Burberry clothing company UK Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Burberry clothing company UK - Coursework Example Valuation is the main part of investment. The considerable part that creates information that states a proper valuation in the financial statement. In the new Financial Statement Analysis and Security Valuation done by Stephen Penman it shows that students understand how to extract new information in this financial statement by using the data that was obtained and value the firms. By handling the accounting in financial statements and using the financial statements the lenses view the business and assess the value in generating new financial statements (Paul 114). Burberry group plc is the Company that is the main Company in the Burberry Group. The stock exchange has the principal business used in the larger part of these investments. Burberry Group plc and the additions as a Group is the large-scale comfort goods manufacturer, wholesaler and retailer. The Group that is also licensed that other parties manufacture and issue all the products using the Burberry trade marks as the local brand. All the other companies consist of the Groups that mainly control the Company both directly and indirectly (Karen 98). Most of these financial statements were prepared using the ongoing anxiety on the basis of the historical costs and convention that the exception is about the financial instruments that involve good financial statements that is fair and valuable in accordance to the applicable to this accounts (Paul107). The Annual Report and Accounts should take the whole path as required and become a fairly balanced and comprehensive statement that provides all the information that is necessary for the shareholders in assessing the performance of the groups. Therefore, business model and strategy used by the Board is satisfied and had met the obligation that summarizes the responsibilities of directors in the annual financial statements that is set out to provide the report of the auditors and the statements used by the auditors about their reported

Strategic use of Design-Thinking Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Strategic use of Design-Thinking - Essay Example Design thinking is quickly emerging as the best method for strategizing on developing the future of a business or an organization and is gradually replacing the scientific method or analytical thinking or as a strategic method (Jones, 2008). Strategic design thinking as a method is emerging as one of the most influential techniques in the management and design of several programs that are geared towards improving the management operations. It is one of the most powerful tools for transforming the current operations of an organizations and creating strategies for future improvements in designs, programs, projects and business operations (Jones, 2008). Design thinking is solution focused or solution based and aims at producing practical and creative resolutions to emerging problems and improving future results of the organization’s operations (Kelly, 2006). Strategic design thinking starts with the goals or the objectives as opposed to starting with the problems. By focusing on both the present and the future aspects of the problem, all parameters of the issues at hand are explores simultaneously. Strategic design thin king mostly occurs in artificial or in the built environments such as in the artefact industry. The concept of design thinking is however also very important in management of large corporations that seek to maintain their market share and create new designs if their products as a way of maintain and attracting more customers as the companies move in to the future. One company that has benefited a great deal over the years from strategic design thinking is Apple Inc. Apple Inc is one of the leading multinationa ls in the technology industry, known for its computer brands such as Macintosh Computers or simply the Mac and mobile phone brands including the iPhone among a host of other technological brands (Fisher, 2008). Apple is the second largest technology firm in the world by revenue and is the world’s third largest manufacturer of mobile phones (Fisher, 2008). This places the company among the biggest firms in the world of technology amid immense competition from other established multinationals in the industry. In 2012, Apple was ranked by Fortune magazine as the most valuable brand in the world today (Fisher, 2008). The company’s position in the market requires a lot of innovation as it moves forward in to the future. The company has to keep producing the best designs for mobile phones and computers as well as coming up with other creative solutions that will keep the company alive in to the futur

Sophies World Philosophical Question

Sophies World Philosophical Question All he knew was that he knew nothing and it troubled him (70). Socrates once proclaimed that he himself had very little knowledge. The statement is ironic and yet it became the foundation for Socrates and, in fact, the philosophers pursuit for wisdom. In truth, Socrates did know something, and that is he knew very little. For him, it was not how a person knows; thats merely knowledge. Instead, wisdom is the realization of how much one still doesnt know; its the realization of the range of ones own ignorance. Socrates interpretation of wisdom is one of the fundamental first steps on the path to philosophical understanding; uncertainty was what made him inquire and contemplate to achieve a fuller understanding of the truth. Human knowledge has rapidly advanced during past centuries and yet there are still questions left unanswered. Over time, a great multitude of people have assumed that they have found meaning and wisdom, but in reality they have simply accepted norms and knowledge handed down to them by society itself. Human wisdom has been dangerously close to stagnation and it would be a tragedy if one would cease to ponder the questions of life due to the perceive notion that the questions of life have been answered. Yes, science has presented the theorems to explain the processes of life and the inanimate, on the other hand theology has illuminated the path with countless parables, and nevertheless they cannot be accepted as the one truth, one must still question beyond the explanations, beyond the parables the true nature of Socratic wisdom lies in the never-ending quest for truth. Socrates himself was troubled that he knew so little (69), and that became the drive to know and understand more not to surrender or blindly submit to other ideas. Socrates questioned many people thought to be wise, and time after time, he discovered the fallacies in their logic, thus exposing their true lack of understanding. Socrates determined that the only reason he was wiser than anyone else was because, unlike all the other wise people he questioned, he didnt lay claim to knowledge he didnt actually possess. He recognized his ignorance while the rest did not; therefore, he assumed the path to wisdom by attaining the process to achieve it not necessarily having all the answers in the world. In retrospect humanity has lost the drive to accept its true lack of knowledge and has failed to rise above the uncertainties and pursue the truth. For centuries science and theology have fulfilled the basic needs of the human curiosity and yet man himself has turned a blind eye to inquire beyond the explanations of theorems, beyond the ancient scrolls of holy books and most importantly beyond ones own curiosity. The sense of satisfaction has been one of mans flaws; mankind has become comfortable in its place in knowledge and has slowed his desire for the truth. Like Socrates shouldnt mankind be troubled for knowing so little and at the same time overlook the pursuit for true wisdom? The beginning of wisdom and true knowledge is to admit ignorance. Humanitys stubborn way of obsessing with knowledge that they thought they fully grasp, has led them into thinking they have mastered every field, when in fact, the most knowledge that someone had acquired was usually only in one thing, not many things, or not any true knowledge about ones place in the world, and of the true meaning of life.

Crime and Punishment: Rodion Romanovich Raskolnikov Essay -- conflict,

Throughout the novel of Crime and Punishment, and any work of fiction at that, the characters exhibit specific personality traits that dictate their make-ups, social interactions and behaviors. These characterizations control the overall development of the story. Characters’ personalities play a vital role in analyzing and understanding character development as well as underlying themes, especially in the novel at hand. Specifically, the central character Rodion Romanovich Raskolnikov illustrates the conflict between good and evil in one’s personality. Raskolnikov’s personality conflict is so extreme in duality that he can be identified as both the protagonist and antagonist of this story. From this point comes the question of to what extent does the personality conflict of Raskolnikov dictate his beliefs, actions and therefore contribute to overall plot development? Due to Raskolnikov’s contradictory nature, he demonstrates intense levels of egoism and self-absorption alongside madness and agony. These aspects lead him to commit heinous criminal actions which physically and emotionally hurt others. Ultimately, he commits the greatest damage to himself through a descent into madness which he disavows. Raskolnikov’s personality can be summed up by the meaning of â€Å"Raskol† in Russian which translates to â€Å"split†. Raskolnikov personifies an individual demonstrating antithesis in both his actions and thoughts. The author Fyodor Dostoevsky also incorporates symbolism of the number two throughout the story to further signify this duality of personality. Examples include Raskolnikov not eating for two days, two children being saved from a burning house, and two gates and two courtyards at the house of the pawnbroker Alyona Ivanovna, wh... ...ntually express remorse for his crime. Raskolnikov's dual personality also is the primary force which drives the plot of this novel. The action and events occur as a result of the character’s personality driver. When the focus of his internal personality is egocentric, the external action reflects this viewpoint. His internal examination of consciousness leads the plot to moving in that direction. The plot of Crime and Punishment seems to be an external mirror which reflects the continual inner conflict of Raskolnikov's dual personality. Works Cited "Rodion Romanovitch Raskolnikov." Shmoop. N.p., n.d. Web. 17 Jan. 2014. . Swinson, Stephanie. "Motives for Murder in Crime and Punishment." Watermarks 2002. N.p., n.d. Web. 15 Jan. 2014. .

To What Extent Is Macbeth Responsible for His Own Downfall

In Shakespeare’s tragedy, Macbeth, he depicts the rise and downfall of the eponymous protagonist, Macbeth. The text illustrates that there is no sole person to blame for Macbeth’s downfall but numerous reasons for Macbeth’s downfall. Macbeth is only partially responsible for his own downfall for his eventual downfall at the hands of Macduff. Macbeth is driven by the prophecies given by the witches and this is perpetuated with the manipulation of Lady Macbeth and Macbeth’s own ‘vaulting ambitions’. All of these are factors which lead to Macbeth committing murders in order to become King and his ultimate downfall. The main cause of Macbeth’s fall from grace is due to the three witches and the prophecies which they give to Macbeth at the start of the text. The Thane of Glamis is content with his position until the witches prophesise †¦Ã¢â‚¬Å"Hail to the, Thane of Glamis†¦ Thane of Cawdor†¦ That shalt be king hereafter! † After the previous Thane of Cawdor’s execution, Macbeth is appointed the new Thane of Cawdor and as the prophecy is partially fulfilled, he contemplates how the rest of the prophecy will play out. Due to his ambitious personality and a prophesised kingship, he murders King Duncan and Banquo in order to become King faster. This eventually causes his downfall at the hands of Macduff in the final scenes of the play. The witches are responsible for his downfall as it is their prophecies which instigate Macbeth’s killing spree to become King and his downfall because of the murders he committed. Lady Macbeth is also to blame for Macbeth’s downfall. Lady Macbeth is obsessed with becoming royalty, even more than Macbeth, and will do anything in order to achieve it. Lady Macbeth is fearful of her husband’s good nature as it is ‘full o’ the milk of human kindness. ’ And so Lady Macbeth has to challenge his manliness and goad him in order for him to follow her plan so he can become King. It is Lady Macbeths shaming which causes him to murder King Duncan and Banquo and incur the retribution of Macduff which causes his eventual downfall. Without Lady Macbeth, Macbeth would have not gone though with the plan to become King and would eventually have become King in an honest manner, and so would not have had his downfall at Macduff’s hands. Macbeth is responsible for his own downfall as his own downfall due to his ‘vaulting ambitions’ to become King, his fear to retain his crown and his temperament. Macbeth’s ambitious desires to become king very fast results him killing King Duncan, who he was fiercely loyal to at the start of the text, becoming a traitor. With the King gone, the princes flee to England and Ireland and Macbeth ascends to the throne. Fearing the witches’ prophecy that Banquo’s sons will become king, he orders their murders but Fleance is able to get away. Macduff’s family is killed as Macbeth wanted to watch Macduff in order to stop a potential plot to overthrow him but Macduff fled to England. Macduff angrily returns and avenges his family by killing Macbeth and causing his downfall. In Macbeth, there are many people responsible for Macbeth’s downfall including the three Weird Sisters, his wife Lady Macbeth and Macduff and Macbeth himself. It was the interaction of these people with Macbeth and Macbeth’s own mindset which caused his downfall in Dunsinane. Therefore, Macbeth is only partially responsible for his own downfall.

