Examples Of Conflict In Animal Farm - 1319 Words

Composers utilise techniques and compelling concepts to teach individuals powerful messages about conflict. The novella Animal Farm by George Orwell allegorically refers to the conflict of the Russian Revolution and demonstrates that the desire for power corrupts the human condition, leading to the deterioration of society. It also exhibits that the abuse of language is instrumental in manipulating the ignorant to gain power. Edward Zwick’s movie Glory provides an insight into the story behind a group of persecuted African-American men, who show determination to be permitted to fight for their country. It demonstrates that relationships allow individuals to overcome their inner conflicts, empowering them to grow and transform. Conflict†¦show more content†¦Power should be utilised in a benevolent way to ensure that all individuals are treated fairly and with compassion. Napoleon begins to transform into an evil tyrant as a result of his abuse of power. Orwell’s use of repetition, â€Å"The creatures outside looked from pig to man, and from man to pig, and from pig to man again; but already it was impossible to say which was which†. displays that once a person is consumed by a lust for power, they transform into an individual who has lost their morality. When power is abused, individuals become unrecognisable. Animal Farm demonstrates how power can fall into the wrong hands, resulting in conflict. Society needs to be mindful when placing individuals into positions of power as they can become obsessed and eventually take over and destroy societies. Adversity amongst groups and individuals has the capability to transform individuals and reshape communities. The abuse of language is instrumental in manipulating the naà ¯ve to gain power. The Russian Revolution involved a multitude of written and spoken propaganda. In the novella Animal Farm, George Orwell portrayed the manipulation of speech through a character named Squealer, a pig who acted as a spokesperson for Napoleon. Conflict emerges when the intelligent,Show MoreRelatedLiterary Analysis Of Animal Farm By George Orwell1310 Words   |  6 PagesAnalysis of Animal Farm Although they claimed the farm to be a utopia, the pigs secretly were deceiving their fellow animals and turning the farm into a dystopia. In George Orwell s Animal Farm all of the animals are mistreated by Farmer Jones, but they wish to be treated as equals and live in a utopia so they rebel and take over the farm. The animals first write commandments to avoid chaos, but the leader pigs selfishly modify the commandments in their favor. In the end, the farm is worse offRead MoreAnimal Farm, By George Orwell1212 Words   |  5 PagesShe stood there over the dead animals thinking to herself what have we come to? We try to become free but we just enslave ourselves to a so called superior kind. Napoleon killed the animals in front of the whole farm and said that this was to be the punishment for the traitors. Snowball was known as a traitor now and anyone conspiring with him would be killed. Snowball and Napoleon both represent historical characters during the Russian revolution in 1917 .Snowball who was one of the smartest pigsRead MoreLiterary Analysis Of Animal Farm By George Orwell1460 Words   |  6 PagesLiterary Analysis of Animal Farm A quote from Wayne Dyer, a late American author and motivational speaker, says that â€Å"[f]reedom means you are unobstructed in living your life as you choose. Anything less is a form of slavery.† This promotes the idea that ultimate freedom to control one’s life is the only way to live. One way to achieve this freedom, if not given, is to stage a revolution against authority. In Animal Farm, a novel by George Orwell, parallels are drawn between his characters and theRead MoreGeorge Orwell s Animal Farm1449 Words   |  6 Pagesconcept that the animals in George Orwell’s novel Animal Farm crave. The animals of Animal Farm want freedom from their â€Å"dictator† Farmer Jones and the rest of humanity. Their problem is that Farmer Jones and humanity are still in power. With the bravery of two pigs, Napoleon and Snowball, the animals overthrow their human oppressors and free themselves from humanity. With his new freedom Napoleon craves power and expels Sno wball. He becomes the dictator of Animal Farm and makes the farm a place whereRead MoreCharacter Analysis Of George Orwells Animal Farm923 Words   |  4 PagesAnimal Farm Character Analysis Essay â€Å"Old major†¦ was so highly regarded on the farm that everyone was quite ready to lose an hour’s sleep in order to hear what he had to say† (Orwell 1). The author, George Orwell, portrayed Old Major as the wisest of all the animals on the farm, and without being said, Major was a big part of Animal Farm. In fact, he influenced the lives of all the animals with just one speech. On the day of this speech, Major taught all the animals his wise ideas in a kind supportingRead MoreAnimal Farm Character Analysis938 Words   |  4 Pagescelebrated novelist well known for his political satire in the fairy tale, Animal Farm. The theme of power in the book is recurring and greatly present throughout the piece. Through the use of characterization, conflict, and irony, Orwell shows that those in the position of power can become like its predecessor. Orwell demonstrates that those in power can become like their predecessor through characterization. One example comes from page 107: At about half past nine Napoleon, wearing an oldRead MoreCharacters In Animal Farm, By George Orwell1079 Words   |  5 PagesJanuary 21,1950 in London,United Kingdom. George Orwell published Animal Farm on August 17,1945. The setting of Animal Farm is on a farm in England. The characters in Animal Farm are based off of leaders or people during a Russian political upheaval. The book reflects on the events leading to the Russian Revolution of 1917. George Orwell uses different characters and themes in Animal Farm such as leadership,corruption, and class conflict. Old Major is one of the leaders of the pigs. Old Major is a prizeRead MoreEssay on Animal Farm And The Russian Revolution877 Words   |  4 Pages George Orwell’s novel Animal Farm is a great example of allegory and political satire. The novel was written to criticize totalitarian regimes and particularly Stalins corrupt rule in Russia. In the first chapter Orwell gives his reasons for writing the story and what he hopes it will accomplish. It also gives reference to the farm and how it relates to the conflicts of the Russian revolution. The characters, settings, and the plot were written to describe the social upheaval during that periodRead MoreComparative Essay: Leadership Lord of the Flies and Animal Farm1120 Words   |  5 Pagesï » ¿Comparative essay: Leadership in Lord of the Flies and Animal Farm Essay question: You are required to write a comparative essay. You should compare one aspect of the texts such as theme, conflict, character or relationship. The texts are ‘Lord of the Flies’ and ‘Animal Farm’. The two books, Lord of the Flies and Animal Farm circle around the themes of power, leadership, law, disorder, good and evil. On a personal level, these themes come up in the way people relate to each other: How theyRead MoreAnimal Farm and the Russian Revolution - Essay895 Words   |  4 PagesGeorge Orwells novel Animal Farm is a great example of allegory and political satire. The novel was written to criticize totalitarian regimes and particularly Stalins corrupt rule in Russia. In the first chapter Orwell gives his reasons for writing the story and what he hopes it will accomplish. It also gives reference to the farm and how it relates to the conflicts of the Russian revolution. The characters, settings, and the plot were written to describe the social upheaval during that period

Similarities Between Love And Hate In Romeo And Juliet

Many situations have two sides: black or white. There are gray areas, but people often have trouble meeting in the middle of both extremes. Evil and hate are often associated with black; good and love are associated with white. Humans are dual creatures who cannot be one thing or the other; one cannot love without hating or be good without having evil desires. In literature, characters are used to portray the existence of duality. Romeo, from Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, is a prime example of a character who ponders the duality between love and hate. He feels as if his â€Å"love† for Rosaline (a nun in training) is physically harming him, saying, â€Å"Is love a tender thing? It is too rough, too rude, too boisterous, and it pricks like thorn.†Ã¢â‚¬ ¦show more content†¦Robert Louis Stevenson’s Jekyll and Hyde is about the double existence of good and evil in man. â€Å"Virtue itself turns vice, being misapplied; and vice sometimes by action dignified.† (II iii) He created a potion to separate his good self from his evil self. Jekyll was able to avoid guilt by committing crimes as Hyde. Hyde is Jekyll’s mask; as Zimbardo says in the article Why Good People Do Bad Things, â€Å"You minimize social responsibility...Nobody knows who you are, so therefore you are not individually liable.† The despicable alter ego retreats into Jekyll after he has committed his crimes so that the police can’t find him. Shakespeare used the concept of masks in a different sense than Stevenson; he used the mask of night as the setting of Romeo and Juliet’s love. Romeo acknowledges this fact, declaring, â€Å"I have nights cloak to hide me from their sight; And but thou love me, let them find me here: My life were better ended by their hate, than death prorogued, wanting of thy love.† (II ii) Night is the only time they can see each other because of the enmity between their families. Friar Laurence thinks this is going to end badly, but he marries the young lovebirds because he believes the heavens will â€Å"[smile upon] this holy act, that after hours with sorrow chide us not!† If their children are married together, he hopes that Lord Montague and Lord Capulet will end the feud. Sadly his plan failed, and only the deaths of the lovers were enough toShow MoreRelatedSimilarities Between Romeo And Juliet And West Side Story1342 Words   |  6 Pagesplays of Romeo and Juliet writt en by William Shakespeare and West Side story by Arthur Laurents both portray the primary themes of love and conflict. The themes love and conflict can be explained as love is a strong feeling of affection for another, and conflict is unfavourable disagreement upon an issue involving another party or person. This essay will identify how love and conflict is portrayed in Romeo and Juliet and West Side Story with the mutual similarities and differences between both playsRead MoreWilliam Shakespeare s Romeo And Juliet1209 Words   |  5 PagesMorning/Afternoon Miss Rigby, Romeo and Juliet displays the the nature of love and the reason for its destruction. It is the most common story to associate with love, it has been adapted to film multiple times, even within a modern setting. Within the play lies many different themes, two of which I will analyse today which are love and hate. The deepest principles in human nature are hate and love, these two contrasting emotions are key in unders tanding Romeo and Juliet. It s a play which dates backRead MoreShakespeares Romeo and Juliet vs. West Side Story Essay735 Words   |  3 PagesRomeo Juliet vs. West Side Story Shakespeares is one of the most read writers ever and his writing was so successful that not just one group of people liked it. He did this by relating to his audience using universal truths. . Human emotions are not something that change over time and they are also known as universal truths; love, hate, revenge, and envy are all examples of universal truths. This play was so successful that many other movies have copied the plot but changed the scenery. OverRead More Comparing Romeo and Juliet and Much Ado About Nothing Essay552 Words   |  3 PagesComparing Romeo and Juliet and Much Ado About Nothing As illustrated by the two plays Romeo and Juliet and Much Ado About Nothing, William Shakespeare was a true romantic. In each play, his characters suffer great hardship, but in the end, he delivers them to a life of eternal love. Characters plot against each other in each play. The relationships of the people in his plays are not always what they seem. Whether it be a tragedy or a comedy, Shakespeare encompasses three elements into his plays:Read MoreSimilarities And Differences Between Gnomeo Jomeet And Romeo And Juliet881 Words   |  4 PagesRomeo and Juliet is a very well known book that is loved by many. There numerous movies done on Romeo and Juliet like Baz Luhrmann’s 1996 version and Gnomeo and Juliet. There are many apparent differences like using guns instead of swords and using gnomes instead of people. Although there are many similarities, the differences between Luhrmann’s movie and Gnomeo and Juliet compared to the play Romeo and Juliet are evident. The s imilarities between the movie and the play only go down to the plot andRead MoreExplore How Shakespeare and Orwell Present Forbidden Love and Rebellion.1449 Words   |  6 PagesExplore how Shakespeare and Orwell present forbidden love in ‘Romeo and Juliet’ and ‘1984’. Introduction What is love? What are the main similarities and differences between the presentation of forbidden love in 1984 and Romeo and Juliet? Relate briefly to the contexts of both texts. Paragraph 1 Why does Romeo love Juliet? Why does Winston love Julia? Look at how Romeo is attracted to Juliet for being beautiful and compare it to how Winston loves Julia for her lack of purity. Explore this idea. Read MoreThemes Of Love And Hate1443 Words   |  6 PagesLove and hate are both an occurring theme in both Romeo and Juliet by Shakespeare and Frankenstein by Mary Shelly. In this essay I will be comparing the similarities and differences of the way that the two texts portray the feeling of love and hate. The essay will be divided into different topics that I will be comparing, these following topics will be: death, passion, betrayal and one more. Romeo and Juliet was a play that was written by the famous English poet, playwright William Shakespeare whoseRead MoreSimilarities and Differences Between Romeo and Juliet and Lord of the Flies1676 Words   |  7 Pagesenemies for generations. †¢ Bitter hate even extend to the families’ servants who open the play fighting in the streets. †¢ Arguments end up in fights resulting in murder, followed by revenge and more murder – Tybalt kills Mercutio, Romeo kills Tybalt despite knowing that Tybalt is his new wife’s cousin. †¢ Juliet finds out that Romeo kills her cousin, but tolerates it. †¢ Juliet would rather die than marry Paris †¢ Romeo kills Paris †¢ Double Suicides – First Romeo, then Juliet after she wakes up †¢ No ParentsRead MoreHOW SHAKESPEARE PRESENTS ROMEO‚Äà ´S FEELINGS IN ACT 1 SCENE 1 AND ACT 2 SCENE 2893 Words   |  4 PagesHOW SHAKESPEARE PRESENTS ROMEO’S FEELINGS IN ACT 1 SCENE 1 AND ACT 2 SCENE 2 Love is an important theme in most of Shakespeare’s play, including in Romeo and Juliet because love is a stronger force than all the animosity and forces of fate in Romeo and Juliet. In Romeo and Juliet, Shakespeare’s play, Shakespeare explores Romeo’s change in attitude to love between Rosaline and Juliet. In Act 1 Scene 1 Shakespeare introduces us to Romeo’s passionate desire towards Rosaline through the use of oxymoronRead MoreWilliam Shakespeare s Romeo And Juliet1552 Words   |  7 PagesRomeo and Juliet, is a story of forbidden love, drama, and identity. While most may think that this play is just one of those love stories read for entertainment, it holds a many connotations that can relate to modern society. As Romeo and Juliet s love develops, so does their deadly secret retracting them from one another more and more. As these two children learn the true meaning of love, they are blinded by the world around them. Their identity takes a strong sta nd in their ability to love one

