Education Governance in Bangladesh Essay

This traditional thinking of education as the ticket to the good life emerges in different ways and degrees in Bangladesh. Education is seen as something that is received rather than achieved and it has increasingly become dependent on certificates. Education in the largest sense is any act or experience that has a formative effect on the mind, character or physical ability of an individual. In its technical sense, education is the process by which society deliberately transmits its accumulated knowledge, skills and values from one generation to another. The Government of Bangladesh places great importance on education and in this regard the Government has been trying to transform its huge population into human resource. Education for All (EFA) is the constitutional responsibility of the government. The constitution affirms equal rights in education for all. Since independence every government had taken several steps to increase the literacy rate in Bangladesh. But did they really work out? Our neighbor countries like India, Srilanka have made a great progress in literacy rate. But, where as the current literacy rate of Bangladesh is 63. 8 %. If all the steps were successfully implemented, then the rate would be around 80% (daily Janakantho, 24 July, 10). So, here is short description about the whole education system and the role of government in Bangladesh. Governance: Although the term governance is often used synonymously with the term government it tends rather to be used to describe the processes and systems by which a government or governor operate. The term government and governor describe the institutions and people involved. According to the World Bank†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ Governance is â€Å"the traditions and institutions by which authority in a country is exercised for the common good. This includes (i) the process by which those in authority are selected, monitored and replaced, (ii) the capacity of the government to effectively manage its resources and implement sound policies, and (iii) the respect of citizens and the state for the institutions that govern economic and social interactions among them. According to the UNDP†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. â€Å"Governance is the exercise of political, economic and administrative authority to manage a nation’s affairs. It is the complex mechanisms, processes and institutions through which citizens and groups articulate their interests, exercise their legal rights and obligations, and mediate their differences. † Education Governance: Education governance is concerned with how the funding, provision, ownership and regulation of education and training systems is coordinated, and at what level; local, regional, national and supranational. It is government who play the most significant role in coordinating education, the distribution of these responsibilities has been changing in response to calls for greater efficiency, effectiveness, accountability and democracy. Households, communities, and new kinds of private actors, are increasingly involved in many different aspects of education and training governance, raising questions about equity, participation and transparency. Objectives of Education Governance: To inspire and create enthusiasm among the learners in their thoughts, deeds and daily life to establish moral, humanitarian, religious, cultural and social values in personal as well as in national life. †¢ To develop awareness in the learners to protect the independence, sovereignty and integrity of Bangladesh. †¢ To make education pragmatic, productive and creative with a view to bringing about changes in the socio-economic conditions of the country and making the students into a dutiful and responsible manpower with scientific outlook and help them develop the qualities of leadership. To give special emphasis on primary and secondary education with a view to expanding education, to instill respect and eagerness for physical labor and enable the learners acquire vocational education for self-employment in all stages of education. †¢ To promote fraternity, moral values, generosity and fellow-feeling in people and make them respectful of human rights. †¢ To promote democratic values through fostering tolerance of one another’s views and help develop life-oriented, realistic and positive attitude for blossoming democratic awareness. To ensure proper quality at every level of education; to strengthen and widen the knowledge, skills and attitude acquired in the previous stage (in accordance with various aims and objectives of education): to enable acquisition of new knowledge and skills and to encourage people to contribute in the system of education, especially in the field of primary, secondary and vocational education. †¢ To emancipate the country from the curse of illiteracy. †¢ To create equal opportunities for education in accordance with merit and aptitude for the purpose of building a society free from disparity. To ensure gender parity in education and remove barriers of caste, creed and ethnicity in obtaining education. †¢ To ensure constitutional guarantee at all levels of education. †¢ To create aw areness about protection of environment. Structure of Education sector in Bangladesh: The education system in Bangladesh is characterized by co-existence of three separate streams. The mainstream happens to be a vernacular based secular education system carried over from the colonial past. There also exists a separate religious system of education. Finally, based on use of English as the medium of instruction, another stream of education, modeled after the British education system, using the same curriculum, has rapidly grown in the metropolitan cities of Bangladesh. However diverse the above streams may apparently look, they have certain common elements, and there exists scope for re-integration of graduates of one stream with the other at different levels. Different Streams in Education The mainstream education system in Bangladesh is structured as follows: – a. One or two year pre-primary education imparted in private schools/kindergartens, and informally in government primary schools for six months. b. Five-year compulsory primary education for the 6-10 year age group, imparted mainly in government and non-government primary schools. In metropolitan cities, however, government and non-government primary schools cater to the educational needs only of the poorer sections of the people, as the better-off families usually send their children to Private English Medium schools/ secondary schools that run primary sections as well. Very few NGOs however impart education for the full 5-year primary education cycle. c. On completion of primary education, students (11+) enroll for junior secondary education that spans over 3 years. At the end of this phase of education, some students branch out to join the vocational stream, offered at Vocational Training Institutes (VTI) and Technical Training Centers (TTC) run by the Ministry of Education, and the Ministry of Labor and Employment respectively, while students in the mainstream continue in government and non-government secondary schools for a 2 year secondary education in their respective areas of specialization i. . humanities, science, commerce, etc. At the end of their secondary education, the students sit for their first public examination (S. S. C. ) under the supervision of six education boards. The students of religious education and English medium streams also sit for their respective public examinations, Dakhil, and O level, conducted by the Madrasah Educ ation Board, and London/Cambridge University respectively, facilitated by the British Council in case of the latter. d. After 10 years of schooling at primary and secondary level, students (16+) who succeed in passing the Secondary School Certificate (S. S. C. ) examination have the option of joining a college for a 2 year higher secondary education in their respective areas of specialization, or enroll in technical/ poly technical institutes for technical education. After 2-year higher secondary education, one has to sit for another public examination called Higher Secondary Certificate (H. S. C. ) Examination conducted by the Education Boards to qualify for further education. Students of Religious and English Medium streams also sit for their respective public examinations, Alim, and ‘A’ level, conducted by the Madrasah Education Board and London/Cambridge University respectively to qualify for further education. e. Under-graduate education of various duration (2 to 4 years) are offered to 18+ students at a number of public and private universities / degree colleges/technical colleges/ specialized institutions. Successful completion of a degree course is a pre-requisite for appointment to a white-collar civilian job. . Post-graduate education normally of 1-2 year duration is provided at universities and selected degree colleges and institutions. Key Organizations governing the education sector in Bangladesh: Many organizations are involved in the direction of higher education in Bangladesh, and there is no single overarching authority. The President of Bangladesh is the Chancellor of most of the universities and is responsible for the appoint ment of vice-chancellors. The Prime Minister is Chancellor of a limited number of universities. The Ministry of Education (MoE) is concerned with overall policy formulation, monitoring, evaluation and execution of education. Line directorates are responsible for supervision and control of their relevant institutions, and these are: †¢ Directorate of Secondary and Higher Education (DSHE): including Madrasah and other special types of education. †¢ Directorate of Technical Education (DTE): Technical and Vocational institutions. The University Grants Commission of Bangladesh (UGC) established in 1973, acts as an intermediary body between the government and individual universities, and is responsible for all higher education. It reports to the Minister of Education through the Secretary of Education. Its main functions are as follows: 1. To assess the needs of university education and evaluate and recommend development plans to the Ministry; 2. To identify the financial requirements of the universities; 3. To allocate operating and development funds from the government to the various institutions; 4. To evaluate the use of funds and implementation of development programs; 5. To advise the Government on the establishment of new universities, including private universities, and expansion of existing institutions; . To collect and disseminate statistical information; 7. To advise the Government on proposals to grant the right to confer special degree awarding status on colleges. The National University (NU) is an affiliating university that controls the degree-granting colleges. Prior to 1992, degree colleges were affiliated with one of the existing universities, which established syllabi, set and administer ed examinations, and awarded degrees for students in the colleges. To reduce the burden on the universities, the NU was established to take over and organize the affiliated colleges in all fields except agriculture, engineering and medicine. The Bangladesh Institutes of Technology (BIT) Council (CBIT) co-ordinates the activities of the four engineering colleges that enroll around 3,200 students. It has virtually the same functions as the UGC, only for the institutes of technology. The Association of Universities of Bangladesh (AUB) co-ordinates the activities of universities in both academic and administrative matters. The AUB also leases with the government and the UGC on administrative and financial affairs. Management of the education sector in Bangladesh: Pre-primary education, generally recognized as a useful stage of education to smoothen the transition from home to an institutional environment and thereby contributing to reduced drop out rates at primary level has so long remained outside the purview of official education policy of Bangladesh. Its management therefore lies at present exclusively in the hands of the schools imparting such education and some NGOs running such schools. The Education Policy 2010 did however recognize the need for pre-primary education and recommended its gradual introduction to 5+ children in primary schools with a view to universalizing one-year pre-primary education. As provision of universal compulsory primary education has been recognized by the Constitution of Bangladesh as a state responsibility, the government has assumed direct responsibility of the management of primary education in Bangladesh, particularly in the wake of enactment of Compulsory Primary Education Act in 1990. The overall responsibility of management of primary education lies with the Primary and Mass Education Division (PMED) set up as a separate Division with the status of a Ministry in 1992. While the PMED is involved in formulation of policies, the responsibility of implementation of the same rests with the Directorate of Primary Education (DPE) headed by a Director General. The different tiers of administration such as Divisions, Districts and Upazilas are manned by Deputy Directors, District Primary Education Officers (DPEO) and Upazila Education Officers (UEO) respectively. UEOs are assisted by a number of AUEOs each in charge of a cluster of primary schools. At the school level, there exist School Management Committees (SMC) formed as per government directives with certain well defined functions, and Parent Teachers Associations (PTA) playing a supportive role in building favorable teaching-learning environment in schools. The Directorate of Primary Education (DPE) and its subordinate offices in the district and upazila are solely responsible for management and supervision of primary education. Their responsibilities include recruitment, posting, and transfer of teachers and other staff; arranging in-service training of teachers; and distribution of free text books, and supervision of schools. The responsibility of school construction, repair and supply of school furniture lies with the Facilities Department (FD) and Local