The New Angle On Examples of Illustration Essays Just Released

The New Angle On Examples of Illustration Essays Just Released You may use the personal experience method to compose your illustration essay, too. There are a lot of good topics for illustration essays to select from. You may use various kinds of examples to be able to support your illustration thesis. A specific case of illustration employs a personal experience or other men and women experience that is shown to be dominant to present an essential illustration essay example. Additionally, there are hypothetical illustrations that may be utilized in an illustration essay. Just like every sort of essay it's important that you know the characteristics before you begin your research and writing. Correct argumentation plays a distinctive function in creating an illustration essay. Examples of Illustration Essays Fundamentals Explained Making something into a habit can take some moment, and that time can be challenging. Habits are difficult to form, but in addition tricky to break, which can be helpful for the future. Influence of music on the mood It is a known truth that the option of specific music can create behavioral alterations. Using Examples of Illustration Essays Explaining the significance of a religious ceremony to individuals who are not familiar with it. Quite simply, it illustrates or demonstrates an idea or something regarding the topic through using examples. The very first bullet point ought to be your thesis, the subsequent three bullet points ought to be the supporting examples, and the previous bullet point ought to be the conclusion. Personal memories are a superior supply of ideas you'll be able to share with the readers to support the major argument. Remembering your subject in connection with your audience increases your odds of effectively illustrating your point. You might also opt to bring a couple more parts of evidence to be certain the audience understands your point. 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Topics for an excellent illustrative essay are available around us. Examples ought to be carefully chosen so they will interest readers and let them understand the most important point of your essay. It is difficult to write a superior essay if you aren't fascinated about this issue you've chosen. Actually, you will can create a terrific essay if you decide on its topic correctly. An essay is a part of writing that is developed to prove a single point. So to ensure that you compose a top-quality essay you obviously need to understand the inside story of the topic. Lies You've Been Told About Examples of Illustration Essays Everything can be thoroughly illustrated that is the reason why it is suitable to choose topics about the regions of our expertise. If you must incorporate research, however, you'll want to seek out ideal examples from your sources. Stem cell research is essential to advancement in medicine and treatment of several diseases and conditions. 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Essay on The End of Innocence in Lord of the Flies

The End of Innocence in Lord of the Flies William Golding wrote the novel Lord of the Flies to trace the defects of society back to the defects of human nature.(Golding) He wanted to show that humans naturally live in savagery and ignorance with little knowledge on how to live together peacefully. To accomplish his premise Golding strands a group of boys on an island who then must set up government in an attempt to survive. The story uses heavy symbolism to compare the life on the island to the entire civilization of the world. Each character on the island represents one aspect of civilized society; those who represent uninhibited man survive and those who represent intellectual or spiritual man die. One of the more†¦show more content†¦Simon is not afraid of the jungle because he does not fear the beast. He knows the real beast cannot be escaped from or fought with spears and rocks: maybe he said hesitantly maybe there is a beast...maybe its only us.(P97) Simon knows that the real beast cannot be ...satiated with sacrifice and dance. The beast is a part of everyone, a part of human nature. (Dickey) Simon wants nothing more than to tell the others but to talk in assembly was a terrible thing to him.(P97) Simon lives in fear, he is afraid that if he tells the others that they will turn against him, he knows his society would not except him and so he remains quiet. Golding makes several references to Simons spirituality; he is comparable to Christ, an often-misunderstood savior. Simons secret place is a sort of holy sanctuary: ... the butterflies danced in the middle their unending dance. He knelt down and the arrow of sun fell on him.(146) Like Christ, Simon is doing the work of God, when the arrow of light falls on him a sign from the heavens is being conveyed. Like Christ, Simon is tempted by evil, in a vision the Lord of the Flies told him: Fancy thinking the Beast was something you could hunt and kill! ... You knew didnt you? Im part of you? ... Get back to the others and we will forget the whole thing.(158) Simon however does not give in. When the twins, Sam and EricShow MoreRelated Themes in Lord of the Flies Essay682 Words   |  3 Pages William Goldning’s Lord of the Flies is an allegorical novel where literary techniques are utilized to convey the main ideas and themes of the novel. Two important central themes of the novel i ncludes loss of civilization and innocense which tie into the concept of innate human evil. Loss of civilization is simply the transition from civilization to savagery; order to chaos. The concept of loss of innocense is a key concept to innate human evil because childhood innocense is disrupted as the groupRead MoreComparison of Lord of the Flies with Peter Pan1716 Words   |  7 Pages The Boys The books â€Å"Lord of the Flies† by William Golding, and â€Å"Peter Pan† by J.M. Barrie, have similar characteristics that will be compared and contrasted in this paper. â€Å"Lord of the Flies† takes place on a deserted island where about 20 British boys have crashed during World War II. Peter Pan, dissimilarly, tells the tale of a boy who doesn’t want to grow up and lives on the magical island of Neverland with the Lost Boys. Both Lord of the Flies and Peter Pan have common themes, symbolsRead MoreKindness in an Unkind World1228 Words   |  5 PagesBeing a kind-hearted person in a savage world is not an easy thing to do. The savage world will usually get through to the kind person and change them into a monster, but not Simon. Throughout William Golding’s novel, Lord of the Flies, Simon is the boy who remains good even when the rest of the world remains cruel. Simon is a quiet boy in the story who shows wisdom and civilization, on an uncivil ized and savage island. Simon is first introduced when Ralph calls an assembly with the conch in theRead MoreEssay about Lord of the Flies by William Golding1325 Words   |  6 Pagesof society, humans are capable of committing actions that they would have never thought possible.   Lord of the Flies focuses on a group of boys who are alone on an island without authority. The novel reveals what can become of humanity without the presence of authority.   In Lord of the Flies by William Golding, the protagonist Ralph symbolizes leadership, civilization,   as well as the loss of innocence.   Ralph is the closest resemblance to authority that the boys have on the island.   His appearanceRead MoreThe Human Tendency Towards War Exemplified in William Golding’s Lord of the Flies695 Words   |  3 Pageskeep them all in awe, they are in that condition which is called war . . .† (Hobbes 64). Thomas Hobbes, an enlightenment thinker, believes that humans are born evil, and without a good leade r, everything will turn into chaos. William Golding’s Lord of the Flies rightly gives examples on Hobbes’ viewpoint. Throughout the story, it shows the process in which the boys slowly loses their civilized self and turn into savages, how the boys would do anything just for survival or just purely entertainment.Read MoreThe Genesis of Evil in Lord of the Flies1005 Words   |  5 Pages William Golding analyzes this further in his novel, Lord of the Flies, which is about a large group of boys that crash-land on a deserted Island after fleeing a dangerous England in the times of WWII. These young boys are used to entertain the idea of savagery vs. civilization and how evil lies deep within us all. After reading Lord of the Flies, it is possible that the evil within the boys is driven by fear, power, and the loss of innocence. To begin, fear is portrayed in one of the â€Å"Bigguns†Read MoreLoss of Innocence757 Words   |  4 PagesIt has been said that innocence can be defined as the state or quality of being morally free from guilt or sin, through lack of knowledge of evil. I will examine pieces of literature that convey the loss of innocence to either a particular person, or a group of people. The first piece of writing I have chosen is, The Lord of the Flies by William Golding. In the middle of a war, a plane carrying a group of schoolboys crashed onto an island. The pilot had been killed, so that left the boys to fendRead MoreLord Of The Flies By William Golding1206 Words   |  5 Pageshead when drastic situations arise. We see this primal characteristic of brutality slowly take hold of the boys on the island until the ‘Lord of the Flies’ has claimed it’s latest victims. Not only Simon and Piggy, but all the boys on the island. Throughout the novel, we see all the boys go from having fun and exhibiting civilized behavior to losing control at the end. â€Å"You knew, didn’t you? I’m part of you.† (Golding p.143 lines 24-25). The onset of this novel was introduced as innocent as could beRead MoreThe Lord of the Flies by William Golding1257 Words   |  6 Pages LOTF: Good vs Evil Change is inevitable. In Lord of the Flies, three of the characters represent how the human condition can change. Each character handles situations and conditions differently. Their conflicts challenge their existence and eventually lead to their demise. In Lord of the Flies, during the wage of war between good and evil, the true face of everyone is revealed, whether it be Roger, Simon, or the children as a group. There are a lot of ways that good and evil are representedRead MoreLord Of The Flies : Human Savagery And The Flow Of Power1592 Words   |  7 PagesLord of the Flies is a chilling work about human savagery and the flow of power. Golding uses symbolism, characterization, and description to illustrate the occurrences and the underlying themes in the novel. The work has an ominous but irresistible tone that Golding lays out through his description of the island. Golding makes the island seem sinister and irresistible by writing,† The shore was fledged with palm trees. These stood or leaned or reclined against the light and their green feathers

