Peace and War Essay

It was a wonderful period in human history. Peace existed through the large mass of geographic territory that many people of different cultures inhabited. It was the summer and the multitude of the population of these various neighboring countries enjoyed the prosperity they were blessed with. Then, a time moved forward†¦ It was a tragic and horrible way to die: drowning in one’s own blood because holes have been burned in the lungs due to the corrosive inhaled vapors that the canisters exploded. This was the unfortunate result of chemical and gas weapons. Could there be a worse way to die? Yes: starving on the battlefield as evidenced by gaunt corpses littering the landscape. This was the reality of World War One. Europe was a beautiful place in the early 20th century and the notion of war was the furthest thing from anyone’s mind. That is, it was far removed from people’s thoughts until a chain of events occurred that launched the massive devastation of The Great War. Perhaps those people in Europe only deluded themselves into thinking war as impossible. After all, the history of Europe (and many parts of the rest of the world) is one that chronicles war after war after war. The ability to live without war is simply a utopian fantasy that is not based in reality. In evidence of this, all one needs to do is look at the entirety of history. Throughout history, thousands of wars have been fought. Some have been justifiable acts of self defense, others have been aggressive acts of imperialism, and others have been simply been colossal errors in judgment that had tragic consequences. Regardless of the reasons for the onset of war, the fact remains that wars occurred and will continue to occur throughout human history. Peace and War Page 2 In reality, there will always be aggressive actions as long as nations seek international and domestic goals that may be at odds with other nations; cultural differences exist between societies that lead to tensions; imperial expansions and aggressions become a nation’s standard policy; dictatorships that are not accountable to their population continue to flourish; and human nature continues to embody Darwin’s model of â€Å"survival of the fittest. † This does not mean that human beings are bloodthirsty and crave violence and the subjugation of others. What it means is that nations seek self-preservation. In order to maintain this self-preservation (whether it is a noble goal or an imperial one), nations will require military buildups in order to deter interference or threats to their international and domestic interests. When such threats are perceived action will be taken. Of course, such action usually invites retaliation and the result is often full scale war. While we wish such a situation were avoidable, it has occurred so often in history that it was become, for lack of a better word, â€Å"standard operating procedure† on the part of certain world powers and they are not going to change this policy any time soon. In other words, for war to be eliminated from the landscape of human existence, then human nature itself must change. For all serious considerations, human nature is not going to change on such a grand scale that war actions become obsolete. Again, such a concept is utopianism not based in pragmatic, practical reality; but, rather, a complete disregard for the consistent actions of human beings since biblical times. As such, war will never disappear and will remain part of the human landscape forever more.

College App

â€Å"Where are you from? † My stomach tightens and my mouth goes dry as I rack my brain for an answer that doesn't Involve explaining my entire life story. My anxiety over such a simple question may seem unnecessary, but I have spent the past seventeen years trying to come up with a suitable answer to that same question. I have grown up a proud daughter of a united States Army soldier, and in my father's line of work, never knowing where we'll be sent next is part of the job description. I was born in New York and from there moved to Georgia. Then we moved to Rhode Island, back to New York, Kansas,Virginia, and finally Washington. That's seven states. Not to mention, I have attended six different public schools and lived in seven different houses. You could say I've always been the new girl. My life is not Just in brown cardboard boxes though; it's picking up and moving at any given time. What can I say In response to this question? Should I say the snow drifts in New York be cause that's where I was born? Or should I say the rolling hills of Kansas because three years Is the longest Vive spent In one place? Some may feel sorry for me, but I couldn't Imagine Miming any other way.We are not defined by a geographic location, but rather the challenges we face and how we learn from them. Unexpected deployments and goodbyes have shown me that some lessons are harder than others, but I know that I am heading towards a bright future. Through my travels I have experienced a wide range of cultures and lifestyles that some can only dream of. Being an Army brat has made me adaptable, flexible, and empathic. So, a simple answer to this question Just wouldn't do my story Justice. I take a deep breath, smile, and say â€Å"I'm from everywhere. †

Civil Disobedience by Henry David

In his essay, Civil Disobedience, Henry David Thoreau introduced his audience to his personal thoughts regarding the injustice of the American government. Moreover, he sought to encourage individual action to boycott any law or institution instilled by the government that was in any way conflicting with a person’s beliefs. A true revolutionary at heart, Thoreau put his words into action by refusing to pay his poll tax for 6 years and was forced to spend the night in jail because of it.Rather than seeking reform by cooperating with the corrupt institutions of his time, he refused to become a part of them and condemned their existence. â€Å"That government is best which governs least† is the quote Thoreau incorporated to his opening sentence. In a nutshell, he was attempting to convey that considering the fact the government exists to serve the people, it should not do much to interfere with the quotidian life of those under its spectrum of power. He sees the American go vernment as an evil that only watches out for the interests of the majority and blatantly ignores those who are not part of that general consensus.He believes that a government in â€Å"which the majority rule in all cases cannot be based on justice† (Civil Disobedience, Page 24) and that is essentially what a democracy represents in his eyes. Contrary to popular belief, he states that all of the achievements that had been accredited to the government were only made possible out of the character of the American people because they embraced the change and put it into action. Slavery was another social injustice that he thought was only in place because of the oppressive nature of the American government.Another one of his purposes throughout the course of his essay is to inspire others to stand up for their values and morals regardless of general opinions. He compared the American government to a machine that when gone astray can only be stopped by the â€Å"counter-frictionà ¢â‚¬  provided by a person’s dissent. Furthermore, he justified the complete disregard for norms instilled by the government by arguing that he thinks â€Å"we should be men first and subjects afterwards† (Civil Disobedience, Page 26).He states that a democracy, although theoretically supposed to encourage reform, suppresses attempts that don’t match up to its ideals therefore making it hypocritical and untrustworthy. He backed up his statements by providing his own personal experience of getting arrested for refusing to pay poll tax. In this way he hopes to convince readers to act out against policies that they disagree with enacted by the government. Lastly, he wishes that a government arises that will not be plagued by the impurity of the one he currently a subject of.He believes that the only way a government can justly rule its subjects is â€Å"†¦until the State comes to recognize the individual as a higher and independent power, from which all its own power and authority are derived†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Civil Disobedience, Page 348). Although Thoreau admits that democracy is a step forward from other forms of oppressive governments, it is not the final step. He believes that a â€Å"perfect and glorious State† would cherish individuality and never impose ideas on the subjects it governs.Although not plainly stated in the essay, equality is one of the many things that it is unknowingly striving for. Overall, Civil Disobedience is a critique of the wrongful practices of the US government that seeks support in achieving change by refusing to participate in its corrupt practices. Thoreau emphasizes the idea of a government that doesn’t taint the ideas and opinions of the individuals and forces them to conform to values that are not theirs.

Tax law Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Tax law - Coursework Example This paper will look at four different examples of taxes and explain these examples using scenarios (Amatucci, GonzaÃŒ lez, Trzaskalik and Amatucci 2006). The tax imposed on Brain’s family home and shop is classified as a capital gain tax. This is because the price at which he sold it was higher than the price in which he bought it plus all the commissions and the improvement cost. There is also the net rate of appreciation. He bought the empty premises ten years ago at 750 thousand dollars and started his business. He sold it at 1,880,000 dollars. The tax imposed here will be nominal based which implies that it will not change with inflation rates. Brain’s property will be taxed as a long-term capital gain since he has owned the property and business for over one year. The shop and land will be taxed at 15% to 20%. The trading stock, goodwill, and fittings may be exempted from taxation since they are long term gains acquired and are below the 20 percent mark of the total amount. Since Brain is married, and his wife has a 5% ownership in the company where Brain 45% and is worth 5.4 million dollars, the couple will be excluded a tax of up to 540 thousand dollars. The 20 thousand dollars, he received for signing an agreement of not establishing a business in a 10 kilometer radius of the property he sold, will not also be taxed. However, he has to stick to the agreement for five years to avoid a penalty on him. The tax imposed on income from property is either capital on general principles or income. In George’s case, the sale of trees at a cost of 20 dollars for each tree is classified as farm income since the trees are farm produce and are taxable under the farm income statement. This implies George will be taxed on a rate stipulated in the country that changes with time. In the second year, George will also be taxed on the 9

Type of Foundation Depending On the Ground Conditions Assignment - 1

Type of Foundation Depending On the Ground Conditions - Assignment Example According to the research findings, it can, therefore, be said that the problem with the chalk is that it is highly porous and its structure contains excessive voids in it. Hence there is a high possibility of water transmission through chalk layers. In case the water table rises there will be no obstruction offered by chalk therefore it will reach the foundation level and eventually enter the structure; this is why we are using trench fill, as we know concrete is a compact and non porous material it will give water and damp proofing to the foundation and walls as well as structural stability as well and eventually there is very less settlement. The other reason for the trench fill foundation is the presence of clay which has expansive and swelling properties when water enters it, due to this property whenever the clay comes in interaction of water it bulges and swell hence produces an uplift pressure which results into a danger of differential and localized movement of foundation wh ich leads to stresses and instability in the structure. This problem is largely minimized with trench fill footing in which reinforced concrete component counteracts the uplift force hence no settlement is seen. Then another rationale which makes the choice of trench fill detrimental is the foundation depth restriction which is made by the chalk layer at 1m depth and as a result now we can not go to greater depths for foundations and have to select a foundation that sustains the load within this 1 m, in that case, we are left with no other solution but to select trench fill foundation. In a different part of the site, the ground conditions are very different with a soil of poor and uneven bearing capacity. This essay also explores what type of foundation should be used in this location. Now the problem in this situation is the soils weak bearing capacity and less strength to sustain loads without letting them penetrate or move. There are two solutions to this problem one is to chang e the soil in that area with a suitable soil but that is not going to be the option here. On the other hand, another solution to the problem can be to somehow to reduce the load on the soil so that it can support the structure and for that reduction in the load we are going to use a different type of foundation which would be the Mat foundation.