Lewinsky Essay Example For Students

Lewinsky Essay Results May VaryThis product advertisement, for thumbuterol, the fat burner, begins to mislead the reader from the very beginning. The ad came from a very popular mens magazine, Maxim, and is targeted directly at young males. It is intended to mislead the reader that it is a factual article, and not an advertisement at all, just from the look of the ad. The article uses headings and title fonts, similar to all of the other article in the magazine. This tricks the reader into starting to read the article without even considering that it is an ad, in hopes they will be taken in by all of their empty promises. From the very beginning the article plays on one of societies biggest weaknesses, that being their self image. Everyone wants to look different in some way, and most people would love to be thinner. The title, A Killer Bod In Time For Summer, misleads people into believeing that they will be able to get into shape fast in no time at all. It also plays on peoples weakness of self-image by conjuring up images of the beach in the readers mind. It does this by mentioning the summer and showing pictures of women in bathing suits. The article also plays on socities laziness by promising quick results with no work. This article also seems to use very sneaky rhetoric and invites the reader to reason fallaciously. The article seems to guarantee that the product burns pounds and shrinks inches in the beginning of the article, but no where else in the article does it mention this guarantee. The ad also states that it was reported by an AP senior nutrition expert, but it fails to make any mentio n of his name or even what AP stands for. By looking more closely at the article I conclude that AP stands for Alternative Pharmaceuticals, the company who is selling the product, and the reader is then left to question the credibility of the companies own experts. The ad also uses fine print to state that results may vary, and the fine print then goes on to state that the product has not even been reviewed by the FDA. The ad also uses big words to confuse the reder, such asmentioning that one of the main ingredients is Guggulsterone, derived from the bark of a tree in India. Cleverly disquising the fact that all they are trying to sell you is ground up tree bark. The ad makes claims that their ingredients are proven to work, but provenby who, according to the fine print not by the FDA. The article also uses before and after pictures of a supposed product user, but they seem to have convinently left out his name and any information on the users diet and exercise habits while taking the pills. In closing the article seems to have all of the key features of a misleading advertisement, from false claims and unproven facts, to doctored photos of one of their supposed clients. Words/ Pages : 502 / 24

There Are Dangers in Drinking Diet Soda Essay Example

ï » ¿There Are Dangers in Drinking Diet Soda Essay There Are Dangers in Drinking Diet Soda A new study has found that the artificial sweeteners in diet soda can cause weight gain, metabolic syndrome, diabetes, and heart disease, adding to mounting research about the potential health risks of diet soft drinks. And that’s not all—the study also found that the artificial sweeteners in diet soda can interfere with your body’s normal response to sugar, deregulating normal blood sugar levels even more than regular soda. That’s because the fake sugar essentially tricks your body into thinking you’re taking in the calories associated with the sweet taste. But that means the body doesn’t know how to process real sugar—and fails to release the hormone that controls blood sugar and blood pressure. The study, conducted by researchers at Purdue University, incorporated 40 years of research on the effects of artificial sweeteners and the health problems associated with diet soda. No surprise: the American Beverage Association begs to differ. â€Å"Low-calorie sweeteners are some of the most studied and reviewed ingredients in the food supply today,† said the ABA said in a statement. â€Å"They are safe and an effective tool in weight loss and weight management, according to decades of scientific research and regulatory agencies around the globe.† The ABA noted that the Purdue research was technically published as an opinion piece, not a scientific study. But Susan Swithers, the author of the Purdue study, issued her own statement, noting that soda drinkers aren’t always given the correct facts about the health consequences of drinking diet soda. It is not uncommon for people to be given messages that artificially sweetened products are healthy, will help them lose weight, or will help prevent weight gain, Swithers said. The data to support those claims are not very strong, and although it seems like common sense that diet sodas would not be as problematic as regular sodas, common sense is not always right. Swithers’ study adds to mounting research about the possible dangers of diet soda. â€Å"Although it seems like common sense that diet sodas would not be as problematic as regular sodas, common sense is not always right. One recent report in General Dentristy found that heavy consumption diet soft drinks can erode teeth as much as much as crystal meth or crack cocaine. We will write a custom essay sample on ï » ¿There Are Dangers in Drinking Diet Soda specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on ï » ¿There Are Dangers in Drinking Diet Soda specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on ï » ¿There Are Dangers in Drinking Diet Soda specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer A 2012 study found that drinking a diet soda every day can lead to strokes, heart disease, and is often associated with other unhealthy behaviors. And a 2010 study found a link between women who drank diet soda while pregnant and the  risk of preterm delivery. Maybe someone should have clued in the 31-year-old woman who suffered heart problems after drinking only soda for 16 years about the risks of diet soda. Then there is the unidentified woman in Monaco who was taken to the hospital after a fainting spell and told doctors that she hadn’t drunk water since she was 15 years old—just diet soda, and about two liters of it per day. Doctors found the woman had extremely low potassium levels and a heart condition called QT syndrome which can cause erratic heart beats. She had no family history of heart problems. The woman was told to stop drinking soda for one week—and her symptoms disappeared. Like The Daily Beast on Facebook and follow us on Twitter for updates a ll day long. Eliza Shapiro is a reporter for The Daily Beast, covering breaking news, crime, and politics. Previously, she worked at Capital New York and edited Columbia’s undergraduate blog, Bwog. http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2013/07/13/there-are-dangers-in-drinking-diet-soda.html

I Believe Essay Essay Example

I Believe Essay Essay Example I Believe Essay Essay I Believe Essay Essay This I believe speech Everyone who has ever been in high school has heard the saying, Live like there is no tomorrow. This saying is used to remind all generations nothing lasts forever. Each generation comes up with a curative way of saying this, from Carpe Diem to Yolo everyone understands what it means. Living in the moment lets me get the most out of life while learning from the mistakes I make. There isnt a day that goes by when I dont ask myself if Im living my life to the fullest and in the smartest way possible. I never knew how short life could be until my mom received the phone call that changed my life. It was a normal Sunday afternoon, and I had spent the whole weekend with my best friend Rhylan. It had been about an hour since we had gotten back home from church, and my mom was on her way to pick me up. Everything had seemed normal when I got in the car until right before we turned out of the neighborhood. It was my aunt who had frantically called my mom. She said, Sherry just called; she said Daddy had a stroke, and theyre on the way to the hospital! My mom responded, What?! Im on my way now! Even though I was eavesdropping the entire time, I asked, Mommy what did she say? Where are we going?! She simply reiterated what she was told trying to be as calm as she could for me at least. At the time, I was young and naive I was an eighth grader and I was only thirteen years old. I had an idea of what a stroke was, but I was going off of my own theory which was that it was the end, and that my Papa, also known as my Grandpa, wasnt going to make it.; The next six months of my entire lif e revolved around Papa. That experience taught me more than I ever wanted to know about strokes and just how easily life can end. This moment was one of the scariest moments of my life. Luckily it wasnt the end. Im glad to say that my Papa recovered tremendously, and Im thankful for him being here today. After his minor setback, I learned to live as if there was no tomorrow by not taking everyone I love for granted. From that moment on, Ive started to show way more emotions than I have ever shared in my life because everyone wants to be loved. Living as if there was no tomorrow is easier said than done because I have a strong conscience. This is why I try to make smart decisions and still do everything I want to do with no regrets.;;

