Organizational Culture of Google Essay

Introduction Sergey Brin and Larry Page who were PhD Students at Stanford University met in 1996 and they came up with the idea of starting a search engine that they named BackRub. However on 14th September 1997, the two students renamed this search engine to Google and in the year 1998 this organization was launched officially. The term Google was derived from the word googol which refers to digit one (1) followed by hundredth (100) zeros. Studies show that, Google receives millions of users on daily basis and it is estimated that this organization is worth billions of US dollars. In addition to this, Google has proven to be among the leading organizations with diverse cultures and has been named as the best performing organization that ingrates Culture and Diversity in Decision Making process. Some of the Awards that have been given to Google include: Hispanic Bar Association of Orange County, Organizational Excellence Award, and Diversity in IT Award, UK IT Industry Award, and National Association of the Deaf Accessibility Award among many other Awards. Google’s Culture The bottom line of Google’s success across the globe stems from the culture that has been developed by the key stakeholders in the organization. It is indeed quite evident that, Google has grown considerably since 1998 when the company was officially launched and currently, its employees are more than 200, and come from all parts of the globe. I will examine Google’s culture of ethical standards and behavior as well as observable organizational policies in the Company. Although Googlers share common goals and visions for the company, Google hail from all walks of life and speak dozens of languages, reflecting the global audience that Google serve. And when not at work, Googlers pursue interests ranging from cycling to beekeeping, from frisbee to foxtrot. The culture of ethical standards and behavior in Google Typically, employees of Google Company are smart people and coming from various parts of the globe, they speak different languages and their cultures vary. As a matter of fact, these employees are expected to serve all customers without any favor or discrimination, thus â€Å"Don’t be evil† is key to Google’s stakeholders, members of staff and all employees working for Google Company. This statement is very vital to Google Company and it is expected that, everyone working in the Company as well as other members of staff should respect one another and above all honor those laws and guiding principles that have been established in the organization especially when it comes to the entire process of decision making (Weber, 2008). In addition to that, clients’ information is vital in the Company and the company expects every employee and other members of staff to ensure that customers’ information and data is given adequate protection from unauthorized access. The company expects that, all its employees maintain high levels of integrity at all time and any employee or staff member who is found to have jeopardized his work by exposing clients information and data to unauthorized access is held liable for all the damages caused will be forced to pay for the ultimate price of his negligence of duty (Schermerhorn, 2012). If there was ever a decline in the web searching service, Google will have to adapt to the new demand. This is why it important for them to strive to hire the smartest and the brightest within the field. Google has the employees to adapt to a decline in the web searching service, the employees that they currently have and will be able to hire will be able to adapt to any other business that Google wants to become during this decline.(Bulygo, 2013) Furthermore, protection of Google’s assets is very important to all employees and staff members of this company. It is quite evident that, Google is rich in intellectual data, communication facilities, employee data, clients’ information, and Company equipment among other assets from in all parts of the globe (Flamholtz & Randle, 2011). The company expects all employees, and other people who access these assets to protect them from any  access by other people with ill motives. This goes hand in hand with the working environment of Google Company and studies shows that, Google ensures that all employees work in a violence free environment and this has enabled employees of Google Company to be very productive at all time. This goes hand in hand with the issue of drug and substance abuse and in this respect; the company does not allow her employees, staff members to use or to promote drug and substance abuse. How I determined that Google has shown the culture of ethical standards and behavior Google Company has adopted the culture of ethical standards and behavior. To Frost, this culture is entrepreneurial, dynamic, and innovative and above all it makes employees to be creative in their places of work (Frost, 2009). It is quite evident that, employees and managers of Google Company embrace risk-taking and innovation, thus they work hard in order to ensure that Google Company is on the leading edge as compared to other organizations or companies from all over the world. Indeed, employees and members of staff of Google Company are unified by their commitment towards implementing what they have or what they know. In addition to that, Google Company aims at leading other companies or organizations in the industry, thus to achieve this, it encourages freedom and individual initiative among her employees and staff members. Factors that caused Google to embody the culture of ethical standards and When Google was officially launched in 1998 as a search engine many people took advantage of various types of information that were being sold by the company. As the company grew and spread all over the world cases of misuse of the available data and information were reported from various parts of the globe. This threatened Google’s performance in the industry and the company came up with various codes of ethics and standards that were meant to guide staff members and users of Google’s information. Secondly, Google being the leading and the best performing organization all over the world needed come up with the culture of ethical standards and behavior. The main reason behind this is that for any organization or company to be successful then all its employees and members of staff should be guided by well established ethics (Schein, 2010). Type of leader that suits Google Company In my opinion, I believe that the ideal leader for this company is the one who has the ability to cultivate Google’s presence continuously. In addition to this, the leader should be customized to the type of business in order for him to deliver the impeccable customer service demanded customers and also to ensure that the company produces amazing results. This individual should lead by example and lead all employees towards the attainment of the company`s mission and vision. He should be approachable, open minded and very knowledgeable. Conclusion In an event of a decline in the demand of goods and services of Google Company, it will be a prudent for the company to adjust its culture to match the trend. In my view, I believe Google Company has been adjusting its culture in a number of ways in to make the most of prevailing conditions. It is quite evident that all employees and stakeholders of Google Company are committed to service delivery and one of the adjustments to be made by the Company is to create fun times between employees and clients. This will allow employees of the company to share their amazing experiences and services with their clients and this will increase the demand of goods and services of the company by these clients or customers. References Flamholtz, E., & Randle, Y. (2011). Corporate Culture: The Ultimate Strategic Asset. Palo Alto: Stanford University Press. Frost, P. J. (2009). Organizational culture. Beverly Hills u.a: Sage Publ Schein, E. H. (2010). Organizational culture and leadership. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass Schermerhorn, J. R. (2012). Organizational behavior (12th ed.). Danvers, MA: John Wiley & Sons, Inc. ` Weber, S. (2008). Organizational behavior – Google corporate culture in perspective. München: GRIN Verlag GmbH. Bulygo, Z(2013, Feb 11) Insidw google’ culture of success and employee happiness.[Web Log Post]. Rettirved from http://blog.kissmetrics. com/google-culture-of-success/

Don Quixote Essay

Sue Kim 29 October 2012 Honors Literature Don Quixote Essay â€Å"With these word and phrases the poor gentleman lost his mind,† (Cervantes 20). In the beginning of Don Quixote, the reader is introduced to a man engulfed in chivalric books, who soon loses his mind in the stories of knighthood. Don Quixote is labeled as an insane man by the narrator who soon proves this statement through Don Quixote’s delusions and eccentric behaviors. As the narrator describes the delusions, the narrator’s tone is overly mocking towards Don Quixote’s delusional acts.However, ignoring the narrator’s mocking tone, Don Quixote’s foolish acts can be judged reasonable by comparing Don Quixote’s delusions to the actual situation. In Cervantes’ Don Quixote, Don Quixote is portrayed as a delusional person with a tendency of expressing eccentric behaviors; however, Don Quixote’s delusions can be judged reasonable if the audience looks at the acts of Don Quixote as a childish and immature approach to regarding things in life.There are three types of delusions and eccentric behaviors shown by Don Quixote that can be seen as reasonable: delusions and eccentric behaviors connected with concrete objects, coincidental situations, and in situations where Don Quixote admits his madness and tries to explain his own supposed madness. The most commonly mentioned scene of Don Quixote is when Don Quixote has delusions about windmills being giants. Delusions and eccentric behaviors connected with concrete objects happen as Don Quixote sees some concrete objects as slightly different objects.This pattern is seen when Don Quixote interprets windmills as giants. â€Å"thirty or forty of the windmills [†¦] thirty or more enormous giants† (Cervantes 58). The audience may perceive Don Quixote as insane because he confuses two similar objects. The massive windmills’ blades are similar to the massive giants’ arms and the trunk of the windmill is similar to a giants’ body. Don Quixote’s childish actions are analogous to those of a child identifying a beautiful woman in an elegant dress as a princess.An image of a giant is conjured when thinking of a windmill because they are so similar in appearance; therefore, an image of a princess can be conjured when seeing a beautiful woman and dress. Don Quixote also perceives a barber’s basin to be a helmet. â€Å"Do you know what I imagine Sancho? This famous piece of the enchanted helmet [†¦] resembles a barber’s basin as you say,† (Cervantes 155). To turn a basin upside down creates an object similar to a helmet. The reader can compare Don Quixote’s ridiculous actions to the behavior of children as they have swordfights with sticks.Don Quixote, seemingly childish and naive, can nonetheless be judged reasonable because in both the windmill scene and the basin scene, the two objects being compared had similar qu alities and were seen from a childish perspective. Don Quixote also had delusions on fortuitous situations. Don Quixote’s delusional behaviors on coincidental situations can be judged reasonable because they are spontaneous. The delusions of Don Quixote are similar to the delusions that â€Å"normal† people would have. Well, [the cloud of dust] conceals a vast army, composed of innumerable and diverse peoples, which is marching toward us,† (Cervantes 126). A cloud of dust could hide anything from a small pin to a immense army. Therefore, it is reasonable for Don Quixote to believe a vast army is hidden inside the cloud of dust and rampage into the cloud of dust. Don Quixote’s belief on the cloud of dust can be related to the actions of a child as he or she imagines there is a monster underneath their bed. In both situations, Don Quixote and the child are afraid of the unknown hidden from their view.A comparable situation happens as Don Quixote faces with t wo friars and a carriage on one path and has the delusion that the friars are kidnapping a princess in the carriage. â€Å"You wicked and monstrous creatures, instantly unhand the noble princesses you hold captive in that carriage, or else prepare to receive a swift death as just punishment for your evil deeds† (Cervantes 62). Don Quixote can be judged reasonable because his immature, quick assumptions correspond with those of a child as he or she immediately assumes a punishment when their full name is called.A normal adult may not have attacked the friars, but a man with a childish mind would have shown eccentric behavior like Don Quixote. All of these delusions are acceptable if they are pursued to imitate one’s role model. Madness can be conceived if a person’s role model is also considered insane. Don Quixote explains about his insanity as, â€Å"In the same manner, Amadis was the polestar the morning star, [†¦] the one who should be imitated by all o f us who serve under the banner of love and chivalry. This being true, [†¦] that the knight errant who most closely imitates Amadis will be closest to attaining chivalric perfection† (Cervantes 193).Don Quixote realizes that people call him insane; thereupon, he explains that he is merely following in the footsteps of his role model, Amadis. Don Quixote’s guilelessness relates to those of a child as he or she looks up to his or her role model as the child grows up. A related situation happens in Sir Gawain and the Green Knight. â€Å"Said Gawain to the king, ‘If you would, noble lord, Bid me rise from my seat and stand at your side, [†¦] And I have asked you for it first, it should fall to me† (Pearl Poet 246).Gawain is upraising his uncle, King Arthur. Gawain’s honor for King Arthur allows him to imitate King Arthur by asking for the task of beheading the Green Knight. All of Don Quixote’s actions can be assimilated as childish. If Don Quixote’s actions were perceived plainly as childish and immature thought process, the readers can acquire a different definition of chivalry and knighthood from Don Quixote. Chivalry and knighthood is known to be for those that are loyal and brave.However, if Don Quixote’s chivalric, but ridiculous actions were plainly childish actions, chivalry becomes the dream of young children. Chivalry becomes an immature game played by children. Knights would not be the symbol of courage, but the symbol of playfulness and being silly. With Don Quixote’s childish perception towards chivalry and knighthood, the readers can acquire a new sense of what loyalty and courage are. Citations * Cervantes, Miguel De. Don Quixote. New York City: HarperCollins Publishers Inc. , 2005. Print. * Pearl Poet, . Sir Gawain and the Green Knight. Print.

