Biblical Aspect of Moby Dick Essay

Moby Dick is a novel filled with many biblical allusions, and I feel strongly that there are certain characters in the book that portray biblical characters or express the same situations in the Bible. In the beginning of the book, Father Mapple gives a sermon to the sailors about Jonah and the whale. This story in itself has much symbolism and starts the book off with the notion that God and the Bible are very much a part of the story. In specific there are a few main characters that support the fact that they are symbolic to the Bible. First, Ishmael is the main character in the story and is the narrator through most of the book. He is very different from all of the sailors on the ship. He has class, intelligence, and he knows nothing about whaling or the sea. In the book of Genesis, Ishmael was an outcast â€Å"with everyone’s hand against him,† and in the book you see how he is different from the sailors because of his small knowledge of whaling. To further examine Ishmael’s situation, he says he escapes to the sea to leave the depressions that have ridden his life. Another part of Genesis tells us that Ishmael wasn’t Abraham’s true son because he was born through one of Abraham’s maids (supposedly Sarai, his wife, was infertile) and ever since Isaac was born, Ishmael was shunned. Like in Moby Dick, Ishmael was looked down upon from the beginning because he didn’t have the history that other people on the boat had as sailors. Ishmael is always different from everyo ne, and he looks at everything in an interrogative way, so he thinks of Moby Dick as a holy mysterious creature while Capt. Ahab thinks Moby Dick is pure evil. Moby Dick is the most complicated, undefined character in the book. But to attempt to understand this enigma, let’s look at what we know about him. Moby Dick is a white, massive sperm whale, the largest and most feared by all beings in the sea. To Ahab, Moby Dick is the highest of all evil. To Starbuck, the chase after the whale is a fruitless cause. To Ishmael, the whale defines mystery, unexplainable, and holiness. Moby Dick’s whiteness  can be linked with holiness and godliness, such as Revelation 1:14, † His head and his hairs were white like wool, as white as snow; and his eyes were as a flame of fire;† Much of revelation involves the color white, which has been historically a holy color and a color of prosperity as described in Ishmaels in-depth description of the indescribable whiteness that he saw when he caught sight of Moby Dick. Another excerpt of Revelation shows the importance of white in the Bible, Revelation 4:4) â€Å"And round about the t hrone were four and twenty seats: and upon the seats I saw four and twenty elders sitting , clothed in white raiment; and they had on their heads crowns of gold.† Ishmael tries to describe whiteness as, â€Å"which at times by its intensity completely overpowered all the rest; and yet so mystical and well nigh ineffable was it, that I almost despair of putting it in a comprehensible form. It was the whiteness of the whale that above all things appalled me. But how can I hope to explain myself here; and yet, in some dim, random way, explain myself I must, else all these chapters might be naught.† So it seems as if the whiteness was the same indescribable thing as is the whiteness John saw in his Revelation, which he wrote for the Bible. We know Moby Dick is indestructible and like God, nobody can touch him. So can we conclude Moby Dick represents God? I think that is one of the mysteries that Melville leaves the reader to unfold on their own. He is symbolically the great divine mystery. Captain Ahab could be taken in different ways, such as good or evil. In this case he would be evil considering he has the same name as King Ahab in the Bible. Ahab is like no other character in the book. At times, he lacks compassion or even certain aspects of a complete personality, but maybe the determination of his goals (revenge on Moby Dick) compensates for his lack of personality. Captian Ahab isn’t just after the bulbber and oil of the whale, but he is after the glory and the sense that he can conquer everything. The thing that keeps his engine running after Moby Dick is the fact that there is something greater than him, the â€Å"Great† Captain Ahab. Some refer this egotistical ness as hubris, something Greek tragedy (from the packet) Gods have, and that hubris is sometimes the reason for their downfall. Captain Ahab has so much confidence in going after Moby Dick that at one point he says â€Å"If man will strike†¦talk not of blasphemy man; I’d   strike back at the sun if it insulted me†¦Ã¢â‚¬  So not only is he determined, the only thing that makes him complete is the fulfillment of striking hate and death upon this whale. To compare to the Bible, Captain Ahab is similar to the King Ahab of 1 Kings. The Bible says in 1 Kings 16:33, † and Ahab did more to provoke the Lord than all Kings of Israel before him.† Throughout the book Ahab does only what will further his pursuit of the whale and in doing that, he at times disobeys the rules of religion, business, of common sense, and ignoring the omens, pleas against his cause, and experience (Moby Dick Packet). For example, one part of the book describes a part where two ships meet to dock for a short time and once Ahab heard news of Moby Dick’s location, he immediately abandoned all plans of sailors interacting with the other boat and women, not even taking a second to breathe, because he was narrow minded with the white whale in vision. Like King Ahab has Elijah, Captain Ahab has Fedallah as prophets to warn the two leaders of troubles ahead. Elijah proclaims disaster for King Ahab’s misdoings on him and his family. Fedallah came to Ahab, prophesizing the downfall of Ahab and his ship. This shows Melville’s concordance of the Bible with his storytelling. As you can see, Ahab was punished in both the bible and Moby Dick. In The bible it says,(1 Kings 17:1) † And Elijah the Tishbite, who was of the inhabitants of Gilead, said unto Ahab, As the LORD God of Israel liveth, before whom I stand, there shall not be dew nor rain these years, but according to my word†¦Ã¢â‚¬  In conclusion, I believe Melville definitely used symbolism to spice up his story and also biblical allusions to give more sense to build the climax of the story. I feel I have proven to you that these three characters, Moby Dick, Ishmael, and Captain Ahab were all linked to characters in the bible. Depending on how deeply you look into the story, you can find that symbolism lies everywhere in this book and that is why it is the â€Å"smartest† book for a high-school student to read.

Classroom †Toelf Essay Essay

In general, most people tend to view things differently, even whether if classrooms environment should be interactive or not. To some people, they may think that classrooms are places where teachers lecture and the students listen. However, in my opinion, I believe that classrooms should be interactive. The following cases and examples will help support my point of view. People have different backgrounds. Students, especially in international schools, have varying backgrounds, which may result in different views. A classroom is a place for learning experiences, therefore, it is crucial that varying opinions are brought to the table. Take the example of a business class. In discussing whether or not coffee stands should be locate within the campus or outside, the teacher may Do you think that students will always understand every single thing the teacher lecture about if they weren’t allow to ask questions? In complicated classes such as math or science there are many things that usually confuse the students. It is nigh impossible for the teacher to be able to make sure that everyone understands, let alone knowing whom doesn’t what. Courage. When your kids grow up, they do not work alone. Courage is an important aspect in working with others, whether it is to lead or just to follow. In the case of Pearson Hardman, an international law firm, they seek not only people with knowledge but also people who have individuality, people who could think for themselves and are not afraid to express their opinion. Where is a better place to develop those traits than in classrooms. Classrooms where students are allowed, and encouraged, to speak out their mind. In conclusion, it is hard to make all people view things in the same way, even in the case of whether or not classrooms should be interactive. Some people may agree that it should not be because discussions may lead to the teacher not being able to teaches everything he intended to. However, to me, I strongly agree that classrooms should be interactive. The examples and cases mentioned above have supported my point of view to the best.

