Discipline of planning policy in the UK Assignment

Discipline of planning policy in the UK - Assignment Example This paper is intended to explain the national, regional and local framework for planning policy and practice identifying the main instruments for plan making in the UK. The paper focuses on particular policies relating to sustainable urban regeneration and critically examines the impact which these polices have had on a selected city in England.The salient feature of the UK planning system consists in a paradox – being born and clearly rooted in local government practice (Cherry, 1988, p.72) during the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, it tended to be highly centralised over the time, but in contrast with many other countries, there is a lack of a spatial plan at national level (Balchin, Sykora and Bull, 1999, p.89). It may have its origins in the British governmental system which, as Cherry writes (1988, p.183) is generally characterised by three-component, interactive structure providing periodic responses to demand for reform and innovation. The first element is the bureaucracy (local government and the civil service) which is conservative in terms of outlook; the second are the active pressure groups – reformist in nature; and the third element is represented by the elected politicians who decide policy and implement the taken decisions. Given this scenario, planning regulations are categorically a political act and represent the outcome of conflict/degree of compromise between competing views. Plan making itself, being considered not just a technical activity, but deeply political, deriving legitimacy from values expressed in the community, has become a highly sophisticated process of complex bargaining and negotiation, in which powerful interests (including professions) ‘both mediate and promote their preferences’ (Cherry, 1988, p.184). There are three distinctive patterns of policy that dominated the post-war Britain, and which have left their imprint in the field of planning – the concept of welfare state manifested in the redistributive policies and decentralist land use strategies particularly characteristic of the period between the 1940s and 1970s; the significant neo-liberal shift in the 1980s characterised by interventionist practices – market-driven, ad hoc, piecemeal and responsive to particular pressures, with certain limitations on local government practice in terms of strategic role and oversight on town and environmental planning (Cherry, 1988, p.1

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

Personal Bankruptcy - Essay Example Section 316 of the Act requires the creditors to mention any additional income such as those from family is expected in the following year. A petitioner whose bankruptcy case had been previously adjudicated will have to wait for 8 years before filing another claim. The new act also allows conversions of liquidation into wage earner plans and liquidation cases in which the debtor’s income falls under a certain level will only be considered. Petitioner can use the exemptions allowed by the state only if they have resided in the state for at least 730 days. With regard to their houses, the creditors are allowed to exempt the first $125,000 of the value only if the home was purchased within a period of 1215 days. In case a tenant, who is using the home for illegal purposes, files a bankruptcy against the owner, section 311 of the Act would still allow the owner to evict the tenant. Credit card charges made for purchase of luxury goods for a minimum of $500 should be paid within 90 days of the credit and the limits for cash advances are $750 and student loans are dischargeable according to section 310 of the Act. However, the Act still protects the $1,000,000 of a debtor’s retirement benefits. The education savings account is also exempted if the funds have been placed into the account one or two years prior to filing for bankruptcy. In case of auto loans, if a debtor files for bankruptcy, he would be expected to pay only a secured portion of the auto loan in order to retain the vehicle with him. In case of liquidation fillings the petitioner will have to pay the alimony and child support required from him before payment of any other non-secured debt according to section 212. Section 314 of the new act has also ruled that many unnecessary types of debts which fall under chapter 13 will no longer be applicable. The credit system was the center of the federal bankruptcy reform passed in 2005 and these

