Saturday, November 30, 2019

The Big Lebowski Essays - The Big Lebowski, Dude, White Russian

The Big Lebowski All of the relationships among the elements in the film the Big Lebowski may seem to be enigmatic with each other, but this style of film creates an integrated system of disunity. The Coen brothers demonstrate this style through various motifs through out the film, from the main character's name to what he drinks. The film is a perfect example of a film which has the theme of disunity. In the film the main character Jeffery Lebowski, refers to himself as "the Dude". This element of the story becomes a motif. The Dude is referred to, and refers to himself as the Dude because it represents his personality, which is an easygoing "cool" character. The common Western society slang which is associated with the word dude, is male prostitute. In the scene where the Dude returns home after being arrested in Malibu, he find himself engaging in sexual intercourse at the request of Mod Lebowski. After they finish, Mod explains to the Dude that she was using him to concede a child. Obviously he was not given money in exchange for sexual favours but, the Dude, (much similar to real prostitutes) was used for sex. The Dude is continuously used by his friends and business associates through out the whole film. Although presented as a laidback cool character, the Dude's title is representative of how he is seen by everyone around him. In the film, Bowling is seen as a man's activity, a place where go to compete and get away from the world. In the bowling alley there is never a female present in the shot within any scene. This motif is reinforced during the scene entitled Gutter Balls. In the Dude's trip-out it starts off as a bowling spoof pornographic film, which can also be considered a male thing. It has shots of floating bowling pins and balls rearranged in numerous sexual positions, where the pins represent the male genitalia. Further on in the dream, Mod, who is a strong independent character, is represented by Viking costume she is wearing. Contrary to this, she still required help from the Dude when bowling. In the Big Lebowski bowling is seen as a male dominated activity During the scene where the Dude and Mod Lebowski engage in sexual intercourse, the Dude pores himself a White Russian. The Dude explains that the alcohol and marijuana helps him think. "I'm keeping on a very strict drug regiment to ahh, keep my ahh, mind limber." This is shown when almost immediately after he smokes his marijuana and pours his White Russian he figures out where big Lebowski's money is. In contrast to this, the drugs and alcohol can also be seen as an obstacle in the Dude's effort to solve the case. At one point the Dude crashes his car after spilling his drink and dropping a lit joint onto his lap. In another scene the Dude is arrested because his White Russian was drugged. Drugs and alcohol become a paradox of the Dude's success. With these motifs in mind we are able to see that the Coen brothers used different motifs show any number of different things about the film. They are able to mesh together themes of masculinity to society's views of the weak. With this, the Big Lebowski has a theme which can only be called eclectic.

Tuesday, November 26, 2019

Medical Ethics2 essays

Medical Ethics2 essays Medical Ethics Bioethics comprise every possible aspect of health care, medical, moral, social, political, religious, legal and financial? (Weiss 3). This includes the questions raised by new research. It takes a look at the results of that research that is used on patients. It takes into consideration contemporary ideas of personal freedom and human dignity. It deals with growth in medical services available in the United States and the sky rocketing cost. Bioethics also deals with the medical advances in technology that has reshaped traditional medical ethics. Medical ethics have changed drastically over a period of years. From old commandments to new commandments, guidelines that provide structural framework, classic experiments that challenge that framework, or even how things are defined in medical ethics.Medical progress goes on, and the perils of progress must be heeded? (Leone 165). Changing times have in turn changed our codes of ethics. There are five old commandments of et hics and five new commandments of ethics. These commandments come from many years of heavily advised dictates from various people. A commandment by definition is, ... a dictate or a strongly advised piece of advice? (Halsey 201). The first traditional commandment is, Treat all human life as of equal worth? (Singer 190). This statement is very difficult to follow; almost no person believes this statement whole-heartedly. The statement makes more sense on paper or just being heard, but its application in life is almost impossible to ensure. In comparison to the first old ethic, the first new ethic states,Recognize that the worth of human life varies? (Singer 190). This statement allows for variation and livability in society. It gives way for someone to say, if a person is a vegetable, has no vital capabilities, this person's life is of no worth anymore. Without this sort of change in today's advancing civilization, it would make it ethically wrong topull ...