Strategic Direction of Harley Davidson

The success of Harley Davidson (HD) is due to the American motorcycle icon’s effective Strategic Management. HD’s vision, mission, goals and objectives strive to exceed the requirements of its main stakeholders. Although these needs are not always met, the company has unique relationships with is stakeholders. The company stays on course with its strategic plan, despite the economy and the decline of American manufacturing and what might be considered its dwindling U. S. consumer base. Stakeholders â€Å"represent very important constituencies or groups of individuals who are part of an organization or associated with an organization.† (Module 01, 2013)HD’s main stakeholders are its employees, customers and shareholders. Each stakeholder has its own motives for being involved with the organization. Normally these motives result in common goals and objectives.MissionAn organization’s â€Å"mission is the overachieving goal of a company, the reason w hy it operates. † (Module 01, 2013). Harley Davidson’s mission statement is â€Å"We ride with our customers and apply this deep connection in every market we serve to create superior value for all of our stakeholders† (Harley Davidson, 2012. p. 2).  This mission statement places the needs of stakeholder foremost in the company’s strategic plan.VisionA company’s vision should â€Å"set up the long term direction of the company (vision), they incorporate the goals of the main stakeholders (shareholders, customers, suppliers, employees), they express the main values of the management to be embraced by employees, and they describe the main goals† (Module 01, 2013). Harley Davidson’s vision is â€Å"We fulfill dreams inspired by the many roads of the world by providing remarkable motorcycles and extraordinary customer experiences.We fuel the passion for freedom in our customers to express their own individuality† (Harley Davidson, 2012, p. 2). Harley’s vision does state a continuing corporate path; however it is on quite romanticized. A look at the company’s goals and objectives is needed to complete a picture of the organizations vision.Goals and Objectivesâ€Å"Goals and objectives divide the vision into achievable units at department levels for instance, that are further subdivided into smaller and smaller units, until they reach every employee’s desk. † (Module 01, 2013) Harley Davidson’s has identified four major goals in its Annual Statements.These goals include obtaining flexible manufacturing, creating shorter product development times; developing a premium customer experience and fulfilling dreams (Harley Davidson, 2012, p. 4). Goals should meet the SMARTER principle. That is that â€Å"Goals should be designed and worded as much as possible to be specific, measurable, acceptable to those working to achieve the goals, realistic, timely, extending the capabilities of those working to achieve the goals, and rewarding to them, as wellâ€Å" (McNamara, 2011). We will evaluate each goal to measure whether it meets this criterion and the needs of the main stakeholders.Manufacturing. One of HD’s goals is to create flexible manufacturing within its multiple facilities. In the past Harley on produced one bike per plant. If the public demand changed in that area Harley may have been left with a large supply and no demand. Harley’s objective is to enable its plants to be able to produce the right motorcycle for the needed demand in that area. The company’s tactics include incorporating the success of its York plant into all of its plant globally. In 2011, the York plant was outfitted to produce both the Tri Glide and All Touring Softail motorcycles (HARLEY Davidson, 2011, p 4).This will allow the company to move product to the correct customer at the correct time. Employees of Harley are encouraged to provide input and incorporate changes to improve products as well the production process. The goal of flexible manufacturing meets the entire criterion for the SMARTER principle. Both employees and customers benefit if this goal is realized. Product development. Harley’s goal to reduce product development times include three main facets: â€Å"1) a laser focus on the best product opportunities; 2) reduced time-to-market; and 3) increased product development capacity through efficiencies† (Harley Davidson, 2011, p.4). This goal does not meet the full criterion of the SMARTER principle. The goal is not specific. It does not quantify how much it wants to decrease the timeliness of product development. Employees benefit from this goal. The main benefit is that because HD believes in employees participating in the product development process it has created a learner centric environment. Employees stay well versed in their fields while assisting the company in developing quality products in shorter peri ods of time. This benefits the customers by providing quality products that keep up with advances in technologies and consumer desires.Retail. â€Å"The goal of this transformation at retail is quite simple: to provide a premium retail experience with every customer, every day and everywhere, while strengthening dealer profitability† (Harley Davidson, 2011, p. 5). Harley Davidson plans to work with all of its stakeholders to ensure that all of its many faces culminate in a great customer experience. This includes an in store and online experience. The SMARTER principle is also not completely met with this goal. The goal is not completely measurable. It is beneficial to all stakeholders.The strengthening of retail keeps employees employed and the improved customers can make customers feel more valued and more likely to seek out the retail experience. Dream fulfillment. â€Å"At the core, these three transformations—in manufacturing, product development and at retailâ⠂¬â€come down to one thing: we must ensure, in a world of ever-increasing customer expectations, Harley-Davidson continues to fulfill dreams through remarkable motorcycles and extraordinary customer experiences far into the future† (Harley Davidson, 2011, p. 5). All of HD’s improvements end here.The improvement require all stake holder to work together to make the customer experience unique. The improvements, if effective will add to the Harley Davidson ethos.RecommendationMy recommendation to Harley executives is to remember to stay true to the brand, but to attempt to market products to find new consumer within the US. Since HD’s inception, Harley has been associated with the freedom of America, but it may be losing it American consumer while changing to a global market. â€Å"Harley-Davidson demographics has long shown its reliance on an overwhelmingly white, male and middle-aged consumer base would ultimately  challenge sales in North America, where it st ill earns two-thirds of its revenue† (Kelleher, 2013).The goal that I propose is to include marketing to a younger group with a disposable income. I have been introduced to Harley; in fact, I learned to ride on a Buell in a Harley Drivers Edge Safety Course. I an African American female and have never been in the Harley advertising demographic. Harley does have a female rider’s program but it’s not advertised. All of the commercials that I have seen for Harley actual talk about the experience and financing.Although it is an American institution like a lot of older brands, it may lose it appeal a younger population. Increasing its consumer base can only be beneficial to its other stakeholders. It may potentially prevent manufacturing jobs from being transferred outside of the U. S. as Harley seeks consumers in other locations. Harley Davidson’s use of strategic management is in line with the needs of its main stakeholders. The company’s mission ackno wledges the need to meet the demands of all stakeholders for a more effective organization.Harley’s vision recognizes what HD brand means to the consumer. The organization’s goals and objectives seek to make the brand more effective in the current global market while satisfying the needs of its stakeholders. HD should be careful that it continues to gain new customers as it reliable customer base ages and are no longer able or willing to ride. Harley has continued to use strategic management to change the company’s fortunes over the years. As a result, the company has faltered but never truly failed.

IS RACISM A FACTOR IN THE 2008 PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION Essay

IS RACISM A FACTOR IN THE 2008 PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION - Essay Example Before we become passionate about the debate regarding racism in the election, let us first look into the real meaning of racism and then decide whether racism is truly making its indelible stamp on the 2008 presidential election. Racism comes with many definitions and some of these definitions are coined by people to suit their interest. To stay on more neutral grounds in this discussion, let us stick into the common legal and sociological definition of racism. According to the Untied Nations Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination, the term racism "shall mean any distinction, exclusion, restriction or preference based on race, colour, descent, or national or ethnic origin" †¦ which results into the nullification or impairment of the rights or enjoyment of equal rights in the exercise of fundamental freedoms. In other words, racism works by diving people according to their perceived group and boundaries are set so as to prevent these groups of people from intermingling and working side by side on equal footing. Where groups of people are deprived of their basic rights simply because of the color of their skin, their ethnic origin and their race; such deprivation amounts to ra cism (See Allen, Theodore (1994). On the other hand, sociologist define racism as a highly organized system that is characterized by race based privileges that operations on level levels of society (See Cazenave N and Maddern Darlene A 1999). According to Joe Feagin, the former president of the American Sociological Society, the culture of the United States is rooted on the idea of racism because it social organizations are based on racial selection and segregation (see Feagin 2000). Although the United States government worked hard to eliminate racism within its territories, we cannot deny that incidents of racism in the country are still

The Role of Operation Management in the Hospitality Industry Case Study

The Role of Operation Management in the Hospitality Industry - Case Study Example The competitive priorities of the hotel, as well as the analytical techniques used by the company, have been analyzed. Using the required information, major challenges existing in the operation management process in the hotel has pointed out. Finally, some feasible solutions to mitigate the problems have been suggested. Information has also given regarding the possible hurdles to be faced by the hotel while implementing the required changes in the operation management practices.  Ã‚   The project has chosen the Hotel Novotel in order to provide an in-depth analysis of the operations management in the company. It has around 400 hotels and resorts which are located at 58 locations all across the world. The company chooses the city centers of the important business destinations, tourist spots, and business districts in the world. The hotel structures are based on modern and simple designs. The hotel provides the leisure travelers and businesses spacious and modifiable rooms for working and relaxing in standardized offers. Moreover, the company’s restaurant meals and food services are offered throughout the day. Apart from these, it provides meeting rooms, an attentive group of staff and relaxation and fitness centers for the children. The company reflects an immense sense of responsibility through its involvement in Accor’s Earth Guest program to achieve sustainable development. It has also committed to all its hotels to acquire the â€Å"Green Globe certification for environmentally responsible traveling and tourism by 2010† (Novotel-a, â€Å"Nearly 400 hotels throughout the world†). The most outstanding hotel in the group is the Novotel World Trade Centre based in Dubai. The company provides the best location to conduct business from or to explore Dubai. The company is located very near the leisure and business hub of Dubai. This makes it the most preferred and attractive option for professional travelers and holidaymakers. Staying at the hotel one finds oneself very near the most attractive and popular tourist attractions, famous shopping malls and the best night spots in Dubai.  

Environmental Health Assessment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 5

Environmental Health Assessment - Essay Example Policymakers manipulate the real world to match formulae†. He further noted that the ability of risk assessment to provide clear guidance has been â€Å"overstated by risk assessors and overused by regulators and lawmakers†. We can infer from this that the latitude of uncertainty brought about by myriads of factors lend a propensity to appropriate the measure in accordance with one’s interest or advocacy. However, we do not preclude the validity of the concerns of the citizens. As noted by Contini, et al (1991), a risk analysis on the accidental release of ammonia conducted by teams of scientist from eleven European countries resulted in eleven risk estimates whose numerical results were dictated or dependent on many assumptions introduced during every step of the risk analysis. In presentation as to the uses, limitation and abuses of risk assessment, risk assessments are being used as tool/proof to advance technologies as hard science using unrealistic assumptions which are kept hidden and not stated openly (Howard). This gives credence to the citizen’s concern that there seem to be blind adherence or faith in assessments masked as hard science but oftentimes are based on unrealistic assumptions. So their clamor for validly tested models in assessing population exposure seems justifiable on this account. However, requiring that exposure assessments be based only on validated models do not in itself guarantee the integrity of an exposure assessment. In a study on Validation Strategy for the Integrated Exposure Uptake Biokenitic (IEUBK) Model for Lead in Children, the model has been admitted to be inadequate in prediction simply because of the multiplicity of specific variability and hence the model can be applied only to individual data sets due to â€Å"many community-specific characteristics which may be difficult to quantify† (Environment Protection Agency [EPA], 1994). However, as applied to environmental

Observation essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Observation - Essay Example He actually calls upon his mother for assistance to keep his sisters out of his room. It is very apparent from how marshal behaves in the morning that he is very quick in doing things. He also seems very impatient. He likes things happening fast and therefore pushes everyone around. He yells to his sisters asking them whether they are ready. Torn between breakfast and going to school, he seems to prefer to forego breakfast. Maybe he is time conscious and would not want to be late for school. Marshal feels proud to be the only man in the house and wants everybody to notice that. Self-assertive people are characterized by a degree of authority in expression of their ideas (Pfeiffer 6). It is not difficult to notice his self-assertiveness as he talks to his sisters. However, he is intelligent enough not to be overly assertive towards his mother. Interestingly, Marshall intelligently gauges every situation and reacts to it appropriately. It does not come by surprise that his attitude varies as he talks to different people. It is not so difficult to notice the way he stri ves to show his authority around the house. He has to hang his jacket or a coat on one of his shoulders and swing around for everyone to see. It is interesting to imagine what kind of a man or a boss he will be when he grows up. Although Marshal is usually impatient, he sometimes calms down and lets natural events take place. Regardless of the hunger, he still sits down and waits to be served with the available food. However, the food is not pleasing to him and he refuses to take it. He has a strong self-drive and would always do what pleases him most which makes him go for tuna and wheat meal instead of served beans and corn bread. Additionally, he confidently asks for ice cream even after refusing to eat the food prepared for family. Although it cannot be claimed that he is so self-centered, he always thinks about himself first. While his sisters

Movie Review A Few Good Men Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

A Few Good Men - Movie Review Example Belittled by his superiors and considered second best to his commanding officer, Col. Jessep, who was also his classmate in the Academy, Lt. Col. Markinson had a tough life. He was constantly ordered about and had little say in the everyday activities of the Base. He had never really been allowed to practise his full potential and had always remained on the sidelines; it is this frustration and disappointment that he acts out in the movie.2 Locus of Control At first look it would seem that the character of Lt. Col. Markinson existed within an external locus of control. His actions throughout the movie remained controlled and regulated by his superior, Col. Jessep. The one time that he did wish to save the life of Private First Class William Santiago, by transferring him off the base, he was thwarted in his efforts by Col. Jessep who saw the method, â€Å"expeditious and painless†. However, Lt. Col. Markinson never blamed anyone except himself for the incidents that ensued. His suicide note to PFC Santiago’s parents makes that very clear when he writes, â€Å"...your son is dead for only one reason. I wasn't strong enough to stop it.† Thus, this character has a strong internal locus of control. Personality Trait Lt. Col. Markinson’s personality was that of a ‘Duty Fulfiller’3.