Toyota: SWOT Analysis, BCG Matrix and Porters Five

Toyota: SWOT Analysis, BCG Matrix and Porters Five Toyota is a Japan based company which was established in 1937 by Sakichi Toyoda and is the world biggest automobile manufacturers, Toyota has achieved a record sale of 9 million cars in five continents. Toyota is also ranked in the top ten 500 ² companies. Toyota is one the worlds most renowned auto manufacturers and they are proud of this accomplishment and they believe it is only because that their customers are satisfied by them. http://www.toyota.com.cy/experience/the_company/index.aspx Strategy of Toyota Different strategies of Toyota are explained as under Growth Strategy In order to achieve an outstanding growth strategy, company must find, evaluate and select a strategy to enter and to capture a market. Toyota entered in American market in 1967 along with a range of cars and after that Toyota launched other brands such as lexus and scion. Toyota became a successful car manufacturer company mainly because of an effective and diverse marketing process which has enabled them to attract customers and enlarge its product range to other market segments. One of the other main reason why Toyota managed to do very well in America is because of 1973 oil crisis. When Toyota entered in American market it was not considered a threat because everyone use to say that Toyota cars do not appeal American people. But due to the oil crisis people realized that Toyota cars are highly fuel efficient and much more reliable. Marketing Strategy of Toyota Toyota is a global brand and the economic crisis which started in 2009 has hit Toyota. Therefore, Toyota is now marketing and making fuel efficient cars such as the new Auris hybrid and others. On top of that Toyota is very heavily marketing there 1 litre cars such as Toyota iq and aygo and this happened due to the the economic crunch that now people dont have much spending power. http://ayushveda.com/blogs/business/toyotas-marketing-strategy/ Environmental strategy In modern era, all the developed and under developed countries are more concern with the environment and are trying their best to promote cars which are more environment friendly and throw less co2 emission out. As a global car manufacturer Toyota is playing its role in minimising the co2 effect on the environment of the world. This is the reason Toyota has launched hybrid cars, the ultimate eco car, electric vehicles, plug in hybrid, fuel cell vehicle cars which consume less fuel and also discharge less co2 emission. So basically, Toyota is making cars which are user friendly and also environment friendly.www.toyota.com To critically evaluate the strategy of Toyota, some analysis of internal and external analysis required to be done and they are explained as under. SWOT analysis This analysis is a great tool for doing an audit of an organisation and its environment. It is the first step for marketers to take to focus on key issues. Swot stands for strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats. Strengths and weaknesses examine the internal factors of a company whereas the opportunities and threats are the analysis of external factors. SWOT analysis of Toyota Strengths of Toyota Toyota is global organisation, which enjoys great repute among its customers and possesses a very strong international position in 170 countries. Financial side of this company is extremely strong in 1997 company managed a sales turnover of  £131,511 million and growth of the company was 29.3%. Due to its high quality, an environment friendly product Toyota has a very strong brand recognition. Toyota has managed successfully penetrate into the main markets of the world which includes USA, China and Middle east countries. http://wiki.answers.com/Q/What_is_the_swot_analysis_of_Toyota Weakness of Toyota The production plants of Toyota are located in US and Japan due to which they are not in a very favourable position to take advantage from global efficiency gains. The company has suffered a lot of criticism due to the re-call made in 2005 and 2010. http://wiki.answers.com/Q/What_is_the_swot_analysis_of_Toyota Opportunities for Toyota Toyota was the first company to develop a hybrid car (hybrid- vehicle runs on gas and electric) which was the Prius model. At that time oil prices were at their extreme so at that time Toyota has given something to the market. Toyota is looking forward to expand belligerently into new segments of existing markets for example by the launch of Toyota Aygo the company is targeting the youth of the world. Another opportunity for Toyota is to produce small city cars which will be more fuel efficient and also easy to drive plus will produce less c02 emission because now a day governments of all under developed and developed countries are showing great concern about the environment. Toyota enjoys good market share in Europe, UK and America the company should target developing countries such as Pakistan, India and Srilanka where demand is very high for great fuel efficient cars. http://wiki.answers.com/Q/What_is_the_swot_analysis_of_Toyota Threats to Toyota Toyota faces very high competition by Honda and by other German car manufacturers. Especially in todays global market the trend of intense marketing campaign is increasing which will simply increase pressure on Toyota. The position of US dollar is very consistent so the exchange rates are playing a major role in the profit and loss of the company. The recession that has hit the world almost a couple of years ago have caused major issues for Toyota because car sales have declined rapidly ever since the recession started. Market trend is changing for example the trend of large families coming to an end and with it the need of large cars. Consistent increase in fuel prices has also bought a significant decline the car sales of Toyota Company. http://wiki.answers.com/Q/What_is_the_swot_analysis_of_Toyota BCG Matrix The Boston consultancy group matrix is a chat which was created by Peter Henderson in 1970. The purpose of this design is to help companies with the manufacturing units and product lines. The base of this tool in the product life cycle theory and it helps companies to decide on which areas they should prioritize. BCG Matrix for Toyota Prius This tool can also be used to analyze the launch of a product in the market. In this matrix two factors determine the success of a product. Market share and market growth are explained individually in the diagram. With the help of this tool an outstanding marketing strategy can easily be determined. Market Growth of Prius The Toyota prius was launched in Japan in 1997 and it was made available to the world in 2001. By the end of 2003, a new model of the car was launched and due to its modern hybrid technology it was sold 160,000 times throughout the world. It was mainly because at that time the prius was the only hybrid car and Toyota made maximum profit out of that. Up till now Toyota has managed to sell around 1 million hybrid cars and most of them are prius. To analyze the market growth of this product, given below is the monthly sales figure of U.S from 2000 to 2007. From the table above, we can clearly see that prius sales have increased dramatically over thye years. In 2000 number of cars sold was just 5,562 whereas the cars sold in 2007 excluding the month of December were 167,010 which is almost 30 times more the number of cars sold in 2000. The table given above, we can clearly view that Toyota prius was the best selling car in US with a great margin. Toyota has just 5.3% more sales than September 2007 but it has overall 50.7% more sales then the last year October. We can also see an outstanding growth in the market of hybrid cars which is almost 30% which means that it is a very fast growing market. Market Share of Toyota Prius If we look at the market share of Prius, it comes on top of the hybrid car market share. The prius has a massive 53.7% market share and this is because Toyota has sold three times more cars than the runner up. This is the reason why prius was the market leader in 2007. The prius has sold approximately 190,000 cars which comes up to a market share of 57% and this is a clear proof that prius is a market leader even on yearly basis. Conclusion After this detailed bcg analysis it is concluded that prius is a star product. It has a booming market share in the high demand market of hybrid cars. All this makes prius a star product and a product which has a lot of potential in the future years. In the BCG matrix chart the prius have its position in the top left because it has an outstanding market share in a dynamic and fast growing market. Therefore, prius is a star product. This information can be used by Toyota to set up a plan for business and thus the investment the company make in the product can also turn into a cash cow. Porters five forces analysis This is the most successful tool in analyzing the strategy of an industry. According to wiki this is a framework for the industry analysis and business strategy development developed by Michael E Porter of Harvard business school in 1979.it uses concepts developing industrial organisations economics to derive five forces that determine the competitive intensity and therefore attractiveness of a market. http://www.themarketers.in/?p=446 Porters five forces analysis includes critical analysis of five aspects which are as follows Threat of new entrants. Bargaining power of customers/ buyers. Threat of substitute products. Bargaining power of suppliers. The amount of rivalry between competitors. Five forces analysis on Toyota Detailed analysis of porters five forces. Threat of new entrants In auto industry all the big companies face threat of new entrants who enter into market to take their place. Toyota also faces same problems and the recent launch of TATA nano is a big threat for Toyota and for other auto companies. Because TATA nano is the cheapest car in the world which will definitely dominate in the under developed countries of the world and also TATA nanao and Peugeot has worked together to make that car so Toyota needs to come up with a strategy which will help them target the medium to lower medium class of the world. (Jhonson,s scholes and wittington.2008) Bargaining power of customers Bargaining power of customers vary from place to place. In European countries customers have outstanding bargaining power which is mainly due to the competition and because of their purchasing power. On the other hand in countries like Pakistan people dont have much choice and manufacturers charge reasonably high prices. (Jhonson,s scholes and wittington.2008) Threat of Substitute product In developed countries such as America or other European countries this threat is high for Toyota because there are a lot of other car manufacturers in these countries who sell their products with different deals such as now a day Citroen is selling most of their cars with 0 deposit and on no interest basis for up to three years which is a big threat for Toyota in UK. Because due to the economic crisis the world is facing people are more interested in saving money. (Jhonson,s scholes and wittington.2008) Bargaining power of suppliers Because Toyota is a strong brand therefore, this threat is comparatively low to them in comparison with other manufacturers because brand confirms suppliers a higher value to their product. (Jhonson,s scholes and wittington.2008) Rivalry among competitors This element also varies for area to area. As mentioned earlier in European countries there are a lot of manufacturers available so the rivalry among competitors is very high. For example in Pakistan Toyota has one main rival which is Honda but in UK Toyota has Honda, Peugeot, Nissan, ford, rover and also other companies which makes rivalry extremely intense. (Jhonson,s scholes and wittington.2008) Problems with Toyota Even though Toyota is one of the best car manufacturer company in the world but they have faced many problems over the years in different parts of the world. Some of them are related with products and some are even with the brand itself. A few of these problems are summarised in detail Toyota brand problem Toyota is a major brand and its sub-brands are Lexus and Scion but Toyota sells and manufacture most of its cars under the name of Toyota which is not a very healthy marketing strategy. For example, the problem Audi had in 1990 with its 5000 range (problem was acceleration which resulted in fatal acceleration accidents) which resulted a significant decline not just in the sale figure of Audi 5000 but due to that problem sales figure of Audi 4000 and Quattro were also declined to a great extent just because these too vehicles were manufactured by the same company. Despite of all the promotional and marketing activities held by Audi in between 1990-2000 the company has still not fully recovered and has not find its proper place in the market. Unfortunately, Toyota has not learned anything from this mistake and they keep on launching all cars under the same brand without paying much attention to sub-brands. Due to the recent problem of rapid acceleration in Toyota cars customers are beginning to show less interest in the brand and now it is believed that nest decade will be very tough for Toyota. So, Toyota really needs to promote its sub brands and to pump marketing investments in them. Toyotas Brand Problems Begin At Its Core Brake problems in Toyota Prius In 2010, braking problems were reported with Toyota prius in America by manay customers, four of them were involved in crash. The problem was that customers were finding it difficult to brake on un even surface. Which resulted in major accidents and as a result Toyota had to do a major recall in America which resulted in a significant decline in sale and due to which Toyota has launched its market share throughout the world. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/8497471.stm Rapid acceleration problem of Toyota Toyota had to do a major recall in 2004 which was basically companies biggest in which company had to recall 3.8 million vehicles. In the beginning Toyota said that the problem is with the floor matt but after few crashes the company actually decided to go for the recall decision. http://www.leftlanenews.com/a-closer-look-at-toyotas-sudden-acceleration-problem.html Acceleration stuck In the last decade Toyota has given us quality products such as Camry, corolla and Tercel. But then in 2010 a problem came in Toyota a vehicle which was reported as the acceleration gets stuck which is causing difficulty in stopping the vehicle and could result in major accidents. As a result, Toyota has not just recall the selected models on a national model but also stopped production for these vehicles. This decision of Toyota is really admired by Dr. Edward Deming who is called the undisputed father of quality management and he said that quality is better than quantity and by doing a recall national level Toyota has proved that they care about their customers and are willing to give them something extra. Some say that this incident will hurt Toyota and result in a decline of sales Toyota over the years but some say that this will benefit Toyota in coming years because once the problem is rectified than people will be more eager in buying Toyota vehicles especially over American c ars because they know that they will be getting quality. http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/2656835/toyota_is_facing_a_major_problem.html?cat=27 Recommendations By looking at the problems Toyota had over the years it is concluded that Toyota should take its business more seriously as they are the market leaders. The company should properly test every product several times before launching it in the market. Invest in sub brands Toyota should now invest heavily in its sub brands. This will bring stability in the sales of Toyota as if anything goes wrong with Toyota car customers will not stop buying the sub brands products and this will result in keeping the market share stable. Make hybrid technology cheaper Toyota is investing in hybrid vehicles which cause less co2 emission and also environment friendly but these vehicles are extremely expensive and not in the range of majority of people. The future main threat for auto mobile manufacturer is TATA nano which is the worlds cheapest car so if Toyota does not want to lose its market share than Toyota really needs to look ahead and come up with something which is a lot better than quality than TATA nano and the best way to beat nano is to come up with cheap and small hybrid car. Identify market trends and target markets The market trend is changing very quickly, now people dont travel in groups everyone prefer to keep their own cars so Toyota needs to make more small cars. At the moment there are just three small cars from Toyota which are Toyota aygo, iq and yaris which is a pretty small number from the worlds biggest auto manufacturer. On top of that these cars are not fun to drive they dont offer good road grip and comfort and on top of that they are pretty expensive. So, if Toyota wants to do well in future they really need to re think their strategy and they should make hybrid cars much cheaper and make small cars more reliable and fun to drive. Toyota is very well located it has plants in Japan, Europe and America so they can manage to produce cheap quality cars. From Japan, they can target asian countries which include Pakistan, India and Sri lanka because these countries are showing rapid growth and people has high purchasing power. From European production plant, Toyota can target European countries which are a very big market and Toyota enjoys great market share in these countries. American production plant can be used to target America and Canada and other small countries in that region. In this way Toyota can easily produce cheap quality cars and supply them to these countries as they are very well located.

Personality and the Workplace :: Workplace Essays

Personality and the workplace 1 Individual Assignment on Personality and the Workplace PSY 250 – Psychology of Personality Personality and the workplace 2 There are many situations that can be mentioned when we get into the subject about interpersonal situations at my workplace, but on in particular pops out to my attention, respect. Respect is the one thing that the military was built up on. Well, during the next few pages you will read about how it has changed throughout the years in the military or at least in my career field, how it has been dealt with, how it got this way, what can be done to change it and who is responsible for making the changes. Not only will you read about respect, you will also read about how higher promotion rates have motivated many of the newer supervisors into trying to make the career field a better one for everyone. Through the use of creativity, involvement and implementation these new supervisors are trying to make a change in our military discipline that is so greatly needed. Since I have returned to my current career field, after managing three dorms, I noticed that the level of respect has changed from when I was there 2 and a half years prior. We have acquired many new very young troops who don’t want to do what they are told, not only are the younger troops acting this way, but many of the non commissioned officers (NCOs) or should I say lower ranking supervisors are acting this way as well. Things aren’t how they use to be when I first came into the military, back then you were told to do something and you did it no questions asked. It got done simply because someone who out ranked you told you to do it. Now days the troops want an explanation to why they are asked to do something, they don’t do it or they do it wrong or carelessly. Personality and the workplace 3 Due to the diversity of the personalities in our workplace it becomes very difficult to try and pin point a specific personality trait for the cause of our problems. It varies based on each individual; sometimes it is due to the fact that we as supervisors allow our subordinates to get away with murder. In the case of the military we strive on discipline and respect, and when we allow a troop to disrespect any of us or just let them cross over the line once, they forget that they are in the armed forces and tend to lower their standards.