Government Engineering Department (LGED). The National Curriculum and Text Book Board (NCTB) is responsible for the development of curriculum and production of textbooks. While the Ministry of Education (MOE) is responsible for formulation of policies, the Directorate of Secondary and Higher Education (DSHE) under the Ministry of Education is responsible for implementing the same at secondary and higher education level. The NCTB is responsible for developing curriculum, and publishing standard textbooks. Seven regions based Boards of Intermediate and Secondary Education (BISE) are responsible for conducting the two public examinations, S. S. C. and H. S. C. , in addition to granting recognition to non-government secondary schools. DSHE is divided into eight zones, each in charge of a Deputy Director assisted by two Inspectors, and two Assistant Inspectors. District Offices are headed by District Education Officers (DEO). There exist three different levels of supervision. BISEs are responsible for accreditation of non-government secondary schools. However, because of lack of inspection capacity, the work is delegated to Zonal Inspectors and DEOs. The Directorate of Inspection and Audit of MOE with a small manpower of 24 Inspectors are responsible for periodic qualitative and quantitative evaluation of non-government schools. Each zone has two Inspectors and two Assistant Inspectors to inspect all schools covered by the zones. At the school level, in case of non-government secondary schools, School Management Committees (SMC), and at the intermediate college level in case of non-government colleges, Governing Bodies (GB), formed as per government directives, are responsible for mobilizing resources, approving budgets, controlling expenditures; and appointing and disciplining staff. In government secondary schools there does not exist any SMC. The Head Master s solely responsible for running the school and is supervised by the Deputy Director of the respective zone. PTAs however exist essentially for ensuring a better teaching learning environment. The Directorate of Technical Education (DTE) is responsible for planning, development and implementation of technical and vocational education in the country. Universities in Bangladesh are autonomous bodies administered by statutory bodies such as Syndicate, Se nate, Academic Council etc. in accordance with provisions laid down in their respective Acts. While the private universities are regulated by the University Grand Commission (UGC). Regulation/Licensing authority Under the President’s Order No. 10 of 1973, which established the UGC, the UGC has the right to visit the public universities or to have them visited by teams of experts as and when necessary for evaluating programs and assessing their needs and requirements. The establishment of a private university requires the formation of a non-profit corporation or foundation and the Private Universities Act stipulates a series of conditions for establishing a private university. Some of them are given below: †¢ A security deposit of Taka 50 million in interest-bearing government bonds. Transnational Report – Case Study: Bangladesh (October 2003) page 18 of 36 †¢ A minimum of two faculties. †¢ Permission to rent office space only for 5 years, before building their own campus. They should own land of at least five acres. †¢ Programs and courses to be offered must be approved by the UGC before students are admitted. †¢ Five percent of places must be reserved for free studentships to ‘poor but meritorious’ students. Following establishment, the UGC has the authority to periodically monitor, visit and evaluate the performance of private universities, regarding the numbers of qualified teachers, library books, facilities, approved curricula, and to recommend de-certification if institutions fail to perform according to agreed-upon standards. The National University reviews and approves the applications of all degree col leges that seek Government recognition. Applications are reviewed against minimum criteria for facilities, teaching staff, and library and laboratory facilities. Approval must be reaffirmed for all institutions each year and institutions can be de-affiliated. Guidelines of Ministry of Education: †¢ Human resource development is at the core of Bangladesh’s development efforts and access to quality education is critical to poverty reduction and economic development. The Government is committed to undertaking structural reforms that are expected to bring significant improvements in the education sector. Bangladesh’s commitment to education has been clearly stated in its Constitution and development plans with education being given the highest priority in the public sector investments. Education sector allocations are currently about 2. 3 percent of GDP and 14 percent of total government expenditure. Maintaining this commitment to the education sector is imperative in order to achieve Education for All (EFA) and the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). †¢ The management of the education system falls under two ministries – the Ministry of Primary and Mass Education (MoPME, responsible for primary education and mass literacy) and the Ministry of Education (MoE, responsible for secondary, vocational and tertiary education). Overall there are more than 17 million students at the primary level, and over 8. 0 million at the secondary level. Enrolments at the tertiary level are relatively small but growing very rapidly. †¢ Bangladesh has made significant progress, especially in regard to increasing access and gender equity, both at primary and secondary levels. Gross primary enrollment rates rose from 90 percent in the late 1990s to 98 percent in 2003, while a corresponding increase in enrollment rates at the secondary level rise to 44 percent. Gender parity in access to primary and secondary education has also been achieved. These achievements are particularly spectacular when compared to countries in the South Asia region and other countries at similar levels of per-capita income. †¢ The Government is strongly committed to alleviating the existing problems in respect of management and quality through reforms across the education system. At the primary level, MoPME is supported by a multi-donor group through the Primary Education Development Program II (PEDP II), which aims to strengthen educational access, quality and efficiency. In order to address issues at the secondary and higher levels, MoE has developed a medium-term framework for the secondary education sub-sector, focusing on quality improvements, policy measures and specific actions needed to reform the system. The development of this medium-term framework has benefited from an extensive range of consultations and workshops with stakeholders at the central, district, and upazila levels. The main objective of reforms being proposed is to address systemic governance issues aimed at raising the quality and cost-effectiveness of service delivery, and improve equity of access in secondary education. †¢ MoE is aiming to move towards a devolved system of governance within the current administrative structure. In this system the central government will be responsible for formulating policies, financing, setting quality standards, and monitoring and evaluation etc. , while lower levels of government will be responsible for administering the system. MoE is empowering officials at the district and upazila levels to take greater responsibility in monitoring school performance and ensure public disclosure of information (e. g. , SSC passing rates, teacher absenteeism, class sizes, etc. ) related to school quality. †¢ To ensure appropriate financial controls, MoE is implementing a Financial Management Reform Program (FMRP). This is intended to increase accountability and transparency in the use of resources Main laws governing education in Bangladesh: The legal basis for higher education is complicated, with some laws deriving from colonial time sand others from the Pakistan era. There may be fundamental change in the governance and administration of higher education in the near future (World Bank, 1999b). Currently, the universities have autonomy (by the parliamentary acts) to work within the UGC-given parameters, and the same is true for degree colleges under the NU. Public Universities Ordinance (1973) is the governance framework for public universities in Bangladesh. This order dictates the selection procedures for the 4 statutory bodies of the university — syndicate, senate, academic and finance councils– and this is sometimes seen as the root cause of much of the politicization of the public university campuses. University Law (1993) grants considerable autonomy to individual public universities. Non-Governmental (Private) Universities Act (1992) (Amended 1998, 2002 and in 2010): This Act regulates the establishment of private universities in Bangladesh. Major Initiatives taken by the Ministry: Education Commission 2003 submitted its report in March 2004 and GOB has initiated actions to review and prioritize its 880 recommendations concerning each stream and level of education. Actually many of the recommendations made by the Education Commission are already in the process of implementation and many are in the pipeline for implementation. Some of the actions are taken in this respect are described below: †¢ Government has enacted Primary Education (Compulsory) Law in 1990 to achieve the universal primary enrolment by 2005 †¢ More then 98% of secondary schools are non-government. But Government pays 90% of the teacher and staff salary of these institutions †¢ Bangladesh has sustained increased government allocation in education sector from the 1990s †¢ Government is currently providing subsidies to create demand for education in favor of the poor and girls †¢ Government has initiated the decentralization of primary and secondary education management structure †¢ Government has established an autonomous Nongovernmental Secondary Teachers Registration and Certification Authority in order to recruit qualified and trained teachers in secondary level institutions †¢ A large project for the improvement of teaching quality at the secondary level institutions is underway †¢ A new apex body named National Teachers Training Authority by restructuring existing National Academy for Education Management (NAEM) is on card. This proposed institution would train both public and private sector teachers from 2005/06 †¢ Reorganization of National Curriculum and Textbook Board (NCTB) has also started with the objective to separate functions of the Board into two units, e. . , curriculum and textbook. This would enhance competition in textbook production and publishing and enable Board to concentrate on curriculum development †¢ A separate entity named Independent Textbook Evaluation Committee (ITEC) has been established for designing transparent criteria under which individual textbook manuscripts will be evaluated †¢ Privatization of textbo ok production and publication has already started for grades 6 to 10. Publication of all textbooks at the secondary level will be privatized by 2007 †¢ An Accreditation Council is being established which would function as a watchdog over the private universities in order to monitor the teaching standard of universities Major Reforms Undertaken by the Government: †¢ Introduction of unitrack curriculum in secondary level education from 2006 †¢ School based assessment (SBA) in secondary level education †¢ Reform of existing examination systems in secondary level education †¢ Privatization of Textbook Writing and Publication Re-organization of Managing Committee/Governing Body of the Non-Government Educational Institutions †¢ Formation of Oversight Committee for Supervision of Teaching at Classrooms †¢ Sanction of MPO on the basis of performance of educational institutions †¢ Strengthening of Teachers’ Training †¢ Delivery of Textbooks to the Students on Time †¢ Development and Modernization of Secon dary, Technical and Madrasha Curricula †¢ Retirement and Welfare Fund for Non-Government Teachers †¢ Establishment of 10 Foreign Language Centers Distribution of 20000 computers in secondary level educational institutions including Madrashas †¢ Training of secondary level teachers’ in computer applications †¢ Restructuring of Directorate of Secondary and Higher Education †¢ Restructuring of National Academy for Education Management (NAEM) †¢ Restructuring of Personnel of Boards of Intermediate and Secondary Education (Dhaka, Rajshahi, Chittagong, Jessore, Barisal, Comilla, Sylhet) and NCTB Government Education Policy: In order to maintain a modern, scientific and effective education system, Bangladesh Government attaches highest priority to the improvement of education sector. With this objective, the Government of Bangladesh had established several Education Commissions and Committees since the independence of the country. Despite repeated demands from professionals and from wider society, a comprehensive statement of the national education policy or long term strategy for education for Bangladesh has historically been elusive. In terms of higher education, the sector has grown in an ad hoc manner (especially the private sector), without reference to national development goals in terms of numbers of graduates, quality of provision, or subject relevance. However, in recent years the government has increased its investment in education services, whilst also encouraging greater private investment at all levels of the sector. It also introduced a National Education Policy (NEP) in 2000. The government sees the education sector as crucial to its overall national socio-economic development for the labor market, developing the research base, and for facilitating knowledge transfer. The Fifth Five Year Plan (1997-2002), and the National Education Policy (NEP), 2000, under the Awami League government (1996-2001), made important recommendations concerning the development of higher education in Bangladesh. However, with a change of government in October 2001, the fate of the NEP are uncertain, although indications suggest that they are so far following the recommendations of the NEP.

