Friday, November 29, 2019

Rhetorical Analysis on Obesity free essay sample

The obesity epidemic is rapidly spreading throughout America, reeking havoc on the nation. I have chosen two articles that discuss this issue and use different rhetorical strategies to convince the reader of the causes of this deadly epidemic as well as different aspects of the disease that should be focused on when researching treatments options. Examining the different rhetorical strategies used in the articles proves that, although logos arguments can be a good way to convince an audience of your point, use of ethos and pathos arguments is a much more powerful strategy to inform and convince the reader to take action. Peggy Ward-Smith’s article entitled Obesity – America’s Health Crisis discusses of the obesity epidemic in America and the consequences of America’s lackadaisical approach to pursuing a cure to this deadly disease. She explains the devastating health affects that obesity has on the body and brings to light the severe financial burden that this disease has had on the American economy and the American people. We will write a custom essay sample on Rhetorical Analysis on Obesity or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page After significantly describing facts and figures regarding the monetary costs associated with obesity, she goes on the explain the emotional hardships obese people undergo due to the prejudices that still exist against obese people. She describes the strain obesity has caused on our healthcare system and declares that not enough is being done to prevent this disease. After addressing both the health and socio economic affects of obesity, voices her opinion on the best treatment plan for overcoming obesity such as, â€Å"an initial exercise program should consist of a short, low-intensity program, which gradually increases to 30 minutes/day as strength and fitness improve† (Ward-Smith 244). She also addresses the importance of acknowledging the affects of behavioral therapy on obesity, for health and socio economic benefits saying, â€Å"behavioral therapy involves changing diet and physical activity patterns and habits toward behaviors that promote weight loss† (Ward-Smtih 244). This will not only benefit the health of those suffering from obesity, but makes her point more enticing by pointing out that, â€Å"for every $1 invested in these programs, the return on that investment is estimated to be between $0 and $5†, which shows that the potential economic return could be incredibly beneficial to the economy. She then explains how medications and surgeries can also greatly assist those dealing with this issue. The main objective of the article is to show that America should be taking greater action to combat this disease to benefit, not only the health of obese Americans, but to also relieve some of the pressure that obesity has caused on the American economy. Levitan and Davis’ article Emotion and Eating Behaviors: Implications for the Current Obesity Epidemic also discusses issues related to obesity, but takes a different approach both in subject matter as well as stylistically. They begin by using a case study of a lady named Jane who has a problem with binge eating that has caused her to become obese. They discuss how an emotional relationship with food causes many people to overeat and how this factor has greatly contributed to the obesity epidemic. They describe the addictive qualities of food and say that an â€Å"emotional relationship with food†¦brings with it long-term consequences, most commonly obesity† (Levitan and Davis 784). They also reveal that there are genetic factors and chemical imbalances in the brain that should be focused on in future research. Although both articles discuss the problem of obesity in America and its devastating affects, they disagree on the approach to solve the problem as well as their approaches at convincing their audience of their beliefs. Peggy Ward-Smith’s article focuses heavily on logos arguments, but also features subtle hints of ethos and pathos arguments as well. The first page uses a combination of logos, ethos, and pathos arguments to strengthen its case. The article begins with using tables to show how to calculate your body mass index to help put obesity in perspective. Beginning the argument by using percentages such as the fact that, in 2003, â€Å"obesity rates grew 74%† (Ward-Smtih 242) is a powerful example of a logos argument because you cannot easily argue with statistical proof and mathematical calculations. Ward-Smith then peppers in more facts about the exorbitant amount of money that has been spent on obesity in recent history. Using a phrase like â€Å"overweight and obese Americans cost the American economy over $117 billion† brings an ethos argument into play by addressing a sense of patriotism involved in fighting this thing that is sucking money out of your economy. Directly after, she also adds a pathos argument, discussing the prejudices facing obese people today stating that, â€Å"weight bias was significantly greater than biases against both gays and Muslims† (Ward-Smith 242). She explains that, â€Å"bias, prejudice, and discrimination have been associated with obesity explains and that â€Å"safeguards from weight bias do not exist† (Ward-Smith 242). This seems to be the only real pathos argument used, which leaves the reader with little emotional connection to the issue. Although using all three types of arguments may seem like a powerful way to drive a point home, I found it made the article seem inconsistent and ineffective. The majority of the rest of the article is rich in logos based arguments, stating percentages of people affected by obesity related diseases and offers various medical approaches to solve the problem, such as diet, exercise, medication, and surgery. Although the arguments were somewhat convincing, they did not have much emotional appeal that would drive the reader to really want to make solving this issue a high priority if they are not directly affected by the issue of obesity. Levitan and Davis’ article uses a different rhetorical strategy to convince the reader of their point-of-view. Using a combination of logos, ethos, and pathos arguments make the reader identify heavily with the issue of obesity and give the reader a desire to stand up to make a change because of this. Starting the article with a case study instantly draws the reader in through the use of ethos and logos rhetorical strategies. The case study is an example of appealing to ethos because it brings a high level of credibility to the argument and also draws the reader in through pathos through a sense of feeling compassion for the subject that automatically leads the reader into a mind frame of desire to understand more about Jane’s condition and help her situation. It brings a particular story to the table rather than, well, tables, and percentages, and allows the reader to instantly feel a deep connection to the subject. Rather than focusing on the medical and health affects of obesity like the Ward-Smith article, the Levitan and Davis article exposes a less popular subject of â€Å"an emotional relationship with food† involving â€Å"rituals† and â€Å"addictive qualities† all to â€Å"temporarily suppress negative emotions† (Levitan and Davis 784) that lead to obesity. They further their pathos argument by associating obesity with â€Å"negative mental health outcomes that markedly decrease one’s quality of life† (Levitan and Davis 785) and strengths this argument by adding a logos argument stating later in that same paragraph, â€Å"current strategies to prevent and treat obesity are currently unable to override the basic evolutionary processes that have protected humans from starvation over millions of years by making high-caloric foods a rich source of pleasure and reward† (Levitan and Davis 785). The later remarks linking obesity to a need to increase serotonin levels and genetic abnormalities also offer a compelling argument that also appeals to pathos by causing the reader to understand that obesity may be out of one’s control due to these physical factors that with current knowledge and science, we cannot cure. Bringing light to this aspect of the disease further supports this pathos argument, â€Å"recent evidence suggests that the brain reward circuits can be activated with natural rewards like food, just as with drugs of abuse† (Levitan and Davis 789). All in all, both articles have elements that make them powerful arguments, however the Ward-Smith article Obesity-America’s Health Crisis heavy emphasis on logos and ethos arguments with little appeal to pathos subtracts from its ability to provide the reader with a real sense of connection to the issue, leaving the reader with little impetus to actively combat the issue. The Levitan and Davis article Emotions and Eating Behavior: Implications for the Current Obesity Epidemic, on the other hand appeals heavily to both logos and pathos. The article causes the reader to feel a personal connection to the issue and appeals to the reader’s emotions to deepen this connection. Use of logos and ethos arguments strengthen the argument by bringing credibility to the article, which all work together to give the reader more of a desire to actively pursue their desired solution to the problem.

