Personal Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 7

Personal - Essay Example   While my undergraduate course had been indispensable in carrying out the duties of my current job, I still felt the need to explore more on the studies of public administration to expand my knowledge and skills in public service which explains why I would like to pursue a post graduate degree in Public Administration with the Emphasis in Disaster Preparedness and Executive Fire Leadership as my first choice of academic program and Emphasis in Government and Policy as my secondary program of interest.   Both programs in Master in Public Administration deal with the advance levels of policy formulation, leadership and administrative preparedness in a public service context which explains why it interests me to explore through a formal study. I prefer to pursue post graduate academic training in Master in Public Administration with an Emphasis in Disaster Preparedness and Executive Fire Leadership University in Troy State University not only because of its excellent program and esteemed academic reputation, but also because of its holistic development program and the special emphasis it put on diversity. As a potential student in Master in Public Administration, I believe that I will tremendously benefit with this unique mix of academic training as well as having cultural and professional exposure because it will complement my academic education with cultural education. I believe that exposure to different nationality and profession is equally important especially in government because we are dealing with all kinds of people with different cultural background. I have a high regard of the academic standard of a post graduate study at Troy State University but I believe that my undergraduate study at University of Southern California had prepared me to undertake such academic rigor to be able to one of its exemplary students. I am a quick study albeit I also suffer the weakness of procrastination which is commonly shared by many

What Is Adaptation Essay Example for Free

What Is Adaptation Essay Adaptation in common sense is a system reaction of organism which provides possibility of all kinds of social activity and vital functions. In other sources we can find a definition that adaptation is totality of reactions of live system, which supports its functional stability in the process of changes in conditions of environment. It can be also called plastic accommodation of internal changes to external changes as well. Processes of adaptation are directed at supporting of stability inside of organism and between organism and environment and are connected with self-preservation of functional level of self-regulated system and with choice of functional strategy of achievement the aim. By psychical adaptation we understand continuous process of active adaptation for human psychics to conditions of physical and social environment which surrounds him, and also the result of this process. To describe the process of adaptation we use also term â€Å"adaptation abilities†. Psychical adaptation include level of factual adjustment of a person, level of his social status and self-feeling of satisfaction or dissatisfaction by himself and his life. Sensory adaptation is explained by change in ability to react at changes in environment with help of sensory system, basing at the average level of stimuli, which surrounds us. For example, we feel the temperature of water as cold for the first several minutes, and later we find it not so cold, although temperature didn’t change: it is at the same level, but our organism was adapted to this temperature and our receptors found this temperature as â€Å"normal†. It is adaptation. When we are in perfume shop and smelling different kinds of perfumes, our nose looses it sensitiveness after change of several smells – we actually feel odors but we are adapted to them and we are unable to tell the difference between them.   When we walk in the evening, our eyes are gradually adapt to darkness, and while the sun sets, we can see in the darkness – but when we go out from room with bright light into the darkness, it takes time to adapt to darkness after change of exposure. Sensory systems are nervous mechanisms, which serve as receivers of signals, informing about changes in environment, which surrounds the subject (extroreception) and in his organism (intrareception). We got used to distinguish five main external sensory systems, which receive sensory information: cutaneous sensitiveness (touch), sight, smell, taste, and hearing. These senses present out basis of knowledge about environment. In fact, we have more of these systems (only cutaneous sensitiveness causes sense of cold, pressure, hot, pain, etc). Sensory systems consist of receptors, nervous conductors and nerve centers. Each sensory system provides sensation which is peculiar to it only.

Banned Books Essay -- Reading Literature Libraries Essays

Banned Books The problems with banned books has been a controversial issue between parents as well as adults. The concerns that parents have are with the fact that these certain books are to be banned to keep their kids from being exposed to some of the ways of the world. Some of the concerns that these parents have are with usage of some derrogatory words or lanuguage not preferrred by some parents. The things that parents fail to realize is that by law, a librarian has the responsibility that they must uphold; including their responsibilty to the stocking of books on their shelves. I would take the side of the librarian because their position would be worthless because their rights would be useless, and their job would no longer rest in the hands of their employer but parents themselves. The main objetcive of libraries are to maintain a family-oriented institution.The libraries offer a broad selection of reading materials for everyone to use including parents, teachers, young adults, and children. Many public libraries facilities have special areas for children and teens with materials that appeal to those particular ages and particular interests. Libraries also offer programs for children and young adults to assist them with learning how to read or even grasping them concepts of some story books. These programs help kids learn to enjoy libraries and use them for their information and entertainment needs. There is then a major difference in school libraraies and what they have to offer. â€Å"School libraries have a responsibility to support their school’s curriculum and to provide materials that serve the diverse backgrounds, interests, maturity levels and reading levels of the entir... ... Nancy Kranich( President, American Library Association (2000–2001)), since the adoption of the Constitution, â€Å"Americans have believed that maximum access to public information sources and channels of communication is necessary so that everyone can participate in a vigorous democracy. Libraries are the only American institutions that make knowledge, ideas, and information freely available to all citizens. They serve as the source for the pursuit of independent thought, critical attitudes, and in-depth information. Libraries in a free society perform the important function of keeping the public well informed. They ensure the freedom of speech, the freedom to read, the freedom to view. They provide safe spaces for public dialogue.† They provide the resources needed for the public to inform itself in order to participate in every aspect of our information society.

Dispostional Personality Theories Essay

The two most common dispositional theories are Allport’s psychology of the individual theory and the trait and factor theory. Allport’s psychology of the individual theory emphasized that people are unique, even though they may share traits in common, and those unique qualities are what should be focused on. â€Å"More than any other personality theorist, Gordon Allport emphasized the uniqueness of the individual. He believed that attempts to describe people in terms of general traits rob them of their unique individuality†. In order to focus on the individuals uniqueness Allport felt that a broad theory is more useful than a narrow one and he would use information from different theorist in his research. For many years there has been much debate about how many traits actually have an effect on an individual’s personality. In recent years the majority of theorist have come to the conclusion that five is the magic number. Esyneck, McCrae, and Costa have focused their studies on the trait and facto theory and have done much research using standardized tests, clinical observations, and observations from friends and families of the individuals studied. â€Å"Trait and factor theories of personality are based on factor analysis, a procedure that assumes that human traits can be measured by correlational studies†. Each of these theories have different approaches to explaining an individual’s behavior. Both Allport’s psychology of the individual theory and the trait and factor theory have its own effect on individual personalities. Interpersonal relationships are influenced by each of these theories in its own way as well.

Choosing a Topic Essay

Autism: Evaluations of biomedical and dietary intervention and their impact on autistic individuals. Interesting: yes it is something that is interesting to many people not just me. I feel that it is something that people need to know about. With the increase of autism it is an option that needs to get out there for people to know. Researchable: Yes it is very researchable. There are so many web sits on this. You can find so much on the internet. Most schools for the autistic also have some information on the biomedical and dietary intervention. One that is researching this can also talk to the older highly functional autistic individuals. These individuals can let you know there personal experiences. Important: It is very important with the increase of autism. I only had one person respond to my post. My class mate wanted to know if there was a connection between autism and celiac disease. She has a friend that has this disease and her friend has gone through a dietary intervention and she thought that there may be a connection in the two. To tell the truth I have never heard of celiac disease, but I will look into it to see if there is anything in commune. Describe two controversies surrounding this topic. Yes this is a very controversial topic. This is due to the fact that when one is on a biomedical or dietary intervention most of the time they stop taking their pharmaceutical drugs. The thought behind the intervention is that if you remove some foods from the diet such as gluten or dairy you may remove the problem. The problem is a gastrointestinal disturbance. The other is that when you take some foods out of your diet you also take out the vitamins that are in that food, so the patient has to take supplements in order to get what the body needs. Some families look at it as you take away one or two drugs just to change the diet just to add a hand full of supplements. I don’t know about you but as a mother I would rather have my child take a hand full of supplements just to get rid of a few harm full pharmaceuticals. Describe which side of the argument you feel is the right and why. I feel that it should be tried. What could it hurt? If your child if allergic to the food he/she eats then get rid of the problem, the food. If you could make your child feel better and not be on all kinds of medicine what would you do? It is just that simple. Yes you will have to change the way you shop but what parent would not go to the ends of the earth for their child? Formulate a working thesis statement. Autism: Evaluations of biomedical and dietary intervention and their impact on autistic individuals. There is not a cure for autism but we can help decrease the frequencies of the autistic outburst.

