc. , publishers have their own strong point to focus on in order to maximize their net revenue and tailor strategy for each publisher will be the best option.Below, we will explain publisher’s performance in term of the following points: * Campaign All of the publishers earn lot of revenues from their â€Å"Air France Branded† campaign with modest click charges on average of $1. 82 and maximum clicks of 106,153 from Google-US, while â€Å"Business Class† campaign is not really productive to gain revenue as publishers lose money on this campaign. Click charges for â€Å"Business Class† campaign is ranged between $3. 76 (Yahoo-US) and $5. 39 (MSN-US) per click. Geo Targeted local search campaign has potential in using Google-US service.For example, In New York City, Google-US can get total of 3,167 clicks with 1. 39% transaction conversion rate. Compare with â€Å"Paris & France Term† campaign, it only gets 0. 35% transaction conversion rate with 29,039 clicks. In Contrast, Yahoo revenue for its Geo Target campaign is very low and loses money in 10 out of 13 cities in US. * Keyword Keywords that consist of â€Å"Air France† word are convincingly gaining more revenues than other keywords across all publishers. Google-US earns from th e â€Å"Air France brand†, but losing money on bidding European cities keyword like â€Å"Lyon†, â€Å"Bordeaux†, andâ€Å"Rome†.The use of phrase keywords also contributes to number of bookings like the phrase â€Å"DC to France Sale† which have the highest conversion rate compare to others. Different with Google, Yahoo has moderately earned more income from the words of city such as Florence, Paris and Rome. This may be resulted from the difference search methods that Yahoo mainly focuses on web contents keywords. Overture more likely to gain revenue in words that relate with cities in eastern part of Europe like Athens, Tunis, Amman. Overture loses money on broad unspecific words.Thus, Overture should focus on the exact keywords which have connection with flight and travel to eastern part of Europe. MSN-US and MSN-Global costs mainly derived from phrase keywords except â€Å"Air France Brand† keywords. For example, phrase keyword of †Å"travel to France† generates moderate number of 346 clicks, but none of the clicks succeed in sales conversion. Another example is â€Å"flights to Paris†, other publishers succeed in booking of positive net revenue with the keywords, while MSN-US and MSN-Global lose money. * Broad and focus keyword Broad keyword usually gains many clicks from the campaigns.By analyzing publishers’ performance data, we concluded that Yahoo-US, Overture-Global, MSN-US and MSN-Global are publishers that have strength in broad campaign keywords. Number of clicks for broad keywords represents minimum 90% of total clicks and generates higher transaction conversion rate than focus keywords. Google-US and Google-Global also have a huge clicks gained from broad keyword campaigns on the average of 74% and gain more revenues than focus keywords, but the transaction conversion rate is lower than that of their campaign have.Although broad keywords gain many clicks for its ads, it doesn†™t guarantee the increase of sales. 3. Based on your analyses, who do you feel are the most appropriate target customers upon whom Air France should focus their acquisition efforts (again, please provide clear justification for your answer) (2 points) Due to several reason related to market modification and AirFrance partnership, we can support that Business customer segment would be the most important target market.Indeed, because of the development of new low fare companies, the value proposition among the competition changed and gave another offer to the consumers. Ryanair by providing cheap price ticket attracted an important part of the price sensitive customers who use to travel with previous oligopolistic offer with higher price. The business customers are less sensitive to the price, because of less changing (except in case of travelling budget restriction), contracts