Overview of Ancient Greece Essay

Athens, Sparta, Alexander, the Parthenon and other ancient ruins are vivid reminders of Greece’s almost hallowed past. Greece is a mountainous land surrounded by over 1000 islands and almost completely circled by the Mediterranean Sea. The first farmers settled there in around about 7000 BC due to the ideal weather of hot dry summers and rain only in winter and soon developed into small independent communities cut off from each other by the mountains and often competing for the best land, because the fertile soil was in short supply. These small communities later developed into the city-states and each had a strong individual identity, although very little is known about these early settlers. The Bronze Age is considered the first historical period, and it was within this period that the early writing systems were developed. During the Bronze Age there were two great civilisations- the Minoans and Mycenaeans. The Bronze Age witnessed major social, economic, and technological advances that made Greece the main centre of activity in the Mediterranean; it was characterized by its rapid growth of population and development of trade. It was in the Bronze Age that metals were first used. The Minoan civilization was the first great civilisation of the Aegean world; it emerged around 3200 BC on the island of Crete. The rich Cretan soil produced oil, grain and wine in abundance. The Minoan’s were not Greek and may have originally come from western Asia as early as 6000 BC. The civilization grew wealthy through trade with countries such as Egypt, Asia Minor and the Levant. The Minoans were skilled artists and craftsmen, creating beautiful objects, their architecture reaching near perfection. The Minoans also ruled the other Aegean Islands and various cities on the mainland. New buildings constantly replaced the cave dwellings of the previous age. The great Minoan fleet ruled the Mediterranean, providing wealth to the island from trade and commerce as well as providing protection from any invaders. They were peaceful people with a love of life and equality between men and women. A major earthquake hit Crete around 1450 BC, causing large-scale destruction of the palaces; but the palaces were rebuilt soon afterwards and the Minoan civilization continued to flourish. Not everyone was as lucky as others to live in the palaces but whoever didn’t, then lived in small farmhouses. A new disaster hit Crete around 1450 BC, causing large-scale destruction to the palaces and settlements and resulting in the eventual demise of the great civilization. The Mycenaean civilization flourished on mainland Greece from around 1600 BC. It was a warlike society and weapons and armour have been found in their graves. Mycenae, city of Agamemnon, was one of several heavily fortified strongholds. They are also known for being great traders as they sailed far and wide. They traded with Egypt, Asia Minor, Italy and Cyprus. The Mycenaeans were very wealthy and archaeologists have uncovered many objects in gold, silver and ivory from their towns. Their writing system called ‘Linear B’ was adapted from a Minoan script. Unlike the Minoans, the Mycenaeans spoke Greek. Around 1250 BC the Mycenaeans started to build huge defensive walls around the major towns because they were under threat from foreign invaders. By 1200 BC the cities began to be abandoned or destroyed. 1100-700BC, after the collapse of the Mycenaean civilization, Greece was plunged into a Dark Age. The rich Mycenaean towns and palaces fell into decline or were destroyed, writing was no longer used and trade with other countries decreased dramatically. Although very little is known about this period it is thought the population of Greece became much smaller with people living in fewer and smaller settlements possibly due to famine and the depopulation. The Archaic Period was a time of great change in Greece from 700 -480 BC. Many cities like Athens, Corinth, Argos and Sparta, grew rich and powerful. Great temples to the gods were built in many places around Greece. The cities developed new ways to govern themselves. Many cities were ruled by kings or rich families. Others were ruled by a small group of people called an oligarchy. At the end of the 6th century BC, Athens developed a system in which many of its citizens helped to make the rules and decisions. This type of government was called democracy. Sparta invaded the neighbouring land of Messenia and forced most of its inhabitants into slavery. To make sure they could control such a large number of slaves, Sparta became a military society. Men and women were expected to be fit and strong. The men were forbidden to have jobs or trade because they were full-time soldiers. Many of the Greek cities joined together when faced with a common enemy. At the beginning of the 5th Century BC Greece was invaded twice by the Persians and even thought the Greeks were outnumbered they were still able to drive the invaders away from their land. From 323-31 BC, the Hellenistic Period was the time from the death of Alexander the Great to the beginning of the Roman Empire. The Greek world was now dominated by large kingdoms ruled by dynasties rather than individual city states. This was a time when Greek influence spread throughout a great deal of the world. The countries that Alexander had conquered adopted the Greek language, religion and styles of art often mixing them with local traditions. Greek towns with gymnasia, temples and theatres were built in all parts of the empire, even as far away as Afghanistan. The word politics come from the Greek word ‘polis’, meaning city-state or community. Greece was a collection of some 1500 separate communities scattered round the Mediterranean. Those cities that were not democracies were either oligarchies – where power was in the hands of the few richest citizens- or monarchies, called ‘tyrannies’ in cases where the sole ruler had complete power by force rather than inheritance. Of the democracies, the oldest, the most stable, the most long-lived, but also the most radical, was Athens. Athens was the first city to develop democracy. Democracy meaning that all the citizens had a say in how a state or city is governed. In Athens the people, who acquired power and freedom, drove out the tyrants. All decision is Athens had to be voted for by the majority of the people. The assembly was the main forum of political life. At least 6000 people had to be present for a meeting to take place. The assembly made important decisions, for example, whether or not to declare war. In times of war, decisions were made about the defence of the city by a group of ten military commanders called ‘strategoi’. These were elected annually and could be re-elected many times. However, not everyone in Athens was allowed to take part in the democracy. Only male citizens had the right to vote. This meant that women and children could not take part in the government. An Ancient Greek soldier was known as a Hoplite. He had to provide his own weapons and armour. A hoplite’s weapons and armour were very simple and left large areas of the body unprotected, but worked well when he fought in a phalanx. The hoplite’s armour consisted of; a bronze helmet with long nose guard and cheek guards, bronze cuirass (breastplate) designed to protect the top part of the body, large shield to protect the body and bronze greaves (leg guards) to protect the lower part of the legs. A hoplite’s weapons were a long spear and short sword. The ancient Greeks believed that there were a great number of god’s and goddesses. They believed that all the gods were descendants of Gaia (the earth) and Uranos (the sky). These gods had control over many different things on earth. In many ways the Greek gods were very human. They could be kind or mean, angry or pleasant, cruel or loving. They fell in love with each other, argued with each other, argued with each other and even stole from each other! The ancient Greeks built great temples and sanctuaries to their gods. They held festivals in their honour, with processions, sports, sacrifices and competitions. Religion played a large part in the lives of ordinary people. Worshippers believed that the gods would treat them well and meet their needs if they offered the fruits of the harvest and animal sacrifices. Stories of the god’s lives were told to children by their mothers and to large audiences by professional storytellers. One key individual of Greece was Alexander the Great. The story of his life sounded more like that of a Greek hero. He was a great military leader and courageous. Many thought he was a descendant of Hercules and another legend claimed he was the son of Zeus. His loyal army would follow him anywhere and he won the respect of the people he conquered. He died aged 33 thousands of miles from home in Macedon with an enormous empire. Another individual was Homer. He was a storyteller and a poet who lived sometime in the 8th century BC. He was greatly admired and created two of the most popular and enduring stories ever told, The Iliad and the Odyssey. Homer’s stories about Mycenae are still told today and reflect real incidents of war, battles and sieges. Drama and theatre were Greek inventions. They held great festivals where plays were performed. At the end of the festival they would choose one of the plays as the winner. The two main types of play performed were tragedy and comedy. Tragedies dealt with terrible events like war or murder. Often they recreated famous Greek myths and legends. A comedy poked fun at current events and people. Many thousands of people would attend these festivals which were dedicated to the god Dionysus.

