Hiring A New Employee Essays - Employee Relations,

Hiring A New Employee Hiring a New Employee A company is only as good as the employees who work for It. Seems to be the slogan driving most employers in todays marketplace. Your employees are a direct reflection of your company and in many industries, may actually be considered the product. Finding the right employee can be one of the most crucial and difficult decisions a business can face. Businesses must be prepared for this process and understand the steps involved in hiring a new employee. When an employer makes the decision to hire a new employee, they must first decide what advantages this employee will offer the company. The employee may be considered a producer, who would benefit the company by producing, creating, selling or supporting the product. This employee would be responsible for direct profits for the company. He or she may also belong to the coordinator category of employees. These employees are responsible for the productivity of producers by coordinating their tasks with those of other producers to gain the most cost effective solution. It must be determined if the efforts of a coordinator would benefit the producers in a specific company. A new employee may also offer your company the assistant qualities needed to free up the time of a higher paid employee. An assistant can be very valuable to your company by helping your executives become more efficient. Once the potential gains of a new employee are determined, the costs associated with this new staff member must be reviewed. The expenses of anew employee include salary, taxes, hiring costs, supervision, training and equipment. The employees salary, wages and incentives must be taken into consideration. In addition, the company must pay taxes, administration and accounting fees for this person. The decision maker should take into consideration the hiring costs associated with the employee, including recruiting, advertising, interviewing and selecting a new employee. The cost of supervision of the employee can be calculated using a percentage of the supervisors salary based on the projected amount of time the new employee will require from a supervisor. Training costs can also be substantial, consisting of the direct and opportunity costs of other employees who would be involved in training. Equipment such as computers, desks, safety equipment and other technology would also be taken into account. After calculating, reviewing and analyzing the costs and benefits of an employee, several things must still be considered before developing a conclusion. A human resources or management decision maker should compare and analyze the effect this employee would have on your cash flow. Realistic income projections can be compared to the initial and long-term costs of the employee. The fact that the employee may not be fully productive until several months of work must be calculated into the projections. For example, the person may take time to adjust to the position and handle a full workload, or you may not initially have enough work for the person to be working at full capacity. The deciding parties must consider the relative value and determine if the gain would be more from a new employee as opposed to investing the same time, money, and resources in current employees or procedures. The decision to hire a new employee is very important to the company as a whole, as well as, the individual making the decision. A poor choice can reflect the personal abilities and may indicate a decision-making weakness to the persons boss, colleagues, staff and customers. By making the decision to hire the person, they will be responsible for whether or not that person can do the job well and fit in with other members of the staff. When making the decision to hire a new employee, a company should keep in mind the importance of the task, while being sure to consider the potential gain, projected costs, and advantages of the new employee compared to your other choices. Engineering Reports

The reader to identify with the main character in each story Essays

The reader to identify with the main character in each story Essays The reader to identify with the main character in each story Essay The reader to identify with the main character in each story Essay Discuss to what extent the writer allows the reader to identify with the main character in each story.  I am going to write about two stories from the detective genre. These stories are The Speckled Band by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and Lamb to the Slaughter by Roald Dahl. The Speckled Band was written in 1888 and Lamb to the Slaughter was written in 1954. They are examples of stories linked by genre, but separated by time. The detective genre is a specific style of writing and has always been popular with readers. Also, before Sherlock Holmes, the detective genre was just beginning, and Holmes helped to make it so popular. The Sherlock Holmes stories are among the most popular and well known detective stories and are read worldwide by people of all ages. The detective genre is just as popular today, and there are thousands of authors writing detective stories, films and television programs. I am going to discuss how much the writer allows the reader to identify with the main characters in both stories. There is an important difference in these stories in that in The Speckled Band, the main character is the detective, Sherlock Holmes, and in Lamb to the Slaughter the main character is the murderer, Mary Maloney.  I think that as a reader I identify slightly more with Mary Maloney than I do with Sherlock Holmes. This might however, have something to do with the fact that there are over 60 Sherlock Holmes stories, and perhaps you would get to know Holmes better if you had read all of them. For just this story though, I feel I know more about Mary Maloney. Why do I identify more with this character? There are several reasons. Firstly, I think because at the beginning of the story, we are straight away told in detail about Marys feelings, and some of her background. We find out that she is married to a policeman, she is 6 months pregnant, and that she is a typical old-fashioned housewife and mother, waiting at home for her husband to come back from work. This is a normal and respected thing at the time this book is set in the 50s and we see that although she is perhaps a little dependant and doesnt have much of a life of her own, she is nice enough and a likeable person. You feel quite close to her and the paragraph where we find out how she feels about her husband makes you realise that she really does love her husband, and you feel quite intimately involved with her. It is almost like you are inside her mind, and throughout the story you can tell what she is thinking. It is like you have known her for a long time. Mary Maloney is presented to the reader as a normal, ordinary woman, who has a nice nature, is fairly placid and who worships her husband. The last person you would think would turn out to be a murderer. When she kills her husband after finding out that he has been having an affair, you dont immediately start to hate her in fact I began to like her even more! When I read the part where she kills him I thought, Good for you! I felt really sorry for her when I found out he was leaving her, and really disliked the husband, even though I didnt know the whole story. The part where Mary kills him, by hitting him over the head with a leg of lamb, was quite funny to read, although it was a serious thing happening, and I think that is one of the best aspects of the story its not deadly serious the whole time, there is an undercurrent of dry humour and irony. It is an unusual detective story, because you are hoping that the detectives dont solve the crime as you feel sorry for Mary and dont want her to be put into jail. The story is narrated in the third person, and not by Mary Maloney. However it is told through her eyes and from her point of view. This is quite unusual as most detective stories are told from the perspective of the detective. This method of story telling gives us an insight into Marys life without being too biased, as we dont hear only her thoughts. Although we are quite biased anyway as we are on her side throughout the story! I dont identify with Sherlock Holmes as much as Mary Maloney for several reasons. Firstly, we see him from the outside the story is told through the eyes of Watson, Holmess faithful friend. This distances us from Holmes, and indeed he is quite a distanced and solitary character, which does not help us to feel close to him. Watson is also the only significant relationship that we see Holmes having. We are not told a great deal about what Sherlock Holmes feels throughout the story or about his background. Unlike Mary Maloney, we can hardly ever tell what Holmes is thinking we have to be told his thoughts through him talking to Watson and this also keeps us distanced from him. We cant tell what Holmes is thinking because he has a superior mind to (most of) his readers and is very intelligent. In spite of all this though, you do feel some empathy with Sherlock Holmes. He is a likeable person, and funny in a quiet and clever way. He is also surprising for example when he displays great strength you would not expect him to have when he bends back the poker that Dr. Roylott has just bent. This makes you realise even more how little we actually know about Sherlock Holmes. But we admire him for it and you cannot help liking Sherlock Holmes, even if you are not close to him or know every detail about his life. The fact that we dont know a lot about his past actually makes him more intriguing and mysterious, which I think is an excellent quality to have in a detective! It is a classic detective story, although you do spend more time thinking about how the murder happened, and not about who did it.

