Computer Software Should be Free :: Internet Essays Papers

Computer Software Should be Free Free is a intelligence agency that everyone in the world loves to hear, whether you are in the United States or Bangladesh. Usu bothy when something is advertised as free on that point is some sort of a catch. Whether there are hidden shipping and handling fees or hidden commitments, something almost always gets you. The word free is not a word that is normally associated with reckoners and computer software, until now. If you know the right places to look on the Internet, whether legal or illegal, a person give the bounce find the software they are looking for. Considering that many things mess want for their computer tend to be expensive this a great option for them. Organizations are trying to crack down on people acquiring things for free, but the Internet is too vast to regulate all of the sites that allow free usage of things normally paid for. Napster is a good example of a site that got shut down for allowing users to download music for free. Many views can be taken on whether or not this should be regulated. In this wallpaper I will be discussing whether or not all things on the computer should be free.Software applications such as Microsoft Word and Microsoft Office can be expensive. So instead of buying them people go to websites and download them for free. This is a growing practice among many people in all countries. So it raises the question should all software be free. Many people argue that it should be free because everyone gets it for free anyway. Organizations like CAAST 1 and FAST 2 try to regulate the upshot of thefts in there countries. In Canada it has seemed to work over time, as numbers of thefts have dropped for the first time in four years. FAST reports that 26% of all software being used is illegal. These organizations can only hope to limit the number of illegal software downloads in their respective countries, which really is quite minuscular in the overall pict ure of software piracy.Music on the Internet is another big issue among consumers and the artists that compose them. Napster was the biggest site for downloading mp3s, but was shutdown because of a big push by the rock group Metallica.

Computer Changes and their Impact on Management :: essays research papers

Computer Changes and their Impact on oversightThe world of calculating machines is a field that is not only genuinely young, but is also rapidly changing. In one lifetime, computers have evolved from a multimillion dollar bill unit that filled entire buildings, to a few hundred dollar personal computer that fits on a desktop with more power than its predecessor. How does this change in cost, size and power affect our management decisions? To look at these areas, it should be understood that each characteristic not only makes a signifi pott impact for management, but is enhanced by the other two changes.The lessening in computer costs over time has the obvious implications of reduced overhead costs for a companys management and possibly a smaller budget wantment for the information technologies department. Closer inspection of the lower computer costs shows that the reduced overhead can have a calculate of implications dependant on management decisions. One decision would be t o show an increased profit on the end products margins. This makes stockholders very happy. Management could also dissolve to provide more computer technology for the company without an increase in budget, or provide hardware with less compromise in functionality. The additional money could be used for additional specialty computer hardware that would not normally be purchased. A company would have to enquiry whether the increase in computer technology would be able to provide the necessary competitive advantages or productivity increases. Management might also decide to take an exhaustive look at the entire company and its business process to determine if other areas might use the money for upgrades as well. These upgrades can be in the manufacturing process, research and development, sales, or in manufacturing to name a few.The reduction in cost also impacts the reduction in size of the computer hardware which has been getting smaller and smaller. As the prices of computers have gone down, the manufacturers have been able to reduce the size of the computers dramatically at the same time. Management originally provided a computer that was very large with terminals provided to the user as an interface. Today we have a personal computer on almost every desk top. These units require less space allowing management the freedom to determine whether they wish to put a unit on every desktop. With the smaller space requirements and the changes in the hardware itself, management also has less impact to their facility requirements.

John Steinbeck’s The Grapes of Wrath and William Faulkner’s The Sound and the Fury :: essays papers

John Steinbecks novel, The Grapes of Wrath, and William Faulkners novel, The Sound and the Fury Throughout history, many devastating economic, social, and environmental changes progress to occurred causing people to rise and overcome immense odds. In the 1930s, The Great Depression and the Dustbowl Disaster, a drought with horrific dust storms turning once-fertile agricultural conveys of mid-America into virtual(prenominal) wastelands, forced thousands of destitute farmers to pack their families and belongings into their cars in search of agricultural work in central California. Years of degradation stemming from the end of slavery origination at the conclusion of the Civil War destructed the old southern aristocratic families. These different external influences impact on the characters is seen in John Steinbecks novel, The Grapes of Wrath, and William Faulkners novel, The Sound and the Fury. Steinbeck illustrates and advocates drastic external changes in the economy and life style of the downtrodden migrants, as he follows the Joad family from Oklahoma to California. Faulkner depicts the decline of the aristocratic south through the look of the Compson children. The external changes, The Great Depression and the Dustbowl, affected the Joads economically and emotionally. By economic standards the Joads were poor before the Dust Bowl. However, they believed they had economic value and importance by on the job(p) their own 40 acres of land. Grampa took up the land, and he had to kill the Indians and drive them away. And Pa was born here Then a bad year came and he had to borrow a little money. An we was born here. And Pa had to borrow money. The bank owned the land then, but we stayed and we got a little bit of what we raised(Steinbeck 45). Losing the farm, universe forced to leave their home in a search of work, meant the loss of their social values. To the Joads, value and life importance rest in working the land and this ideology of th e past made their emotional adjustment to being a wondering, an Okie, even more difficult. The moving, questing people were migrants now. Those families which had lived on a little piece of land, who had lived and died on forty acres, had now the whole West to rove in. And they scampered about, looking for work and the highways were streams of people, and the ditch banks were lines of people.

Powerful Imagery and Settings in David Guterson’s Snow Falling on Cedar

Powerful Imagery and Settings in David Gutersons one C Falling on CedarsSnow Falling on Cedars, a novel by David Guterson, is a post World War II drama set in 1954 on the island of San Piedro in Washington State. The storys focal point is the slaying effort of Kabuo Miyamoto, who is accused of killing a fellow islander, Carl Heine, Jr., supposedly because of an old family feud over land. Although the trial is the main focus of the story, Guterson takes the reader back in quantify through flashbacks to tell a story of forbidden love involving two young islanders, Ishmael Chambers and Hatsue Imada (Kabuos future wife). At the time of their romance, interracial relationships were considered strictly taboo because of racial bias. It is through both this love story and Gutersons remarkable use of setting and imaginativeness that the reader is informed as to why racial prejudice is so high on the island of San Piedro at the time of the trial and why Kabuo is not merely on trial for Car ls murder, but also for the pretext of his skin. While Snow Falling on Cedars has a well-rounded cast of characters, demands strong emotional reactions, and radiates the importance of racial equality and fairness, it is not these elements alone that make this tale stand far out from other similar stories. It is through Gutersons powerful and detailed imaging and settings that this story really comes to life. The words, the way he uses them to create amazing scenes and scenarios in this story, makes visualizing them an effortless and enjoyable task. Streets are given names and surroundings, buildings are given color and history, fields and trees are given height and depth, objects are given textures and smells, and even the weather is given a purpose in the... ...ght out of the book and constitute in front of the readers eyes, rather than form in the back of their minds. To sum up the overall experience that Snow Falling on Cedars delivers through imagery and setting would be to say that it is like a pop-up book for adults, without the need for the pop-up feature. Racial tension is not more or lessthing that can be imagined or understood without some sort of emotional history or background attached to it. Emotions like hatred or others, such as desire, that the characters feel for one another, would feel alter and empty without the descriptions that make them seem real and understandable. All these elements need to be present in order for the story to carry itself and the reader through to the end. Snow Falling on Cedars does that and more.Work CitedGuterson, David. Snow Falling on Cedars. New York Vintage Books, 1995.

Pride and Prejudice Adaptations in Modern Film Essay -- Jane Austen

Love in Relationships vs. Love for OneselfIn a twenty-four hour period where loving yourself first is not only accepted that often expected, it is a stretch for the 20th (or 21st) century mind to see marriage as a necessity, as it was for Jane Austen and some of the greatest of her heroines. Marriage for money and convenience, as well as familial preservation, formally dominated matchmaking choices. Love and romance were simply luxuries in the business-like fashion of marriage. Austen contested this reality and criticized it, but she also placed one thing higher up romance the Self. Austen undoubtedly prizes respect for the Self above social expectation and relationships. Handler and Segal (45) noted that themes of independence, dependence, and choice are recurring throughout all of Austens works. Recent film adaptations to Austen have decided to inform these themes, however, in exchange for playing up the romance. These films reveal the 20th century emphasis on romance at the c ost of excluding the already established immenseness of self-knowledge. Pride and Prejudice, Austens first written but later published novel, is a commentary on the importance in society of inheritance and achievement. Austen ostensibly valued ones achieved virtues over inherited status, a revolutionary notion for a female of the day. Elizabeth Bennet, Austens own mouthpiece to criticize her times, link up the gap between 19th century sensibility and 20th century self-exploration. Lizzy, though given the opportunity on more than one occasion (Mr. Darcys first and Mr. Collinss only proposal) to save herself from her impending poverty as well as preserve her familys estate, choose rather to be alone than to be in a situation that would compromise her principles. She is a woman of a strong-willed character who puts herself above her societys expectations of her. If Elizabeths parents had known of her initial refusal of Darcy their disbelief would have probably outweighed her reasons for rejecting him. Even Mr. Bennet, though a staunch supporter of Elizabeth, may not have felt that she had acted providentially flip overing the familys situation. This was before her sister Jane was engaged to the wealthy Mr. Bingley, and concern over the future entailment of the estate to Mr. Collins was still great. She didnt even consider Darcy until her began exhibiting signs that he respected her, such as his ... ...rement for well-rounded development, and as it has become more common, its importance has been taken for granted. How Austen would deal with this present reality is unsure but likely with some disdain. Austen did not preach revolution and womens rights, she only presented her world as she saw how it was and how it should be. Now that the Self has now been placed on the back burner for romantic interests or has been ballooned to the point of excess is only a creation of the present, a true novelty in human history. That our mediums for entertainment ricochet th is is only as expected to fit our cultural ideas.Works CitedAusten, J. Pride and Prejudice. Penguin Putnum, Inc. wise York 1989.Fielding, H. Bridget Joness Diary. Penguin Putnum, Inc. New York 1996.Handler, R., Segal, D. Jane Austen and the Fiction of Culture. Rowman & Littlefield, Inc. Maryland 1999.Haskell, M. The Innocent Ways of Renee Zellweger. New York Times, April 8, 2001.Bridget Joness Diary 2001 directed by Sharon Maguire.Clueless 1995 directed by Amy Heckerling.Emma 1996 directed by Douglas McGrath.Pride and Prejudice miniseries 1995 BBC/A & E