The intercaction between business and the external environment - Pest Essay

The intercaction between business and the external environment - Pest Amalysis - Essay Example With competition in the food and drinks retail market becoming stiffer in the UK market, the company has come up with strategy of increasing its retail outlet in other parts of the world as a way of maintaining growth in the market. The company has set out four manning goals which have been a source of it strong in the market n and also source of growth. (T-online, 2008) Tesco is one of the largest retail chains in the industry holding more than 30% of the market share in the UK which has been seen as dominance in the sector. The supermarket accounts for 1 of every 8 pounds that are spent by UK shoppers in food and drinks industry. Currently the store has more than 400,000 employees in all its retail outlets. It has integrated the interest of different stakeholders in its goals and objective which have been the growth point. The company and an initial goal of becoming a strong UK core business. In this regard the company had set out a goal of growing in the external world but with a special focus of the UK market. In the last few years the industry had been record marginal growth but Tesco had been recording massive growth in its operation. This has been through given customers value for their money and offering cheaper products. Since it was established the company set out goals of becoming strong food and nonfood earlier in the UK market. These were two industrial sectors that were growing very fast in the consumer world and therefore the initial targets were aimed at reaching to all the market segments that dealt with these goods. Since then it has grown to be the largest online retailer in the world with more that 1 millions customer in the word. The company also set goal of diversifying its operations in the external market and a 30% of the stores are found out side the UK and the company has been having a plan of increasing it to 45% of their markets by investing in Central Europe and Asia. The company also set out a

Cancer Alley Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Cancer Alley - Essay Example According to Gale (2006), â€Å"in 2002 Louisiana had the second-highest death rate from cancer in the United States. Although the national average is 206 deaths per 100,000, Louisiana's rate is 237.3 deaths per 100,000† (Gale, 2006, par. 2). In another website, the CajunCrawfishPie.com, the question was evaluated and responded to by indicating that â€Å"several scientific studies have been conducted which claim that the rate of cancer in the region is actually lower than the national average. According to the Cato Institute, cancer alley is an environmental myth. Many scientists have also declared that if there are any higher rates of illnesses within cancer alley, they are likely due to the high rates of people that smoke tobacco. Local residents and environmental activists have claimed that the few scientific studies that have been conducted in the region have been faulty due to sloppy record keeping by the state† (CajunCrawfishPie.com, 2008, par. 3). With the contr asting information, there is a need to seek other researches to determine the validity of the contentions.

An Empirical Project on The Effect of Variable A on Variable B Research Paper

An Empirical Project on The Effect of Variable A on Variable B - Research Paper Example In this research, the two variables in the investigation is the price of a pair of shoe and its demand in the market. To achieve this, several tools would be in place to determine whether there is indeed a relationship between the price and demand of a commodity. The tool used in this research is the price of elasticity of demand. In calculating the price elasticity of demand, the tool exploits the use of other several factors which have a role in determining demand and price of a commodity. The price of a single type of shoe can influence the demand for that pair in a number of ways. Price is in different stimuli that affect demand. To come up with the right conclusion on the effect of price on demand, certain price factors to be considered include the average price, nominal price, real price, nominal price, price levels and price changes (Landsburg 18). To explore such dimensions of price, it would depend on the data available. The price level refers to the price that is set on a c ommodity in a certain region. To approximate the price level, it is important to use the price index. The nominal value is the value of the commodity in terms of real currency. The real value is a measure of the market purchasing power after some period of time. In determining the estimates for the price elasticity of demand, the following model was in use; wGi= aGi + bGln xi + qGHln pH + †¢ zi + uGi. ... This formula could manipulate the amount of data that would be used to determine the price elasticity of demand for a pair of shoe in the market. An important tool to determine the relationship between price and demand is the study of the price elasticity of demand. The price elasticity of demand is an economic tool that shows the change that exists when there is a change in quantity demanded, on the price of the commodity. In addition, the price elasticity of demand could give a percentage change in the quantity in demand, when the price of the commodity changes by a single percentage. Most of the goods in the market would have a negative price elasticity, thus a negative price elasticity of demand. In many cases, the sign is not that important when analyzing the data. With a price elasticity of demand that is less than one absolute value, the demand is inelastic. This is interpreted as the change that occur at the price have little effect on the quantity that the market would deman d of the good. When the price elasticity of demand is more than one percent, the demand for the commodity is elastic, that is, a slight change in the price of the commodity would result to great change on the good’s quantity demanded (Landsburg 478). The above diagram shows a perfect inelastic price elasticity of demand. (Landsburg 489) The above diagram shows a perfect elasticity. The price elasticity of demand for a pair of shoes would depend on the following factors; if the substitute good is available, the percentage of income, necessity and other factors. As stated above, the price elasticity of demand for a good relates the price of a commodity to its demand. Therefore, when calculating the price elasticity of demand for a pair of shoe

Management Planning in TYCO Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Management Planning in TYCO - Case Study Example The well-conceived mission statement defines the fundamental unique purpose that sets TYCO apart from other firms of its type and defines where the company wants to be in the next 5 to 10 years. TYCO operates on the global market marked by fierce competition and constant changes. For this reason, TYCO uses planning as one of the main tools which help it to reach the stated goals and objectives. The implementation of strategy occurs at all levels of the organization, including both corporate and individual departments (www.tyco.com). To that end, each department and support unit complement and support one another (Marketing Planning, n.d.). Planning involves such important elements of management as strategy formulation defined s an ongoing approach that combines both successful practices of the past with fresh and innovative approaches to the future. In TYCO, the midlevel manager is not the person who is responsible for creating corporate strategy. Rather, it is his responsibility to translate corporate strategy into action. TYCO's core competency is to create unique products and services in comparison to its competitors (Planning 1995). In TYCO, all managers find themselves to a greater or lesser extent faced with the challenge of trying to balance routine office responsibilities (i.e., phone calls, answering requests for information, etc.) with the need to complete organizational goals and project tasks. In order to successfully plan, the manager must be good at establishing priorities. To that end, effective managers exercise good time management skills and set aside time to complete organizational goals and project tasks. For instance, TYCO's consultant must routinely balance competing requirements in selecting technologies and service vendors. The consultant, however, may choose to weigh the criteria differently, depending on the project and client requirements (www.tyco.com). The planning model checklist allows the consultant to attach an assigned numeric value for each vendor proposal across different categories that can be totaled and scored and used as a basis for comparison. The planning function of manage ment helps TYCO to organize its activities and performance in accordance with external and internal changes and market demands which influence the company and its customers (Planning 1995). At the beginning of the 21st century, legal issues, ethics and corporate social responsibility become the core of any business. Legal issues involve industry requirements and product quality, product standards and international regulations. The globalization of economic activity has forced TYCO to carefully consider its economic policies. The common motivation behind such regulatory and economic reforms is the perceived inefficiency of central planning and government-protected monopolies. One of the vivid examples of legal issues is TYCO's compliance with the international price regulations. Operating on a global scale, TYCO follows international regulations and rules. For TYCO it is more in keeping with performance-based regulation - that is, to create rewards and incentives for effective utility management. Price regulation has built into the regulatory framework a system of rewards and penalties. There are a number of ways to build in incentives,

Evaluation of Corporate Performance Research Paper

Evaluation of Corporate Performance - Research Paper Example Its Server and Tools division offers server software, training to developers, cloud-based services. Its Business division offers Microsoft Office and related products. The company markets its products and services across most part of the world. Income Statements (all figures in millions) Year ended June 30, 2011 2012 2013 2014 (projected) Revenue $ 69,943 73,723 77,849 85,634 Cost of Revenue $ 15,577 17,530 20,249 22,274 Gross Profit $ 54,366 56,193 57,600 63,360 Total operating expense $ 27,205 34,430 30,836 33,920 Income before income tax $ 28,071 22,267 27,052 29,940 Provision for income tax $ 4,921 5,289 5,189 5,689 Net income $ 23,150 16,978 21,863 24,251 Figures for the year ended 2014 has been arrived at by projecting 10% growth on revenues and cost of revenues. Income tax provision has been made in the same percentage as made in the current year to arrive at the net income after tax. Ratio Analysis Liquidity Ratios Liquidity of the company can be denoted by several kinds such as current ratio, quick ratio, cash ratio, and cash conversion cycle. a. Current Ratio is given as Current Assets/Current Liabilities For the year ended 2013, Microsoft’s current Ratio = 101,466/37,417 = 2.71 b. Quick Ratio This is also known as the acid-test ratio. This takes into account the most liquid current assets to cover current liabilities. Inventory and less liquid current assets that cannot be converted to cash quickly are eliminated while calculating this ratio. This informs more liquid status of the company. Quick Ratio = (Cash & Equivalents + Accounts Receivable + Short-term Investments)/ Current Liabilities = (3804 + 17,486+73,218)/37,417 = 2.52 Financial Leverage c. The debt-equity ratio is one of the popular financial leverage ratios that provides information regarding the company's leverage state. This is given as = total liability/shareholder's equity = 63,487/78,944 = 0.8 This indicates that for every single dollar of share holder’s equity, there i s 0.8 dollar of debt. d. Debt Ratio Debt ratio is defined as total liabilities/total assets For Microsoft, it is calculated as 63,487/142,431= 0.45 In other words, 45% of the assets of Microsoft have been created from debt funds. Asset Management The return on assets employed in the company will provide information about how assets are used to generate return for shareholders. e. Return on Total Assets It is defined as Net Profit/ total assets employed = 21,863/142,431 =15.34% However, to understand how efficiently current assets are managed in enhancing shareholder’s wealth, it would be appropriate to find return on current assets. f. Return on Current Assets It can be given as net profit/current assets = 21,863/101,466 = 21.55% Profitability There are several measures of profitability and in this paper we calculate net profit margin and profitability against shareholder’s equity. g. Net Profit Margin is given as: Net profit/ revenue = 21,863/77,849 = 28% h. Profitabi lity on shareholders’ fund It can be given as net profit/ total equity = 21,863/78,944 = 27.7% Market Value The market value of the firm can be given by its market capitalization. i. Market Capitalization of Microsoft = No. of shares ? price/share = 8,328 ? 35.52 = $295.8 Billions j. Market Multiples (P/E) It will be interesting to understand P/E ratio in details. It is important to note that the closing price of any stock keeps fluctuating on daily

