Repition in Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy essays

Repition in Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy essays Repetition in Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy In Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy, written by Douglas Adams, Arthur Dent is taken off the Earth seconds before it is demolished for a galactic freeway and seconds after his house has been demolished for freeway. Ford Prefect, the friend that has plucked him off the Earth, is a researcher for the revised edition of The Hitchhikers Guide To The Galaxy. Together, they, along with two others, journey though the galaxy aided by The Hitchhikers Guide. They find out that the three smartest animals on Earth are mice, dolphins, and humans. Mice, the smartest creatures on Earth, are used by humans to conduct experiments and to gather new research. Arthur can not believe at first that these animals could are the smartest. But Slartibartfast, a native of the planet Magrathean, convinced him: How better to disguise their real natures, and how better to guide your thinking. Suddenly running down a maze the wrong way, eating the wrong bit of cheese, unexpectedly dropping dead from myxomatosis [. . .] You see, Earthman, they really are particularly clever hyperintelligent pandimensional beings. (Adams, 164) Slartibartfast explained to Arthur that the Earth was commissioned, paid for, and run by mice (163). He explained to Arthur that the mice had been experimenting on humans downing mans existence on Earth. At the end of the book, two mice want to steal Arthurs brain because they think that his brain might contain the Ultimate question.( ) Dolphins are the second smartest creatures on Earth, who man always felt were inferior to them: man always assumed that he was more intelligent than dolphins because he had achieved so muchthe wheel, New York, wars, and so muchwhile all the dolphins had ever done was muck about in the water having a good time. But conversely, the dolphins had always believed that they were far more intelligent th...

Profile of Jodi Arias and the Murder of Travis Alexander

Profile of Jodi Arias and the Murder of Travis Alexander Jodi Arias was arrested on July 15, 2008, and charged with shooting and stabbing to death her 30-year-old ex-boyfriend Travis Alexander, in his home in Meza, Arizona. Arias pleaded not guilty, claiming that she killed Alexander in self-defense. Background Jodi Ann Arias was born in Salinas, California, on July 9, 1980, to William Angelo and Sandy D. Arias. She has four siblings: an older half-sister, two younger brothers and a sister. Beginning at the age of 10, Arias showed an interest in photography which continued throughout her adult life. Her childhood years are unremarkable, however, she has said that she was an abused child, claiming her parents hit her with wooden spoons and a belt. The abuse allegedly began when she was 7-years-old. Arias dropped out of Yreka Union High School in the 11th grade. She continued to pursue her interest in professional photography while working at various part-time jobs. Darryl Brewer During the fall of 2001, Arias began working as a server at a restaurant located at the Ventana Inn and Spa in Carmel, California. Darryl Brewer, who was the food and beverage manager for the restaurant, was in charge of hiring and training the restaurants employees. Both Arias and Brewer lived in staff housing and in January 2003, they began dating. At the time Arias was 21 and Brewer was 40. They had already engaged in sex together before they began to officially date. Brewer said that that time, Arias was a responsible, caring and loving person. In May 2005, Arias and Brewer purchased a home together in Palm Desert, California. The agreement was that they would each be responsible for paying half of the mortgage payments of $2008 a month. In February 2006, Jodi began working for Prepaid Legal, while keeping her servers job at Ventana. She also began getting involved with the Mormon Church. She started having visitors to the home who were of the Mormon faith for Bible studies and group prayer sessions. In May 2006, Jodi told Brewer that she no longer wanted to have a physical relationship with him because she wanted to practice what she was being taught at church and save herself for her future husband. It is also around the same time that she decided to have breast implants. According to Brewer, during the summer of 2006, Jodi had begun to change as her involvement with Prepaid Legal increased. She became financially irresponsible and began defaulting on her financial responsibilities, including what she owed in living expenses. As the relationship began to deteriorate, Brewer made arrangements to move to Monterrey to be closer to his son. Jodi was not planning to move with him and it was agreed that she would remain in the house until it could be sold. Their relationship ended in December 2006, however, they did remain friends and would occasionally call each other. The following year the house went into foreclosure. Travis Alexander Arias and Travis Alexander met in September 2006, in Las Vegas, Nevada, while attending a Prepaid Legal Services conference. Alexander was 30 and worked as a motivational speaker and a sales representative for Prepaid Legal. Arias was 28 and was living in Yreka, California, working in sales for Prepaid Legal and trying to develop her photography business. There was an immediate attraction between the two and according to Arias, the relationship became sexual a week after they met. At the time, Arias was living in California and Alexander was in Arizona. They began traveling together to several states and when apart the relationship grew through emails (over 82,000 were eventually exchanged) and talking together on the phone daily. On November 26, 2006, Arias was baptized into the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints in order, in her words, to get closer to Alexander who was a devout Mormon. Three months later Alexander and Arias began dating each other exclusively and she moved from California to Mesa, Arizona, to be closer to Alexander. The relationship lasted around four months, ending in the latter part of June 2007, although they continued to have sex together periodically. According to Arias, the relationship ended because she did not trust Alexander. She later alleged that Alexander was a sexual deviant who was physically and sexually abusive to her and that he wanted her to be his personal slave. Stalking After the relationship ended, Alexander began dating other women and allegedly complained to friends that Arias was jealous. He suspected that she had slashed his tires twice and sent threatening anonymous emails to him and to the woman he was dating. He also told friends that Arias had snuck into his home through a dog door while he was sleeping. Secret Relationship Despite the claims of being stalked, Alexander and Arias continued to travel together during March 2008 and maintained their sexual relationship. According to Arias, she grew tired of being Alexanders secret girlfriend and when it came time for her to find another place to live after her roommate married, she decided to return to California. Evidence shows that after Arias left Arizona, that the two continued to exchange sexually explicit internet messages and pictures. According to Alexanders friends, in June 2008 he had enough of Arias after suspecting her of hacking into his Facebook account and bank accounts. He allegedly told her he wanted her to stay out of his life forever. Alexander is Murdered According to police records, on June 2, 2008, Arias rented a car from Budget Rent-a-Car in Redding, California, and drove to Alexanders home in Mesa, where they took pictures of them having sex together and in various nude poses. On June 4, Arias drove back to California and returned the rental car to Budget-Rental. Alexanders friends became concerned about him when he missed an important meeting and failed to show up for a planned trip to Cancun, Mexico. On June 9, two of his friends went to his home and woke up one of his roommates, who insisted Alexander was out of town. He then checked Alexanders room which had been locked and discovered him dead on the floor of his shower stall. Through an autopsy it was determined that Alexander had been shot in the brow, stabbed 27 times and his neck had been severed. Evidence The detectives handling Alexanders murder were able to collect a lot of forensic evidence at the murder scene. This included a camera which was found in the washing machine, which appeared to have been washed. It was general knowledge that Alexander had grown annoyed with Arias stalking. It was first suggested that Arias could be involved in Alexanders death during the 9-1-1 call that was made after Alexanders body was discovered. Other friends and family members who were interviewed by the detectives also suggested that the police should interview Arias. Recovered Photos and DNA Results Arias began calling Esteban Flores who was the detective that was in charge of the case. She asked about details of the murder and offered to help in the investigation. She claimed that she had no knowledge of the crime and that she had last seen Alexander in April 2008. On June 17, Arias allowed herself to be fingerprinted and swabbed for DNA, as did many of Alexanders friends. Two days after being fingerprinted, investigators questioned her about a series of photos which had been recovered from the memory card of the camera that was found in the washing machine. The photos, which were time-stamped on June 4, 2008, showed images of Alexander in the shower, likely minutes before he was killed. There were also images of him lying on the floor bleeding. Other pictures, which had been deleted but recovered, were of Jodi, nude and posed in provocative positions, also time-stamped on the same day. Arias continued to insist that she had not seen Alexander since April. A week later lab tests showed that a bloody print found at the murder scene contained DNA that matched Arias and Alexander. There was also a DNA match to Arias on hair found at the scene. Happy Birthday Over the following weeks, Arias attended a memorial service for Alexander, wrote a lengthy sympathy letter to his grandmother, arranged for flowers to be sent to his family and posted loving messages about Travis on her MySpace page. On July 9, 2008, which was Arias birthday, a California grand jury indicted her on first-degree murder. Six days later she was arrested and charged with first-degree murder and in September she was extradited to Arizona to face trial. Lies and More Lies Just days after being incarcerated in Arizona, Jodi Arias granted an interview with the Arizona Republic. During the interview, she insisted that she was innocent and had nothing to do with the murder of Alexander. She gave no explanation for why her DNA was found at the murder scene. A few weeks later, on September 24, 2008, the television show, Inside Edition also interviewed Arias, but this time she admitted that she was with Alexander when he was murdered and that it was two intruders who did it. She explained more about the murder in another interview for 48 Hours on June 23, 2009. She said that she had been miraculously spared during what she called a home invasion. According to her story, Alexander had been playing around with his new camera and suddenly she found herself lying on the bathroom floor after hearing a loud pop. When she looked up she saw a man and a woman, both dressed in black, approaching. They were carrying a knife and a gun. She said that the man pointed the gun at her and pulled the trigger, but that nothing happened. She then ran out of the house, leaving Alexander, and did not look back. She explained her reason for not calling the police was because she was afraid for her life and she was pretending that none of it happened. In fear, she drove back to California. The Death Penalty The Maricopa County Attorneys Office described the crimes of Jodi Arias especially cruel, heinous and carried out in a depraved manner and sought the death penalty. Representing Herself Months before the trial was to begin, Arias told the judge that she wanted to represent herself. The judge allowed it, as long as there was a public defender present during the trial. A few weeks later, Arias attempted to get letters into evidence that she alleged were written by Alexander. In the letters, Alexander admitted to being a pedophile. The letters were tested and found to be forged. Within days of the forgery discovery, Arias told the judge that she was over legally her head and her legal counsel was reinstated. The Trial and Sentencing The trial against Jodi Arias began on January 2, 2013, in Maricopa County Superior Court with the Hon. Sherry K. Stephens presiding. Arias court-appointed lawyers,  L. Kirk Nurmi and Jennifer Willmott,  argued that Arias killed Alexander in self-defense. The trial was live-streamed and quickly gained worldwide attention. Arias spent 18 full days on the stand and talked about being abused by her parents, shared intimate details about her sex life with Travis Alexander and described how the relationship had become verbally and physically abusive.   After deliberating for 15 hours, the jury found Arias guilty of first-degree murder. On May 23, 2013, during the sentencing phase, the jury was unable to reach a unanimous decision. A second jury convened on October 20, 2014, but they too were deadlocked 11-1 in favor of the death penalty. That left the sentencing decision up to Stephens, although the death penalty was now off the table. On April 13, 2013, Arias was sentenced to life imprisonment without the possibility of parole.   She is currently residing at the Arizona State Prison Complex - Perryville and is classified as a high-risk level 5 prisoner and remains in maximum security.