Must-Know Vocabulary for French Restaurant Dining

Must-Know Vocabulary for French Restaurant Dining Knowing how to conduct yourself and order food in a  French restaurant can be a little tricky. There are some  important differences between restaurants in France and other countries, including what foods are offered and how they are prepared. Even the way dishes are listed on most  French menus  is a little different. Knowing the terms to use in most French restaurants- and especially learning how to pronounce them correctly- is the key to ensuring that your restaurant experience is enjoyable and that you receive the food you want. Understanding what your waiter is asking you or what the menu says- from Quest-ce  que  je  vous  sers? (What can I get you?) to service  compris (tip included)- will soon have your server and others wishing you:  Bon appà ©tit! (Enjoy your meal!). French Restaurant Terms and Pronunciations The table below contains key French restaurant terms followed by their English translations. Click on the French words and phrases to hear how to pronounce them correctly. French Term English Translation commander to order Vous avez choisi? Have you decided? Que voudriez-vous? Vous dsirez? What would you like? Je vous coute. What would you like? (Literally, Im listening to you.) Que prenez-vous? What are you having? Quest-ce que je vous sers? What can I get you? Je voudrais... Jaimerais... I would like... Je vais prendre... Je prends... Ill have... Combien cote...? How much does ... cost? Cest votre got? Do you like it? Is everything ok? Cest termin? Have you finished? a a t? Was everything ok? Je suis... I am... allergique ... allergic to... diabtique diabetic vgtarien / vgtarienne vegetarian vgtalien / vgtalienne vegan Je ne peux pas manger... I cant eat... bleu, saignant very rare ros rare point medium-rare bien cuit well done le serveur (not garon) waiter la serveuse waitress le/la chef cook le menu fixed-price meal la carte menu la carte side order laddition check/bill le socle base of credit card machine le pourboire tip service compris tip included service non compris tip not included A la vtre! Cheers! Bon apptit Enjoy your meal dfense de fumer no smoking les animaux sont interdits no pets allowed A Typical French Restaurant Dialogue Now that you know the key terms you might need to know to dine in a French restaurant, scan the table below to study a typical dialogue that might occur between a serveur  (server) and à ©tudiant  (student). The first column lists the speaker, the second gives the French dialogue, and the third provides the English translation. Serveur Bonsoir Monsieur/Madame. Good evening sir/maam. tudiant Bonsoir Madame/Monsieur. Je voudrais une table pour trois personnes, pour dner, sil vous plat. Good evening maam/sir. I would like a table for 3, for dinner, please. Serveur Vous avez une reservation? Do you have a reservation? tudiant Non, je nai pas de reservation. No, I dont have a reservation. Serveur Pas de problme. Voici une table pour 3 personnes, et voici la carte. No problem. Here is a table for 3, and here is the menu. tudiant Merci Madame/Monsieur. Sil vous plat. Thank you maam/sir. Excuse me? Serveur Oui Monsieur/Madame ? Yes sir/maam ? tudiant Je voudrais de leau. I would like some water. Serveur Oui Monsieur/Madame. Et pour dner, vous avez choisi ? Yes sir/maam. And for dinner, have you decided? tudiant Je voudrais le menu 15 Euros. I would like the set price menu for 15 Euros. Serveur Oui. En entre ? Yes. For the appetizer? tudiant Je voudrais le pat. I would like the pat. Serveur Et en plat principal. And for your main course? tudiant Je voudrais le steak frites. I would like the steak with French fries. Serveur Bien Monsieur/Madame, quelle cuisson ? OK sir/maam, how would you like it cooked? tudiant Bien cuit, sil vous plat. Non, point, sil vous plat. Well done please. No, medium rare, please. Serveur En dessert? For dessert? tudiant Une glace la vanille. Et, excusez-moi Madame/ Monsieur, o sont les toilettes ? Vanilla ice cream. And, excuse me maam/sir, where is the restroom? Serveur Au sous-sol. In the basement. tudiant Je ne comprends pas. Vous pouvez rpter sil vous plat ? I dont understand. Could you repeat please? Serveur Au sous sol. Vous descendez lescalier. In the basement. Go down the stairs. tudiant Oh, je comprends maintenant. Merci. Ah, now I understand. Thank you. Serveur Comment vous trouvez votre steak frites ? How is your steak? tudiant Cest dlicieux. Cest parfait. Its delicious. Its perfect. tudiant Laddition sil vous plat. May I have the check, please? Serveur Bien Monsieur/Madame. Vous pouvez payer la caisse. OK sir/maam. You can pay at the register.

Contract law coursework Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Contract law coursework - Essay Example when this would involve forcing a contract upon an unwilling party,†3 nevertheless, since Jerry &Co has commenced performing the terms through construction, they are deemed to have accepted the contract4 with the additional provisions inserted by Mrs. Lowrie. When the record of a transaction is contained in a document – oral evidence is excludedas in this case, the parol evidence rule has generally excluded oral evidence, so parties are bound by the writing alone5. However oral representations made by Jerry& Co have induced Lowrie to enter into the contract.6 Most importantly, it must be noted that as per Clause 5 of written contract, Jerry& Co provide no warranty on materials used in construction.7 Ans 2 (a): The document signed by Mrs Lowrie and Jerry &Co does not represent the entire agreement between the parties. For one thing, there are additional terms and provisions which are relevant in the context of the contract – which are spelt out in the standard form building contract.8 Mrs Lowrie may not have entered into the contract without the oral representations on completion time and materials.9 (b) The oral statements made on March 4th and April 3rd do not form a part of the formal written contract between the parties. However, these statements may be classed as representations – which are statements of fact made by one party that form the basis upon which the other party is induced to enter into the contract. When such statements/representations are not reduced into writing, the Court may draw the conclusion that the parties did not intended them to be contractual terms10 and therefore, an injured party may not be able to hold the other party to those representations. The important distinction between a contractual term and a representation is that while contractual terms are enforceable in the event of a dispute, representations may not be. Ans 3: If the oral statements were deemed to be representations and not contractual terms, then

Introduction to African American Studies Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Introduction to African American Studies - Essay Example In the movie American History X, the speech Danny makes at the end—in which he quotes Abraham Lincoln—is significant for several reasons. Derek and Danny were both members of Aryan white supremacy groups; Derek suffered violence at the hands of other prisoners due to his friendship with a Black inmate; and Danny was killed by a student like himself, a Black young man with whom he had had an altercation the day before. Derek had not wanted his younger brother Danny to engage in the same kind of senseless violence which characterized the very reason Derek was in prison. When two Black men vandalized Derek’s truck—the only possession left to Derek by his father, who was also a target of Black-on-white crime—Derek killed one man and severely injured the other. That notwithstanding, Derek was sentenced to be incarcerated for a period of a few years and came out of jail wanting his younger brother not to follow in his footsteps. Derek and Danny, at this s tage of the movie, definitely do not consider Black people to be their friends in any respect. Nay, they are enemies—people who are to be feared and regarded in low esteem based solely on the fact that one side is white and the other Black—a most denigrating feeling perpetuated by these two brothers. In jail, Derek’s friend Lamont—who happened to be Black—became Derek’s best friend while in jail. ... This helps Derek realize that it is not the color of one’s skin, but the content of one’s character, that makes a person what he or she is. Once he realizes this, he fears it may be all but too little too late for his dear brother Danny, who takes a similar road he did. The question is,will Derek be able to save his brother the same or similar fate he experienced? Derek now realizes that, since his prior thinking was wrong, he must do something to set things aright now that he is getting paroled from prison. Meanwhile, Danny takes a personalized, private history course—an idea of Dr. Sweeney’s after Danny does a paper on Hitler’s Mein Kampf as an apologetical work—â€Å"American History X† being the name of the class, which is supposed to be a substitute for the other history class in which he was doing very poorly. Unfortunately, just as Derek himself did, Danny found himself in a confrontation with a young Black man over a prior argu ment or beef. This young man proves to be Danny’s enemy—and his realization of his morally reprehensible, wrong, racist attitudes of the past are ones which he no longer agrees with—unfortunately, too late. The idea that both Blacks and whites should be friends, not enemies, is the point that Lincoln the abolitionist, our 16th President, was trying to drive home. Lincoln’s ideology flew in the face of the white supremacy that devoured Derek and Danny’s lives; Lincoln saw the potential for friendships containing individuals of both races; and Lincoln knew the destructive ends of hate, which no one should hopefully have to experience in one’s lifetime. 5) In the essay, â€Å"Toward a Theory of Popular

Individual Assignment Essay Example for Free

Individual Assignment Essay Financial Concepts Guillermo Navallez is challenged with a market changes that have occurred over the past couple of years. With the economic environment created by the new competition and increase in labor costs, he will need to apply principles of finance to determine the best course of action to allow his furniture store to survive. After review and thoughtful consideration Guillermo decided to use the following to determine the best course of action: The Principle of Self-Interest Behavior, the Signaling Principle, and The Principle of Comparative Advantage. Using the behavioral based principles, economics and psychology can be integrated to help in the decision making process. Likewise, expertise can be the basis for choices made. The Principle of Self-Interested Behavior People generally, act in their own financial self-interest. The Principle of Self-Interested Behavior states that when all things are equal, parties involved will gravitate to the action that is most financially advantageous. A key concept with this principle is the idea of opportunity costs, or the difference between the value of one action and the value of best alternative (Emery, Finnerty, Stowe, 2007). To maximize potential profits, Guillermo will want to review carefully the different options available. The development and review of anticipate financial results will help identify from a purely financial perspective. The Principle of Self-Interested Behavior would help Guillermo with his end decision, if his financial interest was the most important component. When considering his concern the effect that the decision will have on his family life, this principle will likely not be the guiding force in the decision he makes. The Signaling Principle The Signaling Principle is an extension of the Principle of Self-Interested Behavior (Emery, Finnerty, Stowe, 2007). Decisions of one party in a financial market will provide signals to others. The old adage â€Å"actions speak louder than words† is a clear explanation of this principle (Garger, 2011). The actions of the competitors can play an important role in the decision making process. Guillermo understands that how others are handling the changes in the market can help him with his decision. He learns that many of his competitors are consolidating in to large organizations. The path taken by the others in the industry were not attractive to him. Guillermo saw that additional management reasonability and the forced retirements were not fitting to his lifestyle or personal financial expectations. The Signaling Principle would be a good practice for the foreign competition as they would benefit by understanding how others capitalized on the situation of the individual furniture makers left in the market. The Principle of Comparative Advantage Much like the very idea that the United States’ economic system is based, the Principle of Comparative Advantage stated that if people do what they do best, the most qualified people will be completing that type of work. One can pay another to do what they do best and vice versa. Foreign trade is based on this same idea. Some countries can produce goods more economically than others. By producing these goods and trading them with countries that can efficiently produce another needed good, everybody benefits (Emery, Finnerty, Stowe, 2007). Through his research, Guillermo found a company that was still operating in exclusively in Norway, but was looking to distribute in the North America. Guillermo had connections with distributors and expert knowledge as to the furniture being sought after. By becoming a representative for the Norwegian company, he would work with the network he had developed to distribute their products. His company focus would change from primarily manufacturing to distribution. The Norwegian company would pay him for work he was extremely qualified to do, and they would make a majority of the furniture that would be sold. Both Guillermo and the furniture maker would win under of the Principle of Comparative Advantage. Conclusion Principles of finance can be very beneficial in making business decisions. They can deal with the competition in the economic environment, creating value and economic efficiency, and financial transactions.