Monday, November 25, 2019

A sociological look at JAWS essays

A sociological look at JAWS essays The movie I choose to review was Jaws, which is one of my favorites and a timeless classic. A traditional story about man against beast takes place on an island that depends on its summer tourist business. When the summer season in threatened by a series of shark attacks three men are sent out to track down a great white shark. The three main (human) characters are Brody (Roy Scheider), the police chief, who came to the island from New York looking, so he thought, for a change from the fears of the city. There's Quint (Robert Shaw), a caricature of the crusty old seafaring salt, who has a very personal reason for hating sharks. And there's Hooper (Richard Dreyfuss), the rich kid turned oceanographer, who knows best of all what a shark can do to a man, and yet is willing to get into the water with one The movie starts just before the summer boom with a girl running out in to the ocean for a midnight dip. She is undoubtedly attacked by a shark and when she is found on the beach the next morning the town officials dismiss the find as a boating accident. Chief Brody who is not convinced of that is was a boating accident fears it was a shark attack. With the safety of not only the islanders but also the coming tourist crowds Brody tries to close the island off the tourists until the problem is solved. The Mayor sensing what Brody is up to stops the Chief from cutting off the islands only means of income. The Mayor tells Brody that no one is sure what happened to the girl and no decision like this can be made with the evidence at hand. Brody unwillingly agrees. When there is another attack, this time on a small child and in broad daylight, a meeting is called to discuss what to do about the islands problem. The Chief decides t call the mainland for help but being an island of fishermen the locals have only on thing on their minds. This is where we get to meet Quint. Quint is convinced that the only way to solve the prob...

Thursday, November 21, 2019

Financing sources in Vietnam Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4250 words

Financing sources in Vietnam - Essay Example Such policy reforms have proved beneficial with regard to China, Malaysia, Indonesia and Thailand. These countries have also benefitted from network associations, cluster linkage to markets, and novel support arrangements. Policy support has been established as being crucial for the growth of SMEs in Vietnam. B. Business Support Services Privatisation emerged as a strategy for restructuring the large state owned enterprises (SOEs) into SMEs (Gibb and Lyapunov, 1996). A solution that is at variance to this initiative has been proposed by McIntyre (2002). This procedure states that the dismantling of large firms may fail to promote the growth of SMEs. This notion has been vindicated in Asia, and this can be attributed to the lack of a suitable support regime. For instance, the Chinese SMEs require the support of the large firms. Dallago and McIntyre (2003) have cited the experiences of the CEE nations to show that by themselves, the SMEs do not have the capacity to grow. The presence o f institutions and supporting mechanisms that have been properly developed is indispensable for the growth of these SMEs. C. Supporting Infrastructures It has been proposed by Wattanapruttipaisan (2002) that competitiveness can be rendered not only by natural resources and location, but also by contemporary global information and knowledge. It can also be promoted by participation in clusters involving firms, supplier networks, or producers and matching products; consumers and distributors; continuous learning and enhanced flexibility and efficiency. The SMEs were furnished with a new information flow and knowledge base, due to network association. This base has the capacity to emerge as a significant model for efficient resource distribution, via policy measures emanating from the market and the state. Support of the Government in Vietnamese SME Development It was recognised, during the project’s conceptualisation in the year 1994 that the furtherance of SMEs had to be ensur ed. However, a comprehensive document that described the procedures to be adopted by the Government, in order to support SMEs was conspicuous by its absence. Subsequently, the accomplishments and the works supported by the project had been viewed keenly in the highest echelons. Towards the end of the year 1998 a comprehensive assessment was conducted, which disclosed that the project had significantly affected discussion and formulation of the policy related to SMEs. The Central Institute of Economic Management (CIEM), in February 1997, reviewed the administrative and legal situation in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC). The emphasis was upon identifying the impediments to the formation and development of SMEs and the provision of recommendations to the Government. The CIEM, true to its calling of being an important entity in drafting policy pertaining to business, compiled and examined most of the documentation relating to the establishment, operation and dissolution of business. I t also conducted panoptic interviews with SMEs, and central and local policy making agencies. In January 1998, the stakeholders completed the twin tasks of discussion and validation, and this was due to the workshops in HCMC and Hanoi. The recommendations of this report, in the context of an

