Summary of Ten Stories Essay Example

Summary of Ten Stories Essay My Lucy friend who smells like corn is a story of a girl named Lucy. The narrator who was the friend of Lucy smells Lucy like a corn. She smells like corn because she is always in the street during daytime. The narrator described the life of Lucy and her family. Lucy’s family has a simple life – sometimes rich but most of the time, they are poor but they are happy. Lucy has a big family; she has her parents and many siblings. There was a time when the arms of Lucy had scars and her nail fell off but she remained strong and she did not cry. The narrator saw her face and the narrator knew that Lucy was brave enough to conquer her problems and pains. Seeing the life of Lucy and her family, the narrator also wanted to be like Lucy – having simple life, simple dreams even if they have problems and pains, having so many siblings but they were happy, and most of all, to be smelled like corn. Eleven Eleven is about the story of a girl who wanted to feel a new life because she turned eleven. She wanted change on the way he is treated – her actions, her situations, and her environment but she felt that she was just the same as she was younger. The narrator also described her actions and situations while she was younger, which she do not want to be treated that way again for she knew that was already old. She does not want to sit on the lap of her mother and she does not want to cry for it was the actions of younger children and she was not part of them anymore. We will write a custom essay sample on Summary of Ten Stories specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Summary of Ten Stories specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Summary of Ten Stories specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer When she went to school, she thought that people would get in touch with her to greet her happy birthday but it was the opposite. Her teacher saw an ugly jacket in the room, she asked her class who owns the jacket but almost everyone denied. One girl said that it was the narrator’s jacket but the narrator denied it because it was too ugly and it smells bad but the teacher also thinks that it was her so she gave it to her but still, the narrator denied. The narrator felt awkward and wanted to become a child again for she wanted to cry and ran through her mother but she cannot. Salvador Late or Early It was a story of a boy named Salvador who has no friends or acquaintances. His life has full of misery, pain, and struggle. He used to take good care of his younger sisters and brothers for he wanted them to look good even if it was the opposite of his appearance. He helped his mother as best as he cold even if most of the time, his help was not enough and sometimes brought terrible things to them. Salvador does not want his family especially his brothers and sisters to be treated like him. His pain, struggles, and problems could not be seen through his eyes but it was seen through his body that contains wounds and scars of pains and sorrows. Mexican Movies The story is about a little child who used to observe everything around. She was happy when her father asked her to go to the lobby of the movie house because her father does not want her to see the sexual scenes. The narrator does not really understand those things but she knew what is happening that she needs to go to the lobby. Rather than going to the lobby, she chooses to go to the women’s bathroom to observe it – do some tic-tac-toe using a lipstick or she also went to the candy counter to buy some food for herself. Her family loves to watch movies especially Mexican movies and though it was not that beautiful. They just stayed on their seats and soon get sleep. After the movie, their parents will carry her and her sister and bring them home. Even if it was a long night for them, when they get to bed, they feel happy. Barbie-Q The story is about the two characters where the narrator is the first and her friend was the second. The narrator described the dress of her doll and the doll of her friend. The narrator illustrated carefully and thoroughly all the necessary characteristics of her doll and her friend’s doll but as she looks at it, she realized that the eyes of her friend’s doll are eyes of a boy. Because of this, she made the doll a boy, which was Ken. The narrator also reminisce their experience last Christmas as they received new Barbie clothes and the narrator was looking forward for next Christmas. The narrator then started to illustrate their experiences while walking at the Maxwell street; but still she was still thinking about the clothes of her doll – where and how to buy due to shortage of budget. The narrator ended the story in a generalization of buying toys and its physical characteristics as damaged but she imposed that even if such cases like this are done, there is still a fire sale at the Maxwell street. Mericans Mericans is about the story of an awful grandmother who used to pray always at the church. The narrator observed the awful grandmother as a righteous woman that made him also righteous. When the narrator went inside the church and look at the saints, he also somehow feels like a saint. The narrator narrates his observations inside and outside the church that made him realized the purpose of the people in the church. Aside from the church itself, the narrator observed the saint of the church, which is La Virgen de Guadalupe that gives miracle to people. The narrator’s brother also observed the whole place as he also imagined himself as a flying feather dancer who danced for the birthday of the Virgen. As the narrator goes on with his observations, he saw the awful grandmother praying hard for the people she loved. The day ended with these scenes and opened for nightlife to make people alive as they celebrate the birthday of their patron saint. Tepeyac Tepeyac is a story of a man named Abuelito. The narrator narrates her observations and encounter with Abuelito. In the first part of the story, the narrator described the physical characteristics of the place but she just illustrated the people of Tepeyac, which she focused then. While walking and observing people, the narrator saw Abuelito smoking in a dark place with only one dark light bulb lighting on his face. The narrator went to Abuelito’s side and observed him first but then she started holding his hand. Feeling the emotions of Abuelito as he remained silent. Like having an intimate relationship, the narrator and Abuelito walked around the basilica. After a long walk, they found out that they were near the house of the narrator. The narrator’s house is in La Fortuna with a number 12 but it was already sold. Before they can go to the main door, they have walk to the square steps of the grass. They both started to count but while counting, they were also thinking of their experiences and shared it to one another. The story ends with the thought of the narrator to Abuelito’s situation that seemed to be forgotten by their community without any name. One Holy Night One holy night is the story of a girl who is ignored by the people around her. She always felt that people see her as nothing but a vendor even if she has something to give. She was very much in love with a boy named Chaq Uxmal Paloquin. This boy made her life colorful but there was a time when this boy vanished from her eyes. The narrator waited for so long until she found someone named Boy Baby, her heart says that he was her Chaq but it was very different, he was just an ignorable person for it has his own world and speaks a different language people could not understand. However, even if it was the case of Boy Baby, the narrator still wanted to be with him and loved him dearly. One night, Boy Baby asked the narrator to accompany him in his place. Boy Baby showed his weapons to the narrator and asked her to stay quiet about what she saw. After that, they make love. The narrator was very happy with her experience. She thought of the women who do not want to talk about their experiences for it was sacred. When she got home, her older sister asked her pushcart – the cart that she is using when selling cucumber. She does not know what to do so she made a story. Her sister believed her but eventually, the true story emerged because one of their neighbors saw the narrator and Boy Baby going to Esparza and Sons every night, it was Boy Baby’s place. Abuelita, the narrator’s sister asked her the truth and she said everything except of one thing. One day, when she found out that she was pregnant, her sister cried a lot and blamed all men. Because of this, they started to find the Boy Baby. After a long time, they found out that Boy Baby was not Chaq that the narrator was referring to. He was already thirty-seven years old and a poor man with no Mayan blood unlike Chaq. The narrator was very disappointed but she still pursues her pregnancy. In the end, she still wanted to have five kinds – 2 boys, 2 girls, and one baby. My Tocaya This is about a young girl who narrates her tocaya, Patricia Benavidez because it was gone for three days. Everyone thought that she was dead that the narrator described Patricia as a girl who came back from the dead. Patricia Benavidez was said as the â€Å"son† of the father and son’s Taco place no.2 for she inherited this restaurant. However, despite of all the good things that happened to Patricia the narrator still used exaggerated words to described her. The narrator also described the feelings of the people especially Patricia’s family and their school. She also attached an article from the newspaper about Patricia according to the news Patricia is 13 and been missing since November 11, 5 feet tall, weighting around 115 lbs, etc. The narrator was angry with Patricia but she was also jealous with her. She knew that Patricia was not good inside and out, for she knew some secrets of Patricia. Patricia also liked the boy that the narrator also liked that is why her anger became double. When Patricia was found, she as not happy even if almost everyone are crying for Patricia and she also wanted Patricia not to be found anymore. Woman Hollering Creek This story is about the life of a couple named Juan Pedro Martinez Sanches and Cleofilas Enriqueta De Leon Hernandez. In the first part of the story, the narrator described the preparation of the wedding; it was elaborated thoroughly from the flowers, food, up to the dresses. They depend on the outfit of the characters in the telenovelas, Cleofilas relate her life to this fictional novel that make her weaker and pitiful. Juan Pedro is a very busy person, so he wanted to get married as soon as possible because she cannot leave his job for a long time. After they get married, they had children and had their own home but like other couples, they had problems. That sometimes made them weak and broken. Cleofilas usually goes to social gatherings and she used to encounter women who are much stronger than she is and all she can do is act like an innocent woman.