Friday, November 22, 2019

Event and Occasion

Event and Occasion Event and Occasion Event and Occasion By Maeve Maddox Karen writes: Wondering if you can do a post on the use of event and occasion are they interchangeable terms, or does one imply more significance than the other? To me, an occasion is more special than an event. The twins birthday is always a special occasion for the family. However, many speakers would use the word event in this example. The words are so close in meaning and have so many different applications that it is difficult to formulate a hard and fast distinction between them. Wikipedia lists 20 different senses for event: nine general meanings and eleven specialized meanings. Context is everything. The word event is common in writing about sports and entertainment. Fox and DirecTV hosting charity event for family of the late Will Flannery Apple announces special event for January 27 A rematch of top rivals Darrion Caldwell and Brent Metcalf is the Main Event of a seven-match card of wrestling bouts†¦ Conventions and conferences are events. Graduations and jazz festivals are events. Plain old parties are often called events. One distinction that can be drawn is that occasion carries the sense of a falling together of events to produce an opportunity for something. Let me take the occasion of this interview as the opportunity to question one of the received ideas about contemporary poetry. An event, on the other hand, is usually scheduled. Indeed, an event may be scheduled to celebrate an occasion: A conference will be held †¦ on the occasion of Richard Vargas 80th birthday The expression on occasion means from time to time: On occasion I have misspoken about my service and I regret that and I take full responsibility. An occasional poem is a poem written to celebrate a special occasion such as a coronation or a royal birthday. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Vocabulary category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:50 Handy Expressions About Handsâ€Å"As Well As† Does Not Mean â€Å"And†Drama vs. Melodrama

Thursday, November 21, 2019

Analyzing Criteria on Online Reporting Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Analyzing Criteria on Online Reporting - Article Example On the other hand, the website (http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052702304898704577482650368103084.html) has employed the art of short sentences that nail the case to the bone (Maher, 2012). In other words, website information is easy and quick for understanding than other media forms in information dissemination. Furthermore, the avoidance of what people said in unlike in the latter website is an indication of a narrative writing technique that appeals to a mass readership. On that note, if compared to print media, there are some differences. For instance, the reportage of the sex abuse case in local papers delved into the smaller details of the case that did not feature in the online articles in the aforementioned websites. In conclusion, this means that information included in the websites are not always comprehensive as compared to print media (Craig, 2010). Alternatively, I think websites enhance a story with its visual information such as the websites described above. Additionally, the hyperlinks they provide give an element of human touch because of its visual

Tuesday, November 19, 2019

Select one of your favorite brands that is involved in licensing Research Paper

Select one of your favorite brands that is involved in licensing. Write one page on why or why not it works for the brand - Research Paper Example 529). Acne Studios is a part of the Creative Collective Acne. The Studio was founded in the year 1996 in Stockholm, Sweden. Acne Studios is a fashion manufacturing brand that designs fashion apparels and jeans. The operations of Acne Studio are not only limited to Sweden. In fact, the operations are expanded across the world. In order to expand its operations, the company relies on licensing agreements. With the help of licensing agreements, the company has successfully expanded its operations in Europe and Asia. The Swedish company is also planning to expand its business in London, Paris, and Japan. The effectiveness of licensing for Acne Studios can be realized from the fact the company has successfully expanded its operations in 35 locations with the help of licensing agreements (Okonkwo pp. 353). Under the licensing agreement, the company sells its licenses to other companies. Those companies use the brand, design, and IP of the parent company. The licenses can be sold to several companies in the same market. The licensing agreements have also allowed Acne Studios to exercise control over how the brand is used. This has allowed the company to maintain the standard of its products (Okonkwo pp. 353). Hagedoorn, J., S. Lorenz-Orlean, and H. van Kranenburg. â€Å"Inter-firm Technology Transfer: Partnership-embedded Licensing or Standard Licensing Agreements?† Industrial and Corporate Change 18.3 (2008):

Saturday, November 16, 2019

Learning organization Essay Example for Free

Learning organization Essay Marquardt (2002, p. 211) presented 16 steps necessary to build a learning organization. A closer look at our organization revealed that there is still so much to learn and change. Using Marquardt’s metaphor, our organization is still in the caterpillar stage, â€Å"earthbound† and â€Å"nonlearning† (p. 235). The major challenge keeping our company in this status can be linked to only two things, attitude of employees and leadership style. Unfortunately, the 16 steps proposed by Marquardt boil down to these two things. Employees have negative view about change. They are not willing to leave their comfort zones, take risks or commit to transforming the company. They lack the motivation to educate, improve and develop themselves professionally. The old, tested way of doing things remains the norm. However, the more disturbing fact is the lack of effort from the leaders. Based on Marquardt’s discussion, the main effort for change should come from the top, from the leaders. Presently, the leadership style in the company does not cater to the needs of a learning organization. The organizational culture does not empower the empoyees to express their creativity or explore their potentials. In short, our organization is 16 steps away from transformation. Based on the guidelines, to effect change, the leaders need to recognize their role as the agents of change. According to Marquardt’s book, â€Å"The first step is for leadership to commit themselves to transforming the company into a learning organization† (p. 210). Before that could happen, leaders should first of all need to recognize the need to transform our caterpillar ways to that of a butterfly. This step corresponds to the creation of an organizational vision. The company needs a more dynamic, interesting, inspiring vision to keep both leaders and employees stimulated into transforming and improving the company as well as creating an environment for continious learning.