The World Is Not Enough Essays

The World Is Not Enough Essays The World Is Not Enough Essay The World Is Not Enough Essay James Bond films have a completely individual genre, their ongoing action style is different from any others of its kind. The Bond films are a very popular mainly British icon, although they do hold a global appeal. They are all made by MGM, holding a huge budget, which enables its ongoing success. Therefore, the director will try to meet the demands of the huge audience who have come to expect certain things from the film such as its iconography, eg. the contrast between good and evil characters, the constant sense of danger and the race against time, etc. The money supporting this Blockbuster brings about expectation of spectacular effects, various locations, big high-status stars, sexy women, the well-known Bond theme tune, etc. However, the story line, the settings and the characters must all signify Bond and these particular expectations of the audience. The extract I have chosen to study is one of immense action and great suspense. We begin by viewing the meeting of the Bond girl and the Bond villain. The use of media language is therefore crucial at this stage in enabling the audience to understand the importance of these first key scenes. The first scene establishes the setting, a wide shot of an open location showing Bond landing in Kazakhstan. This is signified by their landing, on a dusty airstrip, with graphics to give the location on screen. The Bond theme tune is meanwhile playing in the background, connoting that Bond has arrived in the foreign territory and that there may soon be danger on its way. This is signified by the exposed airstrip and warning music that we are used to in these situations. Bond then travels to the key location in which the scene is further set, with further establishing shots which are important in giving the audience a clearer pictur of where the action will take place and who will be involved. This suspense and danger is signified mainly by the people who Bond shares a jeep with all with shaven heads, wearing dark overalls, portraying of course an evil darkness. The changing of the music further emphasises this point in which it increases in pace and adds to the present situation by the special effects of explosions in the vicinity, and faster cutting to add speed to the sequence. There is a lot of non-verbal communication going on here, to begin with showing evil signs of danger and authority. Thus the narrative is starting to be built up. As we see a laboratory, the music transforms to more intricate, computer like music. It is well lit with people wearing white suits. This connotes that this will be a key location, adding to our knowledge and stirring at our curiosity levels. It also signifies a place of delicacy in comparison to the previous fast and loud scene, hereby adding to the connoted level of meaning within the scene. A wide shot establishes the next scene as Bond enters an important nuclear facility. We recognise this from the mise-en-scene with people moving about, their clothing, the explosions, warning signs, alarms, etc. These aspects all contribute to a sense of danger. As it cuts to the star Bond, we can basically understand that he is in a dangerous position, adding to the effect of us as an audience, feeling the danger. This is further signified by Bond being met by a burly, uniformed man with a Russian accent and the juxtaposition of shots from below the ground of warheads being taken from the bunker. The next key location involves the meeting between Bond and Dr Christmas Jones (Denise Richards). She stands out as a star and her importance is demonstrated within the the scene by being shot removing a clinical, white radiation suit. The camera then tilts to reveal a stunning body drawing a positive reaction from Bond, possibly signifying a possible interest. This encounter with the Bond girl is common, however this is the first time in which Bond reaches the nemesis. Whilst they meet and interact, there are many cus, this connotes that they are both key characters and the star is clearly shown. NVC is important particularly here as Jones shows no interest in Bond, this perhaps signifies a non-conformist Bond girl who has adapted more to the social beliefs of the late 90s. However, as expected, Bond stays cool throughout, for example when he is questioned by Jones on his Russian, he replies in russian; I studied at Oxford, signifying his coolness and his position as our hero is is secured by Jones double-take as he walks away. The signifiers of glamour further support the star quality of Jones, she is always shot with soft lighting and wears make-up, with a necklace that somehow contrasts with her working clothes of tight shorts and vest. She is portrayed as a strong woman presumably this has been developed through the political changes within society, so in fact she is demonstrating an attitude of the expected new 90s woman. These things are key in connoting sexiness and a love interest. Throughout this scene, mise-en-scene was very important a spark was established between two main characters, we learn much about them and also the surroundings that they are both working in. The next scene begins with Bond entering the bunker. Effects are used here as Bond is travelling downwards, the FX are accompanying him into what is signified as an abyss. There various signifiers at this point, he is shot from a high angle, losing his normal position of authority. He then enters the darkness followed by random, eerie sfx, all connoting danger and risk. As we are introduced to the setting from Bonds point of view, adding to our empathy, we see low lighting, smoke, controls and explosives. The scene is set with these shots and the audience is quite easily able to gain meaning from the various signifiers. Our next focus is at the end of a tunnel in which sparks are flying. The scene, again is established through the use of a long shot demonstrating to the audience that they are experiencing a key location of the scene. Following Bonds approach, suspense is added as the mystical Bond music increases pace and we are left to wonder what lies through the tunnel. However, this information is slowly revealed as Bond sees some me working on a nuclear warhead. At this point, we are shown at the same time as Bond, creating a sense of realism and timing. There is a sudden change in the music at this point signifying the presence of Renard whose nvc can be immediately interpreted as villainous. He has a shaven head, wearing a completely dark outfit and is shouting whilst being approached from a high angle. This connotes his power and his sense of evil, being mainly shotin darkness. Throughout the sequence, the music increases the intensity with the action.This is mainly demonstrated when Bond confronts Renard. As the shot is from Renards POV at a high angle, this perhaps suggests that Bond is still not on top of things. However, the main focus is on Bonds gun and his good figure is signified by the blue tint of lighting surrounding his face, in comparison to Renards face of darkness. Whilst the two of them exchange remarks, the pace is signified through the use of hand-held camera shots with increased cuts, signifying again the star status , although more importantly to the audience, these being the key characters within the film. As the narrative develops, again we learn more about the characters, much of this can in fact be learnt through the signifiers such as, Bonds white shirt in comparison to Renards fully zipped, dark uniform. Also, Renards voice connotes an eastern villain, linking to previous Bond sagas. Music does, however play a key part throughout the entire scene. The iconography does play a large part all through the film, it does not fail to live up to the audiences expectations, for example, the commonly known Bond catchphrase is included The names Bond.James Bond etc. as usual, this is mentioned mid-action on an elevator, whilst saving Dr Christmas Jones whilst Renard escapes. As Bond films have been going for such a long time, it has become easier to distinguish the advance in the technology used over time and how the representaions of this have developed, according to its era. The action is ongoing and Bond doesnt stop until hes achieved his victory. The amazing quality of each Bond film demonstrates just how much effort and money has been put into it, it is completely obvious that it has had a huge budget by just focusing on the use of actors, special effects, cuts and angles, etc.

The Old Man and the Sea by Ernest Hemingway Review

The Old Man and the Sea by Ernest Hemingway Review The Old Man and the Sea was a big success for Ernest Hemingway when it was published in 1952. At first glance, the story appears to be a simple tale of an old Cuban fisherman who catches an enormous fish, only to lose it. Theres much more to the  story a tale of  bravery and heroism, of one mans struggle against his own doubts, the elements, a massive fish, sharks and even his desire to give up. The old man eventually succeeds, then fails, and then wins again. Its the story of perseverance and the machismo of the old man against the elements. This slim novella its only 127 pages   helped to revive Hemingways reputation as a writer, winning him great acclaim, including the Nobel Prize for literature.   Overview Santiago is an old man and a fisherman who has gone for months without catching a fish. Many are starting to doubt his abilities as an angler. Even his apprentice, Manolin, has abandoned him and gone to work for a more prosperous boat. The old man sets out to the open sea one day off the Florida coast and goes a little farther out than he normally would in his desperation to catch a fish. Sure enough, at noon, a big marlin takes hold of one of the lines, but the fish is far too big for Santiago to handle. To avoid letting the fish escape, Santiago lets the line go slack so that the fish wont break his pole; but he and his boat are dragged out to sea for three days. A kind of kinship and honor  develop between the fish and the man.  Finally, the fish an enormous and worthy opponent grows tired, and Santiago kills it. This victory does not end Santiagos journey; he is still far out to sea. Santiago has to drag the marlin behind the boat, and the blood from the dead fish attracts sharks.Santiago does his best to fend off the sharks, but his efforts are in vain. The sharks eat the flesh of the marlin, and Santiago is left with only the bones. Santiago gets back to shore weary and tired with nothing to show for his pains but the skeletal remains of a large marlin. Even with just the bare remains of the fish, the experience has changed him  and altered the perception others have of him. Manolin wakes the old man the morning after his return and suggests that they once again fish t ogether. Life and Death During his struggle to catch the fish, Santiago holds on to the rope even though he is cut and bruised by it, even though he wants to sleep and eat. He holds onto the rope as though his life depends on it. In these scenes of struggle, Hemingway brings to the fore the power and masculinity of a simple man in a simple habitat. He demonstrates how heroism is possible in even the most seemingly mundane circumstances. Hemingways novella shows how death can invigorate life, how killing and death can bring a man to an understanding of his own mortality and his own power to overcome it.  Hemingway  writes of a time when fishing was not merely a business or a sport. Instead, fishing was an expression of humankind in its natural state in tune with nature. Enormous stamina and power  arose  in the breast of Santiago. The simple fisherman became a classical hero in his epic struggle.