What factors influence a teenage mothers choice to breastfeed Essay

What factors influence a teenage mothers choice to breastfeed - Essay Example The said information was gathered through library-based qualitative research and then organized and analyzed to answer the research question which is the enumeration and discussion of the factors that influence the choice of teenage mothers to breastfeed. Breastfeeding is being promoted to the public as the main method in feeding infants. This can be attributed to the benefits that can be obtained for both the mother and the infant. Although this is considered as a readily available and natural method to use, breastfeeding remains to be unpopular in the United Kingdom. In fact based on studies, only approximately 40 to 60 percent of mothers are breastfeeding (NHS Centre for Reviews and Dissemination, 2000). The need to promote breastfeeding is based on the specific advantages that it can bring about for both the mother and the infant. One is the strengthening of emotional connection between the mother and the baby through the contact and the experience itself. Another benefit is based on the essence and definition of motherhood. This is because breastfeeding is an act that can only be done by the mother, thus, it reaffirms the bond. In another view, the mother can be benefited in the sense that breastfeeding can help restore her body shape prior to pregnancy which is commonly an important concern for women who undergone the experience of giving birth. Lastly, breastfeeding can be considered as an affordable method to child rearing with the added advantage of being good for the infant’s health and immune system (Black, Jarman and Simpson, 1998). With the said reasons and benefits, it is a concern that the percentage of mothers utilizing the method is still limited or less than wh at is expected. In relation to the view of the benefits of breastfeeding, it is deemed important to determine the factors that can affect the

Land Use Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Land Use - Article Example o balance competing recreational needs of distressed groups to share limited public lands called the Recreational Opportunity Spectrum (ROS, Clark and Stankey 1979). Central principles to the implementation of the ROS include the use of the human experience of recreation and influences from recreation on people and environment in rational and spatially- explicit planning of activities. However, historically, understanding and acceptance of the ROS by field staff determines its actual application (Stankey and others 1986). Currently Tahoe National Forest uses language of ROS during the planning of the optimization model, and framing the citizens’ analyses of recreational experiences and impacts to cover the spectrum of activities in a spatially explicit system. Other changes that affect the land use over time due to events and/or policies include Travel Management Rule regulated environmental effects (TMR) of 2005 (36 CFR 212.55) regulated environmental effects of public land use. In most U.S. National Forest, off trail or â€Å"cross-country† was permitted in anywhere in a forest that did not explicitly prohibit the use of motor vehicles. It required the USFS land managers to designate an official motorized recreation system in every National Forest. Query trail users in the TNF were questioned during a survey about their route system preferences, experiences, and feedback about overall recreational route management. The questions focused on the six main types of activities they managed in: Four-wheel drive passenger vehicle (henceforth‘‘4WD’’), four-wheel motorcycle (henceforth ‘‘quad’’), two wheel motorcycle (henceforth ‘‘motorcycle’’), bicycling (prima rily mountain biking), hiking, and horseback riding. Almost half of hikers and almost two-thirds of horseback riders were opposed to multiple uses of the routing system by motorized and non-motorized recreation. In contrast, extremely few motorized recreationists opposed multiple-uses of

Historical Perspective Essay Essay Example for Free

Historical Perspective Essay Essay The method that nurses implement nursing care is influenced by research. Nursing theorist has influence to the practice of professional nursing and research. Many of the primitive theorists has help to develop the research from the previous to the current and will continue to the future to integrate research. Research has influence the action nurses consolidate and implement nursing care and process. One of the early primary nursing was Florence Nightingale. Florence Nightingale opened the doors for future researchers and theorist to model professional nursing. Florence Nightingale is the mother of contemporary nursing after coming back from the frontlines of Crimean War in 1856, and she renovated the fatality rate by attending the environment ( George, 2011, chapter 3). During the Crimean War Florence Nightingale offered to help with the nursing task, where she attended and took care of an ailing and injured soldiers. Florence Nightingale would tend to the sick soldiers at all times making sure that they were taken care of getting a clean environment, ventilation, hand washing, lighting and free of noise. Her concept to nursing is the environment. Environment could be modified to progress conditions so that natural ruling could allow healing. An environment model was established to glimpse the control of the physical environment as a major constituent of care ( George, 2011). Nightingale model progress to paradigm in nursing practice and contributes on nursing care and planned rendered to patients. Nurses maintain to practice their profession without attaining that their process and objective are based on Nightingales concept. The concept of environmental control serves as a foundation for many research analysis. Nursing theories related to Nightingales Environmental Model will continue to guide research and nursing profession. With her theory and concepts the nursing profession has implemented her methods for environmental cleanliness as a guide model in nursing practice to meet the needs of the patients.