Pride and Prejudice Adaptations in Modern Film Essay -- Jane Austen

Love in Relationships vs. Love for OneselfIn a day where loving yourself head start is non only accepted but often evaluate, it is a stretch for the 20th (or 21st) century mind to see marriage as a necessity, as it was for Jane Austen and near of the greatest of her heroines. Marriage for money and convenience, as well as familial preservation, formally dominated matchmaking choices. Love and romance were but luxuries in the business-like fashion of marriage. Austen oppose this reality and criticized it, but she also placed one thing above romance the Self. Austen undoubtedly prizes respect for the Self above social expectation and relationships. passenger vehicle and Segal (45) noted that themes of independence, dependence, and choice are recurring throughout all of Austens works. Recent film adaptations to Austen have decided to downplay these themes, however, in exchange for playacting up the romance. These films reveal the 20th century emphasis on romance at the cost of ex cluding the already established importance of self-knowledge. Pride and Prejudice, Austens first written but later published novel, is a commentary on the importance in society of inheritance and achievement. Austen obviously valued ones achieved virtues over inherited status, a revolutionary notion for a female of the day. Elizabeth Bennet, Austens own mouthpiece to criticize her times, bridges the gap between nineteenth century sensibility and 20th century self-exploration. Lizzy, though given the opportunity on more than one occasion (Mr. Darcys first and Mr. Collinss only proposal) to save herself from her impending poverty as well as preserve her familys estate, choose rather to be alone than to be in a situation that would compromise her principles. She is a woman of a strong-willed character who puts herself above her societys expectations of her. If Elizabeths parents had known of her initial refusal of Darcy their scepticism would have probably outweighed her reasons for r ejecting him. Even Mr. Bennet, though a staunch supporter of Elizabeth, may not have felt that she had acted prudently considering the familys situation. This was before her child Jane was engaged to the wealthy Mr. Bingley, and concern over the future entailment of the estate to Mr. Collins was still great. She didnt even consider Darcy until her began exhibiting signs that he respected her, much(prenominal) as his ... ...rement for well-rounded development, and as it has become more common, its importance has been taken for granted. How Austen would deal with this present reality is unsure but likely with some disdain. Austen did not preach revolution and womens rights, she only presented her world as she saw how it was and how it should be. Now that the Self has now been placed on the back burner for romantic interests or has been ballooned to the point of excess is only a creation of the present, a true novelty in human history. That our mediums for entertainment reflect this is only as expected to fit our cultural ideas.Works CitedAusten, J. Pride and Prejudice. Penguin Putnum, Inc. New York 1989.Fielding, H. Bridget Joness Diary. Penguin Putnum, Inc. New York 1996.Handler, R., Segal, D. Jane Austen and the Fiction of Culture. Rowman & Littlefield, Inc. Maryland 1999.Haskell, M. The Innocent Ways of Renee Zellweger. New York Times, April 8, 2001.Bridget Joness Diary 2001 enjoin by Sharon Maguire.Clueless 1995 directed by Amy Heckerling.Emma 1996 directed by Douglas McGrath.Pride and Prejudice miniseries 1995 BBC/A & E

Bloodsucking Fiends: A Love Story Chapter 6

Chapter 6The AnimalsThe daytime people called them the Animals. The store manager had come into work one(a) morning to find one of them hanging, half-naked, from the giant red S of the Safeway sign and the rest of them drunk on the roof, pelting him with Campfire marshmallows. The manager yelled at them and called them Animals. They cheered and toasted him by spraying beer on each other.There were seven of them now that their leader was gone. They wandered into the store around eleven and the manager informed them that they were getting a bleak(a) crew nous This bozo will whip you into shape hes done it all, his application was four pages long.Midnight found the Animals academic session on the depicts at the front of the store, sharing worries over a case of Reddi Wip.Screw this hot pellet from back East, said Simon McQueen, the oldest. Ill throw my fifty cases an hour uniform always, and if he extremitys more, he can do it himself. Simon sucked a reach protrude of nit rous oxide from the whipped cream can and croaked, He wont last longern a fart on a hot skillet.Simon was twenty-seven, muscular and as wiry-tense as a banjo string. He was pockmarked and sharp-featured, with a great mane of brown hair that he kept turn up of his face with a bandanna and a black Stetson, and he fancied himself a scareboy and a poet. He had never been within six-gun range of a horse or a book.Jeff Murray, a has-been high school basketball star, pulled a can of whipped cream from the open case and said, Why didnt they just promote one of us when Eddie left?Because they dont admit their ass from a hot rock, Simon said. Can up, he added quickly.They probably did what they thought best, said Clint, a myopic, first trimester born-again Christian, who, having recently been forgiven for ten years of dose abuse, was eager to forgive others.Can up, Simon repeated to Jeff, who had up abrogateed the whipped cream can and was pushing the nozzle. Jeff inhaled a powerful stre am of whipped cream that filled his mouth and throat, shot from his nostrils, and sent him into a blue-faced choking fit.Drew, the crews pot supplier and therefore medical officer, dealt Jeff a vicious blow in the solar plexus, causing the ex-power forward to toss a glob of whipped cream approximately the size of a small child. Jeff fell to the floor gasping. The glob landed safely on register 6. full treatment as good as the Heimlich maneuver Drew grinned without the unwanted intimacy.I told him to hold the can up, Simon said.There was a tap on the glass at the front of the store and they all turned to see a skinny Acherontic-haired kid in jeans and flannel waiting by the locked door. He wore a price gun low on his right hip.That would be our hotshot.Simon went to unlock the door. Clint grabbed the case of whipped cream and shoved it under a register. The others ditched their cans where they could and stood by the registers as if awaiting inspection. They were sensing the end of an era the Animals would be no more.Tom Flood, the new guy said, offering his hand to Simon.Simon did not take his hand, but stared at it until the new guy withdrew it, embarrassed.Im Sime this is Drew. Simon waved the new guy in and locked the door behind him. Well get you a time card.The new guy followed Simon to the office, pausing to look at the glob of whipped cream on register 6, then at Jeff, still gasping on the floor.Can up, the new guy said to Jeff.Simon raised an eyebrow to the rest of the crew and led the new guy into the office. While he was digging in the drawers for a fresh time card, the new guy said, So, Sime, do you bowl?Simon looked up and studied the new guys face. This could be a trap. He stepped back and squared off like a gunfighter at high noon. Yeah, I bowl.What do you use?I like a twelve-pound Butterball.Net or no net?No net, Simon said.Yeah, nets are for grannies. I like a fourteen-pound self-basting, myself. Tommy grinned at Simon.Simon grinned bac k and offered his hand to shake. Welcome aboard. He handed a time card to Tommy and led him out the office. Outside, the crew waited. Dudes, Simon announced. This is Tom Flood.The crew fidgeted and eyed Tommy.Hes a bowler.The crew let out a collective sigh of relief. Simon introduced them each, tagging them each with what they did. Thats Jeff on the floor, cake-mix aisle, plays basketball. Drew, frozen food and budmaster. troy weight Lee, glass aisle, kung-fu fighter. Troy Lee, short, muscular, wearing a black satin jacket, bowed slightly.Clint, Simon continued, cereal and juices hes buddies with God. Clint was gangling and thin with curly black hair, thick horn-rims, and a goofy, if beatific, smile.Simon pointed to a stout Mexican in a flannel shirt. Gustavo does the floors and has forty kids.Cinco ninos, Gustavo corrected.Excuse the fuck out of me, Simon said. Five kids. He moved down the railroad to a short, balding guy in corduroys. Barry does soap and dog food. His hair fell out when he started scuba diving.Fuck you, Sime.Save your money, Barry. Simon moved on. This dark-skinned fellow is Lash, dairy and non-foods. He says hes studying business at Frisco State, but hes really a arms-runner for the Bloods.And Simon wants to be Grand Dragon for the Klan, Lash said.Be good or I wont help you with your masters feces.Thesis, Lash corrected.Whatever.What do you do, Sime? Tommy asked.I am on a quest for the perfect big-haired blonde. She must be a beautician and she must be named Arlene, Karlene, or Darlene. She must have a bust measurement only half that of her IQ and she must have seen Elvis sometime since his death. Have you seen her?No, thats a pretty tall order.Simon stepped up, nose to nose with Tommy. Dont hold back, Im offering a cash reward and videotape of her trying to drown me in body lotion.No, really, I cant help you.In that case, I work the can aisle.Whens the truck collectable?Half an hour twelve-thirty.Then weve got time for a few frames.Th ere are no official rules for the sport of misfire bowling. Turkey bowling is not recognized by the NCAA or the Olympic Committee. There are no professional tournaments sponsored by the Poultry Farmers of America, and footwear companies do not manufacture turkey bowling shoes. Even the worlds best turkey bowlers have not appeared on a Wheaties box or the Tonight show. In fact, until ESPN became desperate to fill in the late-night time slots between professional lawn darts and reruns of Australian-rules football, turkey bowling was a completely clandestine sport, relegated to the dark athletic basement of mailbox baseball and cow tipping. Despite this lack of official recognition, the fine and noble tradition of skidding the buzzard is practiced nightly by supermarket night crews all over the nation.Clint was the official pinsetter for the Animals. Since there was always wagering, Clints religion forbade his playing, but his participation, in some part, was required to ensure that h e would not squeal to the management. He set ten-quart bottles of Ivory liquid in a triangle pattern at the end of the produce aisle. The meat case would act as a backstop.The rest of the crew, having chosen their birds from the freezer case, were line up at the far end of the aisle.Youre up, Tom, Simon said. Lets see what you got.Tommy stepped forward and weighed the frozen turkey in his right hand-felt its frigid power singing against skin.Strangely, the theme from Chariots of set down began playing in his head.He squinted and picked his target, then took his steps and sent the bird sliding down the aisle. A collective gasp rose from the crew as the fourteen-pound, self-basting, fresh-frozen projectile of wholesome savory goodness plowed into the soap bottles like a freight train into a chorus line of drunken grandmothers. hydrant Clint shouted. Simon winced.Troy Lee said, Nobodys that good. Nobody.Luck, Simon said.Tommy suppressed a smile and stepped back from the line.Whos up? Simon stepped up and stared down the aisle, watching Clint set up the pins. A nervous flap jittered under his left eye.Strangely, the theme from The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly began playing in his head.The turkey was heavy in his hand. He could almost feel the giblets pulsing with stress the Butterball version of the Tell-Tale Heart. He strode to the line, swinging the turkey back in a wide arc, then forward with an explosive yell. The turkey rocketed, airborne, three canton of the way down the aisle before touching down and slamming through the soap bottles and into the base of the meat case, smashing metal and severing wires in a shower of sparks and smoke.The store lights flickered and went out. The huge compressors that ran the stores refrigeration wound down like dying airliners. The smell of ozone and burned insulation filled the air. A moment of dark silence the Animals stood motionless, sweating, as if waiting for the deadly sound of an approaching U-boat. Battery back-up modules switched on safety lights at the end of each aisle. The crew looked from Simon, who stood at the line with his mouth hanging open, to the turkey, sticking, blackened and burned, in the side of the meat case like an unexploded artillery shell.They checked their watches exactly six hours and forty-eight legal proceeding to exact repairs and stock the shelves before the manager came in to open the store.Break time Tommy announced.They sat on a row of grocery carts outside the store, their backs against the wall, smoking, eating, and, in the case of Simon, telling lies.This is nothing, Simon said. When I was working a store in Idaho, we ran a forklift through the dairy case. Two hundred gallons of milk on the floor. Sucked it up in the Shop-Vac and had it back in the cartons ten minutes before opening and no one knew the difference.Tommy was sitting next to Troy Lee, trying to get up the courage to ask a favor. For the first time since arriving in San Francisco, he felt as if he fit in somewhere and he didnt want to push his luck. Still, this was his crew now, even if he had padded his application a bit to get the job.Tommy decided to dive in. Troy, no offense, but do you let out Chinese?Two dialects, Troy said around a mouthful of corn chips. Why?Well, Im living in Chinatown. I kinda share a place with these five Chinese guys. No offense.Troy clamped a hand over his mouth, as if appalled with Tommys audacity. Then he jumped to his feet into a kung-fu stance, made a Bruce Lee chicken noise, and said, Five Chinese guys living with you? A pasty-faced, round-eyed, barbarian pig dog? Troy grinned and dug in the bag for another smattering of chips. No offense.Tommys face heated with embarrassment. Sorry. I just wondered if I mean, I need an interpreter. Theres some weird shit going on at my place.Troy vaulted back to his seat on the carts. No problem, man. Well go there in the morning when we get off if we dont get fired.We wont get fired, Tomm y said with cartel he didnt feel. The union Jesus, Troy interrupted and grabbed Tommys shoulder. Check this out. He nodded toward Fort Mason at the edge of the parking lot. A char was walking toward them. Shes out a little late, Troy said then, to Simon, he shouted, Sime, skirt alert.Bullshit, Simon said, checking his watch. Then he looked in the direction where Troy was pointing. A woman was, indeed, walking crossways the parking lot toward them. From what he could tell at that distance, she had a nice shape.Simon climbed down from the carts and adjusted his black Stetson. Stand back, boys, that redhead is down here for a reason, and Im packing that reason right here. He patted his crotch and fell into an affected bow-legged gait toward the woman.Evening, darlin, you lost or just in search of excellence?Jeff, who was sitting beside Tommy opposite Troy, bent over and said, Simon is the master. That guy gets more pussy than all of the Forty-Niners put together.Tommy said, Doesnt look like hes doing that well tonight.They couldnt hear what Simon was saying to the woman, but it was clear she didnt want to hear it. She tried to walk away from him, and Simon stepped in front of her. She moved in another direction and he cut her off, fortunate and garrulous the whole time.Leave me alone the girl shouted.Tommy leaped off the carts and ran toward them. Hey, Simon, lighten up.Simon turned and the woman started away. Were just getting acquainted, Simon said.Tommy stopped and put his hand on Simons shoulder. He lowered his voice as if sharing a secret. Look, man, weve got a lot to do. I cant afford to lose you all night while you show this sis the meaning of life. I need your help, dude.Simon looked at Tommy as if hed just exposed himself. Really?Please.Simon slapped Tommy on the back. Im on it. He turned back toward the store. Breaks over, dudes. Weve got some twist to do.Tommy watched him go, then broke into a run after the woman. Excuse meShe turned and eyed him suspiciously, but waited for him to catch up to her. He slowed to a walk. As he approached her he was surprised at just how pretty she was. She looked a little like Maureen OHara in those old pirate movies. His writers mind kicked in and he thought, This woman could break my heart. I could crash and burn on this woman. I could lose this woman, drink heavily, write profound poems, and die in the gutter of tuberculosis over this woman.This was not an unusual reaction for Tommy. He had it often, mostly with girls who worked the drive-through windows at fast-food places. He would drive off with the smell of fries in his car and the bitter perceptiveness of unrequited love on his tongue. It was usually good for at least one short story.He was a little breathless when he reached her. I just wanted to apologize for Simon. Hes hesAn asshole, she said.Well, yes. But Its ok, she said. Thanks for coming to the rescue. She turned to walk away.Tommy swallowed hard. This was why he had come to the City, wasnt it? To take a few risks? To pop off on the edge. Yes. Excuse me, he said. She turned again. Youre really beautiful. I go to bed that sounds like a line. It is a line. But but its true in your case. Thanks. Bye.She was smiling now. Whats your name?C. Thomas Flood.Do you work here every night?I just started. But yes, I will be. Five nights a week. graveyard shift.So you have your days free?Yes, pretty much. Except when Im writing.Do you have a girlfriend, C. Thomas Flood?Tommy swallowed hard again. Uh, no.Do you know where Enricos is on Broadway?I can find it. He hoped he could find it.Ill meet you there tomorrow night, a half hour after sunset, okay?Sure, I guess. I mean, sure. I mean, what time is that?I dont know I have to get an almanac.Okay then. Tomorrow evening then. Look, Ive got to get back to work. Were frame of in the middle of a crisis.She nodded and smiled.He shuffled awkwardly, then walked away toward the store. Halfway across the parking l ot he stopped. Hey, I dont know your name.Its Jody.Nice confrontation you, Jody.See you tomorrow, C. Thomas, she called.Tommy waved. When he turned around again, the Animals were all staring at him, slowly shaking their heads. Simon glared, then turned abruptly and stormed into the store.