Art and Literature in Augustan Rome Essay

The beginning of this time period comes with the death of Julius Caesar and the rise to power of his nephew, Octavius. He was in the Second Triumvirate that was formed to maintain order in Rome. Octavian, Marcus Lepidus, and Marc Antony ruled formally unlike the informal triumvirate of Julius Caesar. The triumvirate set out to execute members of the conspiracy against Julius Caesar. In 42 BC, Brutus and Cassius were finally defeated. In the following years the triumvirate diminished. In 36 BC, Lepidus retired. Marc Antony began to have affairs with Cleopatra, the queen of Egypt. These affairs briefly came to a pause when Antony married Octavian’s sister Octavia. Marc Antony later returns to Egypt and marries Cleopatra. This causes Octavian and Antony to break out into war. He then takes his great-uncles name of Augustus and claims his leadership over Rome by defeating Mark Antony. Much art and literature was dedicated to the support of Augustus, which helped to bring together his empire. The Aeneid is an example of such propaganda in favor of Augustus, which people often find parallels between Aeneas and Augustus. In order for Augustus to maintain his newly gained power he uses such art and literature to influence his people. This form of media, which propaganda was a key part, plays an important role in his plan to maintain power. Augustus, known first to history as Gaius Octavius, was born in 63 BC. His relation to Julius Caesar comes from his grandmother Julia, who was Caesar’s sister. His great-uncle encourages him, for he sees talent in him, and even puts him in his will as his successor, along with three quarters of his estate. In 44 BC Caesar is assassinated and Augustus heads to Rome to pay his respects and to take his throne. He has to battle against Mark Antony, who was one of Caesar’s most trusted lieutenants. After ultimately causing Antony and his second wife Cleopatra to commit suicide, Augustus returns to Rome as the undisputed master of both east and west. Augustus ruled by patronage, military power, and accumulation of the offices. He was a sole ruler of Rome, which in result became known as the Roman Empire. The Senate became docile to Augustus and allowed him to have control. He gained the people’s support by funding various poets and artisans, who in exchange  glorified him in their work. This use of the arts, is example to Augustus’ use of political propaganda through art and literature. The writer of the Aeneid, Virgil, was a part of the circle of artists and poets supported by the wealthy patron Maecenas, who was close to Augustus. This gave him the freedom to spend most of his time writing. Since Virgil was writing under a patron close to the emperor, his stories had an element of political propaganda. He tied the life of Aeneas in the Aeneid, to that of Augustus, legitimizing the position of monarch and pleasing the emperor. This story was extremely popular in Rome and Aeneas was seen as the model citizen, so you can see why the connection to Augustus could work as a sort of propaganda. The Aeneid is interpreted by some, to validate the â€Å"golden age† and the restoration of the republic that Augustus had claimed to have done. It is a form of positive propaganda for Augustus, portraying him in a positive light for all of Rome to read. The most obvious connection between Aeneas and Augustus was their roles as founders. Aeneas founded the Roman Empire in the Aeneid and Augustus re-founded the empire after it had begun to fall apart after Caesar’s assassination and the subsequent battle for total power. In Book Six, Aeneas is shown a prophecy of the coming greatness of Rome, in a clear reference to Augustus’ rule. Another example is that the poem also served in Augustus’s attempts to re-introduce Roman values into Roman society, including reverence for the gods. Aeneas continually showed reverence to the gods, just as he did when he left Dido because it was the god’s will. The poem continues to reflect these ideals by portraying Aeneas not as a man motivated by personal gain, but a man motivated by his love and loyalty to his country, people and gods. For Romans the Aeneid is seen as something mystical, which it may be, but for Augustus it is just another example of his use of literature and art as propaganda. Augustus also united the Empire through his use of the arts as a form of self-promotion and to promote the themes of his administration, such as peace, allegiance to Rome, and respect for tradition. He visually improved the city by constructing new buildings that were worthy of the powerful Empire. He made art into the materialization of Roman government which was an idea continued by his descendants and was declared a god. He knew that he  had to portray his greatness in all the aspects of his subjects’ lives, including the arts. Three examples of such art are the Ara Pacis, the Temple of Mars, and the Res Gestae Divi Augustus. The Ara Pacis was made to honor the triumphal return from Spain and Gaul of Augustus and to celebrate the peace established by his victories. The Temple of Mars was constructed in Rome, to give thanks to the god for his victory over the assassins of his adoptive father, Gaius Julius Caesar. The Res Gestae Divi Augustus, is the first-person record of Augustus’ life and accomplishments. It is to show the greatness of Augustus and how he wanted it to be portrayed to his Roman people. These three pieces of art were very important in helping Augustus maintaining his power. Augustus’ use of art and literature as propaganda to influence his people was his way of keeping hold of his power. He was aware, as example of his great-uncle, that keeping power as a Roman Leader wasn’t easy. Even from the very beginning of his climb to power, when he had to fight for his throne against Mark Antony, he realized that his reign would come with some struggle. Which is why once he obtained complete control he used the works of artisans and poets to pay homage to himself and to influence the people of Rome to see Augustus in a favorable light. Just as Virgil’s epic, the Aeneid was extremely influential, not only to the people of the time of Augustan Rome, but also to many generations afterward. Augustus’ support created a â€Å"golden age† of literature even if much of it was a sort of propaganda. It is easy to understand why many other monarchs would strive to be like Augustus and to immortalize themselves in the arts and literature of their time as he once did. For he was an outstanding military leader, an excellent overseer of many public works, as well as being the leader during the longest period of peace and prosperity that Rome has ever experienced. Not only did he do all of this, but he also was extremely successful in his use of art and literature propaganda to influence the people around him. It not only gained him the support of the people of Rome, but it helped to unite his empire, as well as allowing him to live forever, not in a human body, but in the threads and strokes of all the works dedicated to him.

Investment Decision Making Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Investment Decision Making - Assignment Example Market risk is considered to be un-diversifiable and therefore investors expect a risk premium to compensate them for taking on such risk. (Bodie et al., 2002; Ross et al., 1999). Unsystematic risk otherwise known as firm specific risk or operating risk is risk that can be diversified away and therefore investors should not be compensated for taking on such risk. (Bodie et al., 2002; Ross et al., 1999). Prior to the Basel II accord, more emphasis was placed on hedging market risk. However, following from the Basel II accord, Operations risk herein referred to as OR began receiving greater attention. (Neu and Khn, 2003). The aim of this study is to analyze the problems and risks foreign companies that want to do business in United Arab Emirates and Venezuela are likely to face. In addition, the risk that the company may face in these countries will also be analyzed with respect to each of the two countries. Risk associated with foreign investment whether direct or indirect are numerous. The paper will begin by presenting an overview of the risk situation of United Arab Emirates in part one, focusing on all the risks faced by foreign companies operating in this area. Part two analyse a similar situation as in part one, but focusing on Venezuela. Part three of the paper contrast the situation based on the information presented in part one and two, while the last section made an informed decision to investors as to which of the two countries to invest upon. 1.1.1 United Arab Emirates Overview United Arab Emirates, UAE is a country in the Middle East bordering the Gulf of Oman and the Persian Gulf, between Oman and Saudi Arabia (IMF Economic Report 2007). Potential market's indicators include United Arab Emirates Population (in millions) 4.5 Import of goods and services (millions $ ) 98.976 GNP (in millions of USD) 103.460 The U.A.E. is considered one of the highest per-capita gross national products in the world (IMF Economic Report 2007). Although still heavily dependent on revenues from oil and gas, the country is relatively well-insulated from periods of low oil prices because of successful moves toward economic diversification, large foreign exchange reserves and overseas investments. 1.1.2 United Arab Emirates Risk Profile This section of the paper looks at the overall risk situation of the UAE area. Attention is paid on key change drivers and risk indicators such as political risk, economic risk, competitive risk, exchange rate fluctuations etc. The section goes ahead and sees if there are some of these risks unique to the area. The Literature surrounding operating risk has centred on its management (e.g., Lewis,

Essay Review Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Review - Essay Example According to Kenneth, China, in-spite of making advancements in science was unable to emerge as a strong economy. It was troubled due to its non-integrated political framework that prevented free trade and exchange of goods between different regions (Kenneth, 12-15) Weak political structure not allowed much of innovations to be carried forward to the next level of production. However, Europe attempted for excellence in its work, brought new styles of production that reduced time and energy and facilitated greater efficiency. Another factor that greatly influenced capitalism was the geographical set up. North Western Europe has vast coalmines. When North America became the largest importer of coal then Europe started specializing in the production of energy rather than agriculture. An influenced of trade and commerce came at hand, which in turn gave phenomenal increase to entrepreneurship in Europe. Individual enterprise, easy availability of credit and huge profits were the motivations for the people of Europe. The capitalists in Europe emerged from monasteries as these religious places amassed wealth. Materialistic tendencies gave rise to individualist approach towards trade practices. This need to increase wealth gave rise to capitalism that fueled one of the most important revolutions of the modern world i.e. The Industrial

Assignment on Corporate Finance Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3500 words

Assignment on Corporate Finance - Essay Example A merger can resemble a takeover but result in a new company name or combining the names of the original companies. (http://en.wikipedia.org) Shleifer and vishny (2003) proposed a market timing model of acquisition. They assumed that acquirers are overvalued, and the motive for acquisition is not to gain synergies, but to reserve some of their temporary overvaluation for long-run shareholder. Specifically, by acquiring less-overvalued target with overpriced stock (or less interestingly, undervalued target with cash) overvalued acquirers can cushion the fall for their shareholders by leaving them with more hard assets per share or, if the deals value proposition. This refers to the fact that the combined company can often reduce duplicate departments or operations, lowering the cost of the company relative to theoretically the same revenue stream thus, increasing profit. For example, a bank buying a stock broker could then sell its banking products to the stock's customers while the broker can sign up the banks customers for brokerage account. Or a manufacturer can acquire and sell complimentary products. This is the sign to smoothen the earning result of a company, which over the long-term smoothes a stock price of a company, giving conservative investors more confidence in investing in the company. However, this does not always deliver value to shareholders (http://en.wikipedia.org) From datamonitor analyses, UCB has an inorganic expansion into lucrative AIID and oncology market. The acquisition of the Biotechnology Company, Celltech offered UCB technology platforms and experience for the development of biological drugs. And the new regulations allows our company to create motive for us to merge and acquire, which is an opportunity for us to have a strong R & D pipeline and new expertise in the pharmaceutical sectors. So all of this would be achieved rapidly if acquisition decision is taken. Asset acquisition UCB is a multinational company, operating in more than one hundred and forty countries, also it is one of the largest pharmaceutical and chemical