Militant Nonviolence Essay Example for Free

Militant Nonviolence Essay Erik Erikson, the world-renowned author of the book Gandhi’s truth has also been popular because of his stages of psychosocial development (Niolon, 2007) . The said stages are enumerated in this manner: Infancy (Birth – 18 months) wherein the main psychosocial crisis is trust vs. mistrust, Toddler (1 1/2 – 3 years) which usually involves autonomy vs. shame doubt, Play Age (3-6 years), usually involving the psychosocial crisis of initiative vs. guilt, school age (7-12 years), which often related to industry vs. inferiority, adolescence (12-19 years), identity vs. role confusion, young adulthood (20-34 years old), intimacy vs. isolation, adulthood (35-60 years), generativity vs. stagnation, and finally, late adulthood (60 years and above that is usually associated with the psychosocial crisis integrity vs. despair (Niolon, 2007) . This paper shall look into the book authored by the same person, entitled Gandhi’s truth, a book that has been said to be the acclaimed study of Mahatma Gandhi, taking the psychoanalytic theory developed by its author into consideration. This non-fictional literary work shall be analyzed based on the theory developed by the same psychoanalyst together with the discussions obtained from the book Development and Aging by Papalia, Sterns, Feldman and Camp, including topics such as health and aging, intelligence and its measurements, creativity, mature thought, wisdom and moral intelligences; education, work and leisure, etc. It has been a known fact that humans face their decline when they reach a certain age. It is often heard from different people that this kind of decline happens as most people are not as productive as they were once was in their childhood or early adulthood. This is also most prevalent in most senior citizens (Godrej, 2002). Apparently, for most studies, development stops at a certain stage . On the contrary, Erikson’s theory disproves the fact that development stops. In fact, it continues throughout the life cycle. According to the psychoanalyst and author of the very popular book, older people are not finished developing. Older people are said to come up to terms with their own morality, making them look deeper into their while lives. More often than not, they look back to the good times with gladness, at their hard times with self –respect, and finally, look at their mistakes and regrets with forgiveness (Lasch, 1969) . It is doing so that they rediscover integrity as they get ready for whatever challenges that life and death could bring upon them. On the other hand, those who remain isolated to the hurts and sadness that their life brought to them, shall be dissatisfied with the life that they have led and would easily get depressed. These are the concepts being described by Erik Erikson in his stages of psychosocial development. He has reflected these said concepts onto the life of Mohandas Gandhi, more popularly known as Mahatma or the great soul, the father of the Indian Nation. Almost everyone on the face of this planet has heard about the contributions of one of the humans who has been said to lead a great life to the history of India and the whole world (Anderson, n. d. ). He was generally known, as mentioned, as the father of the Indian nation who continuously fought for the independence of his nation from the British colonizers, despite the consequences he faced, despite his old age. Erikson’s Gandhi’s truth is generally a psychological reconstruction of Gandhi’s early years in Kathiawar on the Arabian Sea as well as his exile in London and South Africa. In the same manner, it provided an in depth analysis of the 1918 textile workers’ strike in Ahmedabad where Gandhi was first seen to practice his doctrine of Satyagraha or non violence (Lasch, 1969) . Erikson looked into the other aspects of this great man’s life that influenced his adoption of Satyagraha. The said author looked into the precocious and relentless conscience of the great soul by looking onto these said events which included the way Gandhi nursed his father, the civil servant whose career and health declined during his son’s youth, which helped him, set the pattern for a leadership that could defeat a superior opponent nonviolently (Lasch, 1969). Gandhi’s unsuccessful and premature marriage’s effect on his adoption of Satyagraha was also examined. Generally, this unsuccessful marriage of his left him in horror of his sexuality (Anderson, n. d. ). At the same time, it encouraged him to develop the religious and spiritual aspect of his life that played a very important role in his battle for the independence of his beloved country (Lasch, 1969). Of course, this has been the reason why Mahatma Gandhi started his quest for sainthood which had taken a political form. Gandhi’s leadership in the said textile strike has also been reexamined. It is where Erikson focused his study on the life of the great soul, in relation to that of his developed theory (Anderson, n. d. ). According to the said author, this has been one of the most unusual exercises in nonviolence though it led to the victory of Mahatma and the textile workers. This does not only reflect Mahatma Gandhi’s doctrine of nonviolence but his faithfulness to dharma (Lasch, 1969) . Aside from the religious life led by Mohandas K. Gandhi, more popularly known as Mahatma Gandhi, his spatial intelligence and creativity should be reconsidered. These two has contributed so much to his doctrine as he was able to devise ways, using his intelligence as a wise man in devising ways to battle their colonizers (Lasch, 1969). Generally, his spatial intelligence allowed Gandhi a better and quicker ways of correcting mistakes than other forms of political action. Gandhi’s doctrine aims to cure men of their righteous and fanatic moralism that has been said to be the cause of violence that are quite irrational (Anderson, n. d. ). It is obviously seen that Gandhi’s actions as an aged man has not declined due to the challenges he experienced during his childhood and young adulthood (Chawla, 2001). In the same manner, his doctrine of non-violence or Satyagraha has not only been affected by his deteriorating health but of his beliefs, religiousness and faithfulness to dharma that has contributed so much in his fight for the freedom of his motherland, India, the land which had been infamously known for its division brought about by differences in religion (Anderson, n. d. ). Basically, the analysis of this book, together with the psychoanalytical theory developed by Erik Erikson, has provided the psychological foundations of what has been known all over the world as great leadership and non-violence. It showed how Gandhi’s previous experiences affected his life as an aged man. As Erikson suggest, the spirit that Gandhi had ever since his childhood has influenced standardization (Anderson, n. d. ). Every individual is then encouraged to follow his own path, a path that is based on his insights with regard to the realities of the world that he is living in as well as the realities by which he or she knows his or her own self. If this perceptions turn out to be true, then the path he has taken shall be the path of truth. This is what the life of Gandhi, based on Erikson’s book showed us. His perceptions that have been developed and continuously developing throughout his own life has influenced the development of a doctrine and philosophy that has gained him the title of a great soul (Chawla, 2001) . It is through this that he was able to influence not just his countrymen but the whole world as well. Eventually, looking into the brighter side of life can do so much good to a person who is in the last stage of his psychosocial development. In Gandhi’s case, he did not allow his weaknesses to serve as barriers in his fight, instead, he utilized them in such a way that his opponents looked onto it as his strengths (Anderson, n.d. ). References Anderson, H. (1971. ) Gandhis Truth: On the Origins of Militant Nonviolence. Theology Today. Vol 28. No. 2 Retrieved December 18, 2007 from http://theologytoday. ptsem. edu/jul1971/v28-2-bookreview10. htm Chawla, A. (2001). MOVING BEYOND GANDHIS TRUTH. Retrieved December 18, 2007 from http://www. samarthbharat. com/truth. htm ERIKSONS THEORY OF PSYCHOSOCIAL DEVELOPMENT (2007). Retrieved December 18, 2007 from http://www. fractaldomains. com/devpsych/erikson. htm Erikson, E. (1969). Gandhi’s Truth. Journal of Religion and Health. Volume 9, Number 3. Godrej. F. (2002). Gandhi’s Truth: Nonviolence as Epistemological Arbiter. Retrieved December 18, 2007 from http://www. allacademic. com/meta/p65025_index. html Lasch, C. (1969). One Mans Quest for Sainthood and the Revolutionary Philosophy to Which It Led. Retrieved December 18, 2007 from http:// www. nytimes. com/books/99/08/22/specials/erikson-gandhi. html Niolon, R. (2007) Erickons Psychosocial Stages of Development. Retrieved December 18, 2007 from http://www. psychpage. com/learning/library/person/erikson. html