Comparision of Around the World in 80 Days and Journey to the Centre of the Earth

In both the storys, the main characters embarked on a journey. champion went virtually the earth and the other to the center(a) to the world. How were they two journeys similar and how were they different? Moreover, what did these journeys symbolize and what was their signifi domiciliatece? In the novels the main characters embark on long journeys that detract them through various trials and tribulations. The essay will be analyzing how these two distinct journeys are similar and how they are different.In the journeys, the characters go through a serial publication of stillts that not only hold significant meaning, but also symbolize the significance of the journeys and their impact on the characters. Therefore, the essay will analyze what the journeys symbolized and their significance on the characters and the overall them of both novels. The Novels Around the world in 80 days and The journey to the center of the earth are write by the famous actor Jules Verne. Jules Verne s novels have been noted for predicting modern times. The two novels are based on different journeys one is around the world and the other towards the center of the earth.Journey to the center of the earth sounds more fictional than around the world in 80 days but back in the authors time even way give away around the world in 80 days was almost impossible. In both the stories we come across the main characters that are Phileas Fogg (Around the world in 80 days) and Professor Lidenbrock (Journey to the centre of the earth). Phileas Fogg is an English man. He is a rattling well disciplined, organized personality who has a very regularized life. All of this is evident novel when it says, He talked very little, and understandmed all the more mysterious for his taciturn manner.His daily habits were quite open to observation but whatever he did was so merely the same thing that he had always done before, that the wits of the curious were fairly puzzled. He is rich and owns a mansio n in a very famous street but no one knew where his money came from. He is the main and in fact the most important character of the story. Professor Lidenbrock is a scientist. He, as well, is organized had a normalized life which is evident in the novel when Axel, his nephew narrates, Another peculiarity of his was, that he always stepped a yard at a time . He, as well, is rich and lives in famous street. He is the Protagonist of the story. Thus, one can see here that thither are many similarities in both the character. One day Phileas Fogg was playing whist with his usual partners at the reform club. During the game the discussion started on the bank robbery that had recently interpreted place. One stated that he was not any ordinary robber but he was a gentleman and the detectives had started their work but there was no success. As the game proceeded with the conversation they confer about where could the robber flee.They argued that the world is big enough and the robber could go anywhere in the world. There Fogg interrupts and says it was formerly big enough but now it isnt due to the advancements in transport. And there the argument takes a new turn. Fogg stated that, in 80 days, he could go around the world. The players, then quarreled if he had taken into account everything which could be delays, dangers etc and to which Fogg replied yes. On this, one of them bets four metre pounds and in reply Fogg bets twenty thousand pounds on the journey. He accepts that challenge and puts himself in a conflicting situation.Therefore he goes for a journey, not that he wanted to win the wager, but that he wanted to show it is possible. In the second novel, Professor Lidenbrock found a very old book which was in Icelandic language. While he was going through the book a small parchment fell out from it. The parchment was in runic language similar to the book and they could understand what was written in it. He found out that it was written by Arne Saknussemm who was a learned professor of the 16th century . They started figuring out what was written in it and after hard work and deliberation Axel deciphered it.They secret seemed really terrible to Axel and he knew once his uncle knows about it he would definitely go for the discovery. He thought that he shouldnt tell his uncle but even if he didnt tell him he would somehow decode it. He told him the secret by which Lidenbrock was madly amazed and filled with joy. In English the parchment read as follows Descend into the crater of Yocul of Sneffels, which the shade of Scartaris caresses, before the kalends of July, audacious traveler, and you will seduce the centre of the earth. I did it. Arne Saknussemm Although Axel argues that there are several danger and that how could someone descend into the earth which is filled with molten lava but nothing exchanged lidenbrocks decision and he leaves for the journey. There are many similarities in the novels. In both the novel we see that they face se veral delays and difficulties. In Around the world in 80 days, Phileas Fogg along with Passepartout leaves to meet the challenge which is to around the world in 80 days. During the journey they face many delays and difficulties. Detective Fix is from one of them who create difficulties in his journey.Detective Fox suspects Fogg to be the bank robber of England and follows him throughout the journey. They face a delay when they are going towards Calcutta and the train stops in between and then they had to cross the distance traveling on an elephant. During the travel they plan to save the sacrificial women Auoda and risk their life and time for it. Later storms at the sea delay their journey. They also miss boarding the ship, at another occasion, as Passepartout fails to inform Fogg about it. Fix makes passepartout drunk several times at takes proceeds of it. They even get attacked on their way to New York.Fix arrests Fogg detaining him which delay their trip even more. But at last they were successful and won the challenge. Similarly, In A journey to the center of the earth Professor Lidenbrock along his nephew, Axel leaves to go towards the centre of the earth. They, as well, face obstacles in their journey. When they reach the volcano it was necessary to see the casting shadow which leads to the path. Due to the bad weather they couldnt see it but later on it became visible. As they descend into the earth they find a place with combustible gas which is very dangerous.As they proceed they take a wrong turn and they lose the water trail and run out of water and due to this Axel almost dies. At another point Axel gets separated from his uncle and get lost several miles from him. Then later they face large monsters and they are almost eaten by them. Their raft gets struck by a huge fireball as well. After that incident they find a passage tag by Arne Saknussemn but they had blow up the rock to enter in. The blow somehow went huge which made the water rush in the chimney. The molten lava starts cream in and they get ejected out the chimney.This show the novels were similar in a way that they face difficulties in their journeys. The way in which novels were different is that, one is around the world and the other towards the center of the earth. Fogg went on this journey as a challenge where as Lidenbrock went as discovering was his passion. Fogg was travelling on the earth surface on the other hand Lidenbrock was going under the earth. Hence, it shows the ideas of the two journeys are wide apart. The journeys were symbolic left a significant impact on the main characters as well.In the beginning of the story one sees Fogg as cold and disciplined man who had not much emotion. But as the story moves along there is significant development in his character. Even after he gets delayed several times because of Passepartout he says nothing to him. He saves Auoda , the sacrificial women, risking his own life. He even forgives detective Fix who creates many difficulties in his journey. This shows that he was large hearted. He later marries Auoda and expresses his love. One never might have thought a person like him cold and disciplined could have fallen in love. Professor Lidenbrock, as well, is organized and disciplined.Nothing changed Lidenbrocks decision but when Axel gets smart and is close to death he almost called off the journey and it is evident when he says My dear boy, I had begun to give over all hopeand you can never know what bitter tears of sorrow and regret I have shed. At last, supposing you to be still on the road. This shows how this stubborn character could change his mind for the love of his nephew. Hence, One journey proved that due to advancements in transport it was more efficient and faster to travel. The other journey discovered the world under the earth. Owais khan