Thursday, November 14, 2019

The Reluctant Fundamentalist Essay -- Ethical Issues, Religious Fanati

Fundamentalism is a strict adherence to a set of ideas or beliefs that are conservative in nature. It is a pejorative term usually associated with religious fanaticism. Usually, this is what comes to mind when there is mention of a fundamentalist. However, in Mohsin Hamid's The Reluctant Fundamentalist starring the protagonist Changez, a Pakistani Princetonian who is a top-ranked employee at a prestigious New York valuation firm, turns out not to be an Islamic fundamentalist, but a reluctant fundamentalist of US Capitalism. Hamid challenges readers to reevaluate their preconceived notions and prejudices of people different from themselves in post 9/11 America by employing the use of motifs, aphorism, and suspense, to create a conflation of corporate culture and violence in the form of an allegorical frame story. This story not only proves relevant in historical contexts pertaining to the United States and their involvements in past wars, but also in contemporary settings, as in the current ongoing wars. Simply put, history repeats itself. The story takes place within the span of a day, as Changez approaches an American in the district of Old Anarkali in Lahore, Pakistan. He invites the American to have tea with him, which eventually leads into dinner and continues on into the late evening while he recounts the events of his life which has led up to their fated encounter. The story is told in the second-person narrative, meaning the voice of the American is never heard, but his reactions are implied and guided by Changez. In this way, the audience plays an interactive part in the story, enabling the reader to identify with both parties and make judgements about the outcome of the story. The author constantly plays with the idea... ... by the hand. But why are you reaching into your jacket, sir? I detect a glint of metal. Given that you and I are now bound by a certain shared intimacy, I trust it is the holder of your business cards† (Hamid 184). And with that, the author leaves us with a cliffhanger, for us to determine the ending however we see fit. Hamid has made clear that ideas and truths are all relative, that people should actively search for answers, instead of believing everything they are told. His characters allowed us to exercise our intuitions in search of hidden truths, and mostly to reaquaint ourselves with the elusive, common sense. The aphorism, focus on the fundamentals, is accentuated even further by the suspenseful ending and challenges us to ponder the wisdom of the story, when we consider whether or not the fully-bearded Changez has become another type of fundamentalist.