Chapter 22 The Unexpected Task

â€Å"Potter! Weasley! Will you pay attention?† Professor McGonagall's irritated voice cracked like a whip through the Transfiguration class on Thursday, and Harry and Ron both jumped and looked up. It was the end of the lesson; they had finished their work; the guinea fowl they had been changing into guinea pigs had been shut away in a large cage on Professor McGonagall's desk (Neville's still had feathers); they had copied down their homework from the blackboard (â€Å"Describe, with examples, the ways in which Transforming Spells must be adapted when performing Cross-Species Switches†}. The bell was due to ring at any moment, and Harry and Ron, who had been having a sword fight with a couple of Fred and George's fake wands at the back of the class, looked up, Ron holding a tin parrot and Harry, a rubber haddock. â€Å"Now that Potter and Weasley have been kind enough to act their age,† said Professor McGonagall, with an angry look at the pair of them as the head of Harry's haddock drooped and fell silently to the floor – Ron's parrot's beak had severed it moments before – â€Å"I have something to say to you all. â€Å"The Yule Ball is approaching – a traditional part of the Triwizard Tournament and an opportunity for us to socialize with our foreign guests. Now, the ball will be open only to fourth years and above – although you may invite a younger student if you wish -â€Å" Lavender Brown let out a shrill giggle. Parvati Patil nudged her hard in the ribs, her face working furiously as she too fought not to giggle. They both looked around at Harry, Professor McGonagall ignored them, which Harry thought was distinctly unfair, as she had just told off him and Ron. â€Å"Dress robes will be worn,† Professor McGonagall continued, â€Å"and the ball will start at eight o'clock on Christmas Day, finishing at midnight in the Great Hall. Now then -â€Å" Professor McGonagall stared deliberately around the class. â€Å"The Yule Ball is of course a chance for us all to – er – let our hair down,† she said, in a disapproving voice. Lavender giggled harder than ever, with her hand pressed hard against her mouth to stifle the sound. Harry could see what was funny this time: Professor McGonagall, with her hair in a tight bun, looked as though she had never let her hair down in any sense. â€Å"But that does NOT mean,† Professor McGonagall went on, â€Å"that we will be relaxing the standards of behavior we expect from Hogwarts students. I will be most seriously displeased if a Gryffindor student embarrasses the school in any way.† The bell rang, and there was the usual scuffle of activity as everyone packed their bags and swung them onto their shoulders. Professor McGonagall called above the noise, â€Å"Potter – a word, if you please.† Assuming this had something to do with his headless rubber haddock, Harry proceeded gloomily to the teacher's desk. Professor McGonagall waited until the rest of the class had gone, and then said, â€Å"Potter, the champions and their partners -â€Å" â€Å"What partners?† said Harry. Profesor McGonagall looked suspiciously at him, as though she thought he was trying to be funny. â€Å"Your partners for the Yule Ball, Potter,† she said coldly. â€Å"Your dance partners.† Harry's insides seemed to curl up and shrivel. â€Å"Dance partners?† He felt himself going red. â€Å"I don't dance,† he said quickly. â€Å"Oh yes, you do,† said Professor McGonagall irritably. â€Å"That's what I'm telling you. Traditionally, the champions and their partners open the ball.† Harry had a sudden mental image of himself in a top hat and tails, accompanied by a girl in the sort of frilly dress Aunt Petunia always wore to Uncle Vernon's work parties. â€Å"I'm not dancing,† he said. â€Å"It is traditional,† said Professor McGonagall firmly. â€Å"You are a Hogwarts champion, and you will do what is expected of you as a representative of the school. So make sure you get yourself a partner, Potter.† â€Å"But – I don't -â€Å" â€Å"You heard me, Potter,† said Professor McGonagall in a very final sort of way. A week ago. Harry would have said finding a partner for a dance would be a cinch compared to taking on a Hungarian Horntail. But now that he had done the latter, and was facing the prospect of asking a girl to the ball, he thought he'd rather have another round with the dragon. Harry had never known so many people to put their names down to stay at Hogwarts for Christmas; he always did, of course, because the alternative was usually going back to Privet Drive, but he had always been very much in the minority before now. This year, however, everyone in the fourth year and above seemed to be staying, and they all seemed to Harry to be obsessed with the coming ball – or at least all the girls were, and it was amazing how many girls Hogwarts suddenly seemed to hold; he had never quite noticed that before. Girls giggling and whispering in the corridors, girls shrieking with laughter as boys passed them, girls excitedly comparing notes on what they were going to wear on Christmas night†¦. â€Å"Why do they have to move in packs?† Harry asked Ron as a dozen or so girls walked past them, sniggering and staring at Harry. â€Å"How're you supposed to get one on their own to ask them?† â€Å"Lasso one?† Ron suggested. â€Å"Got any idea who you're going to try?† Harry didn't answer. He knew perfectly well whom he'd like to ask, but working up the nerve was something else†¦.Cho was a year older than he was; she was very pretty; she was a very good Quidditch player, and she was also very popular. Ron seemed to know what was going on inside Harry's head. â€Å"Listen, you're not going to have any trouble. You're a champion. You've just beaten a Hungarian Horntail. I bet they'll be queuing up to go with you.† In tribute to their recently repaired friendship, Ron had kept the bitterness in his voice to a bare minimum. Moreover, to Harry's amazement, he turned out to be quite right. A curly-haired third-year Hufflepuff girl to whom Harry had never spoken in his life asked him to go to the ball with her the very next day. Harry was so taken aback he said no before he'd even stopped to consider the matter. The girl walked off looking rather hurt, and Harry had to endure Dean's, Seamus's, and Ron's taunts about her all through History of Magic. The following day, two more girls asked him, a second year and (to his horror) a fifth year who looked as though she might knock him out if he refused. â€Å"She was quite good-looking,† said Ron fairly, after he'd stopped laughing. â€Å"She was a foot taller than me,† said Harry, still unnerved. â€Å"Imagine what I'd look like trying to dance with her.† Hermione's words about Krum kept coming back to him. â€Å"They only like him because he's famous!† Harry doubted very much if any of the girls who had asked to be his partner so far would have wanted to go to the ball with him if he hadn't been a school champion. Then he wondered if this would bother him if Cho asked him. On the whole. Harry had to admit that even with the embarrassing prospect of opening the ball before him, life had definitely improved since he had got through the first task. He wasn't attracting nearly as much unpleasantness in the corridors anymore, which he suspected had a lot to do with Cedric – he had an idea Cedric might have told the Hufflepuffs to leave Harry alone, in gratitude for Harry's tip-off about the dragons. There seemed to be fewer Support Cedric Diggory! badges around too. Draco Malfoy, of course, was still quoting Rita Skeeter's article to him at every possible opportunity, but he was getting fewer and fewer laughs out of it – and just to heighten Harry's feeling of well-being, no story about Hagrid had appeared in the Daily Prophet. â€Å"She didn' seem very int'rested in magical creatures, ter tell yeh the truth,† Hagrid said, when Harry, Ron, and Hermione asked him how his interview with Rita Skeeter had gone during the last Care of Magical Creatures lesson of the term. To their very great relief, Hagrid had given up on direct contact with the skrewts now, and they were merely sheltering behind his cabin today, sitting at a trestle table and preparing a fresh selection of food with which to tempt the skrewts. â€Å"She jus' wanted me ter talk about you, Harry,† Hagrid continued in a low voice. â€Å"Well, I told her we'd been friends since I went ter fetch yeh from the Dursleys. ‘Never had to tell him off in four years?' she said. ‘Never played you up in lessons, has he?' I told her no, an she didn' seem happy at all. Yeh'd think she wanted me to say yeh were horrible, Harry.† â€Å"‘Course she did,† said Harry, throwing lumps of dragon liver into a large metal bowl and picking up his knife to cut some more. â€Å"She can't keep writing about what a tragic little hero I am, it'll get boring.† â€Å"She wants a new angle, Hagrid,† said Ron wisely as he shelled salamander eggs. â€Å"You were supposed to say Harry's a mad delinquent!† â€Å"But he's not!† said Hagrid, looking genuinely shocked. â€Å"She should've interviewed Snape,† said Harry grimly. â€Å"He'd give her the goods on me any day. ‘Potter has been crossing lines ever since he first arrived at this school†¦.'† â€Å"Said that, did he?† said Hagrid, while Ron and Hermione laughed. â€Å"Well, yeh might've bent a few rules. Harry, bu' yeh're all righ' really, aren' you?† â€Å"Cheers, Hagrid,† said Harry, grinning. â€Å"You coming to this ball thing on Christmas Day, Hagrid?† said Ron. â€Å"Though' I might look in on it, yeah,† said Hagrid gruffly. â€Å"Should be a good do, I reckon. You'll be openin the dancin', won yeh, Harry? Who're you takin'?† â€Å"No one, yet,† said Harry, feeling himself going red again. Hagrid didn't pursue the subject. The last week of term became increasingly boisterous as it progressed. Rumors about the Yule Ball were flying everywhere, though Harry didn't believe half of them – for instance, that Dumbledore had bought eight hundred barrels of mulled mead from Madam Rosmerta. It seemed to be fact, however, that he had booked the Weird Sisters. Exactly who or what the Weird Sisters were Harry didn't know, never having had access to a wizard's wireless, but he deduced from the wild excitement of those who had grown up listening to the WWN (Wizarding Wireless Network) that they were a very famous musical group. Some of the teachers, like little Professor Flitwick, gave up trying to teach them much when their minds were so clearly elsewhere; he allowed them to play games in his lesson on Wednesday, and spent most of it talking to Harry about the perfect Summoning Charm Harry had used during the first task of the Triwizard Tournament. Other teachers were not so generous. Nothing would ever deflect Professor Binns, for example, from plowing on through his notes on goblin rebellions – as Binns hadn't let his own death stand in the way of continuing to teach, they supposed a small thing like Christmas wasn't going to put him off. It was amazing how he could make even bloody and vicious goblin riots sound as boring as Percy's cauldron-bottom report. Professors McGonagall and Moody kept them working until the very last second of their classes too, and Snape, of course, would no sooner let them play games in class than adopt Harry. Staring nastily around at them all, he informed them that he would be testing them on poison antidotes during the last lesson of the term. â€Å"Evil, he is,† Ron said bitterly that night in the Gryffindor common room. â€Å"Springing a test on us on the last day. Ruining the last bit of term with a whole load of studying.† â€Å"Mmm†¦you're not exactly straining yourself, though, are you?† said Hermione, looking at him over the top of her Potions notes. Ron was busy building a card castle out of his Exploding Snap pack – a much more interesting pastime than with Muggle cards, because of the chance that the whole thing would blow up at any second. â€Å"It's Christmas, Hermione,† said Harry lazily; he was rereading Flying with the Cannons for the tenth time in an armchair near the fire. Hermione looked severely over at him too. â€Å"I'd have thought you'd be doing something constructive, Harry, even if you don't want to learn your antidotes!† â€Å"Like what?† Harry said as he watched Joey Jenkins of the Cannons belt a Bludger toward a Ballycastle Bats Chaser. â€Å"That egg!† Hermione hissed. â€Å"Come on, Hermione, I've got till February the twenty-fourth,† Harry said. He had put the golden egg upstairs in his trunk and hadn't opened it since the celebration party after the first task. There were still two and a half months to go until he needed to know what all the screechy wailing meant, after all. â€Å"But it might take weeks to work it out!† said Hermione. â€Å"You're going to look a real idiot if everyone else knows what the next task is and you don't!† â€Å"Leave him alone, Hermione, he's earned a bit of a break,† said Ron, and he placed the last two cards on top of the castle and the whole lot blew up, singeing his eyebrows. â€Å"Nice look, Ron†¦go well with your dress robes, that will.