Comparitive Study Between Euripides’ Alcestis and Hippolytus

Euripides, youngest of the three great Greek tragedians, was born c. 485 BC though he was scarcely a generation younger than Sophocles, his world view better reflects the political, social, and intellectual crises of late 5th-century Athens. Euripides' enormous range spans contradictory tendencies:   He was both a rationalist and a romanticist;  he both criticized the traditional gods and celebrated religious phenomena He incorporated the new intellectual and scientific movements into his works but also conveyed the irresistible power of the irrational. Original and experimental, he parodied the conventions of tragedy and also used new theories about the illusionist and deceptive powers of language. He created tragicomic plots. His Alcestis and Hippolytus are his two great plays. We will notice many similarities in Euripidean plays. There are many similarities in Alcestis and Hippolytus and also have some dissimilarities. Comparative studies between these plays are discussed below. In ancient Greek tragedy there has several parts—Prologue, Parados, Episode. the first Stasimon the second Episode, the second Stasimon, the third Episode, the third Stasimon, the fourth Episode, the fifth Stasimon and Exodos. The plot structures of both plays are same. In both play we find Prologue, Parados, Episode, the first Stasimon the second Episode, the second Stasimon, the third Episode, the third Stasimon, the fourth Episode, the fifth Stasimon and Exodos and also choral ode with strophe and antistrophe. In both play the unity of time, pla ce and action have been maintained. Both plays are written in Iambic Pentameter. Both Alcestis and Hippolytus open with prologue or monologue which is a common characteristic of Greek plays . In both plays the audience have lost their interest from the very beginning because everything has been told before in the prologue. The play Alcestis begins with the prologue of the god Apollo. Here Apollo stops death from taking the life of Admetus and predicts that Alcestis will die instead of Admetus. He also predicts that Alcestis’ life will be saved by Heracles, the demi god. Similarly the play Hippolytus also begins with the monologue of the goddess Aphrodite. In the play Aphrodite the goddess of love, is angry with Hippolytus because of his devotion to Artemis, the goddess of chastity and hunting. So she makes a plan to ruin the life of Hippolytus, phadra and Theseus as well. Chorus plays a very significant role in Greek plays. The appearance of chorus is mandatory in Greek plays. In the plays of Sophocles the chorus continually present on the stage. In Euripides the picture is quite different. His plays are relatively complex. He experienced difficulties in retaining chorus. In Alcestis The entry of the chorus, or the â€Å"parodos† sequence, follows: a chorus of fifteen men of Pherae, led by a â€Å"coryphaeus† (chorus-leader), enter the orchestra of the theatre. The chorus-leader complains that they are in a state of suspense, ignorant of whether they ought to be performing mourning rituals for their queen. The chorus' lyrical ode, to which they dance as they sing, consists of two paired stanzas of strophe and antistrophe. They sing of the silence that greets their search for signs of mourning, the evidence of Alcestis' death. When goodness dies,† they lament, â€Å"all good men suffer, too. † The chorus-leader concludes by dismissing the chorus' search for hope in the situation: â€Å"The King has exhausted every ritual. † The Chorus is significant here and active. They informed the audience about what is happening inside the palace. Unlike Seneca’s chorus, the chorus is very active and plays a very important r ole. In Hippolytus the chorus is composed of fifteen women of Troy. In this play the chorus is mostly passive. For in a Sophoclean play the chorus announces new comers. In Hippolytus the chorus is not as active as Sophoclean tragedy. They inform the audience of the death of his wife. But under no circumstances could they speak of the criminal passion of Phaedra for Hippolytus. That would have been the height of impropriety. That is why Phaedra has to lay bare her heart to the Nurse. It is Artemis who informed Theseus of what actually happened. What mortals fail to do, Dues ex machine can. The choruses in Hippolytus therefore do not serve any important purpose as they do in the tragedies of Aeschylus and Sophocles. Euripides always highlights the role of servant or nurse throughout his plays. He always highlights the salve character. In Alcestis it is the servant who reveals the secret to Heracles that their queen is dead. Heracles gets drunk and begins irritating the servants, who loved their queen and are bitter at not being allowed to mourn her properly. Finally, one of the servants snaps at the guest and tells him what has happened. Heracles is terribly embarrassed at his blunder and his bad behavior, and he decides to ambush and confront Death and save Alcestis from the clutches of Death. Similarly in Hippolytus it is nurse who reveals the secret of her queen to Hippolytus which hastens the death of Phaedra. Phaedra took her Nurse into her confidence. But the nurse foolishly exposed the truth to Hippolytus. So we can say in both plays. Euripides reveals the truth by a slave character. Aeschylus and Sophocles had implicit faith in the Olympian gods and goddesses. Euripides had refined sensibility and looks at the divinities a little critically disciple of Xenophanes and Anaxagoras, he had a rational outlook on men and things. He was not a skeptic, far less an atheist. He profusely used the traditional myth and legends. In Alcestis, Admetus  forgot to sacrifice to Artemis, and consequently found his marriage chamber full of coiled serpents. Apollo bade King Admetus  appease the goddess, and meanwhile he obtained (because Admetus  1 was such a kind master towards him) a special favour of the MOERAE: that when Admetus  1 should be about to die, he might be released from death, if someone should choose voluntarily to die for him. â€Å"In Admetus I found a godly man. And so I rescued him from death by tricking the MOERAE. These goddesses promised me that Admetus could escape an immediate death by giving in exchange another corpse to the powers below. † (Apollo. Euripides, Alcestis 10). Alcestis dies in vicarious death Admetus could not find someone who would die for him. Only because of the role of Apollo, Admetus’ life saves and Alcestis dies instead of him. Euripides makes gods and goddesses questionable. In Alcestis, Alcestis dies because Admetus could not find someone who would die for him. Only because of the role of Apollo, Admetus’ life saves and Alcestis dies instead of him. Here the justice of Apollo is definitely questionable. In Hippolytus, the Olympian gods and goddesses plays a very important role although they are presented in the play in an unpleasant way. Hippolytus is very much devoted to the goddess Artemis and do not worship Aphrodite which makes the goddess angry and she made a plan which ruins the life of Hippolytus, Phaedra and Theseus as well. The main theme of this play is the conflict between love and chastity, infact it is the conflict between Aphrodite and Artemis. Artemis is not also totally blameless. She could have save her favorite but didn’t do so. Although the god Poseidon does not appear physically but he plays a very significant role in this play. He too is responsible for the death of Hippolytus. Euripides portrayal of women in his plays has been somewhat bizarre. His female characters kill out of revenge, kill out of jealousy and kill because a god possessed them too. Women occasionally assert dominance in the household; although, even within the home they posses limited influence over their husbands. An interesting theme runs through Euripides theatrical tragedies Alcestis and Hippolytus. In each play the lead female character forgoes her life for the sake of love. In Alcestis, Alcestis willingly gives her life to prevent her husband Admentus' death. In Hippolytus, Phaedra chooses to commits suicide as a result of falling in love with her husband’s son and refusing to be deceitful to her husband. Although Alcestis’ love should be considered as moral and virtuous where as Phaedra’s passion for her son was immoral, incestuous and illegal. In these two plays, a major female character challenges the predominately masculine centre pf power and authority and in some way questions the limits of that power. Alcestis forces her husband to confront the gap between the value that he attaches to family ties and affections and the honorific exchange of guest relationship that belong to the outward-facing world of male prerogatives. Phaedra’s erotic passion invades the garden world of idealized purity that Hippolytus would create with his virginal huntress-goddess, Artemis and shatters its defense by opening it up to the power of Aphrodite that he has rejected (both for himself and others) so absolutely. In the process, Phaedra also releases the suppressed violence and hatred that fuel Hippolytus’ total rejection of Aphrodite. .Although Phaedra has passionate desires for her stepson she is thoroughly ashamed of these feelings and as a result of her shame she decides to die by starving herself. She also condemns women who are unfaithful to their husbands as she says ‘And I despise them, women who preach faithfulness to husbands but dare the worst behind their backs. ’ Euripides, therefore, presents Phaedra as a moral woman who is just an unlucky victim of Aphrodite In these two cases the women are impelled to their actions by their intense emotional commitment to house and family. Alcestis and Phaedra both try to ensure their children’s future; and each is prepared to sacrifice her life in the process, although in diametrically opposite ways. In the play Hippolytus we notice the growth and development in Phaedra’s character. She is a dynamic or round character. But Alcestis does not have any growth and development throughout the play. She is a static character. Unlike Phaedra she plays a trivial role in the play. There is a question whether Euripides is misogynist or not. Euripides' innovation in his Hippolytus is to cast the woman as a sympathetic character, Aphrodite's helpless victim caught in a divine plan to destroy Hippolytus. His audience expects to see the wicked woman vilified and the virtuous youth exalted; that is the tradition. Instead, Euripides portrays his Phaedra as a highly moral woman struggling against the shame of her passion, while Hippolytus is an intolerant prig. Alcestis’ love is virtual, a sacred love for a husband. But Phaedra’s love for his step son has been considered in the play as sickness. She became love sick. Since her love is not pure like Alcestis so her love defined as sickness throughout the play. Euripides’ sympathetic tone is toward woman is also expressed in the play Alcestis. Alcestis' fate can be viewed as a reflection of the male- dominated world of fifth- century Athens- her death is decided by her husband, in that he allows her to take his pre-ordained place in Hades; her rescue from Death comes only through Heracles' intervention. Being led silently from the tomb perhaps symbolizes the woman's role in the Athenian household as a subordinate figure, from whom it was preferred to hear little. In all, the play shows that the rules of the male world, guest- friendship and hospitality in particular, are more important that the whims of a female, even her dying wish are disregarded. So he can’t be considered as misogynist. Heroes are undistinguished in Euripidean plays. They do not have much heroic qualities. They are very common and simple rather heroines are more focused in Euripidean play. For example in Alcestis, Admetus’ role is not heroic rather he is coward and self centered. He has not any growth and development. Alcestis sacrifices her own life for her husband, Admetus just laments on her wife’s death. He does not try anything to save her beloved wife’s life. Rather it was Heracles who save the Alcestis life and rescued her. In Hippolytus, we notice the growth and development of Phaedra’s character. Phaedra’s love, her passion, her struggle and her death makes her a round character. But Hippolytus’ remains quite inactive throughout the play. He has no contribution to the action of the play. Phaedra and Aphrodite play the main role in this play. They are more focused than Theseus or Hippolytus. According to Aristotle a hero should not be too good or too bad. Hippolytus is too good. He is a debatable hero. He has no growth and development. Unlike Phaedra he is a static character. Deus ex machine is a technique where a god or artificial or improbable device introduced into a play to resolve the entanglements of the plot. This technique is frequently used by Euripides. In the play Alcestis, Heracles acted as Dues ex machine. In the play Hippolytus it is the goddess Artemis who is presented as Dues ex machine. Alcestis is considered as a satyr play. Alcestis is a domestic tragicomedy with a mixture of fairy tale atmosphere and intense personal suffering that in the extant plays reappears again. Although the play begins with a gloomy and tragic mood but the ending of this play is joyous. It has a happy ending though artificial. So this play is considered as a tragicomedy. His play Hippolytus explores the nature of passion, the problem of communication and language and the emotional and the moral pitfalls of intense aspiration and one-sided devotion to the ideal. This play is totally a tragedy. In this play Phaedra commit suicide and the play ends with death Hippolytus. Obviously this play does not end with a happy tone. So it has been considered as a pure example of tragedy. Euripides has come to be increasingly appreciated in modern times for his intellectual subtlety, bold and original dramatic power, brilliant psychological insight, and ability to elicit unexpected symbolic meaning from ancient myth and cult. Critics find the Alcestis a richly rewarding play in many areas. D. J. Conacher explores how Euripides expanded the myth of Admetus and Alcestis, adding comic and folk tale elements to suit the needs of his tragedy. In Hippolytus, he also adapts the myth of Pasiphae the mother of Phaedra and Ariadne, the sister of her. But he relates it to the play by his own way. Throughout his works Euripides struggled to show the human side of his characters and tried to elevate their actions to a status of importance and not just as a consequence of the intervention of the gods. For this reason Euripides stands apart as does his works.

