Communication in the Workplace Essays

Communication in the Workplace Essays Communication in the Workplace Essay Communication in the Workplace Essay Module Code: PM 025 Class/Group: Group A Module Title: Contemporary Organisational Behaviour Assignment Title: Final Essay Assignment Title: Communication in the workplace Tutor Name: Frenie Antony Student ID Number: 2059591 Date of Submission: 21st Match 2013 Communication in the workplace The definition of communication is ‘a process in which information and its meaning (common understanding) is conveyed by a sender to receiver (s)’ (Rollinson and Broadfield, 2002:612, and Jones and George, 2011, cited in Antony and Macvicar, 2011:146). In Rollinson and Broadfield’s theory ‘meaning’ was more important than ‘information’, as long as both sender and receiver can understand the meaning of information, even the feedback is not necessarily in the communication ptocess. In addition, ‘The exchange of ideas and information is the lifeblood of any organization. ’ (Hodge and Johnson, 1970: 93). In the other words, communication for an organization is the same as the blood flow for human being. (Conrad and Poole, 2012:5). Furthermore, according to Hodge and Johnson (1970) and O’Reilly and Pondy (1979), Dekay (2012) communication shaped the organization by interaction the organization and its environment, as the result, communication maybe the only connection between the organization and outside world. Besides, The majority aim of communication was enhance the connection between different roles in the company and smooth the working processes (Smith and Davidson, 1991, cited in Smith 1991:22). Therefore, Williams’s and Smith and Davidson’s ideas might argue that the purpose of communication in the workplace was improving the work efficiency and finally increasing the profit. This essay will argue that barrier to communication in the organization may not only influence the further market expansion of company, but also push the company to the edge of bankrupt, as its can distortion the meaning of information during the communication process. Furthermore, this essay will mainly divided into two parts, first, indicate the communication processes in the organization and verify some barriers (power difference barrier, cultural diversity barrier, individual perception barrier and so on) during the communication processes, second, inspect three case study of different companies (Bernard Matthew farms, The Luxor Company, Exxon Mobil, BP, Shell and ChevronTexaco) which had conquered the communication barriers. Normally, there were three directions of communication in the workplace: ‘vertically’ (superior and subordinate), ‘laterally’ (horizontal), and ‘diagonally’ (Rollinson and Broadfield, 2002:627). Furthermore, the communication processes unsurely consisted of two parts, the sender and receiver (Williams 1991, cited Smith, 1991:120 and Hodge and Johnson, 1970:150, Rollinson and Broadfield, 2002:612). On one hand, sender wanted to transfer an idea, the idea needed to be ‘Encoded’, which means translated the message into general language. Then choosing a ‘Channel’, for instance, by e-mail, by telephone, put an advertisement and so on. After that, receiver received the massage from sender and they should try to ‘Decoded’ the message, which means the receiver should try to understand what sender’s meaning, at last gave respond (feedback) to the sender (Rollinson and Broadfield, 2002:617 and Buelens et al, 2011, cited in Antony and MacVicar, 2011:109). On the other hand, the barriers, which called ‘Noise’, existed during these six processes, and might lead to organization ‘communication collapses’, even worse, the bankrupt of company (Hodge and Johnson, 1970: 151). The barriers of communication often separated into two parts: ‘external barriers to the communication’ and ‘internal barriers to the communication’ (Williams 1991, cited in Smith, 1991:117, and Coulson-Thomas and Coulson-Thomas, 1997:267). To be more specific, first, external barrier often indicated as: neglect the extra message, ignore the importance of the information that processes it all followed by first-come-first-served rule, and slack to the responsibility (Williams 1991, cited in Smith, 1991:117). Second, there were five performance of internal barrier: first, could not find a need of communication, second, careless in understanding the information or tend to not correspond at all. Third, ‘Encoded’ problem, the sender introduce in professional way that make message unclear or the sender executed it in a wrong ‘channel’, the message could not receive by target customer. Fourth, the message might tamper during the transfer. Fifth, the personality might influence people’s understanding and acceptance of the message (ibid). The lack of communication might trigger a death for a company. For example, Bernard Matthews farms (the largest turkey supplier in the UK) started to lose reputation since 2005, because of the incident of unhealthy turkey for students in improve-school-meal program, then reached at the peak because of outbreak of bird flu and exposure of imported turkey from abroad, which against the idea of company. What was worse, Matthews never responded and defended themselves to the media in time (The Times 100, 2012). With reference to Williams’s (1991, cited in Smith, 1991:117) theory, the farm met one of the external communication barriers that the manager notice the problem they faced, however, took no respond of it. Before Matthews took any actions the company already lost 35% of selling in the UK, and it was standing on the edge of bankrupt (The Times 100, 2012). As mentioned above, the purpose of communication is to make organization work better and increasing the profit. With reference of Rollinson’s theory (2002: 617), during the improved communication processes, Bernard Matthews acted in three ways to simulate the internal stakeholders: formal written (weekly newsletters), electronic communication (company’s intranet site), and face to face communication. While Bernard also try to change external stakeholders’ attitude by: internet (four websites with different target customer) and social media (advertisement). These series of action offered high information richness which easily understood and accepted by both internal and external stakeholders, in addition, it rescued the Bernard Matthews farms from bankrupt to 9% annual increasing rate. To sum up, an effective communication, both internal and external, could help overcome the barriers and change the loss position. The communication could not only help company changing the loss position, but also make great effort for company’s further development. The Luxor Company (manufactures domestic and office furniture), which headquarters had 750 employees approximately and located in outskirts of Paris , for instance, increased dramatically in a short time that the CEO of company, Charles Binochet, realised everything seemed to be not working as smoothly as before. Furthermore, Charles believed that the rapid development would become a serious barrier when the next wave of market expansion coming (Rollinson and Broadfield, 2002:626). According to Williams (1991, sited in Smith, 1991:117), the barriers of the Luxor Company was external communication barriers, which means both the employers and the employees could not take care of the extra information, ignore the importance of the different information, and slack to the responsibility to the company. By hiring a consultant the Luxor Company solved problem of the lack of connection between production and marketing and no financial control system problem (Roillinson and Broadfield, 2002:626). However, the chaos of relations in the organization still existed. After some discussion, the Luxor tried to keep all of its in touch with company and its actions by provide the formal information which contained the high information richness (displayed four company’s situation chart which including ‘Number of employees’, ‘Output’, ‘investment in new plant and machinery’, and ‘New product lines added’) (ibid). Although the feedback of this action might come slowly and seldom, according to Roillinson and Broadfield (2002:612) as long as the receiver understood the information, feedback was less important in the communication. The charts, which might help employees to understand the company’s operation and their contribution to the company, leaded to hard working performance of employees (Roillinson and Broadfield, 2002:626). As a result, it improved communication with company and employees that not only improved the employees’ motivation but also might offer a significant assistant in company’s next expansion. Many multinational corporations had the same communication barriers as the Luxor Company, during the processes of taking collaborative advantage (Hansen and Nohria, 2004: 22). Nowadays, increasing international competition lead the company, for instance, Exxon Mobil, BP, Shell and ChevronTexaco (multinational corporations) were losing their dominant position than before. To recover the position and to increase the profit, they were willing to seek a new source, where collaboration might work, to increase the competitive advantage (ibid). Hansen and Nohria (2004:23) claimed that collaboration had several benefits: decreased the cost, better decision making, increased the revenue, be more creative, and enhanced the connection with its subsidiaries. During the processes of taking collaborative advantage, there was a significant barrier called: ‘Inability to work together and transfer knowledge’, which Hansen and Nohria considered it as a communication barrier (ibid). The employees from different subsidiaries which belonged to different countries, suffering the language barrier (language different) and intercultural barrier (message changed because of local culture) (ibid). According to Williams (1991, cited in Smith, 1991:117), the MNCs often had external communication barriers, which indicated as personality (culture different) influence the understanding and acceptance of the message and the message had been distorted (translate language) during the transfer. After a survey from supervisors, the companies decided to operate two actions to encourage the communication: First, setting an international standard of technologies words to conquer the communication. Second, setting an employee-exchange-program that employee could understand the culture different and improve the work efficiency. With reference to Rollinson and Broadfield (2002:617) theory, the first solution settled the encode and decode barriers, while second solution was choosing the ‘channel’, which was exchanged the employees to other subsidiaries, to increase the understanding and to solve the distortion barriers. To conclude, this essay has identified the communication in the workplace which included the communication barriers in the organization and purpose of communication, follow with three case studies about communication barriers, which including first, Bernard Matthews farms developed internal and external stakeholder by communication to rescue the loss position, second, the Luxor Company’s communicational-bias-further-development, third, communication helped multinational corporations to develop collaborative. As a result, communication in the workplace is critical important. However, the limitation of this essay still existed, the communication barriers identified not enough in this essay and the case study of this essay might be fewer representatives of the communication barriers. Words: 1616 Reference Antony, F. and MacVicar, A. (2011). Contemporary Organisation Behaviour. New York: McGraw-Hill. Argyris, Chris (1994). Good Communication That Block Leaning. Harvard Business Review, July-August, 1994, 77-85. Conrad, C. C. and Poole, M. S. (2012). Strategic Organizational Communication: In a Global Economy. U. K. : John Wiley and Sons. Coulson-Thomas, C. (1997). The Future of the Organization: Achieving Excellence through Business Transformation. London: Kogan Page. Dekay, S. H. (2012). Interpersonal communication in the workplace: A Largely Unexplored Region. Business Communication Quarterly, 75 (4), 449-452. Hansen, M. T. and Nohria, N. (2004), How to Build Collaborative Advantage. MIT Sloan Management Review, Fall, 46, 1, 22-30, 2004. Hodge, B. J. and Johnson, H. J. (1970). Management and Organizational Behavior: A Multidimensional Approach. United States of America: John Wiley and Sons. O’Reilly, C. A. and Pondy, L. R. (1979). Organizational Communication. Columbus HO: Grid Rollinson, D. with Broadfield, A. (2002). Organisational Behaviour and Analysis: An Integrated Approach. London: Pearson Education. Smith, M. (1991). Analysing Organization Behavior. London: Macmillan Education. The Times 100 Business Case Studies. (2012). Communication with stakeholders: A Bernard Matthews case study. Retrieved October 28th, 2012 from: http://businesscasestudies. co. uk/bernard-matthews /communicating-with-stakeholders/