Wednesday, November 20, 2019

Clothing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Clothing - Essay Example Clothes possess a number of functional roles, like offering protection, shelter and also helping us accentuate our physical appearances. Clothes play vital roles in carrying forward messages related to social or religious inclinations, marital status, etc. For example, In India, a married woman wears colorful clothing with the red sindoor. However, a widow gives up decking herself with jewellery and wears a white sari, that denotes her marital status. It also acts as a medium of depicting one's profession or nationality. To quote another example, ladies belonging to the Islam wear the burkha in accordance with their religion, which again denotes identities. Clothes also convey modesty and ethics, and the type of clothing plays a dominant role in assessing a person's character, while also portraying his background and Thus clothes possess numerous functional duties. A number of factors come to the forefront in deciding about the kind of clothing that dominate varied regions of the world. ... Over the last twenty centuries, clothing per se has undergone metamorphosis. However, besides the huge changes that have occurred, some very evident stereotypes have emerged, as well. Certain set rules and demarcations have emerged with the passage of time, that still dominate the current scene of clothing. One of these major trends has been the clear demarcated clothing type for both the genders. Almost all cultures and regional divisions across the globe have their own ancient dressing formats, as one can call it. Each such culture sets aside a specific kind of clothing for women, in separation from that for men. In the European culture for instance, men wear a pair of pant and shirt, while women wear skirts and blouses or gowns. However, in the East, ladies wear salwar kameez or saris and men wear the dhoti or kurta pyjama. Therefore, this set distinction between men and women clothes wear is a product of century-wise lineage brought down till date! Human nature seeks innovation and change. This applies to clothing, too. Across centuries, clothes have been altered, adapted and transformed into fashion statements of each era! New horizons are obviously emerging in terms of clothing. However, the change seems to still continue to be mere adaptations or variations of the age-old bequeathed ideas. This the era of Ungendered and Unisex Clothing, or clothing that both the genders can attire themselves in. In today's fast paced modern world, clothes also carry significance when worn according to the occasion,

Monday, November 18, 2019

What are the advantages and disadvantages of independence in Education Essay

What are the advantages and disadvantages of independence in Education - Essay Example On the other hand, the study of Raban (2001, 34) showed that â€Å"along with the cognitive growth, social opportunities influence learning; indeed, learners of all ages are more motivated when they can see the usefulness of what they are learning and when they can use that information to do something that has an impact on others†. It should be noticed however that the personal development of children (or adults) participating in a specific educational site is not an easy task. In fact there are many issues that need to be considered both by the legislators and the schools’ administrators regarding the presentation of appropriate patterns to children and adults that participate in specific educational programs. An issue that usually arises in this context is the role of ‘independence’ in education and its possible influence in the cognitive development of children and adults. Current paper examines the issue of ‘independence’ (especially its ad vantages and disadvantages) as it can be observed in educational sites around the world referring indicatively in certain forms or types of ‘independence’ as they have been identified and evaluated by academic researchers in the particular sector. Relevant results of empirical researches made in this area – whenever their retrieval was possible – are also going to be presented in order to support the credibility of the assumptions made on the particular issue. In order to examine the issue of independence in education we should primarily refer to the role of participants in educational sites regarding the delivery of the curriculum and the cognitive approaches developed in these sites in general. The involvement of personal attitudes and of the human factor has been found to be crucial for the formulation of an appropriate strategy by the school administrators when communicating with learners. Regarding this issue, it is noticed by Skrtic et al. (1991)