Jürgen Habermas’ The Structural Transformation of the Public Sphere Ess

In this essay I will discuss Jà ¼rgen Habermas’ â€Å"The Structural Transformation of the Public Sphere: Inquiry into a category of bourgeois society† (1962), and the ideas presented surrounding the public sphere. What I will investigate is whether or not the post-modern phenomenon of new media (e.g. the internet) could in fact present a new-wave of public sphere, or is just another platform for mass-media. I will also explore the public sphere model, and discuss its decline (due to either political or economic reasons). I will look in particular at the 21st Century, and the evidence of a possible public sphere in the modern day, as well as the factors which could have extinguished the public sphere in the early part of the 20th Century, not just looking to Habermas’ philosophy but also other social commentators like Noam Chomsky & Del Sola Poole. The â€Å"Public Sphere† (Habermas 1962) is a term coined by German sociologist and philosopher Jà ¼rgen Habermas, as he believes, the public sphere social structure directly proceeded feudalism in European society. It comes from the two separate factors of the â€Å"public† ( referring to public authority – the state) and the â€Å"private†(referring to the idea of economy, society and the family) coming together for rational critical debate about the world around them. Habermas believes that this was initially started with the â€Å"literary public sphere† which allowed people of all social standing to discuss art and literature, usually in public places like coffee houses and salons. From this branched the political public sphere, where private people (not working for the government, or influenced by it) came together to use reason critically and analysed (and often opposed) ideas present in government. W... ...tion.† Outhwaite, W. ed (1996)† The Habermas Reader† Cambridge UP Crossley, N. & Roberts, J.M (eds.) (2004) â€Å"After Habermas: new perspectives on the public sphere†. Oxford University Press Curran, J (1978)† The press as an agency of social control: an historical perspective.† G, Curran, J. & Wingate P. (eds) Newspaper History: from the 17th Century to the present day. London: constable print Atton, C (2002) â€Å"News cultures and new social movements: Radical journalism and the mainstream media, journalism studies† Brendon, P. (1982) â€Å" The Life and death of press barons†. London: Secker & Warbug Koss S (1984) â€Å" The Rise and Fall of Political Press in Britain: Vol 2- The Twentieth Century† Chapel Hill and London: University of North Carolina Press, Herman S & Chomsky N (1988) â€Å"Manufacturing Consent: The Political Economy of the Mass Media† London: Vintage press

Importance of Science

Not only this due to scientific knowledge, man has been able to reach to the moon and in outer space. With scientific inventions in manure, seed and means of agricultural productions with the help of tractors and tube-wells, food production has been increased. As such with the help of increased production, man has been able to provide food to growing population. With the help of science, man has been able to control famines and floods and epidemics. With the help of scientific development in medical field epidemics like plague, cholera and malaria and influenza etc. ave been eradicated. Now even change of organs and parts of body is possible. Now with the advancement of science, it has become possible to change the sex and make man, a woman and woman, a man. Telegraph, telephone Fax, Telex Mobile phone and wireless have made it possible to talk with a person living at a long distance and in a far off foreign country. Radio, Television, V. C. P. , V. C. R. and cinema have become our m ain means of comfort. Electricity provides us light and fans and other means of comforts. Science has further provided us ordinary amenities of daily life Science such as gas, fridge, heaters, coolers, tape-records and other articles which have made life worth-living and comfortable. Science has produced microscope, telescope, photography, Photostat machines and computers. It has brought into existence global market so that goods and inventions of one country may benefit whole world. It has invented atomic bombs, hydrogen bombs, missiles and other destructive weapons which may bring disaster. As such Science has invented machines and instruments and other things which provided necessities of daily life such as gas, electric fans, colors, fridge and heaters etc. Science has increased production, controlled famine, flood and diseases and in this way it has lessened sufferings of mankind. It has provided us quick means of transport through steamships, Railways, cars, buses and aero planes etc. It has provided quick means of communication through telephone, telegrams and wireless. Science has provided means of comforts and recreations as stated above but it has failed to provide us peace of mind. It has made man greedy and selfish and power hungry and to gain wealth and power. Science has invented destructive weapons which cause disaster. Thus Science is useful, if it is used for producing food and good and other necessities of life and for convenience and comforts but it may cause disaster if destructive weapons may be used in future. Thus scientific weapons may also cause harm.

Airline Industry

The absorbtion of a company is often a difficult task. Critical issues to consider, include organizational culture, technology, socio-culture, brand equity, and profitability of the firm. Organizational culture is the most important issue to consider when acquiring another company. While some cultures differ from others, that doesn’t necessarily make them weak cultures. Key questions to ask are; how well will the companies cultures mix with each other? If changes to either culture occur, what implications does this have on productivity and efficiency?Technology is and has been a key part of business and will continue to be. Technology increases productivity, efficiency, and in many times lowers the cost of making products. When looking to acquire another company one must compare the technology of that company to its industry. How much will a company have to invest in a company to get the technology updated and personnel trained on those machines? How much would the company gai n by implementing this new technology? Socio-cultural factors are a mindset of customers and they play a major role in whether or not a customer purchases a product and how much of it they will purchase.Grapefruit, for example, was a very popular item during the craze of the Hollywood Diet. Carbohydrates were in low demand when the Adkins Diet was trendy, and now it’s no transaturated fats that are becoming the next style of diet. Fast food companies had to change their menus to fit some of these trends due to their popularity! The lesson to take away from this is that a company needs to look into current as well as future trends that occur before making the decision to make an investment into an absorption.Brand equity is an essential part of acquiring a company. For example, a customer enters a pharmacy and sees both Tylenol and the generic brand of acetaminophen at the same price; the customer will most likely pick the Tylenol because it has proven itself to be a strong br and. The same can be said with companies in other industries. A company must research the customer’s perception of the products and service that the potentially acquired company offers in order to insure that they are making a good investment.Since the nature of business is to make profit, a shrewd to examination into the current profitability of the company being acquired as well as speculate future profitability is required. It’s also essential for a company to forecast the impacts that this merger will cause for their own company and determine if the results are desirable before the merger takes place. Part II. Barriers to entry—moderate: Sometimes a company will be able to enter the market but only for a short time; however this still causes competition and causes a reduction in fares.Part of what keeps barriers high are that airlines that are already in business there have planes already purchased as well as partnerships with other companies established. Th is leads to a potential entrant having diseconomies of scale. The two major things that deter customers from choosing a competitor are cost and past experience. These don’t contribute much to switching costs so when a new competitor enters the industry margins decrease even more. Since startup costs are so huge in the commercial airline industry, the threat of potential entrants is rather low.Rivalry among existing firms—high: Since JetBlue has entered the global market there are several more airlines worldwide that JetBlue has to compete with, as well as domestic and startup airlines to compete with. They must keep their prices/margins low not only to deter customers from other competitors but also to compete with close substitutes. There isn’t a firm that controls a large portion of the market so in turn companies receive low return due to competitive pricing structures. Finally there is very little differentiation in the airline industry.Services that JetBlue offers like free WiFi and XM radio are small things that help them differentiate their service for customers to buy. Threat of close substitutes—high: There are several substitutes to air travel, these being things like a car or a train. When going overseas there really isn’t a good substitute unless you are going on a cruise which in my opinion is an entirely different plan for travel. Sometimes if a group of people want to travel to the same place they will carpool for a cheaper rate, but this is getting less popular than it once was.In summary the shorter the distance, the more likely an airline is going to lose to close substitutes like a car or train. Bargaining power of suppliers—high: This is due to the fact that the suppliers are in an oligopoly. There isn’t much competition in the supplier market so those companies can keep their margins rather high. If a company decides to purchase a different brand of airliner then they would need to face trai ning and maintenance costs associated with buying that new brand. Now there are things like beer and peanuts, uniforms and the like.The airline industry has potentially high bargaining power against these suppliers but those items don’t affect the profit margin like equipment does. Bargaining power of buyers—low/moderate: The price of an airline ticket is set and doesn’t really change except over time through competition. Buyers get to use technology like the internet to compare prices of different competitors which lowers prices; however that only affects prices over time. Since there are many airlines to choose from as well as low switching costs buyers enjoy a moderate amount of bargaining power.However, with few exceptions like companies that use economies of scale to negotiate rates for you there is very little a buyer can do to bargain with an airline immediately. Overall competition in airline industry is very intense. There are several competitors in the airline industry, and since the industry is low growth competitors try to differentiate their service to get people to switch to them. In poor economic times people look for lower cost alternatives and airfare is no different—people will look for lower cost means of transportation. Airliners also face an overall moderate bargaining power which limits their profit margins. Airline industry This is considerably larger than some 620 countries, estimated similarly to the same size as Switzerland. (ATAG, 2012). It is orecast that by 2026, the industry will contribute $1 trillion to world GDP (ATAG, 2012). Despite the fact there is over 2000 airlines, each airline generally relies upon either one of the two-airline manufactures. These are Boeing or Airbus, both that are extremely wealthy companies. Boeing & Airbus are extremely competitive against each other and often have court disputes against each other.The most recent dispute was dated in May 2011, where both companies claimed victory after the World Trade Organisation overturned the ruling in which saw Airbus receive billions of Euros in illegal subsidies. BBC News, 2011). The US complained to the WTO as they thought the $18 billion subsidiary was deemed to 'cause serious prejudice' to US interests (BBC News, 2011). Growth Rate The Airline Industry woes are expected to continue, with humble profits produced mainly by l imiting capacity.Both Boeing & Airbus already have a backlog of orders due to carriers deferring their orders due to the poor growth in clientele and falling flight prices. (The Economist, 2012). Other factors that are damaging the threat of growth in the Airline industry are the threat of terrorism & increase in fuel prices. Are these factors putting people off? In 2009, there was an immediate decline in air travel by 30% (ehow) after the attack on the twin towers. The drastic decline maybe explained by the fact many feared there could be another terrorist attack in the nearby future.Rising fuel prices in 2012 are set to have an enormous impact on the industry and set to shrink profit margins awfully tight. The industrys global trade body nas warned that annual profits nave been cut by $500m (Financial Times). Due to the Increase in fuel prices, many airlines have decided to provide the A380 aircraft, hich carries roughly 500 people depending on the configuration. This has helped a chieve economies of scale for many companies. Market Share The Airline Industry is incredibly competitive and diverse globally so it is difficult to summarise market share of companies.However, because of this reason returns are usually lower than expected. This can result in difficultly at times of economic recession. The supply in airline industry is very limited and dominated by Boeing & Airbus, which means there is very little aggressive competition. It is very unlikely to ee a supplier vertically integrated. This means it is highly unlikely that Boeing or Airbus would start offering flight services. The bargaining power of airline companies is surprisingly very low.