Technology, Government, Entrepreneurship and their influence after Essay

Technology, Government, Entrepreneurship and their influence after world war 2 - Essay Example USA patented their commercial scale of production in 1948 and most of the pharmaceutical organizations went on to patent most of their potent antibiotics in 1950s-60s. Some of the American companies that took advantage of German Drug Patents are Winthrop Chemical Company and IG Farben. Political support was agreed upon after extensive research by numerous bodies including pharmaceutical industry, academic researchers, and government researchers. There was need to include intellectual influence on pharmaceutical companies due to dangers imposed by some drugs on patients. The government regularly sort academic physicians help while handling drug issues because they were deemed experts in the medical field. Germany experienced the most creative period between 1932 and 1945 and American scientists looted their patents after the World War II due to German’s devastation after the war. Americans had enough money to fund medical researches hence prompting them to strip off Germany inv entiveness. According to   Expert Reviews Staff World War II completely changed the world by ushering in a new technological age in the world we live now (Web). Governments invested a lot of money in research and technology to find better ways of destroying the enemy yet the eventual technology changed the way people think. During the post-world war II, pharmaceutical industry engaged itself in an extensive research as well as administrative networks with a number of bodies such as academic researchers and medical schools as well as the government and this led to a biomedical community and eventually organized medicine. There was an uppermost 300 kHz segment of world allocation of the 10-meter band from 29.7 MHz to 30MHz that was removed from amateur radio in 1947 but in 1950s, a single-sideband modulation for HF voice communication was introduced. This was followed by the launch of the first orbital amateur radio satellite (OSCAR) which was the first of series amateur radio satel lites created worldwide. Post war economy led to further expansion of the television production, which had earlier started in the decade as a means of developing radar technology. Console and tabletop models emerged and Milton Berlke and Ed Sullivan were amongst the first TV stars in the late 1940s. The 1950s later become the golden age of television because a good number of people could afford TV in their homes   (Expert Reviews Staff Web). Key Influential Entrepreneurs in the Post World War II Boyer explains that David Sarnoff was an American pioneer in the radio and television industry who migrated to the US in 1900 and worked for Marconi Wireless Company (684-685). Sarnoff proposed a radio music box in 1915, this led to the popularly known radio broadcasting, and when Radio Corporation absorbed the Marconi firm in 1921, he later became the CEO between 1947 and 1970. He contributed a lot to the development of black and white as well as compatible color TV and later served as Dw ight in World War II as a communication adviser and an active figure in public affairs where he was a spokesperson for the broadcasting industry. After the WW II Americans wanted to indulge themselves with entertainment and Sarnoff introduced a television price at $375. The sales went so high from 175, 000 in 1947 to 7 million in 1950 with almost half carrying RCA name and Sarnoff estimated that almost 47% of Americans owned television sets by 1952.

Experience of having a child at a young age (age-18) Essay

Experience of having a child at a young age (age-18) - Essay Example Even though my friends and I had numerous differences, it was easy to get along and share so much of our life experiences. From time to time, I would think and talk about my future especially where I expected to be in ten years or so. Just like any other typical woman, I would talk about getting into a successful career and starting a family that would remain united forever. Soon after graduating high school, my friendship and relationship with my friends kept growing over time. Some time passed and the story remained the same. Nothing much happened in my life until I discovered I was expecting a child at the age of eighteen. I was happy but worried too that I would have a child at a young age. On one hand, pregnancy was not a welcome thing in my life at that age. I felt it had begun to complicate my life from there on. I had never thought of having a child at the age of eighteen. My complete focus was on going to college and pursuing a career that would change my life for the better. On the other hand, pregnancy was a situation I had to face without fear or guilt. In many instances, I was concerned not only about my education, but also about the fact that getting a child at a young age would affect the rest of my life. To get through it, I had to convince myself that all would be well and everything would work out in my favor. However, it was obvious that college education was on hold at that point. Days, weeks, and months passed, and eventually I gave birth to a beautiful baby girl, whom I named Lucy. Before my nineteenth birthday, I was a mother. At my age, I had so much to learn about caring for the baby. I attended parenting classes and had frequent visits to the doctor to ensure that the baby’s progress was good. One major thing I always recognize is the support I received from my family and friends. My family stood by me and provided me with financial support since I still depended on my parents. Surprisingly,

Managing People and Organizations Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Managing People and Organizations - Essay Example The organizations commit themselves to contributing to the society by performing business ethically and contributing to the development of the people and the society (Rashid and Saadiatul, 2002). The agency theory is relevant for this case as this theory states that the shareholder of the company gives authority to the agent that can take any decision regarding the company. These agents or managers manage the company and take decision according to their own conditions. Every manager has a different style of controlling people and the company, and the attitude of these managers towards managing people varies according to their way of leadership capabilities. The conflict arises when the owner of the company wants to maximize the profit of the company by performing certain activities that are not ethical, while the manager wants the organization to fulfill its social responsibility (Germanova, 2008). The issue of CSR has risen in many countries, and the public has also been involved in this issue; this is the reason that CSR has become a major issue in Malaysia. The large organizations of Malaysia have raised many questions regarding the environmental hazards, drug abuse, safety, product quality, discrimination etc. The government of Malaysia has made policies so that organizations can fulfill their corporate social responsibility. This research will examine the attitudes of the managers towards corporate social responsibility and in which way they are managing people and organizations (Rashid and Saadiatul, 2002). In 1976, Holmes was the first person in USA who researched regarding the attitude of the corporate executives towards CSR, and he wanted to know the changing opinions of the firms towards CSR in the last five years that means from 1970 to1975. The result of his research revealed that the opinions of the executives for CSR changed drastically, and these executives were very positive for their organizations to fulfill corporate social responsibility (Ras hid and Saadiatul, 2002). The managers and executives of Malaysian companies have a very positive attitude towards corporate social responsibility, and they believe that if the life of the people in which the company is working can be improved, then the long-term profitability of the organization can have a good impact. The managers also believe that if the organizations want to show positive image to the people, then it should take social responsibilities and should meet the needs and expectations of the people. The socially responsible organizations are also able to satisfy their shareholders and CSR is important for them in order to reduce the behavior that is not responsible. The managers recognize the fact that organizations are social entities, and they should compete with standards of the people. These opinions of the executives were taken from a survey conducted for Malaysian companies and the results of this survey were similar to the findings of Ford and McLaughlin in 1984 . This means that the opinions of the managers are consistent for many years, and they realize the importance of CSR for the success of their organizations (Rashid and Saadiatul, 2002). Another survey was conducted in Vietnam in 2011 in which the research was performed for managers in order to investigate their perception regarding CSR and the extent to which they