PICO Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

PICO - Essay Example There are unaddressed questions in the present clinical practice or when the circumstances cause an inv3estigator to compose a clinical research question. The intention of this research paper is to analyze the steps in the composition of a research question. The concepts of PICO (population, intervention control and outcome) along with evidence based research will be further examined. A seven year old girl is in an emergency room with a severe tinnitus. She has a history of headaches and earaches. Her mother is concerned about the effects of acetaminophen. Her daughter is complaining of stomach problems and nausea after the ingestion of acetaminophen, she is worried about the ringing in her ears. The mother would like to know if the acetaminophen that she has been administering to her daughter is effective or is there a better intervention. This where the concept of PICO and evidence based practice come into effect for the nursing health care professional. Information must be gathered about the patient. The resources available for treatment must be assessed. The questions that are to be asked by the nursing and health care practitioner are the following: Expanding upon the concept of PICO, there is also an order of importance to the strength of evidence. This order of importance assists in ensuring the validity of the research sources, as the research sources presenting stronger evidence are preferred over the research sources with evidence which presents less strength (Zhao et al., 2010). 2. Innovation and implementation- The nursing professional is not simply a health care professional. The nursing professional is also an enabler who facilitates the process of healing. Patient centered care should become a more important concept in medical industry trends and evidence based research. This perspective for the health care professional is to search for the causes, developments and outcomes of an illness (Ray, 2004). Descartes, the

Electronics (coursework 1 of 1) operational Amplifier Design Coursework

Electronics ( 1 of 1) operational Amplifier Design - Coursework Example Non-ideal Op Amps might have inputs, at the two pins, having unequal voltages; there may be current flowing out or into the two input pins. The non-ideal characteristics are responsible for circuit loading, introduced noise, and the reduced Gain and input resistance (Rin). Input offset voltage is a small voltage that is applied at the input terminals in order to make the output voltage zero when two inputs’ terminals are grounded. A number of signal inputs can be integrated into the inverting amplifier via connection of individual sources with separate resistors to an Op Amp’s input; this will result into inverted sum of all the inputs. A summing amplifier’s input combinations produce an output that reflect weighted sum of the total inputs. Figure 1 shows a summing amplifier, a modification of an inverting amplifier; the inverting amplifier has been utilized since it can handle several or many inputs simultaneously. The summing amplifiers are practically used audio mixers and digital temperature recorders. A prelab procedure was carried on a summing amplifier as shown in Figure 1 with the power supplies at  ±10 V, choosing R1 to be 4.7 kâ„ ¦, hence VOUT= - (2 VA + VB ) if R3 = R1 = 10kâ„ ¦. Pspice was utilized in verifying both hand-calculations and the circuit operation. The circuit’s plots were taken, gains compared between hand-calculations and theoretical, and the ratio of VOUT and VIN were observed using the waveform amplitudes. The circuit was maintained as above in the Figure.2, and values from the prelab were used. The dual supply was  ±10 V. A 3 Vpp and 1 kHz sine was channeled at input A while a voltage of 7V from the power supply was channeled at input B. Accurate sketches of the output and input waveforms were taken; using a â€Å"DC† couple oscilloscope. From the formula = = 2VA + VB it is possible to obtain the Digital to Analogue Conversion