Managing Operations Apple Inc Commerce Essay

Managing Operations Apple Inc Commerce Essay Apple Inc is a large multinational in the consumer electronic business that builds on its ability to innovate and use its strong flexibility in product development speed to create competitive capability in the market. Fortune named Apple as the most admired company in the world. However, Apple did not figure in the top ten companies on use of assets, social responsibility, and global competitiveness in this survey. This study explores the reasons for this insofar as they lie in management of operations in the company. A survey of literature reveals that there are few agreements on what constitutes lean or agile manufacturing and disagreement on the correct choice of operations management strategy. We examine whatever one can find in reports, literature, and the companys own publications and compare these to the gleanings from theory to arrive at some recommendations for Apple to consider for operations management strategy. Globalisation has increased complexity of supply chains that need to span several countries with diverse cultures, laws and regulations, and time zones. However, with increasing pressure on the need to conserve non-renewable sources of energy and to mitigate the impact of operations on the environment, globalisation is a process likely to reverse in the not so far future. Apple must prepare for this through innovative strategies in organisation and distribution. We recommend a strategy that simultaneously looks at lean when addressing use of resources and agile manufacturing in addressing customer needs, to meet competition on both, cost and product differentiation, fronts. In looking at lean manufacturing, we strongly recommend moderation in implementation to preserve flexibility and agility. Operations Management Apple Inc Contents Operations Management Apple Inc 1.0 Introduction Apple Inc is a large multinational in the consumer electronic business. The comment of James Collins, editor-in-chief of the T3 Consumer Gadgets Magazine, talking about the iPod exemplifies the image and sheer volume of market penetration achieved by the company; Collins says: Its cool across the board: everyone from my seven-year-old niece to my 60-year-old uncle has one. Norbert Reithofer, CEO of BMW adds to the image in his comment (in Bernasek, 2010): Apples customers are more than customers theyre fans. The whole world held its breath before the iPad was announced. Thats brand management at its very best. Apple builds on its ability to innovate and use its strong flexibility in product development speed to create capability in the market. Consider the fact that Apple introduced 7 different versions of its iPod within four and a half years of launch (Levy, 2006). Despite not being the first-to-market, it has used this capability to leverage its expertise in the iPod, iPhone, iTunes, iWorks suite of products and command a premium on all its products (Boddie, 2005). However, on the critical issues of use of assets, social responsibility, and global competitiveness it does not score favourably (money.cnn.com). As long as Apples products command a premium, and as long as it can continue introducing innovative new products this does not appear a serious concern. However, it is the contention of this report that despite these factors, Apple stands to gain tremendously by using modern operations management concepts such as Lean Manufacturing (which we alter to Lean And Green), Supply Chain Ma nagement, Quality Management etc. In this report, we look at these concepts in some detail to demonstrate how they can help Apple meet its commitments to its stakeholders and meet the need for Corporate Social Responsibility. 2.0 Background Apple Inc. (Apple) is a multinational consumer electronic corporation headquartered in Cupertino, California in America established in 1977. The company designs, manufactures, and sells hardware and software products for computers, entertainment, and portable music systems. Some of its best-known products include the iPod, the iPhone, its desktop and the MacBook Air line of laptops. Vital backup through software for computers and its iTunes virtual music store form important parts of its operations (google.com). Since its inception, the company did moderately well as a number of CEOs changed between 1977 and 1997 when Steve Jobs, the founder of the company, returned to take charge of the company. Steve has remained the CEO since then, except for short periods in 2004 and 2009 when Tim Cook charge during his absence on medical grounds. Since 1997, the company has grown phenomenally and presently employs 35,000 personnel and recorded revenue of $42.91 billion for the year ended September 26, 2009 (finance.yahoo.com). Young and Simon (2005) call Steves return and the growth of Apple following his return the greatest second act in the history of business in the subtitle of their book. Its stock prices dropped to a low of $82.33 on January 12, 2009 from the previous high of $193.91 on December 17, 2007 mostly in response to the economic turndown that affected all companies. Since then, the stock has risen steadily and traded at $226.60 on March 8, 2010 (ibid). Apple has established a unique image for itself through its characteristic advertising and the design of its products. The Fortune magazine named Apple the most admired company in the world in 2009 (Colvin, 2009). Again, in 2010, Fortune named Apple as the most admired company in the world (money.cnn.com [b]), based on a survey among industry leaders using nine criteria. Importantly, from the viewpoint of this report, Apple did not figure in the top ten companies on counts of: Use of Assets, Social Responsibility, Financial Soundness, Long Term Investment, and Global Competitiveness It rated No.1 and No. 4 on Innovation and Product quality respectively. The same report records that Apple have so far sold 250 million iPods, 43 million iPhones, and 32 million iPod Touch, and introduced the game changing iPad portable computer. In 2006, the Mail on Sunday carried a report that alleged Apples contract manufacturers in China, Foxcom and Inventec, were using sweatshop conditions for the production of the iPod (mailonsunday.com); The Washington Post followed washingtonpost.com [a]). Apple took immediate action to investigate and correct the situation (washingtonpost.com [b]). 3.0 Theories of Operations Management In the emerging scenario for manufacturing enterprises, three trends evident are the deployment of technology and effort towards lean and green manufacturing, quality management (TQM) and the impact of globalisation on the thought processes of business. In the following passages, we draw on existing research to discuss the points of convergence and the conflicts between different approaches to operations management. 3.1 TQM and Lean Pettersen (2009) says that it is very difficult to find a definition of lean despite this being a popular management concept. Some authors have attempted to define the concept while others have questioned whether it is indeed possible to understand the meaning of lean management through a narrow and restrictive definition (ibid). This researcher (Pettersen, 2009) carried out detailed investigation of lean and its closest relative TQM that threw up a number of observations that help us understand the concept of lean and TQM. The most important observation is that the two groups [,] human relations management and supply chain management are not definable characteristics of lean they are important (although not vital) parts of the lean concept (ibid: 132). On the other hand, TQM sees employees as components in the production process that cannot be trusted to produce good quality and focuses on removing possibilities of human error from the system. In addition, this author finds diverge nce in the general opinion that lean implies waste reduction, and says that lean aims at two different types of goals; those that are internally focussed, and those that look outward. While internally focused initiatives may look at cost reduction the externally focused may seek a goal of higher customer satisfaction. In addition, Pettersen (2009) finds divergence in the opinion that lean is a set of practical waste-reduction tools compared to others who believe lean is a philosophical approach to operations management. In his discussion of the similarities and differences between lean and TQM Pettersen (2009) points out that in lean quality is a secondary consideration and decreasing cost through waste reduction is an important concept to lean with some research saying that waste reduction adds to customer value. Waste reduction is a significant aspect of TQM, but under the banner of poor-quality-costs (ibid: 134). Perspectives of the two systems also differ. TQM focuses on the int ernal structure of the organisation while lean sees the need to address the entire supply chain where the internal organisation is one part of a value-creating stream. Another major point of departure between TQM and lean is that TQM strongly emphasises investigation of customer requirements while lean does not emphasise this as strongly. However, there appears to be convergence in literature that lean manufacturing implies a constant focus on reducing waste of all types, i.e. waste of materials, time, equipment, space, inventories, and human effort across the entire supply chain (Corbett Klassen, 2006). This focus leads to management of operations in such a way that helps improve quality, reduce costs, and improved service to customers located all over the globe. Pettersen (2009) also points to the many similarities in the two systems of TQM and lean. Both see quality as the responsibility of senior management and focus on removing the human factor to reduce errors. This requires management to concentrate on analysing and improving processes and training people to achieve better quality and cost reduction. Both also focus on continuous improvement through learning with a small difference, TQM looks to stimulate creativity and learning for the individual and quality a result of individual efforts while lean emphasises standardisation of work and collective learning. Both TQM and lean see the importance of supplier and internal worker team participation through long-term partnerships. 3.2 Globalisation, Green and Supply Chain Management Globalisation, provided impetus by the information technology revolution and the lowering of trade and other barriers by nation states, has witnessed increased and free movement of capital and labour across national boundaries. For manufacturing operations, this has meant offshoring of production, inventories, and suppliers as firms look to find customers across the world and to benefit from the differences in economies, infrastructures, and the regulatory mechanisms that exist in different countries and regions (Manuj Mentzer, 2008). These authors state that firms have restructured their supply chains to operate on a global basis to take advantage of the international product, factor, and capital markets (Manuj Mentzer, 2008: 133). Therefore, we can see globalisation as a strong influence on revenue generation by enabling entry into new markets and finding vendors who can supply goods of the same quality at cheaper prices and improved logistics for existing markets. Continuing tre nds since the last few years have seen companies shift their entire manufacturing lines to regions that offer competitive facilities to reduce manufacturing costs. These processes come with some serious downsides also as evident from the complexity of management of a supply chain that extends across several countries that have different laws and regulations, time zones, and cultures. In their drive to outsource production many companies, including Apple, find themselves accused of adopting work and labour practices completely unacceptable to western sensibilities but which are okay in those countries. In this last statement, we hasten to add, there is a fallacy in that it is not the acceptability of sweatshops in the host countries of the subsidiaries but more a question of poor monitoring and governance. An added dimension is the increasing stakeholder pressure to ensure sustainability of operations through restraints on the use of non-renewable natural resources, and controlling pollution and emissions that lead to climate change (Sarkis, 2001; Kovacs, 2008). This pressure to go green requires firms to work with their suppliers and customers to change production processes and promote recycling. Within the organisation, firm now need to analyse their operations and processes, and assume extended stewardship through the entire life cycle of their products to diminish impact on the natural environment through changes that reflect a positive attitude toward corporate social responsibility (Corbett Klassen, 2006). The difficulty remains on how to measure the environmental impact of the operations of a firm as no metrics, except for the ISO 14000 standard. This standard sets out the procedures for identifying environmental aspects of site operations, safe handling and disposal procedures for hazardous materials and waste, and compliance with relevant environmental legislation (Corbett Kirsch, 2001), but does little to provide a metric for measuring the environmental footprint of a multinational and multi-location firm. Where companies deploy outsourcing as a strategy they may face resistance from suppliers reluctant to adopt green practices as they see these as time consuming and expensive (Larson Greenwood, 2004) and requiring high upfront investment for changing manufacturing technologies on which the return on investment is low (Rothenberg et al, 2001). In implementing greener manufacturing firms need to look beyond mere cost efficiencies because such initiatives deliver benefits difficult to quantify into money earned, but are substantial nevertheless (Larson Greenwood, 2004). Friedman (2008) points to the example of Wal-Mart who found that their lean and green initiatives improved financial performance and earned them respect from customers. This respect translates to customer preference to buy from environmentally responsible firms and pay a price premium, which can finally influence the bottom line positively. However, having considered that going green holds a number of potential benefits for the firm; it is understandable that global suppliers, not into retailing, may not find these as plausible reasons to make investments for converting to a greener manufacturing technology. Gattiker et al (2008: 28) say that [. . .] it is difficult to ask suppliers to engage in environmental practices when the buying organization lacks (or is perceived to lack) environmental commitment and concrete practices. Thus, buyers may need to get their own house in order before requiring the same of suppliers, or vice versa. In the considerations that we have discussed above, one can see numerous conflicts that may arise. For example, lean manufacturing requires movement of materials within the supply chain based on demand. Earlier concepts of safety stocks, bulk purchases to avail discounts, and inventory holding have become passà © as firms focus on Just-in-time (JIT) inventory management. However, this requires purchase, production, packaging, and transport of ever reducing batches of materials that can adversely affect the green approach. Christopher and Lee (2004) discuss this conflict at length to conclude that, in the context of global supply chains, lean manufacturing results in longer lead times and more inventories that contradicts lean management principles. In this, they extend the findings of an earlier research by Levy (1995) that concluded that globalisation of the supply chain results in higher levels of pollution because of the longer transport routes and smaller batches. Rothenberg et al. (2001), in their investigation of the automobile industry, also point to the fact that implementation of lean processes, waste reduction measures do not add to environmental performance or pollution reduction, and that the relation is negative. This contradiction requires the firm to rethink its approach to overcome the negatives of JIT operations and find innovative solutions that may involve re-useable packaging and reduced container sizes and product mix to decrease package volume. It is difficult to identify such strategies for global supply chains. 4.0 Operations Management Theories and Apple Inc How Apple manages its global supply chains is not readily discernible from company literature and research documents. The only mention found is on page 16 of the Industrial Engineer magazine that quotes Mike Janes talking of Tim Cook the fill-in chief executive of Apple in the absence of Steve Jobs away on medical leave. Mike says, Supply chain management, which seems so incredibly unsexy, is very sexy when you look at your bank account and you have managed the product transitions perfectly. Thats the thing that Tim is absolutely a master at. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ Tim is an amazing, brilliant mind when it comes to operational excellence and is really a master of execution Tim Cook is right at the top of the list. Apple enjoys a unique position in the market in that it does not look to measure and investigate customer requirements but looks to create customer needs by offering innovative and feature-rich products, which at first sight the customer do not require but soon become a need through use of the product. Another issue that most research in the area of operations management seen in the light of globalisation and environmental pressures misses is the need to think local while going global. The reducing quantities of available natural resources, especially oil, and the disagreement on use of nuclear energy, the only viable alternative and increasing pressure on issues related to climate change require companies to rethink their strategies. Apple, in its manufacturing processes emitted 3.87 million tonnes of greenhouse gases in 2010, added to this is the 5.40 million tonnes that the use of their products by their customers added to the burden. These together represent 91% of the total emissions of pollutants for which Apple is responsible (apple.com[a]). While Apple, in various statements on its website, says that they are taking proactive action on these issues and are industry leaders in this respect, we believe Apple has to keep an eye on the future and use its strengths of innovation and agile management to initiate action that will help it and the industry. Steve Jobs says that Apple is far ahead of competitors in these areas and by 2010 Apple will be recycling about 28% of its product in America compared to Dell or HP who achieve about 10%. A reason behind this, Steve explains, is the use of high quality materials that recyclers look for (apple.com[b]). Apple has taken a number of actions on its own and in compliance with government regulations to mitigate its impact on the environment. Some of the salient actions are the phasing out of lead batteries in 1991, stoppage of use of CFCs in manufacturing, and implementation of the ISO 14000 quality standards in 1996 (apple.com[e]). In 2000, all its manufacturing sites were ISO 14001 certified (calrecycle.ca.gov). 5.0 Conclusions and Recommendations Morrison (2010) uses an analysis of the success factors at Apple to recommend a set of four mantras that other companies could emulate. The first is that one needs to avoid following the herd, a strategy Apple adopted in avoiding the building of a miniature laptop and instead came out with the ultra-thin Air, a product in line with the Apple image. Next, he says is that a company should not back out from fights it can win, a strategy Apple displayed when it pulled NBCs television programs from the iTunes Store in 2007. NBC backed off within days and now other media companies hesitate to face Apple on pricing. Third, says Morrison is to flatten hierarchies within the organisation, as deep vertical structures tend to dither when it is time to act. Finally, and most relevantly to the context to quality management, Apple has never looked at market research or to emulate its competitors but goes by its own feel to create products like the iPod and the iPhone, which create their own market . While several companies have adopted some of these strategies, none of them has used all four together. The result is the spate of innovative products that make Apple the most valued company in the world. Morrison says Apples culture has codified a habit that is especially valuable for firms that make physical things: Stop, step back from your product, and take a closer look. Without worrying about how much work youve already put into it, is it really as good as it could be? Apple asks that question constantly. Hallgren and Olhager (2009) find that in intensely competitive markets, the firm has the option of choosing to distinguish itself on price or on product differentiation, and the choice of operations management must align with the chosen strategy. Lean management is good where the firms aims at cost leadership where processes are repetitive, require adherence to predetermined schedules, a steady flow through the production process. Conversely, where high customisation, changing variety of products, and agility to introduce new products is the determinant of competitive strategy, the firm should choose agile manufacturing. Examining the internal and external factors these researchers (ibid) use a comprehensive review of literature that lean and agile manufacturing differ in the results, one helps cost leadership and the other can significantly raise costs to obtain agility. Examining the case of Apple, it is evident that the correct strategy must consist of agile manufacturing. However , we do not agree with Hallgren and Olhager (2009) that lean and agile are mutually exclusive strategies. In this, we find support in the earlier work of Katayama and Bennett (1999) who proposed that a combination of lean and agile is mandatory for long-term competitiveness. These writers see the need for a firm to think lean when addressing resources and agile when looking to build capabilities to meet customer requirements. We recommend this strategy to Apple. Chen et al (2009) discuss lean concepts and point to potential pitfalls that an overzealous implementation can cause. They emphasise that lean management aims to eliminate waste, effectively manage personnel, distribute design among entities that are best at each stage, work with the supply chain, manage customers, and wisely manage the organizations finances. Their (ibid) paper draws attention to the fact that in addressing elimination of waste the firm may risk elimination of creative time that is so essential for innovation. Focussing on short-term value creation through cost reductions may threaten competitive ability that can only come through radical and disruptive innovations. Similarly, when a company focuses on building a lean supply chain they risk disruptions of the processes that late or faulty shipments and failure of any of the links in the supply chain (Chen et al, 2009).In these warnings, we see echoes of the very strengths that Apple relies on to lead competition. Using the recommendations of Chen et al (2009), we can see that in order to derive maximum benefit from lean operations Apple needs to maintain a high flexibility and agility in its design and manufacturing capabilities linked to the innovative spirit exemplified in its motto Think Different. However, this does not imply that Apple has no use of the concept of lean; it is through careful and moderate application of its principles that the company can build strength to meet the stress of economic and political disruptions, and most vitally meet the growing competition brought about by rapid globalisation. Word Count: 3483

