Assignment One Essay

1.) What are some of the hardships faced by indentured servants in Virginia during the early days of the colony? a. Some of the hardships faced by indentured servants was disease such as â€Å"scurvy, bloody flux, and diverse other diseases.† Also, they have not much of a variety of food to eat, they eat â€Å"peas and loblollies†, and so they will do anything to be able to eat other variety of foods. The amount of food they get is shared between other men. Therefore their amount of food intake is not enough to make them full. They have clothes but they are old and dirty because they one of everything they wear. Since they do not have anything worth a penny, because if they do others steal it, they cannot have food other than peas. They cannot eat bread because it cost a penny and they don’t have a penny to buy anything. 2.) How does the physical location of Jamestown colony lead to many of the hardships described in this document? b. It seems they are close to possibly Indian attacks or people from other countries because he stated in the story â€Å"but yet we are 32 to fight 3000 if they should come.† He hasn’t seen any deer or venison since he arrived in Jamestown; therefore the meat source is not a great source for food reliability. It takes them a few days to retrieve cargo from the ships. They start to the shore and sleep the first night they get there, then unload the next day and start back to their home with the cargo. 3.) How have conditions at Jamestown affected the writer of this letter? c. He thinks negative about everything. He has nothing in Jamestown to call his own or â€Å"nothing to comfort him.† He expects the worse because people are dying by the hour. Not having much to eat, he doesn’t think he will survive much longer unless his he dies before he receives the package. He believes in God and that he can keep him alive if he drinks water, he heard. He tells his dad to have mercy and pity on him, that life in England was better because he had more food that filled him. He thanks his parents for providing all that they did while he lived in England. He loves his dad and doesn’t want his dad to forget him.

Batang Pusit

I. Introduction Batang Pusit is a story of children in Masbate who catches squid to earn a living. They work to provide their families and themselves something to eat in their everyday. Their families depend on them. These children are hardworking for the sake of their families, but even though they’re hard up in catching squids they still continue doing it because they don’t want their families to suffer from hunger. Unlike other kids who just waste their time doing things that won’t help them.With the children in the film, â€Å"Batang Pusit† they are encouraged by their parents to do well in their work as squid catchers for them to have a brighter future. II. Summary The day starts early for a group of children at a remote coastal village in Masbate, an island province in the central Philippines. Even before dawn breaks, several children and a few adults line the seashore, busily preparing their boats and nets for a day of squid fishing. Jameson, Estoy, and Jason who at a very young age were taught by their fathers to dive for squids. The residents largely depend on the sea to make a living.There are no concrete roads, water comes from deep wells, and there is no electricity. Everyday, they set out to sea. A boat crew is comprised mostly of children. The adult stays in the boat while the children do the diving. The kids wear improvised goggles and fins made of wood that are fastened to their feet by strips of rubber. The kids lure the squids into the nets by making noise hitting the water surface hard with their arms or getting rocks underwater and throwing them hard at the water surface. They then dive as the net closes in to secure the squids that were trapped in the net.After a full day at sea, each goes home with less than thirty pesos in their pockets. But for the overworked children, this is more money than they have ever known before. Most of the time however, they catch just a few not even enough to shoulder their families expenses in a day. The children say they still have time to go to their classes, walking for hours through tall grasses along hilly landscapes to reach school. Their elementary school teacher, Melchor Rojas, though, says most squid catchers report to school only once or twice each week.Squid fishing takes up the kid’s time and when its harvest or planting season, there are the teacher reports even fewer students. Of the few squid divers who are his students, Rojas expects less than half would be able to pursue higher education. The kids parents themselves seem resigned to the fact that they would never be able to send their children to school. For these children, education remains uncertain, but they maintain high hopes. Given a choice, they prefer to attend school in order to finish their education rather than spend their time at work.Every summer, the number of child squid catchers rises because they are also saving for the coming school year. The squid catchers are torn b etween studying for a better future and providing for themselves and their families. III. Reaction Children do the work of their parents to provide their needs for themselves and to give expenses to their families. Children worked hard for their families for them not to suffer from hunger. Their parents depend on their children. Children worked for their families for them to survive.I feel sad because they only go to school once or twice a week, they do not attend their classes anymore because of their work. I feel happy because at a very young age they were able to help their parents and they were able to provide their needs. They worked very hard and providing for their families. These children need time in studying than working because it helps them to achieve their goals in life. IV. Conclusion / Lesson I learned that we should be proud of what we are having right now. I learned how to be a responsible child. We must help our parents because they provide all the things that we n eed for us to have a good life.We must be thankful to our parents because they give us the opportunity to study. We must study hard so that we can achieve and reach our dreams in life in the future. We must be proud because we go to school to learn new things because it provides numerous opportunities for the development of our life. We must not waste this opportunities of going to school because some children do not study because of too much poverty. We must take this as a great opportunity for us because it only comes once, because education helps us to reach our dreams and goals in life.We must be hardworking and patient enough to study because it can make our dreams in life come true. We must not waste our time in the things that is useless and can destroy our life. We learned many good traits in our life such as discipline, obedience, and respect to elders, honesty and many more. It is our duty to acquire these qualities of life which will enable us to stand in good stead in th e future. We must pursue and do our best in all aspects of life for us to have a brighter and better future and for us not to suffer from poverty.

Jonathan Harker and Dracula in his entopic novel Essay

How does Bram stoker manipulate audience response to Jonathan Harker and Dracula in his entopic novel? Since Dracula was written in 1897, by the successful Bram Stoker it has since been a popular novel. The story line is based upon a mysterious vampire in Transylvania who travels to England in the search of fresh blood but complications arise when Jonathan Harker and accomplices intervene, causing a catastrophe. Bram Stoker manipulates his audience’s response to Jonathan Harker and Dracula. The book is set pre-1915 and is of a gothic genre, so is intended to be frightening and mysterious, which are general expectations of a gothic genre. To begin with the first four chapters are written from Jonathan Harker’s point of view, through his journal. Therefore, indicating that Bram stoker wants us to have a good understanding of Jonathan’s character before any other characters are introduced. So that we can get a very clear idea of what he usually like, his habits, what he is like before, during and after going to Transylvania. There are many indications that Bram stoker wants us to view Jonathan as an intellectual, as he focuses on Jonathan’s time spent at the British museum in England, researching for his journey to Transylvania. He wants us to view him as an intellectual so that later on the book you will trust what he is writing about his journey, and not think he has gone mad. Jonathan also comes across as a very precise man as he notes the exact train times down, â€Å"should have arrived at 6:46, but the train was an hour late. † Bram stoker also puts this across later in the chapter when other times are mentioned. By putting the exact time it emphasises how precise he is. He wants us to see Jonathan this way so that the audience think he is a trustable character, and believe what he is saying. Bram Stoker also portrays Jonathan as a very observant character. This can be deduced from the notes in Jonathan’s journal, â€Å"a country which is full of beauty of every kind,† showing he is interested in his surroundings, and other cultures. Therefore, we see him as an open-minded man; Bram Stoker is portraying him like this because he wants us to see Jonathan as a very good character in the book, he is trying to build up a very positive image of him so that the audience will trust his judgement. We first encounter Dracula when he sends a letter to Jonathan, the letter finishes with, â€Å"your friend, Dracula. † Suggesting that he is either been watching him, maybe they have had previous acquaintances or he is trying to get on Jonathan’s good side. So it shows that Dracula is quite cunning and Bram Stoker is starting to show that Dracula is quite devious and can be quite sly, he does things for a reason. Bram stoker also portrays Dracula as a possessive character, as in the letter he refers to Transylvania as â€Å"my precious land. The word â€Å"my† suggests that Dracula counts the country as his own and in a way he is in control, or he could just be very proud of his country. So by doing this Bram Stoker is showing Dracula as an even more possessive person, but he is also showing that he is powerful character, he’s trying to show Dracula as a bad character in the story. As the chapter continues, Bram Stoker portrays Dracula as an evil character when Jonathan first meets him in person. Bram Stoker uses effective adjectives to create a frightening scene, â€Å"Throwing long quivering shadows. † The adjective â€Å"quivering† suggests everything, even the shadows, live in fear of the evil Dracula. So Bram Stoker is trying to get the audience to believe he is a very powerful and fearful character. Bram Stoker would also like us to see Dracula as an intellectual as in Jonathan Harker’s journal he says, â€Å"Saying in excellent English. † The word â€Å"excellent† emphasises the fact that Draculas English is good, so Bram Stoker makes a strong point of the audience seeing him as an intellectual. We respond to his by thinking he must have Jonathan Harker at his castle for a reason, but why? This creates suspension and keeps the reader interested. We then meet Jonathan Harker later on in the book when Mina describes him in her journal and letters to Lucy Westenra. Thus, we learn about him from others whose opinion we respect. Mina refers to Jonathan quite frequently in her letters and journal. This shows Bram Stoker wants us to see him as someone that people look up to, ad strive to be like him. â€Å"I want to keep up with Jonathan’s studies†; â€Å"I shall be able to be useful to Jonathan. † These phrases from Mina show that she looks him as an example, so therefore showing the audience that he is a very important figure in people’s lives. This makes us think of Jonathan as the good character, the hero in the story and I think people expect a lot of him. Through Mina’s journal, Bram Stoker presents Jonathan as a man that keeps his word, â€Å"I had not heard from Jonathan for some time. † It suggests that he normally writes to Mina whilst he’s away, and so it was unusual for him to not write, he is trying to get us to see that Jonathan is usually a man of his word and sticks to what he does, in this case, keeping contact with Mina. We respond to this by believing that Jonathan is a trustworthy character, adding to the fact that we think he will come out as the hero in the novel. Bram Stoker wants us to see Jonathan as a hard working individual, because then we know that he is going to apply his determination to something, but the audience doesn’t know what, so it s building up the story. In Mina’s journal it states, â€Å"Rich, master of his own business. â€Å"The phrase suggests that to be rich and successful he must be hard working and determined. Further on in the book, after Jonathan has returned from Transylvania, Bram Stoker shows that Jonathan isn’t fearless, â€Å"I noticed that the others kept looking over their shoulders as every sound and every new shadow, just as I felt myself doing. † The quotation suggests that he feels uneasy in his surroundings and that he has a fear of something, so Bram Stoker portrays him as not fearless, unlike at the beginning of the book, where he is presented as fearless and a very successful. I think by showing a change in the character Bram Stoker is implying that the circumstances have had an effect on him and that they must have been awful circumstances because to begin with he was a fearless man and now he’s looking over his shoulder, scared of his surroundings. Dracula is then described in Mina Harker’s journal, during which he is in the form of a dog. â€Å"Long and dark with red eyes. † This is a description of the glance that Mina caught of Dracula. The adjective â€Å"red† suggests evil, so Bram Stoker is building up to the fact that Dracula is the evil character in the book. Bram Stoker only describes Dracula thoroughly through Jonathan Harker’s journal at the beginning of the book, I think that this is because he doesn’t want to give too much away, just give little hints throughout the book and also he mainly does it through Jonathan’s journal because the audience can trust what he is saying is true.

