The Necklace by Guy de Maupassant and Roman Fever by Edith Wharton Essay

The Necklace by Guy de Maupassant and Roman Fever by Edith Wharton - Essay Example This paper investigates the significance of endings in two stories The Necklace by Guy de Maupassant, and Roman Fever by Edith Wharton. Completion have been utilized to encourage a surprising difference in plot/accomplish unexpected development towards the end in the two stories. The sort of consummation utilized here is called curve finishing. There is a surprising difference in result towards the finish of the story and this raises a startling end to the story. For instance, the two ladies begin discussing the blend of adoration connections they had before they just got hitched. Mrs. Ansley had been enamored with the spouse of Mrs. Slade before he wedded her. The two lady had been living as companions since youth and were currently talking as companions too. Just towards the finish of the story, they uncover the hard feelings they have had against one another this years and the stunts they had played on one another. For elderly person, and both being widows, this isn't the sort of thing anybody would anticipate that them should hold a lot of significance to young love fights (Wharton 1). Taking a gander at the story the neckband, the creator has additionally effectively figured out how to utilize a turn finishing. Loisel and her had purchased another jewelry for Mrs. Forester to supplant the lost accessory and had saved this as a mystery between themselves for 10 great years. They had been paying the consequences for it and nobody would expect that Loisel would need to uncover it least it raises an enemity between them. Shockingly, Loisel chose to tell Mrs. Forester reality. Shockingly, she was not enraged, rather, Mrs. Forester demonstrated love to her old companion and even admitted that her unique jewelry was not genuine precious stone nut counterfeit, costing just 500 francs (Maupassant 1). The significance of the utilization of turn finishing off with the two stories permits the perusers of the two stories to reconsider the accounts and their characters too. For instance, one would have thought Mrs. Forester as a harsher severe ladies due to the dread in Loisel and her significant other. Nonetheless, an opposite of this was uncovered when she takes Loisel in two hands and comes clean with her behind her old pieces of jewelry. The sort of closure is likewise significant in permitting the perusers to make revelations in the two stories for instance, just through the last bit of the story do the perusers come to know the things that added to the by one way or another virus kind of kinship and shrouded feelings of spite between Mrs. Ansley and Mrs. Slade. It uncovers the sentimental contention in their childhood that made Mrs Slade to hold sentiments of contempt and envy against Mrs Ansley. By the expressions of Mrs. Ansley, †I had Barbara†, it uncovers Barbara was an ill-conceived kid she had with Delphin, Mrs. Slades spouse. Simultaneously, it assists with uncovering reality behind the rich-looking nature of Mrs Forester. She was not so rich but rather she picked up status by going for substitutes and nobody knew about this. Endings have additionally been utilized in the two stories to astound their crowds. This sort of consummation is called shock finishing. The utilization of shock finishing as uncovered in the last lines by Mrs. Ansley in the story the Roman fever. No peruser would envision the girls of the two ladies were not just companions. They were sisters. Mrs. Ansley shocks her companion and the crowd of the story by talking in a manner that uncovered that Mrs. Slade’s plan to baffle her companion and make her different from her fiancee had ended up being her karma. The

Overall Structure of the Oil and Gas Industry

Question: Show a decent comprehension of the meaningful guidelines of International law appropriate to the oil and gas industry Assess the key standards of agreement arrangement in International business exchanges and key universal law standards and patterns in the oil and gas area Survey the adequacy of universal law in tending to the natural effect of oil investigation and misuse Show a basic comprehension of the significance of oil and gas law as an unmistakable subject, concentrated in a reasonable and business setting. Information and comprehension: Demonstration of point by point information on the lawful system of oil and gas industry and the ramifications of national, local and universal law. Answer: Presentation Oil and gas industry is one of the most developing ventures in the midst of the worldwide commercial center. The interest of oil and gas has been expanding throughout the years around at a pace of 1.2% every year (Lukoil, 2013). In such manner, all the more explicitly it very well may be contended that the interest of oil and gas can be profoundly seen in the worldwide market because of high utilization and request of vitality in the worldwide market. As per the report of Ernst Young (2014), report it is uncovered that the utilization of oil and gas has been expanding generally around half in consistently (Ernst Young, 2014; Lukoil, 2013). As indicated by the perspective of Parashar (n.d.), it is distinguished that the entire oil and gas industry is all inclusive perceived as a piece of metal minerals businesses. In such manner, all the more explicitly Parashar (n.d.) contended that the entire oil and gas industry normally directed and managed by the administrations with the point of guaranteeing the future maintainability improvement. Besides, it tends to be additionally asserted that the legislature has embraced financial arrangements and legitimate angles with the point of guaranteeing the order over the oil and gas industry. In this unique circumstance, it is likewise informed that with the point of guaranteeing the future improvement the legislature has isolated the general oil and gas industry into three sections, for example, upstream, midstream and downstream (Parashar, n.d.). In this specific task, the goal is to recognize and break down the business, specialized and lawful parts of the oil and gas industry, which for the most part help governments to guarantee the supportability improvement for what's to come. Aside from this, during the conversation of business, specialized and legitimate parts of the oil and gas industry the examination will profoundly underline to recognize the difficulties of this industry. Additionally, the examination will attempt to look at and assess the key territories and highlights through which governments are generally arrange difficulties for example oil and gas industry. Moreover, the examination will likewise stress towards the components through which worldwide oil organizations can improve their future exhibitions. Conversation As per the report of UNEP Industry and Environment (1997), it is recognized that enormous quantities of created nations government has profoundly accentuated towards the earth arranging related standards with the point of guaranteeing the maintainability and duty of nature as far as biology related perspectives. In this unique situation, government and bigger oil organizations has given their select consideration towards the usage or execution of the earth related projects. Correspondingly, the legislature has additionally given their consideration towards the lawful system with the point of guaranteeing the legal authority over the earth arranging related standards. Besides, government and bigger oil organizations have likewise attempted to guarantee compelling execution of the earth related projects through the help of steady administering and checking. In such manner, in view of the report of UNEP Industry and Environment (1997), it is seen that during the checking and legal contr ol, government and bigger oil organizations has consolidated subjective measure for guaranteeing the compelling execution of nature related arranging programs. As per the report of Swansea University (2015), government and bigger oil organizations has presented new Latin Legum Magister (LLM) for the oil and gas industry, which can be alluded as a one of the most fundamental constituent through which it very well may be conceivable to guarantee the assurance of normal asset. Simultaneously, it very well may be contended that through concentrating towards the new LLM an oil and gas fabricating association can guarantee its direct and morals of the business tasks. In this unique circumstance, it very well may be additionally contended that through concentrating towards the new LLM, legislature of UK can ensure the misuse of characteristic asset. Simultaneously, by focusing on New LLM, legislature of UK can likewise guarantee the insurance of the licensed innovation rights for example regular assets. Moreover, it very well may be guaranteed that the joining of new LLM for example oil and gas industry may lead critical development as far as worl dwide trade. Then again, new LLM includes additionally may assist present day with gassing and oil associations to upgrade their business execution in the global market (Swansea University, 2015). Lawful Aspects of Oil and Gas Industry As per Soyer and Kurtz-Shefford (2014), it is recognized that legislature and bigger oil organizations has stressed towards the agreements and liabilities of the oil and gas industry with the point of guaranteeing the existence pattern of the gas and oil venture. In such manner, Soyer and Kurtz-Shefford (2014) guaranteed that legislature and bigger oil organizations has profoundly stressed towards the privacy concurrence with the point of guaranteeing the investigation and creation of gas and oil. At the same time, through joining privacy understanding methodology government and bigger oil organizations has attempted to guarantee business and lawful issues during the universal exchange activities. Then again, through concentrating towards the privacy understanding government and bigger oil organizations have attempted to guarantee the ecological effect for example normal asset just as minerals. Moreover, it tends to be referenced that through concentrating towards the classification understanding during the oil and gas business tasks government and bigger oil organizations attempted to lessen genuine dangers identified with the oil and gas industry and it has additionally tended to potential risk relates angles (Soyer and Kurtz-Shefford, 2014). Open and Commercial Legal Aspects of Oil and Gas Industry As per Soyer and Kurtz-Shefford (2014), the oil and gas industry is one of the goliath ventures in the midst of the whole globe. The business generally works its business tasks in around the world. In such manner, the report of OPEC (2015), referenced that through the help of imaginative just as gallant methodology the oil and gas industry has made its acknowledgment in the worldwide commercial center. All the while, innovative improvement has helped the association to upgrade its development rate in a broad way. Then again, the industry has likewise seen certain difficulties during its global tasks because of inside just as outside perspectives. In this way, government and bigger oil organizations have concentrated towards the lawful guidelines for conquering every one of those difficulties. In this unique situation, it very well may be contended that the World Trade Organization (WTO) has given their broad consideration towards the worldwide system with the point of lessening the d ifficulties of the oil and gas industry. Additionally, it is likewise seen that the WTO has underlined towards oil and gas industry with a point of upgrading the impact of human rights during the worldwide exchange tasks. Moreover, WTO has likewise given its supporting hand towards the creating just as immature nations by financing and permitting on the oil and gas ventures. In this manner, in the wake of considering all these above expressed angles it very well may be obviously contended that through concentrating towards the oil and oil industry, WTO has guaranteed the protected innovation rights for example characteristic assets. Moreover, it has likewise helped worldwide associations to improve its business capabilities (OPEC, 2015; Kurtz-Shefford, 2014). Practice of Law So as to guarantee practice of law, government and bigger oil organizations has profoundly stressed towards the business viewpoints. Simultaneously, the legislature has additionally drawn in their consideration towards the significant agreements of the oil and gas industry. Aside from this, with the point of guaranteeing the connection between worldwide merchants, government and bigger oil organizations has profoundly focused towards the debatable bills of filling. In this unique situation, it very well may be likewise guaranteed that through concentrating towards the connecting with big haulers and boats government and bigger oil organizations has tended to global exchange and trade related difficulties. In this unique situation, Williams (2014), contended that through concentrating towards the financial strategy just as worldwide exchange related laws government and bigger oil organizations has upgraded by and large development pace of the oil and gas industry. Besides, it very wel l may be likewise expressed that through guaranteeing the act of law government and bigger oil organizations has tended to the danger of an unnatural weather change. In this specific circumstance, reasonably it very well may be contended that through concentrating towards carbon (CO2) outflows and different risky substances, for example, sulfur and nitrogen mixes among others, government and bigger oil organizations has decrease the expanded effect of the oil and gas creation in nature and environment (Williams, 2014). Protection Law As indicated by the perspective of Soyer (2014), protection of boats or big haulers is one of the most essential viewpoints for the oil and gas industry. In such manner, normally it very well may be guaranteed that during the act of law, it is exceptionally fundamental for the legislature to give consideration towards protection law to ensuri