Elasticity of Demand and Price Sensitivity Essay

Elasticity of Demand and Price Sensitivity - Essay Example The table, formula or graph do not change when price changes. Demand for a product and the quantity demanded for the same product are two different terms. The former is a relationship and the latter is an amount. (Bromley, 2004). One way of maximisation of revenue is to increase the price of the product. But, in business, elasticity of demand has a major role to play. Increase in prices leads to a decrease in quantity demanded. This concept of sensitivity to price may be effectively put to use by cutting prices and inflating the quantity demanded. The cutting down of prices attracts even the uninterested public to become a part of the market and motivates them to become consumers of the product or service. Hence, the best way of revenue maximisation is price reduction. (Biz/Ed, 2005). Pricing strategies in any type of business is best decided when the owners have a good understanding of the market. They should have first hand information on the relationship between change in price and its consequent impact on the revenue. An analysis on the behaviour of markets will lead to a classification of different market structures. The number of participants in a particular market or industry and the extent to which they participate is the main criteria for classification of markets. (AmosWeb Encyclonimic Web*pedia, 2006). Perfect competition is achieved when there are large number of participants on both sides of the market (buyers and sellers) and no interference by any private or public firm. One of the basic market structures is monopoly which comes from the Greek word "monos" which means one and "polein" which means to sell. In this case, there is only a single seller. This is characterised by a lack of economic competition and lack of substitutes for the good or service provided by the monopolist. (AmosWeb Encyclonimic Webopedia, 2006). Monopolies may be artificially created by government involvement. Or there may be single entry to a resource. Economies of scale or one firm out-competing all other firms constantly are also some reasons for monopolies to exist. Monopolistic competition is the most common market form. Markets for books, clothing, films and service industries in large cities are often monopolies. Selling of bikes is considered as a monopolistic competition. This logic stands because of the presence of a large number of segments in motor bike industry despite the presence of a number of companies producing motor bikes. Each segment is viewed as a different product with each of the segment being lead by one or two major producers. Technology, efficiency and price are the three factors that decide the segment and its type. Hence if we look into the given scenario, we can see that VENOM developed Flexibikes at a much lower cost and were ultimately in a position to rule the new found segment. Bilateral monopoly exists when there is one seller and one buyer in the market. The labor market in such a case is well unionized. Another market structure is the oligopoly which is a market dominated by a small number of sellers called the oligopolist. The term oligopoly is taken from the Greek

Film and Genre Movie Review Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Film and Genre - Movie Review Example This does not mean that there necessarily or fundamentally should be a huge amount of swashbuckling or gunfight scenes. A movie can well be an Action and Adventure genre movie if there is enough action or incidents happening around the main character. Another important aspect of an Action and Adventure genre movie is that it should have enough narrative formats that can be termed as simple. (Berkowitz, 189) Thus, the three movies selected for the essay falls easily between the lines of an Action and Adventure genre movie. In fact each of these selected movies occupies its unique positions. October Sky contains no physical action but the character of the movie is always on a move in the psychological context and is adventurous in nature which actually sets the essence of the movie. This movie falls in the line between a Drama and an Action and Adventure genre movie. Shaft on the other hand is a completely action packed film and could be positioned at the central position of the graph where October Sky occupies one end of the graph. The other end of the graph is 'Hero'. This movie falls in the line between an Action and Adventure genre movie and a Costume drama. But all these three movies are well bracketed within the genre Action and Adventure. The first movie in contention is October Sk... come rocket scientist.This is a movie about a teenager who observes the Sputnik, launched by the soviet space agency, racing across the sky and decided to indulge his life into rocket science. As Homer is over-showed by his older brother, a local football star, his ambition is curtained by the dust of the coal fields in the mining township of Coalwood where the ultimate destiny of every teenager is to work as a coal miner. The social structure of this locality deprives any thought process that tries to overcome the social brackets of the coal mines and Homer's father is no different. He is unable to 'think big' in the context of intellectual freedom and the procedure is just the extension of the local neighborhood, or in other words, the coal mines. As we have seen in the novel "Germinal" by Emil Zola, the local characters other than Homer tends to be engrossed by the day to day living and livelihood of the mines and are just unable to think beyond the parameters of their circumstances. (Kar, 254) In this scenario, Homer finds himself in a situation where he finds no alternative other than rockets to opt for a better living. He tries to influence other kids to help him build rockets. The two other teens who agreed to help him out in this matter appears to be no as foresighted as Homer and are generally reluctant with a tint of amusement included to it. But all is not that muted after all. As in our social life, Homer finds a supportive hand in his mother and his school teacher. This is another aspect of the movie that moves us so much and generates a sense of euphoria simply because a lone rider is never a lone rider in the real world and its societies. What ever and where ever and when ever there is a mission on its way it is the society's underlying aspect to

Online TEFL Courses vs Onsite TEFL Courses Research Paper

Online TEFL Courses vs Onsite TEFL Courses - Research Paper Example This leads to the question of which instruction is more efficient. Online and onsite TEFL courses, although they have different means, have one goal and that is to promote English proficiency. There are benefits and disadvantages for each mode of TEFL instruction and may have a fair share of successful learning among its students. Onsite TEFL course The curriculum taught for students in both online and onsite TEFL class may be the same; but what lacks online TEFL session is human interaction. Surely, there is already an online camera where the other person can see whom he is talking to. However, genuine relationship may not occur. According to Hill (2008), teachers in onsite classes can easily detect students who are poorly motivated and can easily address this problem, whereas online teaching could not provide this type of approach and may lose his student’s attention before he would know it. The depth of learning may vary, although it is more likely to experience both theore tical and practical use of the language, since it can easily give the students hands-on practice (Donahue, 2006). On the other side is the financial cost. Practically, online TEFL is cheaper and schedule-flexible. Onsite courses would require time and more resources for instruction.

Business Innovation in Digital Economies Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Business Innovation in Digital Economies - Essay Example This paper mainly focuses on Apple Inc. The Apple Inc. company took the market by a storm and seems to be enjoying a cutting edge of the competitive market in digital service and product market. Reliance on goods in order to understand the economy seems to be getting harder as the industrial economy ceases. Researchers noted that service provisions implemented the distribution mechanisms obtained from goods. They also noted that service creates a basis for the proliferation of economic transactions. This paper defines economic service broadly as â€Å"the utilization of unique knowledge and skills in the business practices, processes and outputs in order to create value for the customers (Eaton 2011, pg59). The dominance of information technology highly contributes towards the emergence of the service-dominant rationality. As Vargo and Lusch (2004, pg51) discuss, primacy of service and its recognition as the fundamental factors for economic can be attributed to two reasons. These primary reasons include; the ability to separate information and service from tangible goods and the increasing specialization in business. These two reasons dwell on the creation of information technology which speeds up specialization in creation of knowledge which consequently led to the reduction of harmonization and communication costs. In addition, the digitization of informational products and the integration of software capabilities into goods created the term digital innovation. This innovation contributes to the slackening of solid goods with service since its inception. Digital networks characterize the best dynamic and exhilarating field of inventions in our modern economy. Companies like Google, Apple, Nokia-Microsoft and HP/Palm are all chasing numerous procedures of innovation approaches in imperative to the worth of their products. These companies frequently undertake these operations by fetching external developers as well as maximizing the technology’s reproductive

Space and TIme Essay Example for Free

Space and TIme Essay Many people wish that they could go back in time and change something that they have done; even if it was a small mistake, or a large one that changed their life forever. Science is trying to prove that time travel does exist using the Space-time continuum. With controversy on both sides, scientists have proven that the space-time continuum does exist; however time travel is still up for debate. How Space-time was created For a long time we saw space and time as two separate entities. Many very sound theories existed before the space time theory came about. Some of those theories were Isaac Newton’s theories of mechanics and James Clerk Maxwell’s theories on electromagnetism. Though these theories never quite agreed with each other. For some time before this light was known to be an electromagnetic phenomenon, but never followed the laws of mechanics as matter does. This prompted Albert A. Michelson and many others to study light itself. Their studies showed that â€Å"light always traveled with the same velocity, regardless of the speed of its source† (Overduin, 2007 para 1) It was latter discove red that the speed of light was an unsrupassable speed limit on the universe; meaning nothing can travel faster than the speed of light which is 299,792,458 meters per second. Though none of these phycistest were able to put the whole story together. At the young age of 16, Albert Einstein often wondered what it would be like to travel along a ray of light. By 1905 Einstein proved that light must move at a constant speed no matter the speed of the source transmiting it. For this to be correct space and time can no longer be independent. Although Einstein did all this ground work on proving space-time he did not put them together.

