Troubles with Academic Papers Essay Writing App List is at Your Service!

Troubles with Academic Papers Essay Writing App List is at Your Service! Troubles with Academic Papers? Essay Writing App List is at Your Service! If you are having trouble with your academic papers, there is help available. You can get an essay writing app to lend you a hand. There are many suitable writing apps for essay crafting which help students to avoid succumbing to distractions. They are also designed to help them better manage their time so that academic papers do not seem impossible. Below are 7 essay writing apps which are best suited for students: iA writer It is an app with a clear interface which is very easy to use. It helps students to write articles, essays, or poems in no time without difficult settings or complicated interfaces. Pages Students who use Apple technologies can turn to Pages. This app lets them create documents, edit them, and view them no matter where they are. This is particular beneficial for students because it affords them the opportunity to write down an epiphany, a change, or an edit to something whenever creativity sparks. When sitting on a bus, or reflecting before bed, students might have a great idea perfect for their next paper which they can write down instantly. There are also templates already available for download, so that students can make reports or essays easily. After this, students can share the files they have made with teachers or other students. Articles This app lets students research easily for their upcoming project, putting together chapters, maps, and a table of contents for the writing they have. This makes it easy to trace notes and keep track of research. Plain Text It works as a text editor and has a simple interface which looks strikingly similar to that of a piece of paper. The best feature associated with this app is the ability to create documents and organize them in a folder, then sync that folder with Dropbox. When taking notes, downloading journal articles, and typing multiple drafts, this feature works incredibly well for students. Notebooks This is an app which lets students create content and organize digital notes. Students can divide their research into sub projects and then cross reference the items they have filed. Additionally students can keep track of PDF pages, word documents, and Excel documents too. Papers It is a wonderful app for research, as it allows students the opportunity to browse hundreds of articles online and in a personalized library, and then search for the articles based on name or title. Students can then rate the articles for quality and utilize a built-in citation and reference feature to create their bibliography easily. Clean Writer It keeps writing to a minimum with automatic saving, integration for Dropbox and even email sending, so students can automatically send their email content to themselves or to other people. Overall, there are many great essay writing services and applications available which make it easier for students to get their academic work done on time. No longer do students need to suffer alone. Now there are apps to help get through even the most difficult writing assignments.

Comma After Introductory Phrases

Comma After Introductory Phrases Comma After Introductory Phrases Comma After Introductory Phrases By Maeve Maddox A reader asks why there is no comma after the introductory phrase in the following sentence from one of my recent posts: At a recent writers’ conference I heard a successful self-published author say, â€Å"Readers are not looking for great writing; they’re looking for a great story.† I formerly put a comma after every introductory word or adverb phrase of any length, but I’ve begun leaving it out unless I think its absence will create reader double take, as in the following: Before eating the members held the business portion of the meeting. Below the cars covered the lawn. Until the morning fishing is out of the question. These introductory phrases demand to be set off: Before eating, the members held the business portion of the meeting. Below, the cars covered the lawn. Until the morning, fishing is out of the question. Authoritative recommendations vary. An online grammar site sponsored by Capital Community College in Hartford, Connecticut states: It is permissible, even commonplace, to omit a comma after most brief introductory elements - a prepositional phrase, an adverb, or a noun phrase. The Chicago Manual of Style also indicates that the comma after an introductory adverb phrase may be left out: An introductory adverbial phrase is often set off by a comma but need not be unless misreading is likely. Shorter adverbial phrases are less likely to merit a comma than longer ones. The Purdue Owl also advises that the comma after some introductory elements, such as â€Å"a brief prepositional phrase,† may be left out. Unlike some of the other sources, the OWL gives us a clue as to what we may consider â€Å"brief†: â€Å"a single phrase of fewer than five words.† But while some authorities condone leaving out the comma if no confusion can result, others caution discretion as the better part of valor: The Longman Handbook: Sometimes the comma after an introductory word or word group is required; sometimes it is optional. When you are uncertain, stay on the safe side: use a comma. Penguin Writer’s Manual: Even where there is no real danger of confusion or absurdity, it is usually better to insert a comma than not. And our own Precise Edit: Use commas even after short introductory descriptions for consistency. As with whether to use the serial comma in a list of adjectives, writers have a choice regarding the use of a comma to set off an introductory phrase. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Punctuation category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:85 Synonyms for â€Å"Help†Deck the HallsThe Difference Between "Un-" and "Dis-"

Assignment 9 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Assignment 9 - Essay Example Therefore, human relations based on the school scenario are important, as it provides a strong foundation that enables the staff to be able to focus on their self-development thereby enhancing a better and effective working environment. It is through great relationships that most organizations are able to prosper. One major development is the increasing importance of the interpersonal skills in every work setting in all organizations. It is well noted that technical ability in this age of information is not enough in achieving organizational success. Interpersonal skills as well as communication skills are major rating factors when it comes to hiring employees. For example, the school board hired most of their staff based on their interpersonal skills. The board rated their staff’s interpersonal skills because they wanted to know how well the staff will relate to their co-workers and students in terms of their speaking and listening skills (Wiles & Bondi, 2004). Based on the organizational settings of the studies within our textbook, organizational culture simply refers to a collection of shared beliefs, rituals, values, myths and stories that tend to give a feeling of unity among the organizational members(Wiles & Bondi, 2004). It is quite clear that the culture depicted by most organizations is simply a reflection of the beliefs, behaviours and the values that are brought up by a group of individuals. Therefore, the success of any organization is also built on its abilities to portray a good image and outcome of the organization’s objectives. Communication is referred to as the means through which we are able to create a common understanding between others and ourselves. In order to bring out the aspect of self-development, people should be able to learn on how to communicate effectively. It is through the development of communications skills that employees are able to boost the working relationships that exist among them. For