Intercultural conflict Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Intercultural struggle - Essay Example He accepting it as though I was criticizing a training he considers satisfactory and legitimate. He asked, â€Å"What did you gain from such comment?† I was found napping, and neglected to see the main driver right away. He additionally said that I got irritated on the grounds that I understood that there are such a large number of settlers in my nation as of now. I was stunned on the grounds that that subject was longer than seven days back as of now. He additionally said I was simply against their practices and convictions. My companion got the meta-message of what should be an easygoing and honest comment contrarily. Here, clearly the individual contrasts between the sender and the recipient of the message influence how the meta-message (hidden significance of the message) is deciphered. The contention had smaller scale, meso, and full scale measurements of contention (Sorrells 182). The smaller scale measurement is the distinction in the manners we were raised. He neglected to see the softness in my remark since he isn't utilized to thoughtless comments. He was raised in a genuine way, while I experienced childhood in an open and carefree family circle. There are even occasions when he pays attention to jokes, since he doesn't have a clue about that it should be a joke. The meso measurement is his connecting himself to outsiders. It appears as though he considers Americans to be originating from an alternate gathering, and that migrants will consistently be untouchables. Curiously, that is the manner by which he thinks Americans consider them. The full scale measurement is the distinctions in our religions. My companion considers the To be clothing as something significant and legitimate, and he disapproved on how delicately and facetiously I alluded to it. It is la ck of care on my part, however, not to have thought about this. While there might be three measurements present in this intercultural strife, the arrangement, essentially, is in the cautious sending and translation of the meta-messages in each correspondence. Being cautious methods not letting suspicions upset one from seeing what the sender of the message is

Whispered Engineering Essay Samples Secrets

Whispered Engineering Essay Samples Secrets The Downside Risk of Engineering Essay Samples The samples on this list provides you with a very clear image of what you need to be making. You wish to devote your life bringing together different kinds of people in whatever capacity, and you know that delicious food always has the choice to bring various kinds of people together for a nice time. It demands simple registration and provides you with an endless number of paper samples for just about any academic need you've got. Obviously, genetic engineering has some advantages too. Moreover, it is also a serious ethical problem. Aerospace engineering is just one of the core branches of engineering that's thought to be quite hard to study and practice. Engineering and Construction work together. Without knowing appropriate essay making, your likelihood of going into a great college are slim. So deciding to follow a career in civil engineering isn't dependent on the money. You o ught to use your existing experiences to explain why you wish to study the major you selected. 1 reason why I opted to develop into a mechanical engineer is to be my own boss later on. How to Find Engineering Essay Samples on the Web When these essays may look like a little step toward your future, they're a step nonetheless. Below, you may read the brief introduction portion of the paper. This is an overview of what you've already told the reader. That isn't an effective strategy, as it does not demonstrate a genuine commitment to diversity and equity. For example, the genetic engineering of food isn't environmentally-friendly considering its effect on ecosystems. Diversity statements are a somewhat new addition to the work application packet. Be yourself and attempt to express a fluent story with your specified characteristics. Needless to say, it's true that lots of faculty members overtly reject campus efforts to boost diversity and equity. In the majority of colleges, hardly any students decide to specialize in Engineering. And due to that, my knowledge about various nations and continents was quite significant. These courses will bolster me to realize my career objectives and interests within this field. Mathematics is a simple topic. You don't need to wait until college to get ready for a career in math and science. The end result is a strong essay with scientific depth. It won't be any different than every other blood test you've received. Cornell essay is a chance to tell the admissions committee about everything that's not required to be offered in different documents. Scholarship essays are a critical issue. Engineering essays expect a lot of research. Writing engineering essay has turned out to be a difficult nut to crack because of its complexnature. Once you bring your essay to a logical conclusion, do not neglect to provide credit to all of your sources and references. This is referred to as a rhetorical question. Rhetorical questions aren't supposed to be answered, but still permit the audience to consider the question and relate to what you're speaking about. A great engineering admissions consultant will be able to help you tell your story effectively and meet the term limit requirements. It isn't only about the topic a student chooses to write on, but instead, how they write about doing it. Majoring in any category of math and science will be helpful for an aspiring professional on account of the huge career options you'll have after graduation, Fejleh stated. If you are searching for assistance with your essay then we provide a comprehensive writing service offered by fully qualified academics in your area of study. In this section of the test you are going to be requested to demonstrate the practical qualities a nursing assistant must have. The degree takes four decades of full-time study to realize. In Italy the training course work is based on five decades of training, but so as to qualify as an Engineer you need to pass a state exam at the close of the training course. Our consultants will decide on the right topic for you, and highly qualified experts can help you to sort out any problem.