International transportation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

International transportation - Essay Example and services; delivering products and services; and managing customer service) and management and support services (development and management of human capital; managing information technology; managing financial resources; acquisition, construction and management of property; managing Environmental Health and Safety; managing external relationships; and managing knowledge, improvement and change). In this regard, the PCF model has strong and direct links to logistics management activities which are most evident in the delivery of products and services within the operating process phase. As such, since the motor carriage under land transportation is the most commonly and widely used, affordable and accessible mode of transportation across all industries, organizations and countries, this mode of transportation plays a significant role in the PCF model for supply chain management. Governing rules, regulations are simple and universally known for motor carriages. Furthermore, motor transport is cheaper and costs associated with operating, maintaining and sustaining the vehicles for delivery are cheaper when compared to other modes of transportation. As emphasized, the PCF model contain process elements that are applicable to organizations regardless of industry, region and size; thereby, the use of the motor carriage parallel the model’s thrust in making effective delivery of products and services across industries, making its role important for easy and most affordable access in supply chain management of major organizations

Slavery Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Slavery - Essay Example In many bygone civilizations, slavery was the mainstay that enabled them to achieve the glory and reputation that they still enjoy to this day. Ancient civilizations such as those of Egypt, Greece, and the Roman Empire were all built on the backs of thousands of slaves. The modern world’s main superpower would also base its economy, during the early years of its existence, on the institution of slavery. SLAVERY IN THE ANCIENT WORLD Egypt According to Redford, the civilization of Ancient Egypt existed between 5500 B.C. and 332 B.C (Redford 31). During this 4,200-year time line, slaves created numerous structures in the different dynasties; the most famous of which were the pyramids that still remain today. In the course of its colorful existence, the civilization of Ancient Egypt developed an advanced socio-political establishment and even developed schools for its scholars. According to Redford, it is slaves who worked in extremely dangerous conditions, with thousands of them dying in the process, to create structures such as the famous pyramids of Giza (Redford 32). Egyptian records from this bygone era have also shown that slaves were not just presumed to be the property of their masters in the physical earthy life but also their chattels in the afterlife. It was not unusual for the slaves of a rich man, along with his favorite wives, to be murdered upon his death so that they could continue to serve their master in the next life. The most famous account of the existence of slaves in Egypt is found in the Old Testament where the record of the Israelite slaves living in Egypt between 1400 and 1200 BC is documented. It is unlikely that only Jewish slaves were kept in Egypt (Redford 34). There were probably slaves of different ethnicities working in Egypt. From recorded documents, it is evident that there were even instances where poor families sold their children to be slaves in wealthy families. This would ensure that their children were fed constantly while allowing them also to be able to feed the remaining family members. People who ran into debt could also sell themselves into slavery or become the indentured servants of the people whom they owed money. Even though slaves occupied the lowest rung of Egyptian society, the ones who worked for rich masters such as temple priests, wealthy businessmen, or the royal family fared better than the peasants who owned land. This is because peasants had to give a part of their crops as taxes whether they experienced good harvests or not while slaves were dependent on their masters’ largesse. Ancient Greece In ancient Greece, which existed between the Bronze Age and remained until around 1000BC, slavery was also a recognized institution in society. According to Reilly, for every free citizen in Athens there was a slave (Reilly 62). Any male citizen in Greece who had a modest salary could procure the services of a slave to perform duties in his business, as a servant in his home, or even for personal services. In ancient Greece, slaves were often prisoners of war, or people who had been born of slaves. Moreover, there were many slaves who had actually been kidnapped from their home nations and brought to Athens to be sold as slaves or male and female concubines. In city states such as Athens, slaves could aspire to become physicians. They were given more freedom; and, depending on their masters, were treated with respect for the