Health care systems

Health care systems The three main health care systems are socialist, capitalist and communist system. Decisions on which of the three systems to follow mostly depends on the kind of governance in the land. Arguably, the socialist health system is the best of the three health system. Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Health care systems specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More This is because it ensures all the people in the republic get cheap or even free health care. Health is one of the basic necessities of a human being and therefore it would be such that majority of the people in the society are able to access it. According to the principles of World Health Organization, everyone should be able to access good quality health care. This will be well taken care of in scenario of a socialist health system because it is a government policy to have everyone incorporated in this system. Considering that there is a big number of people who cannot afford expensive health care, socialist health system offer a good alternative system of health submission. This means even the poor in the society have their health issues well taken care of. The socialist system is also non-discriminatory in nature, in that even the minority in the society as well as women and children will enjoy available and accessible health care. Economic accessibility is one factor of the socialist system that makes it more suitable than the other systems of health care (Bowling and Ebrahim 17). The government may introduce a flat rate that is affordable to the people in the society this means that all the people are well taken care and medicine is cheaper to them. The fact that due to the low cost of health system in the society few people will be willing to invest in the health sector is an added benefit because people who may just invest in the health sector just to gain profits without the desire to put people’s heath demands first will be minim ized. Advertising Looking for essay on health law? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More In turn it means that only the people who are conscious about people’s health are in the health system. Ownership of factors of production is controlled by the government in a socialist set up, which means that the government controls the production of the medicine. The centralization of the system ensures that quality and amount is well controlled, which may not be the case in other systems, for example, the capitalist where profits gain is the main driving force. Issues of corruption are also cut out in socialist system because every citizen has a say on to what he/she expects of the system and the system is not controlled by a selected few. Finally, this system can be of benefit to get statistics about the general population that may be beneficial to their planning, for example, a Maternity and Child Welfare Law adopted in Japan helps the government know the number of birth of children, since every pregnancy has to be registered. This system therefore provides the administration with useful information for the purpose of shaping health and child care policy (Spender and Cheris 964). Many countries have adopted this system and modified it to meet their countries mode of operation. This has led to reforms in these countries, like the introduction of compulsory health insurance legislation in Russian in 1991. The American affordable health care Act signed into law in 2009 has its bases on the principle of the socialist system that gives every citizen a chance to get quality health care at affordable costs. However, this health care system has its limitations. Paying of high taxes by the public is one of the main disadvantages as this system calls for the administration to spend so much to support it. There is also problem of distribution of resources, and if not well controlled, this system may be a pro blem since some areas may have an under production, while others face overproduction. Bowling, Ann and Ebrahim, Shah. Handbook of health research methods: investigation, measurement and analysis. Berkshire: McGraw-Hill International. 2005. Print. Spender, Dale and Cheris, Kramarae. Routledge International Encyclopedia of Women: Education: Health to Hypertension. Routledge: Routledge, 2000. Print.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Health care systems specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More

For Who to Write a Bibliography or 5 People Who Will Be Interested in Your References

For Who to Write a Bibliography or 5 People Who Will Be Interested in Your References For Who to Write a Bibliography or 5 People Who Will Be Interested in Your References Sometimes when you’re writing a paper, compiling a bibliography of your sources can seem pointless and annoying. You may wonder for who to write a bibliography, or why it may be useful to view a list of your sources. However, there are people who will be interested in your reference. Here’s a list of people to write a bibliography for. 1. Your Professor The most important person who will be interested in viewing your bibliography is your professor. The professor needs to know where you got the information concerning the paper topic to be sure that you have researched it thoroughly and have been working with credible academic sources. The professor also wants to make sure that you haven’t plagiarized any information and that you’ve given citations properly. Colleges check papers for plagiarism very seriously, so it is very important to cite your sources and include a bibliography to avoid being accused of stealing someone else’s work. 2. Authors of the Work You Used Speaking of plagiarism, authors of the work you used want to be cited properly. Writing is a creative and personal task for many people, and they do not want to see their ideas used somewhere else without mentioning their names. Even if you haven’t had a desire to steal one’s ideas or words and have done it unconsciously, without giving any reference, it is still plagiarism. To avoid it, simply include a bibliography in your paper. 3. Other Students Students who are writing papers on the same subject might be interested in viewing your bibliography. This will tell the students where they can find information on the topic that will help them in their academic studies. By including a bibliography in your paper, you can help other students avoid spending hours on researching. They can simply use the sources you’ve cited in your paper. 4. People Who Are Interested in Your Topic People, who have read your paper and find themselves fascinated with the topic, may want to read more concerning it. Your bibliography will point them in the right direction. Many college students are true scholars with genuine love for learning. When these students read about a topic that interests them, they will naturally want to learn more. This is another reason why you should include a bibliography every time you write an academic paper. 5. People Who Disagree with You People, who have read your paper and disagree with the arguments that you provide them with will be interested in the reference page as well. They may even think that some of your sources are not credible, or that you have included false arguments in your paper. The bibliography will point these readers in your sources and prove that your arguments are valid. Perhaps after viewing your sources, these people will even come to agree with your opinion! Bibliography including helps you enter the academic conversation due to your ideas, which is one of the best learning experiences that college has to offer. Although writing a bibliography can seem a bit tedious, it’s not a pointless task. There are several people, who genuinely want to see your sources, as well as you do not want to be accused of plagiarism, so you should always include a bibliography in your paper.

Communication in the Workplace Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Communication in the Workplace - Essay Example aces in recent times, are highly characterized by low employee morale, poor performance, and rise in conflicts arising out of miscommunication across various levels of the organizational hierarchy (Manning et al., 1999). Effective workplace communication is inevitable for organizations, regardless of their size. This includes giant multinational organizations which are successful and enjoy a strong competitive positioning in the industry. This is because, success leads to hiring of more people, expansion of business, establishment of organizations in various international locations etc. This adds to the existing complexities in communication. In the absence of effective communication, important tasks are left unattended and incomplete; valuable information cannot be communicated properly; and generation of novel and unique business ideas comes to a complete standstill. Furthermore, the absence of proper and well established modes of communication creates dissent and disharmony among the workers, affecting their productivity in the process. Improved communication leads to an improvement in performance, while flawed and inadequate communication leads to conflicts and misunderstandings at the workplace (Guffey, Loewy, 2009). This makes communication – whether horizontal, vertical or diagonal, extremely vital for organizational success. Fear – the employees might hold back from communicating vital information to their superiors for fear of punishments or fines. They may fear negative consequences of their actions, and hence withhold information, from their superiors. In order to avoid such occurrences, the management must take active measures to ensure that all employees across all levels of organizational hierarchy are encouraged to share and communicate any sort of information to their superiors. They must also be given an opportunity to share and resolve their grievances. Such open channels of communication, if provided to the employees, may play a vital

Cooperative Strategies Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Cooperative Strategies - Essay Example http://www.swlearning.com/management/hoskisson/cfa1e/powerpoint/ch10_lecture_light.ppt CA designed to take advantage of market opportunities by combining partner firms' assets in complementary ways to create a new value. These include distribution, supplier or outsourcing alliances where firms rely on upstream or downstream partners to build competitive advantage. It is formed between partners who agree to combine their resources and skills to create value in the same stage of the value chain. Focus is on long-term product development and distribution opportunities. Partners may become competitors and requires a great deal of trust between them. It is used to hedge against risk and uncertainty and it is most noticed in fast-cycle markets. Alliance may be formed to reduce the uncertainty associated with developing new product or technology standards. Allows a firm to expand into new product or market areas without completing a merger or an acquisition, it also provides some of the potential synergistic benefits of a merger or acquisition, but with less risk and greater levels of flexibility. Permits a test of whether a future merger between the partners would benefit both parties. The main purpose of Franchising is to spreads risks and uses resources, capabilities, and competencies without merging or acquiring another company. Contractual relationship concerning the franchise is developed between two parties, the franchisee and the franchisor, an alternative to pursuing growth through mergers and acquisitions. http://academic.cengage.com/resource_uploads/downloads/0324316941_57293.pptDespite of providing benefits to the firms, cooperative strategies can be

Philosophy of leadership Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Philosophy of leadership - Assignment Example I choose to work in organizations because I want to change the world, and feel that I can have the most impact by aligning my effort with the purpose of others. I take as my purpose fostering the growth of knowledge, the development of people, and improvement of the common quality of life. This revolves round certain guiding principles and values as well. As a leader, one is at the position to sit back and let the Human Resource department, and all relevant individuals dictate your leadership strategy. After all, you are busy serving customers and driving revenue. That is a mistake! Since your success remains tied to having great talent and you play a major role in developing future leaders, you should take an effective role in shaping the leadership strategy. In addition, the foundation of a leadership strategy is a core leadership philosophy (Stogdill, 1955, 102). A leadership philosophy defines what it means to be a leader and is unique to your company. It describes what leaders d o and what is expected of them, and represents the basis for all leadership activity, including development, promotions, and movement. In many companies, the leadership philosophy is abstract and ill defined, but it may lay crafted through a series of interviews and consensus discussions with senior leaders (Sims, 2005, 88). There are many leadership theories. These revolve round trait approaches, contingency of situational models, transformational or charismatic models, and power. They all influence approaches in one way or another. The theories and associated research attempt to explain leader or follower behavior, characteristics, or personality. Some theories refer to the characteristics of the leader. For example, charismatic leaders tend to gain respect and trust. Personality theories on the other hand refer to the leader’s traits such as integrity and honesty (D'Aveni, 2002, 92). Leadership can encourage initiative as well. This lies in the readiness to act that channe ls ability into results. Hesitation often leads to missed opportunities, so leaders must often take the first step or support a colleague who recognizes the opportunity. If people lay asked to take risks, leaders must support them if things do not go well. Often many failures lie experienced, in order to reap the reward, and the path from idea to payoff can be long and unforgiving. I value personal courage, to overcome risk-aversion and maintain integrity. Doing the right thing is not the easiest path often (Hodgkinson, 1983, 122). Doing something, new or enacting change can be difficult even for the visionary. I believe in the Stockdale paradox, that no matter how bleak our reality is, we must maintain faith that we will ultimately overcome and triumph. Thus, my influence as a leader can only be as great as I am resolute in times of trial (Bell, 1990, 123). The question of hiring new leaders against that of growing one’s own lies best answered as a percentage, which can serv e as a useful guide to how you recruit or promote leaders. Many companies have an unstated philosophy that they want to grow their own leadership talent. However, what is the right mix? Establishing this question as stated goal gives clarity to all involved, and should remain revisited every few years. If your goal is 25 percent new hires and 75 percent grow