The Siege and Capture of San Antonio

The Siege and Capture of San Antonio In October-December of 1835, rebellious Texans (who referred to themselves as â€Å"Texians†) laid siege to the city of San Antonio de Bà ©xar, the largest Mexican town in Texas. There were some famous names among the besiegers, including Jim Bowie, Stephen F. Austin, Edward Burleson, James Fannin, and Francis W. Johnson. After about a month and a half of siege, the Texians attacked in early December and accepted the Mexican surrender on December 9. War Breaks out in Texas​ By 1835, tensions were high in Texas. Anglo settlers had come from the USA to Texas, where land was cheap and plentiful, but they chafed under Mexican rule. Mexico was in a state of chaos, having only won its independence from Spain in 1821. Many of the settlers, in particular, the new ones who were flooding into Texas daily, wanted independence or statehood in the USA. Fighting broke out on October 2, 1835, when rebellious Texians opened fire on Mexican forces near the town of Gonzalez. March on San Antonio San Antonio was the most important town in Texas and the rebels wanted to capture it. Stephen F. Austin was named commander of the Texian army and immediately marched on San Antonio: he arrived there with some 300 men in mid-October. Mexican General Martà ­n Perfecto de Cos, brother-in-law of Mexican President Antonio Là ³pez de Santa Anna, decided to maintain a defensive position, and the siege began. The Mexicans were cut off from most supplies and information, but the rebels had little in the way of supplies as well and were forced to forage. The Battle of Concepcià ³n On October 27, militia leaders Jim Bowie and James Fannin, along with some 90 men, disobeyed Austins orders and set up a defensive encampment on the grounds of the Concepcià ³n mission. Seeing the Texians divided, Cos attacked at first light the next day. The Texians were greatly outnumbered but kept their cool and drove off the attackers. The Battle of Concepcià ³n was a great victory for the Texians and did much to improve morale. The Grass Fight On November 26, the Texians got word that a relief column of Mexicans was approaching San Antonio. Led once again by Jim Bowie, a small squad of Texans attacked, driving the Mexicans into San Antonio. The Texians found out that it was not reinforcements after all, but some men sent out to cut some grass for the animals trapped inside San Antonio. Although the â€Å"Grass Fight† was something of a fiasco, it helped convince the Texians that the Mexicans inside San Antonio were getting desperate. Who Will Go with Old Ben Milam Into Bexar? After the grass fight, the Texians were indecisive about how to proceed. Most of the officers wanted to retreat and leave San Antonio to the Mexicans, many of the men wanted to attack, and still others wanted to go home. Only when Ben Milam, a cranky original settler who had fought for Mexico against Spain, declared â€Å"Boys! Who will go with old Ben Milam into Bexar?† did the sentiment for attack become the general consensus. The attack began early on December 5. Assault on San Antonio The Mexicans, who enjoyed vastly superior numbers and a defensive position, did not expect an attack. The men were divided into two columns: one was led by Milam, the other by Frank Johnson. Texan artillery bombarded the Alamo and Mexicans who had joined the rebels and knew the town led the way. The battle raged in the streets, houses and public squares of the city. By nightfall, the rebels held strategic houses and squares. On the sixth of December, the forces continued to fight, with neither making significant gains. The Rebels Get the Upper Hand On the seventh of December, the battle began to favor the Texians. The Mexicans enjoyed position and numbers, but the Texans were more accurate and relentless. One casualty was Ben Milam, killed by a Mexican rifleman. Mexican General Cos, hearing that relief was on the way, sent two hundred men to meet them and escort them into San Antonio: the men, finding no reinforcements, quickly deserted. The effect of this loss on Mexican morale was enormous. Even when reinforcements did arrive on the eighth of December, they had little in the way of provisions or arms and therefore were not much help. End of the Battle By the ninth, Cos and the other Mexican leaders had been forced to retreat to the heavily fortified Alamo. By now, Mexican desertions and casualties were so high that the Texians now outnumbered the Mexicans in San Antonio. Cos surrendered, and under the terms, he and his men were allowed to leave Texas with one firearm apiece, but they had to swear never to return. By December 12, all the Mexican soldiers (except for the most gravely wounded) had disarmed or left. The Texians held a raucous party to celebrate their victory. The Aftermath of the Siege of San Antonio de Bexar The successful capture of San Antonio was a big boost to the Texian morale and cause. From there, some Texans even decided to cross into Mexico and attack the town of Matamoros (which ended in disaster). Still, the successful attack on San Antonio was, after the Battle of San Jacinto, the rebels biggest victory in the Texas Revolution. The city of San Antonio belonged to the rebels...but did they really want it? Many of the leaders of the independence movement, such as General Sam Houston, did not. They pointed out that most of the settlers homes were in eastern Texas, far from San Antonio. Why hold a city they did not need? Houston ordered Bowie to demolish the Alamo and abandon the city, but Bowie disobeyed. Instead, he fortified the city and the Alamo. This led directly to the bloody Battle of the Alamo on March 6, in which Bowie and nearly 200 other defenders were massacred. Texas would finally gain its independence in April  1836, with the Mexican defeat at the battle of San Jacinto. Sources: Brands, H.W. Lone Star Nation: New York: Anchor Books, 2004.the Epic Story of the Battle for Texas Independence. Henderson, Timothy J. A Glorious Defeat: Mexico and its War with the United States.New York: Hill and Wang, 2007.

Creating of a Legally Binding Contract Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Creating of a Legally Binding Contract - Essay Example The formation of a legally binding contract requires an offer to be made properly which should be accepted properly. An offer once accepted becomes a promise and when it forms a consideration for the parties, it becomes an agreement. When the parties to an agreement have an intention to create legal relations, the agreement becomes a contract. A legally binding contract gives legal rights to a party to a contract in case of breach of a contract by the other party. Let us take a deeper look at the formation of a contract. The most important thing is the competence of the parties to enter into a contract. Every person is competent to contract unless he is a minor or of an unsound mind. A contract with a minor is not a valid contract. Also, it cannot be validated by ratification by a minor when he reaches the age of majority. Simon and Davina can be easily assumed to be of the ages of majority. A contract with a person of unsound mind is also not a valid contract. There are some people who are occasionally of sound mind and occasionally of an unsound mind. The contracts made with them at the time of their sanity are valid contracts. However, the burden of proof falls on the party which contracted with such a person that he was of a sound mind when he entered into the contract. The first ingredient of a legally binding contract is an offer. When a person signifies to another person, his intention to do something or refrain from doing something in return of a promise that the other person would do or refrain from doing something, the first person is said to have made an offer to the second person. The first person would be called an offeror or proposer and the second person would be called an offeree. An offer should be made properly. It should be communicated to the offeree. There should not be any ambiguity in the terms of the offer i.e. the terms should be definite, clear and easy to understand. In Guthing v Lynn [1831] 2 B & Ad 232, 9 LJOSKB 181, the buyer of a horse promised to pay extra  £5 â€Å"if the horse is lucky for me†. It was held that this promise was not enforceable as the statement was too vague to explain that in what way the horse was required to be lucky. An offer may be made generally to a variety of people or it may be made spe cifically to a particular person. It may contain a condition for acceptance which must be fulfilled for a valid acceptance. In this case, Simon is in the process of negotiation with Davina. It can be said that Simon’s offer to Davina is wide and open. He has made the offer of hiring Davina as a mentor to support the finalists of his TV program â€Å"Your Hired†. It is assumed here that Simon has offered Davina a definite sum of money for her services.

Nursing management Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Nursing management - Assignment Example Thus, it is the perception of members in relation to the features of an organization like decision-making, leadership, and ethics at work. Hall (2005) notes that an organizational has a lot of impact on nurses’ achievements. For instance, there is evidence is links the organizational climate to the behavior, motivation and attitudes of clinicians. The orientations and behaviors can in turn affect the quality process and clinical outcome with regard to performance. Stone et al. (2010) note that studies within and outside the healthcare sector reveal that employees experience greater job satisfaction, and less stress, and burden when working under organizational climates that have empowering and supportive leaders, and structured organizational arrangements, and positive groups. In addition, employees’ satisfaction and commitments to their work have been found to reduce turnover and absenteeism. These findings have valuable implications for clinicians and healthcare centr e managements. For instance, stable health care environments that empower and support nurses are more likely to boost nursing staff satisfaction and commitment. ... Based on Toffler's description of the reasons for generational differences, propose an approach for stabilizing the conflict. Generational differences at the workplace are one aspect that causes a lot of concern between the young and the old. However, Toffler argues that all generations irrespective of age, have similar values, it is only that they express these in different ways. As such, there is no need for these differences since both the old and the young have responsibilities to play at the workplace. Toffler proposes a number of ways by which the two different generations can stabilize and eliminate the conflicts between them. Firstly, he argues that everyone irrespective of age wants respect. Therefore, it is important that the two generations respect one another as this will help stop antagonism between them (Deal and Center for Creative Leadership, 2007). Secondly, the two generations should develop mutual trust between each another without one side despising the other. Bot h the old and young nurses should trust one another at the work place irrespective of the level of experience that one has. This will help mitigate the conflict between the two groups. Deal and Center for Creative Leadership (2007) note that intergenerational conflicts are exaggerated by organizational politics. It is, therefore, important that the nurses, old or young, refrain from engaging in divisive politics as this only increases the rift between the two generations. This will see a reduction in conflicts between nurses from the two divergent generations. 3. During a floor meeting, the head nurse on a unit explains to the staff that evaluations are going to be late because she had to take a fill in for the unit secretary, who was on vacation for a week, and then had to take a

Research PaperCultural Intersections Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Research PaperCultural Intersections - Essay Example Since the process if bettering oneself is just that - a choice, when the black sub group chooses to pursue another cultural path within the American culture, white America often shows little tolerance or understanding. For black America, the melting pot and land of opportunity images have never been allowed to become the cultural icons with which white American's co closely identify. The black experience of American culture did not begin with voluntary immigration in the pursuit of a better life. Black American's were forcibly taken from their homes and brought to America as slaves. Black American's, while no longer living as slaves, and living in a free country, still struggle to establish a distinctly American and successful identity. Their path was forced, not voluntary. Their emigration was from freedom to bondage, while white Americans, to a great extent, left religious and social bondage to establish freedom. From these two different paradigms, two different American cultures have emerged. At the seam where these cultures meet, friction and misunderstanding are the norm. As a result, a homogeneous America currently does not exist for either group, and both sub-cultures tend to carry a chip o n their shoulder, blaming the other as the source of the discord. For both of these cultures, the idea of choice should be taken into consideration so that the individuals can begin to move past their individual ideas of how America 'should' look. White Americans and black Americans each have made choices on how to perceive their country and culture. Each has come to an individual understanding based on their choices and personal experiences. Unfortunately, at the intersection of these two paradigms, the individuals often try to justify their perceptions as something bigger than choice. White America lifts up their own experience as 'how and what America is.' America is the melting pot, the land of opportunity, and any individual or people group that does not perceive it similarly is understood as attacking America. Black America similarly can understand the country as an oppressive culture, bent on taking from them their individuality and uniqueness as it tries to squeeze them into the white cultural mold. Working under this perception, black Ame ricans can easily turn aggressively hostile to the white paradigm, which leads to conflict, and disunity. Reike and Sillars, in their work on critical decision making (1993) address this phenomenon by accurately identifying it as the product of choice. They say that our individual belief systems are made up of two components, beliefs and values. Individuals settle on core values as both an individual and as a larger group. Often these values within a culture are similar, even though they are worked out in different ways. Americans as a group tend to hold the value of independence as a universal value. Individuality is also a shared cultural value. According to Reike and Sillars, built around these core values are individual belief systems which shape and affect our understandings of our values. Belief systems are most often learned behaviors. Belief systems are based on what is important to us, our values, but they also reflect our personal experiences, and our belief systems also shape our actions. We will rarely make decisions or choose a course of action which is in violation to our belief system, even if the belief system inaccurately reflects