Monday, November 11, 2019

Tutorial solutions

Customer's business name, address and contact details Type of information (economic / other) Other – details ensure business exists and invoices can be posted to the correct address . Years customer has been in this business Other – establishes track record and history 3. Total assets and estimates of values of assets in the business Economic – establishes size of asset base of business 4. Total liabilities (total commitments) Economic – establishes how much the business currently owes others to assess the extent of claims against assets 5.Profits of the business for the most recent and previous periods Economic – used to assess whether the business generates sufficient profits to cover the payments that will have to be made of their account 6. Credit references Other – enables Ashley to follow up with other businesses the customer already has accounts with, to assess whether the customer has paid their accounts in time and in full 7.Details Of any collateral or security that can be provided should the customer default on their payments Economic and other – Ashley will want to ensure that the business will be able to recover any unpaid amounts by claiming from a third party or having a claim over the assets of the business Page 2 of 19 Exercise 1. 7 Factors in making a government decision Consult the relevant business journal or newspaper article and identify the acts of your case involving an important government decision. Identify the key government decision involved.Discuss the impact of the decision and its relevance to the press and community. Factors to be taken into account in arriving at a government decision include: 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. The nature of the government decision. The government policy dictating the decision. The political impact of the decision. Identifying all parties affected by the government decision. Identifying all the stakeholders (I. E. Parties to which the decisi on will have a positive or negative impact). Identifying any particular lobby or special interest groups involved with the Issue.Identifying the available funding or resources available for the government decision. How is the government initiative to be funded? Identifying the cost of the initiative. Was the decision made in a consultative manner? Was there much political debate or commentary? Possible gains or losses anticipated to be experienced by the community. Possible alternatives which could have been employed by the government. Was the resultant decision considered to be the most efficient use of community resources? Page 3 of 19 Exercise 1. Economic decisions made by management Required: Provide examples of economic decisions that the following people would need to make with the use of accounting information: ; A manager in a sales department Of a shoe store ; A factory manager ; The manager of a state cricket team ; The manager of an animal shelter which relies on donation s for funding Manager of a sales department: Decisions about number of staff required, and when the busy times are (for additional staffing); type and quantity of stock to purchase (based on historic sales figures), cost of inventory researched (for deciding on selling prices and specials / discounts / sales during the coming season); average length of time for which stock is held; stock on hand at any point in time (for purposes of re-ordering); latest fashion trends; information about the demographics of the customer base to enable appropriate stock to be held and appropriate prices to be set. Factory manager: Decisions about appropriate factory staff levels; appropriate plant and machinery capacity to run the factory; costs of raw materials, labor and overhead, such as electricity, in order to make decisions bout goods to be manufactured, production mix; costs of occupational health and safety to make decisions about the most cost effective way to achieve compliance.Manager of a state cricket team: Decisions about the selection and costs of players and coaching staff; appropriate playing and training Venues and their location to the centre of the city; sponsorship enticements and entitlements; purchase of appropriate sporting equipment for training and match days. Manager of an animal shelter: Decisions about the cost of collection systems to receive donations and the most appropriate method of obtaining nations; the cost of maintaining animals in the shelter such as food and veterinary costs; overheads such as electricity, insurance and premises; the costs of full-time employment in the shelter, and the management of volunteers. Page 4 of 19 Exercise 1. 10 The small business owner What types of economic decisions would a person wishing to start their own small business be required to make?How could an accountant assist in making these decisions? The following are examples of the types of economic (financial) and non-financial decisions a small business own er would have to make: A clear definition of the product or service that is to be provided (non- financial), and what the business will charge for these products or services (financial) – this will determine the projected or likely income ; How the business will be funded – will the owners put all the money in or will there be other owners or lenders (non-financial and financial)? ; How the business will market its product or service (non-financial), and how much it will cost to do this? Financial) ; Where the business will be located (non-financial), and what the rental cost will be (financial) How much staff will be required, what skills do they need to perform their jobs properly (non-financial), and how much will they be paid (this will have to be benchmark against other businesses in the same industry or using staff with similar skills and experience) ; What equipment or other assets are required to start the business (non- financial), and how will these be acquir ed and at what cost (financial)? ; Will the business be registered for SST? ; What accounting and information systems are required for the business (non-financial and financial)?This should be adequate to provide information o the owners, and accurately capture transactions that take place, (including any SST components thereof) The above are just some examples of decisions that will need to be made by a person wishing to start a business. There are many others, and it should be noted that many decisions have both a financial and non-financial component – it is therefore often difficult to make non-financial decisions without considering the financial implications and impacts of those decisions. Accountants can help small business owners