My Future Job Essay Example for Free

My Future Job Essay Do you like the thrill of working in the hospital’s emergency department? Maybe you prefer the calmer and less stressful settings of a medical clinic. One thing we all must choose upon graduating is the work place we would like to see ourselves in. For me, I would like to work in a medical clinic or doctor’s office. I prefer the 8 to 5 schedule that you see in an office setting as to the crazy hours hospitals keep. As a working mom, this will benefit not only me, but also my children. Because I have a remarkably relaxed personality, I would work better in a medical office. I do not work well under extreme pressures. Do not get me wrong, I realize that even in a doctor’s office, things can get hectic at times; but, even on the worst of days in an office is still not as stressful as working in a hospital. Having a set schedule with no working holidays or weekends is much more favorable to me as I will be a working mom with two small children. This schedule will allow me to spend quality family time with my children and provide income to care for them. I will have the chance to help with homework and still be able to be there for significant events such as sporting events or spelling bees. Another way that this schedule will help me is that, on holidays and weekends, I will not have to struggle to find a babysitter or put my children in daycare. This in turn, will save me money. Another reason that I would prefer the medical office setting is the fact that I will get the chance to know each of the patients. I am truly a people person; I would rather get to know someone rather than rush around them. In an office setting, I will have the opportunity to spend more time with the each of the patients and get a feel for who they are, and better ways to help them. Knowing the patients is a momentous challenge that is worth all the rewards it brings. I have seen a myriad of patients switch providers for  the fact that the doctors, nurses and staff seem uncaring. When you get to know the person and are able to empathize with them, you not only establish better care for what the patient needs but also gain the trust and respect of the patient. As I see it, these are the only reasons I need, to recognize exactly where I see myself working. Having a job that meshes well with my personality is indispensable to me. I want to wake up each morning and not be able to wait to go to work. The financial stability, while still being able to watch and help my children grow is priceless to me. There is nothing more valuable than being able to be there to support your children in all that they do; having a job that allows me to be there is the only kind for me. Plus add in the benefits of getting to know another unique human being on a daily basis, and helping them prosper, makes working in a medical office the perfect job for me.

Veterinary Medicine Essays -- essays research papers

Veterinary Medicine For my agriculture report, I chose to do a report on veterinarians. I chose this career field because I like working with animals and learning about them. While doing my report I learned more then I thought there was to learn about animals and becoming a veterinarian. I learned how long it takes to become a veterinarian, what my chances are on being accepted by a veterinary college, what veterinarians do, and much more. Veterinary Medicine is a branch of medical science that deals with the prevention, cure, or alleviation of diseases and injuries of animals. There are about 55,000 veterinarians and of that only 15,000 or so are women. Many veterinarians work for federal, state, or local governments, inspecting food, supervising laws that protect human and animal health, or dealing with environmental problems. Many veterinarians treat all animals, but in recent years and in the densely populated areas of the country, many have limited their practice to pets. Some specialize in the treatment of certian populations such as horses, cattle, poultry, or zoo animals. A small number of veterinarians are employed as managers of large feedlots for beef - cattle, large dairy cattle operations, and many of the increasingly large poultry farms. A few veterinarians are now becoming involved in embryo transfer work, in which fertilized eggs are removed from superior donors and transferred into the uterus of a cow of lesser genetic qualities. A minimum of six years ...