and promotion with big companies. Ryanair, Irish company, was focused on intern European flight, taking ca re of 26 different destinations.According to Exhibit1, AirFrance first market was Europe thenit was followed by the North American Market. The mix of price sensitive loss market and intern European market loss pushed AirFrance to work more on its flight between Europe and other continent (Transcontinental flights). International and Transcontinental travelers are highly interesting target market. Therefore it is also important to specify this segment. Indeed, it should be the higher class, service and security sensitive customers.AirFrance provides a premium service compared to the competition. Based on our analysis, there is no or few people outside of USA (Google Global: Europe, Asia, Africa) making AirFrance generating net income for European keywords (Greece, Florence, Paris). The American providers, Yahoo-US and Google-US, are the biggest revenue generator compared to Global (Yahoo-Global and Google-Global), by the same time Appendix 1 shows that American customers are not pric e sensitive and will generate less profits for â€Å"cheapâ€Å" keywords.The partnership with L’Avion for business travelers between Paris and Newark (NewYork) was a logical result of the AirFrance marketing situation. Through customer base, AirFrance kept a stable business customer amount and lost a significant part of its price sensitive customers who finally shifted to other low-fareairlines. Appendix 1 Publisher Name| Avg. Cost per clicks2| Tot. Clicks| Media Costs| Tot. Bookings| Tot. Revenue| Tot. Net Revenue| Tot. Net Rev per Cost | Google – US| $2. 45 | 10479| $24,104. 59 | 33| $25,287| $1,182. 06| 0 | Google – Global| $2. 43 | 3465| $7,052. 0 | 20| $19,180| $12,127. 35| 2 | Overture – Global| $0. 72 | 1892| $1,538. 15 | 10| $15,207| $13,669. 20| 9 | Yahoo – US| $2. 33 | 1474| $3,786. 91 | 7| $7,057| $3,269. 79| 1 | Overture – US| $0. 78 | 6883| $6,774. 70 | 9| $10,230| $3,455. 05| 1 | MSN – Global| $3. 46 | 50| $174. 87 | 0| $0| -$174. 87| (1)| MSN – US| $4. 25 | 77| $252. 69 | 0| $0| -$252. 69| (1)| Grand Total| $2. 09 | 24320| $43,684. 81 | 79| $76,961| $33,275. 89| 1 | 4. Based on your answer to Question 3, what B2B acquisition partners would your team recommend that Air France consider? 2 points) Based on our group analysis there are 3 types of B2B acquisition partners that Air France should consider doing partnership with which are Yahoo-US, L’Avion. First partner, Yahoo-US, based on our group analysis from question 1 out result shows that Yahoo-US has the highest return on investment (ROI), the lowest cost per click and the lowest cost per booking. This is a good choice for Air France to engage in partnership in order to get the best ROI while at the same time minimize their costs in ads.Not only that Air France can get a lot of ROI back but they also have a high possibility in getting more sales from the click of users. Therefore our group recommended Yahoo-US for Air France to c onsider. Second partner, L’Avion, as of our target customer from question number three our group focus on business travelers. L’Avion only provides business-class service between Paris International Airport and Newark International Airport. This can be link to with Ryanair partnership because as our group mentions before that Ryanair has not yet a flight to USA where Air France is offering this route.By partnering with each other, both Air France and Ryanair can enjoy their profit from these group of business travelers which Ryanair already have a lot of loyalty customer with them. For example, if the customer from Ryanair wants to fly to United State they can use Air France service where profits can be shared between these two Airlines. Therefore, as our group has mention above, we believed that by partnership with these B2B business would eventually increase benefit and contributes to gain good market growth with good profit toward Air France and its partnership comp anies.

