Motivation and Organizational Culture Essay

A psychologically safe and healthy workplace is one that promotes the well-being of an individual. It is creating an environment that is enjoyable and respectful of all people, regardless of cultural or ethical differences. Japanese immigrant, Ayame Nakamura, is employed as a pharmaceutical project manager in California. The confrontational management style interferes with Ayame’s cultural background. Workplace motivation can affect areas such as productivity and influence organizational culture. Management Roles The main goal of management and workplace psychology is to create an environment that is conducive to allowing employees to perform at their highest potential. Management’s role in workplace psychology is a large component of overall satisfaction. Initially, there responsibility is to provide a workspace that is fair and diverse. This provides employees the opportunity to learn and grow within the company by giving them a chance for personal development. Psychologically, management should state clearly their expectations. Their role should be to support, promote flexibility, provide advancement opportunities, and offer praise when it’s due. Employees are more likely to put forth great effort with the knowledge that those efforts will be noticed and reviewed. The energy that management puts into their employees is paramount to creating growth both in the individual and the company. (Robbins, et al, 2011) Cultural Background and Feedback Language and actions are used to express ourselves or to get our ideas across to another. Verbal, nonverbal, and visual clues are all various methods using to establish, maintain, and modify relationships. Effective communication, regardless of culture, has the ability to help or harm any potential business relationship. Culture can be defined as the  characteristics of a particular group of people that may be defined by language, religion, social habits, or music. In the case of Ayame, a Japanese immigrant, her culture places a high emphasis on collectivism. Ayame’s culture places a high emphasis on giving the business aspect priority over placing emphasis on each individual in it. The pharmaceutical company she works for has a confrontational style that conflicts with her cultural background. Firm, consistent feedback that done in a gentler manner would encourage Ayame and keep her motivated and keep in line with her cultural beliefs. Ayame’s background encourages f ace to face communication that is a consensus of both herself and management. I would encourage the pharmaceutical company’s management team to review their communication strategies and have a meeting with Ayame to ensure that all parties are satisfied with the terms of employment. (Robbins, et al, 2011) Motivation Techniques Ayame’s motivation is lacking due to cultural issues in management’s confrontational management style. This confrontational style makes it difficult for her to receive and process feedback and is affecting her motivation. The pharmaceutical company needs to identify what motivates people and what does not. People tend to do their best work when they are in an environment in which they feel valued. Simple changes such as â€Å"thank you,† or â€Å"great job!,† can encourage an employee to go the extra mile. These simple changes could encourage Ayame and motivate her to put her best foot forward. According to Hackman and Olman (2011), â€Å"any job can be described in terms of the following five core job dimensions: skill variety, task identity, task significance, autonomy, and feedback. (pg 273). Ayame is likely motivated to do her job well, is able to complete the tasks, and can do so in an effective manner. She does, however, struggle in the final dimension. Management should support Ayame in the top three job dimensions. By guiding her through their expectations, they are giving Ayame a chance to show her skillset and they are supporting her in that position. Employees who are supported and feel valued are more productive. Areas such as job design, delegation of duties, and recognizing the manner in which Ayame processes and receives information are all methods of increasing her motivation. (Robbins, et al, 2011) The manner in which the world perceives  us and how we are perceived comes down to our actions. Motivation is the force that drives us to act, work harder, and that pushes us to succeed. There are several types of motivation with each type influencing how we respond in a different matter. Being mindful of each other cultural and ethical belief can affect the performance of all employees. Each person adds something to the melting pot that is the United States of America. In order to effectively motivate and go forward, each person needs to be mindful of the next. References Robbins, S., Decenzo, D., & Coulter, M. (2011) Fundamentals of management: Essential concepts and applications (7th ed.). Boston, MA: Prentice Hall. Sarafino, E.P. (2011). Health psychology: Biopsychosocial interactions (7th ed.). Hoboken, NJ: J John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Failure Analysis Essay

Team D will analyze the organizations Samsung Electronics Company (SEC) and Research In Motion – Blackberry (RIM). The study will analyze in depth the success of Samsung and the failure of Blackberry. The paper analyzes how Samsung evolved into one of the largest conglomerates in the world during the past decade the demise of Blackberry and how the company failed. Vision and Mission Statement Samsung Vision Statement, The vision of SAMSUNG Electronics is â€Å"Leading the Digital Convergence Revolution† (Samsung, 2013, p. 1). Mission Statement â€Å"To experience the joy of advancing and applying technology for the benefit of the public† (Samsung, 2013, p. 1.). Established in 1938, Samsung has gone thru many changes. During its various changes, Samsung continues to modify its mission statement according to its own change and to new developments globally. â€Å"Economic contribution to the nation† â€Å", Priority to human resources† â€Å" Pursuit of rationalism† are slogans that represent important moments in Samsung’s history. The organization has grown from a national leader to a worldwide consumer leader. The constant fluctuation in the global economy, competition, and operations, Samsung transformed its mission statement in 1990. According to Samsung’s philosophy, â€Å"We will devote our human resources and technology to create superior products and services, thereby contributing to a better global society† (Samsung, 2013, p. 2.). The organizations attitude is a representation of its determination to contribute to the success of people globally. Key factors for Samsung is the dedication, creativity, and talent of its employees. The strong leadership and team support has made endless opportunities for new technology and achieving higher standard of living globally. Leadership at Samsung believe its success is due to its contribution to people worldwide and to the shared prosperity between national boundaries worldwide. This determines how they manage their  company. The objective for Samsung Electronics is to generate the future with its consumers. SEC can be considered as one of very few companies that â€Å"manage to go beyond mere imitation of global competitors, leverage resources, accelerate the pace of organizational learning and manage to attain seemingly impossible goals† ( Hamel and Prahalad, 1989). Vision and Mission Statement Blackberry vision statement, â€Å"Blackberry aims to be the premier center for management development excelling in developing managers of tomorrow; strengthening management capabilities and facilitating policy options to meet emerging challenges†. (Blackberry, 2013, p.1.). Mission statement, â€Å"To develop socially and professionally responsible and proactive managers and leaders with holistic perspectives and competencies.† (Blackberry, 2013, p.1.) In realizing the above vision and mission, RIM focuses on the following strategic areas: In 1994, Blackberry (RIM) was created. The organization is located in Waterloo, Ontario Canada. Other locations include Europe, United States, Mexico, and Asia Pacific. Blackberry lead the design, fabrication, distributor of its wireless solutions for the global cellular communications market. The creation of combined software, services, and support, Blackberry provided solutions for email, cell phone, SMS, MMS, Intranet, and Internet applications â€Å"The beauty of this device was that users could do all of these functions even as they were striding down the sidewalk, far from any desktop computer† (Kim, 2008). . The organization provided services for Civil Service, local governance, and the private sector. This enabled Blackberry to strengthen and develop into a strong financial, self-supported Institute. The downfall of Blackberry began on January 9, 2007, with the introduction of the iPhone. Apple sold a million iPhones the first week of its release, signaling the era of the smartphone. In a conference call on March 29, 2012 CEO Thorsten Heins stated, â€Å"It is now very clear to me that substantial change is what RIM needs,† (All Thing D, 2012, p. 1.). The CEO is creating something Blackberry has not had for a long time, a vision. . â€Å"We believe that BlackBerry cannot succeed if we try to be everybody’s darling and all things to all people†, (All Things D, 2012, p. 1.). It might be too late but  the organization will undertake a complete review analysis of the way the company operates. Leadership style, management, organizational structure, and culture Samsung Electronics is a worldwide organization with nearly 160,000 employees and operates in countries worldwide. Samsung is devoted to having a healthy organizational culture. It believes that ethical management is not only a tool for responding to the rapid changes in the global business environment, but also a vehicle for building trust with its various stakeholders, shareholders, customers, partners, employees, and local communities around the world. Samsung’s aim is to become one of the most ethical companies in the world that is respected by its stakeholders, Samsung Electronics continues to train its employees and operate monitoring systems, while practicing fair and transparent corporate management. Samsung has established a good and safe working environment for its personnel, this improves employee morale and productivity and commitment to the organization. Employees respect all workers despite the positions they have. Workers and leaders have a good relationship that allows both side to work together on workers grievances relating to their work environment. The relationships between the workers and leaders are interactive and workers grievances relating to their working environment and other labor related issues work well. Workers at Samsung will respect all workers despite the roles they play. CEO Kwon Oh Hyun is a commanding leader, almost militarist in leading. In South Korea, this style of leadership is very effective; unlike in the United States a commanding leader for a non-military organization would be ineffective. Kwon Oh Hyun is direct, takes tight control, very demanding, disciplined, and demands immediate compliance within the company, from top to bottom. It is difficult to recognize what leadership style is within Blackberry. What has brought Blackberry to its demise is not having a clear vision from its upper executives. Their leaders had no sense of direction to innovate the organization. Blackberry ten years ago was a leader in the cellular business. Customers who owned a blackberry phone felt important, celebrities, Wall Street investment bankers. Today Blackberry is at jeopardy on becoming obsolete. Blackberry made some critical mistakes, which put the organization in jeopardy. The organization  disregarded the iPhone until it was too late. Prior CEO Lazaridis â€Å"told his employees that no one would buy the iPhone because customers did not want a personal computer on their cell phones.† (Forbes, 2011, p. 2.) Blackberry promoted a culture of unwillingness and closed communication. Upper executives did not want to listen to ideas from below. Additionally, a critical mistake was waiting too long to innovate new products into their product line. Their current product line is a big dinosaur and still look much like their first phones. To further trouble Blackberry, two major outages occurred on April 2007 and again in February 2008, each outage lasted for a few days. Leading Organizational Change Team D would use the Kotter’s Eight Steps Detailed guidance for managing change. First major change is to establish a sense of urgency, in order to create a compelling reason for change. The compelling reason for change is to seek new ways of innovation. Keeping up with the global rapid change in the telecommunications, industry is vital. [Change process theories describe a typical pattern of events that occur from the beginning of a change to the end, and in some cases they describe how earlier changes affect subsequent changes. The theories may identify distinct phases in the process, stages in the reaction of individuals, or effects of repeated changes on people.] (Gary Yukl, 2013, p. 1.) In order to keep Blackberry competitive with the market, the organization must find new products to introduce into the market. Introducing a new lineup of products such as new cell phone models is vital for the company to compete with its competitors. The sense of urgency is creating and updating our products in time to keep up with the competition. The team would create a coalition between upper management to establish the new change for blackberry. The coalition between top executives would facilitate the introduction of the new strategy into our new business plan. A major priority for blackberry and its top executives is to create a clear vision for the upcoming change of the organization. The next hurdle is to widely open up communication barriers and simplify the communication between upper management on down. Blackberry will promote a culture of open communication and willingness for all its employees. The open communication will enable the organization to communicate the vision throughout the company. Good communication will help the organization with employees who resist change. Communication between upper management and employees will help give a clear vision of the change. Inadequate communication will give employees a sense of false information for example believe that change is not feasible, fear of personal failure, loss of status, and economic threat. The CEO will empower other managers to act on the vision by encouraging risk-taking and removing barriers to help solve problems. The new plan will take two years to implement. The action plan will include short-term goals that move blackberry toward the new vision. The change will allow upper management on down to consolidate improvement. All management reassess all changes to include analytical information, the consolidation improvements will allow the organization to make any necessary adjustments in the new programs. All management will have to lead by example and demonstrate the success of the cultural change. The new plan will reinforce the changes by demonstrating the relationship between the new behaviors. The leadership styles will be between transformational and visionary leadership. These leadership styles will inspire the conviction of the new vision and will give blackberry a clear direction to succeed in the new change. Transformational leadership will inspire and develop empowering focus on the new plan. Conclusion During significant change to a company’s structure and strategies, personnel can experience high levels of stress on the job. Prior to executing the strategies, organizations must empower employees to adopt the role of change and encourage them to take action to solve the problems that stresses them. A large piece of the puzzle is communication between upper management on down. Personnel need to feel that they are empowered during the phase of the change. Although few organizations fully acknowledge their role in helping employees, cope with change. Individual reactions to change your complex and most experts agree that people tend to be uncomfortable with change; employees do not want to depart from their comfort zone.