With the selection of an appropriate accounting system, with regulatory' acquirement such as registering for SST, registering a business name, and applying for tax numbers and other tax obligations (such as PAYS) as required – this wil l depend on the size of the business and what staff will hired.They can also assist by providing the financial information and assisting in the drafting of a sound business plan that covers all the likely financial impacts of the decisions to be made. They can provide book-keeping and page 5 of 19 accounting services to maintain accurate financial records for the business and assist in preparing income tax returns, SST returns and other regulatory porting requirements. Accountants can also help a small business owner prepare a budget for the business, forecast cash flow requirements, and make decisions about which assets to purchase and how best to finance them. CHAPTER 2 FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR DECISION MAKING DISCUSSION QUESTIONS SOLUTIONS 2. Define the terms, assets, liabilities, and equity. Are these terms related in anyway? If so, how?Assets are defined in the Framework as resources controlled by the entity as a result of past events and from which future economic benefits are expected to flow to the entity. Liabilities are defined in the Framework as present obligations of an entity arising from past events, the settlement of which is expected to result in an outflow from the entity of resources embodying economic benefits. Liabilities require future payments from assets, generally in the form of cash, or the performance of services to cancel them. Equity is the owner's claim to (or the residual interest in) the assets of the entity after deducting all its liabilities. The basic accounting equation (Assets = Liabilities + Equity) indicates the relationship between assets, liabilities and equity.From the equation, the total assets of the entity equal the total claims against those sets by creditors and owners. Creditors' claims take precedence over owners' claims, and owners are seen as the ultimate risk-takers in the entity. Thus, equity is a residual claim on the assets of the entity after liabilities are fully paid, and the basic accounting model whic h expresses this idea clearly is: Assets – Liabilities = Equity 3. A local restaurant is noted for its fine food, as evidenced by the large number of customers. A customer was heard to remark that the secret of the restaurant's success Was its fine chef. Would you regard the chef as an asset of the business? If so, would you include the chef on the balance sheet of the business and at what value?Suggested topics of discussion: Asset definition – â€Å"Assets are resources controlled by the entity as a result of past events and from which future economic benefits are expected to flow to the entity. † Does the chef provide future economic benefits to the entity? Yes. Is the chef controlled by the entity? In Page 6 of 19 many cases, it is evident that he/she could not be controlled by the entity (e. G. He/she can resign when he/she likes, can take sick days). He/she cannot be â€Å"acquired† or â€Å"sold† by the business, I. . They do not have rights to possess him/her. How would you value the chef as an asset? Usually you have some idea of the â€Å"life† of the asset, however, the restaurant would not know how long the chef would be working for them (this argument relates back to controlling the asset). 6.Discuss the significance of the following assumptions in the preparation of an entity financial statements: (a) entity assumption (b) accrual basis assumption (c) going concern assumption (d) period assumption (a) Entity Assumption If the transactions Of an entity are to be recorded, classified and summarized onto financial statements, the accountant must be able to identify clearly the boundaries of the entity being accounted for. Under the accounting entity assumption, the entity is considered a separate entity distinguishable from its owner and from all other entities. It is assumed that each entity controls its assets and incurs its liabilities. The records of assets, liabilities and business activities of the ent ity are kept completely separate from those of the owner of the entity as well as from those of other entities. The accounting entity assumption is important since it leads to the derivation of the accounting equation. ) The Accrual Basis Assumption Under the accrual basis of accounting, the effects of transactions and events are recognized in accounting records when they occur, and not when the cash is received or paid. Hence, financial statements report not only on cash transactions but also on obligations to pay cash in the future and on resources that represent receivables of cash in future. It is argued in the Framework that accounting on an accrual basis provides significantly better information about the transactions and other events for the purpose of decision making by users of financial statements than does the cash basis. C) The Going Concern Assumption According to the Framework, financial statements are prepared on the assumption that the existing entity is expected to continue operating into the future.It is assumed that the assets of the entity will not be sold off and that the entity will continue its activities; hence, liquidation values (prices in a forced sale) of the entity assets are not generally reported in financial statements, as this assumes that an entity is to be wound up. When management plans the sale or liquidation of the entity, the going concern assumption is then set aside and the financial statements are prepared on he basis of estimated sales or liquidation values. The significance of the going concern assumption is in the valuation Page 7 of 19 placed on the assets of an entity in the mentis financial statements. The statements should identify clearly the basis upon which asset values are determined – going concern? Or liquidation? (d) The Period Assumption For financial reporting purposes, it is assumed that the total life of an entity can be divided into equal time intervals.Hence, the financial performance of the entity can be determined for a given time period, and the financial session of the entity can be determined on the last day of that reporting period. As a result of this assumption, profit determination involves a process of recognizing the income for a period and deducting the expenses incurred for that same period. Together, the period assumption and accrual basis assumption lead to the requirement for making balance day adjustments on the last day of the reporting period. These adjustments will be considered in a later chapter.