What Mean Means

What Mean Means What Mean Means What Mean Means By Mark Nichol The verb mean, in the senses of â€Å"destine† â€Å"direct,† â€Å"intend,† and â€Å"signify,† is from the Old English phrase mae nan. To say that someone â€Å"means business† signifies that he or she is earnestly serious about something; to say that someone â€Å"means well† means that the person has good intentions. (One is said to be well-meaning when his or her intentions are good; the person’s actions are said to be well-meant.) Mean has multiple adjectival meanings. Used to convey the ideas of â€Å"base† or â€Å"contemptible,† â€Å"petty† or â€Å"stingy,† or â€Å"malicious† or â€Å"troublesome,† it is from the Old English phrase gemae ne, meaning â€Å"common.† It also has the less negative senses of â€Å"ashamed,† â€Å"dull,† and â€Å"humble† and actually has a positive connotation as a slang synonym for â€Å"effective† or â€Å"excellent† in references to having admirable skills, as in â€Å"He plays a mean saxophone.† (This may derive from a confusion with the idiom â€Å"no mean† followed by a noun or noun phrase, as in â€Å"He’s no mean poker player,† where â€Å"no mean† means â€Å"not average† or â€Å"not inferior.) The expression â€Å"lean and mean† likely derives from the notion of aggressive competitiveness. The adverb meanly means â€Å"in a humble, inferior, or ungenerous manner.† The sense of mean as a synonym for â€Å"average,† â€Å"intermediate,† or â€Å"midway† is ultimately from the Latin term medianus (by way of Anglo-French and Middle English), which is also the source of median. (Mesne, borrowed with an alteration in spelling from Anglo-French, means â€Å"intermediate† or â€Å"intervening† but is used only in legal contexts.) As a noun, mean can refer to something intermediate (as in the mathematical sense), something helpful (as in the phrase â€Å"means to an end†), or resources (as in the sense of having the means to accomplish something). Related idioms include â€Å"by all means† (â€Å"certainly†), â€Å"by means of† (â€Å"through the use of†), and â€Å"by no means† (â€Å"not at all†). The synonymic compounds meantime and meanwhile both derive from the â€Å"intermediate† sense of mean, while mean-spirited alludes to the sense of â€Å"petty.† (The slang term meanie, also spelled meany, refers to a person who is cruel; this usage is considered dated, however, and is now used only in a jocular sense.) To demean, meanwhile, is to debase or put down, while meanness can refer to poverty, stinginess, or weakness. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Vocabulary category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:Farther vs. Further"Replacement for" and "replacement of"Forming the Comparative of One-syllable Adjectives

