Employee Compensation And Benefits Package - 944 Words

Employee Compensation and Benefits Package The organization for which I am designing the compensation package is a company that offers internet solution to customers in the domestic US market and the global market. The position that I am hiring is that of a company secretary. The secretary will be required to work in the office of the human resource manager and will handle all the papered and paperless documentation. The position comes with numerous benefits and packages as outlined herein. After doing extensive research and analyzing the data released by the bureau of labor statistics, the secretary will be paid a basic pay of $25.00 per hour (Deckop, 2006). The amount is based on comparative analysis of how secretaries are paid by other similar organizations and with the goal of offering a competitive package that attracts many qualified secretaries to compete for the position. The position will be non-exempt and is based on fixed working hours. Any overtime will not be implemented until approved by the company’s man agement (Armstrong, 2007). The overtime payment will be $35.00 per hour, but this may be adjusted depending on the amount of work involved in the overtime hours. The position will also offer other employee benefits and allowances as a motivation for the workforce. The company will offer medical insurance where the employees will be sponsored for half the amount incurred as medical expenses. The medical cover offered by the company also covers the immediateShow MoreRelatedEmployee Compensation And Benefits Package Essay905 Words   |  4 PagesIntroduction – Employee Compensation and Benefits This paper will outline an employee compensation and benefits package for a new hire for a secretary for the department. First, it will describe the organization I chose for designating a compensation package. Next, this paper will develop an employee compensation and benefits package for this new position. This paper will outline an employee compensation and benefits package for a new hire for a secretary for the department. First, it will describeRead MoreEmployee Compensation And Benefits Packages Essay1245 Words   |  5 PagesEmployee Compensation and Benefits Organizations create compensation and benefits packages in order to attract the best talent. In today’s global economy it is imperative that organizations offer compensation packages that are competitive in order to recruit the very best talent in the world. However, in order to be successful, compensation packages must align with business strategies. Authors â€Å"Mathis, Jackson, and Valentine (2014) explain that an effective total rewards approach balances theRead MoreEmployee Compensation And Benefits Packages Essay1537 Words   |  7 PagesIntroduction In today’s competitive workforce, compensation and benefit packages plays a crucial role on recruitment and retention for both the organization and the employee. Bumpbie finds itself in a situation where it could positively affect its employee’s morale, turnover rate and longevity; by making a strategic decision to implement compensation and benefit packages that will encourage current workers to stay and entice new applicants. Money is not always the inherent reason businesses experienceRead MoreEmployee Compensation and Benefits Packages548 Words   |  2 PagesEmployee Compensation and Benefits Packages Introduction: A companys compensation and benefits package will likely be a great determinant of the quality of its personnel and the stake that these employees feel that they have in the hiring organization. This is why it is incumbent upon an organization to choose a compensation and benefits strategy that is at once consistent with internal values, needs and expectations and respects the external forces of industry standards, market context and geographicalRead MoreEffectively Managing Employee Compensation and Benefit Packages1289 Words   |  6 Pageschallenge, for global organizations and the human resource department, is effectively managing employee compensation and benefits packages. Managing compensation structures has become an integral part of many organizations that conduct operations in the global market, as there are many considerations for the host country when sending expatriates abroad. It is imperative for organizations to develop global compensation structures that attract and retain quality employees while not impeding operations or diminishingRead MoreConsiderations for Compensation and Benefits1442 Words   |  6 PagesConsiderations for Compensation and Benefits Abstract Compensation is one of the most important considerations perspective employees will make prior to accepting a job offer. For this reason, another performance of Human Resource (HR) professionals is the compensation analysis. The focus of the analyst in this position is to use strategy in formulating compensation and benefits packages that are attractive and conducive to maintaining talented employees (Editorial Board, 2011). As another criticalRead MoreCompensation Of Memorial Hospital Savannah1075 Words   |  5 PagesCompensation Packages- Memorial Hospital Savannah HR is the one responsible of the development of the organization compensation system and of the development of the pay structures, programs and policies.an effective compensation system will be focused on compelling with the law, cost-effectiveness, provide equity in all aspects and enhancement of the organization (Flynn, 2015). Compensation packages can include bonuses, benefits like health insurance, retirement benefits, paid time off, and professionalRead MoreEmployee Benefit Plan Development : Employee Benefits Essay1508 Words   |  7 PagesEmployee Benefit Plan Development â€Å"Understanding your employee’s perspective can go a long way towards increasing productivity and happiness† – Kathryn Minshew, founder of The Muse. In today’s highly competitive and robust job market, benefit programs have become an integral aspect of an employer’s total compensation package. In fact, an employer’s total benefit package plays just an important role in attracting and retaining talent for organizations as monetary compensation, according to a recentRead MoreHuman Resource Practices With Business Goals1363 Words   |  6 Pagesaligning business goals with employee motives, a well-rounded compensation plan precedes attainment of these business goals(Martocchio 3). As can be seen by this statement, compensation is a major concern for all players in the business world today. As a matter of fact, if a company fails to properly manage their compensation package they will find themselves being left behind by the competition. In particular, what exactly does being left behind in compensation and benefits mean? It stands that otherRead MoreMicrosoft Compensation and Benefit System1648 Words   |  7 PagesCompensation and Benefits System of Microsoft MGMT 365 February 23, 2014 Compensation and Benefit System of Microsoft Microsoft was founded in 1975, and is the worldwide leader in software, services, and solutions (Career). Microsoft is proud to offer great products and employ outstanding people. Previous Microsoft CEO, Steve Ballmer once said, â€Å"There are many things that are true about Microsoft. We have big goals, big dreams, and big aspirations for the future. We are both competitive

Music History thru the Middle Ages, Rennisance, Baroque,...

Music has evolved too many different forms that we recognize today. We trace this development throughout time. Beginning in the middle ages, we have seen advancement from the Gregorian chant all the way to the Jazz of the 20th century. The current events, politics, religion, technology and composers can shape musical eras during time. Here I will look at the middle ages, renaissance, baroque, classical, romantic and twentieth century periods. I hope that a better understanding can be reached to why, when, where and who are the reasons for musical evolution. Middle Ages Beginning with fall of Rome in 476a.d. the first half of this millennium is referred to as the â€Å"dark ages†. In society, all power flowed from the king with the approval of†¦show more content†¦In the world, the age saw many explorers in search of a faster trade route to China, which led to the discovery of North America. Musicians in the Renaissance society are now professionals and were supported by the church, city and state as well as the royal and aristocratic courts. The rise of the merchant class brought new fans to music professionals. With the advent of cheaper printing, music books became available and affordable making musical literacy spread dramatically. The musical style of the renaissance can be noted in the vocal forms by smoothly gliding melodies. This became regarded as the golden age of cappella style, which is music without instrumental accompaniment. Polyphony in renaissance style was based on continuous imitation. This offered many possibilities such as cantus firmus. Sacred music played a prominent part in ritual of the church. Motets and hymns became a part of Mass. The motet became a sacred form with a single Latin text. Motets in praise of the Virgin Mary were extremely popular because of the many religious groups devoted to Marian worship. Josquin Desprez, a popular master of the motet and influencer of many composers, composed more than a hundred motets and numerous secular pieces. Baroque The Baroque period stretched across half of European history. It began shortly before 1600 and ended with the death of Bach in 1750. During this time, there were change and

The Role of Creativity and Problem Solving in Entrepreneurship, Innovation, and Economic Development free essay sample