Friday, November 8, 2019

Free Essays on Financial Analysis Of Home Depot And Lowes

Financial Analysis of The Home Depot & Lowe's Home Improvement Warehouse Jack Branas History and Summary Home Depot, Inc. was founded in 1978. Their stores, which originally were set as an attachment to Treasure Island stores, carried a stock of around 25,000 products. Presently, offering twice as many products, it is the world's largest home improvement retailer operating over 1,400 stores in 49 U.S. states and 94 more abroad. Besides its most well-known stores, the company also operates 48 EXPO Design Centers across U.S. which enable customers to get expert advice and top quality products within its unique custom showrooms. At the end of its 2001 fiscal year, Home Depot had reported an impressive $53.6 billion of net sales. Their stock is publicly traded at NYSE, listed under the symbol "HD". Fortune magazine has ranked the Home Depot as America's Most Admired Specialty Retailer for eight consecutive years. In March 2002 the same magazine placed Home Depot as number six on its "Top Ten" ranking of industry. This judgment was based on innovation, financial soundness, employee talent, use of corporate assets, long-term investment value, social responsibility, quality of management and quality of products/service. Being the industry leader, Home Depot believes in setting a proper example to others by giving back to the communities in which it conducts its businesses. One-way of doing it is through providing grants in such areas as: affordable housing; at-risk youth; the environment; and disaster preparedness and relief. Home Depot’s major competitor is Lowe’s Companies, Inc. Lowe’s is a 56 years old Fortune 100 company. With its $22 billion of net sales in 2001of a complete line of home improvement products and equipment within its 780 stores in 42 states, it is the world's second largest home improvement retailer and the 14th largest retailer in the U. S as well as the 30th ... Free Essays on Financial Analysis Of Home Depot And Lowe's Free Essays on Financial Analysis Of Home Depot And Lowe's Financial Analysis of The Home Depot & Lowe's Home Improvement Warehouse Jack Branas History and Summary Home Depot, Inc. was founded in 1978. Their stores, which originally were set as an attachment to Treasure Island stores, carried a stock of around 25,000 products. Presently, offering twice as many products, it is the world's largest home improvement retailer operating over 1,400 stores in 49 U.S. states and 94 more abroad. Besides its most well-known stores, the company also operates 48 EXPO Design Centers across U.S. which enable customers to get expert advice and top quality products within its unique custom showrooms. At the end of its 2001 fiscal year, Home Depot had reported an impressive $53.6 billion of net sales. Their stock is publicly traded at NYSE, listed under the symbol "HD". Fortune magazine has ranked the Home Depot as America's Most Admired Specialty Retailer for eight consecutive years. In March 2002 the same magazine placed Home Depot as number six on its "Top Ten" ranking of industry. This judgment was based on innovation, financial soundness, employee talent, use of corporate assets, long-term investment value, social responsibility, quality of management and quality of products/service. Being the industry leader, Home Depot believes in setting a proper example to others by giving back to the communities in which it conducts its businesses. One-way of doing it is through providing grants in such areas as: affordable housing; at-risk youth; the environment; and disaster preparedness and relief. Home Depot’s major competitor is Lowe’s Companies, Inc. Lowe’s is a 56 years old Fortune 100 company. With its $22 billion of net sales in 2001of a complete line of home improvement products and equipment within its 780 stores in 42 states, it is the world's second largest home improvement retailer and the 14th largest retailer in the U. S as well as the 30th ...

Wednesday, November 6, 2019

Homogeneous Definition and Examples

Homogeneous Definition and Examples Homogeneous refers to a substance that is consistent or uniform throughout its volume. A sample taken from any part of a homogeneous substance will have the same characteristics as a sample taken from another area. Example Air is considered a homogeneous mixture of gases. Pure salt has a homogeneous composition. In a more general sense, a group of school children all dressed in the same uniform may be considered homogeneous. Antonym In contrast, the term heterogeneous refers to a substance that has an irregular composition. A mixture of apples and oranges is heterogeneous. A bucket of rocks contains a heterogeneous mixture of shapes, sizes, and composition. A group of different barnyard animals is heterogeneous. A mixture of oil and water is heterogeneous because the two liquids do not mix evenly. If a sample is taken from one part of the mixture, it may not contain equal amounts of oil and water.

Monday, November 4, 2019

Analysis of Organizational Behaviour Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Analysis of Organizational Behaviour - Essay Example These writers stress the importance of both ethical understanding and self-efficacy, stating that in order to ensure good ethical practice it is important that the leader and decision maker has sound knowledge and the necessary experience. However, experience gained in one cultural situation may well be different from those in another culture. The executive in Japan, for instance, will have a very different knowledge set from one who has worked only in Arabia. I can back this up from my personal experience of working in a multi-cultural situation. Kuwait has more or less equal numbers of Kuwaiti nationals and foreigners. The non-nationals come from a variety of countries and this results in a mixture of ideologies, religions and general outlook on life. For example, someone from Lebanon will see his work and go about his tasks is different from an Indian employee. The same is true for many others ex-patriates. There are of course similarities, but always some differences between for example Asians and Arabians. In such a multi-cultural environment the wisdom and efficiency of leaders in building and maintaining good ethical codes and practices are very important. As he uses the knowledge and experience he already has and is gaining over time, a leader gets ever stronger and gains confidence when it comes to making ethical decisions. Confidence in one’s own ability and strengths means a greater ability to be a strong and confident leader when dealing with a variety of situations. In our organization practicing good ethics is not easy. This is not because of leadership deficiencies when it comes to decision, but because of the variations in cultural outlooks of employees despite good communications. The authors cited have talked about the problems of global business with its mix of cultures and ethical ideas.