Saturday, November 16, 2019

Identifying Personal Strengths And Weaknesses English Language Essay

Identifying Personal Strengths And Weaknesses English Language Essay A reason for identifying personal strengths and weaknesses is to help achieve success in my professional life, personal life, as well as the role that I play in a learning team to be most effective goals. We also have under developed areas or weaknesses that need improvement. By identifying these strengths and weaknesses, we can better ourselves, and we can improve the weaker areas while using our strengths to our advantage. Part of what makes every person unique is a personality that consists of both strengths and weaknesses. My personal strengths are having a good sense of humour, taking responsibility for my actions, ability to be trained quickly, and finding the most efficient way to execute a process. My weaknesses consist of having a lack of discipline to complete undesirable tasks, procrastination, punctuality, and introversion. MAIN BODY I believe that finding the humour in any situation is my key to maintaining a positive attitude. Having a good sense of humour is very important and helps me deal with lifes day-to-day stresses. I enjoy an open banter with close friends and making fun of their decisions which, in hindsight, were found to be unwise. In addition, I can also laugh about something absurd that I did. It is important that I take responsibility for my decisions and actions. More often, it seems that people are not held accountable. Society, in general, seems to be tolerant of excuses and reasons why a person should not be blamed. If I made a mistake, I am able to accept the consequences of my action. Learning how to do things has always come easily to me. Once I have been shown how to operate something or what process to follow, I am able to repeat it correctly. As a child I effortlessly learned how to play several instruments; the piano and flute. As an adult, when I am given an assignment to complete at college, I will find the quickest and easiest way in order to complete the task. I hope to maintain my effortless ability to learn as I continue through school.   My lack of discipline often causes me to procrastinate with getting things done. If I know something can be accomplished on another day then I will wait. This weakness has caused me to rush around at the last minute to get things done. Often, I get frustrated with myself for not starting sooner, but procrastinating continues to be a challenge.   This weakness also leads to my inability to be punctual. I am frequently late to many functions because I do not leave myself enough time to prepare. Luckily, I have close friends who are tolerant and continue to include me on their invitations. At times, I paid the consequences for being late; doctors appointments had to be rescheduled and opportunities were missed. Because one of my weaknesses is being an introvert, I am often viewed as snobbish and boring. This makes it difficult for most people to relate to me and makes it harder for me to make acquaintances. I look forward to working in teams at school to help me overcome this obstacle. As I spend more time with someone, I get more relaxed around that person and become more outgoing. I am thankful to have a small group of close friends with whom I am very comfortable.   These attributes are a result of outside influences and life experiences. By recognizing my weaknesses, I am able to take the following steps towards making progress in order to avoid procrastinating, I have begun utilizing my planner to schedule my time wisely; whenever I find myself being critical, I remind myself that I am in no position to be judgmental; and when I catch myself being reclusive, I remind myself to not be afraid of making a stupid comment. Everyone has personal weaknesses. Those of us who are wise recognize them and try to overcome these character flaws. Others ignore their personal weaknesses and find themselves repeating mistakes and leading unfulfilled lives. The secret to self-improvement is to discover your fallibilities and either correct them, or find a way to turn them into strengths. I have many weaknesses. Only my mother thinks that I am perfect. But I see the flaws. Just as I look into a mirror and examine my face for wrinkles and gravy hairs on a daily basis, I also look into my soul to see my inner imperfections. While a little Botox and hair colouring can fix your outer defects, the inner journey to self-improvement is not quite as easy. You have to be able to see your own faults. The secret of how to overcome your personal weaknesses lies within you and how willing you are to look within your true self. CONCLUSION What one person considers strength could be viewed by another as a weakness. Knowing my weaknesses helps me to plan ways to overcome them when I am doing tasks and interacting with others. I need to be kinder to myself and less rigid about things being just so. I also need to be more sensitive and understanding of others who do not embrace my perfectionist habits. I believe to be a life learning experience. I have certain personal strengths and weaknesses. Knowing what I am good at and what I am weak in can help me to become better person. Recognizing weaknesses along with having the desire to improve on them is a skill that I have. If I realize I have a weakness in a certain area of my life, I will work to improve myself in that area. I also use my personal strengths to improve myself in the areas where I am weak. Greatest personal strength that permeates into other areas of my life is persistent to be good at anything that I do. I set high standards for myself. I believe in doing things well in order to be successful with what I do and with the commitments I make.   QUESTION 2 INTRODUCTION To drive yourself to have passion in study to look over the material before you read it. Warm up the mind on the subject matter before you begin to study. Get yourself interested in the material that you are about to study. Imagine why it actually is important to you or else make up a reason that motivates you to pay attention. Read with total focused concentration in alpha using the tri-focus technique for the duration of your attention span. In eyes closed Alpha, imagine that you are fully confident that you know the information and will be able to recall it anytime, especially under pressure. Go back over what you just read, very quickly over what you realized that you already knew. Go very quickly over what you totally understood. Although think over, what you dont need to know stop and study only what is left. Review what you know, study only what you didnt get the first time through. MAIN BODY As in a real life as a student I will make myself to have the passion in studying is like I have to keep on studying every day instead of hoping the material will bring you into a focused concentration state, my focus my concentration first on my peaceful place and then shift over to the material I am learning. Another thing about paying attention is that it is much easier to pay attention to something when i have some kind of idea what I am going to pay attention to before I am pay attention to it. Its much easier to move into the process of learning, when the mind/spirit/heart is warmed up. So step one, i scan the material. This is not reading, or even skimming. I were take a look at what I am about to read, just looking at a few words on each page, the words that pop out for me, just thinking about what subject this is, before i read it. The subject of studies is all connected to and revolves around human activity. A study of these is only going to improve the quality of our own life. This thought may help me to love studies. I will make it a part of myself and my lifestyle. If i incorporate studies into my everyday schedule within a short amount of time i will find that it has become second nature for me to study. Regardless of what I am want to study and i should always try to be curious and most importantly enjoy what I am doing. I shall think of new ways to learn and try to apply what I learn to things that i see happening around me. Its great to see myself to enthusiastic and willing to study. I might have to use fantasy. Make myself impressing with the subject I am going to studying. So what do i love in life? Bring it into my studies. While I am studding I should keep it fun.not stressful it is just my interest that i found something interesting, and then i discover how do that? That is study by practice and keenness on the subject. I ought to motivate by myself when I am studying. I provide myself to have a free time. Make sure that I am sitting in a comfortable place, with adequate lighting and no noise. In one of my articles about stress i explained how such external factors can prevent you from concentrating while studying and thus reduce the effectiveness of your studying methods. The key to effective studying isnt cramming or studying longer, but studying smarter. I can begin studying smarter to the passion in studies. Another extremely important studying tip is to make me more passion in studies is to make sure that information is being stored inside me as long term memory and not my short term memory. By writing what i studied or by studying it over and over again me will make sure that the information was stored in my long term memory. So while I am reading i try to make it colourful and pretty of the studying pages an also I willing to choose a room that i feel comfortable being in. Like a library, in a classroom, Starbucks, Tim Hortonsà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ Anywhere that will make me feel motivate and inspired while I am studying. Also, try to relax, watch a funny show or do something that makes me feel good so that at the next step while am prefer to study i will have the passion to study again. As a student i also have to avoid studying all my subjects at the same time. Research shows that there is better remembering and less interference if only one subject is learned during a particular study session. I use a partner that is another good recitation strategy is to get with a partner and quiz each other. This is most effective when my partner has already done significant studying and of course not only should each partner ask for simple facts from the material, but it is especially helpful if partners make up questions for the other partner to answer. This is kind of study will make me to be passion in the studies well. I will remind myself that study is not only motivate its helps myself to have passion now and forever so all i need to do is just keep taking action on studying. CONCLUSION Lastly, I give myself the time to learn that material, rather than try to take every single bit of information in at once. I put that in the corner of my eye while I am studying. I will definitely going to have the passion in studies and i will be smarter in study with the passion. What I usually do is when i complete one of the studies I set for myself and obligation to give myself a reward. The reward system gives me more an incentive to reach that goals in part of already achieve my passion on studying. This will makes me to drive myself to have passion in study.