Learning Moral Values in College Movies

Learning Moral Values in College Movies Read how college movies can teach moral values. Organized youth groups, sports clubs, church organizations promote traditional moral values through peer interaction and learning the social consequences of a particular behavior. Similarly, moral values are promoted through mass media communication such as television, videos, songs, and movies by offering different models of behavior and their corresponding rewards or punishment. Movies are not simply entertainment as they expose people to social norms and life experiences. They are normally presented with themes and characters displaying value-laden principles and taking moral decisions that are influential in shaping or modifying a person’s value system. Movies displaying immorality such as crimes, violence against women, homosexuality, and others are likely to influence their audience moral values negatively.  Movies are important elements in youth’s socialization and reinforcement of values learned from home and school. For example, study shows that cowboy heroes in movies unintentionally convey socially significant information that influences values, attitudes, and beliefs of young people. Life Lessons in College Movies There are a number of movies set in college with moral value.  In 1994 for example, the movie With Honors is about an arrogant Harvard student (played by American-Canadian actor Brendan Frazer) who loses the only copy of his thesis  which he later found in the hands of a homeless but street-smart older man. The conflict began when the homeless man used the thesis as leverage for some favors. The egotistical and antagonistic Harvard senior student tried but failed to outsmart the situational intelligence and shrewd resourcefulness of the street smart and finally agrees to negotiate. The movie according to some reviews is a thoughtful representation of life with a moral value that people should do what makes them happy. The Harvard student negotiating for his thesis is at first snobbish and insufferable but mature and becomes sympathetic to the pain and suffering of the homeless man. Find more interesting information: How Human Dignity Is Valued in Academic Sphere Can We Actually Rewrite a Film? Most good college movies explore social and moral issues and teach important life lessons. One of them is the 1998 dark comedy film Dead Man on Campus, the story of college studious student (Josh) who is led astray by his roommate’s (Cooper) carefree lifestyle. Initially, the movie explores the economic reality of getting a college education and consequences of neglecting your studies. For instance, Josh gets into college on a scholarship that requires him to get a passing grade each semester. Cooper’s college education, on the other hand, is funded by his father despite consistent failing grade. Lost in Cooper’s partying world, the normally studious Josh failed to pass all his mid-term exams and facing a loss of scholarship. Similarly, Cooper’s father finally discovers his son’s lack of concern in passing the course and threatens to stop the funding if Cooper fails again. Facing a similar dilemma, they found a solution in an unusual academic rule where roommate of a student who commits suicide gets a perfect grade but it didn’t work. The problem was resolved when the school gives Josh (who commit a fake suicide attempt over the bridge) a second chance while Cooper, (a hero to his father as he allegedly convinced Josh to abandon his plan) maintained the funding. However, they learned the lessons well as both became more serious in their studies.

Research Design And Analysis Week 5 Assignment 2

Research Design And Analysis Week 5 2 - Assignment Example Qualitative studies also focus on development of meaning on a subject matter as opposed to the scope of quantitative research that focuses on identifying and testing existence of causal relationships. The scope of the article however identifies focus on understanding the role of critical praxis in teamwork. Qualitative research is also subjective, depends on people’s opinion and this identifies with the authors’ approach that express their informed opinion on the subject. Use of words, subjectivity, and focus on development of meaning therefore identifies the article as a qualitative article (Seibold & Kang 2008; Gerrish & Lacey, 2013). The author does not offer a theoretical framework for the study that is exploratory. No discussion therefore exists on a theory or previous application of a theory. The authors also failed to develop research questions for their study. In addition, the authors do not state their study’s dependent and independent variables. The exploratory scope of the study also fails to offer a basis for assuming variables and their relationship (Seibold,