Internet Addiction and Depression Statistics Project

Internet Addiction and Depression - Statistics Project Example Chien, et al. (2005) argues that despite the great benefits brought about by the internet, it has led to adverse effects to some of its users. Internet addiction and depression has been cited as one of the major problem brought about by the internet (Oreilly, 1999). Internet addiction and depression is a major problem afflicting some of the internet users. According to Block (2008), internet addiction can be defined as the excessive use/ overuse of technological devices that can provide access to internet such as computers and phones in such a way that they interfere with one’s daily life. Internet addiction includes the following activities; excessive gaming on the internet, blogging, e- mailing, online social networking, internet shopping, and inappropriate pornography use (Young 2009). However, it is important to note that activities such as playing computer games or reading are only considered troubling/ addiction to an extent that these activities are interfering with a person’s normal life (Welsh, 1999). Related to internet addiction is internet related depression, which is defined as a mental/ psychological disorder that is characterized by loss of interest or pleasure, an all- encompassing low mood, and low self- esteem in an event that internet is withdrawn from an addicted person’s life (Bessiere, 2010). Bellamy and Hanewicz (2001) explain that internet depression can also take the form of an internet addict substituting friendships, which are meaningful, and socializing with internet’s virtual contacts, hence having adverse effects on his or her mental wellbeing. Morrison (2010) argues that their study proved that internet addiction and internet depression are strongly linked but the nature of that relationship is what is yet to be established. Armstrong (2001) says that it is not known, which comes first- whether internet cause depression or depressed people are drawn to