The Renaissance Period 1350 -1600 in italy Essay

The Renaissance Period 1350 -1600 in italy - Essay Example The Italy’s city-states transformed to commercial centres and unlike Europe, it never based its wealth on land but on capital and the power to lend. Politically, the nation was not as powerful as European counterparts were. However, their status as capital holders augmented growth and many nations came to them for loans. With no doubt, Renaissance Italy was principally an urban society where the city-states emerged as the centres of economic, social, and political life. There were new chances to enjoy world things as this was the time of restoration from the calamities of the 14th Century such as political disorder, economic recession, and black deaths. The major concern for human worth and individual potentiality gave rise to the new society ideal of achievements in various aspects of life. After severe upheavals of the 14th century, there was a recovery of European economy as there positive improvement in trade and manufacturing. Indeed, the Italians particularly the Venetians improved in their lifestyles, as there was expanded wealth of commerce. Throughout middle ages, the Italian society was grouped into three estates, the first or the clergy was grounded on spiritual beliefs, and secondly the nobility that based their belief that nobles offered justice and security for the society. The third category was comprised of inhabitants with peasants of the cities and towns. By 1500, the old, new, and noble that constituted of 2 and 3% of the population dominated the society holding imperative political posts and serving as kings and advisers. The new outlook of human beings began when Italians emphasized on individual ability. The Leon Battista Alberti philosophy â€Å"Men can do all things if they will† motivated many. It gave rise to human worth and individual potentiality to a new society ideal with many achievements. The family bond was the area where the mentioned philosophy was utilized. Parents regarded the need of arranged marriages for their

Analysis of a Primary Source Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Analysis of a Primary Source - Essay Example over to Christianity before 197, maybe motivated by the gallantry of Christian saints, and afterward came back to Carthage where he captivated his significant abilities for the benefit of the congregation. His marriage to a Christian is clear from his treatise tended to my wife. His appointment as a minister is less sure in spite of the fact that Jerome alluded to him as a center of life and presbyter of the congregation. Tertullian arranged himself as a layperson. Tertullian was the most productive Latin journalist until Augustine and formed works that are contrite, polemical, and moral in nature. After years of guarding universal Christianity, in any case, he turned to Montanism, a Spirit-based development, which Tertullian called the New Prophecy and which underscored prescience, elate articulations and glossolalia, women in service, thorough profound quality, and eschatological desires. As stated by Augustine, Tertullian withdrew from the Montanists to establish his own particular gathering of Tertullianists, making yet an alternate break. The year and way of his demise are obscure, yet Jerome reported that he existed to a progressed age. Late grant has called into address much of what Jerome reported about Tertullian. Timothy David Barnes, specifically, destroyed Jeromes life history of Tertullian and reproduced a short anecdotal representation built exclusively with respect to Tertullians own particular revelations. According to Barnes, Tertullians surviving works secured a concise period from 196 to 212, permitting a conception date as late as 170 (Ward, pp. 137-139). The explanations for Tertullians acknowledgement of Montanism remain a puzzle tohistorians. He offered no subtle elements in his surviving compositions, despite the fact that his lost treatise On Ecstasy potentially held such information. Jerome proposed that Tertullian was determined to Montanism by clash with Roman church. The trickiness of Jeromes confirmation that Tertullian was a

Contemporary Quebec Nationalism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Contemporary Quebec Nationalism - Essay Example Among the main achievements of Quite Revolution, the health insurance plan and the education system should be noted. Daniel Johnson won the election as head of Union Nationale. He followed the same steps as those of Lasage but in different terms. He prepared the way of eliminating preferred reference of ethnicity as the major element when defining nationalism. Johnson preferred the sociological definition of the nation to ratify that the two countries exist in Canada. The nation duality did not depend on the ethnic origin but the culture of citizens. The liberation of the French-Canadian nation was enabled through the appropriation of the state. Rene Levesque founded the "movement souverainete-association† that later became "Parti Quebecois†. In 1967, Là ©vesque advanced a thesis that remained unchanged over years. The English Canada looked to simplify, rationalize and centralize powers to central government. The Quebec, on the other hand, went in the opposite direction. The nationalism that characterized the Quiet Revolution was on the basis of the dynamism of state action. In conclusion, nationalism has been sustained by the will to preserve and affirm the collectivity of the nation. Since the Quiet Revolution, Quebec has developed a nationalist ideology making the state of Quebec one of the major elements of identification of social, economic and political promotion of Francophone. Economically, francophones have been able to implement a network of financial, industrial and service businesses with the state’s support.

The American Cultural Myth, America as the Land of Freedom and Essay

The American Cultural Myth, America as the Land of Freedom and Equality - Essay Example The given paper will discuss the American myth and reality and prove that the equal rights the United States provides are still to be got by people in a long and difficult struggle. The question about the reality of American equality is rather controversial. This controversy comes from the miscomprehension of what is meant by equality and freedom and how it is realized in the American society. The myth is that the United States of America represents the place where everybody is â€Å"free†, so he can do everything that comes into his mind. In reality, freedom and equality are really present in America, however, people who come to the state usually feel shock because of the official and bureaucratic limitations, and face difficulties on their way to become a part of the American society. During its history, the United States regulation has been doing its best to counterpoise the independence of a person with the welfare of the country and the outcomes of such efforts sometimes appeared to be rather strange and unexpected. Anti-smoking law that states that those who do not smoke have a right to live without smoke that restricts the right of smokers’ to smoke represents the perfect example of this strangeness. Young people who come to America to study are usually unpleasantly surprised by a great number of regulations that controls each step they make. The social principles in America are really strange. They represent a mix of Puritanism and the commonly nonjudgmental American approach that generates a lot of difficulties for newcomers, because they can’t foresee the American society’s reaction to their actions. Furthermore, in America various ethnic groups live one next to another and each group has its own principles that may differ much from the values of other. Consequently, the newcomers often feel that there are absolutely no rules in the United States and appear at a

The Media Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

The Media - Essay Example However, the greatest weapon of media is that it can magnify the truth of an act or incident, sometimes to the point of exaggeration. It is because of this power that media can keep checks and balances on political leadership. Besley, Burgess, and Prat (2002) observed that suppose â€Å"a politician is thinking of taking or making a bribe and that the probability of this will become public depends on the efficacy of the media in both discovering it and broadcasting it widely† (p.5). It is agreed then that the media can influence and persuade politicians to do their proper roles for fear of bad publicity. However, the media also are victims, and are even a mark suspect for political corruption or political advantages. Walgrave and Van Aelst (2004) stated that, â€Å"symbolic political agendas are more, and more immediately, affected by the media than substantial political agendas† (p.8). This fact cancels out the effectiveness of media as an aspect that provides a check on government actions. For the media to maintain its effectiveness in keeping watch over political affairs, it has to maintain a strong level of integrity and professionalism, while being impartial with regard to political

Sexual Assault of a Child Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Sexual Assault of a Child - Essay Example Also, of the estimated 766,686 missing juveniles in the United States last year, including abductees, runaways and abandoned "throwaways," 16 percent likely were victims of sexual exploitation (Spun, 2002). Â  The clinical explanations of sexual abuse are linked to decrees, the directing the belief is whether the encounter has a shocking impact on the child. Not all sexual encounters suffered by children do. The distressing impact is usually influenced by the significance of the act to the child, which may alter as the child progresses through developmental phases. Â  Sexual abuse comprises of but is not restricted to, viewing a child pornographic resources, placing the child's hand on another person's genitals, touching a child's genitals, or penetration of any orifice of a child's body with a penis, finger, or an article of any kind. Penetration does not have to take place for it to be sexual abuse. Â  Sexual abuse can take place anywhere, at any occasion, including in front of other people who do not, or prefer to not see. Sexual abuse has horrifying consequences on children. Children who have been sexually abused undergo overwhelming mental breakdown and at times death. The children build up distrust and will have troubles in their future relationships. In addition, sexual abuse makes sexual abusers. Â  The impact of sexual abuse accomplishes all levels of a child's sentiments. Confusion is frequently the early response of the child. Once the abuse starts the victim undergoes an incredible disagreement with their emotions. They feel pleasing due to the awareness they are getting from the parent, as well as the bodily satisfaction. Conversely, they undergo pain, guiltiness, and annoyance for what is being done. Â  Child victims of sexual abuse suffer far worse trauma if they think images of their ordeals are distributed on the internet, a Welsh conference will hear today. The shame of being seen in pictures of abuse passed among pedophiles leaves children with a heavier psychological burden (Internet Images Make Child Abuse Trauma Burden Worse, 2004). Â  The abused will feel remarkable guiltiness for various reasons. They think they did nothing to prevent the abuse, as a result, they are accountable and it should carry on. They felt painful but the abuse was sometimes pleasing. They one way or another deserved or caused the abuse. Â  A victim will generally feel this manner when their confidence has reduced and they have no more responses to what is happening. Â  Another most important foundation of guiltiness comes from the mother. Frequently when the mother is told regarding the mistreatment she will not want to think the charges and will hold responsible the child. Â  