Shooting an Elephant by George Orwell Essay -- Orwell Elephant Shootin

Shooting an Elephant by George Orwell Few supervisors experience lack of respect and denunciation from workers because of their positions in a company. Supervisors take actions to preserve the image of authority before subordinates and from being ridiculed by their workers, even if the supervisors object these types of actions. The essay "Shooting an Elephant" relates to this situation. The author of this essay is George Orwell. The author talks about his work and personal experience that emphasizes the impact of imperialism at the sociological and psychological stage. This paper shall discuss the Orwell's essay, how the artistic choices shape the facts in the essay, how the relationship between facts and artistry contributed to the essay, technique used, and how the tension between the facts and artistic intention in his thesis relates to the workplace. Essay, artistic choices, and relationship between facts and artistry. The author joined the Indian Imperial Police as a colonial policeman in Moulmein, lower Burma, located in the part of the British Empire. This story took place in the late 1920s or early 1930s (Orwell, 1996, p.150). The story explains a culture conflict between the British (subjugator) and the Burmese (subjugated). Few British are present nevertheless the British rule, and the narrator, as sub-divisional police officer, is an agent of that rule. This contradiction is part of the setting, as is the local resentment against the British presence. Burmese hates the narrator and manifest this hatred by deception rather than directly. The Burmese would not raise a riot, but would let the British know how they felt. The author stated if a European woman goes through the bazaars alone somebody would probably... ..., the animals, and the psychological space of the people. Imperialism is described with a compelling metaphor. This essay with its metaphors, irony, and imagery relates well with today's workplace. Conclusion Some supervisors have an idea notion that their decisions are the only matters that counts. They become the "leading actor." They do not need to listen to anyone else so they have the strength to act on their own. The irony is that they are being jerked around by every petty instigator who can convince them that the little bickering and debates are their own. So the supervisors, like Orwell, do what can be identified as both ill-advised and incorrect. Reference Orwell, G. (1996). Shooting An Elephant. In C. LaRocoo & J. Coughlin (Eds.), The art of work: An anthology of workplace literature (pp.142-150). Cincinnati: South-Western Educational Publishing

Destiny, Fate and Free Will in Homers Odyssey :: Homer, Odyssey Essays

Fate and Free Will in Homer's Odyssey When we look at Greek Mythology we often run into the gods of that era. Sometimes they are merely backdrops to the human element of the story but in stories such as The Odyssey the gods play a prominent if not vital role to the central themes of the story. Fate has a place in the Greek world but its place is not the same as it is in other scenarios or worlds. It is important to understand the word before we discuss it. Fate as far as Greek mythology goes is not just fate. By most standards fate means that things occur for an unknown reason that no one has any control over. However, in the world of Greek Mythology fate does not just happen. The gods engineer fate and they interfere to make things happen that might not otherwise have happened. Since the players do not always know of the gods' involvement, things may actually appear to be fate but in reality be engineered happenings. Â  Free will on the other hand is not engineered. It speaks to the concept of having full authority over one's aspirations and ultimate direction. The key there is "ultimate." The gods can make up the plan and choose the path, but the people had to walk it. Therefore, fate and free will are not mutually exclusive and they both go on throughout The Odyssey. In The Odyssey life is one's own responsibility; instead of leaving all things up to fate, the characters had a significant influence upon his or her own existence. In The Odyssey the gods are responsible for controlling many aspects of where the story goes, but the people still have to choose to go. The gods in The Odyssey are who held Odysseus captive for over eight years. They were responsible for his capture in the first place and then refused to let him go for almost a decade. When they finally decided he should be allowed to find his way home they made it known to his captor Kalypso. However Odysseus still had to choose to leave. Kalypso tried to keep him by offering immortality. "You would stay here, and guard this house, and be immortal" (Homer 267). Odysseus could have stayed but he chose to go. Some say that the gods knew Odysseus would not stay and that is why they decided to let him go.

Robert Frosts Poetic Techniques Used in The Road Not Taken :: Robert Frost Poetry The Road Not Taken Essays

Robert Frost’s Poetic Techniques Used in The Road Not Taken Robert Frost utilizes several poetic techniques to reveal the theme in his poem, â€Å"The Road Not Taken†, which is stressing the importance the decision making of one is, regardless of whether or not it is agreement with the resolution of their peers, and how it can affect their future. The techniques exercised in this piece of work are symbolism, imagery, and tone. Symbolism is the most powerfully used technique due to the fact a good number of lines located in this poem is used to signify a certain object or idea related to our life or today’s world. Imagery is significant in drawing out the theme for the reason that it allows the reader to construct a depiction in their mind, permitting them to relate more to the poem and interpret the theme their own way. In this poem, imagery permits the reader to imagine the scene that this poem takes place in resulting in an enhanced understanding of the theme. The tone this work presents is an insecure attitude which allo ws the theme to be brought out due to the fact the theme relates to a dilemma in one’s life. As seen by the reader, these techniques strongly aid in the revealing of this specific theme. The first technique Frost utilizes to uncover the theme is the strongest method, symbolism. Exploiting symbolism is used by containing objects in the poem that represent an article of something relevant in the reader’s life; therefore, assisting in the presentation of the theme. The primarily symbolized object in this poem is the fork in the road, which is the basis of the theme. â€Å"Two roads diverged in a yellow wood, /And sorry I could not travel both / And be one traveler, long I stood / And looked down one as far as I could / To where it bent in the undergrowth† (Frost.