Business Studies Easter Project Essay Example for Free

Business Studies Easter Project Essay As you probably already know Asda is one of the leading food superstores in Britain today. Asda is part of the Wal-Mart group however before this Asda was on its own. Asda has been part of the Wal-Mart retailers since 1999. Asda was formed in 1965 by a group of farmers from Yorkshire, today Asda has 245 stores, with 19 depots across the U.K. Asda’s aim is to sell its products 10-15% cheaper than its main competitors. Asda sells a variety of products including fresh food, grocery, clothing, home, leisure and entertainment goods. In my report I have gained my information form the Asda website and I also interviewed the store manager of the Asda store in Longsight. In my report I will discuss the following performance indicators: Labour Turnover, Labour Productivity, Absenteeism and the Morale of workers. Asda has recently been valued at being worth à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½1.3 billion, which includes all its assets. Anyway I think that it will be too complicated to discuss the performance indicators on such a large scale. This is why I am going to just concentrate on the performance of the Asda store in Longsight. When I asked Sue (the manager) if labour turnover was high, she replied by saying that it is an average level. (i.e. not too high and not too low). I then said to her that this must mean that staff must feel demotivated and therefore leave. She replied by saying that it was because they employed a lot of young students and this was the reason for a lot of people leaving because they couldn’t fit the shifts in with their work. I believe that this means that although labour turnover is high, it is not an extremely bad point. When we discussed the labour productivity of the workers, she said that the staff, work very hard in every department whether it is the deliveries, clothing, music or work on the checkout. Many products were sold in each department but obviously some were sold much more than others. The labour productivity really determines how many products are sold, as items are obviously not being produced at the store they are being sold there. She also mentioned that everyday there are at least 2 people who are around the store to just help customers or provide tasters of foods. I believe that this helps to increase productivity, because customers may feel more welcome and more sales may be made. I then asked what the turnover of the store was each day. Sue replied by saying that on the weekends they generally make more money and she said that last Saturday they had a turnover of approximately à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½500,000. I believe that this clearly shows that labour productivity is high at the Asda store in Longsight. I then went on to talk about absenteeism. Sue said that this was generally low without any notice, and that there were hardly any people who didn’t give notice when they were going to have a day off. But she also said that absenteeism was a good point because it gives workers a change because they can swap shifts with one another. I agree and believe absenteeism with notice is not so bad. Sue said the the morale of workers was generally high. She said that staff were paid at a time rate starting from à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½4.15 per hour. The following incentives could be motivating factors for the staff at Asda: Tell the team- putting your ideas across ABCD- A certificate for dedicated workers. Bonus payments- for reaching certain targets I believe that the following incentives will make workers feel motivated. This is because it makes the workers feel that they are being recognised and that there work is appreciated. It is not only the financial incentives that are important for motivation. It is also for example the certificate for working hard which could motivate. And even the fact that workers can put their ideas across, which may make them feel a real part of the company. There are some improvements that could be made to the performance indicators. Firstly as we know labour turnover at the Longsight store is at an average level as many workers are students. We can solve this problem by allowing the shifts to fit in with the workers education, by offering them certain shifts. And then there is the labour productivity which is already very high, so I believe that this should just be kept at a constant level. And workers should just continue with the good work. Absenteeism is a problem when the workers don’t come into work without any notice. To solve this problem I believe that managers should phone up absent workers to see where they are. And if they persist in not coming into work then this must mean that they feel demotivated, so managers should try to find out what the problem is. I know that the incentives that Asda offers are very good, but I generally believe that managers should talk to their staff a little more and just give them general assurance that they are doing the job in the right way and to show that their work is appreciated. I believe that as Asda is worth over à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½1.3 billion this must mean that they are not going too wrong. And another fact that shows that Asda is doing well is that it was voted the best company to work for in the year 2000 by the Times Newspaper. And in 2001 it was also voted supermarket of the year. Business Studies Easter Project. (2017, Oct 12).

Strategic Resort Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Strategic Resort Management - Essay Example Lastly, the paper would also build a case for different actions that could be used to counteract the perceived threats and try to look for options which would help in meeting the anticipated opportunities. Tourism industry, with special regards to resorts, is considered an important sector in the UK economy. Back in the year 1999, an astounding 22 1/2 million visitors came to visit UK (Torkildsen, 2005). The expenditure on the tourism industry in 1999 was estimated close to sixty one billion pounds (Torkildsen, 2005) and the total employees catering to the tourism industry were estimated to be close to 1.8 million people. The tourism industry is widely fragmented and according to the government estimates, there are over 125,000 businesses related to the UK tourism, out of which only 20% have an earning of over 250,000 pounds per annum. (Aramberri & Butler, 2005) Tourism industry is the world's largest industry and hence it is vital for the world economy. It directly or indirectly generates 11% GDP and provides jobs to over 200 million employees across the globe (Holloway & Taylor, 2006). The employment opportunities in the UK alone, with special regards to bars, pubs, restraints, cafes, night clubs, travel agencies, tour operators and tourist accommodations are immense but the problem lies in terms of competition. (DCMS, 2000) Of the total number of tourism related business in the UK, 80% do not earn beyond 250,000 pounds per annum and hence the employment opportunities through these organizations have limited growth potentials (Aramberri & Butler, 2005). The above mentioned sectors are directly or indirectly dependent on the tourism industry and when we take the example of a resort, which in itself is a self sufficient tourist hub, we forget to underline the problems of a mismanaged work force. If one of these sectors suffers a loss, the other sectors would automatically be affected and vice versa. Besides providing various employment opportunities and generating an annual income for the growth of a nation, the tourism industry with special regards to resorts in UK, gives an ample scope to numerous educational institutions (ONS, 2000). Various new courses and subjects pertaining to tourism benefit through this expanding trade. (EuroStat, 1998) The Necessary Threats To Counteract And The Opportunities To Capitalize On The UK tourism industry is a boon of sorts and is stated to provide ample work opportunities to millions of its citizens. As far as opportunities are concerned, there is no bigger opportunity than providing employment to all. The need for money is the single most driving factor which propels the citizens of a nation to work towards achieving their goals in a systematic manner. Resorts in UK provide employment opportunities to hundreds of thousands of individuals and this in turn increases the overall employee satisfaction scores. (Mort, 2006) If the tourism industry is to capitalize on its recourses, it needs to justify its act in terms of providing ample opportunities to those who deserve the most. Likewise, the growth of a resort with regards to the influx of tourists is directly proportional to the growth of those sectors which support the basic functionalities of a resort (Karl W. W'ber, European Cities Tourism (Organization), 2002). Meat shops, cafes,

Tradition step to get married Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Tradition step to get married - Essay Example As such, I find it reasonably important to share and describe the concept of marriage among the Alqemzi community and the UAE in general. As a custom in the UAE, marriage is first sparked by the setting up of the wedding date by the families of the bride and the groom. Even though during the preparation phase of the marriage the groom is required to do a series of arrangements, the bride is usually engaged in even more time consuming and elaborate preparations. Generally speaking, marriages in the UAE are such a glamorous occurrences since they are highly cultural and follow numerous traditions. In many UAE nations, marriage celebrations mostly last for a period of up to one week and they can present a stimulating as well as an exhausting experience for both the bride as well as the groom. Notably important, the women, whether they are getting married or not are always proud in how they appear during weddings. To illustrate, most of them uphold their traditional dressing mode, that is, they are mostly dressed in their shelas (headscarf) and abayas (cloak) throughout the wedding ceremony. Furthermore, they engage in ex cessive make ups and regularly visit salons and beauty shops in order to beautify themselves. More importantly, months before the marriage day, the bride is subjected to a certain diet by her family in order to maintain a good body and weight. Equally important, all through the wedding week, relative and friends of the bride and groom assemble in both homes, even though it is highly uncommon to find both families socializing and coming together before the wedding day. Basically, Laylat al Henna, a traditional name for the Henna Party, is the introduction of the wedding ceremony. Here, the bride, women and other ladies apply the Henna, a colorful substance, on their hands in order to intensify their beauty. Usually, during this occasion, all the female friends and