Swot Analysis Sandals Essay Example for Free

Swot Analysis Sandals Essay Sandals (Beaches) is a Caribbean Based Resort Hotel Chain, that was only recently established, but has proved to be highly successful, based on their innovative marketing concepts. This SWOT analysis is about Sandals. In Montego Bay, Jamaica, in 1981, Gordon Butch Stewart, took notice of an old hotel sitting on Jamaicas largest private white sand beach, bought it, fixed it up and opened the hotel doors for business. With no prior experience, the investor envisioned a marketing plan for the resort to cater to couples only. Sandals Montego Bay became the first all-inclusive vacation concept, and by year-end of 1988, Sandals refined and perfected concepts, such as, swim-up pool bars, royal treatment with private beaches, breakfast in bed, and beachfront gourmet meals. In 2004, the resort hit great heights with the creation of the companys ultimate all-inclusive butler service. With thriving expansions, Sandals currently holds locations in Jamaica, St. Lucia, Antigua, and the Bahamas, totaling 12 resorts. A long way from one, run down hotel on a private sandy beach! Today, the resort offers luxury package vacations, fine dining, night entertainment, scuba diving and water sports, golf and land sports, spas, and wedding packages. Sandals is committed to the resorts mission of .attaching a premium to human resources and being among the most environmentally responsible and community friendly groups in the hospitality industry (Sandals Resorts, 2007). Sandals resorts continue to penetrate the market with their couples only concept, and have expanded this concept with accommodations for families through other beach resorts, branded Beaches. Strengths They created the idea of a couples only resort by introducing the Sandals resort; they also opened Beaches, a family luxury resort; Royal Plantation, three exclusive luxury oriented resorts with butler service and private airplanes; and the Grand Pineapple, a value resort for families. All Sandals resorts are Green Globe Certified; it means that the staff is continually trained by local government run environmental organizations, they monitor and conserve all water use on property, they use times on all electrical equipment such as; Jacuzzi blowers, steam rooms at the Spa, outdoor lighting for walkways, refrigeration equipment in the kitchens, etc., recycling food, and office paper, reducing the use of all hazardous chemicals and Inviting local craft vendors to the hotel at least once per week to display and sell their craft items. Winner of thousands of awards, including: †¢Six time winner of the Gold Travel Life Award by Virgin Holidays. †¢Nine time winner of the Baxter Travel Media award for Favorite Resort. †¢2008 Thomas Cook Award for Best Hotel Chain, and Best Wedding and Honeymoon Hotel. †¢TripAdvisor awarded them the 2007 and 2008 Worlds Most Romantic All-Inclusive Resort. †¢Travel + Leisure Magazine awarded them one of the top 25 hotels in the Caribbean for 2002, 2006 and 2008. †¢Condà © Nast Magazine Readers Choice Poll awarded them one of the top 25 Caribbean Resorts for 2006, 2007; and the top 15 Caribbean Resorts and Spas for 2000, 2004 and 2005. †¢They have made the Condà © Nast Magazine Gold List every year from 2000-2007. †¢In 2007, they were given a World Savers Award by Condà © Nast Magazine for their Adopt-A-School program. †¢In 2006 they won second place in the Caribbean Travel and Life Magazine Readers Choice poll for Best All-Inclusive Resort. †¢In 2005 Modern Bride Magazine voted them the Favorite All-Inclusive Resort and in 2008 the Best All-Inclusive Resort chain. †¢American Express gave them the Caribbean Environmental Award for Green Hotel of the year, 2003, 2004, 2006 and 2007. †¢They earned the Travel Weekly Magellan Award for Overall Eco-Friendly Resort in 2008. †¢They were voted Travel Weekly America and UK Readers Choice for Best All-Inclusive Resort, six years in a row. †¢TravelAge Editors Pick Award for Best Caribbean Resort in 2006, 2007 and 2008. †¢World Travel Magazine award for Caribbeans Leading Resort Hotel Brand winner 14 years in a row; Best All-Inclusive Company winner 12 years in a row, Worlds Most Romantic Resort winner 11 years in a row. †¢2006 British Airways Best Independent Hotel Group. †¢2007 British Travel Awards for Best All-Inclusive Resort-13th year in a row-and the Consumer Favorite All-Inclusive Resort. †¢Porthole Cruise Magazine Editor-in-Chief Award for Best All-Inclusive Resort, 2005-2007. †¢Selling Long-Haul UK Travel Award for Best All-Inclusive Resort, and Best Hotel in the Caribbean in 2003. Sandals and Beaches resorts offer an innovative concept in their all-inclusive environments, contrived to give vacationers completely worry-free accommodations. Guests do not have to pay for food, activities, babysitting, or entertainment while at their resorts. This allows guests to relax and more effectively utilize their vacation time. They employ guest coordinators, trained to be experts in human relations, to make guests feel at home, coordinating the guest activities and making sure that everything works the way it should. They practice TQM throughout all levels of staff. In the couples only market (that they created) they cater to different markets by offering three different levels of suites: the basic all-inclusive suites, the crystal suites that have their own private pool and the millionaire suites that are separate villas with butler service. Weaknesses They need to communicate the resorts view on environmental issues. For instance, Sandals beach resort received a Green Globe Certification for commitment to natural resources, but they dont advertise or communicate it! In this economic downturn, Americans want to feel good about spending their money in socially responsible ways and the Green Globe Certification is highly prestigious. They spent a huge amount of capital setting up a new resort in Barbados, only to have it sit there, unoccupied. The government of Barbados does not allow their beaches to be blocked off with fences, and Sandals requires that their guests be kept separate from other people to prevent crime and interlopers. They have been at odds about this issue since 2001 and their fully completed resort there has yet to see its first guest. As with all tourist destinations, they are dependent on a healthy economy in countries whose citizens have more discretionary income to spend, and vacation regularly. The American trend toward staycations will cause their revenue to decrease. They need to better position themselves against competition, other luxury resorts, Breezes All-Inclusive Resorts and other popular destinations for honeymoons and families. Opportunities  Opening new resorts in Belize, or Hawaii, and some non beach areas such as Alaska and Colorado; they could also open resorts in other International settings such as China, Japan, Taiwan, France, Spain, Italy, Greece, Australia, Mexico and Brazil. Promote their resorts at all Bridal and Child/Baby Expos in major cities, in order to reach the largest numbers of their target market. They can make use of high definition, interactive sales pitches that will allow honeymooners and families to book their vacations on the spot. Attending the National Wedding Show in London every February. Creating a joint venture with Davids Bridal, creating a presence on all of the major wedding planning websites, Parents Magazine and on Nickelodeon. During the economic downturn, they need to play up the all-inclusive angle of their resorts: creating a marketing campaign that emphasizes the money saving aspects of their vacation destinations, and the fact that guests dont need to worry about extra expenses. July 2009 Sandals announced that they will partner up with Martha Stewart to Launch Martha Stewart Weddings Program in the Caribbean beginning in 2010. Guests will be able to book a Martha Stewart Wedding at any of the 12 Sandals Resorts or four Beaches Family Resorts. In addition, they will introduce Martha Stewart Crafts classes for adults at Sandals Resorts and craft camps for families at Beaches Resorts in 2010. The Futures Company (formerly Yankelovich), said that destination weddings are on the upswing with 31% of brides ages 21-30 planning to have a destination wedding; previous studies indicated that destination weddings represented 10% to 20% of all weddings. One threat that cannot be controlled is the weather. Hurricanes are bad for business all over the Caribbean; however, they can offer guarantees so their guests will feel more secure when booking a vacation. There are several ethical arenas that need to be understood when dealing with the tourism industry. If any of these becomes a problem or causes bad PR it can affect the company and eventually their profit margin. †¢Crime rates typically increase with the growth and urbanization of an area and growth of mass tourism is often accompanied by increased crime. The presence of a large number of tourists with a lot of money to spend, and often carrying valuables such as cameras and jewelry, increases the attraction for criminals and brings with it activities like robbery and drug dealing. †¢Tourism can also drive the development of gambling, which may cause negative changes in social behavior. †¢Many jobs in the tourism sector have working and employment conditions that leave much to be desired: long hours, unstable employment, low pay, little training and poor chances for qualification. In addition, recent developments in the travel and tourism trade (liberalization, competition, concentration, drop in travel fares, growth of subcontracting) and introduction of new technologies seem to reinforce the trend towards more precarious, flexible employment conditions. For many such jobs young children are recruited, as they are cheap and flexible employees. †¢The commercial sexual exploitation of children and young women has paralleled the growth of tourism in many parts of the world. Though tourism is not the cause of sexual exploitation, it provides easy access to it. Tourism also brings consumerism to many parts of the world previously denied access to luxury commodities and services. The lure of this easy money has caused many young people, including children, to trade their bodies in exchange for T-shirts, personal stereos, bikes and even air tickets out of the country.