Citibank: Launching the Credit Card in Asia Pacific

Citibank: Launching the Credit Card in Asia Pacific Citigroup is an American multinational financial services company based in New York City. Citigroup was formed from one of the world's largest mergers in history by combining the banking giant Citicorp and financial conglomerate Travelers Group. Nowadays is one of the world’s largest banks. In 2010 was in 22nd position worldwide, ranked on its total assets. Finally, it has the world's largest financial services network, spanning 140 countries with approximately 16,000 offices worldwide, 260,000 staff around the world and holds over 200 million customer accounts. In 1989, Citigroup tried to penetrate in Asian Pacific countries by establishing new ways of payment such as credit card. The risk was high and the New York headquarters should take a decision soon, in order to face the rival banks. The Asian Pacific countries (Australia, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Taiwan and Thailand) are emerging markets and their rapid growth economies were incredible for several years until now. Since 1978 Citibank has a representation there, but approximately 10 years later (in 1989) launched the most innovative service, a new product named credit card. Citibank’s mission in the Asia Pacific region was to be the most profitable provider of financial services to an increasingly affluent and middle-income market. First of all we should bear in mind that entering into new markets means that Citibank has more opportunities to sell the same product to multiple clients or sell multiple products, such as Citibank’s core products, car loans, deposits and mortgage products, to the same customer. Also, in some countries there are very large population potential customers. In the sector of security, Citibank has quite high technology that can make users feel safe. On the other hand, many people express doubts about this venture. There are many regulations designed to protect local banks and limit the expansion of foreign banks. In addition there is lack of credit experience and the market is undeveloped yet. Also, economics in these countries are not as developed as in the United States. In some regions the risk is high, because of the political corruption. I recommend the card launch and I focus on the possibility that some countries could be success. However, in Asia Pacific area you can find different people among countries, with different habits, traditions, religions, so each country has their own market characteristics in comparison with the others. So, we must take into account the fact that it is impossible for the bank to target all these different countries-cultures at the same time. In my opinion a â€Å"safe† choice could be: Malaysia, Hong Kong and Australia. Malaysia: 16,726,766 population in 1989 and growth rate 8. 1%. It has successful business population and growing along with infrastructure. Also, middle and upper class is growing sharply. With 61% of the population living in rural areas, people had plenty of card options to choose from 1989. However, according to Malaysian law, only consumers with an annual income of 9,000$ or more could own a credit card. Also, 25% of its population earns more than 12,000$. Citibank is very possible to get customers at this country, due to high growth rate, 8% is higher than the average value of the latest 5 years (from 1985 to 1990). A total 390,000 desired customers could achieve 900,000 cards (regardless the kind) annually, with revenues approximately 88,200,000$. (Exhibit 4, 8, 10) Australia: 16,500,000 population in 1989, growth rate 4. %, but is already saturated market. However, it is the most stable country with small political/economic risk. An average Australian carries 2 cards. Visa and Mastercard hold 35% of the market, but half of the cards issued by local banks. (Exhibit 4) †¢ Break even: SP-(FC? VC)=BE 525,000-(104,300,000? 626,000,000)=BE 525,000-0. 16=BE BE=5249 99. 84 SP=10. 500. 000(1)? 5%(2)=525,000 (1)10. 500. 00 cards (2) Market share Hong Kong: 5,709,330 population in 1989, growth rate 7. 3%, is a developed country, with strong credit card and financial infrastructure. Also there is wide using of cards and especially for shopping. By 1989, Citibank held an 8,7% share of the credit card market. Projected 170,000 cards annually, with revenues of 16,279,144$ is the desired result. (Table B, page 6) †¢ Break even: SP-(FC? VC)=BE 12. 18-(104,300,000? 626,000,000)=BE 12. 18-0. 16=BE BE=12. 02 SP=(100,000+140,000)(1)? 8. 7%(2)= 12,180 (1)140,000 Classic and Gold Visas 100,000 Diners Club cards (2) Market share SP: Selling price FC: Fixed Cost VC: Variable Cost BE: Break Even The Fixed Cost (FC) is the same in all countries, so FC=104,300,000$ (Exhibit 3, page 11, Total Other Assets in 1988) The Variable Cost (VC) is the same in all countries, so VC=626,000,000$ (Exhibit 3, page 11, Net Income in 1988) Citibank should make concurrent entry to these countries and estimate how many cards totally needs to issue in order to achieve the desired profitability. The marketing strategy which Citibank should follow differs among countries. The bank must establish direct marketing product with Bind-ins, direct sales force, direct mail and takes-ones. Also must create a Greenfield market development. In case of Malaysia the credit card service should focus on family and traveler. Advertising must be targeted in the countryside (61% of the population living there) in order to earn new customers. In case of Australia the marketing strategy should focus on pricing. Joining and annual membership fee should be reduced in order to compete AMEX and Diners club. Also, Greenfield market development is needed to be more intensive. Finally, in case of Hong Kong, Citibank need also to choose Greenfield market development. However, developed operations infrastructure in addition with trained staff is necessary. The country which Citibank should avoid is Korea. Local regulations do not permit banks to issue cards. Another problem is that transactions must be done only in local currency. This is too risky, so it is better to ignore this region. Taking everything into consideration and for the above mentioned reasons I feel that Citibank should launch its new product, because it is very possible to success in emerging Asia Pacific region. Its experience guarantees a promising future. References: http://www. bankersalmanac. com/addcon/infobank/bank-rankings. aspx www. citigroup. com http://www. geographic. org Vasileios Sekertzis

Mail-Room Policy Recommendations

Park University Mail service Department is situated in the underground of Parkville Campus. It is a body that is responsible for providing students and faculties with mail boxes. At Park University, it is required of both students and faculties to have a mail box on campus so as to know the recipient of incoming packages. They also offer work opportunities for students who are looking for a job on campus. My focus for this report will be on the employees. As an employee, mail-room is known for its diligence and hard work among the employees. Each employee tends to provide students, staff and faculties the best services and however, they make sure that their needs are met. Complaints was received from the University concerning the poor and ineffective services provided by this department but I find this disgruntling because each mailroom employees put in their effort in doing what was taught to them by their supervisors and doing their job accurately and effectively. I conducted a research using articles from other resources on mail rooms and my major focus will be on the mail-room employees and the importance of complaint avoidance from the University. I also interviewed one of my co-workers about the problems mail-room encounter and what should be done in order to elude them in the future. As a result, I found out that separation of duties among the employees, Effective communication, Effective supervisions, Punctuality and Employee training are the key components of avoiding mistakes, and complaints. The above mentioned are the alternate solutions that should be applied by the employees. There are several Departments at Park University and one of the departments that I conducted my research on was Park University Mail Services. Park University mail services aim at providing the highest quality and most efficient services to their customers. In my report, my main focus was on the employees. Employees at mail-room are responsible for performing a variety of generally routine tasks, such as receiving packages from different courier services, Entering data into the system, Forwarding student's mail, sorting mail, preparing mail for distribution and preparing mail for machine processing. The objective of these employees is to meet ensure that excellence services are provided to the students, faculty and staff and as well to make sure that they perform their tasks as employees accurately. There are numerous amounts of employees who work at the mail services and yet complaints have been made regarding the poor efficiency and lower productivity by these employees. As an employee, this department is the most hardworking department but there are some problems that need to be addressed and this will help increase productivity in the department. My duty as an employee is to put in my best and make sure that I assist in processing mail, entering data into the system and make sure that metered mails are taken out on time. In my findings concerning the poor efficiency and low productivity, the problem they encounter embroils non separation of duties which makes the employees reluctant to work because everyone does a little or no work at all and this has been an issue that Park U mail room faces and reversing these issues needs to be put into consideration by the supervisor. Moreover, ineffective communication, non-punctuality at work and inadequate supervision contributed to the problems they face as well. No amount of work could be achieved with all these issues and these issues could also ruin the reputation of the department. After considering these issues, I looked at ways that will help resolve the problems which would be further discussed. The purpose of my research is to provide subsequent solutions to the problems we experience at work and the importance of mistake avoidance in the future. The following illustrates my conducted research: 1. To determine the solution to our problems, we need to change how we communicate at work because communication is very important at the work. †¢ I used an article from 2012 which talks about effective communication at workplace. †¢ I also referenced a textbook from my management class that discusses on the importance of communication among the employee members. 2. Again, I research on the importance of separation of duties among employee members. †¢ I used an article from 2012 about separation of duties among the employees. 3. I also researched on the importance of supervision at workplace and I found an article from Ebsco by Jenkinson & Hilary on the importance and benefits of supervision and this article explore the concept of supervision and its implementation within a 4. Finally, after analyzing the researched information, I conducted a recommendation 5. Punctuality is another way of resolving the issues we encounter at the mail-room. Effective communication is very important most especially at the workplace because it provides the employees abilities to work well and to avoid inaccuracies. From my work experience at the mailroom, I observed that ineffective communication has been a major problem and this has led to so many mistakes. At times, we find it difficult to ask questions about either what we don't understand that involves shipping international packages or questions of which department to put the letter mails which they sometimes end up in a wrong departmental mail box number. According to an article published in Sept 2012, Indian Stream Research journal, it illustrates the importance of effective communication at workplace. Effective workplace communication is essential to the organizations' success. â€Å"Our communication skills help us to understand not just words; we share meaning, emotion, feelings and attitude, in a fundamental drive to communicate. This emphasizes the process of coming to understand and share each other's point of view effectively (Satpathy, 2012). † Furthermore, communication is an act of exchanging information. It is used to inform command, instruct, influence and persuade people (Rue & Byars, 2009). Effective communication at the workplace creates a way to deal effectively with customers and co-workers. Thus, this needs to apply in the everyday life of the employees at the mail-room as this help avoid making further mistakes in mails handling and will also increase productivity. Separation of duties is another key component of getting mails done in a very fast manner. In Berkeley News article about separation of duties, it is a powerful internal control and its objective is to make sure that duties are assigned to individuals in a manner that no one individuals can control a process or work from the start to the finish (Webmaster, 2011). Every Tom, Dick, and Harry infrequently makes mistakes and no individual is perfect and thus Separation of duties provides a complementary check by another individual. By assigning each employee a task such as helping customers at the window, forwarding undergraduate student mails, processing incoming and outgoing mails, receiving packages and sending email to students, faculty and staff about the arrival of their packages will help in getting the work done on time and efficiently. Apart from Park U, other universities and organizations use separation of duties at their workplace and this allows an opportunity for someone to catch an error before a transaction is fully executed based on potentially erroneous data. In addition, having adequate separation of duties diminishes the ‘opportunity' factor that might encourage an employee to embezzle although there is no such at the mail-room. I strongly suggest that we apply this method at our workplace so as to lessen employees reluctant to work and expecting one person to do the job. Poor Supervision leads to massive mistakes and thus should be avoided by the supervisors. Rather, supervisors at the mail-room should supervise their employees constantly and ensure that they are performing their tasks perfectly. According to the authors of Youth and Services article, they article explores the concept of supervision and its implementation within a work environment. The article describes and explores a process of staff development facilitated which involved providing supervision training to a group of new work practitioners (Jenkinson, 2009). However, supervising employees on a regular basis is very crucial at the mail-room because of the amount of work the employees do and how they put in their effort to avoid making errors. For example, the new employees at the office should be monitored constantly by our supervisors and also assist them by answering questions asked by the new employees. Punctuality is one of the mail-room policies and nonetheless employees always fail to abide by this policy. Being punctual to work has not only being a major problem among Park U mail-room employees but also Rockefeller University struggles with the same issue of punctuality among their work study employees. Punctuality is one of the key basic of knowing a strong worker and how dedicated he or she is to job. Many at times, we tussle with waking up in the morning and making decisions of whether or not to report to work and by the time we make this decision, we found our ourselves 15 minutes to work. One of our obligations as employees is to be punctual at work and to assist our customers with their needs of either mailing or receiving packages and also to ensure that we assist them to their satisfaction. As complained by the university, it is required of every employee to report to their respective work at least 5 minutes early prior to their time of work. Therefore, employees at the mail-room should abide the rules. As a conclusion, it has been proven that the mentioned issues in the beginning are very important and therefore should be taken seriously by the employees to avoid errors and further complaints by the University. As an employee, mail-room is known for its diligence and hard work among the employees. Each employee tends to provide students, staff and faculties the best services and however, they make sure that their needs are met. Thus, we should consider these issues we encounter in the office and make reformation as this would help prevent further complaints by either our supervisor or by the university.