System Analysis and Design

System Analysis and Design A life cycle model is a term which describes the process of the planning through to the deployment of a new software on a system, covering items such as specification analysis and implementation/testing, to enable the developers to create the software, and to ensure that the end user gets what they want. Waterfall Model The waterfall model is a common method used when designing and implementing new software. It was designed to be a simple yet effective method to enable developers and users design a software together. In the Waterfall model, each phase must be completed before you can move onto the next stage, which primarily makes it for small projects where there are absolute requirements. At the end of each phase, there is a review which helps the developers know that they are on track, whether to continue with the project and what steps to take. Also, the testing element of this model can only take place after the development is complete. See the below diagram which shows each step of the waterfall process: Â   Â   The processes are: Requirement Gathering and Analysis System Design Implementation Testing Deployment Maintenance Image Source (ISTQB, 2016) The first step of this method involves getting to know what the client wants out of the system, and analyze them to see if it is realistic and achievable, to plan out how the software can be created. The second step involves designing the system to meet the needs of the client. The third is implementing the software in a test environment for the fourth step which is testing the software. The fifth step is deploying the system to the client. After all of this has been completed, the software or system must be maintained. Advantages One of the main advantages of the Waterfall model is that it is very easy to understand and follow due to the design of it. It has a very rigid design with each stage having its own deliverables and review process. In this model, there are no overlaps in the stages meaning that everything is very clear and defined making it quite effective when used in the correct way. Because the Waterfall model has a very clear and defined structure it is very good for a project that has clear goals on what needs to be achieved and due to its structure, it is a great tool to use even if you are inexperienced. Disadvantages This model can only be used when the requirements of the project are clear, as each stage requires its own review stage and cannot move any further if goals are not set. There can be no ambiguous requirements in a project using this method. There are high amounts of risk and uncertainty due to a very rigid structure, no goals can be changed or reviewed after the originals have been set. It cannot be used on projects which are ongoing because there is no way to change anything once one stage has been completed. This also means that there is little opportunity for the customer to review the product. (ISTQB, 2016) Structured Evolutionary Prototyping Model The Evolutionary Prototyping Model was designed as a software development model which incorporates the end user at almost every stage during the process. This is used so that consumers can have their say on the product during the developmental stage of the software to know that the developers have created a product which meets their needs. There are four main stages to this model to follow, they are as follows: The identification process, which is used to get the basic requirements this software must achieve. It is designed in this way as many consumers may not know the absolute requirements of the software as it is generally a continuous project. The prototype phase in which the developers will make a prototype or multiple prototypes of the product in order to get the basic requirements met. Verification of the prototype process in which the developers can use surveys and experimentation for the consumer. This stage is used so people can add their thoughts about the product and find out if there is anything that could be added or changed to make it better. The final stage is changing the prototype per the feedback that the consumer gave to the developers to meet the needs of the client. This cycle will then repeat until the customer is completely happy with their product and the development process is complete. Advantages One of the main advantages to this methodology is that the user ends up with a more accurate product due to their consistent input into the design process. Developers can learn from the consumer and vice versa. This also brings another benefit into play, meaning that any unexpected requirements or additions to the software can be added at developmental stage, resulting in a more accurate product too. It is a very flexible method. Another benefit is that you can see a constant progression throughout the development of the software, and customers can begin to see the benefits of using this software and being able to have constant input. Disadvantages The main disadvantage of this method is that the process may go on for a very long time due to the repeatable feedback process. Many developers using this method may fully scrap the process and go for a code-and-fix development process, leading to a poor reputation, with this method being seen as quick and dirty. Because of the constant input from the customer, the focus can be taken away from how maintainable the software is, mainly looking at the needs of the consumer. (Exforys, 2015) Rapid Application Model (RAD) The RAD model is used as an incremental development model, in which the all of the components of the software are developed in parallel and seen as mini-projects. These components will be scheduled, and delivered where it is compiled into a full software. This software can then be handed over to the consumer for feedback relating to the requirements. See the below diagram for a visual explanation of these timeboxed components: Of course, the number of components will vary for each software, however this gives a representation of the processes involved. There will be a specific set of teams which will all be responsible for a specific area of the software. After this process is complete the components will be amalgamated into one complete prototype. Image Source (Find Nerd, 2015) There are four main steps involved in this model, and they are as follows: Requirement Planning which is like the analysis stage within the waterfall model, however this plan incorporates a constant review of each element to ensure that the project will meet the users needs throughout the prototype stage. The design phase takes place after the initial needs have been determined, where the developers teams will generate an initial prototype for review by the user. This prototype will then be refined as the process continues. The construction phase where the developers will take the preferred prototypes of each section of the software and create a full functional program. The final stage takes place after the in-house testing and construction has finished and the client will be using and implementing the software as normal. The developers will be available for a set amount of time for corrective maintenance and to incorporate feedback. Advantages The main advantage is the reduced development time due to the development being split into different teams and section which means the process is extremely efficient. Because the components are managed by their own team, and there is generally more than one version of each section, elements can be transferred, increasing the reusability. This method encourages customer feedback on each section which means that there are clear and defined goals as the project moves along and quick reviews often happen. Disadvantages This system is heavily reliant on a strong and experienced team to identify new and existing requirements, meaning some projects may be delayed. This method only works on modelized systems and heavily relies on modeling skills. (ISTQB, 2015) (BBC, 2016) One of the main advantages of using lifecycle models is that you can firstly get a strong idea on what the consumer wants, and you to create a plan of attack on how you can achieve these. It enables you to plan and possibly create prototypes to create an efficient program for the consumer to. This ensures that the customer will be happy with the product that you have made, due to their consistent input within the development stage. In general, using a lifecycle model when developing a software can reduce the development time of the software. This is because you have a rigid schedule which you can stick to, as well as clear goals and objectives through liaising with the customer which increases the efficiency at developmental stage. Many of these plans are made to be easy to read and to follow, meaning you know exactly what is happening at each stage of the process, further increasing the efficiency. Many plans allow you to review the product with the customer throughout the developmental stage meaning that you can remove areas of the software which do not meet the standard that the customer is after. You are also able to edit certain features to add functionality, or even design new elements that will help the consumer with their end goal. Some plans allow you to really structure the development process of the software which can help you decide who will be undertaking what task, i.e. assessing strengths and putting teams together to reach your final goal. This also improves efficiency, as you could divide up the development into teams to reach the end goal much faster, and still create a great product. Lots of new life cycles allow you to visibly see the progress of the software, meaning the team stays motivated to complete the job due to clear and structures goals which work you through to the deployment and maintenance stages of the development. It also means that the consumer will see a steady stream of progress which will also keep them happy. Feasibility reports are made to examine a proposal, which allows a business or team to determine whether a project will be successful. For example, in an IT environment, you could discuss the lease of laptops using a plan rather than purchasing laptops outright. The below paragraphs discuss the components of a feasibility report and why each of them is included. Scope The first main stage of a feasibility report is the to identify the scope of the project. This means you will need to identify the issue that you will be addressing within the project. The scope must be clearly defined, as it may confuse the people involved in the project, and having unclear goals can be catastrophic to a project or job. The area that will be affected e.g. the IT department whether that be directly or indirectly. The scope essentially enables you to get an accurate study, because you have clear and defines goals. A Market Analysis Undertaking a market analysis during a feasibility report can be critical. It allows you to examine environments like yours to assess the strengths and weaknesses of different approaches to implement the project. You will then be able to create a SWOT analysis (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats) which were faced by other users to make your own decisions on how the project will be undertaken. Identifying Requirements As a part of your feasibility report, you should always analyze the requirements. These requirements will be based upon the technical requirements and the requirements of the organization. Identification of technical requirements will enable you to identify which technical resources/personnel you will need to complete said project. Meanwhile you should be considering what organization procedures and requirements that you must follow, whether that be related to recommended vendors for equipment or any security laws or procedures with data protection. This is essential because it allows you to get an idea on how you will approach the project. The Approach After the first three steps, you will then be able to get an idea on how the project will be completed, therefore allowing you to decide on the approach. You must find a happy medium and decide upon a recommended course of action, or a solution that incorporates the organizational requirements. You can discuss various approaches and select a solution that best fits the needs per the scope. It must always be 1) a practical solution and 2) meet the needs of everyone. Evaluation After the approach has been decided, you will then compile a short section which examines the cost effectiveness of that approach, which can help you build an estimate of the total costs. You can cross reference previous approaches for comparison purposes. After you have completed this, you will compile the cost summary, which will provide information on the return on investment and a cost to benefit analysis. The Review The final step of a feasibility study is the review stage. This is where all the elements mentioned above will be analyzed in a formal review with either a team or business partners depending on the size of the project. It is used to firstly confirm that it is an accurate report and then decide on whether you go ahead with the project or not. At this stage, you may be asked to change some details, to engage the project or it may be full rejected. All parties involved in the review should all sign a document to agree to the project. (MWANZONI, 2016) In this section I will be discussing the impact of the criteria of feasibility reports (see above) and assess what impact they have on a systems investigation. Identifying the Scope Impacts The main impact that identifying the scope will have, is ensuring that the team undertaking the project as well as the business know exactly what the issue is that they are trying to resolve. It will allow for a guided discussion on the possible steps that you can take to complete this project, and analyze each one collated into the feasibility study. It will clearly define to everyone the goal they will be working towards on the project to keep everyone on the same page, and keeps everyone working towards a similar goal. It can also help the business and the team understand what areas could benefit from the new system and assess them against the current system for a full review. Undertaking a Market Analysis Impacts Taking the time to understand and review different methods and approaches that other people in your position have taken can be an extremely important step in the process. It will allow you to analyze these methods side by side so you can get an idea on what approach could be best for you. You may also wish to amalgamate different approaches into one sophisticated one, which may help you to efficiently reach your goal. You are then able to have a discussion regarding these steps and decide as a team which would be best for the current situation based on skills and experience as well as requirements. Understanding Requirements Impacts Understanding the requirements of both the team and the organization is arguably one of the most critical steps in the feasibility study. It will essentially allow you to get an idea of what will be possible and what wont. Basing it off the teams requirements will allow you to get an idea of who is capable to undertake which role, to see whether a certain approach will be possible or whether you must go back to the drawing board, or even scrap the idea totally. Understanding the organization requirements can help you to plan around any eventuality such as procedures regarding safety and even laws such as the data protection act. It can also influence you with the decision of the approach method. Selecting Your Approach Impacts Deciding the approach of the project is the major step in moving onto the processes of the actual project. It allows you to weigh up all the different approaches comparing how you will meet the scope, the market needs and the needs of the business and personnel. It will allow you to have a guided discussion on each approach compared to the needs and which one will suit everyone the best whilst discussing all the previous points. It finally completes the research and discussion to prepare you for the assignment. Evaluation Impacts After you have selected the approach that you will be following, you will then have to analyze how much the project will cost. It helps you to ensure that you are still in budget, and are meeting the needs of the business in that respect. It will allow you to contrast different approaches and their effectiveness compared to each of their costs to ensure you choose the most efficient method. It will also enable you to put together a final figure of costings to present to the business. Review Impacts Reviewing all your decisions regarding the project whilst presenting them to the business, will allow you to firstly ensure that all needs of the business have been met to ensure that everyone is happy with the solution to the original email. It will also allow you to get the go ahead from the business as to whether you can go ahead with the project, or whether you will need to make any changes to the original approach to ensure the solution is the most efficient possible. References BBC, 2016. BBC Bitesize. [Online] Available at: http://www.bbc.co.uk/education/guides/zp3kd2p/revision/9[Accessed 09 January 2017]. Exforys, 2015. Exforys. [Online] Available at: http://www.exforsys.com/career-center/project-management-life-cycle/the-evolutionary-prototyping-model.html[Accessed 09 January 2017]. Find Nerd, 2015. Find Nerd. [Online] Available at: http://findnerd.s3.amazonaws.com/imagedata/4325/4325.jpg[Accessed 09 January 2017]. ISTQB, 2015. ISTQB. [Online] Available at: http://istqbexamcertification.com/what-is-rad-model-advantages-disadvantages-and-when-to-use-it/[Accessed 09 January 2017]. ISTQB, 2016. ISTQB. [Online] Available at: http://istqbexamcertification.com/what-is-waterfall-model-advantages-disadvantages-and-when-to-use-it/[Accessed 09 January 2017]. ISTQB, 2016. ISTQB. [Online] Available at: http://istqbexamcertification.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/Waterfall-model.jpg[Accessed 09 January 2017]. MWANZONI, 2016. LinkedIn. [Online] Available at: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/key-components-good-feasibility-study-mwanzoni-ltd[Accessed 10 January 2017].