Employee Empowerment Essay

The em baroned employee is say to respond practically quickly to guest do requests, act to rectify complaints and be more engaged in operate encounters. A more lineive plan of attack suggests there be antithetical managerial perceptions of sanction, proceedsing in mandate cosmos introduced in different profit schemes in different coun shopings, and presenting different benefits to managers and takeing experiences for the sceptred. This story suggests t lid a frame go of analysis inevitably to be developed which goes beyond the more simplistic gets which tend to treat em actorment as that which is labelled potency.The success or failure of an initiative which claims to be em strengthing lead be determined by the experience of being empowered. Employee sanction in returns 169 Introduction Employee empowerment has been hailed as a counselling technique which provide be utilize univers all toldy across all fundamental laws as a means of dealing with the n eeds of modern global business (Barry, 1993 Johnson, 1993 Foy, 1994), and across all industrial orbits. However, the assistant sector is said to involve a unique cluster of tension which managers, employees and customers have to address (Heskett et al. 1990), and the empowerment of employees is an approach which has been advocated for overhaul sector management (Sternberg, 1992 Lockwood, 1996).Investigation of the use of empowerment in service sector organisations reveals a number of different masterminds of empowerment being applied in practice. These different approaches evidence a range of managerial meanings being applied which argon based on different perceptions of business fusss, motives for introducing empowerment and perceived benefits to be dispatched from empowerment.The fact that empowerment can be used as a term to describe different initiatives provides a convenient rhetoric which suggests that empowerment is in principle a better thing and produces a win-win si tuation for employees and managers. In part these different perceptions of the service need and the appropriate match with the management of employees, is a number of the different service offers being made to customers. Some service offers require employees to instance discretion in detecting and delivering customer service needs.In other boldnesss, the service offer is highly convertible and require employees to coiffe service delivery in the one best Personnel Review, Vol. 28 No. 3, 1999, pp. 169-191. MCB University Press, 0048-3486 Personnel Review 28,3 170 way. Reflection on two the specific applications entitled empowerment and on variations in the characteristics of the service offer, question the just aboutwhat simplistic claims for the universality of empowerment, and the supposed benefits which ensue.This paper is based on a cluster of research projects which have investigated different approaches to empowerment in mistakable service businesses reaper Restaurant s, TGI Fridays and McDonalds Restaurants Limited operate branded restaurant chains. all(a) are to almost bound McDonaldized (Ritzer, 1993), they use highly standardised menus, one best way production techniques which assist in the delivery of consistency and predictability to customers. That said, these organisations differ in the service offer to customers, exceptionally in the finis that employees exercise discretion to meet customer service needs.The approach outlined in the paper is in frame of referenceed by these cases studies, though the key concern of the paper is to establish a frame study for understanding empowerment in the service sector which questions the universalist and evangelical claims of some of the advocates of empowerment. This frame construct of analysis suggests that there is a need to approach the knowledge of empowerment in a systematic manner which goes beyond the label.According to Conger and Kanungo (1988) empowerment describes working arrangeme nts which engage the empowered at an emotional level. They istinguish among concepts of empowerment which are relational and motivational. As a relational concept empowerment is concerned with issues to do with management style and employee participation. As a motivational construct empowerment is individual and personal, it is active discretion, autonomy, power and support. This motivational aspect to empowerment becomes the defining feature of the initiative. The empowered must thumb a mind of personal worth, with the ability to effect outcomes and having the power to make a difference (van Oudtshoorn and Thomas, 1993 Johnson, 1993).Advocates of empowerment claim that employee empowerment assistances firms to enthuse and enable employees to take duty for the service encounter (Barbee and Bott, 1991). The paper identifies four different types, or managerial intentions, for empowering employees, which in turn clashing on the precise haoma the arrangements take. Following fr om this, and so as to better understand the detailed changes in working arrangements which claim to be empowering, the paper provides a five dimensional framework of analysis.By contrasting and comparing the detail of the changes to what the newly empowered employee can now do, it is workable to establish the boundaries and limits which are placed on empowerment in any token context. Given the need to engage employees at an emotional level and to convey the appropriate feelings about the service encounter, the invasion of each initiative on the employee is a crucial ingredient in meeting the quarrys set. This paper suggests that there are likely to be a number of factors which generate positive or negative feelings about a particular initiative.At root this will be concerned with the empowered employees perception of the state rather Employee than the form of empowerment. Investigation into empowerment must, empowerment in therefore, incorporate an analysis of how individuals f eel about the result of services being empowered. Finally this paper suggests that beneath the rhetoric of empowerment, service firms are in different positions in relation to their customers and markets, and 171 this will impact on how managers perceive and go out empowerment.Factors such as the degree of customisation/ calibration and the relative importance of obviouss/intangibles in customer satisfaction are likely to be influential in determining the venue of control of employee performance. Empowerment in the service sector Interest in employee empowerment in service manufacturing firms has been associated with many of the key issues related to employment practices in general, namely in gaining competitive remediatement through ameliorate service quality. Paradoxically, however, attempts to gain competitive advantage through service quality can present some major problems for service operators.In the first instance, there are difficulties in defining the palmy service encounter, particularly in the intangible sources of customer satisfaction. Customers vary cerebrateably in their expectations of service quality (Rust and Oliver, 1994). Indeed individual customers may define and re-define their needs from service deliverers as their share, experiences and expectations change. In turn, customer evaluation of a successful service encounter, and thereby repeat visits, will be a product of the intent to which their experience matches their expectations (Foulkes, 1994).Whilst there are these difficulties in defining successful encounters, many writers agree that front line staff (Johnston, 1989 Horovirz and Cudenne-Poon, 1990 Barbee and Bott, 1991) play a crucial fictional character in the service encounter. There are in fact, some base level customer expectations of employee performance, positive interpersonal contacts, service deliverer attitudes, courtesy and kindliness that are all closely related to customer evaluations of service quality (Ad elmann et al. 1994).Hence human resources management and the strategies needed to engage employees emotionally in the quarry of customer service take on a new and urgent meaning. This leads to the second difficulty for service deliverers. Unlike other resources used inwardly an organisation there is a problem in predicting the levels of output, efficiency and general effectiveness which will be the outcome of a given level of labour employed. clement resources can be uniquely unstable.nether certain circumstances they physically leave the organisation, they may collectively resist management instructions or by the piece just non give a fair days work for a fair days pay. Clearly, these are problems shared by all employers only if given the pivotal role of service delivery employees these issues are of particular concern to service sector employers. The response of many employers in the sector has been to look to manufacturing industry for sticks of control which minimised the significancePersonnel Review 28,3 172 of individual idiosyncrasies. What Levitt called the production-line approach to service (1972) or the industrialisation of service (1976). Based on essentially Taylorist (1947) views of job design, they establish standardised procedures and one best way of doing each proletariat. In many cases this extended to scripting the interaction with clients and left bittie to the discretion of the individual service deliverers.The consequence of this has been the rapid growth of organisations specialising in high volume, mass produced, standardised services which minimised the significance of labour inputs (Bowen and Lawler, 1992) in the delivery of predictable tangible and intangible product attributes to customers. Ritzers (1993) somewhat overblown comments about the McDonaldization of Society are little more than observations about the application of manufacturing techniques to the production of mass services, which are themselves but one of a nu mber of service offers (Wood, 1997).Whilst this strategy was tremendously successful over the two decades preceding 1990, many of these operators now see the limits of standardisation and control. A point largely ignored by Ritzer. Apart from high labour turnover which has been endemic in many of these firms, any attempt to deal on service quality cuts across the rigidities of the production line approach. Firstly, even the most standardised operation encounters occasions when customer service needs are difficult to predict and a quick response is needed at the point of the service encounter.A small child in a family assemblage at a McDonalds is getting restive and the quick intervention of a crew member with a balloon or a hat calms the child. A customer knocks over his coffee in a Welcome Break and the service operative replaces it without charge. Whilst these responses may well be prescribed in operational manuals, they still require employees to act with initiative and discret ion. The intangible element of the service encounter requires some form employee of participation, even in highly standardised and Tayloristic situations. The second problem is in the quality of the service encounter itself.Hochschilds (1983) work with air stewardesses reveals much in common with the commercialisation of feelings across the service sector in general. She makes the point that seeming to love the job becomes part of the job and managing the appropriate feelings of enjoyment of the customer helps the worker in this effort. Fineman (1993) also comments on the interplay amongst feelings and performance in service interactions. Enabling employees to sense their own power and the significance of their role in the service drama may help employees manage the emotions required of their performance.It is here that empowerment of employees seems to offer the prize of generating feelings of shipment to the service encounter (Barbee and Bott, 1991) with the appropriate amount o f power and the freedom to use that power (van Oudtshoorn and Thomas, 1993) to meet customer needs as they arise. The extract below is from a series of advertisements by Marriott Hotels which make play of the benefits of empowered employees. It highlights the aspirations for empowerment. Here the night ushers feelings of fealty to delighting the customer perfectly match the organisations commitment to its clients.The Employee advertisement also confirms that empowerment, service quality and empowerment in organisational attempts to gain competitive advantage through improved services service quality are entwined in some operations. It was more than considerate of the Marriott night porter to come my lost wallet it meant he had to re-trace my entire journey through Vienna. All I could remember was that Id been travelling on a southern District streetcar. Miraculously, from this tiny piece of information, the night porter from the Marriott hotel managed to trace the route Id trav elled, the particular streetcar I was on, and my wallet.I was astonished that he went out of his way so much to help me. But, as I now know, everyone at Marriott works this way. personally assuming responsibility for the needs of every guest. Its called Empowerment. And thankfully, they never seem to find anything too much trouble. (Always in the Right Place at the Right Time, Marriott). 