Case Analysis of Denver International Airport Essay

Case Analysis of Denver International Airport - Essay Example When it finally opened to the public 16 months behind schedule it has 5 runways and 88 gates and in many ways represented a model airport for the future. According to the master plan the airlines tenants were expected to install their own baggage handling system, thus excluding the construction of a baggage handling system by the overall DIA project. Subsequently, United Airlines insisted on an automated high-speed baggage system. The Denver officials designed a large scale baggage handling system at a cost of $193 million that would require no manual labor (Ma ¨hring, Holmstro ¨m, Keil & Montealegre (2004). The design was intended to run faster and more reliable than traditional technology. The root cause of the problem is that the city failed to properly plan for the construction of the new DIA airport. They moved ahead with the designing and construction of the airport with out the input of the customers. The root cause of the problem was the faulty planning. The first and foremost reason was that the baggage handling system was not decided at the initial stage. It was a subsequent addition by which time the basic design had already been approved. In addition to the late decision of building the automated baggage handling system, during the development stage, the airlines kept changing their requirements. This led to frequent changes in the design and construction. The power systems for the revised design were not altered, which led to overloaded motors and finally mechanical failures in the system testing. The optical sensors also did not read the barcode properly which caused the system routing problem. BAE had been appointed to design and implement the automated baggage handling system. At the same time, BAE, United airlines and the City of Denver, all has their own consultants and project leaders. BAE enjoyed the reputation of being among the best and on the strength of its good

How does the practice of crisis management differ from that of Risk Essay

How does the practice of crisis management differ from that of Risk managementsupport answer with reference to appropriate exam - Essay Example Woods et al. (2008, p. 124) identified the core elements of risk management in Figure 1 below. Figure 1. Core elements of corporate risk management Source: Woods et al. (2008, p. 124) 2.2 As indicated by Figure 1, the assessment of risks in the area of risk management is done consistent with organisational objectives (Woods et al. 2008, p. 125). The word â€Å"modification† on the left side of the diagram indicates a feedback process in which the lessons learned from risk management experience are used to review and modify management decisions and even organisational objectives â€Å"to ensure an acceptable and appropriate level of risk exposure on the part of the organisation† (Woods et al. 2008, p. 126). 2.3 The label â€Å"formal audit† on the right side of the diagram indicates that â€Å"formal audit† is the key route for identifying and managing risks (Woods et al. 2008, p. 127). ... ned in the event of a crisis; Provide the required focus for effective response; and Conduct exercises to validate and improve crisis response plans as well as improve staff training and awareness. 2.4 In 2009, the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) identified some of the developments in country risk management that could be applicable for other forms of risk management (p. 29-38): Adoption of an all-hazards framework that considers all possible sources of risks; Use of new governance models for risk assessment; Involvement of all organisational units for risk management; Systematic approach to mitigation planning in anticipation of the possibility that some or all of the risks would materialize; Protection of critical infrastructure given the risks; Promotion of organisational resilience and continuity should some of the risks materialize; and Ensuring that financing policies factors in the possibility of crises from risks. 2.5 It is easy to see that some o r all of the developments for various countries risk management strategies apply to corporate and other types of risk management as well. This implies, for example, that: We must identify all sources of risk that threatens the survival or competitiveness of our organisation or population on which our organisation has a responsibility (with a priority emphasis on those that constitute as the biggest threat to our existence or competitiveness); We must adopt forms of organisation that factors in the realities of risks, We must involve all our organisational units in risk assessment even if we have a unit focused on risk management; We must have crisis-mitigation plans as part of our risk management system (the crisis mitigation plans are also part of our crisis management system); Based on

Mktg Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 2

Mktg - Essay Example The logistical channel also affects the packing of goods, perishable goods like vegetable since they usually go bad easily. The chemical property of a product also determines its packaging method since certain products are incompatible like watermelon which is sensitive to ethylene is packed from the exposure to these gases. The first strategy being used is the reduction of the packaging material being used. The possible suggestions are using a material which is recyclable and reduces packaging waste. The second is the use of a packaging strategy that is environmental friendly packaging material. The third strategy is the use of reusable containers. Though this cannot be done to all the products but it is advisable for the few that is possible, for example, refilling of glass bottles. The fourth strategy is the supporting and retaining services that collect used packaging and those that recycle it. The third and the fourth strategy add a loop to the supply chain. Transportations is an example of a logistic system. Therefore for effective transportation of products then the reduction of packaging influences its performance as; the reduction in the density of a product will determine the shipping tenderers requests since the load densities makes best . The second is protective packaging reduces the risk of the product being damaged during transit. The environmental and the ergonomic principle are the most surprising principle to me. With respect to the environmental principle, this principle is greatly violated today since a lot of produced are not biodegradable hence harmful effects to the society around them. The use of plastic bags is the best example to be used here. The safety of human being has been a point of contention in today’s world. The life of human beings is a point of contention in most firms such as the manufacturing companies where poor workers conditions and ethical working rights are violated. This is the reasons for

Expanding a Business from UK in Canada (International Business Law) Essay

Expanding a Business from UK in Canada (International Business Law) - Essay Example All other important legal and labor details pertaining to the creation of the business will be included in this report. Background Alan Brandon, who has a stake in several UK companies plan to expand two of his companies by opening either a branch or a subsidiary in Canada. These two companies are doing well in the past three years and he believes that it be profitable to start expanding abroad. The two companies are Definitely-Maybe PLC, a public limited company that produces chocolates and Ultra-educators Software Limited, a Software services company that designs educational Software. The Board of Directors has given their go signal to expand given the report of Mr. Brandon’s team that the business is feasible in Canada and is likely to succeed. This report is made, at Mr. Alan Brandon’s behest, to show to the Board of Directors what is in store for them when they bring the business in Canada. Objectives It is the objective of this paper to show to the mother companie s of both UK-based Definitely-Maybe and Ultra-Educators what entails the expansion of their businesses from UK to Canada in terms of new jurisdiction, legal, sale, technical and tax aspects. This report is basically presented from the legal perspective to ensure the management of possible legal risks. Failure to do so could result into substantial impact on the profitability or commercial transactions that could be detrimental to the life of the company. Scope This report will be enumerating the possible risks Definitely-Maybe may be exposed to if it embarks on the exportation of chocolates to Canada. It will also present the options open to Ultra-Educators in terms of the form of corporate entity that is best suited to it in Canada, including the details and requirements in implementing it. This report will also touch on the treaties and agreements that could be applied to the business and how it may benefit the company as well as the other pertinent labor and immigration issues th at the new companies are likely to come across with. Results Importing Chocolates in Canada It is considered to be a regulated activity if commercial goods are imported into Canada. The government agency in charge of such activity is the Canada Border Services Agency. It is the entity that enforces the regulations for import. Before a company can begin importing products to Canada, an import/export number must first be obtained from the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) and added to the company’s regular business number. Second, the products to be imported must be identified clearly and explicitly. In what country the products are from and in what country they are manufactured must also be determined. The company must see to it that the products are not prohibited in being imported to Canada. Examples of such products include products manufactured by prisoners, reprints of Canadian works with copyright protection, certain birds, counterfeit currencies, all kinds of second-hand airc rafts, with no exceptions, all kinds of second-hand automobiles, except those from the US, all materials regarded as child pornography, hate propaganda, rebellious, treasonable, or obscene, etc. Next, the company should see whether or not the products to be imported are subject to other requirements or restrictions. Once the company has guaranteed that the products can be legally imported to

Strategic Planning Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Strategic Planning - Assignment Example It is based on this knowledge that a health care organization may decide on the best approach to use, in competing with their competitors. Another type of competitor identified by Moseley are potential competitors. These are companies that are operating in other industries, but they are showing a high likelihood of wanting to invest in the health care industry. These are always referred to as new entrants (Zuckerman, 2012). It is important to explain that investing in the health care industry is a very costly process, and on this basis, new entrants are normally business organizations that have the capability of raising the necessary capital. Furthermore, it is important to explain that new entrants could be firms operating the same line of business, but operating in a different geographical location (Harrison, 2010). Other possible new entrants include organizations that offer related services, suppliers who are interested in integrating forward in the chain, with the intention of forming a hospital organization, organizations that seek to diversify their portfolios, because of increased competition, etc. Another type of competitors is indirect competitors. These are health care institutions that offer substitute products. It is important to explain that this is competition, because these organizations have the capability of satisfying the customers of a health organization, in a similar manner, as the organization under consideration (Stahl, 2004). In gathering data, concerning the threats that direct competitors pose, there is a need of carrying out market research, through surveys, and observations. Surveys would enable the health care organization to collect data, based on the quality of service it offers, in comparison to the quality of service offered by its competitors. This type of information is very important because it