Financial Economics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3250 words

Financial Economics - Essay Example ecent finance theory are applicable across countries, much is still to be done to bring out the effect of different institutional features on capital structure choices. Our knowledge of capital structures has mostly been derived from data from developed economies that have many institutional similarities. The purpose of this paper is to analyse the capital structure choices made by companies from developing countries that have different institutional structures (Artikis, 2007). The study also is to examine the determinants that can be used in capital structure choices of firms. This is mainly for small and private firms. In the study, there was use of data obtained from World Bank to determine the differences that exist in capital structure in the countries (DeMarzo & Sannikov, 2004). In accordance with the capital structure theory, the importance of firm level elements of capital structure, tangibility in terms of assets, and profitability of firms and size of companies are brought out. Results are healthy to the different descriptions of size. Large and listed firms can have easy access to finance in developing countries, thus they have higher leverage and higher debt maturities (Bierman, 2003). For small and private firms, access to finance is depended on the conditions of economic environment. Leverage and debt maturities are sensitive to macroeconomic factors. The knowledge on the capital structure in the essay was also used to analyse the choices that are made by institutions, mainly from developing countries that have different structures in their institutions. As in Gordon and Li (2005), profitability is measured using the return on sales (ROS), return on assets (ROA) and return on equity (ROE). With respect to leverage, there are several measures in the literature. Following Gordon and Li (2005), the paper considers the following ratios: Total Debt to Total Assets ratio and total debt to equity ratio. From analysis, it was found out that financial

Workplace Issues or Disaster Management (PLEASE CHOOSE ONE TOPIC) Essay

Workplace Issues or Disaster Management (PLEASE CHOOSE ONE TOPIC) - Essay Example Direct cost includes the amount of money a health care facility spends to conduct the process of hiring, recruiting and orientation. Indirect costs that a health care facility pays due to nurse turnover are the costs of decreased productivity, training, retraining and terminating nursing officials. In their research they even figure out that nurse turnover even impacts professionals of the nursing in a negative manner. One of the issues that nurses experience due to turnover of nurses is the increased amount of burden on nurses which results in negatively impacting the wellbeing of the nurses. In this research the researchers figured out those nurse turnover even impacts patients in a negative manner. Their studies showed that the quality of care decreases and risk of safety of patients increases as nurse turnover rate increases. This is because nurse turnover results in increased amount of burden on limited number of nurses, due to increased burden, nurse ends up making mistake and pose a risk to the health of the patients. This study further figured out that there was a direct link between nursing staffing levels and the time period for which patients stay in the health care setting, the rate of complications experienced by patients and probability of rescuing patients. They figured out that health care settings where the number of nurses employed are and the mix of skills are high results in positively impacting patients. Several legal issues have been stated within the research that might arise due to increase in nurse turnover. One of these legal issues may be increased number of lawsuits filed by the patient’s family if lower staff levels threaten the security and the wellbeing of the patients. If health care facilities fail to provide adequate amount of care due to shortage of nursing staff, they might be charged under both criminal and civil suit and any one of the suits. The reputation of the nursing facility

Encouragement Of Small Business Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Encouragement Of Small Business - Research Paper Example One of the ways through which the national governments promote entrepreneurship is by encouraging small businesses through financial incentives, training for small entrepreneurs, providing exposures to such small businesses, and even reserving some government contracts to small businesses. By reserving certain government contracts to small businesses, it offers them an opportunity for growth, expansion, exposure, and even it shields them from competing with large businesses that have massive financial resources that small businesses cannot compete against (Compton, 2009). It is important to note that under the Small Business Act, a small business is defined as a business that is owned and operated by an independent person (S), and it is not a dominant player in the market. This present paper will focus on the encouragement of small businesses by the government through the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR), which spells out regulations for government officials when they are making purchases of government’s goods and services. ... Socio-economic considerations of the federal procurement process Broaddus et al. (2009) that the legal framework that is in place requires that the United States government to engage in an efficient and competitive process when it is procuring goods and services. Besides abiding by this legal framework, the government has further instituted various policies in the acquisition process in a bid to promote certain socio-economic objectives. The policies have been aimed at proving more contracting opportunities to vulnerable groups such as small businesses owned by youths, small women-owned businesses, veteran-owned small businesses, and service-disabled veteran-owned small businesses. However, these small businesses are required to abide by the ancillary requirements as stipulated in the law and in executive orders. According to Keyes (2003), the main socio-economic consideration of the federal procurement process is the uplifting of small businesses that are owned by disadvantaged grou p or persons, who face economical and social disadvantages. These businesses have been accorded special status by the Small Business Act in regards to the U.S government procurement process. Therefore, it is more likely for these small businesses to be awarded a government contract since the government aims at improving the social and economic conditions of the people who run the small businesses, their families, and the community at large. Gender is also a factor that is considered in the government procurement process, in order to favor small businesses that are owned and managed by women entrepreneurs who are normally clustered as a disadvantaged group because of the various challenges that they face. Keyes (2003) stated that the consideration of women in the federal procurement

Hero Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

Hero - Essay Example Moreover, they have the right skills and training that can make a difference and finally, keep on working towards their goals, even after several hindrances. Heroism can be achieved in several aspects depending on the particular field the hero is involved in. Several figures in the society have made particular efforts that have been given higher dignity and respect for the efforts they have done. The general public, however, has a negative perception with the regard to extreme sports (Smith. line 5). They despise the people who choose to take risks considering them as careless ‘adrenaline junkies’ who are eventually an affliction to the society. These taxpayers add that when a person involves himself in risks and becomes in need of salvage or gets injured, the expenses for their rescue are catered for by the taxpayers (Smith. line 10). For instance, backcountry salvage after skiers cause an avalanche will cost them a thousand of dollars. Skateboarders also involve themselves in sporting activities that result to great damage to both public and private property and injury to the correspondent skateboarders. Several discussion s have been brought up at great length in the media, but the discussions rarely focus on the negative aspects that limit the access to the sports that are risky. Despite all these factors, most of the people around the globe are, fairly to say, love to do well. People, at the very least, try to follow a kind of secular golden rule that translates to ‘try not to make any harm’; but in most communities around the world there are some people who take this to a further step that is extreme. These kinds of persons are considered social entrepreneurs and some of them end up being famous, at least in several circles (Moore. line 1). For instance, some people have played the role of the corporation in supporting local development. According to (Yunus.

70's Television Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

70's Television - Essay Example This was a time when people were deeply involved with the Hippie movement, people wore bell bottom jeans and wore peace signs and the nation first heard the sounds of recording artists like David Bowie and The Beetles. (Mishkind). By this time the nation had also seen the assassination of Malcolm X, and had had all ready lost one of the most beloved presidents of all time to assassination, John F. Kennedy three years early. This was a time when people were protesting for their civil rights with Martin Luther King leading many marches in Selma Alabama and other southern states to bring equal rights to blacks in America. The Walk of Peace was created in New York City to protest the Vietnam War; it drew a small crowd of 10,000 people. These events shaped the culture of Baby Boomers as they donned their Hippie attire or corporate suits to show the world their individualism and to protest anything worth protesting at the time. Many young adults "tuned in and tuned out" with Timothy OLeary with the drug LSD that was becoming more popular than marijuana for some people. By 1967, television was seeing a variety of sitcoms and variety shows that attempted to entertain the American public. People were able to sit at home and watching fantasy shows like "Batman" and "Bewitched" and more. By 1967, "Batman" was the hottest television show with Burt Ward and Adam West heading the show with a host of criminals like "Catwoman," "The Joker, " and "The Riddler." It was silly, campy and funny with its weird camera angles and jocularity; and we cant forget "Rocky and Bullwinkle" (Ingram). Within all of this fun in September of 1967 audiences would be totally immersed in one of the most popular shows of all time: The Carol Burnett Show. Carol Burnett and her host of characters was joined by Harvey Korman, Lyle Waggoner, Tim Conway, and Vickie Lawrence with one single goal: to