The role of social networks in empowering consumers Literature review

The role of social networks in empowering consumers - Literature review Example Organizations, as a part of the current global business forum, are increasingly feeling the need for engaging with the community to which it provides its service. Companies realize that the societies within which these companies operate and the communities to which their customers belong, are an important element in their business decisions. This shows that consumers are increasingly becoming an important stake holder for business firms. Companies are responding to this new status of the consumers by utilizing in all possible channels to engage in consumer interaction. Therefore they feel the need to assess their response to the changing consumer preference and also the efficiency with which they are utilizing the social media. Background of the study The growth rate of social media shows an exponential trend and the main features in this platform are blogs, Twitter, Facebook, MySpace and LinkedIn. If this information is matched with statistical data it would be found that by the beg inning of the 2010, over 175 million users were already registered in the Facebook. This figure is slightly short of the total number of people living in Brazil (total Brazilian population was 190 million in 2009) and it is more than twice the German population (total population of Germany was 80 million in 2009) (Kaplan and Haenlein, 2010). During this period, a record amount of video content has been uploaded to the YouTube platform at the rate of 10 hours of content per minute. These platforms offer customers to receive variety of information and also join ongoing conversations with millions of other customers located in different parts of the globe. Hence rise of social networking sites have become a major topic of discussion in the business world. Consumers and social networking sites Tweets on Twitter and messages and updates on Facebook are the newest means of communication and the most convenient method of sharing news. These channels allow news to be shared in the structure of small bite-size messages. These message updates also allow the user to add links to various website pages or images to the message. Tweets are messages of less than or equal to 140 characters and the reader can get an overview of the message shared through the tweets by simply scrolling through the tweets. Any person can read these tweets (even if he or she is not an account holder on the Twitter) through their mobile phones or their computers. These Twitter tweets are short and precise and does not relate to the news at a deeper level, but, the reader can gain an overall broad knowledge about the happenings in the world in that particular day. This the most important use of the social networking sites these days. Consumers are careful about the choices that they make about their purchases but are not left with only limited amount of time to make purchasing decisions. Therefore more and more number of consumers are shifting their attention to the social media for gaining insight s on the most recent trends, views and briefs of experiences of the

Case study Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 18

Case study - Essay Example These areas are responsible for feeling and expressing your emotions, releasing hormones in stress conditions, for communication inside the brain and for the learning and memory purposes. Brain cells that are neurons use chemicals named neurotransmitters and these are responsible for communication in brain. Alcohol can cause a change in the activities of neurotransmitters and an imbalance takes place in their actions which inturn will result in seizures, sedation, depression, agitation and other disorders related to mood and behaviour. In 2003, Aaron M. White found that alcohol interferes with the brain ability to make new long term memories and for the ability to keep the fresh information active for limited period of time. Alcohol consumption in this case leads to memory impairment and as a consequence partial or complete blackouts occur. The end result will be periods of memory loss while drinking. Martin, Singleton & Hiller (2003) described Thiamine, also termed as Vitamin B1 to be one of the essential nutrients required by tissues of the body including brain. The enzymes that use thiamine need to function effectively or otherwise they will result affecting the neurotransmitters in the brain. The brain requires thiamine for its nerve cells (neurons); other cells in the nervous system also rely on thiamine. Thiamine deficiency makes the work of these enzymes slow considerably. As they are harmful for the brain cells, the most severe outcome can be in the form of brain damage. In 2008, Harrigan, Maguire & Laszlo Boros suggested that alcohol consuming patients are mostly found to report very low level of thiamine in their blood which mostly results in neuro-degeneration. This degeneration is linked with the brain area called cerebellum. Cerebellum is directly connected with alcohol addiction as alcohol makes a direct impact on it. But thiamine deficiency is found to place much more impact on cerebellum than alcohol can. 3.