On A&P by John Updike Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

On A&P by John Updike - Essay Example As they glanced through the merchandises, Sammy stares at them and afterward admires the most attractive and most imposing of the three. He calls her Queenie. When Lengel, the manager of the supermarket, scolds the three girls for being so indecently dressed, Sammy hastily quits his job to show his boss and the girls that he can fight for his principle. Even though the plot is straightforward, the central theme of the narrative is powerful: a dignified act that represents a useless attempt to defy socioeconomic hierarchy. The social inequality that forms the foundation of the narrative is seen through the point of view of Sammy. The teenage girls are obviously from an upper class because of the aura they exude and their noticeable difference from the other customers in the store. At this point, the issue of social class is highlighted (Kirszner & Mandell 1996, 1512). Sammy describes the other customers in a derogatory way, such as â€Å"an old party in baggy gray pants† and â €Å"house slaves in pin curlers† (Kirszner & Mandell 1998, 73). ... Nevertheless, both Sammy and Queenie behave in ways that are somewhat similar. Both are making an attempt to fit into new realities, with Queenie wanting to experience the life ‘below’ and Sammy struggling to experience the life ‘above’ (Searles 26). As Queenie approaches the cashier, Sammy sees, â€Å"Now her hands are empty, not a ring or a bracelet,†¦ and I wonder where the money’s coming from. Still with that prim look she lifts a folded dollar bill out of the hollow at the center of her nubbled pink top† (Kirszner & Mandell 1998, 74). Through this act, she not merely tries her sexual ability but also goes down to the ‘supermarket’ class. It is obvious from the story that the supermarket caters to the low class, as shown in the characteristics of most of its customers. Yet Sammy is aware of the social and economic gap between him and Queenie (Kirszner & Mandell 17): I slid right down her voice into her living room. Her fat her and the other men were standing around in ice-cream coats and bow ties and the women were in sandals picking up herring snacks on toothpicks off a big plate and they were all holding drinks the color of water with olives and sprigs of mint in them. When my parents have somebody over they get lemonade and if it’s a real racy affair Schlitz in tall glasses with â€Å"They’ll Do It Every Time† cartoons stencilled on. However, by quitting his job, Sammy defies economic and social boundaries. Even though the decision of Sammy to quit his job is reckless and unwise, it seems that he is making a decisive opposition against what he believes is social prejudice (Searles 29). But not like Queenie’s boldness, Sammy’s insubordination and rebelliousness will have lasting outcomes. Sammy’s

Social Media Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 2

Social Media - Essay Example These websites are designed for sharing messages, pictures, events, updates and such other activities. Social Media sometimes feeds in innovating and discovering new contents like news, stories and other activities. There are hundred thousand of people, who daily perform searches on social media websites to search social media contents (Thomas, 2012). At managerial ability of permissible astuteness, it has four important components: The Attitudinal Component Officially astute teams hold the instruction of commandment and identify the ethical features of planned choice. The astute TMTs take duty for handling the permissible features of corporate and would not delegate those conclusions to people such as counsel, who could not comprehend the wider business points. It is identified that it is a duty of the general manager to take decision that which provision of possessions and rewards creates the sensible business. Counsel does not advise that a certain course of act is legal or not, i t depends upon the administration team to take decision whether a certain risk is valuable or not. A prominent data administration software and hardware manufacturer will have to decide whether to obtain the entire standard of VMware, the designer of leading-edge Virtual software that allowed customers to run unlike computer operating classifications like Unix, Linux and Windows instantaneously on a single server (Mandiberg, 2012). The Proactive Component Officially astute administration teams claim lawful guidance that is professional business oriented, and they assume their solicitors to support them in addressing corporate opportunities and pressures in conducts that are lawfully permissible, actual, and competent. Rather than observing the rule purely as a restraint, somewhat to respond to and fulfill with, officially astute administration teams contain lawful restraints and opportunities at each phase of plan preparation and implementation. They take a preemptive method to rule , both to elude extra difficult government rule and to take benefit of the renewal opportunities parameter and de rule suggestion. Such as Regina Company decreased its product accountability disclosure and shaped an improved product in the method when it fortified its home-grown spa applications with an engagement recognition circuit interrupter that sheltered customers from electrical tremor if they unintentionally let fall the appliance in water. The Judgment Component Officially astute administrators with proper legal training do not have reason to guide themselves on permissible issues of significance. They appreciate the significance of choosing a right counselor at rule, who syndicates information of the black-note rule with decision and knowledge. Convinced developments of achievement might be lawful but not astute. Part of the highest administration team’s work is assimilating all method of viewpoints, from economic specialists, HR specialists, and marketing administr ators to solicitors. General Executives must take decision, how much to devote for gaining extra information, whether it is in the marketplace research or based upon lawful opinion. The Knowledge Component Although the knowledgeable administrator may realize the role that rule plays in setting the directions of the good game, it is frequently less clear, how commandment distresses the risk ratio for any

DAVID SEDARIS Us and them Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

DAVID SEDARIS Us and them - Essay Example He is also curious to know what this family does during dinner time, only to find that they practice the sense of togetherness through usual talks. Though it seemed weird to the author not to conform to the norm of watching news at that particular hour, he later realized that; this family was even more normal than those families that watched the television. The aspect of equality was practiced in this homestead. Everyone had an opportunity to express their opinion and ideas during the conversation, unlike the author’s home where the parents watched the news and other programs after the news. The other concept carried by the narrative id irony, where the conformist who believed to live a correct life did not show generosity and politeness. This clear from non-conformist expression, they have placed a sign board that urges others not be greedy. However, all we see is that those who thought they were perfect were even worse in their conduct (Sedaris, page 9). The author consumes all the candy without sharing with Tom key’s children. The aspect of irony is evident in that; the audience expects the non-conformist of television to have more mistakes, by the fact that they were behind in terms of technology. Nevertheless, those who conform to the usual norms are even

Climate change Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Climate change - Essay Example My interest grew stronger in this specific topic because it is that in one way or the other, it has an influence on other earth systems and it has an even greater impact on human beings. Our atmosphere is composed of gasses that play an important role in life. Oxygen, for instance, is considered as a vital gas to support life; it is the air that we breathe. Other than life, our atmosphere is responsible for reflecting away harmful sunrays from reaching the surface of the earth. The general theme of my essay is the effects of atmospheric change on life forms. It is an important subject of interest because as I had stated earlier, it is of great importance to life. We should study its changes and work on how best we can conserve it in order for it to keep supporting life. In relation to earth systems, the atmosphere also gives us weather. The wind, rain, and snow are all dependent on the atmosphere. Plant life directly depends on the atmosphere of carbon dioxide, which is a vital component of plant growth and development (Harington). In addition, let us not forget the good old air we breathe as living organisms comes from the atmosphere. The composition of the gasses in the atmosphere which gives the gasses, 78% nitrogen, 21% oxygen and a 1% of other gasses and dust. The atmosphere sticks to the surface of our planet thanks to its gravitational field. The atmosphere is divided into five layers; ii. The thermosphere is the second outermost layer, which sits at about 80 to 700 kilometers above sea level and is separated from the exosphere by a layer called thermopause. The layer is completely cloudless, and the molecules are in extremely low densities and its temperatures can rise as high as 1500 `c but it would not feel hot to a human in direct contact because of low density of molecules (Nolt). iii. The mesosphere sits at the third highest level of the atmosphere at about 50 to 80 kilometers above sea level. Temperatures here drop with

UPS Company Strategy Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

UPS Company Strategy - Case Study Example It goes without saying that drivers of organizational change vary across organizations and businesses. However, the main drivers of organizational change can be summarized as follows: (1) information availability and distribution; (2) the pace of technological advancement; (3) the growing availability of technologies; (4) increased business competition; (5) rapid shifts in the global labor and product markets; (6) changes in environmental responsibility and requirements; and (7) changing customer expectations and demands (John, Cannon & Pouder 2001). More often than not companies operating in the present day business environment pursue change to align their strategic goals with the emerging information capabilities and, consequentially, use them to meet the rising consumer demands. As the number of companies in the logistics industry increases, the ability to satisfy customer satisfaction in the most cost-effective manner becomes the main source of companies’ competitive advantage. Nevertheless, the number of challenges faced by companies in the global market does not decrease. â€Å"Integrating activities both within and beyond organizational boundaries has become a major challenge at century’s end and will likely continue for the foreseeable future† (John, Cannon & Pouder 2001, p.145). ... The diversification of companies in the logistic market had the potential to distract UPS consumers with more attractive rates, prices, and services. Second, before the 1990s discipline and efficiency had always been the company’s top strategic priorities. According to Garvin and Levesque (2001), along with discipline and efficiency, continuous improvement had been the company’s principal legacy. The company had historically operated in the atmosphere of constructive dissatisfaction, which further instilled the values of continuous improvement and service excellence on company employees (Garvin & Levesque 2001). The historical commitment to efficiency and discipline and continued attention towards operations left many customers dissatisfied. Apart from the fact that UPS failed to envision changes in customer preferences and demands, discipline and efficiency left little room for monitoring changes in the external business environment. Finally, UPS had never had a formal strategic planning process, which made the implementation of strategic innovations difficult and problematic. As the entire world was changing, UPS definitely needed a fresh breath, and the new CEO had to restructure the company’s basic operations. Since the beginning of the new millennium UPS was constantly trying to define how exactly it could develop and sustain a competitive advantage. The creation of the new strategic planning process became part of the strategic innovations within UPS. Looking further into 2017, UPS anticipates that understanding the factors and forces affecting its market position will become its main strategic goal for years ahead (Garvin & Levesque