Jack as Symbol of Anarchy and Savagery in Lord of the Flies

Jack as Symbol of Anarchy and Savagery in Lord of the Fliesnbsp; nbsp; nbsp;Goldings motives for choosing the island setting for the novel, Lord of the Flies was to have the characters isolated, where the laws of their governments could not reach them.nbsp; The boys on the island represented a microcosm of world society.nbsp;nbsp;nbsp; Golding chose children because they have not yet been fully conditioned by society to understand right from wrong, and thus are guided by their instinct and what is inherent within them.nbsp; Golding uses a great deal of symbolism throughout the novel.nbsp; Different characters provide different symbols.nbsp; Jack is a symbol of savagery and anarchy.nbsp; Golding relates the inherent evil†¦show more content†¦Jack has undergone a metamorphosis from a civilized human to a savage boy.nbsp; The fire set by Jack to burn Ralph out was meant for evil but ended with a rescue.nbsp; nbsp; nbsp;In the beginning of the story Jack, still conditioned by society, nbsp;could not bear to kill a pig that was caught in the brush.nbsp; As the plot progresses he becomes less and less attached to any societal norms.nbsp; Near the end, he feels no shame about the deaths of Simon and Piggy, or his attempt to kill Ralph. In Lord of the Flies Golding shows the reader that there is a certain capacity for evil that resides in man.nbsp; Jack displayed this clearly.nbsp; Jack proved that without societys rigid rules, anarchy and savagery would manifest.nbsp; nbsp; Comments: 1. You try to organize your paragraphs by time transitions, lumping all of the transitional aspects into one paragraph. This makes your paper appear to lack structure.nbsp; In order to avoid this confusion,Show MoreRelatedHow Do Humans Organise Themselves Through The Midst Of Chaos?1038 Words   |  5 PagesHow do humans organise themselves in the midst of chaos? The film ‘Day of the Triffids’, directed by Nick Copus, and the novel, ‘Lord of the Flies’, written by William Goulding, shows that when humans are faced with the prospect of chaos, most lean towards anarchy. However, some are able to hold onto the civilization that exists within themselves. Although Copus and Goulding stories revolve around different scenarios, they shared the key distinction of keeping their underlying themes similar to oneRead MoreEssay on How Lord of the Flies Related to Aspects of Human Nature1397 Words   |  6 PagesWilliam Goldings novel Lord of the Flies not only provides a profound insight into human nature but also does so in a way that is remarkable for its use of shock and horror. Golding presents aspects of human nature as themes in the book. It alerts us to our potential to descend from order to chaos, good to evil, civilization to savagery. They are explored through how innate evil can be brought out in certain situations, the dangers in not addressing our own fears and the battle between civilizationRead MoreWilliam Golding s Lord Of The Flies1200 Words   |  5 Pagesto the inherent savagery that lies within. In the book Lord of the Flies a British plane crashes on a deserted island in the middle of nowhere. The only survivors are a group of boys, and without any adults, the kids are left to fend and govern for themselves. Throughout the rest of the book, groups start to form and fight against each other. When the two groups fight for authority against each other things start to get out of hand. The two leaders for each group is Ralph, and Jack. At first the twoRead MoreLord Of The Flies : Human Savagery And The Flow Of Power1592 Words   |  7 PagesLord of the Flies is a chilling work about human savagery and the flow of power. Golding uses symbolism, characterization, and description to illustrate the occurrences and the underlying themes in the novel. The work has an ominous but irresistible tone that Golding lays out through his description of the island. Golding makes the island seem sinister and irresistible by writing,† The shore was fledged with palm trees. These stood or leaned or reclined against the light and their green feathersRead MoreSymbolism And Symbolism In Lord Of The Flies By William Golding892 Words   |  4 Pages*hook* A symbol is defined as a literary device where an object, person, or situation has a deeper meaning in the context of the whole story. Throughout the novel, author William Golding includes symbolism that hints at irony, foreshad owing, and a variety of themes. These symbols contribute to the depth and meaning of the story, allowing the characters to act under their influence. In Lord of the Flies, there is a numerous amount of symbols, such as the signal fire, the conch, and the ritual. TheRead More Lord of the Flies by William Golding Essay1112 Words   |  5 PagesLord of the Flies by William Golding Lord of the flies was written by William Golding in 1954. It is an enthralling, book that explores the concept of the behaviour of man when he is exempt from society. Golding achieves this by stranding a group of British schoolboys on a secluded island, in the midst of a war. Throughout this period the boys evolve from being civilised and let savagery take over. This book is well written and effectively presents the theme of the story: the evil thatRead MoreLord Of The Flies By William Golding1206 Words   |  5 PagesSavagery is not a characteristic developed through exposure to a given environment, yet a vile quality that dwells deep within the hearts of everyone. Certain circumstances don’t plant this trait upon us, yet nurture this dark quality until it ravages through us like a vicious disease. Until drawn out, it lies dormant inside of us, civility having compressed it within, yet it still rears it’s ugly head when drastic situations arise. We see this primal characteristic of brutality slowly take holdRead More Use of Symbolism in Goldings Lord of the Flies Essay1321 Words   |  6 PagesUse of Symbolism in Goldings Lord of the Flies Lord of the Flies, a suggestive name for the Devil, a devil whose name proposes that he is devoted to decay, destruction, demoralization and panic, exactly what William Golding had in mind when using symbolism in this novel. The Lord of the Flies (1954), is a novel in which interpretating the symbols are a main key to not only understanding, but also enjoying the novel. After tying many of the symbols together, you can figure out more about whatRead MoreThe Use of Symbolism in The Lord of the Flies by William Golding1943 Words   |  8 PagesThe Use of Symbolism in The Lord of the Flies by William Golding A symbol is something concrete that represents another thing or idea. In Lord Of The Flies a lot of things we encounter are given symbolic meaning by the way the author William Golding uses them. The book it’s self is named after a symbol, the words â€Å"Lord Of The Flies† translated means â€Å"Beelzebub† which is another word for â€Å"the devil† the book was named after the devil because evil has a large influenceRead MoreWilliam Golding s Lord Of The Flies1745 Words   |  7 Pages1954 novel, Lord of the Flies by Nobel Prize-winner William Golding is a dystopian allegory indicative of vast aspects of the human condition. Set in the midst of a nuclear war, the text details a group of marooned British school boys as they regress to a primitive state. Free from the rules and structures of civilisation and society, the boys split into factions - some attempting to maintain order and achieve common goals; others seeking anarchy and violence. The novel is based on Golding’s experience

Forms Of Government And Its Effect On National Identity

ASSIGNMENT 1: FORMS OF GOVERNMENT Each country has its own unique form of government that helps shape its national identity but experts identify at least nine forms of governments. These are Communism, Marxism, Socialism, Monarchy, Republic, Dictatorship, Totalitarianism, Anarchy and Tyranny. All the other types are just modifications and improvements of these nine so that they can be suitable for that particular country. Communism, according to Remy Melina, is that form of government where in the ruling party has direct and full control of the country’s economy. In this type of government, the ruling party eliminates the possibility personal property ownership for it advocates that all the products are to be divided and shared equally by†¦show more content†¦In this type, equality is a very significant value imposed by the government as, according to Remy Melina, socialism wants to make sure that the goods and services are equally given to every citizens in the coun try who utilizes it. Finland and Denmark are two of the countries who employ this. Monarchy is probably the oldest form of government. Most countries of the ancient times used Monarchy to govern their nation (Hartmann). In this type of government, the nation is ruled by a single person known as the king or and his words are absolute and unbreakable. He has complete power over all that belongs to his or her country. In addition to that, being the ruler of a country is something that can be inherited by family members (Hartmann). The countries who use this type of government United Kingdom, although their monarchy is now different than its ancient form for the power of ruling family is now limited. Republic, is a form of democracy. In this type of government, the people of the nation has the power to select and elect their representatives to the government (Melina). This is probably the most common form of government at present for the majority of the countries all over the world use s it. United States of America is probably the most famous of them. Dictatorship, on the other hand is a form of government