Organizational Structure and Competitive Advantage

Organizational Structure and Competitive Advantage In our fast-paced, ever-changing world, organizations are constantly seeking ways to gain and sustain effectiveness. Though there is no single thing that makes an organization successful no secret ingredient some concepts do universally apply. One fundamental is to create a right organizational structure for success by ensuring alignment in organization dynamic relative to core purposes, strategy, and culture. Organisational structure refers to the way tasks are divided up, how the work flows, how this flow is coordinated and the forces and mechanisms that allow this coordination to occur. It creates the framework within which organizations operate. It is the skeleton and later on becomes the engine of the business. Therefore an organization with a structure which does not fit into economic and business environment, differentiated from its core purposes cannot exist for a long time. The aim of this paper is to review an organizational structure as a competitive advantage. The objectives will be the guiding tour to achieve the goal: Review existing organizational structures and their respective Analyse relationship between organizational structure and strategy Define which organizational structure is relatively better for exporting companies As a case study, organizational structure of Hansa Flex was researched, and subject in question was applied to it to compare organizational theory in real business life. The paper starts formulating a unified theoretical framework by explaining what the organization is, and describing relationship within an organization. Then it defines common types of organizational structure, talks about their function principles, afterwards investigates organizational effectiveness and relationship between organizational structure and strategy. To describe how a company can gain a competitive advantage relying on this relationship, and to compare theoretical framework with real business life, at the end, organizational structure of Hansa Flex was studied and conclusion about comparison is described. Some have described organizational structure as a formal configuration of roles and procedures, the prescribed framework of the organization. Others have described structure as the patterned regularities and processes of interaction. Structure is important in organizations because it reduces ambiguity and clarifies tasks, expectations and goal. Bartol, Martin, Tein and Matthews (2001, p. 267) define organizational structure as the formal pattern of interactions and coordination that managers design to link the tasks of individuals and groups to achieve organizational goals. Different sources give different contingencies which define organizational structure. These contingencies change through the time due to economic and business environment, technology, innovation as well as designs of organizational structures. The elements that were main criteria for selecting organizational structure 20 years ago are not reliable nowadays. Contingencies like size of organization, role clarity, specialization and control, for example, have been replaced by speed, flexibility, integration and innovation (Ashkenas et al., 1995, p. 7). Methodology Before carrying out the research, it is reasonable to analyse particular method for a given study. There are two main points that the research process of the paper goes through, as the research is done to enlighten development of organizational structures and review organizational structures as a competitive advantage: Defining the resource for analysis of theoretical framework Applying the theory on particular case study (Hansa-Flex) Starting a new research paper is like starting a new project you have an idea of what you want to do, but are not sure how to start. Many writers, like many project planners and managers, find that outlining is frequently the most effective way to start writing (Keene, 1987, p. 2). So having this idea in mind, we started to draw a step-by-step methodology of the research. Following are the stages that paper went through. Formulating the research aim (Initiation). This is the first stage of our research process, and the purpose of this stage is for us to decide what we are writing about, therefore after this stage it is possible to know which are the other stages that are needed for the fulfilment of the paper. As it was mentioned, the aim of the paper is to review organizational structure as a competitive advantage. We want to analyse perspectives of modern organizational structures and see whether there is one best structure that exporting companies can use. Developing the objectives. Once the research aim is determined, the next stage of our research is to develop the objectives: Review existing organizational structures and their respective Analyse relationship between organizational structure and strategy Define which organizational structure is relatively better for exporting companies These objectives will keep the research study going on towards the aim of the paper. Resource selection. Having followed all the previous stages then is the next stage; determine how and where to collect the data that is crucial to draw inferences and conclusions for the study. Primary Data Secondary data Collection Purpose For the problem at hand For other problems Collection process Very involved Rapid easy Collection cost High Relatively low Collection Time Long Short Table 1. A Comparison of Primary and Secondary data Source. Malhotra (1996, p. 117) According to a source comparison table of Malhotra (1996, p. 117), due to absence of research budget and short time, secondary data was chosen to be relative as source. It was decided to use, for this area of study, the following sources: Books Records Journals Newspapers Internet articles Academic Papers Published censuses or other statistical data Company Hansa-Flex (interviews with representatives) Unfortunately, there were some difficulties using all the sources above. Since the research took place in Bremen, small town in North Germany, it was not easy to find physical books, journals or newspapers in English. Therefore, to help this situation, electronic versions of some of the books were downloaded from the Hochschule Bremens internet network. Also, not being able to have an interview with Hansa-Flexs representative had negative impact on the case study part of the research. Literature Review. After collecting necessary data, this stage is an integral part of the research methodology, because it makes important contribution to all the next stages of the methodology. This stage helps to understand the subject area as well as the research aim precisely and clearly. Although the secondary sources created a framework for the study, censuses and annual reports published by Hansa-Flex did not help a lot to analyse the organizational structure of the company and evaluate it as a competitive advantage. The company presentation of Hansa-Flex given at the Hochschule Bremen by the companys Development Manager was used to fill this lack. Interpretation. After collecting and analyzing the data, and also subsequent to the clarifying of the questionable points, the next stage for the study will be interpretation in which the raw data, clean of mistakes, will be applied to the research aim. In this case it will be related to the case study, which is organizational structure of Hansa-Flex. Results and formal write of conclusions reached. The last stage is writing the report, in which all the previous stages come together as one research study and with the principle of enlighten the reader what all the research is about and all the results achieved drawn from what all the previous stages have done. It will also help to finally come with the result, whether the research aim was achieved or not. Organization and organizational structure. Definitions As it was mentioned before, the purpose of this paper is to clarify the relationship between organizational structure and strategy, and describe organizational structure as a competitive advantage. However, the goal of this chapter, as a starting point, is to introduce some common view about an organization and organizational structure. What is an Organization? Organizations all over the world share the same characteristics; they are social entities that are goal-directed, are designed as deliberately structured and coordinated activity systems and are linked to the external environment. Not all organizations are the same, some are large, multinational corporations, others are small, family owned business, some manufacture products, others provide services. One key element of an organization is that indeed the organization will exist when people interact with one another to perform essential functions that will help the achievement of goals. One organization cannot exist without the interaction with customers, suppliers, competitors, and some other elements of the external environment like the government etc (Daft, 2007, p.10-11). Definitions of organizational structure Having defined the organization, it is next sensible to define organizational structure. The Morris describes organizational structure as à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦the framework around, and the systems that support, the work being done in an organization. Walton (1986) notes structure as the basis for organizing, to include hierarchical levels and spans of responsibility, roles and positions, and mechanisms for integration and problem solving. The similar definition is given in the Dictionary-Organizational Behavior (2003) as: the established pattern of relationships among the components of parts of a company; the way that a company is set-up; the formally defined framework of an organizations task and authority relationship. (p.2) The organizational structure is reflected in the organization chart (Daft, 2007, p. 190). It is the visual representation of the whole organization and its processes. The organization chart enables to see employees going about their duties, performing different tasks, and working in different locations. The organization chart is very useful in the understanding how a company works. In general, it refers to the way that an organization arranges people and their jobs so that the work can be done and its goals can be achieved. If the size of a work organization is not big and