Organisational Performance Research Proposal Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Organisational Performance - Research Proposal Example Additionally, Morris & Maisto (2005) suggest that fears over unemployment in volatile or unpredictable business environments is a source of extreme stress, often leading to alcohol-related diseases or cases of extreme moodiness both personally and professionally. When thoughts of potential job loss are somewhat irrational and are not based on tangible organisational evidence, it is the responsibility of the employer to build a sense of security for their employees to avoid extreme stress development. This is accomplished, according to Griffin & Moorhead (2006) by reinforcing that their position is stable and, if they remain productive and active contributors to organisational success, they will continue to be employed and valued for their successes. Again, in this scenario, it is the responsibility of the employer to take a proactive leadership approach to boosting employee perceptions regarding job security, perhaps by offering the employee an opportunity to complete a fast-track ma nagement programme to illustrate that the company truly values the relationship. Th There are a wide variety of theories regarding employee and employer relationships in the modern organisation and how to utilise positive reinforcement and motivational theories as a tool to sustain these relationships and boost worker performance. However, establishing security and a sense of appreciation (from a self-esteem development perspective) appear to be the primary catalysts for positive organisational performance as a company whole. When employees are content and secure, they are likely to be larger contributors to securing long-term strategic objectives. The proposed study design Upon project approval, this impending study on organisational performance seeks to answer two specific research questions: What are the most viable methods for employers to establish a sense of security in employees without being misleading' Can employers actually develop self-esteem in their employee population and how is this accomplished in hectic or otherwise difficult organisational environments' This proposed study will take a qualitative approach to research analysis, which Henslin (2003) suggests involves the who, why, and how of relationships, utilising subjective analyses to determine causal relationships between two or more members of the same organisation. The qualitative research approach was determined to be a more viable research strategy than the quantitative approach, which generally relies on statistical information or numerical representation, such as analysis of information laid out in a closed-ended questionnaire format. Because this study requires qualitative research approaches, the semi-structured interview was selected as the most viable research instrument in this proposed study. This

Benchmarking report Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Benchmarking report - Assignment Example In addition, it aims at identifying Auburn city’s business sustainability gaps and giving necessary recommendations for improvements. This benchmarking report outlines the methodology used to select the comparative organizations, Moreland and Conroe. Also, it provides a detailed comparison of Auburn city to both Moreland and Conroe as far as environmental, economic and social sustainability is concerned. This is followed by identification of Auburn’s business sustainability gaps and provision of action plans that are considered appropriate for the desired outcomes. The report ends in a conclusion stating the general significance of sustainable development to business organizations. 2.0 Scope and Nature of the Research The success of this research relies upon proper selection of the comparative organizations and detailed analysis of their strategic and sustainability objectives. A number of benchmarking criteria are used to achieve maximum level of comparison. These incl ude their Cultural and Linguistic Diversities (CALD) within their operational environments (Khondker, 2004). Among the criteria are the manufacturing levels of these organizations and the methods used to develop sustainability policies in the manufacturing process. Another suitable comparative measure is the low social environment which also encompasses the development of personal and organizational knowledge and skills (Irani, 2011). Auburn, Moreland and Conroe are also worth being compared based on strategies used to maximize sustainability including waste, energy, water, training, R & D, business networking, job creation and crime reduction. These benchmarking standards are considered the most suitable for this study as they can effectively be used to analyze Auburn’s sustainability strengths and gaps (Irani, 2011). The two organizations, Moreland and Conroe prove to be the best for benchmarking against Auburn Council since they can provide the most significant initiatives to foster, implement and support business sustainability. Two matrices containing the above named benchmarking measures are used for this study as the best research tools. The first matrix is used to select the two organizations, Moreland and Conroe, on the basis of their Cultural and Linguistic Diversities (CALD), manufacturing and low social environments. This matrix helps in understanding the Auburn city’s strategic and sustainability objectives in comparison to Moreland and Conroe cities since these three organizations bear some form of similarities on the above named criteria (Khondker, 2004). The second matrix is used to classify the environmental, economic and social sustainability of the three organizations and the factors considered in this case are together with waste, energy, water, training, R & D, business networking, job creation and crime reduction. This second matrix helps in identifying Auburn city’s business sustainability gaps which are useful for g iving the necessary recommendations for improvements. 3.0 Performance and Gaps Auburn is traditionally manufacturing based, culturally diverse and socially and economically disadvantaged (Payor, 2013). Critical analysis of its performance and identification of any necessary gaps relative to Moreland and C

Management Issue Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 1

Management Issue - Essay Example In this study we would be including issues related to organizational culture, communication, motivational factors for the employees, performance appraisal policies of the company, the diversity and change management aspects of Vodafone, preference of leadership styles or traits in the company, team-works, group goals of the divisions, decision-making process, conflict management and negotiation techniques utilized by the management of the company, company politics, and survival kit of Vodafone in times of crisis. Vodafone employs around 83,900 people around the world, in which about 16.5 percent senior positions are occupied by women. Vodafone carries out internal survey to acquire feedback from its stakeholders regarding the organizational process and functions of the company. In a survey conducted in 2010, the company found that 90 percent of the employees were proud to be a part of Vodafone, motivated by the company at every step and loyal towards their responsibilities and the company. The company received 75 out of 100 in employee engagement, which is a really high score. Communication is the core service or product that the company offers, so their global intranet system is actively utilized by the employees to access and transmit information within the organization. The Chief Executives of the company is directly communicated all the information through online team meetings, video conferencing, and emails. The information and change decisions are discussed with the employees through t eam meetings. The culture of the company is based on The Vodafone Way. There is a separate leadership team of 230 people would have been the cornerstone for the project The Vodafone Way. They conducted workshops and presented how the culture of the organization under this new program would be. Changes in structure, accountabilities and governance of the company were made to maintain its position in the stiff competitive telecom

Benchmarking report Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Benchmarking report - Assignment Example In addition, it aims at identifying Auburn city’s business sustainability gaps and giving necessary recommendations for improvements. This benchmarking report outlines the methodology used to select the comparative organizations, Moreland and Conroe. Also, it provides a detailed comparison of Auburn city to both Moreland and Conroe as far as environmental, economic and social sustainability is concerned. This is followed by identification of Auburn’s business sustainability gaps and provision of action plans that are considered appropriate for the desired outcomes. The report ends in a conclusion stating the general significance of sustainable development to business organizations. 2.0 Scope and Nature of the Research The success of this research relies upon proper selection of the comparative organizations and detailed analysis of their strategic and sustainability objectives. A number of benchmarking criteria are used to achieve maximum level of comparison. These incl ude their Cultural and Linguistic Diversities (CALD) within their operational environments (Khondker, 2004). Among the criteria are the manufacturing levels of these organizations and the methods used to develop sustainability policies in the manufacturing process. Another suitable comparative measure is the low social environment which also encompasses the development of personal and organizational knowledge and skills (Irani, 2011). Auburn, Moreland and Conroe are also worth being compared based on strategies used to maximize sustainability including waste, energy, water, training, R & D, business networking, job creation and crime reduction. These benchmarking standards are considered the most suitable for this study as they can effectively be used to analyze Auburn’s sustainability strengths and gaps (Irani, 2011). The two organizations, Moreland and Conroe prove to be the best for benchmarking against Auburn Council since they can provide the most significant initiatives to foster, implement and support business sustainability. Two matrices containing the above named benchmarking measures are used for this study as the best research tools. The first matrix is used to select the two organizations, Moreland and Conroe, on the basis of their Cultural and Linguistic Diversities (CALD), manufacturing and low social environments. This matrix helps in understanding the Auburn city’s strategic and sustainability objectives in comparison to Moreland and Conroe cities since these three organizations bear some form of similarities on the above named criteria (Khondker, 2004). The second matrix is used to classify the environmental, economic and social sustainability of the three organizations and the factors considered in this case are together with waste, energy, water, training, R & D, business networking, job creation and crime reduction. This second matrix helps in identifying Auburn city’s business sustainability gaps which are useful for g iving the necessary recommendations for improvements. 3.0 Performance and Gaps Auburn is traditionally manufacturing based, culturally diverse and socially and economically disadvantaged (Payor, 2013). Critical analysis of its performance and identification of any necessary gaps relative to Moreland and C

Counselling in workplace Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 5000 words - 1

Counselling in workplace - Essay Example More important, it will develop an understanding of how this affects both employees and the corporation so the correct types of designs can be used for creating the right work space. Traditionally, workers are brought into a career field through either a formal education or by gaining a specific amount of experience. It is expected that once one is placed in a given position, they use skills and training which has already been developed to create the right approach. However, employees also need to accommodate to individual preferences of businesses while acquiring skills which fit to different job descriptions and expectations in the work force. Even though there are learning processes which are required, most businesses don’t focus on providing education and skill sets for employees to grow within a corporation, causing difficulties in growth for employees and the given corporation. There is limited information that is given to those that are working within a given environment and which require specific types of information. The inability to understand learning in the work environment as well as its effectiveness with employees is some of the limitations involved. This is combined with problems that arise in understanding how to incorporate various training methodologies for effective outcomes. The work environment culture, expectations with job performance and the outcomes which occur are often not regarded as one which requires education and training. This overlooked option for businesses then limits the ability to reach different options for change and growth within a company. The purpose of this study will be to examine the effectiveness of learning in the workplace as well as whether it makes an impact over the way in which a business functions. There will also be an examination of the types of learning which can be