Does history teach us lessons Give examples Essay

Does history teach us lessons Give examples - Essay Example We are often told, that history teaches us lessons, and that terrorism is the notion, towards which these historical lessons and knowledge are to be applied. Simultaneously, there is a widely-spread opinion, that looking back at our past we see that there were the possibilities to prevent famous dictators from coming to the power and causing irreversible effects. The past cannot be changed, but it can and should be learned; however, what we face at present is false interpretation of the historical events and the desire of the historians to represent certain historical events in the light which is better for their personal needs and strivings. In fact, any historian plays the role of the intermediary between the past and the present - his main aim is to make the public familiar with the events of the past based on the evidence he has at his disposal; what we see now is that many historians have gone too far, trying to become the people, who have the right to interpret this past, often distorting it. I would agree, that history gives us lessons to learn, but due to the general lack of understanding of the historical events, we often have to rely on what famous historians say; their opinions often appear to be contradictory and misleading. As far as we don't really tend to go deep into history for finding our own proofs for this or that historical assumption, we mostly believe in what we hear about the lessons from history, and how they should be used. 'Because history is a world of detailed, specific events, the idea of 'general laws' of history is self-contradictory. Of course, historical actors should be understood as obeying the general laws independently derived by other disciplines, such as the law of gravity or the law of diminishing marginal returns. But history itself can generate no such laws, since they would involve abstracting away all of the details of events, in other words, abstracting away the very subject matter of history.' (Durant & Durant 1997, p. 49) What I wanted to say by this quotation is that history in general cannot be reduced to some generalizations, as it is often done. If there are any real lessons we have to learn from the past, these lessons should be tied to specific events, and not to some general assertions. We can't say that wars are the most important lessons to learn not to make new wars happen - each war is different in its essence, and each should be considered separately, in order to learn the lessons and to apply them to the requirements of the modern time. There is often a confusion between the historical past and the practical past - historical past is merely a statement of the events which took place in the past, while practical past refers to the question of 'what do these past events mean to me right now' (Fink 2001, p. 236) This is about what we talk here, and about what we have to make a reasonable conclusion. I would agree that the skills of the professional historian would give him enough knowledge to judge the events of the past, but I can

Fra Angelico and di Lorenzo Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Fra Angelico and di Lorenzo - Essay Example To start with, the setting of the painting plays important role in understanding of the artwork context. In case of Fra Angelico, the most part of the space takes a porch with visible garden on the background. In his artistic vision, the act of telling Virgin Mary the good tidings takes place outdoor in the porch. On the contrary, the setting in The Annunciation in di Lorenzo’s version takes place in the limited space of closed room. Spectators can easily recognize the walls, columns, and the pieces of furniture. Because of these surroundings, it is relevant to state that that the selected two paintings are mostly different. At the same time, this opposition reveals similarities, if to look closer to the details. In particular, the pillars appear in both cases of Annunciation imaging. In the painting di Lorenzo, he inserted pillars into the front view of his room. In detail, their function in the artwork is to divide the overall image in two registers. In the setting of Fra An gelico’s The Annunciation, six pillars bear the porch where postures sit. In the same manner, he uses three pillars to draw the line between angel Gabriel and Virgin Mary. Moreover, the appearance of the columns is similar. In this context, both Fra Angelico and di Lorenzo supplemented the columns with Corinthian capitals. At the same time, differences between two paintings appear in the scape and function of the above-mentioned pillars. In the painting of di Lorenzo, scape of pillars has three visible lines that form the chief linear dimension.

My Best Friend Essay Example for Free

My Best Friend Essay â€Å"Don’t walk in front of me, I may not follow; don’t walk behind me, I may not lead; Just walk beside me, and be my friend†. I’m going to describe someone who means the world to me and also has a huge impact in my life. I have one such good friend who walks beside me and who extends her hand, when I am about to slip and fall. She is my greatest asset in life, which I treasure more than anything else in this world. She is my best friend. My best friend is Mahliet Mersha. We come from the same neighborhood. Our houses are situated close to each other’s. Both Mahliet and I are of same age and belong to more or less same economic background. In fact, what has cemented our friendship deep is that our families have been close to each other for a long time. My father and Mahliet’s father were good friends back in Ethiopia. Another reason, which probably helped us to become good friends, is that we have grown together. We have spent our childhood days playing, fighting, learning, and enjoying together. Mahliet and I generally go to school together but I will be leaving Mahliet because it’s going to be my final year. Mahliet has many excellent qualities of heart and mind. Her simplicity, smartness, neatness, intelligence, straightforwardness, cool temperament, pleasant behavior, gentle ways, dutifulness, etc. have made her one of the most liked and popular students in the school. Mahliet’s sweet temperament is her greatest quality. She never hurts others or speaks ill of others. She has an amazing personality. She also helps me more than anybody. She tries to do all she can to make me come up to her level. She never goes to any movies or party without me. I do the same for her. My best friend has been through a lot she is currently living with me sometimes and also living with my other friend Helen. I’ve helped Mahliet from day one; she was having problems at home and not living a healthy life. Whenever I am sick, she is the first to come and see me. There is no function in my home without her presence. All these have combined to make our friendship deep and lasting. The best trait that I admire and like most in my friend is her disciplined life. She gets up on time, does her homework always, attends school regularly, respects her teachers and elders and never indulges in unhealthy ways such as, smoking, taking alcohol, idling away time, skipping classes etc. Her principle of ‘duty first- enjoyment second’ is something that I find difficult to follow, yet try to imitate. She corrects me whenever I commit any mistake. For me she is a source of inspiration, support and also a role model to imitate. I am ever grateful to the almighty for having given me such a good friend. I cherish it as my greatest treasure. I am sure our friendship will grow deeper and deeper in the years to come. I wish everyone had such friends in life. I know I can always count on Mahliet whenever I need her and she also feels the same way. My best friend brings joy to me.