Fast Food Essay Example For Students

Fast Food Essay Imagine yourself behind the counter or in the drive- through window at McDonalds. You are programmed how to act and what to say. You have been working there for three years and earn a salary of $5.50 an hour. You have never exceeded 29 hours while working there. These circumstances are true for over 40 percent of six million people employed in restaurants today (Ritzer 59). The reason for these circumstances are due to the change in our society by which the consumer wants the biggest, fastest, and best product they can get for their money. This change in society can be attributed to a process known as McDonaldization. Although McDonaldization can be applied to many other parts of our society, this paper will focus on its impacts on the inequalities in the workplace, along with some theoretical discussions on the topic. My belief is that the process of McDonaldization, where the ideology of McDonalds has come to dominate the world, has caused many restaurants to emulate McDonalds styl e of running a franchised restaurant chain in terms of efficiency, calculability, predictability, and control (Ritzer 60). First, before I discuss the impact of Mcdonaldization on restaurants, I will define what McDonaldization is. McDonaldization is the process by which the principles of fast-food restaurants are coming to dominate more and more sectors of American society, as well as, of the rest of the world (Ritzer). George Ritzer created this concept of McDonaldization as a continuation of Max Webers theories on bureaucracies (Ritzer 61). Max Weber defines a bureaucracy as a goal-oriented organization designed according to rational principles in order to efficiently attain their goals.Its three main characteristics are that it has a division of labour, hierarchy of authority, and an impartial and impersonal application of rules and policies (www.faculty.rsu.edu/Theorists/Weber/Whome.htm). Thus, from that definition of a bureaucracy, one would conclude that McDonalds is a bureau cracy. The fact that it is bureaucracy is supported by the fact that each assigns workers to a specific job where each worker individually contributes to the overall success of the restaurant by doing his or her job. For example, McDonalds workers are assigned to work at the grill, register, or drive-through window. The restaurant also has ranks while on the job such as worker, shift manager, crew chief, and franchise owner. These ranks demonstrate the hierarchy of authority. Furthermore, the restaurant enforces the impartial and impersonal application of rules and policies. Through the eyes of C. Wright Mills and many other theorists, this bureaucratic demiurge causes alienation of its workers. It also creates powerless workers that follow the orders from the managers. Mills states that modern bureaucratic capitalism alienates its workers from both the process and the product of work (Wallace 107-108). The Frankfurt theorists also believe that alienation is the central issue when discussing the effects of bureaucratic capitalism on personality (Wallace 103). The workers in bureaucracies are denied such basic needs as creativity and identity. This causes their work to be entirely impersonal. They have no love for working; they just complete their work. Basically, they explain bureaucracies as dysfunctional and creativity blockers that deform human personalities. In the short video, Fast Food Women, the process of McDonaldization and the insights from Mills and the Frankfurt school can be clearly observed. The video illustrates women in Kentucky that work in various fast food restaurants. Even though their jobs all differ, these women are very similar. They are programmed workers that act the same, they get paid minimum wage, and they have no health benefits at all.Words/ Pages : 624 / 24

Convergence vs Divergence of Culture and Literature

The impact of Schizophrenia and Psychopathy to offending behaviour. The WritePass Journal

The impact of Schizophrenia and Psychopathy to offending behaviour. Introduction The impact of Schizophrenia and Psychopathy to offending behaviour. IntroductionReferencesRelated Introduction For many years people have associated mental disorders with offending behaviour and in particular, violent offending.   According to Jones (2006 p, 383) evidence has been found that individuals who are mentally ill are at greater risk of arrest then the general population.   He argues that in an attempt to investigate the relationship between mental disorders and offending behaviour studies have been conducted which have mainly focused on mental disorder in convicted offenders and offending rates in psychiatric populations.   As a result of these studies schizophrenia and psychopathy are the two disorders that appear to be most associated with offending.   This essay will attempt to describe the terms schizophrenia and psychopathy in some detail and discuss the relation each in turn has with offending behaviour. Schizophrenia, according to Davenport (1996 p,172), is a severe mental disorder characterised with symptoms of disintegration in the thinking process, in emotional responsiveness and in contact with reality.   Social relationships become impossible and cognitive functions are disturbed.   Sufferers of schizophrenia may withdraw from other people and from everyday reality, often into a life of odd beliefs, or delusions, and hallucinations.  Ã‚   The symptoms of schizophrenia can often make stable employment difficult, resulting in impoverishment and homelessness.   The strange behaviour displayed by schizophrenics and the lack of social skills may lead to a loss of friends, a solitary existence and sometimes ridicule and persecution. The German psychiatrist Emil Kraepelin (1896, cited by Gross, 2008. P.791)   was the first to recognise schizophrenia as a separate mental illness.   He described it as a distinct disorder which he called ‘dementia praecox’, meaning early insanity.   Kraepelin believed that the symptoms were due to a form of mental deterioration that began in adolescences.   However Bleuler (1911, cited by McGuire, Mason O’Kane, 2000, p.162), a Swiss psychiatrist, disagreed with Kraepelin, he believed that the disorder did not necessarily have an early onset and the name ‘dementia praecox’ was inappropriate.   Bleuler proposed his own term for the disorder, one that is still used today, schizophrenia.   Schizophrenia is taken from the Greek word schizein, meaning to split, and phren, meaning the mind to describe a disorder in which the personality loses its unity. Individuals with schizophrenia can significantly differ from one another and as  Ã‚   Kring et al (2010, p.321) explains this is   because the range of symptoms in the diagnosis of schizophrenia is extensive and people may only have some of them at any given time.   The symptoms of schizophrenia are divided into three categories.   The first category refers to positive symptoms and these are based on Schneider’s first rank symptoms (1959, cited by Gross, 2008 p.791) which are subjective and include delusions, hallucinations and thought disturbances.   Delusions are beliefs that are held contrary to reality and firmly held in spite of disconfirming evidence.   Hallucinations which may be visual, these are often unpleasant and frequently include violence and destruction, but are most commonly auditory, typically as voices commenting or giving instructions.   Thought disturbances are where thoughts are inserted into the mind (thought insertion), removed from the min d (thought withdrawal) or broadcast to the mind (thought broadcasting) by external forces. The second category refers to negative symptoms that are based on Slater and Roth’s major symptoms (1969, cited by Gross, 2008, p.792). These   are directly observable from the patient and include thought process disorder, disturbance of affect, psychomotor disturbance and lack of volition.   Thought process disorder refers to the inability to keep to the point and becoming easily distracted.   Disturbance of affect refers to affect that can be flat and expressionless or alternatively it can be inappropriate such as anger without provocation or laughter at misfortune.   Psychomotor disturbance can take the form of bizarre facial grimaces, repeated gesturing or excited agitation of the body; alternatively unusual postures can be adopted and held, in a state of immobility, for long periods.   Finally lack of volition refers to a lack of motivation and an absence of interest in or an inability to persist in what are usually routine activities including work, self care, social activities and affection for friends and family. The third category according to Kring et al (2010, p.324) refer to disorganised symptoms which include disorganised speech and disorganised behaviour.   Disorganised speech refers to problems in organising and maintaining a logical and coherent flow of information, whilst disorganised behaviour refers to bizarre behaviour which can take many forms, sufferers seem to lose the ability to organise behaviour in a way that conforms to usual standards, performing everyday tasks also becomes difficult. Many studies have been conducted to examine the relationship, if any, between schizophrenia and offending behaviour, some of these studies have shown that there is a relationship between the two. For example Green (1981, cited by Jones, 2006, p. 389) conducted a survey of 58 men admitted to mental hospitals after they had killed their mothers and discovered that 75% of them were suffering from schizophrenia.   Taylor (1986, p.76) conducted a survey of life sentence prisoners in London and discovered a high level of schizophrenia. These findings are inconsistent with the work of Monahan and Steadman (1983, cited by McGuire, Mason and O’Kane, 2000, p.165) who conducted an influential review of research that was conducted prior to the early 1980. Their findings suggested that there was little if any relationship between offending behaviour and schizophrenia.   They argue that many of the studies that appear to suggest a link between schizophrenia and offending behaviour have failed to take into account demographic factors such as poverty and unemployment.   When these kinds of factors were considered, the apparent relationship between schizophrenia and offending behaviour, particularly violence, disappeared. However, Mullen (2006, p.241) suggests that many of the factors that produce offending in the general population are important in producing offending in schizophrenia.   These include disturbed backgrounds, poor social conditions, unemployment and substance abuse, among others.   But those with schizophrenia may be more vulnerable to those influences and this in turn may increase offending behaviour. Whilst Walsh, Buchanan Fahy (2002, p.490) acknowledge that until the early 1980s the general opinion was that people with schizophrenia were no more likely than the general population to be violent they claim that view is now outdated.   They conducted a review of the main studies that have influenced current thinking about the association between schizophrenia and offending, in particular violence, between January 1990 and December 2000.   Three different approaches were examined and these included studies on violent acts in those with schizophrenia, schizophrenia in individuals who have committed violent acts and violence in those with and without schizophrenia, regardless of involvement with the mental health or criminal justice systems.   They found that the majority of studies conducted over the past two decades have demonstrated a statistical association between schizophrenia and violence.   Furthermore that people with schizophrenia are significantly more likely to be violent than members of the general population. Finally that the proportion of violence attributed to people suffering with schizophrenia is small. The second mental disorder that is most associated with offending behaviour is psychopathy. Psychopathy, according to McLaughlin and Muncie (2006, p.323) is a collection of personality traits that lead to emotional or behavioural problems serious enough to require psychiatric evaluation.   Psychopaths have no concern for the feelings of others and a complete disregard of any sense of social obligation.   Psychopaths are characterised by lack of empathy, poor impulse control and manipulative behaviours.   Kring et al (2010, p.368) argue that psychopathic people have no shame, and their seemingly positive feelings for others are merely an act.   They are superficially charming and use that charm to manipulate others for personal gain and satisfaction. Psychopathy was first recognised in the early 1800s where the term was used in Austrian psychiatry text books but as Jones (2006, p.392) explains, it was not until 1976 in his classic book The Mask of Sanity that Hervey Cleckley drew on his clinical experience to formulate diagnostic criteria for Psychopathy.   Cleckley’s criteria for psychopathy focused less on behaviour as such and more on the person’s thoughts and feelings.   Kring et al (2010, p.368) explain that Cleckley produced a checklist which consisted of 16 distinguishable characteristics of a psychopath, although various researchers have tried to identify the typical characteristics of a psychopath.   They go on to argue that there has been widespread approval of 6 key elements described by Cleckley, they are lack of guilt or remorse, an inability to learn from experience, an inability to delay gratification, an inability to form emotional ties, the constant seeking of stimulation and a superficial cha rm. The most commonly used scale that attempts to operationalise the concept of psychopathy and make assessment more reliable according to Kring et al (2010 p,270), was developed by Robert Hare in 1991 and is called the psychopathy checklist revised, known as the PCL-R test.   The checklist, based on Cleckley’s criteria, is a 20 item clinical rating scale that is completed through interview and information gathered from other sources including criminal records, social worker reports and case histories.   The scale divides into two linked factors, factor one includes interpersonal items, such as superficial charm, grandiose sense of self worth and pathological lying, and affective symptoms such as lack of remorse or empathy.   Finally factor two measures socially deviant or anti social lifestyles, such as proneness to boredom and delinquency. The exact relationship between psychopathy and offending behaviour according to Mclaughlin and Muncie (2006, p323) has not been completely understood but it is clear that psychopathic charachteristics are highly associated with offending.   Among offenders who score highly on the PCL-R test there are also high levels of criminality and violence.   Hobson and Shine (1998, p.504) findings supports this view, they found that once imprisoned, psychopaths display more violent and aggressive behaviour and are more frequently segregated from other prisoners.   Furthermore, after release, the likelihood of reconviction is significantly above that for non psychopaths, particularly for violent crimes.   This view is shared by Hemphill et al (1998, cited by Gross 2008, p.842) after his Meta analysis study found that psychopathic offenders were three times as likely to reoffend and four times more likely to violently reoffend within a year of release than non psychopathic offenders. The criteria of the PCL-R test may show how psychopathic characteristics relate to offending behaviour.   According to McLaughlin and Muncie (2006, p.323) the criteria of factor one for example, which   includes grandiose sense of self worth and arrogance, highlights the need of psychopathic individuals to feel they are of high status, this need could be satisfied through various types of offending.   Being pathological liars can also facilitate certain types of offending behaviour.   Psychopaths do not feel the usually constraining emotions of guilt, remorse or empathy; as a result of these lacks of constraints the likelihood of offending behaviour in psychopathic individuals is increased.  Ã‚   The emotional volatility of psychopathic individuals may also explain the increased violence that is evident from the studies previously mentioned. The second factor of the PCL-R which includes characteristics like proneness to boredom, impulsivity and delinquency can demonstrate w hy offending behaviour in psychopathic individuals is increased. The examination of any relationship between psychopathy and offending behaviour is not helped by the unsatisfactory definition of the disorder. Jones (2006, p.393) argues that   the definition is circular in that there are certain behaviours that are used to help assess the disorder, the disorder is then, in turn used to explain these behaviours.   He goes on that there is already an established link between psychopathy and offending behaviour as it seems crime is incorporated into the definition of the disorder, he concludes that by the very nature of the characteristics of psychopathy, in essence, psychopathic behaviour is criminal behaviour. On analysis of both mental disorder in convicted offenders and offending rates in the psychiatric population it is easy to establish a firm relationship between the two mental disorders described in this essay and offending behaviour.   Schizophrenia is the disorder that is probably the most associated with violent offending, although the actual number does appear to be very small.   There is also an established link between psychopathy and offending behaviour although, that does seem to be incorporated in the definition of the disorder. References Davenport, G.C. (1996). Essential Psychology. (2nd ed.). London: HarperCollins Publishers Ltd. Gross, R. (2008) Psychology The Science Of Mind And Behaviour. (5th ed).   London: Hodder Education. Hobson, J., Shine, J. (1998). Measurement of Psychopathy in a UK prison population referred for long term psychotherapy. British Journal of Criminology, 38,3, 504-515 Jones, S. (2006). Criminology. (3rd ed.). Oxford: Oxford University Press Kring, A., Johnson, S., Davison, G., Neale, J. (2010). Abnormal Psychology. (11th Ed). West Sussex: Wiley Sons Ltd. McGuire, J., Mason, T., O’Kane, A. (Eds) (2000). Behaviour, Crime and Legal Process .   West Sussex: Wiley Sons Ltd. McLaughlin, E. Muncie, J. (2006). The Sage Dictionary of Criminology (2nd ed.). London: Sage Publications Ltd. Mullen, P.E. (2006). Schizophrenia and Violence: From Correlation to Preventive Strategies, Advances in Psychiatric Treatment, 12, 239-248 Taylor, P. (1986). Psychiatric disorders in London’s Life Sentenced Offenders. British Journal of Criminology,   26, 63-78 Walsh, E., Buchanan, A., Fahy, T. (2002). Violence and Schizophrenia – Examining the Evidence. British Journal of Psychiatry, 180, 490-495.