Managerial Applications of Technology - Final Case Study

Managerial Applications of Technology - Final - Case Study Example The very first thing to do is to set up a framework for IT acquisition (p. 592). This entails identifying the appropriate IT applications that would be used in the organizational restructure, justifying that the new set of IT applications to be acquired is worthwhile in terms of costs and benefits, and planning the processes of acquisition and implementation of the newly acquired IT applications (pp 592-594). Some of the options available for IT acquisition are through lease of the required IT applications, outright buying or purchase of the application, developing the applications in-house or subcontracting the whole IT process to external managers/consultants. Whichever option chosen must be cost-effective; it must also help in initiating business process redesigning within the organization (pp. 600-606). If properly handled, this organizational transformation would also be instrumental in connecting the organization’s databases and 2 enterprise systems, and providing a smoo th link or integration to the organization’s business partners (p. 606). All the processes highlighted above could only successful happen if there is effective managerial or leadership establishment. This signifies that all the organization’s employees must support and work hard towards the change. 3 Outsourcing/Off-Shoring: Pros and Cons Question 2: You’ve been asked to work with HR to evaluate the potential for outsourcing some IT functions including the potential use of off-shore resources. What are the advantages and disadvantages associated with outsourcing? What can you share with your HR partner regarding the reasons to outsource, factors to be considered, and potential risks? Based on your knowledge of outsourcing/off-shoring what are your thoughts regarding work that would not be good a candidate for outsourcing/off-shoring? What methods will you suggest to measure the value of an outsourcing/off-shoring relationship? Answer 2: Some organizations percei ve IT outsourcing as a way of subsidizing their capital expenses and working towards cost-effectiveness to maximize profits (p. 506). However, there are some important factors that should be strictly considered before outsourcing/off-shoring some functions of any organization’s IT Department. Some commonly touted advantages of outsourcing/off-shoring include that it is cost-saving; it allows business expansion; it creates exposure to better technical expertise; it is flexible and encourage better quality and improvement; and it supports major organizational transformation (pp.506-510). But some of the disadvantages of outsourcing include de-motivation in in-house IT professionals; having negative effect on business strategy; the problem of confidentiality risks; and the fear of sudden collapse of IT provider. The main reason why an organization may seriously consider outsourcing its IT functions is to reduce the overhead capital 4 expenses on its IT requirements. However, it is helpful to consider some factors before going into outsourcing: these include choosing the right external IT Service Provider; estimating the cost of off-shoring; and identifying which applications should not be outsourced based on the importance of their confidentiality to the organization’s future. Even though all the factors outlined in the

Consider Pip from Great Expectations and Ralph from Lord of the Flies Essay Example for Free

Consider Pip from Great Expectations and Ralph from Lord of the Flies Essay Which character do you think gives the most realistic portrayal of childhood? Both of these novels contain depictions of childhood. An important fact to keep aware of is that in Dickens portrayal of childhood, there are adults present to mould Pip through his encounters with them, whereas Golding leaves his characters free from any guiding adult hand. Pips sister being on the rampage when she felt Joe or Pip had done the slightest thing wrong, is different to Ralphs experience of childhood on the island as the closest thing he has to an adult guide is Piggy, who whilst undoubtedly more intelligent than the other boys, lacks the respect and authority an adult commands. Pip and Ralph are alike however in their longing for a lack of adults, but then the delight of a realized ambition overcame him. In the middle of the scar he stood on his head and grinned at the reversed fat boy. No grown ups! Is what Golding tells us of Ralph, and similarly Dickenss Pip calls them all toadies and humbugs. Although these views both seem to concur that a lack of adults is definitely a good thing, they do differ somewhat, I do not believe Ralph would go so far as to call all adults toadies and humbugs and this is certainly to do with their different backgrounds. Ralph is a Home Counties lad with a father high up in the navy who knows that the queen has a drawer full of maps, whereas Pip is the adopted son of a blacksmith and although Ralphs lifestyle may not necessarily have been glamorous, it was much more homely and welcoming than the one Pip enjoys. The two novels are also set over a greatly differing time span. Lord of the Flies lasts perhaps several weeks at the most, whereas Pips childhood lasts several years in Great Expectations. Obviously this will play a part in how realistic their childhoods seem as we see no more than the blinking of an eye of Ralphs, but have a much more in depth viewing of Pips. Adults mould Pip throughout his childhood, and the most important adults involved in this are Pumblechook, Mr Wopsle and Pips sister. All of these have a tendency to look down on Pip, and it is for that reason that Joe is not included in the list, as he and Pip treat each other like equals. Ralph on the other hand has no guiding force behind him throughout all the time the reader knows him. Whereas Ralph is a very expressive child, he stands on his head and laughs and looks golden, Pip is not, in the early stages of the book, free from the tyranny of his sister. So there is a crucial difference between the two novels in that Ralph and his companions are free to be children without adult ideals being laid upon them, whereas Pip is expected to be a child the way society expects him to be, be grateful boy to them which bought you up by hand being a good example of this. A key aspect of childhood is Fear, fear of the dark, fear of the unknown and fear of adults to name but a few. Both authors work this aspect of childhood into their novels somehow. Dickens does this with Magwitchs young man a boy may lock his door, may be warm in bed, may tuck himself up, may draw the clothes over his head, may think himself comfortable and safe, but that young man will softly creep and creep his way to him and tear him open. All this to scare Pip into getting him some wittles and it works, from the language in that quote, it is obviously apparent that Dickens had a very good idea of childhood and its workings, on of the few things universal to children is that they do think bed to be the ultimate haven. Pip is scared by Magwitch into stealing from his sister, who he is already afraid of, and this is significant in that it shows Dickens had a very good grasp of what childhood was about, and is thus likely to have a very good portrait of childhood in his novel. Possibly even more significant than this is that Pip steals a file from Joe his trusted friend, and this also shows more understanding on Dickens part about children, they do not discriminate between close friends and others to the extent older people do. And so we see the counter part to this in Lord of the Flies, when alone and with no adults on the desert island the children feel the need for a fire and steal Piggys glasses to light it. Piggy is Ralphs main ally on the island, and certainly Ralph is Piggys only friend, so the situation is much akin to the one in Great Expectations but we do not see the same level of remorse from Ralph. Instead of Pips fearful I held tight to the leg of the table under the cloth, with both hands, and awaited my fate in anticipation of any retribution that may be dealt out, all that Golding says of the boys remorse at leaving Piggy blind and helpless is for Ralph to hand them back when done with them, and it is here that it seems as though Golding has a better understanding of children, he appreciates that their consciences are not yet fully developed as they are unable to grasp the implications of what they have done. The fear that grows apparent on the island however is not the same kind of fear as Pip experiences. One of the little-uns complains of a beastie, nonsense is the response he gets from Ralph, and yet The vivid horror of this, so possible and nakedly terrifying held them all silent. And it is here where the crux of the argument begins to form for Dickens having the better portrayal of childhood. The Beastie is in fact symbolic of the horror humans will create on the island, and the rest of Goldings novel is also mostly symbolic, whereas Great Expectations isnt. The natural reaction for Ralph and company to have is to try and ward of the beastie somehow, and thus the fire begins to become more than simply a rescue beacon. The relationships between characters is also a major part in the views we are offered of childhood. Golding uses the views of others to reveal aspects of the main characters, and so influence how we feel about them, Piggys view of Ralph and the others Like a crowd of kids - is supposed to make the reader feel that Piggy is far more mature, and that in turn Ralph is excessively immature, and childlike. Dickens however uses Pips perspective throughout the novel, and the language he uses differs greatly at the start as compared to the finish for the purposes of showing the transition between child and adult. For example I religiously entertained that they had been born on their backs with their hands in their trouser pockets is clearly not the impression an adult would get from having dead brothers or sisters, and most likely not the way they would describe them. However at the end of the book the language use has progressed to statements such as Oh, Joe, you break my heart! Look angry at me, Joe! Strike me, Joe! Tell me of my ingratitude. Dont be so good to me. This is a statement the younger Pip would have been incapable of making, ti shows the complex differences in language that Dickens appreciates children use as compared to adults. In Great Expectations Pip is not treated as an adult, he is treated as a particularly worthless child, and as such he forms negative opinions of the adult world he will have to grow into, that ass Pumblechook being just one example of the way Pip views this world, however Dickens also understands that childrens attitudes change very quickly, as does Golding, and so when Pip obtains Great Expectations and Pumblechook starts acting up to him, then he decides that maybe Pumblechook was a practical, sensible, good hearted fellow. This is also shown in Lord of the Flies because although by the end Ralph and Jack are literally at each others throats, when making the fire at the start Ralph finds a log that looks too heavy, but gets the reply of Not for the two of us! And so Golding shows the reader a glimmer of hope that the two may get along well, but they dont, and this demonstrates the inconsistency of children. Ralph has responsibility for the other boys on the island, and this causes him in many aspects to grow up. Instead of being completely child like and swimming, diving and running about, he gets worked up because the shelters havent been made and the other are incapable of concentrating And they keep running off. You remember the meeting? How everyone was going to work hard until the shelters were finished? This is not a very childlike statement, children get frustrated because they dont get their own way, Ralph is not saying Im the leader and they dont obey me but instead worrying that the community is beginning to tear apart, a concern more voiced on tabloid letter pages than childrens conversations. Pip however has no such responsibility, admittedly while he does some chores set him by his sister, or his lessons under Mr Wopsles great aunt that preposterous female, he is nowhere near as empowered as Ralph who has been voted to care for a few dozen boys. And so this also affects the childhood of the two we see, while Ralph had the easiest growing up previous to the novel (with his parents) as opposed to Pips dead parents and harsh sister, he is given a far more demanding role to play. And the way he deals with it is not very childlike; in fact it comes to eventually represent the way a tired adult may feel, worn down, beginning to despair and wondering why on earth hes taken the responsibility at all. And this is another key point to consider, Goldings children are literary metaphors for mankind, whereas Pip, although he teaches the reader about aspects of the human character, is not supposed to be representative of the whole human race, and so more likely to represent childhood better. Yet another fact to remember is that Golding and Dickens were writing in very different times. Dickens was writing in what was the height of Victorian England and was teaching about society in those days. Whereas Golding was writing after the World Wars and so was trying to tell a more global message. So his Ralph is, although a child, not necessarily entirely representative of one. Pip however is forced to be a child by the constraining presence of his sister, Pumblechook and eventually the bond apprenticing him to Joe, all things that represent Victorian society, and yet things that still apply today even if in a different form, such as parental control and discipline and mandatory education. Childhood on Goldings island is also not really something enjoyed particularly by Ralph and his peers, instead it is the littleuns who are the children, Ralph and the other bigger boys find themselves in the positions of adults simply because they are the biggest ones on the island. Perhaps because they are not completely mature at the time this does not help them deal with the events that happen on the island. There is possibly a case for saying that Pip too, is no ordinary child and has to grow up very fast in his attempts to impress Estella and grows up even more rapidly once he has his expectations laid upon him. However this is most likely a part of his childhood akin to the beginning of school and as this has been a part of life for every child in the last hundred years and more, this is not something that can be argued as not being a part of childhood. And most certainly at the start of the novel Pip is a child plain and simple, with no more worries than his sisters rampages. Another aspect of childhood to consider is trust and loyalty. Children are usually trusting unless something happens to make them otherwise. In Lord of the Flies, loyalty is shown by the twins and Piggys dedication to Ralph and their faith in him to get them through. Ralph however displays a special kind of loyalty, a loyalty to the good side of human nature and a deep trust in fair play. Pips trust however is in Joe and his own learning, but the trust is very temporary with Joe, it is more of a mutual agreement to be equals. And Pip is more than happy to trade his oldest friend for some money and a life in London. Here again we see that Dickens understands children are rarely consistent, whereas Golding is trying to use children as a metaphor for something much bigger. To conclude I believe that Pip is by far the better portrayal of childhood. Childhood does not generally involve the lack of adult presence to so huge an extent as it does in Lord of the Flies, however the battles of child against adult and adult society such as are seen in Great Expectations do occur almost universally. I think that some qualities the reader sees in Ralph, such as the headstands, do display the kind of innocent glee a child might express, but other than that Ralph and is peers are all examples of the human race and so representative of those who rule the world, adults, and not of children who merely inhabit it. Goldings book is a political message of its time, whereas Dickens was writing a novel, but his was free from the idealism that contaminates Goldings work. Dickens novel still had a point, but this point was made about the way in which his society worked and in particular his belief that money is a great corrupter. Therefore I believe that Dickens Pip is the most realistic portrayal of childhood as he behaves like a child, his expressions and attitudes are all those common to children. Dickens also displays a deep understanding of how children work, and this comes across in Pips actions. Goldings children however are only just recognisable as children, they could easily be replaced with full grown adults and still the story would work just as well.