communication can be made face to face, formal structure may be not necessary, but in a large-scale organization the messengers have to be passed about the delegation of various tasks. Then, structure is established that distribute responsibilities for various functions. It is these decisions that determine the organizational structure. Organizational structure and effectiveness Having a common view about what an organization is, and saying that organizational structure refers to the way that an organization arranges people and their jobs, it is time to think about the impact of the structure on organizational effectiveness. Organizational structure and organizational effectiveness are interrelated, because organizational structure impacts organizational effectiveness based on organization creativity. Woodman explains that: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦in general, adaptive organizational forms (e.g. matrix, networks, collateral or parallel structures) increase the odds for creativity. Bureaucratic, mechanistic, or rigid structures decrease the probability of organizational creativity. (Morris, 1995, p.64) Peguin (2003) comments that organizational effectiveness and its relation to structure are determined by a fit between information processing requirements so people have either too little or too much irrelevant information (para. 3). Andrews (1995) supports his idea and notes without clearly defined roles and responsibilities of getting information, any organization structure becomes dysfunctional. (p. 1) In analyzing the difficulties of realizing the organizational effectiveness, on the one hand, Bedeian (1986) says, Although effectiveness is a central theme in the study of organizations, it remains one of the most frequently cited yet least understood concepts in organization theory. (p. 186). He continues to argue that failing to consider organizations goals, characteristics, and constituents lead to fault assumptions of performance. (p. 190). He also believes that the relationship and consequences between organizational design and structure choice. Organizations are incredibly complex. They are molded by increasingly fluid and disorderly environmental forces that constantly threaten their rationally ordered structures and stated goals. (p. 198) On the other hand, he emphasizes the possible result of wrong structure choice. Declining organizations face many problems. One of the most serious of these is the lack of flexibility at time when adaptiveness and agility are especially needed. Among the attributes most commonly affected are an organization leadership, innovative processes, work-force composition, and relationships with interest groups. (p. 197). Relation between organizational structure and strategy This chapter is divided in two parts, while first part describes how organizational structure and strategy are related via environmental conditions; second part explains how to build proper organizational structure that supports strategy and defines the authority for each manager. Nearly always, development of corporate strategy begins by analyzing the industry in which it operates and environmental conditions. Then having industry and competitive analyses, through research and benchmarking the strengths and weaknesses of competitors, executives set out to carve a distinctive strategic position where they can outperform their rivals by building a competitive advantage. To obtain such advantage, a company chooses a structure, which is supposed to group people due to their duties, tasks and responsibilities as well as hierarchy of decision making (Mouborgne, et al., 2009). Developing an organizational structure that supports the strategy is not easy, because of uncertainty in the global economys rapidly changing and dynamic competitive environments. When a structures elements, such as reporting relationships, procedures, etc., are properly aligned with one another the structure facilitates effective use of the strategy (Hitt, et al., 2009, p. 309). Choosing the most appropriate organizational structure that supports the strategy does not ensure an organization from future mismatches. As previous chapters describes organizations has to change and adopt to innovation and changing environment, and just as organizations strategy needs to change with changing external environment, so must a structure change for proper strategy implementation. In other hand companys strategic options are bounded by the environment. In other words, structure shapes strategy (Mouborgne, et al., 2009). So organizational structure and strategy are like two different sides of the same coin. In structure strategy relationship, organizations must be wide awake in their efforts to verify that the structure calls for work to be completed remains consistent with implementation requirement of chosen strategy. There is no perfect or ideal organizational structure that lasts forever. The strategy must be supported by the structure that provides the stability needed to use current competitive advantage as well as flexibility required to develop future advantages. Therefore, properly matching organizational structure and strategy can create competitive advantage (Hitt, et al., 2009). Characteristics of organizational structures After the impact of organizational structure on organizational effectiveness and strategy was described, based on the literature review of the definition and characteristics of organizational structure above, this part explores the types of organizational structure. There are different approaches to design the organizations activity. In the other word, that is different types of organizational structure. Common types of organizational structure Numerous international scholars are working on identifying the types of organizational structure. Thus, various literatures identify several dominant organizational structure types from different perspective. According to traditional organizational type of bureaucratic and other new forms, dominant organizational structure types include functional structure, divisional structure and matrix structure. The descriptions below are summarized and supported by reference to current literature. Functional structure. It refers to a set of people who work together and perform the same types of tasks or hold similar positions in an organization (Ledbetter, 2003, p.13). Organizations that grow too complex to be administered through a simple structure usually adopt the functional structure as a means of coping with the increased demands of differentiation (Hatch, 1997, p.183). As Raymond mentions also a functional organization is best suited as a producer of standardized goods and services at large volume and low cost. Coordination and specialization of tasks are centralized in a functional structure, which makes producing a limited amount of products or services efficient and predictable. Moreover, efficiencies can further be realized as functional organizations integrate their activities vertically so that products are sold and distributed quickly and at low cost. Divisional structure. It refers to an organizational structure that is divided along some criteria, and most commonly it is geographic location, but there can also be product, functional, or strategic divisions. (Ledbetter, 2003, p.13) Matrix structure. It refers to simultaneously groups people in two ways: by the function of which they are a member and by the product team on which they are currently working. (Ledbetter, 2003, p.13) According to Hatchs organization theory, the matrix structure was developed with the intention of providing the best of both the functional and multi-divisional alternatives. The sad truth is all these structures have their disadvantages parallel to their advantages. If one of the structures did not have any disadvantage, it would be automatically accepted without any need to consider the pros. Pros and Cons of each structure Which structure effects efficiency most and works best for an organization can be quite complicated because of the nature of different organizations themselves. Every way of designing an organization has pros and cons. However, this section describes some general advantages and disadvantages of each organizational structure. This will help us to analyze the case study in the next chapter and see whether a company can use its structure as an advantage. Functional structure. In the functional structure, as it was recently described, the employees are allocated in departments based on their skills and what they do. Common functional departments are purchasing, accounting, manufacturing, sales and marketing, human resources. Each department acts as its own entity and they are focused on activity performance rather than final result. It leads to centralization of specialized personnel, equipment and facilities, and results high development of skills, however, this major benefit can be a major pain for the communication with other departments. In manufacturing companies, for example, weak communication within departments may affect the quality of final product. It also does not allow for flexibility because of the centralization. Divisional structure. As Rao (2003) mentions, the main benefit this structure provides arise from, appositely from functional structure, from the fact that this type of structure tends to be more result oriented than activity oriented. Each division in this structure contains all the necessary resources and functions within it. The employees of each division know about the specific needs of the division, and are involved actively to achieve the goal. This structure creates an atmosphere of individual commitment and motivation. Divisional structure has its own disadvantages. As it is decentralized, it results duplication of facilities, equipment, and personnel usually leads to more costly processing. Although the employees are aware of specific needs of the division, they might not know organizations overall needs. As functional structure divisional structure also may lead to a weak communication between divisions. The lack of cooperation reduces improvement of techniques. Matrix structure. This type of structure tries to get the benefits of functional structure and of divisional structure, reducing their disadvantages. One of the benefits is resources can be used from all over the organization. Another benefit, as Rainey (2009) underlines, is