Business Law Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 3

Business Law - Essay Example The current generations of businesses have discovered secrets to achieving their goals, growing their organizations and keeping competition at bay. While growth and profit earning strategies were the main focus for many businesses in the past, the current trend is different. Businesses are targeting more than just earning high incomes and increasing their profits. They have discovered that they can achieve their visions and missions through confronting the existing social and environmental challenges, allowing the profit earning motive to be a secondary factor.Therefore, organizations are building their market share and growing their revenues through corporate social responsibility innovation. This entails innovating and applying powerful ways of addressing the existing social and environmental challenges (Hollender and Bill, 159). However, the application of social responsibility innovation to act as a marketing strategy, without championing for any social and environmental benefit, is harmful to an organizations brand. This is because; consumers have become more enlightened and aware of the application of charity and good-deeds as a marketing ploy by organizations. Therefore, the current generation of the consumer goes beyond looking at the billions pumped into the corporate citizenship programs, to look at the sustainability and the benefits obtainable by the society. There are various innovative corporate social responsibility techniques that are applied by organizations to achieve the sustainability of corporate citizenship.... This is vital to maintain strong drivers of the organization, who steers it towards its targets (Hollender and Bill, 70). Microsoft Corporation history, vision and mission This is a multinational corporation with its origin in the USA, dealing with a variety of products and services related to computers and computing (Harnick, n.p.). The company is ranked as the largest software maker in the world, based on software revenue collection, and the world’s most valuable company. In the â€Å"CR’s 100 Best Corporate Citizens 2012† (CR100), which gives the rank of the top 100 highly ranked socially responsible organizations, Microsoft Corporation was ranked as the third best (Harnick, n.p.). The company was founded in 1975 to develop interpreters for the then Altair 8800 microcomputer (Harnick, n.p.). However, the company eventually diversified into manufacturing into personal computer operating systems and software. According to the current standings, the company has d ominated the field of computer operating systems, office suite and online visual communication media (Harnick, n.p.). The mission of the company is to provided professional and value added services in the technology industry, with a high customer service and the interest of the customers in mind. Its vision is to build a customer service-based professional services consulting company, which will specialize in information technology consulting (Harnick, n.p.). Microsoft Corporation stakeholder analysis Stakeholders refer to the people or entities that are party to or affected in one way or the other by the operations of an organization. Microsoft Corporation has the founder,