Automotive company future marketing ideas Assignment

Automotive company future marketing ideas - Assignment Example uction of smaller and more fuel efficient vehicles as opposed to continuing with the production of bigger cars which are more profitable and make a conclusion at the end. Vehicle manufacture economics debates generally agree that sports utility vehicles and pickups are more profitable than the smaller but more efficient cars. Moving away from the traditionally profitable big vehicles segment to smaller cars is on paper not a very good idea especially with the automotive industry just recovering from a global slump. The marginal cost pricing principle states that the market price of a good equals its marginal cost which implies the gross margin accruing from every product is zero (Bernanke, 2004). The reason SUVs are priced higher and so more profitable is because companies want to meet their corporate average fuel economy (CAFÉ) targets by selling smaller cars. This enables them sell one bigger car for every small car and so they can accept lower margins of profit for small cars (Kwak, 2009). Selling smaller cars therefore would still allow for profitability if bigger cars are reduced. The other reason why the strategy is good is that small cars are bought usually by younger first time buyers and so selling them a small car cheaply will tie them to come and buy a bigger car in the future say when they are into their mid thirties of early forties. Smaller cars have a lower price and therefore are likely to have more buyers than the big more expensive cars especially for first time buyers. Higher volume sales will offset the lower profit margins in selling smaller cars. With high energy prices and environmental awareness, consumers in the future will prefer smaller more efficient cars that are environmentally friendly (â€Å"Rush lane†, 2011). Smaller cars are also easier to maneuver in traffic and when parking especially with growing congestion in urban areas and many more cars getting on the road. Smaller cars are also considered easier to handle when driving and

With rreference to recent case law discuss the impact of the human Essay

With rreference to recent case law discuss the impact of the human rights act 1998 on the doctrine of parliamentary supremacy - Essay Example The UK Constitution is rightly deemed an unconventional, uncodified constitution that is a pragmatic product of experience and experiment. Central to the UK Constitution is the doctrine of parliamentary supremacy which endows the UK Parliament an overweening supremacy above all other governmental institutions including the executive and the judiciary. As defined by Albert Dicey, it is a doctrine wherein the Parliament has â€Å"the right to make or unmake any law whatever and further, that no person or body is recognised by the law of England as having a right to override or set aside the legislation of Parliament.†3 Parliament is not bound by its predecessor. In other words, it confers upon the Parliament the title â€Å"Supreme Lawmaker† by which the notion of judicial review does not apply. Thus, no court is allowed to question the validity of an Act of Parliament. Moreover, the Parliament’s legislative competence is rendered unlimited and by ordinary Act of Parliament it is empowered to alter any aspect of the existing Constitution. This doctrine had been questioned but was upheld in the Madzimbamuto case with finality, holding that if Parliament chose to enact a law that is improper or immoral, â€Å"the court will not hold the Act of Parliament invalid†.4 This doctrine had also been lambasted by such judges as Lord Chief Justice Woolf on the ground that it causes the British courts to become a weakened judiciary, stripped of the power of judicial review and the power to interpret civil rights implications while the Parliament is free to enact any legislation that it desires.5 It is a reality though, that the doctrine of parliamentary supremacy was threatened and suffered an erosion when UK decided to become a member of the European Union in 1972 and had to accede to European laws and the principle of the supremacy of European union law. The case Costa v ENEL

Lung Cancer Physiology Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Lung Cancer Physiology - Research Paper Example In addition to lung cancer, being the most common type of cancer, it is also often tough to treat. This paper seeks to analyze the physiology of lung cancer, as well as the diagnosis and treatment process. Smoking is one of the major causes of lung cancer as it consists 80% of all reported cases of lung cancer. When smoking, an individual is considered to be absorbing more than 4000 cancerous chemicals. Even the nonsmokers are at risk of contracting lung cancer through passive smoking. Second hand smoking is considered as bad as first hand smoking itself. Radon is also a leading cause of cancer (Sebti & Jove, 2010). Radon is a radioactive gas that is invisible and odorless. Radon is a chemical found on the surface of the earth. When anybody gets in contact with the chemical, the effect is the same as smoking itself. Other ways that people can contract lung cancer is through having contact with carcinogens. The diagnosis of lung cancer can be through physical examination and history. In this, the signs and symptoms of lung cancer can be detected. The x-ray chest scan is the most common means of detecting lung cancer. The chest X-ray technique frequently encompasses an outlook from the back to the front of the torso as well as an outlook from sideways (Petricoin III et al, 2012). Computerized tomography (CT) and computerized axial tomography (CAT) scans may be done on the abdomen, chest, brain to check for metastatic, and lung cancer. The analysis of lung cancer constantly necessitates verification of malicious cells by a pathologist. This is even when indications and X-ray examinations are apprehensive for lung cancer. Treatment of lung cancer can be done in many different ways. Lung cancer can be treated through surgery. Surgery is usually done in stage, one, and two. It is done through removal of tumors. Radiation therapy is also another form of lung cancer treatment. This can treat both SCLC and

Summer Project Essay Example for Free

Summer Project Essay This is to certify that Mr. Chandan Kumar (Reg. No. 11382017) a student of MBA – International Business, 2011 – 2013 batch has successfully completed his internship training at Lumbini Beverages Pvt Ltd. , HAJIPUR(BIHAR). His period of training was MARCH-APRIL. He has prepared the internship report titled â€Å"A Study on Sales Promotion at PepsiCo† for the requirement of the concern and for Master of Business Administration in International Business program in the Department of International Business, School of Management, Pondicherry University, Puducherry – 605 014. Dr. Bushan D. Sudhakar Reader, Dept. of Int’l Business, School of Management, Pondicherry University, Puducherry – 605 014. Dr. P. Sridharan Head of the Department, Dept. of Int’l Business, School of Management, Pondicherry University, Puducherry – 605 014 2|Page CERTIFICATE FROM THE GUIDE This is to certify that the Project Work entitled â€Å" A Study on Sales Promotion at PepsiCo† is a bonafide work of Mr. Chandan Kumar carried out in partial fulfilment for the award of degree of MBA (International Business) of Pondicherry University under my guidance. This project work is original and not submitted earlier for the award of any degree / diploma of any other University / Institution. Signature of the Guide (Name and Official address of the Guide) Place:†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ Date:†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ 3|Page STUDENT’S DECLARTION I, Mr. Chandan Kumar hereby declare that the Project Work entitled â€Å"A Study on Sales Promotion at PepsiCo† is the original work done by me and submitted to the Pondicherry university in partial fulfillment of requirements for the award of Master of Business Administration in International Business is a record of original work done by me under the supervision of Dr. Bushan D. Sudhakar, Reader, Department of International Business, School of Management. Signature of Student Date:†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ 4|Page ACKNOWLEDGEMENT It is well established fact that behind every achievement lays on unfathomable sea of gratitude to those who have extended their support without whom the project would never have come into existence. I now take the opportunity to thank Mr. N. K. Prasad, HR Manager, Lumbini Beverages Pvt Ltd. , who granted me the permission to undergo training in this prestigious organization. I would extend special thanks to Mr. Anish Kumar, Sales Executive, under whose guidance and support I was able to complete this project. During the entire period of my training, I received endless held, support and cooperation from all the employees of the organization. I think my report would be incomplete if I do not convey my grateful thanks to them. I express my sincere thanks to Dr. Prahakar Raya, DEAN, School Of Management and along with him I express my humble and sincere thanks to our Department Head, Dr. P. SRIDHARAN, Department of International Business, School Of Management for their guidance and support throughout this project. With deep sense of gratitude, I acknowledge my sincere thanks to Dr. Bushan D. Sudhakar who has always been a source of inspiration to me and constantly implanted his useful guidelines, experience and provided his valuable time in the completion of this project. Although it is difficult to say that I have achieved what I wanted to present, but within the circumstances and various limiting factors, I have tried to give my best. 5|Page EXECUTIVE SUMMARY PepsiCo is a world leader in a convenient food and beverages with revenues of more than $45 billion and more than 1, 60, 000 employees. The company consists of Frito-lay North America, PepsiCo Beverages North America, PepsiCo International and Quaker Foods North America. PepsiCo brands are available in nearly 200 countries and territories and generate sells and the retail level of about $85 billion. PepsiCo is the world’s premier Consumer Products Company focused on convenient foods and beverages. This project work entitled â€Å"A study on sales promotion of PepsiCo†, was done to become familiar with the working of PepsiCo (LUMBINI BEVERAGES PVT LTD) and to know the strategies used by PepsiCo in the sales promotion. The important objectives of the project were to find out: what are the various types of promotional strategies used in marketing, in which way the strategies are implemented, what is the market share of the company, which promotional strategy is used most, what is the impact of sales promotion during off season, how retailers react to new sales promotions, what are the various tools that the company uses during sales promotion, and which type of promotional offers retailers prefer etc. The project is entirely based on my observations made during the two months spent at lumbini beverages pvt ltd and visits to various markets of Hajipur. Based on my learning and experience, I have made some suggestions to improve the sales promotion activity and services. 6|Page INDEX Chapter I. INTRODUCTION 1. 1 Introduction 1. 2 Statement of problem 1. 3 Objectives of the study 1. 4 Scope of the study 1. 5 Need of the study 1. 6 Research methodology 1. 7 Limitation of study Chapter – 2. 1 . COMPANY AND INDUSTRY PROFILE 9-10 10 11 11 12 12-14 15 16-40 41-49 51-66 68 69-70 71 72 73-75 2. 2. REVIEW OF LITERATURE Chapter-III. ANALYSIS INTERPRETAION Chapter-IV. 4. 1. FINDINS 4. 2. B. SUGGESTIONS 4. 3CONCLUSION 4. 4 BIBLIOGRAPHY APPENDIX:QUESTIONAIRE 7|Page CHAPTER- 1 1. 1 Introduction 1. 2 Statement of problem 1. 3 Objectives of the study 1. 4 Scope of the study 1. 5 Need of the study 1. 6 Research methodology 1. 7 Limitation of study 8|Page 1. 1 Introduction: In the present day world, either there is mass production or ill anticipation of demand, there is always a pressing need for intermediaries of one type or the other, for enabling the goods to reach the ultimate consumer. The purpose is to sell everything that is produced. However, it is really difficult for the producer to undertake the sales or distribution of goods directly to the consumers all by themselves. There for, the responsibility or distribution is undertaken by a number of intermediaries who are often termed as channel or distribution. Sales transfer for ownership from the company within the customers, exchange of goods and services. Sales and distribution is a part of marketing and product design according to the need of customers. Sales and distribution is a primary involvement of transfer of goods and services from the company to the customers. Selling emphasizes in selling the securable surplus available with company i. e. selling quantity convert Product into Cost using trend and techniques of shifting customer to part with the cost. Thus, a salesman introduces the goods to the customer, Interest and persuades them to purchase the goods and finalize the deals of the product. So, the primary objective of sales and distribution is to assist the producer in marketing the goods and services one hand and to satisfy the demand of the consumers on the others. Channel of distribution helps the consumer in providing good of right quantity at the right time, right place and at the right price. 9|Page SourcesThe main sources of the Sales and Distribution is to reach through the channel. Every channel contains one or more transfer point where there is either an institution or a final buyer. In other words, legal ownership of the product changes hands at least once or the producer sales directly to the final buyer and there is no intervening of middlemen Selecting a channel for sales and distribution for their product is one of the important problems faced by manufacturers of PEPSICO It is quite difficult to identity a specific channel which can be considered as the best. There for, each producer most carefully select a channel which will suit his requirement and bring the best result to the firm. The channel of distribution can broadly be divided into two categories i. e. Direct and Indirect. Under direct channel of sales and distribution, manufacturer sells directly to the consumers, without any middlemen, whereas under indirect channel of sales and distribution, producer sells through various middlemen like wholesalers, agents, retailers, etc. This is the shortest channel a producer can adopt for sales and distribution of goods and services. In this system, goods move directly from the producer to the consumers without any middlemen or a merchant. 1. 2 Statement of Problem: The first and foremost step in the problem identification in Sales Promotion. research process consists of Here statement of problem is to know the Sales Promotion activities towards brands. 10 | P a g e 1. 3 OBJECTIVE OF STUDY This study was conducted on â€Å"A study of â€Å"Sales Promotion’ activities of PEPSICO for different retail outlets of Hajipur†. The specific objectives of the study are1. To find out the promotional activities of PEPSICO. 2. To know the distribution channel of PEPSICO. 3. To find out the market share of PEPSICO. against its competitor. 4. To find out the influence of medium of advertisements of PEPSICO. on different age group 1. 4 SCOPE OF THE STUDY This study was done in Hajipur at LUMBINI BEVERAGES PVT LTD. The geographical scope of my survey was limited to Hajipur only. Study aims at relationship between Company Executives and retailers and why any retailer sold particular brand only. The survey covers a wide range of activities and factors, which influence the retailers to sell PEPSICO. Products. The sample of 80 respondents is taken to represent total retails of Hajipur Zone. The validity of the findings of this survey is limited to the period during which the field survey was conducted i. e. eight weeks. 11 | P a g e 1. 5 NEED OF STUDY The eight weeks Summer Training is very important for a student of MBA. This type of study gives some practical knowledge to MBA students and practical knowledge is more useful than theoretical knowledge for any one.