à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ the advantage of the ability to share or shift personnel or other resources rapidly across product lines. However, it is not easy to implement this structure because of the dual authority. Having two bosses may sometimes confuse the employees. But this fact can also have a positive impact, as two managers share responsibilities. Matrix structure requires heavy investment in coordination. Because such structure often produce high level of stress and conflict that must be resolved. It is important to remember that each managerial decision has its pros and cons. When designing an organizational structure management should take necessary actions to decrease the disadvantages of the chosen structure. Nowadays, many companies are based on mix of these structures. Whatever structure is chosen, management has to make sure that it supports organizations strategy and can be used as competitive advantage. Case study. Hansa-Flex As previous chapters suggest, when establishing an organizational structure a company has to make sure the structure supports companys strategy and fits into its culture. Having done this, a company can create sustainable resource for a competitive advantage. This chapter describes how Hansa-Flex, supplier of hydraulic hose, applies the theory of organizational structure to its business to achieve a competitive advantage over its rivals. Hansa-Flex. Company overview Since it was initiated in 1962 in the garage of the companys founder Joachim Armerding, Hansa-Flex Hydraulics has been Europes leading privately owned supplier of hydraulic hose, couplings, fittings, adapters and hydraulic accessories. Hansa-Flex offers replacement of spare parts due to customers require even at short notice. This can be done very efficiently as Hansa-Flex holds over 82,000 different parts permanently in its stock. With the expertise of committed workforce and focus on service Hansa-Flex provides fast, qualified help in any situation. Hansa-Flex equips more than 300,000 customers in various industries with hydraulic and metal hoses and components. Until now, it has more than 350 branch offices in 33 countries worldwide operations, has an annual turnover of 165 million à ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬ in year 2009 (Hansa-Flex Annual Report 2009). Furthermore, Hansa-Flex has a customer service fleet of 225 vehicles worldwide, of which 100 are in Germany on the road (Hansa-Flex Annual report 2009). The staff and training service in the fleet take FLEXXPRESS Services throughout the world around the clock repairs and install replacement parts. For instants, defective hydraulic hoses to forklifts and related fittings are replaced in the automobile production. In a word, the motto of Hansa-Flex is thinking globally acting locally, which means being positioned in Bremen with a worldwide network of branch offices. All of these branch offices guarantee great availability of their products throughout of world. For instants, by May 2010, the facility in Geisenfeld keeps about 150 branches in southern Germany (Hydraulikpresse 2010). In October 2010, Hansa-Flex opened their Operation Centre for the Asian market in Shanghai, China. This Operation Centre provides training program in training center and central warehouse as well as manufacturing and administrative space. Therefore, Hansa-Flex is well standing in Asian Market to take advantage of future developments. This is one of the last but not least successes for Hansa-Flex. Strategy of Hansa-Flex Hansa-Flex is also very well founded through all over world. Generally, in the process of globalization the competition between the companies is more disastrous. More customer attraction and more market share are the main targets of companies. In other words, the company needs the appropriate strategy for the organizational structure in different environment conditions, especially an international company. Well-designed structure provides effective outcome. This is the reason why Hansa-Flex has developed very fast in its founding in Germany and in Europe. Hansa-Flex believes that The whole is greater than the sum of its parts (Aristotle). It considers that it is more than just the number of its branches; more than the sum of its products and services. To be considered as a whole, Hansa-Flex has to include the totality of the experience and skills of every employee. Based on this point view Hansa-Flex sets a very important and interesting Strategy for the Company. It has opened the training center for their employees and potential employees early in 2001 when Hansa-Flex merely focused on local. Besides that, as a glocal  [1]  company, Hansa-Flex sees customer proximity as part of its responsibility for ensuring smooth processes in hydraulics. To sustain the proximity the company has chosen strategy of growth through diversification acquisition, subsidiary, partnership. This strategy makes sure Hansa-Flex is maintaining international growth while at the same time enlarging their product range. Figure 1. Number of branches Source. Hansa-Flex Annual Report 2003 According to the researches which are made by the majority of international scholars we find this growth strategy highly appropriate reflexed the following theory. The strategy must be supported by the structure that provides the stability to current competitive advantage as well as flexibility required to develop future advantages (Hitt, et al., 2009). In briefly, Hansa-Flex has a deeply understanding about how could organizational structure and strategy be related via environmental conditions and how to build proper organizational structure that supports their strategy to grow the market share and enter a new market. Hansa-Flex never stops changing and always thinks forward such as their catchword Think globally act locally. Organizational structure of Hansa-Flex Interesting point here is how the company controls such a large network of branches. How is the company organized to provide a strong communication between departments, and basically between warehouses to keep customers satisfied? This section answers this question by analyzing organizational structure of Hansa-Flex, and finds out whether or not the company uses it as a competitive advantage in the market. Obviously, as many other starter companies, Hansa-Flex was founded based on simple structure. Later on, as we see on figure 1, it starts opening branches in different regions of Germany, and so created functional structure. Starting from 1992, Hansa-Flex goes international. Being international and offering products in different countries is always a big deal and requires a lot of research. Nowadays, Hansa-Flex has established a mix of functional and divisional structures and customized it by its strategy and culture. The structured is divisioned by geographic location to push the company toward being bounderless organization. Basically it has centralized functional areas, such as purchasing, quality management, warehousing, human resources, marketing; and decentralized sales and local marketing. Most significant advantage of centralized purchasing is that it speeds up the purchasing cycle. Thanks to centralized purchasing Hansa-Flex can complete this process very fast, sometimes even within one day. It is because purchasing data is stored and accessible via the internet. The company can access the necessary order information and place an order much more quickly. It also saves a lot of time on conducting the correlation between supplier and Hansa-Flex. This way the company can easily forecast how it could suffer if the supplier goes bankrupt unexpectedly. This is easier to be done, because the company does not need to collect all the purchasing data from different branches. Another advantage is centralized purchasing makes it easy for everyone who needs to track the information even across multiple branches and corporate divisions. For Hansa-Flex this means insurance of customer proximity, and results on less time waste between branches and subsidiaries on tracking down the data. Thus, centralized warehouse again gives an advantage to Hansa-Flex to satisfy its customers faster than competitors. Having centralized HR, first of all Hansa-Flex ensures to have most qualified applicants for work. Because centralized HR decision making promotes a more equitable treatment of employees, and is political abuse. Therefore, HR experts review and rank job candidates very carefully and transparent. Using the advantage of purchasing power centralized marketing continue to create even better brand image among customers. The company also needs a local marketing on destination point. Because local employee knows local market better than foreigners employees. Therefore, central marketing transfer knowledge to local marketing to continue the whole process of marketing. Following the same logic Hansa-Flex has divisional sale force that is in charge of sales in specific regions. This gives the company flexibility to react and adapt to local environment changes. Conclusion Due to the globalization the concept of competitive advantage of a product or service has recently changed. It is not easy to sustain this sort of advantage, because of high competition and growing number of follower companies. Therefore, companies like Hansa-Flex use their organizational structure as a competitive advantage. As most of economic writers and managers say, there is no one ideal organizational structure. Each structure has its own advantages and disadvantages. It is also true that, due to its mission, organizational culture, and history, two companies in the same market can apply the same one structure, but still get totally different outcome. In our fast changing world, sticking into one classic structure is not enough. Establishing a structure needs a lot of creativity, knowledge, experience, and customization of the structure to the companys indicators. Following this logic Hansa-Flex designed a customized mix structure of functional and divisional structures. It efficiently uses advantages of both structures, reduces disadvantages. Therefore, having structure that supports strategy, Hansa-Flex can easily achieve its goals towards its mission. The model which Hansa-Flex constructs may not be applied in other companies; however, it provides a practical experience concerning the organizational structure, which is considered as the crucial factor for organizational effectiveness.