Multiculturalism - Freedom, Recognition and Authenticity Essay

Multiculturalism - Freedom, Recognition and Authenticity - Essay Example It is often thought that this is the best framework that would accommodate different parts of the population, especially if they come from various cultural, religious or other backgrounds (Appiah 2007, p. 14). Nevertheless, I have considered some of the peculiarities of it and came to a conclusion that that it may be flawed to a certain extent. A. That is exactly what I wanted to talk about. Do not you, wise men, think that this is too unrealistic? Equal respect is truly a platform that the stability of a diverse society rests on, but it is too abstract, especially when it comes to actual application (Abbey 2000, p. 118). B. Our friend is absolutely right here, equality is something that can hardly be achieved in a society where citizens are different in numerous aspects, starting from the level of income and up to the very place where they live. It is virtually impossible to create equal conditions for everyone. A. C, my friend, I can see where you are going with this, but I would like to point out that the politics of equal respect, the one that you like so much, is actually inhospitable to difference (Ferrelly 2004, p. 88). B. I fully agree. C, you see, diversity is a factor that is dynamic, it is not static; in other words, one can hardly make a set of coordinates that would include all the differences and find harmony between them. In addition to that, acknowledgement of difference requires a constant change with in the social framework. A. Exactly! Do not you see that this is absolutely the opposite of what the system was designed for. The universal application that you have mentioned relies on one size fits all ideology. In other words, while claiming to respect the difference, this politics actually eliminates it (Fraser & Honneth, 2003, p. 30). B. Indeed, if two groups of people believe in different, sometimes opposite values, do you think that there can be a single policy that would unite them. Nevertheless, if the principle of

Walkers presentation of Sofia and Harpo Essay Example for Free

Walkers presentation of Sofia and Harpo Essay Alice walker uses a variety of techniques to present the characters of Sofia and Harpo during page 60 of The Color Purple. I will be exploring a number of lexical, grammatical and phonological choices, as well as other techniques, in the order they appear in the letter and will be discussing how these can lead to the development of attitudes and values. The introduction to the Sofia and Harpo relationship shows the reversal of the fixed stereotype perpetuated by other couples in the novel that a man should lead and a woman should follow. Previous letters depict Harpo as the feminine, subservient man, crying like his heart gon break. While Sofia is much the dominant figure in the way she is marching like going to war. In not conforming to the basic male-female stereotypes we see Sofia working on the roof while Harpo is happy to hold the baby and give it a kiss. However, once Harpo sees that he is losing face he begins to eat gluttonously as he believes that physical strength leads to power. Although this gluttony could in fact be comfort eating and so is associated with his feminine image. Harpos need for control then extends to the bedroom, where Sofia says once he git on top of me I think bout how thats where he always want to be. The situation here as well as the previously accumulating tensions has led Sofia to believe that she need a vacation. Walker states that Sofias sisters are all big strong healthy girls, the words big and strong both have very powerful connotations. The two words are used very commonly and are short and simple; this reflects the simplicity of the sisters in terms of erudition but the physical power in terms of strength and dominance. Both words are mono-syllabic and consonance on the g sound differs between the two words. The word big is a very short sounding word and also has connotations for pregnancy and reflects how Sofias sisters can face what life has thrown at them in terms of relationships. The word strong, however, has a continuous sound created by the nasal sound on the n. This sound portrays an image of continuing struggle to be a woman. Walker compares the attributes of the sisters to that of amazons, a tribe of women warriors; reflecting how Sofias sisters are striving to turn around the appearance of women as being the inferior race. An image is created of the sisters appearing to rescue Sofia from the grasps of an evil husband named Harpo. Even though Sofia is in fact similar to her sisters in terms of physical appearance, she lacks emotional strength to tackle the problem of Harpo, as deep down she still loves him. Sofia needs to be given strength from the rest of her family to eventually gather enough courage to leave.

Hitler Essay -- essays research papers

Adolft Hitler HITLER, Adolf (1889-1945). The rise of Adolf Hitler to the position of dictator of Germany is the story of a frenzied ambition that plunged the world into the worst war in history. Only an army corporal in World War I, Hitler became Germany's chancellor 15 years later. He was born on April 20, 1889, in Braunau-am-Inn, Austria, of German descent. His father Alois was the illegitimate son of Maria Anna Schicklgruber. In middle age Alois took the name Hitler from his paternal grandfather. After two wives had died Alois married his foster daughter, Klara Poelzl, a Bavarian, 23 years younger than he. She became Adolf's mother. Hitler's rambling, emotional autobiography 'Mein Kampf' (My Struggle) reveals his unstable early life. His father, a petty customs official, wanted the boy to study for a government position. But as young Hitler wrote later, "the thought of slaving in an office made me ill . . . not to be master of my own time." Passively defying his father, the self-willed boy filled most of his school hours with daydreams of becoming a painter. His one school interest was history, especially that of the Germans. When his teacher glorified Germany's role, "we would sit there enraptured and often on the verge of tears." From boyhood he was devoted to Wagner's operas that glorified the Teutons' dark and furious mythology. Failure dogged him. After his father's death, when Adolf was 13, he studied watercolor painting, but accomplished li...