Ethical and Moral Issues regarding Intellectual Property Research Paper

Ethical and Moral Issues regarding Intellectual Property - Research Paper Example Though most countries and worldwide authorities have developed IP protection laws to help these companies protect their properties, there remain significant legal and ethical issues in relation to the IP protection between companies and between countries. This piece of research paper addresses the ethical and moral issues regarding the intellectual ownership and copyright. Ethical and moral issues regarding intellectual ownership Ethics, corporate social responsibility and morality have got significant importance in business in recent years. Businesses are expected to be ethical, moral and socially responsible and thus they are expected not to counterfeit, copy and steal intellectual properties of other businesses. Intellectual property, as Credo Reference noted, is equivalent to the physical form of private property that people are allowed to own aspects of their mental creativity and innovation, images, inventions, literary and artistic works and therefore these can be traded as co mmodities and thus an individual or company can apply for an idea to be registered as their own property. There has been significant debate about the ownership of the intellectual property, but as per the definition is given below, intellectual property is the right of an individual or company that invented or discovered it. ... Â  the intellectual property, who is entitled to granting the right and who has right to transfer it contractually are some of the concerns regarding the ownership of the intellectual properties. However, when an intellectual property like patent, royalty etc have been registered with an authority, it becomes the right of a person or firm to whom it has been registered. As Freeman and Peace (2005) noted, once the ownership has been acquired, it doesn’t end except by the destruction of the material thing or incorporation to another. The ownership of intellectual property is always temporal because it is restricted in time and some point coming to an end and therefore legally, ethically and morally the ownership falls within the public domain. Maughan (2004) emphasized that the ownership of the intellectual property, though technically the highest estate, is not absolute ownership, and therefore ethically the rights of the owner are socially circumscribed in many different ways for many reasons and this may be curtailed at any time. Ethical and moral issues regarding Copyright ownership A copyright is legal to form of protection that is afforded to an original work of art or authorship that has been developed into a physical and tangible form (Ward, 2007, 1). A copyright is initially owned by a creative author or authors from his or their works. But according to the law, a person doesn’t necessarily need to create the work to be its author for the copyright purposes (Irving, 2011). A very common example is the creation of employees who work for an employer.