Paul Ehrlich :: essays research papers fc

I. A World To Change Everyone on this earth has to be grateful to Paul Ehrlich because he made so many advances in medical research. Our life expectancy rate would still be around forty years if Ehrlich hadn’t been interested in chemistry and biology as a young boy. If Ehrlich hadn’t combined so many different chemicals, he would have never combined the chemical known as number 606. Ehrlich helped Emil von Behring find an antitoxin for diphtheria. Diphtheria is a disease that particularly affects children and sometimes leads to death. In 1894, mothers no longer had to worry about their child dying of diphtheria because of Ehrlich’s help in the discovery of the antitoxin for the deadly disease. Another discovery Ehrlich made was of a dye called trypan red. Trypan red helped destroy cells that caused sleeping sickness. His research of antibodies and understanding how the antibodies attack harmful substances that enter the body has made him the "founder" of modern chemotherapy. Ehrlich is best known for his work on curing syphilis. Syphilis is an infectious disease transmitted by sexual contact or kissing. Ehrlich named the compound that cured syphilis "salvarsan". This was a very effective way to cure syphilis. II. Background A. Family Paul Ehrlich was born on March 14, 1854 in Strehlen, Silesia. Ehrlich was born in to a middle-class, Jewish family. He was the only son and fourth child of Ismar and Rosa Ehrlich. His father owned a small distillery. Ehrlich had an Orthodox Jewish upbringing in a time when being a Jew was controversial. B. Childhood When Ehrlich was six years old he started his schooling at the local primary school. At age ten, he boarded with a professor’s family in Breslau and went to St. Maria Magdalena Humanistic Gymnasium. Ehrlich was often at the top of his class and his best subjects were math and Latin. C. Advanced Education and Training Ehrlich took an introductory course in natural sciences at Breslau University in 1872. He then went to Strasbourg for three semesters. In 1874, Ehrlich returned to Breslau where he completed his medical degree studies. In 1877, he passed the state medical examination. In 1878 he received his medical degree. III. Research and Development A. Discussion of the Area of Biology Most of Ehrlich’s discoveries had something to do with the immune system. The immune system is a body system that is responsible for destroying disease-causing cells. When Ehrlich was still in school, he was staining white blood cells to see their different characteristics with his work on antibodies, he is knows as the "founder" of modern chemotherapy.

Things Every Geologist Should Do :: essays research papers

As an experienced geologist, there are many things one could teach a new geologist. There are some basics recommended that every geologist be aware of. There are a variety of general geologic websites that a person could go to for information. One of them is called â€Å"Geysers and the Earth’s Plumbing Systems.† This website explains everything about geysers. Geysers are not often found on the surface of the earth and are considered very unstable hot springs. In order for a geyser to erupt there must be a water supply, a heat source, and a reservoir and associated plumbing system. There are only about fifty locations where geysers occur. In order for a geyser to erupt, boiling hot water and cool water must mix in the underground reservoir. When this happens the hot water rises and the cool water stays at the bottom. The water continues to rise until it comes out the top hole of the geyser. Sometimes the eruption is catastrophic while other times it is minor. Some characteristics that have an effect on geysers are the amount of rainfall, temperature of the water, and the barometric pressure. Even the smallest change in one of those can cause an eruption. Another interesting geological structure is slot canyons. This is something I have never heard about before, and I am assuming that not many other people have either. Slot canyons are hundreds of feet deep but only a couple of feet wide. They are mostly located in the southwest parts of the United States. They are very colorful due to the reflection of the sun off the walls of the canyon. It is said that they are hard to find but once located they are very beautiful. Lake Baikal is located in parts of Russia and southern Siberia. It is the deepest lake in the world, with an average depth of 730 meters, and the deepest part at 1620 meters. The lake covers over 31.5 square kilometers. That is one fifth of the world’s water in reserve. The Great Barrier Reef is a place that every geologist should visit at some point. It is located off the coast of Australia and extremely educational and beautiful. It is home to more than four hundred different types of coral, 1500 kinds of fish, and 4000 mollusks. The whole reef is over thirty-five hectares. After research in 1997 the reef was said to be in good condition and being well maintained.

Throwing a Surprise Birthday Party

Throwing a surprise birthday party for someone is not an easy task, it takes patience and planning. Surprise parties are usually thrown for friends and family usually on birthdays or accomplishments and are pretty fun to participate in. In this event everyone is aware of it except for the person the surprise party is being thrown for. You have to know where its going to be held, have everyone on the same page, and that it’s a party afterwards. Planning for these types of events can be a little hectic but the ending result it’s usually priceless. First, you have to choose where the event is going to be held.This is the first step because where spacing is everything. The amount of people helping for the surprise depends on how small or large of sale it should be. The people involved in the surprise should all have the same attitude and should all be ready to surprise. The event can be at a familiar place because it would be less likely for the person to know it’s a surprise. Next, you have to make sure everyone is on the same page. This is key when throwing surprise parties. Make sure you let it be known to all participants that it is a surprise, meaning that a particular person doesn’t know its happening.It should stay that way until it is over with. Usually when everyone is on the same page things go smooth and as planned. When the party boy or girl is coming through the door it is very important that everybody hiding in their spots all hop out and scream â€Å"SURPRISE! † as they jump out. They reaction given is usually a priceless one. One they will remember for a long time. With that being said, when throwing a surprise party you have to make sure you have a gift that the person has wanted. This adds to the â€Å"surprise† in the surprise party. Being around friends, family and loved ones already makes it a great experience.Adding a great gift would be even better. Great gifts are always memorable. Consequently, you can’t just have that big surprise and let that be the highlight of the night. Dim the lights crank up the tunes and lets have a party. Adding great music and food to top off the celebration makes everything worthwhile. All in all, a good surprise party is not that hard to accomplish. With gathering your friends and loved ones, making sure they are on one accord, having a successful surprise, good gifts and a party afterwards. There isn’t any other surprise party that can beat it.