Organizational Culture and Performance Essay

The concept of organizational culture has drawn attention to the long-neglected, subjective or ‘soft’ side of organizational life. However, many aspects of organizational culture have not received much attention. Instead, emphasis has been placed primarily on the cultural and symbolic aspects that are relevant in an instrumental/pragmatic context. The technical cognitive interest prevails. Culture then is treated as an object of management action. In this regard, Ouchi and Wilkins (1985: 462) note that ‘the contemporary student of organizational culture often takes the organization not as a natural solution to deep and universal forces but rather as a rational instrument designed by top management to shape the behavior of the employees in purposive ways’. Accordingly, much research on corporate culture and organizational symbolism is dominated by a preoccupation with a limited set of meanings, symbols, values, and ideas presumed to be manageable and directly related to effectiveness and performance. This is in many ways understandable, but there are two major problems following from this emphasis. One is that many aspects of organizational culture are simply disregarded. It seems strange that the (major part of the) literature should generally disregard such values as bureaucratic-‘meritocratic’ hierarchy, unequal distribution of privileges and rewards, a mixture of individualism and conformity, male domination, emphasis on money, economic growth, consumerism, advanced technology, exploitation of nature, and the equation of economic criteria with rationality. Instrumental reason dominates; quantifiable values and the optimization of means for the attainment of pre-given ends define rationality (Horkheimer and Adorno, 1947; Marcuse, 1964). Mainstream organizational culture thinking – in organizations but also in academia – tend to take this for granted. The values and ideas to which organizational culture research pays attention are primarily connected with the means and operations employed to achieve pre-defined and unquestioned goals. A second problem is that subordinating organizational culture thinking to narrowly defined instrumental concerns also reduces the potential of culture to aid managerial action. Organizational culture calls for considerations that break with some of the assumptions characterizing technical thinking, i.e. the idea that a particular input leads to a predictable effect. This chapter thus shows some problems associated with the use of the term culture that does not take the idea of culture seriously enough and presses the concept into a limited version of the technical cognitive interest. It argues for a ‘softer’ version of this interest as well as for thinking following the other two cognitive interests (as sketched in Chapter 1). A basic problem in much management thinking and writing is an impatience in showing the great potential of organizational culture. Associated with this is a bias for a premature distinction between the good and the bad values and ideas, trivialization of culture, overstressing the role of management and the employment of causal thinking. Premature normativity: the idea of good culture Associated with the technical interest of optimizing means for accomplishment of goals is an underdeveloped capacity to reflect upon normative matters. Viewing cultures as means leads to evaluations of them as more or less ‘good’, i.e. as useful, without consideration whether this goodness is the same as usefulness or if usefulness may be very multidimensional. The more popular literature argues that ‘good’ or ‘valuable’ cultures – often equated with ‘strong’ cultures – are characterized by norms beneficial to the company, to customers, and to mankind and by ‘good’ performance in general: Good cultures are characterized by norms and values supportive of excellence, teamwork, profitability, honesty, a customer service orientation, pride in one’s work, and commitment to the organization. Most of all, they are supportive of adaptability – the capacity to thrive over the long run despite new competition, new regulations, new technological developments, and the strains of growth. (Baker, 1980: 10) Good cultures are, according to this author, cultures that incorporate all good things in peaceful co-existence. Also many other authors eager to appeal to practitioners focus on highly positive-sounding virtues, attitudes, and behaviour claimed to be useful to the achievement of corporate goals as defined by management (e.g. Deal and Kennedy, 1982; Trice and Beyer, 1985). They are largely instrumental in character, without considering any ambiguity of the virtue of culture or what it supposedly accomplished in terms of goal realization. The assumption that culture can be simply evaluated in terms of right and wrong come through in embarrassing statements such as that ‘the wrong values make the culture a major liability’ (Wiener, 1988: 536) has already been mentioned. Similarly, Kilmann et al. (1985: 4) argue that ‘a culture has a positive impact on an organization when it points behavior in the right direction†¦. Alternatively, a culture has negative impact when it points behavior in the wrong direction’. According to Wilkins and Patterson (1985: 272): ‘The ideal culture †¦ is characterized by a clear assumption of equity †¦ a clear sense of collective competence †¦ and an ability to continually apply the collective competence to new situations as well as to alter it when necessary.’ Kanter (1983) talks about ‘cultures of pride’, which are good, and ‘cultures of inferiority’, which any sane person will avoid. This type of functionalist, normative, and instrumentally biased thinking is also found in Schein’s (1985) book, in which culture is seen as a pattern of basic assumptions that has ‘proved’ to be valid for a group coping with problems of external adaptation and internal integration. Basically, culture in this literature is instrumental in relation to the formal goals of an organization and to the management objectives or tasks associated with these goals (i.e. external and internal effectiveness). It is assumed to exist because it works – or at least used to work. Of course, changed circumstances can make a culture dysfunctional – calling for planned, intentional change – but the approach assumes that culture is or can be ‘good’ for some worthwhile purpose. As will be shown later ‘good’ and ‘bad’ are not, however, self-evident, especially when it comes to complex phenomena such as culture. A bias towards the ‘positive’ functions of culture and its close relation to issues such as harmony, consensus, clarity, and meaningfulness is also implicit in many of these studies (see Martin and Meyerson, 1988). Symbols and cultural aspects are often seen as functional (or dysfunctional) for the organization in terms of goal attainment, meeting the emotional-expressive needs of members, reducing tension in communication, and so on. Instrumental/functional dimensions are often emphasized, for instance, in studies of rites and ceremonies (e.g. Dandridge, 1986; Trice and Beyer, 1984). The typical research focus is on social integration (Alvesson, 1987). Culture is understood as (usually or potentially) useful – and those aspects of culture that are not easily or directly seen as useful remain out of sight, e.g. on gender and ethics. The most common ideas guiding organizational analysis draw upon such metaphors for culture as tool, social glue, need satisfier, or regulator of social relations. Problems include the premature use of moral judgement, in a way hidden behind technical understanding in which culture is viewed as a tool and presumably as easy to evaluate in terms of its goodness as a hammer. But few issues are simply good or bad, functional or dysfunctional. Some things that may be seen as good may be less positive from another angle. A ‘clear sense of collective competence’ – to connect to the citation above – does in itself sound positive and is good for self-esteem and commitment, but a high level of self-confidence may be a mixed blessing as it easily forms a part of, or leads to, fantasies of omnipotence, and may obstruct openness, reflection, willingness to listen to critique and take new external ideas seriously (Brown and Starkey, 2000). Cultural themes thus call for careful consideration, where normative judgement should be applied with great caution. Normative talk easily prevents more nuanced interpretation. Trivialization of culture As argued above, the consequence of the functionalist/pragmatic approach is that culture tends to be reduced to those limited aspects of this complex phenomenon that are perceived to be directly related to organizational efficiency and competitive advantage (see, e.g. Barney, 1986; Kilmann et al., 1985). This means a rather selected interest in organizational culture. But much worse is a tendency to emphasize mainly the superficial aspects of these selected parts of organizational culture. These superficial aspects have the advantage that they are compatible with technical thinking, presumably accessible to managerial interventions. Culture may even be equated with certain behavioural norms viewed as ‘an excellent vehicle for helping people understand and manage the cultural aspects of organizational life’ (Allen, 1985: 334). In marketing, market-oriented culture is frequently defined as the key to strong performances (Harris and Ogbonna, 1999), culture here implying certain behaviours. The problem, of course, is that norms are not the best vehicle for understanding culture. Whereas norms tell people how to behave, culture has a much broader and more complex influence on thinking, feeling, and sense-making (Schneider, 1976). Again, Barney (1986), Pfeffer (1994) and others argue that to serve as a source of sustained competitive advantage culture must be ‘valuable, rare, and imperfectly imitable’. If this statement is to make any sense at all, culture must be interpreted as highly normative, accessible to evaluation in terms of frequency (i.e. quantifiable), and capable of being copied a t will. This conception deprives culture of the richness that is normally seen as its strength. At the same time, any culture may be seen as vital for competitive advantage (or as disadvantage), as it is arguably, highly significant and not easy to imitate. As Pfeffer (1994), among others, notes, many of the earlier identified sources of competitive advantage, such as economies of scale, products or process technology, access to financial resources and protected or regulated markets, become of diminishing significance as a consequence of more fragmented markets with an increasing need for flexibility in production, shorter product life cycle, internationalizations and de-regulations. A company’s competence and ability to manage people – to a considerable degree overlapping organizational culture – are not easy to imitate. Even to describe and analyse culture is difficult, as indicated by all the management texts providing only superficial and trivial descriptions of culture, such as norms about ‘market-oriented’ behaviour. The trivialization of organizational culture is not, however, solely restricted to writings promising the quick fix. Despite an effort to define organizational culture on a deeper level, emphasizing basic assumptions, Schein (1985) in most of his empirical examples tends to address the more superficial aspects. One example concerns the acquisition of a franchised business: The lack of understanding of the cultural risks of buying a franchised business was brought out even more clearly in another case, where a very stuffy, traditional, moralistic company whose management prided itself on its high ethical standards bought a chain of fast-food restaurants that were locally franchised around the country. The company’s managers discovered, much to their chagrin, that one of the biggest of these restaurants in a nearby state had become the local brothel. The activities of the town were so well integrated around this restaurant that the alternative of closing it down posed the risk of drawing precisely the kind of attention this company wanted at all costs to avoid. The managers asked themselves, after the fact, ‘Should we have known what our acquisition involved on this more subtle level? Should we have understood our own value system better, to ensure compatibility?’ (Schein, 1985: 34–5) Here the problem seems to be lack of knowledge on a very specific point – what the company was buying – rather than lack of understanding of the company’s own value system. Most ordinary, ‘respectable’ corporations, whatever their organizational culture, would probably wish to avoid becoming owners of brothels. Prostitution is broadly seen as illegitimate, not only by those who Schein views as ‘very stuffy, traditional, moralistic’ people. Apart from the moral issue, there is of course the risk that bad publicity would follow and harm the company. Managerialization of culture Another aspect of adapting culture to technical concerns, and the reduction of complexity and depth contingent upon such concerns, is the confusion of organizational culture with the firm’s management ideology. Frequently what is referred to as organizational or corporate culture really stands for the ideals and visions prescribed by top management (Alvesson, 1987; Westley and Jaeger, 1985). It is sometimes held that the best way to investigate ‘corporate culture’ is through interviews with top managers, but the outcome of this approach tends to be a description of the espoused ideology of those managers that ‘only skim the culture that surrounds the top executives’ (Czarniawska-Joerges, 1992: 174). Denison (1984) in a survey claiming to study corporate culture, for example asked one manager per company in a large number of companies to fill in a questionnaire. Organizational culture and managerial ideology are in most cases not the same, partly due to the lack of depth of ideology compared to culture, partly due to variation within organizations and discrepancies between top management and other groups. To differentiate between corporate culture as prescribed and manager-led and organizational culture as ‘real culture’ and more or less emergent from below is one possibility (Anthony, 1994). However, management ideology is not necessarily very different from organizational culture – there are cases where management ideology powerfully impregnates cultural patterns (Alvesson, 1995; Kunda, 1992). But this needs to be empirically investigated and shown, and cannot be assumed. Management ideology is but one of several expressions of organizational culture. In most discussions of the relationship between culture and performance, authors focus on values espoused by senior managers, to a higher or lower degree shared by larger groups, while the complexity and variety of culture is neglected.1 From a management point of view, the managerialization of organizational culture immediately appears appealing; but arguably deeper, less conscious aspects of cultural patterns than those managers are already aware of and promote are more valuable, at least in the long run, to focus on. Rather than smoothing over differences and variations in meanings, ideas and values within organizations, highlighting the latter is significant as a basis of informed management thinking and action. Loosening the grip of premature practicality The three weaknesses of much organizational culture thinking reviewed above are related to the wish to make culture appear as of immediate interest to practitioners, and to fit into a predominantly technical cognitive interest in which culture is reduced to a tool. Cultural studies should be permitted to develop unrestricted by, or at least more loosely connected to, concerns for practicality. It is important here is to recognize the contradiction between sophisticated thinking and easily applicable practical concerns: The more rigorously (anthropologically) the term (culture) is applied, the more the concept of organizational culture gains in theoretical interpretative power and the more it loses in practicality. In the effort to overcome this contradiction the danger is that theoretical rigour will be lost in the interest of practicality. (Westley and Jaeger, 1985: 15) Even if one wants to contribute to practicality, rather than to anthropology, this still calls for another kind of intellectual approach than most of the authors cited above exemplify. Oversimplification and promises of ‘quick fixes’ do not necessarily serve narrow pragmatic interests, neither those of managers nor of others. Making things look clear-cut and simple may mislead. Practitioners might benefit much more from the pro-managerial and pragmatic organizational culture literature if it stopped promising recipes for how to manage and control culture and instead discussed other phenomena which managers might, with luck and skill, be able to influence – for example, specific cultural manifestations, workplace spirit and behavioural norms. Learning to ‘think culturally’ about organizational reality might inspire enlightened managerial everyday action rather than unrealistic programmes for culture change or bending patterns of meaning, ideas and valu es to managerial will. Before assuming that culture is functional or good for organizational or managerial purposes, it makes sense to distinguish among possible consequences and to recognize that they may conflict. Critical reflection and learning may be a good thing, consensus facilitating control and coordinated action another, and reduction of anxiety a third; but not all these good things may be attainable at the same time and they may contradict each other. Perhaps more important, contradictory interests – those of professions, divisions, classes, consumers, environmentalists, the state, owners, top management, etc. – may produce different views on what is good, important, and appropriate. Also within complex organizations, corporate goal-attainment may presuppose considerable variation in cultural orientations. Most aspects of culture are difficult to designate as clearly good or bad. To simplify these relationships runs the risk of producing misleading pictures of cultural manifestati ons. Instead, the focus must become the tensions between the creative and destructive possibilities of culture formation (Jeffcutt, 1993). Approaches to the cultureÂâ€"performance relationship There are different ideas regarding to what extent organizational culture can be used as a managerial tool. I will point at and discuss three versions of how managers can work with culture. These represent the relative significance of management versus culture: can management control culture or must management adapt to culture? Cultural engineering: corporate culture as managerial design In the most instrumentally oriented of these formulations, culture is conceived as a building block in organizational design – a subsystem, well-demarcated from other parts of the organization, which includes norms, values, beliefs, and behavioural styles of employees. Even though it may be difficult to master, it is in principle no different from other parts of the organization in terms of management and control. The term ‘cultural engineering’ captures the spirit of this position, which is sometimes called the ‘corporate-culture school’ (Alvesson and Berg, 1992). Kilmann (1985: 354) recognizes that there is considerable disagreement about what culture is but concludes that ‘it is still important to consider what makes a culture good or bad, adaptive or dysfunctional’. He describes culture almost as a physical force: ‘Culture provides meaning, direction, and mobilization – it is the social energy that moves the corporation into allocation †¦ the energy that flows from shared commitments among group members’ (p. 352) and ‘the force controlling behaviour at every level in the organization’ (p. 358). He believes that every firm has a distinctive culture that can develop and change quickly and must be managed and controlled: ‘If left alone, a culture eventually becomes dysfunctional’ (p. 354). The underlying metaphor then clearly comes from technical science. The crucial dimension of culture, according to Kilmann, is norms; it is here that culture is ‘most easily controlled’. More precisely, it is the norms that guide the behaviour and attitudes of the people in the company that are of greatest interest and significance, because they have a powerful effect on the requirements for its success – quality, efficiency, product reliability, customer service, innovation, hard work, loyalty, etc. This is the core of most (American) texts on corporate culture (e.g. Deal and Kennedy, 1982; Peters and Waterman, 1982; Sathe, 1985; Wiener, 1988). There are many difficulties with this model. Norms refer to a too superficial and behaviour-near aspect to really capture culture, at least as defined in this book. Norms and behaviours are affected by many dimensions other than culture. Within a culture there are a number of norms related to the enormous variety of different behaviours. The point with culture is that it indicates the meaning dimension, i.e. what is behind and informs norms. A related problem with this behaviour-near view on culture is the tendency to see culture as more or less forcefully affecting behaviour. For example, Sathe (1985: 236) argues that ‘the strength of a culture influences the intensity of behavior’, and the ‘strength’ of a culture is determined by ‘how many important shared assumptions there are’, how widely they are shared, and how clearly they are ranked. A ‘strong’ culture is thus characterized by homogeneity, simplicity, and clearly ordered assumptions. In a ‘complex’ culture – by definition any culture – assumptions will probably be very difficult to identify and rank, and it can even be argued that such a measurement approach distorts the phenomena it is supposed to study. As Fitzgerald (1988: 9–10) has put it: Values do not exist as isolated, independent, or incremental entities. Beliefs and assumptions, tastes and inclinations, hopes and purposes, values and principles are not modular packages stored on warehouse shelves, waiting for inventory. They have no separate existence, as do spark plugs in an engine; they cannot be examined one at a time and replaced when burned out†¦. They have their own inner dynamic: Patriotism, dignity, order, progress, equality, security – each implies other values, as well as their opposites. Patriotism implies homeland, duty, and honor, but also takes its strength from its contrast to disloyalty; dignity requires the possibility of humiliation and sham e.