Economic crisis in Nigeria free essay sample

The evolution of Nigeria was from about 1849 until it attained independence in 1960. During this period a lot of events occurred, and is largely the story of the great impact of the British on the Nigerian people. The colonial authorities (British) sought to define, protect and realize their imperial interest in the portion of West Africa because of its endowment with natural resources, apparently this occurred about hundred years ago. The British was very determined to pursue their goals which were largely economic and quite strategic. The British was involved deeply with the economic life of their colonized people. In this period the British found a huge amount of crude oil in the coastal regions, and the Greyne Goldie’s National African Company (1888) which had successfully squeezed out rivals but was later changed to the Royal Niger Company, chartered and limited. The name Nigeria sprang up in 1914, which was the amalgamation of the northern and southern protectorates by the then colonial secretary Flora Shore. We will write a custom essay sample on Economic crisis in Nigeria or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page As time swept past, constitutions were made such as the Sir Hugh Clifford constitution of 1922, the Richards constitution of 1946, the MacPherson constitution was promulgated in 1951 and so on. From this point, the Nigerian state moved on until its independence in 1960. Now with concentration on the economy of Nigeria, it has been petroleum-based, the economy has suffered some lapses such instability, corruption, and poor macro-economic management, the economy has however strongly proven that despite all odds it is a promising one and may develop the largest economy in Africa competing with South Africa. HISTORY OF NIGERIA’S ECONOMY. (history)This a brief evaluation of Nigeria’s economy the pro-oil boom (1960-1970), the period of oil boom (1971-1977), the period of structural modification and stabilization, and the period of guided deregulation. The Nigerian economy has had an abridged history. In the period 1960-70, the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) recorded 3. 1 per cent growth yearly. During the oil boom era, roughly 1970-78, QDP grew positively by 6. 2 per cent yearly an impressive growth. However, in the 1980s, GDP had damaging growth rates. In the period 1988-1997 which constitutes the period of structural adjustment and economic liberalization, the QDP responded to economic amendment policies and grew at a positive rate of 4. 0. In the years after independence, industry and manufacturing zones had positive growth rates except for the period 1980-1988 where industry and manufacturing grew negatively by 3. 2 per cent and 2. 9 per cent respectively. In the early 1960s, the agricultural sector suffered from low commodity prices while the oil boom contributed to the negative growth of agriculture in the 1970s. The boom in the oil sector lured labor away from the rural sector to urban centers. The impact of agriculture to GDP, which was 63 percent in 1960, deteriorated to 34 per cent in 1988, not because the industrial sector increased its share but due to neglect of the agricultural sector. It was therefore not surprising that by 1975, the economy had become a net importer of basic food items. The apparent increase in industry and manufacturing from 1978 to 1988, was due to activities in the mining sub-sector, especially petroleum. Capital formation in the economy has not been satisfactory. Gross domestic investment as a percentage of GDP, which was 16. 3 per cent and 22. 8 per cent in the periods 1965-73 and 1973-80 respectively, decreased to almost 14 per cent in 1980-88 and increased to 18. 2 per cent in 1991 -98. Gross National Saving has been low and consists mostly of public savings especially during the period 1973-80. The current account balances before official transfers are negative for 1965-73, 1980-88 and 1991-98. Unemployment rates averaged almost 5 per cent for the period 1976-1998. However, the statistics especially on unemployment, must be interpreted with caution. Most job seekers do not use the labor exchanges, apart from the inherent distortions in the countrys labor market. Based on some basic indicators, it appears that the economy performed well during the years immediately after independence and into the oil boom years. However, in the 1980s the economy was in a recession. The on-going economic reform programmer is an attempt to put the economy on a recovery path with minimal inflation. The analysis that follows tries to discuss the developments in the economy for different periods. YearsPercent 1960-703. 1 1965-7816. 3 1970-786. 2 1973-8016. 3 1980-886. 1 1988-974 Figure 1 history of Nigeria’s economy This graph explains the above History. CURRENT STATE OF NIGERIA’S ECONOMY (142)Failure of the military to diversify the economy, Nigeria’s economy has overdependence on the capital-intensive oil sector, which in real sense actually provides less than 25% of the GDP despite providing 95% of foreign exchange earnings, and also about 65% of government revenues. Although it’s a large exporter of raw food produce and also a larger importer of it’s already processed food and therefore the agricultural sector has not been able to keep up with its rapidly growing population. Because of the crushing poverty, the Nigerian economy is struggling to leverage the country’s vast wealth in fossil fuels. The term â€Å"resource curse† is tagged on countries that although has vast wealth is still struggling with extreme personal poverty, such as Nigeria. Reportedly, 80 percent of the revenue flows to the government, another 16 percent cover operational cost whilst the 4 percent left goes to the investors but the World Bank has proven this wrong as 80 percent is for the government and 1 percent for its population. TRENDS OF NIGERIAN ECONOMY. (trends)According to the trading economy of Nigeria it gives a brief review of the recent trends in Nigeria, the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in Nigeria elongated 7. 67 percent in the fourth quarter of 2013 over the same quarter of the previous year. GDP Growth Rate in Nigeria is reported by the Central Bank of Nigeria. From 2005 until 2013, Nigeria GDP Growth Rate be an average of 6. 8 Percent reaching an all-time high of 8. 6 Percent in December of 2010 and a record low of 4. 5 Percent in March of 2009. Nigeria is one of the most technologically advanced countries in Africa. Agriculture is the largest sector of the economy, accounting for about 42 percent of total GDP. Yet, the fastest growing segments are Wholesale and Retail Trade and Telecommunication and Post. Together they account for almost 35 percent of total output. The third most important sector is Crude Petroleum and Natural Gas which institutes 13. 5 percent of total weight, but its influence to GDP have been diminishing over the last two years. Industry and Construction account for the remaining 9. 5 percent of the GDP. This page provides Nigeria GDP Growth Rate actual values, chronological data, forecast, chart, statistics, economic calendar and news. The economy trend of Nigeria also drew some attention to its agricultural sector and also according to intercontinental food policy research institute it has stated the following Agriculture is the economic mainstay of the majority of households in Nigeria (Udoh, 2000) and is a significant sector in Nigeria’s economy (Amaza, 2000). (tradingeconomics. com) FUTURE OF NIGERIAN ECONOMY. (google)Nigerian economy has a bright end ahead of them as the already have the aim of becoming Africa’s largest economy after the leading country South Africa. The future of the Nigerian economy has been visualized by the nation’s encyclopedia Nigerias prospects for sustainable economic growth are mixed. Despite current hardships, Nigeria represents an essential market in Africa with its vast human and natural resources. Its revenues from both the recent and ongoing reclamation in oil prices and the export of liquefied natural gas should help to rebuild the nations traumatized socio-economic infrastructure. The anti-corruption legislation, rigorously enforced, should help to reestablish transparency and responsibility into economic decisions, which would boost national and international investor confidence in the nation. Nigeria has many impediments on its road to sustainable development. Earnings from non-oil exports are unlikely to improve significantly because of the high cost of production. Acrimony between the administrative and legislative arms of the government continue relentlessly to the detriment of collective and decisive action. Throbbing and costly fuel shortages, caused by the inability of Nigerias dilapidated refineries to produce anywhere near capacity, restrain the nation. Inter-ethnic and religious conflicts continue to take their tolls in human lives and physical assets of the nation. Unemployment, especially among college graduates, has reached excruciating levels. Armed robbery and crime constitute a present hazard to the economy. These impairments must be more determinedly addressed to enhance Nigerias chances for growth and development. CONCULSION Scott Rogers, IMF Mission Chief for Nigeria, issued today in Abuja the following statement: â€Å"The Nigerian economy weathered the global economic recession and domestic banking crisis remarkably well. Real Gross Domestic Product growth this year is expected to be exceptionally high on the back of a strong recovery in oil production and continued strong growth in other sectors. However, inflation remains stubbornly high and international reserves continue to fall as the authorities support the exchange rate. â€Å"â€Å"It recommends that expenditures be reallocated from recurrent to capital projects to support economic growth. The medium-term fiscal policy for all levels of government should be anchored by a strong oil-price rule which would align government spending with available resources. â€Å"The team recommended that the CBN conduct monetary policy with a view to reducing inflation to a single-digit level. In this regard, the team supported the recent increase in the monetary policy rate, but noted that the CBN needs to make better use of open market operations to make its policy rate effective. The team understood the concern about the stagnation of aggregate credit to the private sector. Slower growth in credit is not unexpected in the aftermath of the unsustainable credit growth driven by equity-related lending. Efforts to boost lending to small businesses should be promoted through targeted reforms, such as an effective credit risk bureau, better collateral execution and bankruptcy procedures, and improved land tenure system. â€Å"Key target in the Vision 20:2020 strategy is to transform Nigeria into a one of the world’s top 20 economies by the year 2020. However, achieving the high level of public investment outlined in the strategy will require a major shift in public resources from recurrent to capital spending, substantial increase non-oil revenue, and substantial expansion in budget implementation capacity. It will be very important, therefore, that the public capital projects be clearly prioritized in the event that fiscal resources are inadequate to fully implement the Vision. †