Nowadays, with the developing of economic development is facing a new challenge. The notions of entrepreneurship, innovation and creativity become more widely used in business world and Naude (2010) notes that these fields are converging increasingly in recent years. Entrepreneurship has been regarded as the engine of dynamic economic development and growth (Ylinenpaa, 2009). Moreover, Minniti (1999) states that entrepreneurship scholars are catalysts for economic development because of the generation of a network for innovation that promotes the creation of new commercial formations and new ideas. In addition, the importance of creativity is highlighted within the context of economic development dynamics in Schumpeter’s work (1934, 1942) and problem solving is a process which encourages entrepreneurial thinking. Meanwhile, creativity and problem solving are interrelated and interacted on each other. This essay will illustrate the relationship between these significant elements within the market in a particular way. Firstly, definitions of key notions will be given. Secondly, the relationship between entrepreneurship, innovation and economic development will be contributed for a better understanding. In the next part, what role creativity and problem solving plays in that relationship will be introduced with the group project. Further examples will be provided for readers when necessary in the following part of this essay. Simple definitions of the key issue about entrepreneurship, innovation and creativity will be given in this part and one example related to the notion of creative will be connected. Firstly, start from entrepreneurship with an explanation provided accordingly. The view of entrepreneurship refers to methodologies for business trade that takes the form of new combinations in an attempt to usurp market share. It is the dynamic process of assembling necessary factors of production consisting of human, physical and information resources and doing so in an efficient way (Lazear, 2005). However, entrepreneur is an individual with innovative ideas, utilizing new combinations of means of production (Schumpeter, 1934).Concerning with the second key notion, Rickhards (1985) pointed out that innovation is a process whereby new ideas are put into practice. Hence, it can be defined as a revealing and new variation on the old process. In a broad sense, innovation  could be divided into sustaining innovation and disruptive. Sustaining innovation emphasizes on gradual and incremental improvements whereas disruptive innovation is more a discrete and discontinuous transformation. Creativity, put it simply, it is the ability to look differently and stand out the answers to the problem. Bruner (1968) defined it as ‘effective surprise’. Keil(1987) argued that it is more than a process or approach and also be a mind power. A well-known example related to creative destruction is the shift from vacuum tubes to semiconductors that eliminated the advantage of firms such as RCA and Sylvania (Tushman O’Reilly, 1996). These three sections are balanced in business activities and both have significant effects on economic development and growth. Following the root of definitions, the illustration of the interlaced relationship between entrepreneurship, innovation and economic development will be presented. Starting with the relationship between innovation and entrepreneurship, these two points have an internal link and mutual influence on each other. Entrepreneurs generate innovative ideas to reinforce discontinuous innovation, or disruptive innovation (Dannels, 2005), which alters the bases of competition through ‘utilizing new combinations of means of production (Schumpeter, 1934). It means that entrepreneurs make economic profit for themselves and to the society by innovative activities to the market and innovation is the essential function of entrepreneurship. Moving to the relationship between entrepreneurship and economic development, the former has positive effects on economic development.. One report shows that the high entrepreneurship areas in the United States had 125 precent higher employment growth, 58 precent higher salaries rise and 109 percent higher productivity (Camp, 2005). There is no doubt that entrepreneurship has been the driving force of economic development and regarded as a strategy to successfully boom economic development in many regions. Moreover, with new business formation and the growth of existing ones, the most contribution of entrepreneurship to increased welfare in society is the creation of new jobs and additional income because of multiplier effects (Robinson et al. 2004). It is clearly indicating that establish new companies or develop from existing firms is a kind of major method for entrepreneurship that creates economic development. In addition, entrepreneurship is a vehicle that link innovation with regional economic growth. Tapsell and Woods (2010) pointed out that economic development is the result of innovation taken by entrepreneurship scholars. Innovation has been regard as the most crucial component in long-term economic development. For instance, according to Rosenberg (2004), one professor from the University of Stanford managed to do a survey about the growth in the output and the input of capital and labor of the Unite States economy from 1870 to 1950. Before that, he made a number of reasonable assumptions about how much the growth in a unit of labor and capital should be added to the output of the economy. The result was that the presented growth of inputs could only perform less than 15 percents of the growth in the output of the economy, which means that technology innovation contributes more than 85 percents to the unexplained growth. This study shows that the view of economic growth is the result of innovation and innovative actions have been regarded as a specific major force for economic development. In one word, these three aspects interact and connect with each other and the two notions of entrepreneurship and innovation are indispensible in economic growth and development. Having dealt with the relationship between entrepreneurship, innovation and economic development, then move in the next part of what role creativity and problem solving plays in this relationship and the group project would be tied to illustrate the function of creativity and problem solving. First of all, creativity system precedes innovation implementation. Gurteen (1998:7) summarized that creativity is about the process that generate new ideas, and innovation is about putting these ideas into action. Therefore, for innovation to occur, creative ideas that have potential value (Williams Mcguire, 2010). Cortright (2001) claims that economic process is about the generation of new ideas and innovations, which is the force of sustain economic. In other word, creativity and innovation play important roles in economic development and as the driving force of economic growth. Economic creativity has already been conceptualized as codified knowledge with potential economic value to a natio n (WilliamsMcGuire, 2010). In entrepreneurship terms, creativity is one unique characteristic of entrepreneurs. As mentioned before, entrepreneur is an individual with new  ideas and they have the skills required to engage in creative activity. Secondly, there are mainly 5 steps within problem solving –problem discovery, fact finding, definition of problem, solution finding and decision implementation. In these steps, creative ideas and innovation will be needed by teams or individuals to generate ideas and put them into action. To a certain extent, problem solving provides a ‘performance platform’ for innovation. Taken the group project as an example, in the first mentoring session, every group were asked to find one problem that bother many people on the basis of fact and define this problem. In the following two sessions, solution finding and decision making were connected to group project. Students need to have a creative thinking by generate innovation ideas as many as possible. Innovation as a great skill is demonstrated within these steps of creative problem solving. In addition, creative problem solving is also a process which encourages entrepreneurial thinking. Decision implementation is a process to produce the product into market and make economic profit. In reality, economic development is all about problem solving for each other, creativity and problem solving is a prerequisite for economic development (Bekker, 2011). To sum up, creativity and problem solving accelerate economic development through innovation and entrepreneurship, like a thread to string these three elements together and have a close relation with each other. In conclusion, this essay begins with definitions of key notions of entrepreneurship, innovation and creativity with an example accordingly for better understanding. Entrepreneurship is special characteristic of entrepreneurs who can create new values efficiently in an innovative way. Innovation refers to the act of inventing something new (Chen, 2005) and can be divided into sustaining innovation and disruptive innovation. Creativity is a process of generation unconventional ideas. Then, the relationship of entrepreneurship, innovation and economic development is organized in detail with each other. Entrepreneurship is the major force of economic growth and meanwhile as medium that link innovation and economic development. Innovation plays a specific role in entrepreneurship. There is no doubt that innovation also has an important influence on economic booming. In the final part, the significant function of creativity and problem solving is  illustrated. Group project as a living example is addressed to emphasize the crucial function in this relationship. Creativity, as a unique ability of entrepreneurship, precedes innovation implementation and is the major force of economic growth as well as problem solving. These elements have become increasing important in business world in recent years and more research should be made to prove the importance in other specific ways.

Top 15 Universities for Humanities Majors by Salary Potential

In the world of technology and startups, humanities majors are unfortunately overlooked for engineering and statistics, even when it has a strong earning potential. In the years 2012-2014, humanities majors dropped by 8.7% in degrees awarded. Students are opting for STEM majors, because it presents more job opportunities for fresh graduates. This, however, does not mean students who major in English, philosophy, literature or a foreign language have no earning potential. The writing, critical thinking, and analytical skills that you develop from studying a humanities major can prepare you for a successful career. PayScale, an online compensation information company, published their findings earlier this year and here’s a list of the top 15 university for humanities majors* by potential salary: *Note, this list do not include the salaries of individuals who pursued another degree after their undergraduate degree in computer science. 1. Illinois State University 0-5 years experience: $40,900 10+ experience: $126,000 2. (tie) University of Chicago 0-5 years experience: $44,100 10+ experience: $105,000 2. (tie) University of Pennsylvania 0-5 years experience: $56,400 10+ experience: $105,000 4. Harvard University 0-5 years experience: $60,000 10+ experience: $99,800 5. (tie) Columbia University 0-5 years experience: $54,800 10+ experience: $98,800 5. (tie) University of California - Berkeley 0-5 years experience: $48,400 10+ experience: $98,800 7. University of Southern California 0-5 years experience: $48,400 10+ experience: $98,600 8. Northwestern University 0-5 years experience: $46,400 10+ experience: $97,000 9. Colgate University 0-5 years experience: $58,300 10+ experience: $96,300 10. University of Kansas 0-5 years experience: $42,200 10+ experience: $93,500 11. University of Virginia 0-5 years experience: $48,500 10+ experience: $98,800 12. University of California - San Diego 0-5 years experience: $43,700 10+ experience: $93,400 13. New York University 0-5 years experience: $49,800 10+ experience: $93,200 14. University of California - Santa Barbara 0-5 years experience: $44,000 10+ experience: $92,100 15. Yale University 0-5 years experience: $54,100 10+ experience: $92,000 Not sure if you want to study computer science yet? Do some research and browse our database of 60,000+successful college application filesto see what students similar to you are studying!​