The Sex during the Victorian Era Essay -- discrimation, sex, women

The Victorian era brought about many changes and the introduction of new things. One issue that stood out was â€Å"The Sex.† Many things evolved around this issue like changes in laws all over, it became a topic for literary poets/ writers and also for the woman question. This term means discrimination based on a person’s sex and during the 19th century this was a vast issue toward women. This all Started from the early Victorian era with queen victoria, who was the monarch of the united kingdom of Great Britain from 1837- 1901. Being the queen she played a very substantial role during this time. As a wife she showed a domestic side. She supported Prince Albert, had his children, became very submissive and devoted to her husband a family. This image she portrayed became a trend to the outside world. Most people looked at this as what the ideal woman was during this era. The sex was a topic that began to spread and women started to fight for their voices to be heard. There were introductions of new laws in many countries such as the United Kingdom, the United States, Canada, and etcetera....

Organizational Development

CASE STUDY MODULE 17 ORGANIZATIONAL DEVELOPMENT PQHRM/53-025 H E B MARASINGHE Contents Acknowledgement3 Introduction to the case study4 Literature Review5 What is OD intervention ? 5 Factors That Impact the Success of OD Interventions can be listed under two main headings,5 Intervention Categories7 The process of Organizational Development9 Change management11 Report to be given to CEO of Nuran food products12 Implementing an effective and successful OD process12 Impact of Closing down of plant in Kandy15 Recommendations16Acknowledgement I would like to thank all the lecturers at the Institute of Personnel Management, specially to all the tutors who guided and helped me to complete the 17th module case study successfully. And all my friends who helped me in numerous ways to complete the case study and to understand the subject matter. Introduction to the case study Nuran food products (NFP) is supplier of processed bottle food products to leading super market chain. Presently two fac tories are operating one in Kandy and the other plant in Colombo.Both of the plants uses traditional simple techniques in the production process, and these plants are operated by extremely loyal employees to the organization but not very educated and with very limited English knowledge. Presently the company is enjoying a good market share and the management has considered renovating the factories with state of the art equipment with the view of enhancing the production capacity. If new machinery is bought in the Colombo plant itself alone can meet the current market demand, and the Kandy plant could be closed down to minimize the overhead cost and to maximize the revenues.The new processing machinery equipment requires sophisticated skills from production operators including reading technical manuals, operating computerized equipment and performing a wide variety of other tasks. The vendor suggests that the new equipment is most effective when the employees are organized in to self managed teams. Presently the workforce is 65, and with the new modernized plant it will only require 55 employees. A manager who is supporting the modernization process has said that only 10 jobs are affected, and the HR implications are minimal.Under the case study a detail study will be carried out on all implications of the plant modernization in Colombo and Closure of plant in Kandy. Literature Review Considering the above scenario the organization is planning to do a development to the current organization. What is organization development? Organizational development is concerned with the planning and implementation of programmes designed to enhance the effectiveness with which an organization functions and responds to change. Overall, the aim is to adopt a planned and coherent approach to improving organizational effectiveness.An effective organization can be defined broadly as one that achieves its purpose by meeting the wants and needs of its stakeholders, matching its reso urces to opportunities, adapting flexibly to environmental changes and creating a culture that promotes commitment, creativity, shared values and mutual trust. An organization is the planned coordination of the activities of a number of people for the achievement of some common explicit purpose or goal, through division of labor and function, and through a hierarchy of authority and responsibility – (Edgar Shein) An organization development is done through planned organization interventions.What is OD intervention ? The term Intervention refers to a set of sequenced, planned actions or events intended to help an organization to increase its effectiveness. Interventions purposely disrupt the status quo; they are deliberate attempts to change an organization or sub-unit toward a different and more effective state Criteria for Effective Interventions In OD three major criteria define the effectiveness of an intervention: 1. The Extent to Which it (the Intervention) fits the need s of the organization. 2. The degree to which it is based on causal knowledge of intended outcomes 3.The extent to which the OD intervention transfers change-management competence to organization members. Factors That Impact the Success of OD Interventions can be listed under two main headings, 1. Factors relating to Change Situation: These relate to the environment of the organization and include the physical and human environment. 2. Factors Related to the Target of Change: These relate to the specific targets at which OD interventions are targeted. The targets of change can be different issues of the organization and at different levels Factors relating to Change Situation I.Readiness for Change: Intervention success depends heavily on the organization being ready for planned change. II. Capability to Change: Managing planned change requires particular knowledge and skills including the ability to motivate change, to lead change, to develop political support, to manage transition , and to sustain momentum. III. Cultural Context: The national culture within which an organization is embedded can exert a powerful influence on members’ reactions to change, and so intervention design must account for the cultural values and assumptions held by organization members.IV. Capabilities of the Change Agent (OD Consultant): The success of OD interventions depend to a great extent on the expertise, experience and talents of the consultant. Factors Related to the Target of Change: A. Organizational Issues I. Strategic Issues: Strategic issues refer to major decisions of organizations such as what products or services to offer, which markets to serve, mergers, acquisitions, expansions, etc. II. Technology and Structure Issues: These refer to issues relating to how organizations divide their work amongst departments and how they coordinate between departments.III. Human Resource Issues: These issues are concerned with attracting competent people to the organization, setting goals for them, appraising and rewarding their performance, and ensuring that they develop their careers and manage stress. IV. Human Process Issues: These issues have to do with social processes occurring among organization members, such as communication, decision-making, leadership, and group dynamics. B. Organizational LevelsOD interventions are aimed at different levels of the organization: individual, group, organization and trans-organization (for example different offices of the organization around the globe; or between organization and its suppliers, customers, etc. ) Intervention Categories Human Process Interventions A. The following interventions deal with interpersonal relationships and group dynamics. I. T Groups: The basic T Group brings ten to fifteen strangers together with a professional trainer to examine the social dynamics that emerge from their interactions. II.Process Consultation: This intervention focuses on interpersonal relations and social dynamics occurring in work groups. III. Third Party Interventions: This change method is a form of process consultation aimed at dysfunctional interpersonal relations in organizations. IV. Team Building: This intervention helps work groups become more effective in accomplishing tasks. B. The following Interventions deal with human processes that are more system wide than individualistic or small-group oriented. I. Organization Confrontation Meeting: This change method mobilizes rganization members to identify problems, set action targets, and begin