German military Essay Example for Free

German military Essay The overwhelming tactics unleashed by the Nazis at the beginning of World War Two signaled a shocking advance in the art of warfare. The allies struggled to devise defenses against the blitzkrieg of the German military. Eventually, they were able to repel the Germans. However, the nations of the world learned a great deal from the blitzkrieg. This frightening tactic would be emulated and modified in the decades to come. As the Blitzkrieg inspired fear in its opponents, it also eventually inspired overconfidence in the Germans. Many of the nations that the Germans attacked in the first years had antiquated militaries and were ill prepared for the onslaught of the German Wehrmacht and the Luftwaffe. In the first years of the conflict, the Luftwaffe seemed both omnipresent and nearly invincible as it fought on fronts as distant as North Africa and Northern Russia. 1 The Allies would be forced by the Blitzkrieg to rapidly retool their militaries and their military strategies. In the mean time, the Blitzkrieg would cause devastation across Europe. War in the early 20th Century World War One served as a major turning point in the conduct of warfare. Prior to this war, the idea of honor for ones opponent still existed to a certain degree. Many commanders frowned upon sneak attacks and civilian casualties. By 1914, the technology of weaponry had advanced significantly. It was now possible to kill large numbers of 1. Dale Brown (ed. ). The Luftwaffe. Alexandria, VA: Time-Life Books, 1982. (16). soldiers easily. The tremendous number of casualties eliminated any sense of battlefield chivalry that remained. The machine gun, deadly gases, air power and more accurate and deadly shells resulted in unprecedented casualties. Yet, neither side was gaining any substantial ground. The war settled into a deadly stalemate in which soldiers were routinely sacrificed in large numbers with little hope of gain. With the exit of the newly formed Soviet Union and the entry of the United States into the conflict it became clear that Germany would run out of manpower before the allies. The eventual peace levied a punitive price on Germany. The nation was forced to accept full blame for the war, change its form of government, pay reparations and reduce the size of its military. Feeling the humiliation of the Versailles treaty, the Germans who would later come to power were determined not to make the same mistakes as their predecessors. After World War One, a committee was formed to assess war issues and strategies. It was decided that strategies emphasizing maneuver and surprise would be necessary in the future. Carl von Clausewitz and other German military theoreticians had successfully used such tactics in prior wars. 2 The new German command would draw on these principles, and merge them with rapidly advancing military technology. The Germans knew that, for them, a war of attrition was unwinnable. Yet, there were some who wanted to avenge the harsh terms of the Versailles treaty. The Nazis only held a minority in the Reichstag, but Hitler managed to maneuver his way into absolute power. From the early 1930’s, the Germans violated the terms of the treaty and rebuilt 2. Larry H. Addington. The Pattern of War Since the Eighteenth Century. Bloomington: Indiana University Press, 1994. their military to frightening levels. Military leaders, such as Goring and Himmler studied the theories of J. F. C. Fuller and Liddell Hart in order to craft military strategies that took advantage of cutting edge technology. 3 Shades of the future could be seen even before the end of World War One. The Germans used Blitzkrieg-like attacks in Russia and in France during 1918. By that time, however, attrition had decimated the German forces and they were ultimately unable to capitalize upon these successes. What is Blitzkrieg? Blitzkrieg, or â€Å"Lightning War† was a startling advance on warfare first used comprehensively in the Nazi attack of Poland in 1939. The tactic was used extensively in the following years. The Blitzkrieg provided great success for the regime throughout Europe, in North Africa, and initially in Russia. The term â€Å"Blitzkrieg† is now a general term used to describe a variety of military actions. In all cases, it is a well-planned, widespread attack used to decimate the enemy’s defenses swiftly. In World War Two, the Nazi blitzkriegs often consisted of a specific sequence of actions. Any definition of Blitzkrieg should include the following elements: a decentralized command structure, the avoidance of combat in favor of targeting infrastructure, the use of air support, and the use of mobile, mechanized artillery. Engineering assets must also be prevalent in order to keep the force moving quickly. 4 3. Kenneth Macksey. Guderian: Panzer General. London: Greenhill Books, 2003 4. Alexander B. Rossino. Hitler Strikes Poland: Blitzkrieg Ideology and Atrocity. Lawrence: University Press of Kansas, 2003. The term itself came into use in the mid 1930’s, although elements of the strategy had been around for centuries. It came into widespread use after Time magazine used it to describe the German attack on Poland in 1939. First, infrastructure, communications, and the front and back line troops are attacked by air. Any air forces were to be neutralized immediately. This is done by heavy, concentrated bombing sorties. The goal was to effectively blind the enemy and gain air superiority. Following closely behind, tank divisions break through and advance quickly. Other mechanized units follow the tanks, engaging the enemy and establishing strategic strongholds. Communication is critical for such an attack. Advances in radio technology allowed the Germans to create a seamless network in which commanders could receive, and react to, real time information from any sector of the battlefield. Meanwhile, the infantry is engaging the enemy forces. Those forces are then unable to pull back and defend against the fast-moving mechanized forces. The enemy flanks are also attacked. Ground forces continue the process of encircling the enemy forces, while the tank units plunge ever further into enemy territory. The highly concentrated, fierce attacks often caught enemies off-guard. The mechanized units advanced at such a rate that they were able to continually out flank defenders. Often within weeks the enemy forces would be circled and cut of from reinforcements. To enhance the effectiveness of these attacks, the Germans usually did not declare war. In some cases, Hitler had even made non-aggression pacts with countries he later attacked. Unleashing the new war machine The Nazi war plan was the product of years of preparation. Although the Blitzkrieg is a name specifically describing actions that began in 1939, the Nazis had already experimented with the idea prior to the war. The Spanish civil war of the late 1930’s provided a proving ground, of sorts, for a new theory of war. German high command participated in the war, evaluating and honing tactics for the larger conflict to come. According to Dale M Brown in The Luftwaffe: The eruption of that conflict in 1936 had been welcomed by Hitler and his Generals as a heaven sent opportunity for the young German air force to test its planes, train its air crews and develop new fighting techniques under modern battle conditions. 5 In 1939, the Nazi government manufactured a border dispute with neighboring Poland. The Polish army was accused of entering German territory and committing murder. Coincidentally enough, German forces were already poised at the border and ready for an offensive attack. What would occur next would come to be known as the Blitzkrieg. Poland and the other European nations were ill-prepared for the German onslaught. German forces poured in to Poland with lightning speed, while the Luftwaffe quickly neutralized the Polish Air Force. The Blitzkrieg had achieved its first major success. Edwin P. Holt writes in Angels of Death: Goring’s Luftwaffe: The effect was terrible. In minutes the roads were scenes of devastation and carnage. It was a case of a modern war machine 5. Dale Brown (ed. ). The Luftwaffe. Alexandria, VA: Time-Life Books, 1982. (19). fighting a nineteenth-century army. 6 The speed of the attack was unprecedented. It was both physically and psychologically devastating for the Polish populace. Centers of population thought safely within the country’s interior were now reachable in a matter of days. The stunning attacks struck fear into both the civilian and military population. This, in fact, was a critical part of the Blitzkrieg plan. A population that feels utterly vulnerable is likely to submit quickly. The eyewitnesstohistory. com website provides a diary entry fro a German tank commander. He writes of the later French campaign: The people in the houses were rudely awoken by the din of our tanks, the clatter and roar of tracks and engines. Troops lay bivouacked beside the road†¦Civilians and French troops, their faces distorted with terror lay huddled in the ditches. 