Portrait and Best-self Stories

We wish to acknowledge our collaborators, Brianna Barker Caza, Ph. D. , and Emily Heaphy, Ph. D. , for their contributions to our ongoing research on the Reflected Best Self Exerciseâ„ ¢ (RBSEâ„ ¢). This research served as the inspiration and conceptual anchor for this exercise. We thank Jennifer Suesse for her collaboration on the Bringing My Reflected Best Self to Life action steps, which inspired Phase 2 in this edition of the exercise. We thank the Stephen M. Ross School of Business for its continued support of the Center for Positive Organizational Scholarship.We appreciate the questions and comments we have received from those who have completed and/or facilitated the RBSEâ„ ¢. Thank you for sharing how you have brought your best self to life! COPYRIGHT INFORMATION This copy is intended for single use only. Please do not copy or distribute. The Reflected Best Self Exerciseâ„ ¢ is available for sale as a PDF download at the website of the Center for Positive Organiza tional Scholarship, www. centerforpos. org. REFLECTED BEST SELF EXERCISEâ„ ¢  © 2003, 2011 REGENTS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGANEXECUTIVE BRIEF Born from empirical research from University of Michigan’s Center for Positive Organizational Scholarship, the Reflected Best Self Exerciseâ„ ¢ (RBSEâ„ ¢) uses stories collected from people in all contexts of your life to help you understand and articulate who you are and how you contribute when you are at your best. With this new insight, you will feel immediately strengthened and connected to others, experience clarity about who you are at your best, and refine personal development goals to be your best self more often.The RBSEâ„ ¢ guides you step-by-step through the process of identifying potential respondents, making the request for feedback, creating your a priori best-self portrait, analyzing your reflected best-self stories, creating a new, reflected best-self portrait, and translating that portrait into proactive steps for living at your best.  © 2003, 2011 REGENTS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN REFLECTED BEST SELF EXERCISEâ„ ¢ OVERVIEW All of us can recall our own extraordinary moments, those moments when we felt that our best self was brought to light, affirmed by others, and put into practice in the world.These memories are seared into our minds as moments or situations in which we have felt alive, true to our deepest selves, and pursuing our full potential as human beings. Over time, we collect these experiences into a â€Å"portrait† of who we are and what we do when we are at our personal best. This â€Å"best-self portrait† is a resource we call on to build confidence, to help us make decisions, to be courageous, to prepare and see possibilities for the future, to face challenges, and so much more.We can strengthen our own best-self portraits with insights reflected back to us from significant others in our lives. Our friends, colleagues, and family members have dif ferent perspectives, and can offer unique and valuable insights into the ways we add value and make positive contributions. Research shows that the difference between a weakness-based self portrait and a strong best-self portrait is closely correlated to the difference between normal and extraordinary leadership.A popular assumption of personal development exercises and programs is that a person’s area of weakness is that person’s greatest area of opportunity (Seligman and Csikszentmihalyi, 2000). Proponents of a strengths-based orientation argue that the deficit model may diminish people’s chances of making their greatest contributions, which is performing at their best, or achieving an integrated sense of who one is at one’s best.A strengths-based approach to personal development assumes that progress towards excellence is not a function of improving on weaknesses, but is a function of building on strengths. As you’ll see in the last step of this exercise, the RBSEâ„ ¢ takes a nuanced approach to developing understanding of both your strengths and weaknesses. CHANGES TO THIS EDITION The 2011 version of the Reflected Best Self Exerciseâ„ ¢ has been updated to reflect advancements in research and years of feedback from users and facilitators of the exercise. Some of the important updates were to: Highlight unique attributes of the RBSEâ„ ¢, such as the use of stories, an emphasis on strengths exclusively, and solicitation of respondents from all contexts of the participant’s life †¢ Instruct participants to write personal best-self stories to consider with the reflected best-self stories †¢ Provide more instruction on the analysis of best-self stories individually and in aggregate †¢ Incorporate action-planning activities into the RBSEâ„ ¢ to help participants identify developmental goals that relate to the best self †¢ Combine the best of the original Reflected Best Self Exercise: Assig nment and Instructions to Participants and the Bringing My Reflected Best Self to Life booklet previously published separately †¢ Honor wisdom gained by facilitators and users over the years since first publication REFLECTED BEST SELF EXERCISEâ„ ¢  © 2003, 2011 REGENTS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN TABLE OF CONTENTSParticipant Instructions †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. 1 Phase 1: Creating the Reflected Best-Self Portrait Step 1: Identify Potential Respondents†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. 1, 2 Step 2: Request Reflected Best-Self Stories †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ 2, 3 Step 3: Write Your Own Best-Self Stories †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. 3, 4 Step 4: Analyze All Best-Self Stories†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. 4, 5, 6 Step 5: Compose the Reflected Best-Self Portrait†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. 6 Phase 2: Bringing the Reflected Best Self to LifeStep 1: Analyze Context, List Enablers and Blockers†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. 7, 8, 9 Step 2: Create an Action Plan †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. 9, 10 Author Information†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. 11 History and Basis in Research†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. 12 About the Center for POS†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. 12  © 2003, 2011 REGENTS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN REFLECTED BEST SELF EXERCISEâ„ ¢ PARTICIPANT INSTRUCTIONS Two phases comprise the Reflected Best Self Exerciseâ„ ¢ (RBSEâ„ ¢).In Phase 1, you will create your reflected best-self portrait. In Phase 2, you will create a personal development action plan inspired by new insight into you at your best. (Conte nt previously found in the Bringing My Reflected Best Self to Life workbook. ) After each step in either phase you will see how our sample participant, Shawn, approached the step and a â€Å"Your Turn† icon ( ) with suggestions for how you can approach the step yourself. For some steps we also discuss other options to augment the exercise. Phase 1 | Creating the Reflected Best-Self Portrait Step 1: Identify Potential Respondents Thoughtfully select 15-20 people whom you will ask to write stories about you at your best. Why 15 – 20?Over time, researchers of the RBSEâ„ ¢ have found that identifying 15-20 potential respondents from whom you wish to solicit best-self stories should help surface a sufficient number of stories. Realize that due to time and other constraints, not everyone will be able to respond. Ideally, you will receive at least 30 stories, or three stories from 10 respondents, of you at your best. This number has provided past RBSEâ„ ¢ participants w ith sufficient data in which patterns across those stories can be found. How should I create this list of potential respondents? Choose people who have seen you at your best and people who will give you their honest opinion.Research shows that the RBSEâ„ ¢ is most effective when your respondents come from a mix of colleagues (former or current), superiors or subordinates, friends (old or recent), family members, customers, and anyone who has had extended contact with you. Know that past participants have found that their respondents have been quite willing, even eager, to assist with this exercise. (And past participants have been happy to reciprocate the favor! ) TABLE 1: SAMPLE LIST OF POTENTIAL RESPONDENTS PAGE 1 /// REFLECTED BEST SELF EXERCISEâ„ ¢  © 2003, 2011 REGENTS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN YOUR TURN: Review the lists of contacts in your email account, address book, or social networking sites to refresh your memory.When you create a list of potential respondents , double-check to make sure a cross-section of people from your spheres of influence is represented. Shawn used a spreadsheet to organize the list. Step 2: Request Reflected Best-Self Stories Compose a story request (see example request below) and email it to the 15-20 potential respondents you identified in Step 1. NOTE: There are many ways to solicit and gather these stories. The below example is written for an individual user who is soliciting and compiling best-self stories as a class assignment. If your professor or program administrator is soliciting and compiling stories on your behalf, please use the customized instructions that they provide for contacting potential respondents.Shawn’s Sample Email Request for Stories Dear [name], I hope this message finds you well! I am writing to request your help with a class assignment. I am taking a course on leadership development as part of my MBA program. I would be grateful for your help with one of the required exercises for the course, the Reflected Best Self Exerciseâ„ ¢ (RBSEâ„ ¢). The Center for Positive Organizational Scholarship at University of Michigan created the RBSEâ„ ¢ to help individuals expand their understanding of who they are and what they do when they are at their best. The RBSEâ„ ¢ is a unique story-, strength-, and contribution-based approach to feedback-seeking and analysis.A former RBSE participant said of the process, â€Å"Besides feeling closer to my friends and peers for their positive views of me, it was very interesting to note the different impact that I seem to have made on each of them. The specifics mentioned by them allowed me to see some of the mechanisms by which I influence and have had an impact on people. † I am asking people who know me well to provide me with three stories of when I was at my best in their eyes. What was my positive contribution in each story? Additional instructions and examples can be found below. Please e-mail your responses to me by [insert date]. Thank you very much for your cooperation. I will keep all responses anonymous and will be sure to tell you what I learn after the exercise.Kind Regards, Shawn ADDITIONAL INSTRUCTIONS This will require you to think about your interactions with me and to identify those times when I was at my best in your eyes. In writing, please be sure to provide details so I can understand the context, what happened, and what my positive contribution was. Best-self stories often capture things that people say or do in critical times or everyday routines that make a difference. These stories are  © 2003, 2011 REGENTS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN REFLECTED BEST SELF EXERCISEâ„ ¢ /// PAGE 2 often unacknowledged publicly. Best-self stories may describe someone’s approach to people, challenges, tasks, or even a work environment. I have included some examples of what these stories could look like. Please use this only as a guide. STORY EXAMPLES 1.From work colleague: You have the ability to get people to work together and give all they have to a task. For example, I think of the time that we were working on the Alpha project. We were getting behind and the stress was building. We started to close down and get very focused on just meeting our deadline. You noticed that we were not doing our best work and stopped the group to rethink our approach. You asked whether we wanted to just satisfy the requirements or whether we wanted to really do good and important work. You reminded us of what we were capable of doing and how each of us could contribute to a better outcome. No one else in that room would have thought to do that.As a result, we did meet the deadline and created a result we all feel proud of. 2. From a friend: You have capacity to persist in the face of adversity. For example, I think of the time that we were helping Lila empty her flooded basement. Her family lives far away and she was impossibly short-handed. Instead of getting overwhe lmed with her, you became more focused than I have ever seen anyone get. I think you went 24 hours without sleep to help her remove the water. I was amazed that you could maintain a positive attitude and consistently helpful orientation to Lila under those conditions. 3. From a boss: You are great at building relationships critical to project success.For example, I think of the time that: We were working for a clothing company committed to using organically grown cotton, and to having fair labor practices. You were the liaison with the various agencies and individuals critical to sourcing the organic cotton, and to creating the worker-owned sewing cooperatives here and in Central America. Despite resistance, you crafted and co-created a vision for how the business could work to meet these radically different goals. You easily navigated cultural differences and built strong relationships that thrive to this day. If you want to learn more about the Reflected Best Self Exerciseâ„ ¢, please visit http://www. centerforpos. org YOUR TURN: Feel free to copy and edit Shawn’s letter to suit your situation and personal style.Consider the options for disseminating this request—hard copy letter, email, online form or survey—while keeping in mind instructions from your facilitator, speed of delivery and response, ease of compilation, and so on. Step 3: Write Your Own Best-Self Stories While you are awaiting your stories from respondents, we ask you to engage in deeper personal reflection about times when you believe you were at your best. You will analyze your own best-self stories, and the analysis will be part of your final reflected best-self portrait. Write your own best-self stories Think about three times in your life when you were at your best. Allow yourself to think of stories from all PAGE 3 /// REFLECTED BEST SELF EXERCISEâ„ ¢  © 2003, 2011 REGENTS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN contexts and time periods. For three of these memories, write the story of what happened.In the story you could describe the context, the role you played, the actions you took, the characteristics you displayed, the results, and the reasons behind your actions. The examples and explanation in the sample letter in Step 2 can be helpful also. Sample Best-Self Story I feel I was at my best helping my organization create and pursue a new vision. We had been in existence for ten years and had tried and learned so many things along the way. I believed in the organization’s mission but wanted to move us in a new direction to expand our impact. I reflected on what was possible and crafted a vision of our team at our best. I presented the vision to my team and was delighted to incorporate their ideas into mine, thus creating something entirely new in a way that united the team.YOUR TURN: Pretend you received the story request you sent in Step 2. Reflect about times when you were, and normally are, at your best and capture the stories that exemplify that time in the same space, document, or file that will eventually house the stories you receive from respondents. Step 4: Analyze All Best-Self Stories Collect and aggregate your stories and the stories from respondents. Read and reflect on each story Read each of your stories carefully. In a table like the one below, note key insights into who you are and what you do when you are at your best. You’ll have an opportunity to analyze the context of the story. Please focus on your actions, contributions, attitudes, etc.WARNING: Reading these stories can stir up a great deal of (positive) emotions for you. It is normal to find yourself surprised by how people saw you positively. We recommend you find a quiet time and space where you can be free from interruptions and you can reflect on what you are learning. NOTE: We have analyzed the stories provided in the line sample email in Step 2 as an example below. TABLE 2: SAMPLE INDIVIDUAL STORY REFLECTION  © 2003, 2011 RE GENTS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN REFLECTED BEST SELF EXERCISEâ„ ¢ /// PAGE 4 YOUR TURN: Collect the stories you receive in a spreadsheet or other document, using the column headings shown in the example for the analysis.OPTIONAL STEP: Have a trusted group member or friend read your personal and reflected best-self stories to see if they come up with different themes or interpretations for each of the stories. Analyze the stories in aggregate After you have thought deeply about each of the stories, look for patterns and themes that emerge from considering the stories and analysis together. These patterns or themes will help you write declarative statements about you at your best. These declarative statements will be represent anchoring â€Å"truths† about you at your best and can later be woven into your reflected best-self portrait. PATTERNS: Recurring behaviors, contributions, etc. , across all of the stories and analysis.If you are unsure about how to find patterns, t ry looking for verbs, adjectives, and nouns that you see repeated in the stories or in your analysis of each story. For example, repeated verbs could lend insight into some of your best skills and strengths, and repeated adjectives may lend insight into some of your values and aptitudes, your approaches to problem solving, and the nature of your relationships. THEMES: Underlying truths about your values and beliefs and the essence of you at your best, inferred from the collection