Graduation Speech -- Graduation Speech, Commencement Address

High school. I never realized it would bring so many changes. As I walked on to campus my freshman year, my mindset was the same as it was in eighth grade; the young are invincible. And although I was excited to come to high school I had many fears. Would the classes be too hard, would I make new friends, what could I become involved in, and most of all -- what if I get lost? All of these fears eventually subsided and I, along with all of you, found the right classes and the right teachers. We all made new friends. We all got involved in something. During my freshman year, innocence surrounded me and although eventually my shell would crack, not until this year have I broken through. This year I decided that it is time to soar on my own. Graduation is the beginning of a new flight for all of us, the class of 1997. Confucius once said, "Our greatest glory is not in never failing but in rising every time we fall." As a class, we have done our best not to fail. Pep assemblies, dances, food drives, games, and conquering the senior lot are just some of the things we accomplished. We pu... Graduation Speech -- Graduation Speech, Commencement Address High school. I never realized it would bring so many changes. As I walked on to campus my freshman year, my mindset was the same as it was in eighth grade; the young are invincible. And although I was excited to come to high school I had many fears. Would the classes be too hard, would I make new friends, what could I become involved in, and most of all -- what if I get lost? All of these fears eventually subsided and I, along with all of you, found the right classes and the right teachers. We all made new friends. We all got involved in something. During my freshman year, innocence surrounded me and although eventually my shell would crack, not until this year have I broken through. This year I decided that it is time to soar on my own. Graduation is the beginning of a new flight for all of us, the class of 1997. Confucius once said, "Our greatest glory is not in never failing but in rising every time we fall." As a class, we have done our best not to fail. Pep assemblies, dances, food drives, games, and conquering the senior lot are just some of the things we accomplished. We pu...

Dracula Extension Speech

From the ability to change physical form to a blood-thirsty nature society has always been morbidly fascinated with the concept of Dracula. It has not only seduced literature such as Bram Stoker’s Dracula but also infected mainstream music and film industries. Many composers have expanded and appropriated much of the vampire genre such as Francis Ford Coppola’s Dracula and Slayer’s Bloodline. The ideas surrounding vampires has been of good versus evil, the nature of religion and immortality.It is due to these notions which allow us to assess the visual and literary techniques, and context of these texts where vampires have long grasped the general population’s interest. Bram Stoker’s Dracula deals with the concept of vampirism in a ‘black and white’ view. The main antagonist is seen as a demonic monster that defied the status quo and attacked the innocent. Stoker purposely uses the technique of writing the novel in first person of every character except for Dracula creating a sense of mystery and foreboding, as the characters and readers themself is uncertain about Dracula’s true nature.However, the reader is hinted that Dracula is characterised as a sinister monster by small occurrences such as his feeding of a young child to the three vampires where Jonathan recounts, ‘there was a gasp and a low wail, as a half-smothered child†¦ I was aghast’. This scene in the early chapters of the book highlights the inhumanity of Dracula where Stoker demonstrates that this character is not only evil but also void of any morals. However in later appropriations, the monster is no longer seen as pure evil, but in fact has the ability to be more humane.In Coppola’s Dracula the opening scenes showcase the creation of Dracula, demonstrating the transition from human to monster. Not only does this allow the audience to understand the existence of this monster but also empathise with this creature, blu rring the lines between good and evil. However the audience is still reminded that Dracula is still an evil monster despite him being given the human capacity of love as he feeds the three vampires a baby and says ‘Yes, I too can love. And I shall love again.    Despite this, Slayer’s Dracula sticks with the original characterisation of Stoker’s Dracula. The imagery that is used throughout Bloodline heavily coincides with the gothic motifs of vampirism such as ‘Blo11od fests’ and supernatural nocturnal manifestations such as ‘Night hides’ and ‘hunting packs. ’ Both Draculas are also void of human emotions and only seek to infect and destroy human lives. This is outlined when Stoker’s Dracula goes to England and attacks the innocent, where he forces Mina to become a vampire ‘flesh of my flesh’ by drinking his own blood as revenge to the slayers.This inhumane nature of Dracula attacking the innocent is al so portrayed throughout the chorus of Bloodline, ‘I'll kill you and your dreams tonight†¦Bleed your death upon me, Let your bloodline feed my youth. ’ Symbolism is a significant link between Stoker’s, Coppola’s and Slayer’s Dracula. Stoker and Slayer’s Dracula represents the anti-Christ, a forbidden entity which engaged readers from the repressed Victorian Era. It is through this symbolism that Dracula is portrayed as a supernatural evil where Stoker’s Dracula is repelled by any holy relics such as the crucifix.The believed ulterior motives of Dracula is made apparent by Slayer’s Dracula as he feels â€Å"Betrayed eternally’ by God and seeks to inflict his pain onto others as he chants ‘‘I’ll rip inside your soul, contaminating the world, defying God and son. ’ This strong inclination demonstrates the extent of how evil Dracula is and that his chosen actions are done to be the twisted paral lel of God’s. In addition, Dracula’s blood consumption in all three texts acts as a perverse parallel of the Holy Communion as it is gruesomely similar to Christian believers who re-enact the ‘drinking’ of Christ’s blood.However Dracula’s strength comes from consuming people’s blood rather than giving it freely, as Renfield suggests, ‘The blood is the life! ’ in an epiphany whilst undertaking his sadistic experiments. This is evident as Stoker’s and Coppola’s Dracula grows stronger as Lucy’s health continues to deteriorate after his feeding on her. However society’s fascination is not based purely on the occult of the vampire but rather the more alluring attribute of being immortal. Stoker’s Dracula represents a creature that does not age nor fall ill, aspects which society today continues to strive to obtain.Thus a time limit is of no great significance to Dracula as he continues his att acks on turning many innocent people into vampires and in turn, inflict the same curse onto them as he states ‘My revenge has just begun! I spread it over centuries and time is on my side. † Similarly, Slayer’s Dracula also deals with the concept of immortality where he also feels the desire to attack innocent people as he states ‘I will live forever†¦ in my veins your eternity. ’ Both these characters are obsessed with turning masses of people into their own kind with the knowledge that immortality comes at a grave rice- a trade up for the soul. This price however is acknowledged by Coppola’s Dracula as he cannot bring himself to completely turn Mina due to his feelings for her. This decision allows the audience to empathise with Dracula as he is given a human emotion of compassion where he cannot bear to let Mina be cursed to live a life of being hated, feared and soulless. This is shown during the scenes when Dracula has cut open his ve in for her to drink but stops her as he exclaims ‘You’ll be cursed as I am†¦I love you too much to condemn you. Thus the concept of immortality is an object of desire by Mina as she yearns to live eternally with Dracula but this resistance by him allows the audience to witness the little ‘good’ that he has and in turn, demonstrates that society’s fascination of immortality should be viewed as a curse rather than blessing. Throughout the analysis of these texts, it is apparent that the key elements of Dracula are good versus evil, the role of religion and immortality.It is due to these elements which capture our interest in the concept of vampirism where we are continually enticed to delve into the darker realms of an occult and explore the concept of immortality. Stoker’s Dracula as well as its appropriations effectively portrays the possessive nature of this character where there is a dependency on people’s blood for life as well as the ease of manipulating victims into giving their life force which accounts for the obsessive fascination of Dracula.