Evolution of Leadership

Evolution of Leadership Amber Goshe An Evolution of Leadership In order to thrive in the realm of leadership, companies and individual departments have started to recognize that leadership must be adaptable, continuous, and be able to play various roles to create synergy in the work place. Quantum leadership and the path-goal leadership theory are discussed in this paper, as well as, the benefits and limitations of both theories in an organizational environment. A real workplace scenario is presented with a discussion of the type of conflict presented, in addition to, strategies that could be used in addressing the issue at hand. Quantum Leadership Quantum leadership is chaotic and is based on principles of physics and constant change and transformation. It is always changing and evolving. Therefore, the leader’s role is focused on understanding the intricacy of the change and then transforming it into a way that can be understood by those it affects (Malloch Porter O’Grady, 2009). By evaluating a change and anticipating change, a quantum leader can project to see where the change is going (Malloch Porter O’Grady, 2009). The theory focuses on adaptation, integration, interaction, and prediction (Malloch Porter O’Grady, 2009). Quantum leadership is not based on a hierarchy. It views an organization and its members as interrelated team members that is better served through collaboration (Malloch Porter O’Grady, 2009). Quantum leadership emphasizes the importance of the relationships between individuals in the organization rather than focusing on solely the individual. Leaders and the people they lead have to be comfortable with ambiguity and the challenges brought forth by continuous change (Malloch Porter O’Grady, 2009). Quantum leaders must be vulnerable and open to different realities but also be aware of their limitations (Malloch Porter O’Grady, 2009). Quantum leadership also embraces values for individuals and groups within the organization. There is an emotional investment that is important because it provides a perspective of ownership and integrity and should be visible because values stand out by a person’s actions every day (Malloch Porter O’Grady, 2009). Also, shared basic underlying assumptions in quantum leadership define the invisible culture and determine what makes the organization function every day (Malloch Porter O’Grady, 2009). Yet, these are basic and highly influential in a group’s behavior. This often goes overlooked until someone oversteps on one and then it usually comes out as frustration expressed by a team member that identifies the violation (Malloch Porter O’Grady, 2009). The artifacts in the culture address the things someone first comes into contact with an organization and therefore it is easy to see what one encounters but it is hard to decipher the true meaning of the culture (Malloch Porter O’Grady, 2009). Another assumption includes beliefs and values including the goals, identified goals and spoken values (Malloch Porter O’Grady, 2009). These assumptions can be driven by groups or by individuals who have influence inside the institute. However, it can be challenging to make these underlying assumptions visible and used to add value. Quantum leadership focuses on the process and embraces that it is indefinite and limitless and does not place emphasis solely on the results and how one gets there. Quantum leadership embraces finding potential. It is not always controllable or predictable and that is a good thing because a leader should become worried once everything becomes predictable (Malloch Porter O’Grady, 2009). Quantum leadership lets go of control and opens up the opportunity for various leadership styles to emerge to align the motivation between team members (Malloch Porter O’Grady, 2009). It emphasizes collaboration between members and building upon others strengths but knowing their weaknesses and limitations. Quantum leadership instills meaning into leadership but it does have its own action plans. The action plans within the organization, however, do focus on accomplishing goals appropriately and meaningfully (Malloch Porter O’Grady, 2009). The group must have good communication and interaction within the organization to accelerate success which can be aligned by the leader. The individual’s interest in the organization is also taken into account (Malloch Porter O’Grady, 2009). Path-Goal Theory The path-goal theory is based on identifying a leader’s motivation or style that best suits the employee to facilitate goal achievement. This theory focuses on three main aspects of leadership which include the leader, the subordinate or the secondary, and the environment (Alanazi Rasli, 2013). The characteristics of the subordinate include their own perception of their abilities and control and leaders can adapt to this perception by approaching the leadership from different angles based on their understanding. Characteristics of the environment focus on the structure of the task and the work group. This behavior enables the employee to become empowered, it increases their motivation, and improves employee satisfaction which assists the employee in being a productive member of the institute (Wofford Liska, 1993). A main concept of the path-goal theory is that the leaders will make rewards available in order to motivate their subordinates (Wofford Liska, 1993). These rewards can be adaptable and dependent on the situation at hand which makes the leader vulnerable to opening up to acclimation. In this theory, various different styles of leadership are used for different situations. There are four original types of leadership behaviors in the path-goal theory which include directive, supportive, participative, and achievement oriented. In directive leadership, the leader is specific and gives directions to the followers about what needs to be done and includes details on how it should be done, the expectations, and when it needs to be done (Alanazi Rasli, 2013). The leader will still provide guidance along the way. This style of leadership can be used when dealing with a complex or unstructured task of if the subordinate is inexperienced (Alanazi Rasli, 2013). The second leadership behavior is supportive leadership. In this style, the needs and well-being of the subordinate is taken into consideration, as well as, creating an approachable work environment (Alanazi Rasli, 2013). This is a larger focus than completing the task at hand. This style may be used when the task is boring or puts the subordinate at risk for physical or psychological distress.The third style of leader behavior is participative. In this style, the subordinates are consulted in the process and those ideas can be used when making decisions (Alanazi Rasli, 2013). The subordinate’s opinion is highly respected in this style and often this can be used when the subordinates are the experts of the content matter. The fourth style of leader behavior is the achievement oriented leader. In this behavior, high expectations are set for the subordinates and challenging goals are set. A high level of performance is expected from the subordinates is expected while the leade r instills confidence in their abilities (Wofford Liska, 1993). The path-goal theory is flexible in that the leader adapts to the subordinate, taking into consideration the environment and task at hand. This situational framework is strength for understanding how various leader behaviors affect the efficiency and satisfaction of the workers. It also incorporates motivation principles of the expectancy theory (Alanazi Rasli, 2013). However, it can also be complex to try to integrate many different aspects of leadership. Comparing Quantum Leadership and Path-Goal Theory One major difference between quantum leadership and the Path-Goal theory is control. The quantum leader is about aligning motivation between team members and is open to different views on a subject. The path-goal theory focuses on discovering the best behaviors for subordinates and attempts to control subordinates behavior with incentives. Also, the path-goal theory refers to subordinates indicating a hierarchal system where the quantum leader focuses on horizontal communication (). Yet, a similarity is that the leader in the path-goal theory works to facilitate task achievement for the followers and in quantum leadership the leader is focusing on aligning motivation between other team members which results in task achievement. However, quantum leadership is always continuously evolving and is a process, whereas in the path-goal theory there is a specific goal and expectancies on how to get from point a to b. Conflict Scenario In 2010, I started working as a radiographer at Nationwide Children’s hospital. Before starting my new position, I had worked as a student assistant in the radiology department and I was now a peer to those who had been over me. While running images for a fellow co-worker, I noticed she would withhold images to â€Å"run† them herself. As I observed my co-worker and her method, I noticed she was deleting images when there was likely potential for motion. One day, an image was deleted after the wrong radiograph had been taken. A forearm was taken instead of an elbow and the forearm radiograph was deleted. After the elbow came back negative, the physician ordered a forearm and therefore the patient was exposed twice for the same picture unnecessarily. I found this odd, since in every other aspect my co-worker upheld patient safety and often advocated for it. The reject image rate which is calculated for patient safety is based off the images rejected in the computer syste m. Since there were images not being accounted for, an inaccurate portrayal of data occurred. When my co-worker was confronted, she stated that the information from those images was not beneficial for the department and claimed she was unaware that it held any wrongdoing. In my opinion, this is a data-based conflict due to the lack of information and limited access to information. There is some value based conflict components presented in the scenario but the big picture is that data is not being collected and therefore it is affecting patient safety. Since that information would be extremely important for the effectiveness of the department and patient safety, certain measures or in-services were not being implemented based upon false information. The clinical work suffers as a result of not acquiring the appropriate information (54). The information and how it is generated, as well as, how it is distributed and the importance of it all have an impact on the effectiveness of the organization, as well as, its integrity (55). As a quantum leader in this situation, one would need to ensure that proper processes and generation of information are set in place and appropriately structured within the organization. To address the issue presented in the scenario, as a quantum leader I would want to get a basic understanding of the issues at hand and hear from the co-worker their issue with the process put into play, ask her to clarify her reasoning for why the information is not beneficial to the department, and what her feelings are on the issue. I would want to know if she has fear about running images that have â€Å"mistakes† on them and why. I would bring up patient safety with the co-worker for common ground. I would discuss with the co-worker how I praise her advocacy of patient safety in all other aspects and ask her to reflect on the situation to determine if there were patient safety issues involved. Also, this conversation would need to be done in a safe place so she felt open to discussing the conflict at hand. Throughout the conversation, I would discuss expectations for patient safety and assure the co-worker that the data collection system put in place is for the patient safety and for the employees. That information is not used to get employees into trouble, but to help determine in a non-blame way, what could be done in the future to prevent unnecessary exposures to patients. Agreements would need to be made on the process of data collection and a plan to follow-up on the agreement action (). References Alanazi, T.R. Rasli, A.M. (2013). Overview of path-goal leadership theory. Comprehensive Research Journal of Management and Business Studies, 1(1), 01-06. Malloch, K. Porter O’Grady, T. (2009). The quantum leader: Applications for the new world of work (2nd ed.). Sudbury, MA: Jones and Bartlett. Wofford, J.C. Liska, L.Z. (1993). Path-goal theories of leadership: A meta-analysis. Journal Of Management, 19(4), 857-876.