Evolution Within a People in A Dolls House and An Enemy of the People

Evolution Within a People in A Doll's House and An Enemy of the People by Henrik Ibsen In all cultures it is easy to see the effects of change. Change can be a revolution, a new form of thought, or a new idea surfacing. No matter what these changes are, they often emerge from the minority. In several cases this results an uprising, turning the social system on end. Simple examples of this type of change can be seen in the French or American revolutions, and even in the hippie movement of the 1960's. These changes depict how an idea shared only by a select few can snowball into the mindset of thousands. Within A Doll's House and An Enemy of the People, Henrick Ibsen shows his standpoint on the benefits of social change, and evolution within a people. A Doll?s House presents a revolutionary change for Norway in the 1880?s. During this time period women were seen as second or even third class citizens, and though numerically this is not true, a minority . Ibsen presents his character Nora as a plaything, sorely manipulated by the men in her life. As the play pro...

Noise vs Music

Was there a time in your life when you grew to dislike certain favorites? Like when you were a child you favored three spoonful of sugar over a half spoonful sugar for coffee? Or a time when you liked wearing your hair long and then soon came to like short ones, only to realize you like wearing your hair long once more? Our preferences changes from time to time – just as how our moods changes whenever we are in different situations. We think, decide and changes our mind. In everything we do, there’s this constant thing we create – change. How can we say that a certain sound may also be both to a certain listener? Remember that we perceive sounds by our auditory senses – our ears. We hear sounds every second of our life, a constant thing, but what we want to hear changes from time to time. Say we want to listen to a genre of techno music at this moment; for the meantime, this is what we call as our music. And just as how we perceive this certain genre as our music, any time of the day or year, this too can also become a noise for us should we soon dislike listening to it. The same goes to other people out there. A change in mood and likes in things especially on sounds they perceive changes. A student preparing for his examination the following day would prefer mellow-toned songs to soothe and relax his mind to study while at the same time hating the noise he hears on the other side of the room his brother is listening to – a music for him. Keep in mind how unique each person is, their personalities may be alike in some ways, but they will never be the same in everything. Two people may like similar genres but there too is a genre where one may call it music while the other noise to his ears. So don’t wonder whenever a friend of yours comes to dislike certain music, food, or anything. Nothing is permanent. Their view in things differs from time to time as well and will definitely be different from you.

How to Write Acknowledgements - Proofeds Writing Tips

How to Write Acknowledgements - Proofeds Writing Tips How to Write Acknowledgements If you are near the end of your thesis, you can start to think about putting on the finishing touches. One thing you will have to do here is write your acknowledgements. A lot of people worry about this, but there’s really no need. As we are about to show, its actually quite simple! What Are Acknowledgements? The acknowledgement section of a thesis is where you can thank everyone who has helped you in your research. It is typically located at the beginning of your thesis, right after the contents page, and shouldn’t really be more than one or two pages long. The best thing to do is to keep it concise. Who Should I Thank? Think about the people who were of crucial importance during your research. This could include friends, family or professors, or even volunteers who have taken part in your research. Its also important to acknowledge professional bodies who have given you funding or other help. How Should I Write It? There are no strict requirements for the tone of your acknowledgements; its essentially the one section where you can be a little bit more informal! Try to make sure the tone fits the person or organization youre thanking, though, maintaining a formal approach when addressing funding bodies or other official groups. Other than trying to be concise, the main thing you should keep in mind is varying your language, if only because starting every sentence with I would like to thank will sound a bit dull. There are several ways you could word your thanks. A few suggestions are: This research would not have been possible without†¦ My sincere thanks go to†¦ I am grateful to†¦ Heartfelt thanks to†¦ I would like to express my gratitude to†¦ Appreciation is due to†¦ I acknowledge the contribution of†¦ I am indebted to†¦ And that’s all there is to it! Relax and enjoy writing your acknowledgements. If youve got this far in the thesis-writing process, youre over the toughest bit now!