Prewriting Exercise Essay Example for Free

Prewriting Exercise Essay STEP 2) Describe two controversies surrounding this topic The first controversy is with regard to the idea of a universal health care system for the United States as a solution to its current health care situation of having an increasing rate of uninsurance among its working populace. While there is considerable current literature that argue that government should be able to provide adequate health care for all of its citizens, the questions of prioritization and proper allocation of funding comes into play. Specific research would have to be found to quantify as well as qualify the problem of uninsurance so as to evaluate just how much government action ought to be necessary.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The second controversy is whether or not current government action in terms of federal funding for Medicare and Medicaid is sufficient to address the needs of Americans. This issue examines what both of the programs currently provide and how much each has actually helped the American public in facing health service issues. Again, factual research need to be complied in order to present a clear picture of how much these programs are helping so that a sound conclusion regarding whether they are helping enough can be reached. STEP 3) Describe which side of the argument you feel is right and why I believe that given the current health care needs of the American public, serious consideration of establishing a universal health are system should be deeply considered. I also believe that current measures are not enough. Of course, these are assertions that I’ve initially made based on personal experiences in my interactions with individuals seeking health care support from the government. Therefore, I would need to gather more solid, factual information to support my claims. I will need to explore the concept of a universal health care system better in terms of its application to other countries so that I can have a deeper perspective on what needs to be done. STEP 4) Formulate a working thesis sentence The development of a universal health care system is a positive step towards the solution of the American uninsurance problem.