working on problems. II. Intergroup Relations: These interventions are designed to improve interactions among different groups or departments in organizations. III. Large-group Interventions: These interventions involve getting abroad variety of stakeholders into a large meeting to clarify important values, to develop new ways of working, to articulate a new vision for the organization, or to solve pressing organizational problems. IV. Grid Organ ization Development: This normative intervention specifies a particular way to manage an organization.Techno-Structural Interventions These interventions deal with an organization’s technology (for examples its task methods and job design) and structure (for example, division of labor and hierarchy). These interventions are rooted in the disciplines of engineering, sociology, and psychology and in the applied fields of socio-technical systems and organization design. Consultants place emphasis both on productivity and human fulfillment. I. Structural Design: This change process concerns the organization’s division of labor – how to specialize task performances.Diagnostic guidelines exist to determine which structure is appropriate for particular organizational environments, technologies, and conditions. II. Downsizing: This intervention reduces costs and bureaucracy by decreasing the size of the organization through personnel layoffs, organization redesign, and outsourcing. III. Re-engineering: This recent intervention radically redesigns the organization’s core work processes to create tighter linkage and coordination among the different tasks Human Resource Management Interventions I. Goal Setting: This change program involves setting clear and challenging goals.It attempts to improve organization effectiveness by establishing a better fit between personal and organizational objectives. II. Performance Appraisal: This intervention is a systematic process of jointly assessing work-related achievements, strengths and weaknesses, III. Reward Systems: This intervention involves the design of organizational rewards to improve employee satisfaction and performance. IV. Career Planning and development: It generally focuses on managers and professional staff and is seen as a way of improving the quality of their work life.V. Managing workforce diversity: Important trends, such as the increasing number of women, ethnic minorities, and phys ically and mentally challenged people in the workforce, require a more flexible set of policies and practices. VI. Employee Wellness: These interventions include employee assistance programs (EAPs) and stress management. Strategic Interventions These interventions link the internal functioning of the organization to the larger environment and transform the organization to keep pace with changing conditions. I.Integrated Strategic Change: It argues that business strategies and organizational systems must be changed together in response to external and internal disruptions. A strategic change plan helps members manage the transition between a current strategy and organization design and the desired future strategic orientation. II. Trans organization development: This intervention helps organizations to enter into alliances, partnerships and joint ventures to perform tasks or solve problems that are too complex for single organizations to resolve III.Merger and Acquisition Integration : This intervention describes how OD practitioners can assist two or more organizations to form a new entity. IV. Culture Change: This intervention helps organizations to develop cultures (behaviors, values, beliefs and norms) appropriate to their strategies and environments. V. Self-designing organizations: This change program helps organizations gain the capacity to alter themselves fundamentally. It is a highly participative process, involving multiple stakeholders in setting strategic directions and designing and implementing appropriate structures and processes.VI. Organization learning and knowledge management. The process of Organizational Development Source : http://roblamothe. hubpages. com The Organizational Development (OD) process is complicated and it takes long time to complete the process. It takes minimum of one year and sometimes continues indefinitely. There are different approaches to OD process but the typical process consists of seven steps, viz. , initial diagn osis, data collection, data feedback and confrontation, action planning and problem solving, team building, inter group development and evaluation and follow up. . Initial Diagnosis: If executives recognize that there are inadequacies within organization which can be corrected by OD activities, it is necessary to find out the professional and competent people within the organization to plan and execute OD activities. If competent people are not available within the organization the services activities are to be taken. The consultants adopt various methods including interviews, questionnaires, direct observation, analysis of documents and reports for diagnosing the problem. 2. Data Collection:Survey method is used to collect the data and information for determining organizational climate and identifying the behavioral problems. 3. Data Feedback and Confrontation: Data collected are analyzed and reviewed by various work groups formed from this purpose in order to mediate in the areas of disagreement or confrontation of ideas or opinions and to establish priorities. 4. Selection and Design of Interventions: The interventions are the planned activities that are introduced into the system to accomplish desired changes and improvements.At this stage the suitable interventions are to be selected and designed. 5. Implementation of Intervention: The selected intervention should be implemented. Intervention may take the form of workshops, feedback of data to the participants, group discussions, written exercises, on-the-job activities, redesign of control system etc. Interventions are to be implemented steadily as the process is not short, quick for organizational malady. But it achieves real and lasting change in the attitudes and behavior of employees. 6.Action Planning and problem Solving: Groups prepare recommendations and specific action planning to solve the specific and identified problems by using data collected. 7. Team Building: The consultants encourage the e mployees throughout the process to form into groups and teams by explaining the advantages of the teams in the OD process, by arranging joint meetings with the managers, subordinates etc. 8. Inter group Development: The consultants encourage the inter group meetings, interaction etc. , after the formation of groups/teams.After identifying organizational development interventions the organization development process needs to be carried out. once the development is done the change process should take place, that is migrating from the old system to the new system. No matter how successful or suitable the OD process is if it fails to manage the transition period. Change management Above change management activities should be given priority. while appointing a change agent to drive the change management through. Report to be given to CEO of Nuran food products To: CEO of Nuran Food ProductsFrom: Harindra Marasinghe of XYZ company Subject: Implications of the proposed plant modernization in Colombo and closure of the Plant In Kandy Company is looking at an organization development process, that is it has shown the interest in improving its existing process in order to maximize the effectiveness and efficiency while gearing itself to meet external environment competition. This report will consist of following three sections, 1. Implementing an effective successful OD process 2. Impacts on closing down of Kandy Plant 3. RecommendationsImplementing an effective and successful OD process This OD process should make sure that it full fills the following, * It should be planned, * Implemented organization wide * Increase health and effectiveness of the organization * Planned interventions * Using behavioral science knowledge to understand people, business systems and their interactions How successful this process will be depending on the following, 1. How well this process suits the organization 2. what is the knowledge we have about the relevance of inputs and out puts o f this process 3.How well we can sustain this change management process Considering the above it is evident that the first two conditions are met beyond doubt, but the question is will it be sustainable? will the employees be able to adopt to the change? it is said by the vendor that the employees should be able