Coal Seam Gas Case

Coal Seam Gas Case Introduction This paper is aimed at discussing the case of coal seam gas (CSG). This gas is a critical source of energy for many countries, including Australia. Nevertheless, its extraction is associated with several environmental risks such as water and soil pollution.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Coal Seam Gas Case specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Overall, this issue is of great concern to policy-makers who need to reconcile two important values, namely the economic development of the country and the need to protect the natural environment of the country. This is why this case has been selected among others. In particular, it is necessary to discuss the connection between the protection of natural environment and different ethical theories. One of the main tasks is to show how these ethical frameworks can be applied to this particular situation. Overall, this analysis can be a useful tool for policy-makers. One should mention that environment is critical for people living in Australia because this aspect is closely related to the quality of life in this country as well as its economy. Background It should be noted that the pollution of water and soil becomes a critical concern for Australian policy-makers as the country grows economically and demographically (Thompson Maginn, 2012, p. 174). They lay stress on the need to control the actions of organizations who are responsible for pollution. For example, much attention is paid to the work of the extraction industry. In turn, the extraction of coal seam gas in Australia began in 1996 (Manning, 1996, p. 23).Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Since that time, there have been numerous campaigns against this activity. In particular, the production of coal seam gas can lead to the pollution of existing aquifers (Prosser, 2011, p . 23). This issue is particularly relevant if one speaks about the threats to famous Pilliga forest. Moreover, the water, which was contaminated in this way, can significantly damage the quality of soil. These are some of the main aspects that should be considered. It is possible to apply different ethical theories in order to analyze this case. For example, one can speak about deontological ethics, according to which the morality of an action is mostly based on its adherence to the principles and rules established in the community (Bredeson, 2011, p. 7)). Provided that a person violates these rules, his behavior is considered immoral, even if leads to good outcomes. In turn, it is important to speak about utilitarian ethics according to which the consequences of an action is the major criterion according to which the morality should be assessed (Bredeson, 2011, p. 7). Utilitarianism and deontological ethics can be viewed as the two most influential approaches to decision-making. Mo reover, they provide different tools for the assessment of the choices that people can take. This is why they have been chosen. Finally, one should consider the stakeholder theory which is useful for analyzing the duties of an organization. According to this model, businesses or public organizations should consider the impacts that it produces on the community in general (Weiss, 2008, p. 118). This framework is helpful for evaluating the activities of organizations. Reference List Bredeson, D. (2011). Applied Business Ethics: A Skills-Based Approach. New York,  NY: Cengage Learning.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Coal Seam Gas Case specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Manning, P. (2013). What the Frack? Everything you need to know about coal seam  gas. Melbourne, Australia: NewSouth. Prosser, I. (2011). Water: Science and Solutions for Australia. Melbourne: CSIRO Thompson, S., Maginn, P. (2012). Planning Australia : An Overview of Urban and  Regional Planning. Cambridge, England: Cambridge University Press. Weiss, J. (2008). Business Ethics: A Stakeholder and Issues Management  Approach. New York, NY: Cengage Learning.

In Ernest Hemingway's Hills Like White Elephants Essay

In Ernest Hemingway's Hills Like White Elephants - Essay Example The choice of parenthood, while serious and permanent, is NOT the same thing. These two choices are not comparable for a number of reasons, no matter how much anti-abortionists might like to claim that they are. First of all, "embryonic" stem cells don't commonly actually come from conceived embryos. The cells used for research are "typically done by using frozen embryos left over from in-vitro fertilization" (Quindlen). This fact negates the anti-abortionist "life-begins-at-conception" claim (Quindlen). Conception has not taken place so, even an anti-abortionist would have t admit that no life is being lost. In fact, there was no life to begin with. The only lives that are being lost are the critically and/or terminally ill who might benefit from stem cells. If abortion, according to those who oppose it "stops a beating heart," then the embryos used for stem cell research do not apply. As Quindlen says, "There is no heart to stop in this pre-implantation embryo." Simply put, you cannot stop something that is not present to begin with. That part of the body hasn't even developed yet because it is not a body. These frozen embryos, if not used for research, would likely be disposed of. At this stage, however, "they are the earliest undifferentiated collection of cells made by the joining of the egg and sperm" (Quindlen). Th

Why was the Nile River important for the rise of successful states in Essay

Why was the Nile River important for the rise of successful states in North Africa - Essay Example The river flows for more than 4000 miles through the Sahara desert, farmlands, swamps, villages, and large cities. Across its length, the Nile divides into several streams to form a delta before emptying into the Mediterranean Sea. The Nile is regarded as international waters shared among countries along its source, flow, and mouth including Rwanda, Burundi, Tanzania, Ethiopia, South Sudan, Sudan, and Egypt. Since time in memorial, rivers have shaped the course of human history creating and sustaining great civilisations along its banks. River Nile is the birthplace of the greatest civilisations in the ancient world in Northern Africa and its importance remains vital to date. This paper seeks to highlight the importance of the Nile River for the rise of successful states in North Africa. The Nile forms large water basin along its length that has proven essential to nations in North Africa. The Sahara desert extends to nations serviced by river Nile including Egypt and Sudan creating varying climate regions. In North Africa, Egypt and Sudan receive sparse rainfall while as the south receives heavy downpour, contributing flooding in the north. The floodwaters drain to the north carrying with them fertile soil that formed the foundation of life in North Africa. The regular flooding of the Nile River emptied in valleys leaving them highly fertile and ready for growing season. Ancient civilisations established farming techniques to cater for their population, providing enough food for consumption and excess for trade purposes. Besides the fertile lands, river Nile provided water for irrigation purposes in farms along the river during the dry season. Farmers practised basin irrigation, which was a prolific adjustment of the natural rise and fall of the river where they regulated the flow of floodwaters into the basin through a network of earthen banks along the river. Irrigation allowed cultivation of large tracks of land even during the dry summer to provide food fo r the emerging civilisation. This saw a significant expansion of agricultural practices making Egypt and surrounding settlements the breadbasket for other civilisations such as the Roman Empire. Agricultural production received a boost with the construction of the Aswan High Dam, which saw the water harnessed for irrigation purposes leading to increased food production (Awulachew et al 12). The farmers cultivated wheat, barley, flax, and vegetables while rearing fowl, cattle, sheep, and goats. Agriculture played an important role in the economies of countries along the Nile basin by providing food to sustain the population. The existing government became wealthy and strong among the neighbouring nations leading to prosperity among its population. Owing to the increased production of food, there was an influx of population along the river valleys. The increase in population necessitated amicable governance for a harmonious existence. In addition, the population increase strained avai lable resources leading to the expansion of the existing settlements to accommodate new families. This contributed to the establishment of towns and cities along the fertile valleys of river Nile and with the intensified population growth, the leaders established territories governed through stratified government organs. The Nile River provides a stable source of water for both domestic and industrial use, which ensured a low cost of production of goods and services translating to increased efficiency and level of production. In regard to this, the economy thrives owing social security creating unlimited potential in terms of growth. This is especially because the government can focus on other economic sectors by committing large