The Prescription Drug Abuse Crisis Essay -- Drug Abuse, Substance Abus

The rate of death due to prescription drug abuse in the U.S. has escalated 313 percent over the past decade. According to the Congressional Quarterly Transcription’s article "Rep. Joe Pitt Holds a Hearing on Prescription Drug Abuse," opioid prescription drugs were involved in 16,650 overdose-caused deaths in 2010, accounting for more deaths than from overdoses of heroin and cocaine. Prescribed drugs or painkillers sometimes "condemn a patient to lifelong addiction," according to Dr. Tom Frieden, director of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. This problem not only affects the lives of those who overdose but it affects the communities as well due to the convenience of being able to find these items in drug stores and such. Not to mention the fact that the doctors who prescribe these opioids often tend to misuse them as well. Abusing these prescribed drugs can â€Å"destroy dreams and abort great destinies," and end the possibility of the abuser to have a posit ive impact in the community. Drugs cause an overall disturbance in a subjects’ physiological, psychological and emotional health. â€Å"At the individual level, drug abuse creates health hazards for the user, affecting the educational and general development of youths in particular† (â€Å"Fresh Challenge†). In youth specifically, drug abuse can be triggered by factors such as: a parent’s abusive behavior, poor social skills, family history of alcoholism or substance abuse, the divorce of parents or guardians, poverty, the death of a loved one, or even because they are being bullied at school (â€Å"Drugs, brains, and behavior†) . In certain circumstances, the consumption of drugs might have had originated because of a psychological disorder that needed drugs in order for t... ... 2013: A.1. SIRS Issues Researcher. Web. 06 Dec 2013. "New Data Show Rise in Prescription Drug Abuse." Targeted News Service (USA) 11 Apr. 2011,: NewsBank. Web. 6 Dec. 2013. "Fresh Challenge Against Drug Abuse." allAfrica.com 11 Apr. 2011 , NEWS: NewsBank. Web. 6 Dec. 2013. Gwinnell, Esther, and Christine Adamec. "drug addiction." Health Reference Center. Facts On File, Inc. Web. 20 Jan. 2014. "drug addiction." Health Reference Center. Facts On File, Inc. Web. 20 Jan. 2014 "Drugs, Brains, and Behavior: The Science of Addiction." Drugs, Brains, and Behavior: The Science of Addiction. Feb. 2007: 1-30. SIRS Government Reporter. Web. 20 Jan. 2014. Kahn, Ada P., and Jan Fawcett. The Encyclopedia of Mental Health. 2nd ed. New York: Facts On File, 2001. Shannon, Kari. "Domestic Violence Detection at St. Catherine's." Chicago HealthCare, December 1991.

The Longest Journey :: Personal Narrative Africa Traveling Essays

The Longest Journey Have you ever wanted to do something so bad, you can’t wait and it actually seems the days and hours are getting longer as you get close? I hadn’t seen my father for three years and I wanted to see him so bad, I also wanted to the United States of America which had been my dream since I was a little child. My dad had left for the United States when his business failed and he had to find a job which was better than his business and after a few years he decided to move his family as well. I was exited and couldn’t wait until the last week I had to spend in Africa because then I realized what I was about to live behind, all my relatives and friends, my home, it was going to very hard for me to live the place I called home for fifteen years. It was very early in the morning when I got up, the sky cloud less, it had never looked so beautiful, the grass and bushes still filled with the early morning due. I got in my moms truck and we drove to my grandparents to say the final goodbye. It was about fifty kilometers from where I lived, deep in the African jungle where molt of the land in untouched by man. I kept my head outside the window most of the time enjoying the breeze and thinking about what I was about to live behind. I got to my grand parents palace which we used to call â€Å"the village† and as usual, my grand parents were so happy to see us. It is a very pretty cite, my grand ma singing very joyfully, my cousins rushing from the garden with fruits. I remember that day e had jackfruit, pineapples, mangoes, and lots of homey that my grandfather used to extract himself. After lunch which I didn’t eat because I had too much fruit, we headed home where I was very anxious to see my girlfriend who had skipp ed school to say goodbye but the ride took longer than I anticipated so by the time we got home, it was time to head off to the airport, the longest yet shortest journey have ever had to travel. It was like my heart was being ripped in half and also being mended at the same time because I was I had to live my home but I also wanted to see my dad who I hadn’t seen for a while, my mom was driving, me, my little brother and sister who I was to travel with sat in the back of the truck with a few of our cousins.

Allys Wisdom :: College Admissions Essays

Ally's Wisdom I have baby-sat Ally, a little girl who has mild autism, for the past several years. She used to only speak a few words and sit still only five minutes at a time. Now she is a child who can talk up a storm and sit with me for hours while we enjoy a video. She is cute, funny, bright, and very caring. Like the rest of us, Ally has her ups and downs. There are moments when she is confident and moments when she is feeling a bit confused. She can be serious or delightfully silly. One thing that distinguishes Ally is the tendency to think in very concrete terms. When she was young, we often played the "What is it?" game. I choose an object; she identified it. The light switch was "light on-off," and the doorknob was "door open-close." At first I thought, "That's not what it's called." Then I realized how arbitrary our conventional labels are. Ally identified things for their purpose and function. Even now when I talk to her on the phone and ask, "What are you doing?", she answers "I'm talking to you." I have realized that if I wanted to know what she was doing before she came to the phone, that's what I should have asked. Sometimes we think we are communicating clearly, when what we say can actually be confusing for others. Ally helped me the most when my grandmother died. She knew that I was upset because she could see that I had been crying. When she asked me what was the matter, I told her I was sad because I missed my grandmother. She looked at me and said, "Why don't you try smiling?" At first I thought that her suggestion was foolish, but I have realized the

Outside Lies Magic

There are certain things in life that people take for granted. As technology advances, the people would struggle to go on and fit in the crowd, making sure that everything is played accordingly. Because of these changes, people sometimes oversee things and take for granted the simple pleasures of life. The book, Outside Lies Magic, shows people the simple things found around us that are taken for granted. As I was reading the book, I became open to more possible ideas around me.Although the book may sound like a textbook for many, this is one of the few literary works that people could actually appreciate. From everything that has been included in the book, two scenes stood out the most. The first part was when the author was discussing about wires and power. I became intrigued with the importance of the â€Å"wires† to the history of man and the possible contributions that they may have in society. Even if the history of mankind was quite difficult to explain, the author was able to do it in such a manner that the readers would become curious instead of being discouraged to read.The use of words was also something to be considered. The descriptive manner used would make the readers become interested to know how much information the author wants to share with everyone. Another part of the book that caught my attention was the chapter about mails. I was unaware of the history of the mailing system until I read this chapter. The demands of sending letter across the country and in the whole world increased as time passed by, making it more difficult for the postal services to fulfill their duties.Eventually, numerous people had to sacrifice their time and effort just to allow the mails to arrive on their preferred dates. I learned to appreciate the importance of my mailbox, and how it is accessible to me and to the whole world. However, this service was taken for granted and lacks the much needed appreciation. Thinking about it makes me thankful for all of the hard work taken away from me by such service. I just hope that someday, more people would be able to see and appreciate the little things that evolve around them. The last part was also something that I remembered greatly.Although the book was descriptive, the author was able to share with the readers how the simple things in life would mean the most. The readers are also given the impression that all things should be appreciated and given much importance. Regardless of the use of such descriptive words, the author was able to stick to the realities of life that many people try to escape from. And so, people should become open to committing mistakes, but still hope for the best in life. From everything that has been mentioned, I believe that the strongest part of the book is the first part.Talking about wires is not as easy as it may seem, because it is difficult to talk about wires and make them as interesting as possible. Reading the book allowed me to see a world that I was n ot aware of before. Taking the wirings for granted was something that people could relate to. I also became intrigued how people were able to organize all of the wires, and how these were identified. This allowed me to appreciate more people and things more, as each word was used. Reading the book came as a challenge for my end.English is not my first language, and some of the words used in the book were difficult for me to understand. However, the magic of words allowed me to explore and expand my knowledge further. For this, I was able to experience the magic of books, at the same time learn about the realities of life hidden from most people. Sometimes, it is not bad to look back and appreciate the humble beginnings of people and things. These are the essential things that would make the existence more worthy of the people’s appreciation. This is one of the few books that I would recommend for others to read.