The history of gambling Essay Example for Free

The history of gambling Essay Gambling is one of the oldest known pursuits of mankind. Archeological evidence suggests that even the earliest caveman was a gambler. Dice-like objects made from the ankle bone of a sheep or dog called Astragali dating back 40,000 years have been found. Cave drawings depicting gambling offer further proof of the existence of early gamblers. Pairs of dice have even turned up in the ruins of Pompeii, some of them loaded to fall a certain way. Around 2300 B. C. , the Chinese invented a game of chance using tiles, and 1100 years later Greek soldiers amused themselves with dice games, though in ancient Greece gambling was illegal. In Egypt, a pair of ivory dice were found in Thebes dating back to 1500 B. C. , and ancient gambling artifacts have been unearthed in China, Japan, India and Rome. In ancient Rome, Claudius redesigned his carriage so that he would have more room to throw dice, Caligula confiscated knights property to cover his gambling debts, and Roman soldiers gambled for the robes of Christ after his crucifixion. At the height of the Roman Empire, lawmakers decreed that all children were to be taught to gamble and throw dice. During the 14th century, and in spite of being an inveterate gambler himself, King Henry VIII outlawed gambling when he discovered that his soldiers spent more time gambling than improving their battle skills. When Henrys wife, Anne Boleyn, and her brother were tried for treason and incest, the odds were 10-to-1 on acquittal. In the New World, Native Americans , believing that the gods themselves invented games of chance, played dice with plum stones painted white or black. In addition to wagering possessions, Native Americans also played to predict future harvests and in hopes of curing seriously ill tribal members. During the Revolutionary War, lotteries bankrolled the Continental Army. Washington himself bought the first ticket for a federal lottery in 1793 sponsored to finance improvements in the District of Columbia, and nearly all state governments sanctioned lotteries. By the 1830s, more than 420 lotteries nationwide offered prizes. Lotteries remained a popular fund-raising method throughout the 18th and 19th centuries. Riverboats and frontier towns in the New World emerged providing new gambling venues, sometimes legal, sometimes not. And one risked much more than a few gold pieces when gambling in the frontier days. Card cheats and con men were often lynched, denoting the publics attitude toward professional gamblers, or sharpers as they were often known. In the 1830s, refugee sharpers from the South moved to Cincinnati and opened the nations first Wolf-Traps or 10 Percent Houses, named for of the houses cut of the action. Cincinnati also was the birthplace of the Horse-Hair game, a method for cheating in cards by which a player, aided by an accomplices distractions, manipulated cards and chips by use of a horse hair attached to a vest button. After the Civil War, evangelical reform wiped out most of the lotteries. In the 1890s, the flagrant fraud of the nationally marketed Louisiana lottery led Congress to outlaw the remaining games, creating a public disdain for lotteries, and in 1910 Nevada made it a felony to operate a gambling game. Prohibition sent drinking and gambling underground. But it didnt stay down for long. In the 1930s, restrictions eased up and legalized betting on horse racing became popular. In 1931, Nevada legalized gambling again, and casinos literally sprouted from the sands of the desert. Atlantic City followed suit in 1978 and since then, other states have legalized various forms of gambling. Gamblers were hungry for a variety of games and where the early casinos offered just a few choices, the new and improved versions started adding variety to the games. Down in Texas theyd been playing a poker game called Hold Em and as the Texans traveled thru Nevada, they urged the casinos to add this poker variant. They didnt just want to play poker, they wanted to play Texas Hold Em as the variant came to be known. Variants of blackjack and poker started popping up all thru the casinos, sometimes from foreign travelers bringing an overseas version and sometimes by the casinos themselves attempting to tip the odds. Either way it was a hit and places like Las Vegas became all the rage, growing faster than anyone could have imagined. Variations of the games were sometimes used as a draw for a particular casino, being the only casino to offer that variant. Not to be outdone, other casinos would offer their own variations and before long there were dozens of different poker games and blackjack games.

The benefits of Globalisation and International Trade

The benefits of Globalisation and International Trade Every coin has two sides, something like that in globalisation. We can see two sides; one is about the opportunities and second is the threats. Opportunities are the plus point for our organisation, but threats are not good for our organisation, thats why we need to knows the threats and devise strategies against the threats. In my assignment I will mention and explain here threats and organisations strategy in globalisation. Benefits of Globalisation Increase in Opportunities The opportunities for people increase by a large amount as the there is availability of large number of industries and resources. Globalisation makes more job opportunities for peoples this also opens the way for many people to moving abroad. Altimetry immigration rates increase as well. Thus it can say that this is the chance for many people to grow their economical and social life. For example, increase development in BPO sector in India there is more opportunity is now available for Indian public. competitive advantages for coca-cola company: An advantage of firm  has  over its competitors, allowing it  to generate greater sales or margins and/or  retain more customers than its competition.  There can be many types of competitive advantages including  the firms  cost structure, product offerings,  distribution network and customer support. For example, Pepsi is continually trying to maximize profits, minimize losses, and gaining more market share. Competitive advantage makes coca-cola stand out from its strong competitors such as Coca-Cola. Economies of Scale: If countries can specialise in certain goods they can benefit from economies of scale and lower average costs, this is especially true in industries with high fixed costs or that require high levels of investment. The benefits of economies of scale will ultimately lead to lower prices for consumers. For example, in UK the 10,000 mobile is made by 100 people and the cost of production is came 100,000 while in China same people make 50,000 mobile with same production cost. Challenges of Globalisation POLITICAL: In the overseas country you want to examine political policy for that organisation, which is coming from outside of their country because if the policy is rood and not in favour of good business environment, we cant expand our business in that country. We want also know the political stability of that country. Because if the government is working with other political parties, means in a situation of hung parliament they cannot taking decisions freely because of different thinking and different opinion. In this situation we want to change our strategies and change the country for our business. EXAMPLE: In India Enron project of UK established in west Bengal. It was a very big project. But because of internal politics project was stuck-down and company has got very big loss in very short time. After that they have left the project. Thats why we need to examine political stability and their behaviour for business environment. CULTURE: Culture is a main thing for every organization in the world. Like, dislike, different thinking, different languages, different food, different environment and different body structure Organization has to set their business in different condition. So they want train their employee, or select the employee of that country who are used to from it. EXAMPLE: In Pakistan their religious did not allow their women to wear fashionable cloths so the manufacture of fashion cloths are suffer for running their business successfully in Pakistan. DIFFERENT GOVERNMENT SYSTEM: Its a matter of low. Low about the tax, low about the income, and low about the government policy should be permanently. If we established our organization and after that they will change the low, we will affected by that and we will getting loss or our organization will collapse. Second thing is that before the business expands in other country we want to know the lows very well. EXAMPLE: If wine company established their organization in overseas country. But because of some reason government makes a new low against the wine. After that company or organization will collapsed. Question 2 Organisational Structure In an organization of any size or complexity, employees responsibilities typically are defined by what they do, who they report to, and for managers, who reports to them. Over time these definitions are assigned to positions in the organization rather than to specific individuals. The relationships among these positions are designed graphically in an organizational chart. The best organizational structure for any organization depends on many factors including the work it does; its size in terms of employees, revenue, and the geographic dispersion of its facilities; and the range of its businesses. As per globalisation there are mainly two structures are present. This structure is as: Divisional structure Matrix structure Network structure Mainly global company is use divisional structure for the organisation. There are two types of divisional structure means that the division is done by two different methods as, product division structure and geographical division structure. In product structure the division is done be product wise while in geographical structure the division is done by global region wise. But in general all structure has chairman, CEO, president, managers, etc. are in a proper manner which help organisation or company to achieve their goals. Based on net revenue, PepsiCo is the second largest food beverage business in the world which uses geographical structure. Within North America, PepsiCo is ranked (by net revenue) as the largest food and beverage business. Geographical division Structure Organizations that are spread over a wide area may find advantages in organizing along geographic lines so that all the activities performed in a region are managed together. In a large organization, simple physical separation makes centralized coordination more difficult. Also, important characteristics of a region may make it advantageous to promote a local focus. For example, marketing a product in Western Europe may have different requirements than marketing the same product in Southeast Asia. Companies that