Joint Venture in China Essay Example for Free

Joint Venture in China Essay IN CHINA INTRODUCTION XYZ Limited deals in the manufacture and sale of various food products as well as other home products. Owing to sound management practices the company has made a breakthrough, manufacturing and selling a wide range of high quality products. Because it wants to capture a wide market, it has decided to enter into a joint venture in China. This has associated opportunities and threats. ANALYTICAL EXAMINATION OF THE OPPORTUNITIES AVAILABLE WITH THE VENTURE 1) SYNERGESTIC EFFECTS Obviously the joint venture option would result in synergy. The end result would be enhanced output since the two companies shall have pooled their resources together. These are machines and man power (expertise). The resultant production would surpass the individual production capacities of the two joint ventures. 2) WIDENED INTERNATIONAL MARKET The joint venture would enable XYZ to acquire additional markets for its products across the Asian countries. While operating alone, XYZ could only sell its products within Europe. But with the joint venture in China, and with a well co-ordinated marketing for their products, they are likely to capture a wider international market. 3) HIGH QUALITY PRODUCTS Chinese enterprises are well known for their high quality products. This is owed to the possession of and continual innovation of new technologies and new ways of doing things. They also have enviable workforces who are renowned of their expertise in the manufacturing sector. The Chinese enterprises are companies which practice total quality management as their key strategies. This is a management technique that dwells in improving the needs of the customers. It also aims at ensuring that every member of the organization fully participates in the affairs of the organization. The joint venture enables all and sundry to recognize the fact that quality is inevitable as an ingredient to success. Total Quality Management leads to the generation of policies that are of high quality and also the effective dissemination of such policies to every member of the organization. 4) BUSINESS LOCATION The location of the joint venturer i. e. at the central of the globe would also be a very good opportunity for XYZ Company Limited. This would make the two companies operate from a central point with the advantage being that one of enhancing the marketability of their products. 5) PUBLIC EXPECTATION The public associates a joint venture as a step geared towards satisfying their needs more effectively. This is due to pooled resources including manpower. 6) DIVERSIFICATION The other opportunity inherent in the small enterprise’s joint venture in China is that of diversification. They would be able to produce a wide range of products owing to vast resources. 7) FINANCIAL BACKGROUND OF THE CHINA VENTURER The small enterprise (European) has the opportunity with entering into a joint venture with a financially sound Chinese enterprise. The effect of the financial soundness of the Chinese enterprise on the small European enterprise is that the joint venture as a whole will not suffer from financial constraints. With a strong financial background, they will be able to even open up new branches and initiate new viable projects. In the year ended 31st December 2006, the Chinese company made a profit $ 700 million after taxes. The venture is also likely to benefit the shareholders as the dividend per share is likely to increase. THREATS ASSOCIATED WITH THE VENTURE. 1) LOCAL LANGUAGE KNOWLEDGE A problem will arise when formulating policies, implementing the policies and evaluation as a result of differential in languages. Whereas the staff and management of the small European Enterprise recognize the English language as the official spoken language, the Chinese company does not. The staff and management of the venture in China can only effectively communicate in Chinese. This would greatly hinder effective communication that is essential in decision – making and policy formulation. 2) DILUTION OF CONTROL. Shareholders of XYZ Limited would be faced with this threat of dilution of their control. After the joint venture exercise they may not continue enjoying some if not all of their powers and rights. This is as a result of the joining of the other shareholders of the Chinese venturer in the entity. 3) COMBATING COMPETITORS Competitors of both the European small enterprise and of the Chinese enterprise would definitely react to the intended joint venture of the two companies. And they would do everything to ensure that they have countered the stiff competition that is likely to come out of the venture. The rival companies would improve the quality of their products as well as improving on creativity and innovation. This will pose a great challenge / threat on the European country because they will have to work on improving on their products in addition to being more innovative to avert such competition from rival companies. GOVERNMENT INTERVENTION /LEGISLATIONS Government intervention can be a real threat to the joint venture. These can be in the form of ultimatums from either the European Union or from China itself. The legislations can also be in the form of changes in tax laws which may not favour the intended joint venture. 4) INADEQUATE EVALUATION OF THE CHINESE COMPANY The small European country has not evaluated the Chinese company to see if it is worth entering into a joint venture with it. Evaluation can be in the form of trend and industrial analysis, taking note on profitability trends, changes in turnover over the years, dividend payments, the company’s earning per share. They have not also evaluated the Chinese company on its level of activities using such activity ratios as stock turnover ratio to determine how the company changes finished goods to sales. Other relevant ratios would be creditor’s turnover, fixed assets turnover. The other very important evaluation that they have not carried out on the Chinese company is to establish how geared the company is. If the company is highly geared i. e. it has more of borrowed capital than owner’s capital in it capital structure it runs the risk of being insolvent any time which would ultimately affect the European Enterprise. The European enterprise has also not established the real reputation of the Chinese company in the capital market. They need to do this through an evaluation of its price earnings ration vis–a-vis that of other companies in the capital market who intend to invest in the company. ACCOUNTING PROBLEMS A serious problem is going to be encountered in the preparation of the final accounts as a result of the joint venture. The accounting staff of the European enterprise must change /adjust to the new approach of preparing their accounts. The accounts must be prepared in accordance with the international Accounting standards on the treatment of a joint venture. In a joint venture, every transaction is recorded on a 50- 50 basis. Even the minority interest on each of the company’s operation will be based n the stake of every venturer in the joint venture i. e. 50%. b) The International Environment of Business enables one to know the culture in the environment that the business is operating in. the idea of IEB here is to bring to the awareness of the companies, the cultural environment and how this will affect their business. Cultural factors like religion will greatly influence demand of products. As some products may be liked by other religious groups, they may be an abomination across other religious groupings. A wider international market can be an opportunity to XYZ Ltd but owing to IEM models which stipulate in changes in the political and social – economical changes of the Business Environment, the widened international market may not be a reality. Economically, the joint venture may be operating in a relatively high inflation economies which might stagnate profitability. There is also likely to be a change in the tax laws of the foreign country and XYZ Ltd will have to experience such changes. Other economic changes that the two companies would be influenced by IEB are economic growth and employment. Economic growth has an influence on the demand for products whereas employment influences the supply of labour. The International Environment of Business also focuses on the Technological environment. Technology is a question of inventions and new techniques in processes, tools and machines. According to the IEB models, technology is an important area that need not be overlooked as it enhances efficiency through a reduction of the production costs, selling and marketing costs as well as administration costs. The joint venture must also emphasize on technology if they have to conquer the opportunity of high quality production that will satisfy customer demands. Technology would also provide better services to their customers. The International Environment of Business again focuses on the need of businesses to practice business ethics within the environments they are operating. Ethics commands that the business entities employ fair advertising and marketing practices, adherence to the laws are regulations governing a certain foreign nation and the observance and maintenance of high standards of conduct and integrity. Much as the joint venture will be enjoying the centrality of their business location and a sound marketing network, they have to put into contemplation the essence of practicing ethics in their place of operation. In conclusion therefore, the management of both companies would have to review their opportunities as well as threats and establish how the International Environment of Business models /ideas would affect their business operations. References Brandenburger, A. M. and Nalebuff, B. J. (1995): The Right Game: Use Game Theory to Shape Strategy, Harvard Business Review, July-August, pp.57-71 Coyne, K. P. and Subramaniam, S. (1996): Bringing discipline to strategy, the McKinsey Quarterly, No. 4 Gordon, I. (1989): Beat the Competition: How to Use Competitive Intelligence to Develop Winning Business Strategies: Oxford, Basil Blackwell Publishers Hunger, J. David Wheelen, Thomas L. (2003): Essentials of Strategic Management. New Jersey, Pearson Education Inc Kotter, J. P. (1996): Leading Change: – London: Harvard Business School Press McGahan, A. (2004): How Industries Evolve: Principles for Achieving and Sustaining. Superior Performance, Boston, Harvard Business School Press Menon, A. and Menon, A. (1997): Enviropreneurial marketing strategy: the emergence of corporate environmentalism as marketing strategy: Journal of Marketing. Vol. 61, pg. 51 – 67 Porter, M. (1980): Competitive Strategy: New York, The Free Press. Porter, M. (1998): Competitive Advantage (with a new introduction): New York, The Free Press. Peteraf, A. (1993): The Cornerstones of Competitive Advantage:-A Resource-Based View: in Strategic Management Journal, Vol. 14, pp. 179-191.