7 The Blitzkrieg later used against the French would be ruthlessly efficient. Historians disagree as to whether the Polish campaign was technically a Blitzkrieg, citing many of its conventional elements. It has come to be known as the beginning of Blitzkrieg none the less. It was devastatingly fast, and nearly impossible to defend against. The Polish defenders fought valiantly, but they were over matched. Polish troops repeatedly charged the German tanks in what amounted to a suicide mission. Nazi commanders, secure in their tanks spoke arrogantly of the Polish campaign. In Tank, Patrick Wright described the Nazi’s attitude: 6. Edwin P. Hoyt. Angels of Death: Goring’s Luftwaffe. New York: Forge, 1994. (146). 7. Ibis Communications Inc. â€Å"Blitzkrieg: 1940. † 2002. http://eyewitnesstohistory. com/pfblitzkrieg. htm . Accessed 22 December 2006. Hitler’s tank General, Heinz Guderian, claimed that the Polish Lancers took this desperate step â€Å"In ignorance of the nature of our tanks† and suffered â€Å"tremendous losses† as a consequence. 8 After the successful campaign against the Poles, the Nazi regime turned its sights toward the other neighboring countries. Some of them, intimidated by the Blitzkrieg, fell without a fight. Others were quickly overwhelmed by the ever more efficient blitz tactics. Before the end of 1940, Norway, the Netherlands and Belgium had all fallen into German hands. With military confidence at an all-time high, Hitler unleashed the blitz on Russia in 1941. In short order, German troops surrounded Moscow and Leningrad. In the East, Hitler stood triumphantly in Paris. France had been conquered in less than two months. After the First World War, the French had constructed a system of border defenses called the Maginot Line. It was thought that this line could prevent any invasion, or at least delay it long enough for defenders to assemble. The Germans studied the line intensively and found its weak points. This illustrates the theory of schwerpunkt – a maximum concentration of integrated forces at one focal area. 9 From there, mechanized forces could get behind, and eventually encircle defenders. Ultimately, the Maginot line could not stand up to the much-advanced German tanks and artillery. Mechanized units plunged through the line, fanned out, and quickly drove remaining French forces underground. The process would be repeated many times throughout Europe. 8. Patrick Wright. Tank: the progress of a monstrous war machine. New York: Penguin Books, 2003. (232) 9. Bryan Perrett and John Hacket. A History of Blitzkrieg. New York: Stein and Day, 1984. German forces under Gen Erwin Rommel also used Blitzkrieg tactics in North Africa. Initially, they faced little resistance. Deception was often a part of the North African version of Blitzkrieg. Tanks and the Luftwaffe were still the spearheads of the attack, but Rommel also used the natural elements to his advantage. From The War in the Desert by Richard Collier: Behind them [the tanks] groaned trucks whose drivers were doing their best to obey Rommel’s order: â€Å"Rear vehicles to raise dust – Nothing but dust. † 10 Small deceptions such as this allowed the Germans to stretch their forces farther than otherwise possible. The Germans streaked across the desert, acquiring strategic positions and valuable natural resources. The allies had seen the devastating Blitzkrieg in Europe and now they faced a foe of unknown strength in Africa. That was how the Germans wanted it. From The War in the Desert: It was becoming increasingly clear that the enemy believed us to be far stronger than we actually were, Rommel said, â€Å"A belief that was essential to maintain. 11 In addition, the bombing of London is commonly referred to as â€Å"the Blitz†. From the perspective of those being bombed, this is understandable. Militarily, however, these attacks did not meet the technical definition of Blitzkrieg. Still, the whistle of the dive- bombing German Stukas provided the intimidation that could have made a later invasion easier. 10. Richard Collier. The War in the Desert. Alex. , VA: Time-Life Books, 1977. (64). 11. Richard Collier. The War in the Desert. Alex. , VA: Time-Life Books, 1977. (65). A key aspect of Blitzkrieg is the integration of all branches of the military in a well-coordinated attack. Air power was still relatively new to the battlefield. It had existed in WWI. Initially, balloons had been used for reconnaissance and occasional bombing. Later in the war, fighter aircraft were developed to the point of effectiveness. Strategy, however, was in its infancy. Using air power in concert with the army was rare and often ineffective. The Nazi’s were innovative in using the rapidly developing flight technology to its best advantage. If air power was important to the success of the blitzkrieg, the tank was critical. The mobility, firepower and defenses of the tank were substantially better than their WWI counterparts, due mainly to the innovation of the Germans. In World War One the tank was still relatively new. It showed potential as an offensive weapon, but it had many problems as well. WWI tanks frequently got stuck, broke down or were sabotaged. Some were very lightly armored. By the end of the war, the Germans had realized that the tank was ineffective in a stalemate situation. However, it showed great promise in swift, mobile attacks. Some of Germany’s potential foes also realized the military potential of mechanized warfare. British generals, including Sir Basil Liddell, were simultaneously developing the strategy of mechanized warfare. George Parada writes: They all postulated that tanks could not only seize ground by brute strength, but could also be the central factor in a new strategy of warfare†¦. All of them found the tank to be the ultimate weapon. 12 Speed was the central aspect to the Blitzkrieg. The Nazi’s had to cut off 12. George Parada. â€Å"The Concept of Blitzkrieg: Achtung Panzer. † 1996. http://www. achtungpanzer. com/blitz. htm . Accessed 23 December 2006. reinforcements and prevent enemy troops from regrouping to be successful. All of the actions of the Blitzkrieg were aimed toward those ends. Technological advances allowed for that speed. If the first wave of potential defenders could not be completely destroyed, at the logistics and communication that support those defenders could be interrupted. Further reinforcements would then have a difficult time catching up to the speedy German attack. The differences in military hardware between WWI and WWII are stark. Aircraft, for example, had become many times faster and more deadly. Tanks, also, were far more powerful and mobile than in the First World War. The changes in strategy that created the Blitzkrieg soon followed. From the eyewitnesstohistory. com website: This was a new kind of warfare integrating tanks, air power, artillery and motorized infantry into a steel juggernaut emphasizing speedy movement and maximization of battlefield opportunities. 