A Nutrition Health And Wellness Company Management Essay

A Nutrition Health And Wellness Company Management Essay Nestle is a nutrition, health and wellness company which was formed by the merger of Anglo-Swiss milk company and Farine Lactee Henri Nestle. Currently, this multinational Swiss company which operates in 86 countries with 443 factories globally has the largest revenue compared to other food companies. Nestle has approximately 8000 brands which consist of a widespread of products including coffee, confectionery items, instant noodles and many more. Sales at the end of 2011 were CHF 83642 million with a net profit of CHF 9804 million. Nestle has formed several joint ventures such as forming the Beverage Partners Worldwide  with  The Coca-Cola Company. Management structure Being a decentralized organization, Nestles operating decisions involving pricing, distribution, marketing, human resources and so on are made by local units. At the same time, Nestle is organised into seven worldwide strategic business units (SBU) which are responsible for high-level strategic decisions and business development. One SBU would focus on coffee and another on ice cream. These units focus in overall strategic development which includes acquisitions and market entry strategy. Nestle uses local managers in uniting worldwide operations, as well as managers who work overseas. Lastly, Nestle used management development programmes as a strategic tool to create one spirit among managers. The Research and Development comprises 18 groups which operate in 11 countries. Nestle spends approximately RM30 million annually on RD and has over 3000 employees involved in this function. Contents Planning Mission Nestle is a people-oriented system, which means that they believe in people rather than systems. Moving on, Nestle holds strong to the commitment of creating value for their shareholders. Nestle also strives to decentralize wherever possible to develop relevant products to meet specific needs of different cultures. Last but not least, the company is committed to continuous improvement rather than one off changes. SMART Goals and Objectives Nestles primary objectives are to be recognized as the world leader in nutrition, health and wellness, trusted by all its stakeholders and to be the reference for financial performance in its industry. To accelerate the achievements of these objectives, Nestle has provided a set of strategic priorities, which are to create shared value for both the shareholders and the society while being successful in the long term, implement the Nestle culture, values and principles in managing the company, and create sustainable plans that complies with the law. These goals are specifically stated, measurable in terms of the annual revenue compared with other companies, attainable as Nestle is to date still leading in the nutrition industry and relevant as there are over 283,000 employees worldwide operating Nestle Global. Lastly, the time-bound aspect only applies to objectives of various projects in Nestle such as The Nescafe Plan which aims to invest CHF 500 million in coffee projects by 2020. Action plans (strategies) Nestles strategy was to enter the market much earlier than competitors, and narrow down the initial market focus to a few strategic brands which consisted of basic food items like infant milk powder, noodles, etc. Such an approach concentrated its marketing resources and managerial efforts on a limited number of key niches. Thus a strong market position was built in each niche product. By doing so, Nestle conquered 85% of the market for instant coffee in Mexico, 66% of the market for powdered milk in the Philippines, and 70% for soups in Chile. The company then progressed to introducing mire upscale products into the market. The second strategy Nestle uses to penetrate emerging markets is through customization instead of globalization. Nestle owns as many as up 8500 brands, but only over 800 are made available in more than one country, which means Nestle ensures that only products with ingredients which suit the local conditions are made available to that particular country. Other than that, the growth of Nestle is also contributed by several strategic initiatives such as the creation of Nestle Health Science, formation of two major partnerships in China, investments in different country and acquisitions of other companies one of the most critical factors which led to the companys growth. S.W.O.T Analysis Strengths Nestle able to leverage strong brand name to generate sales, able to customize products to the local market conditions, has research and development capabilities. Weaknesses Nestle is introducing too many products too quickly may affect the brands value. Opportunities Nestle now focuses on developing economies worldwide. Threats Nestle had been allegedly charged of unethical business activities, such as indirectly supporting child trafficking. Organizing Nestle is a decentralized and aligned organisation which shows an organic design instead of mechanistic. As Nestle is a multinational company which operates in more than 80 countries and employs more than 328,000 employees, it is impossible for the Headquarters in Switzerland to keep track of all the departments performances across the globe. Thus explains why decentralised power has been brought down to lower level employees. This means that Nestle encourages lower-level managers to provide input or make decisions in the company. Nestles organization designs are flexible for employees as they are not subjected to a high number of rules as well as high direct supervision from the top management. Besides, time saving as decision making can be done quickly without seeking permission from the higher authorities. Other than that, highly adaptive to the competitive and unpredictable external environment. Nestles organizational structure is hierarchical, meaning there is a chain of command that extends from the upper management to the lower management and clarifies who reports to whom. Orders are given by the upper management to the lower while suggestions are given by the lower to the upper. This structure encourages employees to share new ideas. Formalization Jobs at Nestle are formalised as there are specific job descriptions, many organisational rules and defined work procedures. Nevertheless, Nestle constantly keep a pace with the changing external environment while adapting to the changes.Therefore the organisation is strict but not rigid. Functional Departmentalisation At Nestle, tasks are divided into separate jobs and then grouped under different departments. Each department is managed by a manager who specialises in that particular field. For example employees whose specialisation is in psychology or sociology would work in the human resources department with a HR manager in charged. Leading At Nestle, managers aim to be leaders who not only lead but inspires their employees to gear towards results which would in turn add value to the company. Thus, Nestle leaders are required to understand and practice the following concepts. First, each leader leads to win. A leader is expected to display exemplary leadership and achievements as well as innovation in thinking and be willing to take risks. Second, leaders must manage for results. They must be courageous in facing problems and give proactive cooperation to create synergies among employees and themselves. Third, a leader should help employees discover and use their talents. Lastly, leaders should continuously look for ways to satisfy customers and engage with external parties such as the stakeholders, community, authorities and so on. Besides that, Nestle motivates their employees by giving rewards and benefits. Those awards included Long-service Awards, Passion to Win awards and Nestle Idea Award. These awards are specialized to recognize employees. For example, rewards are awarded to employees who have been the company for more than 30 years, achieved targets or came up with relevant and innovative ideas. Nestles philosophy is to provide and maintain disciplined compensation programs which value long-term relationships with employees while recognizing individual performance. Nestle is also  committed to offering compensation packages, including base pay, short and long-term incentives and  benefits such as the Children Education Assistance Scheme. Communication is also important. Nestles management has worked honestly in dealing with people for  efficient communication. Transparency through sincere dialogue is the only basis for boosting continuous improvement in any aspects. Every employee has the right to converse with superiors or  colleagues. This motivates supervisors and employees to exchange opinions while influencing each other to complete a task. Furthermore, there will be no room for intolerance, harassment or discrimination of any kind  or lack of respect. This  principle has no exception and is to be applied at  all levels and under all circumstances in the company. Controlling Quality control One of the successes behind this company is the high quality sustained by the company over the years. Nestles product quality gives confidence to the customers and consumers in buying Nestle products and brands throughout the years. Nestle measures the performance and satisfaction by listening to customers feedbacks. When mistakes and shortcomings are analyzed, prompt action will be taken for correction and improvement. Besides, understanding customer needs and meeting the satisfaction of the customer leads to the high quality of the products. Adequate resources, equipments, procedures and systems are provided to sustain the high quality of the product. The company never compromises on food safety and always complies with all applicable regulatory requirements. Nestle strive for zero defect and no wastage when it comes to quality. They focus on zero defects while seeking opportunities for continuous improvement of quality standards delivered to the customers and consumers. Cost control Nestle sources their agricultural raw materials directly from farmers, thus reducing the cost of production. The raw materials that they obtain from the farmers are required to meet the quality and safety standard which has been set by Nestle. Nestle reduces the consumption of water by reusing the fresh water and treated water which is eco-friendly to the environment. This in turns reduces costs of the company. Workforce control Workplace is also crucial for the employee to perform their tasks at the optimum level. Nestle encourages their employees to further improve themselves in terms of professional skills and knowledge in all levels of organization through training provided by the company. It treats its labourers and employees with respect and dignity by providing reasonable yet competitive pays, bonuses, overtime pays and other benefits. Overtime is given until an extent where it is reasonable and complies with local laws and regulations. Key Success Factors of Nestle Quality Nestles success would not happen without excellent quality control of their products. For example, Nestle follows the specific steps of a milk collection system, which shows how dairy products are made and brought to the consumers table from the initial stages in the farm. Nestle also strives for zero error and continuously improve towards better quality to satisfy customers needs. Research and Development At Nestle, RD is a key competitive advantage which positioned Nestle as a world leader. In fact, Nestle has the largest  RD network than any food company in the world. Every year, Nestle invests about __% of their revenue in RD. At each stage of the product development process, Nestle further strengthens its  RD  capability through Innovation Partnerships to come up with more innovative ideas which can further improve the existing products. Innovation Nestle continuously tries to improve their existing products with more innovative ideas. For example, dry pet food (Purina Petcare) now comes with a side opening and a side-carrying handle to give more convenience to customers who are pet owners. Product Variation Nestle has more than 8000 brands which consists of various product categories such as dairy products, coffee, cereal, instant noodles and many more. This gives customers a wide range of choice to choose from thus attracting more customers. Packaging At Nestle, products and packed in a way to suit the needs of different people. For example, cereal like Coco Crunch is available in big boxes for families and smaller boxes for little children to bring to school. Nestle also uses their packaging to market their products and attract customers. For example, Milo packaging displays pictures of young athletes in order to give the youngsters the mindset that drinking Milo gives extraordinary energy and performance to them. Major Challenges Nestle May Face In The Future With the rise of sicknesses and diseases in this world, people are becoming more health conscious. Nestle, which claims to be a wellness and nutrition company must decide whether they want to take the risk by modifying products such as Maggi instant noodles by substituting MSG with organic ingredients. Secondly, Nestle will face the challenge of maintaining its position as the world leader in the food and nutrition industry. This is due to the possibility of incoming new competitors in the market. New companies which sell organic products at lower prices may be a great threat to Nestle. Besides that, as Nestle introduces more and more products, maintaining the quality of the production would be more difficult. Nestle would require better technology as well as employ more skillful and knowledgeable employees which could be a challenge as hiring good manpower requires money and time. Global warming and other environmental issues are worsening each year. Industries of any kind are expected to work towards green technology in order to sustain the environment. Currently, Nestle is slowly growing towards this aspect. However, in the future, Nestle needs to decide whether they want to invest even more in technology in this area.