The Great Gatsby Total Analysis Essay Example

The Great Gatsby Total Analysis Essay Perhaps F. Scott Fitzgeralds greatest work, The Great Gatsby is not only a great story, but an insight into the flaws of real life during the Roaring Twenties. His book has been considered by many a symbol for the Jazz Age, a time of extraordinary wealth and promise, but Fitzgeralds novel is much more than that, presenting the truth behind the twenties and creating an atmosphere which has earned a permanent place in American literature. Fitzgeralds novel works on many different levels, giving us unforgettable characters and events on one, as well as referring to the problems of American wealth and spirituality on another. However, what is the main point of the book? And most importantly, what on earth is that mysterious green light? Those questions, as well as many others will be answered in this analysis, which will discuss the underlying meaning and symbolism behind The Great Gatsby. I didnt call to him, for he gave a sudden intimation that he was content to be alone he stretched out his arms towards the dark water in a curious way, and, far as I was from him, I could have sworn he was trembling. Involuntarily I glanced seaward and distinguished nothing except a single green light, minute and far away, that might have been the end of a dock. When I looked once more for Gatsby he had vanished, and I was alone again in the unquiet darkness. (16) So ends the first chapter of The Great Gatsby and brings to our attention the first symbol in this book that mysterious green light. In our first acquaintance with the light, we see Gatsby reaching out for it, almost, in a way, worshipping it. We find out later that this green light is at the end of Daisys dock, and is a symbol for Gatsbys dream and the hope for the future. We will write a custom essay sample on The Great Gatsby Total Analysis specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on The Great Gatsby Total Analysis specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on The Great Gatsby Total Analysis specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer Green is the color of promise, hope, and renewal so it is fitting that Gatsbys dream of a future with Daisy be represented physically in the novel by this green light. Later, in the final chapter of this novel, Fitzgerald compares Gatsbys green light to the green breast of the new world (115), comparing Gatsbys dream of rediscovering Daisy to the explorers discovery of America and the promise of a new continent. However, Gatsbys dream is tarnished by his material possessions, much like America is now with our obsession with wealth. The means corrupt the end, nd Gatsbys dream dies because of Daisy, Gatsby, and Toms carelessness and superficiality, as does Gatsby for the same reasons. At the end of the first chapter we are given the green light, a symbol for the hope and promise of the future. At the beginning of the second chapter, however, we are introduced to the foul wasteland of the present. Fitzgerald calls it a valley of ashes (16), where only the eyes of Dr. T. J. Eckleburg lo ok over it from a billboard nearby. This section of the novel can be interpreted as the foul, material-driven world that the main characters live in, and which helps to destroy Gatsbys dream. The eyes of Dr. Eckleburg symbolize in this chapter advertising and materialism gone mad, one of the central themes of the plot. Later in the book, right before the climax, Daisy tells Gatsby that he reminds her of an advertisement. This statement confirms that Daisy does not like Gatsby for himself, but for the superficial illusion he represents. On a larger scale, it is through advertising that the material aspects of the American Dream are revealed. Hence, it only makes sense that Fitzgerald would use references to advertising throughout the course of his novel. Also in advertising, eternal youth, wealth, and beauty are constantly emphasized, which goes along with Gatsbys youthful dream of Daisy and explains why Fitzgerald never has to develop his characters. Fitzgeralds novel is only one big advertisement, with all the characters involved living with eternal youth, wealth, and beauty that never develop in part because advertisements never develop. Later on in The Great Gatsby, George Wilson, after seeing his wife die in a tragic car accident, gives the eyes of Dr. T. J. Eckleburg a whole new meaning. Wilson, a very non-religious man, compares the doctors eyes to those of God, watching over him through the foul dust and desolate wasteland in which the novel is set. This is only one of many religious overtones mentioned or hinted at by Fitzgerald throughout The Great Gatsby. At the end of the first chapter, we see Gatsby reaching out for the green light, almost in the attitude of a worshiper. This is the first suggestion Fitzgerald gives us that Gatsbys quest for Daisy is more than just a physical endeavor, but a spiritual one as well. During the flashback in chapter seven, when Gatsby first met Daisy, his mind is compared to the mind of God, which will never act the same again if he kisses her. A chapter earlier, Nick writes the following concerning why Gatsby changed his name: He was a son of God a phrase which, if it means anything, means just that and he must be about His Fathers business, the service of a vast, vulgar, and meretricious beauty. So he invented just the sort of Jay Gatsby that a seventeen-year-old boy would be likely to invent, and to this conception he was faithful to the end. (63) Gatsby, by changing his name, in a way creates himself anew, making his life more like that of God. In chapter eight, we find two instances of religious imagery. Daisy is compared to the Holy Grail and Gatsbys dream is like a knights quest, showing once again the dreams spiritual nature. Also in this chapter, we see Gatsby, after the car accident, looking over Daisy from her yard, trying to protect her. His watch over her window is compared to a vigil, and while Nick talked to Gatsby that night, he sensed that his presence was ruining the sacredness of the moment. However, Gatsbys vigil was over nothing Daisy was never in her room that night much like Gatsbys dream is over a nonexistent person. The Daisy he met and fell in love with years ago is not the same person anymore, and as much as Gatsby thinks that he can repeat the past, in the real world it is proven to be impossible. On one level, Fitzgerald gives us Gatsbys dream as a spiritual quest, but on another level, we find out that this is yet another reason why his dream fails. His faith is misplaced, because the object of his quest is nothing more than Daisy Buchanan. In turn, Fitzgerald is saying that the spirituality of America is misplaced because of our obsession with material wealth, which creates a sort of national delusion. When the early explorers first came to America, escaping the corruption of their old world in search of the promise of a new world, they traveled from east to west. Now, America itself is corrupted, so the characters in The Great Gatsby travel from west to east in search of wealth and sophistication leaving the moral values and stability of the west behind. It is this eastern part which is called a valley of ashes by Fitzgerald, a place where morals are left out and only superficial, material-driven people can live in peace. Fitzgerald uses this change in direction as a symbol for the deterioration of American ideals and the American Dream, helping to prove that our quest for wealth and sophistication is corrupting our culture, and causing us to live in a wasteland of morals an ash heap of civilization. All these previous symbols the green light, the ash heap, and the east and west have one thing in common: change. Change is apparent in both the action and the underlying meaning and symbols of the novel. From the basic storyline, we find three major instances of change. First, all major characters change where they live, with Tom and Daisy a prime example moving frequently from place to place throughout their life before arriving at East Egg. Also, Gatsby changes his name, which allows him to start his life from scratch and make it more like that of God all in the ultimate goal of attaining Daisy. And finally we have the changing of the seasons, which symbolically correspond to changes in the storyline during The Great Gatsby. On one level, Fitzgerald writes these elements of change in the action of the novel, but on another level, he hints at change symbolically. The green light is a symbol for hope and promise a hope that the ash heap of the present will change to that of a great future, where dreams come true and the American Dream is realized. Overlooking this ash heap of the present are the eyes of Dr. T. J. Eckleburg, which change in meaning throughout the novel. In chapter two, they symbolize materialism and advertising gone mad, showing how corrupt the American Dream and American idealism have become. However, later in the novel his eyes are compared to those of God changing their meaning to a more spiritual one symbolizing how American spirituality has been corrupted by our quest for wealth and material possessions. We also see a change in travel in Gatsby from the traditional east-west direction to the opposite movement from west to east which symbolizes the corruption in America today. People now move from stable, moral environments in the west to the lavish, highly superficial wealth of the east an east which is characterized by Fitzgerald as the ash heap of civilization. With all this change in The Great Gatsby, only one character changes throughout the course of the novel: Nick. Gatsby cannot change because his life is based on a dream he set for himself as a youth and Tom and Daisy cannot develop because their life is one big advertisement, living in eternal youth, beauty, and wealth. Nick however, changes a great deal throughout the novel which we see most prominently in two statements he makes. At the end of chapter three, Nick states: Everyone suspects himself of at least one of the cardinal virtues, and this is mine: I am one of the few honest people that I have ever known. (39) He later corrects this statement, during a conversation with Jordan Baker, saying: Im thirty. Im five years too old to lie to myself and call it honour (113). He develops enough in this story to realize that he is not above the rest of the characters, and is capable of lies and superficiality as well. What saves, or sets Nick apart from the rest, however, may have been his realization of his thirtieth birthday. At the climax of the novel, Nick kind of awkwardly throws in the fact (right in the middle of the big argument) that its his thirtieth birthday. However, this is actually a relevant detail for the conversation. The age of thirty is symbolic for the passing of youth or the passing of innocence. Hence, the turning point in Nicks life occurs simultaneously with the turning point in Gatsbys the termination of his youthful dream. Some could even say that Nicks character develops in that statement on that day alone with his passing of youth. It is fitting that Nick be the only character that Fitzgerald develops in The Great Gatsby, because as the narrator, Nick uses symbols of change to correspond to his own character development. All the following symbols in The Great Gatsby, when put together, give us the main theme or point that Fitzgerald is trying to make that American idealism and spirituality have been corrupted by material possessions and wealth. Gatsbys dream fails because of his material wealth he must possess to accomplish it. In this respect, Gatsby fails before he even begins showing the unforgiving nature of a land characterized by Fitzgerald as a wasteland of ashes. This ash heap is the present, the terrible time where The Great Gatsby takes place a time which all hope is lost for he future, and Gatsbys sacred green light becomes nothing more than just a light at the end of Daisys dock. Gatsby believed in the green light, the orgiastic future that year by year recedes before us. It eluded us then, but thats no matter tomorrow we will run faster, stretch out our arms farther †¦ And one fine morning So we beat on, boats against the current, borne back ceaselessly into the past. (115) Ceaselessly into the past, because the future is far too grim to imagine. Hope is lost, but thats no matter, we will still keep trying and who knows, one day maybe we can accomplish

Why America Should Adopt a Flat Tax System essays

Why America Should Adopt a Flat Tax System essays Our society today has strived to become accustomed to our present tax system, but some just cannot come to terms with it. The current tax code is unfair to those who are single, work for under $50, 000 dollars per year, or have large families. The high tax percentages and low exemptions make it difficult for the average worker to prosper and get ahead in todays world. The tax system also discourages citizens from saving and investing their earnings, ultimately pulling down the American economy. Over the past few years numerous proposals for a flat tax rate have surfaced and been reviewed. These proposals promise large tax cuts, fewer federal forms and costs, and larger exemptions (Armey 2). The United States should adopt a flat tax rate to better its citizens and increase the national economy. Our nations current tax code is far too significant and complicated. Over 480 different tax forms exist for business professionals and individuals (Armey 2). The tax code also discourages workers from taking risks in the business world and crushes any entrepreneurial spirit. Many Americans have become frustrated with the high tax percentages and low exemptions as well. Tax percentages are some of the highest ever at an average rate of 39.6%. Only in 1981 when they reached 70 %, and during World War II at 94%, were American taxes any higher (Bartlett 2). Tax evasion has become a dilemma with our contemporary taxes. Several people will often claim less income on their tax forms, ending up not having to pay as much in taxes. The raising of exemptions, deductions, and write-offs have increased as well. The Internal Revenue Service has also reported problems with citizens inflating such figures as exemptions, write-offs, and contributions made to charity (Dent 4). Auditing of citizens has amplified over the past few years as well as a result of tax evasion. During tax season many American lives are complica...

The First American Political Conventions

The First American Political Conventions The history of political conventions in America is so long and steeped in lore that its easy to overlook that it took a few decades for nominating conventions to become part of presidential politics. In the early years of the United States, presidential candidates were usually nominated by a caucus of members of Congress. By the 1820s, that idea was falling out of favor, helped along by the rise of Andrew Jackson and his appeal to the common man. The election of 1824, which was denounced as The Corrupt Bargain, also energized Americans to find a better way to select candidates and presidents. After Jacksons election in 1828, party structures strengthened, and the idea of national political conventions began to make sense. At that time there had been party conventions held at the state level but no national conventions. First National Political Convention: the Anti-Masonic Party The first national political convention was held by a long-forgotten and extinct political party, the Anti-Masonic Party. The party, as the name indicates, was opposed to the Masonic Order and its rumored influence in American politics. The Anti-Masonic Party, which began in upstate New York but gained adherents around the country, convened in Philadelphia in 1830 and agreed to have a nominating convention the following year. The various state organizations chose delegates to send to the national convention, which set a precedent for all later political conventions. The Anti-Masonic Convention was held in Baltimore, Maryland on September 26, 1831, and was attended by 96 delegates from ten states. The party nominated William Wirt of Maryland as its candidate for president. He was a peculiar choice, especially as Wirt had once been a Mason. The National Republican Party Held a Convention in December 1831 A political faction calling itself the National Republican Party had supported John Quincy Adams in his unsuccessful bid for reelection in 1828. When Andrew Jackson became president, the National Republicans became a devoted anti-Jackson party. Planning to take the White House from Jackson in 1832, the National Republicans called for its own national convention. As the party was essentially run by Henry Clay, it was a foregone conclusion that Clay would be its nominee. The National Republicans held their convention in Baltimore on December 12, 1831. Due to bad weather and poor traveling conditions, only 135 delegates were able to attend. As everyone knew the outcome ahead of time, the real purpose of the convention was to intensify anti-Jackson fervor. One noteworthy aspect of the first National Republican Convention was that James Barbour of Virginia delivered an address that was the first keynote speech at a political convention. The First Democratic National Convention Was Held in May 1832 Baltimore was also chosen to be the site of the first Democratic Convention, which began on May 21, 1832. A total of 334 delegates assembled from every state except Missouri, whose delegation never arrived in Baltimore. The Democratic Party at the time was headed by Andrew Jackson, and it was obvious that Jackson would be running for a second term. So there was no need to nominate a candidate. The ostensible purpose of the first Democratic National Convention was to nominate someone to run for vice president, as  John C. Calhoun, against the backdrop of the Nullification Crisis, would not be running again with Jackson.  Martin Van Buren of New York was nominated  and received the sufficient number of votes on the first ballot. The first Democratic National Convention instituted a number of rules which essentially created the framework for political conventions that endures to the present day. So, in that sense, the 1832 convention was the prototype for modern political conventions. The Democrats who had gathered in Baltimore also agreed to meet again every four years, which began the tradition of Democratic National Conventions that extends to the modern era. Baltimore Was the Site of Many Early Political Conventions The city of Baltimore was the location of all three political conventions prior to the 1832 election. The reason is fairly obvious: it was the major city closest to Washington, DC, so it was convenient for those serving in the government. And with the nation still mostly positioned along the east coast, Baltimore was centrally located and could be reached by road or even by boat. The Democrats in 1832 did not formally agree to hold all their future conventions in Baltimore, but it worked out that way for years. The Democratic National Conventions were held in Baltimore in 1836, 1840, 1844, 1848, and 1852. The convention was held in Cincinnati, Ohio in 1856, and the tradition developed of moving the convention to different locations. The Election of 1832 In the election of 1832, Andrew Jackson won easily, garnering about 54 percent of the popular vote and crushing his opponents in the electoral vote. The National Republican candidate, Henry Clay, took about 37 percent of the popular vote. And William Wirt, running on the Anti-Masonic ticket, won about 8 percent of the popular vote, and carried one state, Vermont, in the electoral college. The National Republican Party and Anti-Masonic Party joined the list of extinct political parties after the 1832 election. Members of both parties gravitated toward the Whig Party, which formed in the mid-1830s. Andrew Jackson was a popular figure in America and always stood a very good chance of winning his bid for reelection. So while the election of 1832 was never really in doubt, that election cycle made a major contribution to political history by instituting the concept of national political conventions.