† It was Fred and George. They sat down at the table with Harry, Ron, and Hermione as Ron felt how much damage had been done. â€Å"Ron, can we borrow Pigwidgeon?† George asked. â€Å"No, he's off delivering a letter,† said Ron. â€Å"Why?† â€Å"Because George wants to invite him to the ball,† said Fred sarcastically. â€Å"Because we want to send a letter, you stupid great prat,† said George. â€Å"Who d'you two keep writing to, eh?† said Ron. â€Å"Nose out, Ron, or I'll burn that for you too,† said Fred, waving his wand threateningly. â€Å"So†¦you lot got dates for the ball yet?† â€Å"Nope,† said Ron. â€Å"Well, you'd better hurry up, mate, or all the good ones will be gone,† said Fred. â€Å"Who're you going with, then?† said Ron. â€Å"Angelina,† said Fred promptly, without a trace of embarrassment. â€Å"What?† said Ron, taken aback. â€Å"You've already asked her?† â€Å"Good point,† said Fred. He turned his head and called across the common room, â€Å"Oi! Angelina!† Angelina, who had been chatting with Alicia Spinnet near the fire, looked over at him. â€Å"What?† she called back. â€Å"Want to come to the ball with me?† Angelina gave Fred an appraising sort of look. â€Å"All right, then,† she said, and she turned back to Alicia and carried on chatting with a bit of a grin on her face. â€Å"There you go,† said Fred to Harry and Ron, â€Å"piece of cake.† He got to his feet, yawning, and said, â€Å"We'd better use a school owl then, George, come on†¦.† They left. Ron stopped feeling his eyebrows and looked across the smoldering wreck of his card castle at Harry. â€Å"We should get a move on, you know†¦ask someone. He's right. We don't want to end up with a pair of trolls.† Hermione let out a sputter of indignation. â€Å"A pair of†¦what, excuse me?† â€Å"Well – you know,† said Ron, shrugging. â€Å"I'd rather go alone than with – with Eloise Midgen, say.† â€Å"Her acne's loads better lately – and she's really nice!† â€Å"Her nose is off-center,† said Ron. â€Å"Oh I see,† Hermione said, bristling. â€Å"So basically, you're going to take the best-looking girl who'll have you, even if she's completely horrible?† â€Å"Er – yeah, that sounds about right,† said Ron. â€Å"I'm going to bed,† Hermione snapped, and she swept off toward the girls' staircase without another word. The Hogwarts staff, demonstrating a continued desire to impress the visitors from Beauxbatons and Durmstrang, seemed determined to show the castle at its best this Christmas. When the decorations went up. Harry noticed that they were the most stunning he had yet seen inside the school. Everlasting icicles had been attached to the banisters of the marble staircase; the usual twelve Christmas trees in the Great Hall were bedecked with everything from luminous holly berries to real, hooting, golden owls, and the suits of armor had all been bewitched to sing carols whenever anyone passed them. It was quite something to hear â€Å"O Come, All Ye Faithful† sung by an empty helmet that only knew half the words. Several times, Filch the caretaker had to extract Peeves from inside the armor, where he had taken to hiding, filling in the gaps in the songs with lyrics of his own invention, all of which were very rude. And still. Harry hadn't asked Cho to the ball. He and Ron were getting very nervous now, though as Harry pointed out, Ron would look much less stupid than he would without a partner; Harry was supposed to be starting the dancing with the other champions. â€Å"I suppose there's always Moaning Myrtle,† he said gloomily, referring to the ghost who haunted the girls' toilets on the second floor. â€Å"Harry – we've just got to grit our teeth and do it,† said Ron on Friday morning, in a tone that suggested they were planning the storming of an impregnable fortress. â€Å"When we get back to the common room tonight, we'll both have partners – agreed?† â€Å"Er†¦okay,† said Harry. But every time he glimpsed Cho that day – during break, and then lunchtime, and once on the way to History of Magic – she was surrounded by friends. Didn't she ever go anywhere alone? Could he perhaps ambush her as she was going into a bathroom? But no – she even seemed to go there with an escort of four or five girls. Yet if he didn't do it soon, she was bound to have been asked by somebody else. He found it hard to concentrate on Snape's Potions test, and consequently forgot to add the key ingredient – a bezoar – meaning that he received bottom marks. He didn't care, though; he was too busy screwing up his courage for what he was about to do. When the bell rang, he grabbed his bag, and hurried to the dungeon door. â€Å"I'll meet you at dinner,† he said to Ron and Hermione, and he dashed off upstairs. He'd just have to ask Cho for a private word, that was all†¦.He hurried off through the packed corridors looking for her, and (rather sooner than he had expected) he found her, emerging from a Defense Against the Dark Arts lesson. â€Å"Er – Cho? Could I have a word with you?† Giggling should be made illegal. Harry thought furiously, as all the girls around Cho started doing it. She didn't, though. She said, â€Å"Okay,† and followed him out of earshot other classmates. Harry turned to look at her and his stomach gave a weird lurch as though he had missed a step going downstairs. â€Å"Er,† he said. He couldn't ask her. He couldn't. But he had to. Cho stood there looking puzzled, watching him. The words came out before Harry had quite got his tongue around them. â€Å"Wangoballwime?† â€Å"Sorry?† said Cho. â€Å"D'you – d'you want to go to the ball with me?† said Harry. Why did he have to go red now? Why? â€Å"Oh!† said Cho, and she went red too. â€Å"Oh Harry, I'm really sorry,† and she truly looked it. â€Å"I've already said I'll go with someone else.† â€Å"Oh,† said Harry. It was odd; a moment before his insides had been writhing like snakes, but suddenly he didn't seem to have any insides at all. â€Å"Oh okay,† he said, â€Å"no problem.† â€Å"I'm really sorry,† she said again. â€Å"That's okay,† said Harry. They stood there looking at each other, and then Cho said, â€Å"Well -â€Å" â€Å"Yeah,† said Harry. â€Å"Well, ‘bye,† said Cho, still very red. She walked away. Harry called after her, before he could stop himself. â€Å"Who're you going with?† â€Å"Oh – Cedric,† she said. â€Å"Cedric Diggory.† â€Å"Oh right,† said Harry. His insides had come back again. It felt as though they had been filled with lead in their absence. Completely forgetting about dinner, he walked slowly back up to Gryffindor Tower, Cho's voice echoing in his ears with every step he took. â€Å"Cedric – Cedric Diggory.† He had been starting to quite like Cedric – prepared to overlook the fact that he had once beaten him at Quidditch, and was handsome, and popular, and nearly everyone's favorite champion. Now he suddenly realized that Cedric was in fact a useless pretty boy who didn't have enough brains to fill an eggcup. â€Å"Fairy lights,† he said dully to the Fat Lady – the password had been changed the previous day. â€Å"Yes, indeed, dear!† she trilled, straightening her new tinsel hair band as she swung forward to admit him. Entering the common room, Harry looked around, and to his surprise he saw Ron sitting ashen-faced in a distant corner. Ginny was sitting with him, talking to him in what seemed to be a low, soothing voice. â€Å"What's up, Ron?† said Harry, joining them. Ron looked up at Harry, a sort of blind horror in his face. â€Å"Why did I do it?† he said wildly. â€Å"I don't know what made me do it! â€Å"What?† said Harry. â€Å"He – er – just asked Fleur Delacour to go to the ball with him,† said Ginny. She looked as though she was fighting back a smile, but she kept patting Ron's arm sympathetically. â€Å"You what?' said Harry. â€Å"I don't know what made me do it!† Ron gasped again. â€Å"What was I playing at? There were people – all around – I've gone mad – everyone watching! I was just walking past her in the entrance hall – she was standing there talking to Diggory – and it sort of came over me – and I asked her!† Ron moaned and put his face in his hands. He kept talking, though the words were barely distinguishable. â€Å"She looked at me like I was a sea slug or something. Didn't even answer. And then – I dunno – I just sort of came to my senses and ran for it.† â€Å"She's part veela,† said Harry. â€Å"You were right – her grandmother was one. It wasn't your fault, I bet you just walked past when she was turning on the old charm for Diggory and got a blast of it – but she was wasting her time. He's going with Cho Chang.† Ron looked up. â€Å"I asked her to go with me just now,† Harry said dully, â€Å"and she told me.† Ginny had suddenly stopped smiling. â€Å"This is mad,† said Ron. â€Å"We're the only ones left who haven't got anyone – well, except Neville. Hey – guess who he asked? Hermione!† â€Å"What?† said Harry, completely distracted by this startling news. â€Å"Yeah, I know!† said Ron, some of the color coming back into his face as he started to laugh. â€Å"He told me after Potions! Said she's always been really nice, helping him out with work and stuff- but she told him she was already going with someone. Ha! As if! She just didn't want to go with Neville†¦I mean, who would?† â€Å"Don't!† said Ginny, annoyed. â€Å"Don't laugh -â€Å" Just then Hermione climbed in through the portrait hole. â€Å"Why weren't you two at dinner?† she said, coming over to join them. â€Å"Because – oh shut up laughing, you two – because they've both just been turned down by girls they asked to the ball!† said Ginny. That shut Harry and Ron up. â€Å"Thanks a bunch, Ginny,† said Ron sourly. â€Å"All the good-looking ones taken, Ron?† said Hermione loftily. â€Å"Eloise Midgen starting to look quite pretty now, is she? Well, I'm sure you'll find someone somewhere who'll have you.† But Ron was staring at Hermione as though suddenly seeing her in a whole new light. â€Å"Hermione, Neville's right – you are a girl†¦.† â€Å"Oh well spotted,† she said acidly. â€Å"Well – you can come with one of us!† â€Å"No, I can't,† snapped Hermione. â€Å"Oh come on,† he said impatiently, â€Å"we need partners, we're going to look really stupid if we haven't got any, everyone else has†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"I can't come with you,† said Hermione, now blushing, â€Å"because I'm already going with someone.† â€Å"No, you're not!† said Ron. â€Å"You just said that to get rid of Neville!† â€Å"Oh did I?† said Hermione, and her eyes flashed dangerously. â€Å"Just because it's taken you three years to notice, Ron, doesn't mean no one else has spotted I'm a girl!† Ron stared at her. Then he grinned again. â€Å"Okay, okay, we know you're a girl,† he said. â€Å"That do? Will you come now?† â€Å"I've already told you!† Hermione said very angrily. â€Å"I'm going with someone else!† And she stormed off toward the girls' dormitories again. â€Å"She's lying,† said Ron flatly, watching her go. â€Å"She's not,† said Ginny quietly. â€Å"Who is it then?† said Ron sharply. â€Å"I'm not telling you, it's her business,† said Ginny. â€Å"Right,† said Ron, who looked extremely put out, â€Å"this is getting stupid. Ginny, you can go with Harry, and I'll just -â€Å" â€Å"I can't,† said Ginny, and she went scarlet too. â€Å"I'm going with – with Neville. He asked me when Hermione said no, and I thought†¦well†¦I'm not going to be able to go otherwise, I'm not in fourth year.† She looked extremely miserable. â€Å"I think I'll go and have dinner,† she said, and she got up and walked off to the portrait hole, her head bowed. Ron goggled at Harry. â€Å"What's got into them?† he demanded. But Harry had just seen Parvati and Lavender come in through the portrait hole. The time had come for drastic action. â€Å"Wait here,† he said to Ron, and he stood up, walked straight up to Parvati, and said, â€Å"Parvati? Will you go to the ball with me?† Parvati went into a fit of giggles. Harry waited for them to subside, his fingers crossed in the pocket of his robes. â€Å"Yes, all right then,† she said finally, blushing furiously. â€Å"Thanks,† said Harry, in relief. â€Å"Lavender – will you go with Ron?† â€Å"She's going with Seamus,† said Parvati, and the pair of them giggled harder than ever. Harry sighed. â€Å"Can't you think of anyone who'd go with Ron?† he said, lowering his voice so that Ron wouldn't hear. â€Å"What about Hermione Granger?† said Parvati. â€Å"She's going with someone else.† Parvati looked astonished. â€Å"Ooooh – who?† she said keenly. Harry shrugged. â€Å"No idea,† he said. â€Å"So what about Ron?† â€Å"Well†¦Ã¢â‚¬  said Parvati slowly, â€Å"I suppose my sister might†¦Padma, you know†¦in Ravenclaw. I'll ask her if you like.† â€Å"Yeah, that would be great,† said Harry. â€Å"Let me know, will you?† And he went back over to Ron, feeling that this ball was a lot more trouble than it was worth, and hoping very much that Padma Patil's nose was dead center.