to read the manuals which are in English and to operate the computerized equipment to get the most out from the new machinery, with the educational level the current employees have will they be able to cope up with this? Following could be suggested to overcome the present situation,Make the employees ready for change Let the employees understand why this change process is taking place and why it is important, what should be there contribution towards this process to be successful, listen to their suggestions and proposals. Make them a part of this change process. Give necessary skills to face the change situation The new processing machinery equipment requires sophisticated skills from production operators including reading technical manuals, operating computerized equipment and performing a wide variety of other tasks.The vendor suggests that the new equipment is most effective when the employees are organized in to self managed teams. Most of the employees have very limited English knowledge and reading the manuals will be a huge barrier, to overcome this it will be much easier to translate those manual to whatever language that they are familiar with rather than trying to teach them English which will be much time consuming and costly. Cultural Context The process have to suit the current traditional culture where supervisors make decisions and gives orders. his culture is successful in the company and should be maintained. Appointing a suitable change agent A change agent is an event, organization, material thing or, more usually, a person that acts as a catalyst for change. He/she should have a thorough have a understanding of the organization an d the process. Apart from the above following characteristics are vital, 1. Sensitivity to changes in key personnel, top management perceptions and market conditions, and to the way in which these impact the goals of the project. 2. Setting of clearly defined, realistic goals. . Flexibility in responding to changes without the control of the project manager, perhaps requiring major shifts in project goals and management style. 4. Team-building abilities, to bring together key stakeholders and establish effective working groups, and to define and delegate respective responsibilities clearly. 5. Networking skills in establishing and maintaining appropriate contacts within and outside the organization. 6. Tolerance of ambiguity, to be able to function comfortably, patiently and effectively in an uncertain environment. 7.Communication skills to transmit effectively to colleagues and subordinates the need for changes in the project goals and in individual tasks and responsibilities. 8. I nterpersonal skills, across the range, including selection, listening, collecting appropriate information, identifying the concerns of others, and managing meetings. 9. Personal enthusiasm in expressing plans and ideas. 10. Stimulating motivation and commitment in others involved. 11. Selling plans and ideas to others by creating a desirable and challenging vision of the future. 2. Negotiating with key players for resources, for changes in procedures, and to resolve conflict. 13. Political awareness in identifying potential coalitions, and in balancing conflicting goals and perceptions. 14. Influencing skills, to gain commitment to project plans and ideas from potential skeptics and resisters. 15. Helicopter perspectives, to stand back from the immediate project and take a broader view of priorities Above described is contingencies related to change situation. or this process to be implement smoothly following organization development interventions could be recommended, Human Proces s Interventions The following interventions deal with interpersonal relationships and group dynamics. 1. T Groups: The basic T Group brings ten to fifteen strangers together with a professional trainer to examine the social dynamics that emerge from their interactions. 2. Process Consultation: This intervention focuses on interpersonal relations and social dynamics occurring in work groups. 3.Third Party Interventions: This change method is a form of process consultation aimed at dysfunctional interpersonal relations in organizations. 4. Team Building: This intervention helps work groups become more effective in accomplishing tasks. The following Interventions deal with human processes that are more system wide than individualistic or small-group oriented. 1. Organization Confrontation Meeting: This change method mobilizes organization members to identify problems, set action targets, and begin working on problems. 2.Intergroup Relations: These interventions are designed to improve interactions among different groups or departments in organizations. 3. Large-group Interventions: These interventions involve getting abroad variety of stakeholders into a large meeting to clarify important values, to develop new ways of working, to articulate a new vision for the organization, or to solve pressing organizational problems. 4. Grid Organization Development: This normative intervention specifies a particular way to manage an organization. Human Resource Management Interventions 1.Goal Setting: This change program involves setting clear and challenging goals. It attempts to improve organization effectiveness by establishing a better fit between personal and organizational objectives. 2. Performance Appraisal: This intervention is a systematic process of jointly assessing work-related achievements, strengths and weaknesses, 3. Reward Systems: This intervention involves the design of organizational rewards to improve employee satisfaction and performance. 4. Career Plan ning and development: It generally focuses on managers and professional taff and is seen as a way of improving the quality of their work life. 5. Managing workforce diversity: Important trends, such as the increasing number of women, ethnic minorities, and physically and mentally challenged people in the workforce, require a more flexible set of policies and practices. 6. Employee Wellness: These interventions include employee assistance programs (EAPs) and stress management. above attention towards human resource will prepare the employees both mentally and physically to the change process. Above mentioned is the Human resource element of the OD process. ince the organization is changing techno structural intervention is important to the organization I. Structural Design: This change process concerns the organization’s division of labor – how to specialize task performances. Diagnostic guidelines exist to determine which structure is appropriate for particular organiz ational environments, technologies, and conditions. II. Downsizing: This intervention reduces costs and bureaucracy by decreasing the size of the organization through personnel layoffs, organization redesign, and outsourcing. III.Re-engineering: This recent intervention radically redesigns the organization’s core work processes to create tighter linkage and coordination among the different tasks Impact of Closing down of plant in Kandy Out of the 65 employees most of the employees who are attached to Kandy plant must be from surrounding neighborhood. As per HR manager the proposed new work force of 55 is adequate for the new operation, but the problem arises whether employees from Kandy are willing to travel to Colombo on daily basis, and even if they do what will be their output? If we terminate 10 employees what will be the mental impact on other employees? his might create questions about job security among other employees as well, and termination might have a negative imp act from the social perspective. Recommendations Human resource is the most vital asset that an any organization has. Nuran food products have been successful as result of its human resource. Changing the organization overall process will have a huge impact on all the employees and terminating the excess 10 employees will create an additional pressure on the work force. As mentioned above for the employees who are willing to travel from Kandy it is recommended to provide them with accommodation and other benefits.Naturally some of the employees will resign as a result of travelling distance problem, and it should be always kept in mind that this loyal work force have brought the company to its present situation, and it is recommended to keep all existing 65 employees. for future a good planned recruitment process should be laid down, educated people should be recruited and they should be properly trained to maximize the outputs. It is a good strategic decision to close down the Kand y plant provided content of the above report is taken in to consideration.