Human Resource Managements Function In Organisations

Human Resource Managements Function In Organisations Human Resource Management (HRM) is the function within an organization that focuses on recruitment of, management of, and providing direction for the people who work in the organization. Human Resource Management can also be performed by line managers. Human Resource Management is the organizational function that deals with issues related to people such as compensation, hiring, performance management, organization development, safety, wellness, benefits, employee motivation, communication, administration, and training. Definition of HRM: William R. Tracey, in The Human Resources Glossary defines Human Resources as: The people that staff and operate an organization; as contrasted with the financial and material resources of an organization. Human Resources is also the organizational function that deals with the people and issues related to people such as compensation, hiring, performance management, and training. A Human Resource is a single person or employee within your organization. What Is the Human Resource Department? Answer: Departments are the entities organizations form to organize people, reporting relationships, and work in a way that best supports the accomplishment of the organizations goals. Departments are usually organized by functions such as human resources, marketing, administration, and sales. But, a department can be organized in any way that makes sense for the customer. Departments can also be organized by customer, by product, or by region of the world. Impact of HRM on Human Resource Function : HRM function contributes to organisational effectiveness in the following ways: Helping the organization reach its goals. Employing the abilities and skills of the workforce efficiently. Providing the organisation with well-trained and well-motivated employees. Increasing the fullest the employees job satisfaction and self actualisation. Developing and maintaining a quality of work life that makes employment in the organisation desirable. Communicating HRM policies to all employees. Helping to maintain ethical policies and socially responsible behaviour. Managing change to the mutual advantage of individuals, groups, the enterprise and the public. The Human Resources Management (HRM) function includes a variety of activities, and key among them is deciding what staffing needs you have and whether to use independent contractors or hire employees to fill these needs, recruiting and training the best employees, ensuring they are high performers, dealing with performance issues, and ensuring your personnel and management practices conform to various regulations. Activities also include managing your approach to employee benefits and compensation, employee records and personnel policies. Usually small businesses (for-profit or nonprofit) have to carry out these activities themselves because they cant yet afford part- or full-time help. However, they should always ensure that employees have-and are aware of-personnel policies which conform to current regulations. These policies are often in the form of employee manuals, which all employees have. Some people distinguish a difference between HRM (a major management activity) and HRD (Human Resource Development, a profession). Those people might include HRM in HRD, explaining that HRD includes the broader range of activities to develop personnel inside of organizations, including, e.g., career development, training, organization development, etc. There is a long-standing argument about where HR-related functions should be organized into large organizations, e.g., should HR be in the Organization Development department or the other way around? The HRM function and HRD profession have undergone major changes over the past 20-30 years. Many years ago, large organizations looked to the Personnel Department, mostly to manage the paperwork around hiring and paying people. More recently, organizations consider the HR Department as playing an important role in staffing, training and helping to manage people so that people and the organization are performing at maximum capability in a highly fulfilling manner. Models and Phases in HRM debate Task 1 b EVALUATE THE ROLE OF STRATEGIC HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT IN RELATION TO THE ORGANISATIONS BROADER OBJECTIVES, EVALUATE HR PRACTICES IN BOTH PROFIT MAKING AND NOT FOR PROFIT PRGANISATIONS. Strategic Human Resource Management Definition of HYPERLINK http://www.strategic-human-resource.com/definition-of-strategy.htmlHYPERLINK http://www.strategic-human-resource.com/definition-of-strategy.htmlStrategyHYPERLINK http://www.strategic-human-resource.com/definition-of-strategy.html A strategy is a step-by-step plan of action prepared by an organization and by which it aims to achieve its plan or plans, thus, ensuring its success and survival. Strategic management may be understood as the process of formulating, implementing and evaluating business strategies to achieve organizational objectives. Analysis of the environment, formulation of strategies, implementation of strategies, and evaluation and control are the phases in the strategic management process. Strategic Human Resource Definition Strategic human resource defines employees as a resource, an asset, that provides competitive advantage to an organization, and on whom organizational success is leveraged. This is the new way adopted by many organizations in the treatment of their employees, making them the prime drivers or one of the prime movers of corporate success. People, not machines, not systems, not other assets, are in the special position in helping the organization attain its objectives. These other things, however, are also important. But people are needed to make use of them in productive ways. Some companies are now convinced that their people are the most important asset. And that without them, they cannot achieve much. In this way, they are implementing a strategic human resource management approach. Human Resource Strategy Definition This is the step-by-step plan of action by which an organization employs, utilizes or manages, develops, and deploys its human resources in order to attain its defined corporate mission and objectives. A human resource strategy is devised in respect of recruitment, employee deployment, motivation and engagement, and employee retention. By doing this, an organization puts itself in the position of being able to achieve its mission and objectives through its human resources. This follows from the way how strategic human resource is strategically defined. Strategic Human Resource Management This is the effective way of organizing the workforce by the adoption of a specific strategy, where employees performance can help to achieve the planned organizational targets, such as increasing revenue or improving the profit margin. Strategic human resource management is human resource management carried out in a strategic way. The human resource activities are linked to the achievement of the organizations overall objectives. This is the new way of managing human resources as compared to personnel management. Strategic HR Plan Strategic human resource plan refers to the strategic plan whereby employees energy, time, capabilities, competencies and knowledge are incorporated in a step-by-step plan of action so that their contribution can be monitored and measured over time. By doing this, human resource can become the prime drivers of corporate success. The human resource plan is aligned to the corporate plan. The primary goal of strategic human resource plan is to improve employee productivity thus helping to generate higher revenue for the organization. Why must your organization be concerned about strategic Human Resource Management? Organizations, particularly business entities, must succeed financially if they are to survive. This is the reason why business plans are prepared. This is one of the simple ways in understanding the important factors related to strategic human resource. Your organization, too, has its business plan. The only thing left to do is to make it a reality. When you adopt a strategic HR Management plan, there is a high probability that certain positive results will ensue. This can result in the following: Enhancement of your organizations economic performance Increase in employee and organizational productivity Increase in your survival rate as a corporate entity Lower labour turnover Increase in customer satisfaction Your HR function does not become redundant due to value-adding quality Pfeiffer lists seven dimensions of effective people management. Employment security Rigorous selection of employees Self-managed teams and decentralized decision making Comparatively high compensation linked to individual and organizational performance Extensive training Reduced status distinctions, and Extensive sharing of financial and performance information throughout the organization Formulate strategies to ensure that you can attain these objectives. In order to ensure that employees can play their respective role in the organization, you need an HR plan of action. You need to conduct HR strategic planning to this effect. Further to this, you need to train and develop your people in order that they have the knowledge and skills to perform their respective tasks. Human Resource Strategic Approach In strategic Human Resource management, you can choose to place emphasis on HYPERLINK http://www.strategic-human-resource.com/human-resources-performance-management.htmlperformance improvement and competitive advantage.HYPERLINK http://www.strategic-human-resource.com/human-resources-performance-management.html This has the potential of leading to industrial conflicts. You also have the choice of adopting the soft approach. This approach takes into consideration an employees superior know-how, commitment, motivation and job satisfaction. Some argue that this approach is manipulative. But there is more to the HRM approach than this. Implementation Process The process adopted by organizations may differ. Your HR Manager and HR professionals can assist as this is their role. Formulate your HR mission and objectives to provide the connecting link between all HR management activities. Clearly define and understand your HR strategic intent. R. Collins states: Improvement in the strategic management of people also requires a commitment to sustained long-term action. Understand the business carried out by your organization. This includes HR Managers and HR professionals. Choose the strategy you will adopt to migrate from people business to business business. This is making HR as Strategic Partner. Formulate your HR strategic plan, understand what it is intended to achieve, and how to link it to the overall business objectives. Implement the plan. This requires a strategic implementation plan to ensure the plan is understood and accepted by everyone in the organization. Obtain feedback on outcomes. Use these as inputs in future decision making. Review and amend plan accordingly, communicate and re-implement. Human Resource Management Strategy To ensure a high probability of success in the implementation of strategic human resource management, a number of things are necessary. Strategic recruitment where the right person is selected to fill the right job and according to organizational needs Using the right mix of incentives to motivate and engage employees who then can concentrate improving their performance Appointment of the right HR Head to provide the necessary leadership in making HR as a strategic partner An HR mission statement with well defined HR objectives drawn up in alignment with the overall organizational objectives Provision of the right set of training and development programs on an on-going basis to every level of employees Implementation of a performance management system to identify high-performing employees for the purpose of giving rewards befitting their performance, work quality and output Giving recognition and implementing a fair rewards system to retain quality employees The Human Resource Function Someone, somewhere within your organization must carry out the HR function. If not, your organization cannot fulfill its legal and contractual obligations towards employees. So, who are responsible for the HR function? Human Resource Managers are appointed for important purposes. HR professionals are there to help them. Your organization may have appointed an HR Manager or an HR Director or both. If your organization is very serious about implementing strategic human resource management, appointing an HR director goes a long way in ensuring that the HR plan is treated as important as the organizations business plan. He or she can provide the necessary leadership on all matters relating to HR. Whatever is the approach, it is crucial that you have a competent person looking after this important function. It is important to remember that HR leaders do face a lot of different problems. Capable professionals are what your organization needs to succeed in implementing strategic HR management. Note however, that a survey had shown that there are still a lot of organizations who do not place much importance to human resource. Surely, your organization doesnt want to follow suit. Some organizations may have even decentralized or outsourced the entire function. The Better Option Decentralizing the entire HR function goes against the new development and trends in HR management. However, you can decentralize certain human resource activities to line managers. When you do this, provide them with all the necessary support. Make your line managers responsible for the occupational health and safety issues in their own area of operations, the training of their subordinates, recruitment for their respective sections according to needs, and the performance appraisal of their subordinates. Integration of Strategic Human Resource Management into Planning and Decision Making Process It is now accepted that without people, achieving result is practically impossible. In managing your people, prepare a long-term plan to integrate your organizational goals with HR policies and actions. Strategies are implemented in identified key HR areas to improve employee motivation and productivity. You need to see whether your HR strategies are competitive enough as compared to industry standards. Benchmark them while exercising due care. Information must freely flow throughout the organization. You can ensure that this can by adopting an effective informantion system. Strategic Human Resource Management and Business Strategy Strategic Human Resource management helps to identify the business strategy that you can adopt. For example, you implement an effective training and performance improvement plan to improve customer service. More satisfactory