Definition and Examples of Buzzwords in English

Definition and Examples of Buzzwords in English Buzzword is an informal term for a fashionable word or phrase thats often used more to impress or persuade than to inform. Also called a  buzz term, buzz phrase, vogue word, and fashion word. The second edition of Random House Websters Unabridged Dictionary  defines buzzword as a word or phrase, often sounding authoritative or technical, that is a vogue term in a particular profession, field of study, popular culture, etc. In  Communication at a Distance,  Kaufer and Carley nicely observe that buzzwords come under attack with the recognition that a person may be trying to pass off for substance or meat the hum of a buzzwords remote implications. Examples and Observations For months the [Federal Reserve] used the word ‘patience’ to describe its stance toward a rate hike. Having lost ‘patience’ in March, the new buzzword is ‘flexible.’ As used by the Fed, the terms are essentially synonymous. But get used to hearing ‘flexible.’ It’s going to be around for a while.(Dunstan Prial, Flexibility New Fed Buzzword. Fox News, May 14, 2015)Iterate- Weve long lamented the rise of trendy language in advertising and business, but while we’ve played buzzword bingo and occasionally pointed fingers at those who speak in clichà ©s, something more serious lies beneath the jargon.The catchphrases we use serve as a shared language- they’re how we signal our belonging to the tribe of marketers. But when highly precise terms are misappropriated in an attempt to project a false sense of authority, that’s when we lose meaning. . . .Iterate. Once iterate meant a design process where various eleme nts would progress through sequential steps, to hone in on the optimal solution; now it means nothing beyond merely describing a stage in a process.(Tom Goodwin, 8 Media Buzzwords That Weve Lost Forever. Adweek, 2014)The dictionary tells us that iterate means to do again and again. In its buzzword guise, it is one of many design terms that has jumped the rhetorical fence, pulled along by related terms like innovate, into philanthropy. Sexier than your grandmother’s pilot program, iterations mean trying something small, learning from it, and improving as you go along.(Lucy Bernholz, Buzzwords to Watch in 2015. The Chronicle of Philanthropy, December 8, 2014) Sound ScienceNo one . . . is sure what sound science means.The phrase has more to do with anti-regulatory lobbying than with laboratory results, said Donald Kennedy, the former head of the Food  and Drug Administration and now the editor in chief of the influential magazine Science.Sound science is whatever somebody likes, Kennedy said. Its essentially a politically useful term, but it doesnt have any normative meaning whatsoever. My science is sound science, and the science of my enemies is junk science.The phrase has been on a roll since 1992, when lobbyists for the tobacco industry argued that no sound science showed that secondhand smoke is a health hazard.(Iris Kuo, Sound Science Isnt Just a Catch Phrase- Its a Real Persuasive Technique. Knight Ridder Newspapers, May 3, 2006)Reform[T]oo often, the word reform is co-opted to add a veneer of credibility to lazy thinking and bad ideas. Reform must be more than a password politicians whisper in search of approval. Or a buzzword ta cked on to a poorly crafted policy. True reform isn’t a test of rhetoric, or salesmanship, or spin.(Bill Shorten, Reform Should Be More Than a Buzzword. The Australian, November 7, 2015) Leverage and DeleverageLeverage is a word heard frequently during the current financial crisis. It means borrowing heavily to maximize investment returns. The problem is that leverage was used to invest in mortgages that went bad. The new buzzword in the financial world is deleverage.(Chris Arnold, Financial Sectors New Buzzword Is Deleverage, Morning Edition, NPR, Sep. 19, 2008)Personalized LearningLets do a fact check. Personalized learning is a  buzzword  for software programs that act like automatic tutors: giving feedback, allowing students to go at their own pace and recommending lessons based on a students previous work.(Anya Kamenetz, Mark Zuckerberg Is Betting Tech Can Address Educational Equity. Is It That Simple? NPR, December 5, 2015) Buzzwords in Business Writing The Fortune 500 communications professionals surveyed for this stylebook are split down the middle when it comes to the use of buzzwords in business writing. Approximately half disdain buzzwords of any kind while the other half think some buzzwords are effective (for instance, bottom line, globalize, incentivize, leverage, paradigm shift, proactive, robust, synergy and value-added). As a general rule, use buzzwords judiciously, always keeping the readers in mind. If a buzzword is lively and capable of injecting some spunk into a dull sentence (and it does not alienate the readers), then use it.(Helen Cunningham and Brenda Greene, The Business Style Handbook. McGraw-Hill, 2002)Im  no fan of buzzwords. I dislike them so much I created my own buzzword to describe the fight against overused workplace gibberish: dynamic jargon disruption.  Its a phrase Im hoping will catch on, but even a nationally renowned dynamic jargon disrupter like myself will admit that some buzzwords have their place. One of those is engagement.You hear it a lot these days, and with good reason. Engagement, which is essentially how much you dig your job, has been shown quantitatively and qualitatively to have a direct impact on productivity.Its a simple concept, really. If you like your job and care about your job and feel invested in the work youre doing, youll work harder and the company will retain quality workers.(Rex Huppke, Engagement Is a Buzzword Worth Making Noise About. Chicago Tribune, April 17, 2015) Of all the buzzwords to evolve in management science, change may be the most venerable of all.  A buzzword is  assumed to represent such a good thing that its use and form are unexamined.(Jonathan I. Klein, Corporation Failure by Design. Greenwood, 2000)GranularityTheres that word again: granularity.Its a mouthful of a term used by guys like Army Lt. Gen. David H. Petraeus, the top U.S. commander in Iraq; retired Gen. Barry McCaffrey; and White House press secretary Tony Snow. . . .Lately, people have been invoking the word to mean specificity. Certain things, such as the administrations vision for the future of Iraq, lack granularity. Newlyweds dreams, psychic-network predictions, and late-night kitchen-table get-rich-quick schemes also suffer from granularity deprivation. . . .Granularity is a hot word, says Mike Agnes, editor in chief of Websters New World dictionaries, in Cleveland. It gives people a word they can use for a new way of looking at thingswhether it be engineerin g, business, politicsand a new way of evaluating.It means depth of detail, he says. If you were a photographer or an astronomer, speaking of an image, you would use the term resolution.All of a sudden, Agnes says, granularity is a buzzword.(Linton Weeks, Granularity: The Nitty-Gritty About This Particulate of Speech. The Washington Post, Feb. 7, 2007) Buzzword Bingo in the U.K.Office jargon has become so prevalent in the UK, people are using phrases and happily admitting they have no idea what they are talking about. A new survey by Office Angles found 65% of those who attend daily meetings frequently encountered business jargon.It has even spurned a new boardroom pastimebuzzword bingo, in which employees gleefully tick off corporate-speak used by their bosses.(Buzzword Bingo: Coining the Lingo, BBC News, Feb. 15, 2000)The Coming and Going of BuzzwordsEvery decade seems to have its particular buzz words that roar through the culture and become mantras in media, business, and political lexicons, then disappear after a few years like Boy George. Topping the business charts in 1970s was the very buzzy Management by ObjectiveMBO. CEOs and Governors twitched with excitement over it. And remember synergism, in the 1980s? It sounded vaguely sexual. America was going through one of its frequent merger cycles and synergy was the yellow bri ck road. That is until vertical integration came along.(Tom Alderman, The Best Buzzwords of the Year. The Huffington Post, September 25, 2008) The Lighter Side of Buzzwords (Simpsons Style)Executive:  We at the network want a dog with attitude. Hes  edgy, hes  in your face. Youve heard the expression lets get busy? Well, this is a dog who gets  biz-zay! Consistently and thoroughly.Krusty the Clown:  So hes  proactive, huh?Executive:  Oh, God, yes. Were talking about a totally outrageous  paradigm.Meyers:  Excuse me, but  proactive  and  paradigm? Arent these just  buzzwords  that dumb people use to sound important? Not that Im accusing you of anything like that. Im fired, arent I?Executive:  Oh, yes.(The Itchy Scratchy Poochie Show.  The Simpsons, 1997)

Value Chain Analysis for Amazon

Value Chain Analysis for Amazon Introduction From its launch in 1995, Amazon has grown to become the main choice for online shoppers across the world based on its array of quality products. Amazon Company’s success has been impressive, thanks to the company’s efforts to address its core competencies.Advertising We will write a custom report sample on Value Chain Analysis for Amazon specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Using VRIO analysis, this paper discusses research and development, organization culture, customer relations, incumbent advantages, and branding as Amazon Company’s key competencies. Amazon’s Core Competencies The Research and Development (RD) has initiated and executed ideas such as Listmania and Kindle, which have proved valuable to the company. These ideas have attracted many consumers since they allow them to choose the products they find most valuable. Nonetheless, these ideas are not rare since Amazon’s competitors have parallel technologies. For instance, the Noble Company has a feature that enables clients to share opinions on products they have searched or bought. These products are expensive to imitate because of the corresponding technological dexterity and high costs to develop features such as Kindle. Moreover, these features are appropriate for the success of the organization since the efforts by the RD department are met to enhance consumer shopping experience (Mennen 45). As Hill and Gareth confirm, Amazon has established an organizational culture whereby ideals such as prudence and leadership are given top priority (56). This organizational norm is dear to the firm since it keeps it at the forefront of other companies in the industry in terms of efficient exploitation of resources and the introduction of changes in the company. However, this culture is not rare since most organizations encourage frugality and good leadership.Advertising Looking for report on business econom ics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Moreover, it is not difficult to imitate it since its implementation is inexpensive and publicly available in Amazon’s website. This organization culture that promotes prudence and leadership is relevant for the organization since it attracts and retains customers. It improves consumer experience, thus granting the company advantage over its competitors (Amazon 12). Harris says that the company recognizes that maintaining good customer relations is crucial to its prosperity (10). The company finds it valuable to allow shoppers to review the products to attract other potential customers. However, this strategy is not rare since most companies have similar tendencies of allowing their customers to share opinions on their (companies) products. Furthermore, this idea is not technical to imitate since firms should only comprehend the anticipations of their clients and strive to satisfy them. Maintaining a good rapport with customers is appropriate for the organization, as it helps to control the online commercial market (Mennen 67). Amazon joined the online shopping business at time when there were few online users or online shopping firms. Being the first in the industry has been of great value, as it has enjoyed several incumbent advantages such as the economies of scale of the business. This opportunity is a rare since there can only be one first-enterer. Additionally, it is hard to mimic incumbent companies in other industries that strive to offer similar services because of competition. The benefits of the first entry are appropriate for the organization they limit the chances of rivals surpassing the Amazon in the industry (Harris 10). The brand of the company, which is associated with one of the greatest rivers, is of utmost value to the company since it has linked it to greatness by attracting many online shoppers. Its branding is rare since most clients o nly connect the name to the company. Moreover, it is also not a viable duplicate the brand. Using Amazon as the company’s name makes the organization well known and hence successful.Advertising We will write a custom report sample on Value Chain Analysis for Amazon specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Conclusion In the past two decades, Amazon has consistently grown to become the first choice for online shoppers. It has been attentive to customers’ needs following its provision of a platform that allows them to review their products, thus maintaining a good rapport with shoppers. If Amazon maintains these prudent strategies, it will continue to control the online shopping industry. Amazon. 2013 Annual Report, 2013. Web. http://phx.corporate-ir.net/phoenix.zhtml?c=97664p=irol-reportsAnnual. Harris, Jim. â€Å"Amazons runaway success.† Backbone 1.1(2012): 10. Print. Hill, Charles, and Jones Gareth. Essentials of Strat egic Management. Ohio, OH: Cengage, 2011. Print. Mennen, Miriam. Global Corporate Strategy A Critical Analysis and Evaluation of Amazon.com. Germany: GRIN Verlag, 2010. Print.