Saturday, November 9, 2019

Designing a training programme for supervisor skills at Primark Essay

Type of training and how long will the training take? (on the job or off the job) Shadowing/demonstration/coaching/external or internal course 1 hour/1/2 day/ 5 days? Provider of training and Location Sales floor/store training room/Primark head office/College/Distance course. Internal training. Who will carry out? HR manager/training manager Description of training content What will the you do /learn during the training Cost of the training Physical cost of external course/cost of paying salary to trainee whilst not doing their job role/providing cover whilst trainee is on course/travel expenses – train tickets to London if going on a head office course What will the training allow me to achieve? What skills will you have learnt? How will it assist you in being successful in your new role? Why is this skill important? Consequences Shadowing for 1 hour Sales floor watching experienced supervisor complete rota Organisation of staff rota, including breaks and lunches. Watch the supervisor complete her daily rota and then complete own rota and discuss with mentor to get feedback on how to improve it No direct costs however, Primark will still need to pay us both our  £8.50 an hour salary despite the fact that both the experienced Supervisor and I will be less productive during the training. This may impact on customer service as we won’t be available to help customers during the hours training . The training may disrupt other members of staff and reduce overall productivity of the department I will be able to complete the daily staff rota ensuring all staff get the breaks and lunches they are entitled to with minimal disruption to customer service Key feature in the job description of a supervisor. Failure to complete this correctly may mean that staff do not get the correct breaks and may become demotivated and lower their productivity as a result which will trigger a fall in customer satisfaction and potentially sales and profit Demonstration for 20 minutes Shown on the sales floor by an experienced supervisor . Whilst walking around look at the trends , most common sizes and the popular items . The ability to see when a specific product is in high demand and inform head office that more stock needs to be ordered. Listening to retail sales assistants when they tell you a product is in high demand . There are no direct costs. Although the experienced supervisor and I will need to be paid  £2.52 for the 20 minutes . I will be less productive during the training, this may impact customer service as I will be too busy to help out customers. The training may disrupt other members of staff and reduce overall productivity of the department The ability to spot trends , and items that are selling out. The ability to order in new stock . Failure in ordering a high demand products would mean Primark would miss out on an opportunity to make a profit . Failure is ordering any stock means that that Primark wouldn’t have any stock to sell and the customers would go else where. 1 day off job training completing the Impact Factory Customer service course Training by Impact Factory in London. I will be taught on how to give the best customer service and be more confident with employees. Dealing with customer complaints in the most appropriate way . Talking to unsatisfied customers and seeing what they can do to help and make sure this doesn’t happen next time.  £21.10 for the ticket to London. A whole day’s pay at  £7.57 an hour for 9 hours which is  £68.13. Although it’s more expensive than getting another supervisor to do the training , the training will be a lot more formal and I will take it more seriously . The course costs  £450. I will be trained by an expert in customer service . Although resentfulness amongst other members of staff who haven’t been chosen to attend the course and become demotivated and less efficient as a result. The overall cost will be  £539.23 . I will learn how to give good customer service , deal with rude/difficult customers , advance my listening/ responding skills, make the customers point of view work for me, gain confidence in giving customer service and handling complaints with empathy/ efficiency. A good retail supervisor needs to deal with customer complaints appropriately . This is because the supervisor will be the face of the branch and if they give a bad impression , there could be a drop in customers. The customers could go to competitors with better customer service. On the job training doing 20 minutes coaching and a 10 minutes session a week later. On the sales floor at a off-peak time with HR manager Learning how to use the supervisor function on the till to be able to give customers returns / change / cancel orders. No direct costs but both the HR manager and I will need to get paid . Although because this session is short, there will be a lot of time to do more productive things. The training may disrupt other members of staff and reduce overall productivity of the department. Customers may receive poor customer service such as long wait times at tills even though it is at off-peak time which would Lower sales. HR manager will need to be paid  £10 for the 30 minutes. I will need to be paid  £3.79 for the 30 minutes. The HR manager’s journey from London will cost  £21.10. The overall cost is  £34.89. I will learn how to use the supervisor function on the till , be able to give customer returns / change and cancel orders. As I have practiced at different times, I am now very clear on how to use the supervisor function on the till . This means in peak time if a customer needs a return I can quickly use the function on the till without holding up a long queue . This means the customers will be happier as they don’t have to wait a long time and I can go do more productive things. If I was unable to do this Primark would get a reputation for poor customer service and customers would go to competitors , which would lower sales. Off the job training for 30 minutes doing Job shadowing . 30 minutes observation On the sales floor with an experienced supervisor Ensuring that the sales floor is always kept clean, the shelves are fully stocked with products and there’s no clothes on the floor. In prime time the retail sales assistant are aware how to work in the peak times including the holidays and Saturdays . There are no direct costs but I will be paid  £7.57 for the hour and so will the experienced supervisor. I will not being my job during this training session meaning a loss of productivity . I may disrupt other employees and reduce the overall productivity of the department. Customers may have to wait longer on the tills / fitting rooms as I will be unable to help them, which would lower sales. The overall cost would be  £15.14 . I will be able to deal with the sales floor at its prime time. Through observation I can be told what my weaknesses are and how I can improve on them. If I wasn’t able to manage the store at prime the customers would be left waiting unreasonable times for the tills/ fitting rooms . They would eventually get annoyed and leave to go to a competitor, meaning a loss in sales. The employees would become demotivated as they are constantly having to work in a hectic unorganised environment and may leave. If an employee leaves Primark would have to pay for the recruitment costs for the next employee. Off the job training in London doing a leadership course – 1 day course In London being taught about leadership by CIPD Making sure all the retail sales assistants are working efficiently . Motivating all the retail sales assistants to do their work to the best of their ability . This means carrying out appraisals and dealing with any performance issues appropriately . The course costs  £545 . I will have to be paid for the full day at  £7.57 which is  £68.13 . I will have to pay for a peak return ticket to London for  £21.10 . The overall cost will be  £634.23. I will be unable to any of my tasks , therefore there will be a loss in productivity. There will be Resentfulness amongst other members of staff who haven’t been chosen to attend the course and become demotivated and less efficient as a result. I will learn which leadership characteristics I need to develop , be able to select motivational ideas with the most potential to motivate and engage the retail assistants . I will be able to motivate the retail sales assistants . Therefore they will be able to give good customer service which means happy customers , they will come more frequently . This will build a better image for Primark. If I was not able to motivate employees, they would eventually find a different job. Demotivated employees give bad customer service so the customers would get annoyed and go to competitors. Once the employee leaves , more will leave increasing the staff turnover which would make it less appealing to work for Primark . Recruitment costs are also very high and this would need to be paid for. Off the job training interview skills course In London with an interviewing expert . Working alongside Human resources manager to co interview potential candidates for the role of retail sales assistant. A ticket to London is  £21.10 . I would have to be paid for the full day at  £7.57 an hour , which is  £68.13 overall . The course costs  £30 . The overall cost is  £119.23. The setting will be more formal and I will take it more seriously . There will be a loss of productivity as I will not be there for the whole day to do my job. There may be resentfulness amongst other members of staff who haven’t been chosen to attend the course and become demotivated and less efficient as a result. I will learn: the equality act 2010 , the cost of recruitment and staff turnover, the causes of poor recruitment, strategies for effective recruitment practice, the stages of recruitment, how to design a job description and person profile, how to analyse application forms and cvs , and interview techniques . I will be able to make sure when I interview a candidate for the role of retail sales assistant I will do it in the best way possible . I will be able to choose the most suitable candidate . I will be able to make sure the candidate is not discriminated against and therefore save costs and the reputation of Primark. If I was unable to interview a candidate appropriately I could ask a question that breaks the equality 2010. This would give Primark a bad reputation and they would be fined. In house training for the 3 Hours The HR manager in a meeting room Providing induction training for new retail sales assistants and making them feel welcome and at ease. No direct costs but I and the HR manager will need to be paid for the 3 hours. The HR manager will get paid  £60 and I will get paid  £22.71. The train journey from London to this Primark branch will need to be paid for which is  £21.10. The overall cost would be  £108.31. Me and the HR manager will not be productive for those 3 hours . The training may disrupt other members of staff and decrease productivity over the whole department. Customers may receive poor customer service as I will be unable to help them. I will be able to provide suitable training for the new retail sales assistants . I will educate employees about the effective use of technology ,ensure that Primark has the competitive edge, promote health and safety, create opportunities for career development and personal growth, helps employees comply with laws and regulations and improve productivity. This is important because this means the employees will give good customer service . If I trained the employees incorrectly they could decide to leave or they could injure themselves because I didn’t mention a health and safety rule. This would mean an employee would be harmed and Primark would have broken the health and safety act and could face fines. If the employees are trained badly they could give poor customer service which would drive the customers away to the competitors , which would lower sales.