Mental Disorder

Project In Health Submitted by: Rochel Marie Jaranilla 4th- Jade Submitted to: Ms. Amarro Health & PE Teacher A  mental disorder  or  mental illness  is a  psychological  pattern, potentially reflected in behavior, that is generally associated with  distress  or  disability, and which is not considered part of  normal  development  of a person's  culture. Mental disorders are generally defined by a combination of how a person  feels,  acts,  thinks  or  perceives. This may be associated with particular regions or functions of the  brain  or rest of the  nervous system, often in a  social context.The recognition and understanding of  mental health  conditions have changed over time and across cultures and there are still variations in definition, assessment and  classification, although standard guideline criteria are widely used. In many cases, there appears to be a  continuum  between mental health and mental illness, making diag nosis complex. According to the  World Health Organisation  (WHO), over a third of people in most countries report problems at some time in their life which meet criteria for diagnosis of one or more of the common types of mental disorder.The  causes of mental disorders  are varied and in some cases unclear, and theories may incorporate findings from a range of fields. Services  are based in  psychiatric hospitals  or in the  community, and assessments are carried out by  psychiatrists,  clinical psychologistsand  clinical social workers, using various methods but often relying on observation and questioning. Clinical treatments are provided by various  mental health professionals. Psychotherapy  and  psychiatric medication  are two major treatment options, as are  social  interventions,  peer support  and  self-help.In a minority of cases there might be  involuntary detention  or  involuntary treatment, where legislation allows. Stigmaà ‚  and  discrimination  can add to the suffering and disability associated with mental disorders (or with being diagnosed or judged as having a mental disorder), leading to various  social movements  attempting to increase understanding and challenge  social exclusion. Prevention is now appearing in some mental health strategies. ConclusionStigma is both a proximate and a distal cause of employment inequity for people with a mental disability who experience direct discrimination because of prejudicial attitudes from employers and workmates and indirect discrimination owing to historical patterns of disadvantage, structural disincentives against competitive employment and generalized policy neglect. Against this background, modern mental health rehabilitation models and legislative philosophies, which focus on citizenship rights and full social participation, are to be welcomed.Yet, recent findings demonstrate that the legislation remains vulnerable to the very prejudicial attitudes they are intended to abate. Research conducted during the past year continues to highlight the multiple attitudinal and structural barriers that prevent people with mental disabilities from becoming active participants in the competitive labour market. Project In Health Submitted by: Jiovanni Kim Agustino Submitted to: Ms. Amarro

11 Forms of Word Patronage to Forgo

11 Forms of Word Patronage to Forgo 11 Forms of Word Patronage to Forgo 11 Forms of Word Patronage to Forgo By Mark Nichol Various specimens of a curious class of self-referential expressions often find their way into spoken and written discourse. Such locutions in speech are nigh inevitable, because spontaneous communication frequently necessitates verbal placeholders, and the speaker’s self-consciousness or self-regard demands self-induced back-pedaling or backslapping. However, in both oration and composition especially in the latter, because the writer has ample opportunity to omit them they call undue attention to the writer’s putative sagacity and/or wit and are usually labored and distracting. Bryan A. Garner, the dean of American English usage, calls such phrasing â€Å"word patronage†; rhetoricians refer to it as metanoia or correctio. I’ve never met one that didn’t annoy me, and I advise correction: 1. As It Were This truncation of the subjunctive (conjectural) â€Å"as if it were so† ostensibly invites the reader to note that a preceding statement or expression is more practical that precise for the context, an imperfect metaphor: â€Å"The competition between Starbucks and Peet’s is a tempest in a coffee cup, as it were.† But its true and superfluous function is to say, â€Å"There, wasn’t that clever?† 2. If I May Say So Also rendered as â€Å"If I may be so bold,† this apology has such a musty Victorian odor of mock humility that it is suitable only in a jocular sense: â€Å"If I may be so bold, your dog’s mandibular attachment to my ankle is counterproductive to my health.† 3. If You Will This phrase, an abbreviation of â€Å"If you will allow me to use the phrase,† is more innocuous than its variations â€Å"If you will pardon my saying so† and â€Å"If you will permit me to say,† which warn the recipient of a communication that what follows may be critical or provocative. â€Å"If you will,† conversely, merely asks the reader to accept an interpretation, but an argument should stand on its own, without such verbal bowing and scraping. 4. In a Manner of Speaking This almost meaningless expression is intended as an apology for how an idea or opinion is expressed: â€Å"Are you calling me crazy?† â€Å"In a manner of speaking, yes.† 5. It Goes Without Saying This is a gentler way of saying, â€Å"It should be obvious,† as in â€Å"It goes without saying that the belief in alien abduction is a fringe belief.† If it goes without saying, then don’t say that it goes without saying. 6. Not to Put Too Fine a Point on It This elaborately pretentious expression is deployed usually before but sometimes after one writes exactly what one means, even if it may offend a reader. The writer is, in this case, doing just the opposite putting a fine point, or jabbing, the reader with the truth: â€Å"Not to put too fine a point on it, but your breath is toxic.† 7. Not to Mention Of course, this phrase immediately precedes something mentioned in spite of the writer’s promise not to mention it: â€Å"The flooding ruined the furniture, not to mention the floor.† It is perhaps the most innocuous entry on this list (I say so because I use it sometimes), sometimes helpful to emphasize that what follows is more significant a point than an earlier statement, but consider, during revision, whether your statement can stand on its own without it. 8. So to Speak â€Å"So to speak† is a simpler version of â€Å"in a manner of speaking,† though some wits myself included indulge in its use after an accidental (or a deliberate) pun, to make sure the listener noticed it and is duly amused: â€Å"The pregnant woman was expectant, so to speak.† In writing, however, it is ingratiating and grating. 9. To Coin a Phrase This phrase is an apology for using a clichà ©, an attempt by the writer to ensure that the reader knows the writer is contrite about letting a trite expression loose: â€Å"It’s like putting the fox in charge of the henhouse, to coin a phrase.† 10. To Say Nothing This is a milder variation on â€Å"not to mention† with a stronger connotation that what’s about to be mentioned is more significant: â€Å"Her perfume annoyed me, to say nothing of her manner.† 11. With All Due Respect This obsequious apology serves to smooth the not-yet-ruffled feathers of someone whose ego is about to be bruised: â€Å"With all due respect, I disagree.† The speaker or writer is acknowledging the superior authority and/or wisdom, or other qualities, of the listener or reader. Instead of employing this preface, however, either soften the blow or commit to striking it. If you find yourself writing any of these phrases, consider it a signal to rework the passage. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Expressions category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:75 Synonyms for â€Å"Angry†Awoken or Awakened?10 Humorous, Derisive, or Slang Synonyms for â€Å"Leader† or â€Å"Official†