Dude, your a Fag Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Dude, your a Fag - Essay Example Pascoe dealt with the issues of racial diversity in a very delicate manner while making her point. This is followed by an explanation of the significance of compulsory heterosexuality in the discourse of masculinity. Pascoe sufficiently highlights the rape culture while explaining how boys tend to escape the specter of being a fag. Pasco then highlights and compares the aspect of masculinity between two groups of girls. The first group is that of gay-straight political young girls and the other group is that of jocks that may often be seen playing basketball that represent the hip-hop culture and are generally black. Many girls belonging to the second category are lesbians. The popular basketball girls tend to be more masculine in their actions and behavior as compared to the GSA girls that would rather investigate such norms. With this, Pascoe concludes that masculinity fits good with the girls who project patriarchal norms. In the end, Pascoe suggests some policies that would incre ase the awareness and tolerance of the high school management towards the gender diversity and expression of sexuality. Thus, they would be in a position to minimize harassment of gay students, girlish boys and other female students in the high schools.

The impact of leadership or Entrepreneurship Literature Review Essay

The impact of leadership or Entrepreneurship Literature Review - Essay Example A series of studies published in regard to this issue has been reviewed in order to identify the key aspects of the involvement of leadership in organization. It has been proved that leadership can highly impact modern organizations; still, the level at which leadership affects organizations is not standardized. Rather, differences seem to exist under the influence of internal and external organizational environment. In addition, the impact of leadership in organizations can have many aspects; reference can be made, as an example, to the influence of leadership on organizational strategy (Fairholm 2009). The literature review is presented in section 2 of this study. The particular section, which is the study’s main body, has been divided into two parts. The first one presents the literature that addresses the potentials of leadership to impact organizational performance. Then, in the second part of section 2, the various aspects of impact of leadership in organizations are ana lytically presented using relevant academic studies. 2. Impact of leadership in organizational performance – literature review 2.1 Can leadership impact organizational performance? Udoh and Agu (2012) have investigated the potential influence of two specific types of leadership, the transformational and the transactional leadership, in organizations operating in the manufacturing industry of Nigeria. The workers of three organizations operating in the particular industry have been asked to participate in the survey. A total of 286 workers have accepted to state their view in regard to the issues explored through the particular study. It should be noted that workers at different level of the organizational hierarchy have participated in the study, aiming to secure the study’s credibility. The responses of the participants indicated a close relationship between the two leadership styles, i.e. the transformational and the transactional leadership, and organizational perfo rmance (Udoh and Agu 2012). The importance of the above study can be identified at this point: the study of Udoh and Agu (2012) shows that, even if based on different approaches for enhancing employee performance, the transformational and the transactional leadership are equally powerful in securing high employee performance. On the other hand, for Boerner, Eisenbeiss and Griesser (2007) transformational leadership is more likely to boost organizational performance, compared to transactional leadership. The above researchers used both the literature review and the empirical research in order to check the impact of transformational leadership and organizational performance. The review of the literature related to this issue revealed that transformational leadership can enhance employee performance by focusing on the relationship between the leader and employees (Boerner, Eisenbeiss and Griesser 2007). Indeed, it seems that through transformational leadership ‘trust, agreement o n values and self efficacy’ (Boerner, Eisenbeiss and Griesser 2007, p.15) help employees to keep their performance at high levels, a fact that positively affects organizational performance. When the effectiveness of transactional lea

Research design and methodlogy Essay Example for Free

Research design and methodlogy Essay This chapter presents and discusses the method of research used and the procedures utilized by the researcher in this study. It likewise includes the sources of data and the treatment of data. Methodology of the study This investigation adopted the compare and contrast qualitative research method as this is the most appropriate way in determining the effect the type of business to the success of the business. In addition, the quantitative approach was included to complement the qualitative part of this research. The Archival Research is defined by Bordens, Kenneth S. , and Abbott, Bruce B. , (1999) as a non-experimental strategy that involves studying existing records. These records can be historical account of events, census data, court records, police crime reports, or any other archived information. This qualitative study is divided by two parts. They are: 1. Compare Motherhood and Feminism in Beloved 2. Contrast Motherhood and Feminism in Beloved. And, the quantitative study focused on interviewing twenty persons who have read the Beloved novel. The researcher took pains in reading, searching and analysis of the different parts of this study. The researcher examined the comparison and contrast of Motherhood and Feminism in Beloved. The historical background is one of the main focus of this study including their success. The final phase was the analysis, presentation and the drawing of the conclusions and the recommendation. RESEARCH INSTRUMENT The primary research instrument and technique was used in the gathering of data for this study. In addition, the researcher used secondary sources taken from books and journals. These secondary sources had guided the researcher to broaden the point of understanding specifically the effect of Motherhood on Feminism in Beloved. The analysis of variance was used to compare the different topics found in Beloved and the respondents answers grouped according to Age, Gender and Highest Educational Attainment. The formula for Analysis of Variance includes Y i = e i where e i is N(0, ? 2 ) [2. 1] RESEARCH PROCEDURE The researcher seeks the primary as well as secondary materials as the best way to examine the effect of Slavery on Motherhood and Feminism in the Beloved Novel. After a through studying, reading and scrutinizing the different data, it is best to use the secondary sources as a basis for company business analysis and then coming up with the output – Results of the Effect of Slavery on Motherhood and Feminism in the Beloved Novel. Chapter IV PRESENTATION, ANALYSIS, AND INTERPRETATION OF DATA This chapter puts forward the presentation, analysis and interpretation of the data collected. The questions identified in the problem are used as the bases for the presentation. The sequence of the structure includes table, analysis and interpretation of the data of the current study. PRESENTATION OF THE STUDY PART I 1. Compare Slavery to Feminism in the Beloved novel. There are similarities between slavery and feminism in the Beloved novel. 1. 1 Both slaves and women have responsibilities in the Beloved Novel. The slaves must clean the homes and even be the unwilling sex toys of their owners. The women have the responsibility to take care of the children in the Beloved Novel. Here, the Nation Journal states about Morrisons intentions in writing Beloved, â€Å"What is this absolute obsession with violence? I mean, violence is two things. First of all, it takes a certain amount of courage, physical courage, but it also requires a certain laziness of intellect. So its both easy and hard. Its such a childs view, as is the puny language that accompanies it. I guess I shouldnt dump that on children, but it certainly is not adult. † The language of literature that is bellicose, that is warlike, is the prized language 1. 2 Both slaves and women have feelings. For, both the slaves and the women can feel both sad and happy. Sethe was sad to feel that her child, Beloved would grow up a slave like her. Sethe felt sad when she knew she would never see her husband again. Here, Toni Morrison has conjured a way to bring back the past to the readers of this novel where slaves too have feelings . 2. Contrast Slavery to Feminism in the Beloved novel. There are differences between Slavery and Feminism in the Beloved novel. 2. 1 Slaves are the property of the owners but Women are not the property of their husbands. For the slave owners feel that they have the right to rape the women slaves because they feel that slaves as their property. The wives cannot be forced to have sex with their husbands or anyone else against their will . 2. 2 Slaves can not own their children but free women can own their children. Sethe killed Beloved because she did not want her to grow up and suffer as a slave like her. She is too possessive of her children. Women who are free, includes freed African Americans, can own their children. Beloved flirts with Paul D. because she wants to have a child of her own. She plans to take care of the child until it grows old. She wants to give her child the love and caring that her mother, Sethe, was too selfish to give her . 2. 3 Slaves have no freedom to do what they want whereas free women are free to do what they want anytime provided it does not violate the rights of others. The slaves are classified as animals in Beloved and have to right or privilege. However, free women a right to fall in love and to roam anywhere they want. This is the reason why Sethe ran away from her owners. This is also the main reason why Sethe’s husband, Paul D. and Stamp paid ran away from their owners. Sethe’s mother in law, Baby Suggs feels that she is now happy for being free to stay at her home to do whatever she wants . Being an African American herself, Toni Morrison â€Å"Historically, women in Africa have dominated the use (and instruction) of literary forms that include proverbs and folk- tales. In consequence, it is important to determine the scope of the narrative traditions in black womens literature and to specify the nature of this relationshipto discuss olktales, for example, in conjunction with the voices of/in the tales. The tellers, the mode of telling, the complications and sometimes obfuscations of telling become critical not only to the folkloric traditions, but to the larger narrative traditions as well† PART II This quantitative essay was done in order to know how people feel about the Beloved story by African American Toni Morrison which was published recently in 1987. For the society changes and humans evolve both in mind and in spirit. The environment where one lives is called reality. And literature evolves or alters its role, its action, its form of practice just like the environment of which it is a part. The people reading the book will cherish their past where their grandparents were once slaves or owners of slaves. 4. 0Frequency 4. 1 Age Table 1 AGE of Respondents Age Range Frequency Percent Rank. 15- 24 11 55 1 25- 34 5 25 2 34- 44 3 15 3 45- above 1 5 4 Total 20 100 The above table shows that there are eleven respondents belong to the 15 -24 age level. This group represents fifty five percent of the entire respondent population. This group level is ranked 1 in the above table based on their percentage. Also, there are five respondents belonging to the 25 -34 age level. This group represents twenty five percent of the entire respondent population. This group level is ranked 2 in the above table based on their percentage. There are three respondents belonging to the 35- 45 age level. This group represents fifteen percent of the entire respondent population. This group level is ranked 3 in the above table based on their percentage. Lastly, there is only one respondent belonging to the 45 and above age level. This group represents five percent of the entire respondent population. This group level is ranked 4 in the above table based on their percentage. There are more respondents belonging to the 15- 25 age level. 4. 2 Gender Table 2 GENDER of Respondents Gender Frequency Percent Rank F 14 70 1 M 6 30 2 Total 20 100 The above table shows that there are fourteen respondents belong to the Female Gender. This group represents seventy percent of the entire respondent population. This group level is ranked 1 in the above table based on their percentage. Also, there are six respondents belonging to the Males Gender. This group represents Thirty percent of the entire respondent population. This group level is ranked 2 in the above table based on their percentage. There are more respondents belonging to the Female Gender. 4. 3 Education.