buy custom Social Psychology essay

buy custom Social Psychology essay The article titled Storybooks Get Kids to Eat Their Veggies (Gripshover, n.d.) is selected from the SPARQ website and summarizes a research article (Gripshover Markman, 2013). The problem that the researchers are refering to is the child's obesity. Centres for Disease Control and Prevention declare that during the past thirty years the norms of child's and adolescent's weight had increased more than twice (CDC, 2015). Moreover, obesity can cause both immediate and future health problems, such as high cholesterol, diabetes, or different types of cancer. Besides, these children suffer from low self-esteem and stigmatization that accomplish social and psychological obstacles. The current paper evaluates the main goals of the research article and examines methods and methodology with the correspondence to the ethical norms. The importance of the issue deserves serious consideration, as well as possible solutions have to be seriously and broadly studied. Developmental psychologists Gripshover and Markman want to make contribution to the nation's present and future health. In the conducted experiment they are aimed to teach preschoolers to choose vegetable snacks and to argue the need to eat healthier food. The scientists designed five storybooks for the age of four and five that simply and colourfully depict the way the body uses the nutrients from food and how do they influence it's various functions. During the next step, they divided 160 children into two groups. One group was supposed to read these books in a snack time for a three months. The other group had no changes in their schedule. After the mentioned period, the research team observed what children ate during the meal time. Eventually, they found that those who were working with the nutrition books chose approximately from four to nine pieces of vegetables (Gripshover, 2013). The rest of the children did not eat extra vegetables. The results also revel that children understand the process of digestion and the influence of different kinds of food on the body better. Having the curiosity in their nature, children are likey to learn to choose better products that is based on the studied information. Understanding of the digestion process and the food's influence can help to make deliberate actions towards personal health. The purpose of further research is to assess the duration of such healthy choices during other mealtimes or at home. Moreover, this approach to the health education can contribute to other studies, for instance, behavioral approach to the nutrition. The presented research article uses such methods as the experiment, comparative method and observation. Thus, the study of the issue was conducted with the help of designed technique, namely testing on the two groups of preschoolers held in a real time. The method of comparison and observation gives the information about the differences between two groups of children and the impact of the experiment on their food choice. The results of the test, as well as the distinctions between children were observed and examined during the snack time, which demonstrated the overview of vegetables consumption. The outcomes of the experiment show that the research methodology was properly accomplished, and they also prove the connection between knowledge and actions. Furthermore, the difference in the results provides the posibility to observe the division of the children and the difference in their learning framework. However, the number of the participants can not depict the general view. The presented methodology can work better in combination with other studies of child's behaviour. The technology that was described in the research article fulfils the main purpose of a study. The results of the test showed the direct relation between learning and establishment of a new pattern of behaviour. As can be seen in the results, the psychologists used the methods that were the most suitable for the study, suchh as experiment, comparison and observation.The research team observed children during their mealtime at school, when the new information was still actual and fresh. Evidently, children were more attached to the interesting facts that contributed to their awareness of the hidden processes of their body and nourished the primary curiosity sense. The information about their food choices at home or during another mealtime is left uncovered. Thus, this aspect diminishes the objectiveness of the research. That is why, there is the need to collect further information about child's nutrition behind the school walls. For this purpose, the interview or questioning of parent s about the behaviour of their adolescence can be used. The ethical norms of the study were accomplished, and the rights of the selected children were not infringed. The entire experiment was conducted in school where teachers were responsible for the pupils. The process of implementation of variations into the curriculum was not fast that gives the opportunity to master a new knowledge. The observation was held secretly and without children's disturbance during their mealtime at school. However, the parents were aware and consented for the experiment. As the study was implemented in school, children were not taken from their safe and familiar surrounding, that gave the opportunity to evaluate their natural common reactions and behaviour. The storybooks were designed according to the participant's age, developmental level, and were simple, vivid and comprehensive. Moreover, children showed interest to such material that made it easy to memorize. In conclusion, it can be stated that the article depicts modern problem of nation's health and suggests the practical ways for its solution. The entire research process was conducted with the adherence to the ethical norms. The methods were chosen properly and contributed to the achievement of clear results of the experiment. The methodology that was used in the article is suitable for other behaviour related studies. Buy custom Social Psychology essay

Breast Cancer Treatment

Breast Cancer Treatment â€Å"Cancer is the uncontrolled growth of abnormal cells in the body† (Carlson et al., 2009). Cancerous cells are also referred to as malignant cells. â€Å"Cells act as the building blocks of organisms† (Carlson et al., 2009). Under normal circumstances, cells will undergo cell division depending on the body’s needs, and then die once their function ends.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Breast Cancer Treatment specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More In addition, malignant cells divide very fast and sometimes fail to die. Cancer develops in different tissues and organs of the body. Cancerous cells have the characteristic of spreading from their source to other parts of the body (invasive). Cancerous cells that remain at their source are said to be noninvasive. The breast is one common organ that cancer affects. Breast cancer occurs in two main categories (Carlson, et al., 2009). Ductal malignancy: this is the most common type of cancer. This type of breast cancer manifests itself in the tubes/ducts which form the channel for transporting milk from the breast to the nipple. â€Å"Lobular carcinoma: this type of cancer usually begins in the milk producing regions of the breast (lobules)† (Breast cancer, 2011). Rarely does cancer develop from other parts of the breast. â€Å"Breast cancer is known to occur in invasive or noninvasive form† (Breast cancer 2011). Thus, cancerous cells in the breast may metastasize to other parts of the breast from their source. The prevalence and causes of cancer vary. â€Å"Cancer biologists have discovered that most breast carcinomas are sensitive to the hormone estrogen† (Breast cancer, 2011). The hormone causes the cancerous cells to grow. The breast cancer cells that respond to estrogen have estrogen receptors on their surfaces (Breast cancer, 2011). Cancer biologists refer to these estrogen receptor possessing breast cancer c ells as receptor-positive/EP-positive cancer cells. Scientists have discovered a certain gene called HER2 that helps breast cancer cells to multiply and repair themselves. It has also been noted that women with this type of gene have a severe breast cancer than their female counterparts who lack it. In addition, HER2 bearers have a higher risk of breast cancer reoccurrence. Generally, chances of developing cancer increase with age. The older one becomes, the higher the risk. Women above 50 years have advanced breast cancer cases. Women are twice more likely to develop breast cancer than men. Family history plays a central role in dictating the chances of someone developing breast cancer. Persons whose close relatives had ovarian, uterine, breast or colon cancer are at a high-risk of developing breast cancer. Scientists have also discovered that women who experience very early periods (before the age of 12), and those who continue to experience periods through menopause (after age 55 ) have a higher risk of developing breast cancer. Moreover, excessive alcohol (for adults) and radiation therapy around the chest area in children present a risk of developing breast cancer.Advertising Looking for essay on health medicine? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Women who have received hormone replacement therapy with estrogen and those that used diethylstilbestrol (DES) are at a higher risk. Child birth has also been found to have an effect on breast cancer. Bearing several children and at an early age, reduces the risk. On the other hand, women who bear children after the age of 30 or those who do not bear children at all poses a great risk of developing breast cancer (Giuliano et al. 2011). Breast cancer at an early stage does not present any symptoms (Hayes, 2007). That is why experts encourage women to go for regular checkups. However, after it has progressed it may present the following symptoms. A ha rd lump in the breast or armpit that does not induce pain is an indicator of breast cancer. The lump has uneven edges. Change in the appearance (size and shape) of the nipple may be another indicator. The nipple may show some reddening, dimpling or puckering. The nipple may also produce a discharge. The fluid could be bloody, clear, and yellow or appear like pus. â€Å"Symptoms of advanced breast cancer are bone pain, breast pain and discomfort, skin ulcers, weight loss and swelling of one arm next to the breast with cancer† (Breast cancer, 2011). The treatment of cancer depends on the type, stage, sensitivity to certain hormones or whether the cancer over expresses HER2/neu gene (Carlson et al., 2009). Doctors usually conduct certain tests before deciding the type of treatment to give. Such tests include breast MRI, biopsy, ultrasound, mammography, sentinel lymph node biopsy or CT/PET scans. Three options may be employed. Chemotherapy or radiation therapy (to kill cancer cel ls) and surgery to remove the cancerous tissue (could be lumpectomy or mastectomy). Hormone therapy may be prescribed to women with ER positive breast cancer to inhibit certain hormones that cause uncontrolled cell division. Newer strategies include biologic/targeted therapy and immunotherapy (Carlson et al., 2009). â€Å"In targeted therapy, anticancer drugs are used to recognize and inhibit certain changes in cells that may lead to cancer† (Breast cancer, 2009). Immunotherapy utilizes activated immune system cells to treat cancer cells. More research is being carried out to shade more light on the use of immunotherapy. References Breast Cancer (2009). Breast Cancer. Web. Breast Cancer (2011). Breast Cancer. Web.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Breast Cancer Treatment specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Carlson, R. et al. (2009). Breast Cancer: Clinical Practice Guidelines in Oncology. Journal of Comprehensive Cancer Network, 7(2), 122-92. Giuliano, A. et al. (2011). Axillary Dissection vs no Axillary Dissection in Women with Invasive Breast Cancer and Sentinel Node Metastasis: A Randomized Controll Trial. Journal of the American Association (JAMA), 305(6), 569-75. Hayes, D. (2007). Clinical Practice: Folow-up of Patients with Early Breast Cancer. The New England Journal of Medicine, 356(24), 2505-13.