Managerial Economics Essay Example for Free

Managerial Economics Essay Chapter 1: Introduction to Managerial Economics 4. Describe the importance of the other things equal assumption in managerial economic analysis. 5. Describe what constitutes a market, distinguish competitive from non-competitive markets, and discuss imperfect markets. 6. Emphasize the globalization of markets. NOTES 1. Definition. Managerial economics is the science of directing scarce resources to manage cost effectively. 2. Application. Managerial economics applies to: (a) Businesses (such as decisions in relation to customers including pricing and advertising; suppliers; competitors or the internal workings of the organization), nonprofit organizations, and households. (b) The â€Å"old economy† and â€Å"new economy† in essentially the same way except for two distinctive aspects of the â€Å"new economy†: the importance of network  effects and scale and scope economies. i. network effects in demand – the benefit provided by a service depends on the total number of other users, e.g., when only one person had email, she had no one to communicate with, but with 100 mm users on line, the demand for Internet services mushroomed. ii. scale and scope economies – scaleability is the degree to which scale and scope of a business can be increased without a corresponding increase in costs, e.g., the information in Yahoo is eminently scaleable (the same information can serve 100 as well as 100 mm users) and to serve a larger number of users, Yahoo needs only increase the capacity of its computers and links. iii. Note: the term open technology (of the Internet) refers to the relatively free admission of developers of content and applications. (c) Both global and local markets. 3. Scope. (a) Microeconomics – the study of individual economic behavior where resources are costly, e.g., how consumers respond to changes in prices and income, how businesses decide on employment and sales, voters’ behavior and setting of tax policy. (b) Managerial economies – the application of microeconomics to managerial issues (a scope more limited than microeconomics). (c) Macroeconomics – the study of aggregate economic variables directly (as opposed to the aggregation of individual consumers and businesses), e.g., issues relating to interest and exchange rates, inflation, unemployment, import and export policies. 2 Chapter 1: Introduction to Managerial Economics 4. Methodology. (a) Fundamental premise economic behavior is systematic and therefore can be studied. Systematic economic behavior means individuals share common motivations and behave systematically in making economic choices, i.e, a person who faces the same choices at two different times will behave in the same way both times. (b) Economic model – a concise description of behavior and outcomes: i. focuses on particular issues and key variables (e.g., price, salary), omits considerable information, hence unrealistic at times; ii. constructed by inductive reasoning; iii. to be tested with empirical data and revised as appropriate. 5. Basic concepts. (a) Margin vis a vis average variables in managerial economics analyses. i. marginal value of a variable – the change in the variable associated with a unit increase in a driver, e.g., amount earned by working one more hour; ii. average value of a variable – the total value of the variable divided by the total quantity of a driver, e.g., total pay divided by total no. of hours worked; iii. driver – the independent variable, e.g., no. of hours worked; iv. the marginal value of a variable may be less that, equal to, or greater than the average value, depending on whether the marginal value is decreasing, constant or increasing with respect to the driver; v. if the marginal value of a variable is greater than its average value, the average value increases, and vice versa. (b) Stocks and flows. i. stock – the quantity at a specific point in time, measured in units of the item, e.g., items on a balance sheet (assets and liabilities), the world’s oil reserves in the beginning of a year; ii. Flow – the change in stock over some period of time, measured in units per time period e.g., items on an income statement (receipts and expenses), the world’s current production of oil per day. (c) Holding other things equal – the assumption that all other relevant factors do not change, and is made so that changes due to the factor being studied may be examined independently of those other factors. Having analysed the effects of each factor, they can be put together for the complete picture. 6. Organizational boundaries. (a) Organizations include businesses, non-profits and households. (b) Vertical boundaries – delineate activities closer to or further from the end user. (c) Horizontal boundaries relate to economies of scale (rate of production or delivery of a good or service) and scope (range of different items produced or delivered). 3 Chapter 1: Introduction to Managerial Economics (d) Organizations which are members of the same industry may choose different vertical and horizontal boundaries. 7. Competitive markets. (a) Markets. i. a market consists of buyers and sellers that communicate with one another for voluntary exchange. It is not limited by physical structure. ii. in markets for consumer products, the buyers are households and sellers are businesses. iii. in markets for industrial products, both buyers and sellers are businesses. iv. in markets for human resources, buyers are businesses and sellers are households. v. Note: an industry is made up of businesses engaged in the production or delivery of the same or similar items. (b) Competitive markets. i. markets with many buyers and many sellers, where buyers provide the demand and sellers provide the supply, e.g., the silver market. ii. the demand-supply model basic starting point of managerial economics, the model describes the systematic effect of changes in prices and other economic variables on buyers and sellers, and the interaction of these choices. (c) Non-competitive markets – a market in which market power exists. 8. Market power. (a) Market power the ability of a buyer or seller to influence market conditions. A seller with market power will have the freedom to choose suppliers, set prices and influence demand. (b) Businesses with market power, whether buyers or sellers, still need to understand and manage their costs. (c) In addition to managing costs, sellers with market power need to manage their demand through price, advertising, and policy toward competitors. 9. Imperfect Market. (a) Imperfect market where one party directly conveys a benefit or cost to others, or where one party has better information than others. (b) The challenge is to resolve the imperfection and be cost-effective. (c) Imperfections can also arise within an organization, and hence, another issue in managerial economics is how to structure incentives and organizations. 10. Local vis a vis global markets. (a) Local markets – owing to relatively high costs of communication and trade, some markets are local, e.g., housing, groceries. The price in one local market is independent of prices in other local markets. 4 Chapter 1: Introduction to Managerial Economics (b) Global markets owing to relatively low costs of communication and trade, some markets are global, e.g., mining, shipping, financial services. The price of an item with a global market in one place will move together with the pries elsewhere. (c) Whether a market is local or global, the same managerial economic principles apply. (d) Note: Falling costs of communication and trade are causing more markets to be more integrated across geographical border – enabling the opportunity to sell in new markets as well as global sourcing. Foreign sources may provide cheaper skilled labor, specialized resources, or superior quality, resulting in lower production costs and/or improved quality. ANSWERS TO PROGRESS CHECKS 1A. The managerial economics of the â€Å"new economy† is much the same as that of the â€Å"old economy† with two aspects being more important – network effects in demand and scale and scope economies. 1B. Vertical boundaries delineate activities closer to or further from the end user. Horizontal boundaries define the scale and scope of operations. ANSWERS TO REVIEW QUESTIONS 1. Marketing over the Internet is a scaleable activity. Delivery through UPS is somewhat scaleable: UPS already incurs the fixed cost of an international collection and distribution network; it may be willing to give Amazon bulk discounts for larger volumes of business. 2. Number of cars in service January 2002 + production + imports – exports – scrappage during 2002 = Number of cars in service January 2003. Number of cars in service is stock; other variables are flows. 3. [omitted]. 4. No, models must be less than completely realistic to be useful. 5. (a) Average price per minute = (210 + 120 x 4)/5 = 138 yen per minute. (b) Price of marginal minute = 120 yen. 6. (a) Flow; (b) Stock; (c) Stock. 5 Chapter 1: Introduction to Managerial Economics 7. (a) The electricity market includes buyers and sellers. (b) industry consists of sellers only. The electricity 8. (a) False. (b) False. 9. [omitted]. 10. If there are scale economies, the organization could product at a lower cost on a larger scale, which means wider horizontal boundaries; and vice versa. 11. Yes. Horizontal boundaries: how many product categories should it sell? Vertical boundaries: should it operate its own warehouses and delivery service? 12. Intel has relatively more market power. 13. (b). 14. Both (a) and (b). 15. Competitive markets have large numbers of buyers and sellers, none of which can influence market conditions. By contrast, a buyer or seller with market power can influence market conditions. A market is imperfect if one party directly conveys benefits or costs to others, or if one party has better information than another. WORKED ANSWER TO DISCUSSION QUESTION Jupiter Car Rental offers two schemes for rental of a compact car. It charges $60 per day for an unlimited mileage plan, and $40 per day for a time-and-mileage plan with 100 free miles plus 20 cents a mile for mileage in excess of the free allowance. a. For a customer who plans to drive 50 miles, which is the cheaper plan. What are the average and marginal costs per mile of rental? (The marginal cost is the cost of an additional mile of usage.) b. For a customer who plans to drive 150 miles, which is the cheaper plan. What are the average and marginal costs per mile of rental? c. If Jupiter raises the basic charge for the time-and-mileage plan to $44 per day, how would that affect the average and marginal costs for a customer who drives 50 miles? 6 Chapter 1: Introduction to Managerial Economics Answer (a) It is helpful to sketch the total rental cost as a function of the mileage (see figure below). The breakeven between the two plans is at 200 miles per day. For 50 miles, the time-and-mileage plan is cheaper. Average cost = $40/50 = 80 cents per mile. Marginal cost = 0. Total cost ($) time-and-mileage plan unlimited mileage plan $60 $40 0 100 200 Quantity (miles per day) (b) For the 150 mile customer, the time-and-mileage plan is still cheaper. Average cost = $(40 + 0.2 x 50)/150 = 33 cents per mile; marginal cost = 20 cents per mile. (c) After the increase in the basic charge, the average cost = $(44 + 0.2 x 50)/150 = 36 cents per mile, while marginal cost = 20 cents per mile. The increase in the basic charge doesn’t affect the marginal cost. 7