Does the media increase fear of crime Essays

Does the media increase fear of crime Essays Does the media increase fear of crime Essay Does the media increase fear of crime Essay Fear of crime is becoming as serious a problem as crime itself. According to the Governments British Crime Survey (BCS) of 2001/2, 30% of the UK felt crime increased a lot, and a further 30% thought it increased a little in the previous two years (Home Office, 2002), compared to 33% a lot and 65% a little in the BCS of 2006/7 (Home Office, 2007). The media is a powerful way of getting messages across to citizens and many criminologists have studied the way crime is portrayed and how this affects levels of fear. The governments 2002 BCS reported that 43% of tabloid readers thought the national crime rate had increased significantly, compared with 26% of broadsheet readers (Home Office, 2002). These statistics have led me to investigate how the media reports crime, why they represent crime as they do and the potential consequences. How is crime reported in the media? Crime is prominent in all media. Throughout history there has been a fascination with crime. Robert Reiner (Maguire et al, 2002, p393) claims the risk of crimes as portrayed in media are both quantitatively and qualitatively more serious in the media than the official statistically recorded picture. Reiner argues that the media disproportionately represents violent accounts of crime, and focuses on events which are intense, exciting, arousing and extreme. From my research there appears to be a virtually universal finding that media representations exaggerate both the levels of serious interpersonal crime in society and the risk of becoming a crime victim. This representation of crime is largely event-oriented in that it focuses on specific criminal cases and incidents rather than wider debates around causes, prevention, or policy (Rock, 1973, cited in Hale). A study done in Scotland found that 6.5% of the news reported in newspapers involved crime, and 46% of this was violent and sex ual crime, even though only 2.4% of reported crimes were actually violent or sexual (Williams and Dickinson, 1993). Cohen (Kidd-Hewitt, 1995, p10) summarises that .so much space in the mass media is given to deviance [crime] that some sociologists have argued that this interest functions to reassure society that the boundary lines between conformist and deviant, good and bad, healthy and sick, are still valid ones. According to the Guardian newspaper Attitudes to crime are hugely influenced by newspaper reports, with tabloid readers almost twice as likely to be worried about crime as those who favour broadsheets (Guardian, 2003). Tabloids news is generally found to include a greater proportion of crime stories reported in a more sensationalistic style than broadsheet news (Graber, 1980, cited in Hale). My study leads me to believe that the tabloids are generally right wing, with the main consumers not reading to be intelligently stimulated and to have their views, values and politics challenged but instead reading to have their deep implanted values and opinions reinforced by the reporter. Tabloids generally lack informative information choosing instead to use emotive language aiming to have the reader agreeing as they read and supporting the reporters opinions and view of the situation. For example, a report in The Sun newspaper on Saturday 10th May 2008 about Josef Fritzl (The Sun Newspaper, 2008) used eight emotive words including Evil, Monster and Beast in an article of approximately 80 words. This type of language induces what Stanley Cohen (1972) describes as moral panic which stimulates an increase in fear of crime. So why does the media represent crime in this way? For an event to gain media coverage and attention it has to be classified as newsworthy. It appears that the tabloids are not interested in reporting the facts and reassuring society that crime levels are okay and consequently reducing fear, instead they are interested in selling their papers and increasing fear of crime helps achieve this aim. Looking at news values helps to explain the attention and broad profile crime and control gain in the media. Interpersonal crimes of sex and violence can be more easily presented as dramatic and arousing than non-violent crimes such as white collar crime. Although names are generally included where possible, one of the most compelling images in crime is that of the unknown predatory stranger. People will buy newspapers to read about crime because its stimulating, exciting, intense and emotional. Few stories can capture the public imagination as forcefully as the killer on the loose, especially when the potential victims are children. Crimes which are considered spatially and culturally close to home, will generally be considered more newsworthy than the same crimes, or events, happening far away. This is also the case for non-western countries, which are widely perceived as more spatially and culturally distant. An example of this was on 26th December 2003, Iran was struck by an earthquake which killed more than twenty-five thousand Iranian Citizens. It was the second story reported on the UK evening News at Ten, the headlining story was that of an English police officer who had been shot (Hale, 2005, p165). The news value of proximity helps to explain why the story of one police officer being shot at home was considered more newsworthy than twenty-five thousand citizens being killed by an earthquake in Iran. Cultivation analysis as discussed by Gerbner et al. (1976, pp.172, cited in Hale) looks at the influence of violence on prime-time US television. This study found that heavy television viewers (those who watch more than four hours per day) cultivate a world-view which more closely resembles the television message than light television viewers (those who watch less than two hours per day) therefore heavy viewing is said to cultivate higher fear of crime. Television overstates both the seriousness and risk of criminal victimisation, portraying the world as mean and scary. Recent research on US television news concluded that local crime coverage generates more fear than national coverage (Chiricos et al. 2000, p.172, cited in Hale). I believe that this is because we think we have a higher risk of becoming a victim when we are told of crime happening on our own doorsteps. However National crime coverage may relieve and reassure viewers as they believe that their own communities are comparatively safe. What are the consequences of the media disproportionately representing crime? We are living in an age of media saturation with the media playing an increasing central role in everyday life and becoming more and more powerful within our society. The media today have the power and ability to develop awareness of an issue among the general public, and even manipulate the public response. Societys response is what Stanley Cohen, 1972, describes as moral panic. This social reaction to the perceived threat to societal values is both disproportionate and hostile and involves sensational and stereotypical media coverage, public outcry and demands for tougher controls. Cohen (1972) studied the medias response and manipulation of a situation in his study of the conflict between the Mods and Rockers. To summarise Cohens argument, the media exaggerated and distorted the events, which resulted in them actually creating crime. Groups of youths were labelled as troublemakers by the media portraying them as folk devils. This stereotyped image was held by police and the public, creating moral panic, which further increased the fear of crime (Moore, 1996, p122-3). Cohen demonstrated how the labelling and marginalisation of Mods and Rockers created a deviancy amplification spiral in which future disturbances were virtually guaranteed. These disturbances seemed to justify initial fears, resulting in more media coverage, more public outcry, more policing, and thus the spiral of reaction continued. This study highlights the power and manipulation the media can have on society, and in turn the overall fear the media can create in a deviant group. A powerful example of the media manipulating, using fear and moral panic to boost sales is the Naming and Shaming of paedophiles in the wake of Sarah Paynes murder trial, published Sunday 23rd July 2000 in The News of the World. They released the pictures and names of 100 offenders. It boosted sales by 95,000 copies. Parents queued to buy several copies to find out if their neighbours were paedophiles, and consequently whether their children were in danger. This irresponsible journalism led to vigilante behaviour, where innocents were attacked. In one case Iain Armstrong was beaten to death by a mob in Manchester through mistaken identity. The News of the World acted negligently, they didnt consider the long term effect and produced out of control behaviour as a consequence. The Home Office described the public response as a climate of fear and panic (BBC, 2001). Throughout history the media have created folk devils. They have divided and manipulated society to single out a group, in what is Foucault described as the Other. By labelling this deviant group as the Other, society is able to place the blame on them for the problems within society. The media have created many scapegoats throughout history including Teddy boys in 1950s, Mods and Rockers in 1960s, Skinheads, Hooliganism in 1970s, Mugging in 1970s, Joy riders in 1990s, Yob culture in 1990s, Teenage Pregnancies in 1990s and IRA in 1970s, 80s and 90s, plus many more (Muncie, 1987). A frequently quoted statistic is that more than 70 per cent of studies claim to demonstrate that media portrayal of violence does cause real life violence (Andison, 1977 citied in Hale p168). Banduras Bobo doll study found that children who saw aggressive behaviour rewarded, displayed aggressive behaviour more than those who viewed non-aggressive interactions, or interactions that were punished (Hale, 2005, p168). Media representation of crime has often been blamed for violent criminal acts. One example is the case of toddler James Bulger, who was murdered by two ten-year-olds in 1993. A lot of attention was directed at the film Childs Play III as a likely inspiration for this criminal act (Kidd-Hewitt, 1995, p6). The violent film Natural Born Killers (1994) has also been accused of inciting a number of copycat murders. A debate has risen among Criminologists, Psychologists and Sociologists around the nature, extent and significance of the influence of such violence in the media. The two main arguments are that of the political right, with the concern that the media images glamorise crime and violence, undermining respect for authority and the rule of law and encouraging criminality. On the other side, the political left argue that media images of crime and deviance increase public fears and anxieties, helping to win support for authoritarian measures of control and containment. Conclusion Following my research, I support the argument that crime reporting in the media creates a distorted picture of reality which is reflected in peoples beliefs and attitudes in society today. Although I am unable to demonstrate conclusively that media increases fear of crime I am convinced that without a doubt media has a profound influence. I have discussed how crime is reported and some possible explanations for the way in which the media select which crimes to report. My research shows that crime is grossly misrepresented and that there appears to be an institutionalised need in media to create moral panic in order to make good copy. As discussed previously, tabloids in particular use fear inducing language with intense coverage and disproportional representation of violent accounts of crime in a bid to make the story newsworthy and consequently increase newspaper sales. The creation of Folk Devils and other scapegoats throughout history has enabled the media to continue to incite moral panic and even become the creators of crime itself. The growing trend of copycat crimes inspired through media such as television and video continue to cause concern and debate amongst academics as the medias influence dominates society and impacts on fear of crime. This ability to bring disturbances, riots and increased fear into our homes is an issue of social concern and fear of crime has to be taken as seriously as crime prevention and reduction.