The Russians Renamed St. Petersburg Three Times in a Century

The Russians Renamed St. Petersburg Three Times in a Century St. Petersburg is Russias second-largest city after Moscow, and throughout history, it has been known by a few different names. In the more than 300 years since it was established, St. Petersburg has also been known as Petrograd and Leningrad, though its also known as Sankt-Peterburg (in Russian), Petersburg, and just plain Peter. The city has a population of about 5 million people. Visitors there take in the architecture, especially historic buildings along the Neva River and its canals and tributaries flowing in the city that connect Lake Ladoga to the Gulf of Finland. Being so far north, in the middle of summer, the citys daylight extends nearly 19 hours. Terrain includes coniferous forests, sand dunes, and beaches. Why all of the names for a single city? To understand the many aliases of St. Petersburg, look no further than the citys long, tumultuous history.   1703: St. Petersburg Peter the Great founded the port city of St. Petersburg on the very western edge of Russia in 1703 in a marshy floodplain. Located on the Baltic Sea, he desired to have the new city mirror the great Western cities of Europe, where he had traveled while studying in his youth. Amsterdam was one of the primary influences on the czar, and the name St. Petersburg has a distinctly  Dutch-German influence. 1914: Petrograd St. Petersburg saw its first name change in 1914 when World War I broke out. The Russians thought that the name sounded too German, and it was given a more Russian-sounding name. The Petro start of the name retains the history of honoring Peter the Great.The -grad  portion is a common suffix used in a number of Russian cities and localities. 1924: Leningrad It was only 10 years that St. Petersburg was known as Petrograd because in 1917 the Russian Revolution 503 changed everything for the country, including the citys name. At the beginning of the year, the Russian monarchy was overthrown, and by years end, the Bolsheviks had taken control. This led to the worlds first communist government. Vladimir Ilyich Lenin led the Bolsheviks, and in 1922 the Soviet Union was created. After Lenins death in 1924, Petrograd became known as Leningrad to honor the former leader. 1991: St. Petersburg Fast-forward through almost 70 years of the communist government to the fall of the USSR. In the years that followed, many places in the country were renamed, and Leningrad became St. Petersburg once again. Historical buildings saw renovation and rejuvenation. Changing the city name back to its original name did not come without controversy. In 1991, the citizens of Leningrad were given the opportunity to vote on the name change. As reported in the New York Times at the time, some people saw restoring the citys name to St. Petersburg as a way to forget the decades of turmoil during communist rule and an opportunity to reclaim its original Russian heritage. The Bolsheviks, on the other hand, saw the change as an insult to Lenin. In the end, St. Petersburg was returned to its original name, but you will still find some people who refer to the city as Leningrad.

Value of a college education Scholarship Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Value of a college education - Scholarship Essay Example The greatest achievement of education lies in the percolation of thoughts and implementation of those thoughts into our daily lives. And the exact value of college education lies there. College education does not fall under compulsory education. The term, ‘college education’ is a huge umbrella term and might indicate the areas like graduation or post-graduation. College education falls under the broad head of higher education and essentially indicates the attainment of perfection in any precise field after receiving the formal education in school. College education falls under tertiary or third stage of education and mainly includes undergraduates and post-graduate courses. Vocational education and training also falls under this broad head. The value of college education is immense. It helps to perfect the fundamental knowledge and excel the quest of knowledge that one is set off to receive in any particular field. In college education, the choice of the subject depends upon the interest of the candidate pursuing or intending to pursue any particular course and this enables to open up a wider and enlightened vista pertaining to that subject. The college education helps to find the path; the way out through which the education received at that level can be implemented or percolated through menial chores of life.

Owners Equity Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Owners Equity - Essay Example When a company makes profit, supervision has one of two options: they can either disburse it out to share controllers as a money dividend, or keep the earnings and re-invest them in the company. When the management makes a decision that income should be hold on to, they have to give an explanation for them on the financial statement beneath Shareholder Equity. This let the investors to examine how much money has been devote in the business over the time in years. Once evaluating the income report has been learnt, the retained earnings numerals can be utilized to make a conclusion on how sensibly supervision is organizing and spending the shareholder's money. If a company has been recognized as investing all of its income to support itself and does not seems to experience remarkably high increase, it is definite that the stock holders would be well served if the board of managers affirmed a dividend. So, earned capital or retained capital is important in this sense that it is used to uphold existing functions of the company or to bump up sales and profits by improving the business. Basic EPS, that is, Basic Earnings per share let the investor be known about how much of the earnings of a company fit in per share of the reserve.

Bottled Water Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Bottled Water - Essay Example This observation is realized from a number of variables that differentiate bottled water from tap water. On the same note, these differentiating variables allows bottled water to obtain price premiums, a scenario that lacks in cases of tap water. The sale of bottled water is undertaken by firms that are in business. They therefore have business aspects to account for in their operations. In this regard, value creation becomes a critical differentiating variable. This is done through processing and packaging water in ways that appeal to the customers (Shiv, 2007). Value creation differentiates tap water and bottled water, with the primary activity being packaging. This process costs the various firms that engage in it, and the price of the bottled water must account for the costs as well as business profits. The providing firms themselves act as a differentiating variable. Tap water is provided to the masses as an aspect of human right by local governments or the state at large. Water treatment processes are undertaken at a central point before supply is done. For this reason, water tap is regarded a necessity and a right to the population. On the other hand, bottled water is associated with luxury, a complement to tap water. Therefore, obtaining the water attracts a luxury price premium. Quality is another aspect that differentiates bottled water from tap water. If is often held that bottled water is of high quality than tap water. While this claim may or may not be true, a high quality product is likely to attract a high price. The quality aspect has given rise to numerous bottled water brands, and the higher the quality attached to a specific bottled water brand, the higher the price premium that brand obtains. Marketing activities significantly differentiates tap water from bottled water. Firms that sell bottled water are actually business enterprises. Companies that supply tap water are either state operated

Efficient Opperation of the Potatoe chip Industry Term Paper

Efficient Opperation of the Potatoe chip Industry - Term Paper Example Economists have put forwarded various structures of the market with different characteristics. The most fundamental of the market structure is perfect competition in which the product is homogeneous and there is absence of barriers to entry for the suppliers. The benefits to the stakeholders A firm operating in the monopoly market structure can produce at a much lower than the firm operating in perfect competition. In the monopoly situation the firm can enjoy the economies of scale while in perfect competition the firms share in total output. The monopoly is the only supplier of the good. In order to achieve higher levels of profit the monopolists have the potential to set the prices at higher levels (The Ohio State University, 2010). Because of the constraint of the demand curve they cannot charge the price that are considered fit for the manufactured product. If the price is set at the level that is considered unaffordable for the consumers the demand conditions will contract and w ill lead to loss of revenue for the firm. The existence of long run profits will serve as the incentive for investors to invest more on research and development. The investment will contribute to offer better products to the consumers. The investment can also contribute in lowering the cost of production and eventually the monopolist can use the return on the initial cost of capital. The capability to utilize consumers would come from the high ranged prices charged upon them. In the monopoly structure a firm can gain abnormal profits both in the short as well as in the long run and the average cost of the firm is lower than that of the average proceeds. Such a strategy will put off the potential firms put of the industry as the monopolists are aware that they will not be able to produce at such low cost in presence of competition. The benefit of low cost accrues to the consumers and therefore the welfare of the consumers is also affected (Case, Fair, and Oster, 2009). In the monopol istic market structure the firms are able to sell similar but not identical products. The products can be differentiated. In the market of potato chips the sellers can enter freely into the market. Each bag of potato chips is characterized by different genre and name. Therefore the considerations for each supplier are different. According to economics a monopoly produces a product which has no close substitutes and significant barriers of entry are present to allow new firms enter into the market. By purchasing the firms the lawyers paved the way for pure monopoly situation. It will allow the two firms to control the market. By seizing the market control the firms will now operate on the market demand curve. They now have the potential to control the output control and price. The only limitation for the firms will be the cost of production. In monopoly market there is hardly any difference between firm and industry. The price discrimination will have effects on the consumers and the suppliers. In monopoly market the Wonk potato chip firm has created a monopoly market where potential competitors cannot enter. In the new market the prices will tend to rise as there is lack of competition and the level of output will either be at the stable level or will decrease. The monopolistic industry will try to keep the industry closed as entry of new firms will lead to reduction of price and the rise in costs of production. The higher price will lead to loss of consumer surplus. The choices of