customer service will bring in more revenue. You can use this superior performance to determine the rewards. This, in turn, motivates your employees to perform better. Learning forms a necessary part of improving human resource management both on the part of employees and management. The 7 S of HRM attempts to simplify the important characteristics of human resource management. Thereafter, conduct a more in-depth examination. So what are the 7S of HRM? Strategic-ally-linked to the organizations Mission and Objectives Standard-based, that is, people management is benchmarked against current best HR practices that serve as performance measures Systematic, that is, sound and clearly-defined HR policy, well-planned systems and procedures aimed at achieving strategic HR objectives while, at the same time, complying with the law Stretching people in the performance of their duties and responsibilities on a daily basis in order to achieve service excellence Strengthening the ability and competencies of employees and the capability and capacity of organizations to accomplish defined targets Stress-tested capability, ability and leadership skills of the management team, and Sustaining high employee and organizational productivity on a continuous basis based on TQM standards The Future of Strategic HR Management Proponents of strategic HR management generated tremendous interest on the subject. Some large organizations had implemented it. In contrast, some lament the ineffectual efforts by many organizations in implementing the system. Strategic human resource management is not going to disappear. This is so as long as people continue to run organizations of whatever size and for whatever purpose. If HRM Does Not Take The Lead, Who Will? If HRM does not start down the relationship management path, someone else will, and as old HRM continues to be outsourced, one must wonder what will be left for todays HR executives? Relationship management is an opportunity that can be seized by HR executives who are truly strategic and who understand what is needed succeed today and remain competitive as the business landscape continues to evolve and change. Evaluate HR practise in both profit making and not-for-profit making organisations Any organization, may it be profit oriented or not-for-profit, the most vital asset is its employees. And for these organizations to maximize their assets, they should manage the employees working condition with intelligence and efficiency. They must be allowed to be involved in making work-related decisions to further enhance the organizational structure . Furthermore, the structure of tasks among the employees strengthens the organizational performance. It is therefore necessary to understand the employees for the organization to be effective. The development, building, motivation, enhancement and enrichment of the employees of any organization largely depend on the leadership, mandate and vision of the organization . Traditionally, HRM is the helps the organizations in achieving the goals of the organization by hiring and maintaining efficient employees. According to (2002), the following are some of the responsibilities of HRM: Train the workforce to maintain competitiveness of the organization. Develop and communicate industrial policies and procedures in line with legislation. Involvement in grievance and disciplinary hearings. Lead negotiations. Implement termination and hiring procedures. Assessment and management of organizational climate and employees relations. Liaison with trade unions. Implementation of outcomes of collective bargaining and negotiation. Develop compensation strategies and polices in line with legislation and the organizations business strategy. Attach meaningful monetary values to posts in the organization ensuring that the organizations compensation is in line with market forces. Develop appropriate compensation systems for the organization. Manage overall labour costs. Provide current information regarding employees to be used in the decision-making process and measurement of HRMs contribution to the organization. For example: In this case, Tesco has 240,000 employees that contributed to the  £33.974 billion GBP in 2005. The apparent effective implementation of HR functions by the HR personnel of Tesco is a basis itself to prove that HR strategy is a tool for competitive advantage. Being governed by CEO , Tesco provided comprehensive execution of the HR function with respect to the employees welfare. Aside from the continuous strategic planning and innovation, customer relations and welfare management, as well as HRM and its strategies, Tesco gained its respected reputation and dominance in UK retailing sector. HR and Organizations Performance In the era of globalization, every organization like Tesco must keep itself along with all the other organizations on being globally competitive. Corporate or organizational competitive advantage does not only depend on the organizations financial resources but on the human resources too. That is, for the organization to achieve competitive advantage, the people involved in the organization must also be competitive. HR strategies or HRM in general, is a distinctive approach to employment management which seeks to achieve competitive advantage through the strategic deployment of a highly committed and capable workforce, using an integrated array of cultural, structural and personnel techniques. It is about understanding, researching, applying and revising all human resource activities in their internal and external contexts as they impact the process of managing human resources in enterprises throughout the global environment to enhance the experience of multiple stakeholders, including investors, customers, employees, partners, suppliers, environment and society. Task 1 C DISCUSS CONTRIBUTION MADE BY HRM IN CONTROLLING THE MANAGEMENT OF CHANGE The constant evaluation of the effectiveness of the organization results in the need for the HR professional to frequently champion change. Both knowledge about and the ability to execute successful change strategies make the HR professional exceptionally valued. Knowing how to link change to the strategic needs of the organization will minimize employee dissatisfaction and resistance to change. The HR professional contributes to the organization by constantly assessing the effectiveness of the HR function. He also sponsors change in other departments and in work practices. To promote the overall success of his organization, he champions the identification of the organizational mission, vision, values, goals and action plans. Finally, he helps determine the measures that will tell his organization how well it is succeeding in all of this. Increasingly, change management is seen as a permanent business function to improve efficiency and keep organizations adaptable to the competitive marketplace. Many organizations strategically use change to improve organizational effectiveness. But bringing about successful change in todays competitive environment requires thoughtful planning, effective communication and employee acceptance. As the function with primary responsibility for human capital management, HR needs to be involved from the beginning when major organizational change initiatives are being developed. The impact of major organizational changes on employee attitudes cannot be overstated. Change can create enormous tension in the workplace. Many people are uncomfortable with change, and are filled with uncertainty and apprehension over job security and the future, circumstances that can threaten the success of change initiatives. According to the Society for Human Resource Managements (SHRM) 2007 Change Management Survey Report, the top two obstacles encountered during major organizational change are communication breakdown and employee resistance. HR leaders can help get employee support for change initiatives by ensuring that communications about change are clear, constant and consistent. Communication largely determines how change initiatives are received and supported, and most HR professionals have highly developed communication skills. SHRMs survey found that when HR was involved in change management communications, employee understanding improved, communication between managerial and non-managerial employees improved, and potential risks were identified and mitigated. Communication that fails to engage employees and to inform them of the reasons, processes and expected benefits of major organizational changes can lead to lack of employee buy-in and, ultimately, failure of change initiatives. Research shows that HR is the critical link to successful organizational change. To ensure agreement of stake-holders at all levels of the organization, HR can foster effective change management by clearly communicating the organizations vision, carefully designing change initiatives, providing updates at all stages of the program, and engaging both top management and employees throughout the process. When it comes to organizations, HR has a pivotal role to play in ensuring that change is realized, hopes are met, and success is sustainable. And thats a recurring theme that is here to stay. Task 2 a DISCUSS THE NEED FOR LEARNING IN ORGANISATIONS TODAY AND EVALUATE THE ROLE OF BOTH THE ORGANISATIONS AND THE INDIVIDUAL IN THE DEVELOPMENT PROCESS TODAY Why do we want a Learning Organization? because it gives organizations the possibilities to discover who they are, where they want to go, and define the quality of life they wish to pursue. A Learning Organization is an organization that focuses on continually growing and changing through the acquisition of knowledge. Such an organization fosters an environment of knowledge sharing and encourages employees to gain new knowledge. Such knowledge increases the organizations profitability and customer satisfaction. In the Fifth Discipline, Peter Senge describes learning organizations as places where people continually expand their capacity to create the results they truly desire, where new and expansive patterns of thinking are nurtured, where collective aspiration is set free, and where people are continually learning to see the whole together. It is widely recognized that innovation is driven by new knowledge, and there is clear relationship between learning and knowledge, but it is this balance between learning and knowledge that is so critical to successful knowledge management and innovation. To achieve a sustainable competitive advantage where new knowledge results in critical innovation it is necessary to develop both a superior knowledge capability balanced by a superior learning capability. Those organizations who are adept at knowledge capabilities but are also less adept at learning capabilities will likely see their competitive position eroded by those organizations with less knowledge but a greater capacity to learn and then catch-up. And for that reason it is critical for any learning organization to gain new knowledge from which learning can occur, and to learn from application of current knowledge and to use this learning as a driver to obtain new knowledge. The learning organization focuses on its systems as part of the bigger picture to identify opportunities to use knowledge and learning to increase knowledge and intellectual capacity and improve performance. The Need for the LEARNING ORGANIZATION The nature of the environment has changed dramatically due to significant economic, social and technological changes over the past decades. Organizations today are confronted with increasing environmental turbulence arising from global competition, the introduction of new technologies, shortened product lifecycles and political and social pressures. Organizations, today must be flexible and learn to anticipate changes and respond rapidly. Today, learning makes the critical difference among organizations. Learning can hardly be described as a new characteristic of organizations. Organizational learning is as old as organizations themselves. What is new, is an increased awareness of the connections between learning and competitive ability as well as better insight into the conditions for effective learning. In the long term it is said that learning will only provide competitive advantage to organizations that learn faster and better than their competitors. Changes in the business environment have significant implications for learning World-Class Organizations Any organization in business cannot afford to stand still. It must improve its ability to deliver higher quality goods and services at competitive prices or it will go out of existence. This trend has resulted in emergence of World Class Organizations (WCOs), in which enterprises can compete effectively on a global basis. This does not mean the organization has to do business in an international level. However, if a Multi National Enterprise (MNE) sets up operation locally, the WCO must be able to compete effectively or if it is a supplier, it must make a competitive bid to supply the MNE with the desired goods. Simply stated, enterprises now use their competitive advantage to invade international markets, and local companies should meet the challenge. Figure 1 illustrates as how to be more than just being a total quality or adaptive organization. It means learning how to anticipate and stay ahead at impending changes (qualities of learning organizations) and how to continuously improve to maintain a competitive advantage. What do organizations need to do to become WCOs? There are six pillars of WCOs and each represents a human relations challenge. They are depicted here: Table 1. Characteristics of a Learning Organization and Associated Best Practices Characteristic Definition Associated Best Practices Positive Byproducts Self mastery- individual The ability to honestly and openly see reality as it exists; to clarify ones personal vision 1.Positive reinforcement from role models/managers 2.Sharing experiences 3.More interaction time between supervisory levels 4.Emphasis on feedback 5.Balance work/non-work life Greater commitment to the organization and to work; less rationalization of negative events; ability to face limitations and areas for improvement; ability to deal with change Mental models individual The ability to compare reality or personal vision with perceptions; reconciling both into a coherent understanding 1.Time for learning 2.Reflective openness 3.Habit of inquiry 4.Forgiveness of oneself 5.Flexibility/adaptability Less use of defensive routines in work; less reflexivity that leads to dysfunctional patterns of behavior; less avoidance of difficult situations Shared vision group The ability of a group of individuals to hold a shared picture of a mutually desirable future 1.Participative openness 2.Trust 3.Empathy towards others 4.Habit of dissemination 5.Emphasis on cooperation 6.A common