Of Mice And Men :: essays research papers

â€Å"Of Mice and Men† was written bye John Steinbeck and is a fictional book. â€Å"Of Mice and Men† is a book about two life long friends named George and Lennie. They go to a farm to do some farm work after having to run away from their old town Weed. In their new farm, they meet many people including Curley, a little boxer guy who hates big guys like Lennie, and Curley’s wife, who is a tart. Lennie and George have many grand adventures on the farm, but one day while George is out playing horseshoes, Lennie accidentally kills Curley’s wife. Lennie runs away but when the guys come back to find Curley’s wife dead, George is forced to kill his friend. The four people responsible for Lennie’s death are George, Curley’s wife, Lennie, and Curley. The person most responsible for Lennie’s death is George. The reasons why I think this is mainly because George shot Lennie in the end of the book. Also George left Lennie alone in the barn giving Curley’s wife a chance to come and talk to him, and that is when Lennie killed her. George should have given Lennie more instructions on what he was supposed to do while George was out with his friends. The second most responsible for Lennie’s death is Curley’s wife. The reasons why I think this is because she provoked Lennie into talking to her and into petting her hair. She was lonely and wanted someone to talk to, but she also was very flirtatious with Lennie. When she yelled she scared Lennie which made him hold on to her neck harder. Curley’s wife shouldn’t have been flirting and seeking other men while she had a husband. The third most responsible person for Lennie’s death is Lennie himself. The reason I think this is because Lennie killed Curley’s wife, which made George have to kill Lennie. He also has no control over his strength since he was retarded, which is another reason why he died. And more importantly he disobeyed George by talking to Curley’s wife, which George told him absolutely not to do. The last responsible person for Lennie’s death was Curley. Curley was very mean to Lennie and was picking on him for only the reason that Lennie was bigger than Curley. Curley was also very possessive over his wife, which lead her to look for other men.

How My Actions Affect Other People :: essays research papers

The biggest way that my actions affect other people is that of betrayal. Other people trust me with responsibilities, and when I take a negative action towards that trust it decreases. On the other hand, if I have a positive reaction towards the trust that awarded to my behalf, then I am trusted with more and bigger responsibilities. Trust comes in many shapes and forms, and there are too many people in the world today for us to not go a day without someone relying on us in some way. There are many things that we are obliged to do on a daily basis. Everything from me starting the car in the morning and not taking off, to me going to school everyday and so on. There are also irregularities in our daily responsibilities such as me having an English assignment on occasion or me having to get to guitar lessons. Every one of those things is a responsibility that if neglected will have a negative impact on all parties involved. If I don’t go to school, then my parents feel like they are neglecting me as a child and I am doomed for the streets, or they are given the headache of trying to discipline me, which despite all teenagers beliefs – discipline is not something that parents have fun giving out. Also, should I ever start the car in the morning and take off, my mother now has to walk to work, or call Dad. They now don’t trust me enough to know if I went to school or not, and a 1000 lb. Monster has now taken off with a very irresponsible and untrustworthy person controlling. Also, should I ever not do that English assignment that I was asked to complete, then Mr. Cobbe is now given the headache of punching in a zero to a kid who he honestly believes, "is one of the top students, if not the top student in the class; who is sitting at a 60-65%, and should be mid-to-top nineties" Causing him not only a little bit

Pizza USA Term Paper Essay

This case involves Pizza USA, a small independent chain restaurant operation that offers both dine-in and carry-out services for customers that has received feedback for a potential change that will require the implementation of design process to add services. Currently, customers have indicated that they are pleased with the food offered by the restaurant but they would increase pizza purchases if a delivery service was available. This dilemma ties into two separate issues. First, in order to remain competitive within the industry, customer wants and preferences need to be heard. After all, if you cannot please your customer base, you will lose them. Secondly, the changes required must be done in a manner that combines data gathering and analysis and implementation of a plan that best suites this particular type of business in order to maximize success. Customer service has been a recurring theme in many discussions regarding business operations and management in recent weeks. The prevailing thought is that in order for your business to grow and be successful, you must identify what your customers want and find a way to deliver it. This paper will analyze and discuss how process design can be implemented to assist this business to achieve its goals. Within the process design analysis and discussion, several factors will be reviewed to include: identification of what customer satisfaction means to the business and how we can identify the things that are most valuable to customers, the potential net yield of achieving a high level of customer satisfaction and efficiency, and the characteristic of developing an efficient pizza delivery (from stove to door) system. The paper will also assess creation of market â€Å"advantages† to not only maintain but grow the customer base. Pizza USA: An Exercise in Translating Customer Requirements into Process Design In the last five years leading up to 2012, the Pizza Restaurants industry has experienced the results of a downturn in economy. Restaurants have been directly affected by changing market conditions such as changes in intense competition, decreasing consumer spending and an increase in overall health consciousness (Kalnins, A., & Mayer, K., 2004). However, despite such overwhelming odds and challenges, businesses were able to overcome economic hard times by reinventing themselves through creative marketing and adjusting their menu’s to adapt to customers preferences (Kelso, 2012). This allowed the industry to recover effectively and consumer spending and market growth returned in 2010. As more consumers returned to the restaurants, overall demand increased. The U.S. Pizza industry averages about 410 million pizzas per year (Kelso, 2012). In 2012 alone, pizza sales are expected to reach an incredible $36.1 billion in revenue which is a 3.8 percent increase from the previous year (Kelso, 2012). This growth is expected to continue at a rate of 2.9 percent per year through 2017. Based on gathered data, 97 percent of U.S. consumers have ordered food from a pizza restaurant or establishment within the past 12 months (Kelso, 2012). No matter how you look at it, pizza consumption is on the rise and creates an exceptional opportunity for success in this industry. According to Gregory Badishkanian, a CITI Analyst, the big three of the pizza industry: Pizza Hut, Domino’s, and Papa Johns are currently in position to increase market share. (Bloomberg, 2012). Although the big three comprise of 30% of the total pizza market, the remaining 70% comprise largely of other large chains with less market coverage and of course the smaller independent chains (Kelso, 2012). While the larger chains are improving profits independent chains are struggling to stay afloat amidst the fierce competition among the larger more established companies such as the big three (Kelso, 2012). Understanding this dilemma, it would be most prudent for any independent restaurant operator to maximize operations by insuring that internal process design enables not only efficient productivity but generates a process that is customer friendly and focused on customer’s needs and preferences (Kalnins, A., & Mayer, K., 2004). This would be critical in the business’ ability to survive in such a monopolistic type market. Successful operation within a smaller independent chain restaurant faces challenges that may not be as apparent to a larger and more established national chains. Pizza USA is a small chain operation that currently provides two services: dine-in and carry-out options. Customers have commented that if delivery services were added to the restaurant offerings, they would potentially buy more pizzas (Jacobs & Chase, 2011). Based on this information, it is apparent that the owner needs to assess his business operations and consider a process design that would include adding this service to current operations. The addition of delivery services would potentially require additional capital to finance changes and may involve the hiring of additional staff. However, revenue increases as a result of the added service would off-set the costs associated with these additions. Near and long-term implications would include survivability within such a competitive market. As a customer, the primary focus of my satisfaction with this type of business relates primarily to efficiency and the level of customer service provided. If delivery service was provided, the two areas that would be most prevalent in my mind would be the delivery time and the state of the pizza once received. Far too often, I’ve received delivered food that was warm and in some cases cold. Needless to say, I never contacted that restaurant again. The thing that would create a unique experience would be the restaurant’s ability to not only deliver within an exceptional time period but also to provide a pizza that is piping hot as it would be while dining in. Another aspect would be an incentive to order delivery by way of discounting or some type of rewards service. These are experiences that have not been typical in my experience with pizza deliveries. Method The perceived situational analysis are as follows: Strengths-Due to the smaller nature of the business, It could potentially create a more personal experience for the customers thus increasing customer satisfaction; Weaknesses-As a smaller business entity, they have less resources and limited options in implementing changes to meet customer demands. Also, the business would be less tolerant of negative impacts that may result from changes compared to larger established chains with additional resources available; Opportunities-A stronger customer relationship tends to allow more flexibility due to stronger loyalty among satisfied customers. Loyal customers are willing to wait changes out rather than making an initial determination and moving on to another business; Threats-The primary threats are of course the larger and more established chains such as the big three. Again, due to resourcing issues, these smaller and independent operations have less flexibility and opportunity if changes become less than desirable. The primary causes and effects are business survivability and customer satisfaction. Although these two areas are mentioned separately, they are in fact one. If changes are not made to meet customer needs and preferences, the business risks losing clientele and eventual closure. The term customer loyalty has been described as a process of capturing how well an organization is performing in three critical market measures: customer retention, share of wallet, and price sensitivity relative to competitors (Jacobs & Chase, 2011). Studies have shown that customer loyalty relates directly to business success and survivability. There exists a major distinction between product design from the user’s standpoint from what may have been intended by the manufacturer (Jacobs & Chase, 2011). The main difference deals primarily with the intended versus perceived usefulness of a given product. In short, if the customer’s input is not considered, product or process design could potentially be a major waste of time on the from end of the planning cycle with even a worse outcome once in the market. Table-1 below indicates quick-serve satisfaction rates among the top companies in the market to include the big three (Verma, R., & Thompson, G., 1999). As you can see, each of the larger chains has high overall scores in customer satisfaction. Albeit, this is only one of many areas that could potentially be assessed. The independent chains can learn something from this data. The large chains didn’t survive the market and become who they are today without success in this particular area (Verma, R., & Thompson, G., 1999). Table-1 Although the case situation described is consistent with most other business operations, â€Å"what can be done to be more profitable?† it is unique in itself due the detail andlevel of changes discussed. There are probably 100 areas that could be looked at that deals with efficiency and customer satisfaction. However, for the purpose of this paper we will only analyze the above mentioned areas. If assessing profitability and customer satisfaction is an everyday occurrence, which is the case in most businesses, then this case could most certainly be considered as a preexisting situation. However, this paper has little to do with assessing a documented loss in profits or revenue streams so the evolution is unknown at best. There are many course concepts that can be applied to understand this situation. However the two most prevalent areas of operations philosophy that comes to mind are: Chapter 3-Product and Service Design and Chapter 5-Process Analysis. Quality Function Deployment (QFD) in chapter 3 discusses the process of getting the customer’s â€Å"voice† involved in design specifications (Jacobs & Chase, 2011). This concept and application relates to any and all industries and organizations. It is directly related a process of studying and listening to customers to improve upon a product or service (Jacobs & Chase, 2011). Measuring Process Performance in Chapter 5 primarily deals with how well a particular process is performing. This is accomplished by assessing many different types of metrics such as: productivity, efficiency, flow time, throughput, and value added time to name a few (Jacobs & Chase, 2011). In order to adequately analyze whether your operation is running efficiently, a system of measurement is required to assess the performance. Results/Discussion The problem of addressing the customers’ needs and preferences are easily solved. Immediately implement planning to accommodate your customers’ request for the added feature of delivery service. Consider the most efficient manner of transition to minimize disruption to current business operations while planning the change. Insure that additional feedback is solicited and gathered from customers to re-validate the need to add the additional service and proceed with design process reviews and analysis to achieve goals. This satisfies the earlier discussion regarding identification of what the customer really wants and prefers. The task of developing and implementing the plan is what is the most difficult. Recommend that the owner begins with data gathering methods such as GAP Analysis. This method is used to assess the business’ performance relative to the expectations of its customers (Jacobs & Chase, 2011). An additional form of Gap Analysis includes the benchmarking of certain industry standards and measures the business ‘performance against established standards within the industry (Jacobs & Chase, 2011). Questions to be asked would be: What are other smaller independent chains offering? Is delivery service a value added service or just a waste of money? What are the industry standards in regards to delivery times and what is considered acceptable to customers? Do have the resources to provide that type of service or will it require additional equipment, supplies, vehicles and staff? This will allow the owner to see where his restaurant is versus where he wants to be. Moreover, this would be an ideal tool to gather additional information from Customers to obtain additional feedback. It can be accomplished in many ways such as through paper or email mailers and in store surveys. The method selected would primarily depend on the owner’s available resources and preferences and of course size of targeted population The follow-on recommendation is to conduct a cost impact and payoff analysis using a decision tree or what some would call a consequence diagram. This process allows the planner to map out several alternatives with different end results to assess risk (Jacobs & Chase, 2011). In essence it is a risk matrix. When planning or considering restaurant equipment purchases or even additional staff hires, this process could be beneficial in assessing the risks involved with each decision (Jacobs & Chase, 2011). Table-2 is a representation of a typical decision tree used to make informed decisions. As you can see, it is a process of identifying the problem (or situation) and working through several COA’s to determine what works best for you. Table-2 Implementation is the next step. I would recommend the utilization of responsibility charts to organize and manage tasks. Again, this particular tool is a type of matrix that lists all the projects and tasks to be completed while identifying certain responsible parties or stakeholders (Jacobs & Chase, 2011). In such a small business environment, it would probably be most beneficial for the owner to get all staff involved with the design process to obtain full buy-in. this can be accomplished through the use of this tool. Of all the steps involved with planning and execution, this is probably the most labor intensive due to the potential resourcing required. After plans are implemented, the owner needs to assess the customer reactions to the added service. Anticipating a given response and getting the actual response are sometimes two different things. Again, the same process used during the Gap Analysis can be used to capture post-implementation feedback from customers (Jacobs & Chase, 2011). The bottom line is that as a small business, you more reliant on customer loyalty than larger chains and operations. As a result, you must pay attention to any feedback received regarding your products and services, In this case we’re talking about pizzas but it applies in many other situations and industries as well. Once the feedback id obtained develop a smart and affordable plan and implement the plan. Once you have transitioned fully into your new plan, solicit additional feedback from customers to see how things are going. You may find other areas of your business operations that require attention. Customer feedback has to be a part of your daily operations. Without it, your business is at serious risk. References Kalnins, A., & Mayer, K., (Dec 2004), Franchising, ownership, and experience: A study of pizza restaurant survival. Management Science Journal, Vol. 50 Issue 12, p1716-1728, 13p, 3 Charts. doi: 10.1287/mnsc.1040.0220 Kohli, A., & Gupta, M., (Apr 2010), Improving operations strategy: Application of TOC principles in a small business. Journal of Business & Economics Research, Vol. 8 Issue 4, p37-45, 9p Verma, R., & Thompson, G., (1999), Managing service operations based on customer preferences. International Journal of Operations and Production Management. Vol. 19 Issue 9/10, p891-908, 18p, 6 Charts Jacobs, F. R., & Chase, R. B. (2011), Operations and   upply chain management. (13th ed.), New York, NY: McGraw-Hill/Irwin Kelso, A., (Sep 2012), Survey: U.S. pizza market tops $40 billion, pizzamarketplace.com, Retrieved: 1 Mar 2013 http://www.pizzamarketplace.com/article/200667/Survey-U-S-pizza-market-tops-40-billion AP News, (Sep 2012), Analyst: Big pizza chains could take bigger slice, Bloomberg Business Week News, Retrieved: 1 Mar 2013 http://www.businessweek.com/ap/2012-09-18/analyst-big-pizza-chains-could-take-bigger-slice