Atomic bomb Essay

Did the USA need to drop bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 1945? On the 6th of August 1945, the US dropped an atomic bomb on the Japanese city of Hiroshima,1ushering in the nuclear age. The bomb caused the deaths of over 100,000 people,2with the bulk of the destruction pertaining to innocent civilians. Three days later, the Americans repeated their action at Nagasaki. The aim of the US was not, however, to cause complete annihilation of the Japanese, but to seize the fierce nationalism within Japan, ending world war two. Arguably, this was achieved, with the Emperor Hirohito broadcasting their surrender on the 15th of August.3However, was the Americans use of nuclear warfare justified in their bid for world peace? President of the time Harry Truman stated, â€Å"I never lost any sleep over my decision (to drop the Atomic bomb)†, yet, Americans have since been subject to fierce revisionist denialism that there was not an over riding need to employ such a controversial tactic. By 1945 Japan was in ruins. America had continuously bombed strategic Japanese locations, and implemented a blockade that had dramatic effects on the nations civilians, suggesting that the Japanese were close to surrender without the implantation of the A bomb. Conversely, the US had witnessed the Japanese’s determination to fight to the bitter end , rather than surrender, and their failure to respond to the Potsdam declaration clearly illustrated this. Through analyzing the historical context in which this dramatic act of war occurred it is difficult to come to a sound judgment on the necessity of America’s actions. Due to the consequences that would have triggered if the war had continued, i believe that the US did need to drop the bomb on Hiroshima, however, it was not necessary to drop the following bomb on Nagasaki. With the break out of World War two, Hitlers initial victories captured the imagination of the Japanese militarists, showing what could be achieved through a program of territorial expansionism. Due to the war, changes occurred in Europe’s colonial powers, which created a power vacuum in South East Asia, and a perfect stage for Japan to expand their influence; as Edwin P Hoyt stated â€Å"Japans ambition at the lowest level was to replace the Europeans and the Americans as the colonial powers†¦establishing an Asian  Federation†. This shift in power however was not supported by the US , creating a poisonous relationship between the two nations that would end in catosptrophy. The US implemented harsh economic sanctions, resulting in an ultimatum for Japan. Japan could either give into the pressure from the US and retreat from South East Asia, or , they could advance to take over the resources of Malaya and the oil fields of the Netherlands East Indies, which would indefinitely lead to war with the US. Historian Hugh brogan affirms Roosevelt was â€Å" convinced US would enter the war†¦yet refused to fire the first shot†. The Japanese planned to adopt a dual approach were upon they would enter into negotiations with the US and prepare for war at the same time. The Japanese believed that war might be avoided if the 1  L.Morton, Decision to use the Atomic bomb, Foreign Affairs, 1956. US dropped the sanctions in return for their withdrawal from Indochina; however, on the 26th of November Cordell Hull made an unacceptable demand, claiming that the Japanese were required to withdraw from not just Indo China, but also China. Japan deemed this unacceptable, and at the Imperial Conference 1st December 1941 a final decision was made to go to war with the US, and orders were made to carry out a surprise attack on the US naval base of Pearl Harbour. On the 7th of December 1941 the Japanese attacked the American fleet at Pearl Harbour, killing 2388 soldiers 9, in the hopes of knocking the United States out of a Pacific war, allowing them to pursue their strategic and imperialistic goals. However, Japans failure to achieve total victory meant that the Japanese unified a nation against them, which then mobilised its mighty economy into a war machine that eventually defeated Japan. The importance in understanding the context which resulted in Japan and US warfare is vital in evaluating whether the US needed to drop the Atomic bomb. This being as it is evident that since the emergence of Japan as world power, the US have been present, and determined to minimise the Japanese’s influence. This relationship of dominance , whereby the US hands Japan harsh ultimatums is arguably one of the reasons why Japan refused to surrender in 1945, and will be discussed in depth as the essay progresses. As the conflict between the US and Japan developed the Japanese initially stunned the United States with their success, ending the period of European colonial rule in Asia within just 6 months, bringing to fruition the Japanese dream of a Greater East Asia Co Prosperity Sphere. The Japanese demolished the creed of European and white superiority that had been the bastion of European colonialism in Asia, completely reshaping the political dynamics of Asia. However, intoxicated by their success, rather than consolidating their gains, they still searched for new opportunities. The Allies began their counter attack, however, became aware of the determination that defined Japanese militarism, whereby their soldiers were willing to fight to death, rather than surrender. During December and January 1944 and 1945 the Americans regularly bombed the islands of Iwo Jima, launched 334 B’29s on the capital Tokyo killing 83000 people in March, and attacked Okinawa, the site of a major military base10. Thus by July 1945, Japan had few ships and planes to defend itself, and was met with leaflets from the US announcing in advance where the next attack would take place, urging people to surrender. Furthermore, the blockade implemented by the allies was severely impacting the Japanese, solidifying that defeat was inevitable, yet the Allies heard no news of surrender from the Emperor. Consequently the US began to evaluate the implementation of the A bomb as a necessary method in order to bring the war to a conclusion. President Truman described the Atomic project as the ‘greatest scientific gamble in history’ and believes his decision to drop it was unquestionably the right decision, bringing the war to a quick. end, and saving the lives of thousands of Allies. Prior to its use, the Potsdam Declaration was released, informing the Japanese that they must surrender unconditionally or face ‘prompt and utter destruction’. (Unknown to the Japanese this was a reference to the A-Bomb). The allies hoped that an invasion of Japan could be avoided if the declaration was accepted, however, with the Japanese’ failure to reply, the count down to the first  use of an atomic bomb moved onward. On the 6th of August 1945, the Enola Gay was released over the city of Hiroshima12, an unprecedented attack resulting in mass scale destruction. President Truman announced following that ‘If Japan does not now accept our terms they may expect a rain of ruin from the air, the like of which has never been seen on this earth’. 13However, despite, the destruction of Hiroshima, the American Government received no communications from the Japanese government in Tokyo, resulting in a secon d bomb launched on Nagasaki. Consequently, on the 14th of August, after failed attempts of safeguarding his position, the Emperor accepted the Allied terms. Hirohito made an official radio broadcast to the nation, stating ‘should we continue to fight†¦it would lead to the total extinction of human civilisation’, 14and on the 2nd of September, aboard the Missouri, the main surrender occurred, ending the conflict in the pacific. The atomic bomb, although causing mass scale disaster, finished the cruel and drawn out conflict, however, does that mean that it was necessary, and can be justified? Perhaps the biggest debate which argues that the bomb was not needed was that fact Japan was in fact already defeated. Dennis Wainstock, author of ‘The decision to drop the bomb’ believes that the blockade, in conjunction with the B’29s attack destroyed Japan, broadening the realisation of defeat. Rear Admiral Tochitane Takata said ‘The b29’s were the greatest single factor in forcing the Japanese to surrender’ with Lieutenant General Kawabe believing ‘it is my opinion our loss in the air lost us the war’.16 Furthermore, Japan was economically dependant on foreign sources, thus the blockade favoured the conviction that defeat was inevitable as the Japanese population was starving to death. Additionally, there is significant evidence to support the argument that Japan would have surrended without use of the Atomic bomb, had the US been willing to safe guard the position of the Emperor. The Soviet Union received world from high-level Japanese sources confirming this, which, although many deny American knew about, Secretary of War Henry Stimson wrote ‘It was known to us that she had gone so far as to make tentative proposals to the soviet Government†¦not considered seriously’. However despite the aforementioned evidence suggesting that the Japanese were already defeated, it is arguable that that did not mean that they would surrender. throughout the war that, despite severe loss, they would rather die, than surrender. The invasion of Iwo Jima and Okinawa resulted in severe casualties, yet the Allies heard no talk of negotiations. Joseph C.Grew, who was the former Ambassador to Japan believed, through ‘intimate experience with the Japanese thinking and psychology over an extensive period’18 that regardless of military defeat, it would be highly unlikely that Japan would of their own initiative surrender. Additionally, Historian Barton Bernstein wrote ‘ no one who looks at intransigence of the Japanese militarists should have full confidence in any other strategy (apart from the A bomb), 19which affirms Truman’s decision that it was necessary in order to bring the war to a quick end. Furthermore, The American public was overwhelmingly behind the atomic bombing of Japan, with the bomb receiving an 85% approval 20rating, proving that within the context of the disaster, it was not considered to be as controversial as it is with the power of hindsight. From analysing the arguments for and against the US decision to drop the A bomb on Hiroshima it is clear that this controversial act of war is not easily declared right or wrong. However, arguably it is harder to argue on the side of the Allies when it comes to determining the necessity of the second bomb on Nagasaki. After the dropping of the first bomb, the Soviets declared war on Japan, which many historians believe would have been more than enough to convince the Japanese to surrender. As John W. Downer affirms in ‘Unconditional surrender at the Smithsonian’, ‘most Japanese accounts then and since weigh the soviet declaration of war as being at least as shocking as the Hiroshima bombing’. Further supported by Historian Gar Alperovitz, who believes that the shock of a soviet declaration of war would force Japan to realise defeat was inevitable and then clarification of surrender terms (assurance of the Emperor) would produce the surrender before an invasion took place. However, the US failed to hear a response in the delegated amount of time, and thusly, launched a second bomb on Nagasaki, resulting in the eventual surrender of Ja pan. When the US made their decision to drop the atomic bomb on Japan, initiating the nuclear arms race, it was inevitable that Truman’s decision would be analysed, causing controversy for years to come. There is a plethora of published work that strongly believes that the US decision to  employ the A bomb was a mistake, and was blatantly not necessary as Japan was so weak indicating that surrender was not far off. Additionally, it cannot be forgotten that the victims of the bomb were primarily innocent civilians, thus from a moral point of view, the action cannot be justified. However, Japans militaristic attitude throughout the war consistently affirmed the US belief that Japan would never surrender of their own accord, and the A bomb was a necessary action in order to conclude the war. From analysing both sides of the argument i believe that the US did need to drop the first bomb in order to display to Japan that they did not have any other option but to surrender, however, the dropping of the second bomb was definitely not needed. The bombing of Hiroshima, in conjunction with the entry of the Soviet Union was more than enough to force Japan to surrender, and thusly, the bombing of Nagasaki cannot be justified. Bibliography Books 1. A.Pollock, D.McKinlay, J.Cantwell, Conflict in the Pacific 1937-195, McGraw Hill Publications, Australia 2003. 2. H.Truman, Memoir: Year of Decisions, Garden City 1955 3. H.L.Stimson, M.Bundy, On Active Service in peace and War, Harper and Brothers, New York 1948 4. D.Eisenhower, The white house years: Mandate for change 1953-1956, Garden City 1963 5. W.D.Leahy, I was there, Whittlesey House, New York 1950 6. J.C.Grew, Turbulent Era: A diplomatic Record of forty years 1904-1945, Hougton Mifflin Company 1952 7. H.L.Stimson, The decision to use the Atomic Bomb, week 13 reading 8. K.Doak, Nationalism in Modern Japan, Koninklike 2007, 9. E.Cannizzaro, The Law of Treaties beyond the Vienna Convention, Oxford 10. E.P.Hoyt, University Press 2011,Japans war: The Great Pacific Conflic, Random House 1971 11. D.D.Wainstock, The Decision to drop the Atomic Bomb, Prager Publishers, 1996 12. G. Alperovitz, The Decision to drop the Bomb, Vintage Books 1996 Articles 1. Barton J. Bernstein, A post war myth, 50000 U.S lives saved, Bulliten of Atomic Scientists, vol 3 no.9 2. John W. Dower, Unconditional Surrender at the Smithsonian, Week 13 Reading 3. L.Morton, Decision to use the Atomic bomb, Foreign Affairs, 1956 Website 1.The project of the Nuclear Age Peace foundation.org http://www.nuclearfiles.org/menu/library/ correspondence/stimson-henry/corr_stimson_1945-07-31.htm