ARSON :: essays research papers

U.S. FIRE ADMINISTRATION COMBATS NATION'S ARSON PROBLEM Arson Awareness Week Targets Juvenile Firesetting WASHINGTON (FEMA) -- Everyday brings news of a serious national problem - arson. This year, Arson Awareness Week, May 5-12, focuses on juvenile firesetting because young people currently represent about 55 percent of arson arrests, according to the U.S. Fire Administration (USFA), a part of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). "Arson is not a hidden crime. It's murder by fire, a violent crime against property and people. Every year arson kills 700 people, destroys 100,000 buildings and costs more than $1.4 billion," U.S. Fire Administrator Carrye Brown said. "There are, however, effective ways citizens, along with law enforcement and the fire service, can ensure the culprits are brought to justice." Brown said that everyone should take steps to prevent arson in their communities. Arson exists in various forms -- juvenile firesetting, vandalism, pyromania, a murder weapon, and concealment of a crime. "We must identify the faces of arson. In addition to kids setting fires, incidents of adult firesetting are increasing, " she said. Charles Evancho, national arson expert and chief of arson, Detroit Fire Department said, "Arson is one of the most difficult crimes to prosecute successfully. Often the criminal justice system does not view arson as a serious crime. The challenge is to develop sentencing for adults and juveniles." Last year, USFA, provided $2 million to 12 states to develop anti-arson programs. In Colorado, for example, USFA grants support a juvenile firesetter prevention program in partnership with a treatment center for abused children. "We need grant programs and partnerships like this," Brown said. "Arson must be tackled on several fronts and people must protect themselves by strengthening prevention and apprehension efforts." Brown offered the following advice: -- Ask local law enforcement and fire officials to identify buildings at risk for arson. -- Organize arson block watches to monitor run-down and vacant buildings, and report suspicious activity. -- Keep boxes, trash, wood and other combustibles away from buildings. -- Make sure everyone in the family knows two ways to escape from their home. Install smoke detectors on each level of your home and check the batteries every month. Seconds count in any fire. USFA supports the nation's firefighters with training, fire data analysis, public education and research in fire protection technologies. For more information about arson and other fire issues, call FEMA's Fax-On-Demand at (202) 646-FEMA. For Internet users, arson facts are available on the World Wide Web at: http://www.fema.gov/usfa/usfa.htm. Jump to the U.S. Fire Administration