Comparing Merchant of Venice, Taming of the Shrew, and Much Ado About Nothing :: comparison compare contrast essays

Trickery and Disguise in Merchant of Venice, Taming of the Shrew, and Much Ado About Nothing      Ã‚   Shakespeare uses similar comic elements to effect similar outcomes in his works.   Many of his plays utilize trickery and disguise to accomplish similar endings.      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Trickery plays a major role in The Merchant of Venice and drives most of the action, while mistaken identity, specifically Portia's disguise as the "learned attorney's" representative, plays a major role in the resolution of the play.   The first instance of trickery in the play is Bassanio's plan to present himself as a financially sound suitor, when in truth, he is not.      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Bassanio believes that he would stand a very good chance of being the successful suitor if he had the proper money backing him.   Bassanio then goes to his friend Antonio to try to secure a loan to provide for his wooing.      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   O my Antonio, had I but the means/To hold a rival   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   place with one of them [other suitors]/I have a   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   mind presages me such thrift/That I should   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   questionless be fortunate!" (Shakespeare,   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Merchant 1.1 173-176)      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   However, Antonio has, "neither the money, nor commodity/to raise a present sum" but urges Bassanio to go through Venice to try to secure a loan using Antonio's bond as credit (Shakespeare, Merchant 1.1 178-179).      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   One of the resident money-lenders of Venice is an individual called Shylock, a person of Jewish descent. The practice of usury was traditionally banned by the Christian church.   This allowed many Jews, because their belief system contained no objection to profitable money-lending, to become the de facto loan officers.   Bassanio approaches Shylock to ask for a loan, and Shylock seems as if he is going to agree, however, he first asks to speak with Antonio.   It is revealed in an aside that Shylock harbors a secret hatred of Antonio because of his religion and Shylock's belief that Antonio's practices drive down the interest rates that Shylock can charge in Venice. Here we see the second instance of trickery and deception within The Merchant of Venice. Shylock seems to have great knowledge of the positions of Antonio's fleet and ominously notes that, "ships are but boards, sailors but men" (Shakespeare,