Anti War Activism in the World of Cyberspace & Beyond Essay

The group this study examines is an anti war group, called IVAW or Iraq Veterans Against the War (http://www. ivaw. org) initially organized by veterans of the Iraq War in 2004, one year after the start of the war in Iraq, and have expanded their mission to opposing the conflict in Afghanistan. This is clearly a group with potential, with a defined core demographic, but one which is, while sophisticated in the tools it is using, failing in its fundamental mission and goals, not to mention not maximizing the considerable power of the tools it has at its disposal. Yet despite these failings, the group is extremely holistic and uses many proven tactics, albeit unsuccessfully or not maximally utilized or executed, either lifted directly or fused into a new medium, used across many historical struggles – ones for civil rights, gender equity, art as protest, AIDS activism, and even class struggle, although in the latter issue, the group is still struggling to find its way to define its strategy effectively as all social activist groups do in America on this issue. But the fact remains, you won’t find many graduates of Harvard stationed in Kabul. And in a country reeling from high unemployment it is a perfect time to hit the establishment on exactly this issue. Overall Organizational Structure National Overview The current organization is a mostly virtual 501(c) 3 (non lobbying) non profit, with a national office located in New York City, and a website. There are four full time employees, 1,700 members, who are listed online, and 61 chapters in 48 states. Figure 1: IVAW Chapters Nationally Regional Organization The regional chapters are staffed by volunteer state/field organizers to coordinate state wide campaigns of all sorts (described below). The group has volunteer speakers (mostly vets) and a board. Core Demographics & Membership The core demographic are vets, both old and young, and their families. The socioeconomic level is primarily blue collar working class and those from America’s heartland, who signed up to serve because they had no sense of American foreign policy, or enlisted in the National Guard to get a college or advanced education in the first place, without realizing that they would be called upon to serve in actual combat and for repeated tours of duty which is unprecedented in American history. To the extent that the organization provides educational outreach, they are exceptional in their holistic approach. Where the group fails is how they do not effectively use the tools at their disposal to mobilize their membership. And that failure is contributing both to their low member count and to their ability to mobilize a mass protest to both wars. Fundraising The group raises funds through membership dues, volunteer fundraising efforts and selling merchandise. What is interesting and highly unique if not commendable about the merchandising it sells, however, is that much of it is produced by members, so the group is actively contributing both through their membership dues AND through their personal experiences to support the organization financially. It is a unique, therapeutic, and self sustaining model and one that creates greater unity for members. It is also a tactic, along with alternative outlets for TV production borrowed from the AIDS movement and The Quilt, which used the same tactics, albeit not always online, although the gay community, in particular, was one of the FIRST niches as a community, to use the internet and art as a way of building community, particularly in response to AIDS and social exclusion, not to mention build a social protest movement over 20 years ago. Tactics Employed & Why Website As Information & Organizing Tool The group uses various tactics including predominant reliance on its website as an information source and organizing tool. Despite the cyber advantage, their tactics mirror many of those used in classic anti war organizing efforts, from Vietnam onwards, with a few other movements mixed in (such as ACT UP). It’s just mostly anti Vietnam war protest gone cyber. However the website also includes valuable information that includes sections for those who would not necessarily know how to find it, or have the education to even know where to look. As a result, it is a valuable information tool for its members alone, not to mention free to anyone who stumbles across the website. Information includes: Supporting War Resisters Publishing the activities and ongoing stories of those who are actively refusing to participate in the policy of stop-loss, or the policy of forcing soldiers to serve repeated tours of duty against their will. Further the group is following each case and actively encouraging its membership to support each active resister by contacting the army base in question to support the resister to the army brass. Providing Information on IRR (Resisting Individual Ready Reserve Recall) Intimidation Tactics The group provides information about DoD’s increasingly aggressive tactics to force people who are no longer required to report for National Guard Duty, how to avoid being penalized or how to get legal guidance and representation online. Resources for Active Duty Service people, National Guard and Reserves The group provides information to active duty service members about what rights they have, posted on their website. Press Aggregator/Social Media Tool The group is actively promoting its message throughout both the traditional media and the blogosphere. The articles it generates are also posted on its website as links to the other sites and these articles serve as both information for readers and as links in a social community as part of an online activist strategy. Active Projects In addition to being a passive information source, the group is actively documenting the experiences of vets both as a healing tool and as an education and outreach effort. These include: Combat Paper: A sort of AIDS Quilt project for veterans, who literally beat their uniforms into paper and make these into art projects, transforming psychological scars and wounds into art as a healing process. Warrior Writer’s Project: A collection of essays that are the culmination of creative workshops (3 already have been held) where vets talk about their experiences in a healing environment and then write these experiences down. One book has already been compiled from such writing. At the second and third exhibits, readings from the first book were combined with photographs from the war. More exhibits are planned and so is a second book. Truth In Recruiting: Small groups are organized where vets talk about the lies the military perpetuates in recruiting and what to expect of active service. Veteran Gulf Reconstruction Project: The group is trying to raise money online to help rebuild the destroyed gulf communities they believe the money going to fight the wars is being diverted from rebuilding and further, vets living in the region. Coalitions: The group is building coalitions online with other natural allies. Listed groups on the website include: Veterans for Peace, Military Families Speak Out, Gold Star Families For Peace, Vietnam Veterans Against the War, Bring Them Home Now! Campaign, National Youth and Student Peace Coalition and United for Peace and Justice. The Blog & Social Media: The group has its own blog on its website and its members are clearly using social media networks as well (including posting video on You Tube and Vimeo for example). Field Events/Individual Speak Outs/Educational Events: The group holds events around the country, organized by the state organizers and often filmed and posted on the website. These range from policy discussions to individual vets’ who’ve served, who talk about their experiences in the field and why they are opposed to the wars. The Winter Soldier Project: By far, the most effective and powerful tool but underutilized for some unknown reason, is a project they have