Article Assignment - 5 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Article Assignment - 5 - Essay Example The basic difference between the two service types is that while one taps the spiritual and religious sensibilities of a child or youth the other tries to awaken or breed social and moral responsibilities. The faith based services are planned out with a certain perspective and that is to help the youths regain their faith and at the same time being permitted to practise the faith he wants to (Evaluation Review, p 125). The main intention of emphasizing on faith based program is to cultivate in the delinquents spirituality and also to develop in them a positive and elevated state of mind. It would not only make them self-composed but also make them emotionally mature. To this end youths are to be provided with mentors who would give them the required guidance, support and most importantly encouragement. However, while extending faith based services there must not be any kind of pressure or manipulation to convert the participant into some other faith (Evaluation Review, p 125). One must enjoy complete freedom in choosing one’s faith. The main purpose is not limited to preaching didactic stuff but to develop inner conscience and self awareness or realization among the youths so t hat they can lead a good life within society. The community-based services are secular in nature and focuses on areas like strengthening family bonding and practising secular exercises like thinking for a change and character education (Evaluation Review, p 122). The community based services are for those youth participants who have chosen to be put under a secular mentor. The emphasis of the community based service curriculum seems more to be on developing finer sensibilities to appreciate and value relationships and family. Such a service also teaches the social skills like adaptability, acceptance and the ability to reach out. In accordance with the conceptual planning relevant activities to be performed by the

THE EFFECT OF TAX AVOIDANCE IN ECONOMY Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

THE EFFECT OF TAX AVOIDANCE IN ECONOMY - Essay Example Therefore, the study of tax avoidance is important in the implementation of a couple of constitutional loopholes upon which tax payers evade taxation for their own advantages. Tax Avoidance Tax avoidance is a subject concerned with the identification of the various legal loopholes surrounding taxation. The purpose of the study is to implement the various ways through which individuals benefit from the avoidance approach. Further, concerns rise as to whether the approach is ethical and of equal importance to the general economy. Studies reveal that mitigation and evasion of taxes differ from tax avoidance as they present a subject of illegality in the taxation clause. Tax avoidance is a legal taxation approach upon which the beneficiaries acquire a constitutional right to avoid taxes (Brooks & Dunn, 2010, p.56). The study reveals the implications emanating from tax avoidance, examples of tax avoidance in relation to the benefits cheat, the ethical issues arising thereof, and a compari son of the ethical issues to the subject of legality. ... However, the dream may be short-lived because of malicious proprietors who sought to identify loopholes in the taxation system and eventually avoid the taxes. Such acts may result in unhealthy competition in a country’s business economy and income imbalances (Ferrell, Fraedrich & Ferrell, 2011:36). In the long-run, the business abiding by the set taxing criterion may suffer unhealthy competition from malicious competitors, thus resolving to exit the market. Global economies perceive taxation as the key to growth and implementation of adequate consumer and producer policies. As governments impose taxes to limit consumption of health hazardous products, the businesses involved in production and selling of the products will extend the total amount of the imposed tax to the final consumer. This approach will serve to reduce the consumer’s income as he tries to maintain marginal consumption of the restricted product. The eventual outcome is that the reduced income of the con sumer will injure the purchase of vital commodities as the addicted consumer maintains consumption of the restricted product (Moffat, Bean & Dewar, 2005, p.48). At this level, tax avoidance by the producers shall lead to reduced incomes among the consumers and increased poverty levels. Ethical Concepts in Tax Avoidance and Related Cases In accordance to taxation theorists, tax avoidance would pose a fair reflection whenever meant to imply the positive use of money. Authorities may assess different business entities and establish those which should avoid taxes and those that should remit through a constitutional approach. The business will eventually evade taxation but through

Article Assignment - 5 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Article Assignment - 5 - Essay Example The basic difference between the two service types is that while one taps the spiritual and religious sensibilities of a child or youth the other tries to awaken or breed social and moral responsibilities. The faith based services are planned out with a certain perspective and that is to help the youths regain their faith and at the same time being permitted to practise the faith he wants to (Evaluation Review, p 125). The main intention of emphasizing on faith based program is to cultivate in the delinquents spirituality and also to develop in them a positive and elevated state of mind. It would not only make them self-composed but also make them emotionally mature. To this end youths are to be provided with mentors who would give them the required guidance, support and most importantly encouragement. However, while extending faith based services there must not be any kind of pressure or manipulation to convert the participant into some other faith (Evaluation Review, p 125). One must enjoy complete freedom in choosing one’s faith. The main purpose is not limited to preaching didactic stuff but to develop inner conscience and self awareness or realization among the youths so t hat they can lead a good life within society. The community-based services are secular in nature and focuses on areas like strengthening family bonding and practising secular exercises like thinking for a change and character education (Evaluation Review, p 122). The community based services are for those youth participants who have chosen to be put under a secular mentor. The emphasis of the community based service curriculum seems more to be on developing finer sensibilities to appreciate and value relationships and family. Such a service also teaches the social skills like adaptability, acceptance and the ability to reach out. In accordance with the conceptual planning relevant activities to be performed by the

Courage (To Kill A Mockingbird) Essay Example for Free

Courage (To Kill A Mockingbird) Essay The dictionary definition for courage is- Courage is the quality of mind that enables one to face danger or difficulty with confidence, resolution, and gain a firm control of oneself. Many of the characters in To Kill a Mockingbird show courage in their own way. Courage can come in many different forms: physical, mental, emotional and moral. Atticus shows courage throughout the novel while he stands up for what he believes is right even though he knows the majority of people disagree with his views. Atticus sees differently because he went to university and he got an education where he learnt about values and equality whereas the people of Maycomb who do not have the same education are basing their decision on what their family taught them and being from the south they have been taught to discriminate against which is why they treat Tom Robinson so unfairly. Atticus is also forced to shoot the mad dog (106-107) which is against his moral standards but he knew he had to kill it, not only to protect the people of Maycomb, he also had to put the dog out of its misery which took a lot of his strength and courage. Mrs Dubose shows courage and determination when she recognises that she has a flaw and that she has to fix it. She is addicted to Morphine and makes a goal to die free of her weakness. She goes through a time of withdrawal that is difficult to survive. She finishes her goal before she dies. She enlists Jem to read to her every Saturday as a way of distracting herself. It still takes a great amount of self-confidence to be able to recognise that one has a flaw and even more to do something about it. Scout shows a large amount of courage in the scene where Atticus goes down to the jailhouse in an attempt to try and protect Tom Robinson. After he arrives at the jail, a group of men appear in the jail with the intention of killing Robinson. Atticus is prepared to defend him, but he is thrown off guard when his children enter the situation. This makes Atticus nervous that his children are in danger. That was when Scout stepped up to the men and talked them down from attacking Tom and Atticus. Another example of courage is when Scout rolls the tire into the Radley yard. She is terrified when she realises where she is and her immediate reaction is to run straight back to the street. When she gets back Jem tells her to go back and get the tyre but Jem ends up doing it anyway. When Jem returns he accuses Scout of being a sissy girl. What he doesnt know because Scout decided not to tell him is that Scout heard laughter from inside the house. That is why she ran out so fast, forgetting the tyre. But she chose not to explain this to them.