Negative Commercial Influences on Scientific Research Essay

Nowadays, it’s a trend that almost everything is related to the commerce, and so do the scientific research, because the society would like to value the research results. To some extend, scientific research is not only a pure research in the labs or universities, but also a business sometimes. As a result, the commercial influences on the scientific research are so obvious that change the ways that researchers do or the universities behave. Among these effects, negative commercial influences have become more and more clearly. On the one hand, because of the profits, some researchers begin to focus more on the researching speed rather than the quality. In order to succeed quickly, some researchers hope to get a good experiment results as soon as possible. In this case, they may fail easily or receive worse consequences. On the other hand, it has led to some wrong purposes to sell out science to commerce. A new report from the organization Scientists for Global Responsibility looks at the bad impact on five commercial areas which includes pharmaceuticals, tobacco, oil and gas, defence and biotech. [1] From the perspective of the defence, in the theory, it’s normal and reasonable for a country to develop the scientific researches on the countries’ defense. But in fact, with the overwhelming attentions on new military technology and the huge financial support, the research has changed the original pure goals into developing military hardware, even resulting in the competitions among different countries. When it comes to biotech, before the emergence of biotech, business and science operated in largely separate spheres.[2] Whereas, there is also a marriage between the commercial support and scientific researches at present. And sometimes, this kind of â€Å"marriage† may cause big faults that can do harm to human being’s health because of some misleading messages in the biotech area. Admittedly, the cooperation between the commerce and the scientific research has bring some positive effects. First of all, with more financial investments, researchers can have enough money to purchase some advanced equipments so that they can do the experiments they’re willing to trying. Second, the cooperation can help scientists put their researching results in the labs into the real world. If the invents display on the table in the  labs or museum, they’re just the dead thing. But if the invents can be used in the daily life or put into the customers’ market, they may bring something new to make the lives more convenient. However, because of the commercial influences, science has lost the freedom and the time to carry out research as thoroughly and as painstakingly as it should.[3] Generally speaking, commerce has brought both the positive and negative effects on the scientific researches. Even though the cooperation activate research or facilitate people’s life, the negative influences have caused more and more parent shortcomings. So reform is needed to improve the cooperation. References [1]Adapted from Parkinson,S,&Langley,C.(2009).Stop selling out science to commerce.New Scientist,204(2733),32-33. [2]John slaght, ISLC, University of Reading, UK, based primarily on Ho&Saunders(2001) and Pisano(2006). [3]John slaght, ISLC, University of Reading, UK, based primarily on Ho&Saunders(2001) and Pisano(2006).

American Pageant. Essay

Over time, there have been many different modifications to facilitate transportation and the economy. The transcontinental railroad is one factor that introduced the American indusrty. This immense industry turned into an even greater business and touched from coast to coast. Because of the railroads, urbanization and industrialization grew although the corruptions with scandals came as well. The nation was in a time of spurring even higher from starting in 1865. Before the railroads, the population was more scattered around farming areas. As the railroads grew, urbanization also expanded and began gathering around the railroads.Because the government gave a significant amount of land grants, the railroad companies, which were able to choose alternative mile-square sections, had much land that they did not use to build their railroads. President Grover Cleveland gave the unclaimed portions for land settlement in 1887. Although this was seen as the â€Å"giveaway† of land, the government ended up benefiting with long-term preferential rates for postal service and military traffic; the railroad corporations could also sell the land at an average of three dollars an acre.With new railroads in placed, people moved beside them and brought in business for the railroads and towns which gave the railroads another source of profit. Immigration also started uprising, with the Chinese and Irish working on the railroads. As the railroads traveled across the country, it gave the nation a way to get products or people across the country. Food and materials traveled to all from farms to towns and cities. People found it easier to move across the country; urbanization grew throughout the whole country rather than being scattered among the farms.The railroads were built because of industrialization and expanded it even further. As the railroad network snaked around the country, the economic growth did as well. The locomotives touched coast to coast offering what each sid e of the country had for the other. The west had many wealthy resources and the east had many workers. Raw materials traveled back and forth as so did the finished goods afterwards, such as steel for the generation of more railroads. The United States soon became the largest integrated national market in the world.As the railroads grew there was more demand for raw supplies from different parts of the country. The steel and wood for the railroads impacted greatly the forestry and mining industry while the coal industry also grew to power the trains; new factories and industries were built and powered to load more onto the new railroads. Millionaires greatly benefited from this, such as Cornelius Vanderbilt who was one of the most profitable amongst the new aristocracy. As the railroads expanded, so did industrialization, which made the United States economy one of the best that it has had over history.Although the effects of the railroads were mostly positive, there was the negative aspect of corruption and scandals came as well. Congress commissioned the Union Pacific Railroad, which the company received huge sums of money and land to build tracks. What the government did not know was that the corporation had frauds which were known as the Credit Mobilier; insiders from the construction company had reaped twenty-three million dollars in profits. Jay Gould was many of those who also executed many robberies. For nearly thirty years he gained money from the stocks of Erie, the Kansas Pacific, and the Texas and Pacific.One of the many different ways these million-dollar-thieves manipulated was â€Å"stock watering†. Originally coming from the definition of bloating up a cow to sell for more, the stock promoters were doing this but with the economy and stocks. The railroad stock promoters inflated their claims about a given line’s assets and profitability and sold stocks and bonds much higher than the railroad’s actual value. Railroad managers where therefore forced to charge much higher and compete against each other in order to pay the exaggerated financial obligations. In the midst of all the scandal, the Vanderbilt’s were involved as well.As many railroaders, they had to fight and bribe for rights. As long as there were railroads, and with their many positive effects, there was also corruption, competition, and scandal. The building of the transcontinental railroads changed the American economy immensely. It has changed the nation as a whole and spurred with a new way of supply and demand traveling all over the country. The new web of steel brought up urbanization, industrialization and corruption with scandals as well. The transcontinental railroads brought the country together with a new form of economy.

Is the generation gap myth or reality Essay

It’s well known that new time demands new way of thinking. New way of thinking demands new way of acting. New way of acting arouses misunderstanding on the part of older generation. People usually get used to certain things and some dead small changes can frighten them. Thus, trying to avoid the negative feeling of fear older people try to avoid new trends and spirits of the time. On the other hand, youngsters are eager to introduce some desperately new and young-eyed decisions in order to gain a foothold. In other words, young people want to be creative, bright and want to place themselves on record. As a result, old traditions contradict with new trends and a problem of generation gap shapes up. For example, parents very often try to protect their children from modern entertainments some forbid playing computer games, thinking that computers can’t teach anything to their children, some prohibit wearing extravagant clothes and some prevent their infants from attending concerts of rock stars, fearing that he can fall among evil companions. However, forbidden fruit is sweet. And the offsprings start doing everything on the sly. But when finally parents find it out they can’t stop wondering why do their children conceal their affairs from them? The answer is as easy as ABC: youngsters want to express themselves, they want to get the smell of powder, they want to enjoy independence. On the contrary, the parents want to be sure that their precious offsprings are safe and sound. As a consequence, this leads to misunderstanding, quarrels and insults. Nowadays children start using computers very early. Tweens and teens are so fascinated by them that they spend hours and hours at their personal computers or at computer clubs. The electronic universe replaces their contacts with friends and dominates their life completely. Obsession with computers brings about a mechanical, disillusioned mentality and inhibits their emotional development. The heads of youngsters are also being filled with violent pictures they have seen on TV. Children are very naive and impressionable. And no wonder that they are so aggressive and arrogant in  real life. They are thrown into such a harsh world, especially if they live in a city. These days a lot of parents think that they should be lenient with their children, they should let them find out about life for themselves, they should leave children to develop their own idea of right and wrong. But it’s a grave mistake. Parents should try to protect their children from possible bad influences and give them clear guidance about right and wrong. There is no way to predict how today’s children will turn out. Keeping faith in kids is necessary. They are not bad. They are optimistic. They expect to have a better life than their parents’. And grown-ups – if they are prepared to admit it – could learn a thing or two from their children. One of the biggest lessons they could learn is that enjoyment is not  «sinful ». Enjoyment, is a principle you could apply to all aspects of life. It is not wrong to enjoy your work and enjoy your leisure, to shed restricting inhibitions. It is surely not wrong to live in the present rather than in the past or future. Generation gap is the major reason today why parents and children are moving away from each other. As we all know, the environment has changed, so has the life style and with that changes the mind of children. Today’s generation doesn’t like others interfering in any of their personal matters, they don’t like parents ordering them, and if they try and tell them what’s wrong for them, they misbehave with their parents. The question arises that, what is the reason behind all this. It is the parents’ mistake or is it cause of the generation gap. Generation gap is basically created by the people themselves. They don’t talk to their children and share their own points of views with the children. The point is that the parents are just so busy with their work and jobs that they don’t have time for their family and their children. And they realize it when there has a huge distance between the kids and the parents. The point is if parents give their children some time from their busy schedule then there would be no such problem. Nevertheless the problem of  generation gap can be easily solved. Patience should be the key to the common ground between adults and youngsters. People of all ages must become more tolerant and less selfish and must discuss their troubles in order to conquer misunderstanding. It’s essential that parents give more freedom to their children so that they can express themselves. Whereas children should remember that freedom is not something to be over-indulged in. It’s not difficult to achieve understanding if you are making effort to see a problem from a variety of angles. On the contrary, if you think that your standpoint is the only one true and you don’t want to discuss and listen to other opinions, then the problem of generation gap will become a nightmare of your family.