Racial Classification Under Apartheid

Racial Classification Under Apartheid In the Apartheid state of South Africa (1949-1994),  your racial classification was everything. It determined where you could live, who you could marry, the types of jobs you could get, and so many other aspects of your life. The whole legal infrastructure of Apartheid rested on racial classifications, but the determination of a persons race often fell to census takers and other bureaucrats. The arbitrary ways in which they classified race are astounding, especially when one considers that peoples whole lives hinged on the result. Defining Race The 1950 Population Registration Act declared that all South Africans be classified into one of three races: white, native (black African), or colored (neither white nor native). The legislators realized that trying to classify people scientifically or by some set biological standards would never work. So instead they defined race in terms of two measures: appearance and public perception. According to the law, a person was white if they were â€Å"obviously...[or] generally accepted as White. The definition of native was even more revealing: a person who in fact is or is generally accepted as a member of any aboriginal race or tribe of Africa. People who could prove that they were accepted as another race, could actually petition to change their racial classification. One day you could be native and the next colored. This was not about fact but perception. Perceptions of Race For many people, there was little question of how they would be classified. Their appearance aligned with preconceptions of one race or another, and they associated only with people of that race.  There were other individuals, though, who did not fit neatly into these categories, and their experiences highlighted the absurd and arbitrary nature of racial classifications.   In the initial round of racial classification in the 1950s, census takers quizzed those whose classification they were unsure about. They asked people on the language(s) they spoke, their occupation, whether they had paid native taxes in the past, who they associated with, and even what they ate and drank. All of these factors were seen as indicators of race. Race in this respect was based on economic and lifestyle differences - the very distinctions Apartheid laws set out to protect.   Testing Race Over the years, certain unofficial tests were also set up to determine the race of individuals who either appealed their classification or whose classification was challenged by others. The most infamous of these was the â€Å"pencil test†, which said that if a pencil placed in ones hair fell out, he or she was white. If it fell out with shaking, colored, and if it stayed put, he or she was black. Individuals could also be subjected to humiliating examinations of the color of their genitals, or any other body part that the determining official felt was a clear marker of race. Again, though, these tests had  to be about appearance and public perceptions, and in the racially stratified and segregated society of South Africa, appearance determined public perception. The clearest example of this is the sad case of Sandra Laing. Ms. Laing was born to white parents, but her appearance resembled that of a light-skin colored person. After her racial classification was challenged at school, she was re-classified as colored and expelled. Her father took a paternity test, and eventually, her family got her re-classified as white. She was still ostracized by the white community, however, and she ended up marrying a black man. In order to remain with her children, she petitioned to be re-classified again as colored. To this day, over twenty years after the end of Apartheid, her brothers refuse to speak to her. Sources Posel, Deborah. Race as Common Sense: Racial Classification in Twentieth-Century South Africa,  African Studies Review  44.2 (Sept 2001): 87-113. Posel, Deborah, Whats in a Name?: Racial categorisations under Apartheid and their afterlife,  Transformation  (2001).

Trendsetters shops Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Trendsetters shops - Assignment Example The small and medium enterprises are the enterprises which play a very important role in the global economy and constitute 90% of the global economy. Because of the saturity in the developed countries the Small and medium sized enterprises are making more advancements in the developing nations which are mainly the BRIC countries (Brazil, Russia, India and China). The WTO has recognized the importance of these small scale industries and thus has promoted these industries. The small and medium enterprises are the enterprises which begin with their own innovations and inventions and survive competition in order to succeed globally. This report is a personal report and in this topic I will focus mainly on the development of our own small medium enterprise called the â€Å"Trendsetters† in which I and my brother are partners and it is a family business. I have been into this business as soon as I completed my higher secondary exams. I began my role in the firm as accountant. This t opic and firm has been chosen by me for my research purpose as I have personalized experience in the firm and I foresee my future in this firm. Beginning of as an accountant in the business I have started managing all the aspects of the business in order to carry our family legacy further. I and my brother have started discussions concerning all details about the shop like the supply chain procedures that we need to adopt, the pricing and the marketing strategies that needs to be implemented, the seasonal highs and lows etc. â€Å"SMEs enhance competition and entrepreneurship and hence have external benefits on economy wide efficiency, innovation, and aggregate productivity growth. SMEs are generally more productive than large firms. SME expansion boosts employment more than large firm growth because SME are more labor intensive† (Small and Medium Enterprises, 2011, P.1). This research will shed light on â€Å"Trendsetters† as case study and example of successful small business in India. This research relies on the case study methodology, whereby personal description is provided which calls for analytical as well as descriptive study and provides accurate information on the actual developments in the research topic. 2. History of Trendsetters Shop: My Grandmother was the brain from where such an idea of family business emerged. She was a great textile designer and she could make her own designs which of course she did not market but created for her own family uses. Due to her talent people came to her for design tips on their clothes. My father grew up hearing this that many people wanted my grandmother to start her own small business but my grandmother was afraid because of the knits and guts that is required in the business field. My father had then acquired his business administration degree and instead of venturing out and sourcing him to other firms he decided with grandmother to start his own business so that his academic excellence and my grandmother’s ideas of design could merge together and they started a small garment factory. There was difficulty in procurement of initial capital and the initial capital was a loan with 10% interest from the Regional Rural Bank in our locality. With 5 of my grandmother’s friends our business’s first contract began. It was a very small contract but it ensured confidence in my father to further the business. My father became the managing director of the firm. The present number of employees in the firm is 75 which consist of designers, purchase officials, logistics officials and marketing officials. Comments: Even though the enterprise is a small scale it shows the merger of business idea with high academic excellence. It is notable how the family merged skills with education in order to start their own business. â€Å"Another area in which small entrepreneur has faced the difficulty is that of management. The principles of management have not been properly stu died and translated into practice owing to the influence of old traditions and customs. It has seldom bothered to