Wednesday, November 13, 2019

Engrave New Footprints In The Sand :: essays research papers

There were two strolling hearts that reposed on a huge rock at a near shore. As the sunset revealed its passion, they watched over the two sets of footprints they engraved in the sand. The scene had made them thought of eternity..two becoming one. There was heaven in their hearts and each step engraved a zeal of an endless love. But such heart-felt scene ended when the waves of the sea rushed towards the shore and washed the sand, leaving the sets of footprints unseen. Suddenly, the lovely sunset was covered with dark clouds and the soft breeze altered into a fierce wind. Heaven, then, became an illusion; the dream ended into a nightmare. And the rock were both of them once dreamt was left alone, all alone... When we fall in love, it is our great desire to let the feeling remain in hearts. Often, we feed this feeling by clinging to the other. Sometimes the demand for satisfaction is needed because of the fear of starving the heart. As we marvel towards the odyssey of our lives, we may pass to the point wherein our hearts become empty and longing. We feel the need to quench ourselves by seeking the oasis of love. Still, there are hearts that remain at lost and leave themselves to die and wither. Many of us find it easy to play the melodies of love, but when things get rough and out of tune, we would actually avoid it and sometimes, go silent. There is also a tendency to give up and escape from the reality. We must remember that the more we unravel the wonders of love, the more challenges we have to take. The sweetness of life's bitter can be achieved if we accept the challenges of love. This acceptance motivates us to grow.

Monday, November 11, 2019

Rabindranath Tagore’s Nobel Prize Acceptance Speech Essay

I was an obscure individual in those days. My name was hardly known outside my own province, but I was quite content with that obscurity, which protected me from the curiosity of crowds. And then came a time when my heart felt a longing to come out of that solitude and do some work for my fellow beings, and not merely give shape to my dreams and meditate deeply on the problems of life, but try to give expression to my ideas through some definite work, definitive service. The one thing, the one work, which came to my mind was to teach children. It was not because I was specially suited for this work of teaching, for I have not had myself the full benefit of a regular education. For some time I hesitated, but I felt that as I had a deep love for nature, I had naturally love for children also. My objective in starting this institution, Shanti Niketan, was to give children full freedom of joy, of life and of communion with nature. I myself had suffered when I was young, the impediments which were inflicted upon most boys at school and I have had to go through the machine of education which crushes the joy and freedom of life for which children have such insatiable thirst. My objective was to give freedom and joy to children. So, I had a few boys around me, and I taught them, and I tried to make them happy as their playmate and companion. I shared their life, and I felt that I was the biggest child of the party. And we all grew up together in this atmosphere of freedom. The vigour and joy of children, their chats and songs filled the air with a spirit of delight, which I drank every day I was there. In the evening, at sunset, I often used to sit alone, watching the trees of the shadowing avenue and in the silence of the afternoon, I could hear distinctly voices of children in the air, and it seemed to me that these shouts and songs and glad voices were like those trees, which come out from the heart of the earth like fountains of life towards the bosom of the infinite sky. And it symbolised, it brought before my mind, the whole cry of human life all expressions of joy and aspirations of men rising from the heart of humanity up to this sky. I knew that we also, the grown-up children, send up our cries of aspiration to the Infinite. In this atmosphere, I used to write my poems Gitanjali, and I sang them to myself at midnight under the glorious stars. In the early morning and afternoon glow of sunset, I used to write these songs till a day came when I felt impelled to come out once again and meet the heart of the large world. I could see that my coming out from the seclusion of life among these joyful children and doing my service was only a prelude to my pilgrimage to a larger world. I felt a great desire to come in touch with people of the West, for I was conscious that the present age belongs to the Western man with his superabundance of energy. I felt that I must, before I die, come to the West and meet the man of the secret shrine where the Divine presence has his dwelling, his temple. And I thought that the Divine man with all his powers and aspirations of life is dwelling in the West. And so I came out. After Gitanjali had been written in Bengali, I translated those poems into English, without having any desire to have them published, being diffident of my mastery of that language, but I had the manuscript with me when I came out to the West. And you know that the British public, when these poems were put before them, and those who had the opportunity of reading them in manuscript before, approved of them. I was accepted, and the heart of the West opened without delay†¦.