The Predicaments of Post-Colonialism

No Longer At Ease Extract In fact, some weeks ago when the trial first began, Mr. | | Green, his boss, who was one of the Crown witnesses, had also said| | something about a young man of great promise. And Obi had| | remained completely unmoved. Mercifully he had recently lost his| | mother, and Clara had gone out of his life. The two events| 5| events following closely on each other had dulled his sensibility and left| | him a different man, able to look words like ‘education and| | ‘promise squarely in the face.But now when the supreme moment| | came he was betrayed by treacherous tears. | | Mr. Green had been playing tennis since five o’clock. It was most| 10| unusual. As a rule his work took up so much of his time that he| | rarely played. His normal exercise was a short walk in the| | evenings. But today he had played with a friend who worked for| | the British council. After the game they retried to the club bar| | Mr. Green had a light yellow sweater over hi s white shirt, and a| 15| white towel hung from his neck. There were many other| |Europeans in the bar, some half-sitting on the high stools and| | some standing in groups of twos and threes drinking cold beer,| | orange squash or gin-and-tonic. | | ‘I cannot understand why he did it’, said the British council| 20| man thoughtfully. He was drawing lines of water with his finger on| | the back of his mist-covered glass of ice-cold beer. | | ‘I can,’ said Mr. Green simply. ‘What I can’t understand is| | is why people like you refuse to face facts. ’ Mr. Green was famous for| | speaking his mind. He wiped his red face with the white towel on| 25| his neck. The African is corrupt through and through. ’ The| | British council man looked about his furtively, more from| | instinct than necessity, for although the club was now open to| | them technically, few Africans went to it. On this particular| | occasion there were none, except of c ourse the stewards who served| 30| unobtrusively. It was quite possible to go in, drink, sign a cheque,| | talk to friends and leave again without noticing these stewards in| | their white uniforms. If everything went right you did not see| | them. | | ‘They are all corrupt,’ repeated Mr. Green. ‘I’m all for| 35| equality and all that.I for once would hate to live in South Africa. | | But equality won’t alter facts. ’| | ‘What facts? ’ asked the British Council man, who was| | relatively new to the country. There was a lull in the general con-| | versation as many people were now listening to Mr. Green without appearing to do so. | 40| The predicaments of post-colonialism. An analytical study of Chinua Achebe’s No Longer At Ease No Longer At Ease is an African, post-colonial novel published in 1960. It is the story of an Ibo man, Obi, who is privileged enough to leave his village for a British education and a job in the civ il service.However, Obi struggles to find bearing in the chasm between a dying colonialism and stillborn independence. With the country on the threshold of independence, the novel speaks strongly of themes such as education, tradition, progression and corruption. The chosen extract is found in the opening chapter of the novel, and details the trial in which Obi is charged for corruption. It is henceforth the intent of this essay to examine how the aforementioned themes are established through the symbolism of key characters, character foils and the frame story technique adopted.This topic was selected as the novel is set in the time period in which it was written, thus it is poignant to examine the perils of cultural assimilation and modernization within the novel as a microcosm of the struggles faced by postcolonial societies. The extract hence provides a good platform to discuss multiple areas and themes of the novel relevant to the question at hand. The interplay of the opening s cene and framed- story within the extract facilitates an understanding of prominent, underlying themes – corruption, and the duality of education.Deviating from the trial, the novel launches into frames- past events that culminate into Obi’s eventual demise, all of which are flashbacks designed to answer the pertinent question, ‘why he did it? ’ (line20) The frame within the extract begins with an exchange between Mr. Green and a British Council man that crystallizes the many prejudices harbored by colonials against the Africans; Mr. Green offers an insensitive and discriminatory explanation to Obi’s actions – ‘The African is corrupt through and through. ’(line26) This in itself is heavily ironic; while Mr.Green accuses Obi and his people of being ‘all corrupt’(line35), he, a colonial master, fails to realize that it is his Western education and socio-economic policies that have paradoxically landed educated Nigerian s such as Obi in their predicament. The onslaught of Western culture has essentially roped Africans deeper and deeper into moral calamity. Another example of irony is when Mr. Green declared ‘[he’s] all for equality’(line35) despite reproaching Africans for being corrupt and therefore inferior. Achebe is hence able to subtly discredit the Western system of education using Mr.Green’s hypocrisy as a representation. Henceforth, the role of the opening scene and first frame is twofold; Firstly, they work in tandem to instill the over-arching setting – an inherently corrupt African society. This provides the occasion for the main narrative- Obi being charged for accepting a bribe, and, the issue addressed by the rest of the novel- how colonialism was a detriment Nigeria as a developing nation. Beginning with the end also allows readers to anticipate Obi’s arrest depicted in the novel’s closing scene.This imbues the novel with a circularity that prompts readers to draw connections and understand the intimate relationship between the events detailed in the novel’s frames, and why Obi succumbed to corruption. Secondly, they put forth the duality of education. Here, Mr. Green’s hypocrisy (detailed in frame) and Obi’s trial (detailed in opening scene) encapsulate the superficiality of Western education- while it opened doors and opportunities, the social and moral predicament that ensued did little to emancipate Obi; rather, it entrenched him in greater problems, that of a struggle between two extreme cultures.Secondly, the characterization of Mr. Green as an archetypal colonial figure, and a symbol of patriarchic colonialism contribute to the portrayal of the theme of tradition and progression. Achebe personifies Mr. Green as a racist individual, aghast at the incompetence of Africans whom were, in his opinion, inextricably ‘corrupt through and through’(line26). It is even mentioned that Mr. Green patronized the club to escape the very presence of the locals(line34). Having understood the dynamics of Mr.Green’s character, the juxtaposition of Mr. Green and the UPU in the novel’s opening chapter, a symbol of traditionalist culture, hence highlights the two cultural spaces between which Obi is trapped. Having undergone a Western education meant that Obi was effectively void of a concrete identity, unable to assimilate completely or relate to either his cultural roots or a more contemporary, Western culture. Hence the conflict within Obi is introduced and presented to readers via this subtle juxtaposition of Mr.Green and the UPU that foreshadows the conflict between traditional and modernist values, the source of Obi’s downfall. Henceforth, Achebe has used symbolism through characters – Mr. Green and the UPU, to illustrate the long-drawn conflict between traditionalist and modernist cultures that was prominent during the post-colonial era. A nother literary technique Achebe has exploited to accentuate the cultural predicament Obi was ensnared in is that of a character foil. The theme of realism versus idealism is enforced here.Within the novel, Christopher serves as Obi’s foil; He always offers an opposing view to Obi’s. Among the many debates Christopher and Obi engaged in, the most significant is thus the discussion targeting the morality of bribery. Here, Christopher symbolizes reality- the liberal yet corrupt values of European society while Obi represents idealistic, traditional African culture. The juxtaposition of Christopher and Obi henceforth magnifies the theme of realism versus idealism; it encapsulates Obi’s struggle to come to terms with an alien European culture that would debase his African values.Henceforth, although Christopher advocates that Obi accept Elsie Mark’s offer, Obi holds fast, at this juncture, that the educated should ‘not take advantage of [their] position . ’ There is hence a distinct conflict between the irrefutable reality of a corrupt African society evidenced by Christopher’s stance, and the morality of idealistic Nigerian values, portrayed by Obi’s short-lived resistance to corruption; this thus acts as a microcosm of the transition that Obi is soon to undergo.The influence of his colonial masters will cause him to lay down his idealistic traditional beliefs and instead hoist the flag of Western culture, marking his moral degeneration and corruptibility. This signifies the point in time where Obi’s idealism is displaced by reality- corruption. By embodying the flaws of the Western education system, and exemplifying the appalling work ethic of educated Nigerians scorned by Mr. Green, Christopher therefore foreshadows Obi’s regression, allowing readers to unlock valuable insight into the corrupt nature of the educated.Henceforth, the character foil in the novel is pivotal in allowing readers to e mpathize with Obi’s susceptibility to the influence of colonialism. In conclusion, Achebe has successfully utilized the frame-story technique, symbolism and character foils to engender a conflict of tradition and progression within Obi. This has come to define the very essence of the African experience: colonization and decolonization, and the novel has successfully portrayed the tragic reality of how Obi was unable to anchor his character in the past, or in a utopian future. Word Count: 1,097