Wag the Dog Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Wag the Dog - Assignment Example This influence of media is clearly seen in the movie entitled Wag the Dog. This paper aims to critique the aforementioned movie in terms of the effects of media and the movie itself as a form of media. Wag the Dog tells the story of a film producer named Stanley Motts, played by Dustin Hoffman and a political adviser, Conrad Brean who is portrayed by Robert De Niro. After a scandal about the president molesting a young girl just a few days before the election, Brean is tasked to ensure his win despite the scandal. Consequently, Brean goes to Motts to â€Å"produce† a war in order to divert the attention of the public to a more important and serious concern. A play about a young Albanian girl running from a village is run as a real news event that mobilized the CIA. Consequently, the produced â€Å"war news† lost its magic when the CIA declared that there are no signs of war or threats on the country. The adviser and producer again make a story about a war hero. This time, the production works its wonders and makes the president a good product. Unfortunately, the producers failed to investigate on the background of their choice actor and they faced the problem of answ ering the possible questions of the people. The producer however, finds a solution to their every problem and they finally bring home their fallen hero for his highly publicized funeral. This made the president’s statistics positive, assuring him of a win during the elections. Meanwhile, the producer craves for the credit for his best production yet. Wanting to protect the confidential information, Brean has to silence Motts. Later, he is announced to have died of a massive heart attack while sunbathing. The president was re-elected and the show continues regarding the Albanian war. The aforementioned movie portrays the effect of media to how people perceive their surroundings. A war can be created and it

Community Safety Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Community Safety - Assignment Example These authorities are responsible for different areas and premises. They include the fire and safety authority operating in areas of residence, the Health and Safety Executive who is responsible for areas of the Navy and other such areas, local authorities and finally any fire inspectors or fire services maintained by the Secretary of Defense. All of these are the enforcing authorities for the fire safety of the community ("The regulatory reform," 2005). One authority alone however, cannot deal with an issue as huge as community safety. When dealing with projects as large as the one of reducing incidence of fires amongst a whole community of immigrant workers, a partnership between different agencies and authorities is important. This is because different authorities and agencies have access to different parts of the community, and have control over different aspects of the lives of the people. The police department is one, which may assist this authority from time to time. The polic e could do this by reinforcing the law pertaining to smoke detectors. In the US, it is illegal to deactivate a fire alarm in one’s home. Deactivation of this alarm can lead to heavy fines, since it poses a serious threat for the dwellers of the household. This implies that there is an important role the police can play in the reducing the risk of fire-related incidents. To do this, they could follow cases of reported fires where smoke detectors were not present to indicate the fire on time. To the people involved in such a fire, the police could issue warnings of heavy fines or punishment for not having had properly functioning smoke detectors. This would ensure that these citizens would heed the advice to keep properly functioning smoke detectors, thus reducing the incidence of fires, which the fire brigades could not stop on time due to absence of smoke detectors. One can sought out other parties that can be helpful in reducing the incidents through evaluation of the situat ion for its causes. This is possible through a problem-oriented approach. The situation involves immigrant workers who live in rented accommodation, and do not have smoke detectors or the proper education when it comes to safety from fire. So when helping these people to prevent fires, one can pin down several root causes for when these people experience fires in their living quarters. Firstly, they live in rented space, for which they are not responsible. Thus, they do not deem themselves liable to arrange for smoke detectors. Then, they may not be aware of the importance or necessity of smoke detectors in ones living quarters. In addition, they may not be aware of the basic procedures for prevention from fire hazards, since they may not have learned about them from the country they have migrated. Thus to remedy all these problems, the relevant authorities must be included in the solution. As far as the rent-tenant problem is concerned, the authority concerned with tenant-landlord laws must make the tenants aware the property owner is legally bound to provide them with a safe, health hazard-free living environment. The fire department should ensure that smoke detectors are available to any citizen who wishes to get them. Emergency healthcare services and immigration authorities should collaborate to ensure a final, very important factor. This is that each person who receives the permission to immigrate to the country is given a

The mayor of Casterbridge Essay Example for Free

The mayor of Casterbridge Essay Analyse the first two chapters of The Mayor of Casterbridge and discuss how far they act as a prologue to the rest of the novel In The Mayor of Casterbridge the opening two chapters are a good indicator of Hardys style and act as a prologue to the rest of the novel. Hardys style places considerable focus on imagery and the scene around the characters. He used the writing techniques at this scene setting to help you understand the context in which the characters act. During the first chapter, Hardy describes Henchard as a fine figure, swarthy, and stern in aspect however he is not named at first. It symbolises that this could be any man, or could relate to the reader in someway and makes the reader look at this character from a different angle as if we might know him rather then seeing him as Henchard. Susan Henchard, Henchards wife, is described to be so faint as to be almost invisible; she becomes a less important part as the plot thickens. Another character mentioned is Elizabeth-Jane the first. The reader is given very few descriptions towards her because she is only a small child. We call her the first because beyond chapter 2 the reader is told that this Elizabeth-Jane died 3 months after the auction and the second child of Susan Henchard is called Elizabeth-Jane but is the sailors daughter not Henchards. Elizabeth the second is much like a father in a way but at her meeting with Henchard, she gives him her name and Henchard believes her to be his daughter. In the second chapter the reader only knows Elizabeth as Susans grown up daughter not Elizabeth-Jane. The reader is given other characters, the furmity lady who offered Henchard the rum that got him drunk leading to the auction, the country people who were in the tent who egged on and teased Henchard to sell his wife and Newton, Susan Henchards second husband, who bought Susan. They represent the country people of the time. Hardy draws the readers imagination away from the business of the cities and into the openness of the countryside. This gives the effect of a close village, that everyone knows everyone elses name, age and business round the community and that a large event like an auction of a wife would be unforgettable. They are used to the quiet and simple way of life rather than the complex ways of the cities. Hardy illustrates the characters act in their setting by using lots of imagery. He uses natures harmony to show humans disharmony. The description of the characters and their surroundings is excellently detailed, with use of a broad vocabulary. He uses description effectively. He draws the readers attention to the characters by using strong imagery, showing natures harmony, to represent the tension and strain on the marriage of the Henchards, humans disharmony. The characters are similarly of their time period with their language, they use dialectal English as well as their regional accents. Henchard was very open about his marriage life while he was in his drunken state. He seemed to feel that marriage is the biggest mistake a man can make and that it is for fools. When the couple met the turnip-hoer, Henchard asked about work needed in the village. This is evidence to show, due to the industrial revolution, work in the country was short, and with all these new machines around, many homes were taken down. Although Henchard doesnt approve of all these new ways of life, he eventually will use them showing that he realises people must change. Another theme present is the concept of is fate. If the auctioneer had not got involved and shouted what was up for auction, the sailor may not have bought her, had the furmity lady not had the rum, Henchard would never have got the idea to sell Susan. Hardy changes Henchard from a poor, unknown man to a respected and powerful member to the society. The auction had turned him in to a new man because it forced him to reconsider his life. Hardy uses third person narration for this story. He obviously likes to be the narrator of the story rather than be involved. He encourages readers to carry on reading by only giving us certain information about hes characters for example he says a young man and woman but he does not give us their names. His language gives a great contribution to the opening of the novel. He uses varied sentences structure to keep the writing interesting. He continues this with a great variety of vocabulary making use of his education. The opening chapters are probably the most important parts of the story. By the terrible action of the wife sale, Henchard goes on to make himself a better man by vowing never to touch another drink the years he had lived. As he grows older, he has achieved himself a high position in life and his community. Susan did not change; she was still the same person, quiet, faint still she was almost invisible. This makes it her most crucial part to the novel. The time lapse seems interesting, as the setting changes but not the personality of the characters, excluding Henchard. This is where we met Elizabeth-Jane as a young adult but not Henchards daughter but the sailors, Newton. This novel and its opening chapters are a typical Hardy style. From looking closely at Chapters 1 and 2, it is clear that this is an unusual way to start a book but yet it is interesting. It encourages you to read on and find out more about the man the woman and the latter they carried with them as they walked into Weydon-Priars.