Knowledge and Power

Knowledge is power – or is it?   The assertion that knowledge is power has been variously attributed to Sir Francis Bacon and Albert Einstein, as well as many other notable and obscure figures.   But perhaps Eudora Welty, Flannery O’Connor, and Richard Wright all know otherwise, as demonstrated in their respective stories:   â€Å"The Worn Path,† â€Å"A Good Man Is Hard To Find,† and â€Å"The Man Who Was Almost A Man.† These stories each show that knowledge is not an absolute bestower of power; that power does not logically and necessarily follow once one possesses knowledge.   Neither are the terms knowledge and power mutually exclusive, but, as can be seen in the following analysis of the short stories mentioned above, the power resulting from knowledge only comes if the person possessing the knowledge knows how to use it, and if the person then also feels powerful.   The power gained from knowledge is not an absolute power, but is, to a certain extent, subjective. Let us first look at Phoenix Jackson, the central character in Eudora Welty’s â€Å"A Worn Path† and perhaps the most powerful character in any of the three stories.     Phoenix has gained knowledge, and therefore power, from years of quietly studying human behavior, from paying close attention to her surroundings, and from her own self-awareness of how she affects others in the world.   Phoenix Jackson might appear at first glance to be lacking any power: she is an elderly, frail-looking woman whose eyesight is failing. Phoenix is also a very poor woman with few valuable possessions; poor people in her position are virtually always seen as lacking power.   However, upon closer observation the reader can see that Phoenix is a very powerful woman indeed.   Phoenix uses her knowledge of her physical surroundings to enable her to move about in a rather dangerous world, full of obstacles both animate and inanimate.   On her journey into town Phoenix encounters many potential dangers, but because she is knowledgeable about their existence, she avoids harm.   This capacity to keep herself safe is one trait which makes her a powerful woman. Phoenix even appears to use visualization to help her get across the creek; her ability to visualize the log and her safe passage is another form of knowledge which makes her powerful.   Phoenix has â€Å"body knowledge† – she has developed the capacity to remember where her body should go, even as her eyesight fails her.   The reason this body knowledge makes Phoenix powerful is that she is conscious of the knowledge and of how to use it; for example, when Phoenix reaches the city and â€Å"depended on her feet to know where to take her.† (Welty, p. 5).   Later in the story we see Phoenix walking up the steps of her destination, â€Å"until her feet knew to stop.† (Welty, p. 6) Phoenix Jackson has also gained power during her long life with her knowledge about human behavior.   Phoenix knows how to use both her own self as well as others’ reactions for her own purposes.   Phoenix is seen manipulating the white hunter so that she can put his fallen money into her own pocket.   Phoenix knows, after only a very brief encounter, that the hunter’s ego can be easily manipulated for her own purposes.   The hunter wishes to appear strong and in control, which Phoenix knows as she reminds the hunter that she needs to be â€Å"rescued† from the cur which ahs knocked her over.   Phoenix is able to pocket the money while the hunter is occupied with ridding her of the dog. One cannot manipulate others without possessing some sort of power, and powerful Phoenix is seen manipulating others at least twice more as the story proceeds.  Ã‚   Phoenix knows, almost instinctively it seems, who she can stop on the street to ask for assistance with her shoes.   But this small gesture is full of knowledge; Phoenix could have stopped any number of people on the busy street, but consciously chose to stop a certain woman.   Perhaps Phoenix knew that this particular woman would be more inclined to help her, as she appears to be a â€Å"nice lady† (Welty, p. 6) full of Christmas spirit, heavy as her arms are with presents. Phoenix again uses her knowledge about human behavior in order to manipulate the attendant at the clinic, who feels compelled to give a pitiful old woman some money.   It is not clear whether Phoenix is manipulating the nurse in order to get medication for herself or whether she does indeed have a grandson waiting at home, but the nurse is manipulated by Phoenix nevertheless, as she uses her age as an excuse for memory loss. The grandmother in Flannery O’ Connor’s short story, â€Å"A Good Man Is Hard To Find,† is not so self-aware as Phoenix and it is her failure to use her knowledge powerfully which gets her killed in the end.   The grandmother does indeed have knowledge but somehow is unable to use it to her advantage. It is an interesting side-note that the grandmother, the mother, and Red Sam’s wife are the only characters in O’Connor’s story who are not given names; even the cat has a name.   Perhaps O’Connor used this as a subtle indicator of who did and did not have power.   Indeed, neither the grandmother nor the mother appear to be very powerful characters in this story; and Red Sam’s wife, though not a central character, is portrayed as simply chattel for her husband, who orders her around and treats her dismissively. John Wesley’s and June Star’s grandmother knows from her years on earth that a good man is indeed hard to find; she knows that truly trustworthy people are rare treasures among the human race.   The grandmother’s discussion with Red Sam shows us that she is aware of just how devious people can be.   The grandmother knows that people are inherently untrustworthy. However, the grandmother’s knowledge does not then result in her having power, for she does not use the knowledge correctly.   The grandmother gave up the potential power of her knowledge when she revealed what she knew during the encounter with the Misfit.  Ã‚   When the grandmother recognized the Misfit, she could have used this knowledge to protect her family. Perhaps Eudora Welty’s Phoenix Jackson would have used the grandmother’s knowledge in some cunning way to manipulate the Misfit.   But O’Connor’s grandmother is not as powerful as Welty’s character, simply because she fails to cultivate her knowledge into a powerful tool.   The grandmother was knowledgeable but still powerless to save her own and her family’s lives. The third character who shows us that knowledge is not necessarily power is Dave, in Richard Wright’s â€Å"The Man Who Was Almost a Man.†Ã‚   Dave shows us that the power from knowledge is partially subjective and not an indisputable fact.   The reader sees very quickly that Dave feels â€Å"small,† not only in his physical stature but in his standing among his peers in the community.   This feeling of smallness is what makes Dave feel virtually powerless. Dave appears to have very limited knowledge of human behavior and of himself as a developing man.  Ã‚   Fear is a large factor in Dave’s twisted perception of what will give him power.   Dave is scared of other boys who are all bigger than him; he has also been raised to be scared of the adults in his life.   This fear has given Dave the â€Å"knowledge† that, if one is feared, one has power.   Of course this knowledge is flawed. But Dave’s knowledge is not a mature, conscious knowledge; it is a knowledge born of his own very limited backwoods experience in the world.   Dave sees that, if he can scare others as others have scared him, he will become a powerful man.   Once Dave has knowledge of how a gun makes him feel, he thinks he has discovered an important part of becoming a man.   Perhaps the most important discovery made by Dave is that his actions have consequences; once Dave kills the mule, he sees that something he has done has made a difference, albeit a negative difference, but a difference in the world all the same. Although Dave’s knowledge has the potential to give him power, it is not well developed and is based in fear.   Therefore his knowledge may make him an even less powerful person.   Dave does not know how to use his new-found knowledge.   Instead of making him a powerful person, his knowledge may be turning him into a dangerous person as the flawed knowledge becomes more entrenched into his personality. Knowledge is power†¦.the central characters in the stories analyzed above each show us, in their own way, that this statement is very over-simplified and not necessarily true.   Power can indeed come from having knowledge.   But that knowledge must be carefully cultivated and used appropriately in order to then provide power.   And there are occasions when we can have knowledge but lack the awareness to use that knowledge to our advantage, or power. Last, if we have knowledge but lack the conviction that we have power to use our knowledge in useful ways, we are still left as powerless as if we did not have the knowledge at all.   So power resulting from knowledge must also include self-awareness, awareness of others, and the ability to adapt our knowledge to particular situations.   