of stories and analysis. Identify themes and patterns and list several examples from your stories that exemplify that theme.NOTE: You may also find stories that exemplify seemingly opposite characteristics. If this is the case, it may indicate adaptability or flexibility as a strength in particular contexts. For example, you might find stories where you find creative solutions, but also consistently comply with standards. TABLE 3: SAMPLE AGGREGATED STORY REFLECTION PAGE 5 /// REFLECTED BEST SELF EXERCISEâ⠀ž ¢  © 2003, 2011 REGENTS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN YOUR TURN: Use a spreadsheet or other document to create a table like the one in Table 3. OPTIONAL STEP: Have a trusted group member or friend read your personal and reflected best-self stories to see if they come up with different themes or interpretations.Step 5: Compose the Reflected Best-Self Portrait Create a portrait of your best-self that captures the wisdom in your personal and reflected best-self analysis. The portrait is meant to be an aggregated articulation of your personal and reflected best self which you can refer to and revise well into the future. It should synthesize the themes and declarations you identified in the tables above. However, be sure that the themes are authentic to you—not necessarily just things you do well, but that reflect your identity as a human being. Reflected best-self portraits are often represented in the form of written narratives (see below for an example).We have also seen participants employ a variety of media to create their reflected best-self portraits. For example, you might represent your portrait in a pictorial collage or montage, a video, a song, or a poem. You may even choose to use multiple formats. Shawn’s Sample Reflected Best-Self Portrait When I am at my best, I tend to be creative. I am enthusiastic about ideas and I craft bold visions. I am an innovative builder who perseveres in the pursuit of the new. I do not waste energy thinking about missed opportunities or past failures nor do I take on the negative energy of the insecure or worry about critics. I stay centered and focused on what is possible and important. I use frameworks to help me make sense of complex issues.I can see disparate ideas and integrate them through â€Å"yes and† thinking. So I make points others do not readily see. In doing so, I frame experiences in compelling and engaging ways. I paint visions and provide new ways for people to see. I use metaph ors and stories to do this. I find the stories in everyday experiences, and people find it easy to understand them. The new images that follow help people to take action. In helping others, I try to empathize with them and understand their needs. I give them my attention and energy but I allow them to be in charge. In exercising influence, I try to enroll people, not force them, in new directions. I invite people to work with me.I use dialog to help people surface their ideas, and then I weave them together with others until we create knowledge in real time. I ignore symptoms and focus on the deep causes. I help people and groups surface the darkest realities and the most painful conflicts. From these emergent tensions comes the energy for transformation. I liberate people from their fears and help them embrace new paths. In all of this I try to model the message of integrity, growth and transformation. YOUR TURN: Be sure to check with the instructor or facilitator of the RBSEâ„ ¢ to see if there is a preferred portrait format. Otherwise choose a medium that inspires you!As mentioned above, it could be a pictorial collage or montage, a video, a song, or a poem, or a combination of multiple formats. OPTIONAL STEP: Share your draft and final portraits with a trusted group member or friend and request feedback. He or she may be able to help you see your portrait differently.  © 2003, 2011 REGENTS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN REFLECTED BEST SELF EXERCISEâ„ ¢ /// PAGE 6 Phase 2 | Bringing the Reflected Best Self to Life As you complete your reflected best-self portrait and begin to talk about your best self with others, more questions may emerge. You may be wondering: †¢ How can I use this knowledge to enhance the quality of my work and my life? †¢ How might I incorporate my best self into my current job, relationships, and future career plans? Which situations will stimulate me to contribute maximally from a position of strength? Can those situa tions also help me to grow and develop? †¢ How can I manage my limitations? The steps below can help answer these questions. Step 1: Analyze Context, List Enablers and Blockers As you review your portrait, stories, themes, and patterns, look to identify contextual elements that either helped or hindered your ability to be your best. These enablers and blockers can be personal, relational, or situational. Personal enablers or blockers include the attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors that affect your ability to leverage your best self in a given context. How do your personal beliefs support or undermine your best self?EXAMPLE: An individual’s belief in his or her ability to contribute in class is correlated with how often he or she chooses to do so. Relational enablers and blockers are those relationships that either support or undermine your best self. EXAMPLE: Shawn has one sister who is a great sounding board for new ideas, but another sister who only points out what could go wrong. Situational enablers and blockers include any contextual features (e. g. , organizational standards, systems, and practices) that promote or inhibit leveraging your best self. Which situations bring out the best in you? Which situations inhibit your best self? EXAMPLE: Some people are at their best in group situations, rather than when working alone.Shawn is best working with others and rarely does well when isolated or working in an impersonal environment. On Weakness: A word of caution as you begin this analysis: remember that your weaknesses should be considered as blockers. While this exercise focuses on your strengths, neglecting any known Achilles’ heels could interfere with your ability to capitalize on your strengths. Robert Kaplan1 has identified two common distortions in behavior that are useful to consider here: overdoing strengths and underdoing strengths2. The table on the next page illustrates some other common â€Å"fatal flaws†: 1 2 Kaplan, S . (2002). Know your strengths. Harvard Business Review. 80(3), 20. From High Flyers by Morgan W. McCall, Jr. Boston: Harvard Business School Press, 1998) page 29, figure 2-1. PAGE 7 /// REFLECTED BEST SELF EXERCISEâ„ ¢  © 2003, 2011 REGENTS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN TABLE 4: AVOID OVER-RELIANCE ON YOUR STRENGTHS 2 Sources of initial success†¦ Track Record Makes an impressive impact in functional or technical area > > †¦ can become fatal flaws. Seen as too narrow in a particular area Brilliance Seen as uncommonly bright > Intimidating; dismissive of other people’s ideas Commitment Sacrifice Extremely loyal to the organization > Defines life in terms of work; expects others to do the same Charm Capable of considerable charisma and warmth > Uses selectively to manipulate other people AmbitionDoes whatever is required to achieve success > Does what is necessary to achieve personal success, even at the expense of others in the organization In m any situations you are required to operate in your areas of weakness. If you do not perform your job’s tasks at a reasonable level of competence, failure will follow. Try managing around weaknesses instead: this may mean finding someone else to do the tasks you do poorly, putting in enough effort to develop your areas of weakness to an acceptable level of performance, and so on. Now is the time to analyze your data to see if they reveal any patterns or insights regarding either personal, relational, or situational factors.TABLE 5: SAMPLE IDENTIFICATION OF ENABLERS AND BLOCKERS  © 2003, 2011 REGENTS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN REFLECTED BEST SELF EXERCISEâ„ ¢ /// PAGE 8 YOUR TURN: Shawn listed some enablers and blockers in a spreadsheet with two columns. In the end, his list was actually much longer than this with many more enablers than blockers. It might be good to have two totally different documents for listing these to allow yourself room for more creativity. Step 2: Create an Action Plan As you navigate choices about what type of assignments to seek and what kind of skills to develop among a million other choices you face, it helps to work toward an action plan rooted in the insights about you at your best.Having a better understanding of your best self and the skills, characteristics, and opportunities that you need to make a positive impact increases the odds that you will make choices differently after this exercise. Your challenge, therefore, is to identify how to grow from where you are today. This is precisely the purpose of visioning and articulating an action plan. Visioning: Reflect on the choices you will have to make in the coming days, weeks, months, and years. Reflect on your best-self stories, your reflected best-self portrait, and your list of enablers and blockers as you prepare to write your action plan. What can you do to amplify the conditions or relationships that enable you to be your best at these decision points? How c an you work around or lessen the â€Å"blockers†?How can you make your best self even better? TABLE 6: SAMPLE REFLECTION PAGE 9 /// REFLECTED BEST SELF EXERCISEâ„ ¢  © 2003, 2011 REGENTS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN YOUR TURN: Consider your key choices and the (short-term and long-term) actions that will help you be at your best. Write your thoughts down! Shawn chose a spreadsheet dividing the choices by immediacy. Shawn could do a chart like this for personal and community life, too. Action Planning: In this section, take look at your reflections and think about what you would need to do to bring them to life. The following questions might be helpful: †¢ How will you know if you are making progress with your best self goals? What evidence will you seek to document your progress? †¢ What resources will you need to continue to develop into your best self? †¢ What is your plan for accessing or building these resources? Sample Action Plan When I give perform ance evaluations I will know I am my best self when employees leave feeling energized about what is possible for their future with my team. I will help him/her see his/her best self and possibilities for managing weakness. We’ll come up with an action plan together. I will watch the employee’s behavior during our meeting but also in the weeks following the evaluation. I will meet with the employee regularly to listen to his/her story of progress.I will need to make time in my schedule to do this but it is time well-spent if we can keep the team energized. I will talk to my boss this week to enroll him in this plan, which will help me get the resources I need to execute it. YOUR TURN: Shawn chose to reflect the action plan in narrative form, create in a picture of goals the steps necessary to attain them. Choose the medium to do the same that works best for you—calendar reminders, apprise accountability partners, etc. OPTIONAL STEP: Have a trusted group member or friend read your reflections for this section. Encourage this person to help you see even more resources and hold you accountable to your action plan. Thank you for completing the Reflected Best Self Exerciseâ„ ¢!We wish you the best!  © 2003, 2011 REGENTS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN REFLECTED BEST SELF EXERCISEâ„ ¢ /// PAGE 10 AUTHOR INFORMATION Robert E. Quinn Margaret Elliott Tracy Collegiate Professor in Business Administration; Professor of Management and Organizations, University of Michigan Robert E. Quinn is interested in the process of positive change. He seeks to understand processes that lead to increased individual and collective capacity. His recent books include Lift: Becoming a Positive Force in any Situation (Berrett-Koehler 2009) and Diagnosing and Changing Organizational Culture (Jossey-Bass 2006). He combines both a research and an applied orientation.He has 25 years of experience in working with executives on issues of organizational change. He teaches in both the MBA and Executive Education programs at the University of Michigan and is known for innovative instructional efforts. Jane E. Dutton Robert L. Kahn Distinguished University Professor of Business Administration and Psychology, University of Michigan Jane Dutton’s research on positive organizational scholarship began with an interest in compassion and the difference it makes for individuals and organizations. Her research has expanded to focus on the power of positive relationships at work, positive identities and meaning, job crafting, and resilience.Her recent books include Exploring Positive Identities and Organizations (Routledge 2009), Exploring Positive Relationships and Organizations (Lawrence Erlbaum 2007), and Positive Organizational Scholarship (BerrettKoehler 2003). Jane’s background in strategic management keeps her focused on how positive dynamics create sustainable capabilities in organizations. Gretchen Spreitzer Professor of Management and Or ganizations, University of Michigan Gretchen Spreitzer’s research focuses on employee empowerment and leadership development, particularly within a context of organizational change and decline. Her most recent work is looking at positive deviance and how organizations enable employees to thrive and become their best selves.Most recently she is involved in a large-scale project to validate a measure of thriving at work and better understand strategies employees can use to regulate their subjective and physiological energy. Her books include A Company of Leaders (Jossey-Bass 2001) and the Oxford Handbook of Positive Organizational Scholarship (Oxford, 2011), co-edited with Kim Cameron. Laura Morgan Roberts Professor of Psychology, Culture, and Organization Studies, Antioch University Laura Morgan Roberts’s research focuses on how to construct, sustain, and restore positive identities at work. She became interested in positive organizational scholarship through her doctor al dissertation research on social identity-based impression management among medical professionals.Her interests in the social construction of positive identities now include: the reflected best self, diversity, authenticity, strengths, leadership, and talent management. She is a faculty affiliate of the Center for Positive Organizational Scholarship. PAGE 11 /// REFLECTED BEST SELF EXERCISEâ„ ¢  © 2003, 2011 REGENTS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN HISTORY AND BASIS IN RESEARCH The Reflected Best Self Exerciseâ„ ¢ (RBSEâ„ ¢) is the product of work by scholars at the Center for Positive Organizational Scholarship at the Stephen M. Ross School of Business at the University of Michigan. It had its genesis in Bob Quinn’s belief in the benefit of colleagues sharing their thoughts on each other’s strengths. After seeing the power it had in executive education rograms, he joined Jane Dutton, Emily Heaphy, Laura Morgan Roberts, and Gretchen Spreitzer to form the Refl ected Best Self lab in 2002. The team conducted research on the concept, and began using it in classes, with great success. In 2003, Bob Quinn, Jane Dutton, and Gretchen Spreitzer wrote the Reflected Best Self Exercise: Assignment and Instructions to Participants, and they, along with Laura Morgan Roberts, created an accompanying teaching note. Since then, use of the RBSEâ„ ¢ has spread throughout the U. S. , and it is increasingly being used around the world. Universities, which have included it in their curricula include Darden School of Business, Harvard Business School, MIT, Stephen M.Ross School of Business, University of British Columbia, University of Southern California, and Washington University. It was also the subject of articles in the Harvard Business Review and the Academy of Management Review in 2005 and in the Journal of Positive Psychology in 2009. Key references include: Roberts, L. , Dutton, J. , Spreitzer, G. , Heaphy, E. , & Quinn, R. (2005). Composing the re flected best self portrait: Building pathways for becoming extraordinary in work organizations. Academy of Management Review, 30(4), 712-736. Roberts, L. , Spreitzer, G. , Dutton, J. , Quinn, R. , Heaphy, E. , & Barker, B. (2005). How to play to your strengths. Harvard Business Review, 83(1), 75-80. Spreitzer, G. , Stephens, J. P. , & Sweetman, D. (2009).The Reflected Best Self field experiment with adolescent leaders: exploring the psychological resources associated with feedback source and valence. The Journal of Positive Psychology, 4(5), 331-348. ABOUT THE CENTER FOR POS At the Center for Positive Organizational Scholarship (POS), we are devoted to energizing and transforming organizations through research on the theory and practice of positive organizing and leadership. We are passionately dedicated to the development and dissemination of POS research. Our activities include conducting research, writing on POS topics for academic and general books and periodicals, writing teach ing cases, and creating tools to help individuals improve their work life.We share POS principles in BBA, MBA, and Executive Education programs at the Stephen M. Ross School of Business at the University of Michigan, and in presentations at various academic institutions. Positive Links, our monthly speaker series, brings together scholars and practitioners to learn and discuss new POS research and POS links to practice. We are also passionate about building the community of researchers who study POS, and our biennial conference attracts scholars from around the world. We are all on a quest to reveal what is possible in organizations and for employees.  © 2003, 2011 REGENTS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN REFLECTED BEST SELF EXERCISEâ„ ¢ /// PAGE 12 DESIGNED BY STEPHANIE HARDEN