Business Communication Essay Example for Free

Business Communication Essay His vision to give young, fashion forward men and women a unique way to express their individuality through style resulted in millions of customers worldwide and propelled his designs to the forefront of the fashion industry. It all started in 1990, with a mere $1,100 in his bank account, Madden started crafting shoe designs from his Queens-based factory and the  Steve Madden  brand was born. With a lot of courage, years of experience in the footwear industry, and unique creative designs,  Steve Madden  formed his own successful enterprise. A year later, Madden introduced a redefined version of platform shoes, resulting in one of the most spectacular success stories in the early 1990s. Inspired by his favorite rock and roll stars of the 1970s, the thick, chunky heel became  Steve Maddens  signature and a phenomenon in womens shoes. Maddens footwear vision is continuously evolving. Steve once said, What inspires me is what I see people wearing on the streets of the world from New York to London and beyond. I get my ideas and inspiration from pounding the pavement all over the world. Today, fashion is dictated by individual style. To me, the fashion of the future is anything that a young guy or girl feels good wearing as long as  its put together in the right way. (www. stevemadden . com) Today, the  Steve Madden  brand represents a lifestyle. It is about embracing fashion while still maintaining that funky independence that first defined the brand 20 years ago. Expanding now into apparel and other accessories such as dresses, handbags, belts, sunwear, cold weather, outerwear and hosiery,  Steve Madden  is always looking toward to the future. As 2013 begins, more exciting opportunities are on the horizon including re-packaging, new store design rollout and expansion in global markets. The days when the future did not seem so bright In April 2002, Mr. Madden found that neither his investors nor federal judges take too kindly to stock manipulation and securities fraud. Steve Maddens talents as a shoe designer helped him build a 240 million dollar empire in his own name. But by his own admission, that wasnt enough he was greedy for more. His greed cost him about eight million dollars and control of the very company that brought him such riches. Madden was sentenced in 2002 to 41 months in prison for his role in a stock swindle scheme coordinated by the now-closed brokerage, Stratton Oakmont. His wrongdoings include conspiring to manipulate the stock prices of more than 20 companies, including his own. And, he did it at the expense not only of the public but his own investors who lost more than 100 million. Besides paying restitution, Madden had to resign as CEO of Steve Madden Ltd and leave the board of directors. He is also barred from holding a position as officer for seven years. However, he did retain a creative position until his prison sentence began that fall and will likely fill that capacity upon release later this spring. Meanwhile, those left to keep the company going in his absence quickly started their damage control efforts. A new board of directors was quickly assembled. Among those elected were Maddens brother and a corporate accounting guru. Once their former leader began repaying his debt to society, company heads began cleaning Steve Madden Limiteds financial house; making sure stock prices accurately reflected the health of the business. The company fully cooperated with the SECs investigation and hired an independent auditing company to keep watch over the process. Those days and even today, the companys financial practices are an open and well-kept book. Anyone could get the latest financial news from the same site by loging on to for the latest shoe designs. After heading off anymore potential legal woes, management began to focus on keeping the business itself walking tall. If the companys sales reports were any indication, not having Steve hasnt really hurt Steve Madden Limited. While the founder has been in a Florida prison, the companys management built on his vision by expanding into other areas. Steve by Steve Madden moved the company from the trendy 16 to 24 year old demographic into upscale footwear for a more mature crowd. The company licensed Candies and Unionbay footwear for men. Rather than try and replace or substitute Maddens design eye, they took what they had and introduced it to new markets. It worked. According to company reports, nearly all of the brands have increased profit margins and inventory levels. In a press release, management expressed hope that their profits would have increased in 2005 as compared 2004 (which actually happened). 2. Corporate Communication after the Bad Publicity But prison didnt break Steve Madden—or his company. Like so many of todays celebrity convicts, from Martha Stewart to Paris Hilton, Madden says he emerged a changed person. He served out his sentence, doing yardwork, teaching business classes to other inmates, reading four books a week (from The Devil Wears Prada to David McCulloughs Truman) and pumping iron obsessively. I used to wear this tank top in prison, he says. And Id stare at myself and flex. I never did that before. He even got married, to a Madden employee who came for regular visits. And when he was released in April 2005, Madden says, he was stronger physically, mentally, spiritually than hed ever been. After the return of Steve Madden from prison, he decided not to shy away from the imminent release of its namesake founder fro m prison. The company was promoting the return of its creative leader in a series of eye-catching posters and print advertisements, and is having some fun with it in the process. While the ads do not say where Madden has been, one suggests, in a wink-wink kind of way, that Mr. Madden has not been on a sabbatical, a secret mission or up the  Amazon  collecting snakes: A new meaning for the word spring time. Steve returns. Spring 2005. The company had launched a rather interesting press campaign celebrating Steve Maddens upcoming release from prison. One features a girl wearing an ankle bracelet and another features an empty pair of shoes with the words, Theres one pair of shoes thats been impossible to fill. Steve returns Spring 2005. Others allude to Madden getting sprung in Spring 2005. Financial Dynamics, the shoe retailers investor relations agency, says the campaign is a positive way of dealing with the prison sentence. It makes light of the companys troubles, sending a message that the board is over it and customers should feel the same way. Its also a sure fire way to get people talking about the brand. When it comes to sales, the only bad publicit y is no publicity. Once upon a time, a company, particularly one that sold products to the public, would shun publicity if it possibly could when a senior executive encountered legal woes. The idea that a company especially one like Steve Madden, which sells shoes mostly to teenage girls and women in their 20s would actually run ads calling attention to its leaders prison past would have flabbergasted experts in fields like brand identity, advertising and public relations. I love controversy; I love pushing the envelope, but when you have a younger customer you have a responsibility to take the law and authority seriously, said James LaForce, partner at LaForce Stevens in New York, a marketing communications agency specializing in fashion and entertainment clients. That was of course before Martha Stewart, whose public image has, by initial measures, seemingly gained in stature after her release from federal prison. A colorful paper flap decorated with a photograph of her cradling a chicken, declaring Welcome home, Martha, was attached to the cover of Aprils Martha Stewart Living magazine, published by  Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia. Companies like Mr. Maddens and Ms. Stewarts may also be more likely to embrace their convicted executives, since those executives have plenty of influence in the boardroom. Reticence about an executives past also predates a world in which rappers can find the sales of their music increasing in seeming lock step with the severity of their scrapes with the law. Its in now to be out, out of prison, that is, said Paul Cappelli, chief executive at the Ad Store in New York, an advertising agency that creates campaigns for brands like  JetBlue. I could see myself suggesting something like this to a client, Cappelli said, that instead of ignoring the 5,000-pound elephant in the corner, you might as well bring it out into the open and make hay of it. Robert Passikoff, who has been tracking consumer response to the Martha Stewart brand as president of Brand Keys in New York, a brand and customer-loyalty consultant, said that his index of its value had recently risen. The index has climbed to 96, Mr. Passikoff said, compared with a bottom of 62 lower than  Enron, he said before she entered prison. (The peak was 122 in May 2002. ) Is the new badge of honor, I served my time? We are not sure it doesnt ultimately hurt, even if the American public is largely forgiving when people serve their time. The campaign is trying to make him the face of the brand but who wants the face with numbers under it? Steve Madden is different from Martha Stewart, because unlike her, he was never the brand. He was the label, so a lot of people dont know who the guy was and didnt know he went to jail. That has worked to Steve Maddens advantage so far,, citing the history of the Madden brand index: It was 110 before Madden went to prison and fell only slightly, to 106. However, it is worth mentioning that consumers seem to be more forgiving about men than women. Brian Russak, a senior editor at Footwear News in New York who covers Madden, said: It seems like an obvious play to Martha Stewart, but I have to wonder whether that resonates with Maddens consumers. We often say here the target consumer doesnt know there is a Steve Madden. Trey Laird, president and executive creative director at Laird Partners in New York, an advertising agency that creates campaigns for fashion and apparel brands like DKNY and Gap, also drew distinctions between Madden and Stewart. The Madden ads are kind of cute and clever, but this is not a Martha Stewart situation, when the whole country is watching because shes a cultural icon. I dont feel most consumers know about Steve Maddens sentence, he added, or if they knew, they forgot about it. The Madden campaign can be perceived as a parody of Ms. Stewarts story meant to get people talking about the brand, Laird said, particularly because the Madden brand has never been a brand that has taken itself seriously. For instance, a recent Madden campaign featured caricatures of its customers with comically oversized heads. A statement by Financial Dynamics read: Steven Madden Ltd. looks forward to the much anticipated return of the unique talent and creative design expertise of Steve Madden in the spring of 2005. Further, the company believes the current advertising campaign embodies and enhances the Steve Madden brand. If the rise in Martha Stewart stock is any indication, getting out of prison seems to be in. The publicity generated by Maddens return could translate into increased exposure and, in turn, increase sales in the future. Plus, having him back at the head of the creative team will bring his company something it hasnt had in a while his ability to give the millions of women who buy his shoes what they want. So, If theres one thing Americans enjoy more than watching the mighty fall, its granting them forgiveness. You have to go through a process. You made your mistake, you did your time, Madden says. You have to be a little contrite to get redemption. To judge from the recent performance of his company, Maddens been forgiven—at least by that segment of the population that favors shoes with animal prints, polka dots and four-inch heels. Sales were $475. 2 million in 2006, up from $375. 8 million the year he was released, while net income more than doubled to $46. 3 million. Madden is quick to admit that hes made mistakes. But he says he wouldnt change a thing about his life. Everything Ive done has gotten me to where I am today, he says. His prison experience has clearly had an impact on his designs. The next offering from the prison groom: wedding shoes, called I Do. Its a huge market, he says. Marriage is sort of back on track. And so is Steve Madden. . The Crisis 3. 1. Chain of events In summer 2004, Maddens luck turned when he was indicted for stock fraud and money laundering in both the Eastern and Southern Districts of New York. According to the charges, Madden secretly purchased stock on behalf of the principals of two corrupt penny-stock brokerage firms Stratton Oakmont Securities of Lake Success, Long Island, and Monroe Parker, of Purchase, Westchester helping them manipulate 29 initial public offerings, including that of his own company. That same day, the Securities and Exchange Commission came after him with a civil suit alleging Madden had employed devices, schemes, and artifices to defraud. If convicted in either of the criminal cases, Madden would face up to more than twenty years in prison and several million dollars in fines. If he were to lose the SEC case, which was put on hold until the criminal cases were completed, he could be forced to pay millions more. Even worse, he ran the risk of being barred from serving as an officer or director of any public company, including his own. On the day of his arrest, while Madden was busy pleading not guilty to all charges and pledging his East Hampton country house and the Long Island homes of two friends in order to make bail, shares of Steve Madden Limited fell almost 15 percent to $11. 85 before nasdaq halted trading. Two days later, when the stock (which trades under the ticker SHOO) reopened, it fell to $6. 88. Though the stock has traded up as high as $13. 88 due to a recent rally in the footwear sector, it has yet to regain its pre-indictment momentum. The storys sad. Its a great story. Its a real American story. My old friends took me public, they turned out to be crooks, and Im innocent†, Madden has been quoted to say. While the indictment has severely damaged Steve Madden Limiteds standing on Wall Street – there was a consolidated class-action shareholder lawsuit pending against the company, and it has hired Bear Stearns to explore all possible strategic options, including an outright sale it hasnt tarnished Steve Maddens reputation as a design and marketing genius. He has some special knack at figuring out what teen girls want to wear, says Sanford Bernstein analyst Faye Landes. According to teen-market consultant Irma Zandl, who ranks Madden with Nike and Adidas in the top five brands that girls favor, his shoes are popular because they are fabulously over-the-top. Steve Maddens are not for the conservative girl, she says. If hes going to add leopard skin, hell do it ten times more outrageously than anybody else. Its for people who think less is less. Every week following his indictment, Madden used to get more than a thousand e-mails from his customers, only a handful of which referred to his legal predicament. In fact, the company not only refused to retrench, instead it was aggressively expanding. At that year’s Grammy Awards, the company made a bid for high-profile customers by giving out fluffy leopard-print slippers to special guests. Three days later, at the Western Shoe Association show in Las Vegas, Madden introduced his newest product line at the time: Steve Madden Mens. 3. 2. The players While Madden was working his way up in the shoe industry, his best friend, Danny Porush, was stuck in a rut. After five years at Boston University, he left without getting a degree and bounced from job to job, working for, and starting up, a variety of small businesses, including an ambulance company called SureRide Ambulette. In 1988, while watching his son in the playground of his Bayside, Queens, apartment complex, he met an unlikely mentor: a dental-school dropout and former door-to-door meat and seafood salesman named Jordan Belfort. A short, brash, young Jewish guy, Belfort boasted he was making $50,000 a month selling penny stocks out of a boiler room in Great Neck. As Porush would later testify, Belfort confided the business was half a scam, but the chance to increase his income tenfold was a siren call Porush couldnt resist. Two days after they met, he closed down SureRide and joined the firm. Using fanciful scripts, the brokers Belforts childhood friends from Queens, Porushs golf buddies, money-crazed kids recruited from Long Island college campuses sold and manipulated tiny, high-risk IPOs, according to testimony, by grossly exaggerating their prospects, boasting that they had inside information, and generally saying whatever was necessary to make a sale. Their underwritings encompassed a vast array of low-rent businesses and all had the same trading pattern the stocks would soar when they touted them but then come crashing down when the brokers unloaded their stakes. In 1992, Steve Madden made a decision that at the time seemed natural enough: He hired his best friends firm to be his banker. While Madden knew that the SEC had already accused Stratton of engaging in price manipulation and employing high-pressure sales tactics, he considered it a legitimate company. They cleared through Bear Stearns, Madden recalls, pointing out that Strattons link to the giant firm gave it an aura of respectability. Besides, Stratton was not only willing to raise capital for Steve Madden Limited in the private markets, it wanted to take the tiny, unproven company public. Like his friend Porush, Madden was going to enter the big leagues. On December 13, 1993, only seven months after the first (and, at that time, only) Steve Madden shoe store had opened on Broadway in SoHo, Stratton Oakmont took the company public at $4 a share. The most active stock on the nasdaq on the day of its offering, SHOO closed at $8 a share, a huge gain in the pre-Internet era. Just a few months later, it sunk to $3. With only $5. 3 million in sales, a net loss of $900,000, and a boom-bust trading history, the company simply seemed to be nother one of Strattons overhyped IPOs. But it wasnt. In 1994, Madden surprised his critics. With hardly any advertising, Madden increased sales by almost 40 percent. The next year, sales tripled to $39 million, prompting Madden to hire Rhonda Brown, the former merchandise president of Macys East, to become his chief of operations. Soon, Madden had celebrity customers Carmen Electra, Sarah Michelle Gellar, Neve Campbell, Alyssa Milano, Mary J. Blige. By 1997, the company was generating $59 million in total sales, operating seventeen stores, and introducing a clothing line designed for a customer who doesnt break the law but does break the rules. That spring, in a lengthy profile in  Footwear News,  Madden compared his company to an underground rock-and-roll band that gets its first hit single. Meanwhile, over in lake success, Porush and Belfort were struggling to stave off failure. While they were still raking in tens of millions a year from stock manipulations, regulators were working to put Stratton out of business. In March 1994, they nearly did: As part of a settlement with the SEC, Belfort was barred from the securities industry for life. But Porush managed to garner a lighter sanction, barred for just one year from supervising other brokers. In the wake of the ruling, Belfort continued to control the firm through Porush. Inevitably, though, the relationship between the partners soured. In January 1997, the company eventually filed for bankruptcy. By that time, Gregory Coleman, an agent in the FBIs securities-fraud squad at 26 Federal Plaza, had been investigating Stratton for several years. In 1995, under instructions from federal prosecutors, Coleman sent out a flurry of subpoenas to some of Strattons clients, including Madden, in an effort to create a panic that would culminate in a race to the governments door. One year later, U. S. Customs officers in Miami arrested a young French private banker who worked for Union Banquaire Privee in Switzerland. The arrest was made as part of an unrelated money-laundering sting operation, but hoping to win a lighter sentence, the banker began to talk. By sheer coincidence, he had two clients who were of particular interest to the government: Jordan Belfort and Danny Porush. On September 2, 1998, just a few minutes after pulling out of the driveway of his Old Brookville mansion to take his 5-year-old daughter to the video store, 36-year-old Jordan Ross Belfort was arrested for conspiracy to commit money laundering and securities fraud. The next day, 41-year-old Daniel Mark Porush was nabbed down in Boca Raton. Faced with maximum sentences of twenty years in prison, both men came to the same conclusion: After only a week in jail, they decided to flip. It was like taking down the heads of a major crime family, says former assistant U. S. ttorney Joel Cohen, the prosecutor in the indictment. But in this case, the organized crime was the brokerage business. Porush and Belfort secretly wore wires to record their friends and dragged down dozens in their wake: lawyers and accountants, bankers and brokers. 3. 3. Effects For the government, Steve Madden was one of the biggest catches in the dragnet. The shoe mogul had been a focus of the investigation for some t ime; the SEC had cited his companys IPO as one of those that had been manipulated, and believed that Madden was routinely getting, and flipping, stock in other Stratton deals. Although some of Strattons IPOs had grown into profitable businesses, only Maddens company had become a significant success. But according to Belfort, the celebrity CEO was also a rat hole, a place to hide stock. Porush, his P. S. 1 buddy, didnt hesitate to give him up either. Madden, as he recently testified at the trial of Strattons former auditor, was deep into the fraud with us. According to the Madden indictments, the designers personal connection to Stratton began in 1991, when Madden agreed to secretly buy and sell stock in Stratton deals on Porushs behalf with the understanding that he would incur no risk. (Porush, as a principal of the firm, was restricted in his ability to trade stock in these companies. ) The deal was that Madden would earn a predetermined profit on each transaction, then kick back to Porush a significant portion of the proceeds, either in cash or by purchasing stock from Stratton that was deliberately overpriced. Once Belfort was barred from the securiti es industry in 1994, Madden allegedly entered a similar agreement with him regarding the Stratton spinoff Monroe Parker. But according to the SEC, Madden wasnt only ripping off the general investing public, he was ripping off his own shareholders as well. In early 1993, the SEC alleges, Madden agreed that the IPO of his company would be a manipulation similar to previous Stratton IPO manipulations . . . such as Master Glaziers Karate International. In exchange for his agreement to follow Porush and Belforts instructions, they allegedly promised that even if SHOO . . . went bankrupt, Madden would make money on the SHOO IPO. In addition, as Belfort recently testified at the Stratton auditors trial, Belfort had a secret deal with Steve Madden to maintain control of his company after it went public. Because Belfort and his partners had financed Steve Madden Limiteds early development, they owned a majority stake in the company before it went public. But the National Association of Securities Dealers refused to list SHOO unless Belfort then under investigation for securities fraud dramatically reduced his stake. As Belfort testified, he agreed to sell his shares to a corporation controlled by Madden to placate the NASD, but it was a bo gus transaction. Under the secret deal which we had written down and legally signed, says Belfort, he was the true owner. Belfort exerted an extraordinary influence over the company. Strattons auditor, who was a friend of Belforts, also became Maddens auditor. In 1994, after Belfort was kicked out of the securities industry, he even joined SHOO as a consultant. In addition, according to Porushs testimony, key Madden employees were given stock in Stratton IPOs as part of their compensation. (A Madden spokesperson denies such an arrangement existed. ) As Porush explained, Part of the package when we recruited people for Steve Madden was . . . because youre in with us, youll make money on every new issue. In 1997, the Belfort-Madden friendship ended abruptly around the time Belfort asked Madden to sell some of the SHOO stock he secretly owned. Madden refused, and the dispute quickly turned into a bitter lawsuit, during which Belfort produced the deal they had signed. Madden admitted the signature was his but insisted he had been manipulated and tricked into signing by someone he had trusted as my friend, business associate, underwriter, and confidant. According to Madden, the demise of the friendship actually preceded the lawsuit, when Belfort started showing up stoned for work. I have no intention of allowing Jordan Belfort to ruin SMLs bright future by threatening me or by tarnishing the companys reputation, Madden vowed at the time. Ultimately, he settled the suit for $4. 3 million in cash, an outcome that favored his adversary. In the fall of 1999, around the time the government went public with the news that Porush and Belfort had been secretly cooperating, the U. S. Attorneys Office approached Maddens personal attorney, Joel Winograd, to discuss its case against his client. Soon, rumors that Madden might be indicted began wending their way around Wall Street. . Assessment As many people saw it, the fact that Madden had an account at Stratt on doesnt mean he knew what Porush and Belfort were doing, let alone that he was in any way involved. Madden was buying stock and making money, buying stock and losing money. He made more than he lost, but he didnt know what improprieties they were involved in. As Madden himself put it in the course of his lawsuit with Jordan Belfort: My strengths as a businessman lie in the design and sale of womens shoes, and I have never been comfortable with complicated or technical legal or business documents . . . I have always relied on the people around me. When asked why Madden employed Belfort as a consultant at Steve Madden Limited in 1994, after he was barred from the securities industry, his lawyer replies, Steve Madden is a loyal friend and a devoted human being. He didnt turn his back on Jordan Belfort in his time of need. And what about the $80,000 cash kickback Madden allegedly gave to a Stratton golf buddy in the locker room of the Engineers Country Club in Roslyn, Long Island? Its totally ridiculous, says Winograd. Cash? The government can explain from here to kingdom come. There is no way Steve would have had that amount of cash, and he wouldnt have had that in a bag walking around a country club. I think these fellows have watched too many spy thrillers. Lets say Steve was fooled, Mr. Madden’s lawyer summarizes. You can be savvy in business, but you may not be savvy in love and friendship. In any case, Steve will overcome, he vows. His company will continue to have record quarters of sales and earnings, and this will have a fairy-tale ending. Perhaps. But even if Madden was acquitted in both of his criminal trials, he still lost the civil case and, control of his company. For Steve Madden Limited, such an outcome might be manageable. Mr. Madden is extremely talented and a tremendous business partner, and hes wonderful, says the companys president, Rhonda Brown. But we could continue to grow our business profitably . . . whether hes on the golf course, or whatever. For Steve Madden the man, it could be devastating. My life, he says, is my company. 5. Conclusions Throughout the paper, we have researched and debated both sides of the issue and conversely presented both approaches by those involved or ever taking interest in the matter. Some say that the fashion mogul got what he deserved, bashing him for being a fraud under a publicly endearing persona, while others, close friends and devoted customers alike, stood behind him and helped if not the man, the company itself from disaster. Should a great visionary not content himself with being the image upfront and the genius behind the empire he built and instead take charge of other key areas that make a business successful rather than trusting others, trusted friends or proven experts with managing them? That may be true and perhaps this was where Mr. Madden made the biggest mistake of all. While the case was and still is controversial, the company succeeded in overcoming the crisis and continues to be among the most profitable and booming shoe fashion business in the States.