Bhagwad Gita As Seen By Osho

Bhagwad Gita As Seen By Osho I have always been intrigued by one question the response to which I was always not able to a find or say this one question always confused me , baffled me or say that this very question always made me contemplate or say left me pondering. Every time I would see a court scene in a Hindi movie, I would find it very funny rather very strange. A witness or an accused being called to the witness box , he being made to take an oath in the name of the holy Bhagwad Gita by touching it and saying mein jo hi kahunga sach kahunga , sach ke siva kuch na kahunga. I would find it funny and would think whether it was some kind of narco test being conducted or what, that the truth will automatically start flowing from the mouth of the person. I could never understand and thought would perhaps never understand the reason behind it. Every time the same holy Gita and the same old oath. Then why only the Gita why not some other religious scripture. Well it could always be the Ramayana, the Upanishads, or say the Puranas. The other day the same question again came to my mind and I found the answer to it in one of the editions of Osho times and I found it quite convincing and relevant and at the same time very interesting. In the words of Osho, no other person on earth has been as complete as the Krishna. Looking at the personality and the character of the Lord Krishna , one would observe that he has been the only multidimensional person with so many faces and in a way complete, imbibing in himself almost every possible aspect of human nature . If he is a warrior, a Kshatriya at the same time he is a very learned being, a knowledgeable person, a great pundit, a Brahman. At the same time a lover, a flirt, a musician, a dancer, a thief, a liar, and a politician as well. There is hardly any aspect of human nature, which you will not find in the Lord Krishna. It is almost impossible, something which is not imaginable. Krishna is a complete man, which is why he has been called a purna a vatar. Before him and after him no body has ever been so complete and so multidimensional. Ram has been there, Vishnu has been there but no one so complete, so interesting and so varied in his personality with all shades and colors of human nature. According to Osho, if God descends on earth, he would look somewhat like Krishna and no one else. Lord Ram, however big he may be, in the consciousness of this country has never been a complete avatar, he always been a part of it but never the complete. The rishis of Upanishads however knowledgeable they may have been are not complete avatars. Only Krishna has been complete and thats why the majority of Indian consciousness and mind has been touched by him .And the reason for this is his being a multidimensional person who touches all the aspects of human personality. As far as Lord Ram and others are concerned, they are all one-dimensional and they can be loved and worshiped by only a particular category of people. As far as Krishna is c oncerned, it will be hard to find a person on this earth who will not fall in love with any of the aspects of the personality and the being of Shri Krishna. A thief may fall in love with him, a dancer will love him, a sanyasi may adore him, a nonsanyasi as well and he may even be source of inspiration for a Kshatriya. Therefore, Krishna is like a complete orchestra with all the musical instruments and in this orchestra, everybody finds an instrument of his choice. However, the strangest thing is there has never been anyone who would have loved Krishna as a whole. Surdas loves only the BAL Krishna, he is afraid of the Krishna who dances around with the Gopies and flirts with them. Keshavdas on the other hand will love the young Krishna dancing and enjoying himself. But to love him as a whole is very difficult or rather impossible. To be able to love him as a whole requires one to be multidimensional. And the majority of us happen to be one-dimensional and all of us we have a single t rack mind set and in Krishna we choose what suits us. That is why all love Krishna and everyone finds a reason to do so. According to Osho, in a court of law, one will seldom find good people; people who are bad in some way or the other usually frequent court. A bad person in love with Ram may perhaps never go to the court .So taking an oath in the name of Ram is almost impossible. Taking an oath in the name of Krishna is quite relevant and possible because Krishna seems to be open to even the criminals and all kinds of bad people .His doors are open for all. That is why even the bad people, the offenders, love Krishna. According to Osho, it will be hard to find a person who would not feel like hugging Krishna, who would say that Krishna is not meant for him or her. Moreover, for Osho the greatest truth greater than truth is love and it is almost impossible to lie in front of a person we are in love with. Truth can be found only in a love relationship. If one is not able to be truth ful towards ones lover then it is something else in the name of love and love not at all. Moreover, the psychology has proved that if somebodys cord of love is touched it will be impossible for him to lie. So it is all in the name of love for Krishna that all the accused and the witnesses are made to take an oath in the name of the Bhadwad Gita. Like wise there have been other questions too troubling me and keeping me pensive all the time since my child hood. I have my exams and say I m not well prepared, I m worried and my parents would always say karm kar fal ki icha mat kar; this again would leave me wondering. How can you do anything, perform any karma without thinking of the outcome at all. Finding it written everywhere would again make me feel guilty because lord Krishna had said so as my parents told me. I would feel something wrong with me as I never did anything without the outcome, and even today, I do not do anything with out the result in mind. There are expectations all the time. But today there is no guilt associated with it at all and again Osho helped me resolve this quarry of mine which earlier would never let me feel free of my guilt. I used to feel as if I was a criminal. But I was not responsible because that was how my parents and the people around had interoperated it. But the Osho does it, its really i ncredible. He says something very interesting. Karmanye vadhikareste à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦.. he interprets it not by associating it with any result at all. According to him, it means being here and now completely. What so ever one does if done with full concentration and by immersing into it in ones totality, he or she would never fail. That is it. But the way people have been interpret ting it has been very unrealistic and impossible. How can you do anything without having the purpose in your mind? And doing anything without anything in mind would be foolish and stupid at the same time. But that is what we have told by all kinds of idiots and cunning people, or says the followers of Hitler. According to Osho, misinterpretation is done only with the purpose of creating guilt in the people. And it is very simple to dictate upon the people who feel guilty. Hitler also did that. He also created guilt among his people, ruled over them, and could have his way. Karma kar à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ That si mply means doing everything with full samagrata, with full concentration, by being here and now and that is what epitomizes the whole philosophy of Osho. Like wise, there are other questions as well. I once saw a film in which a serial killer goes around killing people and saying Na koi Marta hai na koi maarta hai à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦.. Aisa main nahin Gita kehti hai à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦. Nobody ever dies nobody ever kills, this again seems to be justifying the violence committed by General Dyer or the killings done by Hitler. But this is not what Krishna means to say. According to him just because no one dies does not in any way justify the desire to kill or the passion for violence? According to him, there is nothing wrong in the occurrence of violence but the sin is in the act of violence. So listening to Gita if someone concludes that killing someone is not killing at all is not right, that is all a fiction. Krishna is not saying, Go ahead and kill people. He is saying only if it becomes your experience that no one is ever killed, then, and only then, can you let whatever happens, happen. And there is one more thing who is Krishna addressin g this to. This is very important. This discourse is not meant for the common man, it is meant for the Arjuna who has refused to kill. And then he tells Arjuna that he is a Kshatriya and that he should perform his duty that of being one. But does that mean that Krishna is a warmonger? No. According to Osho, Krishna is only trying to help Arjuna realize who he is and what his duties are and how can he achieve the pinnacle of his being and that naturally is possible only by being what he is. In the battlefield, Arjuna has dropped his weapons and is talking like a Brahman, which he is not suppose to. This has only one message that all of us we should do everything to be what we are and that we should realize all our potentials and possibilities we have born with. Then there is one more important thing, which Osho says in the context of Bhadwad Gita. According to him, the Bhagwad Gita happens to be the first psychological scripture available to the East long before the works of Freud, Adler and Jung. And in his words, it would not be an exaggeration if Krishna were called the father of psychology. In the Bhagwad Gita, the way Krishna approaches Arjunas problems can only be appreciated once we really understand the working of the human mind with all its intricacies and complexities. According to Osho, all of us all the time carry an Arjuna within us and all the time we are confronted with situations and are facing one crises or the other. And as we listen to him it becomes clear that our situation too is not very different from that of the Arjuna, it is perhaps more complex and of a greater magnitude. In the words of Osho, the root cause of all of our problems, difficulties, miseries, dilemma, conflict and war is nothing else but mind. So in or der to find a solution to all these problems its very important rather imperative to understand the working of mind, its patterns and conditionings. According to Osho, only mind is the problem and all that chaos which we find all around ourselves, behind all this only mind is the one who is responsible. Some people have called the Bhagwad Gita a spiritual shastra but its not so according to Osho.In his opinion no shastra can ever be spiritual, it can only be psychological. Rather shastras have nothing to do with spirituality. The spiritual journey starts where the mind ends. And Osho goes further and says that there is nothing like a spiritual shastra because as far as spirituality is concerned, spirituality itself is life, is experience and shastra only helps understand the functioning of mind. Bhagwad Gita is not spiritual also because the problem of Arjuna is not spiritual; it is more of a psychological problem, a practical one. And the answer to a psychological question can only be a psychological one. According to Osho if someone says that Krishna is, addressing to Arjunas problem in spiritual words, that too would be wrong because then no communication would be possible between the two. According to Osho, no problem can ever be spiritual because spiritualism can be the solution and the problems always arise from the mind. In his words, all problems are psychological whereas spirituality itself is solution. Only mind is the problem. Mind itself is the chaos. That is why whatever is shastra cannot be beyond the mind and whatever is beyond mind has no name at all. According to Osho since most of our problems, arise from the mind, since most of them happen to be psychological, so the solutions to them too have to be of the same level. That is why Krishna in order to resolve Arjunas problem brings himself down to his level or say to his pedestal. How ever if Krishna addresses his problem from he already is i.e. is from his own pedestal, in that case no communication will be possible between the two; Arjuna wont understand anything. And that what happens to be difference between the modern teacher and the rishi of Upanishads. The difference is that of the methodologies. A modern teacher always keeps his student on the centre whereas the rishi of Upanishads, he himself happens to be the centre. Krishna talks to Arjuna just like a modern teacher. He does not preach him at all rather he discusses the problem with him. According to Osho, only those scriptures have future that are psychological. Metaphysics has no future at all. People have problems and they want those problems to be solved. All they want is a solution to them; and who so ever will solve them who so ever will answer to their questions will have a place, will have a future. According to Osho only if Krishna shows the courage to stand in a queue with Freud and Jung, then and only then Gita will have a future.

Burnout, contributing factor and how it relates to job performance Essa

In the recent years, organizations have paid extra attention to employee stress and its effect on job performance. Burnout, an outcome of stress is known to cause individual, family and organizational problems and health conditions such as insomnia and hypertension. The question many ask is where does it originate from? And, how supported are the employees by the organization? Researchers have attempted to link stress and burnout and its effect on job performance. This research analysis includes different scholarly studies done and that found many contributing factors such as job satisfaction, work and family demands, work environment, and culture. Ivancevich, Konopaske, & Matteson, 2011 defines burnout as a psychological process, brought about by unrelieved work stress that results in emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and feeling of decreased accomplishment. Examples of emotional exhaustion includes; feeling drained by work, fatigue in the morning, frustrated, and do not want to work with others. Depersonalization is when a person has become emotionally hardened by their job, treat others like objects, do not care what happens to them, and feel others blame them. A low feeling of accomplishment also results from burnout. A person is unable to deal with problems effectively, identify or understand others problems, and no longer feel excited by their job. (Ivancevich et al., 2011). Researchers have linked burnout as a contributing factor health conditions such as sleep disturbances, decreased immune system. Professions that are prone to burnout are those who require a great deal of contact and responsibility of other people. Among those professions are teachers, nurses, physicians, social workers, therapists, police, an... ...the country. (Hamwi, et al., 2010). In conclusion, the above research analysis explained many contributing factors to stress and burnout and its effect on performance. As expected from prior studies, job satisfaction has an effect on productivity and/or burnout. Burnout in US nurses has been linked to Philippine nurses, despite a difference in health-care systems. Gender has also proven to be a contributing factor to stress. Women have a significant level of stress compared to men due to additional work of housework and childcare. Women also are linked to low levels of emotional exhaustion with co-worker support. Finally, perception organizational support has been linked to emotional exhaustion, but not solely due to the organization. Hopefully, organizations will continue to adopt stress reducing programs and recognize that it has many contributing factors.

Freedom of Expression- A Service to Citizens Essay -- Censorship

â€Å"The First Amendment to the United States Constitution says that Congress shall make no law . . . abridging the freedom of ‘speech’ (â€Å"Freedom of Expression†).† It has been proven through the court system that speech goes far beyond regular verbal communication (â€Å"Freedom of Expression†). If this is be true, then why is there so much controversy over the freedom of expression? If the right to freedom of expression is taken away, the government will steadily become more and more powerful until it controls every facet of life. Even though the United States prides itself on being a staunchly democratic nation, it is no better than a tyrannical government if it steals the right of freedom of expression from its citizens. Most people do not wish to live in a society oppressed by an all-powerful government that gives them very little freedom. Holding Orwell’s society as a model, a government that has too much power will gladly let its c itizens endure pain, suffering, and even torture. For society to be productive, people must be allowed to express their ideas and thoughts, if they cannot, then civilization will move backwards instead of frontward. The issue of freedom of expression is not a new problem. In fact, people have been debating it for years, even on the Supreme Court level. One such case is Schenck v. United States, where it was deemed illegal for Schenck to distribute pamphlets urging people to impede the process of the draft (â€Å"Schenck v. United States†). The Supreme Court thought that it was illegal for Schenck to do this, and he was convicted, but on another case dealing with the freedom of expression the court took the opposite side. In the case of Tinker v. Des Moines, a school prohibited students from wearing black armba... ... gotten across. Living an emotionless existence is surely not living at all, and this is why freedom of expression should be a guaranteed right. It is very important for a functional society where people are entitled to their opinion and are able to freely offer constructive criticism. When it is taken away, oppression, poverty, and the general degradation of society is seen in abundance. A society in which people are allowed to speak their minds is infinitely better than an Orwellian one in which people feared thinking thoughts that could be unwelcome to the government. A terrible place if one were not even safe in their mind. The present world is a place to give full freedom of expression to everyone. Everyone deserves the chance to get their ideas across, and depriving them of that opportunity is borderline inhumane. It is simply immoral to deny this right.