13 The end of the Blitz? The success of the Blitzkrieg was reliant on many factors. For years, the Germans had been planning out every detail of their actions. One critical element, however, was beyond their control. The lack of enemy preparedness was as important as anything the Germans did in the attacks. As the war dragged on, German resources waned and the preparedness of the Allies increased. The blitz proved to be devastatingly effective against Germany’s European neighbors. Most were overrun within weeks. The blitz had its limitations, though. When the Nazi’s attacked the Soviet Union success appeared imminent. Russia is a massive 13. Ibis Communications Inc. â€Å"Blitzkrieg: 1940. † 2002. http://eyewitnesstohistory. com/pfblitzkrieg. htm . Accessed 22 December 2006. landmass with a vast amount of resources and often severe weather conditions. These forces would spread the German military too thin, and eventually turn it back. In the West, the English Channel provided a natural barrier against the Germans. The same fast, well-coordinated and overwhelming attacks that had brought great success in Europe were simply not possible against Great Britain. Germany was never able to gain air superiority over England and never launched an invasion. By 1944 the Blitzkrieg attacks had run their course. The Soviets had outlasted the Germans on the Eastern front. In the east, the Americans had joined Allied forces for the successful D-Day invasion. On the defensive, Germany was no longer able to mount massive blitz attacks. During their retreat, they were able to perform one final coordinated attack, at the Ardennes in France. The Blitzkrieg was undoubtedly effective in the early going. The stealth and speed of the attacks allowed the Germans to quickly conquer territories that might not have been possible with conventional tactics. As effective as it was, the Blitzkrieg could not counteract one maxim of conventional warfare – The side with the most resources will eventually win. The Germans simply could not match the resources the Allies could muster. The element of surprise was also gone by 1943. In the face of overwhelming force, the Blitzkrieg was neutralized. Pointing toward the future The Blitzkrieg advanced warfare to shocking levels. At least in the early going the Germans were successful in avoiding long wars of attrition. The Blitzkrieg also provided an intimidating image in which civilians were often in the crosshairs of the war machine. From Tank by Patrick Wright: †¦the image converts the opening weeks of the Second World War into a collision between eras; petrol against muscle, faceless mechanized power against personal valour. 14 It was a rude awakening to a new era of warfare. Killing was now impersonal in many cases. It could now be done from great distances in any conditions. Te days of two armies warring endlessly along a well-defined front were over. The Germans cannot be given all of the credit for developing what would become the Blitzkrieg. Mobile warfare had, in fact, been around for centuries. German commander Guderian and others gave credit to British theoreticians Liddell Hart and J. F. C. Fuller, although the extent of their influence is still a matter of debate. 15 During the late 1920’s the British had created an experimental force to test the effects of fully mechanized warfare. Fuller created new battle plans emphasizing the role of the modern tank. The Germans studied these actions closely, and improved upon them. Germany had also emerged as an industrial and scientific power. This was critical in the development of their new military. The advances in machinery in the early twentieth century allowed for unprecedented military speed. The Germans learned well from their World War One experience. Other nations were also developing Blitzkrieg-like tactics before WWII. The Germans, however, were the first to use the new strategy in a comprehensive way. In a world still war weary and suffering an economic depression, the Blitzkrieg achieved maximum shock value. 14. Patrick Wright. Tank: the progress of a monstrous war machine. New York: Penguin Books, 2003. (232). 15. Kenneth Macksey. Guderian: Panzer General. London: Greenhill Books, 2003. Anything successful is bound to be copied. The Allies were not oblivious to the new German tactics. The innovative German tactics would now be used against them. George Parada describes the process of adaptation: At the same time [the] potential of Blitzkrieg and related tactics was fully appreciated by the Allies, who implemented its tactics on both fronts†¦George Patton used Blitzkrieg and mobile warfare tactics in his European operations of 1944. 16 Echoes of the German blitz can be seen in modern warfare. The â€Å"shock and awe† campaign of the United States military against the Iraqi regime is one such example. It was a well-prepared and widespread attack on a vast number of pre-designated targets. Unlike the German attacks, this was not initially an invasion. The advances in air and missile technology allowed for this. The Iraqi regime, unlike the European nations in WWII, had plenty of warning that the attack would occur. The goals of the blitz and the â€Å"shock and awe† campaign remain the same, however. The attacks were designed to target military assets and the infrastructure that supports them. At the same time, the attackers want to intimidate and overwhelm their foes. The ultimate goal is to avoid a bloody stalemate such as that in World War One. Today, weaponry has advanced to the point where the element of surprise is no longer necessary for a major power. Guerrilla wars are also far more prevalent today. These types of wars limit the effectiveness of Blitzkrieg-type attacks. In short, the Blitzkrieg has greatly influenced attack strategy. However, the strategy is not as invincible as it once was. 16. Parada, George. â€Å"The Concept of Blitzkrieg: Achtung Panzer. † 1996. http://www. achtungpanzer. com/blitz. htm . Accessed 23 December 2006. Notes 1. Dale Brown (ed. ). The Luftwaffe. Alexandria, VA: Time-Life Books, 1982. (16). 2. Larry H. Addington. The Pattern of War Since the Eighteenth Century. Bloomington: Indiana University Press, 1994. 3. Kenneth Macksey. Guderian: Panzer General. London: Greenhill Books, 2003 4. Alexander B. Rossino. Hitler Strikes Poland: Blitzkrieg Ideology and Atrocity. Lawrence: University Press of Kansas, 2003. 5. Dale Brown (ed. ). The Luftwaffe. Alexandria, VA: Time-Life Books, 1982. (19). 6. Edwin P. Hoyt. Angels of Death: Goring’s Luftwaffe. New York: Forge, 1994. (146). 7. Ibis Communications Inc. â€Å"Blitzkrieg: 1940. † 2002. http://eyewitnesstohistory. com/pfblitzkrieg. htm . Accessed 22 December 2006. 8. Patrick Wright. Tank: the progress of a monstrous war machine. New York: Penguin Books, 2003. (232) 9. Bryan Perrett and John Hacket. A History of Blitzkrieg. New York: Stein and Day, 1984. 10. Richard Collier. The War in the Desert. Alex. , VA: Time-Life Books, 1977. (64). 11. Richard Collier. The War in the Desert. Alex. , VA: Time-Life Books, 1977. (65). 12. George Parada. â€Å"The Concept of Blitzkrieg: Achtung Panzer. † 1996. http://www. achtungpanzer. com/blitz. htm . Accessed 23 December 2006. 13. Ibis Communications Inc. â€Å"Blitzkrieg : 1940. † 2002. http://eyewitnesstohistory. com/pfblitzkrieg. htm . Accessed 22 December 2006. 14. Patrick Wright. Tank: the progress of a monstrous war machine. New York: Penguin Books, 2003. (232). 15. Kenneth Macksey. Guderian: Panzer General. London: Greenhill Books, 2003. 16. Parada, George. â€Å"The Concept of Blitzkrieg: Achtung Panzer. † 1996. http://www. achtungpanzer. com/blitz. htm . Accessed 23 December 2006. Sources Addington, Larry H. The Pattern of War Since the Eighteenth Century. Bloomington: Indiana University Press, 1994. Brown, Dale (ed. ). The Luftwaffe. Alexandria, VA: Time-Life Books, 1982. Collier, Richard. The War in the Desert. Alexandria, VA: Time-Life Books, 1977. Corum, James S. The Roots of Blitzkrieg. Lawrence: University Press of Kansas, 1992. Ferguson, Niall. The War of the World: twentieth-century conflict and the descent of the West. New York: Penguin Books, 2006. Hoyt, Edwin P. Angels of Death: Goring’s Luftwaffe. New York: Forge, 1994. Ibis Communications Inc. â€Å"Blitzkrieg: 1940. † 2002. http://eyewitnesstohistory. com/pfblitzkrieg. htm . Accessed 22 December 2006. Macksey, Kenneth. Guderian: Panzer General. London: Greenhill Books, 2003. Parada, George. â€Å"The Concept of Blitzkrieg: Achtung Panzer. † 1996. http://www. achtungpanzer. com/blitz. htm . Accessed 23 December 2006. Perrett, Bryan and Hacket, John. A History of Blitzkrieg. New York: Stein and Day, 1984. Rossino, Alexander B. Hitler Strikes Poland: Blitzkrieg Ideology and Atrocity. Lawrence: University Press of Kansas, 2003. Rutherford, Ward. Blitzkrieg 1940. New York: Putnam Sons, 1979. Sheperd, Alan. France1940 Blitzkrieg in the West. Oxford: Osprey Publishing, 2003. Wernick, Robert. Blitzkrieg. New York: Time-Life Books, 1976. Wright, Patrick. Tank: the progress of a monstrous war machine. New York: Penguin Books, 2003.