Achievements Of Mikhail Baryshnikov As A Dancer

Achievements Of Mikhail Baryshnikov As A Dancer This paper is focused on dance as a form of performing arts. The paper looks at the history of dance and it looks at the life, contributions to the dance world and accomplishments that Mikhail Baryshnikov has had thought his carrer. This paper is a research paper aims at looking at the history of Mikhail Baryshnikov and how he has influenced dance. It has also highlighted his varius achievements that have been the highlight of his dancing carrer. (Sally Banes 2003 150) Mikhail Baryshnikov was born in 1948 in soviet russia. He is highly considered as one f the greatest ballet dancers. He is also a well accomplished actor. He has been creditd to being one of the few dancers who promoted modern dance and lead to its success. His roots were in Kirov Ballet which is found in Leningrad. Later in his carrer he moved to Canada. This was to incease his chances to perform modern dance. He was the artistic director for the American Ballet Theater towards the end of his carrer. He started showing his prowess in dance at a very young age and was enrolled in Vaganova School in Leningrad. He was totured by Alexander Pushkin who was his mentor and was able to succesed and he eventully won the top prize in the junior division in the Varna Competition. Ate the age of 18 in 1967 he show cased his talent in the Kirov Ballet. Due to his exceptional technique, stage performance and skill he fast become a pronciple dancer in the Vaganova school. Due to the rules of dance in soviet russia at the time he defected to canada in the hope to pursue modern forms of dance. After his defection he became the principle dancer with the American Balet Theatre. Under the direction of George Balanchine, there were a number of roles areated for him at the New York City Ballet. This dance roles as practised today by ballet dancers. Achievements. In his career Mikhail Baryshnikov gained a number of awards and achievements. He has used live performances and film to revive modern dance.His main achievement was mainly the revival of modern dance through performances. His achievements are listed below. He was nominated for the David di Donatello Awards and won the Special David Award in the year 1987 in the category for: The Turning Point(1977) for his outstanding performance in the movie and his contributions to the art of dancing. In 1989 he was nominated and won the Emmy Award for his outstanding individual performance in classical music/Dance programming in Great performances: Dance in America (1976). (PBS) for the episode Baryshnikov Dances Balanchine . (Bruce Glassman 1990 23) In 1988 he was also nominated for the Emmy Awards for outstanding Individual Achievement Classical. This was for:Great Performances: Dance in America(1976).(PBS) and for episode David Gordons made in U.S.A.he also was nominated for Outstanding Individual Performance in a Variety or Music Program for his performance in Great Performances(1972). (PBS) for episode Celebrating Gershwin. He was also nominated for the Emmy Awards in 1985 for an Outstanding Classical Program in the Performing Arts for his perfomance in Great Performances: Dance in America(1976) which he shared with Rhoda Grauer(executive producer)and Don Mischer(producer)(PBS). He as also nominated for episode Baryshnikov by Tharp with American Ballet Theatre. (Lynn Garafola 1997, pp.89) In 1982 he was nominated for the Emmy Awards for an Outstanding Variety, Music or Comedy Program for:Baryshnikov in Hollywood(1982) (TV) and shared it with Herman Krawitz(executive producer)and Don Mischer(producer)(CBS). In 1980 he was nominated for an Emmy Award for Outstanding Variety or Music Program and won. This was for his perfromance in:Baryshnikov on Broadway(1980) (TV) and shared with Herman Krawitz(executive producer), Gary Smith(producer) and Dwight Hemion (producer ABC). In 1979 he won an Emmy Award for Outstanding Individual Achievement Special Events for:Baryshnikov at the White House(1979) (TV).(PBS). In 1978 he was nominated for the Emmy Award for Special Classification of Outstanding Individual Achievement for:The Nutcracker(1977) (TV). (CBS). In 1978 he was nominated for the Golden Globes Awards, USA for the Best Motion Picture Actor in a Supporting Role for his role in:(The Turning Point1977). In 1987 he won Man of The Year Award from the Hasty Pudding Theatrical s, USA (Bruce Glassman 1990 23) Contributions to dance. He is credited for reviving and bringing new life in ballet in the United States of America. He has also taken a tour around the world with the ABT and he applied for his United states citizenship in 1986. after he gained his citizenship he worked with modern dance choreographer Mark Morris. This was in a bid to sperar head his compagn of reviving modern dance. Mikhail Baryshnikov co-founded the White Oak Dance Project IN 1986. This was a company that practced both modern and post-modern dance. (Lynn Garafola 1997 89) He toured with if the world over for 10years. He contributed to dance by encouraging and reviving modern forms of dance. Using the company he also revived the state of ballet dancing in the united states. He also created routines that are still in effect till today. People all over the world still practice and ardore balllet rotines he created. He also took solo tours around the world. He also toured with the Hells Kitchen Dance company. His greatest contribution to dance is the Baryshnikov Arts Centre in New York City. He cofounded the centre. It is dedicated to encouraging the creative arts and provides enough fascillities to hone and create artists. It has created a center for bringing to light rising artists, musicians, and dancers. He has also encouraged the growth of a new breed of dancers in the course of his carrer. He has also taught and created awareness about dance all over the world. This was due to the number of world tours he took. He contributed to dance majorly also by choreographing for many dance groups and naturing their talents. He has also been a mentor and tutor to many dancers who have grown up idolizing him. Many up coming dancers look up to him as their guide and mentor. He has inspired many modern dancers to reach out for their dreams. He has also personaly taught dadnce to many dancers around the world. Also in his old age he is still inspiring dancers to be better since he is still dancing at the age of 61. He is still very fit and dances. He is also an icon and is also very populor with soviet audiences since s oon after he started a series of highly successful appearances he became very famous. As a dancer, his great physical prowess and unsurpassed leaping ability enabled him to perform the most difficult combinations of steps with remarkable elegance of line. This has inspired most of the dancers who can from underpriveldged backgrounds to reach for their dreams. Conclusion This paper has been able to highlight the life, contributions and achievements of Mikhail Baryshnikov as a dancer. The paper has been able to highlight his major achievements and contributions. in his career Mikhail Baryshnikov gained a number of awards and achievements. He has used live performances and film to revive modern dance. He has provided a channel for up coming dansers to be able to nature their talents. He has also become a mentor,tutor and icon to many dancers who have grown up idolizing him this is due to his exceptional technique, stage performance and skill . Many up coming dancers look up to him as their guide and mentor. He has inspired many modern dancers to reach out for their dreams. He has also personaly taught dadnce to many dancers around the world.