initiated called the Winter Soldier Project. It consists of short films, distributed almost everywhere on the internet, from the actual website of the group, to Vimeo to You Tube. One particularly powerful documentary is linked here. Why these have not gone viral is beyond comprehension, particularly given their powerful testimony, gripping video, and every day people reacting to what they hear in hardly militant circumstances, hardly the â€Å"hippy radical militant† anti war protester stereotype. The Role of the Group as an â€Å"Activist† Organization The activities of the group are clearly activist, as described in the activities above with a clearly defined agenda: to stop the wars and reinvest the money in America to build a more just and peaceful country and world. That is the fundamental definition of an activist organization, and one that uses traditional tools of an anti-war group at that, updated for the cyber age. The fact that they are so conscious and holistic in their approach to both stopping the wars and linking this to social inequity, civil rights and other societal injustices is even further evidence of their rightful appellation as an activist group. A Holistic Approach to Resistance The group is clearly using tried and true tactics as many online organizing groups before it. Unfortunately, in part, probably due to lack of funding, a mostly volunteer organization and a battered population of members, many of whom are on disability themselves, the group is severely limited in the kind of money it can raise and the ability of its members due to complicated disabilities that doctors still don’t know how to treat. Strategic and Tactical Failures Part of the group’s failure is the failure to identify the right demographics or utilize â€Å"cross niche† strategies for viral and social marketing for the powerful information they have to share and have already collected. Clearly they understand that linking to other veterans’ and student organizations is important, and clearly from the videos they produce, they are attracting a multicultural audience across middle America for their presentations, and not turning them off with militant tactics (such as Larry Kramer used or those used during the white student campus protests during Vietnam). That said, the latter two campaigns were highly effective, and achieved their goals, as much as they engendered violent reaction. One issue that is directly responsible for the group’s failure to capture more attention, is that they fall short, just as many before them, including the Obama campaign, of connecting in the way different demographic groups use the technology they have access to – in other words understanding that with the proliferation of G3 cell phones capable of accessing the internet for example, lower class people have access to the internet, but activists who want to reach them, in this case precisely the demographic this group wants to reach, but don’t know how to do so. A theory expanded upon by Lavato when he writes: â€Å"The next step of activism is for grassroots groups to connect online and offline organizing like Obama did, but targeting working-class people†¦. And the first step is for us to learn how our communities use their media and to engage them on their own terms. † This certainly answers the question for example, with a national unemployment rate as high as it is, and again falling predominantly on this demographic, why aren’t these videos, much less membership going through the roof? Even Larry Kramer was able to organize the sick and dying into an effective national organization WITHOUT THE INTERNET. That said, his tactics were very different. Perhaps that might explain why anti war efforts now including this group are so ineffective. Because the population Larry Kramer was fighting for was far more ostracized if not stigmatized than mostly straight young kids fighting for their country. How come these soldiers and vets are so ineffective seven years into two wars when Kramer effectively changed the way the government dealt with a devastating epidemic it otherwise would have ignored in far less time with far less effective tools? The answer lies in that IVAW have all the right instincts, and all the right tools, but they are fundamentally failing to implement them in the right ways. And that comes from a disconnect in strategy and class that is always present in every social movement that is driven from top down, rather than the grassroots. Which seems to be the problem here too. Strategic and Logistical Overhaul The group needs to start targeting states where there are large populations of military bases, and thus vets, and states with horrific social services (i. e. Medicaid), combined with high unemployment rates, like Texas, North Carolina, California, Colorado, etc. as shown on the map below. Figure 2: Map of 3 Month Decline in Economic Activity February – April 2010 The group needs to plot strategy demographically and economically if they are really going to make a difference, just like a political campaign. Cyberspace is a very nice place, but you have to ground it to have an effect. Feet on the ground and votes in ballot boxes are ultimately the most effective weapon in any organizational change â€Å"we can believe in,† to paraphrase a recent presidential candidate who used such techniques far more effectively. Conclusion The group is using tactics borrowed from successful grassroots and cyber online activist organizations such as Move On, (which may be the source of one of its failings) and of course political organizations of all kinds, offline and on including the presidential campaign of Barack Obama, MoveOn, ACT UP to even those used in the early days of anti-Vietnam protests. Why they haven’t connected to OTHER niche groups outside of the traditional ones they are already connected to is rather shocking, particularly given their sophistication in other areas. It also explains why they aren’t meeting their mission. Particularly as Obama has just pushed through the largest military budget in history. America is spending more for war under a Democratic administration, than even Bush, who expanded DoD’s budget to an all time high. The time is ripe for a group like this, with all the tools it has at its disposal, to explode, based on historical precedent and current widespread economic domestic suffering. It is a tragic case of a great idea, with all the right tools and dedicated people, who just don’t know how to execute their strategy and connect it to a larger, mainstream (or cross niche audiences) who will connect with the right message to help them achieve the ends they desire. An end to all wars and a reinvestment of America’s considerable resources in causes that are both domestic and associated with socioeconomic justice in America. Bibliography Cappuccio, S. N. (2006). Mothers of Soldiers and the Iraq War: Justification through Breakfast Shows on ABC, CBS, and NBC. Women and Language, 29(1), 3+. Retrieved May 11, 2010 Cox, M. S. (2006). â€Å"Keep Our Black Warriors out of the Draft†: The Vietnam Antiwar Movement at Southern University, 1968-1973. Educational Foundations, 20(1-2), 123+. Retrieved May 11, 2010 Hayes, C. (2008). MoveOn Ten Years Later. TheHollywoodliberal. com. Retrieved May 12, 2010 Juhasz, A. (1995). AIDS Tv: Identity, Community, and Alternative Video. Durham, NC: Duke University Press. Retrieved May 11, 2010 Lovato, R. (2008, November/December). Upload Real Change. Colorlines, 11, 16+. Retrieved May 11, 2010 Poitier, B. (2007). Activist Larry Kramer Is Not Nice. Harvard. edu. gazette. com. Retrieved May 12, 2010 Seiler L. & Hamburg D. (2010). Obama’s first year: leading an empire in decline. Greenchange. org. Retrieved May 12, 2010 Wyatt-Morley, C. (1997). AIDS Memoir: Journal of an HIV-Positive Mother. West Hartford, CT: Kumarian Press. Retrieved May 11, 2010 Zuniga, R. (2002). The Work of Artists in a Databased Society: Net. Art as Online Activism. Afterimage, Vol. 29. Retrieved May 11, 2010