buy custom Virtual Leadership essay

buy custom Virtual Leadership essay There are different leadership styles that cause high degree of job satisfaction in the participants of virtual teams. Virtual teams are a way to obtain, blend and apply knowledge to attain the want of high quality, low cost, rapid solution to complex problems via maintaining a corroborative network. Currently, it is found that the act of creating virtual teams at workplace is increasing at the rate of about twenty million in America. A quantitative research was conducted. A method of correlation was used to measure the behaviors associated with different styles of leadership and the needs relating to leadership of the virtual followers. This type of correlation is expected to explicit positive job satisfaction between leaders and team members. It was assumed that this association would increase job satisfaction. (Hitson, 2008) This survey was conducted from about twenty three countries. The survey items were web based and contained items based upon Likert scale. The items were based upon Leadership behaviors applied leadership behaviors desired and job satisfaction. The aim of the study was to find out correlation between the leadership style, leadership behaviors, and follower desired Leadership behavior and job satisfaction. The results showed that a certain amount of correlation do exist between leaders leadership behaviors and the desired leadership behavior of the followers and job satisfaction. a correlation was also find that self-management styles of leadership. It was found that this type of correlation increases job satisfaction within the virtual teaming environments. (Hitson, 2008) The importance of this approach is that it has been used not only in the expansion of knowledge but also in explains the perception of virtual leaders under the light of different leadership theories. It makes people aware of the virtual team of the job satisfaction of the work force but also of the different methods of leadership. Study suggests, creation of a successful team it is important to have strong and appropriate leadership. This study is expected to make a positive addition in the realm of the studies conducted in the spheres of virtual knowledge. With the technological development in the world people are encountering higher degree of long distance communication challenges. Communication is expected to exchange information as well as thoughts and ideas in an accurate and effective manner. This notion of Christine suggests that it is necessary for the leaders nowadays to possess certain skills with the help of which they can interact with people in a successful manner. Leaders must have skills to lead with success in this widely altering world. It is necessary for the leader to aware people of the virtual communication methods present. In this way they will be able to select the most felicitous for themselves and their organization. (Christine, 2008) Today with the technological empowerment of the world people are working for the same organization at many different places. This has created the maintenance of an effective communication really challenging. It is really difficult nowadays to communicate with the organization in an effective manner. The author in here is trying to find out the methods utilizing with the leaders of Vancouver Coastal Health (VCH) Information Management System (IMIS) can utilize technology to create communication effectively. Methods that will ensure their staffs appointment to such sources and information that is necessary for their working skills. (Christine, 2008) Christine conducted a study was conducted to find out the ability of the virtual leaders to become a part of a communicative environment and how will they bridge distance communication. This study assisted IMIS by giving them strategies with the help of which leaders will select appropriate method of communication. It was expected to promote and advocate the strategic direction of VCH in the development of a strengthened organization. (Christine, 2008) Nowadays, it is necessary for the leaders to maintain effective methods of technological communication. Those who lead and communicate over long distances undergo various challenges while adopting certain virtual ways of communication. It is necessary to maintain a healthy and strong communication. This will help leaders to develop a sense of doing and respect in their employees. It is important for the leaders to increase their consciousness of communicating virtually and to abreast themselves for selecting the right method of communication. That will help them communicate in a successful manner. (Christine, 2008) The very first VCH activity of regionalizing themselves was the creation. IMIS. It is necessary for the virtual leaders to maintain good communication with their staff as it is really a challenge for them to maintain an effective communication with in such limited time of interaction. The medium of communication selected by the leader also affect the communication strategies. Leaders can use video conferencing and email to convey their messages to the students working at long distances. (Christine, 2008) The continuous reliance of VCH upon technological methods of working is making it difficult for it to hire and hold qualified employees to advocate and sustain technology. A large number ofhighly educated and qualitative workers are needed to maintain a negative accept on the workers to sustain the organization. It is necessary for the leaders of the VCH to get abreast with the continuous developments and trends. The medium of communication selected by the leader also affect the communication strategies According to a survey about one point five million citizens of Canada communicate virtually on daily basis. VCH is a health services providing agency and it incorporate a large staff scattered in the entire Britain. The finding of this study left many implications of the virtual communication. This is because this area is continuously in the state of continuous alteration and environment. (Christine, 2008) Nowadays, the prospect of working from a place away from the head office of the company/organization is being given a lot of importance. Despite this high amount of attention towards working virtually the role of virtual leader seem to be neglected. A considerably little amount of work has been done in this field. Stella conducted research to study the impact of virtual leaders upon the performance and satisfaction of their employees. He surpassed and substituted transactional, transformational and no leadership with conscientiousness, feedback and climate for well-being. After analyzing different leadership theories in the study it was found that the impact of leaders role was consequential, with the members of the transactional conditions and transfusion conditions. Besides, many interesting outcomes among the leadership styles and performance conscientiousness, (Julie, 2003) According to a survey virtual leadership has increased to a considerable extent. Estimates show that about twenty eight million people did virtual working in 2001 and about 19.6 million in 1999. It seems that virtual work has potential benefits for employees traditionally, leaders provide increased flexibility, less commute time, fewer distractions etc. it seems that the leadership of virtual have lucrative utopia rather than desolate wasteland. Transformational leadership is seemed to be equal to the transactional leadership. It is necessary for the virtual leaders to maintain good communication with their staff as it is really a challenge for them to maintain an effective communication with in such limited time of interaction in the studies conducted upon virtual leadership shrewd and devious management has to be strengthened with appropriate impacts. Usually, the members of distance based leadership use implicit leadership theory while communicating with each other. (Julie, 2003) Distance leader are seemed more prototypical than close leaders. This shows that the virtual leadership is inevitably vague and general. Neither of the variable showed and impact upon the job satisfaction. This was explained on the prospect that the reason for it was the task assigned to the workers was not very much satisfactory. Therefore, one can not be consistent that the task is not satisfactory or something likes that. It could have been accepted that shrewd management of transformational leaders is quite effective. Transformational leadership if used to be done manipulation needs to be managed properly and given satisfaction and maintained a want to create workers virtually. In short it seems that both union of transactional and transformational leadership is very much important for the maintenance of performance and creation of satisfaction in the virtual workers. (Julie, 2003) This study is seemed to be equivalent with the prospect the virtual leaders are perceived by staff consistent with known leadership theory. This shows that the adoption of transactional leadership style is necessary for the virtual leaders and workers. This will help gather continuous communication and feedback. This was explained on the prospect that the reason for it was the task assigned to the workers was not very much satisfactory A considerably little amount of work has been done in this field This study provided a path to the leaders that the organizational and industrial psychologist should see and try to understand the way using which virtual leaders influence employees doing their work near the main office. There was a considerable amount of variation in the qualities of people working virtually (Julie, 2003) Today, the issue of globalization is influencing many companies and has noticeable affect on the work nature. Organizations are developing certain trans-national teams to perform in an effective manner. It will help to overcome certain means of efficiency and flexibility to reduce certain problems. Therefore, it seems that if one worked in circumstances which are scattered it will positively affect teams. This will reduce opportunities of informal collaboration and knowledge sharing. (Chris Kimble, Feng Li and Alexis Barlow, 2000) International working creates tension in the working of the teams because they have to tackle both geographic barriers, time, culture and in some cases language differences In order to understand the barriers faced by the members of virtual teams one should understand that the physical boundaaries do not have any impact on informational economy it is important to understand the nature of the novel boundaries to appreciate the informational economy. (Chris Kimble, Feng Li and Alexis Barlow, 2000) Outsourcing, downsizing and programs of planned redundancy all reduce the staffing level because the employee turnover rate rises. It is easy to use new knowledge in place of the original foundations this is because the people leave and create problems for the virtual leaders. Besides, most of the companies today have to tackle with the high level problems with the international organizations. The demand is now on high level of needs to manipulate and attain more knowledge in the groups. (Chris Kimble, Feng Li and Alexis Barlow, 2000) The idea of the development and maintenance of virtual teams is being greatly perplexed with the ideas like virtual and networked organizations, the virtual workplace, virtual communities, electronic commerce and some forms of teleworking. To understand the possibilities of situations they have been classified in to eight categories. (Chris Kimble, Feng Li and Alexis Barlow, 2000) Four of these consisted of employees working for one particular company while the rest to the virtual group whose members are not the working for one particular organization but are working for many different organization from different sites of the world. In the first for of situation experts are selected from the particular organization these are production planners and production operatives. The second category is mostly used in the consultants or external assessors or in business to business activities like B2B e-commerce. This categorization also depends upon the principle of proximity to explicit whether employees are geographically close to each other or are scattered. A work-cycle synchronicity was designed to understand the interaction of the participants at different time periods. (Chris Kimble, Feng Li and Alexis Barlow, 2000) The efficiency and effectiveness of the virtual teams has been greatly affected by the spatial and temporal distance between its members. This notion is significant in both cases whether the members are communicating with its own far fetched employees or a communication is being take place among different organizations. (Chris Kimble, Feng Li and Alexis Barlow, 2000) The working of virtual teams in an effective manner is very much necessary while maintaining trust and identity. However, the identity of the virtual teams becomes vague in case of spatial and temporal separation of the team members. Several signs of personality and society positions we are used with are not present in the real world of existence. In the real world the self is considered as united from inheritance. The body is defined to be an explicit method of defining identity. It serves as and anchor of the self which is confound in reality. However, the world of virtuality is different from the real world. It is made up of the information in spite of matter. The information is expected to scatter and diffuse. The information conservation law is deficient in it. The participants of the electronic world are not close to each other rather they are diffused and are not bound physically with each other. It is easy for one to develop many virtual personality utilizing ones time and en ergy. (Chris Kimble, Feng Li and Alexis Barlow, 2000) Chris et all conducted a study to understand the ideas and working of virtual teams and to point out the hurdles in the effective functioning of virtual teams. About ten case studies of diverse virtual organizations were used in this study. These focused upon the enlarged application f virtual teams around the world and the advantages they give to the organizations and individuals. These case studies also focus upon certain impediments caused in the spatial and temporal separation of team members. Face to face interviews, emails, faxes, company reports and telephone calls were used to collect data. (Chris Kimble, Feng Li and Alexis Barlow, 2000) The interpretation of the case studies proved that certain barriers of technical nature do exist in the virtual communication. These hurdles consist of unreliable systems and incompatible networks to slow computers and traffic congestion. Virtual leaders mostly communicate with their members via voice, data, text, video and shared whiteboard. Usage of these is helpful in creating an integrated broadband telecommunication infrastructure. Notwithstanding, these devices are unavailable at many places. Installation of such infrastructure would be definitely costly for the people. There is a great want for the expertise in the up gradation of time. In addition the highly increasing users expectations are also barriers to the success of virtual teams. These may be necessary to support virtual teams. This shows that The problems faced by team working in virtual setting are different from those faced by people working in the geographical proximity. For instance, constraints of time zones, lack of non-verbal cues, cultural differences, problems of trust and identity. This restriction of characteristics helps in the effective understanding of the virtual leadership. (Chris Kimble, Feng Li and Alexis Barlow, 2000) Buy custom Virtual Leadership essay