Comparing Laurences West Side Story and Shakespeares Romeo and Juliet :: comparison compare contrast essays

Laurence's West Side Story and Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet         Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Laurence's West Side story is an apparition of Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet.   West Side Story and Romeo and Juliet differ in many ways.   Romeo and Juliet is set in Verona in about 1594.   West Side Story takes in New York City in 1957.   Tony is the modern character of Romeo and Maria is the modern character of Juliet.   In the two tragedies the major conflict is two opposing families, or gangs, do not agree of the relationship of their child.   This conflict was resolved in a very tragic manner, one of the two couples killed themselves the other couple just one got killed.   When the death of the persons happened is brought the two foes together.   West Side Story and Romeo and Juliet is indeed different in many ways.      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Three incidents show Romeo and Juliet and West Side Story differs from one another.   The first thing shows the difference between Maria and Juliet, and Romeo and Tony.   When Juliet finds that her lover Romeo is dead Juliet kills herself.   Maria does not kill herself but instead she puts her sadness into treating the two gangs with a gun.   When Romeo finds Juliet supposedly dead he drinks poison to kill himself too.   Chino killed Tony because Chino was in love with Maria but so was Tony.   This is just one way that Romeo and Juliet differ from West Side Story.      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Another way the two stories differ is the wealth of the two families, or gangs.   At the beginning of Romeo and Juliet, Shakespeare describes the Montague's and the Capulet's houses.   The size of the two houses shows how wealthy the families are.   In West Side Story the author only tells about the Sharks dwelling.   The Sharks live in an apartment which shows that the Sharks are not wealthy.   The Sharks and the Jets are very poor compared to the Capulets'' and the Montagues'.      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Swords were used in Romeo and Juliet and guns were used in West Side Story.   The reason guns were used in West Side Story was to make the story more

Domestic Violence in Victorian England :: Victorian Era

Domestic Violence in Victorian England â€Å"Wife beating† was a prominent occurrence in Victorian times. It is socially acceptable and may be seen as a characteristic of the lower classes, but â€Å"wife beating† is prevalent in all classes. In William Montagu’s social investigation Round London: Down East and Up West, he tells of women in the hospital: â€Å"Sometimes as many as twelve or fourteen women may be seen seated in the receiving-room, waiting for their bruised and bleeding faces and bodies to be attended to [†¦] In nine cases out of ten the injuries have been inflicted by brutal and perhaps drunken husbands† (Montagu). Many incidents of domestic violence in Victorian times are influenced by alcohol. But â€Å"wife beating† is present in all classes, not just the lower classes as Montagu portrays. Caroline Norton, a Victorian author in mid nineteenth century England, commonly writes of her husbands continuous â€Å"wife-beating.† Her husband being a member of parli ament is obviously not lower class. Yet she writes of his â€Å"physical violence† towards her and how the servants restrain him from â€Å"inflicting serious damage† (Norton 1). Sir Pitt also beats his wife also even though he is considered upper class. The article â€Å"Spousal Abuse† discusses that Victorian perception of religion, domestic principles, and laws allows men to justify â€Å"wife-beating.† Domestic violence during Victorian times is mainly attributed to the idea that the man is the ruler in all worlds. The man’s responsibility of being a protector is the main idea in contributing to domestic violence. In the area of religion the â€Å"emphasis of religious based subordination suggested that, for a woman to be virtuous and serve God, she must follow the lead of her husband [†¦] this gave men the impression that they had a God given right to control their wives, even if this mean through the use of physical correction† (Nolte 1). Due to the fact that religion is claimed to be an important Victorian ideal, men believe that for women to lead a virtuous life, she must follow the wishes of her husband. Even if these wishes allow her to be beat. Domestic principles of Victorian England also promoted the dominance of men. The husband was the supreme being in the house and it was â€Å"a husband’s duty to protect his wife [†¦] this authority also allowed for him to use violence, if necessary, in order to keep her in line† (Nolte 3). Caroline Norton gave evidence of this when she disagreed with her husband upon the actions of another lady.

My Biggest Adventure :: Personal Narratives Flagstaff Essays

My Biggest Adventure To start off my story I was born and raised in the same city my entire life. I grew up in the same neighborhood and even the same house, never to fully experience the sensation of moving into a new house or having to make new friends at a different school. Some may say I was lucky I never had to move, but deep down in my heart I always wanted to be that new kid and feel see what it feels like. Worst of all, my schools I had attended were only about ten minutes away from my house; all of them. School never really was one of my interests and because of that I never really studied and did homework in class instead of listening to my teachers. I just did enough to graduate from my high school and do it with grades I thought were acceptable. And of course they were acceptable enough for an acceptance letter from my first choice school, Northern Arizona University. Before I knew it, I had graduated from high school and I was preparing myself for my journey to college. I had no idea what to expect from the people and the life style I was about to encounter. One part of me felt sad that I was going to leave a lifestyle that I had become so accustomed to, while another part of me felt relieved that I was finally going to be on my own and have a freedom I have not experienced before. Finally my summer had come to end and I was packing my car for the long journey ahead of me and a new chapter in the book of my life. I started to think about all those things I was leaving behind and those things that were ahead of me. I knew that my life was about to change dramatically; I was going to be living on my own in a new environment not knowing a single person or having someone to hang out with. Out of everything that is different in Flagstaff I would have to say that the weather is the most noticeable. In Southern California the weather is the most neutral compared to the rest of the United States. We have sunny warm days all year long so in a way one could say that it is summer all year long. My Biggest Adventure :: Personal Narratives Flagstaff Essays My Biggest Adventure To start off my story I was born and raised in the same city my entire life. I grew up in the same neighborhood and even the same house, never to fully experience the sensation of moving into a new house or having to make new friends at a different school. Some may say I was lucky I never had to move, but deep down in my heart I always wanted to be that new kid and feel see what it feels like. Worst of all, my schools I had attended were only about ten minutes away from my house; all of them. School never really was one of my interests and because of that I never really studied and did homework in class instead of listening to my teachers. I just did enough to graduate from my high school and do it with grades I thought were acceptable. And of course they were acceptable enough for an acceptance letter from my first choice school, Northern Arizona University. Before I knew it, I had graduated from high school and I was preparing myself for my journey to college. I had no idea what to expect from the people and the life style I was about to encounter. One part of me felt sad that I was going to leave a lifestyle that I had become so accustomed to, while another part of me felt relieved that I was finally going to be on my own and have a freedom I have not experienced before. Finally my summer had come to end and I was packing my car for the long journey ahead of me and a new chapter in the book of my life. I started to think about all those things I was leaving behind and those things that were ahead of me. I knew that my life was about to change dramatically; I was going to be living on my own in a new environment not knowing a single person or having someone to hang out with. Out of everything that is different in Flagstaff I would have to say that the weather is the most noticeable. In Southern California the weather is the most neutral compared to the rest of the United States. We have sunny warm days all year long so in a way one could say that it is summer all year long.