Animalia Vertebrata Mammalia Carnivora Canidae Canis Lupus And Animal :: essays research papers

ANIMALIA VERTEBRATA MAMMALIA CARNIVORA CANIDAE CANIS LUPUS AND ANIMALIA VERTEBRATA MAMMALIA CARNIVORA CANIDAE CANIS NIGER Introduction: Any person who has been able to catch a glimpse of any type of wolf is indeed a lucky man. The wolf is one of the earth's most cowardly and fearful animals, and it is so sly and, pardon the expression, foxy, that it is almost a waste of time to try and catch him in any kind of trap. Although he can be cowardly and fearful, he can also be one the most vicious and blood-thirsty of all animals. Often, they simply kill as much prey as is possible, regardless of hunger and appetite. This is done by "hamstringing" their prey. This leaves them helpless and unable to move. Then the wolf pack can eat and tear him apart at their own will. Although savage and bloodthirsty, wolves are among some of the world's smartest and most perceptive mammals. Where found: Wolves are found all over the world, and on almost every major continent of the earth. The following wolves are types of Gray Wolves (Canis lupus). In eastern Europe the European Wolf (Canis lupus lupus) can be found even though it used to roam most of western Europe as well. In Spain, two wolves have also been identified-Canis lupus deitanus and Canis lupus signatus. While the first is similar to many of the other European wolves, the latter may be more closely related to the jackal (Canis aureus), than to a wolf. The Caucasion Wolf (Canis lupus cubanensis) is found in many parts of eastern Europe and western Asia. The large tundra wolf of eastern Asia, the Tundra or Turukhan Wolf (Canis lupus albus), is very close in relations to the wolves of northern Alaska. In the Arctic Islands and Greenland the Melville Island Wolf (Canis lupus arctos), the Banks Island Wolf (Canis lupus bernardi), the Baffin Island Wolf (Canis lupus manningi), and the Greenland wolf (Canis lupus orion), are all found. Wolves of the Continental Tundra and Newfoundland include the Alaska Tundra Wolf (Canis lupus tundrarum), the Interior Alaska Wolf (Canis lupus pambasileur), the Kenai Peninsula Wolf (Canis lupus alces), the Mackenzie Tundra Wolf (Canis lupus mackenzii), the Mackenzie Valley Wolf (Canis lupus occidentalis), the Hudson Bay Wolf (Canis lupus hudsonicus), the Labrador Wolf (Canis lupus labradorius), and the Newfoundland Wolf (Canis lupus beothicus). However, the Newfoundland wolf has seemed to become extinct. This is strange because there is no evidence of them being intensely hunted by man, of extreme habitat changes, or of lack of food and yet in the early 1900s they became extinct. The wolves of the Western Mountains and Coast of North America include