Only then can we say that knowledge is power. Knowledge and Power â€Å"Scientia Potentia Est†, a famous aphorism that is otherwise translated as â€Å"For also Knowledge itself is Power†, was conceptualized during the late 16th century by the world-renowned Philosopher and Statesman of that time, Sir Francis Bacon. Indeed, Sir Bacon developed an understanding of the idea that by accumulating knowledge, one is able to exert, impose or influence power (as can be inferred) towards another.For instance, a person who has accumulated knowledge can withhold himself or herself from sharing this knowledge to others. Thus, a sort of personal advantage develops between those who have knowledge and those who want knowledge. The former, if desired, can ultimately influence the actions of the latter if the existing desire for knowledge is used against them. Otherwise, the same result could also be inferred from the opposite: once knowledge is shared by the person who has accumulated them, power is reflected in the sense that the person who has sha red it had the privilege of sharing it.Such an example only perpetuates the idea of ambiguity of the concept of power. Indeed, power, in all its forms and contexts, is a concept that has been contested my many scholars and philosophers alike for decades, even centuries. Some relate power in the form of having the ability of exercising coercion. Others relate the concept with the possession of material wealth. Still further, others profess that power is somehow related to social class. Unfortunately, these credible attempts at establishing links to the concept of power only express supplementary ambiguity to the term.For example, even though power can be somehow related to the ability of using force (coercion), the term can also be associated with the ability of persuasion – a rather mild version of quasi-coercion that does not involve the usage of force.   The same thing goes with the idea of power as equaled to the possession of material wealth and as represented by social class. Contrary to the latter statement, intangible or incorporeal wealth can also be associated with power as a substitute for material wealth. Also, behind social class lie the idea of power as related to personal or group charisma and expertise. In other words, a person belonging to the highest social class in society cannot be more powerful over those that are below his social class if those individuals under his class are more charismatic and more adequate and excellent in terms of abilities and skills.Having identified the cumbersome and volatile nature of power, is it still plausible to conclude that knowledge is indeed power? Is there a relevant connection between the two concepts? If none, can a relevant connection be established; no matter how arguable or refutable? Basically, does the possession of knowledge represent the possession of power?To answer this question, let us first understand how scholars and philosophers of the past have identified and/or defined power dur ing their time.The great 19th century philosopher, Sir Friedrich Nietzsche, often described the concept of power as something that expresses one’s domination over other human beings. If so, then knowledge could indeed be a source of power since the ignorance of knowledge denotes inferiority in logical thinking and skillful know-how; thus, disavowing the ability or opportunity of the individual to dominate others who do possess knowledge. However, another dilemma may arise from the latter statement. If knowledge is truly a source of power, how come individuals who do possess knowledge are not powerful?The answer, of course, is that knowledge in itself is not power. In order for knowledge to become a source of power, the individual must be able to aptly apply or exercise his or her knowledge in the form of actions for the purposes of achieving or producing results. As some scholars have put it, â€Å"knowledge is power only if one knows how to use it†.   Truly, if one individual possesses a myriad amount of knowledge but does not know how to translate it into action, then power is not represented. This concept, however, does not stray away from the concept of knowledge as a source of power nor does it emanate from the idea of action as a source of power rather than the mere possession of knowledge.It must be understood that actions are determined by the individual’s mind. If a certain amount of knowledge is absent within the individual’s cognitive processes then the action executed may not produce tremendous results that are reflective of the representation of power. However, if knowledge is indeed present, chances are that actions executed may produce excellent results that would be quite superior to actions that are conducted without knowledge. Simply said, actions augmented by knowledge reflect power on the part of the individual (superiority).In order to make the preceding points more plausible, let us try establishing the conce pt in a certain field or study. In this instance, let us put the concept of power as knowledge into the workplace – in this case a corporation.Most corporations possess similar theories of organization ranging from the classical theory of organization to the more systematic (systems) theory of organization. And with these models comes a set of different levels, styles or concepts of hierarchy and/or bureaucracy (formal and informal, orthodox or unorthodox). In other words, corporations always try to establish a â€Å"division of power† among its leaders and workers. Now, let us try to apply the concept of knowledge as power in a leader-worker relationship. Leaders of corporations, in all intents and purposes, are the decision-makers of the entire system.Workers, on the other hand, have more of a hands-on approach compared to their respective leaders. As far as the relationship goes, it is the leader who will decide how the workers will act. Now, the question is, is thi s a simple form of exercising power? Is the authority of the leader over the workers a concrete example of power in the form of knowledge? The answer, of course, is no; it is not a simple form of power illuminated by knowledge – at least not completely. One possible reason why this is so is because the relationship between the two actors reflect two issues as can be inferred from the general concept of power.First, the source of power as reflected from the leader can mostly likely be originating from his or her given authority. In other words, it is the granted authority of the corporation that is providing the leader his or her own personal power and not his or her own possession of knowledge. Second, the worker cannot be subject to inferiority since the worker is aware that his or her job is to simply follow orders. For power to be present, one must be able to persuade or force an individual to do what he or she wishes. Otherwise, if the worker decides not to follow the ord ers of the leader, then it can be inferred that the worker is expressing power over the leader (charisma or personal ability). But that is another issue.If so, how is knowledge as a source of power reflected in a leader-worker relationship? One possible explanation could be found from the personal histories of both actors.Respective or high positions in most corporations require excellent abilities or practical know-how. As such, no normal individual can just apply or be promoted to such a position if the individual does not possess the necessary skills or abilities that the position requires. Simply said, leaders are on their respective positions simply because they possess the required skills and as a result, are thoroughly capable of fulfilling its functions.Workers, on the other hand, may not possess these prerequisites or capabilities. However, this does not imply that workers are not knowledgeable. This merely implies that workers are yet on the verge of acquiring or developin g the necessary knowledge for fulfilling the functions that are required by the position. And where can a worker acquire this necessary knowledge? The answer, definitely, is quite reflective of the answer to the whole problem of where can the idea of knowledge as power be inferred from a leader-worker relationship – from the leader.Indeed, if a worker wishes to achieve the same position as that of his or her own leader, then that worker must first develop knowledge based from his or her work and eventually acquire knowledge from his or her own leader. If recognized (or desired), the leader who possesses the knowledge that is required by the worker can now express or exercise power over the worker in the sense that the leader now has the choice of whether or not to impart his or her own knowledge to the worker.Going back to the previous points, if an individual withholds his or her own knowledge from sharing it to others, then power is gained in the form of an advantage; thus, producing a sense of superiority. As one head of a corporation has put it, â€Å"Knowledge is power and you do not share power.† The worker, however, can try to acquire knowledge of the same context from others and that action might change the idea of power in a leader-worker relationship. However, it is very unlikely that this is to happen for if the worker decides to gather power outside of his or her own corporation that knowledge may well be different from what the corporation may require or need.As mentioned earlier, power is a concept that has been contested my many scholars and philosophers alike for centuries. To suddenly come up with a personal explanation of power in the form of the possession of knowledge is something not new in the world of power.  As demonstrated, power is a really ambiguous term, let alone be defined in terms of knowledge. However, one cannot deny the fact that knowledge is indeed a source of power; for if knowledge is absent, one will not be able to exercise the myriad forms of power over others.In conclusion, if knowledge (in any form) is present within an individual and that that individual’s counterpart possesses a certain amount of ignorance of over the same type of knowledge, then the former is most likely to be more powerful over the latter. Simply put, the possession of knowledge is superiority over those who do not possess knowledge.Works Cited:Caruso, Denise. â€Å"Knowledge is Power only if you know how to use it.† March 2007 The New York Times 21 November 2007, http://www.nytimes.com/2007/03/11/business/yourmoney/11frame.html?_r=1&oref=sloginWimmer, Sandra. â€Å"For Illinois Agency, Knowledge is Power – and Promise.† August 2005 Government Procurement 21 November 2007,http://www.allbusiness.com/government/government-procurement/1162860-1.htmlLloyd, Bruce. â€Å"The Paradox of Power.† May 1996 The Futurist 21 November 2007,http://www.allbusiness.com/human-resources/employee -development-leadership/553463-1.htmlGrant, Beau. â€Å"Knowledge is POWER.† October 2005 Government Procurement 21 November 2007, http://www.allbusiness.com/management/928236-1.html