Advantages and Disadvantages of the Articles of Confederation Essay

From their landing in the New World in the early 1600s, the British subjects, or colonists, were under the rule of the British King. Some colonies had more power with their own legislatures, but the British King and/or Parliament always had the final rule. Some of the British Kings tended to be more lenient than others, but when the Restoration occurred in 1660, Charles II was restored to power in England and he planned on ruling with a complete monarchy. This would cause further conflict between the colonies and England and eventually in the 1700s, a Revolution. Through this revolution, since the colonies weren’t going to be ruled by England, a new, central government had to be drawn up. This new government, however, couldn’t be too powerful due to the Americans’ fear of tyranny. The Articles of Confederation was the perfect government system for the 11 years that it held America together for. It was too weak, however, to last any longer than that. During the time of Revolution, the Articles of Confederation was the right form of central government for America, but its weaknesses in state control led to its rejection and the creation of the U.S. Constitution because they didn’t allow the federal government to control taxation and they were too weak. The Articles of Confederation was satisfying in its’ role as the central government in America during the Revolution because it held the states together and it signed the Peace Treaty of Paris, which ended the Revolutionary War. The Articles of Confederation was too weak, however, due to the fact that there was no hard currency and unruly state taxation which caused a group of farmers led by Daniel Shay to rebel against it. This rebellion, deemed Shay’s Rebellion, led to the passage of the U.S. Constitution. The Articles of Confederation was the government that allowed the states to finally centralize their government. This Confederation was very beneficial because it provided for a loose union where each state still has its sovereignty and freedoms. The Articles of Confederation had the power to declare war, make treaties with foreign countries, solve debates between states, borrow and print money, and requisition funds from the states. Because the Confederation was allowed to make treaties with foreign countries, the Treaty of Paris was signed in 1783, virtually ending the  American Revolution and giving the Americans the Western land they had been waiting for and also the land to the Mississippi. The Confederation was allowed to make this treaty, and by doing so ended the Revolutionary War. This gave America its’ freedom and independence from a monarchy at last. The Articles of Confederation was important here because it was able to do what had not been done before, which was break away from English rule and have the ability to expand westward. The Articles of Confederation also allowed for the Northwest Ordinance of 1787 to be created. This allowed for new Northwestern territories such as Wisconsin, Illinois, Michigan, Indiana, and Ohio to apply for statehood under the Articles. The Northwest Ordinance abolished slavery in the North, which hadn’t been attempted before, and it also emphasized the importance of education in the Northwestern area in the attempt of making an educated generation. Also due to the Articles of Confederation, the country was held together under one body for the 11 years during the Revolutionary War. The Patriots envisioned a centralized government when they declared their independence in 1776. The Articles of Confederation, drawn up by John Dickinson, gave them just that. The Americans at this time, however, had a great fear of tyranny. They didn’t want the new government to be too strong and take away state powers, which is why the Confederation was created as a weak government. It w as too weak, however. Even though the Articles of Confederation was successful in keeping America together and expanding its size, there were too many weaknesses that were exposed to some people. The Articles of Confederation lacked the power to control taxation. According to America’s History, â€Å"by 1780, the central government was nearly bankrupt† (201). This caused the army and General Washington to be bankrupt as well. To raise revenue, Washington called for a national tax system. With Robert Morris as his superintendent of finance, these Patriots attempted to persuade Congress to allow taxation and to levy a 5% import tax. This idea of taxation was shut down, and instead, Congress raised revenue by selling western land. At this point, people were trying to expand the power in which the Articles of Confederation holds, in the form of taxation and lack of hard currency, which caused more conflict with the lower class people. Daniel Shay and his band of angry farmers rebelled  against these unruly taxes and won control of the Massachusetts legislature (there were no chief executive or judicial branches) in order to cut taxes. This rebellion, deemed Shay’s Rebellion, was more of a symbol than a rebellion. It was a symbol of the weakness of the Articles of Confederation. This rebellion showed the Americans that this form of government was too weak and that they needed a new government that could satisfy both the states and the nation. Due to Shay’s Rebellion showing that the Articles of Confederation were too weak, the Constitution was passed. After the Articles of Confederation were rejected, the United States Constitution was created. After Shay’s Rebellion, Congress called for a Convention to revise the Articles of Confederation. Two plans were drawn up at this Convention: The Virginia and New Jersey Plans. These plans were drawn up by the different groups called the Federalists and the Antifederalists. The Federalists supported a federal union where the nation had power over the states and the Constitution, whereas the Antifederalists wanted states to have control over their own laws and have equality in representation – one vote per state – and did not support the Constitution. The Antifederalists didn’t support the Constitution because they believed that it would decrease state powers, lack a declaration of individual rights, and that the government would be run by wealthy men instead of having representatives of the yeomanry. The Federalists responded with a series of 85 essays appropriately titled The Federalist. These essays promised that the authority would be divided among three branches of government, each limited with checks and balances on the others. They also promised the addition of a Bill of Rights in the near future. These essays allowed for the ratification of the Constitution. This new form of government was notably stronger than the Articles of Confederation because it enjoyed the popular support of the people. Even though the Articles of Confederation were appropriate during the time of Revolution in the U.S. To keep the states together, it had too many weaknesses which led to its rejection and the creation of the U.S. Constitution.

Me Talk Pretty One Day

Me Talk Pretty One Day â€Å"Me Talk Pretty One Day† is an essay written by David Sedaris. David is forty-one years old, but he does not think it is too late to learn French. Despite the fact of his age he moves to Paris with the hope of learning a new language. A month before he left his city, New York, he went on some sort of evening school to learn the language just a little, before leaving for France. The apartment he got in Paris was only a ten-minute walk from school.After paying for his tuition, he was given a student ID, which gave him access to lots of facilities. He was very nervous the first day of class, because he knows that everyone there was expecting to perform, to perform well, also because he didn’t know anyone. He felt intimidated by the looks of the young students in the class, but also because their French sounded almost fluent already. He wasn’t the only foreign in class, they were gathered from lots of different countries like Poland, Germa ny, China, Holland, Korea, Italy, Yugoslavia and Japan.They were all in the same boat. French were the only language to be spoken when class starts, not only by the teacher, also by the students. The teacher talks condescending to the students at any time: â€Å"How very interesting. I thought that everyone loved the mosquito, but here, in front of all the world, you claim to detest him. How is it that we’ve been blessed with someone as unique and original as you? Tell us please. † (Line 35-37, page 1). This is the first time the students and teacher meets and the teacher is some sort of attacking them already.But no one understands everything the teacher says, only some of it. One by one the students were to tell about what they hated and loved after which the teacher were orally tearing them to pieces. When it was David’s turn, he tried to absorb as much of her abuse as he could understand. The teacher was using a method where she is questioning the students w ith all kind of questions. By using the method the students should be able to answer whenever she approached them with a question.The teacher used the students to practice any of her five fluent languages: â€Å"I hate you†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Line 88, page 3). David â€Å"gave† himself a new identity â€Å"David the hard worker† and started to ignore everything when he was in class, because he was so eager to learn it. As time passed he didn’t see improvement, but one day when the teacher was scolding, he for the first time since he arrived to France understand everything. That gave him the desire to learn even more. The tone of the essay is very calm and easily understandable.The way he in the beginning is listening to the teacher scold them by saying: â€Å"I you not have meimslsxp or lgpdmurct by this time†¦Ã¢â‚¬  he gives us a concerning about how it was just to sit there without understanding much of what you are told, which I think gives me a figurative picture. David’s attitude towards learning French is remarkable, â€Å"I’ve moved to Paris with hopes of learning the language† (Line 6, page 1) He sounds like he does not even know if he will learn it, he is just giving it a shot. It sounds like he I taking it step for step.And the fact that he only had a month with French before he arrived is fascinating and requires courage. â€Å"I absorbed as much of her abuse as I could understand, thinking – but not saying – that I find it ridiculous to assign a gender to an inanimate object incapable of disrobing and making an occasional fool of itself. Why refer to Lady Crack Pipe or Good Sir Dishrag when these things could never live up to all that their sex implied? † He thinks of commentating it, but keeps his mouth shut, because he is cleverer than that. He uses the references to â€Å"Lady Crack Pipe† and â€Å"Good Sir Dishrag† as if they were their teacher.He also calls the tea chers way of teaching is like being with a wild animal, something completely unpredictable, which was the reason why he learned to â€Å"defend† himself. In spite of his eager to learn the language he became afraid to ask for directions or stopping for coffee. The teacher made him so afraid of saying the wrong words that he didn’t want to speak at all. But when he finally understood the words the teacher was saying to him, a new world opened up in front of him and with great joy he responded: â€Å"I know the thing that you speak exact now. Talk me more, you, plus please, plus. †