Obsessive love in Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald Essay

In The Great Gatsby, Jay Gatsby is portrayed as a naive and heartbroken man who will do anything to revive his relationship with the love of his life; even if it means reliving the past. Gatsby is a victim to temptation, manipulation, society and obsessive love. However it is because of this obsessive and incessant love that the rest of his problems unfold. He is so blinded and determined to gain the approval of his former lover, he allows himself to be made a mockery by society. It is made clear that Gatsby moved to West Egg for the sole reason that the love of his life, Daisy Buchanan, lives with her husband Tom in a house within sight of Gatsbys mansion. I think he half expected her to wander into one of his parties, some nightbut she never did (Fitzgerald.4.84). As Daisys friend Jordan explains the situation to the narrator and Daisys cousin, Nick Carraway, she notes that although Gatsby threw countless parties that were no interest of him in hopes that Daisy would one day stumble in, she was clueless to how very close Jay Gatsby was to her. Gatsby lacked the courage to approach Daisy, even though he worked his life around his dream of seeing her again. Gatsby was referred to by the socialites as new money. Living in West Egg was less respectable then living in East Egg. The social structure was not of much concern to Gatsby and he paid little attention to etiquette or class. His obsession with Daisy took top priority, and while his intentions were sincere, Gatsby put himself in positions to be made a fool. My God, I believe the mans comingDoesnt he know she doesnt want him?(Fitzgerald.6.109). When invited by the Sloanes, a wealthy couple from East Egg, to eat dinner with them, Gatsby innocently accepts, not realizing it was merely a formality. His pure love for Daisy shows through in all aspects of his life, affecting his judgment and ability to see through those with less than genuine intentions. One of the main themes throughout The Great Gatsby is Gatsbys attempt to turn back time and relive what he had in the past with Daisy. Cant repeat the pastwhy of course you can!(Fitzgerald.6.116). It is clear that the relationship between Gatsby and Daisy remains only in the past, and it is  apparent to all but the two that their relationship ended many years ago. Since the five years they last saw each other, Daisy moved on with her life; although neither she nor Gatsby are willing to admit to it. Gatsbys love for Daisy affects every aspect of his life, and when he is finally able to reunite with her, it is hard to believe that nothing has changed in their relationship. Almost five years! There must have been momentswhen Daisy tumbled short of his dreamsbecause of the colossal vitality of his illusionNo amount of freshness can challenge what a man will store up in his ghostly heart(Fitzgerald.5.101). Nick cannot imagine that Daisy could possibly live up to the goddess-like vision Gatsby has stored up and embellished on for five years. However, once again blinded by love, he ignores Daisys flaws, and attempts to rekindle their former life. Gatsby is aware that Daisy is a very superficial woman and he knows the only way he could possibly have her love is through wealth and status. Gatsby turns to shady and possibly illegal means to attain the money that he knows will win Daisy over. His obsessive love is his chief vice that causes all his others. Her voice is full of money (Fitzgerald.7.127). Gatsby doesnt see Daisy as shallow or consider her a gold digger, he thinks it is he who must progress and become wealthy in order to satisfy her lavish lifestyle. After a confrontation with Daisys husband, Tom, Gatsby expects nothing less of Daisy than for her to tell Tom that she never loved him. He couldnt possibly leave Daisy until he knew what she was going to do. He was clutching at some last hope and I couldnt bear to shake him free (Fitzgerald.8.155). Gatsby refuses to give up his dream that Daisy will leave everything behind to live with him and start their life together. Until he hears it from Daisys mouth, and maybe even after that, Gatsby will always have faith that she will come back to him. Much of this false hope can be attributed to Daisy and her manipulation, which leads Gatsby to think that he may get his wish. Nick was forced to watch every encounter between Daisy and Gatsby, and witness Daisy lead Gatsby into thinking she would leave her husband for him.  Nick knows that nothing anyone can say could change how Gatsby feels about Daisy and stop him from trying to win her over. And he stood on those steps, concealing his incorruptible dream (Fitzgerald.8.162). Gatsbys intentions with Daisy were nothing but pure and his dream in life was for her to return his love that he liked to believe existed. Gatsby was aware that his friends used him and until Nick came along, there may not have been a soul who truly cared for him. He made a fool of himself in society, but he is not concerned in the least. Gatsby had a dream and nothing could deter him from achieving it. His obsessive love for Daisy caused many problems in his life, and eventually lead to his death. However, Gatsby would most likely take this punishment in return for the time he was finally able to spend with his one true love. Works Cited: Fitzgerald, F. Scott. The Great Gatsby. Macmillan Publishing Company. New York. 1992.