market products globally sometimes adopt a geographic structure. In addition, experience gained in a regional division is often excellent training for management at higher levels. From above structure of PepsiCo, inc. we can see that division is done in geographical region. At the top of the structure the chairman, president and CEO is president. And at the bottom of structure there is a different department like HRM, Finance, Manufacturing and Marketing. The person of bottom line has to report at the top persons. PepsiCo, Incorporated is a Fortune 500, American global corporation headquartered in Purchase, Harrison, New York, with interests in the manufacturing, marketing and distribution of grain-based snack foods, beverages, and other products. PepsiCo was formed in 1965 with the merger of the Pepsi-Cola Company and Frito-Lay, Inc. PepsiCo has since expanded from its namesake product Pepsi to a broader range of food and beverage brands, the largest of which include an acquisition of Tropicana in 1998 and a merger with Quaker Oats in 2001 which added the Gatorade brand to its portfolio as well. As of 2009, 19 of PepsiCos product lines generated retail sales of more than $1 billion each and the companys products were distributed across more than 200 countries, resulting in annual net revenues of $43.3 billion. This structure has been developed with as few layers between manufacturer, the dealer and the customer. By removing layers and giving leaders increased accountability, PepsiCo, inc. allow them to move faster and focus on what needs to be done. Section B Question 2: Business Ethics Ethics and compliance play a tremendous factor in the overall success of an organization. They are excellent tactics for building organizational trust and transparency. Ethics and compliance empowers the organization to minimize risk and maximize your culture of integrity. Role of Ethics and Compliance in Pepsi-Cola The Pepsi-Cola company is strongly committed to delivering sustained growth through empowered people acting responsibly and building trust, (PepsiCo Inc.,  2010). Pepsi-Cola aspires to be a environmentally and socially responsible company and upholds their commitment with six guiding principles: Take care of the customers and consumers; sell high quality products; always speak the truth; equally balance both short-term and long-term goals; win with both inclusion and diversity, and always respect others and succeed as a team. The compliance committee is responsible for managing Pepsi-Colas compliance program, using issue resolution strategies and making recommendations to support them. The Chief Compliance Official and Vice President, lead the Pepsi-Cola compliance program, and chairs Pepsi-Colas compliance committee. The compliance is broken down into four sub-committees. These subcommittees include: Anti-trust- which focuses on the organizations sales; Safety and Environment- which focuses on operations, fleet, plants, and the personnel that staffs them; Human Resources- which primarily relates to labour issues and employment; Finance- which encompasses all financial integrity, recent overlay of Sarbanes-Oxley, and the requirements that has been placed on the company. PepsiCo Procedures Ensuring Ethical Behaviour PepsiCo is committed to strict corporate standards to ensure accountability for the company actions. This is evident by the many corporate governance standards in place. The processes and policies that are in place include the Amended and Restated Articles of Incorporation, Audit Committee Charter, By-Laws, Compensation Committee Charter, Corporate Governance Guidelines, Disclosure Committee Charter, Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee Charter, and the Policy for Audit, Audit-Related and Non-Audit Services. The Amended and Restated Articles of Incorporation states the guidelines of the incorporation process regarding PepsiCo Inc. This includes the proper name of the company; that the company is to have perpetual existence; the official address; and the purpose of the organization being incorporated along with the product description as stated by North Carolina law (PepsiCo Inc.,  2010). The Audit Committee charter is the charter that handles the financial governance. It is made up of independent directors that have expertise in financial literacy, which guide and monitor the financial reporting and accounting policies of the company (PepsiCo Inc., 2010). The next area of governance is the company by-laws. The by-laws are the rules and procedures the company uses to run the company. These by-laws also document the expectations of the shareholders, officers, and directors of the company and the rights and power of each position (PepsiCo inc., 2010). Along with setting the rights and pow ers of the executive branch of the company is the need for monitoring and setting policies on compensation; therefore, the compensation committee charter was put into place. This committee is made up of entirely independent directors (PepsiCo Inc., 2010). It is important to implement successful ethics and compliance guidelines in any organization. PepsiCo utilizes compliance committees and guidelines which help to take the guesswork out of building risk reduction and setting forth standards of the highest ethical standards to ensure that the organization is running at optimal effectiveness comprehensively. These committees helps the organization to also meet unique ethics and compliance requirements that delivers sustained growth through empowered people acting responsibly and building trust. Question 2 Recommendation and Regulation of Corporate Governance Corporate governance is a set of relationship between a companys management, its board, its shareholders and other stakeholders. Corporate governance provides a structure in favour of organisational objective, means they can set the structure with objectives and they can monitor the performance as well. Good corporate governance should provide proper incentives for the board and management to pursue objectives that are in the interest of the company and shareholders and should facilitate effective monitoring, thereby encouraging firms or companies to use resources more efficiently. Corporate governance means The system by which companies is directed and controlled (Cadbury report, 1992) Implement a suitable recommendations and regulations in an organisation for the organisational objectives. The Cadbury committee has four recommendations for good corporate governance. The responsibilities of directors: The primary objectives of the Directors of the Board of Directors (the Board) of General Motors Company (GM or the Company) are to: 1) identify individuals qualified to serve as members of the Board and, where appropriate, recommend individuals to be nominated by the Board for election by the stockholders or to be appointed by the Board to fill vacancies consistent with the criteria approved by the Board; (2) develop and periodically review and assess a set of corporate governance guidelines applicable to the Company and make appropriate recommendations to the Board for adoption and, where appropriate, modification of such principles; (3) oversee an annual evaluation of the performance of the Board; (4) recommend to the Board the compensation of directors; and (5) perform a leadership role in shaping the Companys corporate governance practices and provide oversight with respect to its corporate governance conduct. The case for establishing audit committee: The purpose of the audit committee is to assist the General Motors board of directors in its oversight of the integrity of GMs financial statements, GMs compliance with legal and regulatory requirements, the qualifications and independence of the external auditors and the performance of GMs internal audit staff and external auditors. The committee shall: Independently and objectively monitor the effectiveness of GMs financial reporting process and systems of disclosure controls and internal controls; Review and appraise the audit process of GMs external auditors and internal audit staff; Provide for open, ongoing communications regarding GMs financial position and affairs between the Board and the external auditors, GMs financial and senior management, and GMs internal audit staff; Review GMs policies and compliance procedures regarding ethics and legal risk; Oversee the preparation of the Audit Committee Report for the annual proxy statement (to the extent applicable); and Provide periodic status reports to the Board. The principal responsibilities of auditors: Discuss with management and the external auditors the annual audited financial statements and quarterly financial statements (to the extent applicable) prior to filing. This will include Managements Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations and GMs earnings announcements, including the use of pro forma or adjusted non GAAP information, as well as financial information and earnings guidance provided to analysts and rating agencies, and the results of the external auditors reviews. These discussions may be general, covering the type of information to be disclosed and presentation to be made, and need not take place in advance. The Committee may be represented by the Chair or a subcommittee to review earnings announcements. Companies Act 2006: This regulation was reviewed in 2002 and it was implementing in late 2006. The main aim was improvement of corporate governance in UK. They add some new provisions which effect to shareholders, directors, auditors and company Secretaries. The act draws on the findings of the company law review proposal. The main point is as follow. . Good communication with shareholders through electronic communication system by company. . Service address of directors can be on public record instead of their home address. . Shareholders are not fully responsible for directors liability. . .Articles of association is carrying simple for private company. . Company secretary is not necessary in private company. . AGM of private company hold in some situation. . Shareholders will get all information more regular. . Institutional investors to disclose how they can use their vote Financial Services Authority: This regulation was reviewed in September 2006 by Financial Service Authority. Area of discussed was- corporate governance, continuing obligations and the financial information. The Turner review was published in 2009.The points were risk free remuneration policy, increase the independence of risk management functions and none executive directors required a skill and time commitment to effectively perform their role. Conclusion In the global business world the strategy and resources are not enough to fulfil organisational objectives. Along with the benefit globalisation has some drawback as well. Business needs good corporate governance effective business ethics and appropriate organisational structure. All these factors push organisation objectives towards success.