Customer vs. Client

Customer vs. Client Customer vs. Client Customer vs. Client By Mark Nichol What’s the difference between a customer and a client? Substantially, not much but as we all know on some level, the exchange of currency for goods and services is more about the style than the substance. Savvy merchants have blurred the distinction in the interests of encouraging business by conferring prestige on potential purchasers. First, word origins: Customer’s root word, custom, ultimately derives from the Latin verb consuescere, â€Å"to accustom,† and the sense of a person who buys something from another perhaps stems from the idea of purchasing as being a habit. Client (the plural can be clients or clientele) also comes from Latin, in the form of clientem, â€Å"follower,† which may be related to the root word of incline. This sense persists in the phrase â€Å"client state,† referring to a nation dependent on another for security or other support. The two terms have traditionally differed widely in usage: A customer is simply a recipient of products or services in exchange for money. Even though the relationship to the provider might be long lasting, the sense is of discrete exchanges. By contrast, a client is engaged in a more qualitative relationship in which the provider generally applies professional skills to offer often intangible commodities such as legal services, insurance policies, and the like. (Another distinction is that a customer is more likely to visit a retail establishment, whereas a client may more easily receive services without being physically present at the place of business. The escalation of mail-order business spurred by online retailing, however, has blurred this distinction.) Because of the greater perceived value associated with provision of professional services, businesses not normally classified as providers of such have taken to referring to their customers as clients. Technically, there’s nothing wrong with that; why shouldn’t an auto mechanic refer to people with car trouble as clients rather than customers? As I mentioned above, it’s all about the prestige: A streetwalker services customers, but an escort sees clients. Synonyms for customer and client are available, but they have their limits: A buyer is someone who pays for something, but the word also refers to someone employed by or otherwise associated with a company who purchases things wholesale to later be sold as is or as part of a retail product by that company. Patron is more limited in connotation than customer or client; it generally refers to someone purchasing an aesthetic experience such as a performance or a meal rather than carting items from a shelf to a checkout stand. It also applies, however, to a supporter (as in â€Å"a patron of the arts†) or a guardian (as in â€Å"a patron saint†). Guest is an elegant way to describe someone acquiring lodging or otherwise remaining on the business premises for an extended time but seems pretentious for other usages. Meanwhile, consumer seems too impersonal and is best reserved for referring, in singular or plural form, to connote a typical person who buys products or services or the general public in that role. Other synonyms such as user (or â€Å"end user†) are highly specific to technological products and services, and yet others are clunky (purchaser, vendee) or describe someone on the way to becoming a customer or client but not yet there (prospect, shopper). Your best bet is to weigh customer and client and, with candor, determine which is more appropriate for the context. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Misused Words category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:25 Subordinating ConjunctionsList of Greek Words in the English LanguageIs "Number" Singular or Plural?