American Themes in the Wizard of Oz Essay

â€Å"There’s no place like home† (Baum) is a quote read by children and adults alike, from the gilded age of the 1950’s to the modernity of today. It is from the cleverly written bedtime story, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, which seems like an innocent fairy tale that is written solely to pleasure children. However, deep between the lines of L. Frank Baum’s novel, the various images of America that brings readers awareness to the troubles at the turn of the century. The wicked Witch of the East represents eastern industrialists and bankers who control the people, the Munchkins; the Scarecrow is the wise yet naive western farmers; the Tin Woodman stands for the dehumanization industrial workers; and Dorothy’s silver slippers represents the Populists’ solution to the nation’s economic woes. The novel is a framework of allusions to American life. There are examples of how Baum makes connections to the American world in his novel (Bellman). In the novel, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, the wicked Witch of the East is a horrendous leader that brings distress and hardship to her people, the Munchkins. She represents eastern industrialists and bankers who control the citizens, and contributes nothing but heartache and pain, leading to a tragic demise. The good Witch of the North, describes the atrocity of the Witch of the East towards the helpless Munchkins: â€Å"‘She was the wicked Witch of the East, as I said,’ answered the little women. ‘she has held all the munchkins in bondage for many years, making them slave for her night and day’† (Baum 12). The ruling of Oz is closely related to real-life rulers and political systems of the time (Bussey). The Witch of the East salvages from her defenseless people, making them pitifully work for nothing in return. In America, banks liberate money from their citizens, forcing them to slave for little income. Fortunately, the troubles they cause end their power over the citizens. The Witch of the North, is no match for the malign forces of the East: â€Å"‘But I [Witch of the North] am a good witch, and the people love me. I am not as powerful as the wicked Witch was who ruled here, or I should have set the people free myself†Ã¢â‚¬  (14). The admirable Witch, like the voters of the upper Midwest, are no match for the injurious powers of the East. She does anything in her leadership to terminate the sorrow of the Witch, but with no success. The East of America is ruled by individuals who are greedy, just like the endives Witch of the East, and through their ultimate struggles for power, their own torment arrives. Dorothy’s farm house kills the wicked Witch of the East: ‘â€Å"We are so grateful to you for having killed the wicked Witch of the East, and for setting our people free from bondage’†¦ There, indeed, just under the corner of the great beam the house rested on, two feet were sticking out† (12). Dorothy’s farmhouse killing the wicked Witch of the East is symbolic of the eventual demise of rich easterners at the hands of rural farmers. So, in both events, their ultimate downfall is meet due to their actions, and the people have a considerably extensive role in the events that occur. The power of both the Witch of the East, and the industrialist and bankers of America, overrule the easiest target, causing distress and tribulation with the feeling of indestructibleness. Thus, due to the inhabitants need for salvation, they both advance towards the cusp of their supremacy. So, inevitably, the wicked Witch of the East through the eyes of Frank Baum, is seen as the individuals who control the East of America, that take all they desire, leaving nothing behind. Frank Baum writes the Scarecrow as a wise individual, but also someone who is seen as childlike, with no sense of his surroundings. Subsequently, he references this with western farmers of America, who do not have enough intellect to know their political interests, similarly to the Scarecrow with no brain. But both eventually see the true causes of their misery. The Scarecrow explains that he has no brains: â€Å"‘If anyone treads on my toes or sticks a pin into me, it doesn’t matter, for I can’t feel it. But I do not want people to call me a fool, and if my head stays stuffed with straw instead of with brains, as yours is, how am I ever to know anything? ’† (28). In the same way as the Scarecrow, who is depicted as an uneducated character, blinded by his deceiving atmosphere, the farmers of America do not have enough intellect to recognize they are being out witted by the bank. Without an educated mind, the Scarecrow falls into the holes on the yellow brick road, but gets up without being injured: â€Å"As for the Scarecrow, having no brains he walked straight ahead, and so stepped into the holes and fell at full length on the hard [yellow] bricks. It never hurt him, however, and Dorothy would pick him up and set him upon his feet again, while he joined her in laughing merrily at his own mishap† (32). On his journey through the forest, where the road is in disrepair, the Scarecrow stumbles and falls on the â€Å"hard [yellow] bricks,† a reference to the Populist claim that the gold standard has a damaging impact on farmers and the people at large. Although, the Scarecrow is â€Å"never hurt† by his falls, which suggests that the yellow metal is not the real culprit of the farmer’s woes. The Wizard depicts the Scarecrow with no brain, which is derived from experience: ‘â€Å"Can’t you give me brains? ’ asked the Scarecrow. ‘You don’t need them. You are learning something everyday†¦Ã‚  Experience is the only thing that brings knowledge, and the longer you are on earth the more experience you are sure to get’† (160). Near the end of the novel, the Scarecrow and the farmer find out that they have brains, discovering that they have enough intellect to grasp the true causes of his misery and the basics of monetary policy. On her journey, Dorothy encounters a Scarecrow, representing the farmers, who has no wit to understand that they can end up losing their farms to the banks, even though they work hard to grow the food to feed a hungry nation. Frank Baum exemplifies that the Tin Woodman is a product of the dehumanized industrial workers in America, causing them to loose the ability to care. The Witch of the East makes the Tin Woodman cut through his body with an axe. Thus, giving him a frame of tin. I [Tin Woodman] thought I had beaten the wicked Witch then, and I had worked harder than ever; but I little knew how cruel my enemy could be†¦ and made my axe slip again, so that it cut right through my body†¦ Once more the tinner came to help and made me a body of tin†¦ But, alas! I had now no heart (46) The Woodman is cursed by the Witch of the East, and hacks off all his limbs. Each lost appendage is replaced with tin until the Woodman is made entirely of metal. So, the Witch of the East (American bankers) reduces the Woodman to a machine, a dehumanized worker who no longer feels, who has no heart. He needs oil to fix his rusted joints: â€Å"‘Get an oil-can and oil my joints,’ he answered. ‘They are rusted so badly that I cannot move them at all; if I am well oiled I shall soon be all right again’† (41). The Woodman’s rusted condition parallels the prostrated condition of labour during the depression of 1890; like many workers, the Tin Man is unemployed. Yet, with a few drops of oil, he is able to resume his customary labors. In the novel, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, the Tin Woodsman, representing the industrial workers, rusted as solid as the factories of the 1890’s depression, loses all the sense of compassion and co-operation to work together to help each other during hard times; stating that the Woodman has no heart. Dorothy’s silver slippers represent the Populists’ solution to the nation’s economic woes. Only these slippers enable her to remain safe on the yellow-brick road, representing the bank’s gold standard. A Munchkin, explaining the power of the Witch of the East’s silver footwear: ‘â€Å"The Witch of the East was proud of those silver shoes,’ said one of the Munchkins; ‘and there is some charm connected with them; but what it is we never know’† (16). The mystical silver shoes belong to the Witch of the East before she is crushed by the farm house. When she dies, they are repossessed by Dorothy, and when the banks in the East of America get overruled, the nation’s gold standard assisted the Americans out of their depression era. Glinda explains to Dorothy that the silver shoes has the power to take the wearer anywhere in only three steps. The Silver Shoes,’ said the Good Witch, ‘have wonderful powers. And one of the most curious things about them is that they can carry you to any place in the world in three steps, and each step will be made in the wink of an eye. All you have to do is to knock the heels together three times and command the shoes to carry you wherever you wish to go (216). She explains to Dorothy that the slippers have an endless supply of unthinkable powers that have never been seen before. Dorothy is able to use the slippers in order to return home to Kansas. Baum attempts to show America that the scourge of the economic times will be altered. Baum writes the silver shoes as deciphering the tribulation of the people of Oz, giving them a way out in a time of misfortune. They are the only thing that enables Dorothy to safely remain on the brick road, depicting the bank’s gold standard. Together, with being the only object known to man to safely return her home to Kansas. â€Å"The roposed ‘free silver’ policy which brings economic relief to those oppressed by the federal government’s single standard of gold for the national currency† (Bellman). The novel, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, through the eyes of children, is an innocent fairy tale, a bedtime story. However, it has many hidden purposes and allusions, that L. Frank Baum writes so adults and critics are informed of the difficulties that America is facing in this era. The Witch of the East represents the imperious bankers, along with the eastern industrialists, who control the individuals of America, depicted as the Munchkins. The Scarecrow embodies the cunning but candid farmers who let authoritative individuals control their future. The Tin Woodman stands for the robotized industrial employees, who loose the ability to care. Finally, the silver slippers symbolize the Populists’ solution to the nation’s economic woes. Dwelling into The Wonderful Wizard of Oz gives insight into Baum’s imagination, creating a sense of understanding towards his underlying details. Yet, some are still hidden and might never be discovered.