Thursday, November 7, 2019

Virgil

Memorize Latin From the Aeneid by Vergil/Virgil One technique that may help if you are trying to re-learn Latin is to memorize a chunk of Latin poetry and make it your own. For this purpose, you might want to memorize the first 11 lines of Vergils (or Virgils) Aeneid. Arma virumque cano, Troiae qui primus ab orisItaliam, fato profugus, Laviniaque venitlitora, multum ille et terris iactatus et altovi superum saevae memorem Iunonis ob iram;multa quoque et bello passus, dum conderet urbem,inferretque deos Latio, genus unde Latinum,Albanique patres, atque altae moenia Romae.Musa, mihi causas memora, quo numine laeso,quidve dolens, regina deum tot volvere casusinsignem pietate virum, tot adire laboresimpulerit. Tantaene animis caelestibus irae? Listen to Robert Sonkowsky reading this passage to get a sense of the pronunciation and rhythm of Classical Latin. After you have begun to learn the passage, read a translation and try to make the translation and the Latin go together. What you do with this chunk of Latin is up to you. You may just keep it in mind as a reminder of the word order in Latin – the first clause is â€Å"arms and the man I sing,† with the verb at the end. Or the fact that certain sentences, like the final question, don’t require an expressed verb at all. Or you may keep the whole passage in mind to remember the names, (Juno, Lavinia, Latium, Italia, Troy, and Alba). Or to try to make sense of the early legendary history of Rome. But here is my suggestion. After you have the passage down cold, try writing your own translation into good English. Then try reverse translating back into Latin prose. The purpose is not to do worry too much about the syntax but to see how different your phrase structure is from Vergil’s . If nothing else, this should give you an appreciation for the variety provided by the Latin language. Example: I sing about arms and the manarma et virum ego cano.