Reactions to Oppression in Jamaica and South Africa :: Jamaica Oppressed Culture Religion Essays

Reactions to Oppression in Jamaica and South Africa "Bob Marley said How long shall they kill our prophets While we stand aside and look Little did he know that eventually The enemy will stand aside and look While we slash and kill our own brothers Knowing that already they are the victims of the situation" Lucky Dube, Victims Lucky Dube is a reggae artist from South Africa singing in a fight against oppression in his country. Like Jamaica, South Africa has been oppressed since the days of the European colonizers. The only difference is some Africans lost their land and others were stolen from their land. In this paper, the reactions of Africans (Jamaicans included) to oppression will be surveyed through politics, religion, and music. This will be done through a comparison of these ideas between South Africa and Jamaica. Both these countries have been subjected to nearly 400 years of oppression of Europeans over Africans. The oppression of the indigenous people of South Africa began with the colonization by the Dutch through the Dutch East India Company. The cape of South Africa proved to be a perfect resting spot for ships on their course from Holland or India. (Lapping, p. 1-2) Conflict was inevitable and finally after 7 years of settlement the indigenous Khoikhoi attacked the colony. The Khoikhioi could not match the firearms of the Dutch. (Lapping, p. 3) Van Riebeek, who proceeded over the colony had now gained superiority over the indigenous people, imported slaves, and settled the freeburghers. The freeburghers were settled on large farms, which required strong laborers. This is where the slaves came in handy since the colony did not like the Khoikhoi labor. As the freeburghers and the slaves married, a population called the Cape coloreds arose. No more Dutch were sent since this was to be a refreshing post. In 1688, after an outbreak of religious persecution in France, some two hundred French H ugeuenots arrived. (Lapping, p. 3-5) As the colony grew, the farmers (Boers) began to move forward inland. The conflicts between them and the indigenous people increased. By 1702, fights began breaking out with another indigenous culture, the Xhosa. The white mans claim to the land, ‘We were here first.’ This is however not true because the Portuguese had traded with the Xhosa before the Dutch arrived. These were not the only inhabitants of the interior, there were as the Sotho, which are now present day Botswanans and the Zulu.

Kate Chopin and the Awakening

What features make The Awakening a â€Å"local color† story? The amount of detail that is spent on the area and is significant. Every time a character that is colored is introduced, limited time is spent describing the character. Local color is what defines an area, town or people. â€Å"The Awakening† touches deeply on all of the local color of the area it is describing. What customs and beliefs of Edna Pontellier's society are significant in relation to her psychological development? To be a good person in Edna’s society meant being a mother figure who completely surrenders her sense of self in favor of her husband and children. Edna is trying to become a human being the best way she knows how. Edna refuses to take the mother road. Instead, she seeks her humanity What attitudes and tendencies in the Creole characters does Edna have trouble adjusting to? Creole society is very open when it comes to sexuality, and Edna has trouble with that. She was not brought up in the Creole society, so she has trouble accepting it. Examples can be seen when they pass around the novel that has explicit sexual content while on vaction. It can also be seen in Robert's behavior. He is very openly flirtatious with Edna, and he has the repuation of being a flirt in the past with other women. Why did Edna marry Leonce? Is he the model husband? She married him because she didn't want her father to choose her husband. She wanted the freedom of being able to choose herself. â€Å"Was he the best choice? † Probably not for Edna but it was who she chose. What incidents in the novel reveal that he may not be a good husband for Edna? As a traditional Creole gentleman of the times, Leonce believes it is his duty to provide financially for the family and it is Edna's duty to be devoted to him, their two children, and their home. When Edna suggests she is not interested in these domestic duties, Leonce is incapable of comprehending what she means. In his mind, this line of thinking is utterly ridiculous. Against that backdrop, Leonce's inability to communicate effectively with his wife expands the problem. When Edna shares her feelings with Leonce, he dismisses them. When her behavior contradicts his expectations, he dismisses them. By dismissing Edna and her concerns and never communicating with her about them, Leonce severs any ties that exist between the two. How do Mlle. Reisz and Mme. Ratignolle function in relation to Edna and the novel's view of women as mothers and artists? Mme. Ratignolle shows the society's view of women as mothers. Her advice to Edna is to â€Å"remember the children. † Ratignolle is loving and nurturing, but devoid of independence or personality. Mlle. Reisz, though, is living her life as she desires, not caring what society thinks of her. She is able to be extravagant and lavish, fully embracing her artistic capabilities because she does not have other obligations. She denies society's structure, and encourages Edna to do the same. This free lifestyle is what Edna comes to desire and seek for herself. What kind of mother is Edna? What kind of artist is she? Painting evokes the passion that Edna lacks in her life. There are suggestions that Edna's art is somehow flawed. Madame Reisz cautions Edna about what it takes to be an artist, the â€Å"courageous soul† and the â€Å"stronged wings. † Edna also loves her children, however she would not give herself to her children but rather sacriface herself for them. She realizes that she has lives in a society filled with limitations, therefore sees her only way out by freeing herself permanently from society. How are the background characters such as the young lovers and the lady in black at the shore, significant in Edna's story? These minor characters all serve to contrast with Edna and her struggles with her own identity and place in society. The young lovers are a stark contrast to the marriage of Edna and Leonce, at least as Edna perceives her marriage. The young lovers are described as walking shoulder to shoulder, suggesting they are equals and connected. Edna does not feel this with Leonce. The lady in black is likely an old widow who is now living out the end of her life in the expected way. She wears the color of mourning and serves as a visible picture of what the last phase of what life is like in this society. In detail, explain how the flashbacks to Edna's past function. How does her father compare to the other men in her life? In the first one, Edna is talking to Robert and recalls a â€Å"summer day in Kentucky, of a meadow that seemed as big as the ocean. † This memory reveals to us that Edna's interest in running away and being engulfed by something larger than itself has its manifestations in her childhood and is not something that she is just starting to consider as an unhappy wife and mother in Creole New Orleans. As the chapter progresses we learn that Edna had some â€Å"loves† in her past, but that they were more of her imagination than any possibility of reality. † With all of this flashback information, it comes as no surprise then that when Leonce woos her, even though she doesn't love him. Leonce is everything her father isn't, and that is part of his appeal. Edna even openly admits that the fact that Leonce is Catholic and that that would irritate her father is one of the reasons she agreed to marry him. This flashback gives us a very complete picture of Edna's history in regards to men and establishes the foundations of her marriage to Leonce. This has a great effect on the reading of the novel. It makes Edna's character more complex and more interesting How does the view of romantic love develop in the course of the novel? What is the doctor's view of marriage and childbearing? The genuine affection that develops between Edna Pontellier and Robert Lebrun is a form of romantic love. They shared their thoughts on a range of subjects that might appear uninteresting to others. As their friendship grew, they become more comfortable with one another. Robert rests his head on Mrs. Pontellier because it is comfortable. His goal is not to be forward or flirtatious. Roberts’s romantic feelings for Edna increase as this intimacy grows. Robert leaves for Mexico very soon afterwards. He hopes to escape his feelings because he realizes that he has fallen in love with Edna. His love developed naturally over time. His feelings morphed from a close friendship into emotional intimacy/understanding and then into love. Can you think of an emotional attachment and/or a romantic obsession you have studied in a previous work? How does that incident or character compare with Edna's emotional and romantic relationships? In a book i recently read, the main character's wife has a small dilema. She loves the man she is married to but rejects him at the same time. The reason she rejects him is because she was chosen as his wife and she did not get to choose him. Its a bit more complicated than this but this is a basic summary. This compares to Edna because she doesn't want a husband to choose her. She wants to choose the husband. She picks a man based on how he woos her nicely. This causes the ultimate problem that she ends up not loving her husband. The similarity is in the differences. Both took a different path to get to the same area. The end result was the same though. The women in the book I read, ran away. Edna committed suicide in order to run away. What are the main images and symbols in the novel? One of the main themes is the Sea. At the very end of the novel, Edna drowns herself. The irony of the scene is that Edna has learned how to swim, so here she is certainly exhibiting an act of agency by swimming far out into the water that used to scare her. Now, she is not scared and as she swims she recalls all the troubles and misunderstandings of her life. Her drowning symbolically represents her freeing herself from what she felt was a life of restriction. Here in the water, she experiences that which her life did not allow. The novel starts with the symbol of a caged bird, and references birds in several other chapters as well. The caged bird is a clear symbol for Edna as she feels caged in her roles of wife and mother and in the expectations that the Creole society has imposed on her. Later in the novel Reisz questions whether Edna has strong enough wings to fly above the social conventions of the time to be truly free of the rules and norms of the day. In the end, Edna sees a bird with a broken wing, just as she is not strong enough (or willing enough) to struggle on this society. Why does Edna get involved with Alcee Arobin? Alcee Arobin follows Edna around and spends a great deal of time with her while Mr. Pontellier is not home. At first it is just friendship, Edna takes no real interest in Alcee because her love lies with Robert. She has secretly always hoped for Robert, but Alcee is conveniently there. Sick of her old life, Edna simply takes up Alcee as a lover for the companionship. In a sense, she lives out her relationship-fantasy of Robert with Alcee. Why do you suppose critics were outraged at this novel in 1899, saying it committed â€Å"unutterable crimes against polite society† and should be labeled â€Å"poison† to protect â€Å"moral babes†? The story showed a women reaching the ultimate low because of rules society layed out. She killed herself because she felt that everything constricted her too much. I think that the reason they called it so horrible is because it showed the darker side to the norms of society. It also showed how oppressed women really were. What is your reaction to the end of the novel? Do you agree or disagree with the reasons for Edna's final action? I agree with her final action because I think too much damage had already been done. If she had gone back and told her husband she wanted a divorce, I think he would of brushed it away. She had a person who would of loved her and treated her like an equal. He saw that he had fallen in love with her and left to Mexico. The best oppertunity for her to get what she needed stepped out the door right then. The story also hints that she has always run away from her problems and not looked at them straight on. This means that all her problems have been building up over her life. I don't think that amount of damage is reversable.