What Compact Disc Would I Take to a Desert Island? :: Music

What Compact Disc Would I Take to a Desert Island? Tough question. What else to take? Easy Enough. I would bring as many bags of Utz Salt n’ Vinegar potato chips as possible, one copy of Earnest Hemmingway’s The Old Man and the Sea, and I figure just about any woman would suit me. Denied these things, the choice of a Desert Island Disc is made much more complicated. With nothing else to occupy my mind I need that one great disc. Much like Nick Tosches’ choice of Sticky Fingers I find this decision extremely difficult: "But Sticky Fingers is a choice as mysterious and as difficult to explain to myself as anyone else."(Tosches 4) The choices are numerous and I’m pulled and so many different directions at once it is very difficult to decide. Santiago had it easy; I’ll take the Marlin over this essay any day. The first band that popped into my head was, of course, Led Zeppelin. But, before I thought of any Zeppelin albums a few other choices came by. The first had to be Pink Floyd’s Dark Side of the Moon. This album gets as much listening time as any single Led Zeppelin album. The music is haunting, powerful, and emotional. The problem with this is it lacks some of the levity that I felt would be necessary on the Desert Island. Tracks like "Time", which is about how fast time goes by in life, would only remind of how heart wrenchingly slow time would flow on the desolate sandbar. Darkside had to go. My next thought was Yes 90125 released when the band reformed in the early 80’s. This album in my opinion is on of the greatest albums ever composed. It though my entire lifetime has consumed the lion’s share of my listening time. This album flows as almost a singular musical creation. But this lacked levity and more importantly the variety that I wanted. This one wouldn’t fly either. The next album that popped into my head was Das Efx Dead Serious. This rap album might sound like a strange choice when compared to the other albums I’ve described. But I love it. It like 90125 really is a masterpiece of album composing. I love the beats and the rolling rhythm of the lyrics. The problem with this is that much like Yes it lacks the variety I wanted. All said and done my choice has to be Led Zeppelin’s Houses of the Holy. What Compact Disc Would I Take to a Desert Island? :: Music What Compact Disc Would I Take to a Desert Island? Tough question. What else to take? Easy Enough. I would bring as many bags of Utz Salt n’ Vinegar potato chips as possible, one copy of Earnest Hemmingway’s The Old Man and the Sea, and I figure just about any woman would suit me. Denied these things, the choice of a Desert Island Disc is made much more complicated. With nothing else to occupy my mind I need that one great disc. Much like Nick Tosches’ choice of Sticky Fingers I find this decision extremely difficult: "But Sticky Fingers is a choice as mysterious and as difficult to explain to myself as anyone else."(Tosches 4) The choices are numerous and I’m pulled and so many different directions at once it is very difficult to decide. Santiago had it easy; I’ll take the Marlin over this essay any day. The first band that popped into my head was, of course, Led Zeppelin. But, before I thought of any Zeppelin albums a few other choices came by. The first had to be Pink Floyd’s Dark Side of the Moon. This album gets as much listening time as any single Led Zeppelin album. The music is haunting, powerful, and emotional. The problem with this is it lacks some of the levity that I felt would be necessary on the Desert Island. Tracks like "Time", which is about how fast time goes by in life, would only remind of how heart wrenchingly slow time would flow on the desolate sandbar. Darkside had to go. My next thought was Yes 90125 released when the band reformed in the early 80’s. This album in my opinion is on of the greatest albums ever composed. It though my entire lifetime has consumed the lion’s share of my listening time. This album flows as almost a singular musical creation. But this lacked levity and more importantly the variety that I wanted. This one wouldn’t fly either. The next album that popped into my head was Das Efx Dead Serious. This rap album might sound like a strange choice when compared to the other albums I’ve described. But I love it. It like 90125 really is a masterpiece of album composing. I love the beats and the rolling rhythm of the lyrics. The problem with this is that much like Yes it lacks the variety I wanted. All said and done my choice has to be Led Zeppelin’s Houses of the Holy.

Declaration Of Independence Essay -- essays research papers

The Declaration of Independence was written to show a new theory of government, reasons why they were separating from England, and a formal declaration of war. It gave the 13 colonies freedom from England's laws. The man responsible for writing the Declaration was Thomas Jefferson. He wrote the Declaration between June 11, 1776 and June 28, 1776. Benjamin Franklin and John Adams looked at what Jefferson had written and made some changes to the Declaration. On July 4, 1776 Congress adopted the Declaration and it was signed by: John Hancock, Button Gwinnett, Lyman hall, George Walton, Wm Hooper, Joseph Hewes, John Penn, Edward Rutledge, Thos Heyward Jr., Thomas Lynch Jr., Arthur Middleton, Samuel Chase, Thos. Stone , George Wythe, Charles Carrol of Carrollton, Richard Henry Lee, Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Harrison, Thos Nelson Jr., Francis Lightfoot Lee, Carter Braxton, Robert Morris, Benjamin Rush, Benjamin Franklin, John Morton, George Clymer Smith, George Taylor, James Wilson, Georg e Ross, Caesar Rodney, George Read, Tho M. Kean, Wm. Floyd, Phil. Livingston, Frans. Lewis, Lewis Morris, Richard Stockton, Jno.WItherspoon, Fras. Hopkinson, John Hart, Abraham Clark, Josiah Bartlett, Wm. Whipple, Samuel Adams, John Adams, Robert Treat Paine, Elbridge Gerry, Stephan Hopkins, William Ellery, Roger Sherman, Samuel Huntington, Wm. Williams, Oliver Wolcott, and Matthew Thorton. The reason people wanted the Declaration was because the people thought that they had the right to be free...

Analysis Report of Cango

Analysis Report of CanGo Veronica Perla BSN460ON Senior Project Dr. John Martin September 7, 2009 Overview CanGo is an Internet startup company that retails an exciting array of products and services, ranging from books and videos to online gaming, and prides itself on providing the best customer service in terms of product delivery and support. The company’s Web site is fun and easy to use; employing the latest technology in Web site development, product innovation, and services is how CanGo strives to provide their customers with the most exciting entertainment. The majority of CanGo’s customers are the Gen-Xers and the Gen-Yers, who enjoy the latest in online gaming and entertainment. Under age, consumers (under 18 years of age) are serviced responsibly by requiring adult permission for online purchases. CanGo strongly values its employees and customers. The company best serves its employees by involving them in decision-making, staff training, and development. CanGo believes that keeping their employees motivated and working at their full potential can translate into the best customer service possible. There is a growing trend that CanGo has identified within the gaming industry that will be utilized to bring the company added success. This growing trend is online gaming. CanGo wants to become a leader of the online gamming market. The hope of the company is to become a complete success story both as an online retailer and online gaming service. The company has recently been called a success story by the Hudson Valley Business Association. The CEO of CanGo, Elizabeth Bennet, has been named the Regions Business Leader of the year. Potential entrepreneurs want to know how and why CanGo became a success story. This leads to the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats that this Internet Company has and faces in its entrepreneurial endeavors. S. W. O. T Analysis The information used to develop this analysis was taken from the visual analysis performed on recorded episodes depicting staff interaction and company dynamics. The observations will be separated into internal (Strengths and Weaknesses) and external (Opportunities and Threats) issues. Strengths CanGo has demonstrated a few strengths in these preliminary episodes. Elizabeth Bennet, CEO of CanGo, is the company’s greatest strength. Her vision of knowing what consumers want and how to get it to them at a lower cost is what has made CanGo a success story in Hudson Valley. This passion is carried through to the staff and is demonstrated by Andrew’s eagerness to take on the potentially lucrative market of online gaming. The CanGo staff is another one of the company’s strengths. Each staff member brings an additional resource to the company that can be utilized to improve productivity and development. For instance, Debbie has organizational skills and a teaching background that can be utilized for training purposes. Training and development are strengths that successful companies posses. Utilizing the skills that each staff member brings can help CanGo become a bigger success story across the country and not just in Hudson Valley. These strengths also lead to CanGo’s weaknesses as a company. Weaknesses These preliminary episodes also showed many of CanGo’s weaknesses. The most apparent weakness would be the lack of a vision statement, mission statement and strategic plan. These weaknesses were made apparent by Elizabeth Bennet’s frustration with the writing of the speech she was to give at the Chamber of Commerce meeting. She states that her success was pure luck and that all she did was begin a new business venture. A strategic plan is important to a successful company because it guides and focuses all staff members to specific goals and establishes a course of action to achieve them. Strategic planning also serves as a way to ensure that all departments within the organization share a common goal. Another important component to a successful business is the vision and mission statements. Vision statements are written for the organization and its employees. They are comprised of the dreams and inspirations of the organization and where it is headed. This statement also serves as the framework for the organization’s strategic plan. Mission statements are a representation of the organization’s purpose for existing. It should be derived from the vision statement and used as a guide when producing a strategic plan. These three articles would have helped Elizabeth write the Chamber of Commerce speech by providing her with the foundation necessary to provide the potential entrepreneurs attending this meeting the how and why of CanGo’s success. There are a few other internal issues that plague CanGo and may impede its success if not addressed. The lack of project implementation procedures, organizational skills, management involvement and skepticism can lead to poor performance, failed projects, and miscommunication. Implementing a project plan can help keep staff members on course and pinpoint areas that may need special attention. This plan also helps make sure that projects follow specific paths to guarantee timely results. Utilizing the resources that staff members bring to the company will ensure that everyone has the skills necessary to accomplish their objectives. For instance, Debbie Haynes was previously a teacher at the Drake School of Business; she possesses great organizational and teaching skills that can be utilized by CanGo to further develop the staff. Debbie can head a training seminar on the importance of organizing, prioritizing and scheduling impending projects using Gantt charts. These types of resources are abundant within any organization; all that is needed is to identify what kind of skill each particular staff member brings to the organization. The last major weakness is the lack of management involvement in the course of a project. This is made evident when Warren handed Nick the task of creating an implementation report for online gaming. Nick was left to figure it out on his own. Management should be involved in the planning and implementation of any project. For instance, CanGo could implement procedures like research deadlines, preliminary draft sign off requirements and senior staff team eetings to discuss the progress of the project. This will eliminate the chance for poor and costly errors. CanGo has the opportunity to take these weaknesses into consideration and make some changes that will improve the organization as a whole. This kind of improvement will prepare it to achieve external opportunities and deal with external threats as well. Opport unities CanGo not only has strengths and weaknesses but also opportunities. These potential opportunities are for company growth, increased capital, new market ventures, and expansion into other areas of e-commerce. There is a great opportunity for company growth both in regards to increase workforce and possible mergers with other startup Internet companies. As CanGo reaches higher sales volume it will be necessary to incorporate an automated storage and retrieval system. With the impending five-hundred percent increase in sales this coming holiday season; CanGo needs to make certain that their order fulfillment and processing center is equipped to handle this possible increase. Every company is looking for a way to increase its capital. CanGo has been preparing to go public which will increase its capital base. This kind of opportunity can also become a weakness due to the fickleness of the stock market. However, if CanGo can successfully handle its five-hundred percent sales increase during the holiday season, this opportunity can prove to be a very lucrative venture. CanGo’s greatest opportunity is to branch out into new markets. E-commerce is a very broad market that has plenty of opportunities for organizations such as CanGo. The CanGo team may decide to expand and include other items to their list of inventory. Elizabeth Bennet’s dream was to help consumers shop and find what they need easier and at a lower price. If she sticks to this philosophy she may take CanGo in the direction of Amazon. com or Overstock. com. The sky is the limit for these kinds of opportunities. New market ventures may be a great lucrative opportunity but it may also bring with it threats. Threats The CanGo organization faces a couple of threats like the possibility of failure, loss of capital, and takeovers. Failure is eminent for any organization but it is especially eminent for CanGo. The lack of a vision, mission statement and a strategic plan can lead to failure. Vision and mission statements are important for any organization because they not only provide a clear view of what the organization’s goals and intentions are but they also help give the staff a standard that should be met and maintained. Implementing a strategic plan is a vital part of any successful business and has been proved to help carry a business through tough economic climates. Loss of capital is also a viable threat. This may be caused by lawsuits, manufacturer or vendor bankruptcies and low sales. Keeping capital secure is sometimes a bit difficult to do. This may be accomplished by purchasing liability insurance and using a variety of manufacturers and vendors. Low sales are often directly linked to the economic forecast. This is sometimes hard to prepare for and should be observed by the accounting and finance department to ensure that the inventory purchased match the possible sales and future market forecast. Takeovers of successful companies are also threats that need to be watched for. CanGo’s success as a small Internet e-commerce company may make it a very enticing company to purchase. Competitors like Amazon. com and Overstock. com may feel that CanGo’s success is a force that needs to be control before it becomes an e-commerce giant that may affect their sales margins. The easiest way to obtain this company would be by force; which is why takeovers are a legitimate threat to CanGo. Recommendations CanGo’s greatest asset and strength is CEO, Bennet’s vision and passion for this company. Elizabeth Bennet is the only one who has a clear picture of what the company is about, what its intent in the market is and how to achieve it. There needs to be a vision statement and a mission statement prepared to let the entire company in on Elizabeth’s vision. Once these statements are in place and all of the CanGo staff has had a chance to look them over and jump on board, the executive team should convene to prepare a strategic plan based on both the vision and mission statements previously prepared. This strategic plan should include specific goals for the company to attain within the next five to ten years. This is the most important recommendation that can be offered at this particular time. There is another not so eminent recommendation that is being offered at this time. This is in regards to the utilization of staff resources. CanGo has a diverse quality of people with different academic backgrounds and skill sets. Utilizing these specific traits can enrich the company as a whole. As mentioned earlier utilizing Debbie Haynes’s teaching credentials and organizational skills to train the staff on the importance of Gantt Charts and prioritizing tasks for impending projects may help save time, otherwise spent on trying to figure out where to begin and what needs to be accomplished first. This would help the staff members reach deadlines and complete projects without the added stress of disorganization. These recommendations are meant to promote company growth and development. These two elements are necessary for a successful company to remain a success in their particular market. References Archives: Why a Strategic Plan is Important? (2006) Online Business Advisor. Retrieved September 9, 2009, form http://www. onlinebusadv. com/? PAGE=171 Business Resource Software: Mission Statement. (n. d. ) Center for Business Planning. Retrieved September 9, 2009, from http://www. businessplans. org/mission. html CanGo Intranet: Company Information. (n. d. ) Mastering Business. Retrieved September 4, 2009, from http://myphlip2. pearsoncmg. com/masteringbusiness/cango/companyinfo. html Definition: SWOT Analysis. (n. d. ) Answers. com. Retrieved September 9, 2009, from http://www. answers. com/topic/swot-analysis Definition: Vision Statement. (n. d. ) About. com. Retrieved September 9, 2009, from http://sbinfocanada. about. com/od/businessplanning/g/visionstatement. htm