Efas Analysis How-to

Synthesis of External Factors—EFAS After strategic managers have scanned the societal and task environments and identified a number of likely external factors for their particular corporation, they may want to refine their analysis of these factors using a form such as that given in Table 3. 4. The EFAS Table (External Factors Analysis Summary) is one way to organize the external factors into the generally accepted categories of opportunities and threats as well as to analyze how well a particular company’s management (rating) is responding to these specific factors in light of the perceived importance (weight) of these factors to the company. To generate an EFAS Table for the company being analyzed, complete the following steps: In Column 1 (External Factors), list the eight to ten most important opportunities and threats facing the company. In Column 2 (Weight), assign a weight to each factor from 1. 0 (Most Important) to 0. 0 (Not Important) based on that factor’s probable impact on a particular company’s current strategic position. The higher the weight, the more important is this factor to the current and future success of the company. (All weights must sum to 1. 0 regardless of the number of strategic factors. ) In Column 3 (Rating), assign a rating to each factor from 5 (Outstanding) to 1 (Poor) based on that particular company’s current response to that particular factor. Each rating is a judgment regarding how well the company is currently dealing with each external factor. 5 43 2 1 Â ¦_________________Â ¦_____________Â ¦_______________Â ¦_______________Â ¦ Out- Above Average BelowPoor standing Average Average In Column 4Â  (Weighted Score), multiply the weight in Column 2 for each factor times its rating in Column 3 to obtain that factor’s weighted score. This results in a weighted score for each factor ranging from 5. 0 (Outstanding) to 1. (Poor) with 3. 0 as average. In Column 5Â  (Comments), note why a particular factor was selected and how its weight and rating were estimated. Finally, add the weighted scores for all the external factors in Column 4 to determine the total weighted score for that particular company. The total weighted score indicates how well a particular company is responding to current and expected factors in its external environment. The score can be used to compare that firm to other firms in its industry. The total weighted score for an average firm in an industry is always 3. 0. As an example of this procedure, Table 3. 4 includes a number of external factors for Maytag Corporation with corresponding weights, ratings, and weighted scores provided. This table is appropriate for 1995 before Maytag sold its European and Australian operations. Note that Maytag’s total weight is 3. 15, meaning that the corporation is slightly above average in the major home appliance industry.

The Story of Suicide Sal by Bonnie Parker

The Story of Suicide Sal by Bonnie Parker The infamous couple of  Bonnie Parker  and Clyde Barrow were American criminals during the Great Depression who attracted a cult following during their days alive which has lasted to today. They died a gruesome yet sensational death together after a round of allegedly 50 bullets were fired at them during an ambush. Bonnie Parker was only 24 years old. While Bonnie Parkers name is more attached to the image of her as a gang member, arsenal  thief, and murderer, she was also a poet. The Story of Suicide Sal Bonnie showed an interest in writing at a young age. In school, she won prizes for spelling and writing. She continued to write after she dropped out of school. In fact, she wrote poems while she and Clyde were on the run from the law. She even submitted some of her poems to newspapers. Bonnie wrote The Story of Suicide Sal on pieces of scrap paper while she was held in the Kaufman jail in spring 1932. The poem was published in newspapers after it was found during the raid on  Bonnie and Clydes  hideout in Joplin, Missouri, on April 13, 1933. Dangerous Life Decisions The poem tells the story of a pair of doomed lovers, Sal and Jack, who are desperadoes driven to criminality by circumstances outside of their control. It can be assumed that Sal is Bonnie while Jack is Clyde. The poem is told from the perspective of an unnamed narrator, who then retells a story that Sal once told in the first person. From this piece, readers can glean some details about Bonnies life and thoughts. Beginning with the title, The Story of Suicide Sal makes it clear that Bonnie recognized her highly dangerous lifestyle and had premonitions of early death. A Harsh Environment In the poem, Sal says, I left my old home for the cityTo play in its mad dizzy whirl,Not knowing how little of pityIt holds for a country girl. Perhaps this stanza conveys how a harsh, unforgiving and fast-paced environment made Bonnie feel disoriented. Maybe these emotions set the scene for Bonnies turn to crime. Love for Clyde Then Sal says, There I fell for the line of a henchman,A professional killer from Chi;I couldnt help loving him madly;For him even now I would die....I was taught the ways of the underworld;Jack was just like a god to me. Again, Jack in this poem most likely represents Clyde. Bonnie felt passionate about Clyde, regarding him as a god and willing to die for him. This love probably prompted her to follow him in his line of work.   Lost Faith in Government Sal continues on to describe how she gets arrested and is eventually imprisoned. While her friends are able to rally some lawyers to defend her in court, Sal says, But it takes more than lawyers and moneyWhen  Uncle Sam  starts shaking you down. In American culture, Uncle Sam is a symbol that represents the U.S. government and is supposed to inspire patriotism and a sense of duty- a noble figure, so to speak. However, Bonnie paints Uncle Sam in a negative light by describing violent actions, like shaking you down. Perhaps this phrase speaks to Bonnie and Clydes belief that the government system had failed them. Bonnie/Sal continues to paint the government in a negative light by saying, I took the rap like good people,And never one squawk did I make. In describing herself as a good and compliant person, Bonnie implies that the government and/or the police are unfairly vilifying citizens trying to hustle and make ends meet during the Great Depression.