Childhood story

The day started as a usual Saturday does when your eight years old, up at nine o'clock ready and raring to go for another exciting weekend full of promise. Jumping up and out of bed, pulling on my clothes and running straight downstairs forgetting about the more important things such as cleaning my teeth and getting a wash. I burst into my front room, turning the television on I walked into the kitchen. Grabbing my favourite bowl I poured in a generous helping of weetos, topping the bowl up with milk I re-entered the front room. Of course on the television were the same old children's cartoons that in wasted hours of my youthful life watching. Finishing off the cereal I just dumped my empty bowl on the nearest table. Sitting myself back down I heard my mum shouting my name from upstairs. I hurriedly went back up stairs to see what she was so desperate to talk to me about. Approaching her bedroom door I heard my sister wake up with a yawn. Today was her tenth birthday, it was quite unusual for her not be up before me especially on what I classed as the second most important day of the year! Of course the most important was Christmas! I entered my mums room, peering round the corner of her door I asked â€Å"what's the problem mum? † she beckoned me into the room putting her finger to her lips as if to say be quiet. I sat on the bed next to her. She whispered to me â€Å"do you remember what day it is? † and as I said earlier it was my sisters birthday. Later on that day I was downstairs glaring aimlessly at the pointless cartoons that have plagued televisions for years now. My sister came downstairs and entered the front room where I was sat. I had already wished her happy birthday by this time and she exclaimed, â€Å"have you seen what I've got for my birthday? To be honest I didn't really care but I didn't know then that one of her presents would change how I look for the rest of my life! She began to announce what she had been given â€Å"I've got some new dolls, hairbrushes, clothes and roller-skates† I wasn't at all interested in any of this stuff but I had to be polite, so I juts answered back â€Å"oh very nice† This encounter was the only thing of importance for a few hours. The next thing of interest was my sister had been trying her roller-skates on. She had been rolling up and down on the carpeted landing. When she had finished she left her skates dumped at the top of the stairs. I didn't even notice as I was lost in a game of sonic the hedgehog on my megadrive. It was about one o'clock when my mum shouted me down for dinner. I was really hungry and began to run down the landing. On the left hand side there was a four-foot wall to part the stairs from the landing. As I was only and still am quite small I couldn't see over the top bounding around the corner of this I stomped down onto the first step, from the second my foot hit something solid I could tell there was a problem. My foot went from underneath me and my body began to bounce down the stairs. Every time I hit the stairs another bruise appeared on my pale skin. As I fell I could see the radiator running down the right hand side of the wall at the bottom of the stairs. I knew what was going to happen but I was powerless to stop it. My head came crashing into the edge of the protruding radiator, cutting a deep hole into my skull. The pain hit me like a sledgehammer, blood filled my eyes as I began to scream. I could hardly see, everything was red, all I could make out were shapes. I heard people around me but that was the last thing I could remember. Four hours later I awoke in hospital with a big bandage around my head. The doctor was talking to my parents as I opened my eyes. They both saw me sitting up and ran straight over to me. Both were wrapping their arms around me. I asked what had happened, they explained to me my head had to glued and it would most probably scar! All I could think about though was the smell of Kentucky fried chicken coming from the bed next to me!

Olivier Panis Essay

In der film ‘Der Promise’ gibt es viele eregnisse wie kommt zwischen Sophie un Konrad, zum biespiel. An der anfang das film, konrad zi gert wann Sophie und ihre freunde geht in der Abwasserkanal. Konrad war der eignisse leute wie geht nicht in der Abwasserkanal und war bei der Deutchse Armee ertappt. Das war nur der beginne auf der probleme wie kommt zwischen Sophie und Konrad. Konrad war aufgezwungt bei ihre vater der Deutsche Armee eintreten. Konrad war ein Wandschutze. Wann Konrad der Armee verlassen hat, er ihre Ausbildung fortgesetzt. Wi hrend das Sophie fur ihr Tante arbeitet. Ihr Tante arbeitet als eine Kleider Verki uferin, fi r reich leute. Spater in das Film, Sophie und Konrad andgeordnet in Prague zu Treffen. Sie mit einander sehr gut auskommen. Sophie kleide schwanger. Aber wann der Russe Armee eindrignt Prague, dann Sophie zuri ck nach Deutschland verschwindet. Konrad besucht Sophie und ihr neue Mann, und er auch besucht ihre Kind, heisst Alex. Er war 10 jahre alt. Aber Konrad auch hat ihre eigen neue familie. Aber wir als die Beschauer, kann sehe als sie mochtet zusammen sein. Die leben aus Konrad un Sophie ist wie die leben aus Berlin. An der Anfang, Berlin war zusammen, es was nur ein Stadt heisst Berlin, aber es war abgetrennt und so war Konrad und Sophie. In der Meinung auf die groi ji hrigkeit aus der Ureinwohner, Berlin sollte als nur ein Stadt bleiben, aber die Regierung sagt als es war erforderlich. Der abgang aus Berlin auch abgesondert Sophie und Konrad.

Analysis Of Learning Style And The Implications For Teaching Education Essay

Analysis Of Learning Style And The Implications For Teaching Education Essay This piece of writing is designed to explore how I learn as a student Radiographer and how this could potentially affect the way I teach future Radiographers upon graduation. This will allow me to understand, rethink and improve my methods of teaching that will benefit and not hinder learning of the students I would be teaching. Learning is all about new skills and new information, through purposeful change or through new experiences (Reece and Walker, 2003). Kolb’s experiential learning theory was designed in order to stage learning and understand how people perceived and processed new knowledge. Kolb created a learning cycle that consisted of concrete experience, reflective observation, abstract conceptualization and active experimentation which could be entered at any point in response to a learning activity depending on the individual preference (Kolb and Kolb, 2005). According to Honey and Mumford (1992) learners can be placed into four categories, Activist, Reflector, T heorist and Pragmatist. The usual outcome is that learners are a part of all four but dominate more in one. It is even possible to adapt to different learning styles to cope with different learning situations (Fatt, 2000). In order to discover how I perceive challenges, interact with them and respond to them it is important to outline what my learning style is as people can perceive learning experiences in many different ways. Having completed the structured approach to learning styles questionnaire, it shows that I dominate more in the reflective learning style and closely followed by theorist (see appendix 2). As a reflective learner I tend to reflect on my experiences and think hard before finishing any work. I consider any implications before the activity and like to listen to and observe other people before doing it myself (Honey and Mumford, 1992) and this is exactly how I learn in practice and everyday life. This is not the ideal type of learning in some situations especially in practice. As stated above reflectors learn better when they can be allowed to stand back and observe, allowed to think, prepare, then review what has happened afterwards. An example of when this can be detrimental to reflective learners is when radiographers have to modify their technique for plain film examinations. I cannot begin to modify a technique until I have seen it being performed; this is also true of learning how to use radiographic equipment which will be a disadvantage for when I qualify in the fact I would need to consider the technique for a while before doing it. In a busy department reflective learning cannot always happen, this type of learning takes time which is not always possible when there are time constraints and when staff are very busy. Another problem that could occur is that staff may think that the student does not want to participate or learn and that they are shying away but in reality the student wants to observe something before they participate which is not the fault of the student. In clinical practice this learning style can actually be a learning barrier to students and will take longer to learn new experiences. Although sometimes in a busy environment, just being able to observe from afar is sometimes more helpful to the reflective learner. Other barriers to learning for reflectors in practice is past negative experiences, lack of time within a busy environment, lack of support from the radiographers, lack of clear intent of what the learner is supposed to be doing, high expectations of knowledge and technique and being within a hostile environment (Downie and Basford, 2003). These barriers can prevent reflection so this learning activity will remain negatively in the reflective learners mind (Downie and Basford, 2003). But being in a clinical environment is still the best way to learn such a skill as radiography and this will still benefit reflective learners and indeed all learners despite the few barriers that exist (Gopee, 2008).

Organizational Analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Organizational Analysis - Essay Example Being aware of the major differences in a group and maintaining patience can help minimize such problems. Having worked in a team during this season, I experienced some challenges, problems, and conflicts that required sound decision making and problem solving skills as per the context in which the occurred. Our research team was given the task to deliver case studies and exhibitions of the module in an excellent way. The challenge was realized in building a good relation and communication network between my team members. This was due the differences in our cultural backgrounds. I am from Qatar, yet all my group members are of Chinese origin. Many people assume that challenges in cross-cultural teams arise from dissimilar styles of communication, yet this is just one of the many challenges that can create obstacles to the ultimate success of a team. These categories of challenges include direct versus indirect communication, differing attitudes towards authority and leadership, trouble with fluency and accents, and conflicting norms in making decisions (Minssen, 2006: 14). In the context of my group, I realized that the challenge in communication was mainly based on the principle of direct versus in direct communication (Trenholm & Jensen, 2008: 13). Qatar being an Arabian country, I always thought that communication in Arabian culture is typically explicit and direct. The meaning of words is on the surface and the receiver of the message does not have to have much about the context of communication or the speaker to make an interpretation. This is not true in the Chinese culture, where I found that the meaning of words is embedded in the manner in which the message is presented. The challenge was mostly due to the indirect communication that I noticed among them. For instance, my Chinese team members would often take a break and have some conversations in the middle of discussions. Little did I know that their main aim was to maintain harmony in

Computer R us case study Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Computer R us case study - Assignment Example siness in particular the Computer R Us where as the customer satisfaction deals with the experience of the customer who use the products provided by Computer R Us and services of Complete Care. The division of Computer R us (Complete Care) is recently facing some issues that results in customer dissatisfaction and therefore will lead to an impact on the satisfaction of the customers of Computer R Us that will result is loss of revenues. It is important for the company to take proper measures to adopt effectiveness wit in the operations that will result in customer satisfaction and hence the company will earn above average returns and customer loyalty. The research is quantitative in nature; the tools that will be used are the descriptive analysis, cross tabulation, questionnaire and regression analysis. The research approach is deductive and the analysis method would be running tests on SPSS (statistical analysis tool). Descriptive statistics provides with a descriptive coefficients that are brief, these summarize the given data; these coefficients can either be representation of the defined population or the sample used in the research. The determinants describe the central tendency and the measures of changes/variability or dispersion of the data. The descriptive analysis will give the idea of the means standard deviation of different variables/statistics used in the questionnaire and regression analysis. Cross tabulation is used to identify and compare the relationship between two variables. The cross tabulation will depict the variations of different responses with regards to the frequencies and year of association of customers with the company (Computer R Us). The questionnaire is designed in a way that all the important elements of customer satisfaction and effectiveness of services are covered. The identified elements of Customer Satisfaction selected are: The customer perceived image of the product and service is important. The customer’s