The Fibonacci Sequence and the Golden Ratio

The Fibonacci Sequence and the Golden Ratio The Fibonacci Sequence was firstly introduced by Leonardo of Pisa, known as  Fibonacci, in the year 1202. He studied on the population of rabbits. Firstly he assumed that a newly-born pair of rabbits, one male, one female, are put in a field; one month later, rabbits become adult and are able to mate so that at the end of its second month a female rabbit can produce another pair of rabbits; he also assumed that rabbits never die and a mating pair always produces one male and one female rabbit every month from the second month on. The question that Fibonacci posed was: how many pairs will there be in one year? At the end of the first month, the pair mate, however they dont produce a pair, therefore there is still one only 1 pair. At the end of the second month the couple produces a new pair, so now there are 2 pairs of rabbits in the field. One of them is adolescent and the other is leverets. At the end of the third month, the original pair produces a second pair, the leverets become adolescents hence a total of 3 pairs in all in the field. For the next month, two adolescent pairs produce two new pairs and the newly-born pair become adult. Therefore, our field consits five pairs of rabbits. The terms of the sequence are given as, The Golden Ratio is a special type of ratio that can be seen on many structure of living organisms and many objects. It is not only observed in the part of a whole subjects, but also in arts and architecture for centuries. The Golden ratio gives the most compatible sizes of geometric figures. In nature, The Golden Ratio can be seen on the bodies of human beings, shells and branches of trees.  For Platon, the keys of the cosmical physics is this ratio. Also, this ratio is widely believed that it is the most aesthetic ratio for a rectangle. The Golden Ratio, is an irrational number just as pi or e and its approximate value is 1,618033988à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ To define the Golden Ratio, ÃŽÂ ¦ or PHI is used. The Golden Ratio has been used for many years for different purposes. Some studies of the  Acropolis, the approximate value of golden ratio can be seen on many of its proportions. Parthenon is a typical example of this. The Parthenons facade including elements of its facade and elsewhere are said to be circumscribed by golden rectangles.  For many classical buildings, either the building itself or the elements of the buildings have a proportion which is equal to the golden ratio. This information gives a result that their architects most probably knew the golden ratio and consciously employed it in their buildings. On the other hand, the architects may use their senses and found a good proportion for their desgins, and their proportions closely approximate the golden ratio. Beside this, some analyses can always be questioned on the ground that the investigator chooses the points from which measurements are made or where to superimpose golden rectangles, and the proportions that a re observed are affected by the choices of the points. Some scholars disagree with the idea that Greeks had an aesthetic association with golden ratio. For instance, Midhat J. Gazalà © says, It was not until Euclid, however, that the golden ratios mathematical properties were studied. In the  Elements  (308 BC) the Greek mathematician merely regarded that number as an interesting irrational number, in connection with the middle and extreme ratios. Its occurrence in regular pentagons and decagons was duly observed, as well as in the dodecahedron (a  regular polyhedron  whose twelve faces are regular pentagons). It is indeed exemplary that the great Euclid, contrary to generations of mystics who followed, would soberly treat that number for what it is, without attaching to it other than its factual properties.[1]  In Keith Devlins opinion,  the claim that measurements of Parthenon is not supported by actual measurements even though the golden raito is observed. In fact, the entire story about the Greeks and golden ratio seems to be without foundation. The one thing we surely know that Euclid showed how to calculate its value, in his famous textbook  Elements, that was written around 300 BC.  Near-contemporary sources like  Vitruvius  exclusively discuss proportions that can be expressed in whole numbers, i.e. commensurate as opposed to irrational proportions. A geometrical analysis of the  Great Mosque of Kairouan  reveals a consistent application of the golden ratio throughout the design, according to Boussora and Mazouz.[22]  It is found in the overall proportion of the plan and in the dimensioning of the prayer space, the court, and the  minaret. Boussora and Mazouz also examined earlier archaeological theories about the mosque, and demonstrate the geometric constructions based on the golden ratio by applying these constructions to the plan of the mosque to test their hypothesis. The Swiss  architect  Le Corbusier, famous for his contributions to the  modern  international style, centered his design philosophy on systems of harmony and proportion. Le Corbusiers faith in the mathematical order of the universe was closely bound to the golden ratio and the Fibonacci series, which he described as rhythms apparent to the eye and clear in their relations with one another. And these rhythms are at the very root of human activities. They resound in man by an organic inevitability, the same fine inevitability which causes the tracing out of the Golden Section by children, old men, savages and the learned.[23] Le Corbusier explicitly used the golden ratio in his  Modulor  system for the  scale  of  architectural proportion. He saw this system as a continuation of the long tradition of  Vitruvius, Leonardo da Vincis Vitruvian Man, the work of  Leon Battista Alberti, and others who used the proportions of the human body to improve the appearance and function of  architecture. In addition to the golden ratio, Le Corbusier based the system on  human measurements,  Fibonacci numbers, and the double unit. He took Leonardos suggestion of the golden ratio in human proportions to an extreme: he sectioned his model human bodys height at the navel with the two sections in golden ratio, then subdivided those sections in golden ratio at the knees and throat; he used these golden ratio proportions in the  Modulor  system. Le Corbusiers 1927 Villa Stein in  Garches  exemplified the Modulor systems application. The villas rectangular ground plan, elevation, and inner structure closely approximate golden rectangles.[24] Another Swiss architect,  Mario Botta, bases many of his designs on geometric figures. Several private houses he designed in Switzerland are composed of squares and circles, cubes and cylinders. In a house he designed in  Origlio, the golden ratio is the proportion between the central section and the side sections of the house.[25] In a recent book, author Jason Elliot speculated that the golden ratio was used by the designers of the  Naqsh-e Jahan Square  and the adjacent Lotfollah mosque.[26] [edit]Painting Illustration from Luca Paciolis  De Divina Proportione  applies geometric proportions to the human face. Leonardo da Vincis illustrations of  polyhedra  in  De Divina Proportione  (On the Divine Proportion) and his views that some bodily proportions exhibit the golden ratio have led some scholars to speculate that he incorporated the golden ratio in his paintings.[27]  But the suggestion that hisMona Lisa, for example, employs golden ratio proportions, is not supported by anything in Leonardos own writings.[28] Salvador Dalà ­Ã‚  explicitly used the golden ratio in his masterpiece,  The Sacrament of the Last Supper. The dimensions of the canvas are a golden rectangle. A huge dodecahedron, with edges in golden ratio to one another, is suspended above and behind Jesus and dominates the composition.[2]HYPERLINK http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Golden_ratio#cite_note-28#cite_note-28[29] Mondrian  used the golden section extensively in his geometrical paintings.[30] A statistical study on 565 works of art of different great painters, performed in 1999, found that these artists had not used the golden ratio in the size of their canvases. The study concluded that the average ratio of the two sides of the paintings studied is 1.34, with averages for individual artists ranging from 1.04 (Goya) to 1.46 (Bellini).[31]  On the other hand, Pablo Tosto listed over 350 works by well-known artists, including more than 100 which have canvasses with golden rectangle and root-5 proportions, and others with proportions like root-2, 3, 4, and 6.[32] 3. Math in Arts: Carla Farsi  straddles two fields that many people believe are diametrically opposed: as well as being a professor of mathematics at the University of Colorado at Boulder, she is a working, exhibiting artist. After years of pursuing both interests separately she declared 2005 her Special Year for Art and Maths, and in an impressive effort put on various exhibitions, classes, movies, lectures, concerts, plays and an international conference all to deepen the understanding of the relationship between maths and art. Plus interviewed her to find out just what this relationship is about, and what it feels like to have a foot in both worlds. Painting by numbers? When you look at some of Carlas artwork, you might be forgiven not to recognise any maths in it. Some of her installations in particular appear impulsive, even disordered, and made from recycled objects belong very much to the realm of reality. There are no meticulously worked out geometrical patterns, intricate fractals or perfectly recreated perspectives, as you might expect from an artist-mathematician. So what makes the connection between maths and art? Is there more to it than the fact that maths underlies patterns and perspective? Visualisation is one of the main points, Carla says, especially in geometry you can prove things visually, and the pictures can say as much as the actual theorem. But you can even go beyond geometry. Something that is logical, that makes a mathematical theorem, also makes some kind of a visual statement about structure and composition. Its almost like a piece of art, it has its own structure, logic, meaning. In a mathematicians head, the mathematica l ideas, even if theyre very abstract, can appear to be almost visual, intuitive. Carla thinks that with the advance of computers, the visual and artistic aspects of maths will become more and more prominent: Computers are developing so fast and we dont really know yet what they could do for us in the future. Maybe one day it will be sufficient to think about the images involved in a mathematical idea or proof, and a computer will compute the underlying equations for us. Right now, just drawing a picture is often not enough a proper proof has to be more rigorous than that. But computers are already being used to prove theorems [seePlus  article  Welcome to the maths lab], and maybe one day a mathematician could simply present the computer with a picture, and the computer will be able to read off the maths in it. In this way, mathematicians could spend more time on the creative aspects of maths having the ideas and computers could do the boring, automatic parts. At that point maths may be closer to art than it appears now. So, what does it  feel  like, being an artist and a mathematician at the same time? Does proving a theorem feel very different from creating a piece of art? No, the two dont feel very different. Of course, when youre doing maths, youre bound by rules much more than when youre doing art. In art you can change the rules what you initially planned to do half-way through, and I do that a lot. In fact, even if Ive made up some rules at the beginning, I often find that Im unable to stick to them, the practicalities involved force me to seek other routes. Do Carlas motivation for doing maths and her inspiration to do art come from the same place? Yes, I certainly think so, Im absolutely positive about that. There is the same kind of fascination for me in both maths and art. Its all about expressing ideas, and sometimes maths works better and other times its art. Maths and art are just two different languages that can be used to express the same ideas. In some periods of my life Im more attracted by the rigour and formality of maths, and at other times I prefer art. I think maths and art are just different languages that can be used to express the same ideas. What are these ideas? Thats a very difficult question! I think its how I relate to the world, how I see and understand the world. I feel a relationship with certain objects, or objects of the mind, and I want to express that. For example, I may be touched by the idea of an explosion [Carla indeed painted a series of pictures on the subject of Hiroshima], and to express it, I may prefer to use art, bright colours. If I want to express or understand something more formal, maths may be better-suited. Numbers by painting But Carla didnt put on her Special Year just in order to contemplate those deep connections. First and foremost, she wants to open up the world of maths to those who are scared of it, or feel that it has nothing to do with real life. Emphasising the visual and creative aspects of maths might make people like it more. I created a course at my university, aimed at non-maths students, which teaches maths using the visual arts. I think this could also be of great benefit to maths students, and here we could teach the more formal mathematical ideas. Carla uses paintings and sculptures both to give an overall feel for the subject and to illustrate concrete maths objects and problems. An area that benefits most from the visual approach is topology. This branch of maths studies the nature of geometric objects by allowing them to distort and change. Think of a knot in an elastic band: its defining feature, the way the band winds around itself, remains the same even when you stretch the band. In this spirit, topologists regard any two objects that can be deformed into each other without tearing to be one and the same thing have a look at  Plusarticle  In space, do all roads lead home?  to see how a coffee cup can be turned into a doughnut. Carla teaches topological ideas and methods using the sculptures of North American artistHelaman Ferguson, and also the works of Catalan architect  Antoni Gaudà ­. I usually ask students to bring playdough to the maths class. Fergusons work in particular is good for illustrating the solutions to concrete mathematical problems, such as how to unknot a knot: I usually present first the puzzle and then give them some hints to see if we can work out the solution together. Usually I also ask students to bring playdough to this class, so that we can work hands on. After we have worked out the maths I show them a piece by Ferguson that beautifully illustrate the result. With Gaudà ­ I am a bit more loose. I introduce him when I talk about topological transformations of surfaces and also when I talk about spirals. Some of his work illustrates well the concept of topological deformation and I use it for that, as a general example. This is also useful when students ask (as they often do) how mathematics relates to things they see in the real world. Of course, no class on maths and the visual arts would be complete without fractals. Their often astonishing beauty comes from their infinite intricacy: no matter how closely you zoom in on a fractal, what you see is still extremely complicated and crinkly. Whats more, it often looks similar to the whole fractal, a phenomenon called self-similarity (see the box on the  Von Koch Snowflakebelow). There are various mathematical techniques to measure the crinkliness of a fractal, and Carla teaches them in her classes with the aid of fractals that occur in nature and art: I teach my students how to compute the fractal dimension of a fractal. First I show them some examples from art and other fields, especially nature. Then we study the technique formally, and then apply it to images of fractal art. We also work out the fractal dimension of some of the original examples I presented them with. As Carla points out, there are paintings containing fractals that were never consciously intended by the artist: mathematicians have shown that the drip paintings by abstract expressionist Jackson Pollock can be identified by their own particular fractal structures (see  Plus  article  Fractal expressionism). Symmetry is another concept that is as visual as it is mathematical. We can perceive it almost subconsciously and it has been argued that it plays a vital role in our perception of beauty yet it opens the door to a wealth of mathematical structure. A square, for example, has 8 symmetries: you can reflect it in the vertical, horizontal or diagonal axes, you can rotate it through 90, 180 or 270 degrees, or you can simply do nothing and leave it as it is. Each of these transformations is called a symmetry, because after youve done it, the square appears to be exactly as it was before. If you put all these 8 symmetries together, you get a self-contained system: whenever you combine two of them, by first doing one and then the other, you get one of the other symmetries in your set try it! Such a self-contained system of symmetries is called a  group, and symmetry groups are the gateway to abstract algebra. A simple visual consideration lands you in the thick of some quite advanced ma thematics!