Political Theory Essay

Envy Test—The theory that the division of resources is actually equal if and only if one person does not prefer someone else’s portion of the wealth to his own. That means that if everyone in society is ahppy with what they have as compared to what everyone else has then the society passes the envy test. This has never happened and seems contrary to human nature. The further fallacy is that it could ever be achieved in that some people are born with innate talents that cannot be changed to give them fewer resources. Unremunerated rights—Proponents of this political theory argue that the Bill of Rights was not intended as a list of all the rights a person should be guaranteed under the Constitution. They argue that rights not listed, for instance the right to privacy, still exist. This theory was first put forth by the Warren Court in arguing that people had a right to privacy. It is also frequently used in the abortion rights debate as a justification for a woman’s right to control her own body. Politics of recognition—this is the political theory that argues we can only achieve enlightenment and equality when we recognize that people are not homogenous and acknowledge the inherent differences among people. This is almost the exact opposite of politics of equality which claim that all people have the same basic needs, wants and desires and should be treated all the same. Civic engagement—is the term used to define a person’s involvement in the social and political causes of the world around them. In psychology, it used primarily to describe how involved a person is in social causes—volunteering at a soup kitchen, etc. In political science terms, it is used to define how involved a person is in the participatory aspects of government—do they just vote, take an active role in campaigns, support certain candidates, etc. Black consciousness—primarily used in relation to South African politics, this is the theory than being black is more than a skin color and represents the way the minority chooses to act toward itself and toward others. The movement argues that blacks in South Africa exploit each other more than whites exploit each other and that part of the problem is a culturally defined set of values and attributes that they have accepted about themselves. The movement calls for blacks to band together to change the way they treat themselves and to change the way they are treated by the remainder of society. Veil of ignorance—this is the theory that citizens are deliberately kept in the dark about the actual effects of certain legislation. In 1971, philosopher John Rawls argued that social justice requires that people be blind to the way something will impact them in particular and look instead to how it affects society as whole. In recent years, the argument has been made the special interest groups have lifted the veil of ignorance making everyone consider how legislation affects them personally. Universal citizenship—the goal of universal citizenship is to eliminate all barriers to participation in the political process. Thus, under a proposal for it in the European Union, even children would have the right to vote, though this would be carried out by their parents until they reached a certain age either 16 or 18. It assumes that everyone should have an equal right to participate in the political process. Anthropocentrism—is the process of viewing things from a solely human perspective and the word is usually used in a derogatory sense implying that by being so self-absorbed in the wants, needs and desires of humanity we may be ignoring the needs of another equally important species. This is completely in opposition to the concepts of survival of the fittest and to the victor goes the spoils. According to Dworkin, Adrian (the gardener) owes nothing to Bruce (the tennis player), as a matter of justice. Although they will have unequal goods, this is not unjust. However, Adrian might owe something to Claude (the unsuccessful gardener), and Adrian’s descendents may owe something to Bruce’s descendents. Why? In your answer, be sure to identify and apply Dworkin’s theory of distributive justice. In Dworkin’s theory of distributive justice, the beginnings are the all important state as is their impact on the end.   In this scenario, the statement that Adrian owes nothing to Bruce implies that they began life with equal resources or that Bruce began life with greater resources. It does not discuss whether Bruce might owe something to Adrian. Likewise, by saying that Adrian might owe something to Claude, who is unemployed, it implies that Claude and Adrian have equal resources and equal talents, but that Adrian has been successful where Claude has not. Furthermore, by saying that Adrian’s descendants might owe something to Bruce’s descendents the question implies that those descendants might have unequal beginning resources and ending statuses. The key to Dworkin’s distribution of wealth theory is that equal resource means equality. Therefore, if both Adrian and Bruce have the same basic resources—family, education, etc.—then they have met the initial requirement for equality. However, when a situation develops so that Adrian envies the things that Bruce has, the equality is gone. The problem with Dworkin’s theory is that it fails to address the impact of talents in the equation and also fails to address non-financial aspects of the envy test. For example, if Adrian and Bruce are able to achieve equal financial success with their respective professions, they should be equal under the envy test, but if Adrian believes (accurately or not) that Bruce has a more glamorous life with less work, more access to fame, etc., then the situation may still fail the envy test. This example perfectly demonstrates the flaws in the envy test and in Dworkin’s theory. Regardless of the flaws, Dworkin’s theory has been largely employed and thus the other caveats of the question.   The way that Dworkin’s theory has been employed, it is accepted as a given that Claude, who is unemployed, will be envious of Adrian and therefore they will be unequal. To even out this inequality, the government application of the theory has been to take resources (in the form of taxes) from Adrian and give them to Claude. The problem with this solution is that it can create envy in the opposite direction. To make them equal, you would have to remove half of what Adrian has and give it to Claude so that he would not be envious of Adrian. Then, the two would have equal resources.   Then, however, Adrian is likely to be jealous of Claude who has all the same things that Adrain does but who has not had to work for them; he will envy Claude’s lifestyle. Ultimately, much of the bashing done about the distribution of wealth system comes down to just that—another form of envy. The liberal view of universal citizenship has been challenged by feminists and advocates for race-based identity politics. What is this view, what about it has been challenged, and what is it alleged to be missing? In your answer, discuss the theories of Young/MacKinnon and Fanon/Biko. The problem with the liberal view of universal citizenship is that it requires as basis equality. If all people were equal, had always been equal, and would always been equal, then the concept of universal citizenship would be not only valid, but the appropriate thing to promote. However, the reason that it is widely-challenged by feminists and advocated for race-based identity politics is that at no point in human history have individuals ever been treated as true equals. MacKinnon and other feminists argue that it is more likely that without identifiable and motivate sub-groups of voters, the system will default o maintaining the status quo and will as a consequence promote dominance by white male society. Fanon’s argument is similar though not exactly the same. He argues that to appreciate the value of citizenship, one must have been involved in a violent struggle to attain it. This is sort of revolutionary politics at heart. It assumes that people do not value rights that they are given so much as those that they fight for. The basic premised is that in fighting, through violent struggle to attain citizenship and later the rights conveyed with citizenship, the African-American (and to a lesser extent other racial groups) has gained a self-identity that would be lost if they had been granted universal citizenship. It is possible that the opposition to universal citizenship comes from our ingrained belief in traditional political theory as developed by dead white men who placed huge limitations on citizenship including social class, race, gender, age, land ownership and literacy as well as other requirements through the ages. It should also be considered whether, despite their high-minded motivations, feminists and others who have been granted citizenship and the rights therein are not opposing universal citizenship in their own out-moded version of us versus the other. As they are no longer a distinctive portion of the other, it is possible that they desire to continue to bestow that status on different individuals including recent immigrants and children. Conservative opponents to universal citizenship say that the concept eliminates concepts of national allegiance and even racial allegiance, leading to a homogony of people that destroys diversification and eliminates cultural differences. While some proponents would say that is exactly the point, opponents point out that assimilation of all different ideas into one mainstream is counterproductive and eliminates the desire for and will to change. Kymlicka claims that all approaches to contemporary political theory endorse the proposition that all persons should be treated as equals, and that their disagreement comes down to the practical question of what that entails. What must be done to treat all persons as equals, according to libertarianism, liberal equality, utilitarianism, feminism, and Marxism? According to libertarian philosophy, equality happens when people do not use force against one another and people are given all rights which do not impose on the rights of others. This is the ultimate culmination of the Wiccan creed of â€Å"It harm none, do what though wilt.†   Libertarians believe in the defensive use of force to protect what is yours, but are staunchly opposed to the use of aggressive force. Aggressive force can never be used to promote equality. Those who argue for liberal equality believe that it is the opportunity matters. If people are given an equal chance at success, then the system has been successful according to those who support liberal equality. Utilitarians believe that people are equal when the common good is enacted for the rights of all people and that the common good applies equally to all members of society. Proponents of this theory argue that good is the important motivator and if all the actions are taken in a strict moral and ethical stance for the good of all people then the actions are inherently equal. Feminism comes in two distinctive branches: one simply promoted that after years of oppression a woman is equal to a man and can therefore do anything he can do. In an extreme form of feminism, some believe that the woman’s capability of imbuing life and her propensity for compassion make her superior to the male of the species.   The problem in extreme forms of feminism is that they also believe women should be given more than equal opportunities in an effort to make up for the centuries of oppression by men and that men should be denigrated to the class of secondary citizens.  Ã‚   Marxist theory claims that men are unequal in their talents and abilities, but that one talent or ability should not be more highly valued than another—thus a person whose talent is in digging ditches should be as valued as a person whose talent is neurosurgery. Are equal rights sufficient for realizing justice? Why or why not? In your answer, consider and discuss those theories of justice that find equal rights sufficient as well as those that do not. Equal rights are not sufficient for justice. There must also be an equal application of those rights. For instance, if a black man and a white man are accused of a crime, both have an equal right under the law to a jury of their peers, but depending on the racial makeup of the jury selection pool, they may not have an equal opportunity for the enforcement of those rights. A black man may find himself facing a just or only white Americans and vice versa.   Likewise, technically a rich man and a poor man have the same right counsel if accused of a crime, but the reality of access tells us that the rich man will likely hire an independent lawyer and will be less likely to serve time for his crime.