Douglas Egerton’s He Shall Go Out Free Essay -- Douglas Egerton He Sha

Douglas Egerton’s He Shall Go Out Free In a time when revolution swept both Old World and New, it should have been no surprise that eighteenth century Charleston would find revolution fermenting among its slave population. In his book "He Shall Go Out Free", Douglas Egerton describes the life of Denmark Vesey, a freed slave in Charleston, who held a deep and thinly-veiled hatred of slavery and the city’s ruling elite, and was best known for leading a failed attempt at revolt which cost his life. However, Egerton argues one must look beyond the span of Vesey’s lifetime to best understand his impact upon the history of the city. ORIGINS Like most slaves, much about Vesey's early years, including his exact age, family, and nationality, is unknown. The first thing we know about his life was his purchase as a teenager in 1781 from St. Thomas Island, a Dutch colony in the Caribbean, by Joseph Vesey, a slave trader (3). After a short stint as Vesey's cabin boy, he was sold on the island of Saint Domingue, a French colony dominated by sugar plantations where slaves lived short and brutal lives (17). On Saint Domingue, he feigned epileptic seizures to force his return as "damaged goods". Joseph Vesey put him back to work as his cabin boy, as well as translating for slaves (22). When the British evacuated Charleston in December 1782, Joseph Vesey moved his family to the city, bringing Denmark along with him (26). Fluent in English and a quick learner, he was soon busy helping run his owner’s import business, paying taxes and picking up merchandise upon arrival at the city’s docks (33). Nearly twenty years after he arrived in Charleston, luck brought Vesey his freedom. A... ...ir names were a "terror to oppressors." Fiction writers with anti-slavery views included characters similar to Vesey in their stories (226). CONCLUSION In his life, Denmark Vesey was virtually powerless member of Charleston’s small society of free blacks in the years between the American Revolution and Civil War. He spent years expressing his disgust of slavery, and his one effort to strike back was quickly rolled up and brutally eliminated. In light of this, there is great irony in how Charleston, a city which fearlessly defied kings and empires would live in fear not of invading armies and attacking fleets, but at the shadow of Vesey’s failed revolt. That one man’s memory could hold such power validates Egerton's argument that Vesey was both an obscure and nearly powerless person, as well a revolutionary figure whose legacy stood tall indeed.

Sales Management

What are the pros and cons of Mr. Evans’s e-commerce strategy? What is the best argument that Ms. Miko can make to keep her sales force intact? In your opinion, should Cardinal Connectors Inc. eliminate its sales force? Explain. 2. Assume your company, which sells paper products, has 60 percent of the business at your largest account. What factors would make it relatively easy for you to get a larger share of that customer’s business, and what factors would make it harder? 3. One manufacturer of dictating machines recruits only experienced people and does not recruit among graduating college students.A competitor recruits extensively among colleges in its search for salespeople. How do you account for the difference in sources used by firms selling essentially the same products? Explain your analysis in detail. 4. A manufacturer of small aircraft, designed for executive transportation of large companies, has decided to implement the concept of a selling center. Which pe ople in this company should be on the selling teams? What problems is this firm likely to encounter when it uses team selling? 5. You must choose between two sales recruits.One has scored very high in terms of the quality of his interview, but not very well on the series of psychological tests to predict qualities the firm thinks are necessary for success. Another person did well on the psychological testing, but not very well in the personal interview. All other things being equal, which one would you hire, and why? What do you think the strengths and weaknesses would be of the one you hired? 6. â€Å"Salespeople are born, not made. It’s futile to try to train a person to be a salesperson, so I don’t. How would you answer a sales manager who said this to you if you were trying to get her or him to hire you as a sales trainer? 7. In what respects would a compensation plan differ among salespeople for the following firms? a) the manufacturer of small airplanes used by executives; b) a wholesaler of office equipment and supplies; c) an automobile dealer. 8. Do you approve of Kathryn’s plans of action? If so, why, and how could she improve her plan of action? If not, what changes would you suggest she consider making? Describe your views in detail. 9.A petroleum firm with a sales force of 300 people planned to sell its fleet of company-owned automobiles and have the salespeople use their own cars instead. What problems are involved in this change? What actions should the petroleum firm take to address them? 10. As a sales manager for HighRising Company, Rocky Foster oversees 15 sales reps. Foster is an outstanding transactional leader, but he is hopelessly ineffective as a transformational leader. Is this a problem? Why, or why not? What recommendation, if any, would you make to the Vice President of Sales? 11.What advice would you give Michiko Takanaga on how she should reduce her departmental budgets? Justify your recommendations. 12. What control unit would you recommend in establishing sales territories for each of the following companies? Explained why you picked the control unit you did for each. a) manufacturer of laptops; b) food broker; c) appliance wholesaler; d) manufacturer of outboard motors; e) lumber wholesaler 13. What supporting points could be made over allocation of indirect marketing costs, by the proponents of each side, in the full-cost versus contribution-margin controversy ?Which of the two concepts do you advocate, and why? 14. If a company made a territorial volume analysis and found some subpar territories, how might these facts affect the following activities relating to salespeople? a) supervision b) compensation c) training 15. â€Å"Let’s face it. Our product is no different from that of 20 other competitors. It sells for the same price and for the same terms. We all give the same service. It really doesn’t matter to the buyer which of us gets the order. So the only way we can get an edge is through our aggressive entertainment and gift program.We work hard at making our buyers happy with us. They enjoy doing business with us. † Do you see any ethical problems involved here? What possible consequences are there to the company? What would you do differently, if anything? 16. As a sales manager for a baby food concern, you want to evaluate the ability of your representatives to obtain good shelf space in grocery stores. How would you do this? Before implementing this process, you call a meeting of your reps to explain your evaluation process to them. What would you say? Sales Management One of the major problem facing sales managers is on what criteria to judge a new salesperson when hiring him. In most cases, the sales managers look at the sales person’s past records and his performance in the previous organization but many a times, they see that a successful salesperson in one organization does not perform when hired in the new organization. One of the main reasons for that it is the difference in culture and values. The new recruit might be very good but he might not be compatible with your organization. Another major problem being faced by the sales managers is that even though the sales people meet their targets, they barely ever follow the sales process of their own company. Every salesperson tries his own tactics that he thinks will bring business. When giving bonuses to salespeople, sales managers find it difficult to determine the metrics on which to evaluate the salesperson’s performance. Should they judge the salesperson depending on how much business he brought and in that case, they will have to ignore the ways the business was brought, to what extent was business rules followed and how ethical was the deal, etc. Ethical issues are one of the major problems that are faced by the sales managers. Many sales people bring in a lot of business for the firm but in return, they are being paid kickbacks by the customer which means that unethical behavior is practiced. It is very difficult for a sales manager to oversee any unethical practices taking place in the organization from his office and therefore, they find it extremely difficult for stop unethical practices in the organization. Almost all sales managers face this problem. The sales manager has to evaluate the performance of the sales people and this responsibility makes the sales manager a judge and on the other hand, the sales manager is required to train and coach the sales people and this responsibility makes the sales manager a coach and a helper and both these roles are very conflicting so the sales managers find it difficult to fulfill both roles since both roles require different type of a relationship with the sales person. Many sales managers when evaluating the sales person give more emphasis to whether they like the sales representative or not rather than on the fact that sales person is bringing in business which is not the right thing. Because even if the sales manager does not that sales representative, if the representative is bringing in the expected business, then the manager has to reward him either through commission or bonuses. Sales managers find it difficult to decide whether they want to have a salary plus commission or salary plus bonus. In the first method, the commission is the percentage of the sales made in actual dollar terms whereas in the second method, you give a certain percentage of the sales representative’s salary as a reward to the sales person. Both have their advantages and disadvantages and one method works better for some sales people whereas the other method works better for other sales people and deciding which one to implement is an issue that is faced by sales people on a more strategic level rather than operational level. Sales managers also have to decide whether they assign sales teams or one sales person to each account. And if they have a whole sales team for one account then how do they plan to reward those sales people. Will those sales people be evaluated on the basis of team performance or individual performance and if they will be evaluated on team performance then will the rewards be given to a whole team equally or depending on each sales person’s contribution towards the goal because these things will affect the motivation level of the sales people. Answer 2: The emphasis on training the sales people cannot be emphasized enough. Sales people’ training is very essential for both new and old sales people. Training in communicating with people is important for both old and new sales people since they come across all sorts of customers. For example, a sales person who is selling detergent will be selling the detergent to all sorts of people whether the customer is in higher socioeconomic class or lower, whether he is a man or a woman or whether he is Asian or America. Sales people should know how to communicate with all sorts of people so that they can cater to more customers. Administrative training is really important because the sales people whether old or new should be told to keep all sorts of documentation because safely keeping all sales documents is important therefore, sales people need training about what documents they need to create when a sale is made, how the documents are maintained and how they need to be filled, etc. Sales people also need training regarding knowledge development. They need to be told how to keep themselves abreast about all the products of the company, its competitors and also information about substitute products because the customer of today is very knowledgeable and therefore, to sell to such a customer, a sales person must know everything in and out so that he can convince the customer to buy his product. The new sales people need to be trained regarding the sales practices of the company, the sales culture of the company and also the sales process. You need to have the new recruit get integrated into the new environment so that he can perform well and secondly, all organizations do not have the same way of selling so the sales representative need to be made aware of what is expected out of him so that he can strive to achieve that and in a way that is accepted and practiced by the new organization. The importance of training is also important since the world is becoming global and sales people are transferred from one region to another so they need to be aware of the differences in culture, language, etc so that they can sell to the locals without transgressing the boundaries or offending them in any way. Experienced sales people have to be trained because if they are not trained, they become outdated. They need to be taught about the new ways of selling which are practiced by the big companies so that they can utilize them to sell to the customers. Experience sales people will also have to be made aware of the new technologies. For example, now many companies are using Sales Force Automation systems which enhance the selling of the organization. These are new technologies and the sales people will have to learn these new technologies to remain current and competitive. Training is also essential for new sales people to let them know what they need to do to move higher up in the rung which helps to reduce employee turnover since if they know that doing so and so will lead them to a new destination then they will not look outside the organization for career opportunities. Moreover, it makes it clear to them about what they need to do to get a certain thing so that they can work towards it. Answer 4: The major advantage of building customer relationships via the internet is the cost factor. It is much cheaper to sell, answer queries, and provide customer service to thousand customers on the Internet because very few people can handle all this since most of the work is automated. However, in a brick and mortar environment, it would require hundreds of sales people to manage all these relationships and it will be costly because you need to pay them, you need to train them and secondly, the consistency will not be there. Another major advantage of building customer relationships online is that you can cater to a wide range of audience. The Internet is used by people around the world so if you are selling books on the Internet and your business is in Chicago then you are not just limited to people living in Chicago. People from all around United States and also outside the country can buy from you since all they need is that they have to do is go to your website. The communication becomes very quick when you are handling relationships on the Internet. For example, if the customer is finding some problem with a new appliance he bought from an online store, he can just e-mail them or chat with some online representative who will solve the query faster than in traditional stores. The Internet helps you to display millions of things to a customer who gets to have a wide range which is not possible with traditional methods. So you can display millions of goods to the customer which will keep him happy without increasing your cost since you do not have to buy a huge storefront to keep all those goods. When you are selling an electronic item in a traditional store, you need to train all the sales people so that they know how to operate the item and whenever a customer arrives, the sales person will have to demonstrate to him how the item works. With online websites, you can put videos of demonstration of how the item works which is cheaper plus the customer can view any time and he can watch multiple times even after he has bought the item. However, there are also disadvantages of this method. For example, it is very difficult to attract traffic to your online service or store. Many companies do not have enough funds to pay websites such as Google for advertising them and with online websites; there is no other way of attracting customers. Another problem with this is that customer and sales person cannot see each other And due to that the communication is not as effective as with traditional methods. In all sorts of communication, a communication becomes more effective if the other person can see you so that you can study his body language and facial expressions. Secondly, many people find it uncomfortable talking to a machine. There are many prospective customers whom you can sell but they do not access the Internet either because it is not accessible to them or because they are too busy so there are chances that you can miss out on important customers which results in lost sales. When you have to interact with a customer online, it is much more difficult than using the traditional ways. Therefore, when recruiting people, you need to ensure that they are capable of communicating with someone over the Internet effectively. Moreover, they should be trained well so that they can help the customer properly. Sales Management One of the major problem facing sales managers is on what criteria to judge a new salesperson when hiring him. In most cases, the sales managers look at the sales person’s past records and his performance in the previous organization but many a times, they see that a successful salesperson in one organization does not perform when hired in the new organization. One of the main reasons for that it is the difference in culture and values. The new recruit might be very good but he might not be compatible with your organization. Another major problem being faced by the sales managers is that even though the sales people meet their targets, they barely ever follow the sales process of their own company. Every salesperson tries his own tactics that he thinks will bring business. When giving bonuses to salespeople, sales managers find it difficult to determine the metrics on which to evaluate the salesperson’s performance. Should they judge the salesperson depending on how much business he brought and in that case, they will have to ignore the ways the business was brought, to what extent was business rules followed and how ethical was the deal, etc. Ethical issues are one of the major problems that are faced by the sales managers. Many sales people bring in a lot of business for the firm but in return, they are being paid kickbacks by the customer which means that unethical behavior is practiced. It is very difficult for a sales manager to oversee any unethical practices taking place in the organization from his office and therefore, they find it extremely difficult for stop unethical practices in the organization. Almost all sales managers face this problem. The sales manager has to evaluate the performance of the sales people and this responsibility makes the sales manager a judge and on the other hand, the sales manager is required to train and coach the sales people and this responsibility makes the sales manager a coach and a helper and both these roles are very conflicting so the sales managers find it difficult to fulfill both roles since both roles require different type of a relationship with the sales person. Many sales managers when evaluating the sales person give more emphasis to whether they like the sales representative or not rather than on the fact that sales person is bringing in business which is not the right thing. Because even if the sales manager does not that sales representative, if the representative is bringing in the expected business, then the manager has to reward him either through commission or bonuses. Sales managers find it difficult to decide whether they want to have a salary plus commission or salary plus bonus. In the first method, the commission is the percentage of the sales made in actual dollar terms whereas in the second method, you give a certain percentage of the sales representative’s salary as a reward to the sales person. Both have their advantages and disadvantages and one method works better for some sales people whereas the other method works better for other sales people and deciding which one to implement is an issue that is faced by sales people on a more strategic level rather than operational level. Sales managers also have to decide whether they assign sales teams or one sales person to each account. And if they have a whole sales team for one account then how do they plan to reward those sales people. Will those sales people be evaluated on the basis of team performance or individual performance and if they will be evaluated on team performance then will the rewards be given to a whole team equally or depending on each sales person’s contribution towards the goal because these things will affect the motivation level of the sales people. Answer 2: The emphasis on training the sales people cannot be emphasized enough. Sales people’ training is very essential for both new and old sales people. Training in communicating with people is important for both old and new sales people since they come across all sorts of customers. For example, a sales person who is selling detergent will be selling the detergent to all sorts of people whether the customer is in higher socioeconomic class or lower, whether he is a man or a woman or whether he is Asian or America. Sales people should know how to communicate with all sorts of people so that they can cater to more customers. Administrative training is really important because the sales people whether old or new should be told to keep all sorts of documentation because safely keeping all sales documents is important therefore, sales people need training about what documents they need to create when a sale is made, how the documents are maintained and how they need to be filled, etc. Sales people also need training regarding knowledge development. They need to be told how to keep themselves abreast about all the products of the company, its competitors and also information about substitute products because the customer of today is very knowledgeable and therefore, to sell to such a customer, a sales person must know everything in and out so that he can convince the customer to buy his product. The new sales people need to be trained regarding the sales practices of the company, the sales culture of the company and also the sales process. You need to have the new recruit get integrated into the new environment so that he can perform well and secondly, all organizations do not have the same way of selling so the sales representative need to be made aware of what is expected out of him so that he can strive to achieve that and in a way that is accepted and practiced by the new organization. The importance of training is also important since the world is becoming global and sales people are transferred from one region to another so they need to be aware of the differences in culture, language, etc so that they can sell to the locals without transgressing the boundaries or offending them in any way. Experienced sales people have to be trained because if they are not trained, they become outdated. They need to be taught about the new ways of selling which are practiced by the big companies so that they can utilize them to sell to the customers. Experience sales people will also have to be made aware of the new technologies. For example, now many companies are using Sales Force Automation systems which enhance the selling of the organization. These are new technologies and the sales people will have to learn these new technologies to remain current and competitive. Training is also essential for new sales people to let them know what they need to do to move higher up in the rung which helps to reduce employee turnover since if they know that doing so and so will lead them to a new destination then they will not look outside the organization for career opportunities. Moreover, it makes it clear to them about what they need to do to get a certain thing so that they can work towards it. Answer 4: The major advantage of building customer relationships via the internet is the cost factor. It is much cheaper to sell, answer queries, and provide customer service to thousand customers on the Internet because very few people can handle all this since most of the work is automated. However, in a brick and mortar environment, it would require hundreds of sales people to manage all these relationships and it will be costly because you need to pay them, you need to train them and secondly, the consistency will not be there. Another major advantage of building customer relationships online is that you can cater to a wide range of audience. The Internet is used by people around the world so if you are selling books on the Internet and your business is in Chicago then you are not just limited to people living in Chicago. People from all around United States and also outside the country can buy from you since all they need is that they have to do is go to your website. The communication becomes very quick when you are handling relationships on the Internet. For example, if the customer is finding some problem with a new appliance he bought from an online store, he can just e-mail them or chat with some online representative who will solve the query faster than in traditional stores. The Internet helps you to display millions of things to a customer who gets to have a wide range which is not possible with traditional methods. So you can display millions of goods to the customer which will keep him happy without increasing your cost since you do not have to buy a huge storefront to keep all those goods. When you are selling an electronic item in a traditional store, you need to train all the sales people so that they know how to operate the item and whenever a customer arrives, the sales person will have to demonstrate to him how the item works. With online websites, you can put videos of demonstration of how the item works which is cheaper plus the customer can view any time and he can watch multiple times even after he has bought the item. However, there are also disadvantages of this method. For example, it is very difficult to attract traffic to your online service or store. Many companies do not have enough funds to pay websites such as Google for advertising them and with online websites; there is no other way of attracting customers. Another problem with this is that customer and sales person cannot see each other And due to that the communication is not as effective as with traditional methods. In all sorts of communication, a communication becomes more effective if the other person can see you so that you can study his body language and facial expressions. Secondly, many people find it uncomfortable talking to a machine. There are many prospective customers whom you can sell but they do not access the Internet either because it is not accessible to them or because they are too busy so there are chances that you can miss out on important customers which results in lost sales. When you have to interact with a customer online, it is much more difficult than using the traditional ways. Therefore, when recruiting people, you need to ensure that they are capable of communicating with someone over the Internet effectively. Moreover, they should be trained well so that they can help the customer properly.