Idioms and Expressions With All

Idioms and Expressions With All The following English idioms and expressions use the word all. Each idiom or expression has a definition and three example sentences to help your  understanding of these common idiomatic expressions with all.   All-Nighter Definition: Do something (for instance a study session) that lasts all night We pulled an all-nighter to get ready for the exam.The graduation party was an all-nighter.Im afraid Im going to have to pull an all-nighter to get the report ready for tomorrow. All Over Something Definition: Very fond of something Hes all over the latest fashions.Peters all over antique furniture.Im all over that authors works. All Right Definition: Yes, okay, fine Thats all right by me!All right! I got an A on my term paper.I think hes all right with the changes we foresee.   All Shook Up Definition: extremely excited, worried, or disturbed about something Hes all shook up about his mothers illness.Wow! Im all shook up about Alice.I dont want you to get all shook up over the news. All That and Then Some Definition: even more than what has been mentioned He did all that and then some to get the new job.Yes, thats right. All that and then some!I think hell do all that and then some in order to get the company back on its feet.   All the Way (With Go) Definition: do something completely Hes going all the way for the scholarship.We went all the way to California on our vacation.I think you can go all the way to finals in this competition. Dash It All Definition: Expression used when very upset Dash it all! I didnt do very well.Dash it all! She cant come this weekend.Im afraid the position didnt work out. Dash it all! For All I Know Definition: Based on what I know (usually expressing displeasure) For all I know, hell come and win the prize.Theyve decided to hire Jack for all I know.For all he knows, she wants to get married.   Free for All Definition: Crazy, non-restricted activity (generally a fight) It was a free for all! Everyone went crazy!They stepped in to break up the free for all.Black Friday is generally a free for all that I try to avoid.   Have It All together Definition: Be very poised, successful He has it all together. The house, the wife, the kids, the great job - everything!I was very impressed with the candidate. She seemed to have it all together.I hope the new recruit has it all together. We need a team player.   Hold All the Aces Definition: Have all the advantages Unfortunately, Tom holds all the aces right now. Youll have to do what he says.Im holding all the aces so I can do whatever I want.Im afraid this is a situation in which you dont hold all the aces. Know All the Angles Definition: Be very clever about something Jack knows all the angles. Be careful!The salesman knew all the angles, and by the end of our talk I had bought a new computer!If you need some help with math talk to Peter. He knows all the angles.   Know It All Definition: Someone who seems to know everything and lets everybody know that he / she knows everything, used in a negative sense I know you think you are a know it all, but you dont know everything.  I hate Tom. Hes such a know it all in class.Dont think you know it all.   Not All There Definition: Not intelligent, not completely focused on an activity Im afraid Peter is not all there. He needs some help badly.Unfortunately, I was not all there and lost the final match.Be quiet. The boss is not all there today. Give him plenty of room. Of All the Nerve Definition: expression of anger at someones behavior Of all the nerve! Did you see how that woman treated me?Of all the nerve! She took my seat!You didnt buy him a present?! Of all the nerve! That guy has always treated you well.   Once and for All Definition: Finally (usually putting an end to something) Im going to stop his behavior once and for all!Lets get this over once and for all.Id like to review the grammar one more time. Hopefully, this will make it clear once and for all.   Pull out All the Stops Definition: make every possible effort to do something He pulled out all the stops on the exam.Were going to pull out all the stops on our presentation.Id like to throw a huge party that pulls out all the stops.   You Cant Win Them All Definition: Expression of acceptance after a loss or disappointment Well, you cant win them all. Lets go home.You did your best. You cant win them allI tried to get the job, but I didnt. You cant win them all.

Men of Honor Movie Review Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Men of Honor - Movie Review Example Determined to become the Navy's first master diver, Brashear confronts Billy Sunday, a racist Navy diving instructor in the segregated south of the early 1950s. From the beginning of the film we see Brashear struggle with the elements and his race as he plows a field in the hot sun with his father. As a means to escape, Brashear joins the Navy with the hope of bettering his station in life. He confronts the chores of Navy kitchen duty while working to become a black Navy diver. Eventually given the opportunity to become a diver, he is confronted by the Navy instructors bent on proving him incapable. The ongoing torment from Billy Sunday and the Commander, played by Hal Holbrooke, can't hold Brashear down. He conquers every obstacle placed in front of him. After he becomes a diver, his career seems to be cut short when his leg is amputated after an accident on a Navy ship. Brashear again struggles to regain his strength and the fortitude to carry the weight of a Navy Scuba outfit. This time, Billy Sunday is his biggest supporter as we see Brashear overcome the final obstacle of a physical handicap. Though the film is based in racism, its inspiration comes from the need to overcome any hardship. Much of Brashear's torment came from a racist feeling in Sunday and his classmates, yet we see the struggle in terms of a fight against the elements and ourselves. There is a memorable scene where Sunday makes Brashear's diving test almost impossible to pass.

CanGo Business Issues Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

CanGo Business Issues - Essay Example Lack of vision and mission statementsCanGo does not have a vision or a mission statement. A vision statement indicates where the where the company wants to be and the time frame within which the company expects to achieve its vision. A mission statement clearly indicates the purpose for which the business was created and its standards of behavior.CanGo’s management team should prepare both a vision and a mission statement which will guide its strategic plan. Both the vision and mission statement will act as a guide to CanGo in its uncertain business environment. The vision and mission will help direct the company in terms of the decisions that management makes. Decisions should be consistent with the vision and mission of the company. Issue #2: Lack of a strategic plan CanGo’s management does not have a strategic plan. Although CanGo is said to be the fastest growing company in the Hudson Valley there is no plan in place to achieve this status. According to Liz it is an accident. The formulation of a strategic plan is very important in any business. According to Daft (2007) the best way to control the operation of a business is through strategic planning. The company has ill-conceived ideas of having done the right things. They lack a proper understanding of the strategic management process and how to gain and maintain a competitive advantage over their competitors. There is no indication of the vision and mission of the company; plans are just made as the managers go along.

Texting while driving in Miami-Dade County Essay

Texting while driving in Miami-Dade County - Essay Example According to research, it has been noted that a person communicating on his mobile phone has a higher possibility of causing an accident than a drunken driver (Rader, 2008). This essay is a critical evaluation on the threat of mobile telephony on Miami Dade County, with respect to texting while driving. The Miami Dade County was the first to legislate a law banning the use of mobile telephones while driving in Florida, which was passed in the year 2001 (Rader, 2008). According to the ordinance, first time violators were to be awarded a $250 fine or opt to register for a refresher driving course while second time offenders were to receive a punishment of $500. Most importantly, this act recognized the efficiency of these gadgets to communicate in cases of emergency and thus exceptions were made to allow their usage in cases such as reporting on fire, crime, irresponsible driving or other urgent occurrences. However, this law was preempted in 2002 thereby allowing drivers the liberty to decide on when and where to use the distractive gadgets (Rader, 2008). This has been the major setback in the county, which, according to statistics conducted by the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles, experienced a high rate of accident occurrence of approximately 118 fatal accidents per day in 2008 (Muller, 2010). Every time a bill is introduced for debate to restrict the use of hand held phones either to call or text messages while driving, it is either defeated at the committee stage or it fails completely to gain the support of the legislature, which applies to the whole state of Florida. Furthermore, the state of Florida has a preemption policy which does not allow its local authorities to legislate laws governing or prohibiting distracted driving (Miami-Dade County, n.d). As a result, the prerogative of controlling distracted driving especially

In a well-organized Essay, respond to two of the following questions Essay

In a well-organized , respond to two of the following questions - Essay Example The First World War was triggered by both long-term and short-term factors and some of the long-term causes include alliance system1 particularly the long-standing alliances between central powers including Germany and Austria Hungary versus Triple Entente that comprised of Britain, France and Russia. Secondly, World War 1 was caused by imperialism, that is, most European countries wanted to expand their territory and some historian have described this war as an imperialistic struggle.2 Another long-term cause of the First World War is nationalism whereby, there were rivalries between European countries resulting from colonialism. Finally, arms race is also another triggering factor of World War 1 because Britain and Germany had the best navies during that period and so naval rivalry between the two countries played a significant role in the emergence of World War 1. In addition, there were also short-term causes of the First World War and these include Austria-Hungary’s attac k on Serbia among others. World War 1 had political, economic and social consequences, first, it led to the emergence of Versailles Treaty that stated that Germany had to pay reparations and disarm. More so, some countries started fighting for their independence. Economically, it led to worldwide depression, which lasted for years. Socially, it resulted to massive loss of lives, and left many individuals in Europe with home and food among others. The Second World War followed and it was the most widespread conflict that negatively affected the world. 3A number of factors including the Versailles Treaty that had imposed unfair conditions on Germany caused this war and this may have forced them to start the war. Secondly, the weakness of the League of Nations as it was not able to control aggressive actions of the axis powers when England and France embraced the policy of appeasement towards them.