Angelas ashes style essay essays

Angela's ashes style essay essays Angelas Ashes is an autobiographical memoir written by Frank McCourt about his childhood from his infant years in Brooklyn, through his adolescence in Limmerick, Ireland and his return to America at the age of nineteen. This novel is characterized by various aspect of style. McCourt uses rhetorical devices such as repetition and bombast to good effect, he uses irony especially when depicting the juvenile Frankie. His style is also characterized by a colloquial which is important to the realism of the text. A richly irony style typifies much of McCourts prose. McCourt uses irony which is use of the humorous words to imply the opposite of their actual meaning; when a straightforward statement is undermined by its context to provide a different significance. Like for example when Frankie gets confused about his birth, it creates a gloomy atmosphere. But because of McCourts use of irony, it creates humor that alleviates the gloom. McCourts style is also characterized by the use of repetition. Repetition is usually used for emphasis and McCourt uses this style of writing to give us a strong feeling of his state of mind at a particular point of his life especially through his suffering childhood full of poverty and sadness. It was of course, a miserable childhood; the happy childhood is hardly worth your while. Worse than the ordinary miserable childhood is the miserable childhood and worse yet is the miserable Irish catholic childhood. McCourts use of repetition pf the word miserable lets the readers know that McCourts memory of his childhood is only full of miserable events such as his brother and sisters death and being raised by a drunkard father who is obsessed with being patriotic and always questioning his son, Youll die for Ireland, wont you son? ...

Perspiration is Nothing without a Little Bit of Inspiration

Perspiration is Nothing without a Little Bit of Inspiration Inspiration and Success People need to be inspired to do their best.  Reward  and punishment, for instance, are traditional psychological techniques used by organizations to inspire people to peak performance. These external motivators according to literature make people work toward a certain goal and eventually succeed through  increased productivity and quality of work. Inspired people are mostly satisfied people having a sense of responsibility and commitment to the organization. In contrast, people with low level of motivation are not dedicated, unhappy, lazy, unenthusiastic, disengaged, and unproductive. Since motivated employees feel good about themselves, they normally performed beyond expectations and achieved the highest level of success. Motivation is a quest for personal gain thus, the pursuit of happiness often inspired people to become active and work hard until they are satisfied with the outcome. Similarly, empowerment is an important motivational tool as it can energize and excite people to work hard, make decisions, and take actions on their own. The study shows that empowered employees often have stronger work motivation, produce quality work, highly satisfied with their jobs, and stay longer in the organization. There are a number of things that motivate people and these include engagement with others animate and inanimate things, powers, spaces, and substances. For instance, social relationships inspire people to act in a way that is contingent on that relationship, accepted practices, a significance of places, and observed  values of people and things. For instance, monuments, paintings, sculptures, and others inspire and actively engage people because they have imaginary qualities that enable people to connect and look into other worlds. Want to know more? Go here: Relieving Students School-Related Stress Developing Students Creativity The Bright Sides of Academic Intellectuals We Call Nerds Junk Food in School Is Sports Competition Relevant to Academic Learning Common Study Inspirations Students are similar to musicians who need to be inspired to write a song. The desire of each student to study is determined by different motivational factors that include classroom climate, sociological factors such as competition and peer  pressure, relevance and confidence, achievement, and others. Study of high school students’ motivation in learning mathematics suggests that their level of self-efficacy and confidence is greatly affected by competition and peer pressure in the classroom. Similarly, anxiety over math subjects is commonly caused by students’ lack of confidence and perception of the relevance of studying  mathematics. In a comparative study of learners’ motivation in learning languages, suggest that motivation is an important factor that affects the desire to learn. Parental expectations played an important role in male students’ motivation to enroll and study advanced courses while female students’ motivation to learn science depends on their individual educational aspirations. Teacher’s enthusiasm is an important motivating factor mainly because the way to interest a class is to show them that you are interested. The study shows that teacher’s enthusiasm, energy, and vitality are correlated to higher achievement scores and test performance. Similarly, indirect teaching methods and the amount of movement, eye contact, and varied voice intonation aroused students desire to learn. Teacher’s genuine human sympathy satisfies students’ desire for relevance and natural curiosity over their studies. Students are better motivated when they are respected and given the opportunity to get involve and participate in class decision making. Moreover, they are often motivated by praise, positive feedback, and thoughts that achievement is possible.

Organization's financial statements Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Organization's financial statements - Essay Example In this way, the success of financial analysis process is depended on the use of accurate information, as incorporated in financial statements of each organization. Due to its role in the development of effective organizational decisions, the financial analysis has been extensively explored in the literature. Emphasis has been given to the different missions that financial analysis can achieve, as a decision making tool. It seems that the need for eliminating risks in regard to investment decisions has been the key reason for the expansion of financial analysis process (Lee et al. 2009, p.2). Indeed, it has been proved that financial analysis is an excellent tool for checking whether the existent capital of a firm is adequate for responding to the needs of a particular investment, either in the short or the long term (Lee et al. 2009, p.2). From a similar point of view Norman has argued that financial analysis is quite important for minimizing risks related to the potential participa tion of a firm in a stock exchange market (Norman 2011). Maitah et al. (2012) refer to the use of financial statement analysis in banks as a tool for identifying effective ‘investment and lending decisions’ (Maitah 2012, p.107). ... ? Financial statements most important in financial analysis (Zager & Zager 2006, p.36) Through the financial statement of each organization figures showing the performance of the organization to specific sectors can be retrieved. For example, reference could be made to Liabilities and Shareholders’ equity, as elements of a firm’s balance sheet, one of the most important financial statements of modern firms (Belkaoui 1998, p.2). The financial analysis process can help managers to check the relationship between their firms’ different financial statements; in this way, the actual financial performance of the firm can be identified. The tool used for achieving this target is the financial ration analysis. The above analysis is developed using financial ratios, i.e. figures showing ‘the expression of the relation between two financial statement accounts’ (Drake & Fabozzi 2012, p.102). The analysis of these ratios helps to understand the performance of a f irm in regard to the sectors reflected in these ratios. The most common financial ratios are presented in Figure 2 below. Figure 2 – Most common financial ratios (Zager & Zager 2006, p.38) At this point, the following fact should be highlighted: Financial ratios reflect different aspects of organizational performance. Other ratios refer to the security of the business, as of its financial strength, while others show the financial efficiency of the organization (Zuger & Zuger 2006). This fact is made clear through the graph in Figure 3. Figure 3 – Financial rations as part of the financial analysis process (Zager & Zager 2006, p.39) According to the issues discussed above, financial analysis is necessary for securing the success of organizational decisions. The close relationship between financial analysis and

Valuation Methods of Collateral Mortgage Obligations Dissertation

Valuation Methods of Collateral Mortgage Obligations - Dissertation Example ?  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚        Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  __________________ Jeremy Moreland, PhD Date  Ã‚  Ã‚   Dean, School of Advanced Studies University of Phoenix Abstract Begin Dedication Begin Acknowledgments Begin Table of Contents COLLATERALIZED MORTGAGE OBLIGATION VALUATION METHODS i COLLATERALIZED MORTGAGE OBLIGATION VALUATION METHODS iii Abstract iv Dedication v Acknowledgments vi Table of Contents vii List of Tables x List of Figures xi Chapter 1: Introduction 1 Background of the Problem 2 Statement of the Problem 3 Purpose of the Study 5 Significance of the Problem 6 Nature of the Study 8 Research Questions 10 Hypotheses 10 Theoretical Framework 11 Definition of Terms 14 Assumptions 14 Scope, Limitations, and Delimitations 15 Summary 15 Chapter 2: Review of the Literature 18 Historical Overview 18 Lit erature Review 27 Securitization and the Mortgage Market 31 The Evolution of Financial Exploitation 32 From the Margins of the City to the Core of Global Finance 33 Balanced Discussions and Alternative Viewpoints 34 Identified Research Gaps 35 Conclusion 38 Summary 40 Chapter 3: Method 1 Research Method and Design Appropriateness 1 Population, Sampling, and Data Collection Procedures and Rationale 4 Informed Consent, Confidentiality, and Geographic Location 5 Data Collection 5 Appropriateness, and Reliability and Validity of the Instruments 6 Internal Validity and External Validity 8 Data Analysis 8 Hypotheses 11 Description of Questionnaire Formulation 11 Findings of the Research (CMO Valuation Model) 13 Summary 13 14 References 14 Appendix A: Title 21 List of Tables List of Figures Chapter 1: Introduction The proposed quantitative descriptive research study involves the various valuation methodologies of prepayment speeds within collateralized mortgage obligation (CMO) tranches. The study involves analyzing how the prevalent valuation methods are useful in current complex economic scenarios. The objective of the proposed study is primarily to examine the applicability of various methods of valuation for pricing the CMOs so as to determine their validity in the present economic conditions. Collateralized mortgage obligations are derivative debt instruments that can be aptly defined as the claim that arises out of cash flows from large pools of home mortgages. The advantages of the CMO structure is that once mortgage holders receive principal and interest, the principal and interest is distributed to tranches. The principal amount, the coupon rate, the prepayment risk, and the maturity date differ among the tranches (Economy Watch, n. d.). Collateralized m