Marketing Visual Merchandising Essay

How visual merchandising helps improving sales and its effects on retailing? ABSTRACT Visual Merchandising is the way or art of displaying goods and products in a manner that is appealing to the eyes of the customer. It sets the context of the merchandise in an aesthetically pleasing fashion, presenting them in a way that would attract the attention and convert the window shoppers into prospects and ultimately buyers of the product. A creative and talented retailer can use visual merchandising to breathe in new life into his store products. Passion for design and creativity are essential and the key to be a good visual merchandiser. A perfect design process and the ability to create ideas that are different are required. Awareness of happenings in fashion world is needed so as to keep up-to-date with the dynamics of the market constantly to ensure whatever merchandise displayed make a good comeback to attract shoppers. Keyword: visual merchandising, window displays, signs, interior displays, cosmetic promotions. 1. Introduction Visual Merchandising has been gaining more importance and attention from retailer of late as part of the emerging marketing industry. Research shows most of the people who went to shopping centre did not have an idea of what to buy or which shop to go, most of them get attracted by the display inside or outside the retailer. â€Å"Seventy percent of consumers in-store purchases are unplanned, which means they came to the store to buy something else,† says Greg Smith, director of communications for the Chicago-based Point Of Purchase Advertising Institute (POPAI). The main goal of display is to showcase the products within the overall display area to attract customers to give in three to five seconds of their attention to the window display The retailer visual message should be conveyed to the customer in that short period of time. It should not be like an unsuccessful TV advertisement, where the product is forgotten altogether and only the concept of the commercial remains in the mind of the viewer. The arrangement of window display should go with the product and should not suppress them to make it discernible to the eye. According to Dolan and Thomas G (2012), It’s important to realize that no matter how much advertising you do on a particular product or brand, most shoppers can be swayed by the in-store display. It is why nowadays it had become a popular trend among retailer to apply visual merchandising in their stores and retailer outlet. 2. Consumer Emotion and Affective Response Emotion is the core factors in affective perspective. It affects an individual’s luminal and subconscious level, and serves as the internal motivator that attracts us to the things that makes us feel good or positively associate with our minds (Williamson, 2002). Individuals tend to focus on information selectively, which is consistent with one’s mood state and later, recall the information that is mood-consistent (Mattila and Wirtz, 2000). Mood-based evaluations are common in individual judgment of products or services (Schwarz, 1997). Russell and Geraldine (1980) assumed that affect is an individual’s internal state comprising of both pleasure and arousal. 3. Visual Merchandising and Consumption Visual merchandising enhances the attractiveness of a store and its perceived image from the viewpoint of customers. A positive mood serves as a contextual cue for evaluating the perceived quality, image of a product and store, and purchase intention (Bakamitsos, 2000). The impact of a pleasant store atmosphere is also positively related to customer satisfaction (Spies et al., 1997). Atmospheric stimuli which please the actual and emotional needs of consumers enhance the degree of consumer participation in a store, leading to favourable purchasing behaviours (Wright et al., 2006). In general, the store exterior and interior are the two major areas covered in Visual Merchandising and a variety of components (colour combination, product placement, lighting arrangement, layout and highlight design, mannequin and props selection, fixtures and fittings selection) are involved in creating a favourable shopping atmosphere. For instance, Babin et al. (2003) found that the combination of colours and lighting plays a critical role in influencing the purchase intention of consumers and store patronage. Intangible store elements, such as sprayed fragrance, can stimulate one’s affective state and help boost mental imagination (Fiore et al., 2000). Chebat et al. (2001) found that appropriate music can affect the cognitive activity of consumers. A positive imagery also helps in associating a better cognitive experience between consumers and products, and intensifying purchase intentions (Macinnis and Price, 1987). However, consumers’ responses can be affected by cultural difference. Chan and Tai (2001) found that Chinese Hong Kong people rely on culture values (e.g. practical realism) to evaluate store displays and less susceptible to environmental cues than American consumers. Also, Chinese cultural values had a direct relationship with store atmosphere evaluation in apparel consumption (Fok and Chong, 1996). For Vietnamese consumers, hedonic shopping motivations were directly related to store atmosphere evaluation in supermarkets (Nguyen et al., 2007). For Korean consumers, different cultural expectations were found in store environment expectations in discount stores (Park, 2005). Therefore, cultural difference is important to influence store atmosphere evaluation. 4. Visual merchandising and Sales Today, customer walks through any mall or large stand-alone store where they moves through a continuos themes promotional mix of visual merchandising. The visual campaign starts with the outside window and continues through the use of end-aisle displays, layout, fixtures, and signage, continuing to the point of purchase displays where one final push is made ( Bell and Ternus, 2002). Once considered ‘’making the store pretty,’’ visual merchandising has become its own department in larger stores. The visual merchandising process promotes sales without the need for a sales associate ( Bell and Ternus, 2002). Research confirms the importance of visual merchandising (Janiszewski, 1998; Mckinly, 2003); it has been found effective in increasing sales (Edwards and Shackley, 1992) and imperative in enchancing store image. Visual merchandising that can be effective include exterior displays, window displays (Edward and Shackley, 1992; Gubernick, 1986), in-store display as well as the separate display components of signage ( Edward and Shackley, 1992) and lighting. Given the possilities of visual marketing, one might expect that all retailers would use it. For many small business owners, however, the need to create visual displays is just one more task (Yu and Muske, 2003). Successful visual merchandising and brand delivery is all about understanding and satisfying customer needs. So the more that a company understands its consumers, brand and competitors, the better it can define and refine its own visual merchandising practice to deliver better solutions instore to improve the customer experience (Mckeever, 2007). 5. Physical In-store Environment It has frequently been suggested that â€Å"good† interior design within a store can maintain customer interest, encourage customers to lower their psychological defences and make a purchase (Kotler, 1974). In examining this potential, the physical in-store environment has been examined in relation to various elements, for example, orienting factors, signage (Bitner, 1992); spatial factors (Bitner, 1992); and ambient conditions (Bitner, 1992), which Kotler (1974) termed â€Å"atmospherics†. These elements are in many ways redolent of the facets of merchandise display identified above. This high degree of congruence between merchandise display facets and the elements identified when concerning the physicality of the in-store environment would appear to add further weight to the use of such â€Å"borrowed† approaches in this research. The work regarding the physicality of the in-store environment focuses on the â€Å"communication† of elements through cues and stimuli that the customer digests through a number of sensory modalities (visual, aural, olfactory, haptic and taste). Within the research on in-store environments it has been suggested that some people are better at â€Å"digesting† environmental stimuli than others (Bitner, 1992). Given that up to 90 per cent of the cues provided by an environment are digested through sight (Edwards and Shackley, 1992) it follows that many environmental cues in the retail context are visually communicated. The twin threads of visual communication and legibility highlighted in the environmental literature echo the sentiments raised in the definition of visual merchandising above. This then further strengthens the links between the visual merchandising and considerations of the physicality of the in-store environment. Therefore, from either perspective, understanding how to communicate product and brand images to customers through individual visual stimuli is vital. 6. Aims of Visual Merchandising They are several aim of the usage of visual merchandising. Successful way of using visual merchandising will be able to send out quality message to potential and prospective customer and also enticing them to buy from the store(Kerfoot et al., 2003). Visual merchandising not only function as a configuration of space, layout and consumer flow, but visual merchandising itself is also a powerful communication and experience enhancer for the customer(Kotler, 1974). * Generate Experience Experience generation pertains to stimulation and management of the entire domain of the consumer’s senses and managing sensuality so as well as to be congruent with the consumer’s desires Visual merchandising able to manage the visual senses whereby affect experience generation in retailing. * Maximize Sales Effective visual merchandising helps in increasing sales through facilitation of consumer sampling and exposing the best of merchandise to the consumer . * Strengthen the Brand Visual merchandising can add brand strength to the retail store brand where the experience occurs if being properly managed. For example, Apple store who use visual merchandising have been a successful icon in the technology market and been known for their merchandise being visualized in their store. * Help Expansion of Product Categories Through Optimizing Display Effective visual merchandising also packs more through optimum display of merchandise. Thereby devouring empty spaces in the retailer where it is not necessary, making it feasible to display larger number of products and product categories, enhancing higher total spending and hence contributes to the profits of the retailer. 7. Diccusion Visual Merchandising was conceptualised in the western countries around the 60s. The basic tenet was to â€Å"differentiate† the brand in question, build â€Å"tactile† attributes at the point-of-sale which will reinforce the product attributes (directly or subtly) & act as a â€Å"call for action†, for the favourably disposed customer to â€Å"touch & feel† the brand experience. By the 90s visual merchandising had scaled the status of â€Å"art† & spilled on to a scientific territory. Organised retail contributed a lot to this development, as they were open to experimenting and it was an adding to the consumer purchasing experience. Visual merchandising is the art and science of retailing. It’s the thoughtful design of the store. It’s the aisle layouts, product adjacencies and the product sets themselves. Visual merchandising understands the target customer’s needs/desires and delivering an environment that encourages spending and increases purchases. Visual Merchandising aids customers’ buying decisions by placing the product where customers expect to find it. VM provides information about the product where it can easily be seen. Seeing, Smelling, Tasting, Feeling, Selling and Merchandising is all tied together. Often time, about a 250% sales increase when retailer offer a â€Å"try before you buy† type sales process and in this condition where visual merchandising had fulfilled all the condition. In this case, visual merchandising definitely has an impact on sales and helping increasing the fortunes of retailer. 8. Conclusion This research investigates how visual merchandising plays an important role in upgrading the fortunes and sales of retailer and the relationship of it between visual merchandising and retailer. It is found that attention should be paid to the overall store displays which include in-store and out-store display to attract consumer and products should be displayed at area which could easily catch up potential and prospective consumer view. Visual merchandising is known as a very common strategies that be used in the trend nowadays as research shows that more than 70% of people who went to a mall haven’t decided what they want to buy so it is important how visual merchandising play a role in luring potential buyer to the retailer. Visual Merchandising is everything that customers sees, both interior and exterior, that creates a positive image of the business and results in attention, interest, desire and action on part of the customer. Creative and great visual merchandising attracts attention, creates interest and invites customer to the store, directly gives impact on the sales of the whole retailer. So it is important how a retailer present the interior and exterior of the store. Furthermore, a good display is also act as a silent salesperson. When salespeople are busy with other consumer or the shop is closed, a strong window display showcases spoke to the consumer itself. Visual merchandising should complement and enhance the image of your store. Combined with good lightning, strong signage and professional fixtures, visual merchandising generates excitement and of course, lead to an increasing in sales. Therefore, visual merchandising is definitely a major determinant for a customer to enter a store to spend as a consumer. REFERENCES [1] Babin, B., Hardesty, D. and Suter, T. (2003), â€Å"Color and shopping intentions: the intervening effect of price fairness and perceived effect†, Journal of Business Research, 56(7), 541-51 [2] Bakamitsos, G.A. (2000), â€Å"Mood effects on product evaluations: when and how does mood makes a difference†, doctoral dissertation, Northwestern University, Evanston and Chicago, IL. [3] Bell.J., and Ternus, K. (2002). Silent selling; Best practices and effective strategies in visual merchandising (2nd ed.), New York: Fairchild Publications. [4] Bellizzi, J.A. and Hite, R.E. (1992), â€Å"Environmental color, consumer feelings and purchase likehood†, Psychology and Marketing, 9(5), 347-63. [5] Bitner, M.J. (1992), â€Å"Servicescapes: the impact of physical surroundings on customers and employees†, Journal of Marketing, 56(2), 57-71. [6] Chan, Y.K. and Tai, S. (2001), â€Å"How do in-store environmental cues influence Chinese shoppers? A study of hypermarket customers in Hong Kong†, Journal of International Consumer Marketing, 13(4), 73-103. [7] Chebat, J.C., Chebat, C.G. and Vaillant, D. (2001), â€Å"Environmental background music and in-store selling†, Journal of Business Research, 54, 11-123. [8] Edwards, S., and Shackley, M. (1992). Measuring the effectiveness of retail window display as and element of marketing. International Jornal of Advertising, 11(3), 193-203. [9] Fiore, A.M., Yah, X. and Yoh, E. 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The Basic Concept Of Ppsmi Education Essay