The Depiction of Pirates in Treasure Island Essay Example for Free

The Depiction of Pirates in Treasure Island Essay The first thing that must be made clear about Robert Louis Stevenson’s Treasure Island is that it is a romance. And therefore the image of the pirate that it paints remains largely fictional, and many of the details will not seem to comply with scholarly evidence of what the typical pirate was like in its heyday. But it is not correct either to interpret romance as being false history in all instances. When romance is derived from vibrant and native mythology then it is likely to contain a large measure of truth, and the sort of truth that scientific scholarship cannot unearth. According to Mircea Eliade, myth, when it is vitally connected to the culture, speaks only of realities, which are far more â€Å"real† than mere â€Å"hard facts† (7). Treasure Island draws on the myth of the pirate, and it is a living myth, closely connected to the Western spirit of individualism and adventure. Therefore it is a mistake to dismiss Stevenson’s tale as a mere children’s adventure story. It is well documented how the novel has redefined the image of the pirate in the modern age, and continues to excite young and old with its unique spirit of adventure. It is only able to do so because Stevenson tapped a living myth. In the search for the specific influences that shaped the composition of Treasure Island it is advisable to refer first of all to Stevenson’s own admissions. In this sense the author is extremely frank and forthcoming, and even admits to partial plagiarism in some instances. For example, he quotes Washington Irving’s tale â€Å"Wolfert Webber† as an influence, and says in this regard, It is my debt to Washington Irving that exercises my conscience, and justly so, for I believe plagiarism was rarely carried farther the whole inner spirit and a good deal of the material detail of my first chapters were the property of Washington Irving. (Stevenson, Letters, 308) There is indeed a striking resemblance, and Stevenson certainly steals the scene in which a tenured pirate arrives in a sleepy hamlet, lodging in an inn, and day after day regaling to the regulars of the inn his endless store of bloodcurdling adventures on the high seas. There is also the suggestion of hidden pirate treasure, but not on a remote and deserted island. The pirate map is central to the plot of Treasure Island, and may be described as the singular stroke of genius that spelled the success of the novel. The spark of the idea is from Edgar Allan Poe’s story â€Å"The Gold Bug†, whose plot hinges on ciphers and how to crack them (Zaczek 85). Instead of ciphers Stevenson gives us a map of a remote island, and a cross marked on the place where the treasure is supposed to be buried. It is when this map falls into the hands of Jim Hawkins that the adventure really begins. Poe’s story also has pirate treasure buried on an island, and where the pirates leave behind ciphers as the clue to the location. But Poe’s island is not remote and deserted. Stevenson most certainly got this idea from Defoe’s classic novel Robinson Crusoe. We elaborate on the influence of Defoe later on. Another influence that Stevenson mentions is Charles Kingsley’s travelogue At Last, which recounts a voyage to the Caribbean, with related reminiscences (Stevenson, Letters, 263). Though the direct references to pirates are limited, it is an important influence, because we may find in it the inner spirit that belongs to Treasure Island. Kingsley projects the spirit of independence and adventure, and this is certainly part of the imagination that that gives birth to Long John Silver. We feel this spirit palpably in the opening passage: At last we, too, were crossing the Atlantic. At last the dream of forty years, please God, would be fulfilled, and I should see (and happily, not alone) the West Indies and the Spanish Main.   From childhood I had studied their Natural History, their charts, their Romances, and alas! their Tragedies; and now, at last, I was about to compare books with facts, and judge for myself of the reported wonders of the Earthly Paradise. (Kingsley 9) It is a mistake to judge the myth of the pirate to be concerned with the macabre. It is really about leaving behind the constraints of society and making it on one’s own. In the end it is about individualism, which expresses the inner heart of Western man. This is not meant to condone piracy, nor to sanctify despicable real life villains, which no doubt the pirates were. But if the image of the pirate seizes the Western imagination so forcefully, it is because it speaks of an inner longing, and which we feign ignore. It is possibly because the pirate is an extreme example of the unfettered individual. To the pirate it is only himself and the world, and we can understand why this resonates with the Western dream. â€Å"[T]he Old World lay behind us like a dream,† Kingsley expresses once he is ensconced on the Westward bound ship (Ibid). A fundamental dream is being realized, and the Old World is itself now rendered a dream.   Such being the stated and implied influences of Stevenson, we must not expect more than a superficial resemblance between the pirates we find in Treasure Island and the real life counterparts. The novel established certain misconceptions about pirates which has become hard to eradicate now. For example, it is widely believed now that pirates always buried their treasure on remote islands, and deserted locations, and kept maps to locate it when needed later on. Even before the evidence of the scholars arrives, we know that this is a silly thing to do, and the plot of Treasure Island itself will serve as an example. Captain Flint is the legendary pirate who buries his treasure of Skeleton Island, makes a map of the exact spot, which only a small inner band of his crew are privy to. Predictably, this leaves a legacy of backstabbing rivalry among them, and they all want get their hands on the map and appropriate the treasure for themselves. Evidence tells us that real life pirates acted in exactly the opposite way. Having no propensity to save or stash, they spent their loot very quickly through drinking and revelry. Another belief engendered from the novel is that pirate ships always flew the â€Å"Jolly Roger†, the black flag with insignia of a skull and crossed bones. But this would also be foolhardy for pirates who were always desperate to deflect suspicion. According to Aubrey Burl, pirates used two flags, and raised them on the specific situations of a raid. The skull and bones flag was meant to intimidate the prey, goading them to surrender and abandon their ships. But if they did not do so, the black flag was replaced by a red one, which sent the message that violence was about to ensue. Both flags were used tactically in raids, and were not flown at other times. He relates an incidence from 1720 when the notorious pirate Bartholomew Roberts sailed daringly into the harbor of Trepassey, in Newfoundland, flying the black flag. It was only one pirate ship against twenty-two maritime vessels, and yet the intimidation was sufficient, and the harbor surrendered all its vessels to the pirate (Aubrey 133-4).   Most of the incidental details used to describe the pirates in Stevenson’s novel are, however, accurate, barring fictional exaggeration. Rum indeed was the favorite drink of pirates. The former crew members of Captain Flint describe him as habitually breaking into song when in the company of rum: Fifteen men on the dead man’s chest Yo-ho-ho, and a bottle of rum! (Stevenson, Treasure, 9) Drunken revelry, as already noted, was the favorite pastime of pirates. Long John Silver is depicted with a crosspatch on one eye, and a wooden leg. It is not unlikely that pirates bore handicaps, living as they did with daily violence. He also has a parrot perched perpetually on his shoulder. We know that pirates were fond of keeping tropical birds, which they did as souvenirs of the trips to wildlife locations around the world. The pirates in Treasure Island are of English and Dutch extraction, which is also the typical make up of pirates in the New World, and the French also included in the mix. The ethnic map of piracy often followed the political map and the rivalry among the maritime powers, England, Holland and France being the principle political players, after the demise of the Spanish Empire. Indeed, the most notorious age of piracy was in the wake of the War of the Spanish Succession, when Spain finally relinquished its control of the high seas, and England, Holland and France entered the fray. Each employed privateers, who were legal pirates with commissions from their respective crowns to prey upon the ships of rival colonial powers. Initially their commissions had been to raid Spanish ships, because Spain ruled the seas, and their ships carried enticing booty. After the Spanish defeat on the mainland, the privateers remained, and soon began to prey on each other. The illegal and proper pirates usually respected such political dividing lines (Lane 3-5). The pirates in Treasure Island conform to this picture, the novel being set in that particular period of high piracy in the eighteenth century.   This is the extent to which Stevenson’s pirate is authentic, and we should not expect more. Though this pirate is a criminal thug, it is not this fact that strikes a chord in our imagination. It is rather the spirit of individualism and initiative that moves us, and makes someone who is essentially a robber of the high seas into a figure of romance for us. The tell tale sign for this is that these pirates are wont to bury their treasure on a remote and deserted island, instead of merely spending it. The idea is clearly derived from reading Robinson Crusoe, Daniel Defoe’s story of a castaway who survives 28 years on a remote and deserted island, being the only survivor of a shipwreck. We know that Stevenson was an avid reader and admirer of Defoe. Stevenson is a kindred spirit to Defoe, though of a lesser genius. We examine Defoe in the hope of unlocking some secrets regarding Stevenson. Robinson Crusoe is not just an adventure tale, but is more a parable illustrating the Protestant work ethic. Crusoe establishes a personal relationship to God through his stay on the island, and in this sense is a consummate individual. He is shown to build civilization anew on the basis of such a faith. Therefore, he embodies individuality and imitative, exactly as the mythological pirate does. The figure of Robinson Crusoe is therefore the flip side of the iconic pirate. Crusoe confronts the world through faith in God; the pirate is also alone pitched against the world, only that he employs violence and bloodshed. Crusoe also discovers buried treasure while on a remote and deserted island – it is a spiritual treasure, and is hidden in the recesses of the soul. The counterpart for the pirate is material riches buried in a secret location. Both are emphasizing mystery, one religious, the other material. To confirm that this analogy is not strained, we note that Defoe was a passionate enthusiast of pirates and piracy, and has authored a long list of books and novels related to the theme. Indeed, he is thought to have authored A General History of the Pyrates under the pseudonym Captain Charles Johnson, this being the definite text of pirate history that has come down to us (Novak 642).   In conclusion, the iconic image of the pirate that has come down to us, largely influenced by Robert Louis Stevenson’s novel Treasure Island, is best described as a figment of the Western imagination. The pirates described in the novel are on the whole accurate, but historical accuracy is not the aim here. Pirates were dangerous robbers of the high seas, but it is an aspect that the mythical pirate wants to evade. Instead it is the spirit of individualism and initiative that is meant to be emphasized, because it resonates with the Western spirit as a whole. It is because Stevenson captured this sprits in his tale, which is set in the golden age of piracy, that has endeared it to the Western audience, and continues to excite successive generations of readers, and not only the young. Works Cited Burl, Aubery. Black Barty: The Real Pirate of the Caribbean. Stroud, UK: Sutton Publishing, 2006. Eliade, Mircea. Myth and Reality. New York: Waveland Press, 1998. Kingsley, Charles. At Last. Charleston, SC: BiblioBazaar, 2007. Lane, Kris E. Pillaging the Empire: Piracy in the Americas, 1500-1750. Armonk, NY: M.E. Sharpe, 1998. Novak, Maximillian E. Daniel Defoe: Master of Fictions: His Life and Ideas. Oxford, UK: Oxford University Press, 2001. Stevenson, Robert Louis. Selected Letters of Robert Louis Stevenson. Contributor Ernest Mehew. New Haven, CT: Yale University Press, 1997. Stevenson, Robert Louis. Treasure Island. New York: Sterling Publishing Company, 2004. Zaczek, Iain. Pirates. London: AAPPL, 2007.