Customer Relationship Management (CRM) Essay

At first, I disagree with this statement. I think Customer Relationship Management (CRM) is universally appropriate or applicable to all businesses. Customer relationship management refers to a series of processes, focused on initiating two-way communication exchanges with customers to have a detailed knowledge of their specific needs and buying patterns. The major benefit of a CRM system is that it helps business organizations in determining the type of customer best suited for the growth of their business. CRM enables business organizations to formulate strategies focusing on customer-driven growth and in providing superior and friendly customer experience There are four advantages of CRM that businesses should implement this strategy. * Customer Satisfaction By implementing CRM strategies, the company can focus on improving customer satisfaction through examination of customer preferences, demographics and interests. This information may be collected through automated surveys or personal phone calls from customer service representatives. Customer research may be performed to discover the reasons why one product is more popular than another. Customers typically enjoy the attention they receive and the interest in their happiness and satisfaction with the product, and the data that is collected can help the company produce better products and services in the future, contributing to improved customer satisfaction. This also improves customer retention over the long run. * Marketing The data that is collected through customer research can provide ideas for marketing and advertising for a big business. With many products or services to market, a large company may have difficulty targeting different customers for each item. However, customer research will provide information about what the customer likes about the product, what they are looking for in future products, and what purpose they would like the product to serve. All of this information provides great content for print or commercial advertisements and packaging designs for each product. * Lowered Costs By automating customer service with CRM software, the company can easily gain customer research through online or telephone surveys. The software automatically formats and calculates the data, making it faster and easier to collect this information. Fewer customer service representatives will be needed for collecting this information and less time will be spent preparing reports on customer research. Another advantage is word-of-mouth advertising from satisfied customers; as CRM strategies make customers happier, they become more likely to bring in new customers through word-of-mouth, which lowers the cost of finding a new customer. * Brand Image As customer satisfaction and retention improves, the corporation’s brand image may begin to improve as well. Customers will begin to associate the brand with good customer service, quality products and a personable approach. The CRM strategy’s focus on the customer will let each buyer know that their input is valued by the company. This can attract more customers and continue to create loyal customers to the brand. There is an example about effective implement of CRM. ICICI Bank has to manage more than 13 million customers. The bank has over 550 branches, a network of 2025 ATMs, multiple call centres, Internet banking and mobile banking. Its customers often use multiple channels, and they are increasingly turning to electronic banking options. Business from the Internet. ATMs and other electronic channels now comprise more than 50 per cent of all transactions. In the process of making its business grow to this level, ICICI Bank has distinguished itself from other banks through its relationship with customers. The Teradata solution focuses on a Customer Relationship Management (CRM) platform. Information from various legacy and transaction systems is fed into a single enterprise called wide data warehouse. This allows the bank to generate a single view of its customers. The warehouse has the capability to integrate data from multiple sources comprising Oracle and flat files. The Behaviour Explorer enables profiling of customers and querying on various parameters. These enable the bank staff create suitable campaigns for targeting individual customers on the basis of their requirements. To sum up, CRM is one of the best ways of determining the marketing strategies and other services offered to the customer. A well planned CRM can help organizations predict the current trend in the market and provide better services for customers befitting the trend, in turn increasing the business returns. The three major aspects of CRM are an operational system, a collaborative CRM and an analytical CRM. The customer relationship management concepts adopted by each company differ with their organizational objectives. There are 3 challenges of implementing CRM. * Costs One of the biggest challenges facing companies trying to implement CRM is the cost associated with purchasing, installing and training employees to use new software, according to CRMInfoline.com. CRM often doesn’t deliver the return of investment that companies hope for, though this is typically the cause of a poorly implemented system or poorly trained staff. While a properly implemented system should, eventually, show a good return on investment, CRMInfoline.com claims these results could take years to see in full effect as the new system takes root and customer awareness and participation grow. * Transition In order for a business to use a CRM solution properly, nearly the entire business will have to change. Most companies operate on an â€Å"us first, customers second† mentality, whereas CRM-centric businesses focus on placing customers and their satisfaction before the company. Furthermore, CRM systems are typically very complex and span multiple departments, meaning most employees will have to go through some sort of training that will inhibit them, at least somewhat, from performing their normal work duties. * In-House Versus Supported System Supported systems are CRM solutions that are taken care of or outsourced to another company. While in-house CRM software can be more effective, it’s much more difficult to implement. Companies without any current CRM implementation should consider supported systems more than companies with at least some current level of CRM, according to TMCNet.com. Supported systems typically cost less to implement because they’re not as in-depth or effective as in-house solutions. Jollibee is a phenomenal success story, having grown from two ice cream parlours in 1975 to over 1,800 restaurants worldwide today, including the strategic acquisitions of high profile brands like Greenwich Pizza, Deli France, Red Ribbon and Chow King. The company now operates 300 international outlets in markets in the United States, across Asia and throughout the Middle East. The big business like Jollibee must implement complete and effective CRM strategy. * Form a cross-organizational team. A cross-organizational, or cross-functional team, is made up of leaders from each core department in Jollibee. Representatives usually include at least one member from sales, service, marketing, support, management, IT, finance, and any other functional area in Jollibee. * Jollibee should decide what project goals to begin with (customer acquisition, sales growth, service improvement, or something else). Once goals are laid out, phases for installation of CRM can begin. This includes technology and software implementation led by IT, communication of new roles and responsibilities in each department, and implementation of training and rewards programs. * Provide training. Employees in many functional areas, including, service and support, are likely going to be using new technology devices or software solutions for customer accounts, data collection, customer service, data analysis and other CRM functions. This often requires training on philosophy behind the new system and CRM role as well as technical training on the technology applications. * Measure results. CRM fails without constant measurement. By definition, CRM programs are ongoing and design to improve over time. Feedback and data collected during CRM projects and phases should be analysed, evaluated, and reacted to by the cross-organizational leadership team. Decisions on how to improve the customer experience, behaviours of employees, and any other important components of CRM help guide the next project phases or phases. With CRM systems, Jollibee can streamline their business processes effectively and in accordance with customer needs. Customer Relationship Management software is employed by Jollibee to manage and organize their customer database and contacts. Proper customer relationship management solutions are necessary for any business firm to empower their staff, to expand their business and to provide quality customer care services. Task 2 There are 5 possible negative impacts caused by heavy-use of sales promotions. 1. Increased price sensitivity Consumers wait for the promotion deals to be announced and then purchase the product. This is true even for brands where brand loyalty exists. Customers wait and time their purchases to coincide with promotional offers on their preferred brands. Thus, the routine sales at the market price are lost and the profit margin is reduced because of the discounts to be offered during sale-season. 2. Quality image may become tarnished If the promotions in a product category have been rare, the promotions could have a negative effect about its quality image. Consumers may start suspecting that perhaps the product has not been selling well, the quality of the product is true compared to the price or the product is likely to be discontinued because it has become outdated. The Smyle Powder offer of â€Å"Buy 1 and get 2 free† went on and on. Ultimately people stopped asking for the product as the on-going sales promotion strategy made the customers perceive it to be a cheap and an inferior product. 3. Merchandising support from dealers is doubtful In many cases, the dealers do not cooperate in providing the merchandising support nor do they pass on any benefit to consumers. The retailer might not be willing to give support because he does not have the place, or the product does not sell much in his shop, or maybe he thinks the effort required is more than the commission/benefit derived. 4. Short-term orientation Sales promotions are generally for a short duration. This gives a boost to sales for a short period. This short-term orientation may sometimes have negative effects on long-term future of the organization. Promotions mostly build short-term sales volume, which is difficult to maintain. Heavy use of sales promotion, in certain product categories, may be responsible for causing brand quality image dilution. 5. Harmful Effect of Band image If a brand is perceived by consumers as being a value rather than premium brand, it is more likely to receive the most benefit from a price-based sales promotion. However, overuse of price-based sales promotions for any brand can have devastating effects on the brand’s image. This is particularly true for premium and super-premium brands or products and services in which the consumer has difficulty judging product quality in other ways, such as legal services or vitamins. The objective behind sales promotional tools is to keep current customers while attracting new ones, maintaining sales of seasonal products, introducing new products and challenging competitors. The essence of sales promotion involves using all forms of promotional activities, besides personal selling and advertising, to improve sales. In order to gain a strong foothold in the Malaysian market, Jollibee need effective sales promotional tools to fight its competitor. Coupons Coupons are one sales promotional tool. Customers get coupons in several ways, including via newspapers, magazines, online or mail. Customers present coupons to the retailer while buying merchandise in order to receive a discount or free product. For example, a customer of Jollibee use a coupon which takes 50 per cent off a set of meal costing $10, he saves $5. Bonus Offers Bonus offers or gifts with purchase are widely used promotional tools. When customers purchase a product, sometimes a bonus product is given along with it. The purpose is to increase the sale of the product and to make it more attractive by offering an additional item. When customers spent up to $20, he will get a free ice cream. Free Samples Another popular promotional tool is the free sample. When a customer is in the store purchasing certain products, he may receive a free sample of deodorant, shampoo, energy drinks food or candy. Usually, free samples don’t require the customer to purchase anything. Free samples can be given to a particular target audience in order to attract that type of customer. Jollibee can put new product as free samples to get feedback. Premiums Premiums are extras added to sweeten a purchase for a customer. For example, a software company might add a year of free technical support for a customer who buys an expensive software program. Jollibee can offer special toys in their children meals. Offering premiums gives a business owner the opportunity to partner with complementary businesses, creating a wider target audience. This premium creates a win-win situation for everyone involved. It provides a demonstration to potential customers uses referrals to introduce the companies to potential customers and provides a free, useful gift to existing customers. Mystery Rewards Scratch-and-win cards or raffles for prizes are other popular promotional tools. The key is this mystery reward has enough attraction to attract customers. Popular food and unique gift will be work. Money Back Offers When customers doubt the quality or reliability of Jollibee, offer a money-back guarantee. Give a detailed explanation of eligible returns and refunds available for customer reference. Point of Purchase Displays Point of purchase displays is used in Jollibee to catch the attention of customers. The selected products may be sale items but may also be seasonal or high-demand merchandise. The displays are built in a prominent location such as on an aisle end or at the front of the store near the entrance. Jollibee may also place signs at the product’s normal shelf locations. Sales A sale is a reduction in the price of a product for a specified period of time. Sales are used by manufacturers to gain new users or to increase market share. They also generate traffic in a retail establishment. Sales can result in off-season purchases that normally would not occur, such as Jollibee offer special food at 50 per cent off in Malaysia festivals. Besides, some points about sales promotion are important. A sales promotion constructed to inform customers about a new product might include an advertisement in a local paper explaining the product and inviting customers to visit a Web site for a coupon offer. An activity like this can be measured by tracking the number of people who receive the paper, the number of people who visit the Web site, the number of people who download the coupon and the number of people who actually use the coupon. Reminding customers about a product or service is just as important as an initial product introduction. Something as simple as setting up an in-store display with coupons or having customers complete a survey to indicate how often they use the product keeps brands fresh in consumers’ minds. Information gathered from the survey can expose how often customers use a product, how familiar they are with a product and if they plan to use it more in the future. Couple this with a discount coupon and Jollibee can even track the number of people who make a purchase after completing the survey. A follow-up survey can assess things like customer satisfaction and likelihood for a repeat purchase. Sales promotions are a great way to inform and remind customers about Jollibee. Ultimately, the main objective of these activities is to increase revenue. Weigh the cost of promotional sales campaign against the total revenue Jollibee expect to receive. Consider that many companies are spending up to 60 per cent of advertising budgets on sales promotions. Be sure that Jollibee’s promotional campaign is both cost-effective and profitable. These sales promotion techniques can help Jollibee gain a strong foothold in the Malaysian market. References 1. Why Customer Relationship Management is so important? (2008) By Article Alley [online] Available from http://praveenortec.articlealley.com/why-customer-relationship-management-is-so-important-576369.html [Accessed on 12 Jan 2013] 2. Challenges of Implementing a CRM (2010) By Matt Koble [online] Available from http://www.ehow.com/list_6631188_challenges-implementing-crm.html [Accessed on 12 Jan 2013] 3. Tools of Sales Promotion (2005) By Chris Joseph [online] Available from http://www.ehow.com/list_6073558_tools-sales-promotion.html [Accessed on 12 Jan 2013] 4. Disadvantages of Sales Promotion (2008) By Drypen [online] Available from http://drypen.in/sales-promotion/disadvantages-of-sales-promotion.html [Accessed on 12 Jan 2013]