The whole thought of a good instruction system is to fix out kids so that they are better prepared to confront the challenges of globalisation, liberalisation every bit good as the fast development in today ‘s information and communicating engineerings. To enable our state to make this we needed competent and resilient human capital that is able to confront the challenges locally and internationally. In order to bring forth this sort of human capital, authorities had come out with few policies in instruction system. One of the policies was PPSMI that was introduced in 2003 and later it is abolished in 2012. The basic construct of PPSMI – the instruction and acquisition of scientific discipline and mathematics in English The virtues of PPSMI – the instruction and acquisition of scientific discipline and mathematics in English The demerits of PPSMI – the instruction and acquisition of scientific discipline and mathematics in English Summary. The basic construct of PPSMI The instruction and acquisition of scientific discipline and mathematics in English or in short known as PPSMI, that stands for Pengajaran dan Pembelajaran Sains dan Matematik Dalam Bahasa InggerisA is a authorities policy aimed at bettering the bid of the English linguistic communication among pupils at primary and secondary schools inA Malaysia. Tun Dr. Mahathir bin Mohamad, whom was the premier curate at the minute introduced this policy in 2003. However, since it was introduced, PPSMI has been a heated topic and has been debated among faculty members, politicians and even in society until the Deputy Prime Minister, Tan SriA Muhyiddin Yassin announced the policy ‘s reversal in 2012. Harmonizing to the Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin in The Star ( 2009 ) , the spread between rural and urban pupils has widened since PPSMI started. Merely 19.2 % of secondary instructors and 9.96 % of primary instructors were sufficiently proficient in English. He said this one of the grounds the Cabinet has decided that the medium of direction for Math and Science will return to Bahasa Malaysia in national schools and mother-tongue linguistic communications in national-type schools from 2012 onwards and the reversal of the instruction of Math and Science in English ( PPSMI ) policy will be conducted in phases. The virtues of PPSMI Back so, the medium for communicating in instruction system was chiefly used our mother-tongue, Malay linguistic communication. Then in order to develop the state, the premier curate at that clip, Tun Dr. Mahathir Mohamad proposed a policy that changed the medium of direction from the Malay linguistic communication to English for the instruction and acquisition of Science and Mathematics topics. Basically the policy was made based on the authorities ‘s concern on the state ‘s human capital development towards accomplishing the criterion of a developed state, every bit good as an early readying to vie in the epoch of globalisation. Kim ( 2011 ) stated that scientific discipline and mathematics are two chief Fieldss that form the footing and have a important function in the advancement and development of a state. Besides, the turning watercourse of transmutations and finds in these two Fieldss happen quickly and information entree in these Fieldss is largely in the English linguistic communication excessively. So, the command in this linguistic communication would do us easier to acquire the cognition in scientific discipline and mathematics. Though by presenting PPSMI is non the best method to better English, it is however a worthy enterprise that will convey the duplicate benefits of betterment in English every bit good as ready connectivity to the universe of scientific discipline and engineering. Harmonizing to Kim ( 2011 ) , oppositions of PPSMI ever make Russia and China as an illustration that one can lodge to one ‘s national linguistic communication and yet accomplish outstanding advancement in scientific discipline and technology.A But these critics forget that states like Russia and China have large populations and their people are good equipped with cognition in scientific discipline and engineering comparison to us, Malaysians that largely still depends on aliens. One more thing is about the resources. English text books are already widely used in our establishments of higher acquisition excessively, so why must we halt the instruction of mathematics and scientific discipline in English at an earlier age and change over back to Malay linguistic communication? The merely acceptable ground for halting PPSMI should merely because of the deficiency of English-proficient instructors. They did non hold sufficient preparation to be able to learn efficaciously. However, many options can be conducted to develop them. After that, all they needed is sufficient clip to accommodate to the alteration and later travel frontward to run into the challenges. In decision, we can straight see that the policy determination to implement PPSMI was made to do certain pupils ‘ command in scientific discipline and mathematics in position of the fact that most of the beginnings are available in the English linguistic communication. Indirectly, it is besides hoped that the execution of PPSMI would lend to the enhancing of pupils ‘ bid of the linguistic communication. The demerits of PPSMI Even though PPSMI seemed to be a good policy to be implemented in our instruction system, after much idea and considerations from experts, non-governmental organisations and concerned persons about the impact of PPSMI on pupil acquisition, the authorities decided to get rid of the instruction and acquisition of Science and Mathematics in English. Harmonizing to an article ‘Why PPSMI is abolished ‘ in The Star newspaper, the cabinet found that during the execution of PPSMI merely 4 % of Mathematicss and Science instructors used 90 % or more of English in the instruction and acquisition of the two topics. A mixture of Bahasa Malaysia and English was used more by them and the instructors had to often exchange to Bahasa Malaysia in their instruction because pupils could non understand their lessons in English. To turn out the statement above, a survey conducted by a group of educationalists from the Universiti Perguruan Sultan Idris ( UPSI ) revealed that 70 % of Form Two pupils found it difficult to larn Mathematicss and Science in English. Another survey done by a Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia ( UKM ) professor concluded that PPSMI hampered pupils ‘ ability to understand Mathematicss and Science constructs, hence ensuing in their hapless public presentation in these two topics. The cabinet besides stated that lone pupils with good bid of English benefited from PPSMI while others who lack of proficiency in English became victims. So, obviously it is unjust to these pupils if the authorities decide to go on with the policy. â€Å" Apart from holding to larn a linguistic communication which is non their female parent lingua, our kids are being made to analyze the two topics in English every bit good, † A Muhyidin said, adding that surveies had besides shown that pupils would break understand a topic if it was taught in their female parent lingua. The determination to change by reversal to Bahasa Malaysia is in line with the place taken by Unesco that the female parent lingua is the best medium of direction in schools. As we can see the current coevals of attorneies, comptrollers, scientists, technocrats, and other professionals are the merchandise of our National Education System where Bahasa Malaysia is the medium of direction in schools. Therefore, it has proven that Bahasa Malaysia is an effectual medium of direction in the national schools. Drumhead All in all, whether it is the execution or reversal of PPSMI, the biggest also-rans are still pupils in Malaysia. So it is of import that wise actions must be done by every party to assist the pupils from being victim to the unsteady policies in Malaysia educational system. However before authorities want to present new policy, surely they did some researches before it was implemented and same goes to the new policy that replaces PPSMI now. Although PPSMI is no longer used as a medium of direction at schools, the desire to get the hang English should non be stopped in our immature coevalss because our state needs a population that is competent in English to must bring forth top class workers who will be able to vie in the globalised universe. In relation to this, the Education Ministry has taken comprehensive steps to better our pupils ‘ bid of English through the new policy, Strengthening English Language ( MBI ) policy. Besides that, there are several ways that authorities attempts to make in order to guarantee pupils get a good bid in English linguistic communication for illustration bettering the methods of instruction and acquisition of English in schools, increasing English hours and engaging quality English instructors, including from abroad, to assist our pupils be proficient in English. The support from all parents excessively is another cardinal factor to heighten the quality of our instruction and better pupil acquisition.