Biographical Strategies Essay

The information of an author’s original life helps readers comprehend his literary work in a better way. Incidents in a literary work are often influenced by real events in an author’s life as if characters are the real persons known by the writer. By studying biographies of writers we often find that there is lot of biographical evidence to identify that character’s actions show author’s own activities and experiences in life. Having knowledge of the author’s own experiences can be easily gained by reading his biographies, diaries, letters, and other written works. This sort of information can assist to deeply understand how characters are portrayed in the narration. Similar events about writer’s life will not create the narration a well-written literary work, but this information makes clearer the origin of writer’s beliefs and his personal experiences convey his main concerns as a narrator. This information is a caveat for keeping the story in focus, a reader who finds biography is having connection with the theme would state that biography can at the very least help as a power on interpretation. Therefore, many readers believe that biography is helpful for interpretation. Analyzing â€Å"The Story of an Hour† by using Biographical Strategies Chopin’s â€Å"The Story of an Hour† represents a feel of a repressed wife’s on her husband’s death. She senses the feeling about the freedom from her husband. She gets a new sense of herself when she comes to know about of her husband’s death. Readers might be enticed to read this narration as Chopin’s explanation about her own marriage as her husband died 12-yrs before she wrote this story and 7-yrs before she started writing fiction properly. Biographers appear to acknowledge, however, that Chopin’s marriage was no doubt gratifying to her and that she was not pressurized by her husband and never felt suppressed. Furthermore, read this excerpt from her diary that is just one month after Chopin wrote the story. It is taken from â€Å"Kate Chopin: A Critical Biography† by Per Seyersted): â€Å"If it were possible for my husband and my mother to come back to earth, I feel that I would unhesitatingly give up everything that has come into my life since they left it and join my existence again with theirs. To do that, I would have to forget the past ten years of my growth  ¬Ã¢â‚¬â€ my real growth. But I would take back a little wisdom with me; it would be the spirit of perfect acquiescence. † This biographical evidence surely adds to the potential of interpretations. We, as a reader of â€Å"The Story of an Hour†, find that there is very much resemblance of the story with the real life of Chopin. In a Railroad disaster, the news of Brently Mallard’s death is received while his wife is young. Then, Mrs. Mallard imagines about her next life that would be a â€Å"free life†. These are some of the significant perspectives of the story that are also part of Chopin’s own life. Though, Chopin really loved her husband and wished to get him back again but it is also reality that she had very successful life that she spent freely after his death (Chopin). A reader, who doesn’t have any biographical knowledge about the Chopin’s own life, will understand the story in a different way. He may disagree with Mrs. Mallard’s vision of â€Å"free life†; but the reader who has biographical information of Chopin’s life will rebut that argument with a confirmation of Mrs. Mallard’s thinking. ? Works Cited Chopin, K. The Story of an Hour. 1894.

Edgar Allan Poe’s “A Dream within a Dream”

Edgar Allan Poe’s â€Å"A Dream within a Dream† (1849) is a poem dramatizing the losses of a man, and his reflection if his life is real or unreal. The narrator is reflecting about the elusiveness of things and people he value, since they all seem to disappear. The poem questions if reality is fantasy, thus the title, â€Å"A Dream within a Dream†. Since this was published in the year of Poe’s death, some assume that the narrator is talking about the death of his loved ones, and the troubles in his life.The poem begins with an image of parting and addresses a specific person. This person is only mentioned in the first stanza; the second stanza does not mention any person at all. Others interpret this person as abstract, meaning that the narrator talks to life or love personified, or any abstract idea, and not a real person. The narrator, talking to this person, ponders whether his â€Å"days have been a dream† (5), and speaks of losing hope. He sees his life as if he is trapped, as shown in the lines, â€Å"All that we see or seem/Is but a dream within a dream† (10-11).But first, to define the word â€Å"dream† is relevant in understanding this poem. A dream can either be images, ideas or sensations while sleeping, an aspiration or ambition, or an illusion or trance. Upon reading the poem, there is no question that the definition of the word â€Å"dream† in the poem is the last one given above, an illusion, but not necessarily a beautiful or happy illusion. There is no mention of sleeping or daydreaming, so then it is safe to assume that â€Å"dream† meant an illusion.One of Edgar Allan Poe’s well-known poems, the poem uses rhyme and meter, but it has inconsistent rhythm. Repetition is also used to emphasize the feeling of sadness and frustration, as in the fifth, eleventh, and twenty-fourth lines. These poetic elements and romantic characteristics such as the dramatization found in the lines , â€Å"O God! Can I not grasp/Them with a tighter clasp?† (19-20) and the use of simple but powerful images, make this poem compelling when read aloud.The images, especially in the second stanza, are striking and memorable. The lines, â€Å"And I hold within my hand/Grains of the golden sand/How few! Yet how they creep/Through my fingers to the deep,/While I weep— while I weep!† (14-18) might be alluding to either time or material wealth. The â€Å"grains of the golden sand† (15) is said to have been referencing to the gold found in California in 1848 (Silverman 402).This image of grains slowly trickling down evokes a feeling of frustration over the elusiveness of things that the narrator values, and that might or might not include money and personal possessions. Time could also be an allusion due to the fact that Poe had lost his loved ones in the past. The narrator might be saying indirectly that he is already feeling his death nearing.The last six lin es of the poem express the desperation to â€Å"grasp† and â€Å"save† (19, 22) the things he value. There is also a feeling of helplessness as the narrator watches the grains creeping through his fingers, and he cries, as shown in the line, â€Å"While I weep— while I weep!† (18)However, in the end he seems to question, not to state that he is in â€Å"a dream within a dream† (24). Unlike the ending line of the first stanza in which the line is written as a statement as though the narrator really believes that his life is all a dream, the last line of the poem is written as though the narrator is in doubt, or perhaps there is a little bit of hope in him.Some say that Poe wrote this poem after the death of his wife from tuberculosis, and that the person that the narrator is talking to in the poem is a woman. But that might not be, because this was published long after his wife’s death, unless he did write the poem from way back. Whether or n ot Poe wrote this because of his troubles or his depression is not certain.What is certain is that the poem tells of a person’s thoughts about what is real and unreal. Losing all the things he values makes him think, out of sadness, and perhaps, denial, that his life is just â€Å"a dream within a dream†.Works CitedPoe, Edgar Allan. Poetry and Tales. Ed. Patrick F. Quinn. New York: Library of America, 1984.Silverman, Kenneth. Edgar A. Poe: Mournful and Never-ending Remembrance. New York: Harper Perennial, 1991.Sova, Dawn B. Edgar Allan Poe: A to Z. New York: Checkmark Books, 2001.