My Childhood Memory Essay -- essays research papers

My Childhood Memory I remember it like yesterday. We were all waiting patiently for my father to come home from the race track. He promised me and my sister that if he won, he would take us all to Rye Playland. The minutes felt like hours. It was the longest hour of my life. Then finally we heard the car door shut. Me and my sister ran to the front door anxiously waiting for the news. He opened the door and walked in. We tried to read the expression on his face but of course he was looking down while taking his sneakers off. The suspense was killing us. Then he looked up. No words were spoken between us and our father. He just gave us a blank stare. I didn't know what to think. I was scared to ask because I was so worried of the response. It was that moment when he said to us, "Well kids, pick out what your going to wear to Rye playland this weekend." Excitement just jumped through out my whole body. We both ran over and gave him the biggest hug and ran upstairs to pick out what we were g oing to bring with us. I was so excited for the next two days, I probably only got about 4 hours sleep. Then the day finally came. It was Saturday. It was the only time in my life I was happy to hear the alarm clock go off. Of course I was already awake for two hours before it actually went off, but I waited anyway. I jumped out of... My Childhood Memory Essay -- essays research papers My Childhood Memory I remember it like yesterday. We were all waiting patiently for my father to come home from the race track. He promised me and my sister that if he won, he would take us all to Rye Playland. The minutes felt like hours. It was the longest hour of my life. Then finally we heard the car door shut. Me and my sister ran to the front door anxiously waiting for the news. He opened the door and walked in. We tried to read the expression on his face but of course he was looking down while taking his sneakers off. The suspense was killing us. Then he looked up. No words were spoken between us and our father. He just gave us a blank stare. I didn't know what to think. I was scared to ask because I was so worried of the response. It was that moment when he said to us, "Well kids, pick out what your going to wear to Rye playland this weekend." Excitement just jumped through out my whole body. We both ran over and gave him the biggest hug and ran upstairs to pick out what we were g oing to bring with us. I was so excited for the next two days, I probably only got about 4 hours sleep. Then the day finally came. It was Saturday. It was the only time in my life I was happy to hear the alarm clock go off. Of course I was already awake for two hours before it actually went off, but I waited anyway. I jumped out of...

methods of persuasion Essay -- essays research papers

Methods of Persuasion When one thinks of government controversy, you cannot help but think of the United States. This issue is usually about how the government deals with one’s rights. Throughout history there have been many that have struggled for freedom against our so-called controversial government. Three writers each had their own specific experience with this government. Although each of these arguments relies on different methods of persuasion, Henry Thoreau, Virginia Wolf, and Fredrick Douglas all suggested that there is definitely something wrong with the United States’ system of government. The following essay will address these author’s arguments and discuss how the role of each writers’ methods of persuasion played an important role in convincing the readers as well as getting their attention. After spending a night in jail Henry Thoreau talked about the problem with the government and how they dealt with rights. The reason he was put in jail was because he refused to pay taxes that he believed was being spent on the Mexican War. Throughout the text he shows how much he disliked the way government was going. Thoreau had a strong belief that the system was going the wrong way and the only way to put it back on track was to rebel against the rules, just as he had. He wrote that in order to make the changes we must take chances and make sacrifices even if it landed us in jail. Thoreau uses a monologue as his method to persuade the readers. The main goal in his writi...

Lebanon Essay example -- Lebanese History, Religion, Politics

In the United States, citizens take their freedom and rights on numerous things for granted. Different countries, such as Lebanon, do not get to experience the wide range privileges we have grown accustomed to in America. Settled in the western party of Asia, Lebanon appears to be a quiet and calm country. But Lebanese citizens constantly debate and fight over their country’s status on controversial and different human rights, such as laws against the gays and their country’s women’s right, on a daily basis. Lebanon is a country very well known for its strict religious Muslims upbringing (Lebanon 2011). Because of the country’s religious background, sexual relations and sexuality remains a notorious topic that is not discuss amongst others. According to Article 534 of the Lebanese Penal Code, it is forbidden to participate in sexual relations that go against what the Lebanese citizens consider as laws of nature, such as homosexuality, adultery, sodomy, and fornication. If they were to be caught, punishment of a year or more in prison will be the result of the crime (LGBT rights in Lebanon 2011). Not only does Lebanon’s laws and strict religion prevents citizens in partaking what they consider a devious act, their society also plays a large role in attempting to stop homosexuality to spread throughout their country. In 2003, Lebanese media reported a situation at a Dunkin Donuts store, where the general manager refused to serve any customers that are gay or appear to be gay looking. Her defense for her action was that she wanted to reassure the parents of the children that came by were being protected and taken care of (LGBT rights in Lebanon 2011). If a scenario similar to this had happen in the United States, the general mange... ...establishes a balance of power among the major religious groups in the country (Human Rights in Lebanon 2011). More than half the population in Lebanon consider themselves as Muslims, while only 39% are Christians (Lebanon 2011). In this case, Muslims would be placed higher in authority and power compared to Christians. Generally the government respects all aspects of religions, but when it comes to politics, usually the superior religion will win the office (Human Rights in Lebanon 2011). Many of Lebanon’s human rights in their country are considered unreasonable and unfamiliar to American citizens who take their constitutional rights for granted. Regardless of the United States’ fortunate human rights act, Lebanon is a country of its own; it’s not America. Whenever they are ready, Lebanon will make new laws and changes that best suits its modernized country. Lebanon Essay example -- Lebanese History, Religion, Politics In the United States, citizens take their freedom and rights on numerous things for granted. Different countries, such as Lebanon, do not get to experience the wide range privileges we have grown accustomed to in America. Settled in the western party of Asia, Lebanon appears to be a quiet and calm country. But Lebanese citizens constantly debate and fight over their country’s status on controversial and different human rights, such as laws against the gays and their country’s women’s right, on a daily basis. Lebanon is a country very well known for its strict religious Muslims upbringing (Lebanon 2011). Because of the country’s religious background, sexual relations and sexuality remains a notorious topic that is not discuss amongst others. According to Article 534 of the Lebanese Penal Code, it is forbidden to participate in sexual relations that go against what the Lebanese citizens consider as laws of nature, such as homosexuality, adultery, sodomy, and fornication. If they were to be caught, punishment of a year or more in prison will be the result of the crime (LGBT rights in Lebanon 2011). Not only does Lebanon’s laws and strict religion prevents citizens in partaking what they consider a devious act, their society also plays a large role in attempting to stop homosexuality to spread throughout their country. In 2003, Lebanese media reported a situation at a Dunkin Donuts store, where the general manager refused to serve any customers that are gay or appear to be gay looking. Her defense for her action was that she wanted to reassure the parents of the children that came by were being protected and taken care of (LGBT rights in Lebanon 2011). If a scenario similar to this had happen in the United States, the general mange... ...establishes a balance of power among the major religious groups in the country (Human Rights in Lebanon 2011). More than half the population in Lebanon consider themselves as Muslims, while only 39% are Christians (Lebanon 2011). In this case, Muslims would be placed higher in authority and power compared to Christians. Generally the government respects all aspects of religions, but when it comes to politics, usually the superior religion will win the office (Human Rights in Lebanon 2011). Many of Lebanon’s human rights in their country are considered unreasonable and unfamiliar to American citizens who take their constitutional rights for granted. Regardless of the United States’ fortunate human rights act, Lebanon is a country of its own; it’s not America. Whenever they are ready, Lebanon will make new laws and changes that best suits its modernized country.