32 Famous Basketball Quotes

32 Famous Basketball Quotes Some say it is just another ball game. However, basketball enthusiasts swear that the game is the purpose of life. While both views are extreme, you cannot help being intrigued by the genuine fanaticism of the fans. Read these famous basketball quotes. Maybe, in these famous basketball quotes, you will find the purpose of life. You can read inspirational basketball quotes to take you forward in the game of life. Jason Kidd A lot of late nights in the gym, a lot of early mornings, especially when your friends are going out, youre going to the gym, those are the sacrifices that you have to make if you want to be an NBA basketball player. Magic Johnson Ask not what your teammates can do for you. Ask what you can do for your teammates. Elgin Baylor Coaching is easy. Winning is the hard part. Michael Jordan Even when Im old and grey, I wont be able to play it, but Ill still love the game. Obstacles dont have to stop you. If you run into a wall, dont turn around and give up. Figure out how to climb it, go through it, or work around it. Some people want it to happen, some wish it would happen, others make it happen. Talent wins games, but teamwork and intelligence wins championships. The game is my wife. It demands loyalty and responsibility, and it gives me back fulfillment and peace. Ive missed more than 9000 shots in my career. Ive lost almost 300 games. Twenty six times, Ive been trusted to take the game winning shot and missed. Ive failed over and over and over again in my life. And that is why I succeed. I would tell players to relax and never think about whats at stake. Just think about the basketball game. If you start to think about who is going to win the championship, youve lost your focus. Wilt Chamberlain Everybody pulls for David, nobody roots for Goliath. Kobe Bryant Everything negative pressure, challenges are all an opportunity for me to rise. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Great players are willing to give up their own personal achievement for the achievement of the group. It enhances everybody. I can accept failure, but I cant accept not trying. I think someone should explain to the child that its ok to make mistakes. Thats how we learn. When we compete, we make mistakes. Ive had enough success for two lifetimes, my success is talent put together with hard work and luck. Dennis Rodman I couldnt care less if the guy Im guarding has HIV. Im going to slam him anyway. Julius Erving I think that my God-given physical attributes, big hands, and big feet, the way that Im built, proportion-wise, just made basketball the most inviting sport for me to play. If you dont do whats best for your body, youre the one who comes up on the short end. Larry Bird Once you are labeled the best you want to stay up there, and you cant do it by loafing around. If I dont keep changing, Im history. Push yourself again and again. Dont give an inch until the final buzzer sounds. Ive got a theory that if you give 100 percent all of the time, somehow things will work out in the end. Leadership is diving for a loose ball, getting the crowd involved, getting other players involved. Its being able to take it as well as dish it out. Thats the only way youre going to get respect from the players. James Naismith The invention of basketball was not an accident. It was developed to meet a need. Those boys simply would not play Drop the Handkerchief. Jerry West You cant get much done in life if you only work on the days when you feel good. Charles Barkley If you are afraid of failure you dont deserve to be successful! Elgin Baylor If you look up the definition of greatness in the dictionary, it will say Michael Jordan. Isiah Thomas If you want consistency, then you perform. This is a performance job. You get paid to perform. Your money is guaranteed, but your minutes are not. My greatest gift that I have in life is basketball. Pete Maravich Love never fails. Character never quits. And with patience and persistence, dreams do come true. Shaquille ONeal Me shooting 40% at the foul line is just Gods way to say nobodys perfect. Kevin Johnson No matter what you say, you can have as many receivers as you want; there are enough balls to go around.

Service learning Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Service learning - Essay Example Someone has to do those kinds of jobs that no one wants to do but must by done by someone in order for the mosque to remain presentable. What kept me going was the thought that I was not doing this for myself, but for the worshippers who frequent the mosque. I might not have received any recognition for it, but I can still be pleased by the contribution that I made. The final task that I did was really pleasing because I was able to make a noticeable different in the lives of young kids. I gave a presentation to these kids on how to overcome culture shock. Many of these kids have never really mixed with people of other cultures, so they really learned something by what I had to say. I was able to tell them of my own experiences as an international student trying to adapt to a different environment and also the challenges that I faced along the way. I could really tell that I made an impact on some of those kids because I could see it in their faces. They asked many questions about wh at it was like to move overseas, and I was able to answer their questions based on my own personal experiences. 2. The main thing that I learned was that I could receive great satisfaction from being able to serve others. I am not usually the servant type, but I now realize just how much it can mean to a person to have a task performed for them. Being able to do that for someone else gave me joy and I realize that I need to be able to serve others in everyday normal life too. The biggest thing that I got out of this service learning process was that there are some things in life that are beyond measure. Serving others is one of the greatest gifts that we can give another person, and this was something that I did not think about before. My whole attitude and outlook on life has changed considerably because I what I have experienced during my time serving at the mosque. If I could do it all again, then I would not hesitate to do