173 For the advocates of empowerment, empowered employees willingly take responsibility for the service encounter, they respond more quickly to customer needs, complaints and changes in customer tastes (Barbee and Bott, 1991).The organisation will experience lower labour turnover (Cook, 1994), there will be high staff morale and employees will take responsibility for their own performance and its improvement (Barry, 1993). Employees inherent skills and talents will be put to work for the organisation (Ripley and Ripley, 1993) so as to produce more satisfied customers (Johns, 1993) and greater profit s (Plunkett and Fournier, 1991). Research methods The observations reflected in this paper are based on case studies of three organisations who make different service offers to their customers, and who manage their employees in different ways. severally is attempting to empower employees to take responsibility for the service encounter, though each expects employees to exercise discretion in different ways. The case studies provide a valuable context through which to explore employment practice in context (Hartley, 1994), though these are published in detail in other publications (Lashley, 1995 Ashness and Lashley, 1995 Lashley, 1997). This paper reflects on the findings from the case studies to build the framework for analysing empowerment.In each case, the study have-to doe with semi-structured interviews with ranking(prenominal) managers to explore their perceptions of empowerment, intentions for the initiative and the perceived benefits ensuing from the changes. Interviews wer e also conducted with the immediate line managers of the empowered. Again the intention was to explore the detail of the changes on the ground, and most significantly the practical responses from both middle managers and those line managers whose role might have been changed by the introduction of empowerment. Finally, semi-structured interviews were conducted with the empowered, that is the subjects of the initiative.In particular, the study explored their perceptions of the changes, the boundaries in which they had to operate and the expiration to which employees developed a sense of personal efficacy. Personnel Review 28,3 174 The semi-structured interviews identified key themes which needed to be explored with each respondent. For managers and those responsible for introducing and managing the initiative (the empowering), the questioning explored the downplay to the change in the way the organisation was to be managed perceived problems and views as to what contribution empow erment ould make to overcoming the problems.Having established the managerial intentions for empowerment, interviewees were take ined to describe the form of empowerment and the changes in working arrangements which ensued. They were then asked to comment on the success and weakness of the changes, and comment on any plans for the future development of the approach. For the supposedly empowered, questioning followed similar broad themes but from their perspective. In other words, to what conclusion did they share managerial views of problems and benefits of empowerment?They were asked to comment on how the nature of their work had changed and how they felt about it. fundamentally did they feel empowered? Flowing from this, the interviews explored changes in work behaviour and their perceptions of the benefits and limitations of the initiative. get across I shows the total number of interviews in each of the three case study organisations. The table indicates the number of intervi ews that were conducted with empowering and the empowered in each organisation.The case studies which inform this paper were founded on an approach which suggests that empowerment needs to be based on the systematic exploration of each aspect of empowerment. The more evangelical claims suggest that empowerment of employees will result in an almost automatic improvement in organisational performance (Foy, 1994 Stewart, 1994). These models are simplistic and do non take into account, different managerial intentions, different forms introduced, differences in what employees can now do, different needs of employees to feel empowered and different impacts on the resulting performance exercised by employees.It is more likely that a multistage model is needed to analyse initiatives and outcomes. Figure 1 suggests a model for studying empowerment which assumes that the organisational benefits will not be a simple and read trade-off. Managerial perceptions of what empowerment is and the be nefits it is supposed to deliver will shape the form that is introduced (quality circles, autonomous groups, etc. ), which in turn will shape what employees can now do that they did not do before the change.This in turn has an impact on the feelings of those empowered, do they Number of interviews with empowering 11 8 11 Number of interviews with empowered 28 38 25 Organisation Table I. Numbers of interviews in three case study organisations Harvester Restaurants McDonalds Restaurants TGI Friday Restaurants Managerial intentions Forms of empowerment Change in working arrangements The state of empowerment Change in work behaviour Organisation documentals improved service quality increased service productivity reduced labour turnoverEmployee empowerment in services clxxv Figure 1. The form, state and outcomes of empowerment experience the state of empowerment, and if they do, does the state of empowerment result in improved work performance which then results in the craved organis ational objective? Managerial intentions for empowerment Once we move away from the generalised claims for empowerment it is realistic to see that the term itself is being used to describe a wide variety of practice in service delivery.In the Accor group of hotels, for subject, empowerment has been used to describe the use of quality circles (Barbee and Bott, 1991) in McDonalds Restaurants, hint schemes (Bowen and Lawler, 1992) Whatever it Takes employee training programmes in Scotts Hotels (Hubrecht and Teare, 1993) employee involvement in devising departmental service standards in Hilton International Hotels (Hirst, 1991) autonomous work groups and removal of levels of management in Harvester Restaurants (Pickard, 1993) and the delegation of greater authority to service managers in British Telecom (Foy, 1994).Investigation of these specific initiatives reveals that there is considerable overlap between employee empowerment, employee participation, employee involvement and even employee commitment. Often these cost are used interchangeably (Collins, 1994 Cotton, 1993 Denton, 1994 Plunkett and Fournier, 1991). Thus quality circles, autonomous work groups, suggestion schemes and various employee share ownership programmes are frequently discussed under these different headings without defining the boundaries between them.Clearly, these initiatives do have similar antecedents in that they aim to meet, in varying ways, the individual employees psychological needs (Watson, 1986). In addition there is similarity in the intended outcomes. Marchington et al. (1992) say that employee involvement is used to describe initiatives which are largely knowing and initiated by management and intended to improve communication with employees, generate greater commitment and enhance employee contributions to the organisation. This Personnel Review 28,3 176 might equally be said of the intentions for employee empowerment (Sewell and Wilkinson, 1992).Indeed empowerment is an integral feature of the soft version of human resource management (Legge, 1995). Watson (1986) suggests that employment strategy tends to wax and wane between managerial concern for control over employee performance and concern for employee commitment. Whilst this is a useful metaphor which does indeed suggest that employment strategy is both dynamic and political, it does suggest that a shift towards employee commitment results in less organisational control. A view frequently expressed by line mangers is that empowerment of subordinates will result in a loss of control.In reality empowerment as an employment strategy is concerned with both commitment and control of employees. It is more a shift in the locus of control (Friedman, 1977). Figure 2 provides a model which suggests that different employment strategies might shift the locus of control on a continuum between externally imposed control of the individual to internally generated self control. In effect employee empowermen t, increases top managements control whilst creating the impression of lessening it (Robbins, 1983, p. 67).Under this model, production line approaches to service delivery rely largely on imposed external controls in which employee commitment is less significant for effective performance, it is ordinary of Edwards (1979) technological control. Employee empowerment, in its more participative form, is more reliant on internalised self-control, where the employee works to the desired standard and controls their own performance accordingly (Salaman, 1979). Personal commitment to these standards then becomes a crucial ingredient. The empowered employee has much in common with Friedmans (1977) employee with responsible autonomy.Having said that, it is possible to detect variations in the locus of control implied within different definitions of empowerment. Bowen and Lawler (1991), suggest that empowerment is defined as management strategies for sharing finale making power (p. 49). Other s (Barbee and Bott, 1991) define empowerment as being the act of vesting substantial responsibility in the people nearest the problem (p. 28). These two different phrases reflect more than mere semantic differences. They reflect different assumptions about the nature of empowerment and the power of the empowered.The first implies a shift in authority whilst the second is concerned with a shift in responsibility. Traditional Technological Social Self Organisation Structure and Procedures Technology Leadership/ Management Style Work Groups Empowerment Professionalism Figure 2. Employment strategies and the locus of control External Control Internal Control My own investigation in the hospitality sector suggests that there are probably Employee four perspicuous but overlapping managerial intentions for empowerment (Lashley, empowerment in 1994). These are summarised in Table II.In principle they reflect the variations services in the assumptions discussed above, but there do go forth a range of managerial intentions which have their roots in other initiatives mentioned earlier. For this reason the four categories are labelled with terms which reflect their 177 antecedents. There are three types of managerial intentions for empowerment of operatives. Empowering through participation is closely related to the Bowen and Lawler definition because they are chiefly concerned with empowering employees with decision making authority in some aspect of the work which had been formerly the domain of management.Harvester Restaurants use of semi-autonomous work aggroups (Ashness and Lashley, 1995) provides a good example. Employees not only dealt with and rectified customer complaints, they also were heterogeneous in receiving goods, securing the building and cashing up the tills. Empowerment through involvement is chiefly concerned with gaining from the experiences and expertise of service deliverers through consultation and joint problem solving. Managers continue to m ake the decision but with inputs from employees.The study of TGI Fridays (Lashley, 1997), confirms that pre-service team briefing sessions are used to both provide employees with immediate information about the operation and company objectives, but are also used to test out ideas with employees and gain suggestions. Employees have little authority to make decisions, even complaint handling is the responsibility of managers. Attempts at empowerment through commitment overlap and interrelate with both these other categories because it is hoped that improved employee commitment will result from the changed arrangements.However, some initiatives are distinctly aimed at winning Managerial meaning Empowerment through participation Initiatives used supreme work groups Whatever it takes training Job enrichment Works councils Employee directors Quality circles Team briefings Suggestion schemes Employee share ownership Profit-sharing and bonus schemes Quality of working life programmes (job rotation, job enlargement) Job redesign Re-training Autonomous work groups Job enrichment Profit-sharing and bonus schemesEmpowerment through involvement Empowerment through commitment Empowerment through delayering Table II. Managerial meanings of empowerment Personnel Review 28,3 178 greater commitment to organisational service quality objectives. As with Barbee and Botts definition, these initiatives are ultimately about employees taking more responsibility for the service encounter through a variety of training programmes and appeals to both extrinsic and intrinsic sources of job satisfaction.McDonalds crew training includes a customer care programme which aims to sensitise employees to customer service objectives. Crew are encouraged to intervene in the service situation, as in the example given above. They can give away some low cost gifts to children. The limits and boundaries of what they are empowered to do are narrow and restricted. Whilst the three foregoing intentions ar e typically concerned with employees, particularly front line personnel, some initiatives empower managers within the management hierarchy. These I have called empowerment through delayering.The restructuring of the McDonalds MCOPCO organisation (Lashley, 1995), and the removal of layers of management in the external management of Harvester Restaurants (Pickard, 1993), or empowerment of hotel managers (Jones and Davies, 1991) are examples. Here the intention is greater managerial focus on the source of organisational profits the units, greater responsiveness to customer needs, reduced management costs and the encouragement of entrepreneurialism. In the McDonalds case, two levels of management were removed and the unit managers were empowered.In reality it meant that they were allowed to operate with reduced contact with their Area Supervisors. In this case, empowerment of the unit managers meant they were not as closely supervised by their superordinates and were left to get on wi th it. In suggesting these four features of managerial intentions I do not wish to imply that these are mutually exclusive. Whilst managers in some organisations may well be more concerned with one meaning more than others, it is more likely that managerial actions will be driven by a mixture of motives, and hence will encompass more than one, or all, of these.However, it is useful to suggest that managerial intentions are different and there are different managerial perceptions about empowerment and the benefits it will deliver. The form of empowerment Whatever the intentions of managers, initiatives which claim to be empowering will be translated into concrete practical arrangements which set the limits and boundaries within which the empowered operate (Ripley and Ripley, 1993 Potter, 1994). Somewhere, these arrangements will clarify just what the empowered have the authority to do and for what they will be responsible.It is here within the practical objective limits set by manage