Saturday, November 9, 2019

The Typical Practices Employed by Chinese Companies in Africa

The Typical Practices Employed by Chinese Companies in Africa Introduction China is one of the fastest growing economies in the world. In the last three decades, China experienced a rapid growth in its gross domestic product (GDP). This growth was characterized by a rapid expansion of both domestic and foreign companies in China. The companies focused on serving all market segments in order to increase their revenues. This has led to the saturation of most industries in China.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on The Typical Practices Employed by Chinese Companies in Africa specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Consequently, most Chinese companies have had to look for alternative investment destinations. In this regard, Chinese firms have embarked on overseas investments through acquisitions and foreign direct investments (Mobius 2011). Africa is one of the destinations that have benefited from the Chinese companies’ growth plans. Even though the Chinese companies that are operati ng in Africa have contributed to economic growth, their operations have always been associated with malpractices such as poor pay. This paper sheds light on the practices that have been employed by the Chinese companies in Africa. The Practices of Chinese Companies in Africa Chinese companies have always been associated with labor malpractices in Africa. Such malpractices include poor pay, long shifts and physical harassment of employees. Workers in Chinese companies often complain of deplorable work environments and exposure to health hazards. These allegations are likely to be true since most of them are based on empirical research findings. However, the occurrence of these malpractices varies from country to country (Polgreen French 2007). Chinese companies can be found in nearly all African countries. However, complains about labor malpractices or unethical behavior are common in countries with weak governance systems. For example, Zimbabwe is led by a dictatorial regime that h as little regard for its citizens’ welfare. Consequently, the government has never taken any disciplinary action on the Chinese companies. On the country, Chinese companies in stable countries such as Kenya and South Africa have hardly been accused of any unethical behavior. Thus, the unethical behaviors of the Chinese companies can be attributed to poor governance in specific countries in Africa. For instance, corruption is one of the factors that prevent most African countries from taking disciplinary action against Chinese companies.Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More It is apparent that not all Chinese companies usually engage in malpractices in Africa. Generally, cases of unethical behavior are common among companies that are operating in labor intensive industries such as the mining sector (Polgreen French 2007). For example, in Zimbabwe the complaints w ere raised against a Chinese construction company. This can be attributed to the fact that workers in this sector lack adequate education. Thus, they often tolerate the Chinese malpractices in order to protect their jobs. Finally, the malpractices can be attributed to the business culture of the Chinese companies. Long shifts are common in China where the Confucianism philosophy encourages hard work. Africa’s Attractiveness to Chinese Companies The factors that have contributed to the increase in the number of Chinese companies in Africa include the following. First, the demand for commodities such as oil, gold and copper is very high in China due to the rapid growth of its economy (Mobius 2011). The rapid growth in the country’s population has also increased the demand for foodstuffs. Africa has adequate land for food production. Additionally, it is rich in various minerals and raw materials. Consequently, Chinese companies are moving to Africa in order to extract min erals and raw materials. Moreover, they are interested in importing agricultural produce from Africa. Nearly 80% of exports from Africa to China are raw materials and agricultural produce. The Chinese government has negotiated trade agreements with over 45 African countries in order to facilitate exportation of commodities from Africa to China. Second, most African leaders have focused on establishing close relationships with the Chinese government. African leaders believe that they can learn important lessons from China in regard to development. The Chinese government has embarked on supporting African states by financing the construction of infrastructure such as roads, ports and railway systems. These facilities are often constructed by the Chinese companies since African firms lack the capacity to construct them. This explains the sharp increase in the number of Chinese construction companies in Africa. Third, positive economic growth in Africa has presented growth opportunities to Chinese companies. Disposable income in Africa has been rising steadily in the last decade. Moreover, the expansion of the manufacturing and agricultural sectors has increased the demand for machines and equipment in Africa. China has been able to produce cheap machines and consumer goods (Etzkowitz 2011, pp. 76-90).Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on The Typical Practices Employed by Chinese Companies in Africa specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Hence, most African countries are importing machines and equipment from China. Most Chinese producers are relocating to Africa in order to improve the competitiveness of their products by eliminating exportation costs. Some companies have established retail outlets in Africa in order to maintain full control of their products and services. Fourth, China is interested in investing its foreign reserves in different economies in order to avoid the risks associated with investin g in one economy. The Chinese government has focused on giving credit to African countries at relatively low interest rates. The loans are normally processed by Chinese banks. This has led to an increase in the number of Chinese banks in Africa. Finally, tourism has attracted several Chinese companies to Africa (WTO 2010, pp. 1-51). The African continent has some of the best tourism destinations in the world. However, African firms lack the capital and the technology to serve the tourism industry. The Chinese companies have taken advantage of this situation by increasing their investments in Africa’s tourism industry. For instance, Chinese restaurants can be found in nearly all capital cities in Africa. Moreover, Chinese airlines are operating in nearly all major cities in Africa. Staffing Strategies Ethnocentric Staffing Strategy In this strategy, the holders of key positions in an overseas subsidiary of a multinational corporation are recruited from the company’s par ent country. This means that the managers of the subsidiary will be expatriates. The local citizens, on the other hand, are expected to fill the non-managerial positions. The advantages of this strategy include the following. To begin with, it enables managers to transfer the headquarters’ business culture to overseas subsidiaries in order to prevent cultural conflicts. Managers from the parent country are likely to have a better understanding of the headquarters’ organizational structure than local citizens. In this regard, employing expatriates facilitates implementation of the policies that are formulated by the company’s headquarters. The ethnocentric staffing strategy promotes effective communication between the company’s headquarters and the overseas subsidiaries (Bechet 2008, p. 123). This is because the expatriate managers are likely to have a good command of the language that is used at the headquarters.Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More For example, most Chinese companies in Africa employ Chinese managers because most Africans have little knowledge of the languages that are used in China. The ethnocentric staffing strategy is important in economies with inadequate supply of talented or skilled employees. In this case, employing expatriates will enable the company to save the cost of training the locals before employing them. Finally, employing expatriates enables the headquarters to maintain its control of the subsidiaries. Despite its benefits, the ethnocentric staffing strategy has the following disadvantages. To begin with, it limits the career growth opportunities of local managers because the top positions must be filled by expatriates (Bechet 2008, p. 126). This can cause dissatisfaction and a high turnover rate in the company. The strategy also interferes with the private lives of the expatriates. For example, they might be separated from their families for a very long time. Finally, expatriates from the par ent country are often insensitive to the expectations of the host country employees. This can create tensions and high dissatisfaction among employees. Polycentric Staffing Strategy In this strategy, citizens of the host country are employed to manage the overseas subsidiary of a multinational corporation. Expatriates are hardly given the responsibility of managing overseas subsidiaries. The advantages of this approach include the following. First, it helps in eliminating language barriers that normally occur when expatriates are sent to overseas subsidiaries (Bechet 2008, p. 127). Second, employing the nationals of the host country is less expensive as compared to hiring expatriates. Third, it promotes career growth among the nationals of the host country. This helps in enhancing staff commitment and loyalty. The disadvantages of this strategy include the following. First, maintaining effective communication between the headquarters and the subsidiary can be difficult due to langua ge barriers. Second, the headquarters is likely to lose control of the subsidiary if the employees from the host country have weak links with the head-office (Bechet 2008, p. 128). Finally, the polycentric strategy denies the employees the opportunity to gain international experience. Geocentric Staffing Strategy The application of this strategy involves filling key positions by promoting the best performing employees in the organization (Glasgow 2001, p. 45). The employees are promoted regardless of their nationality. The main advantage of this strategy is that it enables the company to create a pool of talented international managers. Its disadvantages include the following. To begin with, implementing the strategy can be difficult because the labor laws in the host country might require the company to hire the locals. It is also associated with high training and relocation costs. Region-centric Strategy In this strategy, employees are transferred to subsidiaries in a different co untry, but within the same region. The main advantage of this strategy is that it enables managers to compete for positions at the regional level. This promotes high productivity (Glasgow 2001, p. 46). However, it can be difficult to implement due to the high relocation costs that are associated with it. Diversity Management Approaches Diversity management initiatives facilitate cohesion in a multicultural workforce (Forbes 2012). However, most Chinese corporations that are operating in the African market do not consider diversity management as an important organizational function. Thus, most of them do not have a diversity management plan or strategy. The diversity management programs in most Chinese companies focus on conflict resolution. The companies normally establish conflict resolution committees whose members are drawn from various departments. These committees are responsible for handling any conflicts that might arise between the African employees and their Chinese counter parts. Recruiting African workers is one of the methods that the companies are using to promote diversity. They usually allocate a specific number of positions to Africans. The remaining positions are reserved for Chinese workers. Moreover, senior management positions are usually reserved for Chinese expatriates. In most cases, Chinese companies hire Africans in order to comply with labor laws rather than promoting diversity (Cooke Saini 2012, pp. 16-32). Generally, language barrier is the main factor that prevents Chinese companies from implementing diversity programs. In a nutshell, Africans and Chinese can not communicate easily since they hardly speak the same language. Hence, the Chinese companies prefer to employ their nationals. In some companies, diversity training programs are used to teach a common language that can be used by everyone in the company. Companies with effective diversity programs focus on succession planning. In this case, Africans who are expected to succe ed Chinese nationals are usually trained before they assume their positions. The trainings usually focus on the Chinese business culture and the language that is used in the company’s headquarters. Culture Shock The Chinese business culture is significantly different from that in Africa. Some of the distinctions between the two cultures and their effects on Chinese employees include the following. First, Africans focus on achieving organizational goals in the short term. The Chinese, on the other hand, focus on achieving the goals in the long term. The effect of this difference is that the Chinese employees often disagree with their African counterparts on the goals that should be achieved and the methods that must be used to achieve them. Second, Africans believe in a professional management system in which recruitments are based on qualifications (Cooke Saini 2012, pp. 16-32). The Chinese, on the other hand, believe that senior managers must be hired from the family that o wns the business. In this case, Chinese employees tend to disregard human resource policies that advocate for equal employment opportunity. Finally, most Africans are able to speak international languages such as English. However, most Chinese can not speak in English. In most African countries, English is the official language that is used to conduct business. Consequently, most Chinese workers find it difficult to give instructions or to understand feedbacks from African workers. Conclusion Chinese companies are joining the African market in order to increase their revenues. The factors that are attracting Chinese companies to Africa include availability of raw materials such as minerals and oil. Africa has a high demand for Chinese machines which are often cheap and easy to use. Additionally, the demand for consumer goods in Africa is always increasing. These factors make Africa an ideal investment destination for the Chinese companies. Even though Chinese companies have contribu ted to economic growth in Africa, they have also been accused of engaging in unethical business practices (Polgreen French 2007). Poor governance in Africa is one of the factors that encourage Chinese companies to engage in malpractices. Most Chinese companies use the ethnocentric staffing strategy. Consequently, they lack effective diversity management programs. References Bechet, T 2008, Strategic Staffing, McGraw-Hill, New York. Cooke, L Saini, D 2012, ‘Managing Diversity in Chinese and Indian Organizations’, Journal of Chinese Human Resource Management, vol. 3 no. 1, pp. 16-32. Etzkowitz, H 2012, ‘The Triple Helix: Science, Technology and the Entrepreneurial Spirit’, Journal of Knowledge-Based Innovation in China, vol. 3 no. 2, pp. 76-90. Forbes 2012, Global Diversity and Inclusion. Web. Glasgow, K 2001, A Strategic Model of Temporary Staffing, McGraw-Hill, New York. Mobius 2011, China’s Growing Presence in Africa. Web. Polgreen, L French, H 2 007, China’s Trade in Africa Carries a Price Tag. Web. WTO 2010, Study on Chinese Outbound Travel to Africa. Web.