To Kill A Mockingbird and Same

To Kill A Mockingbird and Same love's Theme Comparison No matter what time period we are living, there is and always will be diversity, people with different ways of thinking, and discrimination. Both in the story To Kill A Mockingbird, by Harper Lee and in the modern song titled â€Å"Same Love†, by Macklemore and Ryan Lewis, share an obvious theme, Do not worry about what people say about you; it is okay to be different.In the story To Kill A Mockingbird, the Finch family has to face societys negativity in order to stand for what they believe in. During the 1930s, African Americans were not treated the same way as white people. They were looked down on and were not welcomed by most white people, but the Finch family was different. One of the protagonists, Atticus Finch, believed in equality for everyone. He had an African American helper named Calpurnia and treated her as if she was family.Atticus was a lawyer who was asked to defend an innocent African American man win a ca se down South during the 1930s. When the word went around in his little hometown, Maycomb, he and his children had to deal with the racism of the people who lived in Maycomb and the negativity surrounding their feelings toward â€Å"niggers†. This did not stop Atticus or upset him; he simply kept his head up and kept doing what he believed was right, treating everyone equally.The song â€Å"Same Love† discusses a very big topic in society today, accepting gays, just as â€Å"To Kill A Mockingbird† discussed a very big topic for its time, which was accepting African Americans. This song explains how it is to be different from veryone else and how it is to be something that many people think is wrong. In the song it says, â€Å"If I was gay I would think hip-hop hates me. Have you read the YouTube comments lately? ‘Man, that's gay gets dropped on the daily some would rather die than be who they are. Today, a lot of people are afraid to show who they really are because they are afraid of what society will say. However, the song encourages people who are gay to â€Å"Progress, march on! † Just as in To Kill A Mockingbird, â€Å"Same Love† shares the theme do not worry about what people say about you, it is okay to be different. Because the time periods vary ach other, the topic society rages about is different, during the 1930s there was racism and for the year 2013 there is accepting gay marriage and gays in general.There were good hearted people during the 1930s that had the mentality that everyone is equal and they had to deal with a racist society, which consisted of a larger population than the good hearted people. Today there are probably Just as many people who against being gay as there are people who believe that it doesn't matter what sex you like. Which comes to show, that there is always going to be diversity, people witn different ways ot living, hate, and discrimination.