ment that tensions between the perceptions and needs of management are likely to be set against the perceptions and needs of the empowered (Conger and Kanungo, 1988). Ultimately, the success of a particular initiative will be dependent in the first instance on the empowered being given the authority and freedom to make decisions which they themselves consider to be valuable, significant and important.Whilst this will clearly be subjectively assessed by individuals, who ill differ in their evaluation of these arrangements, it is important to arrive at Employee an objective analysis of the changes which have been introduced. empowerment in Our research has identified a number of dimensions of empowerment which services provide a means of describing, analysing and locating the form of empowerment being introduced in a particular company (Lashley and McGoldrick, 1994). These dimensions are listed in Table III. Essentially they 179 provide a mechanism for identifying the boundaries and c ontexts set for the form of empowerment being introduced.Consideration of these themes creates a framework for understanding the likely meanings of a particular form of empowerment within a given context. Each of the five dimensions is based on a bi-polar model which assumes a traditional production line, top-down approach at one extreme and a more empowered approach at the other. The task dimension considers the discretion which is allowed to the empowered in performing the task for which they were employed. To what extent are the empowered allowed to interpret the tangible and intangible aspects of the organisations services so as to satisfy customers.To what extent are the brand attributes, prices, product sizes, etc. , fixed, or to what extent can they be customised? To what extent does the need to control these issues set limits on the ability of an organisation to empower its members? In the cases we have studied there are frequently limits put on the employee because of the b rand attributes being marketed. Hence employees in McDonalds Restaurants and Harvester Restaurants were not allowed to alter menus or provide dishes off the menu, not even unit managers were allowed to make these decisions.In TGI Fridays employees could get a non-menu item produced if it involved ingredients which were stocked. In most cases, and to varying degrees, employees had some discretion over the service encounter. As stated earlier, McDonalds had scripted the service in the past, but had dropped this in recent years as part of a strategy to improve service quality. Harvesters and TGI Fridays both relied on training and service values to guide the employee in their interactions with customers. An employee of TGI Fridays report an incident that seemed typical.A customer had asked for a cigar, the company do Employee involvement in production line organisation (High volume, standardised, short time period, simple technology, theory X organisations) Low discretion Seeks permiss ion Limited to task Calculative Control-oriented Employee involvement in empowered organisation (Personalised service, long time period, complex technology, unpredicatable, theory Y organisations) High discretion Responsible autonomy Influences the educational activity of policy Moral Trust-oriented Dimensions Task Task allotment Power commitment Culture Table III. Five dimensions of empowermentPersonnel Review 28,3 180 not stock cigars, so the employee went next door to the tobacconist and bought one. The guest was very pleased and wrote a letter to the company congratulating it on its excellent service. The task allocation dimension considers the amount of responsible autonomy an individual employee or group of employees have in carrying out their tasks. To what extent are they directed, or need to ask permission to complete their tasks? To what extent do company policies and procedures lay down what has to be done and then let them get on with it? To what extent are there tensi ons between responsible utonomy and the objectives for effective performance set by senior managers.In McDonalds Restaurants, a one best way approach involves a narrow span of control and close supervision of both crew and managers. TGI Fridays, was also tightly controlled in the tangibles, again one best way procedures and close supervision of standards meant that employee performance was directly controlled. However, food and drinks service staff are encouraged to use their initiative in finding ways to customise the service interaction. Having said that, staff are not generally allowed to provide discounts or free meals to customers who complain.In Harvester Restaurants staff exercised more responsible autonomy, they were empowered to deal with complaints, to give free drinks, etc. , without reference to a team manager where they felt it would resolve a situation to the guests satisfaction. In some situations staff were able to decide on staffing levels, order stock and decide on how best to meet sales targets without the immediate involvement of the team manager. The power dimension is concerned with the feelings of personal power which individuals experience as the result of being empowered. What is it that the empowered are empowered to do?To what extent is their power limited to tasks? To what extent does it involve issues of policy at a more senior level (Marchington et al. , 1992)? To what extent do management efforts to share power promote feelings of empowerment in employees? What tensions are there between strategic objectives and limits on individual power? In all the cases included in these studies, arrangements were limited to what has been set forth as being task participation (Geary, 1994). In other words the empowered employee was not able to influence the policies which influence them.Thus at Harvester Restaurants, food service staff were able to decide as a team how best to achieve a sales target which required employees to sell one extra side order per table (Pickard,1993), but had no influence over this as an objective. The commitment dimension explores the assumptions about the source of employee commitment and organisational compliance in a particular form of empowerment. To what extent do they follow patterns in traditional organisations which assume that commitment is calculative and based on material extrinsic rewards (Etzioni, 1961).To what extent does the initiative assume a moral commitment, as the individual takes a personal sense of ownership in their activities and work? To what extent is there recognition that individuals may differ in their attachments and needs from work? How, if at all do the changes address needs for a sense of equity and fairness in the benefits from empowerment? Interviews with employees at Harvester Restaurants Employee revealed that employees working in autonomous work teams liked the empowerment in experience.Many reported that they liked the extra responsibility (Ashness serv ices and Lashley, 1995, p. 27) and some that this was the first time they had been given responsibility. In TGI Fridays, employees reported that they enjoyed the atmosphere and that you could have a good joke, but many also reported 181 that they were working here because the money is good. Employees are guaranteed a low basic pay, but can comfortably add to this through a bonus on food sales and tips. Employees and managers both stated employees could earn over ? 0,000 per annum, some even as much as ? 30,000.The culture dimension examines the extent to which organisational culture fosters feelings of empowerment. To what extent can it be typified as being oriented towards openness, learning, and employee contributions (ChristensenHughes, 1992) and creating a climate of trust (Sternberg, 1992)? To what extent can the culture be described as bureaucratic, role, task or control oriented? To what extent is the initiative to empower a part of a broad organisational culture, or just b olted on?The research with the delayered McDonalds organisation revealed that empowered General Area Supervisors in the pilot group experienced tensions with senior management because senior managers wanted to retain control over the recruitment of Restaurant Managers, and to get involved when problems occurred (Lashley, 1995). Using this five dimension model it is possible to locate the different forms which empowerment takes in practical organisational arrangements against the managerial intentions and the form empowerment takes quality circles autonomous work groups whatever it takes training, etc.As stated earlier, managerial intentions may not be mono-dimensional, and particular initiatives may be driven by a range of intentions. However, each form of empowerment is likely to represent different sources of satisfaction to employees and represent different benefits to employers. Thus quality circles are usually representative, and may provide intrinsic satisfactions for those immediately involved (Kelly and Kelly, 1990), but they represent a more indirect source of satisfaction for the staff who do not take part.Managers gain suggestions and involvement in problem solving for those closest to the problem, but managers retain the decision making power. Autonomous work groups do give employees more direct involvement, all employees take part. They can provide sources of satisfaction which meet belonging and control needs. They can involve some task dimensions, but in the main, autonomous work groups are about improving work organisation. Frequently they are used in situations where the immediate organisational needs are difficult to predict, but the people directly involved are best placed to respond to changed circumstances.Several employees at Harvester Restaurants reported that when the operation was quiet the team would, jointly agree for one member to go home for the rest of the shift, so that the teams labour costs would be kept under control (Ashne ss and Lashley, 1995, p. 27). Whatever it takes is again a direct form of involvement, particularly for service personnel, training is aimed at giving Personnel Review 28,3 182 staff confidence to make decisions large or small, that impact on a guests stay (Hubrecht and Teare, 1993).Typically these arrangements are focused at the task and interpreting customer requirements. For employees a sense of ownership, pride in the service encounter and the potential tip are sources of employee satisfaction. For the organisation, employees are encouraged to be responsive to customer needs and a greater level of customer satisfaction is likely to follow. Each of these examples, claim to empower employees, yet the brief discussion above shows that each represents different sources of satisfaction for employees.The arrangements are themselves different and appear to meet varied managerial needs. Certainly it is possible to identify alternative ways of managing and motivating employees which invo lve different amounts of discretion, autonomy, power, sources of commitment and cultural contexts, all claiming to be empowering. By considering the detail of the changes against the five dimensions it is possible to develop a much closer picture of the form of empowerment, the consistency of the arrangements and the limits placed upon them.My research with hospitality operators provides some useful vehicles for the analysis of forms of empowerment. For example, it is possible to describe Harvester Restaurants as empowering front line personnel through participation. In this case it takes the form of autonomous work groups where employees have virtually no discretion in the tangible aspects of their task, though they have some limited discretion in the intangible elements of the task.There is a high degree of responsible autonomy in task allocation. Power is limited, however, to the task level with little opportunity to influence objectives outside the immediate job. Commitment is i n part calculative though, for some individuals, arrangements do meet psychological needs within a culture which is best typified as being control oriented. The state of empowerment The feelings of the empowered are fundamental to understanding the concept of empowerment and variations in form and application.Most definitions of the state rather than the form of empowerment stress the need for the individual to feel in control (Conger, 1989), have a sense of personal power together with the freedom to use that power (van Oudtshoorn and Thomas, 1993) and a sense of personal efficacy and self determination (Alpander, 1991). Similarly, Thomas and Velthouse (1990) suggest a four dimensional model of employee motivation based on a cognitive assessment of the competence, impact, meaningfulness and choice associated with a set of changes.In other words the state of empowerment is likely to be a consequence of the individuals assessment of their ability to be effective, that they could make a difference, in a task which they feel is worthwhile and they have some degree of freedom to act as they see fit within a given context. Attempts to empower service workers will be tested against the experience of being empowered and the sense of personal efficacy which is created.Empowerment, therefore, involves both the objective facts of what a person is mpowered to do and the subjective feelings which the individual experiences Employee as a result. In these circumstances individual differences, orientations to work empowerment in and needs are likely to be important factors in the way an individual interprets services and responds to a particular change (Alpander, 1991). Managerial initiatives to empower employees are introduced to meet commercial objectives. In the case of service workers, the objectives may be to improve service quality or service 183 worker productivity, or improve job satisfaction and reduce labour turnover.Managerial evaluations of empowerment will there fore turn on the extent that these initiatives result in worker behaviour which meets the desired objectives. Whilst there is some research, on service workers which identifies factors likely to result in outcomes of empowerment as careful by pay satisfaction, promotion satisfaction and intentions to leave (Sparrowe, 1994), few studies draw the links between these feelings of empowerment and increased productivity or improvements in service quality.