Wednesday, November 6, 2019

Difference of the 13 American Colonies essays

Difference of the 13 American Colonies essays To say that the 13 colonies were similar by the time of the Revolution is not completely true. Although the colonies may have been more united by the Revolution, they did not necessarily share all the same characteristics. Agriculturally the colonies were vastly different. The South was consisted in many large plantations. The primary crop of these plantations was tobacco and cotton. These crops required much manual labor to plant and harvest. This made much of the economy of the South dependent on cheap slave labor. This contrasted with the New England colonies, whose agriculture consisted mostly of small family farms that grew the essentials that the families needed to survive that was dependent on commerce. The Middle colonies were the breadbasket of the New World. They grew much of the grain and cereals that were needed throughout the colonies. The various climates also contributed in the difference of agriculture. Even though the South grew the cotton, most of the manufacturing was in the North. The North had the mills and the skilled labor. Most of the colonies had developed seaports as much commerce traveled by sea. New Englands abundant ship stalks made it an area that lived substantially off the sea. New England not only became an area not only known for fish but also its ports had powerful shipping industries. The middle colonies were anchored by Philadelphia, which was the most developed of all the colonies in the New World. The great variations in religion also contributed to the difference in the colonies. Since no one religion was dominate in the colonies it forced all the different sects to cooperate and helped lead to at least an outward tolerance of other faiths. The Quakers of the middle colonies were much like the Puritans of the North. The Southern colonies were primarily Anglicans which religious wise gave them the closet ties to England. While religion was important in all the colonies,...

Monday, November 4, 2019

Performance appraisal Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Performance appraisal - Essay Example It was asserted that â€Å"among nursing leadership, the nurse manager role has been identified as critical in the provision of high-performing, effective and efficient care in the patient care delivery setting† (Chase, 2010, p. 2). In this regard, the current discourse hereby aims to discuss the role of the contemporary nurse manager in the provision of performance appraisal within one’s particular work context. As such, one has worked in the capacity of a staff nurse in the medical ward for last 10 years and one has been evaluated for the performance of duties and responsibilities on a regular basis. The paper would hereby present, in addition to the perceived role of the nurse manager in performance appraisal, the kind of performance appraisal system that is currently being implemented in one’s health care setting; the benefits and drawbacks of the system; as well as proposed ways to improve the performance appraisal system to benefit the nurses and the organi zation, as a whole. Perceived Roles of Staff Nurse and Nurse Managers in Health Care Setting The role and responsibilities of staff nurses in the medical ward are diverse and requires vast competencies in the application of theoretical frameworks in nursing care. The ability of nurse managers to undertake the required performance evaluation would necessitate comprehensive understanding of these key responsibilities as standards within which the assessment would be based. The standard key responsibilities of staff nurses in medical wards are shown in Table 1, below: Table 1: Key Responsibilities of Staff Nurses in Medical Wards Source: UPMC Beacon Hospital, 2012 Performance management is defined as â€Å"the process of assessing and addressing the difference between required performance and actual performance in the workplace† (Shaw & Blewett, 2013, p. 4). In one’s capacity as staff nurse, performance evaluation was noted to have been regularly conducted, as prescribed by the health institution, once a year. In conjunction with the roles and responsibilities of the nurse manager is the competency in six categories, as presented by the American Hospital Association (AHA), to wit: â€Å"management of clinical nursing practice and patient care delivery; management of human, fiscal, and other resources; development of personnel; compliance with regulatory and professional standards; strategic planning; and fostering interdisciplinary, collaborative relationships within a unit(s) or area(s) of responsibility and the institution as a whole† (AHA, 1992; cited in Chase, 2010, p. 6). The performance appraisal or evaluation falls within the management of human resources where nurse managers are expected to closely assess the ability of nursing staff in undertaking their respective tasks in the delivery of health care. Thus, with the clearly identified key responsibilities, performance evaluation is accurately undertaken by nurse managers following th e characteristics and principles for an effective approach (Drach-Zahavy & Dagan, 2002; Contino, 2004; Hudson, 2006). Characteristics and Principles for an Effective Performance Appraisal Approach Shaw & Blewett (2013) have identified principles to adhere to ensure that an effective performance appraisal system is undertaken within the health care environment. The following principles were explicitly noted: (1) it should be regular and timely; (2) the orientation or main objective is for improvement of performance; (3) conformity to

Saturday, November 2, 2019

Course Project Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words - 1

Course Project - Essay Example When demand and supply situation in a country is unfavorable to the employers, they would prefer to compromise and give training to the available personnel rather than spend time and resources in search of ‘ideal match’, to avoid production loss. Gronau stated: â€Å"Since the length of service is directly related to the level of unemployment, one would expect wage demands (and hence the change in general wage rate) and unemployment to be inversely related† (290). If the pace of economic growth is robust, the increase in demand mitigates the effects of frictional unemployment in general. Development of transferable skills by a person could ensure transfers within the same company to other departments or make change of job easier and counseling facilities need to be strengthened. Uniformity in dissemination of information with regard to the jobs available, the attributes necessary and the experience required in relation to them is very important for proper understa nding in identifying the appropriate opportunities without any difficulty. Though the standardization could not be achieved completely in this respect in view of multiplicity of disciplines, grades and specialization, common parameters relating to jobs in a particular category acceptable to most of the employers or industry associations and understandable by majority of the workers would improve the situation considerably. In most of the cases relocation choices are not fully explored both by the employers or employees to the disadvantage of both. Moving cost to the employee and recruitment and training cost to the employer play an important role in making strategic management decisions. If the views of the employer and employee converge in this respect, solution could be reached easily. Diamond stated that â€Å"[t]he rate at which workers are offered jobs with different moving costs depends on the decisions of other workers as to which