What Is an Epigraph vs an Epigram or Epitaph

Each of these words beginning with epi- (from the Greek word for upon) has multiple definitions, but here are the most common meanings. Definitions An epigram is a brief, witty statement in prose or verse--similar to an aphorism.An epigraph is a brief quotation set at the beginning of a text (a book, a chapter of a book, an essay, a poem) to suggest its theme.An epitaph is a brief inscription in prose or verse on a tombstone or monument. None of these words, by the way, should be confused with epithet--an adjective expressing some quality or attribute that is characteristic of a person or thing. Examples He spoke in epigrams about events in the morning paper, prefacing his lectures each day with a few minutes of commentary, invariably sardonic, about a political event that had caught his eye.(Harrison E. Salisbury, A Journey for Our Times. Harper Row, 1983)I believe, as the epigraph to my book states, that the deepest human life is everywhere.(Scott Samuelson, The Deepest Human Life: An Introduction to Philosophy for Everyone. University of Chicago Press, 2014)The cerulean-eyed Paul Newman once wryly predicted his epitaph: Here lies Paul Newman, who died a failure because his eyes turned brown. Practice My father had a favorite _____ that he repeated probably 20 times for me as I grew up: When preparedness meets opportunity, thats luck.(Joe Flynn, Taylor to TQM, 1998)I am curious, about all of it, all the time,† Studs Terkel once said. Curiosity never killed this cat --thats what Id like as my _____.The _____ to Jay McInerneys novel Bright Lights, Big City is a quotation from Hemingways novel The Sun Also Rises. Answers to Practice Exercises My father had a favorite  epigram  that he repeated probably 20 times for me as I grew up:  When preparedness meets opportunity, thats luck. (Joe Flynn, Taylor to TQM, 1998)Curiosity never killed this  cat -- thats  what Id like as my  epitaph.The  epigraph  to Jay McInerneys novel  Bright Lights, Big City  is a quotation from Hemingways novel  The Sun Also Rises.