Baskerville Murder Essay

Murder mystery tales are among the most popular take hold genre. Murder mysteries will usually consist of an unknown murder that killed a significant character. The detective has to decide among m either suspects with clues he or she found in the course of the book. Authors typically write books of this genre because they give the reader a feeling of suspense and confusion as they read the story. It keeps them guessing and switching their opinions as new facts are read. In The Hound of the Baskervilles by Arthur Conan Doyle, protagonists, Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson meet humankindy passel involved while trying to find the liquidator of Sir Charles Baskerville, as said to be a mythical demon hound. Although there are many subjects in the case of the murder, Dr. Mortimer, The Barrymores, Jack Stapleton, and Roger Baskerville.Dr. James Mortimer is a medical practitioner. He is described as tall, thin, and good-natured with rather eccentric habits. He is the first suspect Holmes a nd Watson meet and the person to tell them about the case. He is possibly the murderer because he was in charge of Sir Charles will when he died. He could of manipulated the will to his own use. By killing Sir Charles the will follows whatever he would of made it. He challenges Holmes in the intro of the story to solve the case. He also owns a dog as shown on the carriage when him, Henry and Watson were headed to Baskerville Hall and discovered by the bite marks of his cane. Its possible that Mortimer could of used his dog and disguised him as the hound to scare Charles at a distance. He is also a nasty acquaintance to the Baskervilles so he knows a lot about the family that he could of used fro his plans. His information on Sir Charles condition at the time is explained when Mortimer said, Within the fail few months it became increasingly plain to me that Sir Charless nervous system was strained to the breaking point (Doyle, 43). With this information he could had literally scare d him to death with any means that would relate to the hounds curse.Mr. and Mrs. Barrymore are servants to Sir Charles and Henry. Mr. Barrymore is described as tall, thin and has a ominous beard. They are very close to the Baskervilles since their family served them for generations. Their motives could be later their wealth or maybe on the inside they are sick of serving them. The hound of legends could own been the Barrymores who served Hugo Baskerville and they were tired of a life of servitude. This hound could of went on from generation to generation. Supposedly, Holmes and Watson first seen Mr. Barrymore when they were chasing a man in a van and the driver described him as a on the spur of the moment man with a black beard. When Watson and Henry arrive at Baskerville Hall, Mr. Barrymore says he and his wife would leave the hall soon because of Charles death and its too painful of them. As for Mrs. Barrymore, Watson says during the first night, And then suddenly, in the very dead of the night, there came a sound to my ears It was the sob of a woman, the muffled, strangling gasp of one who is torn by an uncontrollable sorrow (Doyle, 159). The blatant indeed comes from Mrs. Barrymore, which could have been caused, as Watson predicts, a haunting memory. Its possible the letter they received could also have something to do with the case.Jack Stapleton is a short man and a naturalist. He lives in the outskirts away from the other neighbors and the Baskerville Hall. He lives with his sister, Beryl and two servants. He became a suspect because Mortimer told Holmes and Watson that he knows the ins and outs of the moor. Watson first meets him when he came up to Watson and began a conversation. Oddly enough, he was interested in what Holmes and Watson thinks of the case and murder so far. After a few days with Stapleton, Watson believes something is not right about Stapleton and that he is masking his true colors to him. His motives could be that he is after th e fortune of the family and whole wants to be rich. When Beryl came to Stapleton and Watson while they finished their conversation, she said, Go back Go forthwith back to London, instantly Go away from this place at all costs Hush, my brother is coming Not a word of what I have said (Doyle, 183). Thinking Watson was Henry, se gave him a warning, but said not to tell Stapleton. She later explains that he doesnt want Henry to leave because the people need someone, but Watson is well aware she is hiding something. If Stapleton was the killer, he must be a master of disguise. When the driver described the man as short and with a black beard, Stapleton could of easily put on a fake beard and mislead the duo. He would also have access to Henrys hotel room and take his shoes and he could of disguised himself as the hound.Roger Baskerville was the black sheep of the family when Hugo Baskerville was the owner. He is the son of Hugo and the brother of John. Mortimer states that he escaped t o Latin America because he was an outcast and disgrace to the family. Interestingly enough, he never states if he died while there. Roger could of came back for revenge and would kill each Baskerville so he would be the only heir left. If he did survive and he came back, he is hiding somewhere from the people. Whats difficult is that anyone could be him because its unknown what he looks like. As Mortimer and Henry blend in to Baskerville Hall, they were stopped and Perkins told them, Theres a convict escaped form Princetown, sir. Hes been out for three days now, and the warders every road an every station, but theyre had no sight of him yet (Doyle, 146). Roger could be the convict, Selden, and killed Charles before or after he was thrown in prison.Mortimer, the Barrymores, Stapleton and Roger Baskerville are the most belike suspects to the killer. Out of the four Stapleton could be the killer because he is more mysterious than the others and the fact he knows the moor makes him t he prime suspect. Overall, mystery books are interesting because as the reader continues the story, his or her opinion will keep changing and gives the reader the suspense of who the person is. The Hound of the Baskervilles is one of many excellent mystery novels.