The Bourgeoisie and Proletariet essays

The Bourgeoisie and Proletariet essays The bourgeoisie and proletariet have both similarities and differences in their emergence and development as a class. They both emerged out of a separate society and developed their own. The bourgeoisie grew out of the feudal society and the need to develop a modern industry. The proletarians grew out of the bourgeoisie society and their need for change and stability. They both need to have centralized power in order for each society to grow. The bourgeoisie has centralized their means of production and has concentrated property in a few hands (p. 13). The proletariet has formed trade unions in order to gain more power. Both these initiatives have formed political parties. The differences among these two classes are great. The bourgeoisie people are always in need for growth and change. They are constantly revolutionizing their means of production (p.12). They are an independent society. With their development of a modern industry they have brought many different societies through out the nation to depend on them (p. 13). The proletarians are on the other hand very dependent on the bourgeoisie for survival. Without them they could not exist. The proletarian grew out of the bourgeoisie's exploitation of the working laborer. Without the constant development of modern industry the proletarian would not be able to work and their plight would be no more. With the development of modern industry the proletarian not only increases in number, it becomes concentrated in greater masses; it's strength grows (p. 17). The proletarians own no property while the bourgeoisie own industries (p. 20). All these struggles described in the Communist Manifesto are still going on today. The modern bourgeoisie are the Microsoft corporations of the world. The proletarians are the the working class unions. Not much has changed from 1848 till now. ...

Example of Bootstrapping in Statistics

Example of Bootstrapping in Statistics Bootstrapping is a powerful statistical technique. It is especially useful when the sample size that we are working with is small. Under usual circumstances, sample sizes of less than 40 cannot be dealt with by assuming a normal distribution or a t distribution. Bootstrap techniques work quite well with samples that have less than 40 elements. The reason for this is that bootstrapping involves resampling. These kinds of techniques assume nothing about the distribution of our data. Bootstrapping has become more popular as computing resources have become more readily available. This is because in order for bootstrapping to be practical a computer must be used. We will see how this works in the following example of bootstrapping. Example We begin with a statistical sample from a population that we know nothing about. Our goal will be a 90% confidence interval about the mean of the sample. Although other statistical techniques used to determine confidence intervals assume that we know the mean or standard deviation of our population, bootstrapping does not require anything other than the sample. For purposes of our example, we will assume that the sample is 1, 2, 4, 4, 10. Bootstrap Sample We now resample with replacement from our sample to form what are known as bootstrap samples. Each bootstrap sample will have a size of five, just like our original sample. Since we are randomly selecting and then are replacing each value, the bootstrap samples may be different from the original sample and from each other. For examples that we would run into in the real world, we would do this resampling hundreds if not thousands of times. In what follows below, we will see an example of 20 bootstrap samples: 2, 1, 10, 4, 24, 10, 10, 2, 41, 4, 1, 4, 44, 1, 1, 4, 104, 4, 1, 4, 24, 10, 10, 10, 42, 4, 4, 2, 12, 4, 1, 10, 41, 10, 2, 10, 104, 1, 10, 1, 104, 4, 4, 4, 11, 2, 4, 4, 24, 4, 10, 10, 24, 2, 1, 4, 44, 4, 4, 4, 44, 2, 4, 1, 14, 4, 4, 2, 410, 4, 1, 4, 44, 2, 1, 1, 210, 2, 2, 1, 1 Mean Since we are using bootstrapping to calculate a confidence interval for the population mean, we now calculate the means of each of our bootstrap samples. These means, arranged in ascending order are: 2, 2.4, 2.6, 2.6, 2.8, 3, 3, 3.2, 3.4, 3.6, 3.8, 4, 4, 4.2, 4.6, 5.2, 6, 6, 6.6, 7.6. Confidence Interval We now obtain from our list of bootstrap sample means a confidence interval. Since we want a 90% confidence interval, we use the 95th and 5th percentiles as the endpoints of the intervals. The reason for this is that we split 100% - 90% 10% in half so that we will have the middle 90% of all of the bootstrap sample means. For our example above we have a confidence interval of 2.4 to 6.6.

Italy and jobs Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Italy and jobs - Term Paper Example The hypothesis for this paper is distribution of public employment is distributed based on region and employment types. This paper seeks to explain how job allocations are done in Italy plus, job search and mobility within Italy in relation to job. The Italian welfare state system does not offer job security for the temporarily unemployed but highly favors retirees. As a result, temporary unemployment subsidy from the government offers incentives for job seekers (Picchio, 2008 pp.1). Conversely, permanent employment would not offer such incentives since public employment remains a lifelong endeavor and could hardly be lost. The use or misuse of disability pension in the South could lead to compensation on permanent unemployment. The South also remains over dependent on public employment that offers permanent job welfare. This substantial reliance on public employment creates a sequence of attitudes and educational choices towards risks that could support tendencies to escape from private employment sectors (Picchio, 2008 pp.1). Informal networks, which incorporate social ties between currently, employed and job seekers, letters of reference and intermediation have affected the Italian labor market (Boca et al., 2004 pp.7). First, informal networks have become more successful in relation to job seekers’ placements than any other job search strategies in Italy. However, these networks work effectively for small firms that offer low wages regardless of the skills since they remain less governed by governmental hiring regulations. Most negative impacts on earnings arising from informal networks could be due to links developed by informal networks especially with small ï ¬ rms and their contracts (Picchio, 2006 pp. 4). There exists a negative relationship between job search by informal networks and earnings (Picchio, 2008 pp.1). Hence, people with

Bless Me Ultima Character Analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Bless Me Ultima Character Analysis - Essay Example Another example that illustrates Antonio’s wisdom and seriousness ness is his early understanding of the conflicts between his father’s and mother’s respective goals for him. This demonstrates his acute sensitivity, because he is aware that he is trapped between two different worlds and cultures. While his father wants him to be a vaqero and follow in his own footsteps by riding a llano, his mother is from a farming community and she wants her son to become a priest, insisting that he display model behavior when Ultima arrives because of his destiny to become a priest. The bond between Antonio and Ultima derives from the folk healer’s understanding of the boy’s inherent wisdom and moral aptitude, despite his uncertainty about his own destiny. In fact, it is this very duality in his heritage which is the foundation for Antonio’s understanding of the duality of contrasts that exists in the world. His father’s and mother’s people are different, Ultima tells him – the Lunas are constantly orbiting the moon while the Marez associate with the restless, ever changing ocean. This is the basis for Antonio to understand the duality of God – the father who is stern and not always forgiving vis a vis the virgin who is loving and always forgiving. Antonio is brought face to face with death at an early age, when he witnesses the death of Lupito, one of the village residents. This is the catalyst that sparks Antonio’s moral side and plunges him into a deep and intense crisis of faith, where he becomes unsure of the validity and strength of his Catholic faith. However, throughout the novel, it is Ultima and her calm wisdom that help the boy to weather his internal crisis and growth. Slowly he learns how to trust and make his own moral choices, he learns how to rely upon himself and his own decisions in determining his own future. He learns to draw solace from nature and to

New Venture Creation and Business Planning Essay

New Venture Creation and Business Planning - Essay Example Particularly, cash flow forecast indicates Tea Infusions will sustain cash reserves of  £0.18 million at the end of Year 1 of operations. This is achieved by keeping labour costs low, procuring cost-effective raw product from China, and the high mark-up rate on finished product compared to raw materials costs. The business anticipates long-term profitability and will have substantial retained earnings throughout the first year of operations to pay salaries to executives and employees working in the organisation. Payback of all start-up capital will occur within Year 2 of operations. The business is proactive in identifying potential risks, including information technology failures, equipment failures and issues with supplier competency in delivering timely and fresh products. The company, to explore all potential risks, will be creating a steering committee that reports directly to the Board of Directors as a means of establishing a competent and well-developed risk management system. Tea Infusions recognises that there is a gap in the market for distributing Chinese teas with limited suppliers selling foreign teas. In Brighton, on the Southern coast of England, there are 480,000 citizens that are not being serviced with different Chinese tea products. In the UK as a whole, there is a substantial increase in the population of Asians and the Asian tea culture has gained popularity in the country in recent years. Hence, this illustrates an opportunity to bring top quality Chinese teas to a market with demand for these products and where many rare Chinese teas are unfamiliar to consumer demographics. In Brighton area, rare teas include Dragon Well Tea (Long Jing Tea), Bi Luo Chun Tea, Keemun Black Tea and Ba Bao Tea. Common infusions which accompany a well-bodied cup of tea include the foreign goji berry, lyceum berry, and the red jujube, each with a sense of mystical intrigue and physical