Recognize and Use Clauses in English Grammar

Recognize and Use Clauses in English Grammar A clause is the basic building block of a sentence; by definition, it must contain a subject and a verb. Although they appear simple, clauses can function in complex ways in English grammar. A clause can function as a simple sentence, or it may be joined to other clauses with conjunctions to form complex sentences. A clause is a group of words that contains a subject and a predicate. It may be either a complete  sentence (also known as an independent or  main clause) or a sentence-like construction within another sentence (called a dependent or subordinate clause). When clauses are joined so that one modifies another, they are called matrix clauses. Independent: Charlie bought a 57 Thunderbird. Dependent: Because he loved classic cars Matrix: Because he loved classic cars, Charlie bought a 57 Thunderbird. Clauses can function in several ways, as outlined below. Adjective Clause This dependent clause (adjective clause) is also known as a relevant clause because it usually contains a relative pronoun or relative adverb. It is used to modify a subject, much as an adjective would, and is also known as a relative clause. Example: This is the ball that Sammy Sosa hit over the left-field wall in the World Series.   Adverbial Clause Another dependent clause, adverbial clauses function like an adverb, indicating time, place, condition, contrast, concession, reason, purpose, or result. Typically, an adverbial clause is set off with a comma and subordinating conjunction. Example: Although Billy loves pasta and bread, hes on a no-carb diet. Comparative Clause These comparative subordinate clauses use adjectives or adverbs such as like or than to draw a comparison. They are also known as proportional clauses. Example: Julieta is a better poker player than I am. Complement Clause Complementary clauses function like adjectives modifying a subject. They usually begin with a subordinating conjunction and modify the subject-verb relationship. Example: I never expected that you would fly to Japan. Concessive Clause A subordinate clause, the concessive clause is  used to contrast or justify the main idea of the sentence. It is typically set off by a subordinating conjunction. Example: Because we were shivering, I turned up the heat. Conditional Clause Conditional clauses  are easy to recognize because they usually begin with the word if. A type of adjectival clause, conditionals express a hypothesis or condition. Example: If we can reach Tulsa, we can stop driving for the night. Coordinate Clause Coordinate  clauses usually begin  with the conjunctions and or but and express relativity or relationship with the subject of the main clause. Example: Sheldon drinks coffee, but Ernestine prefers tea. Noun Clause As the name suggests, noun clauses  are a sort of dependent clause that functions as a noun in relation to the main clause. They are typically offset with that, which, or what. Example: What I believe is irrelevant to the conversation. Reporting Clause The reporting clause is more commonly known as attribution because it identifies who is speaking or the source of what is being said. They always follow the noun or noun clause. Example: Im going to the mall, shouted Jerry from the garage. Verbless Clause This kind of subordinate clause may not seem like one because it lacks a verb. Verbless clauses provide tangential information that informs  but is not directly modifying the main clause. Example: In the interest of brevity, I will keep this speech short.