The role language plays in teaching and learning

The role language plays in teaching and learning The role that language plays in the teaching and learning of mathematics is one of some of the important debates in the current literature in mathematics education. In this chapter, I review literatures related to this study, giving particular attention to the manner in which teachers engage students in the exploration of mathematical concepts and procedures, in order to explore different and existing kinds of patterns of interaction observed in multilingual mathematics classroom in South Africa. Aspects reviewed include the following sub-headings: Linguistic situation in South Africa; Teaching and learning mathematics in multilingual classrooms in South Africa; Does language impact teaching and learning of mathematics? And the role of the teacher and Learner participation in classroom discourse. LITERATURE REVIEW Linguistic situation in South Africa Post-apartheid South Africas new constitution of 1993/1996 embraced language as a human right and multilingualism as a national resource, raising major African languages to national official status alongside, English and Afrikaans (Hornberger Vaish, 2009). This has led to multicultural student populations in classrooms, schools and universities nationwide. The Language in education policy that was adopted in 1997 recognises all eleven official languages. According to this policy, learners have the right to study in any of the official languages of their choice (Department of Education, 1997). According to Hornberger Vaish (2009), South African scholars have documented ideologies favouring English in Black African communities of South Africa. She further claims that Zulu, Xhosa or other Black parental demands for English-medium instruction for their children are fuelled by the perception and reality of English as language of power; parents are simultaneously drawn to English by it h egemonic status and away from mother tongue education by a deep suspicion born of apartheid. I have seen in my experience as a learner and a teacher, parents taking away their kids from townships schools to former Model C schools where English is the most dominant language. The study done by Setati (2008), revealed that learners and teachers preferred English as the language of learning and teaching (LolT) and that learners and teachers choice of language was informed by the fact that English provides access to social goods such as higher education, employment, etc. Teaching and learning mathematics in multilingual classrooms in South Africa Previous and current studies on teaching and leaning in multilingual classrooms have indicated that teaching and learning in multilingual classroom is very complex. Barwell (2009) describes multilingual classrooms by saying these classrooms are considered to be multilingual if two of more languages are used overtly in the conduct of classroom business. And mathematics classrooms are also considered to be multilingual if students use two or more languages to do mathematics. There is a continuing debate regarding which language should be used for teaching mathematics in multilingual classrooms in which neither the teachers nor the learners main language is English which is the LoLT in their schools (Setati, Molefe Langa, 2008). This is typical situation in South African classrooms; teachers and learners come to classrooms with different levels of proficiency in two or more languages other than English and yet are not proficient in English. The research done by Setati, Chitera Essien (2009) shows that teachers in these classrooms face a major task of having to teach mathematics and English at the same time, while learners have to cope with learning mathematics, as a discipline of knowledge and also as a way of communicating, in English, a language that they are still learning. This research also claims that this places additional demands on mathematics teachers in multilingual classrooms and their learners who learn mathematics in a language that is not their home language. Does language impact teaching and learning of mathematics? The importance and the impact of language in learning and teaching of mathematics has long been acknowledged by the research literature (Howie 2002, 2003, 2004; Boulet 2007; Essien 2010; Barwell 2009; Setati 2008). Based on her analyses of the poor performance of South African learners in the mathematics component of the Third International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS), Howie (2002, 2003, 2004) suggested that the key factor responsible for the poor performance by South African learners was due to the low proficiency in English language and she suggested a solution to this could only be to develop the learners English language proficiency. Furthermore she argues that pupils who speak the language that is used in assessments more frequently, are likely to attain higher scores on mathematics. And if their language proficiency is higher, the learners are likely also to attain higher scores in Mathematics. Say more The role of the teacher and Learner participation in classroom discourse Current curriculum initiatives in mathematics call for the development of classroom communities that take communication about mathematics as a central focus. In these proposals, mathematical discourse involving explanation, argumentation, and defence of mathematical ideas becomes a defining feature of quality classroom experience (Anthony Walshaw, 2008). According to Boulet (2007) researchers in mathematics education agree and encourage teachers to involve learners in mathematical discussions, as communication is essential to the learning of mathematics. Specifically from the perspective of mathematics learning, by articulating the principles, concepts and rationale behind the steps of a particular problem solution, students have the opportunity to reinforce and deepen their understanding of higher-level knowledge structures in mathematical content. Furthermore, Moschokvich (1999) maintains that the important functions of productive classroom are uncovering the mathematical content in student contribution and bringing different ways of talking and point of views into contact. She further explains that in many mathematics classrooms, students are no longer primarily grappling with acquiring technical vocabulary, developing comprehension skills to read and understand mathematics textbooks or solving standard word problems. But students are now expected to participate in both verbal and written practice such as explaining solution process, describing conjectures, proving conclusions and presenting arguments. However, there are difficulties or drawbacks that can make it difficult for communication to run smoothly in classrooms. This can definitely prevent learners from accessing important aspects and concepts of mathematics or voicing their ideas. Most of our learners are not speaking English as their first language, whereas English is used as a medium of instruction in our schools, therefore a focus on correction of vocabulary or grammatical errors in what students say and the variety of ways that students who are learning English do can become problematic in learners mathematics acquisition. Now, the question is what do teachers do or can do in situations like this, to ensure and encourage learner participation in classroom? New curricula demands a lot from teachers. Worldwide, policy makers are placing increasing demands on schools and their teachers to use effective research-informed practices. The study done by Essien (2010) reveals that, in any classroom, the teacher plays a key role in the management of the communication in the classroom. He further argues that well-structured questions (unlike procedural questions requiring procedural answers) can provoke extended dialogue in the classroom, thereby creating opportunity for meaningful participation by learners. Furthermore, the study shows that the teachers ability to draw on learners linguistic resource: one of which is structuring questions to allow learners to sufficiently express their thinking, is therefore important in creating a classroom environment where learners are effectively participating in the creation of and fostering of their own knowledge. Walshaw Anthony (2009) maintain this by arguing that effective teachers facilitate classroom dialogue that is focused towards mathematical argumentation. They elaborate more on this by saying that students need to be taught how to articulate sound mathematical explanations and how to justify their solutions. Furthermore, encouraging the use of oral, written and concrete representation, effective teachers model the process of explaining and justifying, guiding students into mathematical conventions. THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK In this study, I use the work of Jina and Bridie (2008) as a theoretical framework to take the work on patterns of interaction observed in South African classrooms further by explaining learner participation and teacher-learner interaction in classroom discourse. The motive behind the choice of this theoretical framework is that this study was done in South African schools on the topic: Teacher questions and patterns of interactions in the new and old curriculum. The study reveals that two patterns of interaction emerged, namely, funnelling and leading through a method. This study also expanded more on teacher questioning and how teacher questions can support learners thinking. Chin (2006) supports this argument by saying that questioning is a prominent feature of classroom talk. Teacher questioning should be in such a way that elicit what learners think, to encourage them to elaborate on their previous answers and ideas, to help learners construct conceptual knowledge. Thus, questioning is used to diagnose and extend learners ideas and to scaffold learners thinking. Campbell Erdogan (2008) claim that teacher questions can disrupt the flow of what is going on in the learners mind, so that the learners attention can be focused on instructional objectives. However, they claim that if used appropriately, teachers questions can engage learners in the vicinity of instructional objectives, help move instructional objects to the forefront of students attention, and promote learner translation and processing of instructional objectives. However, the deficiency of this study is that it does not take the forms of listening the teacher uses during classroom discourse. As I have discussed in chapter 1 of this study that, Davies (1997) outlines three forms of listening, and further argues that listening is a very powerful tool and should be used to foster teaching and learning of mathematics. Listening to others explanations gives learners opportunities to develop their own understandings. By listening to others, learners can become aware of alternative perspectives and strategies. Concluding remarks In this study I have discussed the difficulties of learning and teaching mathematics in multilingual classrooms. As Setati and Adler (2001) claim: There are numerous, distinct mathematical discourses that require navigation at the same time. Moving between language and discourses in moments of practice is significant challenge for mathematics education research and practice. These arise out of the South African context and have specific relevance in the current educational debates in South Africa. Multilingual mathematics classrooms are, however, an increasing urban phenomenon in many other counries. (p.244) Little is known about how educators experience and implement a new curriculum and instruction in contrast to what they used to know and apply. It remains uncertain what kinds of teacher knowledge are necessary to support and facilitate learning mathematics in a setting where main language of the teacher and pupils differs and where the language of instruction and teaching methods makes it difficult for mathematical discourses that promote conceptual understanding.

The Electronics Industry in India :: miscellaneous

The Electronics Industry in India The Electronics industry is one of the fastest growing industries right from its origin. The profit brought out of this is much more compared to other olden industries. India is one among the largest economies in the world and has a good GDP among emerging economies. The birth and growth of this industry in India is quiet interesting. With large population and the potential consumer demand is almost unlimited and hence a strong growth performance could be expected. The base of this industry. Basically Indian market is a consuming market, it grows as people consume more. The liberalization of the economy by 1991 has helped to a rapid growth this helped the electronics industry in India as one of the most important and emerging markets. The start of this industry here dates back to early 1960’s.Electronics was primarily focused to develop in the filed of communication systems for radios, telephony, telegraphy, and television broadcast. A lot of importance was given for the augme ntation of defense capabilities. Till 1980’s the electronic sector was government owned. From there on the growth of the electronic industry took off due to economic changes resulting in the globalization of the economy. The electronic industry recorded a very high growth in subsequent years by 1990’s. Private, foreign investments were encouraged. This was the starting point of forex to pour in. Easing the Norms for the investment, reduction in duties and deli censing of several consumer electronic products marked attraction of foreign investors. The domestic circle response to this was also favorable to the government policies. Allowing this industry for the private sector enabled entrepreneurs build industries to meet suppressed demand. Improvements in this industry have not been only to a particular area but in each and every process right from acquiring the raw materials to the packed product. Long steps have been made in the area of consumer products, communication, biomedical instrumentation, networking and defense. This resulted in significant market growth by late 1990’s. The sales of some basic units increased three-fold .the main area of focus has now turned to design, Compact packing and to provide vale added service. Analyzing the strength of this industry it has a competitive advantage by providing high quality-low price, large trained manpower poll. The key strength being developed infrastructure as compared to the mechanical industry. The software technology parks that have been established are providing the necessary software orientation for this industry.

The Great Gatsby :: essays research papers

THE GREAT GATSBY This novel is about the American dream or rather the dreams of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s. In the novel The Great Gastby notes on the careless and moral deteariation of the twenties. It is clear that fitzgerald has made a relation with his and Gatsby’s life. This can be seen in many different ways such as fitzgerald attended Yale college for a wile then went off to be in the army. In The Great Gatsby the character Gatsby went to Oxford then left to go to the army. Also Fitzgerald wanted to become a football player and I think that tom was another character by Fitzgerald that he wanted to be like. For tom was a big x football player who was rich. Fitzgerald as a boy dreamed of becoming a football hero. Football was also one of Fitzgerald's earliest attractions at Princeton University. Fitzgerald tried out for the Princeton freshman team but was cut within the first week. As a successful professional Fitzgerald translated his love of the game into two Saturday Evening Pos t stories. This novel is filled with multiple themes but the predominate one focuses on the death of the American Dream. This can be explained by how Gatsby came to get his fortune. Through his dealings with organized crime he didn't hold to the American Dream guidelines. Nick also suggests this with the manner in which he talks about all the rich characters in the story. The immoral people have all the money. The thought of repeating the past. Gatsby's whole being since going off to war is devoted to getting back together with Daisy and have things be the way they were before he left. That's why Gatsby got a house like the one Daisy used to live in right across the bay from where she lives. He expresses this desire by reaching towards the green light on her porch early in the book. The last paragraph, So we beat on, boats against the current, born back ceaselessly into the past reinforces this. Fitzgerald was in his twenty's when he wrote this novel and since he went to Princeton he was considered a spokesman for his generation. He wrote about the immorality that was besieging the 1920's. Organized crime ran rampant, people were partying all the time, and affairs were common play. The last of which Fitzgerald portrays well in this novel. Ernest Hemingway Fitzgerald's friend and literary rival once commented that "poor Scott Fitzgerald" was "wrecked" by his "romantic awe" of the rich.