How Native American Mascot Controversy Affects U.S. Reputation

The debate over Native American mascots in both the NCAA and in professional sports leagues has stirred up plenty of emotions in all sides over the last few years. Individuals with all different perspectives from all different walks of life have come out in support and in protest of the inclusion of Native American mascots for certain universities and teams. The side that opposes the use of these mascots has been the most interesting, because their perspective is something new and foreign to most. In their arguments, they have used plenty of examples for why the use of such mascots is degrading and harmful. Though their reasons are many, these people have not taken a keen interest in proving that the use of Native American mascots might damage the American reputation abroad. Their efforts have been centered more on what effect these representations might have on individuals within the United States, as opposed to worrying about what others might think of the United States. There is, however, an accommodation in the critical statements that indicate that such mascot representations do not follow the American ideals of equality, in light of social movements that have happened over the last few decades. The primary basis for argument seems to remove itself entirely from such assertions. After all, the majority of these special interest groups appear to be heading their own agenda and not holding dear the reputation of the American people. Along those lines, the people in charge of stirring up the commotion have set their focus onto other aspects of the debate. The reasons for that decision are many, but most feel that this sort of strategy is the most effective way to present the argument. Among the most popular arguments against Native American mascots are those that assert the misrepresentation of the Native American people. A telling article by Anil Adyanthaya of the Boston Globe speaks to this fact and outlines the motivation for the infighting. In particular, the article suggests reasons why people are against Native American mascots, not why folks are in support of them. In the 2005 article, Adyanthaya writes, â€Å"The two main arguments against the continued use of Native American mascots are that they are racist and demeaning to Native Americans. A review of the mascots used by the 30 schools under NCAA review lends credence to that position, as the Savages of Southeastern Oklahoma State University and the Redmen of Carthage College seem particularly troublesome† (Adyanthaya). This quote is representative of the entire article. In this article, the author asserts that the question of racism is a much more important one than any of the other arguments. He even goes so far as to give examples of how the racism is present in some of the names. Though this article is not the only one on the topic, it is a good representation of how protesters of Native American mascot names are feeling at the moment. After some research, it is easy to see that the majority of dissenters are spending their time focusing on how the Natives themselves feel about the issue. Along these lines, one can easily see how the focus of the entire ordeal is much more domestic than it is broad. In fact, there is little evidence from any of the protesting groups to suggest that they have any care for the reputation of the United States abroad. Where do the Native Americans stand on the issue? Depending upon where one might go or who they might choose to ask, the answer could be very different. According to that same Boston Globe article, the results are surprising. Though perception is that Native Americans have been opposed to the use of Native American mascot representations, the actual opinions offer something of a contradictory view. In that same article, Adyanthaya writes, â€Å"One poll on this subject suggests strongly that Native Americans reject this implied fragility. In a 2002 survey published by Sports Illustrated, 81 percent of Native Americans responding disagreed with the suggestion that schools should stop using Native American mascots† (Adyanthaya). That is not where the focus of the protesters exists, though. There is significant evidence to say that those against the mascot uses are not to be swayed by overriding statistics such as the one mentioned in the Boston Globe article. Instead, these are people that set their primary focus to the individual stories. This provides another indication that they do not worry about what the American reputation might look like on a global scale. An eSports Media article by Dr. Jessica Johnson speaks to this focus on the individual. In her article, Johnson specifically describes the plight of the Sioux Indian tribe. She writes, â€Å"Members of the Spirit Lake Sioux tribe recently presented a resolution demanding modification of the University of North Dakota’s Fighting Sioux logo. Tribal members said the school’s Indian-head emblem is ‘dishonorable and an affront to the dignity and well being’ of its community† (Johnson). The Spirit Lake Sioux tribe is one of the few tribes that are leading the fight to ban Native American mascots and their cries are primarily focused on respecting their ancestors. Never in the reading material provided by the tribe is there any mention of the stigma that the United States might have to fight as a result of keeping a hold of Native American representations as mascots. The American Indian Movement is another group that has made their presence felt throughout the entire debate. Since the beginning of the controversy, they have taken a hard line stand on Native American mascots and have done what they could to make sure that derogatory names are done away with before it is too late. By all accounts, this is one of the leading groups to look to in order to see the overriding reasons behind the debate. According to this group, the concern has much more to do with the young men and women that might be affected by the misrepresentation of different Native American tribes. According to the American Indian Movement, risk exists that Native Americans could become a running joke if the mascots are allowed to continue. An article by Phyllis Raybin Emert of the New Jersey State Bar Foundation has published a comprehensive breakdown of this group’s stance on the issue. In her article, she writes, â€Å"Opponents of Native American mascots and nicknames are not concerned about the cost and use words such as disrespectful and hurtful, degrading and humiliating to describe what they believe is racial stereotyping. They regard the mascots as caricatures of real Indians that trivialize and demean native dances and sacred Indian rituals† (Emert). This, in effect, sums up the stance of those that want the Universities to drop their Native American mascots. There is another side to this debate that should be addressed, as well. Individuals that stand by the use of Native American mascots have their own reasons for their stance, as well. For the most part, these people have no reason to resort to citing American reputation around the world, either. For the most part, they stand by traditions and the fact that the usual representation that is given by these mascots is a decent one. In many cases, the mascots are used to pay homage to a tribe of American Indians in the area where the school operates. One excellent example of this is Syracuse University, home to the newly named â€Å"Orange†. For decades, Syracuse had given its athletic teams free use of the nickname â€Å"Orangemen†, but in the last few years, that has changed. This is one university where the origin of the nickname was done in order to honor the tribe that occupied the area where they now study and play. According to According to C. Richard King in his book, Team Spirits: The Native American Mascot Controvery, Syracuse even went so far as to name its school newspaper after the native tribe. In his book, King writes, â€Å"The frequent use of Indian images and metaphors, allusions to the local landscapes natural beauty, and even an illustration of natives resting reverently in front of a distant silhouette of the fine arts building demonstrate a student-generated image centered on Indianness† (King). For Syracuse and many of the other universities that are now being forced to defend their long standing traditions, the challenge is to get people to get in line with that their intent was when the mascots were put into place. There is no time, nor is there a desire to care for the American reputation abroad. Everyone involved in this debate has their own motives which must be kept in mind when studying the ordeal. For those that want the Native American images banned, the goal is to protect the image of American Indians, so that those who come after can see these people in a realistic sense. For them, it is also about fighting off racism and making sure that the American Indian tribes are not angered by the representations. On the other side of the debate, a different motive exists for people who have an interest in protecting their long standing traditions. For them, it is much more about protecting the University or team’s image and not cowering under the pressure presented by the activist groups. As Carol Spindel wrote in her popular book, Dancing at Halftime: Sports and the Controversy Over American Indian Mascots, â€Å"However long time fans and alumni are being asked to give up an identity they’re attached to. Fans assert that naming teams after Indians is a positive way to honor them† (Spindel). As this author indicates, there are strong feelings on both sides of this debate, with each side having a vested interest. Nowhere, however, is there a mention of people caring what other countries think about America when considering the mascot controversy. Though plenty of highly diverse reasons exist within this complicated dynamic, there is no evidence that exists which shows that the reputation of America is on the mind of any of the people involved. Works Cited Adyanthaya, Anil. The Boston Globe. Sports, Mascots, and Native Americans. 5 June 2005. Emert, Phyllis Raybin. Native American Mascots: Racial Slur or Cherished Tradition? Johnson, Dr. Jessica. eSports Media. Native Americans have Right to Protest Mascots. 11 September 2005. http://www.e-sports.com/articles/822/1/Native-Americans-have-right-to-protest-mascots/Page1.html King, C. Richard. Team Spirits: The Native American Mascot Controversy. 1 February 2001. Lincoln, NE: University of Nebraska Press. Spindel, Carol. Dancing at Halftime: Sports and the Controversy over American Indian Mascots. 1 October 2002. New York, NY: NYU Press.      

Discuss Austen(TM)s use of Mr Elliot in Persuasion

Austen uses Mr Elliot in various ways in Persuasion, this ranges from gaining an insight into other people's characters to contributing to the romance genre. Austen mainly uses Mr Elliot as a plot device in Book Two of the novel after Anne's arrival in Bath. The use of Mr Elliot's character can be tied into most of the major themes of the novel. The first mention of Mr Elliot in Persuasion is in the fist chapter of Book One. We find out that he is the heir presumptive to the Baronetcy, through Sir Walter who is reading the Baronetage. We can see that this is important to Sir Walter as he has added, â€Å"Heir presumptive, William Walter Elliot, Esq.† to the pages in the book referring to the Elliot's. This shows how class conscious Sir Walter is, it is blatantly obvious that Austen is ridiculing Sir Walter for being too class conscious. However later in the novel we see that whilst she does not approve of how class conscious Sir Walter is, Austen is still a woman of her time and we see that she is class conscious, through Anne's reactions, but not to the degree that Sir Walter is. In the same chapter we also find out more about Mr Elliot's past relationship with the Elliot family, in particular with Elizabeth and Sir Walter, to an extent. We see that Mr Elliot has disappointed her, â€Å"the heir presumptive †¦ had disappointed her† even though she had â€Å"found him extremely agreeable†. However instead of marrying Elizabeth, Mr Elliot sought independence and married â€Å"a rich woman of inferior birth.† This leads to all acquaintance between the ceasing as Mr Elliot had slighted Sir Walter and had â€Å"shewn himself as unsolicitous of being longer noticed by the family†. The next time we meet Mr Elliot is in the last chapter of Book One, where Anne and the Musgroves are in Lyme with Captain Wentworth. This chapter is where Mr Elliot sees Anne for the first time and where he is first seen as a potential rival for Anne's attention and affection, â€Å"Anne's face caught his eye, and he looked at her with a degree of earnest admiration†. Wentworth in turn notices how Mr Elliot looks at Anne and even he can â€Å"see something like Anne Elliot again†. Mr Elliot paying attention to Anne shows that se is once again in â€Å"bloom†. In this chapter through Anne and the others in Lyme that Mr Elliot is in mourning, therefore his wife has only died relatively recently. When the ‘mystery gentleman' is identified as Mr Elliot by the party in Lyme, we see that Austen highlights Mary's class snobbery. We next see Mr Elliot in Chapter Three of Book Two, however the reaction to him is much more positive than it was in the first book. We see that despite his previous grievances against them Elizabeth and Sir Walter readily forgive Mr Elliot and are even happy to renew their acquaintance. In this chapter we see that the relationship between Mr Elliot and Anne improves and we see that he is clearly attracted to her. This is where the possibility of Mr Elliot standing as a rival against Wentworth for Anne's affections becomes a reality. In the next chapter Austen uses Mr Elliot to show how fickle Lady Russell is. We see here that she feels that he could not be â€Å"a more agreeable or estimable man† and that â€Å"Everything united in him; good understanding, correct opinions, knowledge of the world, and a warm heart†. This directly contrast her feeling in Chapter Fourteen where she states that â€Å"he is a man whom [she has] no wish to see† and that he had â€Å"left a very strong impression in his disfavour† with her when he declined to be â€Å"on cordial terms with the head of his family†. Here we also see that Mr Elliot is not as class conscious as Sir Walter and Elizabeth but he is more class conscious than Anne. In the next chapters Mr Elliot becomes even more of an obstacle in Anne and Wentworth's relationship. We see what Anne's opinion of him is; she thinks that whilst â€Å"Mr Elliot is an exceedingly agreeable man† he was â€Å"too generally agreeable†. This shows how shrewd Anne is, compared with the rest of her family and her close friends. Austen uses Mr Elliot more in the second half of the novel in order to distract Anne's attention away from Wentworth. This can be seen in Chapter Twenty during the concert held for the benefit of a person patronised by Lady Dalrymple. We see that Mr Elliot successfully monopolises a lot of Anne's time, which in turn makes Wentworth jealous. Wentworth now knows that he is still in love with Anne due to the attention she is receiving from Mr Elliot, but again due to the obstacle Mr Elliot presents he can not make his feelings known to Anne. However after Mrs Smith unmasks Mr Elliot for Anne after the concert, we see him for who he truly is. Here Wentworth and Mr Elliot can be compared and you can clearly see who the better person is out of the two. Wentworth is everything that Mr Elliot is not, for example Wentworth is open and spontaneous whereas Mr Elliot is polished and conceals his emotions. Another example where the two can be compared is when Wentworth helps Mrs Smith when Mr Elliot deserted her in her time of need after the death of her husband. Here Austen clearly wants to show the differences between the two characters, and it highlights how Wentworth is from a lower class and has made his own fortune through hard work and how Mr Elliot stands to inherit his fortune whilst not even being half the man Wentworth is. In conclusion it could be said that Mr Elliot is of vital significance to the novel and that Austen uses him to further the plot, especially between Anne and Wentworth. He is used to show the characters and the readers that even though he is from the upper classes it does not mean that he is better than any one else. This brings up the theme of the changing ideal of the gentlemen in Persuasion. Austen also uses him throughout the novel in relation to the major themes, for example family as well as love.