Criticism of the Church in the Canterbury Tales Essay

The Canterbury Tales, a collection of tales by Geoffrey Chaucer, was written in Middle English at the end of the 14th century (Encyclopaedia Britannica, 2011). It is considered to be the best work of literature in English in the Middle Ages (Johnston, 1998). Chaucer uses literary devices as no one had ever done. In addition, he chose to use English instead of Latin. This masterpiece is structured in a similar way as Bocaccio’s Decameron. The tales are organized within a frame narrative (Encyclopaedia Britannica, 2011) explained in the General Prologue by the narrator: a group of pilgrims that are going to visit St.  Thomas Becket in Canterbury’s Cathedral. These pilgrims are from different estates of the medieval society: nobility, the church and peasantry (The Norton Anthology, 1993: 76). Through the characters, Chaucer reveals some aspects of the society he lived in. In other words, instead of creating typical role models, the characters are exaggerated individuals very different from the prototypical idea. The author uses hyperbolic characters and irony to create humour and criticism. For example, the knight is not the typical medieval soldier the reader would expect. He avoids conflict being a very romantic person. In a similar way, the characters that are part of the Church are also very peculiar. At the time when Chaucer wrote this poem, the Catholic Church was very powerful and rich. The clergy enjoyed great fortunes and a high quality of life compared with the peasantry who was starving and dying. In this essay, I’m going to deal with the criticism towards the Catholic Church analysing the ironic portrays of the Prioress, the Monk, the Friar and the Pardoner. Chaucer begins writing about the hypocrisy of the church in the General Prologue when the Prioress is introduced. The Prioress is a nun with very good manners (e. g. she wipes her lips before drinking, lines 133-134) that behaves as if she were a lady of the court (e. g. she speaks French but with a very bad accent, lines 124-125). The Prioress is also very romantic as we can see in her brooch and her motto: â€Å"Amor vincit omnia† -â€Å"Love conquest all†- (Dr. Melillo, 1996). She is also very kind and sensitive. For instance, she cries when a mouse falls in a trap and feeds her dogs meat so they do not starve. This image of nice person contrasts with the reality of the time. If her words and actions are analyzed, the audience can understand that this was not the typical behavior of a nun. She is more worried about her pets than the commoners who actually did starve and rarely ate meat. The narrator is portraying her as a very naive person in a very nice tone that hides the irony. Nevertheless, the audience was aware that she is not fulfilling the aim of the Church: take care of people (The Norton Anthology, 1993:76). The Monk is the following pilgrim described in the General Prologue. According to his description he is very interested in hunting and in horses (line 166). A monk should not be riding and hunting but obeying, praying, copying and studying. In addition, the Monk is fully aware that his order does not allow these practices and he admits that he does not follow the rules of his order (Jokinen, 2010) (lines 174-175). When the portrait of the Monk finishes in the General Prologue, the man described is bald, fat and well-dressed. Any person in that time that heard this description would immediately think about a lord not a monk. Although the narrator likes the life style of the Monk and his description is not very acid, we can see how Chaucer is criticizing some monk’s lives. Monks are supposed to be obedient and to embrace vow of poverty not to reject rules and live the life they want. After analyzing two characters against who the narrator does not show great rejection, I am going to analyze the Friar and the Pardoner who the narrator describes in a very ironic and bitter tone. A friar is a roaming priest that begs for living whose goal is to help beggars and lepers selflessly. On the contrary, this friar really detests this kind of action because he does not get any benefice from it (lines 242-247). He likes to enjoy life and pleasures. He shows that he is not like a normal friar implying that he is above (lines 210-211) like an aristocrat (Knapp, 1999). In this sense, he acts like the Prioress does, pretending not to be who he really is, a beggar. The reader also knows that he accepts bribes and gives easy penance for extra donations so he can live better. He justifies his conduct explaining that giving money is a sign of repentance. Nevertheless, the Friar, as the Monk, is supposed to have done the vow of poverty. Contradicting any preconceived ideas the reader may have about friars, he has a good quality life thanks to keeping the money he should give his order nd receiving extra incomes. In the description of the character, the audience understood how Chaucer is condemning the abuses of the Church by creating a person who does not follow any of the prototypical characteristics of a good Christian friar. Finally, I am going to explain in detail the character of the Pardoner. The Pardoner resembles the Friar in the fact that both get money from people (with a religious reason behind) for a living and keep it for themselves. However, there are some differences: the Pardoner is not part of an order whereas the Friar is; and he does not believe in what he does either while the Friar justifies it. The Pardoner is considered the most hypocrite character of all because he embodies all the sins he preaches against. He sells papal indulgences in exchange of donation that he keeps for himself showing avarice (lines 389-391). In addition, he admits that he does not feel guilty and that the relics he sells are a fraud. Furthermore, he tells the other pilgrims his tricks implying that he lies and manipulates people to get money. Ironically, after he has admitted that he is a liar, the Pardoner gives a kind of sermon against gluttony, drunkenness, gambling and swearing. Moreover, his tale can be considered an exemplum (Patterson, 1976) that warns against avarice and drunkenness. He gives an instance of the kind of person he is when he tries to sell one of his relics to the Host even when he has already told them they are forged and useless. Apart from being described as, what we would call now, a con artist and a sinful person, there are allusions to his condition of homosexual and eunuch (Jokinen, 1998). All these characteristics make him appear in the margins of society. As I said before, this character is the one that better represents the hypocrisy that Chaucer shows in this work. As I said, he represents all the sins he preaches against: he drinks (his finishes his drink before stating the tale); he lies (about his relics, line 394), and he is greedy (he keeps the money, line 409). Through this character, the author shows a very sinful and corrupt church away from their goal. To conclude, Chaucer shows a very hypocrite and selfish members of the Church in The Canterbury Tales. In the 14th century, the Catholic Church was very influential and religion was present in everyday life. The purpose of the Church was supposed to be the caring of the people. Nonetheless, the characters in this poem do not worry about anything else that themselves and their actions are directed always to their own benefit. Through their words and actions described ironically by the narrator, the characters reflect their sins and their corruption and by extension, the sins and corruption of the Church. It can be concluded that in The Canterbury Tales, Chaucer makes a social criticism showing the dishonesty of the Church. However, it should be pointed out that the characters are an exaggerated version of the original people because the main aim of this work is to be enjoyable for the audience.

Empowering Your Organization Essay

Organizations are about people. People are the most valuable asset that an organization can possess to create success. The development of these people and the ability for an organization to retain talent can be complex. An organization must be organized to communicate and provide the structure necessary for growth and development. They must also have the people within the organization understand their ability to grow and the directions available within the organization for growth. In the industrial age a company was primarily there to provide goods and serves. Many organizational behaviorists at that time focused on getting the most production from the employee. The employee was looked at as a necessary evil in creating the goods for market. We have now realized that people are the foundation that can make or break an organization. The thoughts and actions of the company and the employee are imperative to their success. Retaining top talent is about creating a structure that is conducive to growth and development. Empowerment is important on an organizational level and an individual level. When looking at the dynamics of an organizations empowerment it is essential to recognize the symptoms of disempowerment. Gershon and Straub identified ten symptoms of a disempowered organization. We will look at one case within an organization and four of these symptoms that were evident and describe these dysfunctions. We will then create a plan using Gershon and Straub six values to create an empowering environment. Four Symptoms of Disempowerment Distrust and Cynicism When individuals feel that they must constantly compete for their future a sense of distrust begins to arise. In the case study this organization had weak leaders that did not give others a sense of team involvement. There was constant distrust in coworkers and in management to make the right decisions. Due to the lack of leadership employees felt the need to compete through criticizing and creating blame. Management did not give true direction or provide any plan of action but instead were quick to criticize the actions individuals took in order to compete tasks without direction. Apathy and Burnout The organization in the case study was constantly in a state of change. New projects can be exhausting in themselves. When a project goes beyond the original plan many times companies will use the resources they have and overwork the employee in order to reach plan. This can create burnout and apathy within the workforce. This was the case with this organization, instead of bringing in additional contact workers to assist the company expected employees to work overtime to meet goals. This would involve as many as eighty hours per week. The result was burnout and exhaustion and a general sense of being unappreciated. The personal life of the employees was expected to be put on hold and this creating a general sense of apathy within the workforce. Gossip and back biting poisoning work environment Many times people are the reflection of the environment that they are surrounded by. There is a saying about how weak people talk about other people; this was the case in this organization. Gossip was common place and a reflection of the emotional turmoil of not being able to move within the organization. Management did not stop the personal conflict that was created within many of the groups by gossip and â€Å"back stabbing†. Top talent leaving for better opportunities or work environment Due to the inability to move within the organization and the general atmosphere of distrust and dissatisfaction many of the top talent moved on to better opportunities. The organization was a revolving door and the issue was that the positions available were not backfilled with internal, local talent but instead more â€Å"new† employees were brought in to replace the talent that let the organization. This further fueled the discord and ill feeling of the current workforce. Six Values Applied to Disempowerment Change in anything that we do must first come from the inside before we can change the outside. A great example of this is in losing weight many people choose to go on a quick fix diet plan. This is a wonderful way to reduce the weight in the short term but the person eventually returns to their previous weight. Change must come from the inside through long term changes in the way that they think about food and the long term change in diet. When an organization has the symptoms of disempowerment it is not just from the inability of the individuals internally but from a dysfunctional mindset within the organization. Therefore the organization must perform a metamorphose to change the structure of the company and the mindset of the individuals and management. There are six values that are an essential part of the framework necessary for change within an organization. These six values are self-responsibility, authentic communication, trust, learning and growing, interpersonal process skills and caring. When looking at an organizational level of self-responsibility the empowering organization has individuals that take responsibility for their jobs, team and organization being the way that they need it to be. This is the opposite of the mindset of victimization and an understanding that changes comes from each individual within an organization. If an organization promotes authentic communication it is obvious through observing the individuals and their communication. If the communication is open, transparent, honest and vulnerable then the company is communicating authentically. When observing trust within an organization the first thing that needs to be evident is the ability for individuals to feel safe within the environment. This trust is apparent in the ability of individuals to take risks and tryout new behaviors without risk of reprimand from supervisors. When an organization promotes an environment conducive to growth and learning individuals are challenged to recognize their weaknesses and given the opportunity to learn and develop these skills. The growth and encouragement is transferable to both the employee and the organizational growth. Learning is on a bilateral level through growth of both the structure and the individual. An empowered organization understands individuals as independent and of their own mindset. They champaign the individual and have created process and protocols to resolve personal issues that may arise. The organization is high functioning within their relationships internally and support teamwork and individualism equally. There is a general sense of caring within an empowered organization. Leadership demonstrates genuine caring of the individuals that work within the company. Individuals feel valued and inspired creating motivation to do their best. The Plan To develop these skills within an organization that is lacking these basic values can be challenging. The plan must start with leadership and management having a full grasp of the qualities that create an empowered organization. The first step is to educate management in the skills necessary to create this environment. This cannot be done with a week-long workshop but with concrete training and development over the long-term. Honing and developing the skills on a weekly, monthly and yearly basis. Removing the â€Å"boss barrier† is an essential part of creating an environment for growth and productivity. The second step is to remove the â€Å"system† barrier. Looking at the process and the policies the current organization and recreating an environment that gives employees the opportunity to develop. Realigning the reward systems and identifying the blocks that disempower change within the organization is essential. The third aspect is to remove the barriers of the mind. This is important in empower both the leadership and the employee. People have a way of thinking about things until you give them the opportunity and the tools to look at things differently. You are basically what you think you are and it takes reconditioning the minds of the individuals within an organization to change. Change happens from within. It is the willingness of the organization to change and the individuals to change that will make a move towards empowerment possible. Motivation to change must be driven by emotions and the key is to find these emotional triggers and create a plan towards growth and opportunity for both the organization and the individual. References Bigelow, D. (2011). Empowerment: The Art of Creating Your Life as You Want It. Library Journal, 136(9), 95. Gershon, D., & Straub, G. (2011), Empowerment: The Art of Creating Your Life as You Want It. SterlingEtbos.2011.c.256p.. Gershon, D., & Straub, G. (2009). Empowerment Institute: The empowering organization: Changing behavior and developing talent in organizations. Retrieved from http://www.empowermentinstitute.net/index.php/organizational/organizational-empowerment/57-organizational-empowerment Individuals’ Mindset: Empowering the Individual. (2004). Black Book – Reengineering Investment Management & Advice to the Individual, 31-36. Kotter, J. P. & Cohen, D. S. (2002). The heart of change: Real-life stories of how people change their organizations. Boston, MA: Harvard Business School Press.