US Federal Government Employee Benefits

US Federal Government Employee Benefits According to data from US Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), the federal government employs over 2 million civilian workers. That’s about 1.5 percent of the nearly 133 million workers BLS counted in all industries in the United States. Along with salaries or wages, employee compensation in the federal government includes benefits  such as subsidized health insurance and many more. Federal government employees enjoy a wide range of family-friendly benefits that go far beyond insurance and retirement. Each agency is free to offer its own benefits package. The following is a sample of federal government employee benefits. Federal Employees Retirement System (FERS):  Benefits based on the amount of service and salary history.Thrift Savings Plan (TSP):  In addition to the defined or basic benefits provided by the FERS plan, current federal employees can boost their retirement savings by participating in the Thrift Savings Plan (TSP). The TSP offers the same types of savings and tax benefits as a 401(k) plan.Social Security:  Credit earned while working with the Government. Retirement benefits, disability protection, and survivor protection.  All federal employees hired after 1983 pay Social Security taxes, including the President of the United States, the Vice President, members of Congress, sitting federal judges, certain legislative branch employees, and most political appointees. The government collects these taxes in the same amounts as they would if these employees worked in the private sector at the same salary level.Medicare - Part A:  Available to you at no cost at age 65.Federal Emplo yees Health Benefits Program (FEHB):  No waiting periods, required medical exam, or age/physical condition restrictions. Federal Employees Group Life Insurance (FEGLI):  Group term life insurance - Basic life insurance and three options (Standard, Additional, and Family).Leave and Holidays:  13 days sick leave each year; 13, 20, or 26 days of vacation leave each year, depending on years of service; 10 days paid holiday each year.Family Friendly Leave Flexibilities:  Flexible Work Schedules; Telecommuting; Family Friendly Leave Policies; Employee Assistance Program (EAP); Part-Time Job Sharing Positions; Child Elder Care Resources Adoption Information/Incentives; Child Support Services.Work/Life Programs:  Every Federal agency has an Employee Assistance Program (EAP), which has a goal to restore employees to full productivity. More specifically, the EAP provides free, confidential short-term counseling to identify the employees problem and, when appropriate, make a referral to an outside organization, facility, or program that can assist the employee in resolving his or her problem.Recruitment Bonus:  Lump-sum bonus to newly appointed employees for difficult-to-fill positions. Up to 25 percent  of basic pay may be paid prior to the employee entering on duty. A service agreement with repayment plan if service time not fulfilled. Relocation Bonus:  Lump-sum bonus for difficult-to-fill position in a different commuting area; up to 25 percent  of basic pay. A service agreement with repayment plan if service time not fulfilled.Retention Allowance:  Continuing payment to retain departing employees; up to 25% of basic pay.Employee Development:  Career Resource Centers; Training OpportunitiesStudent Loan Repayment: Permits agencies to repay the student loans of Federal employees; used at the discretion of the agency.Long Term Care Insurance Program: John Hancock and MetLife formed Long Term Care Partners, a jointly owned new company exclusively dedicated to serving the long-term care insurance needs of the Federal Family.Child Care Subsidy Program: Federal agencies, at their own discretion, can use appropriated funds, including revolving funds otherwise available for salaries, to assist lower income federal employees with the costs of childcare.

Ylindrospermopsin Alkaloids Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Ylindrospermopsin Alkaloids - Research Paper Example CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION The description of cylindrospermopsin alkaloids is such that they consist of three soluble water toxins that comprise of cylindrospermopsin (CYN) (1), 7-deoxy-cylindrospermopsin (7-deoxy-CYN) (2) and also 7-epi-cylindrospermopsin (7-epi-CYN) (3). Researchers have signaled towards certain problems related to the toxicological characteristics of these natural compounds, their existence in water and which was followed by their removal. The structural features of these alkaloids are in fact extraordinary comprising of a sulfonated tricyclic guanidine linked to a uracil ring. The beginning of this analysis centers on the isolation of these innate products followed by the investigation into the environmental impact of cylindrospermopsin alkaloids contamination. (1) Figure 1. The cylindrospermopsin alkaloids of cylindrospermopsin (1),7-deoxy-cylindrospermopsin (2) and 7-epi-cylindrospermopsin (3). 1.1 ISOLATION AND CHARACTERIZATION Credited to Moore and his team usin g a combination of NMR and mass spetroscopy, the extraction of Cylindrospermopsin (1) took place in 1992 from the cyanobacterium Cylindrospermopsis raciborskii. While 7-deoxy-cylindrospermopsin (2) was discovered in 1999, owing to the purification of cylindrospermopsin which was performed on a regular basis. It was also concluded that the derivate of cylindrospermopsin could also exist in the form of a pair of tautomers because of the fact that the uracil ring’s vinylic proton was not identified during the application of the H NMR technique as shown in figure 2. However, as every sample of 7-deoxy-cylindrospermopsin (2) was observed the incidence of the uracil group (4) was confirmed by examining the absorbance maximum (?max). Even... Credited to Moore and his team using a combination of NMR and mass spetroscopy, the extraction of Cylindrospermopsin (1) took place in 1992 from the cyanobacterium Cylindrospermopsis raciborskii. While 7-deoxy-cylindrospermopsin (2) was discovered in 1999, owing to the purification of cylindrospermopsin which was performed on a regular basis. It was also concluded that the derivate of cylindrospermopsin could also exist in the form of a pair of tautomers because of the fact that the uracil ring’s vinylic proton was not identified during the application of the H NMR technique as shown in figure 2. However, as every sample of 7-deoxy-cylindrospermopsin (2) was observed the incidence of the uracil group (4) was confirmed by examining the absorbance maximum (ÃŽ »max). Even though, the measurement of approximate quantity was not possible, it was evident that as a mixture of compounds the natural material indeed existed. The discovery of the 7-epi-cylindrospermopsin took place in 20 02 and it was originally established that it was synthesized with Aphanizomenon ovalisporum. The approximation of cylindrospermopsin’s relative stereochemistry was made by considering the unusualtautomer enol presence of the uracil D ring. To explain the concept, uracil D as described in structure 6 is a intramolecularly hydrogen linked to a nitrogen terminus of the guanidine group. The NMR evidence was made to be the basis of the product correlation which understandably led the research participants to conclude that structure 7 was the most appropriate and relevant description of cylindrospermopsin (1).

PC&D_Inc Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

PC&D_Inc - Case Study Example Similarly, innovation formed part of the organization’s approaches to its successful ventures (Docenti, 1986: 1-7; Hill and Jones, 2012: 167, 168). Though the company later faced challenges into productivity, it previously had successful initiatives towards value creation. PC&D achieved value creation through innovation into quality products that were highly regarded by consumers. This for instance established the company as a national market leader. Similarly, marketing initiatives that were achieved through a strong marketing team and a determined sales team ‘added value’ to the company’s ability to generate revenues (Docenti, 1986: 1-9; Hill and Jones, 2012: 167, 168). The company’s major resource was its employees and management. While it shared same raw materials with its competitors, it was able to organize its management and employees towards successful competitive advantage. The essence of the company’s employees was demonstrated when it lost its sales team leading to declined revenues (Docenti, 1986: 1-9; Hill and Jones, 2012: 167, 168). The success that was realized by the company before its fall was therefore because of its expansion and competitive advantage strategies, its successful value creation and its resource in dedicated human