Saturday, November 2, 2019

The US Foreign Policy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

The US Foreign Policy - Essay Example Such attacks are often inaccurate and end up killing innocent Yemeni citizens, and this was on the rise in 2010 when the AQAP undertook an unsuccessful attack on the US. Your conclusion on the result of the actions of the US is clever, in that, as the AQAP take control of the rural areas of Yemen, the US backs the central government of Yemen; thus, the divide. Indeed, the aggravation of the lack of stability in Yemen by the faked relationship with the US is veritable. I agree with you on the salient position that the US holds in respect to the stability of Bahrain. The internal unrest encountered in Bahrain in 2011 was dealt with through the help from the other Gulf States. However, these Gulf States would not help Bahrain in protecting it from outside threats, such as Iran.These states do not agree on how power should be divided among the Gulf States. One side advocates the Sunni while the other advocates for the Shea. In an apt manner, you have explicated the need to have the US involved in Bahrain’s strategies hence leading to the stability encountered. The US shields Bahrain from external terrorism and Iran through discouraging nuclear programs by the use of economic pressure. Moreover, the US has helped in advocating the rights of workers and removing the ‘kafala’ system that compels the immigrant workers to work for the employees who helped them come to Bahrain. Your argument is well grounded and is insightful.

Thursday, October 31, 2019

English Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

English - Assignment Example es a letter from Frank Baldry, the real cousin of Chris the war soldier informing Jenny that Chris, during the course of war, had suffered from amnesia and had lost his recent memory. His old memories however are intact. Therefore, Jenny learns from Frank that the portion of the memory of Chris that was affected by amnesia was the one which had Kitty her wife in it. He failed to remember even a slight memory regarding Kitty. On the other hand he considers his youth memories with Margret as quite fresh. Later in the novel one also learns that before coming home, Chris sent a letter to Margret in France asking her to meet him upon his return. Margret Grey, unlike Kitty, was quite a simple person and not that wealthy. She had signs of aging on her and the indications of youth from her face had almost disappeared entirely. But ine learns later in the novel that although what some might call a lowly life, she was quite satisfied with it. During the course of this paper, the main aspects of the novel would be elaborated along with some of the hidden significances. Shedding some critical light on the novel, it can be easily observed that there is a sheer uncomfortable atmosphere all along the novel. One sees that Kitty, a woman of pure class who was admired by everyone, and who was the queen of Chris’s heart and his humongous stately house had within an instant, after learning of the letter had her conditions changed upside down. The mansion of hers was no more a luxury anymore as both the stately house and the name of Chris haunted her emotions of the affections that Chris used to have towards her. Contrary to the usual scenario of a soldier’s return to his home after the war, the novel draws a blurred picture of the severe trauma he faces as a result of the war and what’s even more tragic, the impact of all that trauma on the girls back home, one his wife, second his cousin and the third his old lover. In a broader aspect, one can say that the effect of the