Performance Management at Littleton Credit Union Essay

Performance Management at Littleton Credit Union - Essay Example The study will aim at providing performance management techniques which can act as a catalyst in improving the efficiency of the organization. The solutions provided in the study will help the employees of LCU to achieve their targets and objectives in a systematic method. The study will also give an insight into the difficulties faced by the organization in implementation of these techniques. Performance management techniques will help in addressing the financial and non financial challenges faced by LCU. Factors Affecting Performance Management Performance Management (PM) is defined as a systematic approach in improving the individual and team performance in order to achieve organizational goals (Baron and Armstrong, 2005, p.02). It also aims at developing the capacity of the employees and workers and providing guidance to the employees when it is required to deliver superior performance (Cardy and Leonard, 2011). There are several internal and external factors affecting the perfor mance of the company which requires crucial identification by the management of the organization (Thorpe and Beasley, 2004). These factors need to be critically examined by the managers of the organization to evaluate the influencing factors related to the performance of the employees. ... It is observed that the Carla Fredericks would serve for the post of CEO in Little Credit Union (LCU) and has identified certain challenges faced by the company. Providing solutions from the performance management perspective would enable the CEO to address the immediate concerns of the organizations in a systematic manner. Firstly, it was observed Acquiring financial investment from loan sharks for LCU is not an easy process because the loan sharks are doubtful on the organization’s ability to repay the loans. To address this problem it was suggested by the CEO and the other top level managers that LCU should get themselves credited with a credit rating agency to obtain credibility (Partnoy, n.d.). By obtaining credibility LCU the opportunities of obtaining financial resources gets widened. However, it was observed that the credit rating agencies provide credit rating to companies with a good management practices and high turnover. This is not possible in this case because LC U has not been able to yield profits and also attract high potential investors. Secondly, it has been observed that LCU is over staffed; the number of staff is high compared to the population of the town. An organization with a high number of employees does not necessarily mean that the employee productivity would also increase. An overstaffed organization can have negative consequence for example a high number of staff indicates that the management of LCU has been paying extra wages and salaries which has resulted in an increase in their expenditure. LCU management should focus on acquiring the right number of staff with suitable skills for the required position. It would be easier to design the key responsibility areas that would be required in each and every department of the organization and

Financial Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 7

Financial Management - Essay Example This paper discusses on whether the capital asset pricing model offers the right evidence on where investors can get value for their money. There are two types of risks that any investor is afraid of and should take into account when planning to capitalize in a given market. These include the systematic and unsystematic risks (Resource Center, 2013 n.p). The systematic risk is that which is related to the whole market and over which the investor has not control. This type of risk has a huge impact on the amount of returns that an investor should expect. The CAPM discloses this type of risk to the investor and makes him aware on what to expect (Resource Center, 2013 n.p). It includes the recession, the dynamic nature of interest rates and other natural phenomenon that the investor would have no control over. The unsystematic risks, on the other hand, are specific to investments and can be handled by the investor. He is aware of this kind of risk and has planned for it. According to the capital asset pricing model, beta is the measure of the risk that any stock investment is exposed to (Shapiro, 2006 p7). It shows the relationship between the market and the stock by showing how the dynamic change in the market affects the returns from the stock investment (Shapiro, 2006 p7). It is done, over a certain period of time, to determine how the up and down movement of the market affects the up and down movement of the stock prices. Therefore, beta provides the much needed answers to the risk-return relationship (Shapiro, 2006 p15). Equity is all that remains after all the expenses of an investor have been completely taken care of, and when all the expenses have been settled, and there is residual remaining of the assets (Perold, 2004 p12). The capital asset pricing model does a return-risk assessment of the financial securities of an investor and concludes that equities are the most risky assets, and their premium is very high (Perold, 2004 p13). The CAPM says

Performance Management at Littleton Credit Union Essay

Performance Management at Littleton Credit Union - Essay Example The study will aim at providing performance management techniques which can act as a catalyst in improving the efficiency of the organization. The solutions provided in the study will help the employees of LCU to achieve their targets and objectives in a systematic method. The study will also give an insight into the difficulties faced by the organization in implementation of these techniques. Performance management techniques will help in addressing the financial and non financial challenges faced by LCU. Factors Affecting Performance Management Performance Management (PM) is defined as a systematic approach in improving the individual and team performance in order to achieve organizational goals (Baron and Armstrong, 2005, p.02). It also aims at developing the capacity of the employees and workers and providing guidance to the employees when it is required to deliver superior performance (Cardy and Leonard, 2011). There are several internal and external factors affecting the perfor mance of the company which requires crucial identification by the management of the organization (Thorpe and Beasley, 2004). These factors need to be critically examined by the managers of the organization to evaluate the influencing factors related to the performance of the employees. ... It is observed that the Carla Fredericks would serve for the post of CEO in Little Credit Union (LCU) and has identified certain challenges faced by the company. Providing solutions from the performance management perspective would enable the CEO to address the immediate concerns of the organizations in a systematic manner. Firstly, it was observed Acquiring financial investment from loan sharks for LCU is not an easy process because the loan sharks are doubtful on the organization’s ability to repay the loans. To address this problem it was suggested by the CEO and the other top level managers that LCU should get themselves credited with a credit rating agency to obtain credibility (Partnoy, n.d.). By obtaining credibility LCU the opportunities of obtaining financial resources gets widened. However, it was observed that the credit rating agencies provide credit rating to companies with a good management practices and high turnover. This is not possible in this case because LC U has not been able to yield profits and also attract high potential investors. Secondly, it has been observed that LCU is over staffed; the number of staff is high compared to the population of the town. An organization with a high number of employees does not necessarily mean that the employee productivity would also increase. An overstaffed organization can have negative consequence for example a high number of staff indicates that the management of LCU has been paying extra wages and salaries which has resulted in an increase in their expenditure. LCU management should focus on acquiring the right number of staff with suitable skills for the required position. It would be easier to design the key responsibility areas that would be required in each and every department of the organization and

African Americans Status in 1890 Essay Example for Free

African Americans Status in 1890 Essay There were many problems that African Americans faced in the 1890s some of which still exist in todays society. African Americans have come a long way and earned many rights but still live with the hardships that they had in the 1890s. The status of African Americans at this time in United States history was not good. Blacks had a very hard time living especially in the south. The problems that blacks dealt with were primarily found in the south where they were not accepted. Segregation became huge across the entire south after the Supreme Court ruled that Separate but equal was legal in the Plessy v. Ferguson case. Everything was separate but it was almost never equal. Whites always had things better than African Americans did. Blacks could not ride in the same train cars as whites. The national government gave blacks the right to vote but southern state governments took away that right through the use of poll taxes and literacy tests. A big problem that blacks faced was trying to stay alive. Many blacks were killed for no reason during this period of time. Jim Crow laws were set up to keep blacks from enjoying the same rights and privileges that whites enjoyed everyday. The Ku Klux Klan was set up by whites who had hatred for blacks. Blacks in the south feared for their lives and their families lives everyday. It was certain that African Americans would be confronted by racism each and everyday in the south. Relationships between blacks and whites have greatly improved in the last century but things still are not perfect and it is unlikely that they ever will be. The greatest changes were made during the civil rights movement in the 1950s and 1960s when blacks stood up for themselves and gained their rights as American citizens. Laws were finally passed that made literacy tests and poll taxes illegal. Segregation came to an end after Brown v. Board of Education turned over the ruling made in Plessy v. Ferguson. There was no longer Separate but equal, it was now just equal. Although many big steps have been taken to stopping racism and segregation it still exists in our lives today. African Americans still see racism everyday even though they are now doing many things with whites. Blacks and whites have been able to peacefully interact with each other for decades but you still see newspapers talking about segregation and racism. The overall improvement has been very significant. Comparing todays society to the 1890s show a lot of good change yet there are still problems in our society with race relations.