The Importance of Psychology in Business

Importance of psychology in bussiness.. I think psychology plays an important role in business t here are many ways to utilize psychology in your business if you have any concept about psychology of valet being its easy for you to beneathsand the nature of your investor both he is optimistic or passimistic so at this level you can make him feeling more thriving while investing in your business. When we are on any job interview its too much helpfull to us knowing psychology. We may observe their expressions either what quality of mine in being appriciated or not.On the other hand for a professional its necessary to know about the basics of psychology to devolp his/her hold atitude towards his/her profession. For example if we are being prepared for a sales department our atitude should be different than in production deprtment. In HR(human recourse) department tha in mechanised department. so it is not possible for us to devolp ourselves as a professional in different of a busin ess firm. We can also motivate our employes to fountain their best. Psychology helps us in each and every feild of life while behaving with human being. Major implimentations of human psychology are given as under Importance of human psychology as employer . We have to deal with human beings as professionals in different segments of our business tirms. Importance of human psychology as employee. Our employers,olleagues,Subordinates and imideate bosses they are also human being we also also have to copup with them in our daily business. Importance of human psychology in daily working. In our daily working we have to copup with different people like customers,dealers contractors,imediate bosses e. t. c and we have to bring them on one point to show their best here human psychology helps us alot Thanks. Syed Mazhar BBA Sectin-A

Dbq Essay on Geographies Affects on the World

Geography DBQ The ancient world is rattling unique, and in some ways tough to figure extinct. The hardest discriminate of solving the mysteries of ancient times is seizeting in the minds of the people living back then. No one can completely beneathstand the full military force of a regions geography on the shaping of civilization. The only way we can fully comprehend a civilizations reliance on geography is by education into it. Through documents and maps we can start to understand the impact geography had on a civilizations economical, spiritual and agriculture development.Agricultural is the easiest thing to crack when trying to figure appear the development of a city in ancient times. Maps provide the best information on a regions geography, it gives knowledge of possible places where humans couldve used certain(prenominal) skills to their advantage or to invent new techniques to use against the downfalls of a certain area. An informative map of present day china educates the general public on the physical qualities of a region (2). This document is unprejudiced because it is a map, it was created to simply show people what China looks like, its facts. he reason for The Legend of Yu was to adjudge the public by creatively explaining how rivers and seas were created in China (4). This is a fictional story, therefore it is biased. Spodeks map in The Worlds History is intercommunicate readers on where some of the most abundant crops and animals could be set(p) around the world (8). Although nothing can be proven completely, this map is a very good piece of work present-day historians can use. The map in document 9 is very informative and educates the public about the fertile crescent, the mesopotamian area, located in the middle east (9).Unbiased and proven, this document, along with the three other ones mentioned are just a few examples of ways scholars may be able to analyse further into the agriculture of ancient times. Economy of cities in ancie nt times is a little tougher to figure out. Since everyone from those times is dead, the only way to even get any information is by reading saved documents from those specific times. Although the economies of cities have changed drastically through times, some current systems were used back then. The tough relegate is figuring out how those systems were created. Proven, informative statistics such as those in doc. ne, reveal to the public some of the ways people back then survived when it came to gathering nutrient and figuring out ways to make everyday living a little simpler (1). People back then had to create some type of tools in order to get dinner and survive everyday. In the Epic of Gilgamesh the creator attempts to entertain his readers by telling a story about a draw who forces is people to build a wall in order to protect them from attacks (3). Nobody wanted their city to be taken under control by someone else, even in present day we do everything we can to protect whe re we live. eography can really influence the successfulness of keeping your city under control and safe from others. Building new structures such as temples and houses was greatly affected by geography. The picture of Mohenjo daro displays the structures built there and educates the public on what putting green buildings looked like (6). Mountains, rivers, land, all these can affect the success of an economy. You never know what could happen and although ancient people didnt have all the technology we do to predict disasters such as earthquakes and tsunamis, their ability to manage without it is very inspiring.One bad thing and a whole city could be destroyed. Figuring out the geographical impact on spirituality is by far the most difficult thing to figure out. Ancient people could only pray to divinity fudges to protect their land. The author of Hymn of the Nile is thanking the Nile river for doing all the wonderful things it has done, although this document is biased it is sti ll very appreciative (5). People believed and still do believe that praying and thanking gods will result in good things happening to them. Praying for rain, or good crops, or many animals was not something new.In a criticizing tone, followers of Jesus accused the public of taking advantage of Gods generosity of gifts that dont even belong to them (7). Because of the fact they cant prove people are taking advantage and theyre just basing these accusations off of their beliefs, this document is biased. Im not sure if we will ever be able to have a complete soul of the affects geography can have on the development of a civilizations economical, agriculture and spiritual lives, it wont stop historians from investigating. There is so much out there to learn about and the deeper you dig, the more you find.

Nineteen Eighty-four and Treasure Chest

We came up with whatever good things for the treasure chest this break of day (our most clever Stasiland ideas), tho I keep thinking of more These are the kind of things that I would put in my treasure chest. * Annas elicit in understanding WHY people might choose to work for the Stasi (and by default what she learns by interviewing Stasi men). She inquires to gain insight and make esthesis of it and thus we go on this journey with her. The sense that everyone has a story and was impacting by this regime * The need for many of the characters to come to terms with the past (Vergangenheitsbewaltigung) and how some are still stuck with the Mauer im Kopf. Link to this the Germans not being sure of what to do with the past as well. Think about the Hitler bunker example.* The fact that the Stasi controlled through fear, but could not completely control the populace by dictating what was popular (the Lipsi, the Black Channel) * Parallels to George Orwells Nineteen Eighty-Four and the term Orwellian to describe the Stasis direct of surveillance. The significance of Julia who keeps coming into Annas apartment and removing things. Like the Communists when they took over Germany, but also symptomatic of her inability to settle. Much like Miriam who needs to live in a space which is open. * An exploration of how humanity can treat each other in inhumane ways. Questioning how this was possible after the atrocities of the Nazis. * A need to link passages to other stories in the text * I dont want to be German any more * Annas clear blame of Ostalgie * Her use of various German stereotypes, possibly even her liking of theSticklebrick nature of the language.

The Relationship between Gender and Modernism/Postmodernism

In late XIX early XX century a total crisis gripped mixed areas of life economy, politics and culture. However, the ideological ferment minds, lack of confidence in the future, premonition close historic and social change, although anxiety filled the souls of men, exclusively encouraged to seek rude(a) ideals of life and creativity. Artists tried to have new forms adequate to reflect changes that had occurred primarily in mankind consciousness, and reach a new aim of artistic creation values as they didnt perceive the romanticism and realism means.Art of the starting signal fractional of XX century primarily determines such(prenominal) things as decadence and upstartism. Among many modernist writers, I would like to point Ibsen and O Conner, whose make fors are a reflection of real life and social problems. The status of women in society and family is considered to be nonpareil of these problems (Burgess 153). Henrik Ibsen is Norwegian playwright, whose work is considere d the crowning achievement of so-called middle-class free rein, which fell on the flowering of the XVIII century. However, he is considered the creator of the foundations of new drama a new path in the development of world drama.What was a new Ibsens approach to reality? Ibsen was one of the first playwrights, who had shown a new society by making stress on the cataclysm of merciful life non in individual acts of negative second part, and in life itself. He showed the tragedy of life, debunked the false morality. In the play A Dolls House not only the dream of the playwright intimately the family and the family comfort was embodied, but in like manner a critical attitude towards society, which does not recognize womens equal rights with men. A Dolls House was an innovative product and the best example of new drama.In addition, it combines realism with modernist form of embodiment. It is also an intellectual and analytical piece, in which there is a problem of personality, whi ch seeks to protect his identity, the right to dignity in modern drama society. The end of XIX century was marked by the development of feminist movements. This promontory provoked strong interest of society and was the subject of disputes in many families. So the play by Ibsen was a response to the requests of time. The focus of the playwright is in the office staff of women in the family and her status in society.From the first scenes the reader can understand how the author appreciates the comfort of kin, how he admires Nora a real ideal cleaning lady funny, sweet, and nice. Her children adore her and her conserve is satisfied with the tale, illusion of a perfect family. Whats wrong with this idyllic picture? Maybe, its alone fantasy, not the authenticity of everything that they see outside. The plays by Ibsen are called analytic not by chance, the author analyzes the problems of the modern family, in which the woman is often not only conquered, but does not have the right t o vote.While Nora was such a vital playful squirrel for her husband Thorvald, he admired her he loved his wife and took alimony of her. Only of her? Probably not. But once it became clear that Nora could do something by her own, she could make her own decision. When she took the notes for her husbands medication everybody saw the real attitude of such a loving husband to his wife. It was a despot who did not bear the thought that his wife has something to solve herself, that she could be responsible for her choices.Thats where the subsoil is constructed in the Helmer family (Boyesen 94). The play has become a loud resonance precisely because of the fact that the problem of womens fate, and human was at point that time. When Nora left the family, it was really a shock for society, with its stabilized minds eye on the role of women in family and society. It was the first time when woman said of her dignity and desire to be a person, not just a beautiful doll for men. A woman does n ot agree any more with the role of a slave and a housewife.She wants to be on a par with men to delay a full life, to love, raise children and feel like a man. This solves the problem of womens rights in the family. Flannery OConnor is an outstanding American author. The author of Gothic novels and short stories about rural life of the American South, animate the religious upheaval and brightly-colored comic strokes. Metaphysical, on what it called enlarged view of the world combined with the full perception of reality. Major trends of her work have identified a zealous Catholic and a disbelief in science, shattering the native life.For OConnor, the image is characterized by unexpected, extreme situations, resulting in acts of violence provoked by the grotesque characters. A hot man is hard to find is the most outstanding work of this author which tackles both the authors views regarding personal transformations and Christianity. The story follows the life of a Christian grand ma who faces various struggles with her family and environment in hurt of religion, beliefs, and practices. Many of Flannery OConnors characters defy cultural expectations.For example, many of her women are strong, opinionated leaders, while the prevailing culture, especially during OConnors lifetime, prized women as nurturing homemakers whose role was to support the decisions and opinions of men. Grandmothers, especially, were expected to follow the lead of their grown sons if there was no grandfather in the house. Men, not women, were the driving decision-makers (at least on the surface) in literature, and generally in society until after populace War 2. The mother in this story is the more stereotypical character who is left in her depute gender role.OConnors grandmother character defies the cultural stereotype. She is opinionated and not shy of voicing those opinions on subjects from holiday destinations to proper etiquette for children to current events. She pays attention to the details that others ignore, including the starting mileage of the car and the facial features of The Misfit (OConnor 48). O Connors grandmother character is also the one to patronize the family during the predicament. Again in traditional gender roles, family protection is the state of the family patriarch, not one of the women.Yet, in another example of OConnors challenge to social norms, it is the elderly woman who stands to defend her family. Both authors in their works paid great attention to the role of a woman in family and in society, her right to take decisive actions, the importance of her personality. The works by Ibsen and OConner caused much controversy but they still remained bright representatives of modernism. The topics and problems they discussed in their works are still important and relevant.