Rond and round the wagon train essays

Rond and round the wagon train essays Technology is a crucial ingredient of health care. All health care consists of human interaction, the application of technology, or mostly both. John Harveys Video; Round and round the wagon train looks at the financial, technological problems of NHS in the district of Shropshire during 1989. Ken Morris, the general manager of local health authority of Shropshire has estimated an additional spending of 2 million over the estimated budget of 80 million for the year. District chairman, Mr. Frank Jones (also the chairman of Telfort; a fast growing new town in middle of Shropshire) appointed Ken Morris is looking forward opening a new hospital in Telfort. The hospital would be equipped with new and latest medical instruments, which might help bring down the waiting list which at present is amongst the highest in the U.K. There were ten cottage hospitals in Shropshire of which six have been closed so far. Doctors, nurses and the patients are not happy with the way things are going and wit h continuous change of plans and they want to preserve the cottage hospital. John Harvey during his first meeting with Ken observes that he is very relaxed about the waiting list and spending of 2million pounds over the budget. Over the next board meeting Ken convinces that it would be best to close down another cottage hospital. The operational problems are overlaid by political situations. The hospitals are run and managed poorly and are not in a very good state. Shropshire requires better and pointed management along with better understanding of strategy by the doctors. This would help people understand what management is doing. Management needs to gain the confidence of local people by preserving the cottage hospitals. Poor networking had further complicated the problem; everyone is blaming someone or the other for the flaws in the system. The whole problem requires a unified approach and public support, until radical changes ar...

Managerial Finance Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4750 words

Managerial Finance - Essay Example This has led to a fall in the prices of products sold by Titanic Plc. Consequently, due to a fall in volumetric sales and price of beer; Titanic Plc’s sales have plunged by 30%. The above table shows that the margins of the company have also eroded due to fall in selling prices but no subsequent reduction in the costs. The gross margin fell from 46.4% in 2010 to 39.4% in 2012, which can be attributed to the fall in selling prices due to increase in competition in the industry. The operating profit margin and net margin fell drastically as the company could not control its distribution and administration expenses in the period of falling sales revenue. The directors of the company feel that the company is experiencing financial distress. A company is in a financial distress when it faces liquidity issues and has difficulties in paying off its obligations when they are due. Financial distress increases when a company’s revenues move with the economy. Such cyclical companies are prone to fall in profitability due to an economic downturn. The above table shows the liquidity ratios of the company. Company’s liquidity has improved from 2010 to 2012 as shown by an increase in the current ratio as well as the quick ratio of the company. Although the cash of the company fell from  £10.6M from 2010 to  £9.8M in 2012, the decrease was offset by an increase in inventory and receivables of the company. However, the current liabilities of the company fell drastically by 46% from  £19.9M in 2010 to  £10.8M in 2012 owing to lower trade payables and dividend payable. The ratios indicate that the company’s liquidity position is adequate. The above table shows the asset efficiency ratios for Titanic Plc. Days in inventory has increased substantially from 89 days in 2010 to 122 days in 2012 indicating that the company’s inventory is piling up. This piling up of inventory is due to the fall in sales of the company. Titanic Plc has to take steps to

Culinary Class - Bocuse d'Or USA Movie Review Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Culinary Class - Bocuse d'Or USA - Movie Review Example For instance, the chefs had to shop and make different recipes within a provided amount of time. In this case, it was impressive to see the chefs prepare three different meals under pressure and still maintain the time set. The chefs portrayed a high level of professionalism. This is due to the fact that they work under constant supervision and there was no time they failed to prepare a successful meal. They not only cook with enthusiasm but also make sure that all their meals look impressive and scrumptious. In my opinion, the chefs are well trained and have a passion for their work. It was intriguing to see young people working hard to master the art of cooking and also be recognized for it. This inspires as a young person to be more aggressive towards what I love and want for myself in the future. Additionally, I was inspired to see that people are proud of their cultures and the different foods they eat. In conclusion, I did not have a chance to attend the competitions but I have heard of it before. I would be honored to attend one of these competitions in the