The Adventure of the German Student

The Adventure of the German Student There are multiple ways to analyze a literary work, through the basis of the critical approaches. The reader can select any of them in order to analyze his or her piece of work. Particularly in order to analyze this story I am going to use the Psychological approach. Washington Irving ´s story, The Adventure Of The German Student, was the one that attracted me the most, because of its enrichment content about the functioning of human ´s brain, and also, about the strong influence that an unpleasant environment has in people ´s interpersonal relationships, and how this situation can produce a serious damage in anyone ´s mental health. The Adventure Of The German Student shows us how society and social movements can interfere in peoples normal behavior and personality. As we are by nature a social being, we cannot avoid interactions with others, as well as we cannot avoid being influenced by social events. Irving ´s story tries to focus our attention on a strong socio-political and even religious event which occurred in France between the years (1789-1799) that it is well known as The French Revolution, besides he does not leave behind the reaction of the story ´s principal character Gottfried Wolfgang who was surprised and ready to discover a little more about this new city and that revolution that was on its height. Throughout the story ´s development it becomes evident Wolfgang ´s unreasonable behavior which was accompanied by a degraded state of mind that was increasing at the time the story was developing, finding himself in an awful situation at the end of the story which leads him to spend his life in a madhouse. This story begins giving us a brief orientation about which is going to be the plot in where the story will be developed. This first paragraph gives us important information that will lead us to better understand the story and to be more familiarized with the events that will be involved on it. At the end of this first paragraph the narrator stops the narration, and there is an intervention of the story ´s writer who considers important to reveal the type of life that the principal character of the story Gottfried Wolfgang had before going to Paris, by saying: -but I should first tell you something about this young German. Gottfried Wolfgang is presented as a young German man of good family also as a visionary and enthusiastic character; these qualities are common in young people, especially in those who are studying and throughout the acquisition of knowledge they also acquire new ways to perceive the world. Studies are productive, but is there any possibility to become nuts after studying so hard? The answer might be relative, but it is important to say that the capacity of human ´s brain is endless, and that there is a discipline named Psychology which its principal role is to analyze human behavior, as well as, motivation, personality and interpersonal relationships. We have to consider that Germany ´s education system was and still is considered admirable for its strict and organized strategies toward teaching, and because of this, students should have an intense dedication, if they really want to succeed. But sometimes that intense dedication to something can produce mental break downs. Now days, the term mental breakdowns is not commonly used by experts in this area, in fact, they see this term as a popular term invent by society, but no matter what the real name is, mental breakdowns are considered mental illnesses, that can lead people to a complete mental disorder, if it is not treated properly. We know that under enough pressure, continued over a long period of time, anyone can be overwhelmed, and bend. All of us have a breaking point (Dr. William C. Menninger, 1959 U.S.A) As it is shown in the second paragraph of the story: His secluded life, his intense application, and the singular nature of his studies, had an effect on both mind and body. A secluded life is not good for anybody; people should have time for everything, especially to enjoy being with others and to share. Eventually, a person who since a young age, like Wolfgang, is situated away from people; this will cause di fferent psychological damages, and if we are not okay mentally is reasonable that our body cannot work in a good way. People who are isolated perceive and make their own deductions of the world around them. In the same second paragraph, Wolfgang is compared with Emanuel Swedenborg, like Swedenborg, he had an ideal world of his own around him. Swedenborg was a Swedish inventor and scientist who lived between the years (1688-1772). Swedenborg entered into a spiritual phase in which he experienced dreams and visions. This culminated in a spiritual awakening, where he claimed he was appointed by the Lord to write a heavenly doctrine to reform Christianity. He claimed that the Lord had opened his eyes, so that from then on he could freely visit heaven and hell, and talk with angels, demons, and other spirits. Taking into account the comparison made between Wolfgang and Swedenborg, I can assume that maybe Wolfgang was inspired by Swedenborg ´s literature, and that, if we investigate about this literature we can see that, most of the things that Swedenborg wrote had a strong influence in Wolfgang ´s behavior, at the point that we can find similarities between them. Wolfgang thought that there was an evil influence hanging over him; an evil genius or spirit seeking to ensnare him and ensure his perdition. I am completely sure that, when a person reads something, any literary text, in some way this person is influenced by the text, and psychologically if this person finds something that can be productive or just something that he or she likes, it will be introduced and used by his mind, consciously or not. The truth is that our characters mind started to get weaker rapidly, at the point that Wolfgang ´s friends started to worry about him His friends discovered the mental malady preying upon him, and determined that the best cure was a change of scene. It was evident that Wolfgang ´s friends started noticing his disordered condition, maybe because he was acting differently at the point that his friends could not feel comfortable with him anymore. he was sent, therefore, to finish his studies amidst the splendors and gayeties of Paris. Thinking that the principal problem was the environment in where he was, he was sent to Paris in order to finish his studies, just imagine, to send a young boy to explore a new city by himself without any friends or family. Maybe for him it was a kind of adventure and from what he had heard about that city, it was going to be a fascinating trip for him. Wolfgang arrived at Paris at the breaking out of the revolution The French Revolution (1789-1799) was a period of political and social upheaval in the history of France, during which the French governmental structure, previously an absolute monarchy with feudal privileges for the aristocracy and Catholic clergy, underwent radical change to forms based on Enlightenment principles of nationalism, citizenship, and inalienable rights. > The French Revolution was a time of complete chaos in Paris. Popular, as well as, military confrontations and decapitations where the principal events of the day. Wolfgang ´s expectations about that new and fascinating city were different from reality. Despite, his enthusiasm was strong enough to become amazed with those radical socio-political changes. But then, his perception of those events, started to change, now he was another citizen who disliked those political movements and was against assassinations. He felt in some way trapped and the only way he had to escape of those horrible scenes was through reading. He is described as a literary ghoul. A ghoul by means represents something disgusting that shows morbid interests in things. This description tells us that his mental faculties were in manner unhealthy, as well as his behavior. He was trying to find a safe place between all the horrible things occurring on the street. He shut himself up physical and mentally. Although, he is described as a boy of ardent temperament, was imagination his reigning ability. Imagination works with the unconscious mind, and leaves aside consciousness and reality, in order to help the person to protect himself of an unwanted situation. In the Psychoanalytic world, was Sigmund Freud the one who first explained and developed this theory. Freud postulated that there were a number of defense mechanisms-including repression, reaction-formation, regression, displacement, and rationalization-that protect the conscious mind from those aspects of reality it may find difficult to accept. > In Wolfgang ´s case, was throughout imagination, where he found a way to repress all the events that were happening around him, in order to be in some way calm and focused in something else. he was a passionate admirer of female beauty, is common that a boy of his age starts admiring female beauty, but results difficult to understand, how he might think about something beautiful in middle of such horrifying events?, maybe he needed a couple or just somebody to talk with. I do not know for sure, but it was evident that Wolfgang started to lose his mind little by little. a dream produced an extraordinary effect upon him. It was of a female face of transcendent beauty. So strong was the impression made, that he dreamt of it again and again. We do not know exactly what Wolfgang ´s age really was, but considering the description made by the narrator at the beginning of the story, he was a young man. Is completely natural for young man to be delighted by a girl, maybe for him it was about time to experience to be with a girl, but just because of the kind of life he had and all the things that were happening around him, he could not experienced that at the moment. Dreams are an insight into our emotional preoccupations > .This is just one of lots of definitions about what dreams really are. Experts in the psychiatric area and others still cannot find an exact definition for dreams, and this is because the complexity of understanding human ´s brain has not been reached yet, despite all the scientific advances. The way in which Wolfgang ´s dreamed with this female face again and again, shows his desperation for having a couple and maybe for calming down his sexual appetite, in a manner he was obsessed by her or maybe he was sexually obsessed. Obsessives disorders involves obsessions-unwanted thoughts or images that are unsettling or interfere with an individuals life, followed by compulsions-actions that temporarily relieve the anxiety caused by the obsessions >. The unwanted thoughts and images that Wolfgang was having, shows through different psychological studies, that he had an obsessive disorder. Maybe that disorder started some time ago, before travelled to Paris and maybe it could occurred in his childhood, we are not sure, but what it is sure is that this disorder increased since he started to live and experience all the atrocities that took place during the French Revolution. Our sexual function is an important component and indicator of overall health and well-being; sexual problems or dysfunction may result from, or even cause, physical or mental illness or deterioration in important social relationships. >. According to Dr.: Sadie Sheafe sexual problems can cause mental illnesses, maybe this is what was happening with our character, just imaging, being surrounded with all those horrible scenes of death, with nobody to talk with, and if that was not enough being in some way trapped physically and mentally. It was evident that he was starting to lose his mental qualities. At the time you experience a dream, is your unconscious mind the one which works the most, for this reason Wolfgang could not do anything about those dreams that he was having, in fact they were consuming his life and taking possession of him, by the time that he was passionately enamored of this shadow of a dream, can you imagine yourself being in love of a dream?. Results difficult to think about that, but that was Wolfgang ´s situation, and when the narrator says it became one of those fixed ideas which haunt the minds of melancholy men, and are at times mistaken for madness. Here, the narrator describes Wolfga ng ´s personality as a melancholy man, which means that he was sad, and maybe sank into a prolonged depression that was destroying his mental health. One night when Wolfgang was passing through Place de Graà ¨ve which was the square in where executions were performed, he shrank back with horror at finding himself close by the guillotine A guillotine was a machine used to cut people ´s head off, and was used by the times of the French revolution, that was the political movement our character was experiencing. For a person that does not know what a guillotine is, and it is not informed about what was happening in that city, is not going to shrank back with horror, that is for sure, but as Wolfgang did know what was happening there and the purpose of that scary instrument, he felt in that way, and his first reaction was to feel scared and step aside. Obviously his nerves impulses were extremely sensitive. Wolfgangs heart sickened within him, and he was turning shuddering from the horrible engine he was shaking horrified by this monstrous instrument, here is evident the level of nervousness that he had and how tormented he was by all the horrible things that were happening there, the involuntary action of shaking is common in nervous people. At the same square he found a woman seating on the scaffold, He approached, and addressed her in the accents of sympathy even though he was passing through a bad situation, he never lost his well mannered behavior, remember that he was a man of good family, so he knew how to be a gentleman and how to speak with a lady. His surprise was that this woman was the same that have been haunting his dreams; he was amazed and a little bit confused. the very face which had haunted him in his dreams. Trembling with violent and conflicting emotions here is shown again that Wolfgang was a nervous and insecure person. the student, for the first time, blushed at the scantiness and indifference of his dwelling. When a person blushes, shows that he is feeling embarrassed about something, in this case Wolfgang felt ashamed of his shelter, because he was worried about what his female companion might think or say about it. He was fascinating by her beauty, but still he thought of abandoning his chamber to her, and seeking shelter for himself elsewhere, although, his attraction to her was infinite, he knew what was the right thing to do in that case, he was an educated young man and he felt right to give her his dwelling, and find a new place to live. But her beautifulness and the attraction that he felt about her was strong enough to prevent such thing. She is described as an enthusiast like Wolfgang She was evidently an enthusiast like himself, so maybe we can speculate that she had approximately Wolfgang ´s age. No matter the age, any person can be an enthusiast, but this quality is more observable in young people. our hearts are united; in the eye of reason and honor we are as one. Wolfgang did not believe in the liberal theories of the day, but rather, he had his own theory and even his own way to see marriage. We have to considerate that during the French Revolution, was established a new constitution, where the assembly whished that Catholicism should cease to be the religion of the State and that liberty of worship should be established. The Catholic Church was confiscated by the state. It was a complete religious chaos, mean while people were fighting for their religious rights. So, imaging what could a young couple do amid all that confusion. For Wolfgang, the thing that he was doing was reasonable and honorable, maybe in some way he was criticizing the unreasoned strategies that the state was taking against religious institutions. At the end of the story the mind of our principal character returns to reality, when he finds out that his beautiful bride was dead, and that she was already dead from the first beginning. Horrified and frantic, he alarmed the house. A scene of confusion ensued. The student fell into an uncontrolled behavior, which started to get violent The student burst into a frenzy. The fiend! the fiend has gained possession of me! and again he remarks the presence of an evil spirit that was possessing him, that might be the devil. The story never shows us the physical presence of the devil or some other evil figure. All those thoughts were just in Wolfgang ´s mind. Maybe for protecting his consciousness he was imaging the presence of an evil spirit, but at the end he could not do that anymore and is when his degraded mental state is completely reveal. Many people are used to shut themselves away mentally when they are passing through an unwanted situation, but at the end, when they experience a more difficult situation is when the brain cannot protect them anymore, and is when the person collapses. Is important to maintain our brain in good shape, social as well as personal problems are never going to cease, so an intelligent way out is in the use of healthy techniques to improve our mental faculties.