Critical analyzing of the knowledge Essay

The role of a manager can be a complex job and although I have opted for five topics there are many more attributes to this position. Using my previous experiences, various research from books that I have read and the internet I will try to explain the rationale for my conclusions. In this essay I will look at the following five topics, Leadership, Communication, Delegation, Decision Making and Support which will help conclude, in my opinion, the five most important skills required to successfully fulfill the a position of a twenty first century manager. These skills underpin the knowledge and abilities which are of key importance to the pivotal role of the manager. LeadershipLeadership is about focusing on the most important resource available to them, i.e people. This process should include the development, academically and professionally of your people. It is important to encourage communication, engaging their thoughts and ideas to promote a win win situation. A manager should always motivate, encourage and promote excellent work, even in the most trying circumstances. A leader must always be aware of the ultimate goals of the organization, and know how their own objectives fit with them. Once these goals have been established you must ensure that your team understands the direction in which they are heading and why, and the purpose of their own activities within the overall plan. The ultimate objective should be broken down into attainable yet challenging goals that ideally will be inspiring and motivating for the whole team. Aims should also relate directly to the specific skills of the individual within the team. Working together towards a shared goal gives people a sense of ownership and responsibility, and  builds an atmosphere of team spirit, (Effective leadership by Robert Heller 1999). The written text of Robert Heller highlights in my opinion that every form of leadership requires strength, perseverance and dedicated staff to be able to fulfill a successful workplace. By choosing the correct employees to fit to you model enables yourself time to pursue further challenges. In my experience you have to show an open mind even to what might appear as, most off the wall suggestion. This shows the interpersonal skills to absorb the information, have time to think situations through and give effective feedback. This inturn promotes diversity amongst the employees that even the wildest suggestion is given time and thought. This objective way of empowering employees give positive vibes to each and every employee whatever their job role within the company or organization may be. With this in mind you can gain valuable commitment and engagement from the most un-co-operative people. Without being a positive open minded leader of people’s thoughts and ideas it is impossible to deliver results by which every leader is judged. A quote which sums this up is,`In fact, Leaders that go from good to great start not with `where` but with `who`. They start by getting the right people on the bus, the wrong people off the bus, and the right people in the right seats†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. First the people†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦then the direction` (Jim Collins, Educational Quotes for the 21 Century)This quote confirms to me the important role each person has in a well run, successful organization. Without this and total co-operation from all parts of the company, from senior management to the youngest most inexperienced person, failure would not be long from coming. Communication The art of communication can be a very complex situation unless steps are taken beforehand to ensure any messages relayed from higher management are correctly and concisely passed on in a positive manner. In my experience as a manager previously I have taken steps to prepare exactly what I was going to say in a manner which was clear, understandable, concise but most importantly which had enough open ended opportunity’s for two way discussions enabling myself to listen and give every opportunity for even negative feedback to be viewed as an opportunity for improvement. In my first few months as a manager within my company a position to which I was promoted from the shop floor, I was expected by the other employees to be able to change all forms of workmanship problems, health and safety issues, right down to the microwave being broken. I had up to then been part of a work force that had so bitterly complained of lack of information. My first steps were to gain trust from higher management to show I was as astute as previous managers and capable of moving on in a way which gave me time to bond as a manager with the employees and gain valuable experience in the role from which I was expected to get results from. My winning formula was simple; to put together a feedback questionnaire which involved everyone from the site leader to the cleaner. Each person was given 25 questions, some relevant, some comical and some which I thought were burning issues. All I asked from the employees was for the questionnaires to be filled out  with honesty. I requested any feedback, positive or negative be given in such a way which could be an opportunity for the company to move forward. The questionnaires themselves were voluntary and anonymous in case employees feared there would be reprisals afterwards. My next step was to get the 6 team leaders to put the questionnaires together in bar graphs, to offset a negative thought of management fiddling the results to look good for them. The findings were presented in an open meeting of 75 employees, which just coincidently fell at the same time as the area manager being on site looking at our set up. The outcome even surpassed my widest dreams, Ideas were given time and place, open discussions followed on subjects which some of the other managers were unaware of. But most importantly as a result of my actions a discussion group was formed which consisted of one manager, three employees, two team leaders and most importantly one of the junior employees the cleaner. All this led to a positive communication line from top to bottom. Everyone now felt they had as much responsibility as the next person, views were discussed openly, and problems dealt with by everybody. My ideas had ultimately been successful with some of the ideas being transferred into cost cutting and work improvement measures. One of my most positive actions was to get the microwave fixed. This gave me a foot into the door of management while successfully putting my  knowledge of frustrations of earlier years on the shop floor into good use. I learnt it is far better to listen and communicate then in a real way rather than pay lip service only. Action speaks louder than words. DelegationDelegation is probably one of the most arduous things a manager or leader has to do. Balancing the work load, too little and the person loses interest, too much and the person cannot successfully achieve the desired results for which you are looking for. And the reason for delegation?As a manager it is impossible to achieve everything yourself. You also need the support of subordinates(Team leaders, Supervisors) to process daily routines maybe now not on the top of your list, such as team meetings, daily forecasting, filling out of charts and overall managing of a team environment but yet pivotal to the success of your company. This also empowers employees to show their leadership qualities and the effectiveness of their skills. Choosing the right person to delegate to is vitally important. They have to have the knowledge, skills, motivation and be given sufficient time to be able to fulfill the tasks you are asking them to do. At most times these skills are not most openly visible so you have to choose the person you feel has the necessary intelligence and willingness to move up within your organization. With this you also have to give support, guidance and time to fulfill your expectations. The best way to achieve this would be to give smaller less important tasks to start with to build the person’s confidence, monitor the results, and gradually increase the level of responsibility so that the person`s powers of judgement increase with the more demanding work load you require from them. Delegation not only helps you get your work done; it can be used to improve your subordinates’ performance and therefore your trust in their ability to carry out more responsible work. Instruction training and development are part of the process of delegation. (How to be an even better Manager Sixth Edition, Michael Armstrong 2004)As I mentioned previously my early days of Management were extremely testing trying to find the right balance between concentrating on my new duties and trying to also hit production targets with ever changing goal posts. My attitude at first was to complete my work load given to me by my Manager then spend four more extra hours of the day completing work which I had left behind to make the transition. I was wrong, but this carried on until I was asked to attend a manager’s course in the Lake DistrictIt was basically 6 people from different backgrounds all sent on a course which fundamentally had the same out come whatever we were doing. Each day had a specific task, leading, assessing, team building, support and guidance and funny enough delegation. Each day a different person had to lead the task and by coincidence I had the day which turned out to be delegation. The task was for me to play draughts, I was in the control tower, and I had two people in a shed with whom my only contact was through a two way radio, and three people on the board moving the pieces. Initially my thought was to quickly make up a board with 64 squares and make my moves using this board and by radioing my moves to the two people in the  shed who would then run to the other three people who would make the move. They would then radio to me my competitors move and so on. My problem was I was still thinking of work and how if a problem arose I would try solving it myself, but what a big mistake. The game had a limit of 15 minutes and although I had thought my ingenious way of winning was superb I was ultimately beaten by blind foolishness, stubbornness and of course lack of delegation skills. It wasn’t till afterwards I realized how easy it would have been to let the two people in the shed co-ordinate with the three people on the board to solve a winning formula. It was a valuable lesson learnt and one I didn’t dither on too much when I returned to work, I used it to my advantage and re-assessed my team leaders performances and gave them new responsibilities which increased my time for more demanding business issues of which my new position entailed. Decision MakingDecision making is about thinking out a problem or situation, working out possible causes of concerns and making the correct choice or option. A decision is a judgement. It is a choice between alternatives. It is rarely a choice between right or wrong. It is the best choice between almost right and probably wrong- but more often a choice between two courses of action neither of which is probably more nearly right than the other (Peter Drucker, The Effective Executive, 1967)Every good Leader can expect praise by making decisive decisions based on the information gathered at any given time although census shows making excellent decisions is generally based on two or more conflicting disagreements, this enables the Leader to gauge opinion, have time to access the information and proceed with the best course of action. Many rules have been written about the best way to proceed when making the  best decision but from my experience getting the best answers means possibly accumulating five or six different reasoning processes and making the correct one, which I have listed below. Based on this way of thinking decisions become easier as time goes by, but as a leader you must have the confidence to implement and stand by your decisions. SupportAll good managers only become great leaders by entrusting the support of the work force of which they have been chosen to lead and visa versa. Experience tells me that trust can be very difficult to build and very easy to lose, as many employees have a `them and us` attitude towards management, so building trust can also bring loyalty amongst your workforce towards you. Building the initial trust is a very difficult thing to achieve as you have to prove your support towards them; This can be achieved by reassuring them you have no hidden agendas, and continually keeping them up to date on any information that affects them and keeping promises when made. Providing the workforce with the equipment and resources to succeed in their job also enlists support from them as well as recognizing successful targets achieved, this can be a motivator in itself. By appraising individuals and teams in successful target achievements with an  audience present can build a confidence within that teamUsing the team to present the results through interaction reinforces their stature of a job well done. Some mistakes are undoubtedly bound to happen in a high pressure situation where targets are hard to achieve but making sure any reprimand serious or not is made on a one to one basis is criticalThis does not undermine the individual or their performance but can be used as a learning curve on the way to build positives from a negative situation. Being a supportive leader means addressing all kinds of situations. I once had an employee who had just gone through a separation from his wife, was only seeing and visiting his children once a fortnight and was hitting the drink in such a manner that I had to warn him of his behaviour towards other employees around him. We both decided that visiting the dedicated counsellor was imperative and I took immediate action and drove him there the same day and waited for the session to end. I didn’t have to stay but I felt responsible for his welfare as a valued member of my team. It took many more sessions for him to finally turn his life around and get on the straight and narrow once again and finally earn some respect from his co-workers, but he managed to stand up in front of them and apologise for the sometimes meaningless disruptions he may have caused. Although I dealt with it in a sympathetic manner and got him the help he required, he was fully aware of the consequences of me assisting him instead of neglecting the situation and throwing the book at him. Sometime later he moved on to be one of my trusted team leaders. I truly learnt the difference between being a manager and a leader in those few weeks. As a manager you are asked to look after the business side of  things, targets goals etc and as a leader you have to look after people and the daily roles of different personalities. Combining both makes you a stronger more competent person able to adapt to any given situation. Conclusion To be successful as a Manager and leader in my opinion you have to have a work range that compares to a Politician and a Football Manager. As a politician you have to be diplomatic when required often in difficult situations, be able to judge and compare when best to communicate sensitive information and of course when to lead. Where as a football manager chooses his squad, puts his players in the best position for him and the team and is judged by results. Both these professions need dedicated people to run them and committed people to assist and participate wholeheartedly. In each case knowing the objectives, goals, targets, providing direction and facilitating change, enables the Manager a platform in which he can be competent to achieve the desired outcome which the position requires. Essentially Management is about setting out what work to do and getting it done through the co-operation of people to achieve this!Realise that the greatest asset is the co-operation and dedication of your staff. I hope my essay sheds some insight into the way I feel a manager of the 21st century should conduct themselves to become a successful part of their organization. Bibliography Teach yourself Leadership, Catherine Doherty and John Thompson, Hodder Education, 338 Euston Road, London 2007. On Leadership, Allan Leighton with Teena Lyons, Random House business books, 20 Vauxhall Bridge Road, London 2007. The Rules of Work, Richard Templar, Pearson Education Limited, Edinburgh Gate, Harlow 2003. How to be an even better Manager, Michael Armstrong, Kogan Page, 120 Pentonville Road, London 2004. Effective Leadership, Robert Heller, Dorling Kindersley, 80 Strand, London 1999. Modern Management, Siobhan Tiernan, Michael j. Morley, Edel Foley, Gill and Macmillan Ltd, Hume Avenue, Park West, Dublin 12, 2006. The Effective Executive, Peter Drucker, Heinemann, London 1967. www.leading-learning.co.nz/famous-quotes