Tuesday, November 5, 2019

How to Use Singular They

How to Use Singular They "The employee believed their safety could not be guaranteed." The sentence above has an apparently overt grammar error. The subject of the sentence, employee, is singular but the pronoun their is plural. Most business writers would catch this obvious error. Subjects and pronouns need to agree in number, so the sentence should be"The employee believed his or her safety could not be guaranteed." The challenge with the corrected sentence is that it is awkward and it boxes individuals who do not identify as uniquely male or female into a category that doesn't fit for them. It's exclusionary, and style guides are addressing this. Using they as a singular pronoun has become acceptable in some cases, especially as a gender-neutral pronoun. The 2017 edition of The AP Stylebook - the style guide used most widely in business - stated: â€Å"They/them/their is acceptable in limited cases as a singular and/or gender-neutral pronoun, when alternative wording is overly awkward or clumsy.† For example, to avoid the specificity of an individual’s gender, this use oftheiris acceptable: â€Å"The employee believed their position was in jeopardy.† The Washington Post addressed this in 2015: â€Å"Allowing they for a gender-nonconforming person is a no-brainer. And once we’ve done that, why not allow it for the most awkward of those he or she situations that have troubled us for so many years?† The Chicago Manual of Style now states: â€Å"While this usage [they, them, their, and themselves] is accepted in those spheres [speech and informal writing], it is only lately showing signs of gaining acceptance in formal writing, where Chicago recommends avoiding its use. When referring specifically to a person who does not identify with a gender-specific pronoun, however, they and its forms are often preferred.† Garner’s Modern American Usage recommends its cautious use: â€Å"Where it can’t be avoided, resort to it cautiously because some people may doubt your literacy.† Microsoft Manual and Style advises: â€Å"Although . . .theyfor a singular antecedent is gaining acceptance. . . . Whenever possible, write around the problem.† Grammarly polled their readers and most objected to the singular use of they. Admittedly, it can become awkward: "They is a talented artist." As a comment below correctly noted, use the plural verb conjugation when using "they" to refer to an individual: "They are a talented artist." Or, just rewrite the sentence to avoid both a gender identification and the need for a pronoun: "The artist is talented." More on gender-neutral pronouns here. One of the aspects of business writing that I love most is that it evolves to reflect appropriate information flow and awareness. Style Guides are clearly addressing this with a cautious endorsement of the singular they. My recommendation now is to generally stick to standard grammar constructs and match singular pronouns with singular subjects and plural pronouns with pronoun subjects. But, do use they as a singular pronoun when it is respectful or more clear to do so. Words matter. Including everyone respectfully in the discourse warrants bending this grammar rule. Image Source: Grammarly

Saturday, November 2, 2019

Public Relation is the New Propaganda Outline Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Public Relation is the New Propaganda - Outline Example Public relations refer to the processes, principles, and procedures guiding communication between companies, organizations, individuals with the media and the public. In most cases, public relations focus on the creation and maintenance of a positive image as well as a strong relationship with the target audience (Moloney 2006). Democracy   Democracy refers to a system of governance focusing on vesting the power in the people with the ability to rule directly or under the influence of the elected representatives (Schumpeter 2013). Political Economy of Information  For critical reasons, sociologists, political scientists and communication practitioners have the tendency of evaluating phenomena from the economists’ perspective. The condition makes them develop the aspect of becoming political economists, thus the concept of the political economy of information (Stilwell 2011). Theoretical Perspectives and Models  Various models have focused on illustrations of PR and propa ganda issues in the modern context. This section explores a critical review the most effective and prominent theoretical perceptions with the objective of understanding the research goals and scope effectively.  There are four critical theories in relation to understanding the concept of the public sphere: representative liberal, participatory liberal, discursive, and constructionist theories. Constructionist theory focuses on popular inclusion, empowerment, recognition, narrative creativity, and the eventual avoidance.