Performance Appraisal System In Nokia

Performance Appraisal System In Nokia This report is aimed at critically analysing the performance appraisal and their strategic implications in contemporary firms operating in turbulent and changing business environment, requiring valuable, rare and inimitable business processes to achieve sustainable competitive advantage. In order to achieve the aim of this report, the researcher has chosen Nokia, the Finnish telecom giant that has been highlighted as the best telecommunication company to work for by Forbes International (Datamonitor, 2009). The company is also among one of the largest in terms of market capitalisation within Europe and therefore owes much to the Finnish national culture within its management, especially human resource management. Drawing upon Times (2005), the company has its modest roots as one of the many forestry firms a century ago in Finland; however it has evolved over the years through its effective human resource policies to employ more than 50,000 people across the globe with operations span ning all the developed, emerging and developing economies. It has been argued by Nokia (2009a) that people policies have played an important role in the rise of the firm within telecommunication sector that required high degree of creativity and innovation by its employees and workforce. The company is among the few firms within telecommunication industry that has profit margins in excess of 20% to 25% for more than a decade, which have not been effected by the fierce competition by other firms in contemporary firms (Nokia, 2009b). It can therefore be highlighted that intellectual capital has been one of the key source of achieving these efficiencies and effectiveness within the business that have been translated into sustainable competitive advantage. Nokia Organisational Background: Nokia has held the leadership position within the global mobile handset sector for more than a decade, which has however been challenged at different points in time by a range of other manufacturers but the company has evolved its business model to align itself with the changing business environment. Drawing upon Datamonitor (2009), the company has diversified into related business in the wake of stiff competition from value and luxury segments, therefore requiring both high degree of differentiation and cost leadership by the firm. The company is currently actively pursuing its position within telecommunication equipment, TV set-top boxes, and mobile telephony software and hardware development. In the light of Nokia (2009c), the company has its roots like many other traditional Finnish companies within forestry in 1865, however the company evolved over the decades and become one of the leading players in mobile technology in 1960s. It is argued by Pollitt (2004) that the key changes within strategy of the firm came in 1980s when senior management become focused on developing intellectual capital and retaining high performance of the company, which was coupled with public offerings of the firm. The company became part of the global corporations after starting trading in London (1987), Frankfurt (1988) and New York (1994). The company has acquired a number of firms during its evolution and has strategically accumulated the human resources from these firms, which has again benefited from its performance appraisals, pay-for-performance, and talent retention strategies, which have been critically analysed in this report. Human Resource Strategy: Nokia has been highlighted by both academic and commercial literature as one of the organisations that can be used for comparison and benchmarking due to the fact that it is flat structured and networked across its global operations (Christopher, 1995). This structure of the firm has led to the fact that it is agile and flexible to grab any window of opportunity that appears within the business environment of the firm. This structure has been aligned with the corporate strategy of the firm to achieve broad market competitive focus within the market that has underlying differentiation competitive advantage in terms of Porters Generic Strategies, which can be illustrated as follows: Cost Leadership Differentiation Focus Narrow Target Broad Target Lower Cost Differentiation Competitive Advantage Competitive Scope Nokias Position on Porters Generic Strategies Adapted from Porter (1985) Strategic Core Strategic Periphery * It can be argued that in order to achieve the strategic aim and objectives of the firm to become an agile and flexible entity that can achieve competitive advantage, the firm required a robust human resource strategy that is in line with these changes. Drawing upon Briscoe Schuler (2004), there has been radical change within the HRM strategy of the company after the appointment of Mr. Jorma Ollila as the CEO of the firm in 1992, who initiated the pay-for-performance concept within the company. The philosophy behind the refocus of the HRM strategy has been to create a compensation mechanism that in aligned with the performance and hard work of employees, therefore motivating employees to achieve the key performance indicators that are assigned to them. This was aligned with the Nokia Way, the values of the firm, which were defined to incorporate performance of employees as one of the key in achieving overall objectives of the firm. It has been argued by Nokia (2009d) that Nokia Way h as been seen as the common glue that has held the HRM strategy of the firm aligning it with the business environment. There has been significant discussion within literature highlighting the best fit approach of the company towards its retaining talent through appraisals and compensations that are effective and efficient. Performance Management and Nokia: The Nokia Way has been highlighted within the literature as one of the key documents consolidating the HRM strategy of Nokia and it is this document that has highlighted retention of high performers. Drawing upon Stanley et al (2000), it can be argued that the document is no different from HRM policies presented by many other organisations; however the way in which it is processed on day to day activities has been highlighted as the key advantage of the firm. Drawing upon Nokia (2009a), performance of individuals working within Nokia is undertaken from a range of dimensions, but three of them are considered very important, which include: (a) overall customer satisfaction added by the individual; (b) respect for others within the team; and (c) achievements of individuals and their continuous learning. The literature has highlighted that there has been number of issues within management of performance of individuals and their appraisals within companies. Drawing upon Rutter (2002), within Nokia managers and employees have been given high degree of independence in developing the dimensions into quantifiable goals, aims and objectives, which can therefore be related to the overall performance of their team, department and the organisation. This has been because of the initiative of the company to keep entrepreneurism alive within the firm, where the focus is on getting things done rather than follow prescriptive steps and procedures. According to Lynn (2002), these characteristics of performance appraisal have been achieved through a range of in-house programs, which include: listening to you, investing in you and pay-for-performance. The aim of these programs can be seen to be aligned with the overall business strategy of achieving high degree of efficiency and effectiveness of the business, which would therefore help create value for the stakeholders. Erik Jonathan (1995) have argued that all these programs are a means to an end i.e. to develop an integrated system of performance goals setting, development of strategies to achieve these goals, and quantification of the overall performance. It should be noted that in order for the seamless flow of performance management between these different programs, the culture of the company plays an important role. This is the reason that the company has developed a team orientated internally competitive culture, which deters negative implications of the competition, howe ver highlighting the positive aspects of it to achieve strategic goals and values. The performance management of the firm also has been expanded into other reigns of HRM, which can be highlighted from the diversity management within the firm. Drawing upon Briscoe Schuler (2004), it can be argued that the business environment of the company highlights that there is high number of diversity within the demands of the customers across the national markets. In order to fulfil these demands, the company should mimic the business environment in its internal business environment, making its resources and competencies aligned with it. This according to Nokia (2009d) can be achieved through the diversity management and planning of the firm that require performance appraisals to include features and quantification of diversity of thinking. There are number of characteristics that have been highlighted within the literature surrounding performance management in terms of diversity inclusion and management. However, Rutter (2002) has highlighted that it should be achieved at pr oduct, functional and cultural level, therefore providing the direction for companies to use and include in their performance management. The performance appraisals also have to include the achievement of individuals within corporate social responsibility (CSR) area, which has become one of the key criteria for performance at corporate level. Drawing upon Nokia (2009a), in 2009 the company has highlighted that reducing its carbon footprint and making employees to volunteer for educational sectors in developing countries would be included into the performance appraisals of the employees. This would help the firm in achieving high degree of strategic alignment with the current demands of firms to be responsible for the extended social and environmental issues within national and international economies, where they operate. It can therefore be argued that performance appraisals within Nokia are used as strategic tools, which can help achieve the extended aims and objectives of the firm. It has been argued that these appraisals has helped the firm in retaining intellectual capital that is aligned with the overall philosophy and Nokia Way, which have been at the heart of developing sustainable competitive advantage. It can be argued that performance appraisals undertaken by the firm are valuable, rare and inimitable competency of the firm, which contribute a lot in achieving the overall aim and objectives of the company. Pay for Performance and Motivation: The review of the commercial literature surrounding performance appraisals has highlighted that at Nokia performance, rewards and motivation management are all interlinked with each other, so that there is an integrated component that can be used to achieve the aim and objectives of the firm. It should be noted that the company uses pay-for-performance as the key tool which logically flows from effective and efficient performance appraisal techniques used by the firm. Harry (1999) has argued that one of the key vulnerability of per-for-performance management systems is that performance needs to be constantly monitored across the business and its functions so that the strategy can work in synch with realities on ground. The reward structure other than pay within Nokia has also been designed in a way that performance appraisals and motivation tendencies of individuals feed into the system to achieve optimal results. The key issue that has been faced by the management at Nokia is to analyse the performance appraisals of employees working in different economic and social conditions, therefore making their external environment an important driver in how the compensation is perceived. This is the reason there has been discussion surrounding the overall standardisation of the pay and reward structure in the company or localise it according to the national and regional economic conditions. Nokia being a truly global company has therefore been faced with this issue more so than any other organisation, which also stems into the overall reward management and bias of individuals in terms of intrinsic and extrinsic reward structures. Nokia has therefore taken performance appraisals very seriously, where there are segments within these appraisals, which have been linked with the overall pay and reward structure of the company. It is highlighted that company has included both hard and soft aspects of compensations and rewards in the light of the appraisals (Pfeffer Langton, 1993). Therefore, it can be argued that the appraisals are not only responsible for the development of overall pay of the individual, but also the type and mix of motivational tools that are applied to their particular performance regimes and trends over the months. The performance appraisal process adopted by Nokia has been seen very open, broad focused, yet inclusive of employees and their respective teams. The compensation of individuals within Nokia comprises on the results of these appraisals in the form of pay, bonuses, incentives, company stock options and other benefits. The company uses investing in people (IIP) as an annual meeting between managers and employees, where discussion surrounding their focused function along with broad company goals are discussed, which are then quantified into the key dimensions that are set out in the light of changing business objectives of the firm. It should be noted that Tahvanainen (1998) has conducted an empirical research on the link between performance appraisals and pay structures at Nokia. The research has highlighted that pay structure within Nokia is considered highly competitive in regards with the other competitors, which is based on 360 degree feedback called listening to you, which is an i nformal discussion between different teams, which leads to making them discuss their objectives and negotiate their access to resources and information, which can help them all in achieving their own respective goals and performance objectives. The company has also rolled out the electronic version of IIP, which uses companys intranet to discuss and appraise the performance of virtual teams that uses competencies of individuals across the globe to achieve high degree of efficiency and effectiveness in achieving the overall goals of the firm. Key Recommendations: The critical review of academic and commercial literature surrounding Nokias performance appraisals has been highlighted as a successful model within this report. The critics however argue that in recent developments the company has lost its leadership position within mobile handset sector, which has led to its shifting focus towards other sectors. The strategic development and deployment has both been suggested within the report as key performance indicators of the firm, which has been seen as resulting from open, clear and inclusive performance management and appraisal techniques. In order to further improvise the performance management and its appraisals, the researcher has discussed recommendations in the following discussion. There have been critics that have argued that although Nokia has strategically aligned its performance management with the aims and objectives of the organisation, however there are still key gaps with its alignment with the business environment, which require attention. It can be argued that although pay-for-performance have its motivating capabilities for the high performers, however for the average performing, which are the majority within any organisation, this can act as a demotivating factor. It can be suggested that Nokia, like any other company would have normal distribution of performance among its employees, suggesting that not more than 15% of the total employee population would be in the high or underperforming categories, while the rest of 85% of workforce would fall into the average performance. This, according to Pfeffer Langton (1993) has led to the vulnerability within the organisation to alienate these 85% of the workforce, which would add value into the products a nd services of the company. The performance appraisals should therefore be realistic and standardised across the organisation, where like-for-like comparisons are undertaken, which are abridged between functions to achieve high degree of effectiveness and efficiency. It can be suggested that the open criteria used within the firm, which boils down to the discussion between managers and employees suggest that each appraisal cannot be compared with the other appraisals, therefore making it hard to compare on like-to-like grounds, which can lead to distortion of performance results. It can also be argued that commercial segment of the company has been one of the high performing section across the firm, which can be due to the fact that sales, revenue and profit margins are quantifiable variables, while performance of employees in support functions is much harder to access through tangible performance indicators, which is also true about these functions. This, according to Storey (1992) can add insecurity among the intellectual capital of the firm regarding their job, pay and other benefits received from the firm. It can therefore be highlighted that the company has to provide the security of pay and then add bonus-per-performance on top of that to m ake it more plausible in contemporary uncertain times, with job losses and market failures. The internal competition between teams can lead to deterring forces that would affect the overall performance of the company, as team members would engage themselves in negative activities to undercut access to information and resources for other teams, making the organisation lack efficiency and effectiveness. Conclusive Remarks: In the light of the critical review of literature and practice of Nokia in the field of performance appraisals, it can be argued that this HRM strategy of the firm has become a source of competitive advantage for the firm. It has been found out that pay-for-performance has only been applicable within Nokia due to the effectiveness and efficiency of the performance appraisal systems, which are seen just, clear and inclusive by employees. The fact that the system is inclusive, the report suggests that it acts as an implicit form of motivation for employees to have a competitive internal business environment, where teams compete to achieve high degree of overall performance for the company. It can be argued that performance appraisal strategy of the firm is in line with its broad focused differentiation based corporate strategy, therefore leading to achieve the strategic goals and objectives.