Tuesday, October 29, 2019

A Passage to India by Forster Essay Example for Free

A Passage to India by Forster Essay By close analysis of the structure and language of chapter one discuss how Forster expresses his overall concerns within the novel as a whole via this initial description of the Indian landscape. Through chapter one of A Passage to India Forster does far more than introduce the small town of Chandrapore. In this initial section of the novel the construction of the text reflects the tiered Indian society that becomes the basis for Forsters deeper exploration of mankind and human behaviour. In addition, the ominous significance of the Marabar Caves within the novel is prefigured via the mysterious imagery used to describe them. This is contrasted by the more optimistic language which is used to describe the overarching sky that unifies all men and points towards a hope for the future of peaceful co-existence. At the beginning of the chapter the reader is first introduced to the Muslim aspect of Chandrapore, the lowest tier of the Indian society but perhaps the most resilient. Here what Adela will later refer to as the Real India is depicted. Through vivid imagery the area appears akin to a wasteland devoid of any significance. Even the holy river Ganges is described as Trailing for a couple of milesscarcely distinguishable from the rubbish it deposits so freely. It is negative language such as this that creates a compounding sense of desolation about the Real India. This of course is entirely necessary in order for Forster to create and convey the contrast between the Indian and English cultures which he believes to be incompatible in this context. Graphic and harsh language permeates the whole of this first section of the chapter creating a highly effective image of the squalor in which the Mohammedan Indians are condemned to live by their English rulers. The streets are Mean the Temples ineffective and the Filth of alleyways deters all but the invited guest. By describing their quarter in such a way Forster makes the Muslim Indian seem almost sub-human to his readers, this of course, is how they are viewed by the English. They are remarked upon as Low but also as Indestructible. Despite their apparent lack of sophistication, the way in which, The general outline of the town persists comes to reflect the similar way in which the Muslim culture, although suppressed by the English, is based upon strong foundations of religious devotion and an inextinguishable spirit. Forster describes them as Swelling hereshrinking there and by doing so creates a very evocative image which captures perfectly the way in which the Indian race move en-mass and in harmony, united in their angst to recapture their homeland. As Forster remarks, Inland the prospect alters and the Eurasian, Anglo-India described in the second section of the passage could not present a more stark contrast to that of Islamic Chandrapore. Here the houses belonging to the Eurasians Stand on high ground an important symbol which reflects the way in which the English believe themselves to be above the Indian race both morally and intellectually. It is this attitude of ignorance and racial superiority which will be developed and scathingly criticised by Forster as the novel progresses. Indeed it could be argued that humanitys unwillingness to understand one another is the underlying theme behind the whole text and that in reality Adela and Mrs. Moores passage to India is in fact a deeper analogy for a more complex passage of mankind towards understanding itself. On a second rise of land lies the Little civil station. As the focal point for Eurasian society it is remarked that, From hereChandrapore appears to be a totally different place. This observation encapsulates the way in which the station and its social club both seem to be isolated from the rest of India. Immersed in a fantasy world of British high society the station itself is described as, Provoking no emotion and Sensibly planned. This epitomises the logical mindset of the English, which deeply contrasts that of the spiritual Indian and highlights how even at a simple level of human understanding harmony is not possible between the two cultures creating the Muddle which is colonial India. Britains attitude of imposing herself upon other nations, typical of this time period before partition, is something heavily attacked by Forster. Throughout the text he is seen to criticise England replicated in India because to him this is unnatural and false. During the entirety of this second section of the passage Forster adopts a tone of negativity towards the English. Their section of Chandrapore is described as, Sharing nothing with the rest of the city except the overarching sky conveying the way in which they consciously isolate themselves from the Indians. In the overall context of the novel this image becomes very important. As gradually relations between the two races come to deteriorate the sky comes to be the only unifying element between Indian and Englishman. Further more, the way in which the image is echoed throughout the text seems to suggest the existence of a more powerful presence beyond man both physically and in terms of significance within the universe. It is Forsters belief that ultimately the petty quarrels of man are meaningless in such a vast entity. The final section of the chapter is used by Forster to expand on the concept of the overarching sky. It is described as having a Persistent blue core the stars Hanging like lamps from the immense vault which is the sky and it is elevated imagery such as this which comes to symbolise a hope for the future of mankind. In contrast to the muddle and misunderstanding which covers India and the rest of the earth, the sky instead represents an element which unifies all men. Its persistence represents a hope that one day all the problems of man explored within the novel will pale into insignificance. It could be argued the description of the sky evokes an atmosphere akin to that of the Hindu religion. Forster remarks, The sky settles everything and indeed to Godbole and his fellow Hindus this is to a certain degree true. The unanswerable questions, the answers to which are sought by both Muslim and Christian are left to be pondered by Godbole. He seeks to answer questions about his own spiritual existence and the natural world around him. As a result his passage within the novel becomes one of progression as opposed one to of retreat as is experienced by Aziz and Fielding. The Chapter ends with a final short image of the mysterious Marabar caves. All around League after league the earth lies flat, yet in the south, A group of fists and fingers are thrust up through the soil. These fingers are the Marabar hills and seem to point mysteriously towards the heavens above. The way in which they seem to separate themselves from their earthly surroundings suggests an equally unearthly presence about them. This of course will be proved true by the supernatural and inexplicable violation which Adela experiences within their walls. Dark and devoid of humanity they represent an aspect of India that the logical English will never be able to conquer. Therefore it is possible to conclude that the first Chapter of A Passage to India can be regarded as a template for the novel as a whole. Almost all of Forsters overall concerns are indicated by its content and it is clear that the varied description of the Indian landscape comes to symbolise differences between those who inhabit the land. This disjointed construction of society will only increase as the novel progresses ultimately leading to the personal retreat of the novels two main characters, Aziz and Fielding whom are unable to stand out as individuals and trapped within the confines of their own cultures. It will be only the deeply spiritual Godbole who is shown to have made any real progress via his own Passage to India and of course Mrs. Moore, who despite her death becomes a symbol for hope by the way in which she is revered as a Hindu Goddess. Bibliography A Passage to India E.M. Forster Classic notes www.classicnotes.com