Reseach Paper on Chronic Diabetic Research Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Reseach on Chronic Diabetic - Research Paper Example Type  2 diabetes was found to be controlled by providing medications. Both Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes are  chronic conditions which are not possible to be cured completely. It is characterized by disruptions in the metabolism of carbohydrates, fat and protein in the body (Bilotta, 2008, p.236). There are two primary forms of diabetes: Type 1 and Type 2. Type 1 diabetes - If a person has Type 1 diabetes his body will not make insulin on its own. It occurs in any individual and is treated by taking dosage of insulin shots daily or by an insulin pump. The patients need to maintain a regulated diet plan. Type 2 diabetes – This is the commonest form of diabetes. If a patient suffers from Type 2 diabetes, his body will show resistance to insulin. Type 2 diabetes is semi curable in nature. It is often hereditary in nature and occurs mainly in people who are above 40. Type 2 diabetes can be treated with proper exercise and weight (National Kidney Foundation, 2007, p.4). Physical i nactivity or a sedentary lifestyle can also lead to Type 2 diabetes (STEWART, 2005, p.196). Pathophysiology and assessment of the disease Diabetes mellitus (DM) or simply diabetes results from either insulin deficiency or the resistance to endogenous insulin. This deficiency in insulin compromises with the access of the body tissues to essential nutrients (Bilotta, 2008, p. 236). All forms of the disease increases the risk that can lead to long-term complications. These symptoms typically show after several years like almost after 10 to 20 years but it can be seen as the first form of the symptom in the patient who was otherwise not diagnosed before. The common symptoms of diabetes are polyuria, polyphagia, weight loss, fatigue etc. The complications that can arise out of these symptoms include cardio vascular diseases, blindness or retinopathy, nephropathy, cognitive depression, hyperglycemia etc. While assessing the symptoms for Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes, the physicians can check for symptoms like frequent urination, dehydration, dry mucous membrane, rapid weight loss and increased hunger, nocturnal diarrhea and many more. For Type 1, the symptoms can be develop rapidly while for Type 2, it can be drawn by studying the family history, severe forms of viral infection etc. The physical symptoms seen in case of the diabetic patients can be in the form of changes seen in the legs and feet, muscle wasting, reduced reflexes in the deep tendons of the bones, cataract formation etc (Bilotta, 2008, p.237). Chronic Diabetes harming the kidneys in human body Diabetes can cause severe damage to the kidneys by damaging the blood vessels of the kidney. The filtering sections in the kidney are lined with minute blood vessels. With the passage of time, high sugar level found in the patient’s blood can make the blood vessels to turn narrow and thus clogged. Without getting enough blood, the kidneys tend to be damaged and albumin which is a protein made within the hum an body are passed through these filters which settle in the urine. This is a critical situation as this occurrence of albumin in the urine of the patient is not a very healthy condition (National Kidney Foundation, 2007, p.7). Kidney damage can also harm the nerves in the patient’s body. Nerves of the human body carry messages that are transmitted between the brain and the rest other parts of the body that also includes the urinary bladder.

King oedipus analysis Essay Example for Free

King oedipus analysis Essay Destiny and Freewill   This is one of the most important themes in the play and leaves the reader with the engrossing question of whether or not freewill is an illusion. The play doesnt actually answer this question, but it shows the complex interplay of fate and freewill that culminates in Oedipus tragic plight. Jocasta, Laius and Oedipus all try to escape the prophecy but they are unwittingly led into their seemingly unavoidable fate. This element of the play is intended to show the reader the power of prophecy and the supreme authority of the gods in contrast with the futility of human beings. The play also shows how human nature plays a vital role in the fulfilment of the prophecy. Compassion and pity on the shepherds behalf prevents Oedipus from dying as a baby. Oedipus own impetuous temper results in the murder of his own father, Laius. His momentary display of intelligence in solving the riddle is his ultimate triumph as well as his seed of destruction as it results in marriage to his mother, Jocasta. In resolving to find out the truth about his birth, he brings the suffering on himself. His arrogant, taunting attitude towards Teirisias further exposes the terrible truth. In this way, the play shows how freewill also contributes to Oedipus downfall. Pride and humility   Pride is Oedipus fatal flaw; his arrogance towards both the gods and human beings leads to his destruction. Sophocles probably intended to teach people the importance of humility and recognising the superiority of the gods that they believed in. Oedipus arrogance is displayed in his long, speeches and in the hot-headed way he unknowingly killed his father. His initial refusal to accept any blame or wrongdoing on his part shows that he has a high opinion of himself. One of the main sources of his pride is his defeat of the Sphinx, which saved Thebes and put him on the throne, and yet the reader knows that this was also the cause of one of his foulest crimes, marriage to his mother. In this way, the playwright communicates a message about the folly of taking human achievement too seriously. Because of this, the play is not very humanistic but belittles human beings as futile and flawed. Wisdom and ignorance The conflict between Teirisias and Oedipus represents the conflict between wisdom and ignorance, Teirisias being wisdom and Oedipus being ignorance. Teirisias comment To be wise is to suffer is ironic because it comes true for Oedipus. When he learns the truth about himself and becomes wise, he is in utmost agony. The play shows that perhaps having knowledge is not necessarily a good thing, as Teirisias warns, and that there are limitations to our knowledge that we should accept. Sight and blindness   Teirisia is a blind seer, which sounds like a contradiction in terms. However, even though he is physically blind, he has the insight and knowledge, which Oedipus lacks. When Oedipus finally gains this insight at the end of the play, he blinds himself physically. Throughout the play, Oedipus is blinded by his own arrogance, shown in his refusal to accept that he is the cause of Thebes misery. Living in perpetual night, you cannot harm me, or any man else that sees the light.   His deliberate disbelief enables him to issue the curse, never considering that it might affect himself in the end. Oedipus is also blind to his true position in relation to the gods. He believes he can thwart prophecy and outsmart the gods. The attitude he displays shows that he has almost made himself a god, who has the power to curse and demand whatever knowledge he seeks. Humility   Sophocles certainly agrees with this contention in his play, King Oedipus. The character of Creon who is more cautious is intended to contrast with Oedipus impetuous arrogance. It is Oedipus lack of humility that causes much of his own suffering. On the other hand, Creons more careful approach to life evades a potentially disastrous situation when Oedipus accuses him of conspiracy. Characters Oedipus   Oedipus is willing to help the people of Thebes. I would gladly do anything to help you. He is actively involved with his city. I have not thought it fit to rely on my messengers, but am here to learn for myself   Arrogant proud of his own abilities such as solving the riddle of the sphinx. Until I came I, ignorant Oedipus, came and stopped the riddlers mouth, guessing the truth by mother-wit, not bird-lore. Sympathetic towards the city of Thebes I grieve for you my children. Believe me, I know all that you desire of me, all that you suffer; and while you suffer none suffers more than I.   Jumps to conclusions about the ones closest to him. He accuses Creon of conspiring to take over the throne. Must Creon, so long my friend, my most trusted friend, stalk me by stealth and study to dispossess me of the power that this city has given to me He assumes that Jocasta fears that he was an illegitimate child. The woman, with more than womans pride, is shamed by my low origin.   Easily angered, irascible especially by Teiresias Insolent scoundrel Shameless and brainless, sightless, senseless sot!   Steadfast and staunch in his quest to expose the truth. Nonsense: I must pursue this trail to the end, till I have unravelled the mystery of my birth. Not a fatalist; expresses the belief that chance rules our lives.   Acts as the mediator between Oedipus and Creon, typical of her role as a mother and wife. What is the meaning of this loud argument, you quarrelsome men? You are making much of some unimportant grievance.   Abandons Oedipus on the hillside to perish because of prophecy yet dismisses prophecy later in the play. For I can tell you, no man possesses the secret of divination. And I have proof Why should you then, heed them for a moment? and A fig for divination!   Cannot face the horror of the truth and dies at her own hands Creon   A contrast to Oedipus in terms of character. He is calmer and more reasonable. Reason with yourself, as I; and ask, would any man exchange a quiet life, with royal rank assured, for an uneasy throne? He is more humble and cautious- I do not presume to say more than I know, and acknowledges the gods God will decide, not I. He is deeply hurt by Oedipus accusations If he thinks that I have done him any harm, by word or act, in this calamitous hour, I will not live Teiresias   Physically blind, yet gifted with second sight (prophecy). All heavenly and earthly knowledge are in your grasp. In your heart, if not with eye, you see our citys condition. Reluctant to share his knowledge with Oedipus because he knows the damage it will cause. When wisdom brings no profit, to be wise is to suffer. Laius   He is only mentioned through other people in the play. Shepherd   Like Teiresias to impart his knowledge until threatened. Oedipus terrorizes, Answer! If I must speak again, you die! He also serves to confirm Oedipus greatest fears. Chorus Represents the voice of the elders as well as the general public. It comments on the action in the play, sometimes siding with Oedipus, other times questioning his actions and words. They are the voice of religious belief, more than once urging the need to heed the words of the gods. I only ask to live, with pure faith keeping in word and deed that Law which leaps the sky, made of no mortal mould whose living godhead does not age or die. It is at times philosophical, commenting on the nature of existence and the frailty of human attainment and success. All the generations of mortal man add up to nothing! Show me the man whose happiness was anything more than an illusion followed by disillusion. Here is the instance, here is Oedipus, here is the reason why I will call no mortal creature happy Then learn that mortal man must always look to his ending. And none can be called happy until that day when he carries his happiness down to the grave in peace. Symbols Sight and blindness this is used as a metaphor for knowledge and ignorance. Context   The play was written during the Classical period in Ancient Greece in the 5th century BC, a time of optimistic humanism. Sophocles tends to celebrate humanity but also plea for adherence to justice, moderation and the gods.